Runner Up Part 4

Notes: Sorry for the length between postings, between my fury over episode 5 and a vacation, this story has been far from my mind. I did find the events in 506 to be a little more palatable. So this installment is a combined post ep to 505 and 506. Hayley is starting to show her true colors and based on a photo and quote from next week's ep, I think she is really going after Annie.

***555***

"You've reached Auggie…" Hayley hung up before listening to his voice mail greeting again.

Where was he? Why was he dodging her calls?

Hayley knew Walker was on assignment, Joan Campbell told her in no uncertain terms that she would have Annie call her when she was available for the follow up questions Hayley had. Hayley had seen a lot of tight-vested spies in her day, but this DPD gang was like a vise grip.

Auggie must have gone on the mission with her, she hadn't seen him in the DPD, she had stopped by his place and the one time he did pick up the phone she was certain she heard a siren that sounded decidedly European in the background.

Hayley was unsure why Auggie would be in country with Walker, he usually ran point from Langley, but she did know one thing, the two of them had the most unusual 'working' relationship she had ever seen and she didn't like it.

The Chicago investigation was going nowhere, the leads dried up with the death of the NSA mole. If there was anything more the DPD was not sharing it with her. With nothing better to investigate, Hayley turned her attention to Annie Walker, she was definitely hiding something, Hayley just hoped it wasn't an ongoing relationship with Auggie.

***555***

The beer hurt going down as Auggie listened to Hayley threaten Annie. He had no doubt that is what she was doing. She herself was threatened by Annie so now she was in a position to turn the tables. And Annie was in a position to be vulnerable, hell so was he, but it was Annie's life that he felt he held in the balance, felt he had always held since the first day they met. So Auggie smiled and thanked Hayley for her candor and headed directly to Joan.

After he talked to Joan, Auggie took the coil of frustration in his gut and headed to the gym. Against the heavy bag he poured out all his frustration, all the conflict and emotion swirling inside him. In the back of his mind he knew, he knew this was going to happen eventually, his penchant for a casual relationship would come back and bite him in the ass. Now 2 women he truly cared for were at risk and he had to play loving boyfriend to a vindictive power-hungry manipulator.

"Dude, go easy, that bag has never done anything to you," Barber scoffed as he headed to the punching bag.

"I am having a sucky day," Auggie dropped his gloved-hands to his sides and heaved in a breath.

"You heard about Annie," Barber sighed, "she's fine."

"Wait, what happened with Annie?" Auggie turned toward Eric.

"Wow, you are that worked up and you didn't hear. Maybe you should ask Joan, Annie just checked in," Barber physically distanced himself from Auggie who stalked toward his voice, sweat dripping off of him.

"Eric, please tell me what happened to Annie?" Auggie felt his own heart racing unnaturally.

The thing with keeping Annie's secret for her was it made him feel even more responsible for her than he ever did before. He had no idea if what she was doing was suicidal or just plain old risky.

"Ivan made her, drugged her, tied her up and roughed her up pretty good, but she is OK. Ivan's in custody," Barber ended with the good news.

"How is she OK?" Auggie brought a sweaty forearm to his sweaty face and tried to catch his breath.

"That guy, McQuaid, happened to be there. He shot him before he had a chance to finish Annie."

"You said he drugged her?"

"GHB," Barber grimaced.

"Oh God," Auggie dropped his head down.

GHB had massive cardiac implications, not to mention being an infamous date rape drug.

"He didn't…, she wasn't…" Barber babbled and Auggie nodded putting him out of his misery.

"Thanks Barber," Auggie turned precisely and made his way back to his cane and water bottle.

He may hate the play, but there was no way he was walking away from Hayley now. Annie put herself at enough risk every day, the least he could do was watch her flank when he could, whatever it took.

TBC…