Jack stretched out his hand toward his bedside looking for his cell phone. Looking at the time he replied the call wondering who was at that time. The number on the screen was unknown to him.
"Hello," he said with a hoarse voice. Clearing his throat he tried to understand what someone was saying but the sleepiness and the noise hampered it. "¡Hey, I don't understand you, who is it?"
"Excuse me, agent Malone. I've just took your phone number from one of your agents who has you as an emergency cont…"
Jack sat up immediately. Sam was the first person he thought about.
"Excuse me that I'm interfering in a personal subject, but I think you should come around. I'm Mark, I don't know if you remember me, from the bar you usually meet…"
"Yes, I know who you are. I'm there right now."
Getting clothes quickly, Jack picked up the keys of his car and went out in search of Sam. What would have happened to her? He wondered as he drove fast. Fortunately, the traffic at that time wasn't to heavy at that time. A quick glance to the clock in the car told him it was 4.20am.
Holding him by the shoulders, Jack looked at him furiously. "It's been just three glasses, agent Malone," Mark explained. "But I know that agent Taylor never drink and the reaction he was having wasn't normal. You're his emergency contact in the cell phone so I thought that…"
"It's okay, thanks Mark," Jack cut him, still surprised as finding Danny in that state. "Come on Danny, let's go back home, right?"
Danny barely said nothing, just some bubbling words Jack wasn't able to understand. He introduced him into the car, praying that he wouldn't vomit and drove towards Queens. The fresh air in the night and the events had woken him up completely. What had made Danny going fall down like that after so many years of sobriety? He couldn't know. Thinking about the last cases he had been working he couldn't find anything relevant; maybe the reason was a woman, but it wasn't like Danny's behavior and throwing all his sobriety years for it; then he thought about Rafi and that was the best explanation he could think about.
With a certain difficulty, he went into the building and pushed him into the elevator which took them to the five floor. Fishing into Danny's pockets, Jack found the keys of his apartment and opened it. Switching on the lights, he took Danny directly to the bathroom, where he helped him to take off his clothes. He probably wouldn't remember anything the next morning. Leaving run the water for a while until it was almost cold, he make Danny enter in the shower. Danny protested something but he couldn't help but doing what he was being asked.
Jack looked for some clean clothes and helped him to get dressed before taking him to the kitchen where made him sit. Danny leaned his head on the table, as Jack put water to boil and looked for some ingredients to add.
Once it was ready, he forced Danny to drink a hot cup of that recipe and waited for a moment. The drink had the wished effect and Danny vomited all the content in his stomach in the sink. He probably would feel terrible but he wouldn't remember that the next morning either.
Once he felt better, Jack took him to his bedroom and helped him to lean on the bead. Danny, once again, protested, bubbling some words, but Jack ordered him to shut up. He stayed for a moment until Danny got deeply asleep. Then, he looked for a paper and a pen, and left a note on his bedside, beside a pill.
"Eat this and come to see me when you're ready. Jack."
He remained leaned on the door, to see that everything was all right and then he headed to the entrance.
It was then, when he noticed the messy desk before the tv. He noticed the opened notebook, the documents all in disorder. Approaching, he picked up a paper… what he read was enough to find the reason why Danny had ended in that bar and in that state.
He stared at those documents. What was that? And why has Danny got it? Looking at the time, he realized it was already time to leave for work, although a call from the office made him drive to a small share apartment where a student at the University was missing leaving the house like a mess. Her classmate had found the weird situation when she's back from vacation and after calling her classmate and not getting any answer.
They were on the field along the morning and now in front of the whiteboard they tried to figure out the last twenty-four hours in the life of Lindsay Murphy. Martin, Sam or Vivian had noticed the tired face of Jack, even though, focusing on the case, they hadn't say anything about it. They also had noticed Danny's absence, who they thought it would be in the office collecting information about the case and whom didn't find there around when they came back.
Short after half past two, they saw him going into the bullpen and as he headed to his desk, Jack pointed his own office.
Vivian shook her head and looked at Jack worried. Martin frowned and tried to guess what was going on. Sam was still looking at the whiteboard, trying to find any lead to fill in the blanks in Lindsay Murphy's life. She didn't had any room for more problems than hers, those ghosts that resisted to leave her mind.
Danny waited impatiently in Jack's office. Stepping around, his heart beating increased, as he punished himself, with all the insults he thought. His most angst problem consisted in filling in the blanks from the last night and, no doubt, Jack would do it. If not, how the pill and the note had been left on his bedside? Further than that, he didn't find anything that had happened after he decided to leave home and head to the FBI office, in search of any work to do and distract his mind. He remembered calling his Ray Coleman not getting a reply, and he remembered the moment he went into the bar instead the FBI building.
He felt ashamed and when Jack opened the door, he only could mutter a "I'm sorry."
"I know that," Jack said inviting him to sit down. His serious and expression and the bags under his eyes told Danny that his boss hadnt's sleep much either.
"Last night, a barman from Randers called me. You're lucky of having a friend in the bar because he knows you don't drink and he was realizing the effect of the whiskey was having over you. So he called me, I picked you up before it was you're in real trouble and took you home. End of story. Nobody else knows about this and nobody is going to know. You've been in too much troubles lately and I'm not going to add fuel to it if I can help."
Danny nodded, surprised by the benevolence of his boss. "I… I don't know what to say…" he began. He still felt the headache.
"When I was leaving your home, I saw the documents you had on the desk. And I read something of what it was right there. The perfect fuel."
Danny felt even more ashamed.
"You could have called your sponsor, me, Viv… it was the document you went to look for to Miami, wasn't it?"
"Yes, I called Ray, my sponsor, but he didn't reply and I didn't… I didn't want to be a problem to anyone else."
"It's not you're natural behavior to investigate about your family. Why is this so important, Danny? Is it about Rafi? Has he asked you something?"
Danny shook his head. "It's not important, Jack."
Jack hit hard the desk. "But, have you seen yourself?!" The shout made some agents turn their eyes to the office.
"I've told you I'm sorry, Jack," Danny looked down.
"Don't tell me you're sorry, I want you to tell me what's going on. What are you looking for in those documents?"
"Actually… actually nothing," Danny felt intimidated by his boss, who, stand up, had almost invaded his personal space. "It's been a mistake," he recognized, convincing himself at the moment about it.
Sitting down, jack just waited.
"I… I was asked to look for something. The doctor who attended Rafi wanted to know if there was family records about what was happening to him and I had that information," he lied. "So I… I thought that… maybe there was something written in any document."
"Did you find it?" Jack asked seriously.
Danny shook his head. "Not that, but…"
"You found the report I read in your home. Danny, listen to me," his tone was friendly again, especially as noticing the panic face of his agent. "It's a report, a report a social worker wrote. Tell me, honestly…" Jack knew he was risking in asking that but he hadn't any other option. "Along the years you lived with your mother, did you ever experience something that indicated something of what you read in that report?"
Danny was shaking his head even before Jack ended the question. "No, but…"
"I figured out. If your mother wanted to leave you, it could be a specific situation and probably angst for her, surely something she said in desperation, even wanting to save you from a hell of living. But take for sure that she didn't feel it. She didn't feel it because she educated you with all the love she could give you. Danny, it's just written words, expressions written in cold paper by a technician, someone that actually doesn't know about emotional situation of the people he was working with, and it can be misunderstood."
"Why do you know that?" Danny asked.
"I was seventeen when my mother… my mother killed herself in the garage at home. She had tried before," Jack said. "For a while, more than I ever wanted to admit, I had the feeling that my mother had abandoned me, that she didn't care about me. That was… That was a growing recurrent thought helped by the comments of the people around, but one day, I stopped and thought about my relationship with her, the way she loved and her relationship with my father and her surroundings, things she thought and I wasn't able to understand then. I found out the love and kind, I found some things that no one paper could hold. Don't let a report ruin your live, when you know that things weren't like that."
Jack's voice was firm but his eyes were brilliant with tears.
Danny remained quiet, thinking about what Jack had just told him, revisiting his own childhood and his relationship with his mother.
Jack would wish to open the drawer where he would find the whiskey bottle. But he resisted. Danny's silent helped him to calm down, as he remembered how that relationship with his mother had used against him by his Maria, during the divorce trial.
"I suppose I'll have to start again," Danny said finally. "You're right, I was a stupid to let those documents confuse my ideas. I think… I think I'll take them back. I still have time to read it, until tomorrow, but I think I won't do it."
Jack looked at him. "What about your brother, Rafi?"
Danny frowned and looked at him without understand the question until he realized that he hadn't told him that part, keeping it for himself. "He died. Last December," he continued before the surprise expression of his boss.
"You didn't tell us anything."
"No… I was… I was in real trouble. It happened as I was suspended and then… I let it go. I'm sorry, I should have tell you," Danny excused himself.
"Well, not actually. Will you be able to take the day without doing something wrong?" Jack asked.
"I… I think so. Jack, I haven't thanked you. I don't think I deserve what you did last night for me. I did a stupid thing."
"Well, we all do stupid things, time to time," Jack stood up and headed to the door. "Go home and do whatever you have to. We'll see tomorrow."
Vivian, Sam and Martin observed both Jack and Danny leaving the office, how Jack greeted Danny with a slap on his back before heading to them. And how Danny was leaving.
"So?" he said in a tone that didn't admit any questions.
…..
"The time I gave you is not over," Wyler observed, as he stirred the coffee. It should be his favorite table because Danny had found him there during the three meetings they had agreed.
Danny had picked up the folder and left carefully on the table.
"I know, I've decided that…" he stopped as noticing Wyler stopping. "I'm sorry, I think this is a mistake."
"Haven't you found what where you looking for?" Wyler asked.
"As you told me… I've found other things. It's… I won't get what I wanted and I don't think is good for me, do you understand?"
"Absolutely," Wyler agreed. Danny felt relieved of Wyler didn't question him after the time he had taken to find those documents for him.
"I warned you about it, Mr. Taylor. I asked you if you were ready… and you told me you didn't know. Listen… I have a certain experience about these matters and even if you are looking for something specific, you can't help but read, look and know about other matters. True or not, it can cause some problems."
Wyler seemed to know what had happened the last night, or at least, that was what Danny believed, who swallowed hard. Would Wyler be in that bar? And he didn't do anything for him?
Not wanting to, he was staring at that man, who he didn't know well yet. "Uhm… I'm sorry I wasted your time, Mr. Wyler."
"Don't be sorry. If any time you find the strength, we can try it again," Wyler said putting the folder into his bag and standing up.
Danny stood up upset and shook the hand Wyler offered. "We'll see," he said. With no more words, he left, leaving Danny and a cold coffee mug on the table.
Looking at the time, Danny realized it was 7.00pm, early for an AA meeting. But he had to call Raymond. What was he going to tell him? He hadn't feel so embarrassed with his sponsor for a long time.
….
Sarah lazily turned and stretched her arm toward her partner, but she didn't find anything else but the sheets, still warm. She groaned and turned again to read the time. 05.45am, she still have time for some sleep, but his absence in the bed and the certain feeling that he was still at home, made her wake up.
She wouldn't let him go without a goodbye. No way. Since the moment they were sharing their lives, every time that Timmy spent a weekend, holidays or some day with his father, Martin moved into her home or she stayed in his. Eventually, their relationship was beginning to consolidate and she wasn't upset about the comments in the corridors.
The relationship was recent but their friendship came from old times and very close. To Sarah it was like Martin was there around all her life, waiting for her. She didn't know if he felt the same way, but she felt happy of betraying her own promise, once she divorced from Rob Parker, her youth boyfriend, her husband, Timmy's father.
She heard the water of the shower stopped and soon the door was open. Martin, still half wet with a towel around his wrist, went out the bathroom drying his hair with other towel. "Jack called, I have to go," he kissed her and Sarah enjoy the aroma and soft of his face. "You always have time for a shave," she observed. He smiled. "I won't make them suspect, you don't know how they look at you when something is out of the usual, specially Jack."
"Really?" Sarah exclaimed. "I'd never imagine that from Jack."
"So, imagine, and what's coming next also," Martin added picking up the keys. "We'll meet later, right?"
Some moment later, the sound of the door being closed, welcomed an unusual silent, at least in her home. Sarah sighed, not everything could be perfect. Three days last to have little Timmy at home again, and she missed him.
She arrived at her office in the FBI building right to hear the shouting of her colleague Alan, who walked impatiently through the office with the cell phone on his ear. The shouting soon reached her when she identified the reason. A grimace as she looked at her colleague confirmed that it would be a complicate day. She should have to postpone the meeting with Martin.
She had to take several documents to her boss so on her way, she would leave a note for Martin, since she doubted to see him around.
Not only he wasn't around, but any of his colleagues seemed to have arrived and the whiteboard was silent and blank. The case should be very recent. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about that moment, while she was writing a simple note for her boyfriend on a post-it and someone was living a complicate situation.
She was leaving thinking about it, when a familiar figure made her stop. "Will?" she asked incredulously. It's not she didn't recognize him, of course yes, but… it was so long time ago and… what was he doing there?
"Hi, Sarah," he said uncomfortably, not knowing how to react. Sarah missed him a lot and he looked so lost that the tears reached her eyes and not wanting him to see it, she approached and hugged him, as she let the kindness of wooden dark blue coat of his brother calm her down. She felt his hands squeezing softly her arms and pulling her apart. "I'm sorry for not seeing you the day I was to visit mom, but…"
"You had to left. Matt told me. How are you? What… what are you doing here?" She had so many questions to ask and so little time. Damn appeal, she thought.
"This is one of the reason, I've been sent to New York to lead The Architect here. I was on my way that day, going to an interview with the General Director," her brother explained.
"That sounds good, but… what about your studio?" Sarah remembered the when she had contacted with her older brother, he had talked about the studio he had in Chicago.
"It's working well, but right now I'm more focused on this. It's not exactly what I'd like, though…"
"Director of The Architect, wow," Sarah cut him smiling. It was clear something had happened and he wasn't going to tell.
"And what about you?" he asked. "Matt told me you're working here as a lawyer. That sounds important."
"No exactly, but I'm happy. By the way, an old friend is working here as well. Do you remember Martin Fitzgerald?"
She didn't know why but she felt the tense expression of Will as hearing that name. "Sure, of course. It's been a long time since I don't see him. I didn't know he was working with the FBI, but I guess it was what to expect."
Sarah felt sad not just because of the comment but the cold reception to the news. He and Martin had been very close friends in the past, until he decided to leave from Washington and put a wide distance between him and all his family, and his friends also.
Her cell phone started ringing inconveniently. It was Alan. "I have to leave, Will, I have a lot of work to do. But… what are you doing here?"
"Nothing, I've just come to solve a matter, nothing important. Listen, Sara, I'm glad to see you and so good." It was the first time Sarah saw him smile and at least he looked honest.
"We can… we can meet. Are you living in New York, I guess?
"Yes," he replied. "In Tribeca."
"Wow," she said.
"Yes, eh…" he was going to add something but Sarah picked up a card she always had, and taking his hand, put it on it. "Don't forget to call me. We have a lot to talk. But now, I have to leave."
Sarah kissed him and left with the hope that Will would call her… some day.
He remained there, waiting for a person he didn't know, not knowing well how to tell him why he was there. Finally, almost an hour later, the agent he had asked first, pointed him, at the time he spoke to other person.
Jack looked at him up and down and Will swallowed hard. "Excuse me," he said in a cold tone, but offering a hand that Will accepted. "We've got a case and…"
"I understand," Will said. "No problem." He tried his voice sound firm and didn't betray his nerves. If that was the Jack Malone of the letter he had read at his mom's house, the man could intimidate to unexpected limits.
"I've seen you work with missing persons," he said clumsily, as sitting down in front of Jack in his office. He felt like a suspect to be interrogated. It wasn't the best day for Jack, as the case they had started working was going on.
"I don't have much time, but since you said the urgency you had to meet me…" There wasn't cordiality in Jack's voice, but upset, and Will began to think about the absurd of his idea.
He took out the letter he had in his pocket and handed it to Jack.
"I'm here because of this letter you're mentioned," he began, as Jack glanced at it. "It's a letter from the Deputy Director of the FBI to my father."
Will was going to continue but he stopped as noticing the questioning and furious look of Jack as he folded the letter. He seemed just that was going to tear it up, but he just handed back to him.
"What do your father want now? Wasn't enough what he got the last time? What is he scared of to send his son and not coming and face me?" Jack stood up and was opening the door as he said those words.
Will didn't move. He was really angry right now. The questions Jack was asking just made him more confident about the reason he was there. Now, he was convinced he was doing the right thing.
"I haven't come by my father, agent Malone. I've come because of you and because of what you were investigating. In this letter…" Will unfolded it to read the paragraphs he was interested the most "… says 'However, the investigation started irregularly and on a personal side by one of our agents, nothing had to do with you, and he has been penalized accurately for using his credentials as an FBI agent. The Missing Persons Unit leaded by Jack Malone didn't have any clue about those facts, so you don't have to be worried about this anymore."
Jack was still holding the opened door. "I'd like, if that investigation is what I think it is, your team continues with the investigation."
The door was closed all of a sudden.
"You search for missing persons. I don't know, maybe your agent… maybe someone asked him to investigate something and I… uhm… excuse me, I'm not doing this well."
"What do you want from me?" Jack asked directly.
"I want you to find my family." Will replied.
That night, in the half dark of his office, with a heat case and all his agents working on the field, Jack took a glass and the bottle of whiskey and poured a generous amount of the liquid. Stretching his hand, he picked up the letter left on his desk, folded, as Will Gordon had given back to him that morning. He frowned; Victor Fitzgerald, which it was strange, signed it. If there were any trouble matter, Victor wouldn't let such an evident clue. But it was clear they were talking about the documents Danny had finally found and that made him suffer so much.
He hadn't promised anything, not even he was sure if it was a good idea opening that investigation. He only told him that he would call him. If the documents were the same ones Danny had found, what did the documents contain to relate the Gordon's to Danny and Rafi? Jack folded the letter and put it into the drawer. He drank the whiskey, stood up and taking his coat, switched off the light and left his office.
…
"Congratulations," Danny greeted, tapping him on his shoulder. Martin turned with a surprising face. "Why?" he asked.
"This year, you put the star on the top," his colleague replied.
Martin didn't understand a word, but that Christmas time of 2005, he put the star on the top of the Christmas tree, right before Vivian switched on the lights of the Christmas decoration.
On year had passed since that day Danny had put a little card in Martin's pocket, since Martin had thrown the last painkiller bottle to the trash, since his first meeting at AA. That night, Martin would get his first medal, one year clean. That night, something else was in the meeting. Beside Danny, an enthusiastic and proud Sarah applauded to him.
Martin had been trouble in talking to Sarah why twice a week, he hadn't an excuse for his absence. Danny, as always, had helped him, despite of he never was lucky with the matter.
Flashback
"Come on… why don't you come? You told me you loved that movie, I've prepared a dinner, Timmy isn't at home and you don't have to go to work tomorrow. That's perfect!" she protested.
Martin shook his head. "I can't, Sarah, I've got a commitment that…"
"When you act like this, I think you're hiding something from me," Sarah was angry, upset.
Sitting down beside her, Martin took her hands. She felt his hands cold and trembling. She started hesitating, worrying. "What happen Martin?" she asked.
"Look, some… some time ago, during an investigation, we're caught in an ambush. Danny and I."
She nodded; she knew the story and what Martin had gone through.
"I was severely injured and during my recovery process I… well… I got used to the painkillers. At first, it was normal, but later my body started demanding more and more painkillers. I didn't realize the trouble I was getting in."
"I understand," Sarah encouraged him to continue.
"I became an addict but it wasn't me but Sam and Danny who made me think about what was happening to me and helped me to take the decision of moving on, but…"
"Are you still using those painkillers?" Sarah asked.
"No, I stopped, but I began to go to AA meetings. There, I can find people like me, alcoholics, painkillers addicts… twice a week…"
"Oh, so that's your commitment then…" she said thoughtfully.
"Yes, Sarah, I'm aware of this is not what you'd like to listen but I prefer to take care of it and think that it wasn't a casual thing. It was too easy to become an addict and I don't want me to happen again. But I can't promise, either."
"So that's why you didn't want to tell me…" she said and Martin didn't know if she was angry or not.
"I don't want to lose you," he just said.
"Then, you have two reasons to not giving up, those meetings and me. Go to that meeting, but learn to be honest with me. I don't like the surprises, I had enough with Rob," Sarah remained serious. She was worried, she didn't know well where she was going with that, their relationship had a short way of several months and this was totally new to her. Even if she loved Martin, she preferred to keep firm and doesn't leave the feelings betrayed her.
End of flashback
"And, how many do you have, Danny?" Sarah asked, as she observed the little gift they had given to Martin.
Danny didn't know what to say, but Martin spoke by him. "He has a lot more than me, Danny's a veteran, any day we retire him."
They laughed, and Danny didn't correct Martin of his mistake. It had been several months since he had lost all the medals from his eleven years of sobriety. But only two people knew that: Jack and Raymond.
"Well, and now what?" Sarah asked.
"No we leave back home, it's too old out there. What are you going to do these days, Danny?" Martin remembered something about a woman he met on Thanksgiving Day.
"Uhm… I'm going to Miami," was the surprising answered he said.
"My sister in law, Sylvia and her kids are living there and they've asked me to go. I couldn't say no," he explained.
"At least you won't be cold," Sarah said with a smile.
Martin didn't dare to ask for Rafi, but he hesitated the man would get a permission to leave the prison, least to travel to Miami.
….
"I think it's around here," Martin said, pointing the row of industrial units lined up. They were all the same, none of them could give them a clue about what was the right one. Industrial units set on the both sides of an empty street.
"And you say that because…" Danny said with a grimace. "I don't like this. There's nobody around, it's too quiet." He protested.
Martin raised an arm and pointed the locker and chains from one of the doors. Danny nodded, they were new, different. Carefully, Martin called Jack and Vivian who were on the other side of the units and pointed what was the one, while the backup agents took positions.
The accumulated snow at the entrance indicated, however, that the industrial unit hadn't been used recently, but still, they broke the locker and chains and opened the big zipper doors. Martin and Danny on a side, Vivian and Jack on the other side and a dozen of agents found a disconcerting labyrinth of walls before them. The ceiling of glass let the light enter and they could confirm that it was a sort of labyrinth that looked to cover all the space. "Close the doors," Jack ordered. Martin looked at Danny, he claustrophobic feelings of that place caused him a trouble he tried to overcome focusing on his job. In alert, all the agents were moving around the area on that place of walls and short ways. Step by step all they were separated. Apparently, there was nobody there; they only heard the sound of the agents and any pigeon flying around. Nobody saw anybody. Martin and Danny walked together, until Danny stopped. "Did you hear that?" he whispered. Martin thought to hear something too. Gripping his gun, Danny made a signal while he walked, going into a corridor, leaving a wall on his right that kept him out of vision from his colleague. Martin walked, trying to make visual contact with Danny, but in that hell of puzzle, he didn't get to see him. The uncomfortable bulletproof didn't help, he didn't want to move too much, thinking that Danny could show up at any moment.
Before hearing the gunshot, Danny felt the burning on his left leg and fell down without helping but scream. At the same instant, Martin, some steps behind him, felt blinded by the reflect of some light who didn't help him to see what was going on. But then he saw him, aimed and shot. Other gunshot was heard before everything went silent.
Martin ran toward the place where he supposed Danny was, and turning one of those walls, he found him, lying on the floor.
Approaching quickly beside him, he checked in relieved the bulletproof had saved his friend from a sure death. His shoulder would be in pain for a while but the bullet was embedded in the bulletproof. "You're going to be okay buddy," he said smiling. "Come on, I'll help you," he continued stretching his arm. The bloody hand a self conscious Danny stretched out, made him think that something wasn't right. Then he noticed the weirdly bent leg and the blood around it. "Oh my God," he muttered. Picking out his cell phone, he asked for an ambulance immediately.
…..
"Tell me what happened, Martin," Jack asked, trying his agent stopped looking at the paramedic taking care of Danny.
"I don't… I don't know, Jack, Danny had moved along because we heard something, I was… there." He said pointing the place. "Well, I think. The matter is, I lost visual contact with Danny and all of a sudden, I heard a shot."
Martin frowned. "Something strange happened at that moment, it was like… like a reflection of light, a flash and I saw someone, I shot and heard another shot. Then I ran over here and saw Danny lying on the floor and…"
"Okay, you saw someone… where he was heading for? What aspect did he have?" Jack asked then.
Martin shook his head. "I didn't see him, he was right there but then… I don't know, he vanished. Jack…" A terrific idea was forming in his mind and Jack seemed to guess.
Looking around, Jack saw Vivian approaching them. "Take care of this, check it everything. Martin, explain to Vivian what happened. I'm leaving with Danny to the hospital."
"How's he?" Vivian asked, looking at her colleague, who was attending by the paramedics. The blood pole around him, made her fear the worst. However, listening to one of the paramedic saying "settled" at the same time they raised the stretcher and headed to the ambulance, made her to have some hopes. Jack pointed Martin with a sight as he climbed into the ambulance and sat down beside unconscious Danny.
The doors were closed quickly and soon the only thing behind in that weird industrial unit was the rest of blood, a group of agents clearing the zone and a confused Martin. No trace of any suspect or the victim they looked restless since that cold morning of December.
Vivian, beside a shocked Martin, asked, "So, what do you have to tell?"
Martin shook his head. He remained silent, thoughtful. "What if I shot him?" he asked. His sight pleaded for a refuse from Vivian, but the veteran agent just looked at him before asking directly. "Let me your gun, ballistic department will tell that. Now, tell me exactly what your movements were and Danny's."
Martin repeated all his movements the best he could, including that blinded light he didn't know where it came from. Walking through those corridors, Vivian could understand the way Martin had lost visual contact with his coworker. From he was, one of the corridors separated by that sort of labyrinth walls, was out of sight. Suddenly, her feet stumbled into something on the floor. Barely noticed, a small pull-tab stood out. She bent and examined it. Then she pulled out and surprisingly a trap door was opened up. It was then when Martin exclaimed, "That was the light I saw!" She grimaced as noticing the brilliant metal of the inside. That was what blinded Martin.
Looking at the hole, she found out another corridor, but this time it seemed the labyrinth extended under the industrial unit. Maybe that was the entrance to the unit. Maybe there were more doors around. She asked the agents for help and carefully they entered in that new whole of corridors under the floor. After walking about one kilometer, they saw the exit, just in the limit of the whole industrial units. Outside, they were absolutely alone. "Damn it," Vivian muttered. What kind of place was there?
…..
Jack was impatiently pacing through the waiting room at the hospital. It was an eternity since the doctors had lead Danny to the surgery room and he didn't know anything yet. His cell phone started ringing and the ID told him it was Vivian. He only wished that she would tell him good news, but that wasn't what Vivian had to tell.
"All the units are connected through the labyrinths, Jack, and the story repeats under the floor. This is huge, we'll take several days to check everything. Moreover, there are unnoticed doors that connects the labyrinths… I don't know Jack, this looks like… like a huge board game."
The news were discouraging but the last words Vivian had said caught Jack's attention. "What if we're talking about that, like a surviving game or so…?""
Vivian nodded. "Yes, it could be, I'll call Sam to search if the guy was into any group, some role game… maybe there are more victims. How's Danny?"
"He's in surgery. I don't know anything yet. Investigate that, focus on it. I'm with Danny." Jack replied. "I'll call you as soon as I have news. What about Martin?"
"He was worried and confused. He thinks that maybe he shot Danny, but honestly, I don't think so. Anyway, ballistics will tell something in some hours." Vivian replied.
"Well, take care of him not doing a stupid thing,"
"Of course,"
The phone called was ended and Vivian wished to know something else rom Danny. She called Sam, who immediately started working the information about Ian Francis Vivian had asked.
Waiting for the results on her computer, her sight went to the Christmas Tree decorating the office and she remembered the funny expression of her colleague giving the star to Martin. What different this Christmas were going to be this time.
The slap on Martin's shoulder almost coincided with the slam on the door showing Jack's anger, before heading some place, visibly angry.
Martin observed the frowning gesture of Jack, as surprising he turned to face an old friend. "Joe Riley," he exclaimed unsure of what to feel about.
"Surprise, surprise, uh? You figure out. From Missuri to New York in twenty four hours. And who do I meet? My old friend, give me a hug!"
Martin remembered the strong personality of Joe Riley and he could see the years gone didn't soften it. He smiled a little confuse. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been transferred here."
Vivian and Sam exchanged a worried look and Martin didn't show especially happy. Before he could say a word, Riley continued. "I understand it's not an easy situation. I mean, coming to replacing a colleague who won't be back."
"What are you talking about?" Martin asked.
"Well, that's what I've been said… maybe I'm wrong. But well, I have to talk to a…"
"Jack Malone," Jack cut him joining them. He was heading to Olczyk office, but he turned back. It would be better to face the new agent first. "You come from homicides, I've been told."
The others were surprised that Jack wouldn't have interview him and the questions he usually did in his office, were said right there, in the bullpen, standing up and everyone being witnessed. The serious and distance he put in excess from that guy, let them know that Jack was only obeying orders.
"Yes… in Missuri…"
"Our way of work is very different from the one of a homicide unit, so if you're going to be here around, just observe."
"Excuse me, but I haven't come just to observe, agent Malone."
"If I'm the boss, yes." And turning back, Jack left the bullpen.
"Oh.." Riley seemed a little bit confused, but he turned to be the talkative man he had been. "So Martin, what's my place, then?" he asked smiling.
Martin felt upset with Riley attitude since the very first moment he saw him. The way he removed Danny's personal effects from his desk and put into a box, hurt them who were expecting their colleague would recover.
Vivian softly knocked before going into Jack's office. Sitting down in front of him, she only had to wait. Jack was furious but sad as well.
"Have you got some news about Danny?" she asked.
"Yes I have, yes. Yesterday, when I went to visit him at the hospital I had to plea for them leaving me see him."
Viv raised an eyebrow.
"They told me he was very tired and he needed to rest. It's been only two days since he was shot and two guys from Internal Affairs spent more than an hour interviewing him."
"And was he alone?, Wasn't there anyone else? Didn't you know anything?" Vivian wondered aloud. Actually, it was a very strange way of act. She couldn't help but remember the suspension her coworker had been punished the year before. "What did he say?"
"Danny? Actually nothing, he was really tired."
"Jack…"
"I told him the ballistic report was clear and Martin didn't shoot him. I don't know what he told the guys from Internal Affairs, but the situation was very confuse for him."
"Didn't he see anybody?"
"No, he only felt the shots but he didn't see anybody else but Martin running toward him."
"Do you think that Martin could be in trouble?"
"No, I don't think so, but I also think that they have sent a guardian to watch over us."
"Do you mean this… Riley?"
"He's the National Security Director's son, Viv. He's best friend of Victor Fitzgerald. Do you think it's just a coincidence they just put him here without telling me anything?"
"What about Danny?"
"I don't know, the doctors aren't very hopeful with his leg. The shot was too close, he's suffered damages in his muscle structure, the hip's bone… I don't know Viv. I don't know what's going on with Danny. I have to think about something."
"Have you talked to Olczyk?" Vivian asked.
"I was going to, but I preferred to talk to that guy first."
"What his profile say?" Vivian went to the practice part. She was the one who always got to calm down the troubles.
"Olczyk has it. He received it by fax, as he told me when he phoned me to tell me the news. I have to go to look for it."
"Maybe he's a good agent, Jack. Don't make into conclusions before reading it. Sadly, if Danny's condition is that, maybe he can't be back to work with us."
"Don't mention it, Viv. Danny has his place here, with Riley or without him."
"But…"
"I've told you I'll think about it."
Jack stood up and went out with Viv, who headed to her desk, as he walked to Olczyk's office.
Sam went into his office with the box where they had put Danny's personal effects. "Jack, we've been thinking… we're going to Randers to drink something before going back home. Viv, Martin, I… if you want to join us… I think… I think we need it."
It wasn't what Jack had in mind, but he realized that actually it was necessary. They were in the edge of nerves after the last events, and the concern about Danny's condition, made them being closer.
Taking his coat and the gloves, they left together and headed to the elevator. Martin and Vivian had already left and Sarah would join them as soon as she finished the report she was working on.
Sam didn't know if it was because the Christmas time or because of what happened to Danny or just the fact of being alone in that elevator going down to the entrance of the FBI building, she felt something she remembered from a long time ago. And it happened that when Jack took her hand and squeezed, they didn't need to look each other, it wasn't necessary.
Leaving the bar, he rounded her arms and let her to rest her head on his shoulder. Sam didn't want to cry but for some reason she felt very vulnerable and the tears were just a relieve to her that she couldn't explain.
"We can't stay together, it's a crazy thing," she said as removed the tears. Some time ago a taxi had left them in Jack's home, an apartment in Tribeca he had rented two years ago, whe he still was trying to take his marriage with Maria to a good place, a house that, after she and the kids left, was too big, cold and lonely for him.
Now, sitting down on the couch and feeling better from the recent events, the feelings had been appeared again, as they never left.
"We'll keep it secretly," he just said. "I'm tired of seeing how the people I love so much suffer because wanting to have some happiness on their lives. It's over Sam, it's over."
"And what about you?" she asked.
"I've been waiting for this moment a long time. But you were with Martin and… I didn't want to interfere. I'm aware of the pain I caused you and it wouldn't be right if I'd try something."
Sam smiled. It was along time she didn't feel as comfortable, relax and happy as at that moment.
