Part 7 - Too Close For Comfort

"Anton, come on, now, think about what you're doing.", Sam said, trying to rationalize with him.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy...did you get your mail?", Hill sniped coldly. He walked with Traci to Dov, and quickly snatched the phone from his hand.

"Ah, yes. As soon as Jamie said he had a new guy working undercover, I told him who to go to to make sure he was a stand-up guy. Gotta tell ya, I too was a little shocked when he showed me pictures of this." He indicated the photos of Andy and Sam.

"And way to betray Emily so easily. I thought you two were loving up on each other." Sam drew his gun and pointed it at Anton.

"Sam.", Andy said. She placed a hand on his arm, and he shook it off.

Jerry came out of the van then, and amidst all the chaos between the group outside the restaurant, at first he went unnoticed...to all but Traci.

"Anton Hill, put your hands in the air. Now. You're surrounded by four police officers; do you really want to chance that?", Jerry questioned.

Anton laughed in surprise, and he kept his gun pointed at Traci for a few more minutes. Sam, Andy and Dov all pointed their guns in his direction, and he slowly raised his hands and fell to his knees. Jerry and Sam both immediately ran to pin him and get him cuffed. Sam whipped out his cell phone and dialed.

"Frank...send a squad to the restaurant. We have Anton Hill in custody." He and Jerry hauled Anton up off the ground, and as Sam passed Andy, she could see he had tears in his eyes.


Back at 15 Division, Jerry and Sam sat with Anton Hill in Interview One.

"So, we have the USB drives, with evidence that you were laundering money from your restaurant. We have the assault on an undercover police officer. And we have the photos of Emily as evidence into a homicide. Why not make it easier on yourself and just confess to it?", Jerry asked. Hill said nothing. Sam sat forward in his seat and rested himself on his arms.

"Look, Anton, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I'm much inclined causing you as much discomfort as possible, but the easy way works, too."

Anton scoffed.

"You think you're so smart, the both of you. You honestly think I would have given myself up if I didn't want to?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Anton?", Sam said.

"Those pictures, they aren't Emily. No, I have much bigger plans for my darling Emily. No, that was just a hooker who pissed me off. I figured from the back she'd suffice for the bait. "

Sam stood up and leaned on his knuckles on the table.

"Where is she!, he screamed at Anton. Anton just chuckled and sat back in his chair. Sam picked up his chair in anger and threw it across the room.

"Sam!", Jerry yelled. Sam stopped and stared angrily at Jerry for a second before leaving the interview room.

Donovan Boyd, who had been watching from the View Room, was on his cell phone.

"Stick with the plan. Proceed as directed." Then he hung up.


Sam was in Frank's office, and from what the five rookies could see, he wasn't very happy. Frank was holding up his hands, trying to calm Sam down, and Sam was yelling, waving his arms and pacing. Then he was on his way down to the lockers. He shot a "come with me" look to Andy on his way, and she looked quickly to the other rookies before following.

"I'm off the case. Frank won't let me near it.", Sam said.

"Sam. I'm sorry."

"McNally, Emily's alive. He has her somewhere. I need you to do what you do best."

Andy nodded.

"What do we have to go on?", she asked.

"Jerry and Callaghan are searching properties Hill or any of his associates owns, and the seniors are canvassing relatives, neighbors, and friends. I want you to go with me to Emily's mother's. I need to let her know, and maybe we'll find something that can help us."

Just then Oliver came in.

"Sammy, he confessed. He told us where she might be.", Oliver said. Then he ran toward the parade room. Andy and Sam followed.

"So, we're looking for Emily Starling. Suspect Anton Hill has just given us three properties to search, and has informed Detective Callaghan here that at one of these properties we will find her. So, you know what to do."

"McNally, Diaz, you're with me.", Shaw said.

"Nash, Epstein, on me.", WIlliams said.

Sam watched all the commotion. He approached Frank.

"Frank, you gotta let me go.", he insisted.

"Sam, no. You're too attached; you need some space."

"Dammit, Frank, she's scared, and she could use a familiar face!"

"My word is final, Swarek! Go home!"

Frank ran after Williams.

"Dammit! Frank!", Sam yelled.

Luke came up behind him.

"Look. Ride with me. You stay in the car, and you don't leave it, you hear me?"

"Thanks.", Sam said.

"Just...let's go."

Sam and Luke made their way outside. Luke held up a finger in indication to wait, and then he was ushering Sam toward his car. They ran to the car, and Sam jumped into the passenger side.

"Okay, Detective Callaghan on the way, where am I going, Frank?", he asked over the radio.

"Uh, Noelle's got the East Hills one. Take the Sudbury one."

"Sudbury! That's half a day's drive!", Sam yelled. He was panicking. For all they knew, Emily was dead and they were just being sent on a wild goose chase.

"Not the way I drive.", Luke said. He sped up, and the car responded.


Andy and Diaz were riding with Shaw toward the property they'd been given in the farm country. Following close behind them was Detective Barber and Staff Sergeant Best.

"This is intense."

"Whoa there, Rambo. This may be intense, but it is also very real. You'll follow my lead, and you won't do anything until I tell you. You got me, Diaz?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sir, what if we get there and she's dead? Or not even there?"

"Then we head to the next location. Any more questions?", he asked.

"No, sir."

Oliver was pissed. He couldn't believe things had gone down like this. Poor Sam had worked eighteen months on the case, and now he was just pulled off. He knew it had been a mistake pulling him into it again.

"Oliver...will Sam be okay?", Andy asked.

Oliver was silent for a few minutes. Then, "I don't know, McNally. Sam's never been this worked up over a case before."

Andy sighed. She had just decided she could be normal with him. Why couldn't he have fallen apart before she made that decision. A second after thinking it, Andy wished she could take it back. This was Sam she was thinking about. She'd never seen him irrational before. Not even when they'd lost Ray Donald Swann in the woods; he'd been pissed, sure...but he kept a clear head the entire time. And the time she'd been stuck in the laundromat after that arson case. He hadn't even been there when she went in, and it was still him who came to get her out.

They pulled up to a large expanse of farmland. Oliver stopped in front of what looked to be a barn.

"Sir, there are vehicles here.", Andy pointed out.

"Uh, dispatch, 1509 at one of the properties given by Anton Hill...we're at his farm just outside Simcoe. There are three vehicles here...one has Kelowna license plates."

"Copy that, 1509, sending backup your way.", the voice answered.

Oliver, McNally, and Diaz got out, and they all drew their guns. Oliver counted off and they all ran into the house, shining their flashlights with one hand and pointing and clearing with the other. Just then, Oliver heard McNally call him.

"Oliver! In here!", she called. Oliver ran toward the direction of her voice, and when he got there he saw a very bruised and battered Emily Starling tied to a dirty bed.

"Oh geez. Get her out of there, McNally."


When Sam Swarek pulled up, Andy, Oliver and Chris Diaz were escorting Emily Starling out of a large barn. He ran to her and gave her a hug. He pulled her apart from himself for a second, and then hugged her again. Over her head, he shared a look of relief with Oliver. A look saying, thanks, brother.

Oliver nodded. Sam led Emily to the police cruiser and got her all settled in the back, and then they were on their way back to 15 Division. On the way, they dropped Emily off at her mother's, and the two women shared a very tearful first meeting in three years.


Back at 15, Jerry and Traci were standing in the Viewing Room of Interview One. Jerry had one hand up on the glass and was facing away from her.

"Jerry, talk to me."

He turned to face her. There were unshod tears in his eyes.

"Traci...that's twice in two weeks I've been face to face with the possibility of losing you. How am I supposed to just deal with that?"

"Jerry, hey. No one knew it was gonna turn out like that."

They hugged, and Jerry kept kissing her face.

"You know, if you're gonna keep scaring me like that, then at least give me a heads-up, okay?"

She couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, let's go home.", she said.


Sam Swarek had had one hell of a day, and all he wanted to do was go home, make a stiff drink, and climb into bed. First he wanted to find Andy. There were so many things he needed to say to her, to thank her for. Just...where the hell was she?

Sam found her sitting in the locker room, staring at the floor. She held a picture in her hand, but it was limp, long since forgotten. When she saw Sam, she looked up briefly and then continued her staring contest with the floor.

"McNally.", he said, and upon hearing his voice, she broke down. Sam gently eased her head onto his shoulders and held her while she cried. He gently brushed her hair from her face and turned her to face him a little, where he gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She just clung to him like a baby, and the tears flowed. More emotion was shared in that moment than in any moment they'd ever had. Sam understood; she'd had a hell of a three weeks. She'd had all the drama between the two of them, then she'd had the robbery, she got shot, Traci got shot, and then today she'd witnessed her best friend being held at gunpoint, again, and then watched him break down. It had been a trying day. They'd almost lost one of their own. And so, that's why when Dov, Chris, and Gail also witnessed the scene, they just stood in the doorway, not entering and not saying anything. They just watched as their friend broke down after the most emotional, most trying three weeks of her life.