Thanks to iluvcsi4ever and crazypeoplearemypeople for reviewing! Maybe I should have put this story under suspense? Though this chapter isn't exactly as suspenseful...enjoy!
Chapter Seven: Waiting in Line
FBI Department, New York
Jack Malone rushed his team into the many cabs that were parked outside the building. The rain was flooding the streets, but they would still be able to get to the airport. They would be driving away from the coast and the flooding wouldn't be as bad. Elena Delgado came rushing to his side.
"Where's Sam?" he asked Elena.
"I don't know, that's what I came here to ask you," she replied.
"Get in a cab," Jack told her. He turned around to look at the building. "Where could you be now, Sam?" He pushed through the horde of people, and made his way back into the dark, lifeless building. "Samantha!"
She's probably in her office, Jack thought. And that was exactly where she was; in her office, throwing things on her desk, swiftly putting them in a bag. "What are you doing?" exclaimed Jack. "There's a storm coming and now you're getting your things together?"
"I'm trying to get as much as I can from the Paige Hobson case," explained Samantha. "I can't lose it or I'll have to start from square one again."
"Sam, just start from square one again, it's more important for you to get yourself out of this building and away from this storm." He grabbed her hand.
"Malone, I promised Paige I'd figure out who she was. I'm not losing the information I need to help her!" Samantha pulled away from his grip and started to throw more things in the bag.
"I'm not leaving until I know you're in one of those cabs, heading for the airport," said Jack.
"Well, instead of standing around watching me, could you at least help?" asked Samantha.
Jack nodded. She started to provide him with directions to tell him what was where and what she needed. Sam was organized, so everything was in its right place and easy to find. When she was done getting the things she needed they made their way back outside, swiftly and silently. Elena was still waiting by a cab, looking at her watch. Her voice showed little impatience when they arrived at her side.
"Thank God you two are all right!" exclaimed Elena. "Now, get in the car! We must hurry!"
Elena allowed the two to get in first, and then she got into the cab herself. They didn't need to tell the driver where they were going; he already knew their destination was LaGuardia Airport. And the ride was free, since it was a time of emergency.
Sam gripped the bag she was holding tightly. Jack knew her reason for this; Elena didn't bother asking, knowing it wasn't her business to know what was in the bag. But Jack knew the Paige Hobson case was important to Sam and that she wanted to help Paige every step of the way to finding her true identity. Right now, he and Sam were the only ones that knew Paige Hobson wasn't truly missing. Along with Detective Mac Taylor at the NYPD, they were the only three that knew Paige as Lindsay Monroe.
Sam looked at the window, her face full of worry. Without turning to glance at him, she asked, "Where are we going to go Jack?"
Elena turned to look at Jack, thinking that he had all of the answers. He glanced uncomfortably at Elena and Sam. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know."
"You shouldn't know," whispered Sam. "Making quick decisions without little facts will lead you into failure. Longer, thought out judgments will lead you into making the right choice."
Jack smiled. She had spoken to him with words of wisdom. He would soon need to figure out where he was going and if the team would come. It would be hard to leave behind all of his friends, the people who had worked with him in his job. Instead of answering the question of where they would be headed, he said, "The airport's going to be busy."
"Yes," agreed Sam. "It will be very hectic getting through that place."
"Finding a flight is going to be hard," Elena pointed out. She was bringing up the subject of where they were going again. "If I were to choose to go somewhere, I would go to Miami. The nice warm weather, the beautiful beaches, it would be so comforting…"
"Yeah, and get pounded by another hurricane," Sam joked. "Miami's nice, but also a center for the trouble of hurricanes."
Elena shrugged. "I'd still go there."
Suddenly, a new voice joined the conversation. "How about going to Chicago? The weather isn't always warm, but there are no threats for hurricanes. Tornados aren't a big possibility either…"
"The Windy City could be a possible destination," Sam agreed with the cab driver. "Did you grow up there?"
"A friend of mine did," he explained. "The weather is cold in the winter, warm in the summer, and like I said, storms aren't always a big problem."
"What's the weather like in the spring and fall?" questioned Elena. "My destination could still be Miami…"
"Sometimes it can be cold in the spring, but usually warm," the cab driver replied. "Fall is warm in the beginning, and then the temperature starts to go down."
"I could deal with the weather," said Sam. "I might book a flight there."
Jack spoke up. "I think Chicago would be that long, thought out judgment Sam was talking about earlier. I think I might have to book a flight there myself."
Elena was slowly shaking her head. "Miami still sounds better, but if I'm away from hurricanes and tornados…I'll come too."
Jack was pleased to know that both Sam and Elena would be accompanying him to their new home. He speculated if the others on his team would agree and come with them to Chicago. All the same, it was their choice to choose where to go. He couldn't force anyone into going somewhere that they didn't want to.
The rest of the drive was ridden in silence. As LaGuardia Airport came into view, Jack thought about how Paige was doing. Would she be there to greet them or still be stuck in the storm? Nevertheless, he would still be departing for Chicago. He couldn't help Paige; he didn't even know where she was now. Sam jerked him from his thoughts.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
He realized that he had been sitting in the cab alone, with stares from both Elena and the cab driver. "Yes, of course I'm coming." Jack got out of the car and walked into the airport. He had been right; the airport was packed with people.
"Do you want to go to the John F. Kennedy International Airport instead?" Elena asked, in a joking way.
"We're not going international," Samantha joked back.
Elena shook her head and stared at the increasing crowd of people. Jack could tell she wasn't looking forward to the long wait in line, especially when they hadn't even booked a flight yet. Sam was already strolling away from them, glancing up and down at all the lines to see which one was the shortest.
"She's out of her mind if she's really thinking of waiting in any of those lines," Elena whispered to Jack.
"Well, how else do you think we're going to leave New York?" questioned Jack.
Sam approached Elena and Jack. "I would be out of my mind if we decided to wait in that. Good thing we're the FBI, so that way, we can get ahead of the group."
As Sam started to walk away again, Jack put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from going any further. "We have to wait in line, just like all the other people," he told her. "We're all leaving for the same reason, to get away from the storm."
"Some people could be vacationing," said Sam. "We'll just tell the people at the front desk that we're investigating a missing person case that leads us to Chicago."
"I agree with Spade on that," said Elena.
"Fine, Spade you try to book a flight that way," said Jack. Before Elena could walk away with her, Jack pulled her towards him. "You and I will wait in line, to show Sam the hard way of learning to use polite manners."
"But she'll get the flight way before we even get to the front of the line," said Elena.
"Maybe," said Jack. With that they set off to wait in line. Jack could see Sam already at the front desk, explaining to the person about their so called "case." For about ten minutes, she was up at the desk, trying to look as patient as possible. She saw Jack looking at her and she nodded to tell him everything was working out. But five minutes later, she was sent to the back of the line. Jack and Elena were almost at the front of the line.
"I told you Sam would learn the hard way," Jack whispered to Elena. "Looks like the FBI thing and the missing person case leading to Chicago didn't work out for her."
Elena laughed and watched as Sam impatiently waited at the end of the line. When it was their turn to book their flight to Chicago, Sam wasn't even close to being in the middle of the line. "We'll wait for her," said Elena.
Jack explained to airline attendant that he needed the quickest possible flight to Chicago. Unfortunately, a flight to Chicago was leaving now, and the next flight wouldn't be until eight tonight. He told the attendant that the flight would do and that there were three people accompanying him. He quickly told the attendant the names of the people accompanying him, showed the guy IDs, said they were carrying on one piece of baggage, and waited for the tickets.
"Decided to pay for Sam's ticket?" questioned Elena.
"Yeah, but I'm still going to make her wait," said Jack.
The airline attendant gave him the tickets and then he made his way to a little waiting area, to wait for Sam. When he saw her get to the front of the line, he informed Elena, and the two watched to see what Sam's reaction would be to the already booked flight for her.
"I need the quickest possible flight to Chicago," Sam told the flight attendant.
"The next flight leaves at eight tonight, is that good for you?"
"Yes," replied Samantha.
"Name please," the flight attendant asked.
"Samantha Spade." She waited as the flight attendant typed a few things into his computer. Then he looked up at her, a smile forming across his face. "What?" Sam asked.
"According to the information here, you've already booked a flight for Chicago at 8pm tonight," he explained pointing to the computer.
"Really, who actually booked the flight?"
"Jack Malone," he answered.
"Okay, I guess I'll be leaving then." Sam strolled down the line, her face showing anger. When Jack was in clear earshot she exclaimed, "You made me wait in that line after you booked a flight for me?"
Jack smiled. "I taught you something about manners."
Sam shook her head, face full of disgust. "Let's go and get through security. I'm getting hungry I would like to get to the waiting room before our flight leaves on us."
"The flight is not until eight, remember?" Elena said. "It's only four, we have plenty of time."
"Let's just go before Malone decides to teach me other lesson about being patient." Elena got up from her seat, but Jack stayed where he was. "Aren't you coming?" asked Sam.
"We can't go just yet," he explained. "We've got to wait for the rest of the team to catch up with us."
Sam stared at him for a moment and then nodded her head. "We'll wait for the team. If they don't show up by five thirty, we're leaving to go to security." She took a seat next to Jack and Elena. Jack was glad to have three of his team members by his side, but would the others agree to go to Chicago too?
Did you like? Reviews please! Next chapter will go back to our doctors at Princeton Plainsboro and they are still running around trying to find each other...
