Sara lay across the back seat. Her body jerking in all directions as the SUV sped over the rough road. She did her best to fight the nausea the action was forcing on her.
"Don't worry beauty." T-bag looked sideways, enjoying her distress.
"Go to hell," Sara chocked out.
"Not very nice langue, darling." The man pulled a hand from the wheel to pat her leg. "You should probably get some sleep…where we're going isn't terribly comfortable."
Sara ignored him turned to the window and closed her eyes. She didn't even want to think where she was going. Just like she didn't want to think of where she had been. Since the moment this monster had shoved her into the car, the memories of losing her last child had been first on her mind. With each bump and jerk she felt a little less secure of the safety she was providing. With each bump her happily ever after faded further.
Sara felt warm tears run from her closed lids. This was a nightmare.
Before she could stop herself, an image of her old home, her old life, entered her mind. It was small, bare bones, but it was all she needed. All she wanted then. She hadn't had many friends…she was living off what little her father had left her. She was alone with nothing. But she had been safe. Sara wiped her nose with her shirt sleeve. She had been safe.
Another round of tears rolled down her face.
Was it worth it, she wondered bitterly. Was he?
Michael barely noticed the wound in his side as the vehicle pulled to a stop in his paradise home. He could see the still unfinished home in the distances, regret burned his throat. He had spent days planning every inch of that home, even more time thinking of the life he would have there. All of it, the home, the happiness, rested on a single person.
Michael thought so long as she lived she would always be his true peace.
But he now wondered about that.
He had always thought that if she was safe and alive he would be happy just for that.
But now…she was gone…in danger.
Not with him, and he knew he would never be happy unless she was at his side.
Michael was opening the car door before the vehicle ever pulled to a stop. His brother doing the same on the other side of the car. Michael lunged from his seat, running toward the agent who stood by the cabin's door.
"Where is he?" Michael hissed glaring with impossible rage at the guard.
"B…back…back…porch." The agent stumbled, seeing the brother's intense rage, letting them pass.
Michael swung open the door and stormed through the tiny house. Not allowing himself to think of the past seven months. But it was impossible, he passed the couch where they had spent most nights cuddle together. He walked passed the door of their room, he sucked in a large breath and keep his eyes focused straight ahead of him. That room held to many memories of her, to many nights spent enthralled in passion. He knew he couldn't allow himself even a moment of those memories.
Instead he continued his charge through the house. His brother barely a foot behind him, with his own fear driving him just as hard.
When Michael swings open the back door he spots his nephew sitting on the railing of the porch, his legs on either side, the boy's eyes fixed on the ocean. A bit of his anger seeps away as he sees the dried tear marks on his face and the simple blankness in his eyes.
In an instant Lincoln pushed in front of Michael, reaching for his son before either the teenager or the man standing a few feet off could even realize that were there.
"Dad!" LJ cried softly as his father circled him in a bear hug, nearly lifting him from the railing.
"LJ…"Lincoln breathed heavily, pressing his son against his broad chest. "You ok, kid? You hurt?"
"Fine…M'fine." Michael heard the teenager slur. He dropped his eyes to the ground, feeling ashamed that he had only thought of Sara on their dash back to Panama, LJ could have easily been hurt. "Dad…she's gone."
Lincoln pulled his son from him but kept his arms on LJ's shoulder. "What happened?"
Michael took a step closer, LJ spared him a guilty glance. "He took her…I couldn't stop him…I tired," Another glance toward his uncle, "I did my best….I really tired but he was so strong…and he had us pinned."
"LJ," Michael took another step forward, his tone gentle. "LJ just calm down and tell us what happened."
"He took her!" Tears fell from his eyes, "She protected me….she tired to fight him…but he threatened her…he knew she was pregnant…he…"
"Wait." Michael felt the blood freeze in his veins. "He knew she was pregnant?"
Lincoln glanced at his brother but said nothing, allowing LJ to continue. "He said he wouldn't hurt her so long as she went with him,"
Michael's hand curled into a fist.
"I tired to fight him, Uncle Mike." LJ stared at Michael, tears streaming down his face, "But he…"
"It's ok," Michael soothed, drawing on his resilient desire to protect and comfort his family, no matter his own rash of emotions. "I know you did your best."
He stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, with that contact LJ broke into harsh sobs. Falling against his father, Michael stepped away, sharing a glance with Lincoln.
He stood ten feet away from his hammock. Staring at it as if it were some kind of alien life form. Some foreign object he didn't understand. But he did, he understood the purpose it served, he understood how it was able to hold his weight, he understood the mechanics of it. What he didn't understand was how he had once bought it with joy in mind.
He remembered walking through town years back, holding a bag of bananas in one hand. Moving through the crowd as nothing more then another body, no one seemed to mind him or even care who he was. That he didn't really belong in their town, in their lives. Instead he moved through the crowd, shopping, dodging children just like the rest of them. He could have been anyone.
In his mind he was thinking, dreaming of a time when he would walk with her. Then he saw it. Within moments he had made the purchases and started the trip back to his home. Knowing full well that in time they'd be happy on their hammock. And they'd had it, for a few months they'd been able to enjoy the bliss the swing offered. But it was gone, taken from him only months after he fought and won her back.
A hot tear rolled down his cheek. She was gone.
"Sir?"
Michael lifted a fist to wipe away the stray tear. "What?" He hissed, then turned.
An agent looked shyly at him, as if understanding this was the last place he would ever want to be. "Agent Philips told me to report to you-"
"You're the one she assigned to protect my family?" Michael's breathed, barely noticing how the rage darkened his vision.
"One of them-" The man stumbled.
"So what the hell happened? Decided to take a piss? Forget to turn on your radio?"
Michael snapped, taking a threatening step.
"Sir-"
"Give me a damn good excuse, agent, because it will be your last." Michael spat.
"Sir-he was already in." the agent gasped out.
Michael's face froze, "What?" it was scarcely above a whisper. "What?"
"When we changed shifts…we did a searched, scanned the area, checked the house. Made sure Dr. Tancredi and LJ were safely tucked in." The man rambled quickly, "We followed procedure to a T. The only possibility is that the last shift missed him…Sir I don't know how long he was really in there."
Michael's curled his fist so tightly he was sure he could feel his fingers snap.
Just as he was about to lift his fist his brother's voice rang throughout the beach.
"Yo! Agent Matthews! Get your ass in here!"
Michael watched with bated fury as the agent took off in a jog and his brother made his way slowly toward him,. A look of cool confidence on his face.
"How's LJ?" Michael asked, knowing his anger couldn't…shouldn't be directed at his brother or nephew.
"Not too good. Before he goes to bed I'd like for you to go in and tell him this isn't his fault. He's beating himself up over this. Blames himself for everything." Lincoln sighed. "Don't know what he really thinks he could have done against T-bag."
Michael turned to the water, no longer forcing the agony upon himself of watching their hammock sway in the wind, unused.
"You ok?" Lincoln asked, standing beside him.
Michael swallowed a harsh response.
"You really can't blame those agents, Michael. T-bag's a sneaky fuck…he probably knew the guard shifts-"
"I really don't want to hear excuses Lincoln," Michael snapped. "And if LJ were the one missing right now, neither would you."
Lincoln flinched but said nothing, knowing he could say nothing to help.
"You want to know what really infuriates me? What really drives this home?" Michael asked softly. "She was safe, before."
"What?" Lincoln glanced sideways in confusion.
"Before…seven months ago she was safe. She was living her own life, not in any danger…."Michael swallowed a sob, "but then I come along, saying it was over and I could protect her. You know the entire time I was fighting to get her back I never once thought of T-bag. It never once occurred to me that he would come after her. And it should have, she's a perfect target. But I was so damn selfish. I only thought about what I wanted…which was her by my side. And it's my selfishness that's lead us here."
"Mike-this-"
"She told me I was being selfish for going. She was crying, screamed at me that I was selfish. I thought I was going to protect her. I thought if I killed him before he even got into the country she would be safe." His shoulders wracked, "But I couldn't do it…I couldn't kill him and now that bastard has her."
"Mike this isn't your fault." Lincoln muttered, wishing his voice held more force then his words.
Michael didn't seem to hear him, instead his eyes watered, "I'm going to get her back, Lincoln. I don't care what it takes, I don't care what I have to do. If I kill him and go back to prison I won't care. Just so long that son of a bitch is dead."
"And what about Sara? What happens to her and the baby after you've thrown yourself completely into killing T-bag?"
Michael sucked in a deep breath, waiting for it to circulate through him. "I can't protect her. Just like dad couldn't protect mom and us."
"Wait-what?" Lincoln stared at his brother, "What does Dad have to do with this?"
"He did the right thing. I didn't think it was then…but now…with Sara gone and it's my fault I know it is." Michael whispered, ignoring the tears streaming down his face.
"I have to put her and our child first, I have to whatever I can to protect them. And if that means sending them back to the states that's what I'll do."
"Man, you're exhausted, worried about Sara. Don't go making decisions right now. Just focus on getting her back."
Michael tore his eyes away from the ocean and stared at his brother with the decision already made. "I have to protect her….above all else…she's the most important person to me, Linc. And I've failed her so many times in the past." He gasped for another breath, "And when all this is said and done…I'm letting her go. I don't deserve her…I don't deserve to be with them when I can't even protect them."
