Disclaimer: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is owned by Hanna-Barbara. No money is being made from this story. It is simply by a fan for other fans. Also, Criminal Minds is a product of CBS, no money is being made from the use of their characters.

Chapter 10

Estella slowly opened her eyes, her mind was hazy, and it took a few seconds for reality to set back in and for her to remember where she was, an abandoned barn where she had taken shelter after killing and escaping from her captors. She was still so tired. Peering through the slits of the wooden barn wall, she saw that it was still dark outside, but the rain had stopped.

"Only a few more minutes," she yawned and shut her eyes, falling back to sleep within moments.

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Kosovo, December 1998

The team had arrived back at the base from the failed mission to find Delic almost five hours ago. Estella had gone back to the team tent, but unable to sit still she had wandered around the camp. She had found herself in the storage tent, examining the artifacts that she had been brought here to catalog, but she was having difficulty concentrating. Her mind kept wandering back to the ambush and to the soldier who had died while she was trying to save his life. Unable to focus, Estella set down the paperwork she had been trying to work on and left.

Outside, she had wandered some more, it was cold, and snow had begun to fall as the evening crept closer. Wrapping her arms around her body she attempted to shut out the chill which she knew wasn't just from the change in temperature. She wasn't hungry, she had no idea how anyone could eat or socialize after what had happened, but she saw Clark and Hill heading into the mess tent.

People cope differently. She told herself and made her way back to the team tent.

The warmth of the tent hit her immediately as she entered. As she stripped off her coat and gloves, she saw that the cot across from her area had been stripped. Agent Lewis' cot, she knew. All of the agent's belongings had been packed up and placed in two green tough-boxes, presumably to be shipped off home to her next of kin.

As she hung up her coat on her makeshift clothesline, she heard typing and muffled curses coming from Corbin's area of the tent. She wasn't sure if she should bother him, but figured she'd at least see if he needed anything from her.

Knocking gently, she pushed the divider aside and stepped through. She saw Corbin sitting at his laptop, his elbows propped on the desk and his head buried in his hands.

"Hey," Estella said softly, "everything okay?"

Corbin didn't look up or respond.

"Phil," She said as she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?" She spied a bottle of Jack Daniels on the table next to him; it wasn't like him to drink, at least not that she had ever seen.

Her touch seemed to wake him from his daze and he lifted his head and looked at her. He looked ragged and tired. "I'm fine." He said.

Estella took it upon herself to take a seat on the edge of the man's cot and said, "You don't look fine."

He stared at her for so long, she was starting to feel uncomfortable, when he finally said, "Well, today didn't go exactly as I had planned."

Estella nodded and watched him pour a shot of whiskey into a small glass and then gulp it down. "You want some?" He asked.

"No," Estella shook her head, "Perhaps you shouldn't be drinking right now either."

Phil sneered at her and turned back to his computer. "I just finished typing up the report, to include the notification for Agent Lewis."

"What now?" Estella asked, she really wasn't good at this, but she was quickly realizing that Phil had gone out of his way to help her when she was hurting, so doing the same for him was the least she could do.

"What?" Phil grumbled, reaching for his bottle again.

"I mean, maybe you should take a break." Estella suggested.

"I have one more report to write."

"Are you sure you'll be able to do that?" Estella said, inclining her head towards the bottle of booze.

To her surprise, Phil laughed. "You may want to proofread it anyways. It's to send you home."

"What?" Estella blurted.

"You don't need to be here anymore, this place is too dangerous."

Estella felt anger and frustration rise in her, "Oh no, Phil, don't you dare do that. Don't you patronize me."

"It's not that, Estella," He started, but turned away, unable to lie to her face.

"You brought me here and I'm here to stay." Estella said, "I've seen enough bloodshed for a lifetime and believe me I'd much rather be at home with my family as I imagine you would as well. So if you want to fire me when we get home then fine, but I'm not leaving, not until we get this bastard!"

Corbin eyed her, a strange smirk on his face, "Alright, fine, have it your way. You stay." He hesitated, but eventually took another drink.

"Does that really help?" Estella finally asked, glad the subject of her being sent home had ended, at least for now.

Phil shrugged, but said nothing.

"Maybe you should be talking, not drinking." Estella said.

"About what?"

"Don't give me that crap, Phil," Estella said, it was like arguing with her husband! "you know what I mean. You may be the team leader, the man who has to hold it all together, never faltering, but you're still human. Don't tell me that bottling your feelings up inside is okay for you, but not any of the rest of us."

Phil snorted, "I didn't know you were a psychiatrist as well."

"Cut the crap, Phil. You don't have to be an asshole all the time!"

"I'm not an asshole," Phil protested.

"You're sure acting like one now," Estella retorted, "Either that or a baby."

Phil threw is head back and laughed. "Okay, Estella, I get it. I really do."

Estella sighed to calm her nerves, "You spend so much time making sure we are all okay, but no one ever checks on you. That's all I'm trying to do, Phil."

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor, "I understand."

"So let it out." Estella added gently.

He stood and ran his hands through his short hair. Estella was taken aback that he could stand so well after having just consumed almost a half a bottle of whiskey. "I'm just frustrated and angry."

"We all are." Estella agreed.

"It shouldn't be this damn hard to catch this guy, but it's not just him. We need to find out who he's trying to sell his experiments to. We're always one step behind these scumbags and now we've lost Agent Lewis and three good soldiers as well. It pisses me off."

Estella nodded and let him continue, "I try so damn hard to make sure everything is set just right, and then we get ambushed and taken out by a fucking landmine! I don't want four people to have given their lives for nothing; just senseless deaths."

Exhausted he sat back down and once again buried his face in his hands, Estella watched, saying nothing, he finally sighed and leaned back in his chair. She wanted to stop him, but she let him take another drink. After gulping it down his eyes caught hers, "Don't judge me, Estella."

She shook her head, "I'm not."

"Bullshit," He spat, "I know that look."

"I just think you're being too hard on yourself." Estella said, "You couldn't have possibly known that they knew we were coming."

"Someone tipped them off." He stated. "Probably not one of our guys, but some civilian must have seen us and called them. I can't figure out how else they would have known."

"You need some rest," Estella suggested. Standing she walked over to him and reached for the bottle, she was thankful when he handed it over to her without protest.

He shook his head, "I'm hungry." She watched him stand, move to one of his tough-boxes, rummage through it and produced a bag of Twizzlers. He tore it open and started eating the red vined candy.

"Ugh," Estella gulped, "You're going to make yourself sick! Whiskey and Twizzlers."

"Never argue with a man about food." He said.

She giggled, happy that his mood was taking a turn for the better, even if it was only a small turn. "Candy is not food. You and Roger, I swear!"

"Don't compare me to him," Phil said as he set the bag of candy down. "He's bullheaded and stubborn, just like you."

"Just like you!" Estella shot back smiling. Then she added, "Feeling better?"

"A little, but I really just want to get Delic."

"We will, I know we will." Estella stood, letting her dark haired superior sit on his own cot. He sat down and stared at the floor again, lost in thought.

After a long silence he said, "Yeah, I just hope no one else has to die before we get him."

He continued to stare at the floor. Estella hesitated, but sat back down and placed a comforting hand on his knee. She felt his leg shaking. "Is this the first time you've lost someone in the field, Phil?" She whispered.

He ran his hands over his face then clenched them together behind his neck. "No, but it never gets easier. Anyone who says it does is a fucking liar."

"It should never get easier," Estella offered, "That way you know you haven't succumbed to the despair."

Corbin looked up and met her eyes. Sitting this close to him she noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery. He nodded then looked away, "Yeah. Thanks, Estella." He cleared his throat and said, "I'm okay now. Really. Thank you."

Estella held his gaze for a few more moments, squeezed his knee again and said, "Any time, my friend."

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Jonny was beyond perturbed. Once again, he felt like he and Hadji were just along for the ride. His dad and Race both knew how important Jessie was to him and all he wanted to do was help find her, but the adults figured it would be safer to leave Jonny and his brother behind at the FBI where they would be safe. At least that's the excuse his dad had used.

Doctor Quest, Race, and SSA Hotchner had left for the United States Penitentiary, Lee, located near Pennington Gap, Virginia. The BAU had its own jet, which the three men had used to shorten the trip that would have taken them almost seven hours to drive.

Penelope Garcia had discovered that Yuri Delic was actually alive and was being held at the USPL facility under a different name. Jonny had been impressed with her computer skills, but it was Hadji that had made the connection between Yuri Delic's stabbing and the discovery of a man who resided in the USPL facility named Daniel Yarborough. Daniel Yarborough was imprisoned for multiple murders and was serving a life without parole sentence, but the more Hadji and Garcia dug, they could not find anything beyond the surface of Yarborough's file.

Yarborough had appeared in the system just six weeks after Yuri Delic was stabbed in the Dubrava Prison's mess hall. Based on that information, along with what appeared for all intents and purposes to be a made up file on Yarborough, the team had concluded that Delic and Yarborough was the same person.

Jonny huffed and spun himself around in the chair that he occupied once again inside Garcia's data room. "We need to do something!"

"Hopefully they will learn some new information, Jonny," Hadji stated seeing the impatience growing in his brother.

"But what if they don't?" Jonny protested, "What if Delic doesn't know anything."

"There has to be a reason he was transferred here," Garcia stated as she typed at her computer. "We just have to find it."

"No, we have to find Jessie!" Jonny was hot, it seemed like the older they got, the less they were involved, but Jonny knew his dad was just trying to protect them. Benton had already lost his wife Rachel, Jonny's mother, because of his line of work and Jonny knew his dad would break if something were to happen to his sons. However, that didn't make Jonny any less anxious to get out there and do something.

"I need to analyze this DVD," Garcia said, her hesitation in her voice apparent. She obviously knew what was on the disc. "Maybe you guys can take a break?"

Jonny crossed his arms and remained seated, "No way. We need to see what's on that disc."

"But, Hotch said," Garcia stammered, obviously not wanting to defy her superior's orders.

"Just tell him we walked in on your while you were watching it and then it was too late to keep us from seeing it," Jonny suggested.

Garcia, mouth agape, mumbled, "Am I really being manipulated in my own office? No way, I can't let you."

"Please, Penelope," Jonny pleaded, "Jessie is our best friend."

"And three sets of eyes could be more beneficial than just one." Hadji added with a suggestive wave of the hand.

"Huh," Garcia said, "They always said the Quest boys were quite skilled in the art of persuasion."

Jonny looked at his brother who winked in return, they had her.

"Look, Hotch will kill me if he knows I let you guys watch this." Garcia pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. "But we need to find something to try and locate your friend, so,"

"That's what I'm talking about," Jonny announced triumphantly.

"We'll start with trying to isolate any sounds or images in the background; anything that might be a clue." Garcia stated and popped in the disc.

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Race ground his teeth, a bad habit that always surfaced when he was angry or pissed off. He, Benton, and SSA Hotchner had arrived at the Penitentiary and were currently in an interview room, waiting for Daniel Yarborough, AKA Yuri Delic to arrive. Hotchner had made some calls, pulled some strings within the Justice Department and had gotten the meeting established. The prison usually didn't take visitors on a Sunday, but time was of the essence and each day that passed was one more day that Jessie and Estella were at the mercy of their captors.

"I'm gonna have to restrain myself from ripping this bastard to pieces." Race growled as they sat in the grey room.

"I just hope he may know something," Hotchner added, "He has been locked up this entire time."

"If his gang is responsible for this, I'm sure he knows." Race retorted.

"Let's not forget his gang tried to kill him." Hotch replied.

"Why would the U.S. Government move him here is the question that perplexes me." Benton wondered as he stroked his beard. "He must possess something valuable."

"Looks like we are about to find out." Hotch said as the door opened and a thin, somewhat balding man was shuffled into the room, flanked by two prison guards. He wore thick glasses and a standard orange prison jumpsuit. His hands and ankles were shackled, making his movements slow and cumbersome. He eyed the trio of men as the guards sat him down and then secured his shackles to a ring that was mounted on the floor below the table. The man definitely matched the photographs of Delic that Garcia had dug up.

"Thank you," Hotch said to the guards, "We'll let you know when we are done."

The guards exchanged looks, but nodded and left.

Interviewing prisoners was not something Benton or Race did very often, however Hotchner did and he took the lead, "Yuri Delic," He started, his visage hard and determined, "We need to ask you some questions."

"You have the wrong man." The prisoner replied.

"I don't think so," Hotch said and showed the man the photographs in the file he had brought with him.

Delic didn't look at the photos; instead he kept his eyes fixed on the trio. He eventually turned towards Benton and said, "Doctor Quest, I'm a great admirer of yours."

"Really?" Benton drawled, unimpressed by the man.

Delic nodded, "You are a pillar of the scientific community. Of all people I would think you would appreciate my work."

"We aren't here to talk about your work," Race said.

Delic turned his head towards Race, his eyes cold. He looked at Hotch and asked, "Where is Director Corbin?"

Race seethed, he hated being ignored.

"He's indisposed." Hotch replied cryptically.

"I doubt that." Delic replied.

"Someone shot him." Race said.

To the surprise of all three men, Delic's expression appeared almost sad, but not surprised, as if Race had just confirmed something Delic had already known, "Who?" Is he dead?"

"Why is that important?" Race demanded.

Delic asked again, "Is he dead?"

Hotch glanced at Race, something was up. Why would Delic care if Corbin was alive or dead? Hotch figured the truth couldn't hurt. "No, he's not. He survived the shooting."

"That is good to hear." Delic nodded. "Who shot him?" He asked again.

"Your gang is holding my family hostage!" He slammed his open palm down on the table, tired of these back and forth questions and answers.

"I do not have a gang," Delic replied coolly, un-phased by Race's show of aggression. "But if you are referring to Drazen Popovic, then I am sorry to say that I fear for your family."

Race felt his chest tighten in anguish, "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Drazen is a dangerous man. He's a fool, but he's dangerous," Delic responded, "He's also rash and unpredictable. My thirteen presents from him is a testament to that."

"Why did he attack you?" Benton asked.

"He had his reasons." Delic replied, but said no more.

"Word was that you betrayed him." Hotch stated.

Delic shrugged then looked at Race, "Are you the infamous Race Bannon?"

Race blinked, caught off guard by the question, "Yeah, what of it?"

"So I assume it is your wife and daughter that Drazen has?"

"If you know where they are you better tell me right now," Race threatened.

"Or else what, Mr. Bannon? You'll kill me right here? Then you'll be no closer to finding them then you were before you found me." Delic taunted.

"What do you want?" Hotch asked.

"Nothing you can provide. Director Corbin knows what I want." He glanced back at Race, "But I assume Drazen had your wife shoot him?"

"How do you know that?" Race asked.

"I hear things," Delic smiled, "But that makes me sad. They are good people, even though they tried to stop me."

Race's face contorted with a confused look and Delic grinned, "You three really have no idea what this is all about, do you?"

"Why don't you enlighten us?" Hotch said, growing tired of the games Delic was playing.

Delic sighed, "I can tell you what I know, but it isn't much. I know Drazen is here, in the United States, but I do not know where. He has contacts within his circles."

"What is he after? You?" Benton asked.

Delic shook his head, "He thinks I am dead. He believes he killed me back in prison, but your Government brought me here."

"Why?"

Delic shrugged, but said nothing.

"So if he's not after you, what is he after?" Hotch asked.

"Drazen cares about money and power. So I guess he's looking for the stone."

"What stone?" Benton asked.

"The stone that Joseph of Aramethia took from Jesus' tomb after the resurrection."

"Why?" Benton was perplexed. He knew the story of the stone and that it had been lost for years until it was discovered during an excavation in Kosovo in the 1980s.

"Probably to sell, I don't know."

Something about his tone made Benton question the honesty of the man's statement. "I think you do."

Delic did not reply.

"Where is this stone?" Race asked. If they could find the stone, they might be able to negotiate with Drazen to release Jessie. Once Jessie was safe, Race would deal with Drazen on his own terms, stone be damned.

"I don't know." Delic replied.

Hotch's eyes narrowed at the man's response, "I think you do."

"I don't care what you think," Delic said defensively. "If he's still alive, you should ask Director Corbin."

"What? Why" Benton asked befuddled.

"Because he knows who has it."

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Jessie listened. After the man had confronted her in her cell, she wanted to make sure she would be ready the next time. She had to act and act soon. With no clock, no light, no sense of day or night she couldn't tell how long she had been held. It could have been days or it could have been weeks. Jessie knew that her senses were starting to play tricks with her mind and she needed to do something to alleviate the dullness and long hours of loneliness that she was being forced to endure.

Sitting cross-legged on her bed she meditated. Hadji had been teaching her meditation techniques for over a year and she always found that they helped calm her mood and clear her mind. Sometimes she would meditate when she overheard an argument between her mom and dad; other times if the stress of school or her projects with Doctor Quest seemed too complicated she would take the time to clear her thoughts through meditation. Now, as a captive of some extremely hostile and violent men, she used the technique to sooth her worries and her apprehensions.

Jessie had found herself in similar situations due to her father's work and her association with the world-famous Doctor Quest. However, this time she did not think these men had anything to do with Doctor Quest. These men seemed more interested in her mother and it felt like it was personal. She had to find out why, but first she had to get out of her cell.

She knew now that she was being watched. The man that frightened her would not have been suspicious if he hadn't been watching her from the outside. Since then she had been more cautious, moved more slowly. She had sighed in relief when he believed her story that she had only been scratching at the wall, when in fact those scratches had been caused by her testing the sharpness of the makeshift weapon she possessed. It wasn't extremely sharp, but it would do the trick, she just had to ensure that when the opportunity presented itself that she could act.

These men were ferocious and she had to be even more ferocious to them if she wanted to get out alive. All she needed was a chance to get to a phone or computer; something she could use to send a signal to Jonny or her father. If she could do that, she knew they would find her.

She heard the cell door open and popped one of her eyes open; two men entered; one of them the man who had cut her. She loathed and hated him and she let that hate motivate her thoughts. He would pay, if not by her hand, then by her father's, or Jonny's. He wasn't going to get away with what he'd done. She saw that the two men were armed, one with an AK-47. She also saw movement beyond the two and surmised that her door guard still stood watch outside. This would not be the time to act; she wouldn't make it out of the cell.

"Hello, Jessica." The man grinned, he tried to sound soothing, but he was not.

Jessie looked at him with disgust. "What do you want with me?"

"I fear that, once again, your mother has not done what I've asked of her."

Jessie cringed inwardly. Last time he said something like that was when he hurt her. "If you just let me go," She started.

The man shook his head, "No, I cannot do that. That would be rewarding her for her failure."

"What do you want with us?"

The guard brought in a chair and set it on the floor, across from Jessie. The first man spoke again as he sat down, "I am afraid I never probably introduced myself. My name is Drazen."

"That's an odd name." She smirked.

"Not where I am from."

"Which is?"

"Did your mother ever tell you about her time in Kosovo?"

Jessie knew her mother had gone to that country on a mission, but she had been very young and her mother never spoke about the trip. She shook her head.

"Well, that is unfortunate." Drazen said, picking at his fingernails again.

Jessie thought perhaps she could turn the tables on him, get him talking to her. The more she learned the more she might be able to figure a way out of here. "Is that where you are from?"

"Somewhat," Drazen replied. "I spent some time there, more time than I wished actually."

"What happened? You knew my mother?" Jessie asked, trying to sound as if her questions were just innocent inquiries and not attempts to gain information.

"Well, not exactly, but she was responsible for the extended stay of myself and some of my comrades."

Jessie deduced that Drazen and his men had been incarcerated. "How so?"

"Do you know Philip Corbin?" Drazen asked.

Jessie bit her lip, an odd question. "My dad works for him."

"Your mother did as well, did you know that?"

Jessie shook her head, genuinely surprised. She did not know her mother had worked for Intelligence One.

"You see, everyone keeps secrets," Drazen said. "And your mother kept her employment with Intelligence One and her time in Kosovo a secret from you. Why do you think that is, Jessica?"

"I don't know," Jessie replied honestly, "I would assume something happened there."

Drazen sat up and nodded, "Yes, you are a sharp one. Something did happen and your mother and her friend, Philip Corbin were key players. That is why I am angry with them."

"What does holding me have to do with any of this? If you are mad at Mr. Corbin," Jessie said.

"He has already been dealt with."

Jessie didn't like the sound of that. "You killed him?" She had always liked Corbin; he was a nice man with a nice family, even if he did drive her father pretty hard at times.

Drazen shook his head, "No, Jessie. I didn't. Your mother did." He grinned wickedly at the revelation.

Jessie was mortified, "No, you're lying. She wouldn't do that!"

"But she did." He continued to pick at his nails.

"Why?"

"Because I told her that if she didn't I would kill you." Drazen voice was cold.

"You, Son of a Bitch." Jessie spat.

"And now I have asked her to do it again, to another person from their little team in Kosovo and once again she has failed." Drazen's eyes went dark and Jessie felt scared again. "Instead she killed three of my men."

Jessie's mouth went dry and she was lost for words. "You know, Jessie, if your mother cannot follow simple directions,"

"You bastard!" Jessie screamed and threw herself at Drazen. In one fluid motion she withdrew her shank from its hiding place in her sock as she lunged forward.

Drazen was actually caught off guard, and before he could move, the enraged red-head was on him and he felt her plunge a sharpened object into his leg. He cried out as he was knocked to the ground, but the girl was like a wild animal and she stabbed him again in the lower abdomen. "Get her off me!" Drazen screamed.

Jessie felt the other man grab her shoulder, but she spun, bringing her leg around with a roundhouse kick and caught the man in his midsection. Before he could recover he drove the bloodied shank into his throat.

The door guard yelled and raised his rifle, but hesitated firing, due to his boss, Drazen, being in the line of fire.

"Shoot her, you fool!" Drazen barked.

Jessie scrambled to her feet and ran at the guard. As he raised his weapon she slid to her knees and right through the man's legs. The guard, not knowing what had just happened, was in shock, but as he tried to turn around he was stabbed repeatedly in the back. He dropped to his knees then fell face first to the floor.

Drazen was dragging himself to his feet as Jessie met his gaze. "You little bitch!" He spat.

"You're going to pay for all this, Drazen." Jessie said and ran.

Drazen limped to the doorway and watched the girl turn a corner, out of sight. He slammed his bloodied hand onto the alarm next to the door and a loud klaxon sounded.

Jessie heard the alarm as she ran. So she ran faster.

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To Be Continued….