Heh- so I've been trying to write the final chapter of my current crossover, but it obviously doesn't want to end seeing how I'm stuck. Then to spite me, I wrote this chapter in one sitting. Hmph. I see how it is. Anyways, this one has one more chapter and possible an epilogue! Darn it! Everything's finishing at once! I'll probably update Endless next before going back to Smoke & Mirrors.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! Hugs for: TROMANA, EBONY, YABA, LISBON69, BOUTONDOR, FAMOUS4IT, MISSNITAGIRL, and MENTALISTLOVER. I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter! *grins*
All mistakes are my own. I think grad school is making my spelling and grammar worse. I'm losing brain cells… Thankfully, I'm on spring break! Oh! And you might want to go back and reread the first chapter now! that's finally tied in!
Chapter Eleven
Kimball Cho slammed his fist down after rifling through the various papers on Jane's barely used desk. They had already searched the bullpen for any sign of Jane's whereabouts even to go as far as searching under the couch cushions, and the only remaining option was to break into Lisbon's office. It was something they were all slightly wary about doing, but they had little else to go on. In fact, he didn't even have any proof that something was wrong. For all they knew, Lisbon and Jane could have escaped for a secret weekend getaway. He snorted at the thought. It was hardly likely, especially given the high tensions that had been rampant the previous week.
Sighing, Cho headed for Lisbon's office with an uneasy Rigsby and Van Pelt behind him. Thankfully it was the weekend and there was no one to question their actions. Jimmying the lock open, they entered the room unsure of how to proceed. It was immaculate- there wasn't even an out of place paper on the desk. For once he was annoyed at his boss' proclivity to obsessively tidy her desk when she was anxious or angry. It just wasn't conducive to tracking down her whereabouts, especially seeing how he wasn't completely keen on the idea of rifling through her desk.
"I've got something!"
Cho turned at the sound of Rigsby's startled exclamation and grinned. The arson expert was holding up a familiar package- a familiar, empty package. Even Van Pelt had to smile at the thought of their by-the-book boss slipping a GPS transmitter somewhere on Jane. Van Pelt snatched the empty container from Rigsby's hands before locating the serial number on the underside of the plastic. Grinning, she practically sprinted to her computer, thankful that Lisbon had used CBI equipment. She was sure she could trace their location. She just needed a little time.
For the first time in several years, Patrick Jane didn't know what to do. In hindsight, he should have informed Lisbon about the entire situation, no matter how strong his thirst for revenge was. He should have known she would be resourceful enough to track him down. Hell, he knew she had a soft spot for him, and yet it never stopped him from using her feelings to his advantage. Now, he just felt horrible. He was lured, untrained and unprotected, into a warehouse by a psychopathic serial killer without even a second thought to his safety. Seeing Lisbon's gun aimed at him quickly changed his whole feeling on the matter.
He felt surprisingly stupid at his failed realization that red John had carefully mapped out the whole scenario, and both his and Lisbon's reactions had been entirely too predictable. He barely had time to breathe when he suddenly found himself bound and gagged, secured upright to a large pole where he could only watch helplessly as Red John toyed with the woman in front of him. It was only a pure shot of luck that the floorboards snapped beneath her, sending her shot off to the side. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she'd react when she realized the silent figure she had been suspicious of was him.
There was something about being tied to a pole while facing certain death at the hands of the woman you loved that really made you reevaluate the decisions in your life- or at least that's what Jane decided. Helpless, he began to toy with the idea of a different scenario, one where he was happy and there was no quest of doom hanging over his head. He had to admit that it looked at lot more pleasant in his current predicament. If he got out of this, he might have to rethink a few things. His downward spiral of thoughts was quickly broken when Lisbon's eyes connected with his, and everything came crashing down
It crashed down quite literally, actually. The intended consequences of her actions that had magically been prevented hit her in full force and caused enough distraction for Red John to render her unconscious courtesy of a two by four. His eyes followed the killer's every movement and he cringed when the man carefully traced her jaw line, before turning to him with a laugh. His own bonds were loosened and he found himself slumping to the floor beside her, his legs unable to hold his weight. A fist collided with his jaw, and instructions were quickly given. Pulling the unconscious brunette into his arms, he lurched to his feet and was forced by knifepoint to trudge to a different part of the warehouse.
The second she opened her eyes, he knew she was disoriented. Her eyes swept across the dingy room, and Red John's instructions rang in his head. He had no choice in the matter. Her face clouded with pain as she gently brushed the side of her head with her fingertips. Drops of dried blood flaked off in her hand causing her to frown. Her shirt was torn from the struggle and hung off her shoulder in a manner that would have been strangely attractive if it wasn't a life or death situation. Her body marred with bruises and small cuts, and her ankle had begun to swell.
Taking a step forward, he gently lifted her and was surprised when she didn't fight back. Her frowned, concerned at her lack of resistance as she practically collapsed in his arms. His shoulders strained at the dead weight, and he quickly set her down on the single chair in the room. He tried to be as gentle as he could, but he wasn't sure when the murderer would return, and Red John had made it explicitly clear what he was to see when he returned. He grimaced as he tore the duct tape before securing her arms behind her. He tried to leave enough space so hopefully she could wriggle free, but at the moment she didn't seem to care.
He paused and was tempted to bury his nose in her soft hair. He froze when he noticed her sharp intake of air. Closing his eyes for a moment, he struggled to keep his emotions in check before he made his way into her line of sight. Kneeling down in front of her, he tried to meet her gaze. She refused to look at him, but he wasn't sure if it was shock or anger. Either way, her attention was purely focused on a small spider that was crawling across the floor. Standing up, he sighed and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. When she made no further response, he backed up and headed towards the door, only to be stopped by her soft voice.
"You don't have to do this, Jane," she said. Her voice was strong, unwavering and it killed him to realize how much trust this woman had shared with him, only for him to realize it too late. Not trusting his voice, he backed out of the room.
"I didn't think you'd do it…" a gruff voice trailed off. Jane clenched his fists.
"You didn't give me a choice," the consultant replied while trying to keep his temper in check.
It was important for the lead agent to remain out of the way during the next aspect of Red John's plan, and in reality it gave Jane an extra incentive to do everything in his power to disable the killer. If he failed, Teresa Lisbon would be at the mercy of California's most ruthless serial killer, and that fact alone made him want to retch. Keeping a wary eye on Red John, Jane waited for his next instructions. He clung to the tiny shred of hope that if Lisbon could find him, the others would be soon behind. She was too smart to walk into an unknown situation without a contingency plan. He just had to survive until then.