Chapter 11

"How do I look, Murdock?" Amy asked, powdering her nose in the back of the limo, trying to keep her nerves under wraps. This was now her sixth date in as many days. And each date didn't get any easier; she still had the same amount of anxiety. Although, once in Carlos' company she'd soon relax, as he would prove once again that she had nothing to worry about. This was going to be yet another dinner date at his house. She had nothing to worry about.

"Great, sweetheart. You'll knock him dead."

"Wouldn't that put an end to all of our problems?" Amy caught Murdock's eye in the mirror as he laughed at her sarcasm but Amy dropped her smile, a twinge of guilt. She'd never wish Carlos dead. "Right, well I'm ready. Are we nearly there?" Closing her purse, she stared out of the darkened window to look for familiar surroundings; they were approaching the gates of Carlos' mansion.

"Afraid so." Murdock grinned at her through the mirror and she gave a faint smile back. Her heart seemed to suddenly thump louder with nerves.

The guards waved Murdock through and he drove the limo up the gravel drive and round to the front door. Amy ran her fingers through her hair before stepping out of the vehicle, to stand next to Murdock. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Flores' butler walking out of the front door and approaching them. She turned towards him and smiled. Time to hide the nerves.

"Hello. Andrew, isn't it?"

"Yes, Miss Phillips," he nodded in confirmation. "Mr Flores is waiting for you in the library." Amy nodded and gave a quick glance at Murdock before walking towards the house. Murdock was able to give her a wink before the butler turned towards him. "Sir, Mr Flores will have Miss Phillips escorted back to her hotel after dinner. So there is no need for you to wait."

That's not the plan. He's waited before. Murdock stood there dumbfounded for a second and tried to quickly move the puzzled expression his face was probably showing. But he couldn't just leave. He was supposed to stay and be close at hand for Amy. Murdock thought on his feet.

"Er, Mr Phillips usually insists that I stay," Murdock quickly replied. "He would rather I drive Miss Phillips back after they've finished. They're having dinner here, right?" As he spoke, something told him otherwise. He watched Flores's limousine pull up alongside his.

"Mr Flores has had to change his plans. They will be dining out tonight after all."

"Ah, well, then there is no need for me to stay," Murdock replied, nodding. His eyes firmly fixed on the limo and not the butler. He got back in the limousine and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He then pressed the button to wind down the driver's side window.

Murdock watched as Flores came walking out of his mansion with his arm around Amy, like a prized possession.

"I hope you don't mind, but we've been invited to dinner."

"No, no that's fine." Murdock could hear Amy reply. She looked at him through the windshield, a nervous glance. He subtly nodded at her.

As he turned the ignition and wound the window back up, Murdock watched the couple get into the limo and it pull off. Starting to slowly follow them down the driveway, he picked up a hand held radio.

"BA, do you read me, over?"

"Loud and clear, Murdock."

"Amy is being taken out somewhere. Follow the limo. It'll be too obvious if I follow them. But let me know where they're heading and I'll be right behind you."

"Okay, Murdock," BA replied and the radio crackled with the release of the button.

Inside Flores' limousine Amy sat trying to hide her anxiety. She felt like she was smiling a lot which probably made her look even more conspicuous. She had prepared herself for a night at his mansion, not in a restaurant. However, a restaurant would be less private, so his affectionate gestures would be calmed, if only slightly.

"Amy, are you all right?"

Amy looked at Carlos and gave a smile, realising she'd been staring into space. "Yes, sorry."

"Are you sure? You look," Carlos paused, "troubled." He placed a hand on her knee.

Momentarily, she broke the eye contact, glancing at the floor and then back into his eyes. "Oh, we've had a bad day at the office," Amy said, deciding to go with some truth. Might help explain her distant behaviour and hide her true anxiety. Besides, Hannibal wanted Carlos to know what was happening to them. Amy was there, after all, to feed back information, to look for a reaction, even clues that Carlos was behind the trouble. Carlos looked at her, raising an eyebrow, ready to listen. As if he wanted her to bare her soul with her troubles. Amy laughed, trying to calm her nerves. "I'll tell you later." She placed her hand in his as he removed it from her knee.

Carlos nodded and squeezed her hand.

"I hope you don't mind this change to our evening, but I thought it would be a good excuse to go for a helicopter ride."

Amy's eyes widened but she tried to regain control of her nerves. Her chest felt tight, and she needed air. She took a breath. Try to act surprised, pleasantly surprised not scared witless.

"Helicopter?" But her tone sounded afraid.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're afraid of flying, aren't you?"

"Oh, no. No." Amy gently shook her head. Damn it, Amy, there was your one way out, she thought, kicking herself. Carlos still held her hand and started to gently stroke it with his thumb. She really needed to control her emotions; he was reading her like a book, luckily, the wrong book. Amy laughed her nerves away. "Just surprised, that's all. You're full of surprises, Carlos."

Carlos beamed at her, releasing her hand and placing an arm around her. "Great, because I thought we'd go to San Francisco."

"San - what about dinner?" Now she did sound nervous.

Carlos laughed. "Dinner is in San Francisco. I'm meeting a couple of business associates there."

"Ah man, this ain't good. They've just pulled into some private airfield," BA said into his radio, watching Flores' limo, two cars ahead of him. "I'm not liking what this is suggesting."

"Sit tight, BA, I'm not far behind you."

"Yep, they're heading for a chopper." BA continued to report.

"BA, I'll be there in a sec, I might be able to borrow a chopper."

BA shook his head as he pressed the button and spoke sternly into the radio. "Fool, you can't go chasing after her in a chopper, Flores will know something's up!"

As the helicopter blades started to rotate and whirr, Amy took a deep breath and swallowed. As a reporter, she'd flown in a helicopter many times, ones smaller than this, getting to locations. Still, she held her purse so that the whites of her knuckles showed.

Amy hesitated, slowly lifting her foot to climb into the helicopter. Her heart thumping hard again inside her chest. If I get on this chopper, I'm on my own. But if I don't, I'll probably screw this whole case up.

"Amy, are you ok?" Carlos took her hand.

Amy snapped out of what must have looked like a trance to Carlos. Think on your feet, Amy, don't give the game away. "Just these heels are exactly practical for climbing in and out of helicopters." She pointed to her shoes.

"Of course, where are my manners?" Carlos gently smiled at her before clicking his fingers at a bodyguard who was already inside the helicopter. He was almost the size of BA, Amy noted, as he took her hand, then supported her under her arm and Carlos held the other, they assisted her into the helicopter, practically lifting her.

Amy sat down. No escaping now. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. The adrenalin of fear coursing through her veins. Carlos had said they were meeting people. She had to be safe. There are two bodyguards and a pilot coming with us. Although they could easily do Carlos's dirty work. Amy rubbed her forehead and stared out of the helicopter's window. Don't think like that. She took another deep breath and smiled at Carlos as he now sat opposite her. He happily smiled back at her. Once we've landed, I'll try to let the guys know that I'm okay. But her mind was racing. How?

"Oh hell, this is not good. Not good at all, big guy." Murdock ran up to BA who was now standing by his van. They could see the helicopter lifting into the sky.

Murdock opened the sliding door of the van and started to rip off his uniform, throwing the chauffeur cap, suit jacket and shirt into the back of the van.

"What'cha doing, fool?"

"I've got to follow her." He grabbed his spare t-shirt out of a bag in the van and started to pull it over his head. "We can't lose her. What if he?-"

"-Murdock, you can't follow her." BA shook his head. "By the time you've got another chopper, they'll be long gone."

"We've got to do something, BA." Murdock looked at him with a worried expression. He frantically combed down his hair with his hands and placed his baseball cap on. "Has she got the tracking device on her?"

"Yeah-."

"But," Murdock interrupted him. He could tell there was a 'but'.

"The tracking system is in the van, and-."

"And," Murdock said anxiously, starting to pace back and forth, keeping his eye on the chopper fly off in the distance.

"And, by the time you're up in the air with it, they'll probably be out of range." BA growled back.

Murdock formed a fist and went to punch the side of the van.

"Hey, sucker, pound my van and I'll pound you!" BA glared forming his own fist and raising it. Murdock swung his punch down, into thin air, but it didn't have the same desired effect.

"I lost her, I lost her."

Murdock paced the warehouse, waving his hands about frantically as Hannibal and Face watched him.

BA grabbed him as he walked past and shoved him into a chair, to stop him pacing.

"Murdock, this is not your fault. You could hardly insist on tagging along." Face tried to reassure him, although he'd been anxiously combing his hands through his hair and adjusting his tie since hearing the news. "Amy's a smart kid, she'll work something out."

"Yeah, Face is right," Hannibal said removing the cigar from his mouth. He looked at his watch. It had been over an hour now. Amy could be anywhere. "If she's real smart, she'll try to contact us."

"Or lucky. Flores might not let her leave his side," Face added. "She might not be able to contact us."

Hannibal nodded. "Anyway, I want to cover the three places she's likely to call or show up at." Hannibal turned to Face. "Face, head back to the hotel. She may try to call there and Flores says he's going to drop her off at the hotel, so we should at least have someone there to watch if she shows up." Face nodded and then Hannibal looked at Murdock and BA. "Murdock, you stay here at the warehouse. BA and I will take the van, because if she does call us, it will probably be the van she tries first. We'll go stake out Flores' place, just in case she shows up there. If she makes contact with any one of us, then report it in. Okay."

All three men gave affirmative nods at their colonel. Face was the first out the door, BA following him. Murdock took a seat by the phone that actually did work in the warehouse. He leant back in the chair and put his feet up on the desk and just stared at the phone.

"It'll be alright, Murdock," Hannibal said, placing a hand on his shoulder and then he walked out to join BA in the van.

The large clock on the wall in the restaurant told Amy that she had left Murdock nearly three hours ago. She realised now she wasn't in any danger, at least as far as she could tell. Carlos had been the perfect gentleman and his two business associates and their wives, likewise. Even though his attention had been with the men, Carlos held her hand, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of it. Every now and then he'd glance at her and smile.

Amy felt safe but anxious as she knew she needed to get a message to the team. If they were worrying about her, it would be for no reason. She just needed to let them know where she was. The table was waiting on dessert and Carlos seemed deep in conversation with one of his business associates, he'd let go of her hand, so she felt this was her opportune moment.

Dabbing her lips with her napkin, Amy turned to the woman next to her, the wife of Tom, Tim, whatever his name was. She'd been worrying so much all evening, she hadn't really taken information like names properly on board, although she knew she really should have done. Once she'd made her phone call, she would make sure she got their names.

"Excuse me, while I just go and powder my nose." The woman smiled back and nodded. She seemed nice; they'd been talking throughout dinner. Amy had let the woman do most of the talking. It was easier than trying to make stories up. She wasn't as good as Face, for making it up as you go along.

She'd already been to the restroom on arrival, and had spotted the phone nearby. Luckily it was tucked in a corridor out of the way of the main restaurant, meaning she could make a call privately. But at that point she'd known she would've been missed if she took too long. Throughout dinner and as she anxiously watched the minutes pass on the clock on the wall, she had been deciding the number to call. She couldn't afford to wait for an operator to direct her to the City Skye Hotel, and then their operator take equally as long. So she decided to call the number she knew off by heart.

She picked up the phone and quickly dialled the number.

"Chinese Laundry, Mr Lee speaking." A familiar voice. Amy sighed with relief. The quarter clanged, dropping down inside of the phone.

"Hannibal, it's me."

"Amy! Are you all right?" Hannibal's normal voice returned and sounded concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I can't be long. I'm safe and I'm in San Francisco." Amy heard Hannibal curse as she spoke. "The restaurant is called Duets. I don't know San Francisco all that well, but we're looking out on the bay and we're near Pier 39, if that means anything to you."

"Okay, kid. Do you need us to come get you?"

"No, no. I'm fine, really." And I feel a whole lot better now I spoken to you, she thought, a weight lifting off of her shoulders.

"You're sure, kid?"

"Hannibal, I'm fine. I've got witnesses. We're having dinner with some friends of his. I'm safe, I promise you."

"Okay, Amy."

"Right, I must go. Carlos will wonder where I am otherwise." She didn't wait for a goodbye, she clicked the phone down. Through the reflection of a mirror she could watch her table, and had seen Carlos looking around the restaurant. Deciding that she might need to address her makeup so that it did look like she'd powdered her nose, she rushed into the restroom.

Amy wearily opened the heavy roof top door to the stairwell. Carlos had dropped her off at the hotel directly by helicopter. They had stood on the hotel roof top, with the helicopter whipping up the wind and causing so much noise, the only true way Carlos could say goodbye, was to kiss her. He'd brushed her hair off of her face, gently holding her head with both of his hands and leaned in to kiss her. She touched her lips as she walked through the double doors, feeling the kiss again, and smiled. It had been gentle and soft, not lustful. She had closed her eyes and relaxed into his tender embrace. It wasn't all bad, dating Carlos. In fact, part of her was overwhelmed by Carlos' ability to sweep her off her feet. There aren't many dates that take a helicopter ride up the coast just for dinner.

Now, tiredness was starting to creep over her. Luckily, she only had to walk down one flight of stairs, having a penthouse suite. She really wanted her bed. The helicopter journey had started to make her feel sleepy, like being a passenger the back of a car. Tired or not, it makes you sleepy. But she'd forced herself to stay awake. Although, sure that Carlos didn't intend on harming her, she knew that it was best to keep her guard up.

Should she go and knock on the team's door? Inform them that she's back. I'll ring from my room, she thought, starting to walk down the stairs. She didn't think she could face them. They were bound to ask her all sorts of questions, which could wait until the morning. Besides, by calling them from her room, she'd get into bed quicker.

"Not bad, just gone one a.m."

Amy physically jumped as her eyes shot up in the direction of the voice.

"Face! Christ, don't do that to me!" Amy caught her breath as her heart still leapt inside her rib cage. Face was leaning against the wall by the double doors at the bottom of the flight of stairs she was on. The stairwell was dimly lit and she'd been too busy watching where she was walking, and thinking to herself, to notice him.

"I thought you might need some privacy, so I waited inside," Face said, with a hint of sarcasm Amy noticed, as she reached him.

Amy rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Face turned, opening the doors for her and followed her along the brightly lit corridor, a transition from the stairwell. "Just checking to make sure you arrived back safely, Cinderella. You had us worried there for a while."

"But I told Hannibal that I was safe." Amy continued to walk towards her hotel suite, Face walking beside her.

"We wouldn't sleep well, not knowing whether you've returned or not."

"Oh," she replied. Amy stopped walking; suddenly realising her feet were killing her, and leant on Face with one arm for support.

"Are you okay, kid?" he asked, taking hold of her arm.

"Yeah, it's just these damn shoes," Amy replied, slipping off her shoes and continuing barefoot along the corridor, giving her feet a new lease of life, instant relief. "Ah, that's better," she sighed. She was also dying to remove the dress she was wearing; it now felt uncomfortable, not allowing her to relax properly or breathe. She'd kill to get into her own bed but the hotel one would have to make do. It seemed so far away at the moment, her apartment. Home.

"Did you have to wait in the stairwell?"

"I was watching the rooftop, but moved once I saw the helicopter arrive. I didn't want Flores to spot me."

"And what if Carlos had walked me to my room?"

"You wouldn't have let him," Face said, grinning.

"True." Amy nodded. Inviting Carlos back to her room was something she knew mustn't happen. That would be giving him the wrong message.

"Someone needed to make sure you got back to your room safely, Amy."

As they reached her hotel suite, Amy started to rummage through her purse to find her key but Face already had the door open.

She glared at him as she entered her suite and walked through to the living room, dumping her shoes by the side of the couch. Face followed her.

"And so, Hannibal sent you?"

He looked at her, tilting his head. "Yeah, why?"

"I just find it a little odd."

"Odd?"

"Well, I don't know. But you of all people, escorting me to my hotel room, something tells me he's testing you." Amy sat herself on the arm of the couch, providing instant relief to her weary legs.

"Testing me?" Face rubbed his chin and looked at her puzzled, narrowing his eyes. He walked a little closer towards her. "Why would he need to test me?"

Amy laughed again, her tone sarcastic. "Okay, Face. It's been just over a month since we came back from Mexico to rescue Al, so I don't know you that well, but even I've noticed you go through women like," she paused, "like some women go through shoes."

Face laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Who says he's testing me? He could be testing you," he said with a hint of mischief and started to walk towards the front door.

Her expression became serious. "Well, either way, we can tell him he's wasting his time, can't we?" She got up from the couch and followed him back to the front door. "Because I'm not your type. Right?" She leant against the wall near the front door with her arms folded defensively in front of her.

Face opened the front door and started to step out. "If you say so." He smiled cheekily and gave a wink. "Good night, Amy." He shut the door behind him.