Sorry for the delay, I swear, work has been horrible and no word about grad school yet has made me a cranky girl. I have another humble chapter to offer... Thank you so much for your inspiration and feedback. I honestly love what you've guys got to say and it makes my day to laugh so hard I cry at being yelled about this story...

Hope it keeps living up to your expectations...

Nikka

O o O o O o O

If she had to pick one thing that she was absolutely sick of during this entire escapade, hands down, it would be the manhandling. Andy could deal with being hit, punched, kicked, hell, she didn't even really have the biggest problem in the world with Donny grabbing her by the hair to try to get her attention. Nope, it seemed that the thing about this whole little kidnapping fiasco was that Donny and Petey and the other men working with them felt that they could manhandle her. Even since they crammed her in the dumb waiter and shoved her into that van, someone had constantly had his hands on her. Realistically, Andy knew it was because she had made no secret of fighting them tooth and nail the whole way and that she wouldn't stop.

When the doors of the van opened, Andy was dragged into a back ally way as was met with a solid door that Donny knocked on. For a brief moment, Andy thought she recognized the door from somewhere, but that had to be impossible right?

The drive had been somewhat of a blur, and so had the walk into wherever these idiots were taking her. Then all the sudden, it all became clear. Andy tried to put on a poker face. She was refusing to allow herself to be afraid, but the truth was that she was terrified. Sam wasn't here this time. She took a breath before they pushed her down the stairs. Andy prayed that her phone call had gone through and the mobile command team was able to get the trace from the call that they couldn't get while she was texting Sam.

Andy probably would have tripped down the stairs with the way that Donny was pushing her but she decided that remaining clam would probably be the best thing to do. When she reached the foot of the stairs she was pushed forward another few steps. The heavy set man had his back to her, clearly ignoring her and the indignant circumstances of her arrival.

After what felt like an eternity, Andy could feel her temper rising. This man had clearly been looking for her, found her, and dragged her here, and now he was ignoring her very presence. Like hell he would!

"You know, if you have something better to do," Andy stated with more confidence then she thought possible. "I could got back to you know, my job."

To her displeasure she watched as Hill's shoulders shook and he laughed at her as he spun around to face her. She fought the urge to squirm and show her disgust his eyes met hers before traveling down the length of her body and the ever so slowly back up. He smiled at her in a calculating way that told her he was not even slightly amused with her antics.

"Officer McNally," he drawled out rubbing his chin before resting the side of his head on his hand, elbow on the bar. "I must saw, you're looking a bit more... seasoned since we last met."

Andy glared at him. She refused to give the man satisfaction of reacting to him and she sure as hell refused to show him that he was freaking her out. If it was one thing that she learned from Sam, it was the value of presenting a poker face and the appearance of calm even if everything was going to shit. This was a part she needed to play. "Use what you've got McNally," Sam had told her. "A good cop can talk their way out of anything."

"What can I say," she said flatly, but with a limited amount of humor. "You're boys have treated me so well."

To Andy's chagrin, Hill laughed at her again, but at least he did seem genuinely amused. "Now I see why Sammy keeps you around. You're feisty," his eyes raked down her body again. "You must be a lion in the sack."

Andy started getting an apprehensive feeling. It was becoming clear that Hill was using her to get to Sam. "Your information sucks Hill, we just work together."

Hill actually smirked at her and pulled himself up off the stool and took a step towards her. "Tell me Andrea, does your detective know that Sammy's been cuckolding him?"

It was Andy's turn to laugh at Hill now. He quirked an eyebrow at her. It was a simple gesture, and one that Andy knew was asking her to explain.

"I've never slept with Sammy," she stated with confidence. "I'm not his type, he prefers blondes."

There is was, Hill smirked again and took a step closer to her. "Oh I don't know about that sweetheart, seems Sammy boy likes you just fine and doesn't have a problem bragging about you or the trouble you cause him after he's had a few."

Andy felt her eyes widened momentarily. He had actually shocked her, not about Sam saying nice things about her, but that Hill would know those things. "You've got someone on the books from the 15th?"

To his credit, Anton Hill, did not laugh at her. "See, I like you. I can see why Sammy is so fond of you, you're fearless, and direct. No time for niceties. You go right for the jugular, just like Sammy, but looking at you, no one would know enough to be afraid of you."

Andy lifted her chin to look defiantly at him and smiled. It was all that she could think of to do.

"What's so funny Officer?" Hill asked her clearly getting a bit annoyed.

"Oh nothing," she struggled unsuccessfully to hide the amusement from her voice. "I really don't want to be you when Sammy finds out you've been messing with one of his after he was kind enough to give you back your files and leave you alone without any retaliation."

Andy and Hill were now standing nearly toe to toe both eying the other one down. It was a battle of wills and neither could be described as anything close to patient. They were so absorbed in sizing the other up that they jumped when a voice broke the silence.

"Perimeter is secure."

O o O o O o O

Hmmmm …. I wonder who that could be!