Martini Dreams: Drive to Destiny

by tarskeewee08

"We have to consider that Craig or Ortega whom ever he was has two years unaccounted for. I wonder what changed to make him adapt a new identity…"

"Are you hungry?" John asked driving focusing on the road ignoring her analysis on the case. She'd been going on an on about her latest theories and he just kept focused on their trip.

Evangeline looked up at the road. They'd been driving for over 20 minutes and it appeared they were heading north out of Llanview "Where are we going?" she asked confused.

"Oh so you finally noticed we are going somewhere?" he said chuckling
Evangeline looked at him and frowned "John, seriously where are we going?"
"Away for a couple of days to regroup"
"Are you crazy!" she shouted glaring at him
John looked at her and smiled "Maybe…because I am determined to protect and take care of someone that is just as determined to run herself in the ground"

"Cut it out John, we have work to do! We are in the middle of a big case and we can't very well just take off!"

"Evangeline, whether we are in the station or somewhere secluded the case can be worked by us. I need to make sure you are safe."

Running her hands through her hair she blew out a frustrated breath. "Listen to me, this freak is not going to stop."
"This freak is now hunting you! Do you get that!" John snapped
Evangeline looked at him "Oh I see now…of course, so we are going somewhere to lure him to us..." she said smiling.

John driving looked over at her confused "What?"
"That's your plan, we leave and he follows but we're waiting on him. It's brilliant!" she said smiling

John shook his head "No baby…."
"Yes, he's watching I know it. If we act as if he's gone he will reappear. This is the only way to force his hand." she said turning in her seat and looking behind them. The roads were dark now and she saw several cars behind. She wondered if one could be him.

"When was the last time you did anything that didn't involve work?" John asked in a worried tone.
"Excuse me?"
"Are you obsessed with your job or what? What are you hiding from? Why can't you for a second focus on something other than a sick sociopath!"

His words cut at her heart. It sounded like Dennis all over again. Turning away from him she hid the fact that he hurt her feelings. John saw her reaction and felt like an ass for attacking her like that. Who was he to talk? His most relaxed moments where shared with a dog and a can of beer. Reaching for her hand he ran his across it affectionately. She didn't move it and gently he took it into his. He didn't want to make her feel bad for who she was. He just wanted her to stop before she lost herself to it all. "I'm sorry"

She looked back at him her eyes glistening with tears "Don't be, it's a valid question. I started something with you and I know that. I didn't want to but hey here we are"
He smiled "That's right here we are"

Evangeline held his hand. "I wasn't always like this you know."
John looked over at her "I know, when you were in my class you seemed more open and trusting than you are now."

She smiled "I was, and I actually fell in love."
John turned his attention to the road "What happened?"
"Ambition I guess. He was a good man to me and we shared something special. I was very intimidated when I joined the academy but his encouragement helped me find the confidence I needed to pursue my dreams. Soon after I graduated an opening for a profiler position came up. It was to work with a lead profiler in the Wisteria Lane murders."

John nodded "I remember those murders. Turned out some suicidal housewife killed a woman and her son turned into a serial killer afterwards"

Evangeline smiled slightly "I was just to observe but I actually solved the case. It brought my to the attention of the right people and my career in the bureau sky rocketed."

John thought about his devotion to the Steve Haver serial killings and how he treated his wife Caitlyn as that case consumed him. He heard the sadness in her voice and understood the rest of her tale. She let go of his hand ran it gently across her lap to exercise the soreness from the cuts. "Well I got the lead profiler position and I threw myself into it feet first, working 70 hour work weeks. The more involved in my career I became the less interested in my relationship I grew. He did things to try to pull me back in I mean we both were in law enforcement just different spectrums."

"What did he do?"
"A defense attorney for a large firm based out of New York. He found himself commuting to DC between cases. His career was demanding too"
"That must have been hard" John said looking at her
Evangeline nodded "It was, but he tried I didn't and in the end he was very bitter over the split."

"You ended things?"
"He told me to make a choice and I did. The last thing he told me was I would eventually become as sick as the people I hunted. He told me there was something perverse in what I did and he was beginning to think I enjoyed it."

John sighed and they drove in silence for awhile before he spoke again "Caitlyn was a school teacher and a very gentle woman. She could understand and forgive almost anything. I however tested those boundaries to the breaking point."

Evangeline looked at him watching his face as he spoke. John tightened his grip on the steering wheel remembering his pain. Talking about Caitlyn was hard and he rarely did it. "I always kept crazy hours or found myself commuting between our home and VA. But the Steve Haver case was something different. It consumed me."

"Weren't you caught in a big internal investigation with the death of your men?" Evangeline asked

John nodded "When Haver escaped on my guys watch he killed one of my closest friends. I held him while he bled to death in my arms. It pushed me over the edge, that kind of guilt and hatred changes a person. My behavior at home became hostile and aggressive. Caitlyn actually told me before she threw me out that she was afraid of me. To be honest I was afraid of me too."

Evangeline reached over and touched his knee and squeezed it. "I'm sorry"
John sucked in his breath and blew it out releasing some of his old heartache "That monster got in my head and destroyed a part of me Van, I actually let it spill over into my personal life. It's why I eventually left, because my relentless crusade against him was changing me into someone I didn't know."

Evangeline nodded "Is that why you are taking me away. Forcing me to escape it all? Are you trying to save me John?"

John looked at her smiling at how smart and intuitive she was "Yes baby, I saw your panic and desperation in the hospital. The way you ripped at your bandages and insisted on working from your hospital bed, you were letting him in Van. I can't let you do that. I know your job is important and I will help you save it, but I won't sit back and let you become consumed by it."

"But why John? You barely know me? I mean you can't possibly feel that strongly for me in such a short time."

John laughed. Maybe she was right and it wasn't possible to fall quickly for a person you barely knew. But they were kindred spirits. He felt it so strongly now. "You have no idea how special you are. For the record I do know you because I was you years ago. I can't change what happened to me then, but I can help you now." He looked at her staring at him confused by his commitment toward her "Besides I have an ulterior motive too….I'm falling in love with you."

"That's a bad idea" she snapped
"Too late"
Reclining in her seat she looked at her hands. They were healing nicely but the cuts and scrapes made them look broken and scarred, which is how she felt inside. Dennis was what she considered the love of her life. When she chose her job over him she spent many a night crying over the loss of happiness in her life.

She replaced it all with the ugly cruelty that existed in every case and murder she witnessed. Soon her heart shriveled and coldness crept in. Now she was so used to the emptiness she remained confused by the reality that she might have more with this man. Looking at John she saw his strong jaw line and clear blue eyes. He was awakening something in her that she didn't even know was dead. Something even Dennis hadn't touched. Part of it may be the painful shared past between them or part could be the loneliness of their chosen careers. Whatever it was she wanted to experience it all with him.

They got each other on a primal level and she liked that. "Okay John I will give you three days in seclusion separate from the case if you promise me something."

John looked at her surprised she was coming around and even more surprised she would do three days. "What is it?"
"That we remain in constant contact with the station and if something concrete breaks we follow up on it. People lives are at stake."
"That's reasonable"
She sighed "Good"
"You know I hope you are wrong." John said turning off the expressway to a one lane highway missing street lights.
"About?"
"About him being fixated on you, I'd hate to have to kill him on our little sabbatical"
Evangeline laughed "Well we'll see, I suggest we remain alert and ready."

John nodded. "We both will"
Evangeline saw the winding road taking them further into seclusion and wondered how long he'd been planning this? He was determined that they explore their feelings for one another and she just couldn't get over how convincing he was. No one could pull her away from a case. No one! Yet she barely put up a fight. Something was happening to her and god help her she liked it.

Looking into the night she watched as the trees that outlined the road zipped by. Suddenly a feeling a fear crept through her belly and the image of him leaping from a tree above her flashed into her mind. Falling and fighting him she recalled the terror and pain of his attack. Shivering under the memory she shut her tight and forced it where she filed all the other bad things she's experienced in the line of duty, slowly the panic attack subsided and she was able to breathe steady again.

"Are you okay?" he asked noting her eyes squeezed shut and her fist clenched.
"I am now…" she said softly opening her eyes and wincing at the pain in her hands. She looked over at him to give him a reassuring smile.
"You've been through a trauma you know, its okay to be a little shell shocked."
"I'm fine."

John saw his turn and slowed down his speed. Bo and the Buchanan clan had a cabin out near Lantana Mountain and he asked if he could use it to debrief and unwind. Bo didn't like the idea of his Lt. taking a brief step away from this high profile case. John pointed out the media attention on the department now with Ortega being the perp.

After the media got wind of Evangeline's position with the FBI and her kidnapping they were all over the hospital waiting to get at her. He assured Bo some time away for her to recuperate could only bring about a good solution to finding this wacko. Eventually his argument won out and Bo agreed to support his little kidnap and rescue mission.

Driving up the winding road into the property he did notice how dark and isolated the cabin was. He checked to make sure that they weren't followed on their way to the cabin and he was pretty sure they were safe. Evangeline smiled at him and he knew that she was excited at the prospect of being alone with him too. She looked so fragile next to him wearing her ponytail and no makeup. Her bruise on her face and the scars on her hands reminded him of the danger she was in. All he wanted to do was protect her.

That encouraged him more. Parking in front of the place John turned off the car and looked at her smiling "You ready?"

She nodded and opened her door. John got out and met her as she came around the car. Taking her hand she led him around the path to the front of the cabin. He would come back for the luggage later. Reaching in his pocket he retrieved the key and opened the door, taking her hand he walked her inside of the dark cabin.

John went to the nearest light switch and flipped it on. Evangeline looked around and saw the masculine decorated cabin and smirked. The walls were the same dark log wood that framed the outside of the ranch style cabin. On the wall were mounted large deer's with massive antlers reaching the ceiling. A skinned bear rug in the middle of the floor in front of the fire place with the head of the bear still attached. A large gun rack in the far corner had several hunting and assault rifles. The large furniture was dark browns and leather blending in with the western décor.

"I like it!" she said going over to the couch and plopping down."
John closed the door and looked at her smiling "I thought you would"

Pulling up to the road outside of the Buchanan Cabin with his lights off Ortega cut off his car. Reaching for his cell phone he checked and it had only a couple of bars. He hoped he got a signal.
"Hello"
"It's me…" Ortega said seeing the lights go on in different rooms of the cabin.
"Where are they?"
"At some cabin….I guess it's her spot to recover."
"Interesting…"

Ortega laughed "I couldn't have asked for a better location"
"Do you think it's a trap?"
"Maybe"
"Well you know what to do"
"Can I have some fun!" Ortega said giggling. He didn't know killing would be so exciting. He was so anxious to feel that agent's skin under his hands. He still owed her for the concussion he was sure he had"

"Do not steer from the plan. You know what to do!"

The line went dead and Ortega threw the phone to the side. Reaching for his night binoculars He trained them on the cabin. John McBain came out the door going to the car to get their luggage. The Lt. never paid him any attention all those months on the force and talked to him as if he was a second class citizen. He wanted payback with him. But he owed a greater debt and it had to be paid. Besides the plans called for John's death eventually he'd get to have some fun after all.

Laughing to himself he lowered the binoculars and leaned into his seat. Let the games begin.