Guest Starring
Frank Mills…………………..Chiwetel Ejiofor
Nicole Rex………………...Rose Byrne
Otis Whaley…………………Enrique Mitchell
Rosalind Freed………...…...Mary Tyler Moore
Carlton Fog...…………...William Sadler
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 14: The Trap
Gunfire raging around them, Jay and Tyler dropped to the floor for cover. They brought their hands over their heads as they listened to the bullets flying around the hallway. Marlow dropped to the ground as her right shoulder was hit by Whaley's bullets. The arrogant man smirked at her as he raised his gun to her again. Before he could shoot, though, Rex shot him in the back of the calf, forcing him to the ground. Against the wall of the hallway, Chambers took cover with his gun trained on Whaley. Ducking into another room, Will began firing at Whaley who dove out of the way.
At the other end of the hallway, Gabriel fired at Rex, but missed as Tyler tackled him to the ground. Rushing at his brother, Tyler disregarded the bullets coming towards him and knocked him to the ground. Gabriel pointed his gun up at Tyler, but Tyler kicked it out of his hand before he could fire. The gun slid across the ground and hit the wall as Tyler punched Gabriel across the face.
Across the hallway, Allison was ducking frightfully into another room as bullets shot every which way around her. She covered her head and lay on the ground as she heard footsteps coming near. Turning, she saw five FBI agents running towards her direction.
Back in the hallway, Whaley recklessly fired at everyone around him as he staggered away. Refusing to let him go, though, Marlow climbed to her feet and charged into Whaley. The two flew into the wall behind Jay and dropped both their guns.
Jay quickly climbed to his feet and began running. He grabbed Tyler by the back of his shirt and dragged him away. Behind them, Will popped out of his hiding spot and ran after them. Still taking cover, Chambers turned to Rex and called after her.
"Rex! Get Traveler and the others!" he ordered.
Aiming her gun at Whaley and Marlow, she asked, "What about them?!"
"I'll handle them!" Chambers shouted back.
Nodding begrudgingly, Rex took off down the hallway after Will, Jay, and Tyler. Meanwhile, Gabriel silently climbed to his feet and crawled to his left into another room. Climbing to his feet, he peeked out the corner of the room to where Whaley was. Touching the cut on his lip, he turned away and headed across the room.
In the room she was hiding in, Allison watched as the FBI agents passed by her and hurried into the hallway. Looking around, she realized there was no one left. Picking up her black backpack, she raced across the room into another hallway.
In the hallway, Chambers pointed his gun at the back of Marlow's head and told her, "Get off him, Marlow."
Marlow threw a punch at Whaley's face then backed away. Turning around, she angrily stared into Chambers' eyes as he trained his gun on her.
"Long time no see," Chambers taunted. Turning his attention to Whaley for a moment, he ordered, "Get out of here!"
Whaley wiped blood from the side of his lip and hurried away. Suddenly, though, he found a gun pointed at the side of his head and stopped. Three FBI agents exited a room in the gallery with their guns positioned on Whaley. Sighing angrily, Whaley lifted his arms in the air and surrendered. One of the FBI agents walked up to him and stuck a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.
Down the hallway, Marlow noticed Chambers had taken his attention off of her. Taking the opportunity, she slapped the gun out of Chambers' hand and kicked him against the wall. As Chambers fell back against the wall, Marlow turned and ran away. Reaching for the gun in his ankle holster, Chambers opened fire on his former subordinate. Just then, two agents appeared in the hall to assist Chambers.
-----
Elsewhere in the Art Gallery, Will led Jay and Tyler across a room with Rex running behind them. They hurried out of the room and turned left down a hallway. Rex made it across the room a second later and pursued them down the hall. Turning around, Will breathlessly watched Rex closing in on them. She brought her gun up and pointed it at them. Before she could fire, though, Will grabbed his two friends and dove into a room to the right of them.
As they scrambled up to their feet, they heard a gunshot ring behind them. Tyler jumped a little as he followed his two friends across the room and into another hallway. Gritting her teeth, Rex hurried out the room. In the hallway, Will led his friends up a staircase into the upper floor. Rex followed them up the stairs, but lost them once she reached the next floor.
Spinning around, she couldn't see where the boys had gone. Several hallways split off from the top of the stairs with dozens of rooms connected to them. Reaching for her radio, she pressed a button on the side and said, "This is Agent Rex. I've lost Traveler, Burchell, and Fog. I repeat: I've lost Traveler, Burchell, and Fog on the upper floor."
Hiding behind a wall in one of the rooms, Jay, Tyler, and Will cautiously listened to Rex run down one of the hallways. Peeking out from behind the wall, Will checked to see if anyone was coming. Turning to Jay and Tyler, he motioned for them to follow him out the room.
-----
Back downstairs, Marlow raced across the gallery as two FBI agents pursued her. She fired back at them twice, but missed both times. Turning the corner, she sped across an empty room towards another hallway. The two agents behind her followed down the hallway; they did not see her hiding behind a wall.
As the two agents passed by, Marlow jumped out of her hiding spot at the last one and clothes lined him. Her right arm slammed into the man's neck as he ran at full speed. His head bounced against the ground as he fell on his back. The other agent swung the butt of his gun at Marlow, but Marlow blocked with her forearm and punched the man across the face. Knocking the gun out of the agent's hand, Marlow kneed him in the gut and drove her elbow into the back of his head. Throwing the man onto the floor, Marlow snatched his walkie-talkie out of his holster and ran down the hall.
Marlow could feel her heart racing faster than her as she sprinted down the hallway. Every other sound around her was drowned out by her heartbeat. Even her heavy footsteps and loud breathing were silent. Grabbing at a wall for support, she turned the sharp corner and ran down another empty hallway. At the end of the hallway, she saw a green sign hanging from the ceiling that read 'EXIT'.
-----
Will, Jay, and Tyler hurried down the stairwell and discovered themselves in the lobby of the Art Gallery. There appeared to be no other agents around so the three boys hurried outside the Art Gallery. Slowing down, they tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible.
Will zipped his jacket up to the top while Tyler put his hood on. In between them, Jay stuck his hands into his pockets and tipped the bill of his hat over his eyes. Quietly, they walked down the sidewalk as several squad cars zipped passed them and stopped in front of the Art Gallery. None of them dared to look back in fear of being spotted. Heading down the street, they turned and walked through the park.
As they crossed the park, they were stopped by Allison who popped out from behind a fountain. Will brushed passed her and said, "Go home."
"I'm not going anywhere," Allison persistently stated.
"Do you not understand what's going on here?" Will asked. "You get involved, you will be burned."
Ignoring Will, Allison told him, "They killed my friend."
Jay, Tyler, and Will all exchanged looks of suspicion as the girl before them spoke. Jay turned to her and asked, "Who?"
"I don't know who," Allison replied. "I just know they killed him."
"Then if you don't want to end up like your friend, you better leave," Will warned. He started to walk off, but stopped at the sound of a cocking gun. Turning around, he saw Allison pointed a concealed gun at them.
Allison's hand shook as she pointed the loaded gun at Will, Jay, and Tyler. Her lips trembling, she muttered, "I'm going with you."
"Did you not hear what I just said?" Will questioned, obviously not frightened by the gun. "If you want to live then leave."
"I just want the truth," Allison replied.
"Hey!" someone shouted. It was a police officer. He hastily grabbed his radio out of his holster and ran in the boys' and Allison's direction.
Jay and Will turned around and raced away from the park as the policeman was joined by another officer. Thoughtlessly, Tyler grabbed Allison by her arm and dragged her away. Racing across the park, Tyler, Allison, Jay, and Will felt as if fire was beginning to engulf them. Reaching the sidewalk, they hurried up the street as a squad car appeared behind them. Luckily, the squad car was obstructed by a white van coming down the other street. The squad car nearly slammed into the van's side on its way across the street after the boys and Allison.
Turning back, Tyler noticed they had gained a considerably lead from the officers on foot. The two officers chasing them were just now racing up the hill while they were already turning right. However, it wasn't time to slow down. Quickening his pace, Tyler ran alongside Jay and Will as they hurried down the sidewalk. Behind them, Allison nervously turned to see the two cops running after them. She immediately turned back around and did her best to catch up to the three boys ahead of her.
"This way!" Will shouted as he recklessly crossed the street.
A blue four-door driving through the intersection honked its horn at the four companions as they hurried across. A bunch of students holding books and backpacks jumped at the sight of the boys and Allison running through them. One of the girls shrieked as Will pushed her aside in order to get through.
"Sorry," Jay muttered as he ran passed her.
The five students turned back around to continue up the street, but were startled by the policemen coming towards them. Making a path, they watched the two cops hurry after Will, Jay, Tyler, and Allison. As they rushed down the street, the four companions heard the sound of police sirens drawing closer. Holding tightly onto the straps of his backpack so it wouldn't slip off, Will brushed passed a man wheeling cardboard boxes into a building. The man accidentally tilted the cart over as Jay, Tyler, and Allison ran passed him as well. Grabbing the corner of a building, Will sharply curved into the narrow alleyway. Jay, Tyler, and Allison followed him in, where they stopped to take a breath.
"What are we doing?" Tyler asked breathlessly. He ran his hand through his fringed, sweaty hair. "We can't stop now. They'll catch us!"
"We need to find a car," Will suggested.
"We don't have time, Will! They've got squad cars coming after us!" Jay told him.
Pushing his face toward Jay's, Will replied, "That's exactly why we need one! I don't know about you, but I can't outrun a car."
Breathing exhaustedly, Jay glared at Will, but relented. Sighing, he paced around the alley and looked around. "There's no way we're stealing a car around here. There's too many people."
A pair of college students walked by along with a car honking its horn at someone. Tyler jumped at the sound and held his hand to his thumping chest. "He's right, Will," Tyler said. "We have to keep moving till we reach somewhere safe."
"Alright," Will nodded. Catching his breath, he turned to Allison and pointed a finger in her face. "But you – you have to leave. They don't have your face yet so you're still safe. If I were you, I'd get out while I could."
"Well you're not me," Allison bit back.
Will stared at her with an unyielding expression and replied, "Do you know how deep this goes?"
"What do you mean?" Allison wanted to know.
"What you've gotten yourself into – you're not just up against terrorists or cops," Will told her.
"I don't care!" Allison snapped.
"You will when you're in front of a gun and the guy holding it puts a bullet right between your eyes."
"I'm not afraid," Allison stuttered. Her creamy white face was turning red with anger at Will.
Shaking his head sternly, Will ordered, "Go home!"
"I'm not afraid!" Allison screamed back. Her voice cracked as she yelled. It sounded as if she was ready to cry.
"Will, we don't have time for this right now!" Jay said, grabbing his friend by the arm.
Will turned to Jay and replied, "If she goes with us, she's painting a target on her back!"
"She said she's not afraid," Tyler burst in. Caressing his face with his callous hands, he said, "Just let her come. She dies, that's her problem, not ours."
Will angrily sighed then turned to Allison. Reaching down at his right foot, Will pulled up the end of his pant leg. There was a holster with a Glock 30 strapped around his ankle. He pulled the handgun out and tossed it to Allison apprehensively. Catching the gun clumsily, Allison held it in her right hand and stared at it with wide, innocent eyes.
-----
The entrance to the Yale Art Gallery was nothing more than panes of shattered glass and metal bars twisted into jagged pretzels. In the middle of the street, there was a white ambulance parked with its back doors open. Squad cars and FBI SUVs and sedans were parked on the street in front of it with their sirens activated. No one was in them, though. All of the FBI agents and police officers crowded in a circle around Chambers on the sidewalk. Amongst the gathering of Feds and policemen were Agents Mills and Rex. Mills had a white band-aid stuck to the bridge of his nose and on the side of his temple. There was also dried blood stuck to the side of his busted lip. Rex, however, looked fine. Although she was exhausted and out of breath, her appearance was at least half-pristine.
In the middle of the circle, Chambers stood with his hands on his hips and an agitated look on his face. If he were a cartoon smoke would have been pouring out his ears and nose by now. "New Haven PD last spotted our guys somewhere between 5th Ave and Pierson. I want half of you down there searching for them. Rex, you're staying here with a group to watch the place in case they come back. Mills, I want you on standby. You tell me immediately if anything comes up," Chambers instructed.
"Sir, I should be out there lookin' for them!" Mills stubbornly said.
"Look at yourself Mills. One more punch and your face will shatter," Chambers told him. Shaking his head, he said, "You're staying here, end of discussion."
Mills angrily shook his head and turned away from Chambers. Rex looked up at him sympathetically as he pushed his way out of the circle.
Ignoring Mills, Chambers turned his attention back to his team of agents and cops and shouted, "Everyone else, keep your eyes sharp and your ears tuned. You see anything, hear anything, I want to be notified! We have come this close! We are not letting these boys get away now!"
-----
Down the street from the Art Gallery, Gabriel discreetly strode down a street, passing by several students and even a couple police officers in search of his brother and his friends. Gabriel had dropped his jacket somewhere a few minutes ago as he disappeared from the Gallery. He wore only a pair of jeans and white and green striped dress shirt now. Unbuttoning the two buttons on the sleeve of his shirt, Gabriel pulled his sleeves up to his elbows. He had been in a hurry to escape from the Gallery. Sweat was coming down his face and back and there was dried blood on the side of his lip and in his nose.
Licking his thumb, Gabriel wiped the blood off his lip. As he scanned the area for any sign of anyone that could identify him, he jumped at the tap of his shoulder. Spinning around, he saw a pair of policemen behind him.
"Excuse me, sir, have you seen any of these men?" one of the cops asked. He held up a sheet of paper with Jay, Tyler, and Will's faces on them.
Shaking his head, Gabriel frowned and replied, "Sorry, haven't seen 'em."
The cop nodded and said, "Thank you."
The cop started down the street while the other one eyed Gabriel. Innocently smiling back, Gabriel nodded at the policeman as he followed the other cop down the street. Pinching his nose to quell the bleeding, Gabriel surveyed his surroundings again then made his way across the street.
-----
Tyler slipped his arms out of his jacket and handed it to a homeless man sitting by a bus stop as he, Jay, Will, and Allison strolled by. Wearing only a white, long-sleeved sweater and jeans, he stuffed his hands into his pant pockets and quietly walked down the street. The four of them were still in downtown New Haven so it would definitely be a while till they reached a spot with few witnesses around. Cautiously eyeing his surroundings, Tyler crossed the cross-walk with his friends. A group of men and women from different styles and cultures passed by the group as they headed across the street. Tyler smiled at one of the men as the man looked up at his face.
Gulping, Tyler followed his friends onto the sidewalk and down another street. Turning around, he saw the man he had smiled at was still looking at him. Spinning around, Tyler's eyes widened and he whispered, "I think that guy noticed me."
"Who?" Jay asked, turning around.
"Don't look!" Tyler warned him. "He looked at me when we were crossing and he was still looking at me after we crossed. I think he knows who I am."
"Then we better hurry," Will suggested as he sped up.
Walking quickly, Tyler turned the corner with his companions and headed down the street. Nervously, he scratched the back of his neck and said, "Let's just take a bus. I doubt we'll be noticed on a bus."
"This is New Haven, Ty," Jay reminded him. "Everyone takes the bus here."
"Jay's right. It's too risky. We're better off walking," Will added.
"What about a taxi?" Allison recommended. "It's just one person. Not much risk there, right?"
"And where are we gonna ask the guy to take us?" Will sardonically asked.
"Train station," Allison answered. "It's better than having to steal a car. I can pay for the tickets. Like you said, they don't know my face yet."
Sighing, Will nodded and said, "Fine. We'll go to the train station."
-----
Otis Whaley sat in the back of a squad car with his hands cuffed behind his back. There was a placid expression on his face and he simply stared forward through the cage of the car. He sat silently in the squad car while everyone outside the car was scrambling around in search of Will, Jay, and Tyler. Whaley finally looked away from the cage as he noticed Chambers walking over to him.
Chambers scanned the area for anyone that could be watching him as he neared the squad car. Adjusting the collar of his jacket, Chambers opened the squad car's passenger side door and hopped in.
"You gonna let me outta these cuffs?" Whaley asked as soon as Chambers slammed the door shut.
"After what you pulled in there – threatening my daughter – I should just shoot you right here," Chambers threatened. He stared at Whaley through the rear view mirror.
"Then why don't you?" Whaley taunted with a conniving smile.
"Because it would be too messy and you know me – I hate messes," Chambers replied.
"Then get me out of these cuffs and let me handle this mess."
"I would," Chambers started, "but unfortunately, there are too many people around here. I let you go, five seconds later, you're back in this car."
"Then what?" Whaley demanded to know.
"You'll see. You're not gonna be in play for a while, though, so sit tight," Chambers said, smiling. He opened the door again and stepped out. He turned back to Whaley who had a pissed-off look on his face and said, "Listen, you do anything to threaten my daughter again and I will make you wish you were never born."
Whaley scoffed at Chambers' threat and added, "Says the man who opted to kill his daughter."
Chambers made a disgusted look at Whaley then said sternly, "Shut up." Turning away from the smirking Whaley, he slammed the door behind him and walked away.
-----
The number of people boarding the train back to New York City was average. There weren't very many people, but there was enough to make Will, Jay, and Tyler feel suspicious and uncomfortable. They nervously hopped onboard with Allison at the head. The four companions walked down an aisle of occupied seats on their way to the back. Towards the tail end of the train, there was a quartet of blue seats that were free for the taking.
Allison took one of the aisle seats so one of the boys would have the luxury of hiding their face by the window. Tyler took the seat beside her while Jay jumped into the window seat across from them. Will sighed and set his backpack on the floor as he sat down directly across from Allison. Running his hand through his air, he unzipped his backpack and slouched in his seat.
Two men in black suits took the seats behind Allison and Tyler. Will watched them carefully as they set their luggage in the overhead compartment before sitting down. Turning away from them, Will leaned against his fist, which was propped up on the arm of his chair.
"Two hours," he muttered. "This is gonna be a long trip."
Tyler nodded in agreement as he slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. Will did the same, but Jay seemed a bit apprehensive to sleeping. Instead of taking the time to sleep, he stared out the window just as the train whistle blew and the train took off down the rail.
-----
The vibrant sun sent rays of sunlight down at the windows of a train speeding through a grassy valley. The beams of light bounced off the windows of the train as it raced away from the city behind it. It had been about an hour since the train sped down the rail at New Haven and Jay was still staring out the window. Diagonally across from him, Allison quietly sat while looking at her new companion. Beside her and in front of her, Tyler and Will had fallen fast asleep. Tyler was snoring loudly, but Will retained his quiet and meager disposition as he slept. Allison eyed Jay with prejudice before finally speaking.
"You haven't slept yet," she noted.
"You haven't either," he retorted.
"I'm not the one who's been running for God knows how long," Allison replied.
Shifting his eyes away from the window, Jay turned to Allison and smiled. "I just got a lot on my mind."
"I bet," Allison sighed. "Just hearing about what you guys have gone through on the news is tiring."
"And that's only the half of it," Jay replied.
"So I've heard," Allison said.
Jay nodded and leaned tiredly against the window. Looking over at Allison, he asked, "Have you heard anything about Kim Doherty?"
"Kim – that's your girlfriend, right?" Jay nodded. Allison frowned and shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. News hasn't said a thing about her in the last three months."
"What's the last thing you heard?" Jay wanted to know.
Allison shrugged and said, "That she helped you guys escape from Club Fervor in Manhattan."
"That's it?" Jay questioned. He seemed highly surprised. "That's the last thing anyone said about her?!"
Allison nodded meekly. "I'm sorry."
Sighing angrily, Jay ran his fingers through his hair and said, "No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have gotten her involved in this."
Allison licked her lips and thought about Jack. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she's okay. She's probably more worried about you than you are about her."
"Well I'm pretty worried," Jay said, absurdly smiling.
"Trust me, she's alright," Allison told him.
Jay nodded in hopeful agreement and asked, "What's your story? Why'd you suddenly show up?"
Taking a deep breath, Allison said, "Believe it or not – the guy that's been chasing you is my father."
"Chambers is your dad?"
"Yup. I'm Allison Chambers," Allison introduced herself. "Anyways, I found some stuff that belonged to him that seemed suspicious. It wasn't anything big, but it was something that should've gone out to the media. You see, I'm kinda doing a report on you guys for my project; I'm trying to become a journalist."
"Nice," Jay commented. "Maybe you'll be of more help than we thought."
Chuckling a little, Allison continued, "I tried to find out more about your friend here." She pointed at Will. "I traced him to Deer Harbor and I think I found something I shouldn't have. I ignored the consequences, though, and I kept pushing it. Next thing I know, my friend dies because he helped me find out a little bit more."
"I'm sorry," Jay sympathetically said.
Allison smiled weakly at him and replied, "It's not your fault." Continuing, she said, "Some of the information my friend gave me before he died – it was connected to my dad. I didn't believe it. I wouldn't. After all, it's my dad – he's my hero, y'know. But then, one of his coworkers – Agent Rex – gave me something that just – I dunno – furthered my suspicions I guess."
"Agent Rex – is she on our side?" Jay asked.
"What do you mean 'our side'?"
"Does she know the truth?"
Allison shook her head and said, "I don't think so. She gave me the info 'cause she couldn't figure out what it meant. She said Agent Marlow had led her to it."
"What about Marlow? How does she know about all this?"
Allison looked up at Jay with a confused expression. "Isn't Marlow working with you guys?"
"No," Jay replied, shaking his head. "Last time I saw her, she tried arresting me."
"What?!" Allison said, surprised.
"Why does that surprise you?"
"They said Marlow was working with you guys," Allison revealed. "She went underground three months ago; same time you guys disappeared."
"Then she's like you – she stumbled onto the truth," Jay said. Leaning forward, he looked Allison in the eyes and continued, "Allison, you have to trust me on this, but your father – I don't know if he's a good man."
"Yes he is," Allison defensively retorted.
"Maybe he is or maybe he's just another pawn, but whatever he is, I think he might be a part of this," Jay said. "Before we disappeared, Tyler found out someone in the FBI was involved. It wasn't Marlow; it wasn't Borjes. I'm not saying it's definitely your dad, but with what you've told me, there's a good chance it is him."
-New Haven, CT-
Agent Chambers stood behind a man in front of a monitor at the security guards' room at the New Haven train station. There were two FBI agents standing behind Chambers as he leaned over the security guard's shoulder. The guard pressed a button at the bottom of the monitor and rewinded the security tape inside.
"This footage was taken about an hour ago," the guard told Chambers. "None of us noticed it till I had to replace the tape."
"You're sure it's them?" Chambers asked.
"It looked like them," the guard answered. He pressed another button and the image on the monitor change. "There was a girl with them though."
At the mention of a girl with his targets, Chambers nearly choked. Gulping, he regained his composure and looked at the screen. The security guard pointed at a young woman walked towards a trio of college boys standing on the waiting platform at the station. One of the boys – the shortest one – seemed to be scanning the area. A second later, he looked directly up at the camera. It was definitely Will Traveler. He immediately looked away from the camera and turned to his friends.
"That's them," Chambers muttered.
"Who's the girl?" the guard asked.
Chambers watched as Allison turned around to look at the camera. He swallowed again and lied, "I don't know."
Shrugging, the guard stopped the tape and popped it out of the monitor. "Here you go. We've got copies so you can take this one."
"Thank you," Chambers said as he snatched the videotape out of the guard's hand. Turning to his subordinates, he said, "Let's go. They're not in New Haven anymore."
"Where are they?" one of the agents asked.
"I don't know," Chambers replied as he opened the door to exit.
Heading out to the train station, Chambers made his way to one of the black SUVs parked outside. The two agents followed him over. One of them walked around the front of the SUV to get into the driver's seat while the other one opened the door. Chambers, however, did not get into the car with them.
"I'll be right back. Stay here," Chambers instructed. The two agents nodded as Chambers scurried across the train station to one of the women at the ticket booth.
The woman smiled at Chambers as she asked him, "Hi. Where will you be going today?"
"I'm not here to buy a ticket," Chambers said as he flashed the woman his badge. "How long have you been at this booth?"
"My shift started three hours ago," the woman replied.
Nodding, Chambers reached for his wallet and searched for a photo of Allison. Chambers pulled the photograph out of his wallet and pressed it up against the glass shielding the booth. "Have you seen this girl?"
The woman furrowed her brow in concentration as she stared at the photo. Sticking her tongue out her lips, she nodded and said, "Yeah, I think I saw her here about an hour ago. She was with some boys."
Chambers bit his lip angrily and turned away. He turned back around, though, and asked, "Where was she headed? Do you remember?"
"I'm not exactly sure on this one, but I think she bought four tickets to New York."
Sighing, Chambers thanked the woman before heading back to the car. Opening the passenger side door, he hopped into the seat and said, "We're going back to Manhattan."
------
Hovering over the dirty sink of a gas station restroom, Marlow took a handful of napkins and pressed it hard against her right arm. The bullet wound she suffered wasn't too severe, but if she didn't stop the bleeding, she wouldn't be on the move for long. Moving the napkins away from the wound a little, Marlow took a tiny bottle of rubbing alcohol she'd bought from the gas station and poured it over the wound. She felt a stinging sensation go through her arm as the alcohol touched the burning wound. Cringing, she held tightly onto the edge of the sink.
"All units pull back. I repeat: all units pull back. We're going back home," a man said through the walkie-talkie Marlow set up atop the sink.
She eyed the radio for a second as the man repeated himself. Hurrying, she took a roll of gauze and wrapped it around her arm. Taping the gauze together, she bit the end off and tossed everything back into the bag she set beside the radio. Grabbing the walkie-talkie, she burst through the door and headed away from the gas station.
-Somewhere in New York-
Jay stared at the empty seat diagonally across from him where Allison's black backpack sat. Allison herself had gotten up to use the restroom a few minutes ago. Walking down the aisle, she noticed Jay staring at her backpack.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
Snapping out of his trance, Jay shook his head and said, "No. I just noticed you have a laptop."
"Yeah," Allison replied. "I do most of my research and writing on it."
Nodding, Jay asked, "Do you mind if I use it?"
"No, go ahead," Allison said as she pulled the laptop out. Handing it to Jay, she asked, "Still worried about her?"
"How could I not be?" Jay sighed as he pulled on the tiny latch to flip the laptop screen up. Pressing the power button on the side, he sat back and waited for the screen to load.
Allison glumly looked away from Jay and stared out the window. Beside her, Tyler rustled awake and opened his mouth wide to yawn. Without bothering to cover his mouth, Tyler stretched his arms out and rubbed the back of his head. Cracking the kinks out of his neck, he remembered where he was. Rubbing his face, he slumped back in the seat and looked at Jay.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to find out anything about Kim," Jay answered. "There's gotta be something. They couldn't have just arrested her and not said anything about it."
"They can do anything they want, Jay. They're the government," Tyler pessimistically said.
"I don't care," Jay replied, shaking his head. "I'm not giving up on her."
Sighing, Tyler ran his fingers through his hair and stared out the window. He noticed Allison's reflection in the window; she appeared to be staring at her. "Can I help you with something?" he asked.
Embarrassed, Allison quickly shook her head and changed the subject. "Do you have anyone?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Like a girlfriend or a family member waiting for you," Allison clarified.
The first image that came to Tyler's mind was Nell's. Her reflection smiled at him and Tyler couldn't help but smile back. He wondered where she was now. Suddenly, though, he was flooded with gloomier memories.
"This is about making it right! This is about securing the future of this family!" Tyler remembered his father telling him. "You're not strong enough, Tyler."
The image of his father faded away and his younger brother's face came into view. The little boy Tyler had loved and always competed with was gone. All Tyler could see was an unfamiliar face staring at him with ghostly eyes. "I'm sorry," he muttered without emotion.
"Tyler?" Allison muttered.
Widening his eyes, Tyler drifted back to reality and turned to her. Frowning, he shook his head and answered, "No, not really."
"I'm sorry," Allison replied.
"Don't be. My family died a long time ago," Tyler grimly stated.
-New York FBI Field Office-
A stationary black helicopter sat on the rooftop in the middle of a red circle with an 'H' painted in the center of it. The door of the helicopter was open and several men stepped out. Among them was Chambers followed by Agent Mills and Agent Rex. There was another agent with them who dragged Whaley off the helicopter and towards the door. The driver of the helicopter hopped out as well and followed soon after.
As he headed towards the gray, metal door, Chambers felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw Gabriel's name on the screen. Flipping it open, he shouted, "I'm busy right now! Can't talk!"
"Wait! Just tell me where you are!" Gabriel retorted.
Chambers turned to Rex and Mills. They stared up at him as they waited for him to unlock the door. "I'm back in Manhattan. I'll call you back later." He immediately hung the phone up and sighed. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he unlocked the door and lied, "My mom. Apparently news crews are already at the scene in New Haven."
Mills grinned and shook his head. "Never underestimate the power of the press," he chuckled.
-Somewhere in New York-
"You find anything yet?" Allison asked Jay.
Jay was still sitting with the laptop seated on his thighs. He typed something on the keyboard and shook his head. "No, everything they have is articles from three months ago," Jay replied. "Nothing new."
"I wouldn't expect there to be anything about her in there anyways," Will interjected. He had woken up a few minutes ago and running his fingers through his hair. "Government tends to keep illegal activities secret," he sarcastically said.
"I'm not going to lose her, Will," Jay sternly told him. "You know me; I'll do anything to get her back."
"I know you would," Will said. "That's why you have to stay calm. You do anything irrational and everything could fall apart."
"I can't just sit here and do nothing! I've been doing that for the past three months, Will! It's time I did something about my girlfriend!"
"What about her dad?" Tyler suggested. "We can look him up; ask him if he's heard anything."
Will shook his head 'no' and said, "That'll lead us nowhere."
"How do you know?" Jay retorted.
"You said her dad was strict, right? A real hard ass?" Jay nodded. "Well if that's true and he does know what happened to Kim then we'd be seeing him on the news doing whatever he can to get his daughter back."
"Maybe they shut him up," Tyler guessed. "Paid him off or something."
Will shook his head again and replied, "He's a dad. He loves his daughter. No amount of money could change that."
In her seat, Allison leaned against her shoulder and turned away from the boys.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jay asked.
"Kim's not our first priority right now – "
"She might not be your first priority, but she definite is mine," Jay interrupted.
"Will you calm down and listen to me for once," Will said, grabbing Jay by the collar of his jacket. Letting Jay go, he continued, "We need to find out what was so important about that crypt first. Once we know what we've got, then we'll do something about Kim."
Jay clenched his fist, but he stopped himself. He let out a defeated sigh and said, "Fine. We'll find out what we have then we find Kim."
Will looked Jay in the eyes and nodded assuredly.
-----
"What do any of these things have to do with the Fourth Branch?" Tyler demanded to know as he flipped through a book. "It's just stuff he used to use when he was alive!"
Jay opened a tarnished sketch book and looked at the messy drawings in them. One was of George Washington and another was of a man Jay never saw before. He flipped to the last page fo the sketch and saw a scribbled drawing of the Declaration of Independence. "It has to lead back to the painting," Jay muttered. "Freed wanted it badly. It has to be more important than we think."
"What painting are you talking about?" Allison asked.
"Trumbull'sDeclaration of Independence," Jay answered.
"That was the only painting from the Drexler that went missing," Allison remembered.
"Yeah, I stole it," Will bluntly said.
"Oh…"
"What's the history on that painting?" Jay questioned. "Maybe if we knew something about it, it'd help us."
"I don't know," Will replied. "I'm not much of an art person. Kim would've been a lot of help on this one."
Jay brought his eyes up from the sketch he was looking at, but dropped them back down.
"It's supposed to depict the signing of the Declaration of Independence," Tyler spoke up. "But it's a fabrication; some of the people in the painting weren't even signers of the Declaration and fourteen people that actually signed it were missing."
"What do you think it means?" Jay wondered.
"Today, I met forty-seven men who will change the world as we know it," Allison mumbled.
"What?" Jay asked, looking up at her. She was holding a coffee-colored notebook with pages that appeared worn and mottled.
"George Wythe, William Whipple, Josiah Bartlett, Thomas Lynch Jr., Benjamin Harrison, Richard Henry Lee, Samuel Adams, George Clinton, William Paca, Samuel Chase, Lewis Morris, William Floyd, Arthur Middleton, Thomas Heyward Jr., Charles Carroll, George Walton, Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery, George Clymer, Robert Morris, Thomas Willing, Benjamin Rush, Elbridge Gerry, Robert Treat Paine, Abraham Clarke, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, James Wilson, Francis Hopkinson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Richard Stockton, Francis Lewis, John Witherspoon, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott, Charles Thomson, John Hancock, George Read, John Dickinson, Edward Rutledge, Thomas McKean, and Philip Livingston."
"What are you talking about?!" Tyler asked, looking over Allison's shoulder.
"Together, these forty-seven men have signed a pact to govern over this nation and ensure that it prospers into a nation worthy of being called the United States of America," Allison continued. "I am glad to have been a part of this secret event today. I hope I have rightly captured the gloriousness and triumph of these great men. Dated July Fourth, Seventeen-seventy-six."
"His journal?" Will asked.
Allison set the notebook down on her lap and nodded silently.
As if a bullet had just struck him, Will reeled back in his chair and sunk into the cushion. He grasped at his jaw with his hand and rubbed his stubbly chin. His mouth gaping open, he gasped, "It's not a painting of the men signing the Declaration of Independence. It's a painting of the men forming the Fourth Branch."
-U.S. Medical Center for Federal Criminals -
Dressed in a navy blue blazer, knee-length skirt, and white blouse, Rosalind Freed's black heels clamored against the linoleum floor as she headed towards Carlton Fog's hospital room. Behind her walked two large, burly men in black suits with earpieces strung around their earlobes. Rosalind opened the door to Fog's room and entered while her bodyguards remained outside the door like statues.
"Gabriel?" Carlton muttered from his bed. Rosalind walked over to his bedside and looked down at him. With a surprised and confused face, Carlton demanded to know, "What are you doing here?"
"It seems your promise isn't being kept," Rosalind said. "You told me your son would get this done, Carlton."
"He will," Carlton retorted.
"Then why are those three pests still alive?" Rosalind angrily asked. Grunting, Rosalind walked over to the window and pulled the blinds open, letting shining slivers of light into the dank room. "Do you know what your son's failure has cost us?" Carlton refused to answer. "Traveler, Burchell, and your other son have what they need to bring us down."
"Gabriel will take of it," Carlton coughed.
"Open your eyes and look at what's on the table!" Rosalind shouted. "Your son and his friends have the journal, they have tapes, documents, confessions! Even if we say they're all fake and doctored, they will have enough media attention to bring the whole country down on us!"
Struggling, Carlton asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Chambers' daughter is with them now. We have her number. I want you to call Gabriel and have him call her cellphone. Tell him to tell her that he has information they need and that he wants to meet with her," Rosalind answered. She pulled a piece of notebook paper out of her pocket and shoved it into Carlton's hand. "Have them meet at this address. My men will take care of the rest. Is that understood?"
Carlton held the scrap of paper in his hand as he looked up at Rosalind. She glowered down at him with a menacing pair of eyes. Begrudgingly, Carlton nodded his head.
-Manhattan, NY-
The traffic light hanging above the busy street turned red, forcing Will to stop the gray four-door he'd stolen. Flipping his turn signal down, he waited for the light to turn red. Beside him, Jay asked, "Where are we going?"
"I've got a plan," Will said. "We need to lie low somewhere first, though."
"What kind of plan?" Jay wanted to know.
"You'll see," Will answered as he made a left turn.
Minutes later, Will parked the gray car on the street in front of a large motel. He opened all the doors and stepped out the car. Jay, Tyler, and Allison followed him up to the front of the motel, but he stopped and turned around.
"Allison, you're gonna have to check us into one of these rooms. Make sure it's on the top floor," Will told her. He reached into his back pocket for his wallet.
"Why the top floor? Wouldn't be harder to escape in case someone finds us?" Allison asked.
"Just do it," Will said as he handed her some money.
"Fine," Allison replied as she headed into the motel. She walked up to the man sitting at the front counter as Jay, Tyler, and Will waited outside. From the entrance, the boys could see Allison hand the man the money and snatch a key from the counter. Looking back outside, Allison motioned for her new companions to join her.
They reached the top of the stairs several minutes later and found their room. It was a small, cramped room with only two beds, but Will didn't plan on staying there for long. He locked the door behind him and set his backpack on one of the beds. Beside the other bed, Tyler set his backpack down and unzipped it. Jay immediately walked over to the window and looked outside. The window looked out over a narrow, empty alleyway. There was also a fire escape outside. Across from where he stood was the rooftop of some building with a large, red neon sign facing their window. In the corner of the room, Allison watched as Will reached into his backpack for his trust video camera.
"You're gonna film something?" Allison guessed.
"Yup," Will said, checking the camera to see if the battery still worked.
"What are you filming?"
Will turned the camera off to conserve the battery and looked over at Allison with a smile. "Our plan."
-New York FBI Field Office-
The bottom floor of the Field Office was used to hold suspects in until they were cleared for release. All the holding cells in this dungeon were free at the moment except for one. There was a big, white '01' painted on the blue, metal door which locked Otis Whaley in the room. He sat placidly on the bed, staring straight at the empty wall before him. Outside his holding cell stood a tall, blonde man in a gray suit. The man kept his hands folded in front of him as he stood silently beside the large door. Hearing the sound of a door opening, the agent turned to his right.
The door leading into the holding cells opened and Chambers walked in. The agent by Whaley's cell nodded to him. Chambers walked over and turned to look through the glass window into Whaley's cell.
"He say anything yet?" Chambers asked.
"No, sir," the agent replied. "Been quieter than a corpse."
Chambers nodded and motioned his head towards the door. Stepping away from it, he instructed, "Open the door."
"Yes, sir," the agent said. He pulled out a set of keys strung around his belt and stuck one into the metal door.
As the agent pulled the door open, Chambers grabbed the agent's own gun out of his holster and pointed it at his side. Before the agent knew it, he had a bullet engraved in his gut and blood dripping out the hole. Touching the wound with his hand, the man looked at Chambers in disbelief then collapsed to the floor. Chambers' face showed no remorse or guilt as he reached at the dead agent's belt. Walking over his fallen comrade's body, he entered Whaley's holding cell.
Whaley turned and stood up to face Chambers. He grinned at Chambers as Chambers handed him the gun and the ring of keys. Whaley grabbed the keys and gun from Chambers' hand and brushed passed him.
"You know what to do," Chambers said as Whaley nodded and hurried out of the holding cell.
Turning back to the dead agent, Chambers bent over his body and pulled out the walkie-talkie in his holster. "This is Director Chambers. Agent down! I have an agent down in the holding cells! I repeat: I have an agent down in the holding cells!"
-Manhattan, NY-
Jay sat at the table in the corner of the room with a can of soda in his hand. Across the room, Tyler laid down on the back with his knees up and his hands folded behind his head. He seemed to be enjoying the cramped luxury of the second-rate motel. Jay, on the other hand, seemed a bit ambivalent and worried. He tapped his long fingernails on the table as he stared out the tiny window. It had been a while since he had the time to cut his nails. He looked down at them, but ignored their length. Suddenly, he jumped at the sound of the door opening and reached for the gun on the other side of the table.
There was no reason for concern, though, as Will appeared from behind the door and locked it. Seeing Will at the doorway, Tyler immediately sat up and looked at him.
"Well?" he asked.
Nodding, Will answered, "It's done. Just two more hours and we move."
"Alright," Jay sighed.
Turning to the door to the bathroom, Tyler squinted and questioned, "Do you think we can trust her? The girl."
Will's eyes moved over to the locked bathroom door and he said, "She's been helpful so far. Time'll tell if she's really on our side or not."
"When I used her computer earlier, I found some files she had saved on there," Jay said. "There was an article she was writing about you, Will – or should I say Stephen." Will looked over at Jay with a shocked but stern expression. "That's your real name, isn't it?"
"I haven't gone by that name in over seven years," Will replied. "Just stick to Will."
Tyler looked back at Jay and asked, "What else did you find?"
"Nothing," Jay said. "I didn't bother snooping around anymore. It seems like she's telling the truth, though. Some of that information she has, no one in the media knows it."
"Then she's dug herself deep," Will muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed.
All three boys suddenly quieted down as they heard the lock on the bathroom door loosen. They watched as the doorknob turned and Allison stepped out with her cellphone to her ear. "Yes, this is her," she said. Scratching the top of her head, she asked, "Who is this?" However, no answer came. A second later, she replied, "Fine. Six o'clock, Between 42nd and Tudor City Place."
"What was that?" Tyler asked as Allison stuck her phone back in her pocket.
"Some guy – a reporter he said – wants me to meet him later," Allison said with a confused look on her face.
"Did he tell you why? Or give you a name?" Will wanted to know.
"He said he has information I need," Allison revealed. "He didn't give a name, though."
"It's a trap," Jay predicted.
Ignoring Jay, Will turned to Allison and said, "You're going to Tudor City and we're coming with you."
"What?!" Jay and Tyler shouted in unison.
"But it's a trap! You know it is!" Jay scolded.
With a smug look on his face, Will asked Jay, "But who's the mouse?"
-----
It was about five o'clock now and the sun was just beginning to set. The bright blue sky was turning a dark grayish blue color as the sun receded. A flock of birds flew up into the air as Marlow walked passed them. She headed into the diner across the street and took a seat in one of the booths near the back. A teenage waitress came up to her with a smile and handed her a large red and white menu.
"Just call when you're ready to order," the girl said.
Marlow smiled back at her and opened the menu, prompting the girl to walk away. As she looked down at the menu, she lifted it in front of her face to conceal her identity. However, she was forced to set it down when she heard the news anchor on the TV hanging above the cash register.
"Two hours ago, an anonymous source dropped off a videotape here at ABC 7. Taped to the videotape were instructions prompting us to play the videotape on our five o'clock news report or suffer the effects of a bomb. So, as instructed we are now going to play the videotape for all those at home," the woman said into the camera.
The woman's image was replaced by the image of three boys standing in front of a window. It was Will, Jay, and Tyler. Marlow's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open at the sight of the boys. The three boys stood still as statues with Will in the center and Jay and Tyler at his sides. Behind their heads, the neon red sign was clearly visible.
"My name is Will Traveler," Will began. "These two men beside me are my friends Jay Burchell and Tyler Fog. Three months ago, we were charged with the bombing of the Drexler Museum. Everyone was told that we set off a bomb destroying the city's most prized art gallery and taking the life of one casualty." Will stared right into the camera with piercing, bleu eyes then declared, "What you've all been told is a lie."
-New York FB Field Office-
A number of FBI agents were crowding around the holding cells. A pair of EMTs laid the fallen agent's body down on a stretcher and zipped up the body bag. Chambers stared at them as they passed by. Suddenly, an agent rushed into the holding cells and pushed the door open. Surprised, Chambers turned to him with a perplexed look.
"Director Chambers, you've got to come see this!" the agent hastily shouted.
Immediately, Chambers headed for the door and followed the agent up into the bullpen. Everyone in the room was staring up at one of the gigantic monitors. Chambers' brow wrinkled as he stared at Will's face on the screen. He walked over to where Agent Mills stood and asked, "What is this?"
Shrugging, Mills replied, "Someone sent them this videotape."
"My friends and I were framed for the bombing. None of you may believe this, but the truth of the matter is that your very own country is at fault for what happened," Will announced. "There is a secret society controlling this nation behind the scenes."
-----
In the back seat of her limousine, Rosalind Freed watched the tiny, plasma-screen monitor hanging from the limo's ceiling. She frowned at the sight and set her glass of scotch down beside her.
"For centuries, since this country was born, there have been men and women pulling the strings that maneuver this nation. These people swore to protect the country and its people, but they have strayed. Soon, you will all see the truth."
-New York FBI Field Office-
"Rex!" Chambers shouted.
Agent Rex was standing in front of the monitors along with several other agents. Hearing her name called, she shoved through them to get to Chambers. "Yes, sir?" she asked as she reached him.
"I want you down at the ABC 7 news station right now!" Chambers ordered. "Get me that tape!"
Agent Rex nodded and turned around to her desk. Picking up her black jacket, she slipped into it and headed across the bullpen.
Turning to Mills, Chambers barked, "I wanna know where that was taped. I want everyone to get on the move and find out where they videotaped that!"
"I know where it is," Mills spoke up. Chambers turned to him with a confused look. "That red sign behind them," Mills said, pointing to it, "I know where it is."
Breathing heavily, Chambers clenched his teeth infuriatingly and said, "Let's move!"
-Manhattan, NY-
"Ready to order?" the teenage waitress asked Marlow.
Setting the menu down, Marlow got up from the booth and said, "Sorry, but I suddenly lost my appetite."
The waitress stared at her with a perplexed look as she gently pushed the girl aside and headed out the diner. Zipping her jacket up outside, Marlow looked down both sides of the street and hurried away.
-----
Allison picked up her backpack and shoved her laptop into it as Jay zipped his backpack up and slung it around his shoulders. They had all changed clothes by now as they gathered up all their belongings. Allison was the only one wearing the same clothes. Jay was dressed in an army green t-shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, and a black hoodie. Meanwhile, Tyler had changed into a white shirt, brown hoodie, and a gray jacket. Near the doorway, Will slipped his arms into his black jacket. Underneath it, he wore a gray and black striped button-down shirt with blue jeans.
"They're bound to be here soon," Will said as he tied the laces on his white sneakers. "You all know what to do, right?"
"Run as fast as I can," Tyler replied half-jokingly as he strapped on his backpack.
Will looked over at Jay and Allison who both nodded in his direction. Tightening his laces, he stood up straight and unlocked the door. Holding the door open, he looked at his friends and said determinedly, "Let's do this."
-ABC 7 News Station-
Rex burst through the door to the news room at ABC 7's headquarters. One of the workers quickly spun around and ran over to Rex to block her. The three agents behind Rex stopped him, though, allowing Rex to go down the steps towards the producer. Turning around, the producer stared at Rex with an irritated look.
"May I help you?" he asked. Rex flashed him her badge, which he stared at through his thick glasses. "Agent Rex, is it?"
"Yeah," Rex replied. "I want that tape."
"The videotape we just aired?" the producer asked.
"Exactly."
"I can't give that to you. That's ours," the producer said.
"You either give it to me or I arrest you for obstructing justice," Rex threatened.
Shrugging, the producer snapped his finger and said, "Fair enough." One of his assistants hurried over with a black videotape in his hands. The producer snatched it from him and handed it over to Agent Rex. "There you go," he said with a smile.
"Do you know who sent this to you?" Rex wanted to know.
"No, but if I were to venture a guess, I'd say one of those boys you've been after."
"You're telling me no one saw who dropped this off?" Rex asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," the producer answered.
Shaking her head, Rex questioned, "Where's the letter? The anchor said there were instructions taped to this."
"Oh yes, I've got that somewhere," the producer replied. He turned to his assistant and shouted, "Bring me the letter they taped to this thing!"
"Are there security cameras around here?" Agent Rex asked as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Yup," the producer replied.
"Will you have one of your assistants or someone lead my men to the security room then."
"Of course," the producer said. His assistant ran back over to him with a folded piece of paper in his hand. The producer took it from him and ordered, "Show those men over there to the security room."
"Yes, sir," the assistant said as he ran over to Rex's comrades.
Agent Rex took the letter from the producer's hand and said, "One more thing. Where was this videotape dropped off?"
"I assume the mail room. One of the mail room boys brought it up to me," the producer replied.
Nodding, Rex thanked the man and headed out the room with the videotape and letter in her hands.
-Manhattan, NY-
Marlow peeked out the corner of the alley between the motel Will and the others were in and the building with the large red sign. Staring out across the street, she saw the place was already crawling with FBI agents and policemen. Chambers and his team hopped out of a large black SUV and hurried into the building. Another group of FBI agents walked towards her direction. Her heart jumping, Marlow hung her head low and headed out of the alley. As the FBI agents passed her by, she started down the street along the path of cars parked on the sidewalk.
Inside the motel, Chambers and his men held their guns close them as they rushed passed the lobby. Agent Mills flashed his FBI badge up at the man at the counter as he led his subordinates toward the staircase. Before following them, Chambers turned to the man at the counter and showed his badge to him.
"I'm Director Chambers of the New York FBI," he introduced himself. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a flier containing the boys' pictures. "Have you seen any of these three boys?"
The man at the counter stared directly at the photos and muttered, "I think I might've seen them earlier. I didn't get a good look, but there were three boys that rented a room with some girl earlier."
Chambers nodded his head and asked, "Do you remember what room they rented?"
"Yeah, Room 45," the man answered.
Nodding, Chambers turned back around to follow Mills and the others up the stairs. At the top of the staircase, Chambers raised a fist to stop them and turned around to give them his instructions.
"Mills, I want you to take some of your men and search this floor," Chambers said. "This place has four stories. Robertson, you and your men take the third floor. Nichols, get back downstairs and search the first floor. I'll take the fourth."
Mills nodded in agreement and waved for a group of agents to follow him through the second floor of the motel. Meanwhile, Chambers and the other agents headed up the stairwell into their designated floors. Chambers finally reached the fourth floor seconds later and pointed his hand in several directions, indicating his men to spread out.
Keeping his hands clasped around the handle of his 10 mm, Chambers led two of his men down a hallway. Searching for Room 45, he kept his eyes peeled. Room 45 sat at the end of a hallway with a window next to it. Chambers turned to the door and pointed his gun at it. Looking at one of his men, he motioned his head towards the door, signaling for the man to knock down the door.
The agent knocked hard against the wooden door and shouted, "This is the FBI! Come out with your hands in the air or we will be forced to extract you!" Chambers stared at the door a moment longer then nodded to his agent.
The man reeled his leg back and thrust it forward, kicking the door wide open. The frame around it shattered and the door swung hard against the wall. The agent hurried in with Chambers leading the other man in after him. Waving their guns all around the room, Chambers and his men found no one left inside. The agent that kicked the door open walked over to the closet and pulled the door open, but there was nothing inside. He turned around and shook his head at Chambers.
"Check the bathroom," Chambers instructed his other subordinate.
The other agent walked over to the bathroom door and reached for the doorknob. As he turned it, the door suddenly smashed into his face, knocking him onto the ground on his back. Across the room, the other agent raised his gun at the figure that burst through the door. He opened fire, but missed and the figure rammed him into the corner. Spinning around, Chambers ran across the room towards the figure. However, he was too slow and the boy hopped out of the window, landing on top of the fire escape. Chambers checked his downed man then hurried over to the window.
Running down the fire escape, Jay took off the hood of his jacket and raced down the steel steps. Looking up through the holes in the stairwell, he saw Chambers climb out onto the fire escape and sprint down after him. Reaching the bottom of the fire escape, Jay pushed the ladder down and slid down with it. Landing in the middle of the alley, he turned and sprinted away from the motel. Turning around, he saw Chambers drop from the fire escape and hurry after him.
Racing up the street, Jay shoved a man in a large coat aside and sprinted across the street. Behind him, Chambers sped up as he crossed the street. A car honked its horn at him as he crossed, but he simply slapped the hood of the car and continued on. Across the street, Jay ran around a group of teenage boys in baggy clothes as he raced away from Chambers.
"FBI! Move!" Chambers shouted as he ran through the group of boys.
Ahead of him, Jay dashed across the busy street to get to the other side. Several cars honked at him; one of them almost even ran him over. Jay ignored them, though, and continued running as his heart started to pound harder and faster. As he ran passed a homeless man asking for change, he turned around to see Chambers heading across the street. Turning right, Jay ran through a crowded park square. A couple sitting on a bench gawked at him as he sped through the square. Jay sprinted around a marble sculpture in the center of the square as Chambers hurried after him. At the end of the square was a small set of stairs. Jay hung onto the railing to keep himself from tipping over as he climbed the steps hastily.
Frenetically charging down the street, Jay breathed heavily and exhaustedly. His legs felt like jelly, but he refused to let them give up on him now. Clenching his teeth, Jay took a deep breath and sped down the street. Several yards behind him, Chambers remained in pursuit. With a determined look on his face, he sprinted down the street and pushed aside a woman and her dog. The dog barked up at him as he raced after Jay.
Stopped at a stoplight, Marlow sat behind the wheel of a black Range Rover. She watched as Chambers pursued Jay down the street and drove on after them.
-----
In between Tudor City Place and 42nd Street was a large overpass overlooking a tunnel several cars and buses entered. There were a few people walking back and forth around the overpass. Most of them were tourists taking pictures of the scenery there. In the middle of all them stood Allison who was clutching her backpack closely to her. Scanning the area, she looked around for whoever had called her. As a giant tour bus sped down on the road below, Allison turned around at the sound of her voice.
"Allison?" a man asked. Behind Allison stood Gabriel. He wore a gray button-down shirt with black jeans.
Allison turned around to face him and asked, "Are you the one that called me?" Gabriel nodded and looked around the area. Surveying the place for Tyler, Will, and Jay, he ignored Allison. "Are you looking for something?"
"No, I'm just seeing if you brought anyone with you," Gabriel said.
"There's no one here, but me," Allison answered. "You have nothing to worry about," she lied.
"C'mon, let's take a walk," Gabriel suggested as he looked around once again.
As Allison walked alongside Gabriel, she didn't notice the men exiting their cars. There were about five of them; three of them hopped out of a van while another parked his motorcycle on the curb and the fifth got out of a black coupe. Holding a cup of coffee, the man in the coupe walked across the street to follow Gabriel and Allison. The man that was on the motorcycle strode across the street and pursued Gabriel and Allison as well. Meanwhile, the three men separated. Two of them walked beside one another on the other side of the street while the other remained a few steps back with his cellphone at his ear.
In a car parked beside the bridge, Will and Tyler watched the men through the dark tinted windows. Turning to Will, Tyler asked, "Why are we still here? They're taking her!"
"Hold on. We have to give them a head start or else they'll notice us," Will informed his friend. He watched as the man on the cellphone crossed the street and walked behind the motorcyclist. The other two men on the other side of the street walked across then crossed again. Nodding, Will said, "Let's go."
Will stepped out of the car and steadily walked down the street with Tyler beside him. As they walked down the frosty overpass, Will whispered, "When we reach the corner of the street, I want you to cross."
"Got it," Tyler replied in a hushed tone. Once they reached the corner, Tyler pressed the button on the traffic pole while Will turned and followed the men pursuing Gabriel and Allison. Once the light across the street turned green, Tyler walked across and turned left.
"Where are we going?" Allison asked Gabriel as they continued down the street.
"Somewhere safe and quiet," Gabriel answered.
"If you wanted to meet somewhere no one would find us then you should've said so. What was the point of meeting at Tudor City for?" Allison wanted to know.
"When you're around tourists, you can easily tell who belongs or doesn't belong," Gabriel said, leading Allison across the street.
"So, what do you know?"
"Just wait. We're almost there."
-----
Exhaustedly breathing, Jay turned left on a corner and sprinted down a hill. Chambers struggled to catch up a few yards behind. As he looked behind him, Jay sped up across the street. Making another left, he could see the overpass between 42nd and Tudor City now. Swallowing, Jay hurried down the street with Chambers getting closer. He could feel his heart was about to burst out of his chest as he raced down the street. Nevertheless, he continued on towards Tudor City.
Behind him, Chambers pushed aside a young man in his way. The man yelled at him, but Chambers ignored him and sprinted down the street. In front of him, Jay leaped over a rail and raced across the street. Chambers did the same. He had been running for several minutes now. Chambers couldn't remember the last time he'd ran for this long. A car honked at him as it tried to switch lanes. Sticking his hand out at the car, Chambers reached the other side of the street and sprinted after Jay.
Finally, Jay took the left that led him down near the overpass. He looked behind him to see if Chambers was still in pursuit. With a sudden burst of energy, Chambers scrambled after him quickly. Forced to speed up, Jay moaned in pain and hurried down the street. A tourist taking a picture jumped when Jay ran in front of him. The tourist held his black camera close to his chest as Jay pushed by and Chambers ran through afterwards. At the end of the street, Jay looked around to figure out which way to go. As he stood there, Chambers got closer and closer. Luckily, Jay saw Will walking down the street to his left. He was several yards away, but Jay felt he could reach him soon. Running quicker than before, Jay raced down the hill after Will.
Further down the street, Will kept a close watch on the men following Gabriel and Allison. The three men on the same street as he was were still separated. There was enough distance between them that if one got separated, no one would notice. Speedily walking, Will walked up behind the man closest to him stuck the blade of his knife into the man's back. The man's clenched his teeth in pain as he felt the sharp, cold blade penetrate his back. Turning to his right, he watched Will walk away after he retracted the blade from the man's back. Feeling his back, the man felt blood rushing out his wound. His eyesight began to blur and he felt dizzy as red blood gushed out his mouth. Soon, his body fell over, prompting a few passer-bys to check him.
Ahead, Will quickened his pace to reach the next man. Glancing across the street, he saw Tyler walking a few yards behind the two men. Assured Tyler would stick to his part, Will edged toward the man ahead of him and flipped the blade out of his switchblade. Hiding it in the long sleeve of his jacket, Will walked up to the man and plunged the blade into his back as he stood waiting beside the crosswalk. As Will felt the man about to collapse, he caught him and discreetly pushed his body up against the trashcan beside the pole. Looking around to make sure no one noticed him, Will crossed the street.
At the end of the street, Gabriel pressed the button for the crosswalk. Scanning the area, he saw the men following them. Nodding to himself, he crossed the street with Allison and led her to an empty park. There was barely anyone there. Aside from the two of them, there was an old man feeding the pigeons and a teenage couple strolling through. Gabriel led Allison to the center of the park, where a tall fountain sat.
"So what do you have to tell me?" Allison asked. She turned to Gabriel with a wondering look, but Gabriel refused to look back at her. "Well?"
Crossing the street, Will looked over at Tyler and nodded. The two boys met at the corner of the street and walked towards the park. Searching the park, Will could see two of the remaining three men watching the park. Will made eye contact with one of them, prompting the man to hop on his feet and run towards them. Tapping Tyler on his chest, Will motioned for him to start running. The two boys sprinted across the park as the three men raced after them. Gabriel and Allison turned to them as they raced across the edge of the park. Ignoring Allison, Gabriel reached for his gun and took off after his brother and Will.
Just as Gabriel ran off after Tyler and Will, Jay reached the park. Allison noticed him and hurried away from view so her father wouldn't see her. Jay glanced at her as he ran by and nodded at her. She nodded back as Jay hurried after Will and Tyler. Behind him, Chambers sprinted across the center of the park. From up the street, Jay could see Will and Tyler hurry into a parking garage about one block away. Sprinting through traffic, Jay reached the other side of the street and headed down the block. A few feet back, Chambers hurried down the street in pursuit of him.
The three men chasing Will and Tyler ran into the parking garage and split off to look for them. All three of them pulled out their gnus and quietly searched the first floor of the parking garage. Looking under a car, one of the men pointed his gun under it. In another aisle of parked vehicles, the other man peeked around the cars. The third man walked around the parked cars as he looked for the boys.
As Gabriel entered the parking garage, he held tightly onto his gun and looked around. Seeing the three men on the first floor, he hurried up into the second floor to search for his brother and Will himself. Reaching the second floor, Gabriel scanned the area for any sight of Tyler and Will. He looked underneath several of the cars, but they were under any of them. Walking alongside the cars, he continued his search.
Meanwhile, below, Jay sprinted into the parking garage. He came to a skidding halt as he saw the three men in search of his friends though. Quietly, he turned right and headed up to the next floor. As he raced up to the second floor, Chambers reached the garage and followed him up. On the second floor, Jay rushed in without noticing Gabriel. As soon as he heard Jay's footsteps, Gabriel spun around and shot in his direction. Surprised by the shots, Jay jumped and ducked. Taking cover behind the cars, he raced across the garage. Keeping his gun trained forward, Gabriel ran in the direction Jay was in. Popping out from behind a car, he aimed his gun forward, but found no one there. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure appear on the floor. Turning his gun on the figure, he realized it was Chambers. Chambers put a finger up to his lip, though, signaling for Gabriel to be quiet.
At the other end of the garage, Jay jumped to his feet and sprinted away. Chambers opened fire on him, but missed as Jay raced across the garage. He headed up to the third floor next with Gabriel and Chambers right on his tail. Jay couldn't believe he had managed to run at this speed for so long. He felt his body about to collapse as he reached the third floor. Suddenly, he felt a hand clasp around his mouth and drag him away. Looking up, he noticed it was Will pulling him behind a large, red van.
Tyler was crouched down on the ground behind the van's large wheel. Will pulled Jay down with him and crouched with Tyler. At the spot where Will pulled Jay, Gabriel and Chambers appeared. Both of them held their guns forward in a shooting position. Chambers motioned for Gabriel to go in another direction while he went in a different one. Searching the rows of parked cars, Chambers cautiously checked behind a big, brown SUV. As he looked away from it, he heard the alarm of a car going off. Gabriel turned to Chambers and followed him over to the beeping car. As they got close to it, though, another car alarm suddenly went off. Gabriel turned to Chambers then walked over to the second car. While Chambers craned his neck to check the first car, a third alarm went off. He looked out from behind the blue sedan he was checking and was surprised to hear a fourth car alarm go off.
Behind a red sedan, Tyler crept against the wall towards a black Mercedes and slapped its side with his elbow. The car's alarm immediately went off, pulling Gabriel and Chambers attention towards it. In another part of the garage, Jay elbowed the window of a silver coupe, forcing its alarm to activate as well. He hit the car beside it also before hurrying away.
Gabriel headed towards the silver car Jay hit while Chambers walked over to another car whose alarm went off. Training his gun forward, Chambers turned and fired a bullet into the space between the two cars. Unfortunately, there was no one there. However, he felt the cold nozzle of a gun touch the back of his neck as he was about to move forward. Standing behind him was Will who held his USP against the nape of Chambers' neck. Across the garage, Gabriel realized what had happened and aimed his gun at Will. Before he could pull the trigger, though, Jay appeared at his side and pointed his gun at him. Gritting his teeth angrily, Gabriel lowered the gun as Tyler walked up in front of him.
"I don't think we've met yet," Will taunted Chambers as he grabbed Chambers' gun out of his hand. He reached for Chambers' legs as well and found an ankle holster on him. "I'm Will."
"I know all about you, Will Traveler," Chambers replied as he turned around.
"I'm humbled," Will mockingly said as he took Chambers' own handcuffs and grabbed Chambers' arms.
"What do you think you're doing?" Chambers asked as Will turned him around.
"I'm arresting you. What's it look like I'm doing?"
Chambers chuckled as Will pressed his chest against the trunk of a car. "Even if you kill me, they'll still come after you. This doesn't end with me!"
"You think I don't know that?" Will asked as he slapped a handcuff around Chambers' right wrist.
"This won't end well for any of you. No matter what you find out," Chambers taunted as Will cuffed his other wrist.
"Apparently, it won't end well for you either," Will replied. Smirking at Chambers, he said, "You're being kidnapped and your daughter's going to be terminated. How's that feel?"
Chambers grunted and threw his body at Will, but Will grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him against the car. As Will pressed his USP against Chambers' neck, Chambers growled, "You threaten her again and I will kill you!"
"That wasn't a threat," Will told him. "It's a fact." Chambers glared at Will and opened his mouth to talk. However, Will interceded, "Unless you help us, that is."
"That's too bad," Will muttered as he grabbed Chambers by his handcuffs. He was about to begin moving when he saw a man aiming his gun at him.
"Let go of him, Traveler!" the man from downstairs demanded. Two men entered the parking garage floor with him and moved towards Tyler and Jay. One of the men walked up behind Tyler and pointed a gun at him. Tyler spun around and aimed his gun at him as well. Jay did the same to the man aiming at him.
"You let them go and I'll come with you," Will bargained.
The man aiming at him shook his head and said, "Not happening. You've all been marked."
Will stared at the man as he held his gun to Chambers' head. Listening, he could hear a car coming up the floor quickly. Turning to the entrance to the third floor, he saw a black Range Rover drive up behind the man aiming at him. The man spun around and pointed his gun at the SUV, but Marlow stuck her arm out and fired a bullet into the man's head. The other two men across the garage turned to her in surprise, allowing Tyler and Jay to take cover behind some cars. The two men noticed them running and fired in their direction. Gabriel followed the two men and pulled out his own gun.
Beside the entrance, Will shoved Chambers to the ground and fired at the two men across the garage. One of them fired back at him, but Will got him right in the chest. The man fired off another bullet as he fell on his back. Ducking behind the cars, Jay and Tyler fired back clumsily. However, Jay got Gabriel in the shoulder. The bullet struck Gabriel directly in the right shoulder, forcing him to drop his gun. The other man beside him continued firing, but Marlow shot him from behind. The man dropped the gun as his body keeled over and fell next to Gabriel. Groaning, Gabriel grabbed at his shoulder and applied pressure to it.
"Traveler! We have to go!" Marlow shouted.
This was the second time he'd been saved by Marlow. Will stared at her and nodded as he grabbed Chambers by his handcuffs. From behind, Jay and Tyler hurried over while Will opened the car door. As Will tossed him into the car, Chambers looked into the backseat to see Allison sitting there. Their eyes met for a moment. Chambers almost choked at the sight of his baby girl. Biting her lip to stop herself from crying, Allison turned away from her father as Tyler hopped into the seat beside her. As he climbed into the seat next to Chambers, Jay kicked him to stop him from wrestling him.
"Sit down!" Jay ordered as he strapped Chambers' seat belt in.
Jumping into the front seat, Will strapped his own seat belt on and slammed the door. Turning to Marlow, he nodded, prompting her to back up down the spinning ramp. As she reached the bottom floor, Marlow shifted the car to drive and raced out of the parking garage onto the busy, chaotic road.