Once the trailer got there, Bailey got everyone tucked away safely inside where they would be warmer and where George could get on his computer and see what additional information he could find on the agent that had disappeared along with Jake. It has to be someone already inside, Grace had said, and George had to agree that it was the only thing that made sense, and that left them with the new agent from the local field office who was also missing as their best suspect.

"Maybe you should lie down," he heard Nicole say and he smiled, knowing that she was talking to John. He also knew that as stubborn as John could be, he wouldn't argue with Nicole.

"I guess so. It's so cold in here though. Sam, you and Chloe want to join me?"

"Yay, it can be just like a slumber party!" Chloe said, leaving no way for Sam to disagree with the idea.

Once Sam, Chloe and John were safely in one of the trailer's bedrooms, Nicole stopped to pat George on the back before going outside where Grace was talking with Bailey. "So, anything new?" she asked, sitting next to Bailey on a plastic bench.

"You should be inside where it's warm," Bailey said, taking off his coat to put it around her shoulders.

"I want to be out here, helping. I can't just sit in there and do nothing, not when...when Jake's life is in danger."

"There's not much we can do, Princess. The Sheriff has all of the local roads blocked, all of his deputies have been called in along with a volunteer group that helps when they have any kind of disaster --"

"They won't find anything, though. Whoever was behind this, they're smart enough to have planned out an escape route that will be undetectable." She straightened up and her eyes widened as she thought of something. "Has the basement been searched?"

"The basement?"

"Come on, an old farmhouse like this is bound to have a basement. There's a laundry chute at the end of the hall where the bedrooms are, I assume that it goes into the basement. We just never used it because the laundry room is off the back porch."

"Why didn't you say anything before about this house having a basement? Jack – or the copycat – could have been using it as a base of operations this whole time!"

"Because I assumed that the FBI would know whether or not their own safe house has a basement."

"George," Bailey spoke into his radio, "was anything mentioned about this farmhouse having a basement when we came here?"

"Yes, the local field office said that the house had a basement but that when it became a safe house the basement was sealed off for security."

"We need to find the entrance to the basement of this house and search it now!" Bailey shouted into the radio, taking off running towards the command center that the special agent in charge of the local field office had set up.

"That basement has been completely sealed up, Bailey," the agent started to say.

"If this is Jack, and my gut tells me it is, there is no seal in the world that would stop him."

"All right, I'll have the original plans for the house brought out so we can find a way into the basement."

"Find a way in?"

"The original entrance was blocked when the new laundry room was built. I believe there was a second set of stairs in the basement that led out into the fields."

"Great, by the time we find it Jack will be long gone."

Jake groaned and tried to move but found that his body was unwilling to do as his brain was commanding. Something was holding him down, although he couldn't feel any restraints. Giving it a bit more though, he realized that he couldn't feel anything, nor could he get his eyes to open so he could take in his surroundings.

There were sounds, though, or at least he thought he heard something over the pounding of his heart. The sound came again, and there was no mistaking it the second time – it was the sound of someone screaming. The sounds were coming from close by, and Jake tried to bring up the last thing he remembered. The safe house. Alarms went off at the safe house, and the power went out. There was smoke coming from the attic

More screaming interrupted Jake's thoughts, and he recognized the coppery scent of blood that was now making its way to him. He fought harder but it was no use, something was keeping him from moving or opening his eyes. Drugs. That would be like Jack, to use drugs to subdue his victims.

The screaming stopped and footsteps approached. "I figured you would be awake by now," a male voice said.

I know that voice! But...Bremmer?

"You'll be awake soon enough, although I have a feeling you're awake now and just can't move because of the drugs. Maybe I put too much in the dart. May as well take advantage and get a few of the unpleasant tasks out of the way."

His heart pounded in his chest at the thought of what could be considered 'unpleasant' compared to whatever had been going on that caused all that screaming. Fingers forced his eyelids open before he could give it much thought, drops were placed in his left eye and then his right. It made his eyes burn and water, but his captor didn't seem to care much. Jake struggled to move, but the drug had too strong of a hold on him. Damn it, this isn't a fair fight.

"I'm going to go have some fun with my other toy for a while. Did you know that you can use a grater on human skin? It's an effective, but painful, method for removing ones fingerprints. Ah, but you'll find out all about that later. I have to go finish with the real Agent Bremmer. He's been here with me the whole time while Jack of all Trades was right under your noses."

The sun had been up for several hours and still they hadn't gained access to the basement, nor had they found the exit that was believed to be somewhere in the fields surrounding the farmhouse. John and Sam were sleeping with Chloe, but no one else could even think about sleep while Jake was missing. Bailey had spent a long time on the phone talking with the FBI director before sitting with Nicole. "I have something to talk to you about."

"Okay."

"It's a job offer."

"I have a job Bailey. Remember?" Not that I'll ever return to it, she thought sadly. "Besides, Grace already told me about the position as her assistant, and I told her no."

"This isn't about that. The director wants you back. He's extended an offer for a position with the VCTF as a forensic psychiatrist."

"I'm a pediatrician."

"Yes, but your medical degree is in psychiatry. The director says because you were nearly finished with the academy and were passing, you'll be marked as graduated and made a full FBI agent."

"Don't I have to be able to handle a firearm?"

"You passed a course in firearm safety and proficiency two months ago. We can accept it since you took the course through a federally recognized institute."

"Damn it, is there anything you haven't investigated?" Bailey looked away and Nicole ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "I know that it wasn't you personally, but --"

"I know, believe me, the director was really overstepping his bounds, but what's done is done. Will you at least consider being part of my team?"

"Fine, I'll consider it, but I have to talk to James first. I owe him that much."

"I understand."

"If I decide not to be part of your team, if I go back to the CDC, will things change between us?"

"Absolutely not, Princess. If I had my way, you'd be kept locked up in a tower, far away from the VCTF so you would never again have to witness the things that we deal with."

"With a dragon guarding me while I wait for my Prince to rescue me?"

"Reading fairy tales, are we?"

"Shrek, actually," she said with a shrug. "And I'll take the position."

"Nicole, you should think about it first."

"I can't go back to the hospital, Bailey, not after what happened there. I want to help other people, though, and I think I can do this...if I have my friends there to help me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, but please don't say anything to anyone else. I want to be sure that James hears it from me. I think he's suspected all along that I wouldn't be coming back, but..."

"I understand, Princess."

"This means that we can't be anything but friends, doesn't it?"

"It just means we have to be careful. If John and Sam can be together, then so we can."

"But you're the boss."

"All the more reason why I should get what I want. This won't come between us."

"But aren't there policies against --"

"Would you just hush?" he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You let me worry about policies."

"Hey, we've got something!" someone yelled, and Bailey went to see what it was while Nicole wandered back in the trailer to check on John and Sam.

Movement was slowly returning by the time the screaming had turned to weak sobs and then stopped altogether. Jake tried to look around but when he opened his eyes everything was dark. He didn't have enough control over his muscles to try anything when the footsteps returned so he remained perfectly still.

"Well, Jake, it looks like it's just you and me. Don't worry, though. You'll survive. You see, you're going to be the canvas with which I'll send Samantha and the rest of the VCTF a message."