Another chapter? On a Saturday? What? Couldn't resist as we're getting dangerously close to Stockman's final act of revenge against the Jane family. Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Dead Ringer

Chapter 36

Show Time!

(FBI - Austin Texas, 2 am)

Cho had come back to the bullpen hours ago to catch up on paperwork. Time got away from him and when he looked at his computer, he was shocked to see it was 2 in the morning. He got up and wandered tiredly through the bullpen towards the elevators, worn out and happy to collapse into his bed. Turning to stare into the large quiet space, he was surprised to discover Wylie slumped despondently on Jane's sofa. He made his way over to the restless young man and shook him awake.

"Shouldn't you be home in bed by now?" Cho asked the sleepy young agent.

Wylie pulled himself upright and wiped his tired face with his hands.

"The laptop from the motel is a piece of shit, ahhh, sorry Sir, and when I finally got it going, it blew up. Flames, smoke, melted motherboard...the whole deal. I've got the best guys downstairs trying to restore as much of the memory as possible. I want to be here if they get it working again."

Cho sighed with frustration. Wylie was the best young IT agent he had, and if he couldn't get the laptop to work, the investigation was in trouble. Cho had planned to go home and catch a few hours of sleep, but now, he wasn't so sure he should. Wylie saw the indecision on his face.

"Agent Cho, there's no use both of us waiting for it to be rebuilt. I can sleep here on the sofa. Go home, sleep. I'll call you as soon as I find out anything pertaining to the case" Wylie suggested, knowing perfectly well that Cho didn't want to leave any bit of evidence unexamined.

The kid made sense. Cho nodded in agreement. He was dog tired and it was very late. If there was a break in the case he needed to be at his best to take control of the situation tomorrow.

"Call me the instant you get into that laptop" he said curtly before he turned and took the elevator down to his waiting car.

"Will do" Jason answered sleepily, already easing down into the butter soft leather cushions. In a few minutes, he was snoring softly.

(Austin General Hospital - 6:30 am)

Jane had slept relatively well all night, with only one or two bad dreams, but nothing as horrific as the nightmares that had haunted him recently. He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a sign that his subconscious mind had given up all hope of seeing Anika safe and rescued from Stockman. Dwelling on that thought only darkened his mood, a bad way to begin the day. A nurse came in to check his dressing and the small bag that held whatever the drain had collected. Smiling at seeing the scant, almost clear fluid, she checked Patrick's vitals and noted his fever was also gone. The extra 24 hours of antibiotics had done their job and he was doing well.

"I think these drains can come out now. Sound good?" she asked as she opened up a sterile wrapped kit containing everything she would need to remove the apparatus.

"Very good" Jane answered, happy to see another medical encumbrance removed from his body. "Can the IV go too?" he asked hopefully.

"One thing at a time…" the nurse mumbled as she concentrated on the job at hand. "Now just lay still, keep your hands away from your stomach…" she instructed Jane as she created a sterile field on his abdomen. With gloved hands she snipped the few threads holding the drains in place, then she gently started pulling the rubber tubing out of his body. As gross as the sensation was, Patrick said nothing, glad to finally have that annoyance gone.

It only took a few minutes and the nurse was finished the small procedure. Then she turned and started to take the needle out of the back of Jane's hand. That done, she pushed the IV pole and the bag hanging on it away from the side of the bed.

"Congratulations, you're a free man!" she said with a smile.

"Thank you" he replied, not wanting to be ungrateful but he was hardly free yet. That only would come with being at home with his whole family. He kept silent.

As she was leaving an orderly came in with a tray of real food, and a hot cup of lousy tea. Jane pulled himself up to a sitting position and noticed doing that was a lot less painful today than it had been this time yesterday. Surely he could go home in a few hours.

By 7:30 am he was sitting up in bed, restlessly waiting for the doctor to come and and give his judgement on his condition. At 7:35 the door opened and the doctor came in, followed closely by a much more refreshed looking Teresa.

"Good morning Mr. Jane. Look who I found in the hallway" the doctor said with smile.

Teresa walked around the doctor and kissed Jane on the cheek.

"You look bright today" she smiled, seeing he had finally found some good sleep.

"Morning, I'm feeling better. Want to go home" he replied, eyeing the doctor, daring him to let him go.

"How about I check you out? If you pass muster we can have you on your way in a very short while" the man answered.

Teresa stepped out of the way to let the doctor do his thing. Jane submitted to his poking and prodding with patience, doing his best to do what he was told.

"Can you get up on your own, walk across the room unaided?" the doctor asked, happy with the rest of Jane's checkup so far.

Patrick threw the covers off his legs and dropped his feet over the side of the bed. He slid off the mattress and stood up, straightened his back and slowly walked towards Teresa at the far end of the room. When he got there, he reached out and embraced her, holding her close in a loving hug. The doctor smiled and wrote something in his notes.

"Well I guess we can't keep you here any longer. You seem to be well enough to finish recuperating at home. Keep in mind, you are still recovering from surgery and an infection. You are not completely well, and must take care of yourself, otherwise, I'll keep you in another night" the doctor warned Jane.

"I understand. I won't do anything except rest" Jane agreed, giving the Scout's honour salute.

The doctor grinned, then continued. "I'll send along a prescription for oral antibiotics and a mild pain medication if you need it. I can't stress it enough, you must rest or all the good we've done will be undone. And with that, I think we're all finished here. As soon as you sign your release papers, you can be on your way Mr. Jane."

Jane walked back to the doctor with Teresa beside him, both of them smiling brightly.

"Thank you."

"Yes, thank you Doctor. I'll take good care of him. Make him rest" Teresa babbled, happy to take him back to his cabin outside Austin.

"No work, no running, plenty of sleep and relaxation. Go and see your family doctor if you suspect an infection in the wound site. Eat well and take small walks. You'll be fine in a couple of weeks" the doctor told both of them. "I'll send home a list of do's and don't's, but I think you'll be fine anyway" he added before turning to go and see his next patient.

The nurse stepped forward with the necessary legal medical form, which Patrick signed immediately. When she left, Teresa handed a bag of comfy clothes to Patrick and sat down while he got himself dressed.

"I need a shower" Jane mused as he pulled on his fresh shirt.

"Yes you do, but that can wait until later today. First, let's get you home and then you can take a nap while I run out and get some groceries. I haven't got much in the house right now."

"Ok, sure. I'll need some more English Breakfast Tea, you know the kind I like" Jane said as he pulled on his pants.

"Yup. Anything else you want, just let me know" Teresa smiled, happy that at least she wasn't going to be alone in their house now. Maybe today, they'd find Anika. Neither of them had mentioned her yet this morning, but she was always there, in the front of their minds, a huge piece of their lives missing, the reason for getting up in the morning and the essence of their future. She was still missing. There would be no true homecoming without her. They were both acting strong for each other, but it was just an act.

(Texican Motel- 8:30 am)

Stockman lay snoring on the bed, still hungover from his binge drinking the night before. He was no longer recognizable to anyone who had known him as Dr. David Litchfield. Then, he was well groomed, clean shaven, dressed in expensive suits and he exuded professionalism. Now, he had several days growth of whiskery stubble on his face, a bald head with a dirty bandage across the back of his scalp. He stank. His clothes looked like they had been scavenged from a rummage sale, and his eyes were sunken and dark. If this is what success and freedom looked like, it was no advertisement for anyone following in his footsteps.

He'd lost everything, through no one else's fault but his own, not that he could admit it to himself. He believed his sad situation should be blamed on many people; his parents, his cousin David, his classmates, the medical establishment for throwing him out of school just before graduation, that shithead Patrick Jane and all cops in general. And now, in just a few hours, when he woke up, he'd finally be free of all of them, truly free of America and her rules and regulations. He'd talk his way into a new medical career in a land of unending sunshine and wealth, a land made for men smart enough to swindle money out of the fools who fell for his easy lies.

KiKi was wide awake and sitting on the floor, quietly playing with the TV remote, handling it like the cell phones she saw grownups using all the time. The coloured buttons fascinated her, and she hit them randomly, holding the remote up to her ear and holding quiet conversations with her toys and imaginary friends. All went well until she hit a button that switched on the TV. As it suddenly screamed to life, a loud music video blared through the room waking Stockman up with a jolt.

"What the fuck?" he yelled, temporarily confused by the sudden onslaught of noise. Standing up, he saw Anika cowering against the wall in fear, the remote thrown against the room.

"You miserable little shit!" he yelled, running to pick up the remote and turning the TV off before any neighbouring renters pounded on the walls. Then he rounded on the child and picked her up, shaking her severely.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you bad bad girl!" he seethed into her tiny face. KiKi was so terrified she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, blocking the bad man out of her sight. Seeing she didn't know what she had done, Stockman let her drop to the floor with a thud, then he stalked off to the bathroom to relieve himself in anger. Anika was so frightened she cried silently, having learned that making too much noise led to bad things. She had learned in a very short time to control her voice.

Stockman re-emerged and stared at the bedside clock. Seeing how late it was he suddenly sprang into action. That miserable kid actually did him a favour. He almost slept through his biggest plan yet! He gathered up his few belongings and ran out to his car, then came back and scooped Anika up in his arms, wrapped in the quilt.

"Come on, time to go" he whispered as he covered her up completely. She didn't fight back, her fear assuring compliance. Stockman put her on the back seat and ordered her to lie down. When she was out of sight, he put a seatbelt around her as best as he could then slumped behind the steering wheel and took off, leaving the motel and its stink behind him.

(FBI - Austin Texas, 8:45 am)

Wylie awoke with a start. The sound of phones ringing and computers clacking told him he wasn't alone anymore. As he opened his eyes and sat up, he realized his co-workers were back at their desks, working on their projects while he slept on Jane's sofa. Rubbing his eyes, and embarrassed to be caught sleeping, he jumped up and ran to his desk. What had he missed? Was the laptop working? Why didn't anyone wake him up?

The phone rang in the IT lab and the young man by the phone answered.

"Let me speak to Jed, right now!" Wylie said in a panic. A muffled shout was followed by the sound of footsteps.

"Jed, what's up?"

"Jed! It's Jason. Why didn't you wake me up? What's happening with the laptop?"

Jed sat down and rubbed his tired face.

"We worked on it all night. What a fiasco. Had to have some parts shipped in overnight and they got here about an hour ago."

"And?"

"And, we got it going. We're scanning the memory drive right now. We should have everything on your desk in 10 minutes."

"Oh thank you! You're the best Jed!" Wylie said in gratitude.

"I know. And you owe me big time" Jed said, rubbing his expertise in with pleasure.

"Anything, it's yours" Wylie agreed, hanging up. With renewed energy, he ran off to the mens' room to freshen up for the day. When he got back, a file sat on his desk. He sat down and opened it, reading every word, every search page. Something had to be of value there, somewhere.

(Jane Household 8:45 am)

A black SUV pulled up to the front of the house and Teresa stepped out. She ran around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door to let Patrick out. He was delighted to see his cabin again, but he was stiff and sore from the trip home. Teresa reached out for his arm as he eased his legs out and down to the ground. Once he stood up, he felt much better.

"You finally made it home sweetie" Teresa said as she took his arm and walked him to the front porch. It had been a long time since he had seen his house, too long.

"About time too" he added, giving her a smile that he didn't feel. Anika wasn't there to throw herself into his arms. He couldn't rejoice just yet. Teresa guided him up the steps and unlocked the front door. Jane came inside and stood staring at the interior of the house with appreciative eyes. It looked the same as always, yet was totally different without his daughter's energy permeating the building. His old boomerang throw lay across the back of the sofa, his current book open and waiting for him on the coffee table. His old shoes were on the floor by the door, a reminder of his need to hold onto precious pieces of comfort. CD's, books, newspapers, magazines littered his overflowing bookshelf. It also held many photos of himself with Teresa and Anika. Over the fireplace a large photo of KiKi taken when she was just learning to walk, held pride of place over the mantle. A large stuffed alligator was waiting for Anika by the small chair beside the fireplace. Her yellow sweater lay across the chair where she had left it. A pang of grief stabbed Jane's heart when he saw all of these reminders of her. Was that all he'd have left of her if Stockman carried out his threat? Photos and stuffed toys and clothes no one would ever wear again?

Jane looked away and walked towards the kitchen. Reminders of Anika were scattered everywhere now that he really looked. Her drawings were on the fridge held on with magnets, childish paper flowers in styrofoam cups lined the window sill. Her bright red cup sat on the counter next to her dirty cereal bowl, left from her last morning at home. On and on it went, the small room littered with her essence, her belongings and evidence of her sweet life. Teresa saw what Patrick was doing, hell, she'd done the exact same thing each time she came home since KiKi was taken. Now she let Jane do the same without trying to distract him. He needed to come to grips with this emptier house, this new reality.

His steps faltered as he slumped down into his chair at the kitchen table and reached out for Teresa's hand.

"I think I can even smell her" he said quietly, eyeing her colourful placemat at her spot next to his.

"Me too."

"She needs to come home now" Jane said, gazing out of the kitchen window at nothing in particular.

"Right now" Teresa echoed as tears gathered in her eyes. She had held out for so long, trying to keep her emotions under control, but now, with Jane home, she felt like a raw wound, seeping all of her fears and doubts into the quiet space between them.

Jane turned to look at her and seeing her tear streaked face, he reached out and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. Both embraced silently, crying for their lost child, their grief and fears pooling in their mingled salty tears. Minutes passed, and neither wanted to let go, but finally Teresa backed up and wiped her face with her hands.

"We have to keep it together Patrick" she said in a strained voice. "We have to stay strong for KiKi. She's out there looking for us and we have to be ready when we get the call." She looked at Jane to see if he could do as she suggested.

He nodded his head and looked back at the alligator. His daughter needed him. He had to be strong, for KiKi, and for Teresa. He could do it for them.

"OK. OK. You're right, as usual" he said softly, wiping his face too. Clearing his throat, he stood up and headed for his tea cupboard.

"Want a coffee, tea?" he asked as he put the kettle under the cold water tap. This routine helped to calm him.

"No thanks, I should get going soon" Teresa said, keeping herself busy. "We need everything. Ever since you disappeared, I've hardly done anything around here. The laundry is piling up, the cupboard is almost empty, fridge is bare. Do you mind if I go out and get a few things to make lunch and supper tonight?"

Jane came over and hugged her. "You do what you have to do. I'll make some tea and have a lie down on the sofa. I'll be fine while you're out. I sleep better here than in a hospital."

"OK, good." Teresa turned to open and close the kitchen cupboard doors, checking to see exactly what she should buy just for today, doing the same with the fridge. Then she ran to the laundry room to start a load of washing, getting things back to normal now that her husband was finally home. By the time she had everything organized, Jane had finished his small cup of tea and was stretched out on the sofa, his hands crossed over his chest.

"I'm on my way Patrick" Teresa said quietly, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "See you very soon. Be good while I'm out. No running or fooling around!" she warned.

"Fooling around will be strictly prohibited" Jane assured her, his eyes closed comfortably.

"Bye sweetie"

"Bye Teresa."

And then she was gone. The house was very quiet, a nice change from the continuous noise of the hospital, and Patrick sighed a sigh of relief. Lisbon would be home soon, then he'd make her a coffee and they'd sit on the porch, waiting for Cho to call. He was tired from his busy morning and fell into a light sleep. The day had only just begun.

Across town, Stockman drove the black Honda on sideroads as much as possible to avoid detection. A few lane changes over two main highways outside Austin would take him directly to his destination, then he could relax. Driving away from the downtown core, he had time to think about what he was going to do very very soon. Since he began impersonating his cousin David he'd killed several people, enjoying each death as it flattered his ego and sense of the dramatic. But this kid...could he really kill a kid, a baby, really? She had done nothing to him, but her father had stuck his nose in where it didn't belong, plus he and his wife were both FBI, the Feds. That alone made Anika vulnerable. Seeing the understanding of their imminent death in the eyes of some of his victims as he killed them had given Stockman a thrill akin to a sexual climax, but could he feel that if he murdered a toddler? She would have no such understanding and would only struggle because she didn't like what he was doing.

Death had no meaning for such a young child. For that reason alone it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as killing an older kid. What a philosophical conundrum, he mused. As he left the anonymity of the seedier part of town, Stockman had to stop overthinking her impending murder and become more watchful for cops. Soon he'd be in a more heavily travelled part of the city, so he stopped his musings and made his mind up. She would die today, but any pleasure he got out of the act would be in knowing what it would do to her mother and father, if he was alive. Good enough!

Anika lay still on the backseat, silent as a ghost, which she most surely would be very soon. He eyed her in his mirror and smirked with satisfaction. Patrick Jane either was or wasn't still alive. Either way, his daughter soon would most definitely be dead. Jane's existence now was just a minor footnote to Stockman's evolving plan. By tonight, if everything went his way, which it always did, he'd be on his way out of the country one last time.

Stockman merged into heavier traffic, keeping his eyes open for any sign of a police car. By now he knew the Honda had been reported stolen, and his license plates screamed out for identification by some sharp eyed uniformed cop. He needed to get to a quieter road off the beaten track as fast as possible. Just a few minutes more, and he'd be out of sight and free to complete his most scandalous murder yet.