A/N: Because I passed my Exams for Sign Language grade 4, and the Introduction Exam of Four-Handed Sign Language (for Deaf-Blind) I;m in a good mood. Therefore: A nice, long post, to make up for the waiting, and to have a pre-emptive one, because I don't know when the next'll be posted.


oOo


Indeed, the displayed magnifications were impressive, even the most minute details were clearly visible. Slowly, one-by-one, the images were projected until Myles said stop. On the image a part of a car's dashboard was visible, when the photographer had taken the shot of Sue standing on the pavement, in front of a store, he had -perhaps accidentally- captured a part of the interior too.

'Okay, people,' said Myles. 'Everyone focus on a different part of the displayed picture.'

'I think it's safe to say that any guessing about the car itself is strictly to the guys,' said Tara. 'Now that is such a female thing to say, like we're some obsessive car freaks who can tell the maker, year et cetera by just looking at a detail...' said Jack.

'It's a 2001 Tahoe,' said Bobby.

Tara couldn't hide her grin. 'I rest my case.'

'You're sure?' asked Myles. 'Do birds fly?' said Bobby. Myles shrugged, 'some of them don't...but you're sure?' Bobby squinted his eyes a little. 'Yup, I'd say it's a fair dinkum Tahoe.'

'And the color?'

'Well, unless you're colorblind I'd say dark metallic gray.'

'Does anyone recognize the stores? They look like clothing and shoes...'

'Ah, now there's something only a woman knows best,' said Tara. Bobby rolled his eyes, but nevertheless smiled. 'It has got to be Neiman Marcus, either that or Saks Fifth Avenue, on Wisconsin Avenue northwest.'

'Never seen it,' said Bobby. Lucy rolled her eyes. 'Because it's in Chevy Chase, the shopping Valhalla of DC, not downtown.'

'And you can tell that by just looking at the shop window, even if there's no sign or whatever?' asked Bobby, sounding stunned. 'Hey, you could tell the car by just a fraction of its dashboard, that was creepy. This, however, isn't. It's just about knowing places,' said Tara.

'I have to second her on that,' said Sue. 'I remember I went to Neiman, I did buy a new pair of gorgeous Jimmy Choo's.'

'Ooh...' both Tara and Lucy gasped. 'You never told me,' said Lucy chastising. Sue bit her lip. 'They were quite expensive, I was afraid your image of me being economical wouldn't hold.'

'Now I'm curious,' said Lucy, 'details please...'

'You know the classic collection? I fell for the Rose...' she pursed her lips, glancing around.

'Who wouldn't?' Myles deadpanned. Lucy gasped. 'Oh my god. They're like...' Sue motioned for her to shut up, her eyes chastising, so Lucy continued in sign. "BOOTS, THEM COST 800 DOLLAR," she signed with a shocked expression.

"845 DOLLAR," Sue corrected.

"WOW" She began to laugh broadly.

Bobby and Dimitrius looked lost. Myles and Tara caught only a part. Jack stared at Sue, looking shocked. Sue raised her hands defensively, smiling. 'Now that is something you could be shocked about,' he said.

Bobby frowned. 'Anyone like to translate that? What are Jimmy Chews anyway?' He got swatted by Lucy. 'It's Choo, C-H-O-O, and he's the master when it comes to shoes and boots. And the Rose is, well, a boot so gorgeous...wow.'

'All this fuss is about some shoes?'

'Choo's,' the three women said in unison. The Aussie shrugged. 'Whatever.'

'All very nice,' said Dimitirius 'but we were trying to get something out of the pictures.'

'We did get something out of it...' Lucy commented. 'Yeah, but although I have no idea what you were discussing, I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with the case,' D. said.

Myles squinted his eyes when he examined the photo some more. 'Tara, could you zoom in on the upper right corner, just above that entrance of the next shop?' Tara's fingers rapped on her keyboard and the projector focused. 'What is it, Myles?'

'There,' he said pointing to the picture. 'A CCTV camera.'

'So?'

'So? Look at where the lens is pointing to,' he said. The others looked carefully. 'Holy Cow, it looks like the Redsox have finally hit a homerun,' said Bobby. Myles smiled. 'It's looking right at our photographer. Tara, find out whose camera it is and get the tapes of that day.'

'Already on it.'

Jack stood up to walk a little closer to the picture, then he turned round, looking good-humored. 'This is good, really good...Now we're getting somewhere, at last.'


oOo


As they split up to do different tasks he waved for Sue's attention as he sat down on the edge of her desk. She looked at him questioningly. "WHAT?" He signed back. "You never seize to amaze me: 845 dollar?!" She grinned, "BOOTS, THEM BEAUTIFUL, YOU SEE THEM, AGREE YOU" He flashed her a look that made her stomach flutter, and her cheeks color. "TONIGHT?" he probed.

She shot him a quick, chastising look, with colored cheeks, checking if no one oversaw their conversation. "fs JACK, BEHAVE YOU, PEOPLE THEM LOOK" He took her hands and hauled her close to him, their eyes never left each other. 'So what? Let them watch.' He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes briefly when she felt his lips on hers. She let her tongue run over his lips, and he opened for her, and gradually, the once superficially meant kiss deepened into much more.

Just in time they managed to pull away before things got too intense. As they parted, Sue ran her tongue over her lips, an act that left Jack with the impossible task of trying to focus on the case again. Of course he failed miserably.

'Sparky...?' she said, jokingly. 'Are you still with us?' It seemed like he shook off the spell she had cast on him before he answered. 'I'm sorry, did you say something?'

'Whether you're still with us,' Bobby repeated Sue's question. Jack frowned, confused. 'Me still with you, what do you mean?, I haven't gone anywhere.'

'Sure, mate? Looked to me like you were gone a thousand miles just a second ago.' Jack looked at Sue, trying to get her to clarify what the hell they were discussing. Her answer was a smile, when she bit her lip. Then it dawned. 'Oh, right.'

'Hey guys, result at last,' said Tara from behind her computer. 'The CCTV camera belongs to Nieman Marcus, I've contacted them and they have that day still stored on tape. Just in the nick of time, because they were scheduled to be cleared for renewal tomorrow. There's a courier on his way to them to take their tapes and bring them here.'

'Very effective work, Tara, thanks.'

'No problem, the tapes will be here within the hour, max.'

'I'm dying to know what will be on the tapes,' said Jack, then he turned to Sue. 'It could save us from screening the whole tape if you could remember at what time you left Nieman Marcus.'

Sue bit her lip, thinking. 'Aw, I didn't really check my watch, I'm afraid. But I remember I was going to pick up some groceries. It couldn't have been later than three o'clock.'

'Good enough. Now if only we had this tape here already.'

'We're talking DC traffic congestion, especially since it's the five o'clock rush hour.'

'Yeah traffic is bad. Either you stand still or you're outpaced by pedestrians,' said Myles sympathetically.

'Unless you're Miss Thomas,' said Jack. 'Renowned for speed, wherever possible.'

She stuck out her tongue. 'Like I'm speeding all the time.'

'Well, as I recall you said that when you were heading to DC for the first time, you were already pulled over for speeding,' quipped Jack. And held at gun point because he thought I refused to cooperate she added silently.

'Don't worry,' said Tara. 'The courier is on a motor, to dispatch someone in a car is like mailing it through USPS: it takes forever.'


oOo


The courier brought the tapes within forty-five minutes. Immediately, Tara ran them through the computer. 'Okay, let's start from noon onwards,' she said. The images rolled by. 'Looks like we hit the jackpot with this tape; it's not a time-frame one, but running constantly. Let's fast forward it a little.' Then they saw Sue appearing, walking towards the doors.

'Stop, rewind from there a little and then run it at normal speed,' said Jack. They watched intently as Sue came into view once again, and they were checking the streets. 'There it is,' said Bobby. 'At 01.57.33 it rolls into view.' Tara let the scene run frame by frame. 'Bingo,' exclaimed Bobby enthusiastically. 'A Tahoe, metallic gray.' Tara froze the frame as the front of the car came fully into view. Then she zoomed in. 'There we have the license plate, and here...' she said as she enhanced the picture, '...we have the people inside.'

'License plate is a Virginian one, February 2001, YBZ 9746. I'll run it through DMV,' said Tara. 'Does anyone recognize the people inside?' asked Jack. 'No', said Bobby, 'but we have someone who might.'

'That's right, Tara, could you squeeze out the best magnification and copy it for us? And also run their faces through NCIC.' Tara nodded and a few moments later, copies rolled out of the printer. She handed them to Bobby and Myles. 'Hey, where's my copy?' he asked.

'We're going to ask Nico, Jack,' said Myles as he nodded towards Bobby. 'In case you forgot, Sue's been the target, and therefore we figured it would be for the best if someone took care of her safety.'

'And my name happened to pop up...'

'Well, she's your girlfriend. That brings responsibilities, this being one of them.'

'I'm sure you don't mind hanging out with her anyway,' added Bobby with a wicked grin. 'Not to mention I don't mind hanging out with him,' countered Sue. She put her arms round his waist, when she stood behind him, placing her head on his shoulder.

When she let go, she looked at the others. 'I hate to say it, but I'm getting tired. I hate to leave you guys, but it has been an intense day...' she looked at them apologetically. They waved it away. 'There's no need to apologize, Sue. No one will stay unaffected by all this. Everyone understands when you want to call it the day,' said Myles. 'Even when it means I have to drag Jack along with me?'

'There have been serious threats, to you and Jack. Together will be much more safe, besides it saves SOG a headache when they'll have to split up following both of you,' said Dimitrius.

'We'll call whenever we get something, or hear anything. Go home, it's okay,' added Myles.

As both Myles and Bobby got their coats, Jack called for their attention. 'Do not forget to check on these guys who attacked him, rub it in their faces we know about their connection to this Rakeem Abdul character.'

'Will do, see if they bite.'

'Oh, and one more thing...'

'Yes?'

'About calling me you found something; if it's good I'm game but be sure to let it ring persistently...' he said as his face lit up in a devious grin. 'You, know...in case...'

'We get the picture, mate,' Bobby said shaking his head, while Myles just rolled his eyes. 'Good for you Sue isn't looking. She might knock you on the gulliver for it.'


oOo


'You ready to go?' he asked as he held up her coat. Sue nodded. He helped her get into her coat and then, an act so natural yet so intimate, he guided her hair to fall over the collar as she pulled on her coat. As she slid into her gloves she let her eyes travel over the interior of the Bullpen, her eyes suddenly soft. He felt a short tinge of guilt as he watched her. He placed a hand on her arm, she looked at him. "YOU THINK WHAT?", he asked, even though he knew.

"PLACE HERE, ME MISS WILL"

"You're not gone, Sue."

"ME KNOW, it just feels like I'm leaving for the last time."

"You'll be back tomorrow, can't have you playing hooky," he responded grinning. She smiled. 'I know, and yet it feels like parting just the same,' she said after a while. Then she took his hand in hers and together they walked out of the office.

As he unlocked the car Sue leaned over the roof. 'Just out of curiosity, your place or mine?'

'I've been in yours, perhaps mine?' he offered. She pursed her lips, acting like she was thinking. 'Will need to get some things from my place then, and call Lucy so she'll know where we are.'

'Well, well, you cut down to the chase don't you? Barely official and you're already moving in,' he joked. She stuck out her tongue in response, and got into the car. But when he had stepped in too, her face grew serious. 'Honestly I don't want to be alone tonight, not after what happened today. I feel safe with you around.'

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. 'I feel at ease knowing you're safe with me.'

'Of course you realize, anything that does go wrong makes you less eligible as a son-in-law in my mother's eyes', she said, and her smile broke through. He rolled his eyes as he turned the ignition-keys and drove off.


oOo


The second they left the building on 9th street, Jack could see the SOG team pulling out too, following them. He clicked on the tiny interior light he had installed that lit his face, so Sue could see his lips, because driving with both hands on the steering-wheel seriously complicating any attempt to sign. 'SOG is already on our back,' he said and he briefly took his eyes off the road in front of him to look at her. Sue nodded, she leaned a bit back in the seat, the car's heater made her a bit sleepy.

He drove over the junction with New York Avenue NW. Just off K street NW he stopped for the red light to turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue NW. The light switched to green and Jack was about to accelerate when from the left, coming out of a parking lot on one-way K street a 2004 Mercedes G500 SUV, engine gunning, stormed towards them, screaming to a halt in the middle of the road.

As the doors swung open, at least three men, dressed in black with balaclavas over their faces, jumped out. They were carrying automatic rifles.