OA was making a coffee run for him, Maggie, Scola, and Tiffany. He had got something different for himself today. He headed toward his truck when he had paid for all the coffees. But he had just unlocked his truck when suddenly he felt something strike the back of his head and everything went black his phone, wallet, keys, coffee, and a little blood crashing to the ground.
And he was stuffed into a trunk. And the perp sped off. Maggie was sitting at her desk working on paperwork, and her coffee courtesy of OA. She knew he would've been here by now. She checked her watch and decided to call him. And there was no answer. "OA, where are you? You're never this late? Come on, call me when you get this," she said. She knew this was unlike him.
Tiffany and Scola had walked in as she set her phone back on her desk. "Have you heard anything from OA?" she asked them. "No, now that you say something, about that. I haven't. He would've been here by now," Scola said. Jubal walked in. "Guys, we've got an abduction case at a coffee shop in Manhattan. Scola, you and Tiffany go coordinate with the NYPD, and just so you guys know, it's OA," he informed.
Jubal saw that Maggie's mood changed quickly. "Maggie, go in JOC. We'll brief there," he said. He left the room and she sat there for a few minutes before heading into JOC. She was scared to death. Was he alive? Was he dead? Was he even still in the States? She didn't know. She wanted her partner back alive. But she knew these first 24 hours were critical. So they had to follow every possible lead. But she didn't know who would take him. She thought, was it a past case? Was it current? She had multiple thoughts going through her head. She was trying to connect the dots.
She stood there in the JOC as Jubal briefed everyone. Kelly, Ian, Elise, Trey, and everyone else started to work on leads that they had. There was one camera in that area, and all it caught was a license plate that was stolen and OA being dragged and stuffed into the car trunk. There was a BOLO out, but the car was found torched in an empty parking lot of an abandoned warehouse. Scola and Tiffany investigated it with SWAT but there was no sign of OA in there. ERT had found nothing. Maggie felt helpless but Isobel told her to stand down because she was close to it. There was nothing for her to do except sit in the JOC or do paperwork.
Isobel surveyed Maggie from a distance, she knew that she was worrying about OA. She thought Maggie wouldn't stand down on this case, but she did. Isobel knew there was something more than just standing down on the case. Maggie didn't even do paperwork. She sat at her desk and looked at photos of her and OA on her phone. She felt a romantic connection between them both. But she was too selfish to admit it. But she kept ignoring it. And it kept coming back and attacking her. She wanted to go home, there was nothing to do on this case.
So she did. She grabbed her bag and some paperwork if she was in the mood and left. Everyone was in the JOC so they wouldn't notice that she went home. Tiffany and Scola were out chasing leads, and she couldn't do anything. Isobel held her back and she did. She didn't want to be in trouble with the brass. Or Isobel for that matter. When she got into her apartment, she threw her bag onto the floor and hung her coat up. She put her credentials on the side table by her door and went further into her apartment.
She went into her bedroom and threw on a shirt of OA's that made its way into her apartment when she had stayed there for a bad case that they had come across. It had his scent. It was the only thing that kept her sane. She threw her hair into a messy bun. She climbed into her bed and cried. And cried until she fell asleep. 2 hours later she woke up. She decided to go take a shower, but her mind was still running several thoughts through her head about OA. She loved him, but she hadn't admitted her feelings for him yet. She felt a connection with him. She knew his regular coffee order, he knew hers. He even knew what danish she always got as well. She knew his. They both had each other's backs. That's what partners were for.
She stood underneath the water stream for a good 20 minutes. She was in a daze. Back at 26 Fed, Jubal and the team were working leads. But they weren't the best leads. Isobel had noticed she hadn't seen Maggie in an hour, so she went to see if she was at her desk still and she wasn't. Scola and Tiffany were working leads, so the only time they had seen her was this morning before the abduction. They had brought the one suspect in for questioning but they weren't getting anywhere with him, so they released him since they didn't have solid evidence, only circumstantial.
Isobel figured she went home, and she had. She knew she did the wrong thing by taking Maggie off the case, and she thought Maggie would stay on. But she didn't. So she went to Maggie's apartment to do the right thing. She knocked on her door, but there was no answer. So she knocked again. Maggie had opened her door, and Isobel knew she had just gotten out of the shower. "Isobel, before you say anything. I don't want on the case. I'll be in the way too much and I don't want to be reckless," she said. "Maggie, just wait. Tell me what's going on. This isn't like you to back down on a case to find your partner," she added.
"I'll keep it brief. Over the years, I've developed feelings for OA. And I've been too selfish to tell him. And since he's been abducted this morning; that's the only thing on my mind," she responded sadly. "Maggie, feelings or not. I know you want to help find your partner," she said. "I do. It's just," she started. "You don't want to get in trouble," Isobel finished. "Exactly," she sighed. "I don't care. I'll keep that out of the report, come on. Let's go, Scola and Tiffany have come up empty-handed so far. But," she stopped when her phone started to buzz. "What is it?" Maggie asked. "It's Jubal. They have something that they need me to look at," she said.
"Go. I'll meet you there," Maggie said. Isobel nodded and left. She closed her door and went and got dressed. She blow-dried her hair and threw it into a ponytail. She grabbed her bag and packed one just in case they had to go international if the suspect took OA overseas. She packed OA's shirt, some jeans and sweatpants, shirts, and some oversized shirts of Jason's that she kept. While she was packing she came across another one of OA's shirts that she didn't know she had. She packed it as well. She put her laptop and charger in as well. She sat her bags by the front door and put her jacket on. She grabbed her badge and credentials and went out the door with her bags.
She made the drive to 26 Fed, but on the way, she got a text from Isobel to head to the FBI airfield. And that Scola and Tiffany would meet her there. That's when she realized. OA was overseas.
OA'S POV: When I woke up from the darkness, I felt something around my hands and something was over my head. I felt the dried blood against my forehead. The last thing I remembered was getting in my car and driving to 26 Fed. Maggie. Maggie was the only person that was in my mind right now. I knew she was probably worried about me and looking for me. I hope that she was. Along with Tiffany and Scola. And everyone else. I had feelings for Maggie. But I was hiding it.
I closed my eyes, thinking about her. I wanted to go home. But I was in a moving car. I had no idea where I was going. I knew I wasn't in New York anymore. I didn't hear the taxis honking, cars honking, or sirens. I was in a different country, that; I didn't know. Whatever knocked me out, I was knocked out cold if the only thing I remembered was getting in my car. Then I felt the car stop. I heard movement coming from outside.
Then I heard the trunk open and another person speaking in a different language. A language that I didn't know. I knew it wasn't Arab. I was yanked from the car, then I heard English. "He's all yours, now pay me my money," I heard a voice say. I had felt 2 different pairs of arms wrap around mine and I was pulled inside a house. The hood was still around my head so I couldn't tell where I was. I was sitting down in a chair, and my arms were tied around the armrests.
I felt a blow to my stomach. I winced in pain. The blows kept coming. So I sat there. Pleading with God for Maggie to come and find me. My shirt was ripped open. An electric surge had ripped through my body. The hood around my head was ripped off and replaced with a blindfold. I felt a fist connect with my face. I groaned in pain and wanted it to stop. My body jolted in the chair as I felt another electric surge top through. I heard a voice. "Omar, I believe you should remember me," the voice said with a hint of an accent.
"What if I don't?" I say, wincing. "You should. You put my brother in prison, correct?" The voice spoke again. "I'm sorry, I don't know who your brother is," I plead. "Jakov. Ivan Jakov," the voice said. I remembered. Ivan Jakov. A man that I had put in prison in my undercover days.
But that was long before I got into the FBI. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay? But your brother drugged innocent people and made it look like suicide," I say. "But he didn't deserve to die and rot in prison," the voice snapped. The fist kept connecting with my face. The pain kept coming. I wanted to go home. I wanted Maggie in my arms. There are a lot of things I want.
Home was the one place I wanted right now. I wanted to admit my feelings for Maggie. So damn bad.
Maggie's POV: I was sitting at the FBI airfield waiting for Scola and Tiffany. They would catch me up to speed. I missed my partner. Isobel made me realize that it was time to tell my feelings for him. Then I spotted the FBI SUV pull up. Tiffany and Scola got out. They all had their duffels, and I had mine right next to me; sitting on the ground. "Alright, catch me up," I say as we meet near the FBI airplane.
Scola tapped at a few things on the tablet before showing me. "This is Henry Johnson, he's done a couple of stints in prison for domestic violence, armed robbery, a kidnapping that turned deadly. And here's the best part. He was hired by this man," he said, swiping right on the tablet. "Luka Jakov, his brother Ivan connected with OA in his undercover days and he traveled to New York from Croatia and met up with Johnson at a restaurant," he continued. "So this is the motive," I say. "Exactly, we've looked at buildings in Jakov's name here but there was no sign of OA ever being there, so we looked at vehicles, and a different one with a fake plate was spotted at the Navy Pier," he continued.
"So Johnson took OA out of the country. Do we know where?" I ask. "Croatia. Their home country. Isobel's already in touch with the fly team and they're meeting us there tomorrow morning," Tiffany piped in. "Alright, what are we waiting for then?" I say, picking up my bag off the ground. I started towards the airplane and the others followed. We touched base with the JOC and let them know that we were in the air.
I whispered to myself, "I'm coming for you OA," Scola and Tiffany didn't hear me. I was coming for him. To bring him back.
Forrester's POV: When I got a phone call from Isobel Castille in New York that evening about her missing agent, I immediately agreed to help them. She gave me the Intel that they had. I called in the team. We met up at the fly team base. "What do we got today boss?" Raines asked me. "Missing FBI agent out of New York. Omar Zidan. Has been missing for 16 hours. SAC Castille has Intel that he's been kidnapped by this man: Henry Johnson," I say showing his mugshot.
I continued. "Johnson then transferred Special Agent Zidan to Croatia and gave him to this man, Luka Jakov; a man who hired Johnson to kidnap him and bring him to Croatia. They have a few agents from New York coming to join us, and we'll meet with them in Croatia tomorrow morning," I say.
"How does Jakov tie to Special Agent Zidan?" Vo asked. "Special Agent Zidan put his brother Ivan in prison back in his UC days, which is the motive," I responded. "We could start chasing leads now," Jaeger said. "We have to make sure the agents heading to Croatia as we speak are well rested for tomorrow," I say. "Alright, we'll go wheels up tomorrow at 6:00 am sharp," I say, looking at the time on my watch.
We all went our separate ways and I went back to my apartment with Tank. I went to bed a short time later, 6:00 am came fast.
Maggie's POV: We had touched down in Croatia at 11:00 pm, and we had left New York at 9:00. There was an SUV that was waiting for us and took us to where we would meet with the fly team tomorrow. I had somehow fallen asleep on the plane. But I was still tired. OA was in Croatia somewhere, we just didn't know yet. I wanted to hug him, but I knew if we found him; he would have to be transported to a Croatian hospital. I knew he would be injured, possibly even tortured.
The place where we were meeting the fly team tomorrow morning was an abandoned warehouse. It was secluded away, there were no other buildings around it. There were beds on the inside for us and the fly team both to sleep on. But they were in another part of the warehouse. The main space was turned into a place where we all talked about the information that we had. There was one TV, a table that was big enough to hold all of our papers of information; even mugshots.
We arrived at the warehouse. We put our technology on the table before going to bed. Scola and Tiffany fell asleep first, I was debating to change into OA's shirt that I had brought along with me. And I did. I woke up first that next morning, it was 5:00 am. The fly team was flying in at 6:00 am. I changed into a shirt and jeans, threw my hair in a ponytail, went into the main room, and started looking at all the leads we had.
I remembered that OA had never told me about his undercover days, there were a few things that I didn't even know about him. I only knew about his days at West Point, his days in Iraq. I knew that he was undercover, but he didn't tell me about his hard cases, or the people he put away. We had that best friend, but that best friend connection turned into something more than that. It turned into romantic.
I heard movement come from behind me. I turn around to see Scola coming out with a cup of coffee. "Did you bring your coffee with you?" I chuckle. "I don't trust half the coffee I see," he responded.
"You just have to have one certain type," I smirk, looking at the tablet at the surveillance here that Ian thankfully connected us to. There was no sign of Jakov or his associates anywhere, which were pinned onto the bulletin board in front of me. Scola had joined me in looking at the surveillance.
Tiffany joined us a short time later. It was past 6 now. The fly team was in the air and heading our way and would touch down in about 45 minutes. I spotted one of Jakov's associates. "Scola, Tiff. Look, it's Novak. He's outside of this cafe about 6 blocks from us," I say. "Let's see if we can see what direction he goes," he says. I type at a few things that will let us pick him up on any other cameras in the immediate area.
Novak left the cafe 5 minutes later and the cameras followed him until the cameras stopped picking him up. "He's disappeared," I say. "Damn it," Tiff muttered under her breath. I heard car doors from outside, and I looked at my watch. "They're early," I say, looking up at the door. It was only 6:30.
5 agents and a dog walked in, we all couldn't tell who was the one in charge. "Hello, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Scott Forrester, this is my team; Special Agent Jamie Kellett, Special Agent Andre Raines, Special Agent Cameron Vo, and Europol Agent Kristen Jaeger," the man said, shaking all of our hands. "Special Agent Maggie Bell," I say shaking Scott's hand.
"And, this is Tank. He's our cadaver," he said. We talked about how we spotted one of Jovak's accomplices about 5 minutes before they arrived. We chased leads all day today and caught Jubal and Isobel up to speed back in New York. We chased leads for 2 days straight. Which combined was 3. But on the 4th day, we found something that leads us to Jovak.
We chased it, and of course; Jovak was there. I and Raines shot him down. Scola checked for a pulse and looked back up at us and shook his head no. "OA's gotta be in here somewhere," Tiff said. "Let's split up, go in two," I say. We went our separate ways, I went with Raines, Scola, Tiffany, Kellett and Forrester, Vo and Jaeger. This warehouse was larger than the one where we held up.
Novak and Rados had fled the country. I was surprised that they didn't help Jovak. Unless they were used. Scola and Tiffany had gone to the basement with Forrester and Kellett. There was a door that I and Raines came upon, it was padlocked. "Guys, I got something," I heard Raines say into the comms.
I didn't want to shoot my gun at the lock, we didn't know if OA was in there or not. If he wasn't, we would be searching more. I didn't know what was behind the door. Scola had somehow found a pair of bolt cutters and cut the lock. Forrester helped me open the door, and Raines and Tiffany pushed it out of the way.
We shined our flashlights in there. Scola and Raines had gone farther into the room. "I've got him!" I heard Scola yell. We all went in. When we got over to Scola, he was crouched down to the unconscious OA. We had found him. After 4 days. We found him. "We've got him," Scola said into the comms back to New York. We had him, we got him back. I called for an ambulance over the comms, Scola tried to rouse OA, and all he got was a groan. But he was alive.