Author's Note: I am giving a name to an unnamed individual from the episode because I refuse to keep having to refer to her as the blonde found in the closet or the blonde with burns. You have no idea how when I did the transcript of the episode how many times I had to write that because, for a fairly important character, the show never gave her a name. Given who she is I tried to come up with an appropriate name. I'm also trying to have Joe solve his own case, so hopefully the writing isn't too bad and I'm doing him justice. I am not sure I get his voice exactly correct. Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews and I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter. - Kes
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Fenton and Carson are still going over the papers that Frank had printed out the night before. Carson was trying to find any account numbers that the companies had in common, and Fenton was doing his best to try to get in touch with his contacts to get records from the other Brotherhood of Companies.
They had the television on in the background. Shots of the firefighters fighting the fire while a reporter narrates a newscast is on. "This is the eighth building to go up in flames in the space of a month …" the announcer reports.
Fenton speaks up, "Ok we can have the rest of the records by the end of the business day tomorrow. I also called the station about your appeal, and it has had quite a few calls so far. Police are checking them out. So far, they are all cranks." Fenton shakes his head, "I don't know what makes people like that tick."
Carson is sitting taking this all in. "What about Helms?"
Fenton shrugs his shoulders, "I'll talk to him. But I think he is more interested in that fire." He gestures towards the TV not really paying attention.
" … nor ransom notes to the city. There's an effort to get Weldon Rathbone the billionaire recluse out of … " the reporter continues.
"Wait where did they say that was," asks Fenton shakily.
Carson nods his head at the TV, "the Rathbone building."
"That's one of the buildings that Frank, and Joe were going to." Fenton is visibly worried.
Carson nods, "Well, the boys have a cellphone, right?" He waits for Fenton to nod. "Well then, before we go running off to a fire like we're our kids. Let's try calling."
Fenton gives Carson a wry smile, "With my luck, they left it in the rental car."
Carson claps his friend on the shoulder, "I'm sure that Frank has the phone with him. He seems a very responsible young man."
Fenton looks over at his friend, "Yeah, but I gave the phone to Joe this morning before they left."
"Wouldn't hurt to go just in case, and we can try to call them on the way," Carson offers, and he stands up and grabs his jacket. The two men look at each other for a moment then Fenton reaches out and turns off the TV and they leave the room in a hurry.
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In the penthouse, Nancy watches Frank as does his best to open the elevator doors. Nancy opens her mouth to ask if there is she could do to help instead she hears herself say, "I didn't think you would find me. I thought everyone had given up."
Frank looks over at her briefly, "I didn't give up." He tries harder to pull the doors apart. They had to get out of here.
"Frank …" Nancy's voice wavers. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to say next, but it felt important somehow to start. Frank gives her his full attention. He reaches out towards her and cups her face. It's amazing how different two men can make her feel. When Rathbone did the same thing not an hour ago it made her feel like an object, a plaything, some doll while clean on the outside was filled with dirty rags that only got dirtier with each touch. With Frank, while she didn't feel like an object she still felt like she was a doll, but the most precocious one in existence which was cracked, and each touch tried to fill the cracks to make her whole again.
"Tell me about it when we get out of here," he says softly as lets his hand fall, giving her a sweet caress. He doesn't mean to turn her down, but the building burning underneath their feet is no time for one of their conversations. Especially when he hadn't figured out what he wanted to say to her.
Frank realizes that he needs more leverage or power. Looking over at Nancy, she is wobbling on her feet, and trying to hide it by holding the frame. He wonders what all has been done to her to put her in this state. Stop he tells himself, one crisis at a time. What was important right now was opening the doors. "Rathbone!" he yells, hoping that he can get the man's help.
"He's insane Frank. He won't listen. I've been trying to reason with him for months," Nancy expresses in a monotone. Frank gives up on the door and starts to look around the room. "We're trapped aren't we," Nancy says resignedly. Frank looks at her and takes her into his arms resting her head on his chest. He's not quite sure what to do with this side of Nancy. All those times he wished she'd act more like normal girls and now what he wouldn't give for her to be her sassy plucky self. He'll think of something, he just needs some time. He has to get them out, if for no other reason than he is likely to commit murder if he has to stay locked in this damned penthouse with a broken girl and the man who broke her.
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The group that Joe has been leading from the twenty-sixth floor has grown from about 50 to around 200 as they made their way to the fourth floor. Joe had been taking volunteers from the group and making sure each floor was clear of people. They had found 3 – 10 people hiding or trapped on each floor so far. They had been lucky so far and managed to get to everyone without any major injuries.
The stairwell that the group had been using stopped at the fourth floor, most likely because of the three-story atrium thought Joe. This meant all 200 people needed to cross a floor that was on fire, to get to the next set of stairs.
Joe looks out the stairwell door assessing the situation, then back up at all the people waiting nervously on the stairs. Joe starts to outline his plan. "We will move in groups of twenty. Each group will be led by one of the search volunteers. If you have long hair do your best to either tie it back or put it up. If you have a handkerchief, tie it around your mouth. If you don't, see if you can tear your clothes and make a mask. The goal is to make our way through the hallway directly across from this door. The next stairwell is on the other end."
Joe will take the last group; he wants to make sure everyone makes it out. He looks over the people as they start to move. They are sooty and exhausted but alive. The worse injuries were burns on Lyra, the blonde woman that he had pulled out of a burning room on the twenty-sixth floor.
He had been watching her closely as they had been making their escape. Lyra had stuck close to him, though she never participated in the floor searches she would wait for him before moving to a lower floor. With every new person they found, Lyra became more and more withdrawn. She refused to talk or look the others in the face, always flinching when someone other than him approached.
There was defiantly something going on with Lyra. The woman's body language was screaming guilt. Considering he found her in the room where the fire for the twenty-sixth floor started, it was a good possibility that she had started that one if not all of them. But now was not the time to confront the woman. He could deal with the mystery that was Lyra when they were safe. He just needed to make sure he didn't lose her.
Joe leads the last group of survivors through the flame-filled hallway. They are about halfway down when he hears "Mommy!, mommy!." Joe turns to Lyra who hasn't left his side. "Do you hear something?"
"Mommy! mommy!"
Joe turns around in a circle and gets an idea of where the cries are coming from. He puts a hand on Lyra's shoulder and gives her a gentle push. "Go ahead with the others."
"No Joe you can't."
"Go on, make sure everyone makes it to the stairwell. Then get everyone checked out by the EMTs. You especially." He nods towards her burns. Lyra looks like she still wants to argue, but before she can Joe places a hand firmly on her back and pushes her forward. She finally relents and makes her way toward the stairs.
Joe makes his way to a door where he hears the cries again. The knob is too hot to open, so Joe rams the door with his shoulder, causing it to open.
"Mommy!"
Joe looks around the room and then spots her. A little girl is buried under some office furniture, but luckily the fire hasn't reached her yet.
"Mommy!"
Joe rushes over to her. "Hey, it's going to be ok." He starts to remove the bits of metal furniture that had toppled on top of the girl. Then he picks her up, not knowing if she can walk or not. Joe turns to go back out the doorway only to find it filled with flame. No exit there. There is an inner office door, Joe tries the handle. It is neither hot nor unlocked. Not likely to get through there either.
Then Joe hears something else. Now that the girl isn't screaming, he can hear the sound of gas escaping either a pipe or a compressed tank. Thinking fast he takes the girl and moves behind the reception desk. They use it for cover just as an explosion rocks the office blowing out the windows.
