"Darrin?" Alex stood up and moved towards him.
"Get Frank and Litha... NOW!"
Jake scrambled through the curtain. Frank and Litha were just about to doze off when he did. As a result, Frank jumped up, dumping Litha onto the floor before she herself jumped up. "WHAT?" they both said in unison.
Beyond the curtain Darrin was motioning them forward. After they got close enough, he flicked a switch and put the phone on speaker.
"Adam, you there?"
"Yeah Darrin. I take it I'm on speaker now. There is no easy way to say this. Frank, have the pilots change course from Chicago to Detroit."
Litha paled. Frank looked at the phone. "Why?"
There was silence for a moment. Litha was beginning to feel that coil of utter dread in her throat. "Adam?"
"Litha, there's been a problem."
"NO Adam! Dammit, NO!!"
"Litha, Frank, last night Elizabeth Sinclair's home was broken into. Despite having four men there, both Elizabeth and Angelina were kidnapped. All four of my men were killed. Whoever did this was a professional. The hits were clean, with a silencer and from some distance away except for the man in the front room. None of them stood a chance, they didn't even get the chance to draw their weapons before they were hit. I'm sorry."
All four of them were staring in shocked silence. Darrin looked away out of the window while Jake looked up at his boss. The look of pain in his eyes was similar to the look he wore for months after Litha left him. Alex was the only one who noticed Litha.
Litha had backed up a few steps and was shaking her head no. This couldn't be happening. Adam told her that he'd protect her mother and daughter. "you promised." was all she could whisper. Alex reached out to her, but she pulled back. "no... Lina... ADAM YOU PROMISED!!"
Frank looked back just as Alex grabbed hold of Litha and wrapped the woman up in her arms. She fought it for a minute or two but finally just gave in and sobbed on Alex's shoulder. Alex looked back at Frank and moved Litha into the back of the plane. Frank turned down the volume on the speaker so it wouldn't disturb Litha anymore than she already was. "Alright Adam. Give me details."
"We think it's two of Boone's cronies. Frank, last hit I saw like this got me out of field work all-together."
"Two, Adam?" Jake was making notes while Darrin peeked back to see how Litha was doing.
"Yeah, it fits the concept. One to deal with the mother, one to deal with the baby. Bullets were tested and the CSI guys came up with only two guns. So that leaves me with two gunmen and more henchmen..."
"Or just two men period." Jake finished before Frank could.
"Right Jake. Now, these two we think are responsible left D.C. a few days ago, roughly the time that Litha wound up on your team Frank. If this is the case and these two are the ones, then that implicates Boone in a hell of a lot more than what we've got so far."
A crash from the back of the plane interrupted Wallace. Jake and Frank looked back at Darrin who just shook his head and disappeared behind the curtain. "Litha, calm down..."
"Adam, you're in Detroit, correct?"
"Yeah, still here with Monica and Cody. We're running everything to ground that we come across. We'll be ready for you and Litha when you land. Take care of her Frank. I think she's about to snap and if I know our girl -"
"Yeah, I have a feeling that there will be blood on the moon. Thanks Adam." Frank disconnected the phone in time to hear a fist connecting with bone. He turned to see Darrin stumbling through the curtain holding his jaw.
"Jake, tell the pilots to change course to Detroit instead of Chicago. I'll be in the back with Litha. If I'm not out in an hour... just wait longer."
He stood and passed by Darrin. A quick check revealed that it wasn't broken, but he'd have a hard time eating anything for a while. Frank handed him a napkin with some ice in it and pushed through the curtain. In the back stood Litha behind Alex. Alex had her back to him as he walked in and Litha held what looked like a large box in her hand. She'd fallen completely apart, tears running down her face mixed with a sob here and there. Not even on the flight down when she locked herself in the bathroom for 30 minutes did she look this broken.
"Careful Frank. She decked Darrin for trying to take the gun out of her hand. The gun is on the seat behind me. So far she hasn't tried to hurt me..."
"Thanks Alex. Why don't you go see about Darrin. I'll handle Litha."
"You sure?" She looked skeptical. Litha was just wavering in place, no longer sobbing, but she looked like she was far far away inside of her own mind.
"Yes. Go on Alex. I'll be fine." He stepped forward past Alex towards Litha.
Litha raised the box and stepped back. "No. get back Frank!"
"Litha... Lovely... come on, put the box down. You're not helping me at all here." He reached out carefully towards her.
She backed up until she hit the bulkhead of the plane. With nowhere else to go, she dropped the box and inched along the wall until she was in the furthest corner of the cabin from him. Curling up in a seat, she drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "He has my baby..." she whispered. Her head was shaking like she was having a palsy attack. Her nerves and neurons were firing at 10 times the normal bodily rate. Her system was on an adrenaline overload. When she crashed, she'd crash through the floor and basement. Frank closed in on her, one hand held out in front of him until he touched her hair.
She never moved, just kept twitching slightly, eyes glazed. "She's my baby too, Litha. I'll get her back... We'll get her back Litha."
Litha's eyes moved to his face. She could see it in his eyes, in every inch of his expression. He wouldn't stop until Angelina was found and back where she belonged.
****
"Get Frank and Litha... NOW!"
Jake scrambled through the curtain. Frank and Litha were just about to doze off when he did. As a result, Frank jumped up, dumping Litha onto the floor before she herself jumped up. "WHAT?" they both said in unison.
Beyond the curtain Darrin was motioning them forward. After they got close enough, he flicked a switch and put the phone on speaker.
"Adam, you there?"
"Yeah Darrin. I take it I'm on speaker now. There is no easy way to say this. Frank, have the pilots change course from Chicago to Detroit."
Litha paled. Frank looked at the phone. "Why?"
There was silence for a moment. Litha was beginning to feel that coil of utter dread in her throat. "Adam?"
"Litha, there's been a problem."
"NO Adam! Dammit, NO!!"
"Litha, Frank, last night Elizabeth Sinclair's home was broken into. Despite having four men there, both Elizabeth and Angelina were kidnapped. All four of my men were killed. Whoever did this was a professional. The hits were clean, with a silencer and from some distance away except for the man in the front room. None of them stood a chance, they didn't even get the chance to draw their weapons before they were hit. I'm sorry."
All four of them were staring in shocked silence. Darrin looked away out of the window while Jake looked up at his boss. The look of pain in his eyes was similar to the look he wore for months after Litha left him. Alex was the only one who noticed Litha.
Litha had backed up a few steps and was shaking her head no. This couldn't be happening. Adam told her that he'd protect her mother and daughter. "you promised." was all she could whisper. Alex reached out to her, but she pulled back. "no... Lina... ADAM YOU PROMISED!!"
Frank looked back just as Alex grabbed hold of Litha and wrapped the woman up in her arms. She fought it for a minute or two but finally just gave in and sobbed on Alex's shoulder. Alex looked back at Frank and moved Litha into the back of the plane. Frank turned down the volume on the speaker so it wouldn't disturb Litha anymore than she already was. "Alright Adam. Give me details."
"We think it's two of Boone's cronies. Frank, last hit I saw like this got me out of field work all-together."
"Two, Adam?" Jake was making notes while Darrin peeked back to see how Litha was doing.
"Yeah, it fits the concept. One to deal with the mother, one to deal with the baby. Bullets were tested and the CSI guys came up with only two guns. So that leaves me with two gunmen and more henchmen..."
"Or just two men period." Jake finished before Frank could.
"Right Jake. Now, these two we think are responsible left D.C. a few days ago, roughly the time that Litha wound up on your team Frank. If this is the case and these two are the ones, then that implicates Boone in a hell of a lot more than what we've got so far."
A crash from the back of the plane interrupted Wallace. Jake and Frank looked back at Darrin who just shook his head and disappeared behind the curtain. "Litha, calm down..."
"Adam, you're in Detroit, correct?"
"Yeah, still here with Monica and Cody. We're running everything to ground that we come across. We'll be ready for you and Litha when you land. Take care of her Frank. I think she's about to snap and if I know our girl -"
"Yeah, I have a feeling that there will be blood on the moon. Thanks Adam." Frank disconnected the phone in time to hear a fist connecting with bone. He turned to see Darrin stumbling through the curtain holding his jaw.
"Jake, tell the pilots to change course to Detroit instead of Chicago. I'll be in the back with Litha. If I'm not out in an hour... just wait longer."
He stood and passed by Darrin. A quick check revealed that it wasn't broken, but he'd have a hard time eating anything for a while. Frank handed him a napkin with some ice in it and pushed through the curtain. In the back stood Litha behind Alex. Alex had her back to him as he walked in and Litha held what looked like a large box in her hand. She'd fallen completely apart, tears running down her face mixed with a sob here and there. Not even on the flight down when she locked herself in the bathroom for 30 minutes did she look this broken.
"Careful Frank. She decked Darrin for trying to take the gun out of her hand. The gun is on the seat behind me. So far she hasn't tried to hurt me..."
"Thanks Alex. Why don't you go see about Darrin. I'll handle Litha."
"You sure?" She looked skeptical. Litha was just wavering in place, no longer sobbing, but she looked like she was far far away inside of her own mind.
"Yes. Go on Alex. I'll be fine." He stepped forward past Alex towards Litha.
Litha raised the box and stepped back. "No. get back Frank!"
"Litha... Lovely... come on, put the box down. You're not helping me at all here." He reached out carefully towards her.
She backed up until she hit the bulkhead of the plane. With nowhere else to go, she dropped the box and inched along the wall until she was in the furthest corner of the cabin from him. Curling up in a seat, she drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "He has my baby..." she whispered. Her head was shaking like she was having a palsy attack. Her nerves and neurons were firing at 10 times the normal bodily rate. Her system was on an adrenaline overload. When she crashed, she'd crash through the floor and basement. Frank closed in on her, one hand held out in front of him until he touched her hair.
She never moved, just kept twitching slightly, eyes glazed. "She's my baby too, Litha. I'll get her back... We'll get her back Litha."
Litha's eyes moved to his face. She could see it in his eyes, in every inch of his expression. He wouldn't stop until Angelina was found and back where she belonged.
****