Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo or surrounding characters. Any character not associated with the Tenchi Muyo series is my own creation. I do not own any of the quotations, they are property of their rightful owners. So please don't sue me….

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Living On The Edge- Chapter Four

* Consecutive Moves Made *

~ One day I wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon-drops
Way upon the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me. Judy Garland-Somewhere Over The Rainbow

 Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart Total Eclipse Of The Heart

When you have to cope with a lot of problems, you're either going to sink or you're going to swim. Tom Cruise

* * *

Pierce and Lex bounded down the emergency stairwell to the first floor. When they arrived, people were running about, but half of the assembly had already evacuated leaving very few people behind.

Pierce spotted Elisa, Jess, Jason and Jett heading for the balcony stairs on the other side of the room.

"ELISA!" Pierce called out.

Elisa spun around to see Pierce and Lex followed by a large white Subira making their way to the small group.

"PIERCE! LEX!" Elisa greeted them.

"What the hell is going on?" Pierce asked.

"No time to explain. We have to stop Riley before she gets herself killed." Jason persisted.

"WHAT?!" Pierce shouted.

"Uh, guys...Jess is gone!" Jason pointed out.

Elisa and the others turned and glanced up the stairway that Jess and Riley both took. Elisa led the others up the steps and down a dark musty hallway where they came across a red backpack and the black gown Riley had been wearing.

"SHIT!" Elisa cried as she looked around.

Jett and Lex stared at each other.

Pierce and Jason were calling out for the two missing women. "RILEY? JESS? WHERE ARE YOU?"

Suddenly they heard a scream over their communicators. Subira streaked past the baffled group and down the hall. Lex and Jett took off after her. When they had caught up with her, they saw Jess standing wearily by an open window, a plastic sheet flapping in the wind.

Across the ear pieces they heard two shots fired from a gun and then someone shouting. Pierce's face paled. Jason and Elisa were shaking with fear. Jess stood at the window with Subira and Jett and Lex were staring at something on the floor.

"Uh, Elisa...you better take a look at this." Jett mentioned from a corner of the hallway.

"What is it?" Elisa asked as she moved closer.

Lex looked at her with wide eyes. "Blood. And empty shells."

Elisa crouched down and squinted. She ran a finger through the blood. "It's still warm. The wound was made recently." She nimbly picked up an empty shell and examined it. "Oh my god!"

"What? What is it, Elisa?" Pierce asked kneeling next to her.

Elisa dropped the shell and Pierce picked it up. A shadow passed over his face.

"These shells are from Riley's gun. She was standing here when she fired them." Pierce whispered.

Jason took a deep breath. "Does that mean that she's been injured?"

"I don't know, Jason." Pierce answered worriedly.

There was a sudden wave of static over the ear pieces and then, "E...sa..ome...n. I...ed....bac....p....imm......ly!"

Elisa pressed the ear-bud to her ear. "Riley? Come in. Can you hear me? Where are you?"

Pierce looked at Elisa and shrugged.

As if to answer, there was final 'pop' of a gun as someone fired and then a high pitched scream.

Jess gasped and leaned out the window. "RILEY?! NO!"

* * *

Riley darted down the hallway, her eyes focused on the man before her. "Freeze, or I'll shoot!" She shouted.

The man kept running.

Riley swore and followed him. She turned a corner only to see the man standing with his gun aimed at her. Riley backpedaled just as a shot whizzed past her. She peered around the corner and fired her gun.

There was a yelp and then three loud cracks of the gun as the man opened fire.

Riley was breathing hard. "Two...three...four. Two shots left, pal." She whispered to herself.

She looked again to see the man struggling through an open window.

"Stop right there! TSF...I said freeze and drop your weapon!" Riley instructed.

The man took a quick glance at her and then jumped from the window.

"DAMMIT!" Riley cursed as she ran to the window. Looking out, she saw the escape ladders and the man rushing down the rusty steps. Riley edged her way out the window and began taking the steps two at a time.

Staying feet behind the man, Riley tried calling Elisa for backup but got no answer. Mentally cursing herself, she picked up her pace. The man disappeared inside a welding building and Riley ducked inside. Looking around she realized she had lost sight of him.

"Shit." Riley mumbled. She looked to her left...a wall holding various sized pipes and rods. To her right...a bridge was spanning out across a vat of molten iron. In her front...a big burly man welding together some chains. Riley knew he wasn't the suspect. He wasn't injured in the slightest.

There was a clanging of metal on metal and Riley looked up to see a figure clad in black climbing the stairs to the roof of the building. Riley smirked and went after the man. With him injured, she had a better chance at catching him.

She sprang up the steps but missed the man by inches. She got up and dusted herself off before sprinting down the metal runway leading to the exit door on the roof. At the last minute, the man turned a corner and disappeared. Riley followed suit to see the man exiting by another window.

He successfully squeezed through and Riley eased her way through the windowpane as well. She saw the suspect darting across a rooftop and then snatching open a door leading inside the building. Riley absently rubbed her sides and began to feel dizzy.

'Not know.' She told herself as she opened the door and raced down the steps. The man streaked through the lobby of a bank and out the double doors to the outside parking lot. Riley followed, her gun held high in the air. A teller yelled, "She's got a gun!"

People scrambled around and dropped to the floor as Riley exited the bank. She saw the man limping now as he continued to run from her. Riley smiled to herself. She had him now.

She rounded the corner to see the man propped against a wall in the parking garage. "Put your weapon down and place your hands on your head. You're under arrest for the murder of Ambassador Chang Wui. I said drop your weapon now!"

The man started laughing. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger. Riley screamed. She saw the man slump to the ground, his gun grasped firmly in his hands.

Riley had heard the gun go off, but she was still standing. The man didn't just shoot himself either. His gun was pointed at her and he acted before she could stop him. So, how was it possible that the gun was fired, but he was dead and she still alive?

It was then that she heard footsteps and looked to her side to see a gentleman in a suit, a 9mm in his hands. Dark shades covered his eyes as he stepped forward and aimed his gun at Riley.

"Ah, I see the bastard led an agent too us. Seems, I must take you out of the game as well." The man seethed.

Riley aimed her pistol at him. "Don't screw around with me, pal. You may have killed him, your own man, but if you try anything, I'll fill you so full of lead that God will use you as a paperweight!"

The man chuckled. "Not, if I turn you into one first."

Riley took a step back. She had five shots left...would it be possible for her to hit him with one? Riley was one of the best shooters the TSF had. She always hit her target, it was good gun control to hit your target. And she had good control, that was for sure.

The other man came closer. In the mirrored metal of his shades, Riley saw a car pull up behind her. She spun around and stared. It wasn't possible...was it? The figure who stood before her smiled. Riley aimed her gun and..…. squeezed the trigger.

A shot rang out and echoed off the walls of the garage. Riley heard someone scream but couldn't tell who. Bringing her hands down, she dropped her gun allowing it to clatter to the pavement. A burning sensation ripped through her left side and back. Her left hand deftly ran its fingers over her side.

Something warm and sticky covered the tips of her fingers making her gasp. Bringing her hand to her face, she saw red. Blinking and forcing herself to stay on her feet, Riley applied pressure to her wound. The man before her waltzed up to her and ran a hand along her cheek.

Riley felt her strength leaving her as she slumped forward, her blue eyes keeping their glare on the gray irises of the man before her. Riley felt her eyelids get heavy and then without warning, she passed out.

The man in front of her motioned for the man who had fired on Riley to retrieve the fallen woman and put her in the car. The two men slid into the backseat of the black limo and it sped off, leaving the sniper dead on the floor of the parking garage.

* * *

Elisa felt her body go numb as the paramedics lifted the body bag into the back of the ambulance. Pierce stood close by, his face pale and blank. Jett was comforting Lex who was pretty shaken up about the whole ordeal. Jason and Angela were quietly conversing with another agent of the TSF.

Elisa lifted her hazel eyes and allowed them to rest on Jess. The woman was standing with her back to the others and her head was slumped forward. It seemed to Elisa that Jess had taken this turn of events the hardest. She hadn't said a word to anyone since they heard the last shot fired over the ear-buds.

She even refused to talk to Lex and Jett. Subira sat back on her hunches beside Jess. The tiger hadn't left the woman's side and growled whenever anyone tried to get near the two. Elisa shook her head. She felt tears brimming in her eyes and she fought them back.

They had a dead man on their hands. He was obviously the sniper because they found the gun that matched the bullet found in Ambassador Wui, in the dead man's possession. The killer was dead, Ambassador Wui was dead, Secretary HuLi was injured, and Riley was missing.

Elisa sighed. What more could go wrong...she didn't want to think about it. But, she knew that someone would have to tell Zack that his mother was missing and that there was a possibility that she was dead. Elisa figured she'd be the one to break the news to the boy since she was Riley's partner.

Glancing around, she spotted Pierce staring at the spot on the floor where they had found the sniper.

"Pierce?" Elisa called him.

Pierce looked up, his face void of any emotions.

"Pierce, I have to tell Zack what happened. Do you want to come along?"

Pierce shook his head no. "No. I don't think I'd be able to face him."

Elisa nodded her with understanding.

"I'll go and I'll tell him."

Elisa and Pierce gazed up to see Jess and Subira standing in front of them.

"Uh, Jess..." Elisa started. "I don't think..." She was cut off.

"I said I'd go. And that I'd tell him." Jess growled menacingly.

Elisa backed down. "Fine. I leave it in your hands then. Thank you."

Jess nodded curtly and she and Subira quickly left the garage. Elisa watched her go, her body shivering.

'What is it with that woman that gives me the creeps?' Elisa pondered. It was then that a past conversation with Riley resurfaced.

~ "Uh, Elisa? What do you think of the agents from the TSS?"

Elisa cocked her head and rubbed her chin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, do they act strange to you? Seem a little bit to..to something!" Riley asked loudly. "They give me the creeps."

Elisa frowned at her and crossed her arms. "How so?"

Riley sat down. "Earlier...today, they came over to my place. Jess and I kind of got into an argument because she was asking questions she shouldn't have been even thinking about. She was really rude and nosy with me, and whenever she looks at me, I get the feeling that I know her. And well."

Elisa leaned forward. "So, why does that give you the creeps?"

"Because I don't KNOW who Jess is. Or who Lex and Jett are for that matter. But, I get the same feeling from Jett. Something about his eyes and his disposition...is off. It sets me off, and it bothers me to know that deep in my mind, there is this nagging feeling of familiarity with them." Riley added.

Elisa shrugged. "Riley, I don't want to sound like a smart ass...but I think you are just over reacting a bit, don't you? I mean, they are perfectly normal people, other than the fact that instead of using dogs, they have a tiger. Named...Subira. But, all the same, there is nothing to worry about. Okay?"

Riley pondered on it. "If you say so. But, really...a tiger?! What was the Tokyo Secret Service thinking?"

Elisa chuckled. "Only God knows. But, I know we can trust them. They are completely professional in this area and obviously with tigers as well. Give them a chance. And while you're at it, apologize to Jess. I'm sure she didn't mean to be so nosy with her questions." ~

Elisa scratched her chin. Come to think of it, she sometimes did feel strange whenever Jess was around. Like there was something off about her that seemed odd to Elisa, but she kept quiet about it.

Shrugging, she turned to Pierce and sighed. She knew that Pierce was taking Riley's disappearance hard as well, but deep down, she had this strange feeling. A voice kept telling her to stay strong, that not everything had been lost.

* * *

Jess knocked on the large oak door of the small house and awaited an answer. About a minute later, the door opened slowly. A tall woman with shoulder length brown hair and dull gray eyes stood in the doorway.

"Yes. Can I help you?" She asked.

Jess shook her head no. "Is, Zack here?"

The woman frowned. "I'm sorry, he's busy at the time."

Jess quirked an eyebrow. From behind the woman, she heard, "Aunt Micki! You shouldn't lie. Who is it?"

Jess looked around the woman who had been identified 'Micki' and saw Zack coming towards the door.

"Oh...Miss. Bartow. What are you doing here? I thought that the TSF had that sting tonight. Is everything okay?" Zack asked calmly.

Jess closed her eyes. "Zack...I'm afraid that the sting failed."

Zack's face drained of color. "Is...is she okay?"

Jess opened her eyes and watched him. She hung her head and stared at the ground. She suddenly felt two arms wrapped around her waist.

She looked to see Zack hugging her. Jess dropped to her knees and stared at him. She forced herself to smile.

"Everything will be okay. I promise. I'll do everything I can to get Ryo...your mother back... I swear it." Jess whispered.

Zack nodded as he buried his face into Jess's neck. "I know."

Jess stroked the boy's hair tenderly.

"What exactly happened to Riley?" Micki finally asked.

Jess gulped. "We don't really know. Except that we think that she was kidnapped by the people we were going to bust tonight. The Chinese ambassador is dead...Riley went after the guy who shot him. When we got there, the sniper was dead and Riley was gone."

Micki took a deep breath. She knelt and took Zack's shoulders. "Zack, honey. Let's go inside, okay. I'll fix you some hot chocolate and things will be better in the morning, you'll see."

Zack reluctantly let go of Jess. He gave her a pleading look and whispered, "Please, find her. Help her this time...bring my mother back...Jess, please."

Jess nodded and quickly left the boy alone with Micki. She scooped something up in her hands as she passed the mailbox. She looked down at a furry brown animal.

"She's in trouble...I know she is. It feels like she's dying, and I can't really help her. I can track her down, but she gave up the one source that made tracking her down easy. We'd have to do it manually, like detectives...and that could take some time. Time we may not have." Jess grumbled.

She stroked the animal in her hands and started crying. In the back of her mind, Jess could hear a voice saying, "It'll be alright. We'll find her, and she'll be perfectly fine. We're just over-reacting, that's all."

Jess wiped a tear away and nodded. "Right. She'll be fine. And we'll find her, if it's the last thing we do, right?"

The small animal nodded happily. Jess hugged the creature to her and ran down the sidewalk.

She met up with Jett and Lex and the Secret Service building. Lex immediately ran to the woman and embraced her.

"What are we going to do? She's missing, she could be dead." Lex whined.

Jess hugged her back. "Don't cry...we'll find her. After all this time, we found her and we'll find her again. Promise."

"We should trust her..." Jett commented as he pried Lex off of the woman.

Jett cast a glance at Jess. "I meet the leader in an hour, at an abandoned warehouse down by the harbor."

Jess grunted. "And you're going, when she's missing?"

"Yes. I have a feeling that she will be there. If they were the ones who took her, where else would she be, but with them. It's worth a try, besides, I back out now, they'll get suspicious." Jett answered coolly.

Sighing, Jess agreed with a nod. "Yes, it's worth a try."

Jett eased Lex into a chair. "We leave in 15 minutes. It'll take about 30 to get there because they're set up across town."

"Fifteen minutes is enough time for me to get my data in order so I can try and track her down. Where is Elisa and Pierce?" Jess questioned.

"Elisa's office." Jett replied tiredly.

Jess placed a hand on Jett's shoulder. "Hang in there."

Jett smiled at her. Jess smiled back and quickly headed to Elisa's office.

Jess nervously knocked on Elisa's door. She heard a muffled, "Come in." She opened the door to find Elisa, Pierce and Rodney Carr talking.

"Aww, Jess...please have a seat." Elisa offered.

Jess entered the office but remained standing. "I told Zack about his mother. And Jett has told me about his meeting with the leader of the counterfeit operation at the harbor. I may have a way to track Riley down, but it'll take some time. I just need a chance, two hours and a large amount of caffeine."

Elisa looked baffled and she tried to keep her chuckles in at Jess's request.

Jess tossed something onto the desk. "I found this in the parking garage, but, I was deciding on whether or not it would help the TSF with this case."

Elisa picked up a match booklet that had the words, 'The Wet Lily' in silver lettering. Elisa wrinkled her nose at the name. "Why would a match book from The Wet Lily be in the parking garage?"

Jess shrugged. "My guess would be because one, it's where the person who took Riley hangs out or two, my favorite, it's a disguised club where they are manufacturing illegal capital. Just like the boiler room at City Hall."

Elisa looked shock. "You could be right. I'll send a few agents down to check it out."

Jess nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me...I have some things to do before we leave."

Elisa excused her and Jess left to work on some data that she hoped would help her find Riley.

* * *

Riley's head ached beyond compare. She could barely move, and when she could, her body detested with angry pain. Riley slowly forced her eyes open to find that she was in a well furnished room. Pictures and artifacts lined the walls while chairs were scattered about in various spots.

Riley found herself lying back on a couch on the far side of the room. A light blanket had been placed over her, and she noticed a dark red blotch forming in the fabric. Pulling the blanket back, she saw that her shirt was soaked in blood from her wound.

Being careful not inflict anymore pain, she lifted her shirt to reveal a blood covered bandage on her side. Riley let go of her shirt and dropped her head back onto the arm of the couch. The pain was unbearable, and every so often, she had trouble exhaling.

Riley had been shot once before, about six years ago. But, the bullet had struck her shoulder, not her side or her back. The pain from the hot bullet in her shoulder was bad enough and had hurt like hell, but this was ridiculous. Riley felt like she had swallowed a pot of liquid magma.

If she moved in the slightest way, the searing fire shot in every direction of her body along the nerves and veins. Riley felt like dying right there just so that she could escape the pain, but she knew that she had to fight it off. She wasn't a quitter, no matter what pain she had to endure.

Riley tried pushing herself off the couch but found it useless. As she lay back down, the door across the room opened and two men stepped inside. One man stayed at the door as the other moved closer to Riley. It was him, the man who had showed up before she got shot.

But, he was supposed to be dead....wasn't he?

Riley swallowed her fear and anger as the man knelt beside the couch. Without saying a word, he lifted her shirt and began peeling the old bandage off. Riley bit her tongue to keep from screaming and knocking the guy's block off as he ripped the bandage from her raw skin.

She glared daggers at him when he looked up at her after he had peeled the gauze and tape off her side.

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you." He told her in a high voice.

Riley smirked. "I've heard that one before. Why the hell aren't you dead?"

The man smiled as he gently wiped the fresh blood from Riley's wound with a wet cloth. There was silence before he answered.

"I am."

Riley sneered at him. "Like hell you are. You pulled a double jeopardy on us, you son of a bitch. You were tried for counterfeiting money, and then you faked your death that night you held up the bank. They think you're dead, and you can't be caught and tried because of it."

The man grinned. "Seems I have not given you credit where credit was due."

Riley jerked back from him and the cloth in his hand scraped across her wound causing her to wince in pain. "Don't you play innocent with me, dammit. I saw him shoot you, and then they pronounced you dead. Now, four years later, you show up and are back to your old tricks."

He nodded. "Looks that way. Now, hold still or I'll let you bleed to death."

Riley wanted to spit in his face, but held her composure. She wasn't the type who held revenge over someone's head. And she wasn't the relentless kind who kept chasing something until they finally captured it.

She remained silent and watched him as he cleaned her wound and then applied another tacky bandage to keep it clean from infection. She settled back onto the couch as he set aside the cloth and bowl of red water. He slowly lifted his gray eyes to her blue.

"Take it easy. We didn't take the bullet out, and if you move to quickly or too much, you'll injure yourself even more." He warned her softly.

Riley wrinkled her nose. "Some help you are."

The man let it slide. He took a seat in a chair across from her and just sat there, his eyes glued to her.

Riley shifted uneasily under his gaze and finally turned her head so she didn't have to look at him. Her eyes roamed the room and she frowned.

"Where are we? Why didn't you leave me to die?" Riley asked curtly.

The man leaned forward. "I...wanted to talk."

Riley closed her eyes. "Where are we...Clayton?"

Clayton took his time. "My...office. You like?"

"No. It's old and quaint and musty." Riley growled back.

"That is to be expected. You see, I collect antiques. And such items as those, carry the smell of dust, age and secrets." Clayton replied nimbly.

Riley sighed. "Are you going to let me go?"

Clayton sat back and rested his chin in his hand. "That depends on you and whether or not you will cooperate with me."

"What do you want from me?" Riley questioned in a ticked tone.

Clayton stood up and circled the couch a couple of times. "I want...my son back."

Riley gasped. "He is not your son!"

Clayton just narrowed his eyes at her. "On the contrary, Riley. He is...ours. I want custody of him. This way, he can continue with the family business."

Riley fought back tears. "I will never hand him over to you. He is my son, I raised him and gave birth to him while you ran. He doesn't love you and he doesn't want anything to do with you."

Clayton raised his hand causing Riley to jerk back. He traced her jaw and cheek bones with his finger. "All that will change Riley. And soon, might I add. He will come to appreciate the things I have done for him and he will enjoy being under my care. I am his father...he is my son."

Riley felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Clayton reached up and wiped it away.

"If you wish to see daylight again, then you'll tell our son that he is to accept my offer without any hesitation or problems. Understood?" Clayton asked menacingly.

Riley stared at him. "I'd rather you kill me than make me forsake my own son."

Clayton took a deep breath. He moved his face closer to hers and kissed her forehead. "Then, we shall start the game of chicken to see which one of us backs down first."

Clayton offered a smile as he left her alone in the room again. Riley huddled in the crevice of the couch and cried. If it was a game of chicken he wanted, then Riley would be damned to back out first.

She'd show him that she wasn't one to play chicken with... She'd win this round and she'd do anything it took to make sure she was the victor. She'd defeat him in his own game and make him back down first.

* * *

Jett paced the empty warehouse nervously as he waited for the others to show up. Hidden among the dock, neighboring buildings and shadows, were Jess, Lex, Elisa and Pierce. Other agents were scattered around the warehouse as well as up and down the harbor banks.

Jess was idly tapping on her small palmtop trying to pinpoint Riley's location inside the warehouse. Lex sat stroking Subira for comfort and Pierce and Elisa were going over plans for when they stormed the warehouse.

It was about that time that Jett's voice crackled over the communicator informing the others that his guests had arrived at last. Jess gave Elisa the thumbs up sign and quickly and quietly weaved her way through the shadows to the warehouse entrance.

Elisa watched Jess silently slip past the door to the building and vanish around to the side where there had been an open window. Pierce turned to Lex and asked, "Can she do it without getting caught?"

Lex looked at him like she was stupid. "She won't screw up. She has her ways of making herself invisible so to speak. Just have faith in her and watch."

Pierce smiled. Lex really believed that Jess could pull this off. Maybe she could, but he wouldn't believe it without having any doubts of it first. He soon heard Jess' voice in his ear as she told them that she had made it inside without any problems and that she was searching the grounds for Riley.

Elisa crossed her fingers as did Lex and Pierce. Subira probably would have crossed her fingers too, if she had, had any to cross.

* * *

Jess crept through the warehouse like a ghost. She stopped in front of a door and gently reached up for the knob only to find it was locked. Looking to make sure she was still free, she took a deep breath.

"Good thing no one found out about us." She muttered as she picked the lock. She had an easier way of course to check the room, but she didn't want give herself away. To the enemy or to the TSF.

Once the lock had been picked, Jess carefully peeked inside to reveal an old and dusty office. A cluttered desk sat on one side of the room with an overturned chair in the middle of the floor. Jess closed the door with disappointment. No Riley in there and she doubted that anyone had been in that room recently.

She moved down the metal walkway to another door. This time it was unlocked and Jess silently opened it to reveal a room full of bags.

'Bingo.' Jess chimed inside her mind. Checking to make sure the room was empty, she crawled inside to take a better look. Reaching a bag, she untied it to expose stacks of $20 dollar bills. Jess whistled.

"Did that hit the mother-load or what?" She whispered. She was about to open another bag when she heard heavy footsteps on the walkway outside and a voice.

"Hey-Mac. Boss wants you to conceal the money in the crates of tuna. The truck will be here in ten minutes."

Jess scrambled about the room looking for a place to hide. Her green eyes spotted an old closet that was jutted open a bit. She slipped inside the dark confines of the musty broom closet. Through the small crack she had left in the door, she saw a young burly man step inside the office.

The man began picking up bags and leaving the room for about three minutes each time. After his third trip, he was joined by another man who spoke with a heavy accent.

"Boss, sus ta meet 'em at ta back entr'nce of ta club."

The man called 'Mac' nodded. "Why the back entrance? Someone snooping around?"

The second man shrugged. With his heavy drawl he answered, "Na'. He sus sum'ten 'bout a girl. Seems wey get ta take care of 'er."

"A girl? You mean that chick Raif shot?" Mac asked.

"Th'ek thats ta one." The other man replied.

Mac chuckled. "Sounds like fun. From what Raif says, she's a pistol that one. Wonder why the boss took her to the club."

"I he'rd Raif sy sum'ten 'bout 'er kno'n ta boss. Sum'ten 'bout a fight b'tween ta two of 'em."

Mac rubbed his chin. "I wonder if this has to do with the bust he used to trick the TSF into thinking one of the agents had shot and killed him."

The other snorted. "H'ew kno's. C'mon. Wey av'ta load ta tru'k."

Mac agreed and slung the last bag over his shoulder and followed the other man out the door to the loading docks in the back of the warehouse.

Jess was in shock. Riley wasn't here. She was at the club. The club in which that matchbook belonged to. And from the sounds of it, she was in deep trouble. Jess pressed the button on her communicator to contact Elisa.

"Elisa, here."

"Elisa...it's Jess. They have bag loads of money that they are hiding into tuna crates and loading on a truck in the back. I counted about seven bags before they were taken. And...Riley's not here."

Elisa's puzzlement was evident in her voice. "WHAT?! This isn't good. So they're loading the money as we speak, Riley's not there, and they want Jett to ride along with him so that he can meet the man behind this all. Any plans?"

"Just one. Take them down, now!" Jess told her dumbfoundly.

"We're already on that. You'd be better off staying put until after we have apprehended everyone inside the warehouse. I'll contact you when it's safe to come out." Elisa explained as she gave the orders to arrest the perpetrators.

From below the office, Jess could hear the shouts of the TSF agents, the screams of the people being arrested and the occasional retorts of two people fighting. Minutes passed and then everything was quiet. Jess peered through the cracked door to see someone rummaging through the desk.

A gun lay on the desktop beside the person and Jess identified him as the man named Mac who had been loading the bags earlier.

"Elisa?" Jess whispered harshly into her microphone.

"Jess? What's wrong?" Elisa asked.

Jess pursed her lips together hoping that Mac hadn't heard her. "One of them managed to escape. He's in the office looking for something. I'm going to take him out and them join you downstairs."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Jess. Why don't you wait for Pierce or Jason..."

"No, Elisa. If I don't do something, then he'll flee and never be caught. I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes." Jess instructed.

"Jess...don't do it. Jess..." Elisa spoke softly.

Jess cut her mic off and pulled a gun from her belt. On the count of three she opened the door and shouted, "Freeze!"

Mac froze all right. He cast his steely gray eyes on Jess and frowned. Jess's eyes darted from Mac to his gun and then to the door. Mac followed her gaze.

Jess took a step closer to him. "You're under arrest for the cooperation and handling of counterfeited money. You'll also be charged for running from the TSF. Get up."

Jess motioned for him to stand up with her gun. Mac rose to his feet, his eyes concentrated on her. Or so she thought. She saw Mac's eyes shift past her a second too late. Something came in contact with the right side of her head and she blacked out.

She heard a gunshot and then nothing.

* * *

Riley thought as fast as she could. She needed someway to get out of here and quick. She stood staring out the only window in the room only to see an alley. Riley tried opening the window but the latch used to open the window had a keyguard on it and could only be opened if unlocked.

Riley punched the wall. "Damn!"

A small wave of pain shot up Riley's back causing her to wince. She limped over to a table near the couch and picked up a candlestick. If she couldn't open the window, she'd break it.

She turned and hobbled back to the window with the antique candelabra. Wrapping a piece of fabric she tore off the curtain around the base of the candelabra, she pulled her arm back and allowed it to swing forward. Just as she was getting enough momentum, something grabbed her wrist tightly.

A hand gripped her arm and another hand wrestled the candlestick from her grasp. Riley struggled in the grasp until she freed herself, her body catapulting forward. Turning around she saw Clayton holding the candelabra, a disappointed expression on his face.

"And just what were you trying to do?" Clayton asked gently.

Riley crossed her arms despite the pain she was in. "You're a smart ass, figure it out!"

Clayton frowned. He returned the candleholder to the table and then faced her. "Riley...if only you were a little more cooperative, then things wouldn't have be this way. Or end this way."

Riley scoffed at him. "And I bet if I had been a little more cooperative back then that I would have gladly told you to pack your things get the hell out of my life!"

Clayton smirked and sat down on the couch. A small red spot had formed on the couch and he ran a hand over it. "I see that you have reopened your wound, yet again. Good thing I had decided to change the upholstery on this couch before I allowed you to use it."

"Gee thanks for the sympathy, Martha Stewart. I should have done more than just left a drop of blood on your damn couch. I should have already ripped your face off and shoved down your throat. Good thing I'm injured." Riley retorted.

Clayton's expression turned tender. "Well, at least you haven't lost that fire in your eyes or the vinegar in your attitude. I always did love your angry side, Riley. It seemed to suit you, somehow. As if, you had lived with anger all your life. You could control it, a special skill indeed." 

Riley turned her back on him. "You have no idea, Clayton. And unless you want to test my angry side, then I suggest you release me now and forget about what it is that you are after."

Clayton chuckled. "I would never forget about my son, Riley. He's my flesh and blood...your fire and vinegar. Why should I give in, when it seems to me that you are the one who is cornered."

Riley clenched her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. "I swear Clayton. If you as so much as look at my son, I'll kill you."

Clayton slowly pushed himself to his feet. "You would risk your career, your future and your life to take mine?"

Riley looked over her shoulder at him. "I'd be safe from any criticism or redress should I kill you. Because...you're already dead."

Clayton looked bemused but Riley could the surprise in his gray eyes. She had nailed him on that. Clayton knew it was true. If Riley were to kill him, she couldn't be prosecuted because reports would show that she killed an already dead man. She'd win...and get away with murder.

Clayton tilted his head. "Kinky. I always knew you had the brains of a genius, but I never thought I'd see the day that you'd use them against me. Tell me Riley, what do you have in store for me, hmmm?"

Riley remained silent. 'He always knew she had had the brains of a genius.' That comment raced through Riley's head. 'Of course! What would a genius do if she were in my position?'

Clayton stared at her. "Well, do you have any plans or are you just buying time?"

'She'd kick his ass...that's for sure. We both would. But, she'd have the advantage of machines and brains...I have the advantage of what?' Riley pondered as Clayton's gaze turned steely.

Riley skimmed the room until she spotted her ticket out of there. No more than four feet from where she was standing was a rack on the wall displaying long handled swords. 'I'd have the upper hand with a weapon I knew I could wield and win with.'

A smile crept to Riley's lips as her answer came to her. Shifting her weight slightly, she gazed intently at Clayton. She moved swiftly towards him but also kept her path in the direction of the sword display.

"Does it really matter what kind of schemes or torture I am thinking of for you, Clayton? To you, it doesn't. If you have the faith that you can win, then test your belief. I have faith that with my knowledge and brains, I'll win. Because you know something, you never could tell what I was thinking."

Riley paused just feet from Clayton but inches from the display rack. She gave him a sensual look and leaned against the wall ever so slightly. She could see Clayton's eyes traveling her body just as she had planned. Reaching a hand upwards, she ran her fingers through her hair.

Right before bringing her hand down, she looked right past Clayton and frowned. Clayton, falling for the bait, turned to see what she had frowned at. With his back turned, Riley quickly snatched the closest sword from the wall and lined it up lengthwise with her back.

Her side and back were screaming with pain from the position of her arms, but she ignored it. Clayton spun back around and eyed Riley cautiously. Riley sauntered up to Clayton, her eyes fixated on his. Moving a little bit closer, Riley leaned forward to where Clayton was in her arms reach.

Clayton looked behind her and then to his side. Riley never took her eyes off him as she brought the sword out catching his arm. Clayton cursed loudly and stepped back. Riley held the sword properly, but the pain of her injury to the ratio of the weight of the sword made her unstable.

Riley stood her ground and swung at Clayton again. Clayton barely dodged the blade and quickly made good use of the opening Riley had left unguarded during her second attack. He brought the back of his hand down upon the wound on her left side causing her to scream in pain.

She dropped the sword and fell to her knees, her hands clutching her side. Her hair hung limply in her eyes and as she tried to rise, Clayton pushed her back down. The door flew open and two men stepped inside. Clayton looked at them. He nodded and they reluctantly left.

Clayton stared at Riley as she cowered on the floor, her hands covered in her blood and her eyes burning with anger. Clayton sighed and shook his head. "And to think, you'd actually raise a hand against me. "

Riley glared at him with malice. "If only I had done it sooner..."

Clayton pulled her to her feet and shoved her in the direction of the couch. He tossed her onto the cushions and sat down across from her. He began drumming his fingers on the armrest and he rested his head in his free hand.

Riley leaned back into the couch trying to get some relief from her burning side, but every time she moved, the fire doubled. She finally stopped moving, her breath coming in short gasps. She lifted her head and stared at Clayton.

"Why are you doing this? Why now? Huh? For four years you hid in the dark and now all of a sudden, you resurface and tell me that you want custody of my son? How stupid do you think I am?" Riley questioned breathlessly.

Clayton leaned forward. "Maybe, I waited so long because I was trying to get everything in order. Or perhaps, it's because our son is old enough to understand and appreciate things in life. I would think it to be the latter, but imagine my surprise when I have to admit it is but the first suggestion."

Riley turned her head. "You won't get away with this. I have friends you know. They'll come looking for me, and when they find me, they'll bust your ass so bad."

Clayton couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my dear, dear Riley. Your dream would be quite impossible if I have someone working from inside the TSF, now wouldn't you say?"

Riley paled. "You...wouldn't! You can't, you don't know anyone inside the TSF...."

Clayton shifted his position. "On the contrary, I have a very reliable source working for me on the inside. So, what do you say to that?"

Riley sucked in breath. "I'd say that you're a shallow, lying, son of a bitch."

Clayton's lips furled just a bit, but he kept his peace. "Riley, why must you make this so difficult, hmm? All I want is my son, is that too much to ask?"

"It is if he isn't your son..." Riley bit back.

Clayton folded his hands together and leaned his elbows on his knees. "But that will soon change too..." Clayton spoke confidently. "So, tell me Riley. How is Zack doing?"

* * *

"Jess? Wake up..."

Jess's eyes fluttered for a brief moment before opening. She allowed them to focus on someone beside her.

"Pierce?" She asked uncertainly.

Someone helped her to sit up.

"It's me. How are you feeling? Does your head hurt at all? Is your vision blurry?" Pierce questioned with concern.

"No, no. I'm fine. Everything's checking out good. What happened?" Jess asked deftly.

Pierce stared at her. "It appears that someone hit you upside the noggin. You got a nasty gash on the right side of your forehead, but, I don't think it needs medical attention."

Jess nodded slowly to keep from getting dizzy. "How did you know where I was at?"

Pierce chuckled. "That's simple. Lex and I watched some guy run out of this room before we moved in. When you contacted Elisa and said that one had gotten away, she sent me up to help you. But, by the time I got here, you were out cold on the floor and the guy was shuffling through some papers."

Jess wrinkled her nose. "So, did you get him?"

Pierce sighed. "No. He heard me coming and ran. I never had a chance."

"So, then when you fired a shot off, you missed him?" Jess asked surprised.

"Yeah. I'm afraid so...I almost had him though." Pierce said lightly.

"Jess! Pierce! Are you guys alright?" Elisa asked as she ran into the room.

They both nodded that they were fine. Elisa crouched beside Jess and examined the wound above her ear. "It's pretty bad, but I think you'll pull through. Maybe we should take you to have that looked at."

Jess pulled away. "No...I'm fine. I don't need any medical help."

Elisa hesitated. "Are you sure...." She asked as she helped Jess to her feet.

"Quite." Jess mumbled.

Elisa led her out of the room. "Okay. I can't believe you tried to take that guy by yourself."

Jess smirked. "I'd have been fine had that other guy not shown up."

Elisa stopped. "What other guy? Only one got away."

Jess cocked her head. "But, there was the guy who I was going to take down...and then there was another guy who knocked me out."

"I think you did a number on your cranium, because only one guy managed to escape. All the others have been accounted for." Elisa assured.

Jess shook her head. "But I know what happened. There were two of them, Elisa! There was no way that one guy could have snuck up on me and knocked me out when that one guy stood in front of me the entire time."

"I don't know. But, we'll figure it out. Come on, I'm taking you to have that checked." Elisa insisted as she drug Jess out of the warehouse.

Jess looked back as she struggled to free herself from Elisa's death-grip. Something out of the corner of her drew her attention. Jess blinked a few times with the thought that she was seeing things.

If she hadn't known any better, she would have sworn that she just saw Mac running out of the room she was just in heading for the exit door at the end of the ramp-way.