****

Cody's cell phone rang, disturbing the eerie silence outside the Shaw home. Everyone jumped and turned to look at the confused computer guru. Quickly he picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Agent Forrester."

Cody sighed and motioned Frank over. "Yes Frankie?"

"Agent Forrester, I need you to do something. I know you've called Agent Donovan over, but he cannot hear this. I need you," she paused and a small noise was heard as if she'd covered the phone.

Frank frowned when Cody turned away from him and covered his phone.

"Frank," he whispered. "It's Frankie, she needs me to do something and doesn't want you to hear it. Why, I have- Yes Frankie, I'm here. What do you need?"

"I need you to come to the front door of the house and get the children. The gentleman who's holding us here has decided that it's best to let the kids go in exchange for me. You and you alone, please. Got it?"

"Got it Frankie. Why me?"

He heard a chuckling on Frankie's end. "Ironic twist of Fate. You have no sacred interest outside of friendship. Papa Donovan would be a little too eager. Now, Agent Forrester, if you please." The phone disconnected with a click.

Cody tucked it away and bolted out of the van towards the front door. Frank grabbed him by the arm and jerked him back. "What the hell do you think you are doing Cody?!"

"Trust me Frank. Keep everyone back and for once, for the love of God, just TRUST ME!" Cody removed Frank's hand and hurried to the front door.

Frank growled and began pacing as Cody hit the porch. "Everyone, hold your position until my orders" he growled into his radio. The screeching of tires drew his attention. At the sight of the news van and the reporter getting out, Frank snarled. Grabbing up a local police officer, he ordered him to keep the reporters back at the perimeter. "No shots, no interviews, no quotes. They don't get shit until I give it to them. GO!" Roughly he shoved the young man off towards the still growing number of news cameras and reporters.

Frankie opened up the door and stepped back out of reach. There, next to the door was Ariel sitting and playing with some toy she'd found. When she saw Uncle Cody, she held up her arms. "Hurry Agent Forrester." Her eyes flicked from Cody to the children.

Cody nodded and stepped inside long enough to pick up Ariel and the bag. "I'll be right back for LJ." He turned and headed down the driveway.

Frank's eyes widened when he recognized what was going on. "HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!!" he shouted into the radio as he bolted out into the street to meet Cody. "Where is LJ?!"

"He's still inside. Here, take Ariel and let me go back." Cody shoved Ariel into her Daddy's eager arms along with the diaper bag. Before Frank could stop him, Cody whirled around and almost ran back to the house.

Inside, Frankie was kneeling down in front of LJ. "OK big guy, you be brave, OK?"

"OK Aunt Frankie. Are you and Jessie coming with us?"

"I can't. I have to stay here.. and so does Jessie." She hiccuped and was near tears at the thought of her baby girl having to stay back. Whatever Quito's plan was, he needed her and Jessie to make it work.

"But who will help me with my alphabet?"

"Uncle Cody can do that. Make sure he helps you." She looked up to see Cody standing in the doorway again.

"OK Agent Forrester. LJ has some lessons that we've been working on. Make sure he finishes them, please?" Her eyes pinned to Cody's, silently pleading with him to do as she asked. When Cody nodded, she handed LJ the folded piece of tablet paper that she and he had both been writing on. If Cody held his word, he'd unfold the paper and see the hand written number coding there. "Go on LJ. Take your lesson here and go see Uncle Cody." She gave him a soft push towards Cody and stepped back.

LJ literally ran to his Uncle Cody as if sensing the urgency in the air. Cody bent down and scooped the kid up in a tight bear hug. He looked at Frankie before turning around.

"Cody!"

He turned around to see Frankie stepping closer, but then stopping. The look on her face was tragic.

"Tell Jake…" Frankie wanted so badly to tell Cody to tell Jake that she loved him more than life.

But Cody understood her look completely. He knew what he felt like being separated from Katie for too long. With a nod to say 'I will, I promise', he turned and ran down the driveway.

Frank met him in the street and pulled LJ from Cody's arms.

"DADDY!" LJ shouted as he hugged his daddy' tight. Cody moved to the side and took Frank by the arm. "We got to talk, Bossman."

Quito smiled as Frankie closed the door. "Very good Frankie. You've earned my respect. Now go sit down. I have a feeling that things are going to get ugly."

****

Clicking the remote to the television in her private room, Thomas Renquist listened without hearing as the newscaster rambled on about some foolish piece of fluff attempt at journalism. He found himself watching his daughter sleep, wishing silently for the death of the mongrels who had done this to her.

When Shay had not shown up at the airport, he tried to call her cell phone. Receiving no answer, he called his son-in-law who informed him that he was currently waiting for information about Shay who had been taken by ambulance to the emergency room after she had been forced off the road while driving to the airport. He immediately grabbed a taxi and headed for the hospital.

In route, Frank had called him back and told him Shay was going to be fine, but he had to leave to check on a situation at work. He asked Thomas to stop by the house and pick up some things that Shay would need. He had agreed, although he did not want to stop, but get to the hospital to see his baby as soon as possible.

Since arriving, Shay had not woken and was resting peacefully. So, he found himself watching his baby girl sleep and crying silent tears for her trauma. He had spoken to the doctor himself and had been assured she was fine, but looking at her he found it hard to believe. He smiled, though, thinking she was a tough woman. She always managed to come through even the most difficult situations. She was a survivor.

Lord knows he had not had anything to do with that. And she had hated him for his lack of fatherly duty. He had been a stupid man, cheating himself out of watching her grow and become the woman she was. It made him respect and admire her husband all the more for the man that he was. Frank's job with the government was every bit as demanding as his had been as the Director of the CIA...but Donovan never let that interfere with his family. Somehow, the man always made time for his children. Shay, LJ and Ariel were always first...duty second. And Thomas loved his son-in-law because of that fact.

He almost laughed. If it had not have been for Uribe using Shay as bait to get him as the Director of the CIA to force Donovan to extract her from Colombia...the two of them would never had gotten together. "Fate plays a wicked game of chess," he said out loud.

"Hmmm?" Shay moaned hearing a voice, but did not fully wake.

We interrupt this program for a special bulletin. This is Leandra Chandler coming to you live. We are here...just a short distance from a hostage scene where a young mother and her infant daughter are being held. There has been no word from the captor as to their demands and we have been told that there is a media black out on information. The man in charge of the negotiations....

Thomas gasped as he recognized the house. "No...." he trailed, his voice heartbreakingly desperate.

Shay's eyes opened at the sound of her father's distressed cry. She immediately focused on the house shown on the television and saw the police and SWAT units surrounding the area. "Frankie..." she croaked, trying to sit up.

"Baby, lay back down," Thomas ordered as he moved to her side.

"No. Daddy...my babies are in that house." Shay pushed the covers down and tried to get out of bed. She groaned loudly and covered her broken ribs. "Daddy..."

"Shay, lay back down," he insisted.

She shook her head and managed to sit up, her legs dangling over the side of the bed. "I have to go," she labored.

"You are in no condition to leave, Mrs. Donovan," the doctor insisted as he entered the room.

Shay gave both the doctor and her father a defiant look. "If you think...for one single moment...that I'm going to lie in this bed while some maniac holds my children hostage...you both need a lobotomy."

Before either man could reply, the door opened and a young woman entered. "Hmmm....attitude. Don't mess with her," she said.

"Hey Katie. You're just in time...I'm going to need some help getting dressed. Dad...you go with the good doctor here and get my damned release papers. With or without consent, I'm leaving this place." Shay's look brooked no argument and she nodded her satisfaction as both men left the room hurriedly.

Katie spotted the overnight bag on the chair. Opening it, she found the simplest thing she could find to dress Shay. Taking the blue shirt-dress and sandals she found, she proceeded to help her friend dress. Once done, she went in search of a nurse to remove the IV and check to make sure her ribs were wrapped well enough for travel.

"Oh Katie...you are a godsend," Shay confessed as the nurse left the room. "How did you know I was here?"

"Caleb called from..." she jerked a thumb up at the screen. "I got here as soon as I could."

Thomas returned to the room and informed them that all the paperwork was taken care of. Together, he and Katie helped Shay into a wheelchair and down to Katie's car.

****