****
Jake and Alex returned from Bergman's deli with two items on the agenda - they'd brought lunch back for Frank, the kids and Cody and some information. As Frank and Cody tucked into their food, Jake turned to look for Jessie. He couldn't hold back the tears as he noticed that Jessie wasn't there.
Alex put a consoling arm around Jake's shoulder. The poor man looked about ready to just crumble. "It's going to be alright. It's a good sign that this psycho let two of the kids go," she whispered before she turned to Frank. "We found out that the regular delivery man was held up. The only descriptions we could get out of him was a black man, my height and thin. No thing else unfortunately. The order taken was destined for this address. Whoever did this didn't take any other order or any of the cash in the moneybag. He knew what he was doing."
Frank swore. "And we couldn't get a description?" He pulled LJ up into his lap and let the boy pick at the sandwich. The piece of folded up paper was still clenched in his little hand.
Jake shook his head. "None. What made him give up the children?"
"Frankie." Cody piped up as Ariel toddled over towards Alex. She was looking for Mama. Daddy was here, Uncle Jake was here, but Mama wasn't here.
"Come again?" Jake said quietly.
"Frankie called me on the cell phone, told me that she needed me to come get the kids, that the 'gentleman' who's doing this decided it was best to let them go. Didn't say who it was and I didn't see anyone when I picked them up."
"YOU picked them up?" Alex said incredulously as she picked Ariel up.
"Yes, Alex, ME. She said me and me alone. She also had a message for Jake. One that she couldn't put into words, but I have a feeling that it went something like 'Love you beyond words.' At least that's what it said on her face. Of course, she also said that I have to help LJ with his alphabet lessons, so take it as you will."
Frank blinked. Why would Frankie say such a thing when she knew that all of Cody's time would be eaten up with the technical side of things. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, you better believe it. She even made sure that LJ took that particular lesson with him for me to finish helping him with." As he pointed to the piece of paper in LJ's hand, he reached for the last bite of his sandwich.
Frank frowned. Frankie was trying to tell them something. Carefully he tried to take the paper from his son's grip.
"No Daddy. Uncle Cody is supposa he'p me!"
"I know LJ. Let Daddy have a look first, then Uncle Cody can help." Careful not to tear it, he finally pried it out of his son's tight-fisted little grip. Setting LJ down, Frank unfolded the piece of paper onto the table. Staring up at them all was no alphabet, but Frankie's scribbling in black crayon.
"What…" was all Jake said as he leaned over.
"Jesus she's smart. She's sent us a message under her captor's nose. I'll bet he didn't even think about this." Alex said as she leaned over to look it over.
Slowly and carefully Frank read off the scribbles. "17… 21… 9… 20… 15. What.. Good Lord." he sighed. "18… 5… 1… 12. It's a puzzle. But what's the code breaker?"
Alex pulled the paper over in front of her. LJ started throwing a fit. That was HIS paper and Aunt Frankie told him he had to finish it with Uncle Cody's help.
"LJ! Stop… what.." Alex gasped as he reached over, snatched the paper up and handed it to Cody with a pleased look.
"He'p me finish Uncle Cody."
****
Cody blinked and pushed his sandwich aside. He took the paper from LJ and looked at it slowly. "I… I think I got it. It's an anagram. Let's see… we just have to find the one… none of the numbers are the same, all the different… nothing… wait. LJ, was Aunt Frankie helping with your letters?"
"Uh huh. She he'ped me with letters."
"Good girl Frankie…" Cody mumbled while his fingers tapped randomly on the ledge holding his keyboard.
Frank, Alex and Jake watched impatiently. "What is it Cody?" Frank finally snarled out.
"The anagram code breaker. A=1." He picked up a pencil and put an "A" next to the 1. He followed suit down the alphabet. "What's the fifth letter?"
Alex's fingers thrummed on the table softly. "E." She watched as Cody wrote down an "E" next to the A.
Frank joined in. "9 is an I. And L is twelfth." Cody wrote those down too and kept flicking his eyes over the numbers.
Jake sat back with a sickening dread in his stomach. Why did these letters sound so familiar?
"15 is O" Alex offered.
"17 is a Q" Cody said as he wrote it down.
"Oh my God." Jake whispered and ripped the paper from Cody's grip.
"HEY!"
Jake ignored both Cody and LJ as he looked over the paper. Q… 9… I… 20… O… 18/R… E… A… L. His breath quickened as he shot up from the table. He turned around, his dark eyes closing against the reality. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu came to haunt him as his mind replayed that fated day so many years ago…
This was it. Jake reached for his gun and turned around. As he turned around to face Quito, Quito's face fell as the realization hit him. He'd been betrayed.
"Can't do it Quito. Can't do it." Jake pulled out his badge and showed it plainly to Quito. "Federal Agent. You're under arrest."
Quito took a slow breath as he took in the truth. "I treated you like my brother."
Jake shook his head slowly. "You're not my brother."
A look of disgust came over Quito's face. "Well, let me ask you somethin', Mister Hero..." He watched as Jake slowly lowered his badge. The gun was still trained dead center on him. "I'm black Jesus, I produce miracles. I build playgrounds. I build clinics. I send kids to college. How many kids have you sent to college?"
Jake snarled. "How many kids have you sent to hell?!"
Quito half laughed as the doors to the room opened and a whole team of Agents swarmed in.
"You OK Jake?" Donovan asked as he moved past Jake towards Quito, his own gun raised.
"Yeah."
"Jake." Quito half laughed again as Donovan took the package of China White out of Quito's hand. Donovan proceeded to pat Quito down as Quito put his hands on his head. "Twelve rounds in a fight Jake. This is just round one. I'm gonna be seeing you Jake. I'm gonna be seeing your family too. Yeah, that's right. Jake the Dog. That's what you are, the White Man's Dog!"
"Shut the hell up." Monica growled out behind Jake.
Quito turned his head and barked at Monica, then looked back at Jake and laughed slowly.
"That's enough!" Donovan ordered.
"Go ahead punk," Quito fixed Jake with a look of dead seriousness. "Chump. Bitch. Traitor... Traitor."
That last word hung in the air between Jake and Quito. Everyone looked on in silence, trying to gauge what Jake would do, how he would react.
Jake took a deep breath, then pulled his gun back. "Did you feel that? Huh Quito?" Inside Jake was shaking mad as he stepped into Quito's face. "Today was your day to die."
Quito didn't blink at Jake's words, he just kept looking back as if to say,'This isn't over yet Jake. This is not over.'
"Jake, what is it.."
"Is it true? Huh?"
"Yeah it's true. I care about you, I'm like you...You can change, but we have to go now! Come with me!"
The little boy spit on him, spit in his face. Jake slowly stood up and wiped it off. He was in shock more than anything as he was hustled into the SUV. The kid who had looked up to him a day or so ago and wanted to be like him, right down to liking pizza because he liked pizza, had spit on him.
"It's Quito."
****