Nowhere To Run
Chapter Eighteen
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Again (I know I'm sounding like a broken record) thank you soooooooooo much for the kind reviews!! You guys are the best!!!!!
Just a couple of chapters more!!
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Jake arrived at the Nest about 20 minutes after calling Alex. He parked his truck and started to head into the warehouse when he spotted some movement outside the building. Whatever it was, it had headed around the corner. Gun drawn, he proceeded stealthily to the side of the structure. Rounding the corner, he came face to face with the culprit.
"Jesus Christ, Jake!!!!! You scared the shit out of me!! Almost literally!"
"Sorry Cody. I thought I saw someone sneaking around outside……..I just wanted to be cautious." He rather amusedly watched as the other man walked around in a slow circle clutching his chest and breathing rapidly. *Yep…….he definitely could never go undercover!*
"What are you doing out here anyway?" Jake inquired.
"We're……..sorry…still catching my breath…….we're getting the van ready to roll. Or….at least that's what I was doing till some hotshot decided to scare me half to death by jumping from out of nowhere and sticking a gun in my face!"
"First of all, Cody, I didn't jump from out of nowhere. I came around the corner of the building……in broad daylight, I might add. And second………get over it! Geez….it wasn't THAT bad." And with that Jake turned around and started to head to the entrance.
"Wasn't that bad?? Oh….. that's right, you're used to pulling guns on your fellow agents…….I forgot!"
Jake stopped abruptly and turned to face Cody. "Exactly what the hell are you implying? If you've got something to say, then say it!"
Cody walked over until he was standing toe to toe with Jake. "Alright…….what the hell's going on Jake? Hmmm? What were you doing with those overgrown Mr. Universe rejects that were here earlier? Exactly what is your part in all of this? Have you sold him out yet? That's my guess. You got your little feelings hurt and you wanted to strike back. So you made a few phone calls and made sure that EVERYONE at the Bureau knows what Donovan is up to. And if that's the case, you don't have all the facts Jake……..you really don't."
Jake was seething. His jaws were clamped tightly shut and it was taking everything he had not to punch the other man's lights out. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the bottom line was, he didn't have the time. So instead of launching into a tirade of epic proportions, instead he simply turned around and began to walk toward the building once more.
Cody was shocked. He'd half expected to come out of that one with more than a few bumps and bruises, but here he stood with nary a scratch on him.
"Jake?"
Once again Jake stopped, closed his eyes and sighed. After a few seconds he turned around and stared down the tech-op. "What is it Cody?" he asked almost sadly.
"That's it?" Cody asked incredulously.
"Cody……..I don't have the time for this. Let's just say that maybe……….maybe you're the one without all of the facts. But the bottom line is that if we have to find Donovan first. Period. Because if the rest of them come across him before we do, I have no doubt that they've been told to shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?" Cody nodded numbly in reply.
Jake turned once more and finally made it to the front door uninterrupted. Once inside, he quickly found Alex suiting up and getting ready to leave.
"Ready?" Jake asked as he watched her buckle on her Kevlar vest.
She snorted and then replied, "No……but do I have a choice?"
Jake gave her a lopsided grin and said, "Not much of a choice is it?"
Monica, who had heard their voices, walked over to where the two were now sitting and stopped in the doorway eyeing Jake suspiciously. Jake looked up and caught the look in the profiler's eyes.
"You have something to say too?" he asked rather abruptly.
"Too?" Alex interjected.
"Yeah……Cody ran into me outside and had to get in his two cents. So Monica……….you have something to add?"
Monica stood there for a few moments with her arms folded across her chest (a defensive pose she reminded herself) before she finally spoke. "There's a lot of things that I could say or ask, Jake, but somehow I don't think we have the time right now. Am I right?"
Jake sighed once again and then replied. "You're absolutely right. We don't have the time. Maybe when this is all over, the group of us can sit down and discuss this."
Alex nodded and then stood to leave with Jake close on her heels.
"Just one thing Jake," Monica interrupted. Jake stopped and turned toward her waiting for her to finish. "You said the group of us could sit down and talk. Are you including Donovan in that group?"
Jake stared at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. He paused for a few more seconds before answering truthfully, "I don't know Monica………but I wouldn't count on it." And then he turned and headed out the door with Alex..
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Frank watched as Jake and Alex exited the building and headed to Jake's truck. A few seconds later the vehicle left the lot. He knew that Cody and Monica would be leaving soon as well. He'd observed Cody out at the van just a few minutes earlier. He'd also seen the apparent run in between Jake and Cody. Frank hated what this case was doing to his team but felt helpless to stop it.
As if on cue, Monica and Cody also exited the warehouse and moved toward the surveillance van. A few seconds passed before it too left the area. To the best of his knowledge the building was now empty, but he wanted to wait a while longer before venturing inside.
Frank left his perch on the top of the neighboring vacant office building and approached Kate who was sitting on the roof near the stairwell. He gazed at her for a few seconds before approaching. She seemed lost in thought, totally oblivious to the world around her. Frank also noticed that she appeared nervous. She continually rubbed the palms of her hands together and stopped every twenty seconds or so to check the state of her weapon that lay on the ground in front of her.
"Leave it alone."
She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice and looked up at him quizzically. "Leave what alone?"
"Your gun. You've checked it three times already in the minute that I've been watching you. It's not going to unload itself. It's not going to re-engage the safety lock when you're not looking."
She smiled slightly and couldn't help but appreciate his efforts to help her settle down a bit. It was her turn to observe him. First of all, she was always stunned by how incredibly gorgeous the man was. Tall, lean, muscular, and of course, absolutely the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. And to top it all off, even now, he appeared to be completely calm and in control. A fact that only added to his overall sexiness.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked with a slight grin on his face. He'd seen the way she'd been looking at him and had wondered where her head was at now.
"Nothing," she answered before rising from the ground and heading toward the other side of the building.
"Nothing, huh? Is that why you're blushing?" he asked as he followed her.
"I am not blushing! It's just the cool wind that's blowing around up here. You know, it's only 52 degrees today." For some reason she felt embarrassed about having been caught so obviously checking him out. She had no idea why she felt that way, but she did.
"If you say so," he remarked amusedly. He wanted to pursue the conversation more. Seeing her blush like that caused his blood to come to a slow boil, but the truth was they didn't have time for any sort of dalliance. Not now. He gritted his teeth and decided it was time to press on.
"We have to get going," he informed her. "It appears that everyone's left the building, so now's our chance to get in there unseen."
"Are you sure they won't be back?" she asked anxiously.
"Pretty sure. They'd have no reason to, that is unless they trace us back here, which I highly doubt."
"Are you always so sure about everything? I mean, it seems that you always have an idea about what's going to happen and when. Haven't you ever been surprised by anything? You know, haven't you ever been caught off guard?"
"Only once," he answered simply.
"You're kidding me! Only once! I have to hear the details. It's gotta be a great story."
"It is…….but actually, you already know the details."
"I do?" she replied in shock.
"Yes……..it's when I fell in love with you." Frank then reached out and captured her hand and gently placed a kiss in her palm.
Kate stared at him in shock and for the second time in the hour she blushed once again. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that he had so unsuspectingly fallen in love with her or how a simple gesture like kissing the palm of her hand could make her want him like she'd never wanted anything else in her life.
Seeing her reaction made Frank want nothing more than to spirit her away and spend the rest of the day in bed with her, but the cold reality of the situation was staring them both in the face. A presence that could not be ignored. Groaning in frustration, Frank pulled Kate to him and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, but then as quickly as the kiss had started it was over and he was pulling her toward the stairwell that would lead them out of the building.
Kate, for her part, was trying desperately to regain some sort of coherent thought after that kiss. She had no idea what had caused it and more importantly, she had no idea how he expected her to function after it. They were halfway through the building when the bitter dread began to seep into her bones once more.
Once they arrived on the bottom floor and were at the door that would lead them across the street to the Nest, Kate grabbed hold of Frank's arm in order to halt his progress.
"Why don't we just stay here?"
Frank stared at her and could see the apprehension in her eyes. "We can't. This building is patrolled by a security detail every night. We'd be caught for sure. No…..this is the only way. Trust me."
"Again with the 'trust me'. Alright………if you're sure it's the best place for us to go."
Frank then looked out the door once more making sure that nothing was out of the ordinary. He then motioned for her to exit and he followed right after he replaced the lock on the rather large door. Once outside, they proceeded at a rather leisurely pace so as not to attract any attention. There were very few people who ever ventured into the area, but if any did, two individuals scurrying about would surely cause concern.
When they drew near the warehouse, Frank experienced at least a few seconds of anxiety, a fact that he made sure to hide from Kate. What if the locks or alarm codes had been changed? What if video surveillance had been installed inside? What if someone really was listening to the audio feed from the bugs that had been placed? As the questions raced through his mind, he chose to ignore them and figured that they couldn't turn back now. With that thought he punched in the access code on the alarm keypad and waited anxiously for the light to turn from red to green. A few seconds ticked by before it did just that. *One obstacle hurdled.* He then placed his key in the lock and was pleased when it turned freely unlocking the door.
He and Kate then quickly and quietly entered the building. They had discussed before hand that they would keep any noise and conversation to a minimum just in case someone would, on occasion, listen to the audio. After locking the door and resetting the alarm to the outside doors and windows, the two worked their way further into the building. The place was indeed deserted and silent as a tomb. At that thought, Kate suddenly felt a cold chill traverse it's way up her body.
Once they made it to the main area near the endless bank of computers, Frank motioned for her to stay where she was. She looked at him curiously as he went in search of something. A few moments later he returned holding a device that she couldn't quite see in the dim light. But after a minute or two she realized that it was a bug sweeper. He had it held out in font of him and was slowly making his way toward the stairs that lead to the second level. He swept the device from side to side, his eyes never leaving the readout on the apparatus in his hands.
Once up the steps, Frank immediately headed into his office and was pleased when the device registered nothing. He took a few more measurements to make doubly sure, but his original assumption was correct. They hadn't replaced the damaged bugs in his office. After shutting off the machine and placing it out of the way, he turned to Kate.
"It's ok, they haven't replaced the bugs in this office."
"Oh, thank God. I thought I'd either have to learn sign language or I'd get writer's cramp from writing down every single thought that I had."
"See……it's just further proof that they'd never expect us to come here."
"Great………..so now that we're here, what's the next step of the plan?"
"First…..I want to regroup a little. Making a run for it came a little sooner than I'd anticipated. Second…….as each hour ticks by, they'll become more and more convinced that somehow we've made it outside the city limits and when they do, they'll become more lax on roadblocks etc. and that's when we make a break for it."
Kate eyed him appreciatively. He never ceased to amaze her, even when he didn't have a plan, he had a plan for getting a plan. She slowly walked over to him and put her arms around him.
"You know what I could use right now?" she asked in a sultry tone.
Frank stared back at the woman in his arms and wondered not for the first time how easily she could spring back from a stressful situation. "Hmmmm………I have no idea," he countered playfully.
"A nap."
"A nap?" he asked disappointedly. "You have to be kidding me?"
"Nope. Not kidding. I've slept so little the last couple of days, that I think it's finally catching up with me. I either grab a cat nap now or I fall over dead on my feet in a few hours when things may get critical. Your choice Donovan. Either a nap now or dead on my feet later. You choose."
He stared at her in disbelief. She was serious. He had no doubt about that. Well, as she said, better now than later.
"Fine," he said pulling away from her. "On the couch with you. I'll give you a couple of hours."
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not the sweetest man that ever lived, Frank Donovan," she said with an impish grin.
Frank smiled at her and then shooed her over to the couch. She laid down and managed to get comfortable quickly, which surprised her considering that the piece of furniture looked anything but accommodating. Frank knelt down briefly next to her, smoothed back some of the hair that was threatening to fall into her face and then lightly kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams. I'll come wake you in a couple of hours." Kate flashed him a quick grin and then peacefully closed her eyes.
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Across town at the house that had, until recently, been Kate's temporary home, tension was running high.
"What the hell do you mean, we can't find them!!!! They're in this city God damn it! There's no way that they got out in time before the virtual lock down. Jesus Christ!! We've got enough law enforcement assigned to this case to find the proverbial needle in a haystack!" FBI Director Daniel Lindford was not a happy man. His best laid plans were falling apart. From major incompetence, he had no doubt. He continued pacing and shouting obscenities at anyone who crossed paths with him. After calling everyone he could think of and not hearing what he desperately wanted to find out, he slammed his cell phone shut and tossed it across the room.
"Now what did that poor defenseless phone ever do to you?"
Daniel rounded on the man speaking to him. If looks could have killed Tom would have been six feet under by now. He hated Tom, in fact he hated all CIA but especially assassins. They were nothing but soulless creatures with a license to kill. The only reason he put up with any of them was because occasionally they came in handy. Like now, for example. When they finally got word where Donovan and his little bitch could be found, he'd dispatch Tom and the case would be over in a matter of hours. Still, having to deal with the man until that time was wearing on his nerves. It amazed him how relaxed Tom seemed to be, lounging in the easy chair presumably without a care in the world.
"You know…….I'd really prefer it if you didn't speak to me right now." Daniel then turned his back and proceeded to walk away.
"Danny……..Danny………Danny…..now what kind of way is that to talk to one of your oldest and dearest friends?" Daniel stopped on a dime and immediately turned to face the man sitting across the room from him, jaws clenched and eyes bulging.
"Don't you EVER call me that again, do you hear me? I am NOT your friend, got it?!? I am your superior, not your buddy."
Tom dropped the smirk that had been gracing his face, and slowly stood to face the other man. "You may be my boss, Mr. FBI Director, but you are certainly NOT my superior. Do you understand?? I'm here to do a job, nothing else, and further more, I'm sick and tired of hearing your crap. You got a problem with that, I suggest you find yourself another hired gun." Tom then turned heel and headed into the kitchen, hoping like hell that Donovan left at least one beer in the house.
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Jake and Alex had been busy. Over the last couple of hours they'd managed to check out just about every place that they knew their boss to haunt. And for all their efforts they'd found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Throughout it all, they'd kept in constant contact with Cody and Monica. Monica had been postulating possible scenarios and Cody had been monitoring any remote camera feeds that he'd been able to tap into around the city. Finally after driving around for what seemed like endless hours, Jake suggested that the four of them get together and discuss the problem face-to-face.
They'd chosen a small park not far from where Frank lived to have their little rendezvous. Monica and Cody were the first to arrive, thankful to be able to leave the surveillance van for at least a short period of time. They both had exited the vehicle and were taking the opportunity to stretch their legs a little. A short time later they saw Jake's Tahoe pull up. The four converged and stood there staring one at the other, unsure of how to proceed.
"This seems weird," Alex offered.
"What does?" Monica asked curiously.
"It's weird working on a case and Donovan not being here to decide what to do next. I mean we're all just standing here because we're used to him leading the way. You know?"
The other three nodded and shuffled their feet knowing that this was a very uncomfortable situation for them all. The man that they'd all come to respect over the past year had now become their target. The hunter had become the hunted.
Jake looked around the circle and realized that he'd have to step up and take charge, a situation that he was not altogether comfortable with. "Alright," he started, "we need to look at this from a new perspective. What have we overlooked? What have we forgotten?"
Monica was the first to speak. "I'm not sure we've forgotten anything Jake. I mean we've looked into every part of Frank's life, at least the parts we know of and we've come up with nothing."
"Right. So what about Katherine's life. What do we know about her that might lead us somewhere."
"Now that is a problem," Cody piped in. "We have no idea what's true or what's been made up about this woman. I'd say we'd be better off sticking to what we know about Donovan."
"I gotta agree there. But her influence could be what helps us find them."
"Uhhh Jake……you want to elaborate on that one," Alex asked confused. Cody and Monica looked on questioningly.
"What I mean is………if it was just Frank we were after, we'd have a pretty good idea about where to start, but with this Katherine thrown in the mix, we need to consider how she's affecting the way he thinks." The other three still just stared at him as perplexed as they had been at the beginning of his sentence.
Jake sighed and tried to figure out how to explain himself. "OK………think back to when we were first put on the case. This woman eluded us for 4.…5.…6 weeks?? She was always thinking ahead of us and always going off in a direction that we hadn't thought of. Like coming to Chicago, for example. Who would have guessed that she'd decide to hide out in one of the most populated cities in the country?"
"I see what you're saying," Monica said. "You're saying that we're still trying to think like Justice Department agents. We need to………God, I hate this term…….think outside the box."
"Exactly. So what would this woman do, if she were on the run alone?" Jake questioned.
"Well," Cody began"……..if we think about what she's done before, we have to consider the possibility that they might be right under our noses."
"Go on," Jake encouraged.
"I just mean that the whole idea behind coming to Chicago was for her to hide in plain sight, right? Maybe that's what they're doing now. Maybe they're someplace that we'd never think to look, or more importantly, maybe they're someplace that we'd never think they'd go."
The four pondered the possibilities. Lost in their own little worlds, they milled around the area wracking their brains trying to think of the obvious. Minutes ticked by and still they'd found no answers. But finally, the silence was broken by three softly spoken words.
"You don't think…….."
"Alex? What is it?" Jake inquired.
"Well……….I was just thinking about all the places that I would try to avoid if I were in their shoes. You know……..police stations……..my apartment, places like that, and that's when it hit me."
"What?"
"What about the Nest?"
The four stared at each other in disbelief. The answer had been so obvious. But was it too obvious?
"Well," Jake began, "there's only one way to find out. Let's roll. And if they are there, hopefully no one else has figured it out."
Jake and Alex were the first to pull away followed closely by Cody and Monica in the van. After the vehicles were out of sight, a man in a black suit stepped out from behind a nearby tree staring intently at the taillights that were fading into the distance. He pulled out a cell phone and placed a call.
"Lindford," the man on the other end of the line answered.
"We got them."
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Chapter Eighteen
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Again (I know I'm sounding like a broken record) thank you soooooooooo much for the kind reviews!! You guys are the best!!!!!
Just a couple of chapters more!!
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Jake arrived at the Nest about 20 minutes after calling Alex. He parked his truck and started to head into the warehouse when he spotted some movement outside the building. Whatever it was, it had headed around the corner. Gun drawn, he proceeded stealthily to the side of the structure. Rounding the corner, he came face to face with the culprit.
"Jesus Christ, Jake!!!!! You scared the shit out of me!! Almost literally!"
"Sorry Cody. I thought I saw someone sneaking around outside……..I just wanted to be cautious." He rather amusedly watched as the other man walked around in a slow circle clutching his chest and breathing rapidly. *Yep…….he definitely could never go undercover!*
"What are you doing out here anyway?" Jake inquired.
"We're……..sorry…still catching my breath…….we're getting the van ready to roll. Or….at least that's what I was doing till some hotshot decided to scare me half to death by jumping from out of nowhere and sticking a gun in my face!"
"First of all, Cody, I didn't jump from out of nowhere. I came around the corner of the building……in broad daylight, I might add. And second………get over it! Geez….it wasn't THAT bad." And with that Jake turned around and started to head to the entrance.
"Wasn't that bad?? Oh….. that's right, you're used to pulling guns on your fellow agents…….I forgot!"
Jake stopped abruptly and turned to face Cody. "Exactly what the hell are you implying? If you've got something to say, then say it!"
Cody walked over until he was standing toe to toe with Jake. "Alright…….what the hell's going on Jake? Hmmm? What were you doing with those overgrown Mr. Universe rejects that were here earlier? Exactly what is your part in all of this? Have you sold him out yet? That's my guess. You got your little feelings hurt and you wanted to strike back. So you made a few phone calls and made sure that EVERYONE at the Bureau knows what Donovan is up to. And if that's the case, you don't have all the facts Jake……..you really don't."
Jake was seething. His jaws were clamped tightly shut and it was taking everything he had not to punch the other man's lights out. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the bottom line was, he didn't have the time. So instead of launching into a tirade of epic proportions, instead he simply turned around and began to walk toward the building once more.
Cody was shocked. He'd half expected to come out of that one with more than a few bumps and bruises, but here he stood with nary a scratch on him.
"Jake?"
Once again Jake stopped, closed his eyes and sighed. After a few seconds he turned around and stared down the tech-op. "What is it Cody?" he asked almost sadly.
"That's it?" Cody asked incredulously.
"Cody……..I don't have the time for this. Let's just say that maybe……….maybe you're the one without all of the facts. But the bottom line is that if we have to find Donovan first. Period. Because if the rest of them come across him before we do, I have no doubt that they've been told to shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?" Cody nodded numbly in reply.
Jake turned once more and finally made it to the front door uninterrupted. Once inside, he quickly found Alex suiting up and getting ready to leave.
"Ready?" Jake asked as he watched her buckle on her Kevlar vest.
She snorted and then replied, "No……but do I have a choice?"
Jake gave her a lopsided grin and said, "Not much of a choice is it?"
Monica, who had heard their voices, walked over to where the two were now sitting and stopped in the doorway eyeing Jake suspiciously. Jake looked up and caught the look in the profiler's eyes.
"You have something to say too?" he asked rather abruptly.
"Too?" Alex interjected.
"Yeah……Cody ran into me outside and had to get in his two cents. So Monica……….you have something to add?"
Monica stood there for a few moments with her arms folded across her chest (a defensive pose she reminded herself) before she finally spoke. "There's a lot of things that I could say or ask, Jake, but somehow I don't think we have the time right now. Am I right?"
Jake sighed once again and then replied. "You're absolutely right. We don't have the time. Maybe when this is all over, the group of us can sit down and discuss this."
Alex nodded and then stood to leave with Jake close on her heels.
"Just one thing Jake," Monica interrupted. Jake stopped and turned toward her waiting for her to finish. "You said the group of us could sit down and talk. Are you including Donovan in that group?"
Jake stared at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. He paused for a few more seconds before answering truthfully, "I don't know Monica………but I wouldn't count on it." And then he turned and headed out the door with Alex..
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Frank watched as Jake and Alex exited the building and headed to Jake's truck. A few seconds later the vehicle left the lot. He knew that Cody and Monica would be leaving soon as well. He'd observed Cody out at the van just a few minutes earlier. He'd also seen the apparent run in between Jake and Cody. Frank hated what this case was doing to his team but felt helpless to stop it.
As if on cue, Monica and Cody also exited the warehouse and moved toward the surveillance van. A few seconds passed before it too left the area. To the best of his knowledge the building was now empty, but he wanted to wait a while longer before venturing inside.
Frank left his perch on the top of the neighboring vacant office building and approached Kate who was sitting on the roof near the stairwell. He gazed at her for a few seconds before approaching. She seemed lost in thought, totally oblivious to the world around her. Frank also noticed that she appeared nervous. She continually rubbed the palms of her hands together and stopped every twenty seconds or so to check the state of her weapon that lay on the ground in front of her.
"Leave it alone."
She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice and looked up at him quizzically. "Leave what alone?"
"Your gun. You've checked it three times already in the minute that I've been watching you. It's not going to unload itself. It's not going to re-engage the safety lock when you're not looking."
She smiled slightly and couldn't help but appreciate his efforts to help her settle down a bit. It was her turn to observe him. First of all, she was always stunned by how incredibly gorgeous the man was. Tall, lean, muscular, and of course, absolutely the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. And to top it all off, even now, he appeared to be completely calm and in control. A fact that only added to his overall sexiness.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked with a slight grin on his face. He'd seen the way she'd been looking at him and had wondered where her head was at now.
"Nothing," she answered before rising from the ground and heading toward the other side of the building.
"Nothing, huh? Is that why you're blushing?" he asked as he followed her.
"I am not blushing! It's just the cool wind that's blowing around up here. You know, it's only 52 degrees today." For some reason she felt embarrassed about having been caught so obviously checking him out. She had no idea why she felt that way, but she did.
"If you say so," he remarked amusedly. He wanted to pursue the conversation more. Seeing her blush like that caused his blood to come to a slow boil, but the truth was they didn't have time for any sort of dalliance. Not now. He gritted his teeth and decided it was time to press on.
"We have to get going," he informed her. "It appears that everyone's left the building, so now's our chance to get in there unseen."
"Are you sure they won't be back?" she asked anxiously.
"Pretty sure. They'd have no reason to, that is unless they trace us back here, which I highly doubt."
"Are you always so sure about everything? I mean, it seems that you always have an idea about what's going to happen and when. Haven't you ever been surprised by anything? You know, haven't you ever been caught off guard?"
"Only once," he answered simply.
"You're kidding me! Only once! I have to hear the details. It's gotta be a great story."
"It is…….but actually, you already know the details."
"I do?" she replied in shock.
"Yes……..it's when I fell in love with you." Frank then reached out and captured her hand and gently placed a kiss in her palm.
Kate stared at him in shock and for the second time in the hour she blushed once again. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that he had so unsuspectingly fallen in love with her or how a simple gesture like kissing the palm of her hand could make her want him like she'd never wanted anything else in her life.
Seeing her reaction made Frank want nothing more than to spirit her away and spend the rest of the day in bed with her, but the cold reality of the situation was staring them both in the face. A presence that could not be ignored. Groaning in frustration, Frank pulled Kate to him and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, but then as quickly as the kiss had started it was over and he was pulling her toward the stairwell that would lead them out of the building.
Kate, for her part, was trying desperately to regain some sort of coherent thought after that kiss. She had no idea what had caused it and more importantly, she had no idea how he expected her to function after it. They were halfway through the building when the bitter dread began to seep into her bones once more.
Once they arrived on the bottom floor and were at the door that would lead them across the street to the Nest, Kate grabbed hold of Frank's arm in order to halt his progress.
"Why don't we just stay here?"
Frank stared at her and could see the apprehension in her eyes. "We can't. This building is patrolled by a security detail every night. We'd be caught for sure. No…..this is the only way. Trust me."
"Again with the 'trust me'. Alright………if you're sure it's the best place for us to go."
Frank then looked out the door once more making sure that nothing was out of the ordinary. He then motioned for her to exit and he followed right after he replaced the lock on the rather large door. Once outside, they proceeded at a rather leisurely pace so as not to attract any attention. There were very few people who ever ventured into the area, but if any did, two individuals scurrying about would surely cause concern.
When they drew near the warehouse, Frank experienced at least a few seconds of anxiety, a fact that he made sure to hide from Kate. What if the locks or alarm codes had been changed? What if video surveillance had been installed inside? What if someone really was listening to the audio feed from the bugs that had been placed? As the questions raced through his mind, he chose to ignore them and figured that they couldn't turn back now. With that thought he punched in the access code on the alarm keypad and waited anxiously for the light to turn from red to green. A few seconds ticked by before it did just that. *One obstacle hurdled.* He then placed his key in the lock and was pleased when it turned freely unlocking the door.
He and Kate then quickly and quietly entered the building. They had discussed before hand that they would keep any noise and conversation to a minimum just in case someone would, on occasion, listen to the audio. After locking the door and resetting the alarm to the outside doors and windows, the two worked their way further into the building. The place was indeed deserted and silent as a tomb. At that thought, Kate suddenly felt a cold chill traverse it's way up her body.
Once they made it to the main area near the endless bank of computers, Frank motioned for her to stay where she was. She looked at him curiously as he went in search of something. A few moments later he returned holding a device that she couldn't quite see in the dim light. But after a minute or two she realized that it was a bug sweeper. He had it held out in font of him and was slowly making his way toward the stairs that lead to the second level. He swept the device from side to side, his eyes never leaving the readout on the apparatus in his hands.
Once up the steps, Frank immediately headed into his office and was pleased when the device registered nothing. He took a few more measurements to make doubly sure, but his original assumption was correct. They hadn't replaced the damaged bugs in his office. After shutting off the machine and placing it out of the way, he turned to Kate.
"It's ok, they haven't replaced the bugs in this office."
"Oh, thank God. I thought I'd either have to learn sign language or I'd get writer's cramp from writing down every single thought that I had."
"See……it's just further proof that they'd never expect us to come here."
"Great………..so now that we're here, what's the next step of the plan?"
"First…..I want to regroup a little. Making a run for it came a little sooner than I'd anticipated. Second…….as each hour ticks by, they'll become more and more convinced that somehow we've made it outside the city limits and when they do, they'll become more lax on roadblocks etc. and that's when we make a break for it."
Kate eyed him appreciatively. He never ceased to amaze her, even when he didn't have a plan, he had a plan for getting a plan. She slowly walked over to him and put her arms around him.
"You know what I could use right now?" she asked in a sultry tone.
Frank stared back at the woman in his arms and wondered not for the first time how easily she could spring back from a stressful situation. "Hmmmm………I have no idea," he countered playfully.
"A nap."
"A nap?" he asked disappointedly. "You have to be kidding me?"
"Nope. Not kidding. I've slept so little the last couple of days, that I think it's finally catching up with me. I either grab a cat nap now or I fall over dead on my feet in a few hours when things may get critical. Your choice Donovan. Either a nap now or dead on my feet later. You choose."
He stared at her in disbelief. She was serious. He had no doubt about that. Well, as she said, better now than later.
"Fine," he said pulling away from her. "On the couch with you. I'll give you a couple of hours."
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not the sweetest man that ever lived, Frank Donovan," she said with an impish grin.
Frank smiled at her and then shooed her over to the couch. She laid down and managed to get comfortable quickly, which surprised her considering that the piece of furniture looked anything but accommodating. Frank knelt down briefly next to her, smoothed back some of the hair that was threatening to fall into her face and then lightly kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams. I'll come wake you in a couple of hours." Kate flashed him a quick grin and then peacefully closed her eyes.
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Across town at the house that had, until recently, been Kate's temporary home, tension was running high.
"What the hell do you mean, we can't find them!!!! They're in this city God damn it! There's no way that they got out in time before the virtual lock down. Jesus Christ!! We've got enough law enforcement assigned to this case to find the proverbial needle in a haystack!" FBI Director Daniel Lindford was not a happy man. His best laid plans were falling apart. From major incompetence, he had no doubt. He continued pacing and shouting obscenities at anyone who crossed paths with him. After calling everyone he could think of and not hearing what he desperately wanted to find out, he slammed his cell phone shut and tossed it across the room.
"Now what did that poor defenseless phone ever do to you?"
Daniel rounded on the man speaking to him. If looks could have killed Tom would have been six feet under by now. He hated Tom, in fact he hated all CIA but especially assassins. They were nothing but soulless creatures with a license to kill. The only reason he put up with any of them was because occasionally they came in handy. Like now, for example. When they finally got word where Donovan and his little bitch could be found, he'd dispatch Tom and the case would be over in a matter of hours. Still, having to deal with the man until that time was wearing on his nerves. It amazed him how relaxed Tom seemed to be, lounging in the easy chair presumably without a care in the world.
"You know…….I'd really prefer it if you didn't speak to me right now." Daniel then turned his back and proceeded to walk away.
"Danny……..Danny………Danny…..now what kind of way is that to talk to one of your oldest and dearest friends?" Daniel stopped on a dime and immediately turned to face the man sitting across the room from him, jaws clenched and eyes bulging.
"Don't you EVER call me that again, do you hear me? I am NOT your friend, got it?!? I am your superior, not your buddy."
Tom dropped the smirk that had been gracing his face, and slowly stood to face the other man. "You may be my boss, Mr. FBI Director, but you are certainly NOT my superior. Do you understand?? I'm here to do a job, nothing else, and further more, I'm sick and tired of hearing your crap. You got a problem with that, I suggest you find yourself another hired gun." Tom then turned heel and headed into the kitchen, hoping like hell that Donovan left at least one beer in the house.
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Jake and Alex had been busy. Over the last couple of hours they'd managed to check out just about every place that they knew their boss to haunt. And for all their efforts they'd found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Throughout it all, they'd kept in constant contact with Cody and Monica. Monica had been postulating possible scenarios and Cody had been monitoring any remote camera feeds that he'd been able to tap into around the city. Finally after driving around for what seemed like endless hours, Jake suggested that the four of them get together and discuss the problem face-to-face.
They'd chosen a small park not far from where Frank lived to have their little rendezvous. Monica and Cody were the first to arrive, thankful to be able to leave the surveillance van for at least a short period of time. They both had exited the vehicle and were taking the opportunity to stretch their legs a little. A short time later they saw Jake's Tahoe pull up. The four converged and stood there staring one at the other, unsure of how to proceed.
"This seems weird," Alex offered.
"What does?" Monica asked curiously.
"It's weird working on a case and Donovan not being here to decide what to do next. I mean we're all just standing here because we're used to him leading the way. You know?"
The other three nodded and shuffled their feet knowing that this was a very uncomfortable situation for them all. The man that they'd all come to respect over the past year had now become their target. The hunter had become the hunted.
Jake looked around the circle and realized that he'd have to step up and take charge, a situation that he was not altogether comfortable with. "Alright," he started, "we need to look at this from a new perspective. What have we overlooked? What have we forgotten?"
Monica was the first to speak. "I'm not sure we've forgotten anything Jake. I mean we've looked into every part of Frank's life, at least the parts we know of and we've come up with nothing."
"Right. So what about Katherine's life. What do we know about her that might lead us somewhere."
"Now that is a problem," Cody piped in. "We have no idea what's true or what's been made up about this woman. I'd say we'd be better off sticking to what we know about Donovan."
"I gotta agree there. But her influence could be what helps us find them."
"Uhhh Jake……you want to elaborate on that one," Alex asked confused. Cody and Monica looked on questioningly.
"What I mean is………if it was just Frank we were after, we'd have a pretty good idea about where to start, but with this Katherine thrown in the mix, we need to consider how she's affecting the way he thinks." The other three still just stared at him as perplexed as they had been at the beginning of his sentence.
Jake sighed and tried to figure out how to explain himself. "OK………think back to when we were first put on the case. This woman eluded us for 4.…5.…6 weeks?? She was always thinking ahead of us and always going off in a direction that we hadn't thought of. Like coming to Chicago, for example. Who would have guessed that she'd decide to hide out in one of the most populated cities in the country?"
"I see what you're saying," Monica said. "You're saying that we're still trying to think like Justice Department agents. We need to………God, I hate this term…….think outside the box."
"Exactly. So what would this woman do, if she were on the run alone?" Jake questioned.
"Well," Cody began"……..if we think about what she's done before, we have to consider the possibility that they might be right under our noses."
"Go on," Jake encouraged.
"I just mean that the whole idea behind coming to Chicago was for her to hide in plain sight, right? Maybe that's what they're doing now. Maybe they're someplace that we'd never think to look, or more importantly, maybe they're someplace that we'd never think they'd go."
The four pondered the possibilities. Lost in their own little worlds, they milled around the area wracking their brains trying to think of the obvious. Minutes ticked by and still they'd found no answers. But finally, the silence was broken by three softly spoken words.
"You don't think…….."
"Alex? What is it?" Jake inquired.
"Well……….I was just thinking about all the places that I would try to avoid if I were in their shoes. You know……..police stations……..my apartment, places like that, and that's when it hit me."
"What?"
"What about the Nest?"
The four stared at each other in disbelief. The answer had been so obvious. But was it too obvious?
"Well," Jake began, "there's only one way to find out. Let's roll. And if they are there, hopefully no one else has figured it out."
Jake and Alex were the first to pull away followed closely by Cody and Monica in the van. After the vehicles were out of sight, a man in a black suit stepped out from behind a nearby tree staring intently at the taillights that were fading into the distance. He pulled out a cell phone and placed a call.
"Lindford," the man on the other end of the line answered.
"We got them."
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