TITLE : Compromising Situation
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
CATEGORY : SBR
RATING : PG
SPOILERS : Probably
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.
NOTES : Next part : not sure if it makes sense.
Cheers!
Gomes.
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.7) -------------------------------
December 28th -- Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia
The team stepped out into the sunny rays that Vancouver's sun cast upon them. The flight seemed to have taken longer and they were glad they were on ground again. John stretched and shouldered his bag. "Let's get some food, I'm starved!"
"There was food on the plane." George muttered.
"You call that food, Georgie-boy?" John stepped in front of him. "The plastic forks had more nutrients."
"Okay guys." Bailey walked passed them. "Let's get to the hotel." This time, the team opted for a small inn, close to a marina and the Vancouver Islands.
***
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina, British Columbia
The team smiled as an elderly woman guided them to three separate rooms. "This one's for the lady." She said, as Grace thanked her and began to unpack. "For the two gentleman," she pointed to John and George who cast eachother joking looks, "this room features two separate beds." She finally came to a room with a large brown door. "This is my room, where handsome will be staying." She laughed. Bailey's eyes grew wide. "Just kidding!" She said and pointed to the room right in front of John and George's door. "That's your room, sweetie." She said, and entered her own room. "Dinner will be at six o'clock." She said, closing the door.
Bailey just stood there, staring at his door. John walked up to him. "What's up, chief?"
"I think she just copped a feel." Bailey said, looking at the old woman's door. The rest of the team burst out laughing and Bailey rolled his eyes. "A big help you guys were . . . " He muttered lightly. "Okay, unpack, and we'll meet up in John and Georgie's room in ten minutes.
After they had all unpacked and freshened up, the team sat, dispersed in the room. John and George were on their respective beds while Grace sat on a small recliner. Bailey had taken occupancy on the floor, leaning against the end of George's bed. His arm was still in a sling, and thankfully was healing rapidly. "So, what do we have so far?" He asked.
"As for any identifying DNA . . . nada." Grace said. "All prints belong to Sam and you. Oh, the investigator that we sent to look around the hotel did find the trolley that Jack wheeled Sam out on." Grace said, handing Bailey some pictures. "He didn't touch it, but just took some pictures."
Bailey scanned through the pictures. At various angles, the trolley was neatly placed on top of a closed dumpster, in plain view. "Reminds me of a trophy . . . " Bailey said, more to himself. "Good work, Grace. What else, gentlemen?" Bailey turned his attention to John and George.
"Well, I've interviewed the guard at the door, and get this: he had a large sum of money placed at his doorstep, willing him to come in five minutes late for work everyday you guys were at the hotel." John re-read his notes then looked up. "He figured, what could happen in five minutes." John closed his notebook. "Five thousand dollars." He stated plainly.
Bailey shook his head. "That's how Jack got in with such ease." He looked up at George - their last hope. "George?"
"Got it!" George said, hunched over his laptop. "I've located the exact whereabouts of the Horne Lake Caves." He turned the screen towards the team as they gathered up close. "Here's Main and Lower caves, which have guided tours from ten o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night."
"So?" John said, studying the pictures of various stalactite moldings.
"Well, to get to the Riverbend Cave - where we are assuming Sam is being kept - you have to go through the Lower cave. There's no other way, unless you take a boat across the river and then mountain-climb up the side of the mountain." George looked at the team. "Jack probably headed into the caves on the guided tour, charted out a map so he could easily return later."
Bailey nodded. "Good work, George. John?"
John nodded. "Right on it, boss! I'll interview the touring guide." He paused at the door. "George?"
"Horne Lake Caves Touring Company." George said, from behind the laptop.
"Thanks." John said, and headed out the door.
"John!" Grace called after him. "I'll come too." She proceeded out the door, closing it gently.
Bailey watched the back of the laptop as George clicked away. "Yes!" George smiled. "Here, I hacked into the Canadian government and I got the entire map of the caves - including Riverbend!" Georgie hit the print key, and an old printer came to life.
Bailey got up and patted George on the back. "I couldn't have done this without you." Bailey said.
George smiled. "Any time." He ripped the piece of paper from the printer and studied it. "It's an old copy, I just hope that no human or nature events have disturbed the structure."
"Whatever it is, it's our last hope to finding Sam." Bailey said, moving away from George. "We'll wait until the two get back, and then we'll head out." Bailey paused, his hand still on the door handle. "See if you can contact the local police, ask for a few men back-up."
"Right on it!" George said, picking up the phone.
***
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina
The team sat around the bed once again. "Okay, status reports." Bailey said, pointing to Grace and John.
"Okay, well we found the company with ease, and they were more than willing to help us." John said, handing each a copy of a list. "We're assuming that Jack had taken the tour not more than a week ago."
"So here's a list of all the people who have taken the guided tour. It's customary for them to show ID before and after the tour - because if anything happens, someone is missing or injured or anything, it just makes things easier." Grace cut in.
The group scanned the names. "Have these been checked out?" Bailey asked.
"All of them but one." Grace said, turning the pages. "Page 8. The man showed up, but wasn't there when they finished the tour. They claim they got a call from the man, saying that he was already on his way home." Grace located the name. "John Ackmen."
Both George and Bailey's head shot up. "What?" They said in unison.
Grace's brow furrowed. "You know this man?"
"He was my taxi driver." Bailey said, beginning to pace.
"Sam called me to look up some information on him. I never found anything." George said.
John studied the name. "George, can you find the Vancouver Registered Taxi Corp.?" George nodded and started typing away. "Okay, now type in Ackmen." John looked at the screen and then his eyes grew wide. "See, they have an odd way of classifying their drivers. They take the first initial of their name, and the three first letters of their family name."
Bailey walked up to the screen, and at least seven Ackmen were register taxi drivers. "John Ackmen. That would be J-Ack." He looked at the rest of the team.
"Well, that confirms our suspicions on Jack." John said, plopping down on his bed.
Grace looked out the window, where the moon was looming high in the sky. "Okay, we have the maps, there's a definite ID . . . we move out first thing tomorrow." She said, heading towards her room. "Get some sleep, guys." She said, looking directly at Bailey.
Bailey clasped his hands together. "Right, first thing tomorrow morning, we head out to find Sam." He went into his room and gently closed the door. Taking off his shirt and suit pants, he climbed into bed clad only in his boxers and undershirt. «Crazy old woman keeps the heating on so high . . . » he muttered, once again staring off into the darkness. «Sam, it won't be long - just hang in there.»
--TBC--
AUTHOR : Karen Gomes (pyrie@hotmail.com)
CATEGORY : SBR
RATING : PG
SPOILERS : Probably
DISCLAIMER : All of the known characters/premises/plots belong to their respective owners. So there.
SUMMARY : Bailey's actions leads to Sam's capture by Jack, and revelations ensue.
NOTES : Next part : not sure if it makes sense.
Cheers!
Gomes.
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.7) -------------------------------
December 28th -- Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia
The team stepped out into the sunny rays that Vancouver's sun cast upon them. The flight seemed to have taken longer and they were glad they were on ground again. John stretched and shouldered his bag. "Let's get some food, I'm starved!"
"There was food on the plane." George muttered.
"You call that food, Georgie-boy?" John stepped in front of him. "The plastic forks had more nutrients."
"Okay guys." Bailey walked passed them. "Let's get to the hotel." This time, the team opted for a small inn, close to a marina and the Vancouver Islands.
***
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina, British Columbia
The team smiled as an elderly woman guided them to three separate rooms. "This one's for the lady." She said, as Grace thanked her and began to unpack. "For the two gentleman," she pointed to John and George who cast eachother joking looks, "this room features two separate beds." She finally came to a room with a large brown door. "This is my room, where handsome will be staying." She laughed. Bailey's eyes grew wide. "Just kidding!" She said and pointed to the room right in front of John and George's door. "That's your room, sweetie." She said, and entered her own room. "Dinner will be at six o'clock." She said, closing the door.
Bailey just stood there, staring at his door. John walked up to him. "What's up, chief?"
"I think she just copped a feel." Bailey said, looking at the old woman's door. The rest of the team burst out laughing and Bailey rolled his eyes. "A big help you guys were . . . " He muttered lightly. "Okay, unpack, and we'll meet up in John and Georgie's room in ten minutes.
After they had all unpacked and freshened up, the team sat, dispersed in the room. John and George were on their respective beds while Grace sat on a small recliner. Bailey had taken occupancy on the floor, leaning against the end of George's bed. His arm was still in a sling, and thankfully was healing rapidly. "So, what do we have so far?" He asked.
"As for any identifying DNA . . . nada." Grace said. "All prints belong to Sam and you. Oh, the investigator that we sent to look around the hotel did find the trolley that Jack wheeled Sam out on." Grace said, handing Bailey some pictures. "He didn't touch it, but just took some pictures."
Bailey scanned through the pictures. At various angles, the trolley was neatly placed on top of a closed dumpster, in plain view. "Reminds me of a trophy . . . " Bailey said, more to himself. "Good work, Grace. What else, gentlemen?" Bailey turned his attention to John and George.
"Well, I've interviewed the guard at the door, and get this: he had a large sum of money placed at his doorstep, willing him to come in five minutes late for work everyday you guys were at the hotel." John re-read his notes then looked up. "He figured, what could happen in five minutes." John closed his notebook. "Five thousand dollars." He stated plainly.
Bailey shook his head. "That's how Jack got in with such ease." He looked up at George - their last hope. "George?"
"Got it!" George said, hunched over his laptop. "I've located the exact whereabouts of the Horne Lake Caves." He turned the screen towards the team as they gathered up close. "Here's Main and Lower caves, which have guided tours from ten o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night."
"So?" John said, studying the pictures of various stalactite moldings.
"Well, to get to the Riverbend Cave - where we are assuming Sam is being kept - you have to go through the Lower cave. There's no other way, unless you take a boat across the river and then mountain-climb up the side of the mountain." George looked at the team. "Jack probably headed into the caves on the guided tour, charted out a map so he could easily return later."
Bailey nodded. "Good work, George. John?"
John nodded. "Right on it, boss! I'll interview the touring guide." He paused at the door. "George?"
"Horne Lake Caves Touring Company." George said, from behind the laptop.
"Thanks." John said, and headed out the door.
"John!" Grace called after him. "I'll come too." She proceeded out the door, closing it gently.
Bailey watched the back of the laptop as George clicked away. "Yes!" George smiled. "Here, I hacked into the Canadian government and I got the entire map of the caves - including Riverbend!" Georgie hit the print key, and an old printer came to life.
Bailey got up and patted George on the back. "I couldn't have done this without you." Bailey said.
George smiled. "Any time." He ripped the piece of paper from the printer and studied it. "It's an old copy, I just hope that no human or nature events have disturbed the structure."
"Whatever it is, it's our last hope to finding Sam." Bailey said, moving away from George. "We'll wait until the two get back, and then we'll head out." Bailey paused, his hand still on the door handle. "See if you can contact the local police, ask for a few men back-up."
"Right on it!" George said, picking up the phone.
***
December 28th -- Paige Point Inn & Marina
The team sat around the bed once again. "Okay, status reports." Bailey said, pointing to Grace and John.
"Okay, well we found the company with ease, and they were more than willing to help us." John said, handing each a copy of a list. "We're assuming that Jack had taken the tour not more than a week ago."
"So here's a list of all the people who have taken the guided tour. It's customary for them to show ID before and after the tour - because if anything happens, someone is missing or injured or anything, it just makes things easier." Grace cut in.
The group scanned the names. "Have these been checked out?" Bailey asked.
"All of them but one." Grace said, turning the pages. "Page 8. The man showed up, but wasn't there when they finished the tour. They claim they got a call from the man, saying that he was already on his way home." Grace located the name. "John Ackmen."
Both George and Bailey's head shot up. "What?" They said in unison.
Grace's brow furrowed. "You know this man?"
"He was my taxi driver." Bailey said, beginning to pace.
"Sam called me to look up some information on him. I never found anything." George said.
John studied the name. "George, can you find the Vancouver Registered Taxi Corp.?" George nodded and started typing away. "Okay, now type in Ackmen." John looked at the screen and then his eyes grew wide. "See, they have an odd way of classifying their drivers. They take the first initial of their name, and the three first letters of their family name."
Bailey walked up to the screen, and at least seven Ackmen were register taxi drivers. "John Ackmen. That would be J-Ack." He looked at the rest of the team.
"Well, that confirms our suspicions on Jack." John said, plopping down on his bed.
Grace looked out the window, where the moon was looming high in the sky. "Okay, we have the maps, there's a definite ID . . . we move out first thing tomorrow." She said, heading towards her room. "Get some sleep, guys." She said, looking directly at Bailey.
Bailey clasped his hands together. "Right, first thing tomorrow morning, we head out to find Sam." He went into his room and gently closed the door. Taking off his shirt and suit pants, he climbed into bed clad only in his boxers and undershirt. «Crazy old woman keeps the heating on so high . . . » he muttered, once again staring off into the darkness. «Sam, it won't be long - just hang in there.»
--TBC--