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 : And the saga continues.
Cheers!
Gomes.
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.8) -------------------------------
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia
The team arrived at the Horne Lake Caves Touring Company headquarters. Bailey stepped out of the car, and looked across a barren river gently flowing by. He glanced at the rocky formation that housed numerous caves. "Let's get Sam." He said, more to himself. The rest of the team followed silently. Bailey pushed the door open with his good arm. His left shoulder was still healing, and Grace has almost forced him at gunpoint to keep the sling on; Bailey had reluctantly agreed.
"Hello! Welcome to Horne Lake." An overly chipper boy greeted the VCTF team. Off their looks of incomprehension, the boy proceeded to give a long briefing of the history of Horne Lake.
Grace spoke up. "We're here from the FBI." She said, and looked at him expectantly. Realizing that he still hadn't put two and two together, she tried a more direct approach. "Can I speak with your manager?" The young man nodded enthusiastically and headed towards the rear of the building.
"Damn trainees." John muttered, looking at the map that was hung on the wall.
George caught site of the map, and took out the one that was neatly folded in his pocket. "It's not the same." He said, observing both maps at intervals.
"That's an updated version." A tall, burly man entered the room followed by his little 'protégé'. "They took out a lot of unnecessary and un-traveled paths, so that adventurers wouldn't be tempted to explore most of the uncharted area." He turned towards Bailey, extending his hand. "Greg Swain." Bailey accepted the man's hand.
"But it's not uncharted." George held up his map.
"Let's see." Greg took the map from George and studied it. "Well I'll be!" He shook his head. "I thought the last known copy of this here map was seized by the government." He eyed George. "Computer boy, huh?" He laughed heartily and slapped George on the bag, sending him stumbling in front.
"Listen, Mr. Swain, we would like to explore some of the caves today." Bailey stepped up. "I have two officers from the local police force here, and I'll be needing your most experienced guide."
Greg nodded for a second and sat down lazily in his chair. Glancing out the window, he looked at the mountains and a gentle smile crept on to his face. "These here mountains are like a home to me. Grew up on 'em, you know? My son Jeff here," he pointed to the enthusiastic boy, "is going to be just like his old man."
John eyed the scrawny little boy. "Better start eating . . . " He muttered to himself and George. The two men shared a knowing smirk.
Greg stood up, his eyes burning with a new-found light. "We ready?"
The team looked at eachother. "You're coming?" Bailey asked.
"Hell yes. No one knows these caves better than I do." Greg was already in the middle of putting on his hiking boots and Jeff returned with an old duffel bag. The boy was almost dragging it on the floor, but Greg picked it up with ease. "Let's go."
***
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia
The team had been walking for several miles now, and they each had to carry their own gear. Hiking equipment was a must. They had explored two caves thoroughly in the Lower area and were still baffled as to where Jack could have taken Sam. "Riverbend Cave is composed of many smaller cave-like chambers." Greg said, quite a distance in front of the team. He glanced over his shoulder and found them all sitting on the ground and catching their breath. Shaking his head, he let out a laugh that erupted from his belly. "What kind of training does one have to go through, to become an FBI agent?" He trekked back a little, and joined the rest of the team. "I guess we might as well take a little break and plan our next strategy."
"Great idea!" John said, digging into his bag. He pulled out a 6 foot sub and began to devour it.
"Eat lightly there, fellow." Greg said. "It'll be harder for you to hike with a full belly."
John grinned. "Look, if nature calls, what better place to answer it than in the woods?"
"Yeah, and you'll probably push certain species of animals towards extinction." George laughed.
The whole team ate, except for Bailey. He had wandered a little further and was looking at a few openings down the path. He tried to picture where Jack would have taken Sam. «Somewhere not too far . . . » He thought to himself. He heard a twig snap behind him and immediately took out his gun and aimed it in that direction. "Gracie." He sighed, and put his gun back in the holster.
"Sharp instincts, Malone." She said, handing him half a sandwich. "You have to eat something." She gave him a 'don't-argue-with-me-on-this-one' look and Bailey graciously took the sandwich.
"Thanks." He took a bite, and looked up the path. A few cave openings poked out here and there. "It's going to take a while, isn't it?" He asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question.
"We're close to Riverbend cave, and George is a good map reader. If you're afraid of getting lost -"
" - I'm afraid of being too late." Bailey cut Grace off. He started to pace. "I just want to climb up the tallest tree and call out to Sam. I just want to tell her that I. . . " Bailey paused and looked at Grace. ". . . that I'll find her." He said softly, and returned to the team.
Grace stared at him for a minute. "Yeah right." She muttered sarcastically to herself. «I know damn well what you want to tell her, Malone. We all do . . . even Jack, and that's what makes it hard for you, and easy for him.» She continued towards the group.
"Okay, head North where we'll find the Riverbend Cave access. Riverbend is littered with small caves with dead ends. Just one entrance, that's it. They almost look like small rooms." Greg said, as they started heading into another cave. They past a 'Danger' sign and stopped in front of a line of barb wire. John took out some extra durable clippers and cut a small opening through the wire fence.
It had been four hours and they still hadn't found a trace of Jack or Sam. They had carefully checked each cave, making sure for any traps and even hidden chambers but still nothing produced itself. Bailey was starting to feel like Jack had led them on a wild goose chase, and he was starting to doubt his abilities as a profiler. «What if he's not even in the Canada?» He asked himself. He looked over at his team - observing them when they weren't aware. «They probably pity me and are doing this to humour me. "Poor old delusional Bailey," they're probably saying, ready to send me to an institute. And here I am, working on absolutely nothing except for a phrase muttered by some maniac stalker who's taken the only reason worth living, away from me.» He punched the wall and it echoed through the stone corridor. Letting out a deep sigh, Bailey stepped out of the entrance and went outside. Just up ahead, there was another cave opening. He stared at it for awhile.
***
December 29th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia
Sam sat in the cell-like cave. Scraps of food lay about, as well as a bottle of water. She didn't even remember how many days it had been, but she was falling short of hope of being rescued. «I miss you, Bailey.» She thought somberly. She cried at night, when she was sure Jack wouldn't see her. Outside, she put on a brave face. She looked up, and he was staring right at her, sitting on the floor with a cigarette in hand.
"Samantha, love." Jack said, approaching the cell. "You've barely eaten."
"Like I would trust you." Sam spat out, causing Jack to laugh. She could survive without eating, but she knew she would have to drink. She eyed the bottle of water.
"You're thirsty." Jack observed. "Samantha, I would never hurt you." Jack said and leaned against the bars.
Sam reasoned with herself. At first, she was afraid he had poisoned the water, but she thought back to her small profile of him. «He wouldn't physically cast harm upon me - not willingly!» She had no choice. She took the bottle and looked at it. It was crystal clear : no bits of any substance floated, nothing out of the ordinary. She slowly twisted of the cap, and let it fall to the floor. Sniffing the contents, she again found no evidence that it was poisoned. She shot a glance at Jack, who had been watching her with a toothy grin.
Jack put his hands up in defence, and turned around, popping another cigarette into his mouth. "The water was taken from a spring, Samantha. It's all natural."
Sam took a small sip and tasted nothing out of the ordinary. She took another sip, followed by a gulp. Her mouth and the skin around it was drying fast, and she feared dehydration. The water was cool, and gently quenched her thirst. She retrieved the cap, and placed it back on the bottle. «The food I don't dare eat, but at least I won't die of thirst.» She thought to herself.
Jack turned around, grinning to himself. He patted his coat pocket, and tablets in a small cylindrical bottle tapped back. «So easy they begin to trust.» He laughed and looked back at Sam. «She responded quickly.» He thought to himself, observing her as she lay on a small grey cot that was placed against the back wall. «Time's almost up.»
--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 : And the saga continues.
Cheers!
Gomes.
------------------------------- Compromising Situation (pt.8) -------------------------------
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia
The team arrived at the Horne Lake Caves Touring Company headquarters. Bailey stepped out of the car, and looked across a barren river gently flowing by. He glanced at the rocky formation that housed numerous caves. "Let's get Sam." He said, more to himself. The rest of the team followed silently. Bailey pushed the door open with his good arm. His left shoulder was still healing, and Grace has almost forced him at gunpoint to keep the sling on; Bailey had reluctantly agreed.
"Hello! Welcome to Horne Lake." An overly chipper boy greeted the VCTF team. Off their looks of incomprehension, the boy proceeded to give a long briefing of the history of Horne Lake.
Grace spoke up. "We're here from the FBI." She said, and looked at him expectantly. Realizing that he still hadn't put two and two together, she tried a more direct approach. "Can I speak with your manager?" The young man nodded enthusiastically and headed towards the rear of the building.
"Damn trainees." John muttered, looking at the map that was hung on the wall.
George caught site of the map, and took out the one that was neatly folded in his pocket. "It's not the same." He said, observing both maps at intervals.
"That's an updated version." A tall, burly man entered the room followed by his little 'protégé'. "They took out a lot of unnecessary and un-traveled paths, so that adventurers wouldn't be tempted to explore most of the uncharted area." He turned towards Bailey, extending his hand. "Greg Swain." Bailey accepted the man's hand.
"But it's not uncharted." George held up his map.
"Let's see." Greg took the map from George and studied it. "Well I'll be!" He shook his head. "I thought the last known copy of this here map was seized by the government." He eyed George. "Computer boy, huh?" He laughed heartily and slapped George on the bag, sending him stumbling in front.
"Listen, Mr. Swain, we would like to explore some of the caves today." Bailey stepped up. "I have two officers from the local police force here, and I'll be needing your most experienced guide."
Greg nodded for a second and sat down lazily in his chair. Glancing out the window, he looked at the mountains and a gentle smile crept on to his face. "These here mountains are like a home to me. Grew up on 'em, you know? My son Jeff here," he pointed to the enthusiastic boy, "is going to be just like his old man."
John eyed the scrawny little boy. "Better start eating . . . " He muttered to himself and George. The two men shared a knowing smirk.
Greg stood up, his eyes burning with a new-found light. "We ready?"
The team looked at eachother. "You're coming?" Bailey asked.
"Hell yes. No one knows these caves better than I do." Greg was already in the middle of putting on his hiking boots and Jeff returned with an old duffel bag. The boy was almost dragging it on the floor, but Greg picked it up with ease. "Let's go."
***
December 29th -- Horne Lake Caves, British Columbia
The team had been walking for several miles now, and they each had to carry their own gear. Hiking equipment was a must. They had explored two caves thoroughly in the Lower area and were still baffled as to where Jack could have taken Sam. "Riverbend Cave is composed of many smaller cave-like chambers." Greg said, quite a distance in front of the team. He glanced over his shoulder and found them all sitting on the ground and catching their breath. Shaking his head, he let out a laugh that erupted from his belly. "What kind of training does one have to go through, to become an FBI agent?" He trekked back a little, and joined the rest of the team. "I guess we might as well take a little break and plan our next strategy."
"Great idea!" John said, digging into his bag. He pulled out a 6 foot sub and began to devour it.
"Eat lightly there, fellow." Greg said. "It'll be harder for you to hike with a full belly."
John grinned. "Look, if nature calls, what better place to answer it than in the woods?"
"Yeah, and you'll probably push certain species of animals towards extinction." George laughed.
The whole team ate, except for Bailey. He had wandered a little further and was looking at a few openings down the path. He tried to picture where Jack would have taken Sam. «Somewhere not too far . . . » He thought to himself. He heard a twig snap behind him and immediately took out his gun and aimed it in that direction. "Gracie." He sighed, and put his gun back in the holster.
"Sharp instincts, Malone." She said, handing him half a sandwich. "You have to eat something." She gave him a 'don't-argue-with-me-on-this-one' look and Bailey graciously took the sandwich.
"Thanks." He took a bite, and looked up the path. A few cave openings poked out here and there. "It's going to take a while, isn't it?" He asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question.
"We're close to Riverbend cave, and George is a good map reader. If you're afraid of getting lost -"
" - I'm afraid of being too late." Bailey cut Grace off. He started to pace. "I just want to climb up the tallest tree and call out to Sam. I just want to tell her that I. . . " Bailey paused and looked at Grace. ". . . that I'll find her." He said softly, and returned to the team.
Grace stared at him for a minute. "Yeah right." She muttered sarcastically to herself. «I know damn well what you want to tell her, Malone. We all do . . . even Jack, and that's what makes it hard for you, and easy for him.» She continued towards the group.
"Okay, head North where we'll find the Riverbend Cave access. Riverbend is littered with small caves with dead ends. Just one entrance, that's it. They almost look like small rooms." Greg said, as they started heading into another cave. They past a 'Danger' sign and stopped in front of a line of barb wire. John took out some extra durable clippers and cut a small opening through the wire fence.
It had been four hours and they still hadn't found a trace of Jack or Sam. They had carefully checked each cave, making sure for any traps and even hidden chambers but still nothing produced itself. Bailey was starting to feel like Jack had led them on a wild goose chase, and he was starting to doubt his abilities as a profiler. «What if he's not even in the Canada?» He asked himself. He looked over at his team - observing them when they weren't aware. «They probably pity me and are doing this to humour me. "Poor old delusional Bailey," they're probably saying, ready to send me to an institute. And here I am, working on absolutely nothing except for a phrase muttered by some maniac stalker who's taken the only reason worth living, away from me.» He punched the wall and it echoed through the stone corridor. Letting out a deep sigh, Bailey stepped out of the entrance and went outside. Just up ahead, there was another cave opening. He stared at it for awhile.
***
December 29th -- Riverbend Cave, British Columbia
Sam sat in the cell-like cave. Scraps of food lay about, as well as a bottle of water. She didn't even remember how many days it had been, but she was falling short of hope of being rescued. «I miss you, Bailey.» She thought somberly. She cried at night, when she was sure Jack wouldn't see her. Outside, she put on a brave face. She looked up, and he was staring right at her, sitting on the floor with a cigarette in hand.
"Samantha, love." Jack said, approaching the cell. "You've barely eaten."
"Like I would trust you." Sam spat out, causing Jack to laugh. She could survive without eating, but she knew she would have to drink. She eyed the bottle of water.
"You're thirsty." Jack observed. "Samantha, I would never hurt you." Jack said and leaned against the bars.
Sam reasoned with herself. At first, she was afraid he had poisoned the water, but she thought back to her small profile of him. «He wouldn't physically cast harm upon me - not willingly!» She had no choice. She took the bottle and looked at it. It was crystal clear : no bits of any substance floated, nothing out of the ordinary. She slowly twisted of the cap, and let it fall to the floor. Sniffing the contents, she again found no evidence that it was poisoned. She shot a glance at Jack, who had been watching her with a toothy grin.
Jack put his hands up in defence, and turned around, popping another cigarette into his mouth. "The water was taken from a spring, Samantha. It's all natural."
Sam took a small sip and tasted nothing out of the ordinary. She took another sip, followed by a gulp. Her mouth and the skin around it was drying fast, and she feared dehydration. The water was cool, and gently quenched her thirst. She retrieved the cap, and placed it back on the bottle. «The food I don't dare eat, but at least I won't die of thirst.» She thought to herself.
Jack turned around, grinning to himself. He patted his coat pocket, and tablets in a small cylindrical bottle tapped back. «So easy they begin to trust.» He laughed and looked back at Sam. «She responded quickly.» He thought to himself, observing her as she lay on a small grey cot that was placed against the back wall. «Time's almost up.»
--TBC--