Lost In Stormy Visions
Chapter 6
Monica walked into Luke's room. It was a bright, blue, happy room that in spite of its cheerfulness, looked lonely without its occupant. She walked over to the dresser and took in the framed pictures. The smiling faces of Barbara, John, and Luke stared back at her, asking the world to defy their happiness.
Monica tensed when she felt John's eyes boring into her back. "There's nothing to find in here. We need to be out there searching for my son."
She knew he wondered what s.o.b. had assigned her, an agent only a couple of years out of the academy, as lead investigator to his son's case. She knew that this man, at least from what she had gather from his file, had, between being a Marine and New York City cop, seen more and experienced more of the worst humanity had to offer than she had. And yet she felt an unshakable feeling that she was meant to be on this case and that some how she would find his son. She couldn't tell him this, knowing he would merely dismiss her feelings outright as so many had done in the past. Not that it bothered her much what other people thought, but for some reason it bothered her what he might think. Maybe she just felt that under the present tragic circumstances, it was best to keep her feelings to herself.
Monica turned and looked into John's hard eyes, eyes that had once been light and happy in those pictures she had been looking at mere moments ago. Despite his hard feelings toward her, Monica was not unsympathetic. His unbearable pain and anguish were merely hidden just beneath his anger. He wasn't angry with her. He was angry with the person who had taken his son. That person wasn't around for him to confront so he had to confront her. It was merely misdirected hostility and nothing more.
Monica took a step closer to him. She knew he felt powerless as she did. She spoke sympathetically. "There's nothing we can do right now, Detective Doggett. We have agents and cops canvassing the neighborhoods searching for clues and witnesses. I've sent his picture out to every conceivable way off of Long Island from airports to bus terminals. I've got agents tracking down ex-cons that may have been in the area. The CSU team is going over the area of the abduction. The bicycle has been taken for lab analysis and fingerprints. I even have teams out searching the local woods and other viable locations. There's not a cop in this whole state who doesn't have a picture of your son right now. I also have agents tracking down every perp you tangled with who might have a grudge against you."
John simply looked at Monica. He looked into her eyes. His look softened and Monica for the first time caught a glimpse of the man that he must have been before this tragedy took hold and started to unfold. His voice slightly cracking with emotion, he said, "I'm sorry Agent Reyes. I know you're doing everythin' you can. It's just...it's just...this is my son we're talkin' about. I'm his father. I'm supposed to protect him from all the evil in the world. And right now...right now...God only knows....I have to do somethin'..."
Monica reached out and put her hand on his arm. Why did bad things happen to good people? "I know you're afraid. I know what you fear. But right now fear is only going to hold you back. It's not going to help you find your son. I told you I would help you find your son. That's exactly what I'm going to do."
John nodded.
Suddenly Monica's cell phone rang, breaking the moment. Surprising herself, she found that she was reluctant to let John's arm go, but she gently released her hold and reached inside her pocket for her phone. "Agent Reyes," she said into it.
End of Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Monica walked into Luke's room. It was a bright, blue, happy room that in spite of its cheerfulness, looked lonely without its occupant. She walked over to the dresser and took in the framed pictures. The smiling faces of Barbara, John, and Luke stared back at her, asking the world to defy their happiness.
Monica tensed when she felt John's eyes boring into her back. "There's nothing to find in here. We need to be out there searching for my son."
She knew he wondered what s.o.b. had assigned her, an agent only a couple of years out of the academy, as lead investigator to his son's case. She knew that this man, at least from what she had gather from his file, had, between being a Marine and New York City cop, seen more and experienced more of the worst humanity had to offer than she had. And yet she felt an unshakable feeling that she was meant to be on this case and that some how she would find his son. She couldn't tell him this, knowing he would merely dismiss her feelings outright as so many had done in the past. Not that it bothered her much what other people thought, but for some reason it bothered her what he might think. Maybe she just felt that under the present tragic circumstances, it was best to keep her feelings to herself.
Monica turned and looked into John's hard eyes, eyes that had once been light and happy in those pictures she had been looking at mere moments ago. Despite his hard feelings toward her, Monica was not unsympathetic. His unbearable pain and anguish were merely hidden just beneath his anger. He wasn't angry with her. He was angry with the person who had taken his son. That person wasn't around for him to confront so he had to confront her. It was merely misdirected hostility and nothing more.
Monica took a step closer to him. She knew he felt powerless as she did. She spoke sympathetically. "There's nothing we can do right now, Detective Doggett. We have agents and cops canvassing the neighborhoods searching for clues and witnesses. I've sent his picture out to every conceivable way off of Long Island from airports to bus terminals. I've got agents tracking down ex-cons that may have been in the area. The CSU team is going over the area of the abduction. The bicycle has been taken for lab analysis and fingerprints. I even have teams out searching the local woods and other viable locations. There's not a cop in this whole state who doesn't have a picture of your son right now. I also have agents tracking down every perp you tangled with who might have a grudge against you."
John simply looked at Monica. He looked into her eyes. His look softened and Monica for the first time caught a glimpse of the man that he must have been before this tragedy took hold and started to unfold. His voice slightly cracking with emotion, he said, "I'm sorry Agent Reyes. I know you're doing everythin' you can. It's just...it's just...this is my son we're talkin' about. I'm his father. I'm supposed to protect him from all the evil in the world. And right now...right now...God only knows....I have to do somethin'..."
Monica reached out and put her hand on his arm. Why did bad things happen to good people? "I know you're afraid. I know what you fear. But right now fear is only going to hold you back. It's not going to help you find your son. I told you I would help you find your son. That's exactly what I'm going to do."
John nodded.
Suddenly Monica's cell phone rang, breaking the moment. Surprising herself, she found that she was reluctant to let John's arm go, but she gently released her hold and reached inside her pocket for her phone. "Agent Reyes," she said into it.
End of Chapter 6