"How are they holding up?" Andy asked as Monica entered the office.
"Elaina seems to be handling it ok, right now. Frank is quiet but when he talks, you can hear his frustration and anger," Monica informed them.
"Cody and Sab are analyzing the videotape," Andy told her.
"Good, Frank wants everything on it examined," Monica replied.
They heard the horses and looked out to see Frank and Elaina walking out to the stables. The horses came running up from the pasture to them.
"Come on, any of you want brushed?" Elaina called to them. They all went into their stalls without any trouble. "I guess they all do or they're expecting a treat."
Velvet walked behind Frank until he reached her stall, he pointed her in and she obeyed by going in. When he closed the door she came back over to him to nuzzle him as he scratched her neck.
"You know something is up, don't you girl?" Frank said to Velvet.
"They all sense it. Look at Zeus." Derek's horse was watching the door waiting for Derek to come out. Elaina walked over to him. "He's not coming out today Zeus. You have to let us take care of you." Elaina started to cry again. She walked over to Sahara's stall and fell to the floor crying, uncontrollably.
Frank went over and held her. He couldn't keep his emotions from surfacing too. "I wish I could take away the pain but I can't. We need to work through this as much as we can somehow. Being out of control as I was earlier and now, isn't going to help Derek and Sarah."
"I know it won't help. I do agree, you were way out of line yelling at Cody. We can't help it if our emotions are so screwed up. Right now, I can only think as a mother."
"I know I said we should try to be both parent and agent. You can be who you want and I'll try to be both."
"You keep saying that but so far you can't do both. You have acted more like a father than I have a mother. I really need you more as my husband, than I do as Agent Donovan, so please just be my husband," Elaina said as Frank kissed her.
"Did that help any?" Frank said after the kiss.
"A little. We better do what we came out here for," Elaina said, getting up.
"Wait a minute." Frank kissed her again. This time Elaina wouldn't let go of him sensing he needed her.
"Did that help you any?" Elaina said, after she broke the kiss.
"Actually, it did," Frank said as he went to get the brushes.
****** When they returned to the office they found that Jake had Sonny there. "Sorry we took so long, the horses weren't cooperating with us too much," Elaina fibbed not wanting them to know they both were having trouble coping.
"Sonny, thank you for coming," Frank said shaking his hand.
"When Jake told me what was going on, I thought he was joking. I didn't know you were even married. I never would've guest he was married to you, Agent Blakely." Sonny said, turning to her.
"I keep my maiden name on the job. Frank never wanted anyone knowing, not even his team that he was married but I blew that last summer." Elaina laughed.
"Jake said something about that on the way here. We had talked before but he never mentioned the two of you together."
"That was by our request at first. We just wanted certain people to know that we were married and then eventually we decided, what the hell, why hide it." Elaina smiled.
"Donovan, you just don't seem the type to want people to know you too well. I thought you were more private," Sonny said to Frank.
"It became very difficult to keep her hidden when she became my boss," Frank answered.
"He's changed lately," Elaina said.
"She forced me too," Frank joked, playfully punching her arm.
"Hey, watch it, Mr. Donovan or Mrs. Donovan, will kick your ass," Elaina teased.
"Oh boy! Here we go again," Sab said behind Elaina.
"Did you say something again, Agent Kells?" Frank asked.
"No sir. I was just talking to the computer." Sab smiled.
"Sonny, you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Frank told him.
"I'll do it. I want to help; I like kids. I don't want to see anything happen to yours because of me."
"Thank you, Sonny," Elaina said, with a smile.
******
The phone rang and it caused Elaina to jump. Frank went over to answer it. "Donovan."
"You have 3 hours to get the ransom together or your children will pay for your not cooperating," the kidnapper said.
"We'll have it. I want to talk to my children," Frank insisted.
"Three hours," the caller repeated and hung up.
Frank looked over to Elaina who was holding Sab. Sab was crying as Cody tried to comfort her, whispering in her ear.
"I'll tell the bank manager we're ready for the ransom and to bring it here. I called him earlier to have it ready," Frank told Elaina.
"You realize they aren't going to let them loose after we pay," Elaina said, getting up to let Cody hold Sabrina.
"Don't say that! They have to. I refuse to believe, that they would hurt Derek or little Sarah." Sab was almost yelling.
"I don't want to believe it either but we have to deal with what we know. Most kidnappers don't let them go," Elaina stated.
"We're doing everything we can to find them and bring them home safe," Alex said.
"Sab, why don't you go lay down upstairs," Cody suggested.
"No! I want to help you. I'll be fine," Sab said.
"Cody is right you need to take a break," Frank said.
"Ok. I'll just go for a walk outside and clear my head," Sab conceded.
"Mind if I walk with you?" Jake asked. "I could use the fresh air."
"Free country. I won't be very good company," Sab said putting on her jacket.
"Good company or not, I don't want anyone wandering around alone right now. I don't trust anyone being alone," Elaina said, sadly.
"I know how to defend myself," Sab stated.
"So did Derek," Elaina said.
"Oh. ok let's go," Sab said, leaving the office with Jake.
Cody watched them leave together. "Thanks, Elaina. I didn't want her out alone but you could've asked Monica or Alex to go."
"The right person went Cody, there's a reason for doing it this way," Elaina told him.
"If you say so." Cody went back to work.
Sab walked out to the cars and sat on one of them. "That's Frank's car don't dent it," Jake kidded her.
"If I feel like denting something, I'll punch you, how's that?"
"I've seen you hit someone before, so I'll try to be ready for you."
"Why are you really out here with me?" Sab was suspicious.
"Elaina said we should talk," Jake confessed.
"Thought so. She thinks I should look for my real mother, but I don't see why I should. Allison and Elaina have helped me more than she ever could."
"But neither one of them are your real Mom. I know my mom was your guardian at one time."
"She told you about that?"
"It slipped out one day, I told her I wouldn't say anything to anyone. I never thought I needed a mom either until I met Allison. It seems I can talk to her about anything and she never hesitates to tell me what she thinks, if I do something wrong."
"I think part of that may be her training more than being a Mom," Sab said, being a little skeptic.
"It's hard to explain but having a mom has changed me a little. I really love having her here and being able to talk to her and see her," Jake explained.
"Allison said you had reservations about her at first, you thought she wasn't your Mom. How did you feel the moment you found out she was?"
"I was stunned, I didn't believe it. I had to read the DNA test over and over until it sunk in. I actually cried, but I'll deny it if you tell anyone," Jake told her.
"Here I thought you were a tough guy," Sab joked.
"I've been asking her questions ever since then. I've learned a lot about her and her family, my family," Jake corrected himself.
"What if I find my Mom and she doesn't want me? I don't need rejection," Sad said to him.
"That's a risk you'll be taking, but you could find out that she's been looking for you too."
"It's that risk, I'm not sure I'm willing to take," Sab said as Sonny walked out lighting a cigarette.
"Am I interrupting anything kid?" Sonny asked.
"No, we were just talking about my Mom," Jake answered.
"Why isn't she here?" Sab wondered.
"She's away at a conference, she'll be back tomorrow."
"Either way this goes, I think Elaina, maybe the whole family, will need her," Sab said, sadly.
"Derek is smart, he'll protect himself and Sarah as best he can," Jake told her.
"You're right Derek is smart and resourceful. I wonder..excuse me I just thought of something." Sab went back to the house.
"She's a pretty lady, reminds me of someone. You two ever?" Sonny asked Jake.
"Sabrina? No, she's Cody's girl. She's a good friend of Mom's," Jake informed him.
"Sorry, I've been out of the loop lately."
"Where have you been the past few months?"
"Still giving testimony on a few cases and hiding out," Sonny explained.
"Well, I wish we could talk sometime without being under the gun so to speak," Jake told him.
"That would be good. You blew me away when you told me Donovan had a family, he just didn't seem the type. He seemed more of a loner."
"We were all kind of surprised when we found out, and that he also had kids. It was really strange, like he was two different people."
"Never would've guessed Blakely as his wife either. She's a hell of a woman from my meetings with her."
"When did you two meet?"
"We met after she took over for Bloom. She told me she'd be in charge of my case and she set up my protection, the living arrangements, the whole lot. She's very different in there from the agent I first met."
"Right now you're seeing her parent side. She goes back and forth, like a split personality. She's a very good agent and a great friend but never make her angry, she'll be your worse enemy."
"I can just imagine."
*******
When Sab went in she went over to the coffee table and found the pictures the kidnappers had sent first. Elaina was lying on the couch. She noticed Sab staring at the pictures.
"Sab, what are you doing?" Elaina said, startling her.
"I thought you were asleep. Derek couldn't hold Sarah right?"
"Yeah so?" Elaina sat up on the couch.
"He's holding her in the pictures."
"He probably meant during the video," Elaina suggested, walking over to look over Sab's shoulder.
"Or he wanted you to look at the pictures closer. Look at Sarah in these pictures." Sab handed her the pictures.
Elaina studied the pictures. "Frank! Will you come in here?" Elaina yelled.
Frank came out of the office with Andy. "What's wrong?"
"Look at these pictures. Sarah's hands and Derek's too." Elaina handed him the pictures.
"Sarah could be signing train there and that I'm not sure of." Sab pointed.
"Church. Derek is signing S in the same picture. He's signing C in the one with Sarah signing train," Frank said.
"In this one Sarah is signing hotel, but she also used that one for apartment, she gets them mixed up sometimes," Sab replied.
"How did you know that?" Frank asked.
"She told me about staying at the apartment but she signed hotel. I tried to show her the right sign but I don't know if she's doing it, in that picture."
"You know more about her signing than we do," Elaina told her. Sab smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"S and the C? What is he trying to tell us?" Frank wondered.
"A church that begins with an S or a street they're on. The C must be connected with the train sign," Sab suggested.
"Conrail tracks or Canadian Pacific tracks," Elaina said. "And the church could be Saint Paul or Saint Patrick."
"Let's go find out which one is next to the train tracks." They all walked into the office.
"Where are Monica and Alex?" Elaina asked as she walked in.
"They're using the phone line upstairs with the laptops to check the different van registrations," Andy said.
"Cody, Sab noticed some clues in the pictures. The two of you try to figure out a location using them. And Sab there are a few reflections in those pictures use the imagining software and see if you can see what they are. It might help or it might be a waste of time but you never know," Elaina told them.
"Why don't you ask us to shoot ourselves, it would be a request that was easy?" Cody was stressed again.
"Cody, take a break that's an order," Andy said.
"I'm fine," Cody said, not moving.
"He said it was an order so move," Frank said, angrily.
"Go on, Cody, I'll help Sab," Andy told him.
"I have way too many bosses here," Cody said, quietly as he left.
"He's doing the best he can, as fast as he can," Sab stated.
"I know, that's why he needs another break. He's trying too hard and stressing out," Frank said and left the office.
"He didn't get a chance to tell you, he has the voice finished," Andy played the tape for Elaina.
Elaina listened to the tape over and over. "I know I have heard that voice before. I just don't know where or when. I'll go get Sonny maybe he can recognize it. If they know him, he must've known them." Elaina left but didn't come back in with Sonny and Jake.
"Elaina said you had a tape for Sonny to listen to," Jake said. Andy played the tape for them.
"Got any headphones, so I can listen to it better?" Sonny asked. Sab gave him the headset and he sat down and kept playing it.
"Elaina seems to be handling it ok, right now. Frank is quiet but when he talks, you can hear his frustration and anger," Monica informed them.
"Cody and Sab are analyzing the videotape," Andy told her.
"Good, Frank wants everything on it examined," Monica replied.
They heard the horses and looked out to see Frank and Elaina walking out to the stables. The horses came running up from the pasture to them.
"Come on, any of you want brushed?" Elaina called to them. They all went into their stalls without any trouble. "I guess they all do or they're expecting a treat."
Velvet walked behind Frank until he reached her stall, he pointed her in and she obeyed by going in. When he closed the door she came back over to him to nuzzle him as he scratched her neck.
"You know something is up, don't you girl?" Frank said to Velvet.
"They all sense it. Look at Zeus." Derek's horse was watching the door waiting for Derek to come out. Elaina walked over to him. "He's not coming out today Zeus. You have to let us take care of you." Elaina started to cry again. She walked over to Sahara's stall and fell to the floor crying, uncontrollably.
Frank went over and held her. He couldn't keep his emotions from surfacing too. "I wish I could take away the pain but I can't. We need to work through this as much as we can somehow. Being out of control as I was earlier and now, isn't going to help Derek and Sarah."
"I know it won't help. I do agree, you were way out of line yelling at Cody. We can't help it if our emotions are so screwed up. Right now, I can only think as a mother."
"I know I said we should try to be both parent and agent. You can be who you want and I'll try to be both."
"You keep saying that but so far you can't do both. You have acted more like a father than I have a mother. I really need you more as my husband, than I do as Agent Donovan, so please just be my husband," Elaina said as Frank kissed her.
"Did that help any?" Frank said after the kiss.
"A little. We better do what we came out here for," Elaina said, getting up.
"Wait a minute." Frank kissed her again. This time Elaina wouldn't let go of him sensing he needed her.
"Did that help you any?" Elaina said, after she broke the kiss.
"Actually, it did," Frank said as he went to get the brushes.
****** When they returned to the office they found that Jake had Sonny there. "Sorry we took so long, the horses weren't cooperating with us too much," Elaina fibbed not wanting them to know they both were having trouble coping.
"Sonny, thank you for coming," Frank said shaking his hand.
"When Jake told me what was going on, I thought he was joking. I didn't know you were even married. I never would've guest he was married to you, Agent Blakely." Sonny said, turning to her.
"I keep my maiden name on the job. Frank never wanted anyone knowing, not even his team that he was married but I blew that last summer." Elaina laughed.
"Jake said something about that on the way here. We had talked before but he never mentioned the two of you together."
"That was by our request at first. We just wanted certain people to know that we were married and then eventually we decided, what the hell, why hide it." Elaina smiled.
"Donovan, you just don't seem the type to want people to know you too well. I thought you were more private," Sonny said to Frank.
"It became very difficult to keep her hidden when she became my boss," Frank answered.
"He's changed lately," Elaina said.
"She forced me too," Frank joked, playfully punching her arm.
"Hey, watch it, Mr. Donovan or Mrs. Donovan, will kick your ass," Elaina teased.
"Oh boy! Here we go again," Sab said behind Elaina.
"Did you say something again, Agent Kells?" Frank asked.
"No sir. I was just talking to the computer." Sab smiled.
"Sonny, you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Frank told him.
"I'll do it. I want to help; I like kids. I don't want to see anything happen to yours because of me."
"Thank you, Sonny," Elaina said, with a smile.
******
The phone rang and it caused Elaina to jump. Frank went over to answer it. "Donovan."
"You have 3 hours to get the ransom together or your children will pay for your not cooperating," the kidnapper said.
"We'll have it. I want to talk to my children," Frank insisted.
"Three hours," the caller repeated and hung up.
Frank looked over to Elaina who was holding Sab. Sab was crying as Cody tried to comfort her, whispering in her ear.
"I'll tell the bank manager we're ready for the ransom and to bring it here. I called him earlier to have it ready," Frank told Elaina.
"You realize they aren't going to let them loose after we pay," Elaina said, getting up to let Cody hold Sabrina.
"Don't say that! They have to. I refuse to believe, that they would hurt Derek or little Sarah." Sab was almost yelling.
"I don't want to believe it either but we have to deal with what we know. Most kidnappers don't let them go," Elaina stated.
"We're doing everything we can to find them and bring them home safe," Alex said.
"Sab, why don't you go lay down upstairs," Cody suggested.
"No! I want to help you. I'll be fine," Sab said.
"Cody is right you need to take a break," Frank said.
"Ok. I'll just go for a walk outside and clear my head," Sab conceded.
"Mind if I walk with you?" Jake asked. "I could use the fresh air."
"Free country. I won't be very good company," Sab said putting on her jacket.
"Good company or not, I don't want anyone wandering around alone right now. I don't trust anyone being alone," Elaina said, sadly.
"I know how to defend myself," Sab stated.
"So did Derek," Elaina said.
"Oh. ok let's go," Sab said, leaving the office with Jake.
Cody watched them leave together. "Thanks, Elaina. I didn't want her out alone but you could've asked Monica or Alex to go."
"The right person went Cody, there's a reason for doing it this way," Elaina told him.
"If you say so." Cody went back to work.
Sab walked out to the cars and sat on one of them. "That's Frank's car don't dent it," Jake kidded her.
"If I feel like denting something, I'll punch you, how's that?"
"I've seen you hit someone before, so I'll try to be ready for you."
"Why are you really out here with me?" Sab was suspicious.
"Elaina said we should talk," Jake confessed.
"Thought so. She thinks I should look for my real mother, but I don't see why I should. Allison and Elaina have helped me more than she ever could."
"But neither one of them are your real Mom. I know my mom was your guardian at one time."
"She told you about that?"
"It slipped out one day, I told her I wouldn't say anything to anyone. I never thought I needed a mom either until I met Allison. It seems I can talk to her about anything and she never hesitates to tell me what she thinks, if I do something wrong."
"I think part of that may be her training more than being a Mom," Sab said, being a little skeptic.
"It's hard to explain but having a mom has changed me a little. I really love having her here and being able to talk to her and see her," Jake explained.
"Allison said you had reservations about her at first, you thought she wasn't your Mom. How did you feel the moment you found out she was?"
"I was stunned, I didn't believe it. I had to read the DNA test over and over until it sunk in. I actually cried, but I'll deny it if you tell anyone," Jake told her.
"Here I thought you were a tough guy," Sab joked.
"I've been asking her questions ever since then. I've learned a lot about her and her family, my family," Jake corrected himself.
"What if I find my Mom and she doesn't want me? I don't need rejection," Sad said to him.
"That's a risk you'll be taking, but you could find out that she's been looking for you too."
"It's that risk, I'm not sure I'm willing to take," Sab said as Sonny walked out lighting a cigarette.
"Am I interrupting anything kid?" Sonny asked.
"No, we were just talking about my Mom," Jake answered.
"Why isn't she here?" Sab wondered.
"She's away at a conference, she'll be back tomorrow."
"Either way this goes, I think Elaina, maybe the whole family, will need her," Sab said, sadly.
"Derek is smart, he'll protect himself and Sarah as best he can," Jake told her.
"You're right Derek is smart and resourceful. I wonder..excuse me I just thought of something." Sab went back to the house.
"She's a pretty lady, reminds me of someone. You two ever?" Sonny asked Jake.
"Sabrina? No, she's Cody's girl. She's a good friend of Mom's," Jake informed him.
"Sorry, I've been out of the loop lately."
"Where have you been the past few months?"
"Still giving testimony on a few cases and hiding out," Sonny explained.
"Well, I wish we could talk sometime without being under the gun so to speak," Jake told him.
"That would be good. You blew me away when you told me Donovan had a family, he just didn't seem the type. He seemed more of a loner."
"We were all kind of surprised when we found out, and that he also had kids. It was really strange, like he was two different people."
"Never would've guessed Blakely as his wife either. She's a hell of a woman from my meetings with her."
"When did you two meet?"
"We met after she took over for Bloom. She told me she'd be in charge of my case and she set up my protection, the living arrangements, the whole lot. She's very different in there from the agent I first met."
"Right now you're seeing her parent side. She goes back and forth, like a split personality. She's a very good agent and a great friend but never make her angry, she'll be your worse enemy."
"I can just imagine."
*******
When Sab went in she went over to the coffee table and found the pictures the kidnappers had sent first. Elaina was lying on the couch. She noticed Sab staring at the pictures.
"Sab, what are you doing?" Elaina said, startling her.
"I thought you were asleep. Derek couldn't hold Sarah right?"
"Yeah so?" Elaina sat up on the couch.
"He's holding her in the pictures."
"He probably meant during the video," Elaina suggested, walking over to look over Sab's shoulder.
"Or he wanted you to look at the pictures closer. Look at Sarah in these pictures." Sab handed her the pictures.
Elaina studied the pictures. "Frank! Will you come in here?" Elaina yelled.
Frank came out of the office with Andy. "What's wrong?"
"Look at these pictures. Sarah's hands and Derek's too." Elaina handed him the pictures.
"Sarah could be signing train there and that I'm not sure of." Sab pointed.
"Church. Derek is signing S in the same picture. He's signing C in the one with Sarah signing train," Frank said.
"In this one Sarah is signing hotel, but she also used that one for apartment, she gets them mixed up sometimes," Sab replied.
"How did you know that?" Frank asked.
"She told me about staying at the apartment but she signed hotel. I tried to show her the right sign but I don't know if she's doing it, in that picture."
"You know more about her signing than we do," Elaina told her. Sab smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"S and the C? What is he trying to tell us?" Frank wondered.
"A church that begins with an S or a street they're on. The C must be connected with the train sign," Sab suggested.
"Conrail tracks or Canadian Pacific tracks," Elaina said. "And the church could be Saint Paul or Saint Patrick."
"Let's go find out which one is next to the train tracks." They all walked into the office.
"Where are Monica and Alex?" Elaina asked as she walked in.
"They're using the phone line upstairs with the laptops to check the different van registrations," Andy said.
"Cody, Sab noticed some clues in the pictures. The two of you try to figure out a location using them. And Sab there are a few reflections in those pictures use the imagining software and see if you can see what they are. It might help or it might be a waste of time but you never know," Elaina told them.
"Why don't you ask us to shoot ourselves, it would be a request that was easy?" Cody was stressed again.
"Cody, take a break that's an order," Andy said.
"I'm fine," Cody said, not moving.
"He said it was an order so move," Frank said, angrily.
"Go on, Cody, I'll help Sab," Andy told him.
"I have way too many bosses here," Cody said, quietly as he left.
"He's doing the best he can, as fast as he can," Sab stated.
"I know, that's why he needs another break. He's trying too hard and stressing out," Frank said and left the office.
"He didn't get a chance to tell you, he has the voice finished," Andy played the tape for Elaina.
Elaina listened to the tape over and over. "I know I have heard that voice before. I just don't know where or when. I'll go get Sonny maybe he can recognize it. If they know him, he must've known them." Elaina left but didn't come back in with Sonny and Jake.
"Elaina said you had a tape for Sonny to listen to," Jake said. Andy played the tape for them.
"Got any headphones, so I can listen to it better?" Sonny asked. Sab gave him the headset and he sat down and kept playing it.