Disclaimer: Profiler and all characters belongs to NBC, Sanders/Moses Productions, Cynthia Saunders, Stephen Kronish ... Not to me. No copyright infringement intended.

Part XVI : We missed him

The rest of the team had arrived when Bailey joined the VCTF command center. They were having breakfast and were chatting all together. Voices went low when Bailey entered the room. He looked exhausted but the veil of sorrow that had come over his eyes a few minutes ago had disappeared. His voice was clear and loud.

" George, " he started " I want you to stay in close contact with lieutenant Granger in Atlanta PD. He's in charge of the surveillance. Grace, once you have finished your autopsy reports, I'd like you to send them to Granger so that they can open a file.
- He'll have them in two hours." Grace answered.
" Sam, go on working on the profiles, will you. We cannot maintain the surveillance on five people for ever. Jack's probably made his mind on one of them. Call me if you have anything new." The tone of his voice was as usual, as if nothing had occurred. " John, can you come with me for the visits. I may need some help."

John nodded and the two of them left the place.

" What happened ?" Grace asked, looking at Sam. Sam turned to Grace, surprised.
" What do you mean ?
- Sam, I've known the two of you long enough to see when something is wrong. I also know you two have a natural tendency to seriously complicate simple things.
- Things have a natural tendency to get complicated by themselves !
- Something was upsetting Bailey this morning and it was not only Jack, was it ?
- I told him we should stop seeing each other for some time, until we get our hands on Jack."

George suddenly stopped playing with his computer. Grace and he stared at Sam. She looked away.

" I think it's the best solution ... at least the most reasonable one." Her two colleagues were still looking at her in silence. "He understands." she added.
" Bailey would believe the earth is flat if you said so." George said.
" I understand, Sam." Grace went on. "But try not to be to tough on him. He doesn't need it right now. Well, I'd better go back to my autopsies. See you later."

Sam sat down and returned to her notes. "Ok," George said "Just tell me what you need to know about these people. I'm at your full disposal."

The first two visits had been easier than Bailey would have thought. John Brigham and Matt Slow were not the kind of guys to be easily frightened or impressed. They had listened to Bailey carefully and had accepted the protection of the police without any problem.

It was almost noon when they arrived in front of Nancy Parker's house. Nancy was a US political adviser in Viet Nam back in year '70. She was the one who had notice Bailey and recruited him into the secret services. They had been together for a while, but it did not work and they decided to be just good friends. They kept contact over the years and were still giving each other a call from time to time.

John parked the car and they stepped out.

" Will I have the right to a lunch after this one ?" John asked.
" Yes. If you behave.
- I'll be a good boy, dad. I promise."

Bailey laughed. He went to the house and rang the door bell. A few seconds later, Nancy came to open.

" Malone ! What the hell are you doing here ?
- Is that the way you welcome old friends ? How are you, Nancy ?
- Fine, fine. I'm fine. But you look terrible !
- Thanks. Nancy, this is John, John Grant, a colleague of mine. John, this is Nancy.
- Pleased to meet you." John said. They shook hands.
" Please, come on in."

The two agents followed her inside.

" How are Jeffrey and the kids ?" Bailey asked.
" Just great. Jeff's in Washington for a medical congress. He'll be sorry to have missed you. Sit down. Can I offer you something ?
- I'll have a beer.
- Agent Grant ?
- A beer will do. Thanks."

Nancy came back from the kitchen with three beers and sat on the couch in front of the two men.

" So, I guess this is not a courtesy call, is it ?
- No. It's official."

Bailey told her about the situation. He did not spare her any detail.

" Well. I guess I should be afraid." she said when Bailey was finished. "What's next ?
- Two police cars, unmarked, are watching over your house since last night. We want to put you and your family under protection.
- We'd better not tell Jeff. You know how he feels about the FBI." She smiled. "Did you gentlemen already have lunch ?
- Not yet !" John answered immediately. Bailey gave him an amused look. John certainly noticed the change in his boss and was happy he could relax a bit.

" Then be my guest. We can discuss the good old days and tell this young man a few state secrets. I'm sure he would like that.
- What he would like is food !
- I've got that too."

It was a nice spring day. They dressed the table in the garden and Nancy prepared a big mixed salad. They spent the lunch discussing various subjects, none of them having anything to do with Jack.

" John, would you like a coffee ?" Nancy asked.
" Yes thanks.
- I'm not asking you, Malone ?
- You don't have to."

She smiled back at him and stood up. It was then Bailey saw the rifle. It was pointed in their direction from the upper window of a house two blocks away. Bailey suddenly rushed out to Nancy, screaming her name. He managed pushing her aside, in the grass, just in time.

John did not understand what was happening until he heard the bang. He jumped down and pushed the table to make a shield of it.

Bailey hardly fell the pain in his arm. He crept to Nancy and covered her with his body. "John," he yelled, "the pink house, two blocks away, South West ! First floor, on the right !
- I've got it."

John crawled to the border of the table and pointed his gun in the direction Bailey had given. A secong bang came and he hid. When he finally managed getting out, the figure in the window frame had disappeared. "He's gone !" he said. "The cops !" Bailey shouted. John took his phone and called the police car parked in front of the house. He gave the cop all the details he could and they heard the car move off.

Bailey rolled back. "Nancy, are you Ok ?
- I think so.
- John ?
- I'm fine, and you ?
- I believe I've been hit, but nothing serious."

John looked at him. His shirt was covered with blood. John went to him as fast as he could. Nancy was already removing Bailey's shirt.

" Don't worry for me." Bailey said. "He got me in the arm. Go and give the cops a hand.
- It's Ok, John." Nancy added. "I'm taking care of him."

Grace, Sam and George were having sandwiches in the cafeteria when George's beeper rang. He wasn't used to it and had to search all his pockets before he could locate the little electronic device.

" John. " he said to the two women in front of him. Sam instantly knew something was wrong. She was faster than George, took her cell phone and called John.
" John, what is it ?" she asked.
" Sam ! How come ...
- I was faster than George. Where is Bailey.
- We are at Nancy Parker's, potential target number three. Well, "potential" seems an euphemism.
- What happened ?
- We experienced a little visit from our old friend Jack.
- How is Bailey ?
- He's gonna be Ok. He was hit in the arm, but the medics are taking good care of him.
- We're coming."

She cut the communication before John could add a single word. She stood up.

" Bailey's been shot. We're moving." she abruptly said to her two colleagues, suddenly aware of their presence.
" Where ?" George asked
" In the arm.
- I mean where are we going ?
- To ... I forgot to ask. John talked about a Nancy something."

The three of them left the VCTF in a hurry. Grace took Sam's phone from her hands and called back John. They were already in the parking when Grace got the address.

" Sam, I'm driving." George said. She handed him her car keys and they left the building.
" John, how is he ?" Grace asked on the phone.
" I think he's gonna be fine. He was shot in the arm. There was a lot of blood, but he looked allright. I'm not with him right now, but I got his friend on the phone. An ambulance has arrived and the doctors are taking care of him on the scene. From what I heard, he refused to go to the hospital. I think you should come.
- We're on our way. Did you get Jack ?
- I'm afraid we missed him again. He shot from about a hundred feet. By the time we got there, he had disappeared. The cops are searching the place, but we could use Sam here.
- We'll be with you in five minutes."

Sam was pale. Her fingers were clinging to her seat.

" Sam ?" Grace asked gently, but she got no answer. " Sam ?" Her voice was louder and she had put her hand on her friend's shoulder. Sam got out of her thoughts and looked at Grace.
" Gracie, I ...
- Sam, he's gonna be allright. His wound is not serious. He doesn't even want to go to the hospital.
- Grace, what I told him this morning ...
- I know. It was all to protect him. He knows it too.
- I'm not sure of it. His eyes were so desperate ... I thought I was doing the right thing but I was wrong.
- Then you'll tell him.
- I hurt him, Grace. I hurt him really bad."

Grace took the young woman in her arms and hold her tight.

" It's Ok, Sam. You love him and he loves you. The rest doesn't matter.
- They missed Jack, didn't they ?
- We'll catch him sooner or later." George said.

They arrived on the scene a few minutes later. The only thing Sam saw was the ambulance parked in front of the house. She rushed out of the car even before George had stopped the engine.

Bailey was sitting in the back of the vehicle. A young doctor was dealing with his left wounded arm while a nurse was giving him an injection. John was there, with an older woman Sam did not know.

She ran to them and kneeled before Bailey. She was almost as pale as he was.

" Honey, are you Ok ?" she asked. Bailey forced the doctor to let go his arm and took Sam's face in his hands.
" I'm fine, baby. It's nothing to worry about. Calm down. You won't get rid of me so easily.
- I certainly don't want to interrupt, " the doctor said, "but I think it could even be better if you let me take this bullet out of your arm !
- Is it still in ?" Sam asked. The young man nodded. " Bailey, you must go to the hospital.
- Why should I ?" he said gaily. "I've got the best medical team in town with me !
- Grace ?" Sam asked to the woman, who had just joined them with George.
" It's Ok, Sam. I thing he'll survive.
- Hey, I'm not dead yet ! Please quit these long faces, will you ?"

Bailey tried to look good, but his voice was slow and Grace saw his hands were shaking.

" We'd better go and see if we can find something." she suggested.
" I'm staying with him." Sam answered.
" Sam !" John went on, " We need you there.
- Go !" Bailey added. " I'm in good hands here. I'll join you there when he's finished."

Sam left reluctantly with Grace and John. After an hour or so, they had to admit there was nothing to discover in the house itself.

The ambulance had disappeared, as well as Bailey, when they returned. The woman Sam had noticed earlier came to them.

" I'm Nancy Parker, the target." she said. " You must be Sam.
- Yes. This is Grace Alvarez, John Grant.
- John and I already met. Bailey was tired, so George drove him back to your headquarters.
- Thanks. Are you Ok ?
- Don't worry for me. This is not the first time someone shoots at me, or Bailey saves my life. I'll survive. Just get that son of a bitch."



To be continued ... R&R, Thanks.
Absolut.