Here is chapter 5 hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review. //thought//

Chapter 5

(Alaska)

"Hey Shal how's everything going?"

"Fine why?"

"What I'm not allowed to check in now too?"

"Funny Mulwray."

"You know it babe."

"So you almost there?" Shal asked as she took a sip of her french vanilla mocha.

"Almost, and Shal?"

"Yeah Bren."

"Don't have to much fun without me."

"Oh I won't." Shal joked.

Just as Brennan went radio silent, Shalimar sensed something unexpected. She looked up from her table in the back corner of the restaurant to see an all too familiar face walk in.

//Don't stare and maybe he won't notice I'm here. Ha don't kid yourself you know he may not see you but he will sense you just like you sensed him.//

Just as Shalimar looked up she was greeted with the face of Richard Saunders.

"Shalimar what are you doing out here?"

"Ah well, Adam sent us on a mission."

"Oh, so you tracking something on that computer or are you just hanging out. Anyway I'm guessing that it's the latter of the two so I'll leave you alone." Richard said as he was about to walk off."

Not wanting to be ruse since he did apologize for what had happened, and even though she still loved Brennan a small part of her would always care for Richard in one way or another.

"Richard."

"Yeah?"

"You want to have a cup of a coffee with me or something."

"I'd love to." Richard sat down and couldn't help but stare at Shalimar.

"What do I have horns growing out of my head or something?"

"Oh, sorry." Richard finally stopped staring.

"So what are you doing here if you don't mind me asking?"

"Of course I don't mind after all it is you. To answer your question I didn't want to go into the Underground so I decided to move somewhere that I wouldn't be bothered. My parents went on vacation one year, and they liked this place so much the next year they brought me, and I've just always loved it."

"Cool so you live around here huh?"

"Yeah, I really like it to it's a lot different from the city everyone knows everyone, it's like one big happy family."

"Sounds picture perfect." Shal was shocked at how they could still just talk.

"You could say that but it's really not."

"What you mean you said you love it here?"

"I do but even though this town is like a family it still gets a little lonely sometimes."

"So not married yet huh?"

"No, I don't even have a girlfriend, don't really want one right now you know." Richard wanted to change the subject because if they didn't Shalimar was sure to realize that he still wanted her, badly. //Damn she so gorgeous how could she think I could just get over her.//

"Shal, Shal you there?" Brennan asked as he seen the gigantic building in front of him.

There was no reply. Shalimar had unknowingly turned off her comm ring while she was talking, and the battery on the computer died. If she had been paying attention she would have plugged it into the outlet near the table, which was one of the reasons she chose that table to sit at.

"Jesse, Emma anybody for crying out loud!" Brennan was getting frustrated, and a little worried that Shalimar didn't answer him.

"I'm here Brennan." Jesse said

"Look there is building here but it doesn't look like one of Echardt's places. There are no guards outside, no cameras, the place is dead."

"Who knows Echardt is pretty smart when it comes to hiding things, but at least we know that there is in fact something to be checked into now. I'm going to start a check see if I can find anything. In the meantime go back and spend some time with Shal since we both know that's what you want to do, and drive safe."

"Alright I will except for the fact that Shalimar won't answer me is her comm ring on?"

"Um, let me check." Jesse did a quick check on the computer console he was working at and sure enough he found the reason why Shal wasn't answering Brennan.

"Her comm ring isn't on, I'll try and get a hold of her for you somehow though."

"Cool thanks Jess, and tell her that I'll be at the café in no time."

"Done now let me go find out what Emma is up to she's been too quiet she might be trying to plan on how to get me back for the other remember?"

"Yeah if she does decide to get you back, and she should you should be very afraid."

"Trust me I am."

"Later."

"Yeah you to and have fun at the, café, ha maybe you could read some of your poetry."

"Jess you're so dead when I get home, tell Emma hey for me to."

"Yeah whatever."

Once again Brennan turned on the radio and drove wondering why Shal's comm ring was off line. Then as soon as he turned the corner he was run off the road by an 18-wheeler. He drove into a ditch to avoid being hit. //What the hell is going on, and where the hell did that truck come from.//

At that moment two guys came up beside the Aztec without Brennan knowing. On guy shot what looked to be a dart threw the window, and it hit Brennan in the side of the neck. Brennan pulled out the dart and almost immediately fell unconscious.

"Hurry up we don't have much time before he wakes up, and we don't want to tick off the good old doctor." One guy said as the other guy helped him get Brennan out of the vehicle.

(Café)

Shalimar had been so busy talking with Richard that she lost track of time, and forgot almost completely about Brennan, and the assignment. As Richard was talking to fiddled with the ring on her hand, and turned it back on even though she hadn't realized she had turned it off in the first place.

"I love Christmas it's so peaceful and calming."

"That's exactly what Brennan said the other day. Oh my god Brennan." Shal had finally realized what time it was, and that Brennan should have been back by now. "Bren are you there?" She got no answer, so she tried again but to no avail. "Jesse, Emma can you hear me?"

"Yeah we're here Shal, what happened why did you turn off your ring?" We've been trying to get a hold of you for the past hour."

"Hour, past hour, yeah Brennan checked in about that long ago, and said he couldn't get threw to you."

"He won't answer me, was everything okay when he checked in?" Shalimar was worried now, so worried that she hadn't realized that Richard was holding her hand.

"He was fine but about fifteen minutes ago his comm ring was disconnected. Shal what the hell have you been doing anyway."

"I was uh,,"

"Uh what Shal we don't have time for this something has happened to Brennan." Emma didn't know what had happened to her best friend but knew something was up.

"I was talking with Richard."

"Richard what the hell is Richard doing there?"

"I'll explain later. I'm heading back to the cottage to see if I can get the satellite feed on the Aztec."

"Okay Shal, and hurry. Jess said knowing something not good happened to Brennan.

Shalimar ran out of the café with Richard close behind.

"Hey is there anything I can do to help."

"Maybe just follow me back to the cottage."

The fifteen minute drive back to the cabin had turned into a half hour drive because a snow storm had blown in. All Shalimar could do was hope that Brennan was okay and that it was just the weather. It was just that something inside her told her that that wasn' the case.

Hope you like the chapter, and don't forget to review, even if you didn't like it. So what do you all think should happen, I have an idea but the rest of the story still isn't written, so if you want or think somehting should happen let me, and if it fits I'll try and work it in. Ciao for now. Oh and that review button is right there and you know you want to click on so give in to the urge.