Title: Touchstone

Chapter: 7

Author: Evidence

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Thanks to D and Maple Street.

"Hello, Shauna."

She gulped fighting back tears. It was making sense now. Sense how the man with the bomb got past security. Lyle Mason was the senior of the two security guards, always friendly and greeting her with a warm smile. Tommy had considered him a friend. But now he stood over her, his uniform still on staring down at her with cold blue eyes. He removed the rag from her mouth.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked shaking slightly.

"I didn't have a choice." He moved her so that she was forced to sit up.

"What do you mean?" Her stomach was in knots.

"I did something years ago and Franklin Podena helped me cover it up," Mason replied. "If I don't help him now he'll tell the police."

"So you would rather kill innocent people than tell your secret?" Shauna asked feeling the world as she had once knew it was crashing down around her.

"I have already killed one." Mason's face grew whiter than it already was. "I didn't mean to but these things happen."

"Murder doesn't just happen!"

"No it doesn't," Mason replied shaking his head. "I denoted the bomb already and now for the last part of my mission." He removed his gun from its holster. "I'm sorry Shauna you seemed like a nice girl."

++++

There was light dancing before his eyes. He thought for sure that he could hear Danny's voice repeating his name over and over. Eventually his vision cleared and the rest of his senses returned to normal. He was in a hospital. He was sore but not in pain anymore. Danny was talking to a doctor as Vivian hovered right over to him seeing he was awake.

"Martin, hey, glad to see you." She smiled at him and gently took his hand.

He tried to speak but the words were not forthcoming.

"Hey man," Danny said walking with the doctor to his bed. "You're going to be good as new in no time."

Martin wanted to ask what was wrong with him but he couldn't find his voice. He tried to lift his right arm but it didn't budge while stiffly the left did.

"I'm Doctor Kincaid," a pudgy man with a large moustache said. "You sprained both arms but the right has tendon damage. You were very lucky expect for a concussion and bruises you suffered no burns or breaks."

Martin coughed and tried again to speak. "Thanks," came slowly out of his mouth. Danny and Vivian were both smiling but Martin didn't. People were injured, he knew, and here he lay with only minor problems. The FBI agent who saved himself but no one else.

++++

Jack crumbled in the hallway. Podena had taunted him by telling him he had ordered Samantha's murder. Jack felt his head spinning, his heart numb. It was nearly the same feeling he had felt when he saw Hanna's nearly lifeless body.

His cell rang but he didn't want to answer it. Who cared if they were all dead. The ringing was insistent and Jack found himself answering it gruffly, "What?"

"Jack..."

Her voice sent spasms to his heart. "Oh God, oh Sam..."

"What? What's the matter?" there was alarm in her voice.

"I thought you were dead," he let out a gulping sigh.

"Oh Jack, why?"

"Podena told me he had ordered a hit on you."

"He tried but I was much faster than the hitman."

Jack laughed slightly. "That's my girl."

"Would you like to meet my would-be-killer?" Samantha asked breathing normally herself now.

"Yes, especially alone in a dark alley."

"My hero," she said quietly into the phone.

"I love you Sam," he answered back.

"I love you, too."

"Where are you right now?" he asked.

"Headquarters."

"On my way."

He smiled as he put his phone away and headed out of the mental hospital.

+++++

Thomas Spade walked with conviction down the street although he had no clue where he was going. He just felt that Shauna would lead him to her. That the connection they had was so deep that he would feel where she was. It was crazy he realized somewhere in his mind- probably an alien notion put into his head but he had to pursue Shauna. He could not let her down.

He continued walking and then he saw a car slow near him. It was white, old, and some sort of Chevy. In the driver's seat was a familiar face: Lyle Mason, a security guard at the courthouse.

"Lyle," Thomas said moving closer.

Lyle pulled out his gun and that was when he saw the blood on his uniform.

"I'm sorry Thomas, I know how much you loved her," Mason was saying pointing the gun at him.

"No, no," Thomas repeated tears filling his eyes.

"The pain will end now," Mason told him beginning to squeeze the trigger.

Thomas was full of rage and like an unleashed jungle cat he sprang forth grabbing the gun and making the shot go upward. He tore the gun from Mason's hands and pointed it back to him.

"Where is she?"

Mason gulped. "She's dead it's done."

"Tell me where her body is then." Thomas felt like shooting him.

"I'll show you get into the car."

Thomas reluctantly got into the car's passenger side. He pointed the gun at Mason's temple. "Drive," he instructed for I have nothing now to live for and killing you will give me pleasure."

They stopped at an abandoned warehouse. Thomas, sweating, made Mason open the door. Inside laid the bloody figure of Shauna McClaine.

To be continued...