Chapter 14:
Erika seemed almost amused when the two agents entered the interrogation room for the second time in two days to talk to her.
"Nice to see you again."
It sounded more than cynical, but she seemed to have a lot of fun with it. Probably because she knew they hadn't gotten any further with their investigation.
"What can I do for you this time?"
Jack didn't like her bumptious appearance, she was much too sure about herself. It would only make it harder to get information from her. But he wasn't willing to let her self-righteous way of behaving get him out of his concept. He tried directly and open.
"You could tell us where your brother and Andrea have gone to."
She smiled.
"I'm sorry."
She said simply, sounding so carefree as if there was nothing at risk. Sam tried again in a more psychological, emotional way.
"We need your help, Erika."
She turned to face Sam.
"I already told you yesterday – I can't help you."
She still stayed completely calm and slowly she started to make Jack furious with that.
"Even if that means that you would put both of them into danger."
She smiled again.
"But that's not happening."
Complete carelessness could be heard in her voice. He was losing his patience on her, on her way of behaving, on her complacence and arrogance, her carelessness and naivete and her complete and blind trust in her brothers' abilities.
"We know that Daniel has taken Andrea with him from that clinic!"
Jack finally revealed. This cat-and-mouse-game with Erika got on his nerves more and more. There was too much at risk. They didn't have the time to match with each other's strength and test who would bear up longer. He needed the information she had. But his little outburst and the fact that they knew why Danny had disappeared didn't seem to agitate Erika at all.
"Good."
She said, as if it was self-evident. Jack wished to scream loudly, the way Erika put her brother and sister into danger by her silence and her stubborness – knowingly and without turning a hair – made him feel rage. He asked himself how she could be so bullheaded and blimkered. All of a sudden a thought came to his mind: maybe she hadn't realized she was putting the two into danger. Maybe she hadn't realized the letter was the only thing Brooks would send to silence Andrea. Maybe she hadn't realized how far Brooks was willing to go. She knew Brooks. She had stood eye to eye with him, had tried to kill him. But obviously she didn't consider him to be that dangerous, he could actually find Danny and Andrea. Not even talking about hurting them. To her eyes it had been more like a precaution to get Andrea out of that clinic, than actual protection. Erika condemned Brooks. She felt there was nothing about him that justified his life going on. Otherwise she wouldn't have done what she had done and what she was in prison for now. This needed to be put into consideration when judging about her estimation of Brooks' abilities. She simply didn't think him capable of sorting out such complex plans and finding her two relatives. She felt superior to him. That also explained her uncompromising behavior – she didn't see the danger. And that was her fatal mistake.
"Brooks hired someone to break into the mental institution and take a picture of Andrea and the same person is still searching for her. He has hired someone skillfull enough to get into a highly protected clinic, almost like a prison without even being seen and he searches for Andrea! Brooks isn't willing to go to prison, whatever it'll cost. He won't give up, not until he has found Andrea. And as the situation has proceeded by now, it could – most likely – happen. What do you think will happen to her then? Or to your brother? Do you really believe Brooks needs any witnesses?"
Sam gave him a horror-striken look. He had no authority to tell the results of their investigation to Erika. Especially not if it considered such a delicate theme as the rapist of her younger sister, who she tried to kill. She didn't even get a chance to intervent, he already had said it out loud. She just asked herself what – the hell – had been his motivation. She then looked at Erika and she knew. For the first time since they had entered this room, her face was showing an emotion, a reaction. She was afraid, you could see it in her eyes. Jack had made it clear to her – her family actually was in danger and now she was anxious for them. Jack tried to break through her defense once again.
"Your brother and sister are in danger, Erika! In extreme danger. It' s most likely that Brooks can find them. And he wants nothing more but to silence them. And by all given respect you have for Danny and his skills – he can never protect her all alone."
Erika looked at him intentively, with eyes wide open. He could hear her breathe deeply and Sam saw how she was clenching her fists. She seemed to realize – more and more, that Jack was right. His face's expression got softer, his voice lowered.
"Help us Erika, help us to find your family. Help us to find them before Brooks does, before it's too late. Help us!"
She looked at him and the intensity hadn't vanished from her eyes, but it had mixed with something that looked like desperation to Jack. He didn't like that look, didn't like it after all.
"I can't."
She said quietly and got an almost quiet response.
"You have to."
All of a sudden all of the emotion she had held back were breaking free. She jumped out of her chair, bowed over the table standing between them and screamed at Jack.
"I can't, even if I would want to and I do! But I can't help you! I don't know where they are!"
She was breathing heavily and he could see that she was close to tears. She sank back to her chair, covered her face in her hands and started to cry silently. Sam rose, went round the table and handed her a handkerchief. She took it – without saying a word - and wiped the tears from her face.
"Why not?"
Sam asked in a calm and soft voice. Erika looked at her directly.
"As a precaution, so I couldn't reveal anything. There is a specific reason for Danny warning me about your visit. He knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut and I would give in sooner or later. He knew it! So he didn't tell me where he would take Andrea. He didn't tell me! I don't know where they are!"
"It's okay."
Jack assured her in a soothing voice. Sam lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks."
She said simply. Erika gave her another desperate look.
"I don't believe Thanks´ is the right word to say."...
Erika seemed almost amused when the two agents entered the interrogation room for the second time in two days to talk to her.
"Nice to see you again."
It sounded more than cynical, but she seemed to have a lot of fun with it. Probably because she knew they hadn't gotten any further with their investigation.
"What can I do for you this time?"
Jack didn't like her bumptious appearance, she was much too sure about herself. It would only make it harder to get information from her. But he wasn't willing to let her self-righteous way of behaving get him out of his concept. He tried directly and open.
"You could tell us where your brother and Andrea have gone to."
She smiled.
"I'm sorry."
She said simply, sounding so carefree as if there was nothing at risk. Sam tried again in a more psychological, emotional way.
"We need your help, Erika."
She turned to face Sam.
"I already told you yesterday – I can't help you."
She still stayed completely calm and slowly she started to make Jack furious with that.
"Even if that means that you would put both of them into danger."
She smiled again.
"But that's not happening."
Complete carelessness could be heard in her voice. He was losing his patience on her, on her way of behaving, on her complacence and arrogance, her carelessness and naivete and her complete and blind trust in her brothers' abilities.
"We know that Daniel has taken Andrea with him from that clinic!"
Jack finally revealed. This cat-and-mouse-game with Erika got on his nerves more and more. There was too much at risk. They didn't have the time to match with each other's strength and test who would bear up longer. He needed the information she had. But his little outburst and the fact that they knew why Danny had disappeared didn't seem to agitate Erika at all.
"Good."
She said, as if it was self-evident. Jack wished to scream loudly, the way Erika put her brother and sister into danger by her silence and her stubborness – knowingly and without turning a hair – made him feel rage. He asked himself how she could be so bullheaded and blimkered. All of a sudden a thought came to his mind: maybe she hadn't realized she was putting the two into danger. Maybe she hadn't realized the letter was the only thing Brooks would send to silence Andrea. Maybe she hadn't realized how far Brooks was willing to go. She knew Brooks. She had stood eye to eye with him, had tried to kill him. But obviously she didn't consider him to be that dangerous, he could actually find Danny and Andrea. Not even talking about hurting them. To her eyes it had been more like a precaution to get Andrea out of that clinic, than actual protection. Erika condemned Brooks. She felt there was nothing about him that justified his life going on. Otherwise she wouldn't have done what she had done and what she was in prison for now. This needed to be put into consideration when judging about her estimation of Brooks' abilities. She simply didn't think him capable of sorting out such complex plans and finding her two relatives. She felt superior to him. That also explained her uncompromising behavior – she didn't see the danger. And that was her fatal mistake.
"Brooks hired someone to break into the mental institution and take a picture of Andrea and the same person is still searching for her. He has hired someone skillfull enough to get into a highly protected clinic, almost like a prison without even being seen and he searches for Andrea! Brooks isn't willing to go to prison, whatever it'll cost. He won't give up, not until he has found Andrea. And as the situation has proceeded by now, it could – most likely – happen. What do you think will happen to her then? Or to your brother? Do you really believe Brooks needs any witnesses?"
Sam gave him a horror-striken look. He had no authority to tell the results of their investigation to Erika. Especially not if it considered such a delicate theme as the rapist of her younger sister, who she tried to kill. She didn't even get a chance to intervent, he already had said it out loud. She just asked herself what – the hell – had been his motivation. She then looked at Erika and she knew. For the first time since they had entered this room, her face was showing an emotion, a reaction. She was afraid, you could see it in her eyes. Jack had made it clear to her – her family actually was in danger and now she was anxious for them. Jack tried to break through her defense once again.
"Your brother and sister are in danger, Erika! In extreme danger. It' s most likely that Brooks can find them. And he wants nothing more but to silence them. And by all given respect you have for Danny and his skills – he can never protect her all alone."
Erika looked at him intentively, with eyes wide open. He could hear her breathe deeply and Sam saw how she was clenching her fists. She seemed to realize – more and more, that Jack was right. His face's expression got softer, his voice lowered.
"Help us Erika, help us to find your family. Help us to find them before Brooks does, before it's too late. Help us!"
She looked at him and the intensity hadn't vanished from her eyes, but it had mixed with something that looked like desperation to Jack. He didn't like that look, didn't like it after all.
"I can't."
She said quietly and got an almost quiet response.
"You have to."
All of a sudden all of the emotion she had held back were breaking free. She jumped out of her chair, bowed over the table standing between them and screamed at Jack.
"I can't, even if I would want to and I do! But I can't help you! I don't know where they are!"
She was breathing heavily and he could see that she was close to tears. She sank back to her chair, covered her face in her hands and started to cry silently. Sam rose, went round the table and handed her a handkerchief. She took it – without saying a word - and wiped the tears from her face.
"Why not?"
Sam asked in a calm and soft voice. Erika looked at her directly.
"As a precaution, so I couldn't reveal anything. There is a specific reason for Danny warning me about your visit. He knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut and I would give in sooner or later. He knew it! So he didn't tell me where he would take Andrea. He didn't tell me! I don't know where they are!"
"It's okay."
Jack assured her in a soothing voice. Sam lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks."
She said simply. Erika gave her another desperate look.
"I don't believe Thanks´ is the right word to say."...