In the semi-darkness of the cave-channel, only enlightened by the flash-
lights of the search-party, Jack barely was able to see anything. But he
could hear Andrea. He had asked the search-group to be absolutely quiet and
now he could hear Andrea's fast, pressed breathing. She was afraid,
panicked in fear, scared to death. He needed to calm her and he just hoped
she actually would trust him.
"Andrea?"
He yelled, but she didn't answer. He tried again calm, slowly, accentuated and soft.
"Andrea?"
Still no answer. He went into the direction the noises came from, stepped closer to Andrea – very slowly.
"Andrea, my name is Jack, Jack Malone. I'm with the FBI. Danny had wanted you to call me and ask me for help. Don't be afraid, we won't harm you. You're safe now. "
She still didn't answer him, but Jack got closer – slowly, very slowly and cautious. He couldn't see her by now, but he didn't like her breathing. She was still panicking in fear and almost hyperventilating. He just hoped she wasn't armed, because he was pretty sure that – in the condition she currently was in – she would attack him. Now he could see her. She cowered leaned against the wall of the cave, her knees tightened, breathing heavily and he believed to see her crying. He stopped, he didn't want to scare her even more.
"Andrea? Do you understand me? Please don't be afraid, don't fear me. Everything's okay. You're safe now, I'm here to help you. Danny has asked me to find you and bring you to a safe place. I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you. Please trust me. I will help you."
She reacted, now she reacted. She rose her head and looked at him.
"Why did Claire give up that night at the lake?"
She asked all of a sudden and that quiet, Jack barely could hear her. He had difficulties to categorize her question and see a sense in it – at last not immediately. But then he realized what she was doing: it was a test. Andrea tested if he really was, who he said he was. Danny had told her something about a case, something that wasn't in the files, something only he and Danny knew about. She tested if she could trust him. Jack hesitated for a moment.
"Danny talked to her and told her about his,..., your parent's death, he could convince her to put down her weapon."
She didn't say anything and just looked at him. Finally she rose from her position.
"Where is he?"
Again he needed some seconds to get what she was talking about. Following her thoughts was a difficult task. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell her the truth. If her condition allowed him to actually tell her. But he needed her to trust him, needed to find a way she would do so and therefore he couldn't lie to her – even if it was for her own sake.
"He's in hospital, Andrea. He was attacked."
He couldn't see any emotional reaction from her, but it was dark down here. She took a step towards him – slowly and hesitatingly. She probably was still afraid, but he had passed her test, she would try with a little faith. She trusted Danny and he had told her she could trust Jack. She seemed willing to give him a chance he actually could help her. When he reached out a hand, she winced and stepped back. He took back the hand, it was difficult to cope with her. He had to remind himself over and over again, that he couldn't treat her like he normally would, he needed to be careful.
"I'm sorry. "
Again he received no answer, she just looked at him seriously.
"I want to see Danny."
She stated and he nodded, although she possibly couldn't see that in the darkness of the cave.
"Okay."
She passed him by.
"It's about ¾ of a mile to the entrance, I'll take you there."
No answer – her manners weren't that much developed, she didn't have a word of thankfulness for him. He thought it to be strange and irritating, but he could understand it. She trusted almost nobody and she had lived a very limited life for the past four years at last. She needed time, needed to rehabilitate.
"Andrea?"
He yelled, but she didn't answer. He tried again calm, slowly, accentuated and soft.
"Andrea?"
Still no answer. He went into the direction the noises came from, stepped closer to Andrea – very slowly.
"Andrea, my name is Jack, Jack Malone. I'm with the FBI. Danny had wanted you to call me and ask me for help. Don't be afraid, we won't harm you. You're safe now. "
She still didn't answer him, but Jack got closer – slowly, very slowly and cautious. He couldn't see her by now, but he didn't like her breathing. She was still panicking in fear and almost hyperventilating. He just hoped she wasn't armed, because he was pretty sure that – in the condition she currently was in – she would attack him. Now he could see her. She cowered leaned against the wall of the cave, her knees tightened, breathing heavily and he believed to see her crying. He stopped, he didn't want to scare her even more.
"Andrea? Do you understand me? Please don't be afraid, don't fear me. Everything's okay. You're safe now, I'm here to help you. Danny has asked me to find you and bring you to a safe place. I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you. Please trust me. I will help you."
She reacted, now she reacted. She rose her head and looked at him.
"Why did Claire give up that night at the lake?"
She asked all of a sudden and that quiet, Jack barely could hear her. He had difficulties to categorize her question and see a sense in it – at last not immediately. But then he realized what she was doing: it was a test. Andrea tested if he really was, who he said he was. Danny had told her something about a case, something that wasn't in the files, something only he and Danny knew about. She tested if she could trust him. Jack hesitated for a moment.
"Danny talked to her and told her about his,..., your parent's death, he could convince her to put down her weapon."
She didn't say anything and just looked at him. Finally she rose from her position.
"Where is he?"
Again he needed some seconds to get what she was talking about. Following her thoughts was a difficult task. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell her the truth. If her condition allowed him to actually tell her. But he needed her to trust him, needed to find a way she would do so and therefore he couldn't lie to her – even if it was for her own sake.
"He's in hospital, Andrea. He was attacked."
He couldn't see any emotional reaction from her, but it was dark down here. She took a step towards him – slowly and hesitatingly. She probably was still afraid, but he had passed her test, she would try with a little faith. She trusted Danny and he had told her she could trust Jack. She seemed willing to give him a chance he actually could help her. When he reached out a hand, she winced and stepped back. He took back the hand, it was difficult to cope with her. He had to remind himself over and over again, that he couldn't treat her like he normally would, he needed to be careful.
"I'm sorry. "
Again he received no answer, she just looked at him seriously.
"I want to see Danny."
She stated and he nodded, although she possibly couldn't see that in the darkness of the cave.
"Okay."
She passed him by.
"It's about ¾ of a mile to the entrance, I'll take you there."
No answer – her manners weren't that much developed, she didn't have a word of thankfulness for him. He thought it to be strange and irritating, but he could understand it. She trusted almost nobody and she had lived a very limited life for the past four years at last. She needed time, needed to rehabilitate.