Chapter 8: Mistakes, Missteps and Matters of the Heart

" Oh god, Anna, how am I going to go back there and tell Erica that I let Vanessa get away?" Jack asks, his voice shaky, his eyes locked on a box of crayons the Dylan left behind.

Anna shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. " I don't think there's anymore that we could have done. Vanessa obviously left here well before we arrived, she must have been tipped off."

" Tipped off, by who? No one in this town would help her…would they?"

" Damn Maggie, I should have killed her when I had the chance." Vanessa growls, as she and her goons unload at their new hideout.

Dylan looks up at her from where he sits on the floor, his eyes filled with fear. " You were this close to going home Dylan." She says looking over at him, " But of course Jack and Anna are as inept as ever." She laughs methodically.

" I don't like you!" He tells her, sounding just like David.

" Well…" She says walking over to him, " I'm not all that fond of you either. But unless your mommy and daddy can come through with a miracle to get you back, you and I will have to learn to like each other."

" Anna, we should have acted on this the minute Maggie brought it to us. Maybe then we would have gotten here in time." Jack muses sadly, fighting off his tears.

" It doesn't make sense, how could someone have known where Maggie thought they were? She said she didn't say anything until they arrived at the penthouse."

Jack shakes his head, completely defeated. " She has to have someone on the inside, but…" Anna stops him suddenly, telling him to be quiet.

" Anna what is it?"

" Listen." She says quietly, " She doesn't have someone on the inside, it's something."

" I don't understand." He says completely confused.

" You don't hear that?" She says quickly, trying to focus on what she's hearing.

Jack shakes his head, but doesn't saying anything else as he tries to listen.

" That sounds like David." Anna says a few seconds later.

Jack nods, as she walks slowly towards the voices, " And Erica." He says as he and Anna finally find where the voices are coming from.

" That's how she knew, she bugged Erica's penthouse." Anna says, looking at the listening device in front of them.
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" Here you go." David says quietly as he hands Erica a glass of water.

She flashes him a sad smile, still looking out the window. " Is it good or bad that this is taking so long?"

He shakes his head, not sure how to answer. " I just wish there was something we could do. I feel like I'm letting him down by just waiting here."

" This is the best thing we can do for him. He doesn't need something to happen to us." David tells her, his voice lacking the confidence it had earlier.

" Why do I…" She stops as the door opens.

They both turn around, their eyes landing on Jack an Anna in doorway.

Erica studies their faces for a moment before quietly asking, " Something's wrong? What is it? What happened?"

Jack and Anna look at each other, both of their eyes filled with tears.

" Did you find them?" David asks quietly as he moves to stand closer to Erica.

" No." Jack says refusing to look at either of them.

" Oh god." Erica sobs quietly, not sure how she should feel about the news.

" Erica…" Jack says as he walks slowly towards her, " They were at Michael's condo."

She looks up at him with tear filled eyes, " I don't…I don't understand, you said you didn't find them?"

" We didn't, they were gone we got there." Anna tells her, closing her eyes as she fights off her own tears.

" You let her get away?" Erica says, her eyes locked with Jack's, " You let her take him again?"

" Erica…she was tipped off I…" Jack starts, and stops as he unable to find the words in the face of the pain he sees in Erica's eyes.

" You were supposed to bring him home, Jack." She says tearfully, her voice filled with quiet anger.

" Erica, there was nothing more we could have done. Vanessa bugged your penthouse, she heard everything we said. She was gone long before we got there." Anna tells her, trying desperately to calm Erica down.

" Is that supposed to make me feel better, Anna?"

" Erica please…I am so sorry, I…" Jack says his voice wavering as he fights off his tears.

Erica looks at him, her eyes blank as silent tears roll down her cheeks.

" Erica?" David says quietly gently putting his arm around her.

She looks at him for a few seconds, before falling into his arms. He holds her close as she sobs uncontrollably, his eyes set on Jack and Anna.

" No more apologies, or excuses, just find my son." David commands them, pulling Erica closer as she sobs harder.

They both nod, before exchanging a quick tear filled glance. " We're going to go to the station, see if there's anymore info on the ransom." Anna tells them quietly.

David nods to them, his attention completely focused on Erica.

Jack watches them for a moment, his eyes focused on a shattered Erica. He shakes his head, as Anna gently places a hand on his arm. They watch David hold Erica as she cries for a moment longer, before leaving for the station.

Erica pulls out of David's arms, still sobbing. " I'm sorry…I"

" It's ok." He tells her soothingly.

" I can't take anymore, David." She sobs to him.

" I know. It's going ok Erica, there's still time."

" Time…for what David? To fail, to miss Vanessa, to let her get away again?" She sobs so heavily she's almost inaudible.

" Erica look at me." He tells her

She looks up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with so much fear and heartache it nearly takes his breath away, " Do you trust me?"

She nods slowly, her eyes still locked with his. He nods to her, before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. " So trust me when I say this, he will be in your arms safe and sound Erica, I promise."

Erica nods, as she lays her head against his chest, " I trust you."
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" Oh, they make me sick. " Vanessa says, completely disgusted as she removes her earpiece. " I don't know why I'm surprised, those two are the perfect pair, a true match made in hell." She laughs, "Since my son and Erica seem to be getting so close, they can hold each other's hands through this next little crisis. Load the plane."

" But boss…there's still 30 hours left on the ransom…"

" I said load the plane." She commands them.

To be continued...

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