I'll Do Anything
Summery: When Sue reads a conversation between two people, it turns her life upside down and lands the team on a case they will never forget.
Chapter One: The Conversation
"I am starving," Sue Thomas moaned to her training agent and good friend Jack Hudson as they walked into the bakery for an early morning donut run. She looked down at Levi, who barked. "I think Levi is too."
"Well don't worry," Jack said. "Food is on the way."
Sue nodded, smiling and walked over to a table near the window. She sat down, wrapping Levi's leash across her wrist. She looked around, watching as people talked and rushed past. Suddenly, two men walked into the bakery and sat down at the table across from her. Something about them seemed very odd to Sue, but she couldn't quite pin point exactly what it was. Trying to be discreet, Sue watched their conversation. They looked very serious, as if they were discussing a business plan.
"He said he'd have the drugs," one of the guys said. "The research is almost complete."
"Research? Drugs?" Sue whispered silently, wrinkling her brow. She saw one of the men glance her way and quickly glanced over at the counter where Jack was still in line. After a few seconds she shifted the gaze toward the men again.
"Dr. Martin will meet us here at eight o'clock," the first man continued. He pointed at the man across from him. "Don't be late. Meet around back."
Sue waited, hoping they'd say more, but instead they started talking about the weather and Sue turned away, not wanting them to catch her staring at them again. She wanted desperately to go and tell Jack what she'd seen but she knew that if she told him here, someone might overhear. Instead, Sue tapped her foot anxiously, waiting for Jack to come to the table. Finally, after what seemed like hours he finally appeared beside her, coffee and donuts in hand.
"Jack," Sue began. She looked at him with an anxious expression on her face and stood up. "I need to tell you something." Sue stood up and walked out of the bakery, Jack following behind her.
"Sue, what is it?" Jack asked as they headed for the car. He could tell something was troubling her and it must've been something that had just occurred.
"I saw a conversation between two guys," Sue began, trying to keep her voice low. "I don't know why but something was odd about them. They said something about research and drugs and mentioned something about someone named Dr. Martin."
"He's the riches man in DC," Jack informed her as he put the coffee and donuts on top of the car and took out his keys. He looked back up at Sue before continuing. "Famous scientist and researcher. What did they say about him?"
"Just that they were meeting him tonight at eight o'clock," Sue said and quickly got into the car. "I'm thinking maybe it's a drug deal of some sort."
Jack shook his head, smirking at the excited look on Sue's face. "Sue, I hate to break it to you but just because you saw a conversation with the words drugs and meeting does not mean we have a case."
Sue sighed. "I know," she mumbled. "I just thought that maybe...." She let her voice trail off and looked over at Jack, who patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry we'll get a case. I know things have been a little slow lately," Jack said and started the car, speeding out of the parking lot.
Meanwhile, three men stood on the sidewalk, watching as the agents sped away.
"I saw her watching us," one of the men said. He turned to his partners. "We need to get rid of her or our plan could be destroyed." He turned to the man on the left. "Jacob, do you think you can do us one other favor?"
Jacob Martin stared at the man before him, thinking. He knew when he'd started this project that it was wrong and that he could go to jail but at the time he hadn't cared. His family had needed him and he was going to do whatever it took to provide for them, even if it meant running his life.
"I'm in," Jacob whispered. "I just hope I'm not making a mistake," he whispered silently and followed the other two men across the parking lot.
Bullpen: several hours later:
"Sue, you got your wish," Jack said as walked over to Sue's desk holding a file. "Garrett just gave us this case. There has been some chatter among several members of a well known terrorist group. Seems that they are planning to expose people to harmful drugs...."
"By doing what?" Tara asked.
"Putting it in food or anything they can," Jack said. "Only they don't have the drugs yet."
"Why not?" Bobby asked. "They're planning an attack and they aren't even prepared?" Bobby asked sarcastically.
"One reason," Jack said and looked directly at Sue. "Their helper Dr. Jacob Martin is in the process of developing the drug." Jack winked at Sue.
"So that conversation I saw this morning...." Sue let her voice trail off, trying desperately to hide the pleased expression on her face.
"Was right on," Jack interjected. He continued walking around, making sure to face Sue. "Turns out, these guys you saw have names. Blake Noland and Zack Planter. Not exactly middle eastern names."
"I also read," Sue interjected, "that they are having a meeting tonight behind the bakery that Jack and I were at this morning and that Dr. Martin is gong to be there." Sue looked over at Jack, waiting for him to say something else.
"We need to get inside that meeting," Jack said. He pointed to Tara. "Tara, see what you can dig up on our friend Dr. Martin."
"Already backing down the driveway," Tars aid and began typing away on her computer.
"D', Myles, Bobby, I'll need you two to talk to anyone who might know Dr. Martin. See if he's told anyone anything about what he's doing...." After giving everyone else their assignments Jack walked over to Sue's desk. "I'll have to take a rain check on lunch. I have a meeting."
Sue nodded. "That's fine. I want to let Levi play in the park anyway and I know how much you hate eating outside."
"I do not," Jack answered definitely, raising his eyebrows.
Sue just smiled. "Of course you do Sparky. Admit it." Sue stood up and grabbed her purse, coat and Levi's leash. "I'll be back in an hour." Sue started to walk off but Jack grabbed her arm.
"Try to keep your curiosity down to a minimum," Jack told her. "We can only handle so many cases."
Sue just smiled, giving Jack her special wink. "I'll do my best," she promised and walked out of the bullpen, Levi in toe.
Meanwhile, at the park Jacob Martin paced back and forth, trying not to look too anxious or obvious but at the same time trying to devise a plan. Blake and Zack had told him to look for a blonde with a dog. Jacob had been watching all morning but so far hadn't seen anyone that resembled close to the description he'd been given.
Suddenly he saw a tall blonde walking toward him, a golden retriever running a few steps ahead of her. Jacob watched her for a moment, watching as she threw the ball to the dog.
"It's the closest I've gotten all day," Jacob thought. He had to keep reminding himself that he was doing this for his family, that in the end it would all be worth it. Taking a deep breath, Jacob walked closer to the woman and her dog. "Beautiful day isn't it?" he bit his lip, trying to think of what to say next. He didn't want to scare her."
Levi pawed at Sue letting her know that someone was trying to get her attention. She turned to the man standing beside her. "Sorry, did you say something?"
The sound of the woman's voice brought Jacob out of his reverie and he looked over. The woman was looking at him with a confused expression on her face. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's OK," Sue said with a smile. "Actually you didn't scare me. I didn't hear a thing. I'm deaf."
"Oh, so how do you....."
"I read lips," Sue interjected quickly. She pointed to Levi. "And this is Levi. He's my hearing dog."
"That's neat," Jacob answered. He held out his hand. "I'm J....Jay Howard." He swallowed. That lie had been so easy and Jacob had felt nothing. Was this job really worth all this? This lying and sneaking around?
"Sue Thomas," Sue answered with a smile.
Jacob nodded. "It's nice to meet you." He continued walking along side Sue as she followed Levi through the park. "Look, I know you must think I'm some crazy nut but I'm not. Honest." Jacob cringed. Another lie. Would he be able to stop after the lies were over? He wasn't crazy in the traditional crazy; he was crazy for even considering this job, much less going through with it.
Sue laughed. "Well I work in law enforcement so I know how to spot a criminal a mile away." Sue bit her lip. "Way to go Thomas," she muttered, "there's a good way to get you killed."
"I've always wanted to work in law enforcement," Jacob said," but I went the medical path."
"So you're a doctor?" Sue asked with a questioning look on her face.
Jacob nodded. "In a matter of speaking, yes." Suddenly his cell phone rang and he reached for it. "I'm sorry. I have to take this. It's from my office in Baltimore but it was really nice meeting you, Sue." He bent down to pet Levi. "And you too, Levi." He stood up and gave one last wave to Sue and then walked the other direction, taking out his phone. "I think I found her," he whispered, "her name is Sue Thomas and she works for the F.B.I."
"You must get rid of her," Zack whispered on the other end of the line. "She will ruin our plan. Get rid of her or the deal is off. Understand?" A pause. "If you don't then I will take care of the girl myself."
Jacob swallowed. "Yes, sir."
Chapter Two: Meetings and Goodbyes
In the Alley behind the bakery:
"We are in position," Jack told Tara as he stood behind a wall, unseen. They'd been waiting out there for the past two hours and so far the men hadn't arrived yet.
"It's past ten," Myles grumbled from his position beside Jack. "I think we've been stood up."
Jack sighed. He knew Myles was right. "Okay, that's it," he said. He sighed. "We've seen enough."
Inside the van, Sue watched as Jack and Myles headed toward them. Disappointment spread across her face. "Guess I was wrong," she whispered and looked over at Bobby.
"You did good Shelia," Bobby told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Sue smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.
A few minutes later the group arrived back at the bullpen and went to their separate cars.
"Drive safe," Jack told Sue as they walked to their cars.
"I will," Sue told him. "Promise." She unlocked her car, put Levi into the backseat and got into the front. Giving Jack one last wave, she turned the engine and backed out of the parking lot. As she drove, she thought about the case and about this Dr. Martin, whoever he was. "Well as soon as I see Randy Nelson we'll know." Sue had been able to track down a former friend of Dr. Martin's and had set up a meeting with him tomorrow, in Maryland. She knew she should've told Jack about it and she knew she was taking a risk by going alone, but it was something she needed to do on her own. "He'll understand," she aid as she turned onto the highway. She'd told Lucy she was going to see an old friend. She'd hated lying but didn't want Lucy to tell Jack or the others what she was doing. It would only make Jack furious with her and they'd been through so much already, she didn't want to jeopardize their friendship any more than it already was.
Suddenly she felt her car lurch forward. Sue gripped the steering wheel trying to regain control. But it was too late. The car began spinning on the wet pavement. Sue screamed as flashes of lights danced before her eyes and then everything went black as her head smashed against the steering wheel.
"Our worries are over," Jacob heard Zack's voice on the other end of the line. "I took care of her."
Jacob's heart raced. What had he done? "Are we still on as planned?"
"Yes. Sue Thomas won't be bothering us any longer."
"What do you mean?" Jacob wanted to shout. When Zack had told him he'd take care of Sue, he thought he'd meant a friendly warning. But he remained silent. He knew things would not go well if Zack or Blake got angry.
"Tomorrow," Zack said and then the line went dead.
Jacob sighed and put his phone back into his lab coat. The ER at Baltimore Memorial was quiet, too quiet for this time of night.
"Hey, Doc, are you as bored as I am?" Tommy, one of the residents asked coming up to him. "We haven't had a trauma in about an hour."
Jacob sighed. He'd been working at Baltimore Memorial for over a year and had loved every minute of it....until now. The job with Zack and Blake was steering him away from it, even when he'd told himself he wouldn't let it.
"Well, not for long," a nurse said coming up to the two doctors. "Car accident, about ten minutes out. The paramedics couldn't find an ID."
Jacob sighed. He always hated these types of cases. They never turned out exactly right. Sighing, Jacob headed out to the ambulance bay. A few minutes later an ambulance arrived and the doors were opened. Jacob ran to it and stopped. There on the gourney lay Sue Thomas, blood matted on her forehead, her eyes closed. "This the Jane Doe?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. The phone call he'd had with Zack a few minutes before came rushing back.
"I took care of her," Zack had said. Anger boiled up inside him as he realized what Zack had intended to do. He'd intended to kill her.
"Yep," the paramedic said and began giving Jacob the bullet as Sue was wheeled into the ER. "The car was completely totaled. The passenger side was completely smashed in. It's a bunch of metal now. She's very lucky."
"On my count, one, two, three," Jacob said and they lifted Sue off the gurney and onto the bed.
Sue struggled to open her eyes. Everything hurt and she didn't know exactly where she was. What had happened? Why did she hurt and why was there something sharp poking her in the arm. She finally managed to open her eyes and found a doctor standing over her.
"What happened?" she whispered, barely able to get the words out.
"You were in an accident," Jacob told her. "Can you tell me your name?"
Sue tried to focus, tried to remember something, anything, but couldn't. Everything was a total blank. She couldn't remember anything. "I don't remember," she whispered. She closed her eyes. Why couldn't she remember? What was wrong with her?
"It's OK," Jacob said.
Just then, the door opened and the nurse came in. "The paramedic found a name, on the tag of the coat. Sue T."
"Well, we have a first name," Jacob said as if he didn't already know the answer. He looked back over at Sue, who had fallen back asleep.
"Do you want me to try to track down a family member?" the nurse asked.
"No," Jacob answered a little too quickly. He swallowed. "I mean, no. I'll handle it."
The nurse just nodded and walked out of the room.
Jacob sighed. "It's going to be OK," he whispered even though Sue couldn't hear him. Guilt began to rise in his chest. It had been his fault she'd gotten into this mess and it was gong to be him that was going to get him out, no matter what it took. After checking her vitals one last time and making sure she was stable Jacob went into the doctor's lounge and sat down at the table, staring at the phone in front of him. He had to options. He could turn himself in and lead the FBI to Zack and Blake or he could run, get as a far away from them as he possibly could.
You could go to jail, a little voice inside his head kept repeating over and over. What abut your kids? They need you.
Jacob sighed. He couldn't even imagine what it was going to be like for his girls once he told them what was going on.
"I'll have to run," Jacob whispered. "And I'll have to take Sue with me."
Bullpen: Next morning:
"You haven't heard from her?" Jack asked Lucy.
Lucy shook her head. "She said she was going to Maryland to see an old friend. She promised she'd call when she got there but I stayed up practically all night waiting and the phone never rang. I tried her blackberry but got no answer." She sat back in her seat trying not to watch as Jack paced around the room.
"Okay, she's probably just in an area where there isn't a signal," Bobby reasoned. He looked over at Jack and sighed. They all knew that no matter how hard they tried to convince themselves that Sue was alright, that it would only end up making things worse.
"Let's wait twenty four hours and if we don't hear from her then I'm putting out an APB and organizing a search party," Jack said. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Come on people, we have a case to solve." He walked to his desk, trying not to let the worry and fear show through. "Please God," he whispered, "please don't let anything happen to her."
Maryland:
Sue opened her eyes and found that same doctor sitting by her bed. She wondered how long she'd been out of it.
"You're awake," Jacob said. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore," Sue whispered. "And I still can't remember anything." She looked around, not sure where she was but she knew it wasn't the hospital. "Where am I?"
"You're at my cabin in the mountains," Jacob told her. He sighed. "Look, Sue there are some bad people after you right now. I'm only trying to protect you."
Sue nodded. She was too out of it to ponder the information. "What kind of bad people?"
"Bad people, Sue," Jacob said. He didn't want to scare her. "That's why I brought you here after I released you. You've been here for a few hours now."
Sue tried to recall leaving the hospital but couldn't. "I'm sorry I don't remember."
Jacob laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's OK. I'm sure it will come in time." He stood up. "I have to go to work but I'll be back. Will you be alright?"
Sue nodded. "Yes. Thank you," she whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to remember any detail about her past, any detail about who she was. But the longer she tried, the more frustrated she became.
Washington, DC: Bullpen:
"I've notified all law enforcement in the area all the way to Maryland," Jack said as he paced around the room. Out of habit he looked over at Sue's desk, only to realize she wasn't there. "And we've got a search party out right now."
"Someone must've seen her," Tars said. "I called all the hospitals, no one by that name has been brought in with her description. None in the DC area anyway."
"Keep trying," Jack said. He went over to his desk and sat down, letting out a sigh.
"We're going to find her," Lucy whispered walking over to him. "Her and Levi both."
Jack sighed. "I hope you're right."
Maryland:
Jacob paced back and forth across his living room. The news was filled with pictures of Sue. They'd confirmed her missing. Jacob sighed. He'd have to work fast if he was going to go through with it. He had to keep Sue out of danger, even if that meant running from the people who could help her most.
Jacob sighed and flipped off the TV. He reached down and unplugged it. Luckily his girls didn't watch much TV so they hadn't seen the news yet.
"Dad," sixteen year old Nancy whispered. Jacob turned around and found his daughter standing behind him. "I made dinner."
Jacob forced a smile. Ever since his wife had died three years ago from cancer he'd been left to raise Nancy, sixteen, and Karen, twelve all on his own. It had been hard but they'd managed to survive.
"Nancy," Jacob called. He walked into the kitchen. "How would you like if we had someone move in with us?"
Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Like who?"
"Well there's this patient and she doesn't have anywhere else to go so I thought it would be good if she stayed here, for a while, just until she got back on her feet."
Nancy looked at her father. "Is that even ethical?"
"Well she's still my patient but in a few days she won't be," Jacob said. He shook his head. How did Nancy become so smart?
"Okay. Sounds good to me," Nancy said with a smile. "It'll be nice having another woman around the house."
"I figured you'd say that," Jacob said. He grabbed his coat. "I've gotta get to the hospital. Be good, okay?"
"Okay."
Maryland: Six days later:
Hospital:
"Dr. Martin," a nurse said when Jacob came into the ER. "Someone is here to see you, regarding a dog."
"A dog?" Jacob asked. "Where are they?"
"Chairs," the nurse said.
Jacob nodded and walked to the waiting area. "Phil," he said to the young paramedic. "Bringing me a present?"
"I found him a few days ago," Phil explained. "I took him home and took care of him but I stared thinking. I remembered seeing something in the back of the car of the woman we brought in a few days ago, the Jane Doe and I could be wrong, but I think this may be her dog."
"Levi," Jacob whispered. He took the leash from Phil. "Thanks. I'll look into it."
"Anytime," Phil said and walked away.
Jacob looked down at Levi. "Ready to see your owner buddy?"
Levi barked.
Cabin:
Jacob walked into the cabin with Levi and took off his leash. Immediately Levi ran for the bedroom, barking. Jacob ran after him.
"Whose dog?" Sue asked as Levi jumped up on the bed, licking her face. She giggled. "He's very friendly."
"He's your hearing dog," Jacob wanted to say but didn't. A wave of guilt began to rise in his throat. Sue didn't remember her own dog.
"What's his name?" Sue asked, her voice breaking into Jacob's thoughts.
"Levi," Jacob answered.
"Levi," Sue whispered. That name sounded familiar, too familiar but she couldn't quite place it. "Well, thank you," she said with a smile. "It gets lonely up here and with me being deaf....."
"I know and I'm sorry," Jacob said. "That's why I got Levi. And don't worry, you won't be here for much longer." He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Sue. "If you want to that is, I would love for you to come and stay with me, just until things settle down a bit. I have two girls who would just love having you stay with us."
Sue thought for a moment. "I could do that," she said with a smile. "At least until I figure out what all is going on and get my memory back."
Jacob nodded. "I'm sure that you will. You're going to love Bayside. That's where I'm from. It's a small town. Kind of excluded from the outside world but it's a great place."
"Sounds great!" Sue answered with a smile. Something tugged at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite reach it. "Will I be safe there?"
The question was one Jacob had been expecting. "Yes, but just to be sure I brought something that will help." He pulled out a bottle from the bag he'd been holding.
"Hair dye?" Sue asked.
"Hey, you'd look good as a brunet," Jacob said.
Sue shrugged. "I guess it could work."
"You could just do it lightly," Jacob said. He stood up. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."
Sue nodded. She watched as he walked out of the room and looked over at Levi. "Well buddy," she whispered, "I can see that this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Hopefully someday I'll find out what's really going on and get my memory back, but for now I'm just happy to be alive."
Several hours later Sue stood in the bathroom, looking at her newly dyed hair. She looked down at Levi. "So, what do you think?"
Levi barked.
"Yeah, me too," Sue said. She finished getting ready for bed and walked out of the bathroom. She found Jacob in the kitchen. "Something smells good."
Jacob turned around and almost dropped the spoon he'd been holding. "Wow. You look....different?"
"Does it look bad?" Sue asked.
"No, it's a good different," Jacob said.
Sue nodded. "Good." She glanced around and for the first time since arriving noticed exactly where she was. The cabin had a rustic look to it. Everything was made of wood, from the floor to ceiling. A fire crackled in the fireplace and the lights had been dimmed. "You know, I like this setting but it's making it very difficult to lip read."
Jacob hurried over and switched on a light. The room was suddenly engulfed in a bright light. "Is that better?"
Sue nodded. "Much. Thank you." She continued to look around. "So, how long have you had this place?"
"My wife and I bought it after we got married," Jacob explained. A far away expression crossed over his face. "She loved it here. Every morning we would sit out on the front porch and drink our coffee while watching the birds and listening to the creek behind the house."
Sue smiled at the imagery. "Sounds lovely."
Washington: Bullpen:
"Anything?" Jack asked as he came back into the bullpen after lunch. It had been six days since Sue had been missing, but it felt like six hours.
Lucy stood up and walked over to Jack, her expression grim. "We just received a call from someone who saw the description of Sue's car."
"And?" Jack asked hopefully.
"They found it at the bottom of a river."