Hey everybody, I'm back!!!

Thank you to everybody that read and reviewed the last chapter. Gabe, I know a little bit about Ashley and Nathan's past, but I haven't worked out all the details yet. If you want to email me, I'll send you what I have.

Anyway, without further ado, here's Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Samuel Williams sat in the back of the CTU van, his hands cuffed, attached to the floor in front of him. He smiled at Tom Baker, sitting opposite him, turning his head, so he could squint through his black eye, so that Tom could see the injuries Williams had suffered during his arrest.

Tom flexed his hands, ignoring the brief flash of pain in his knuckles. He'd had to give Williams a couple of blows before he'd finally stayed down.

He'd almost lost him in the confusion as LAPD had poured into The Crucible Bar. Williams had almost made it to the fire exit, before Tom had caught up with him, dragging him back into the bar by the collar of his jacket.

The back door of the van opened suddenly. Tom looked around as Nathan shoved Jake inside. He pointed at the bench. "Sit down."

Bruised and battered around the face, Jake sat down, Meekly holding his cuffed wrists out in front of him. Nathan worked quickly, attaching the cuffs to the floor.

Tom allowed himself a brief smile. They'd actually managed to pull the operation off. "Where's...?"

"Taking another way back." Nathan tested Jake's restraints. "Garcia is giving them a ride."

Tom nodded and slapped his hand against the window. "Lets go." The engine rumbled slowly to life and the van pulled away, the flashing lights and sirens of the LAPD cruisers fading into the night.

"So what are you going to do now?" Samuel looked at Nathan and Tom. "Now that you've got me, how long do you think you can hold me?" He focused on Tom, spreading his hands as best he could, smiling smugly.

Tom didn't smile. "Shut up." He didn't look at the prisoner. Dismissing him. Another trick he'd learned from Jack Bauer.

Samuel held his smile for as long as he could. "Hey Jake, you have any fun with that little dealer?"

"What? Oh her..." Jake nodded, a slow smile breaking across his bruised face. "Oh shit, yeah man. She was hot. I had to knock her into shape, but once I taught her what way she had to take it."

"Why don't you two assholes shut up and start working out what story you're going to tell me to get some time off your sentences, rather than trying to jerk our chains?"

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Was she better than Alyson?"

Jake forced a laugh, the sound unpleasant and hollow in the interior of the van. "The way she struggled, man, got me just right. Cant wait to get my hands on her again."

Nathan moved quickly, too quickly for Tom to stop him. He sat next to Jake, speaking quietly, softly, into his ear, his fingers digging into the man's throat, driving his head back.

"You better hope she's okay, Jake. Otherwise you and I are going to be having a conversation, and I promise you, I will hurt you."

"Nathan."

Nathan let go of Jake's throat, leaving him gasping for breath. He walked back to his seat, sharing a grim smile with Tom before he sat down.

Tom didn't respond, his attention still focused on Samuel.

xxxXXXxxx

It took Michelle a moment to realise what Natasha had said. What Natasha had offered. What Natasha had proposed.

Tony off probation. Back in his old job. Everything back to normal, back the way it was.

And the only price would be working against one of their own. CTU divided against itself by ambition and greed.

"And if I take over from Hammond, Michelle, Division's going to need somebody to replace me." Natasha's voice had gone cold and calculating. "I can make sure that you take that next step up the ladder. This could be a very good move for you."

"All I want to do is my job, Natasha. I don't want to get caught in the middle of a pissing contest between you and Hammond." She knew Hammond hated her, hated Tony. Knew he was only looking for an excuse to fire them both. "I wont let this office be used as a political football by you and Brad."

'I wont be the fall guy if you lose Natasha. I wont let Hammond punish Tony for my mistake. Again.

"I don't want to use you as a football, Michelle." Natasha's voice had warmed again, Michelle's reply oddly reassuring her that she had made the right choice in backing Michelle Dessler for CTU LA Director, in backing Michelle's lack of ambition. "All I know is that you're on a tightrope, that Brad's looking over your shoulder at every decision you make."

Michelle stayed silent. There was nothing she could say. They both knew it was true.

"You're doing an excellent job, Michelle, and your office is doing an excellent job. I know what you've been through these past nine months. What you and Tony have been through."

"I cant get involved in this Natasha." 'I wont get involved in this.'

"I don't need you to get involved. All I need is your support." Natasha hesitated for a second, giving Michelle the chance to speak. "At least promise me you'll think about it. You owe me that much at least."

"Bye Natasha."

Michelle hung up. She had watched Carrie, Mason and Chapelle all try to play politics to further their careers. Had watched them try to play politics and loose.

Why wouldn't they just let her get on with her job?

Her phone rang again and she reached out to answer it. "Dessler."

"Michelle, Tom's back at CTU. He's brought Samuel Williams with him."

"I'll be right down."

xxxXXXxxx

"Where do you want them sir?" The white shirted security guard waited patiently while Tom re-cuffed Samuel's hands behind his back.

"Put him in interrogation one."

"Right away sir."

Nathan unchained Jake and dragged him to his feet. Manoeuvred him to the rear door of the van. "Is Ashley back yet?"

"Yes sir."

"She okay?"

"I think so. She's talking with the Director now."

"Damn." Nathan grinned at Jake's sudden look of fear and pushed him over to the another security guard. "Put him in two." He waited until the guards had taken the prisoners away. "So which one do we go after first?"

"Probably Williams. No point in wasting time with small fry."

xxxXXXxxx

"Ashley." Michelle walked quickly down the stairs and across the bullpen to her field agent. "Tony told me what happened. Are you okay?"

Ashley pressed her hand against her ribs. "I'm a little battered and bruised. But I think I'm okay." She forced a smile, painfully small against the bruises on her face. "Thank God Nathan arrived in time." She shrugged. "I had to keep my cover."

Michelle looked past her, seeing Tom and Nathan entering the building. "I want you checked out by CTU Medical." Her whole demeanour and voice changed, moving from concerned to businesslike. "Then go home and get some sleep."

"Michelle..."

"That's an order, Ashley." She heard CTU Medical take Ashley into one of the treatment rooms as she approached the other agents. "Good job, Tom. Did we get everybody?"

"We lost one of his friends in the confusion. I'll get Chloe to check with LAPD see if one of their perimeter units picked him up."

"Good. Which one do you want to start with?"

"Williams. I put him in one."

"Okay." She walked over to Eileen's desk. "Get Interrogation One ready."

"Right away, ma'am."

xxxXXXxxx

She heard the door open through a haze of exhaustion and guilt. She kept staring at the table, unable to shake the weight of her treachery from her shoulders.

"Ms Rawlings?"

She managed to look around, her eyes dead. It was the same security guard that had brought her into the room. He had a bottle of water and a tall glass in his hands. "I brought you something to drink."

"Oh thank you." She managed to smile at him, taking them from him, her gaze lingering on the glass. "Can I make my phone call now?"

He smiled back at her. "The Director approved it so..." He fished in his pocket and handed her the phone. "Is there anything else, Ms Rawlings? I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Thank you." She waited until he closed the door before she started dialling.

It rang twice.

"George Rawlings."

The sound of his voice almost broke her.

"Hello Daddy."

"Hello sweetie." She drew a trembling breath. "Alyson sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I'm in trouble, Daddy." She wiped away a tear. "I'm in so much trouble. Everything's gone wrong." She ran her fingers down the glass. "I'm so sorry."

"Alyson, it'll be okay. Just tell me where you are, and I'll have Mike there within the hour."

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. I've done so many things to hurt you, so many things to let you down. And Gary! Jesus Christ, what did I do to him?"

"Alyson..."

"I've made a mess of everything. Daddy, and I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry. I'm so sorry, Daddy, tell Gary I'm sorry, so sorry."

"Alyson..."

"Goodbye Daddy." She hung up before he talked to her for too long. Before he...

She needed to do this while she still had her nerve.

xxxXXXxxx

"Where is Oliver Fredericks?" Tom snapped his question as he paced around the room.

"Who?" Williams was still smiling the same smug smile he had in the CTU van, the same smug smile that made Tom want to knock his teeth down his throat.

Michelle pulled a picture from her folder, pushing it over the table to him. "The man you sold weapons to tonight."

Williams shook his head. "Never heard of him."

"We know you sold weapons Samuel, both to him and to Jonathan Modine." They both noticed his sudden flinch. "We know this and we have the evidence to put you away for a very long time."

"We know you were blackmailing Alyson Rawlings." Tom slammed the photo down on the table, his palm smarting with the impact. "So you see, you piece of shit, we got enough to do you for arms trading and blackmail. The only way you're going to see daylight anytime soon is to give us Fredericks."

"With an offer like that, agents, how can I refuse?" His smile twisted further, mocking them. "No deal."

"This is a one time offer, Samuel. You force us to find Fredericks ourselves and this deal disappears."

Tom leaned over and spoke softly into Samuel's ear. "Except we'll be sure and tell him that it was you that gave him up." He grinned at Michelle. "Cant see Oliver liking that too much, can you?"

Michelle shook her head, grinning back at him. "No."

Samuel opened his mouth to reply...

...klaxons sounded suddenly through CTU.

xxxXXXxxx

"Any pain or tenderness here?"

Ashley flinched as the medics gloved hands probed at her ribs. "A little."

"What about here?"

"No."

"Can you put your hands behind your head and take a deep breath for me?" A cold stethoscope was placed next to her skin. "And again." Ashley took a deep breath, holding it until her ribs ached. "Okay. You have quite heavy bruising on your ribs, the start of a black eye, and some minor bruising to your face. Other than that, physically, you're fine."

"Good." Ashley started to stand.

"Wait. Its standard procedure to do a quick psyche checkup in cases like this." The medic lifted another clipboard. "Shouldn't take too long."

Ashley started to complain, then stopped and smiled when she saw Nathan walk into the treatment room. "My hero."

"Hey Ashley, how are you?"

"A few bruises." She grimaced at another sudden twinge. "Other than that, I'm fi..."

Klaxons sounded through CTU

"Oh shit." Nathan turned and ran through the door, Ashley following close behind, ignoring the burning protests from her ribs and the medic's warning shouts.

xxxXXXxxx

The alarm sounded throughout CTU, the flashing red lights giving the whole building an evil surreal glow. White shirted security guards, heavily armed, rushed to secure the exits.

Nathan and Ashley arrived in the bullpen as Michelle and Tom emerged from the Interrogation Room. "What's going on Michelle?"

"I don't know." Michelle turned to one of the analysts, half standing at his desk, staring around the room. "Run an alarm protocol, find out where that's coming from."

"Yes ma'am." He sat down, typing rapidly on his keyboard. "It's a fire alarm, triggered in the waiting room."

Tom frowned. "Nobody's supposed to be in there."

"I moved Alyson Rawlings there when we brought Williams into custody." They walked quickly through CTU towards the waiting room, the corridors still dimly lit by flashing red lights. The guard outside the room snapped to attention when he saw Michelle.

She gestured at the door. "Get this open."

Ashley glanced at the monitor, and her jaw dropped. "Michelle..."

Michelle glanced at it. "Get this open now!"

The guard stared at the monitor screen for an instant, ashen faced. He fumbled with his key card, eventually running it down the reader. Staring at it dumbly as the light stayed red.

Impatiently, Nathan snatched the card out of his hands and ran it through the reader. He managed to push it open a couple of inches before it hit a barrier. He took a couple of steps back and hit the door hard with his shoulder.

There was a sound of breaking wood and the door flew open.

Nathan hurried into the room, followed by Tom, knocking bits of broken chair out of the way.

Something broke underneath his feet, and he looked down to see shards of broken glass.

Alyson Rawlings slumped against the table. Her eyes closed, looking like she was sleeping, a slight, almost happy smile on her face.

Her fingers outstretched, pressed against the alarm.

Blood pooled on the floor of the room, the shard of glass she'd used to cut her wrists glinting dully, mockingly in the intermittent light.