I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry it's late!!!!!!! Really, truly sorry! It's just - I have a good excuse - TESTS! (Cries insanely!) mock GCSE's - oh the joys....i hate being in year 10. But I s'pose it gets worse in year 11......d'oh!

Well, I hope this once doesn't completely suck since you've been waiting for so long - I feel really bad!

Oh! I finally saw the Tarzan series finale, did anyone think it ended kinda quickly? Or is that just me? It seemed like it spent ages on John trying to kill Richard, and once Jane stopped him it all happened really quickly. Hmmmmm.....

Before I let you read on, I want to dedicate this chapter to RyanKathrynCelia, even though she has never read this story (I made her promise not to for some reason -?) I'll have to sort that out....Well, anyway, it's for her. Thanks for the reviews everyone! You rock!

The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Chapter 6

Hearing the smooth wooden doors close sharply behind him, Richard Clayton strode into his grand office and instinctively headed over to a small polished table. The board meeting he'd just had had been a complete nightmare. Though his throbbing head needed a relief his mind kept him keenly active. Picking up a crystalline decanter he poured himself a healthy amount of the expensively imported whiskey. Bringing the glass close to his nose, Richard sniffed at the contents gleefully. 1962.

'Good year', he thought to himself.

Pursing his lips as the aromas filling his nostrils teased at his senses, Richard was about to take a sip of the dark contents when a loud rapping interrupted his reflections. Turning round mildly frustrated, he heard his assistant's voice, Alice, calling his name from behind the door.

"Mr. Clayton".

"Yes?"

Opening the door wide enough so she could poke her head through, her long strawberry blonde locks falling across her shoulders, her sky blue eyes focused on her boss, "Mr. Clayton, you have a call on line 3, sir. I asked who was calling, but he wouldn't say. He told me it was important business that couldn't wait."

Nodding in understanding, Richard looked to her, "thankyou Alice".

Smiling, the blonde removed her head and closed the door behind her. Raising the glass to his lips a second time Richard swiftly swallowed the whiskey in one go, placing the glass on the small table again. Walking behind his desk he then sat down in a plush leather chair. Picking up the receiver and pressing the number 3 on the handset he brought the device to his ear.

"Richard Clayton", he said in his best business winning tone.

"Finally. I've been trying to get through to you for an hour. It's Winters, remember me?" the voice on the other end divulged playfully.

"Yes, unfortunately. What do you want Winters?"

"I think you'll find the question is 'what can I do for you Richard?'"

"I have no time to be playing these games Winters. I'm trying to run a multi - billion corporation. Get to the point".

"Alright. What would you say if I could increase your precious Greystoke by another $6 million? How would that sound to you?"

Pausing a moment Richard considered where Winters was going with this.

"I'm listening."

"I thought you might."

Jogging down the main road leading from Jane's apartment John followed the faint scent trail left by her the night before. Though many other distinct smells covered it up and it had nearly dissipated from the dense layering of New York air John would recognise that scent anywhere. There was no - one but Jane who smelled like that exotic flower. Only her.

Narrowly missing several people walking past him, john dived down the nearest alley to avoid knocking into anyone and losing Jane's trail. Climbing up the side of a parked lorry he then leapt onto the fire escape reaching to the top of the building. From up here he could see everything, smell everything without anyone getting in his way.

Walking to the centre of the roof and closing his pale, sapphiric eyes John paused and tried to find his bearings. He made no sounds apart from the soft panting of his breathing as it came out in short puffs. As he took in the air around him once more he noticed Jane's scent was fading fast. He had to move soon or else he would lose it. John wasn't even sure he would be able to find it again if he lost it one more time. Finally finding the direction it came from again, clear orbs were revealed, quickly scanning the area for any way to get to the building beside this one.

Running straight for the roof's edge and without hesitation John lunged over the side and landed a few feet down on a balcony ledge. Leaping across to yet another he began to feel his primal side become unrestricted with every bound he took. He was going to find Jane. No matter how long it took or how hard his journey would be, he would find her.

He wasn't going to fail her again.

Behind his computer at the station, Sam sat hard at work searching all the police records on file for the two darts given to him by John only a few hours ago. He'd been working his ass off ever since and hadn't even acknowledged the coffee still sitting beside him, a thin layer of film coating the surface. Jane was his partner. He had the responsibility for covering her back when they were out tracking perps, now was no different. Besides, Jane would have done the same thing for him.

'Well, maybe not the coffee part,' Sam mused.

Earlier, he had found that those particular darts weren't dealt anywhere local, but after some intense phone calls Sam had eventually found out from one of his sources that they were sold to only one group of people. Rumour had it they were called 'Los Sabuesos', roughly translated from Spanish to 'The Bloodhounds'. They hadn't been around that long either - nearly a year, maybe less.

So now Sam was in the process of searching 'Los Sabuesos' for any ties the police had to them. Nothing. There was no rap sheet, no known facts, not even memos on them. It was as if they had never even existed - no - one had ever seemed to have heard of them before now.

Racking his brains for a solution, Sam picked up his mug of coffee, never taking his eyes off the computer screen. Grimacing at the cool temperature he had left it to settle at Sam set it aside. Normally by now he and Jane would have discovered some vital clue or she would have picked up on something Sam had missed. They would know what the criminal's agenda was, why the hell it was all happening and maybe caught the bad guy already with a little help from John. But both Jane and John weren't here.

It was all down to him now.

Wiping his face, Sam stretched out in his chair, attempting to clear the cobwebs clogging his brain.

"What would Jane do?" Sam sighed.

'Call John for help?' was his next thought.

Ignoring the idea of even trying to find John in the middle of New York at rush hour, Sam sat straight again and looked about the room. All around him cops and detectives were working on their own cases. They didn't seem to realise or care that Jane could be missing, or even...dead.

'Concentrate!' Sam mentally scolded himself, 'none of this is going to help you find Jane any faster!'

Exasperatedly, Sam sat forward at his desk again and feeling his eyes wander to the detective closest to him. Instead of doing his work, it seemed he was doing some last minute shopping on e - bay, looking up a particular U2 CD as far as he could tell.

Suddenly getting an idea, Sam logged off the police file and then clicked his mouse over the icon to load onto the Internet. Only having to wait a few seconds he typed in the web address for 'Ask Jeeves'. It always worked for when Sam needed info on other things, he just hoped it would work now. Clicking on the search box he then tried searching for 'Los Sabuesos' hoping the group name would come up. He was in luck - but just barely. Only 5 files came up.

After glancing down the list Sam realised 3 were for the name of an obscure Mexican band, one focused on an old folk tale, but the last caught his eye in particular. Casting his eyes down to the summary box, Sam read the text inside. It spoke of 'Los Sabuesos' appearance in New York and how they had come forth to a major company with a series of confidential matters concerning the leader of the group. But one name struck him as suprisingly ironic in its originality: Richard Clayton.

"It couldn't be that obvious..."Sam stated quietly, as if trying to prove to himself that the fact Clayton was involved and he hadn't seen it coming.

Directing the mouse across the screen he selected the file and watched patiently as it loaded. Another written document was there, a piece written by an anonymous writer depicting how Clayton had been seen conversing with the leader of the group, a Colonel Scott Winters.

A door opening nearby alerted Jane that she was no longer alone. Raising her head from her knees the red head sighed as the Colonel entered the room. Stepping up to the glass he smiled corruptly as he watched Jane shift uncomfortably against the wall. She hadn't slept at all since the last time he'd come, annoying her with his presence. Thinking only of John she worried for his safety; whether he had escaped capture, if he was coming for her right now despite knowing the dangers of being re - captured by his Uncle, if he had been shot as Jane had heard whilst being dragged into the car - it was all too much. But lately something else had begun to make her even more afraid for him. Now that she had finally told John how she felt for him, now that he knew she cared for him as deeply as he did for her.

Now that there was a chance for her to lose it all. Lose him.

She couldn't let that happen. Not when she had finally bore her feelings in front of him, releasing them from that private box hidden at the back of her mind, storing them safely from harm. Not when she had finally dropped the protective shield surrounding her heart.

She just wasn't going to let anyone hurt him. He was too perfect and mysterious to deserve such a fate.

"Ms. Porter, how are we this morning?"

"Bite me", was Jane's reply. Her eyes flickering with rage at the sound of the man's irritating sing - song voice.

"My, aren't we snippy this morning?" making a tutting noise with the tip of his tongue Winters shook his head disapprovingly, apparently mildly amused with her reaction. "You'll be glad to hear that our negotiations are complete and by approximately 23:00 hours tonight you will bid farewell to this establishment."

"Wow, that was quick", Jane spoke mockingly, "and just for the record, the next time someone gets stuck in here, you may want to put up some curtains or something for when they need to go to the bathroom. It's a little embarrassing to go when everyone's watching if you get what I mean," she whispered the last part, holding her hand to her face.

Giving off a false chuckle, Winters looked at Jane menacingly. "You may be able to joke now, Ms. Porter. But where you're going, you won't have the luxury".

Backing away from the glass Winters headed away into the shadows. Noticing one of his own guarding the door the Colonel paused in his tracks and then stepping over to him. Leaning close to the man's ear Winters whispered loud enough for Jane to hear, "lessen the guard. He'll be here," then looking at Jane's angered face, his smile widened, "I want him to come for her".

Nodding in compliance the guard allowed Winters to exit first before then leaving the room behind him, leaving Jane alone, glaring after the Colonel's retreating form. Rising awkwardly to her feet Jane tried to shake the numb feeling coursing through her body. Nervously she ran her slender fingers through her long, auburn tresses. She hadn't liked the way Winters had said 'where you're going'. It frightened Jane. Where were they going to take her? Who were these 'negotiations' with? How was she ever going to escape this nightmare?

"John. Where are you?" Jane whispered hopelessly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. The familiar patter of rain could be heard pattering outside and around the complex, making Jane's sad mood deepen.

Brilliant.

The rain was numbingly cold, but one thought kept him warm.

Jane.

She was nearby; her scent was stronger now as though it had been undisturbed for a long time now. It had taken John the better half of the day to leave the large and very busy city, cross a large distance leading away from the outskirts and eventually end up here - a large area with nothing but a few abandoned 'warehouses' as Jane had called them. Places where people kept things until they needed them again. Stepping out of the shadows cast by a tree in the crescent moon John crouched low to the ground by the trunk, the constant splashing of rain on his back soaking his clothes and making his hair hang annoyingly in his eyes. Though Jane had said these 'warehouses' were normally empty, this one was not. By the entrance to the maze, several men in black clothes stood with large guns, watching for any movement outside despite the constant rain.

Remembering his experiences with these men brought a snarl to John's handsome face, contorting his features into a look of pure anger. Blinking water out of his eyes and ignoring the weight of his now sodden clothes, John decided to creep back into the foliage, searching for a way to allude the men long enough to enter the complex and save Jane.

She was his first priority.

End of Chapter 6!

Wow, it felt good to be writing again! Hopefully I will be able to update soon, but don't blame me if I don't. Remember the TESTS! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'"I'm not crazy!"' Joan from Joan of Arcadia - it's very good!:D