FBI
Headquarters.
8
hours missing
"Alright I just got off the phone with Van Doren. We're cleared to send a team to LA," Jack told them walking into the unit from his office looking at Danny and Martin. Both trying to appear completely disinterested and failing dismally. He paused for a long moment to draw it out before continuing. "Given the fact that Emily Mason is almost certainly in LA . ." Jack paused again, he couldn't help himself. "Danny, Martin, Sam. You three and I are going to LA . ."
"Excuse me," Sean interrupted, Jack turned to face him.
"Dr Mason," Jack acknowledged him, turning back to his team.
"Look Agent Malone. If you're going to LA then so am I." Jack bit his lip, he'd been afraid of this, he turned back.
"Dr Mason you have to stay here because here is where they believe you to be. What if they wanted to contact you and you weren't here? Kidnappers don't like surprises like that," Jack told him leaving no room for debate, or so he thought.
"Aimee'll stay here. I have to go ok. I can't just do nothing. It's my daughter he's got. Maybe if you had a daughter you'd understand," Sean explained. Jack nodded giving in, he couldn't argue with that because he had two daughters.
"I do understand. I have two daughters myself. You can come on one condition, you don't interfere with the investigation." Sean nodded soberly smiling for the first time since his daughter went missing.
United
Airlines Flight 306.
10
hours missing
"Do you think Vivian's ok with staying behind?" Jack asked, slowly making his way along the aisle of the plane. Sam rolled her eyes.
"The answer's the same as the last time you asked. Yes I'm sure she's fine with it."
"Are you sure, I mean it is cutting her out of the action," Jack pointed out sliding awkwardly into his cramped seat. Sam with slightly less difficulty sat down next to him before replying.
"Yes but think about it. She's essentially running the unit now, she'll handle any new cases that come in etc. Plus it's got to be better for her because of her family." Jack nodded remembering back when that would have, should have been an issue for him.
"I guess, it's just it must be difficult for her because of me leaving then coming back." Sam nodded.
"It wasn't just difficult for her," Sam pointed out, almost as soon as she'd said it she regretted it. Jack's gaze met her eyes and held them.
"I know," Jack told her, wanting to so badly say what was in his heart but not knowing how to say it. Instead he remained silent, the silence grew and became uncomfortable, but still neither of them spoke. They couldn't, the risk of the other not reprocriating the feelings was too great. When they'd ended the affair it had been hard to work together as if nothing had ever happened, they both feared that if one of them crossed that line again, with the other not feeling the same that working together would prove downright impossible. They both loved each other too much, they needed each other in their lives, the problem was neither of them knew that the other felt the same.
"Jack," Martin interrupted the silence. "I just got off the phone with Viv. LA has been over to Tony Preston's apartment, he hasn't lived there in months." Jack nodded.
"Have we run Tony Preston through the computer yet?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. He's widowed, apparently his wife died giving birth to his daughter. He has a sister, Kelly, who lives in Colorado and a brother, Jake, whereabouts unknown. He also has a cousin, Eddie, who's just finished some hardtime for assault and battery, he skipped out on his parole, whereabouts unknown," Martin reported
"Our other two guys. Call Viv and tell her to pull out all the stops for finding them." Martin nodded and started to edge back down the aisle.
Los
Angeles International Airport Terminal.
16
hours missing
"Yeah . . Yeah . . Thanks Viv." Jack hung up and straightened out the crick in his neck. "While we were sleeping Viv managed to get a possible address for Tony Preston's brother. Martin, Danny, I want you to head over there. See what there is to see, but be discreet and no heroics." Jack tore the address out of his notebook and handed it to them. "Dr Mason come with us. I think we need to find that colleague of yours that told your wife about your affair."
"Why? I thought you were going after Tony Preston?" Sean asked confused.
"We are, but we're also need to look into other possibilities, in case Tony Preston isn't our man," Jack explained.
"Ok I understand that. What I don't understand is why you're looking into my affair. It's not relevant," Sean told him, whispering the word affair like it offended him to say it.
"It could be, whoever told your wife might have done it because of a grudge against you. Besides if it makes you feel any better, we're also looking into your brother, we haven't been able to find him," Jack said finally, turning and walking in the direction of the exit, Sam followed leaving a shocked Sean to catch up.
City
Hospital.
17
hours missing
"Sean." A woman ran across the ER and enveloped Sean in a hug. "I heard I'm so sorry." Sean smiled weakly at her before turning back to Sam and Jack.
"This is Dr Kate Turner. Kate, this is Special Agent Malone and Special Agent Spade," Sean introduced. Jack and Sam exchanged a glance, both wondering if Kate and Sean were more than just colleagues.
"Anything I can do to help," Kate offered, "Anything at all."
"We have a few questions," Sam told her "Did you know Dr Mason's first wife Chloe?"
"Yeah I knew Chloe, not very well. We probably just met at the functions the hospital board makes us go too," Kate replied "Why?"
"Someone told Chloe about Dr Mason's affair. We want to know why because it's possible that that person had a grudge against Dr Mason," Jack explained cutting right to the heart of the matter, knowing from experience that when he did that he got more truthful reactions out of people, Kate bit her lip and sighed.
"I'm sorry Sean. Simon told her, he didn't mean too," Kate admitted. "I know I should have told you, but by the time I'd found out and come to find you, Chloe had told you she was pregnant. She never mentioned it, and you called it off with Aimee, so I didn't see any sense in mentioning it."
"Who's Simon?" Sam asked.
"My husband. He's a Detective with the LAPD," Kate told them. Just then her pager went off, she checked it and then looked up apologetically. "I'm needed in the OR. Sean if there's anything I can do let me know." Kate urged walking quickly off in the direction of the OR.
14
E Maple Street Pasadena
17
hours missing
Danny looked at the house with a vague sense of unease yet he didn't know why. The house didn't look like it had been lived in for months, the driveway was overgrown with weeds that hadn't been disturbed, there was a massive cobweb obscuring the front door and the neighbours they'd spoken too said the place had been empty for months. Why then did he feel like danger was behind those broken shutters?
"Nobody's home," Martin reported, brushing part of the cobweb off his jacket, Danny decided not to tell him about the part on his hair.
"I don't know. Let's check round back," Danny suggested, moving before Martin could argue.
"Danny," Martin hissed when he caught up with him. "Nobody's home."
"If nobody's home who put that on the door." Danny gestured towards the brand new shiny padlock on the garden door.
Martin didn't reply, clearly not comfortable with the situation. Danny examined the padlock and what it was attached too, he then pulled a penknife from his pocket, a minute later the door swung open, Danny winced as it creaked. Silently Danny moved forward drawing his gun, reluctantly Martin followed also drawing his gun. Making sure to stay outside the line of fire Danny edged toward the door, turning the handle, he was surprised when he felt it turn easily and the door open.
"It's not locked," Danny told Martin puzzled, then they both heard the sound of a car starting out front. They exchanged a horrified glance and ran out of the garden.
When they got out front they saw a bound and gagged Emily Mason being shoved in the back of a red sedan by Tony Preston. His brother, Jake, was halfway between the car and the front door holding a gun. Without hesitation Danny opened fire, aiming for the gun arm. Martin aimed for Tony Preston, who had seen them, finished shutting Emily in the car and had drawn a gun. Danny hit Jake and he went down hard. Martin squeezed off a round aiming at Tony but it got deflected off the car. Tony then started returning fire making the two FBI agents dive for cover. Martin jumped behind the shallow wall which separated Jake's property from next doors and Danny dived behind the nearby garbage bin. Bullets flew overhead keeping Danny and Martin pinned down. A moment later the gunfire stopped and the noise of a rapidly accelerating car could be heard. Before either Danny or Martin could get a round off the car it had disappeared.
A/N: For anybody who was wondering E Maple Street Pasadena is a real place it's just off I210 and near 710 and 134, they all meet near the street. I thought it would be a good place for someone to be hiding out if they needed a quick getaway and of course, obviously Maple Street. However, I've no idea if it is actually a residential area.
