14
E Maple Street Pasadena
18
hours missing
Jack walked purposely towards the ambulance, the local police chief and the FBI street agent liaison both walked out to meet him but changed direction when they saw the look on his face. Jack was angry and they didn't want it to be at them. As soon as he reached the ambulance Jack started yelling at it's occupant.
"What did you think you were doing? I told you to be discreet not to get the whole neighbourhood shot up! No heroics I said!" Jack glowered, Danny recoiled slightly still a little shook up from the shootout. The EMT who had been attending to him finished putting a plaster on the last of his cuts and got out of there.
"It wasn't intentional Jack," Danny told him, "Besides at least we know for definite that Emily Mason is in LA now." Before Jack could reply Martin tapped him on the shoulder.
"Jack. Sean Mason just arrived," Martin reported, Jack turned round looking in the direction Martin was pointing clearly shocked.
"What! How did he know?" Jack exclaimed. Suddenly a loud crash and angry voices could be heard Jack groaned and exchanged a look with Martin before running to the source of the commotion, this wasn't going to be pretty.
"What did you do with my daughter?" Sean yelled, pinning Jake against the wall. Martin moved forward to restrain Sean, Jack put a hand out and stopped him. For one long moment Jack looked into Sean's eyes and understood. He thought of Kate and Hanna and what he'd do if they ever went missing.
"Jack," Martin protested "What are you doing?"
"Leave it, let Dr Mason have his turn," Jack ordered, Martin stared at him incredulously not knowing what to do. He could obey the order, or he could do what he knew was right. For Martin, at that moment, it was no contest, he'd obey the order. Jake looked towards them, his eyes begging for help, Jack shrugged and made no move to help him. Jake deflated, eyes filled with defeat.
"What did you do with my daughter?" Sean asked again, eyes bulging in anger. On getting no immediate answer Sean hit him hard in the stomach knocking all the wind out of him. "Answer me!" Martin stepped forward but again Jack stopped him.
"I don't know," Jake gasped, "We were meant to stay holed up here." Sean bit his lip some of his anger dissapitating now, he could tell that Jake was speaking the truth.
"Have you got anything useful to tell me?" Sean asked between clenched teeth.
"I guess. Tony gave me a message to say if it all went to hell," Jake told him, he'd managed to get his breath back and was no longer gasping.
"Well what's the message?" Sean asked impatiently.
"To tell you that your daughters body will be returned to you by two this afternoon. You will only just be too late to save her," Jake stated coldly, before Sean could hit him again Martin restrained him this time Jack didn't stop him. Leaving Martin to deal with Sean, Jack stepped out of the ambulance to be greeted by Sam.
"I just finished speaking with the local FBI street agent. There's no hope of finding the car, Danny and Martin only got a partial plate between them and there are three major roads close by. They could be anywhere," Sam told him.
"Jake Preston gave us an ultimatum from his brother Tony. Emily Mason's body will be returned to Dr Mason by two this afternoon. He'll be just too late to save her. That gives us five hours to find her," Jack stated, "If she isn't dead already," he added sadly as an afterthought.
"She won't be," Sam said positively with more conviction than she actually felt. "Jake said that Dr Mason would only just be too late to save his daughter remember."
"They must expect us to find them then," Jack concluded
"Or for them to find us," Sam reasoned, Jack sighed.
"There is that. I'll call Viv, she found them last time, maybe she can do it again."
FBI
Headquarters
18
hours missing
'Sometimes I hate this job,' Vivian thought sighing as she went to tell Aimee Mason the latest development in the case. As she walked over to the conference table Aimee stood up as if anticipating that she had bad news. Even Tom and Andy looked up from whatever it was that they were doing to look at her.
"Detective Mason, if you'd sit down please," Vivian ordered her politely sitting down in a chair across from where Aimee had been sitting. Aimee nervously sat back down.
"It's bad news isn't it?" Aimee asked, impatiently with a shaking hand brushing back a hair that had fallen across her eyes.
"There's some good news and some bad news," Vivian said deliberately anticipating Aimee interrupting, when she didn't she continued. "The good news is that Emily is definitely in LA, she was sighted by two of our agents. Agents Fitzgerald and Taylor, you know them. The bad news is that they lost sight of her after a shootout between themselves and the people who took Emily."
"She wasn't hurt was she?" Aimee interrupted, worry etched across her face. Vivian shook her head.
"No we've every belief that Emily is fine. However, Jake Preston, the man shot and captured gave us a message. He said that, that Emily's body would be returned to her father at two this afternoon, LA time. That he would be just too late to save her."
"Oh my god I . . I need to get out there." Aimee stood up as if she was going to leave right now, Vivian stood up and moved to block her path.
"Mrs Mason you know that you getting on a plane right now won't make a difference. You're better off staying here," Vivian told her,
Aimee moved as if to push past, then back and then forward again. It was clear she didn't know what to do, she'd been awake for over twenty-eight hours, been through more emotions in that time than anybody could reasonably be expected to cope with. With an air of despair Aimee slumped back down in her chair and cried. Vivian trained though she was at working closely with victims families couldn't find any words of comfort. In this case there were no bad guys, just victims. 'You better find her Jack.' Vivian thought as she tried in vain to comfort a mother whose child, while she might not be dead yet was in all probability as good as dead.
