AN: This is the last chapter of this story and now I'll start working on my other ones. Thank you for reading and please don't forget to leave a review! I didn't have the strength to read it through a third time, so there might be more mistakes this time! Sorry for them!

So, read and enjoy!

Chapter 4.

After they jumped through the trap-door they found themselves on a corridor. Dim neon-lights illuminated the concrete walls.

"What the hell…" Nathan looked around.

They stood in the middle of the corridor, they could go to west or to east.

"This must be one of the air-shelters that were built during the World War" said John.

"All right. Let's split up, but be careful."

"You too."

And with that they started off.

John went left. The tunnel turned after a few meters and when he looked back he couldn't see Nathan anymore. He had to admit that the place gave him the creeps. It was dark and there must have been a lot of hiding places. There were a lot of doors on both sides of the corridor. He sighed and stepped to the first one.

There was nothing inside except some dust and probably a few spiders considering the cobwebs in the corners. He stepped to the next one when he heard the gunshot. It echoed through the tunnel and it seemed as if there more shots after each-other but he knew it was only one. And it came from the direction of Agent Brubaker.

He turned immediately and started in that direction but after a few steps all the lights went out and he found himself in total darkness. He's never experienced something like this. Maybe it was because they were underground but he couldn't even see his own hands. He lost his orientation skills in a few seconds but he could hear and he heard footsteps and heavy breathing.

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to reveal his whereabouts but he didn't want to be shot by Agent Brubaker by chance.

"Nathan?" he asked loudly enough.

It probably wasn't the FBI agent, as the man didn't answer at all and suddenly he couldn't hear him anymore.

Then he heard something else: a sweeping sound… as that somebody swung something big… probably an axe. He moved instinctively. Obviously in the wrong direction though: the hard tool hit him on the left side of his head, fortunately not with its edge though. He saw stars in the blackness and lost his balance, falling to the knees and dropping his gun. It must have been his luck as he felt the move backward just above his head. He felt dizzy and felt blood floating down his face, but he moved quickly. He still couldn't make out anything but his opponent was blind as well. So he lashed forward and impacted into a human body. They fell to the ground together and bowls and kicks and common wrestling started.

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"I found no sign of Carnagie out there, except the dead dog of course…" John reported to Bailey after a good hour of searching through the area.

"I thought it would be the case" answered his boss. "I checked every door and every window. He must work to get into the house."

"How's Chris?" John asked next.

"She came out of her room but didn't tell a word to me."

"Where's she now?"

"In the study."

John started off and Bailey didn't stop him. Chris was really in the study staring at the blank screen of the computer.

"How are you?" John asked quietly.

"Fine."

She didn't look at him though.

"And what do you say if I don't believe you?"

"Nothing. He will kill us, John. He always achieves what he wants."

"We are here, Chris. Agent Malone and me. We will protect you."

"You don't understand, do you? I don't want to be protected because everybody who's wanted to protect me, was killed. I don't want another death on my soul… especially not yours."

Her voice was even now and quiet but John knew that it must have required a lot of self-control.

"I don't mind if I die but I don't want anybody else suffer because of me" she finished.

"I would certainly mind if you died! Do you really think that if he finished you off he would stop killing people? Do you really believe in this?"

She just shrugged.

"Your father is a psychopath, Chris! He would never stop, unless we arrest him again and put him back into jail."

"I know."

John looked at her with surprise. He didn't think that Chris would give up so easily.

"It was just a better feeling that maybe I could somehow control this situation" she admitted.

John sat down next to her.

"I know." Now it was his turn to say the words.

"He will come after sunset" she said then. "He's never liked the daylight."

Sunset came quickly. Too quickly in John's opinion. He spoke to Bailey in the kitchen and they planned how they would handle while Chris was waiting in the living-room. When he went back to her, she was sitting on the couch staring out the window.

"It would be the best if you stayed in your room."

"Would it?" He didn't know if she meant it sarcastically or not.

"Yes."

"Okay."

She stood up and followed John without another word. When they stopped in front of the bedroom, John pulled out his spare-weapon.

"I'd like you to keep this with you. Do you know how to use it?"

She nodded.

"Okay then. And don't come out. When this is over I'll come for you."

"I don't like this at all."

"I know. But it's the best, believe me."

"I trust you John if you promise me that everything will be all right with you."

He bent down and kiss her deeply.

"I promise."

She smiled slightly and it was the first smile of her that day. Then went inside and closed the door.

Then Bailey and John took they places: Bailey upstairs and John downstairs. He would have wanted to be closer to Chris but Bailey decided differently.

And then there was nothing left but wait.

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Bailey didn't know where he was, but somebody was calling his name. Loudly. He tried to open his eyes but he felt so tired… He just wanted to sleep.

"Agent Malone!" the voice called him again.

He realized surprised that his eyes were indeed open. It was just so dark, that even with open eyes, he could only see blackness.

"Agent Malone! Are you here?" the voice called again.

"Yes…" he wanted to tell, but what came out was only a quiet moan. What the hell happened to him?

Then he remembered: Felon! He was attacked by the suspect and Joshua gave him something… some kind of drug and quite strong considering how he felt. He was lying on something hard and felt steel around his wrists. He couldn't move his legs, either.

"Grant…?" he asked hoarsely recognizing the voice.

"Yes, it's me. Don't worry…"

His voice came from closer now.

"Where's Felon?" Bailey asked quietly.

"Out" came the simple answer which Bailey didn't really understand but had no strength to ask more.

"I found the keys..." John said but his voice sounded somehow strange. "I'll free you in a minute."

Bailey couldn't see him at all, not even when he felt that the younger man stood next to him.

"Don't you have a flashlight?" he asked.

"Do you think that I would rummage around here in the darkness if I had one?" asked the younger detective back dryly.

"Sorry."

Bailey heard a quiet click and his right arm became free.

"Can you move?" asked John.

"Yes, just open the other one."

When he was free, he stood up, but almost collapsed. Grant was there though and steadied him.

"We should vanish here quickly!" Bailey said.

"Do you have your handcuffs?" asked John. "I lost mine…"

"I don't know, probably it's here somewhere around."

"There must be some light here…" John said and Bailey heard him moving around, so he did the same tapping on the wall carefully.

After a short while he heard Grant give out a moaning sound.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes…" And then: "I think I found the fuse."

The next moment the neon-lights went up in the room. They were in a huge room that was mostly empty, except the table-like furniture that stood in the middle and to which Bailey was chained only moments before. He saw sickened that the surface of the wooden desk was bloodstained and there were deep cuts in it at the place where his neck should have been right now. He swallowed and looked around. Instantly he saw the huge body of Felon lying in the doorway obviously out cold. On his face there was dried blood and his left arm was obviously broken.

"What happened to him?" asked he still confused.

"I knocked him out" Grant answered simply.

It was almost unbelievable that the tiny-looking Grant could manage against this giant, but he visibly did.

Bailey turned to Grant and studied him closer for the first time. He soon realized that he wore the signs of the fight as well. The left side of his face was bloodied and the blood must have flown down from a head-wound as his hair was stuck together as well. His right shoulder stood at a terribly unnatural angle, even for an unprofessional eye.

"Are you okay?" Bailey asked again.

"You can say so, yes. But this bastard hit me on the head with his axe. Fortunately he didn't do it with its edge" and he grinned.

There was nothing funny in it, of course, but somehow Bailey found himself grinning as well. Then he glimpsed his handcuffs lying on the floor. He bent down for them and handcuffed the murderer, then together they pulled him away from the doorway.

Bailey himself wasn't walking on steady legs either. He felt the drug still work in his system and time and time again, his vision went blurry. He wanted to lie down and sleep for a week but there were more important things to do right now. Especially as a new thought came to his mind.

"Where's Nathan?"

"I'm not sure. Out somewhere in the corridor. We split up when we found this place. Not much time later I heard a shot, it was Agent Brubaker I guess. Then the lights went out and Felon attacked me. I managed to tackle him down" Bailey suspected that this didn't go so easy but didn't say a word. "During our fight we somehow ended up in this room. Then I heard some noise and thought it was you" John exclaimed what happened.

"Then let's find him." Bailey said and they stepped outside.

"Agent Brubaker turned left at the entrance so..." he looked around thoughtfully, then pointed into one direction with his healthy left arm. "He should be there somewhere."

I hope he's okay! Bailey prayed silently. He liked Nathan very much, he was clever, a good friend and a good agent.

They didn't have to look for long to find the other agent. Nathan was lying in the middle of the corridor and Bailey saw relieved that he was breathing regularly. He kneeled down immediately and checked his pulse: it was steady but a little bit weak.

"How is he?" asked John who was standing behind him.

"He got a big blow on his head probably. I'd like to stay with him to make sure he's okay" he didn't like the idea to send the also injured detective out on his own, but he didn't want to leave Nathan alone. "Could you go up alone and call reinforcement?"

"Sure thing" John left his jacket somewhere and dropped his tie as well. He wiped away some blood with his sleeve - however it didn't help much because his head was bleeding continously – and he left.

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The police and the ambulances arrived about twenty minutes later and quite unsurprisingly Grace came with them. Nathan was put in one of the ambulances and taken away as the paramedics found it exasperating that he didn't regain consciousness so far. Bailey and Detective Grant were put in the other ambulance and treated there.

John's shoulder was dislocated and at the moment he endured with gritted teeth that it was put back into place. Grace helped the paramedic to do it and during that he asked Bailey.

"Are you all right?"

"Of course. He only gave me some drug, I will sleep it out. You won't get rid of me so easily."

"And you?" she turned back to John.

"I've been better, but I'll survive" he said.

"Are you nauseated?" she inquired further.

"No" he shook his head and then grimaced and gulped visibly. "At least I wasn't until now" he added with a crooked smile.

"You should both be taken to hospital and held there overnight."

"It isn't necessary" said Bailey.

"I don't think I need it!" said John in the same moment.

Grace looked at the roof and rolled her eyes.

"You do what I told you and the argument is over!" she said harshly.

John seemed to have gotten a cold feet and nodded, Bailey on the other hand just growled something under his nose, but didn't protest any longer. Probably Grace was right anyway, as always.

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The next morning Bailey was in Nathan's hospital room, who fortunately woke up after a few hours, but didn't really remember what had happened to him. It was promising though that he didn't show any other symptoms and the doctors said that it was quite normal that he had a short-time amnesia after such a trauma to his head.

He was talking about how long he had to stay in when there was a quiet knock on the door. They both looked up and saw Detective Grant standing from one foot to the other. He had bandage on his head and his right arm was in a sling.

"I thought I'd drop by before I go" he said.

"Did they let you out?"

"You can say so, yes. The doctor had a nervous breakdown after I had asked him about thirty times when I could go and he shouted at me to vanish instantly" he answered with a wide smile.

"You should make up an other story for Grace!"

"I'm not suicidal, thank you! And how are you?" he turned to Nathan.

"Better. But I'm not as fortunate as you, my wife would strangle me if I didn't stay here long enough!"

They looked at each-other and burst out laughing. Then John said his good-bye and walked out. However Bailey rushed after him.

"Detective!"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for help… and wanted to ask if you had ever thought about joining the FBI?"

"Actually, not really."

"All right, but if you ever do, don't hesitate to ask me for a job."

"Thank you, sir."

"You were a great help, and to tell the truth, you probably saved my life."

John just smiled rather shyly.

"I'll tell you one thing: this one might have been luck, but if you save me once again, I'm sure we will be the best of friends." He smiled but the younger man could see that he meant it and This time his smile was more genuine.

"Thank you."

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Things became hectic quite fast. John was sitting in the living-room waiting for something to happen. Then suddenly he heard the noises but those didn't came from outside but from upstairs. He jumped and started to run.

His gun was ready when arrived upstairs and saw Bailey wrestling with a man. How Carnagie managed to come in was a mystery to John but it didn't count at the moment.

"Stop!" he shouted, aiming his gun at the murderer in the same moment when Bailey cried out in pain.

Carnagie pushed the agent to the wall and John could see the knife that he held in his hand and pushed deeply into Bailey's side. Everything happened very fast: Carnagie moved and held the injured man in front of him.

"If I were you, I would drop the gun!" Carnagie said with a wicked smile. John was surprised how silky his voice sounded.

"No."

"Don't make me kill him…" he said and twisted the knife. Bailey moaned and his eyes rolled back but Carnagie didn't let him fall.

John dropped the gun.

"Kick it over here!" the murderer ordered and John obeyed.

There was a good puddle of blood at Bailey's feet by now.

Carnagie let go off Bailey and the older man fell to the ground with a thud. In the same moment John jumped forward attacking the intruder. For a moment he could surprise the other man but he quickly got back to himself. John hit him in the face and heard a satisfying crack as the other man's nose broke. Then made an attempt at hitting out the knife from his hand but without success. Carnagie stabbed forward and the blade ran deep into John's shoulder.

"Father!"

Carnagie pulled out his knife and turned to the voice. Both at the same time. John collapsed to the floor more from the shock caused by the sudden pain than anything else. Chris pointed the gun at his father's face.

"Don't. Move." Her voice was cold and so were her eyes.

In his confused state of mind John was rather amazed of her.

"I'm glad, you came to your senses, Julia!" Carnagie said. "Come with me and we can finish what we started so many years ago."

"No."

That was all she said before she pulled the trigger. Only once. Carnagie collapsed like a sack. He was dead in that instant, seeing as how half of his brain material landed on the wall next to John.

"And my name is Chris…" the girl whispered as she dropped her weapon.

"Chris…" John called her anxiously.

He pulled himself up into a rather awkward, crouched position. "Are you okay?" She didn't react just watched the dead body of his father. "Chris, answer me, please!"

She turned to him at least but her eyes were distant. Frighteningly so. John did the only thing he could think of: he staggered up to the feet, moved closer to Chris and pulled her into a hug. He felt her shiver and then she mumbled under her nose.

"Oh my God…" then looked up and life came back into her face. "John, you're bleeding!"

"I don't think it's too serious, but Agent Malone is in quite a bad shape… could you call the sheriff's office? They should send a chopper or something. Okay?"

"Of course. I'll go!" Then she looked at him closely. "Can I leave you alone?"

"I'm fine. Just go."

He just wanted to get her away from the scene and he wanted to check Bailey because that wound on his side didn't look well.

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Two hours later John was sitting on an examination table in a hospital and a doctor was putting stitches into his shoulder. It wasn't such a deep wound, he was quite lucky. Bailey on the other hand was in surgery right now.

Through the glass-door he could see Chris. She was sitting on one of the plastic chairs on the corridor. She seemed to be quite lost and John wanted to go to her right now but the doctor was still puttering on his shoulder.

About ten minutes later then at last he could leave. He went to Chris' side and sat down next to her.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'll be fine."

"And what now?"

"I don't know. I'll move away. I have to think about it…"

"I see."

"One of the nurses said that there is a hotel a few blocks away. I think I'll go there and rent a room."

"I'll wait until they bring out Agent Malone from the OP."

"Will you come, when you are finished here?"

"Yes."

He wanted to be with Chris. He knew deep in his heart that their relationship – if you could call this a relationship at all – won't survive the end of the case. But he will think about it later and not now.

Four days later he was in the hospital again, picking up Bailey who was released. They got in their rented car and started off to the airport.

"Where's Chris?" the older agent asked.

"She decided to leave the country for a while. She went to Europe. I took her to the airport today, early in the morning."

"It's understandable."

"Yes, it is."

Bailey threw a worried glance at him.

"Are you okay with it?"

"Yes. She's very vulnerable at the moment."

"I guess I should thank you again." Bailey changed the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"As I remember – however my memories are quite fuzzy – you saved my life. Again."

"And Chris saved us both."

"Do you remember what I told you about a year ago?" Bailey asked with a grin.

The younger man smiled slightly.

"Yes, I do."

Bailey laid back in his seat and decided that it was a very good choice to ask John Grant to join his team.

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Two years later

Sam Waters was sitting in the VCTF Command Centre thinking about the new mystery Jack put in their way, when George came in with a package, that he put down on the table. Sam got suspicious in an instant.

"What's this?"

"No idea. It came in the morning and it was checked if there's a bomb or something dangerous in it. Actually, it was addressed to John."

"John?" She was so prepared to get a new 'gift' from Jack that she was surprised it was for somebody else.

"Yes."

"And where is John?" Sam asked.

"I'm right here" came the voice from behind.

"You got a package" George announced.

"Yeah, I heard. Bailey called me."

He dropped down next to Sam.

"Let's open it then!"

John unwrapped the package and put out a book and an envelope.

"You can relax" he said with a broad smile. "It's not from Jack."

He turned some pages of the book then opened the envelope and started to read the letter. Sam could see that it had at least four full-written pages.

"You want to leave us in the darkness?" George asked.

John looked up, still smiling.

"It's from an old friend" he said and gave the book to Sam. "This is her first published novel."

"Her?" George asked immediately, while Sam studied the book: 'Don't be scared' by Christine Carprenter.

She opened it and on the first page she found a dedication:

'To John, who saved me in every way possible…'

She looked up to John who was plunged into the letter.

"Really, John! Don't you want to tell us more?" insisted George and Sam had to admit she was also very curious.

But John just shook his head absent-mindedly. He stood up abruptly and took the book.

"Tell Bailey I had to go home."

And with that he vanished from the office.

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