A.N.: Sorry for the extra long delay, but I had been very busy with my final exams coming up at college and afterwards I have been on vacation in Prague. But now I'm back again and ready to give you an update :-). Please R+R.

Chapter 15:

Some miles away, into the city, Jack was still behind the barricade, arguing with the authorities from police about policy and the right way to handle the situation. He hadn't been very succesful, but at least he had achieved to have been allowed to stay and give suggestions. Right now he was listening to the police captain arguing with his superior, as his phone rang. He picked it up.

"Jack, this is Viv. We are still at the hospital - we had a chance to have a look at Miranda's file..."

Jack didn't like the fact that she was stopping – it was no good sign. At least it meant that he probably had been right, but that wasn't actually good news. He wouldn't find out, if he wouldn't take the chance and ask his co-worker about her progress.

"So what did you find out?"

Once again this day, there was a long silence at the other end of the line, which actually proved him right, as he had already believed. But still he hadn't actually heard anything about what Vivian had found out. But she didn't leave him in doubt any longer as she found the courage to finally break the silence.

„The girl has been violated, Jack. Brutally raped from what the doctor just told me."

"I have been crosschecking with the other evidence we have... Lukas Wilson's family lives pretty close to this hospital, Jack..."

"You believe it was him?"

"I'm pretty sure. I mean it all makes sense – she had a crush on that boy and she was easy to use. She was too shy and too less liked to insist against him or to tell anyone about it. She probably was the most happiest girl on earth, when he invited her in."

"It at least sounds reasonable..."

"And it would explain the change in her behavior, too. Her closing in, not talking anymore, locking herself in her room, the medics she took – it really makes a lot of sense.

And Lukas is at school right now – he's the perfect target for her!"

"Alright thanks, Viv – I know we can't be sure about it, but taking into consideration what Sam and Danny told me about their interview with the Wilson boy... It's most probable, it's a chance at least."

"What do you want to do about it?"

"I'll try to get the boy to a phone. As I can't go in there right now, he – literally – needs to come to me. I need to talk to him. He's probably pretty afraid right now and if he has any sense of decency he probably feels guilty. Maybe a few hidden accuses and hints are already enough to get through his defense. I need him to tell the truth. He's our best chance to end this messed up situation right now."

"Alright Jack – we'll be heading back to the office. Please call as soon as there's any progress about the situation at school."

"I will."

And with that he hung up the phone. If anyone of the busied policemen would've looked at him right now, they had probably winced. He had a decisive, almost grim expression on his face, an expression which wouldn't tolerate the word "no". This was exactly what he had intended as he approached to the police captain leading the operation right now.

"Agent Malone, I already told you..."

The captain stopped dead in the middle of the sentence as he turned around to face Jack and tell him once again, he should stop intervening with the situation. But he never got to finish his demand – for he had been impressed by the expression on Jack's face, who immediately took it as a chance.

"I need to get a line in there. I need to talk to one of the pupils. Maybe he can help us..."

"How would that be?"

The captain didn't even try to sound interested. It was pure politeness and a slight respect for the federal agent, which made him ask the question anyway. But Jack didn't even care about the tone in his voice, he didn't give in to that.

"Miranda – the shooter – she had a crush on that boy, but he rejected her and his girlfriend frequently told her to back off. We're most likely dealing with some kind of lover's grief. She's just a teenager and she probably found no other way to cope with it. It's a drastic measure, but it's the one possible reason I see."

"Let's just for a moment say I'd believe in this psychological shit... What would that help us, what do you want the boy for?"

"I want him to talk to her – he's the one person she is in love with, the person she desperately longs for. He may convince her to stop..."

The captain wore an astonished expression on his face and Jack couldn't believe he would actually give in. He himself had been talking nonsense since the conversation had started – Miranda didn't long for Lukas. She simply wanted for him to pay, pay for her pain, pay for her suffering...

"Alright Agent Malone – I don't think we will lose anything by that... It's worth a try. I will get you a line inside school. Let's just hope this works..."

Obviously he had managed to impress the police captain even more than he had believed in first place. He had been pretty sure they would go on debating about procedure and competences for some time longer. Well, it was a good sign after all – the less time they wasted the better.

The police captain in the meantime, who constantly had been on the phone with the principal's office asked them to get Lukas Wilson on line, assuring them there was no danger to them as long as they stayed inside the school building.

It took some more minutes, but finally the police captain was talking to someone again, taking a few moments – probably to explain the reason for his call and then signaling Jack to come over. The voice on the other end of the line – Lukas Wilson – seemed shaky, obviously deeply afraid from the events that had washed over him.

"Lukas, my name's Jack Malone – I'm with the FBI."

"What do you want?"

"I need you to tell me about Miranda, Lukas."

"Miranda? What's this got to do with her?"

So the Wilson boy had no idea, he hadn't even suspected it – in a situation like this nobody would be able to play tricks. The boy was too honestly concerned and threatened to do that. But maybe confronting him with the information Jack had, telling him that Miranda was shooting at them would shock the boy enough to make him confess in first place.

"Miranda is shooting at the pupils of your school, Lukas. She is the one threatening you."

Silence and a sharp inhaling sound as Lukas Wilson seemed to be in need to catch his breath. But he wouldn't say anything, not a single word as he tried to regain his composure. This hadn't worked out and somehow the boy managed to even calm himself right now. Probably because the uncertainty about what was going on had just vanished.

"Why would she do this?"

"Maybe because of something you did?"

"I, I didn't do anything to her. I already told your guys that I didn't."

The boy was denying and going on questioning him this way, staying friendly and polite – giving only hints to what he had done without telling him he actually knew about it already – wouldn't work. Well – just that actually he didn't know anything after all. Evidence was pointing to Lukas being the one who had raped Miranda, but they didn't have prove on this one. He needed to try in another way, find other words to make him confess.

"Lukas, I know what you did – I know why Miranda is so angry and desperate. How could you be doing that, boy? How could you be hurting her like that? Did you even care about her?"

"What the hell are you talking about! I didn't do anything."

Denial – over and over again. But something about the boy's voice had changed, he didn't seem that confident, that sure about himself any more. He was doubting, doubting that the crime he had commited had been undetected, doubted that Jack wasn't just playing tricks on him. There was an opening – Jack simply had to go for it.

"I know that you made her suffer, I know why she is killing those people. It's all because of you, because of what you have done!"

The break through – or break down in Lukas' case - came quickly and most unexpected. Jack had actually expected this to take some – precious – time longer, but he was lucky. The Wilson boy was all of a sudden bursting out in words – words that were finally true.

"Oh good lord – stop! I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to hurt her. She was just so shy and naive – so easy to get. I just couldn't resist, I couldn't get out of it. It was just too easy, for I knew she never would've said a single thing. I had felt safe. But holy shit – I never thought she would come up with something like this. I couldn't even imagine her being capable of such a thing. I didn't mean to get anybody hurt, I didn't mean to. God, I'm so sorry..."

Jack could hear the boy's voice crack and then fade as he breathed in heavily, probably trying to fight back tears. He had just revealed himself, he had just given in to Jack's hints and accuses and had told him the truth. Jack's voice was but a whisper as he spoke to Lukas again, getting a final confession from him.

"You raped her, Lukas."

"Oh good lord – forgive me... Yes I did..."

Silence fell between them as Jack tried to think of something to end this phone call. He didn't want to talk to Lukas Wilson any longer. He would be judged and sentenced for his crime soon enough. Right now, that he had prove, he needed to get a hold on Miranda.

"I want you to end the call now Lukas. Maybe it's not too late, maybe there's still a chance for us to convince Miranda. Just stay where you are and don't do anything stupid, boy!"

"Okay."

The next thing he heard was the line going dead as Lukas hung up the phone. Jack didn't even need to turn around – he could imagine what the face of the captain would look like and he didn't expect him to react any different. He probably would've felt the same way. Therefore he wasn't actually surprised as he started yelling at him.

"What the hell was that all about? You told me he was a crush of hers! But you never ever said a single word about rape! You were lying to me, goddamn it!"

Finally Jack turned around trying to stay calm and logically. He needed for the captain to cool his temper and have a rational conversation with him. He needed to talk to Miranda right now and he couldn't do that without the police captain's permission.

"I'm sorry, but there was no other way. It was just a suspicion and what I needed to have first was some prove, a confession. I couldn't just openly accuse that boy of a crime he maybe hadn't even committed. But actually I was pretty sure..."

"Alright, alright – what are we going to do now?"