Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews girls! :)
Thanks Scarlett for the beta-ing. ;)
Disclaimer: Sheldon Jeffrey Sands does not belong to me, nor do any other characters from Once Upon A Time In Mexico, they belong to thier respected creators. I just let them come and wreck havok...alot.
Cerise had called Sarah, so when the knock came on the door they'd expected it to be Sarah. Instead, three men in black suits and sunglasses stood there. All three flashed their badges. "Officer Sands, Officer Stone. We've got a few questions to ask you."
Sands swore vulgarly. "You know, we're a bit busy here... our daughter being kidnapped and all.."
The three officers looked at each other. The first one, the taller one, took off his glasses and Cerise didn't hide the gasp.
"Sammy!?" She peered at the man she'd worked with in the past.
Sammy gave her a sympathetic smile. "Hey Stone, long time no see."
"Iokie! You're a goddamn security officer?!" Sands snapped.
"Yes... Sarah didn't tell you?"
"No, Sarah didn't tell us!" Sands fought to keep his voice level, but it slipped a pitch.
Sammy frowned and turned to Cerise, who shook her head. "How odd..." Sammy mumbled. "You say Lily was kidnapped?"
"Yes... about thirty minutes ago..." Cerise muttered, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She felt sick just thinking about it.
Sammy glanced at one of the officers. "Make a note of it." He turned to Cerise. "We'll take care of it. Do you think it had anything to do with last night?"
"Of course it did," Sands interjected. "Someone doesn't try to kill you for no fucking reason."
"Officer Sands, can you think of any reason why someone would want to terminate you?"
Sands snorted.
"I'll take that as a no..." Sammy muttered.
"That was a yes," Sands corrected. "But you're not privy to the information."
"Officer Sands, we're not here to accuse you of anything, we're here to help." Sammy said in their defense.
"Fine fucking job you're doing." Sands replied tartly.
Sammy bristled. "I can see we're not going to get anything out of you. It's my duty to inform you, that until you're debriefed for the operation in Culiacan, you're temporary suspended of action."
Sands went ridged. "Are you fucking serious? Who ordered it?!" Sands demanded.
"The DDO," Sammy answered simply before turning to Cerise. "As for you, Officer Stone, you're ordered to appear tomorrow for debriefing on the operation in Mexico City." Cerise managed a nod at least. "Is there anything else either of you are willing tell us?" Sammy asked.
"Not a damn fucking thing," Sands replied, lighting a cigarette.
Sammy sighed deeply. "All right Jeff, be this way."
"I will be," Sands said with satisfied grin on his face. He turned from the group and walked across the room, to his stereo and turned it on. Dion and the Belmonts played The Wanderer and Sands moved back to the couch and flopped down, tapping the ashes off this cigarette in a ashtray he knew was directly in front of him.
Cerise looked at Sammy and offered a tired smile. They both knew that was all they would get out of Sands, even if they pressed him.
Sammy sighed again and turned to Cerise. He took her hand. "Don't worry about Lily, Cee, I'll do everything in my power to find her."
"It's kind of hard NOT to worry, Sammy... especially since she's my baby girl," Cerise whispered.
Sammy nodded. He had an adopted son who was six. "I know, if I lost Richard, I'd feel the same way."
"Yeah..." Cerise muttered.
"All right Cee. I'll stay in contact, and I'll see you tomorrow?" She nodded again. Sammy nodded once and turned to the other officers, motioning for them to back out the door. Sammy stopped in the doorway, turning to face the couch. "Jeff...take care, eh?"
"Oh, I'll definitely try," Sands replied scathingly. Cerise waved Sammy to go and shut the door after he left.
"I'm leaving for Mexico in the morning," Sands said when the door was shut.
Cerise blinked. "What?" She turned and looked at him.
"I didn't stutter." She walked back towards the couch.
"Sheldon... why Mexico?"
"It's where this whole business began, and it's where it ends. I'll bet you anything that that's where they've taken Lily."
Cerise sat on the coffee table and looked at him. He exhaled the smoke of his cigarette slowly, snubbing it out in the ashtray next to her as he leaned forward.
He took her hand. "I don't expect you to come with me..." he said softly. She struggled to reply.
"Shelly... do you have any idea... how dangerous?"
He gave her an irritated look. "I know how dangerous it'll be. Have a little more faith in me, Cherry. I'm still a dangerous man."
The smile he tossed her made her shudder involuntarily. "I believe it."
"Like I said, I don't expect you to come," Sands replied.
"I... they want to debrief me tomorrow... I..."
Sands sighed, letting go of her hand and getting up.
What had he expected? She was far more cautious then he was. But this was their daughter they were talking about.
"How are you going to find her, Sheldon?" Cerise whispered.
"I've got my contacts. I'll find her," he said, moving into the kitchen. Cerise followed, and watched as he took a shot glass down for the cupboard and the bottle of tequila out of the fridge.
"Maybe...you can get a hold of Rick... he's still down in Mexico.."
"Dupre? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."
"But still..."
He heard the desperation in her voice, the trace of tears. He said nothing for a moment, throwing back the shot and leaving the glass on the counter with the bottle when he heard her soft sobs.
He reached out and took her arm, pulling her to him, and wrapping his arms around her, comforting her. Cerise gave in, flinging her arms around his neck, and crying into his shirt. "I want her back, Sheldon! I want her in my arms, I want her safe!" she cried.
"Shh...I 'll get her back. It'll be alright." He ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead. "I promise, Cerise, I won't let anything bad happen."
She managed to nod through her tears. She was so exhausted. Sands could feel this. So he slipped his other arm under her legs and scooped her up. Not like it was hard. She was petite; small and light. She squeaked in protest, but he didn't reply, carrying her towards the bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed, stretching out bedside her and stroking her hair. Her sobs quieted and she cried softly.
"Shh baby," Sands cooed in her ear, kissing her neck. He pulled her to him, holding her. She eventually cried herself to sleep.
He didn't move until someone else knocked on the door. There was no way Cerise would wake now, so he pulled the comforter over her and got up. Pushing up the sunglasses that had slid down his nose, he went back into the living room, slipping his hand in to the drawer of the table by the door as he undid the lock.
"It's me, Jeff," Sarah said as he opened the door slowly. Sands shrugged and opened the door all the way, closing the table drawer, leaving the gun in it.
Sarah closed the door as she entered "Where's Cerise?"
"Sleeping," Sands said simply, moving away from the door. Sarah sighed and followed him. This was her first mistake. Sands grabbed her arm, pinning her to wall, the blade of the pocket knife to her neck, freezing her. "If you wake Cerise up, I'll make you bleed," Sands hissed her in ear.
Sarah swallowed. "Jeff..." she whimpered timidly.
"The security officers were here, Sarah. And one of them was our old friend Iokie. Now," he pressed the blade a little more. "Something occurred to me, darlin'. You didn't TELL us Iokie was a security officer."
"Jeff," she swallowed, positive she felt blood pricking her neck.
"You know, my trust right now... really is thin," he drawled. "So, if I were you, I'd start talking fast and honest, otherwise..."
Sarah whimpered. Sands wouldn't kill her, surely not. But then the question of his sanity had been weighing on her mind since Mexico "Jeff, please, I didn't know you didn't know Sammy was a security officer. When he left the team, after... after Paris, he took a security position!" she said desperately. Sands listened to her tone, making his decision.
Relaxing his arm, he let her go, closing the butterfly knife with a swift movement. He moved around the living room. Finally, he turned to Sarah when he was near the hallway. "Sarah, this is my daughter's life on the line. I won't tolerate being left in the dark," he sneered.
"Jeff, I'm not leaving you in the dark," she pleaded.
Sands tilted his head. "The thing is, if I find out otherwise, I'll put a bullet in your brain... I don't care HOW close you are to Cerise."
Sarah sighed. "Sands, you've got to trust me. You've got to know by now that you can!" she nearly screamed.
"Lower your fucking voice!" Sands snapped hotly.
Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, glaring. "You know, I don't give a damn anymore, Sands. I came here to offer my help to Cerise. YOU can go to hell."
"You know, I'm thinking of buying a summer home there. The brimstone is very nice this time of year."
"You're going to miss me when you don't have me on your side," Sarah stated, as she headed for the door.
"How can I miss you if you won't go away!?" Sands replied in a mock whine.
"Fucking bastard!" Sarah snapped.
"Love you too!" he replied as he heard the door slam. He groaned and turned for the bedroom. Entering it, he went over to Cerise's bag and dug around in it until he found her cell phone, listening to her sleeping in bed. Then he went out onto the balcony he dialed a long distance number.
She woke up hearing him move around the bedroom, packing. She lay there watching him stuff some clothes in a bag. Sands felt her eyes on him. So when he finished packing, he left his bag by the bedroom door and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge next to her. "I'm leaving at six in the morning," he said softly.
"For Mexico," she finished.
"I'll contact you as soon as I get there," he replied.
Cerise didn't say anything for a moment. Then she took his hand. "Sheldon, be careful, please?!"
"Aren't I always babe?" he asked with a grin. When she didn't reply, he sighed. "I'll be careful."
"Thank you, Sheldon."
He leaned over and kissed her lightly. "Go back to sleep. It's late."