Chapter 28

xxxxxxxxxxx

Victor watched as the members of the team frantically searching through records, making calls to the parks services and looking through maps in the hopes of finding any clue as to where Harry Davidge may have taken Martin. It was a true testament to Martin's character that so many people cared about him and wanted him home safe and sound.

He glanced over at Samantha Spade who was concentrating on a map of the New York forests. She had been quiet the entire ride back to the office. He noticed that when they arrived that Danny Taylor had tried to comfort her by touching her shoulder but she flinched and told him that she just needed a minute. She disappeared into the bathroom for a long while but when she emerged she was all business. He could see why his son had fallen for her. She wasn't just beautiful but strong in spirit and body.

He left them to their work to go see if Jack was having any luck interviewing Jake Miller. He walked down the hallway to the interview room and stopped in front of the one way mirror. The two men went sitting directly across from one another while the other female agent Vivian sat alongside Jack.

As Victor looked at Jake he remembered the night he made the promise that was the catalyst for all that has happened.

A younger Victor Fitzgerald was standing in the Miller's den. He had planned on just dropping them off after having them review photos of potential subjects to see if they recognized anyone who might have been hanging out in their neighborhood. When he stopped in front of the house Jake invited him inside to share a drink and he accepted. Jeanne excused herself and went upstairs to bed. Victor could see the couple pulling apart during this difficult time and desperately wanted to find their son and make them a whole family again.

"Here you go, scotch on the rocks." Jake handed Victor the heavy weighted glass.

"Thanks." Victor took a long drink and sat down on the leather chair in the den.

They sat in silence and Victor wondered why he even agreed to come inside.

"Do you have any kids?" Jake asked as he brought the drink to his lips and took a drink.

Victor swallowed, unsure if he should be honest or if that would be rubbing salt on the wound. He opted for the truth and replied, "I have a son. His name's Martin."

Jake looked at Victor sadly and asked, "How old?"

"He's eleven." He replied softly. Jake's gaze steadied on him realizing that their sons were the same age. It made Victor feel guilty but he wasn't sure why. Jake's eyes looked watery as he nodded his head in understanding and took a long drink of his scotch. Victor cleared his throat and was about to excuse himself when Jake spoke.

"What's he like?" Jake's voice was soft as a whisper.

Victor rubbed his chin and cautiously replied, "He's a good kid; smart, nice, athletic."

Jake stared at the fireplace and said, "Does he like baseball?"

The mood wasn't tense but impossibly sad. Victor looked into his glass but didn't drink as he replied, "Yes. He plays for the Georgetown Pirates. He's the pitcher."

"I guess you don't get to see him much with the job."

"Not as much as I'd like, no." Victor didn't mention that even when his hours were more normal that he seldom spent much time with Martin. He would use that time to attend functions that would make his presence better known to the FBI's higher ups.

"Same here; I am working on opening up my own business, 'Miller and Son Paper Products.' I have this vision of me teaching Chris the ropes. In the meantime though I am working long hours and he's growing up faster than I can keep up." Jake smiled without humor.

"I know what you mean. It seems like every time I see Martin he's another inch taller." Victor replied thinking that the last time he was home Martin was as tall as Beth; something that filled Martin with pride.

"What about you?" Jake asked. "Do you want him joining the family business?"

Victor smiled and said, "Not if I have any say in it."

"Why not?"

"I want a better life for him and I plan to see to it that he doesn't follow my lead." Victor took a drink and smiling said, "Besides, my wife thinks Martin has a future in politics. He's the most diplomatic kid around."

Jake's eyes got teary as he stared at the photo of Chris on the mantle. "Chris is everything to me and Jeanne. If he's….I don't know what we would do."

Victor empathized with him, he didn't know what he would do if someone were to harm or take his son. And before he knew it he said the words that would haunt him the rest of his life. "I will find your son, Jake. I will find Chris and bring him home to you and Jeanne."

"I'm counting on you, Victor." Jake looked straight at Victor and said, "Don't let me down."

"I won't."

He still carried the guilt around with him that he wasn't able to find Chris alive. Logically he knew that it wasn't his fault but it still haunted him. He looked through the window and saw that Jack was making little headway with Jake.

"I already told you everything I knew." Jake replied adamantly.

"Look, we already have you with kidnapping and assault of a federal agent. If you don't cooperate with us then you will also be charged with accessory to murder." Jack spoke firmly and menacingly which pleased Victor immensely.

"Murder?" Jake asked worriedly.

"Harry said he is going to kill Martin. We need to get to him quickly." Vivian replied with a tenacious tone. She was deftly playing the good cop to Jack's bad. "If you give us information that helps us locate Martin, safe and sound then we can help cut a deal for you."

Jake glanced over at the mirror and squinted as if he were trying to see through to the other side. "Is Victor here?"

"Quit stalling and tell us what we want to know." Jack ordered.

Without looking away from the mirror he said, "I want to talk to Victor."

"No." Jack replied shaking his head and leaning over to stare Jake down. His voice was dark and gruff as he replied, "You are going to talk to me."

Unperturbed, Jake said, "No, I will only talk to Victor. Alone."

Victor turned the corner and walked into the interview room. "Okay, I'm here."

Jack stood and put his hands up as he walked towards Victor, "This isn't a good idea."

"I have to, Jack." Victor glanced over at Jake who seemed slightly surprised at seeing Victor acquiesce so easily. "This all began because of me and it's up to me to end it once and for all."

Jack studied him for a moment before he gestured for Vivian to exit the room with him. As Jack reached for the doorknob he turned to look at both the men and said, "I'll be right outside watching everything."

Victor nodded at Jack before occupying the vacated seat. Victor and Jake stared at one another for a moment before Victor spoke up, "I'm here, talk."

Jake licked his lips and said, "It hurts doesn't it?"

Victor worked his jaw but refused to give Jake the satisfaction of a reply. He just stared at Jake stoically.

"That feeling, that pain. You never get over it. It gnaws at you every single day." Jake leaned forward and kept his eyes on Victor. "I drank, did drugs but nothing numbed it. Nothing made it any easier." Jake jutted out his chin and added, "Except hating you. Hating you filled that void."

Victor swallowed and coldly said, "I understand that you hate me. I didn't come through on my promise to you and didn't find Chris in time. Blame me all you want but Martin has nothing to do with what happened between us."

"He has everything to do with us." Jake argued back. "You got a chance to have a life with your son, Victor. Your son grew up and got to do all the things that my son couldn't. How is that fair?"

"You're blaming my son for being alive?" Victor leaned in towards Jake.

"No, I blame you for not finding my son but also for failing yours. He's just like you Victor. He's exactly what you said you never wanted him to be." Jake answered. "You failed him Victor. You said you wouldn't let him feel the same way you did growing up but you did it anyway. He became an agent just like you and he is allowing little boys to get kidnapped….."

"Martin rescued that boy!" Victor shouted. He bit the inside of his cheek to suppress the urge to lunge at Jake from across the table.

"He was there and he still couldn't stop that boy from getting kidnapped." Jake replied shouting just as loudly. Jake settled himself and in a calm voice said, "That's why I did what I did. I don't think you or your son understands what a family goes through when a child is kidnapped. When your child is taken and you have no idea if they are okay."

"And taking my son is the only way to show me?"

"Yes because you cannot explain that feeling. You just have to experience it." Jake looked deep into Victor's eyes and said, "You are never going to be able to forget this feeling are you, Victor?"

"Okay, I get it. I got my lesson." Victor tried to keep his voice level, took a deep breath and said, "This is the shittiest feeling in the world. But I know that you aren't a bad man, Jake. You don't want Martin to die. You wouldn't want my wife, Martin's mother, to have to go through what Jeanne did do you?" For the first time since Victor walked into the room he could see a flicker of the Jake he met over twenty years ago.

"No, that wasn't my plan." Jake responded as he lowered his eyes. "Harry just took everything over so quickly."

"Sometimes things happen that are out of your control." Victor said evenly.

Jake looked up at Victor as if realizing that might have been what happened in the case with his own son. He looked like he wanted to cry but he pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I remember that Harry said that he still had the keys to the first site he worked at Finger Lakes but that's all I know."

"Thank you." Victor stood up to leave and put his hand on the doorknob. He paused and turned to look back at Jake. "You know, you got it all wrong." Jake looked at him questioningly. "My son is nothing like me. He's a better man than I could ever hope to be."