Chapter 3

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Sam's crying had finally subsided into soft whimpers. Jack sensed that she was starting to regain her composure when his phone started ringing. He had turned it back on during the elevator ride down so he'd be able to get constant updates from Van Doren. He removed his hold on Sam, stepped back, and pulled out his cell. She began wiping the tears away from her face and took a deep breath. He could almost see her reconstructing her emotional armor. He turned to walk away from where she stood and hit the talk button.

"Malone…..Uh, huh….They were just taken in…..Yeah, I understand…..I'll be right there." Jack clicked off his phone and returned to see that Sam had taken a seat in the waiting area. "That was Van Doren. She's at the scene and wants me there as soon as possible."

She looked up at him and nodded before replying, "I'm staying here."

"Good. Listen, I don't want to leave but this is a bad situation all around and I have to go." She nodded again. "Call me the minute you hear anything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered sadly.

He resisted the urge to hug her again before turning and walking towards the exit.

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Sam didn't know how long she was sitting in the waiting area when she heard someone call her name. She looked up to see the same ER nurse who had the exchange with Jack earlier.

She stood up and asked, "What's going on? How is he….I mean, how are they?"

"A doctor will be out to speak with you shortly but I thought we should give these to you now." She handed her two plastic bags. "It's their belongings: guns, badges, etc. We know that whenever an officer comes in you want these back as soon as possible. "

Sam took the bags and the weight felt very strange in her numb hands. "Thank you."

The nurse was about to walk away when she stopped and turned back, "Are you alright? Do you want me to call someone?"

"No, I'm okay." Sam hesitated before adding, "I'll be okay. Just make sure my guys are too."

The nurse nodded and headed back to the ER desk.

Sam opened the first bag and looked in to see that it was Danny's stuff. She didn't even have to open the wallet to know it wasn't Martin's. She closed the bag, reached for the other and fished out the black leather object. She needed to see him – even if it was just a standard badge ID.

She flipped it open and was struck by how young Martin looked. He had that short haircut that made him look simultaneously like a little boy and a man. His expression was very serious. They tell you to look serious because when you flash your badge you are doing it for serious reasons.

Noticing a bit of paper sticking out from underneath the ID she pulled it out and immediately felt a lump in her throat. It was the top half of a photo strip. It was frayed at the edges with small creases across the images. It looked as if Martin had taken it in and out of its "secret hiding place" on multiple occasions. Sam felt tears well up in her eyes as she pulled out her own badge to retrieve the missing bottom half which looked just as weathered.

They had taken them when they stopped to pick up a few things from the mini-mart around the corner from her apartment.

XXX

They were in a pretty good mood. While they had found their missing person undergoing an illegal and dangerous surgery so she could return to her old looks, they did find her alive. A case solved is still a solved case. Plus, Sam had told Martin about her comment to Danny and that the look on his face was priceless. They both were laughing about it as they entered the store to get some beer while their pizza was being prepared next door.

"Hello, Sam and Martin," Baochi greeted them.

"Hi Baochi," they replied in unison. He owned the bodega and knew Sam from the neighborhood. She noticed that as soon as she started showing up regularly with Martin he would wink at her or give sly looks of approval.

She started down the aisle when she realized that Martin had stopped trailing behind her. She turned around to see him staring intently at something. She walked up next to him to find out what he found so fascinating: it was a Photo Booth. You pay two bucks, sit on stool in a tiny booth and it takes four candid photos on one strip. She gave Martin a perplexed look when he suddenly got a big smile on his face.

"Oh no, no way!" She began to back away when he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the booth.

"Oh yes! C'mon it'll be fun!"

He paid his two dollars and moved them both inside the booth and drawing the curtain shut. Since there was only one stool in the small confined space she had to sit on his lap. It was awkward and she felt so silly. By this point they were both laughing so hard they didn't even hear the click announcing that the first photo was about to be taken. Once they realized the camera had started snapping pictures they played up the poses. Their good humor gave way to playful kisses which lead to passionate ones and before you knew it, Baochi was coughing loudly, asking if they were alright.

XXX

Sam stared at the photos she held in her hand:

One: Her head is tilted back in a laugh and Martin is looking at her with a wide smile.

Two: They are making silly faces – or rather trying to. It's very hard to try and look silly when you are laughing so hard.

Three: She is giving him an exaggerated kiss on his cheek while his expression is one of bemusement and mock embarrassment.

Four: This was the one that tugged at Sam's heart. It was the two of them looking at one another and just smiling. It was so simple and yet so intimate.

She ran her fingers over the photos and wondered how they got from that point to where they were today. But then she knew how it happened; and she was the one who lead them here.