AN: I had trouble with this chapter, it took me longer to write than it normally takes, but I'm pretty happy with it! I hope you enjoy it! Btw, sorry it's kind of shortish. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments! I love you guys:D

You Wear Me Out

Woody was in the driver's seat and Max urged him to use the pedal for what it was meant for.

"Max, I'm driving as fast as I can. My siren is on but the traffic is heavy. When we get out of the city we'll be flying, patience is a virtue you know."

"And every second that slips past is one in which Jordan could be killed," Max pressed.

"Don't you think I know that?" Woody retorted sharply.

There was silence in the car for a while. They both thought of their next move.

Woody's breath was quick with worry. He tried not to dwell on what was happening to Jordan. He tried to erase the picture from his mind but to no avail, worst possible scenarios kept popping into his mind. There was no way of getting to Vermont in time before they crossed the border into Canada

Max gripped his seat, not with fear of Woody's driving but in apprehension of what they would find when they arrived at their destination. Max knew Jordan's volatile personality got her in frequent trouble; he kept hoping that it would not get her killed this time.

The bright city lights eventually turned to roadside lamps, which eventually faded into the darkness that only a midnight drive on a country freeway can provide. The only source of light was the headlights on Woody's speeding Lincoln. All was silent but for the silent humming of the cruiser and the occasional car that sped by.

--- --- ---

They had been walking for an hour through the dense forest next to the town not a mile away; Angler made sure they skirted the population. The only sound was the crackling of dry leaves and branches underfoot until Angler whispered, "It doesn't look like that pretty boy has noticed you're gone. Too bad, he missed a ripe opportunity."

Jordan sneered though without any light, he could not see her. He continued anyway, "It's like a game of cat and mouse to you isn't it?" He laughed, Jordan hated his laughter, "But now, he's stopped chasing you for other mice and look where he's left you, with me, but I can't complain. I'm rather enjoying myself."

Jordan could not keep silent any longer; taking his ridicule like it was spoonfuls of dessert. She replied, "So, when did you become a psychopath, was it before or during the murders you committed?"

"Oh, I think I'm going to save that answer for a different time, maybe we'll make it a more personal matter."

Her leg was hurting her so much. Though she figured that under the cast her leg nearly healed if it were not already, she was not accustomed to walking on it and it ached terribly, then there was the cast blistering her skin. She soon fell behind slightly and she saw a shimmer of hope when she realized that Angler had not noticed, then her hand seared with fiery pain and she limped faster to catch up, making more noise than was necessary to tell him that she was still there. She wondered what would happen if she simply stood there in the darkness as they continued. Would they realize she had stopped? She supposed they would, the sound of her limping and struggling to keep up would cease. Would they be able to find her? It was dark, and she knew that the tracking beacon on the control device was false, a cheap con to try to scare her into obedience. She was wearing dark clothing; maybe they would mistake her for a tree. Is it worth a try? Definitely.

Her heart beat rapidly, partly out of nervous fear on what she was about to perform and partly because of the strenuous exercise. I am definitely going to have to get back to the gym when I'm better, she thought, chuckling inwardly.

Ten minutes later, she fell back far enough behind to make him nervous. She felt the fiery pain snake up her arm. She shuffled her feet, making it sound as if she were trying to catch up, "I'm coming," she spat angrily, "It's not my fault I can't keep up!"

"That's right; its detective Hoyt's fault isn't it?" He sneered.

She was surprised he knew this, and it caught her off guard for a moment. "Yeah, that's right," she huffed, making a little more 'catching up' noise with her feet. He was on a rant now, telling any of the two who would listen about how much he hated detective Hoyt and how much he would love to crush him with his own two hands. Her plan seemed to work, the more he talked, the angrier he became and the angrier he became, the louder his voice got, nearly drowning out the sound of their footsteps in his disdain.

Jordan grinned, ducking off their path as the sound of his voice carried further down the trail. When his voice had faded with enough distance, she started, quickly and painfully in the opposite direction, straining her ears for the slightest sound of a follower.

--- --- ---

They rounded a bend and could see the lights of a city shining up ahead, "You know, we're almost to the border. What are we going to do when we get there?" Max asked, trying to establish a plan of action. He had been on Woody's cell phone with an incredibly angry Garret for the past twenty minutes receiving all of the information he had dug up on Jarvis Angler.

"I have a feeling we don't need to get to the border quite yet," Woody replied, applying the brakes with too much pressure and skidding to a stop on the side of the road. He forced the car door open and the smell of burning rubber filled his nostrils. He jogged ten yards behind where he had stopped, there was a vehicle matching the description of the one Jarvis Angler had bought at a used car dealership not three weeks ago, sat with its hood pointing to the unlit sky.

"This is no regular breakdown, Woody," Max said, bending down beside him and picking something off the pavement.

"What makes you say that?"

Max inspected the item he had picked up with his flashlight. He had found a grimy bolt that had been tampered with recently.

Woody looked into the forest his jaw set, "Do you think—?"

"That's most definitely an option."

Woody hurried back to his car and popped the trunk.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going in there."

"Woody, it's a better idea to call for backup. I am too old to be running around in the bush, I've come to terms with not being a cop anymore, and you can't do this by yourself. How do you know he doesn't have an accomplice?" Woody froze. "It's too risky, and besides, they could be miles away, even on foot. Stop letting your emotions guide you and get back into the car. We'll drive to Derby Line and get some backup, it's not far."

Despite what his heart was telling him, Woody knew he was right. He was too close to mess this up now, too much was riding on his actions. They both got into the car and continued to the town, hoping that it was not too late.