Again, what can I say, time is not on my side, plus I'm in the middle of house hunting…this chapter is extra long to make up for the delays. Thanks for your patience and for your reviews.

Chapter 17

July 2005 Day 5

He'd been planning to fly to New York that day anyway. Even before the phone call came, Victor Fitzgerald had decided that enough was enough; he needed to see what was taking Jack Malone and his so called team so long to find his son. He was worried too. Five days was too long, longer than they gave most missing persons under ordinary circumstances. But then Martin Fitzgerald had never been very ordinary.

The first time, all those years ago, he'd been gone for weeks, long enough to make everyone think he was dead, and then one days he had just turned up. But by then it had been too late.

Victor Fitzgerald shook his head, and went back to reading his paper. It wasn't something he thought about anymore, he'd thought it best for everyone, most of all Martin to just push it to the back of everyone's mind. It wouldn't do to blame the boy for his mothers……passing. It was just a tragedy, plain and simply. A tragedy. Coincidental.

That's all it would ever be as far as Victor was concerned. Best to forget.

He pressed the call bell beside him and within seconds a very tall, dark skinned airhostess was at his side. "How long before we reach JFK?" His voice, as usual was clipped, neutral.

"About fifty minutes sir." The air hostess was distracted, failing to make eye contact, more interested in the conversation taking place between two of her colleagues on the next aisle.

'Business class just isn't the same anymore….' Victor signed, almost imperceptibly and folded over his paper. Reaching into the leather briefcase that had been a present from his wife almost ten years previously and was still as new, he drew out his cell phone.

Business class did have some advantages still; one of which was the ability to make international calls during the flight.

He dialled the number from heart and a pleasant voice answered "Federal Bureau of Investigation."

"Jack Malone."

As he spoke Victor withdrew the nearly folded fax in his pocket and opened it, studying the words as if seeing them for the first time.

The call came through to the bullpen, where all four remaining agents were trying desperately to come up with some information on Michael Jameson.

Jack was nearest the phone and on hearing who it was, for once decided to forgo protocol and pressed the speakerphone button on the conference phone.

"Malone" His voice was even more gravely than normal, betraying a lack of sleep, and also concern, both for Martin and for his team, what the search for him was doing to them.

"Jack, its Victor. I'm on my way up to you as we speak. I received a fax less than 2 hours ago, sent directly to my office, routed through a copy shop somewhere in New York. He wants to talk to me. There was a pause as Victor scanned the fax once again before continuing.

"It was sent to my direct fax number which only a handful of people have access to, so I can only assume Martin gave Jameson this information. Have one of your agents meet me in La Guardia airport at 21.00 hours."

There was the click of the phone line being disconnected. No goodbyes, no small talk.

Jack pressed the end call button and sighed. Standing up, he walked over and went to pour himself yet another cup of coffee. Vivian and Sam exchanged glances, their thoughts on Martin's father only too obvious, but it was Danny who voiced them.

"Have someone meet me at 21.00 who does his think he is, the damned president?" Danny stood up, pushing his chair backwards and almost knocking it over in the process.

"He's a father who's worried about his son", Vivian's tone was conciliatory. There was no point in adding any more tension to an already fraught situation.

"Bullshit, Viv, if he was that worried he'd have been here four days ago. It might not even be legit, he could come out here and send us on some kind of a wild goose chase and…."

Once again Jack Malone found his patience levels wearing thin, especially where this particular dark haired agent was concerned.

"Taylor, that's enough! Whatever we might think of him, Victor Fitzgerald is damned good at his job and if he thinks the fax is real, that should be good enough for us."

Turning to Sam he said "Can you go meet him, and bring him back here? Meanwhile Danny, you go back down and speak with Mr Jameson and see if there's anything else he can tell us about Michael, what he did, where he hung out. Find out if he had a cell phone, or if anyone knew of a girlfriend, or someone close to him, that he might talk to….."

"In other words, get me out of the way." The sarcasm was heavy in Danny Taylor's voice as he made for the door.

Jack was about to retort, but stopped himself. Taylor was tired, they all were.

The journey to La Guardia and back took less than an hour. As Victor Fitzgerald and Jack Malone shook hands both noted the dark circles around the others eyes. For a moment there was a connection, a slight thawing of relations, but not for long……

Anxious not to be caught in the crossfire, Sam quickly made her way over to a corner desk and began scanning through Michael Jameson file, but she couldn't help overhearing the two older men talking.

"There really hasn't been much progress Jack, has there?" The old Deputy Director tone rose to the surface once again.

Jack bristled. "With all due respect SIR there had been quite a lot of progress, we know who has Martin and we have an idea why, its just a matter of time before someone tells us where they are.

"Where my son is, you mean." Victor began. "And it the meantime. I don't need to remind you Jack, it's been five days, we don't normally leave any case for five days."

"What are you saying Victor, that we should stop looking?" Jack knew shouldn't have said it, but something about this man standing in front of him made even Jack Malone more irrational than normal. The statement was issued as a challenge to the taller, fair haired man, and he duly rose to it.

"I am saying, Agent Malone that this is your job on the line too, you and your whole team could end up supervising tea breaks in the canteen pretty soon if…."

At that moment the phone in the office rang once more. Sam went and picked it up, glad to have something to do. "Spade?"

She motioned to the others who quickly took seats around the table before she pressed the speakerphone button once more.

"Okay, we're all listening."

"All?" The voice at the other end, although male, was pitchy and slightly shaky. "All? Is Victor Fitzgerald listening, is Daddy there? If you are there Daddy, say hello"

Jack Malone looked over to Victor, willing him, warning him with a glance to do the right thing, to say the right things.

"I'm listening. Is my son alright?"

"Aw, touching, is my son alright?" No, I guess your sons not alright. I guess he's a bit pissed off. But then I'm a bit pissed off too. We need to talk, MR Fitzgerald."

"We're talking now" Victor's voice was totally calm, betraying little emotion. The others sat silent, listening.

"No, I mean in person." Jameson seemed calmer now, more in control.

"I'm not sure what good that would do." Victor continued. "What do you want with me or my son?"

"I want you to know what you did to me, to me and my family. To my brother."

"I did nothing to your brother, Mr Jameson," Victor's voice rose slightly. "Your brother kidnapped my son."

Jack shot a warning look to the superior agent, recognising the angry tone creeping into the Deputy Director's voice.

However Victor, ignoring the glance continued. "Your brother's death had nothing to do with us, and you know that, what happened all those years ago was nothing to do with me, and certainly nothing to do with my son. He was an innocent victim then and now."

There was silence for a moment before Michael spoke again.

"Look Victor. You know what happened as well as I do. You wouldn't pay up, remember? I remember, I remember going to that bloody cabin everyday, bringing food to my brother, and everyday he'd wait for you to hand over the damned cash and everyday you kept stalling. It drove my brother mad, that's why he hurt the boy, and that's why he resisted arrest and ended up getting all that time in jail"

Vivian and Sam exchanged horrified glances at these latest revelations. Jack Malone could feel the anger rising inside of him, this information wasn't contained in any of the reports he had read, suppressed no doubt by the mighty Victor Fitzgerald.

Victor Fitzgerald's expression didn't change, but he did soften his tone, just slightly." Okay, Mr Jameson, I'll meet you. Where and when?"

"Get into your car head north, as if you were heading up the coast. I'll ring you in an hour. And Mr Fitzgerald, in case you think of stalling again, perhaps this will hurry you up"

Vivian could feel her throat muscles restricting as she heard the noise of a phone being left down, followed by footsteps, the sounds of scuffling and then an ear splitting involuntary yell of pain came down the phone.

The sound was unmistakeably Martin Fitzgerald.

"What have you done to my son!" Victor roared down the phone.

Sam held her breath, her throat constricting as she heard the yells quiet into a whimper, followed by the sounds of heavy breathing, of someone obviously in distress.

Then the footsteps grew louder once more and the phone was picked up.

"It seems Martin had an accident with a knife." Jameson's voice was cool now. "You should have thought your son to be more careful." "I'll call you in an hour, unless you want your son to bleed to death come alone."

And with that the call was ended.

There was silence for what seemed like hours, but was no more than 30 seconds. No-one wanted to speak. They had dealt with calls like that before, worse even, but none as close to home, none that involved a colleague, a friend even.

Jack was the first to speak.

"Can I talk to you in my office Victor."

He was angry, furious even, that part was obvious.

This time Victor didn't rise to it. "I know what you want to say to me Jack, I didn't disclose that information because I felt there was no point. Martin survived his injuries, and I think barely remembers what happened. I was simply trying to do the best thing for my son at the time. Now I have to go and meet this Michael Jameson.

Jack didn't reply, not because he agreed with his superior, but because he was simply afraid of what he would say, what would come out. But again he marvelled at how Martin Fitzgerald grew up even slightly normal with this man for a father.

"Ill have a car pick you up now and we'll follow." he eventually said.

"No, I'll go alone." It was easy to see where Martin got his stubborn streak from.

"NO, we will follow." If Victor could be stubborn, Jack could be adamant. "He's your son, but he's my officer, part of my team, and I'm damned if I'm going to let you go up their alone and screw things up"

"How DARE you…." The older man rose in fury, but was interrupted by Vivian who had left the table to take a call.

Jack, that was Danny, he talked to Mr Jameson and he thinks he knows where Martin is being held…..