The Other Team
2 hours missing.
Jack and Viv pulled up the curb and jumped out. Martin looked up, nodded to Sam and walked to meet them, limping slightly but at least unaided.
"Elizabeth "Lizzy" Stewart, 16, disappeared just after leaving Kennedy High School this afternoon." He told them.
"Who are they?" Jack nodded towards the two young girls Sam was interviewing.
"Her friends, Stacie Benson and Katie Robinson. They've told us that they left school with Lizzy and were walking to the markets when they were separated."
"Thanks Martin," Viv said and walked to the school's principal.
Jack was walking towards Sam when he heard an English voice, "Agent Malone?"
He turned to find a young woman coming towards him, "Who's asking?"
"Agent Jessica Simmons," the woman flashed a badge at him, "MI5 Secret Service."
"British Secret Service?" Jack eyed her warily, "What do you have to do with this case?"
"This case is a lot more sensitive than you may think," she stopped, "Elizabeth Stewart is no ordinary teenager. She is the daughter of the British Ambassador."
"What?"
"I am head of the team assigned to protect Lizzy and her father, Lord Philip. Lizzy was to be picked up by her personal bodyguard after school. It seems she snuck out the back doors and gave him the slip."
"Jack!" their conversation was interrupted by Danny's voice. "Sorry," he apologised.
"Its fine," Jack replied. "Agent Danny Taylor; Agent Jessica Simmons, MI5 Secret Service."
Jessica shook his hand, "Jess is fine."
"What is it Danny?"
"We could have something." Danny motioned for him to follow, "The guy that owns this rental store said he saw a girl matching Lizzy's description getting into a black unmarked car around the time Lizzy disappeared." He stopped in front of the store, "He said the car pulled up and she leaned in the window. She seemed to have an argument with the driver and then got in the back."
Jack turned to Jess, "Any chance one of your guys picked her up?"
"The only man assigned to her today was her bodyguard, who was waiting at the school for her. He was the one who called me to report her missing. Lizzy would never have got into a car with someone she didn't know, someone who didn't identify themselves as an agent. " Jess pulled out her cellphone, "Give me a minute."
She walked away from Jack and Danny to make a call.
"What has she got to do with the case Jack?" Danny asked.
"This girl, this Lizzy, is the daughter of the British Ambassador," Jack explained.
"Oh…" Danny murmured.
"Exactly," Jack replied, "We could have a serious problem on our hands if we don't find this girl alive… and soon."
"What!" Jess's angry voice caught them off-guard. They turned to look at her and hear her explode at some poor agent on the other end, "What do you mean James took out a car this morning? James lost his bloody I.D. last week! He can't take out a car! Describe the agent who took it." She listened intently, "You friggin' idiot! No, that's not a bloody agent! Well done Mike, you just gave a car to Lizzy's kidnapper. Of all the cock-ups you've done, this is by far the worst." Jess massaged her temple and calmed herself, "Yes, I know… how were you to know he wasn't an agent. Yes… okay. Look, just pull up all the details for that car and send them to FBI's Missing Persons Offices please. Because this is their damn case, and we need to co-operate with them if we have any hope of finding her alive, and if you have any hope of keeping any job within the service. Don't question me Mike, just do it. Thank you."
She turned to face Jack, "It seems that one of my staff gave a car to a man impersonating an agent, using a tampered I.D."
"Jack, I don't think there's anything more we can do here." Viv walked over, after talking to police.
Jack nodded, "Fine. Agent Simmons, if you wouldn't mind accompanying us to the office just to answer a few questions?"
"Of course."
