A/N: YAY! After 3 weeks of silence she updates! Even added a chapter to the story over the break... it just keeps going...
As always, enjoy! C x
31 hours missing
"At least we're on the right track," Martin said helpfully.
"Yeah, but what track is it?" Danny asked.
Jess rubbed her fingers over the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks, resting her faced on her cupped palms and massaging her temples. She looked up, "Are we sure this is about me? I mean, is the kidnapper or kidnappers trying to get to me?"
"Well, whoever it is, they know you're connected to her," Jack tapped his pen on the desk, "They know you're relatively close. They know that someone like the Ambassador can't be seen to bow to pressure, and perhaps they figure that you'll cough up whatever it is they want first."
"And they've been in your personal files," Sam laid a sheet of paper in front of Jack, who scanned and passed it to Jess. Sam tapped her pen against the flat of her hand, "Whoever had Agent Clarke's pass accessed your files before they accessed Lizzy's. They may have been looking for you. Lizzy could just be bait."
"But how am I connected to those photos?" Jess looked at the page, her head in her hands.
Viv put down the telephone, "Forensics say there are no fingerprints on the photos or the envelope except for Jess's, Danny's and Lizzy's."
"It's her handwriting on the envelope, isn't it?" Jess asked.
Viv nodded, "According to forensics, she was shaking a lot when she wrote it."
"Yeah," Jess replied quietly.
"So… what? We can't trace it?" Martin asked.
"It's your standard mail office envelope and ballpoint pen." Viv replied.
"No DNA on the seal?"
"Good old H²O." Viv replied, "This guy was smart."
"Assuming it was a guy." Jess said.
"Excuse me, Agent Malone?" a young blonde interrupted, "This arrived at the front desk a few minutes ago." She handed Jack an envelope, looked up at Danny and smiled shyly.
Jess looked at Danny who was smiling back at the blonde. 'Good thing I didn't get my hopes up.' she thought.
"It's addressed to you," Jack turned the envelope to face her. It was the same shaky handwriting.
Jess took a sharp breath. She swallowed hard before saying, "You open it."
Jack slid his finger under the seal and ripped it open. He tipped the contents out onto the desk. Two more photographs fluttered down. Jack looked at them, "It's not her."
"What?" Jess stood and joined the team on the other side of the table. Jack lifted the photos and stuck them on the Whiteboard.
The team studied them.
"Nope… nothing." Danny sat on the edge of the desk.
Martin and Vivian both did the same thing. "Don't know her." Viv said.
"I do…" Sam stepped closer, "I know her."
"Can't place the name?" Jess asked.
"Yeah…"
"Right, Martin, Viv, find out who this girl is." Jack turned around, "Sam and I will go to the school. See if she's a friend maybe. Jess, I suggest you go home."
"Jack, I-"
"No arguments. Whoever is doing this is aiming at you. You'll be safe at home; Danny will go with you."
"I need to be here."
"You need to take care of yourself." Jack replied more firmly, "There's nothing you can do right now."
Danny stood behind Jack and shook his head, telling her not to argue. She relented, "Fine, but keep me up-to-date."
