Title: Good People Gone Bad
Summary: second part of the Michael Fitzgerald/Nicole Malone series. Jack got custody of the girls, and Nicole got custody of Mike Fitzgerald's heart. Will Michael and Nicole's relationship advance, or will someone make sure that it stops?
Disclaimer: I own none of the Without a Trace Characters, but I do own Nicole Malone and Michael Fitzgerald, and should I end up creating more characters, I will own them also.
A/N: as with many of my other stories, I'm making a lot of things up as I go along. I'm a high school student with very little money. Please don't sue.
A/N: FYI: I completely made up the town of Ellington, NY, and there is some strong language used in this chapter. Sorry. I also use the word Christ. I know it is wrong to say it, and I realize that some of you are strongly religious, please remember that this is just a story, and I was using it for the sake of my story.
A/N: Seriously People read and review! I will stop adding chapters if you stop reviewing! There is only the one chapter left, but I won't add it if you don't review!
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"Alright, you did very well, Nicole."
I had just finished recording the tape that the captor would be sending to Dad. Somewhere along the way, though, he felt it necessary just to demonstrate that he was serious by pistol-whipping my face, successfully causing a very swollen and bleeding left eye.
"I'm sorry I had to hurt you like I did, but it had to be done. How else would those FBI agents of yours know that I was serious? The point needed to be proven, so I did it."
"Gee, thanks."
I say, with the split lip that I had gotten earlier today. Or at least I thought it had been earlier today. In reality, I had no idea how much time had passed. It could've been two weeks since he took me and I probably wouldn't know. All I knew was that dad and Michael had to find me fast or I wouldn't last much longer. Maybe the tape would give them some kind of hope.
"Jack, this just got delivered. Postage is from some small town about an hour north of here."
Dad rips open the shipping box, revealing the tape that had been made. In all hopes of keeping my condition within the group of agents, he took it into his office, drawing the blinds, and making sure that the only people in the office were his people. Michael walked forward, turning all of the equipment on, and puts the tap into the VCR, hitting play. My tear-stained face appeared in the middle of the screen, sitting on an old wood chair, my legs tied to the chair with my hands secured to the arm-rests.
"My name is Nicole Elizabeth Malone; I am 18 years old, born and raised in Manhattan, New York. I have been told to give you a message: If Anthony McManton's record is not wiped clean within the next 48 hours, I will be killed. If I say anything about reporting this to the authorities, I will be severely punished."
Before I could've said anything else, my captor appeared on the screen and hit my across the face, really hard, with the butt of his pistol.
"Agents Malone, Fitzgerald, if you really care about our precious Nicki, you will do as she just said, won't they Nicole?"
His hand rested on my thigh, making me, and every agent watching the tape want to kill him.
"Yes."
"So, Jack and Mike, see you soon."
The tape cuts off, and not a moment too soon. Mike stands up from his chair, kicking the leg of it.
"Damn it!"
"Michael, calm down."
"No, martin, you calm down! Did you not see what he was doing to her? Did you not see her face after he hit her? Nicki was bleeding from the head for Christ's sake!"
"Mike, we all saw it, but freaking out about it won't help Nicole at all. Now, what is the last location that we have on Anthony McManton?"
"You really think it's him, Jack?"
"I don't know, but at this point, it's the only lead we have."
Sam flips through Anthony's file, trying to find the correct page, and as soon as she finds it, she stops what she's doing and just stares.
"Sam, hello? What is his last location?"
"Ellington, a small town about an hour north of here."
Dad, realizing what has Sam so spooked, picks up the package that the video came in and looks at the postage stamp, which reads, Ellington, New York.
"Martin, Viv, Danny, I want you guys to stay here in case anything new comes in. Michael, Sam, and I are going to go to Ellington."
"Alright, Jack. Bring our girl back."
Dad nods his head, and the three agents head out the front door of the FBI office, with every intention of getting me back.
