Chapter 68

OMG! We got a season 6 premiere date and promo! I don't even know what to say. It's gonna be an intense season. If scheduling is right, they'll be done by November 20th! Check out my thoughts and Twitter spaces ( jaszy21) on Twitter. But one thing to note in the promo is JANDY! I think they're gonna be doing pretty well! Omg I'm so excited! Anyway, sorry for the delay but life keeps getting in the way of writing. Enjoy this new chapter!

The gathering had moved to Mandy and Jason's place now. Susan thought Emma and Mikey would sleep better at home in their own beds. They'd gotten a call that everyone was okay, and that Mandy and Ray had been rescued. Susan was keeping it together for the sake of everyone, even though all she wanted was to hear or see her daughter in person. Jessica and Haley were holding strong too while hiding their anxiety over wanting to see Mandy.

"Kids still asleep?" Susan asked as Jessica walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Jessica sighed as she sat at the breakfast bar. "I think they all managed to get a few hours asleep. Think they're curled up in Mandy's bed along with the dogs. We should be hearing from them soon, right?"

"Jack said Mandy got checked out and was fine. Before she could even rest, somehow, she got involved in questioning someone."

"Need to know?" Jessica raised an eyebrow as Susan nodded back. "Troy sounded irritated last I talked with him. Something came up and he said they'd be delayed in coming home."

"Jack said the same. He said Mandy did manage to rest a few hours. Sounds like they're about to chase something down," Susan replied as she made Jessica some tea.

"They got a lead on Roman," Jessica said. "Can't believe he is back in our lives. Feels like he's been gone a while."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Susan sighed as the kids could be heard coming down. "Good morning, breakfast?"

"Don't really want to eat anything," Emma mumbled.

"Can we have pancakes with strawberry topping," Haley asked sweetly.

"Of course, sweetheart," Susan smiled as she started to gather ingredients.

"You are so your aunt's niece," Jessica shook her head. Mandy had a thing for strawberries and somehow so did Haley.

Before anyone could say anything else, Susan's phone started going off with an incoming video call. Susan looked at the ID and knew where it was coming from. She gave Jessica a subtle nod as she answered.

"Oh, Mandy," Susan breathed out as tears came to her eyes seeing her daughter's face on the screen.

"Hey Mom," Mandy smiled, blinking back tears as well. "I'm okay," Mandy reassured Susan as Jason came into view as well.

"She's doing good," Jason confirmed.

"Oh, thank god," Susan replied as she saw the kids all anxiously waiting for the phone. "I think you have some people to talk with you. I love you darling."

"Love you too Mom," Mandy replied as Susan went to pass the phone on.

"Mandy!" Emma and Mikey said at the same time.

Mandy smiled back and could see them take a real breath at seeing her and Jason alive and well. She could tell how on edge the kids were at the moment, especially after losing Alana.

"It's okay, breathe guys," Mandy tried to reassure them over the phone.

"We're supposed to make sure you're okay," Emma choked out. "When are you guys coming home?"

"I don't know, but soon hopefully," Mandy sighed. "Listen, we might be a little late on moving you okay. Once we're back stateside though, we'll visit. My Mom can help with everything."

"I don't care about moving," Emma replied. "We just want you guys home."

"I know, but I need you guys to keep moving forward, okay?" Mandy urged. "I love you guys."

"Love you too. Is everything really, okay?" Mikey asked.

"We got something else to take care of before coming home," Jason answered. "You guys be good, and we'll be back before you know it. Love you," Jason added as both kids nodded their heads and handed the phone to Jessica, who had Haley.

"Hi Aunt Mandy. Are you going after a bad guy?" Haley asked, straight to the point.

Mandy shook her head as Jessica held back a smile, "You really know too much for your age."

"Kick his ass! Love you Aunt Mandy," Haley added blowing kisses and Mandy returned them back before looking at Jessica.

"Be careful," Jessica said with a knowing look. She could tell Mandy had some sort of lead on Roman most likely.

"Always," Mandy waved back before signing off.

"What do we have?" Mandy asked walking into the intel room Blackburn, Lisa, Jack, and Troy were working in.

"Well, hello," Troy sarcastically answered. "How are you? I'm doing great," he added as Mandy arched an eyebrow at him and tried not to smile back.

"So far we've mapped out people connected to the Ambassador," Lisa dived right in knowing Mandy was eager to get to work.

"Anyone connected to Roman?" Mandy asked as she studied the board and followed the map.

"Not directly," Jack said approaching. "Though these two here," he pointed at the board. "They are our weakest links that Roman could manipulate. One is in a ton of gambling debt, while the other has a drug problem. Prime targets to manipulate."

"And before you ask," Troy interrupted. "We're tracking them down as we speak. Seems both may be laying low at the moment."

"What about the ambassador's family?" Mandy asked turning to another board filled with family info.

"Tried tracking the cell phones of the husband and kids. Turns out they're all at the house. Ambassador claims she doesn't know where they were taken to and she was told if anyone asked, to say they went on holiday," Lisa answered.

"Any chance Roman or these other two could've let a location of sort slip?" Jason asked as he stepped up next to Mandy. He loved watching her work intel. Jason could just see Amanda Ellis' mind turning every stone over with her eyes as she tried to connect the dots.

"Again, she claims she doesn't remember any specific places ever being mentioned," Troy answered.

"Roman is smart. Probably playing it close to vest. It's what I'd do," Mandy said as she analyzed all the data.

"We got something," Troy said suddenly as his phone went off. "Seems like both our addicts couldn't resist their vices."

"Bring them in discreetly," Jack ordered.

Mandy took a step back to look at the boards. Jason watched her again as she was trying to work through something.

"What's going on in that big brain of yours?" Jason asked.

"He's still here," Mandy said turning to Jason as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

"Nothing in the intel suggests he is here," Lisa pointed out.

"Can you bring up this picture on the screen and zoom in?" Mandy asked.

Jason and Lisa were confused at what they were looking at. They didn't see anything of significance. Troy and Jack noticed the symbol in the window right away.

"Is that…" Troy trailed off.

"A spider spinning a web," Jack finished.

"And that means something?" Blackburn asked confused as well.

"It was one of our call signs," Mandy sighed. "The spinning of a web or something is happening and it's happening soon."

Everyone was in the observation room. There were two window mirrors opposite of each other into two separate interrogation rooms. Looking in each room, a suspect sat alone waiting to be questioned.

"So, want the gambler or drug addict?" Jack asked approaching Mandy in the middle of the room.

"Gambler," Mandy answered. "Fifteen minutes," she said to Troy who understood.

Mandy and Jack each walked into their own interrogation rooms and greeted their suspects.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Troy chuckled.

"What happens in fifteen minutes?" Ray asked confused.

"We break them," Troy smirked as the guys all looked at him skeptically.

"My name is Agent Ellis," Mandy introduced herself to the gambler. "But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Director Thomson, from the CIA," Jack parroted in his room. "Seems you've run into some trouble around here."

"Just couldn't stay away from the poker table, could you?" Mandy said sitting back casually in her chair. "I like to gamble a little myself," she confided. "Some would say I gamble quite a bit with the job I do."

"You doing okay? Looks like we interrupted you getting your fix. Maybe we can fix that," Jack casually said watching the suspect perk up at getting his fix of drugs.

"Poker is risky though. Gotta be able to bluff or call someone's bluff," Mandy shrugged. "Sounds like you owe quite a bit of debt. Though in talking to your bookie, he said recently you paid it all off."

"You should really find a better drug dealer. Guy you're buying from, not top shelf quality stuff if you ask me," Jack shrugged. "But I guess when you need a fix, you need one. Some would say this job is my drug choice of an addiction."

"Wanna tell me who paid off your debt?" Mandy asked.

"I have nothing to say to you," the gambler replied with smirk.

"Would you look at that, he speaks," Mandy smirked back.

"Wow, this is a tennis match, watching them at work," Clay said impressed.

"You should ask your boss for a raise, you know, so you can buy the good stuff," Jack suggested to the addict.

"Why am I here?" the addict spoke looking around skeptically.

"I think you know the answer to that. Let's talk about your boss. How'd you meet him?" Jack asked.

"Roman Riley, that's who paid off your debt," Mandy stated as she brought out a picture Roman on the table. "He promise you anything else? Or maybe you promised him that I'd be taken care of in bomb attack."

The gambler shifted and Mandy could see she'd struck a nerve.

"Your boss asked you take care of a problem," Jack stated as he pulled out a picture of Mandy. "More specially, an agent of mine," he added as the addict began to shift as well.

"But see, I think you messed up," Mandy began.

"You were supposed to take her out with the bomb," Jack continued. "But she wasn't in the building when it went off. Though, it was pretty risky to take her out while she was with someone, but I guess taking out another American would've just been a plus."

"The bomb didn't kill me. My colleague and I got out of the ambush attack as well," Mandy said. "Guess you weren't expecting us to put up a fight though. One thing I gotta know is, how'd you know about my asset?"

"Were you watching her or tracking her movements? You guys found them pretty quickly after they fled the city," Jack questioned. "Maybe you tracked the car they stole?" he prodded as the addict looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Let me guess, the car was tracked," Mandy guessed. "Damn, should've checked the car but all I thought about was getting my friend out alive. In the end though, I guess it worked out for us. You on the other hand are probably in the Roman's crosshairs."

"So, our people fought and were rescued but now you're in the hot seat with Roman," Jack said. "We know he's still in the area somewhere. I mean, you might as well tell me before your friend does and then no deal can be made with you."

"So, here's the thing," Mandy said sitting up leaning in towards the gambler. "You might as well tell me where Roman is and what you've done with the Ambassador's family. In the other room, I'm sure your friend is breaking with all the details at hand. And if he is, well then, you're just gonna be in some dark hole for the rest of your life."

Jack and Mandy continued on with a few more questions before Troy walked towards one of the mirrors, "Do me a favor and knock on the window."

Jason went to the other window and knocked. He watched as Mandy glanced back towards the mirror and back at her suspect. Suddenly, Jack and Mandy were both excusing themselves from the interrogation rooms. Both walked into the observation room.

"I don't think my guy knows much about the Ambassador's family," Jack concluded.

"Gambler here knows more about it," Mandy nodded. "They're both running scenarios through their heads if the other broke," Mandy smirked.

"Alright, let's wrap this up then," Jack nodded as they both went back.

"They barely talked," Sonny said confused.

"We've worked together so long that we have a shorthand no words necessary routine," Troy laughed. "You get used to it."

"You mean like when Mandy and Jason stare into each other's eyes and have a conversation," Trent mocked as the guys all laughed.

"Shut up," Jason shoved at Trent.

"Alright," Mandy's voice suddenly could be heard from the interrogation room. "We got everything we need from your friend. Since we have no reason to hold you or charge you with anything, we're letting you go," Mandy said walking to the door. "He will escort you out of the building and drop you off in the city."

"Wait, wait," the gambler pleaded. "I can't go back out there."

"You didn't talk, so you should be fine," Mandy replied casually.

"I know where the Ambassador's family is," the gambler confessed. "I can tell you everything Roman told me he was planning to do too."

"Okay, then," Mandy said closing the door and sitting down. "Tell me everything you know," Mandy said opening up her notebook to take notes.