AN: I'm having so much fun writing this. Sorry for long delay. I know I have said this before, but I really don't plan these chapters out so that's why it takes me so long to get inspired and make sure (hopefully) that I don't dig any plot holes I can't get out of. Not sure EXACTLY how dark this story will get, but it is rated M for a reason so…
Let's see, a few random thoughts since I have not done a real author's note in a while:
I'm not an expert at anything I reference in this story. I try to be as realistic as possible (Google is wise), but appreciate the suspension of disbelief and giving me creative license. I have never in my life set out to offend someone intentionally and don't plan to start.
We will check in on the other characters next chapter. I didn't forget about them!
I started watching this show on Cinemax a few years ago called Banshee. Crazy show. One of the show's villains is a guy named Cheyton Littlestone. You should watch a youtube clip of this guy before reading this chapter. For some reason, this is how I imagine the nemesis of this story. Even this guy's voice is scary (I think)
Poor Jonny. I love torturing him…
Her internal monologue was going crazy because she was trying to be quiet. 'This feels amazing…ha…don't be too loud…this feels so amazing…be quiet…oh Christ.' She knew she was trying to be quiet, but had no idea if she was actually succeeding. She only knew a few things for sure in that moment. All completely physical. She liked the way his body pinned hers to the bed and the way his warm breath felt against the skin behind her ear, she loved watching the muscles in his back flex as he moved over her and she could not get enough of the electrical current he was pushing through her or the noises he made while he did it.
"Faster," she pleaded. "Faster, Jonny."
He swallowed before answering. "No…I want you just like this."
His lips against her skin sent a chill down her spine. She moved both her hands into his hair and pulled.
"Fuck," he panted.
She pulled harder.
"Say my name again," he ordered.
"Please," she begged. "Jonny," she moaned against his ear and wrapped her legs tighter around his hips.
He did not respond, but she felt him smile against her skin.
'God…he feels so good. I already want him again.' A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Get rid of them," Jonny growled in her ear and did not stop moving inside her for even a second. "I love you." He buried his head in her neck and moved his hips a little faster. "I love you."
"I love you more," she cried out. Another knock. 'Shit. GO AWAY.'
"Do you two plan to come up for air any time soon?" It was Mary.
Jessie turned her head and stared at the door like it had personally offended her. "No. Leave us alone," she yelled.
"I love the way you feel," he hummed and then licked her exposed neck until his lips were back at her ear. "I love the way you make me feel. I want to live inside you."
"Jonny!"
"We're making tacos," Mary yelled through the door.
With a frustrated grunt, Jonny made a move to sit back. Jessie felt his body tense so she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and ended up in his lap when he did sit back on his knees. They stared at each other for a moment, both breathing heavily. He threaded his hands into her hair and pulled her face forward until their foreheads were touching. "You have no idea what you do to me, beautiful."
"Don't ever stop what you're doing to me." Then she kissed him deeply and began moving over him anew to bring his full attention back to her. "Please don't stop," she whispered against his lips. "I'm so close, Jonny."
That was all Jonny needed to hear. He pinned her to the bed again and neither of them was worried about being quiet any longer.
XXX
Lying with her head on his chest, trying to catch her breath and coming down from the highs he made her feel, was one of her favorite things to do. He would usually get really quiet right after, but incredibly affectionate. She would just listen to his heart beat and bask in it.
"You scared me today," she eventually broke the quiet. "Running after that guy like that. You could've been hurt." He laughed in response. "I'm serious."
His lips were on her forehead when he finally spoke. "You would have done the same thing and that guy was just a petty thief not a threat."
"He had a gun…"
"Babe…"
"Please don't interrupt me," she sat up. Annoyed.
"Only if you come back here," he tugged her down against his chest again. "I'm sorry I scared you. That wasn't my intention."
"Your life is more important than some old lady's purse."
"It was a nice purse…"
"Jonny," she huffed.
"Look at me?" he asked. She was stubborn for a moment and then met his gaze. "Don't let it ruin our night." He kissed her softly, framing her face with his hands, until he felt all the tension leave her body. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I didn't mean to scare you, but I was never in any actual danger. I can take care of myself. You know that, Jess."
Jessie burrowed closer to him and closed her eyes.
"I honestly didn't give it a second thought," Jonny added after she was quiet for a while.
"I know. Just hold me, please."
"Forever. I love you."
Jessie knew he had not given it a second thought. When he saw someone in trouble, he always helped. It was one of his best traits, but she did wish he would think first before acting every once in a while. And she wished he enjoyed it less when a situation got a little dangerous.
"Do you always have to go looking for trouble?" she asked.
"I don't," he grinned. "It finds me on its own."
"Hmm," she pursed her lips and then began playing with the light trail of hair below his belly button.
"If you keep that up, you better be ready for round three," he warned.
"Is that so?" she teased.
"Yes. Forgive me, love?"
"Yes," she smiled in contentment. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. Another knock on the door made her jump in his arms, but no one said anything this time.
"They are so annoying. You did tell your friends that the only reason we came on this trip was to be alone, right?" A few seniors had rented a house in Aspen to go skiing. Jonny and some of his friends had managed to tag along.
She kissed his chest. "Of course I did. They're just drunk and trying to annoy me. Or maybe they're just jealous that I'm having great sex and they're not."
"Great?" she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Really great," she sighed and moved her hand a little lower.
"We get better and better every time we practice," Jonny laughed and then shifted down in the bed until they were face to face. "I want to practice all weekend. We did enough socializing today. Now, I'm not letting you out of this bed until we have to leave."
"Hmm…sounds like heaven, but we will need sustenance at some point."
"I packed a lot of power bars, baby."
That made Jessie laugh out loud. "My little boy scout."
Jonny pushed the hair out of her face and then kissed her. "It's been weeks since we've had any real alone time."
"I know," she complained, rolling on top of him and rubbing his shoulders. "This trip came at a perfect time. So let's not waste a moment."
XXX
The next morning, she woke up in his arms. It was only the second time that had happened so she closed her eyes and savored it for a few minutes. Then she propped herself up on an elbow and stared down at him. Normally the bed jostling would have woken him up immediately, but he was still fast asleep.
She placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart, and smiled.
"Stop worrying," she suddenly heard. His voice was sleepy. He pulled her back into his arms and laced his fingers through hers on his chest.
"I'm not," she said quietly.
"I know you better than that, Ace. You can't hide from me. Go back to sleep, baby."
XXX
She got to stare at him a little longer the next time she woke up.
When he woke up, he gave her a confused look. "Why are you sitting over there?" he asked. She just pulled her legs up onto the chair she was sitting in and smiled as he approached her for a kiss. When she did not say anything, he told her quietly that he was taking a shower. "Feel free to join me."
She did not join him, but she did strip down and get back into bed.
She smiled when the bed dipped beneath his weight. He crawled under the covers and pulled her right into his arms. Her back against his chest.
"You naked in my bed," he sighed into her hair. "I want this forever."
"Jonny…"
"Yesterday was amazing…" he cut her off.
"Yesterday was perfect, Jonny."
"And now that beautiful mind of yours is in overdrive," he took a deep breath. He rolled onto his back and waited for her to turn over and curl up against him. Then he stroked her hair a few times. "You're thinking about all the things that could go wrong instead of enjoying this moment together."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want you to apologize," he assured her. "Just tell me what's on your mind. How can I make you feel better?"
"I've been thinking about something a lot lately," she started slowly. "I know we've already talked about this and decided against it, but if you want to go the military route to figure out if that's… I'll just support you is all. I wanted you to know that."
"Where is this coming from? Because I chased down a purse snatcher yesterday?" he laughed.
"No," she sighed. "I mean, that may have triggered me to think about this last night, but it was already on my mind as a general topic."
"Why?"
"I don't want you to resent me in ten years because I kept you from it," she admitted.
He pulled her even closer in response. "Baby," he whispered. "That's not what I want."
"Okay." She was not convinced. "It's alright if you change your mind. We'd figure it out."
"I've already discussed that possibility with your dad at length," he told her.
"You have?" This was news to her. "Why is this the first I'm hearing that?"
"Because I was seriously considering it six months ago and didn't want to worry you unnecessarily," he admitted. "I should have told you, but once I decided that wasn't what I wanted I didn't think it mattered anymore."
"What did you and my dad talk about?" she asked curiously.
"Everything, Jess. Basic training, how he was recruited to I-One, he told me about some of his ops that weren't classified, what he liked about it and what he hated. I had a lot of questions. He answered them all honestly and gave me a lot to think about."
"Yeah?" Her heart rate tripled for some reason. She sat up and pulled the bedsheet around her. Jonny sat up too and leaned against the headboard. He waited until she looked at him.
"How are you so goddamn beautiful first thing in the morning? It's not even fair," he smiled softly.
She smiled back, but her eyes shot down to her lap. She was still in her head. "You talked to my dad?" she asked again.
"Yeah," he nodded. "And I decided it's not what I want."
"Why not?"
He tugged the sheet away from her chest. "Because I want this," he whispered, kissing her neck and then pushing her down on the bed. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "I want this forever." This time he said it with her eyes gazing into his. He gave her a long slow kiss. "Do you know what your dad liked best?"
Her breathing was heavy. "You want to talk about my dad while you're on top of me?"
"Admittedly not one of my better plans," he grinned. "I might get distracted in the middle of making my point."
"I'll try not to distract you," she flirted.
"You never succeed at that," he shook his head.
"What did he like best?" Jessie prompted.
"All of the tactical stuff of course. Learning how to shoot and defend himself and outsmart everyone trying to outsmart him," he smiled wistfully. "And I realized something."
She kissed him. "What?"
"He's been teaching us all the best parts for years and he promised to teach me more when you go off to school next year."
"Excuse me?"
"Well…I'll need something to distract me when you're not around."
"That's true," she rolled her eyes.
"So I get to learn all the fun stuff…from the best…without all the shitty parts," he kissed her again. "Then I go off to school, get educated, get hitched…"
"Lucky girl," she interrupted.
"Oh no…I marry up in this scenario."
She laughed. "Shut up, Quest."
"My wife doesn't tell me to shut up."
"She does. Believe me."
"Yes dear."
"Was my dad disappointed?" she asked after a minute.
"No," Jonny smiled. "I'm pretty sure he was relieved. He doesn't want that life for me or you, but he was smart enough to let me figure that out on my own. He told me that it doesn't matter to him what I do as long as I'm happy, I do it well, I act like a man…and I take care of you."
"I don't think you'll have a problem with any of that," she beamed. "So what did he hate?" She wanted to know.
Jonny cupped the side of her face. "He was helping people all over the world, but he was missing out on you. I don't want to miss out on you."
She was a little blown away. "Jonny…what if I'm not worth it?"
"I already know you are," he shrugged. "I see you so much clearer than you see yourself. I love you. You're all the excitement I need, baby. Trust that."
"I trust you."
"What was that? Did you say something?" Jessie asked. She was still struggling to focus.
"How can you be so sure?" Brenda asked. "You seem so sure someone's coming."
"They are. They're coming," Jessie promised. "I fully intend to get us out of here once I can see straight, but I have the best Plan B in the world if I can't. My family is coming."
"How do you know though?" Brenda insisted. "Please tell me. I'm scared. I need facts."
Jessie could not do much in that moment. She still felt foggy and it was pissing her off, but she could try to make these frightened girls feel better. "Listen…my dad is a former Navy Seal turned federal agent. About as decorated as they come. He retired very early and now works as a private bodyguard. He knows how to deal with scumbags. He's made a living from it."
"Who does he guard?" Brenda asked curiously.
"My boyfriend," Jessie smiled. "Jonny. Who happens to take after my dad and is under the impression that he can't live without me for some reason. He never lets me down when it counts. Trust me, he's coming. They're both coming."
Brenda released a breath and gave a weak smile of her own. "You never told us your name."
"This is Jessie, ladies." A deep and distinctly male voice answered. Jessie did not recognize it. Her back was to him, but she saw Brenda's face go white and she heard Lisa start to cry and beg to be let go. It took all the physical energy she could muster to stand and face him. Even still, she needed to hold on to the bars that were caging her in.
She gave him an assessing look. He was over six feet. Looked taller than Jonny or her dad. She guessed he weighed at least twice as much as she did. Probably more, but all muscle. He was a building of a man. He had long hair and a lot of tattoos that looked tribal. She thought he was Native American and probably in his late forties. She had never seen him before.
"Who are you?" Jessie demanded.
He cocked his head and gave her the same assessing look. "All in good time, Jessie. You are so beautiful. Do you know that? Don't be jealous though ladies. I love you all equally."
"You're disgusting," Jessie sneered.
"What are you doing?" Brenda grabbed her hand desperately and tried to pull her away from the bars. "Don't provoke him."
"I like you sweet Jessie, but be careful. Brenda's right. My patience has limits," he warned.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"You're overconfident because you think Jonny's coming for you," he smiled evilly and then continued to taunt her. "Yes, I heard that. Yes, I know about Jonny. I've seen the two of you together. So cute," he made a flippant hand gesture and began walking closer. "This will be difficult for you to accept, but that part of your life is over now." He whispered the last part to her. "He's not coming, but don't worry. I'm gonna make you so happy, baby."
"Don't call me that," she growled.
"I'll do what I want," he threatened. "You're mine now."
"I'm already taken," she said through her teeth.
XXX
"SHIT."
Race's outburst shook Jonny from his vigil.
'This isn't helping her and it's definitely not helping Jessie,' he thought. 'Get up now. Get off your fucking knees.'
He gave the girl one more look and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I'm gonna find him. I promise. He won't get away with this."
Then he stood and made his way over to Race and Phil. He was vaguely aware that Estella trailed behind him.
"What is it?" Jonny asked.
Race turned to Phil, raised an eyebrow and nodded his head almost imperceptibly. Then he covered his mouth with a hand and walked a few feet to his left. Jonny followed and Phil intercepted Estella.
"Estella," Phil sighed and placed both hands on her shoulders, hoping it provided some comfort. "How are you holding up?"
"Why haven't the police been called?" she gestured toward the young woman. "We can't leave her like this."
"We'll take care of her," Phil assured. "We just need a minute."
"Yeah, that's what Race said too. Is being ambiguous a required trait in your line of work?"
"Please be patient."
"That's not a trait I excel at," she shot back. "Ask my ex. And I'm not stupid, ya know. Why can't I be part of that conversation," she nodded her chin toward Race and Jonny. "Why are you babysitting me?"
"You're babysitting me actually."
"What?" Estella was not expecting that response.
"You shouldn't be over there," Phil started. "…but I can't be over there."
Now she was worried. "Why?" she asked haltingly.
"I'm still a federal agent, Estella. There are lines I'm not allowed to cross."
Estella shook her head in confusion and then stared at Jonny and Race. "They're allowed to cross them though?"
"Of course not," Phil sighed. "…but they will and its best if I don't know any details."
"You're willing to look the other way?" she said out of breath. She felt in over her head. Phil did not say another word. He just looked at the dead girl and then back at Estella. "Okay…okay," she nodded. "I need to sit for a minute."
XXX
"What is it?" Jonny asked again. He was still shaken and hoping that Race did not see right through him.
"I need you to stay calm," Race told him.
Jonny's head dropped for a moment and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'm as calm as a man could be in my position. It's been less than twenty-four hours, but I feel like I haven't seen Jess in a week, Race. Just tell me. Is that one of the girls from Atlanta? I want to know her name."
Race scrolled through his phone to show Jonny the photos Hadji had sent. "She's not one of the girls from Atlanta. At least not the two we know about. I don't think she's the girl that was taken a few hours ago either." Race swiped right on his phone to a third photo. "We don't have confirmation yet, but your father did some digging and we're pretty sure this was the girl just taken. Her name is Keri Powell."
Jonny felt sick to his stomach again. "They all look…"
"I know," Race cut him off. "Listen to me…"
"If this is another conversation to sideline me, don't bother. I can't keep having this conversation."
Race gave him a serious look. "The rules just changed."
Jonny nodded his understanding. "I'm aware of that and I want to work with you instead of around you. It's your choice."
Race felt so much more conflicted about this than a few hours ago. He knew that he had to make a decision. One that he would not be able to take back. One that he would have to live with. He did not want Jonny involved any deeper, but he also knew that Jonny would not back down. So which was the lesser of two evils? Bringing him closer or letting him go off on his own? Race was honestly not sure. At what point did the circumstances outweigh the potential consequences? He met Jonny's unwavering eyes.
"I know you're just trying to protect me," Jonny continued. "You need to stop."
Race's shoulders slumped and he ran a hand over his face in agitation. "That never stops, kid."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a kid," Jonny sighed.
Race closed his eyes. "You're always gonna be my kid and I don't want you to have to see me like this."
"Like what?" Jonny challenged. "Doing whatever it takes to bring her home? You think there's something you could do that I wouldn't agree with? Let me help. I need to help." When Race did not respond, Jonny kept talking. "I thought you understood," he added quietly, but firmly. Race furrowed his brow. "I thought you were the one person, besides Jess, that actually got it. I'm not just dicking around with her."
Race gave him a severely irritated look. "I know that."
"I sat you down and told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with your daughter. I told you before I even told her. I meant it and everything that entails."
"I believed you then," Race sighed. "I believe you now."
"So what's the problem?" Jonny was confused. "You don't trust me? Or worse, you just don't trust me when it matters?"
"I trust you completely," Race said it calmly, but he was not clam. He was officially afraid. "This isn't about trust. I don't want you hurt. I don't want you doing things you may regret, but can't ever change. That's all this is about. You clearly can't comprehend that for some reason."
"I'm already hurt." Jonny was glaring at him now. "I'm just trying to stop the fucking bleeding at this point."
"That's a terrible fucking way to put it," Race shot back.
Jonny sobered. "I'm focused, Race. I promise. I'm not gonna let myself get hurt and I won't put myself into a position unless I have two ways to get out of it. My goal isn't to save her at any cost. It's to save her and be WITH her."
Race closed his eyes. The decision was made.
"Stop fighting me on this," Jonny urged. "Do you think I'll be able to live with it if we don't bring her home? She's my family too."
"Alright," Race agreed quietly. The rules had definitely changed.
Jonny tried not to let the surprise show on his face. "You can't change your mind in two hours."
"I won't," Race assured. "I've made my decision."
"What's next?" Jonny asked.
'Forgive me, Benton.'
"We need to find out who this girl is," Race cleared his throat. "And when she was taken so we understand the timeline."
"You think this is ritualistic?" Jonny asked.
"I think it fits the profile. Absolutely. If we can build out a profile, it's our best shot at digging up a solid lead," Race concluded. "This is not the first time this guy has done this."
Jonny followed. "We may not know who he is, but we should be able to predict what he'll do."
"Exactly," Race nodded. "But first, or at least just as importantly, we need to find out who this girl is." He stared at her as he explained. "The moment she was taken until now, plus or minus ten hours and less the seventeen Jess has been gone. The way I see it, that's how much time we have to get her out before he kills her."
Jonny hoped again that his face did not give him away. Race told him all that so matter-of-factly. Not emotionless, but definitely detached in a way Jonny had never seen. Like he just flipped a light switch and was different. Jonny did not know if he could do that, but he would try.
"We should split the tasks," Jonny suggested. "I'll…It's the last thing I want to do, but I'll head back to the hotel and build the profile. It'll require hacking in to federal databases. That'll take some time. You can…"
The sound of sirens heading their way interrupted them.
"Damn it," Race growled. "How did they know?" He looked at the young girl again and then Phil, who threw his hands in the air.
"Talk to Phil," Jonny told him. "I'll get what we need."
Race trotted toward Phil. All business. "Can you run interference?" Race asked. "I'm headed to Jacksonville and can't afford to get held up."
"Yes. Go," Phil agreed. "I'll take care of it."
"What's going on?" Estella asked with worry.
Race tried to give her a smile. "Stel…stay with Phil. He'll get you back to the hotel."
"Running interference will go smoother if she's not here," Phil spoke up. "Her presence will raise even more questions. Bartlett already has a bug up his ass about you."
"Fuck," Race groaned.
Estella looked at him sadly. "There's that look again."
Race held out his hand. "Give me the keys and get ready to run," he told her.
XXX
When Race rushed over to talk to Phil, Jonny went straight for the girl.
'I wish I knew your name,' he thought again and then apologized silently for what he was about to do. The sirens were getting closer so he had to work fast. He pulled the burner phone from his pocket and reached down to turn her face toward the moonlight so he could get a clear picture. He emailed the picture to himself quickly and then wiped the screen clean against his shirt. He grabbed her right hand and pressed her thumb firmly into the screen. Then placed the phone carefully on the grass. He removed Jessie's earrings and pocketed them. Finally, he pulled the pocket knife from his front pocket and balanced it over her, trying to decide where to cut. There were a few spots of dry blood visible to him, but he thought it best to get something fresh just in case the dried blood belonged to someone else.
"Fuck," he whispered and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
'The palm of her hand,' he thought. He cut quickly and then wiped the blood on the hem of his shirt. He avoided looking at her again after that, shoving the knife back in his pocket and popping up with the cell phone cradled in his hand.
"You good?" Race asked him and Jonny nodded. "Let's go."
Jonny followed Race through the field and back down the path at a sprint. He thought about saying something when he realized that Estella was coming with them. He did not think it was a good idea for her to come, but he also knew it was his fault she was there in the first place. He did not want to open that can of worms with Race. He wanted to believe that Race was done fighting him, but he could not be sure. Race did not have to say it out loud for Jonny to know how angry he was that Estella was in the middle of a dangerous situation.
They all piled into Jonny's car. Race was driving and Estella was breathing heavily in the back seat. Jonny placed the phone in the center console and then grabbed the knife again. He cut away at the part of his shirt covered in blood and then placed that in the center console too.
He looked down at his hands, but did not want to think about what they had just done so he stared out the window and half-heartedly listened to Race's conversation with Jade, setting up the meet with her guy in Jacksonville. The road was whipping past him faster than he could register anything specific about it. It was almost rhythmic and it calmed him slightly. It made him think of the night she let him make love to her for the first time. He thought about that night a lot. Not the whole night, but bits and pieces here and there. The part he thought about the most was the way she curled into his side and rested her head against his chest before they fell asleep. He remembers feeling so content. The memory so vivid. She was pressed up against him. Safe. He could feel her heart beating against his ribcage as she drifted off.
"You alright, kid?"
Jonny took a breath. "I'm good."
"Why are you holding your ribs?" Race asked. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"No," Jonny shook his head and leaned it against the window. "I didn't even realize I was."
'Baby, I'm gonna find you and then I'm never letting go again," he thought single-mindedly. 'I'm gonna drive you so fucking crazy being an overprotective idiot.'
"I'll need a phone," Jonny changed the subject.
"I want you to head over and meet Jade's guy," Race instructed. "You'll need to call her when you get there for details. You can take Stel's phone. Do you remember Jade's emergency number?"
"Yeah."
"The roadblocks have been lifted so you shouldn't have any problem getting over the bridge. I need to take care of a few things and then I'll meet you there unless you finish up first," Race rattled off.
"What do you need to take care of?" Jonny wanted to know.
Race's eyes shot up to the rearview mirror quickly to meet Estella's. He could not tell if she was absorbing anything being said. "Supplies and contingencies," Race told him vaguely and then pulled the car to the side of the road. "We'll talk more later."
"Why are we stopping?" Jonny asked.
Race turned around in his seat to look at Estella. "I need your phone, Stel." She handed it over without asking any questions. "Thanks," he sighed and then tried to hand her some cash. "Now please go over to that cab stand and head back to the hotel."
"No," she protested.
"I need you to fill in Benton and check on my parents," he asked smoothly, trying to convince her. "Will you please do that for me?"
"That's bullshit," she stared at him. "If you want to get rid of me, Roger, say it straight."
"I want you to go," Race said flatly. "I want you safe." When she did not relent, he opened his car door. "Will you come talk to me for a minute?"
"I'm not dumb enough to fall for that," she scoffed and scooted back out of his reach when he opened the back door too.
"STEL."
"I heard you say that you're staying here," she tried to reason. "I'll go with him," she pointed at Jonny. "He shouldn't be alone right now. Look at him. He's in no condition…"
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Jonny cut in. "You have no idea what you're saying."
"I have eyes," she stated in disbelief. "You. Are. Not. Okay."
"You know less than nothing about me," Jonny turned around, seething. "NOW GET OUT OF THE GODDAMN CAR."
"JONNY," Race yelled.
Jonny's eyes flicked over to Race. "I know it's my fault she's here," he admitted. "…but she's wasting time we don't have."
Race turned back to Estella. Now she was pointing her finger at him. "Don't lay one hand on me," she warned.
Race recoiled as if she had slapped him. Then he slammed the door and moved back to the front of the vehicle, but did not get in. He looked at Jonny and pointed to the driver's seat.
"Race," Jonny started, but he shut up immediately at the deadly look Race gave him.
Jonny shifted over without another word and started the car again. Race threw Estella's phone passed him and it landed on the passenger seat.
"Call me with ANYTHING you think is relevant," he ordered. "And call me in one hour to check in regardless." Then he slammed Jonny's door too and walked away.
XXX
"Is there something I should be doing?" Estella asked hesitantly from the back seat. It was the first thing she had said in almost an hour. She just observed him as he drove to Jacksonville and while he coordinated with Jade over the phone. Jonny had not acknowledged her presence once. He did not even tell her to stay put when he left the car with a cell phone and the missing piece of his shirt to meet his contact. They were parked on a poorly lit street. The man Jonny was meeting came out of the back door to a building that took up most of the street they were parked across from. Estella could not see the man's face, but he looked more like a kid to her, especially standing next to Jonny who eclipsed him. Then again, Jonny looked like a kid to her too.
'I'm trying here, Jess. I really am,' she thought to herself. 'I need a sign. I'm not sure how to help him.'
"Is there something…"
"I heard you the first time," Jonny interrupted. "I need quiet, okay?"
"I'm…ahh. Look, I'm no computer genius, but I know you haven't touched your keyboard in ten minutes and I assume that twirling on the screen means you're waiting for something, so…"
"I'm breaking in to the FBI database and can't leave a trace," Jonny sighed. "Takes time to think through and do it the right way."
"What about your dad or…"
Jonny threw his back against the seat in frustration. "Can't involve them, Estella."
"Why?"
"For the same reason Race didn't want me involved," Jonny cut her off. He said it a little louder than intended and startled her.
"Maybe you shouldn't be if Race thinks it doesn't make sense," Estella said it very quietly. "I'm not trying to piss you off," she rushed.
"Race doesn't want me involved because he loves me, not because he thinks I'm incapable," Jonny told her patiently. "There's a huge difference. If it wasn't me doing this, it would be another one of Jade's contacts. I prefer to handle it myself."
"I'm sure you've already had this conversation with Race and your dad. Just thought it was worth mentioning one more time so you don't lose sight of the bigger plan you and Jess have."
"Estella, there's NO PLAN without her," Jonny yelled. "And since when do you give a…"
"What?"
"Please?" Jonny begged. "I'm asking nicely. I apologize for screaming at you earlier. I really don't want to be an asshole to you. That's not what she would want me to do. That's not who I am."
"I know," Estella smiled. "She'd never stand for that."
"My girl keeps me in line," Jonny laughed, but his smile faded quickly. "I don't want to talk about her."
"I think you do," Estella observed. "You light up when you talk about her."
"Yeah…well it's not productive," he looked out the window and sighed. "What's taking this guy so long?"
"It hasn't been very long since you talked to him," Estella pointed out.
"If you say so."
XXX
Race never expected he would be doing this again, but that did not mean he was unprepared.
"Bannon. It's been a long time."
"It has," Race agreed. "You still owe me that favor."
A disbelieving laugh was the response. "Always straight to the point. I think I owe you more than one."
"I'm ready to collect."
XXX
"What are you looking for exactly?" Estella asked him, knowing she might not get an answer. "Can you tell me something? I'm going outta my mind."
"This guy has done this before," Jonny told her simply. He did not want to scare her more, but thought laying out some facts might help her or at least get her to stop talking so much. "I need to figure out how he operates. How he's done this in the past. Then I'll find him. This is a small island. The Director of the FBI is here, which means the FBI has a stake in this. Case files with information that I need to get inside this fucker's head. First, I need to figure out what case files I need."
"Needle in a haystack?" Estella posed. For the first time since they drove away from Race, Jonny turned around and looked at her. Recognized the fear in her eyes and the tension in her posture.
"No," Jonny said confidently. "I have all the puzzle pieces. Now I'm filtering through the information to put it together."
"Why are we sitting here trying to do that?" she asked curiously. "Can't you get a better connection at the hotel?"
"I can do this work anywhere," Jonny shrugged. "We also need a quick I.D. on the girl we found," he paused, flashing back to the moment he came upon her. Face down on the ground. "Makes sense to do it here. If this guy is as good as Jade claims, well…hopefully he'll be able to tell us something useful."
"How long do you think we'll be here?"
"Hard to say," he said. "Jade told me this guy has access to the IAFIS database, which is huge. There are over a hundred million prints in that database, but if this girl is in there it should not take much more than an hour to figure that out. If not, there are plenty of jobs and other reasons that she may have had her prints taken. It will just take longer to find. We also have her blood profile so that could get us there too. We have many ways to figure it out," he assured.
"How will knowing that girl's name help us find Jess?" Her tone was not accusatory. She was genuinely curious. When he went quiet again, she pushed. "This will be easier on us both if you take five minutes to explain what you're doing rather than making me drag each piece of information out of you. In the long run, that wastes more of your time," she pointed out. "Looks like your computer is doing that twirly thing again anyway."
"Fuck…fine," he sighed. "When you interrupted…came to check on me in the hotel a few hours ago I was going through the FBI Director's travel over the last five years. Race spoke with him earlier. He has a hunch that there's a connection so there likely is one."
Estella shook her head in disbelief. "I find it hard to swallow that the FBI is involved."
"Not directly," Jonny clarified. "…but they got here so quickly. They would have come eventually. Kidnapping…multiple states, but they got here so quickly with the Director in tow. That doesn't happen every day."
"So that's one of your filters to figure out what case files you need?"
"Exactly," he confirmed. "I'm trying to find connection points between his travel and crimes that occurred in those places around those times. Like the fingerprints, it's a lot of information to cycle through unfortunately. There are a lot of terrible people out there. I also hacked in to the National Crime Information Center. All law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, use it. The NCIC has files for missing persons, identify thieves, violent offenders, etcetera. Right now, I have IRIS scanning all the files entered into the NCIC by the FBI. Then looking for crimes with specific elements and cross referencing those to the Director's travel points."
"Crime elements?"
"Yes," Jonny offered, but did not go in to further detail on that. "Once I've narrowed the list of crimes, I can figure out which one the FBI is here about."
"How?"
"Each crime is assigned its own case number. Now that I'm in the FBI's system, my hope is that I can pull a list of all case numbers accessed during the last forty-eight hours and compare that to the list IRIS generates. I'm not sure yet if that's possible. I'm still familiarizing myself with the FBI's system. If not, I'll just need to access each file IRIS pulls individually to figure it out."
"That could take a while," her voice shook a little. "And seems dangerous for you to be hanging around in the federal system illegally for that long."
Jonny closed his eyes for a moment and then peeked out the window again to see if the Jackal had materialized yet. "It could take a while," he acknowledged. "…but IRIS will sort the list by relevance and I work quickly. Don't worry about me. I may have learned a lot from Race over the years, but my father also taught me a thing or two. I won't get caught."
"Can I help?"
"No," he told her honestly.
"What about the girl?" she asked after all of that information sank in.
"Hmm?" He was hoping she would let that part go. He did not want to tell her that he needed to know who she was because he needed to figure out how much time he had before Jessie was the one who ended up dead. He kept trying to tell himself that logic dictated the girl he found was the first one taken. That two more girls were taken before Jessie so he should have a buffer. A painfully awful buffer that he was sick to his core to be grateful for. However, logical conclusions could not comfort him because he did not know who he was dealing. Logic may not apply. And he did not know what was happening to Jessie in the interim. He knew his girl was a fighter. He tried to focus on that. Jonny's eyes went to his computer. Still scanning. Then across the street. Still no sign of Jade's guy. 'Fuck.' It had been less than an hour since they arrived, but it felt much longer.
"The girl. Why we're here…" she pushed.
"I took a picture of her and uploaded it to my computer," Jonny continued. "I think her name was Lena Barnes." He shifted so Estella could see his computer screen and showed her a few pictures.
"That looks like her," Estella said out of breath. Somehow it was harder to see her alive and vibrant than lifeless on the ground.
"Her Instagram account," Jonny added. "I can't be sure it's her. I haven't found a missing person report for her yet, but her account hasn't been updated in a week. Most girls I know, can barely go an hour before they post another picture. Hopefully, Jade's guy will confirm my suspicions and then I can dig deeper. In the meantime, I'll keep…"
"Why is identifying her ASAP such a focus?"
"I just want all of the information possible," Jonny said quickly and then deflected. "Ya know, Jess misses you. A lot. Before the blowup you two had over Stanford, she was really happy. She told me you guys had a nice afternoon."
"She told me you two are sleeping together." Estella said it knee-jerk without thinking.
"You asked her," Jonny spoke up. "Jess just answered you honestly."
"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to go there. I have a trigger happy mouth on occasion."
"You smell amazing by the way. Can I please blame 'sexual frustration' brain for my trigger happy mouth?"
"And here I always thought Jess got her's from the Bannon side of the family," he smiled. "You should spend some time with her in California," he added hopefully. "She'll be out there next semester on her own."
"Aren't you afraid I'll try to convince her to end things with you?" Estella asked dryly.
"No."
"Really?"
Jonny turned to her and gave a fast shrug. "Well…you're shit at it apparently so…"
He let the statement hang and then they both started laughing.
Once the laugh died in her throat, Estella thought she might cry. "Tell me something about her I don't know? Please?" Jonny thought it was the first time he had ever seen Estella as vulnerable.
"Like what?"
"Anything."
"Did she ever tell you why I call her Ace?"
"No. Why?"
"It started when I was in sixth grade," he began. "She was in seventh. I had just turned twelve. She was thirteen and taller than me back then…which I HATED," he laughed. "It was recess and we were hanging out behind the school. We would go back there sometimes if we wanted to talk about Questworld upgrades or other things that none of our friends cared about. Troy Sullivan and Gary Procter, two eighth graders, followed us back there. These two had been hassling me for months. Just dumb kid stuff. They mostly called me rich boy. So stupid, but made me angry at the time. Jess would always tell me to ignore them and I did for a long time. In my head though, I would think about knocking them out and making them feel embarrassed that someone younger and smaller caused it. Race had already been teaching us both self-defense for a few years at that point so I was convinced I could take them even though they were stronger. I was wrong," he huffed. "To make a long story short, she stepped in and saved my ass. A bunch of kids and teachers came running at the commotion. Troy and Gary were down for the count by the time people got to us….because of her. Then she started screaming at me immediately, saying that I couldn't walk around knocking people out like I was hot shit. I was really confused until I realized that she was letting everyone think I did it so I could save face. She knew I'd be embarrassed otherwise." He paused and smiled at the memory. "That was the first time your daughter made my heart skip a beat. Probably two. Anyway, I worked a lot harder with Race after that on my self-defense. Jess always just exceled though…at self-defense. At everything she tried, which made me push myself harder. That day…it was when I realized she was kinda amazing and most definitely not like other girls. Ace seemed like a pretty apt description," he smiled softly. "Besides, she kept calling me hot shit so I had to give her a nickname. Hot shit eventually evolved into the more PG and practical Hotshot."
"Thank you," Estella said and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be right back," Jonny announced. "I need to check in with Race." He also needed some fresh air so he jumped out of the car and walked around to lean on the hood. He did need to call Race, but was compelled to call her phone first. He closed his eyes and listened to the phone ring while taking deep breaths and waiting to hear her voicemail message. He was startled to his feet when he heard a voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
His heart jumped into his throat. "Baby?" he choked out.
"No. Jonny." He pivoted around and saw Estella with the phone to her ear. His hand dropped to his side heavily and he turned back around and dropped onto the bumper.
'Stupid,' he chastised himself. 'You know her voice and that she doesn't have her phone. What's wrong with you?' He heard Estella get out of the car and approach him. He did not want to reminisce with her any longer. "Sorry…I didn't know you had it. I thought I would get voicemail. Wanted to hear her voice."
Estella held the phone out to him. "Here. Do you know the pin code?"
"I do."
"I didn't snoop too much," Estella half-smiled. "Just the photo album and the first three videos before I started to feel guilty."
"Videos?" he asked in confusion.
"Yeah…looks like she was keeping a video diary last few months. I really only watched the first three entries, but she intended to share it with you based on what she was saying in those."
Jonny was surprised. It always made him a little sick to his stomach when someone told him something about Jessie that he did not already know. Some people would call it possessive, but he did not see it that way. He just preferred to hear things right from her. Needed to know that he knew her in a way no one else could. He started scrolling through her phone and sure enough there were over a hundred videos.
He held his breath as his thumb hovered over a random video. He did not even look at the date. It did not matter. All he cared about was hearing her voice. He felt conflicted for a moment about Estella's presence because he did not know if Jess would be comfortable with sharing, but he quickly rationalized that Estella may have watched them all already anyway. Just because she told him otherwise, did not mean he believed her.
He pushed play hesitantly. Jessie's face filled the screen and the breath he had been holding exploded out of his chest.
"Babe…Yay. Babe, you won't believe this. I just met Henrik Schmidt. In a freaking Starbucks. I totally geeked out on him. Holy shit. If I ever see him again, I'll have to head in the opposite direction. So embarrassed…but it was AWESOME," she squealed. "I still love you more though," she whispered and kissed the lens.
He scrolled down and selected another video at random.
"Hey," she sighed. "I'm having a terrible day and you're not answering your phone. Aaand now I sound like a whiney bitch on top of that." She rolled over on her bed before continuing. "Sorry, let me get it out here so I don't pick a fight I don't want to have with you just because I'm annoyed. This week has been dragging. I've barely slept and that dickhead Tyler I told you about…he's still being a dickhead. I think his mother must have told him he was the second coming or some shit. It doesn't even feel like real life when I have to deal with this asshole," she ranted. "He lives in a fantasy world. That describes a lot of the guys here actually. I HATE being surrounded by entitled and pretentious boys, but it makes me appreciate my man even more. I miss you like crazy. Love you."
'I love you back,' he thought in response. Then he scrolled all the way down to the bottom.
"Two more weeks," she smiled softly. "I just got my acceptance letter to Stanford," she held it up in front of the lens. "I talked to some of the professors there today. I can't wait to tell you all of this in person. I'm so relieved, baby. I'm really…really hating this distance. Way more than I thought I would. Never again, okay? I've proven what I have to prove. I don't need you to make it through every day, but I sure as hell want you there. Every day." She stopped talking for about ten seconds and just stared with the same smile still gracing her face. Then she rolled her eyes. "Fine…I want you and I need you," she finished quietly.
'One more,' he told himself. 'You can have one more.' He hit play on the second to last video.
"I miss your hands, Jonny." She paused. "I can't stop thinking about them for some reason. All week. Not in a dirty way. Just all your little touches throughout a day that I've been deprived of for three months. They added up and I got so used to that. You are the master of finding an excuse to hold my hand. Not that you ever need an excuse. That has always made me feel special, ya know. The way you would do that. You make me feel special. I was lying awake in bed last night trying to remember if I've ever told you that. I couldn't remember. I hope you know." She closed her eyes. "Or maybe I'm just addicted to your hands," she laughed. "Do you think that's possible?" She paused again and bit her lip this time. "God…I miss your hands. In a dirty way too," she teased. "Do you remember Mary's Halloween party…"
Jonny stopped the video there. If Estella had watched it, once was enough. Then he scrolled back up to the first video he had watched and played it again.
"Babe…Yay. Babe, you won't believe this. I just met Henrik Schmidt. In a freaking Starbucks. I totally geeked out on him. Holy shit. If I ever see him again, I'll have to head in the opposite direction. So embarrassed…but it was AWESOME," she squealed. "I still love you more though," she whispered and kissed the lens.
"Why did you pick that one to watch again?" Estella asked quietly.
Jonny did not answer her. He used Estella's phone to make that call to Race instead.