Greg Temple had seen more than his share of horrible things over the years. Enough that he knew how important good timing and good luck was to a successful mission. Temple was bidding his time. He needed to have a serious conversation with Race. One that Race would not like. He had managed, with great effort, to delay Race's arrival at the marina. Getting there undetected was critical to the long game and a significant challenge with the FBI breathing down their necks. With a clear head, Race knew that better than anyone, but Race did not have a clear head today. Temple had been giving his friend the benefit of the doubt since his arrival. However, the scene before him put that to an abrupt end.

"Holy shit," Temple scoffed in disbelief. "You think he was here?"

The marina was an absolute mob scene. Crawling with firefighters, service dogs and other badges. They would not be able to walk two feet without running into someone official. The entire area was blocked off with police tape.

Race rubbed at his eyes tiredly before responding in a monotone. "Looks like his work."

Temple gave Race a sideways glance. "What have you been teaching this kid?" Race ignored the question with a shake of his head and Temple took a deep breath to hide his annoyance before continuing. "What's the fucking DEA doing here?"

Race shrugged and remained quiet. He did not care. He had been scanning the area wildly since they walked up, praying to catch a glimpse of his daughter or Jonny. Preferably both. He was trying hard to push it down, but he was choking on his worry for them.

Temple growled and made a hand gesture toward the scene. "This isn't exactly subtle, Racer."

Race sighed in frustration. "Greg, what do you want me to do about it now?"

Temple took another deep breath and pursed his lips, thinking that the kid should have never had the opportunity to do this in the first place. "At least it takes some of the heat off us," he finally conceded. "This is a huge misdirect of the authorities."

"It is," Race agreed. All business.

Temple watched Race closely and his concern grew. His friend looked exhausted and agitated. He waved a piece of paper in the air until it caught Race's attention. "Here's the address to the next safe house. Go catch a few hours. You need it."

"No," Race responded and then threw Temple the car keys. "We can't waste this advantage," he flicked his head toward the occupied authorities. "Let's hit the other five locations you scouted before heading to the safe house. In and out. Hopefully…"

"What about the kid?" Temple pushed.

"Hopefully," Race paused and looked away for a long moment. "He's on his own."

"Race, that's not acceptable. You're his…"

"IF I HAD A WAY TO CONTACT HIM I WOULD," Race yelled and threw his hands up. "He ran off. What can I do? I have to trust him. I have no choice."

Temple watched Race walk away and felt his stomach sink. He had never seen Race lose focus or make decisions based on emotion before. He had never seen Race act reckless or shirk his duties. Until now. He was navigating unchartered territory and needed to put a stop to it before someone got hurt.

XXX

Jonny cocked his head to the side and stared at his girl. He was in the kitchen joking around with Race in what had become a Saturday night tradition while he waited for Jess to get ready for their date. He reached up and scratched his neck involuntarily. The material of his costume was irritating his skin. He was already regretting that he agreed to go to this party.

"Ace?" he questioned.

"Hotshot?"

"I thought you wanted to go to this thing as Romeo and Juliet?" he sighed.

"I do," she shrugged and then gave him a smile and a wink. "What?" she challenged, squaring her body toward him and putting a hand on her hip.

Jonny shook his head and laughed. He lifted his hand and gestured up and down. "Juliet wouldn't wear that?"

"My version does," she shot back.

Jonny turned to Race. "Little help?"

Race stood and headed for the exit. "I've lost this fight too many times," he stated. "I'm passing the torch."

"Thanks," Jonny responded dryly.

"Good luck," Race laughed.

"Jess," Jonny started patiently.

"You don't like it?" she asked.

Jonny gave her a long look. Her dress was not the long and modest garb he expected. The only thing long about it was the sleeves. The rest was figure hugging, including a laced up bodice in the front that showed just a hint of cleavage. It was purple with gold accents. "You know that's not the issue, baby. You look amazing."

"Thanks," she grinned, turning and heading for the door behind her that led to the garage. "Let's go. We're late."

"Jess?" he called after. "I wasn't done." He listened to the sound of her heels as she continued to walk away. "Jess?"

Alone in the kitchen, he looked down at himself. He was in a very traditional Romeo costume. Boots. Dark Pants. A white shirt that he was entirely convinced was a very large woman's blouse. A heavy black velvet vest with gold buttons over that blouse. He even had the cap. Feather and all. "Well," he grumbled to himself. "I'm not wearing this stupid fucking hat anyway." He threw it on the kitchen table and followed her.

He found her leaning against the driver's side door of his car. Her legs were crossed and he openly enjoyed the view, slowly trailing his gaze up her body until he met her smiling face. She loved to torture him.

"Where's your hat?"

"Where's your Juliet costume?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Touché," her smile grew. She threw her arms around his neck as soon as he was close enough and kissed him lightly.

"Why do I have to wear this uncomfortable traditional version?" he mumbled against her lips.

"Because," she kissed him again. "I think it's sexy."

Jonny pulled back a few inches to look into her eyes. "I look like a girl," he said seriously.

She laughed and threaded her hands into his hair. "You definitely don't, babe. You're like my own personal Prince Charming right now," she gave a happy little shoulder shake.

He rolled his eyes and then kissed her deeply, weaving his hands into her hair. He sighed happily when they came up for air. "I love you."

"I love you more, Quest."

"Can we…"

"No," she interrupted. "We can't skip the party."

"Can you at least put on some pants?" he requested.

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because you like the way I look," she accused.

"I love it," he clarified. "…but I don't want to share this view. Can you blame me?"

She pushed him back and gave him an assessing look. "That's a trick question," she pointed a finger at him as she rounded the front of the car and got into the passenger side.

Jonny looked at the ceiling of the garage. "Serenity now," he said to himself and then got into the car.

"Hey," she whispered to get his attention and waited until he turned to meet her gaze. "Thanks for coming to the party with me."

He leaned over the console to kiss her again. "You'll be the end of me, Bannon."

"You love it."

"Every fucking second," he admitted.

She bit her lip and looked down. "I know you hate these things, but I'll make it up to you. I've got a surprise for you later."

Jonny nodded and started the car. He found himself selfishly hoping she was planning to tell him she was ready to take the next step. He could not help himself. That thought was never far from his mind recently.

XXX

Jonny was ready to leave as soon as they arrived. The party was exactly what he expected. His peers acting stupid and drinking because no parents were around. Conversation that revolved around homecoming and possible prom themes. Eyes that lingered on his girl longer than he appreciated.

He spent most of the night watching her. She was having fun with Mary and he did not want to interrupt that. Her smile was infectious. He found himself matching it every time her face lit up or her eyes met his. He was not sure if she was trying to tease him. It did not matter. He was confident that he would want her just as bad even if she was not trying. He found himself daydreaming of ways he could torture her the way she tortured him. His eyes followed her as she walked into the kitchen and he contemplating following and asking to leave.

A hand on his shoulder startled him before he could move from his seat. "Hi Jonny."

"Hayley," Jonny greeted without looking at her and standing so he could move away from her grasp.

"I noticed that you've been really quiet tonight," she commented. "You and Jess okay?"

The question annoyed Jonny greatly. He had no desire to even be nice about it. He left so he would not say something rude. The annoyance he felt washed away when he caught sight of Jess leaning on the refrigerator door, trying to decide what she wanted. He leaned against the entryway and watched her with a grin. When he looked behind her and saw two members of the football team doing the same thing, his smile dropped and he gave them a dirty look. They both just shrugged and put their hands up in a defensive manner, backing out of the room.

Jonny closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. 'Stay calm,' he told himself. It was not worth a fight. With them or her. Then he snuck up behind her, wrapping an arm around her midsection. She jumped, but quickly closed the refrigerator and leaned back against him.

"Be careful. I have a very jealous boyfriend," she joked.

Jonny kissed her ear. "I bet I could take him."

"Ready to go?" she asked, turning around in his arms.

"Yes. I want this view back to myself," he growled.

She gave him a fast kiss. "Let's…"

"COPS," someone shouted. Jonny looked in every direction. He did not see any police officers, but all of his classmates were running around like chickens with no heads. The next thing he knew, Jessie had grabbed his forearm and pulled him through the door next to the refrigerator.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he dutifully followed her down the steps.

"Basement door is the fastest route to your car," she rattled off.

"I love it when you talk escape routes, baby."

She turned around and pulled him into another kiss as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He wrapped his hands around her face and laughed into the kiss. He walked her backwards towards the door without ending the kiss. "You're crazy."

"Wait," she slapped his hand away from the doorknob and listened. "Shit." Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the laundry room at the other end of the basement, turning on the light and locking the door. "I heard uniforms right outside," she explained.

"Babe," he reached for the door and she slapped his hand away from that knob too. "We weren't drinking. Let's just go."

"Can we wait here?" she asked with worried eyes. "Please?"

He moved away from the door and pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong? Were you drinking?"

"No," she promised. "I just applied to all my colleges. I don't even want to risk being made an example of. It's not worth it."

"Alright," he conceded. Jonny did not think that was a big risk, but understood her concern. Race had rubbed the local police the wrong way by going over their heads more than once. He reached over and flipped the light switch to off. "Safer this way," he whispered in her ear. He felt her smile against his neck.

She tightened her hold around his waist and he buried his face in her hair. "I do feel very safe right now," she said.

They held each other tightly in the dark and the quiet for a few minutes before he broke the silence again. He was focused on her warm breath against his skin.

"So," he started in a low voice. "There was mention of a surprise earlier?"

She laughed softly. "It's on me actually. You have to find it."

"Oh," he huffed. "I like this game. Do I get a clue?"

She stepped back slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want one?"

"I do not," he said emphatically. "Forget I asked."

Then he trailed his fingertips along the outside of her thighs, tickling her skin. He kept his eyes glued to hers. They had adjusted to the dark. Her lips parted slightly and he heard her breath hitch. She unwrapped her arms from his waist and planted her hands on his chest.

"I wore this for you only," she whispered. "I like it when you can't take your eyes off me, Jonny."

"I wish I could floor you the way you floor me," he admitted, toying with the hem of her dress.

Jessie closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath when his hands moved to her inner thighs. "You do."

"There's no chance that's true," he swallowed and then touched her through her underwear. Her eyelids fluttered and she fisted his vest in an attempt to stay upright. "Am I close, baby?"

"Yes," she moaned.

Jonny lifted her off the ground easily with one arm. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. They both relaxed a little when her back hit the wall by the door.

XXX

She took a few deep breaths and ran her hands through his hair before unhooking her ankles from behind his back and hitting the ground. He smirked when she had to steady herself against the wall. When he started to pull his hand from underneath her dress, she gripped his wrist to stop him.

It made him want to growl from low in his throat that she wanted to keep him there. He met that cute sleepy look she always got in her eyes as she recovered.

"I liked my surprise," he flirted.

That made her laugh. "I know you're not perfect, but when you say things like that I forget. I can assure you that YOUR surprise will never be to give ME an orgasm, but I'm completely supportive if you want to fight me on that."

He just grinned in return. "Can I have my hand back?" She shook her head no and guided his hand to her hip. It took him a moment to register that he was feeling more than just skin. "What's this?" he asked with excitement and pulled the paper out so he could examine it.

"It's so fun to give you presents," she commented. "You're like a big kid."

"This is amazing, Jess. How did you get these?"

"It was easy," she shrugged. "Mary told me they do surprise shows in small clubs every once and a while. They send blasts out on social media and the first people to respond get tickets. I started following them as soon as she told me that so I'd be ready. And given your complete aversion to all things social media, it was easy to keep a surprise."

He kissed her. More than grateful for how thoughtful she could be sometimes.

"It's not a big deal, babe."

"It is to me," he corrected.

"I like making you happy, idiot. Almost as much as I love teasing you," she bit her lip.

"You've mastered both," he assured.

"I can very much feel that," she nodded down.

"I was trying to hide that," he said, slipping the tickets into his pocket.

"Oh really?" she huffed. "My thigh is not a good hiding spot."

"I'll find somewhere else next time," he leaned in and kissed her. He groaned into her mouth when he felt her hands heading south.

A loud bang on the door and a hand jiggling the doorknob interrupted them. "Who's in there?"

Jonny sagged briefly and then a few things happened in quick succession. He reached into his pocket, grabbing his car keys and pressing them firmly into Jessie's hand. He untucked his shirt and gently pushed Jess toward the dark corner of the room. He pushed harder when she hesitated, giving her a look that said 'this was the whole point.' When he reached to unlock the door, she pulled him into a quick but firm kiss.

'Look contrite,' he thought as he opened the door widely. "Sorry officer. I wasn't drinking, but I'm not supposed to be here. I was trying to avoid getting into it with my dad again."

Jonny tried not to react when the officer's flashlight hit his eyes. "Anyone else in there with you?"

"No sir," Jonny stepped aside and gestured toward the open door. "This is my friend's house. I knew this was the best place to hide."

"Alright, let's go," the officer waved his hand impatiently. "Outside with the others." Then the officer grumbled under his breath. "I can't believe I have to deal with this shit."

XXX

"How are you getting home, son?" It took an hour before the officers asked everyone they had detained their questions and decided how to deal with them. Jonny was free to go, but not all of his peers were as lucky. "Do you need a ride?"

"No sir," Jonny assured. He had no intention of rolling up to the Compound in a squad car. He nodded to one of his friends that was also released. "Hey Steve," he called out. "Can I catch a ride?"

"Sure," he yelled back.

Jonny jogged toward Steve and jumped into his car before any of the officers had the chance to change their minds.

"Where's Jess?" Steve asked.

Jonny was calling her before Steve finished his thought. "I'm hoping to find out…Babe? Where are you? See you in a minute. Steve, can you make a right here?"

She was waiting for him in his car a few blocks away. "Thanks Steve. See you Monday."

Jonny sighed as soon as he relaxed back into the passenger seat. When he turned his head, she was giving him a goofy smile.

"What?" he hedged.

"Like my own prince," she leaned over and kissed him lightly.

"Bit of an exaggeration," he deflected. "I just had to be patient and answer a few questions."

She grabbed his vest and pulled him in for a long and slow kiss. Jonny really wanted to pick up right where they left off, but knew they needed to head home to make curfew.

He let the kiss end naturally, but kept his forehead pressed to hers and his eyes closed. Even though the night was not perfect, he did not want it to end. "I need you too," she whispered. "You don't know how much, baby."

When he closed his eyes and concentrated hard enough, he could still feel her lips against his and hear her voice saying those words. 'Get up,' he thought and forced himself off the shower floor.

He toweled off and redressed quickly. He avoided looking in the mirror. He could not stand the sight of himself. He felt intense shame. Not for his actions over the last few hours. Only because those actions were not enough. He was no closer to finding her, but at least he knew what he needed to do next.

As Jonny made his way toward the door, he prayed that Roth was not in his room or at least a very heavy sleeper. He needed to borrow something else.

XXX

"FUCK," Race kicked over a chair. It was the closest piece of furniture to the front door. The second safe house Temple had arranged was nothing like the first. A modest studio at the top of a high rise. It broke pretty much every rule of a good safe house. It only had one exit and would be easy to surround, but it was good enough to catch a breath and regroup.

Temple watched sadly. "I'm sorry, Racer."

"It's not your fault. I just…" Race's words caught in his throat. Then he redirected his feelings on another chair, throwing it against the wall.

"You need to stop before someone calls the police," Temple pointed out calmly. "We're not the only ones on this floor."

Race nodded his understanding, picking up and replacing both chairs to their original spots by a small folding table. Then he sat down heavily and dropped his head into his hands.

Temple decided to give him a moment and began unpacking their minimal supplies and equipment. Despite the horrible circumstances, Temple could not help but smile a little. Over the last few hours, he and Race had broken more laws than Temple had in a decade. They systematically broke in and searched five locations without anyone being the wiser. Four commercial buildings and one residential home. The buildings were barely occupied due to the holiday, but people were roaming the halls. People who had no idea they were even there. That gave Temple a thrill he could not describe, but remembered fondly. He had not realized how much he missed the lifestyle. The home was an even bigger challenge. A family of five was home, but they went undetected there too. A perfectly executed break in. Temple felt more alive with each location they searched, but Race became colder and more detached. There was no sign of Jessie anywhere. Race was quiet the entire drive back to the first safe house and did not even get out of the car to help Temple clean the place out. Temple tried to prod him on the drive to the studio, but only got unintelligible grunts.

Once Temple had his mini command center set back up, he risked a glance at Race and immediately felt guilty for his train of thought. His unshakeable friend was coming undone. "Ready to get back out there?" Temple asked.

"What if she's not on the island?" Race asked quietly. Temple barely heard it.

"Don't go there," Temple warned. "She is."

Race sat up straight and met Temple's gaze. "If I'm wrong about that…" his voice broke and he trailed off.

"You're not," Temple insisted.

"That's my little girl out there," Race closed his eyes and tried to compose himself. "She's the best of me. I can't let her down."

Temple approached Race slowly and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We're gonna find her," he said firmly. "And we're gonna kill this motherfucker that was dumb enough to take her."

"You're right," Race stood and cleared his throat. "Thanks."

"Now…I need to tell you something you won't like," Temple said.

Race shifted away. "What?"

"I'm making the calls until this is resolved. You're not objective and I can't let this continue," Temple announced.

Race laughed. "This is my kid. No one is calling the shots besides me."

"Race…"

"NO," Race boomed.

"You're not objective," Temple repeated.

"That's bullshit."

"Jonny Quest," Temple threw his hands in the air.

"What about him?" Race bristled.

"Where do I begin?" Temple accused. "It's your job to protect him. Your duty."

"I KNOW THAT."

"You lied to me outright," Temple seethed. "Tried to pass him off as one of your contacts. I knew who he was immediately. Do you think I'm fucking stupid?"

"No," Race sighed. "I don't think that."

"What the hell WERE you thinking?"

Race deflated.

"Racer…"

"I know it was wrong," Race interrupted and turned away. "I don't need a lecture. Bringing him with me was the best option from a handful of shitty options, brother. I don't want him involved. I want him as far away from this life as possible. I knew you'd likely recognize him or figure it out when I slipped and called him 'Jonny' right in front of you, my mistake, but I wasn't gonna broadcast it if you somehow didn't figure it out. I wanted to give him every chance at complete deniability." Race turned back. Somewhat repentant. "I assume if it comes down to it and we get pulled in, his name won't come out of your mouth," Race stated. It was not an order exactly, but definitely not a request either.

"Of course it won't," Temple agreed.

"Thanks. Now let's get back to work. I want you to…"

"I wasn't kidding," Temple cut in. "I'm in charge."

"I wasn't kidding either," Race said slowly. "You're not. Leave if you don't like it."

"I don't think you have the luxury to pass on my help," Temple scoffed. "Look, I know you're doing the best you can. I know you'll do anything to bring your daughter home, but you've lost control of this situation. The moment you allowed that kid…I don't understand what you're doing. It's your…"

"I know my duty," Race growled. "Stop bringing that up. Jonny's NOT just an obligation to me."

Temple pushed on. "You shouldn't have involved him. You know better than anyone how important Benton is to this country."

Race reared back like he had been punched. "Are you fucking kidding me, right now?"

"There's always a bigger picture to be considered when you're in the field. Always. No matter what the mission is. You've been the one doing that reminding to others plenty over the years. You took an oath to serve and protect the interests of this country above all else. I was there when you took it. I trained you to honor it. Benton Quest and his son…"

"MY DAUGHTER IS NOT EXPENDABLE," Race screamed and then shook his head angrily, trying to calm down and not draw unwanted attention. "I'm confident Benton would agree and that he trusts me to handle this."

"Are you?" Temple challenged. "You have a God-given right to protect your child. You could've done that without involving Jonny and you should've. That's my point and I'm confident Benton would agree with me."

"Greg," Race breathed patiently. "You don't have all the information. I kept Jonny with me to keep him safe."

"That makes no sense."

"It was my best option," Race countered. "Do you remember Simon Roth?"

"Of course. That crazy son of a bitch…"

"Is in Jacksonville," Race interrupted. "Jonny figured that out while I was running down another lead. He couldn't get ahold of me right away so he stole my gun and went after Roth on his own."

"Jesus."

"And I'm sure you recall what he did to that fucking marina," Race pointed out. "He's safer where I can keep eyes on him."

"What's his deal?" Temple asked.

"What do you think?" Race gave him an exasperated look. "Why does any man act that reckless?"

"He's in love with her," Temple scoffed. "Christ…"

"He told me he'd tear down this island to find her," Race continued to explain. "He'll put himself in danger if he thinks he's protecting her. I've seen him do it more than once, Greg. I'm trying to PREVENT that."

"Shit," Temple exclaimed.

"Yeah…shit," Race agreed.

Temple rubbed his chin and then laughed a little. "You let your daughter have a live-in boyfriend?"

Race rolled his eyes. "You sound like my ex-wife."

"Just shocked is all."

"My daughter is a brilliant strategist," Race smiled. "She chose the one guy on the planet I can't kill."

Temple laughed. "Sounds like a Bannon."

"Through and through," Race added proudly and then his eyes dropped. "I taught him to protect her. I set that expectation. That's what he's trying to do. It'll be my fault if he…"

Race stopped mid-sentence, distracted by the sound of the door opening. Race and Temple both had their guns on the target before their eyes.

"Jonny," Race sagged in relief and put his gun away. "Are you okay?"

"Didn't expect the door to actually be open when I tried it," Jonny said sarcastically, closing and locking it behind him. He was unfazed by Temple's gun still pointed at his head. There was something about the guy he did not like.

"Were you followed?" Temple accused. "How did you find us?"

"No and I'm resourceful," Jonny responded casually and then caught Race's eye. "Can we speak in private?"

"Not happening," Temple insisted, holstering his weapon.

Race gestured for Temple to back off. "Give us a moment, Greg. I need to talk to him."

"I have to insist you…"

"Stay out of this," Jonny interrupted passionately. "You don't get a vote."

Temple would protect Jonny even though it was not technically his job. It was in his DNA, but he had no intention of letting a kid disrespect him. He knew how to knock young insubordinate hot shots down a few pegs and back in line. He had made a career out of it. Race was one of many. Temple walked up to Jonny and got right in his face.

Race decided to stand back. He knew what Temple was doing and figured it was worth a shot. Anything was to get Jonny to stop and think before acting again.

"You're the one with no vote, Jonny. Stop reacting like a child and act like a man. You're little scorched earth stunt at the marina was unacceptable," Temple told him and pushed a finger into his chest. Hard.

Jonny smacked Temple's hand away angrily. "Why?" he challenged. "Because it's not what you would've done? Not right out of the Seal playbook? I don't have to listen to you. I'm not one of your recruits."

"No," Temple laughed cruelly. "You're definitely not. Your spoiled ass wouldn't last a week."

"I'm fucking crushed you think so," Jonny shot back sarcastically. "Good thing I have no plans to join up. I have other priorities. Now let Race and I talk in private." Jonny turned his attention back to Race and tried to sidestep Temple. "I really need to…"

Temple was quicker than Jonny gave him credit for, moving sideways and using his body as a shield so Jonny could not pass. Temple laughed again. Loudly. He grabbed two fistfuls of Jonny's shirt and shoved him backwards into the door.

Jonny closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to find his patience. Temple was back in his face like a drill sergeant as soon as he opened them.

"You're a thick one, kiddo. So I'll say this slowly, okay? YOU are the one with no vote." He said it with authority and then took a small step back to give Jonny some breathing room. "I get it," he started again in a mocking tone. At least that was how Jonny heard it. "I was young once. Hell, Race and I have both been in this EXACT position over the years, but you don't get a vote just because you're banging the target."

Jonny flushed. Not from embarrassment, but a flash of white hot anger. He closed his eyes again and counted.

One. Mississippi. Two. Mississippi. Three. Mississippi. He saw her beautiful face. Smiling at him.

When Jonny opened his eyes and saw Temple's arrogant smirk, he barely kept it together. "What would you suggest we do next?" Jonny asked through his teeth.

Temple's smile grew. "Thanks for asking, kid." Temple turned to face Race and then Jonny smiled.

Jonny brought his foot down hard on the back of Temple's heel. When Temple grunted and buckled a few inches, his head snapped back toward Jonny. Jonny put his left leg forward and connecting a right hook with Temple's chin. Just like Race had taught him. Temple hit the ground hard. Out cold. Jonny stepped over him and headed right for his computer.

"Jonny!" Race finally spoke up.

"I know why Bartlett's here," Jonny rushed before Race could start lecturing him too.

It worked. After a quick assessment to confirm his friend would be fine, Race sat down and gestured for Jonny to join him.

"Talk," Race ordered.

Jonny opened his mouth, but it took a few seconds for the words to come. "Two case files have been accessed by the FBI in the last forty-eight hours, which detail abductions in cities that Bartlett then subsequently traveled to."

"Go on," Race urged. He could tell Jonny did not want to tell him whatever came next. "Jonny?"

"The one was actually a closed case. The suspect was caught and convicted. Killed in prison. I only flagged it because it was recently accessed. Not sure why…"

"Stop it," Race ordered.

"What?" Jonny looked confused. Race saw the exhaustion in Jonny's face and felt it on his own. Jonny's hands were folded together and Race could see the whites of his knuckles popping out.

"Stop stalling," he said kindly. "Tell me what you found."

Jonny cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. "The second file is a serial. There's a profile, but no active suspects. His pattern…it took a few years for them to identify and I can understand why. He would make small changes to his MO. Enough that the pattern may have been missed if someone wasn't looking, but it's clearly the same guy when you look at it all together. His victims…the girls…he does it in cycles. Every twelve or eighteen months for the last twenty years. Sixty girls, Race. That they know about."

Race sat back in his chair and considered that. Jonny was thankful for the break. He was starting to feel short of breath saying it all out loud.

"So he's got a pattern, but he's not a prisoner to it. He's willing to be flexible, which is probably a big part of the reason he's still out there. He's smart and he's patient. Tell me about his patterns."

"Before now, it's always been three girls at a time. Three girls that could be related to each other. That's the only physical pattern with the girls, except that they're always under thirty and beautiful. He takes them all within twelve hours of each other and then the whole thing is over in a few days. The profiler thinks he stalks them for months in advance, which is why he's able to take them without a trace. It's not spontaneous. He plans it and…," Jonny's face turned up in disgust. "…fantasizes about it. That's why he's patient enough to wait between cycles. The theory is that he's independently wealthy or has a job that requires frequent relocation. It's a new city each cycle," Jonny paused.

"Keep going," Race said quietly.

"One hundred and twenty seven. I checked," Jonny said and then met Race's gaze for the first time since he sat down. Race recognized the look on the young man's face. He had seen it before. Jonny wanted approval, but Race did not know for what.

"What?" Race asked.

"The number of boats docked at that marina," Jonny explained, changing the subject. "I didn't have time to search them. There were too many so I outsourced. I thought it was the most efficient option."

"Okay," Race shrugged and gave him an odd look. "It was unorthodox, but effective. Jonny…"

"She could've been on one of them. With him," Jonny said out-of-breath. "I had to stop it."

Race knew the start of a panic attack when he saw one. 'Shit,' he thought.

"I had to stop it," Jonny said. "I had to stop it," he kept repeating.

Race closed his eyes. He needed to stay calm to keep Jonny calm. "I need you to breathe, kiddo."

"I had to stop it."

"I know," Race agreed. "I understand. Just breathe and tell me what you had to stop."

The solider in him screamed that the details were irrelevant. Bad was bad. Horrific was horrific. He knew the reality of the situation. That the window of his daughter coming out of this unscathed had likely passed. That his mission now was to get her out alive and then deal with the fallout. He had accepted that hours ago. Jonny had not.

The father in him wanted to remain hopeful. Wanted to believe his daughter was in a position to fight back. Wanted to promise Jonny it would all work out. Needed to hear all the details even though it would not help.

Race opened his eyes and looked at Jonny, who was trying to get his breathing under control. It broke Race's heart a little how hard he was trying. "Stop what?" he asked again haltingly.

Jonny closed his eyes and shook his head no. Tears started streaming down his face and he released an unsteady breath. "I love her. I love her," he repeated and dropped his head into his hands. "I'm not banging her. It's not just sex. It's not like that. I don't do that. I'd never…I love her," he cried. "I have to stop this."

Race sat back in his chair again. He had suspected they were sleeping together for quite a while, but hearing the admission still felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. 'Table it,' he told himself. He needed to deal with the problem he could solve. Jonny was all over the place. Probably did not even realize what he was saying.

Race stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shaking shoulders.

Jonny jumped out of the chair. Startled. He headed directly for the balcony. Ripping the door open and then leaning over the edge of the railing. He was sucking in deep breaths of air when Race finally joined him. There was no furniture out there so Jonny sat down in the corner and leaned back against the railing. They were so high up that he could barely hear himself think over the wind. That combined with the way it whipped around his head helped to clear it. Helped to steady his breathing.

He eventually looked up at Race who was standing over him. He waited to speak until he was sure he could without breaking down again. "I keep losing it. I'm sorry, Race. I told you that you didn't need to worry about me, but I'm not doing a good job of proving it." He wiped the tears off his face and neck.

Race got down on his haunches so they were eye level. They stared at each other sadly.

"He drugs them," Jonny started in a hollow voice. "You already know about that." It was not easy, but he kept going and did not turn away from Race's intense face. His voice got angrier the more he explained it. "He ties them down. All the…bodies…they have marks consistent with being tied down. Arms and legs. He strips them and washes them. He tortures them, but leaves their faces alone. He rapes them," his voice broke and he had to look away from Race for a moment.

"Jonny…"

"He kills them," he said over Race's voice, meeting his gaze again. "Then he wraps them up and throws them away like GARBAGE," Jonny finished with disdain, swallowing back the tears he wanted to shed. "Race..." he choked out.

"What?"

"I'm gonna kill him," Jonny declared.

Race stood. "Not if I get to him first."

XXX

Benton was not sure how much longer he could avoid Hadji. He had convinced the young man to lie down in the other room, but not before Hadji really pressed him for details about the case file. Benton was not ready to share. He wanted to be wrong. He found himself praying that he was faster to this discovery than Jonny and could prevent him from ever seeing it. While inside the FBI databases, Benton fortified its firewalls. He also wanted to prevent Hadji from finding it. He wanted to protect them both.

Phil's man, Benton thinks he introduced himself as Monroe, was making him even more uneasy. He was not exactly a prisoner in his room, but Monroe made it clear that it was best for them to wait for Phil to return. Although he would not say where Phil went. Benton could not help but notice that Estella had been gone for quite a while.

Benton was about to demand answers when Phil and Estella entered. He stood. "Where have you two been?" he yelled. He did not mean to raise his voice and immediately regretted it when he saw Estella's face. She was being supported by Phil. "What?" Benton demanded. Estella started to cry.

"We found…"

"No," Benton shook his head and had to grip the back of his chair.

"What?" Hadji rushed into the room.

"It wasn't Jess," Phil rushed. "…but we did find a second body." Phil turned to Hadji and nodded his head toward Estella. "Can you?"

"Of course," Hadji nodded, taking Estella into his arms and leading her to the other room. Benton followed and made sure the door was shut before speaking.

"Any word on Race or my son?" Benton asked.

Phil sighed. "I didn't see them, but they were definitely there. One of the deputies described someone matching Jonny's description at the scene before we arrived and then we ran into Jade."

"Jade?"

"Yep," Phil shrugged. "Bartlett's interrogating her now. It's pointless. She won't give him anything useful, but that arrogant prick won't listen to me. Interrogating her is a waste of time and resources."

"Bartlett's motives are personal," Benton then announced.

"How do you know?" Phil asked.

Benton handed Phil an iPad. "All the information you need is on there," Benton sagged. It was too early, but he needed a drink. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a whiskey. "A Meade twenty inch."

"What's that?" Phil asked, glancing up from the iPad.

"My Christmas gift to Jessie," Benton offered. "A rather powerful telescope. I took her to the Keck Observatory for her thirteenth birthday," he smiled wistfully. "Of the three, she's the only one to share my love for astronomy. I already have it all set up for her on the top floor of the lighthouse. It was a bit pricey, but all of my peers at Harvard have been going out of their way to tell me how impressive she was last semester. That made me so happy and I wanted her to know how proud I am. Truly proud."

Phil handed the iPad to Monroe. He needed to go somewhere quiet and read it, but saw enough to understand why Benton was so upset. "We'll be back soon," Phil promised.

"Phil," Benton called out. "I want you running this investigation. If I need to call someone to make that happen, you let me know. You take control," Benton demanded. "What happened to those girls," Benton's voice cracked as he pointed at the iPad. "You won't let happened to her. Not that bright and beautiful little girl who has all the potential in the world."

Phil gave a strong nod of understanding and then left the room. Benton sat back down, took a sip of his whiskey and then immediately put it to the side. That was not what he needed.

XXX

After their conversation on the balcony, Race forced Jonny to take a shower and cool off against his will. It was as much for Jonny's benefit as his own. He needed a few quiet moments to think and regroup. He needed both Temple and Jonny to find his daughter. The events of the day had proven that. He would still be out searching the wrong locations if not for Temple's help and he would not know anything about the man who had her if not for Jonny. He needed to stay neutral and be the rock of this unexpected trio. Temple was a hothead on a good day and Jonny was a hothead when it came to Jess. It was not a good combination.

Race was sitting at Jonny's computer and going through the file as he contemplated their next steps. Flipping through the crime scene photos, put Jonny's actions and reactions over the last few hours into perspective for Race. If these images had been burned into his brain sooner, he may have burned something to the ground too. He found himself praying that Jonny had the wrong profile, but the sick pattern fit. Bartlett clearly thought so too. As Race studied each photo, he made sure to look at the names. He did not want to think of them as victims. They were daughters and sisters and he would do this for them too. His heart stopped when he got to the last photo. One of the first girls.

Amy Bartlett. His daughter.

For the first time since this all started, Race saw Bartlett as a human being. Not an obstacle to overcome. He ran a hand over his face in agitation.

"One thing at a time," he told himself.

Jonny came out of the bathroom a moment later and sat down across from Race. His eyes darted around the whole place, including at Temple still on the ground, before landing on his own feet. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"Stop apologizing," Race told him. "I promise you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing, okay?"

"Alright," Jonny nodded. "Thanks."

"Look, Temple…"

"Is an asshole," Jonny cut in.

"He is," Race laughed. "Always has been, but he's good at his job and here to help us. Can you avoid knocking him out again? Please?"

Jonny shrugged. "As long as he watches his mouth."

"Fair enough," Race laughed again. It felt good and then he felt guilty. Reality crashing back. "He should be up any second. Do me a favor and go for coffee and some Tylenol. A peace offering?"

"Sure," Jonny stood and headed for the door.

"Hey," Race called out and Jonny pivoted around. "How DID you find us?"

Jonny did not want to lie, but he did not want to tell Race either. He wanted a back-up plan in case they tried to ditch him.

Race watched as Jonny contemplated how much to reveal. In the end, he walked out without saying anything and Race smirked. Proud was not the right word, but it was close.

XXX

Phil had never been a big fan of Jade, but knew she must be in this situation because she was helping Race. That was all the incentive he needed to help her. When she refused to talk at the scene of the last body, Bartlett had hauled her away with threats of never seeing the light of day again. Phil wanted to intervene right there, but knew that getting Estella back to the hotel was his priority.

That decision had allowed him to speak with Benton. Now armed with the information Benton had uncovered, Phil was ready to take control of this operation. Phil was a father. Thinking as a father, he could understand Bartlett's need for either justice or revenge. However, he could not justify that need superseding the safety of the girls that were still alive.

He intended to have it out with Bartlett and if the ensuing commotion allowed Jade to slip away… so be it.

XXX

Temple was awake for a full minute before he was able to open his eyes. The roughness of the carpet against his cheek was unwelcome. He pushed himself up onto his elbows with a grunt and then rubbed his jawline. He glanced to his right to see Race and Jonny working and not paying him any attention. It took him a minute to figure out what happened. The kid had clocked him. There was a bottle of water and some Tylenol by his head.

He took a knee to see how that felt and it did not feel great. He took the Tylenol.

"Take it slow, old man."

"Fuck you, Bannon."

Temple got upright and then approached them at half his normal pace.

Race stood and gestured for Temple to take his seat.

"I'm fine," Temple growled.

"Sit," Race ordered. "Don't be stubborn. We have a plan and I need you to have a clear head."

"Fine." Temple sat down with a grunt and shot Jonny a dirty look. The kid did not even look up from his computer screen. "I don't appreciate being sucker punched."

Jonny looked up. "Don't disrespect her and I won't have to sucker punch you."

Temple grinned. He looked at Race who shrugged. "I really am starting to like this fucking kid."