A/N: The name I used for a character is just coincidence. Was trying to come up with something and decided it would work. Hope you enjoy the twist at the end. Until next time-PCGirl.

John studied the crime scene pictures that had come in a manila envelope earlier. He knew they were from Antonio-whether Bo was aware that he had them he wasn't sure.

He wondered if he could get into Llanfair-see the area himself and maybe catch something that Antonio and the techs missed. Deciding he needed to get take a break he stood up and turned to see Natalie leaning against the door frame to the bedroom.

"You figure it out yet?" she asked and then began to walk towards the slot machine.

He rubbed his face at his mind playing tricks on him, "Which part? Where you are now? Who this guy is?"

"Why don't you start with where I may have been in order to keep from being killed?"

John walked back over studied the rendering of the room layout.

"Wasn't it thoughtful for Tess to give me a toilet?" she laughed as she walked over and looked around him so she could look at the drawing too. "Maybe they missed something in the initial sweep. Something to tell you where the guy had been-or where he was going?" she said as John watched something fall out of her hands and onto the picture on the coffee table.

Leaning down to grab the object it was suddenly gone and then so was Natalie-though her scent was still in the air-a combination of vanilla and strawberries that always reminded him of her. Looking at the picture on top he saw something on top of the rubble-something that must have fallen out after the explosion, "What is that?" he said to himself and then grabbed his jacket before taking off.

As John made his way down the steps into the basement, he could hear someone else was already here. Coming out into the mess he wasn't surprised as to who he'd found, "Balsom," he said and watched the young man jump.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were suspended."

"And I thought you were recovering from a gunshot wound," he said as he tried to find solid rubble to walk on and make his way through the space.

"Like either of those things are going to stop us from finding Nattie."

John nodded and kept walking towards where the bathroom would have been. He wasn't sure what he was looking for at first, but it stuck out-white against the rest of the gray. Grabbing his handkerchief out of his pocket he leaned down and picked it up.

"What is that?" asked Rex as he finally made his way over to where John was.

John held up the green and white matchbook for The Lakeside Inn a couple hours away.

"How did you know that was there?"

John shook his head, he wasn't about to say Natalie told him or else he'd be sent to St Anne's right beside Jessica. "I saw something in one of the pictures."

"Pictures, eh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow at John. He knew the man normally saw everything as black and white, but when it came to Natalie it seemed to get very gray.

"How I got them doesn't matter right now, Rex. Didn't we both just say we wouldn't let anything stop us from finding Natalie?"

"Well, then what are we doing standing here-let's go," said Rex as he turned and began trying to make his way back through safely.

"You-aren't going anywhere, Balsom," said John as he made his way behind Rex.

"You can't stop me, McBain."

"I can't, but if something happens to you before Natalie gets back, she'll kill me. So, go home and let your body recover. I'll let you know what I find out."

"Hey-you the manager here?" asked John as he walked up to an employee at the Inn.

"I don't talk to cops."

"I'm not a cop. So, is that a yes?"

The man looked John up and down before snarking back, "Could have fooled me."

"Listen, I'm looking for a friend of mine-I think she might be with this guy," he said as he pulled out the folded-up surveillance photo and handed it over. "Probably here a few weeks back."

"Yeah, I've seen him."

"And-does he have a name?"

"I can't remember," he said as he held his hand out as if waiting for a bribe.

John groaned, he didn't have time for this crap. Maybe he should have brought Rex with him after all. People were more willing to talk to someone that looked less cop-ish. Pulling out his wallet he found a twenty and handed it over.

"Oh yeah," he said as he shoved the money in his pocket. "I remember his name now. Hank Archer."

"Amazing how the name suddenly came to you," he said with an eye roll. "Any other details you might remember? Like where he's from? Who he visited with?"

"He's been here a few other times-once with a dark blonde-haired guy. But that was months ago."

John pulled out a photo of Jared and showed him, "This guy?"

"Yeah."

"And the other times?"

"An older guy-kept spouting biblical quotes at me," he said with a shrug and walked off.

John stood there in reflection for a moment before pulling out his cell. "Aaron-hey. I need a favor. I'm going to send you over a picture. Guy's name is Hank Archer. Need everything you can give me on him, and I need it yesterday."

Natalie took a breath as she heard the door open to her room and saw the gentleman that had been taking care of her since her rescue, "Hi."

"Hello. How is our patient today?"

"I'm feeling better," she said as she tried to stay calm, her nerves over all of this were fried and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. "When can I see Jared?"

"Soon enough-he's healing nicely, I hear."

"It was such luck that you found us when you did. Have you gotten a hold of my parents?"

"Uhm, yes. They said they were glad to hear you were doing well and would come visit soon."

"Oh, ok," she said as she looked down at her hands.

"I'm going to get you some breakfast. We need to keep your strength up for your reunion with your loved ones."

"Thank you" she smiled and watched him walk out of the door. She knew the man was lying about her parents knowing she was ok. She involuntarily shivered remembering what she heard right before the explosion and exactly who he was speaking of when he mentioned loved ones.

"Sparky, why don't you go in the bathroom. It'll be safer in there," said Jared as he looked at her and the man on the other side of the glass.

"Come with me," she begged.

"I'll be right there-let me see if I can help this guy figure out the bomb."

"Ok," she said and closed the door and put herself in a position to protect herself from falling debris.

"How'd you get into this mess, Banks?"

"I didn't do this-her crazy sister did."

"Don't talk of Jessica that way-he wouldn't like it."

"I don't care what he does or doesn't like-I don't care if she is his damn daughter. The girl is as nuts as he is."

"But he is the Messenger and we are to obey his commands. Get back-I can't get it to turn off. It's going to explode."

Natalie had barricaded herself against the door when she heard him coming-he banged on it yelling for her to let him in during those last few seconds. The explosion had knocked her unconscious. By the time she woke up she was here-wherever here was. She didn't know if Jared had survived or not but knowing that he had been working for Mitch this whole time made her hope he was burning in hell now.