Chapter F1ft33n

"Detective Jane Rizzoli?" The voice she doesn't recognize questions.

"Just let her go. Ok. I'm here. Let her go and I will do whatever you want."

There is a short pause before the voice returns, "I don't understand what you are referring too. I am returning a call I received from your department yesterday. Are you Jane Rizzoli?"

"I am." Jane answers

The train passes it's second station en-route to Worcester and Jane looks around suspiciously, phone held tightly to her ear as the man on the other end continues.

"I am calling you regarding Lt. Col. Charles Jones."

"Oh?" Janes eyes grow wide in surprise and confusion.

"I was his Sergeant Major last year. Max Forester. I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back. I have been away."

"I...um...Ok." Jane is completely confused now, she didn't call anyone about Casey. Did she?

"What I am going to tell you is confidential. It would be better in person but there is some urgency."

"Ok." Jane mumbles rubbing her face with her free hand, she doesn't want to talk about Casey right now. She needs to find Maura.

"Lt. Col. Charles Jones went AWOL about seven months ago. This isn't on public record yet as we don't want to disgrace his name until we know exactly what happened to him."

Jane looks around the carriage again, there is no-one on a cellphone, she pulls herself to her feet and makes her way to the other end of the train while she listens.

"I was told by his team that they all went out to celebrate because he was going to be a father. Later that night things got heated, a fight broke out and Jones ended up being thrown out of the bar. And he just disappeared."

"A father?" Jane almost chokes on her question.

"Yes. His girlfriend and the mother of his child doesn't know where he is and hasn't heard from him since. He was acting out of character for over a week before he went AWOL. His girlfriend told us she told him about the pregnancy almost two weeks prior to his disappearance. His behavior was careless and erratic and he was sent for a drug test and psychological evaluation two days before he disappeared. Before the phone call, we had no idea where Lt. Col. Jones was but there was some chatter eight weeks ago that he travelled to Massachusetts state."

Jane has to sit down, she feels a little bit numb and quite sick.

She is no longer pre-occupied by the other passengers on the train.

"What..." She whispers mostly to herself, her brain trying to piece it all together.

"His son, Charlie Jr, was born just over four weeks ago."

Jane swallows and fights the tears that threaten her. She was going to have a son once.

"His...son?"

Thoughts of her own baby and loosing him fight against the present thoughts of finding Maura. Memories of Maura standing beside her in front of a tiny gravestone dedicated to the memory of her baby rip her heart just a little.

"Healthy boy and his mother is doing just fine."

The voice pulls her back to the present. She doesn't know what Casey's son has to do with Maura's abduction but the timeline fits. Four weeks ago Maura disappeared. Casey came to her work...twice. And in hindsight the things he said were really unlike him.

"Casey is here. Casey did this?"

There is silence on the other end of the line.

Jane rubs her forehead harshly, "Wha-why did you call me?" she blurts out still trying to process all the information.

Jane hears rustling of papers at the other end of the phone. "A...Lieutenant...Vince Korsak called the main headquarters. He reported that Charles Jones was in Boston and had been acting in an unusual and threatening manner. He requested information pertinent to the safety of Boston Police Departments Officers and left your name and number to contact if we couldn't reach him. It may come as a surprise to you that your name is still in Jones personnel file under emergency contacts. Based on the information I had, I needed to inform you immediately of the full situation."

"I..." She takes a slightly shaky breath and holds it before letting it out in a puff, "I was pregnant with his child four years ago. I had a miscarriage. We never spoke after that. Then my best friend disappears and a few weeks later he shows up...how could he...why..."

"I am sorry to hear that, Detective Rizzoli. We have a few units on the way to Boston Police Department as we speak. They are five hours ETA. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Fuck..." She breathes, her whole body is stiff with anger and her blood feels strangely warm.

If this was all to do with Casey then it is definitely her fault after all.

"Be careful detective, Casey Jones failed his last psychological evaluation."

"Fuck." She says again louder.

"You ok Rizzoli?" Korsaks voice comes through her earpiece

"It's Casey. Casey has Maura."

"Son of a bitch."

"Don't laugh at me Maura." Jane is giggling as she says it, her eyes are alive and dancing like she was a kid at Christmas.'

Maura puts her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter and get her own control back.

"I'm just not sure you are doing that quite right."

"Maura...there is no right way or wrong way to make a superhero costume."

"Conceivably...but there is definitely an incorrect way to use a sewing machine."

"Well..." Jane growls in a playful way, "...I didn't know I was going to have to make it myself."

Maura smirks a little before getting composure again, "Did you really think they would have a, and I quote, 'butt-kicking crime-fighting superhero outfit, with cape, in red-socks colors' in your size at the costume store?"

"Yes," Jane groans, "I really really did. Plus...I didn't know you were going to pick that one off my bucket list."

"Well...I didn't know you were going to put on your bucket-list that you wanted to be a kick-ass crime-fighting superhero. At least halloween comes before the first red-socks game and you can wear it in public without looking completely silly."

Jane glares at Maura, "It's not silly...at least it's not on paper or in my imagination. It's very cool. If it stays together."

Maura smiles as she watches Jane's half-happy half-annoyed expressions as she tries to get the machine to co-operate. "Well I suppose this sewing practice is good preparation for when you have a child that would like a halloween costume that the store doesn't have."

"Nope. Wrong. My kid would have to wear what I pick for them from the shop. Rizzoli's have simple needs."

"Your bucket-list is far from simple Jane." Maura says raising her eyebrows and waiting for the reaction she knows she will get

"Well it's a lot simpler than the things on yours. Climbing to the top of Kilimanjaro...really Maura?" Jane says defensively as she tugs the fabric to get it in place.

"And how is that more unfavorable or injurious than your 'navy seals hell week' thing?"

"Oh...crap." Jane stops what she is doing and stares at Maura her wide eyes dark and anxious, "I was meant to meet Casey twenty minutes ago for dinner."

Maura knits her eyebrows together. The only times she had ever seen Jane panic about being tardy to anything was when Sister Winifred was at BPD or when her mother expected her somewhere on time.

"I'm sure he will understand Jane."

Jane stands and grabs her jacket leaving the red material still in the sewing machine and starts to race towards the door, "I'm not sure he will Maur. I'll see you later. Ok."

Maura grabs Jane's wrist and her friend stops and turns to face her, "Why Jane? What's wrong?"

Jane looks down on Maura's hand around her limp wrist and she frowns slightly in thought.

"He doesn't understand why I don't spend all of my free time with him. Why I spend any of it with anyone other than him really. Especially with you. He says he understands when it's about work but the other times he gets...upset."

Maura feels a little bit sick. She knows this isn't right but isn't sure if it her place to interfere.

"I worry about you...about this. What can I do Jane?"

Jane gives her a weak smile, "If he asks..." her tone is a little bit playful again, "...will you say I was here working on a case?"

"Technically you were working." Maura says seriously not joking back.

Jane smiles slightly but the worry lingers in her eyes.

"Jane, you can stay here if you want. You don't have to go."

Jane face softens for a moment, but then it hardens with resolve. She tugs her arm gently out of Maura's grasp.

"Will you be ok?"

"Of course. I will call you later, Maur."

She shuts the door behind her and Maura puts her hand over her mouth.

"What do I do Korsak? Do I get off the train now...or get off in Worcester? Do I call him...where is he?" Jane's voice is pitchy and fearful. She is already pacing the carriage in time with the speed of her brain. Most other passengers have already moved to a different car to avoid her.

"That number you gave me...is that the only one you have for him?"

"Yes. Why? Is it off? Is it disconnected? Is it on this train? Talk to me Korsak."

"Jane. Calm down. Nina is tracking it right now."

"If he is a Worcester I have to carry this through. I have to do it alone...we can't risk scaring him off. He is...he could...damnit."

There is silence in her earpiece.

"Korsak, I will still trade places with her." Her tone is half commanding and half breaking.

"Just chill a minute will ya Jane." Korsak's calm voice is driving her crazy.

"I can't believe it's Casey...I mean...what the hell right? He was my...my boyfriend...he...he has Maura." She ends the sentence with clenched teeth and a growl causing the last two people in her car to move to another one.

Jane sits down only to stand up and start pacing again.

"Korsak...what's going on there? Tell me what to do?"

"I want you to calm down Jane. I need you in one piece. We should know in a few minutes."

Jane sits down, "Calm down. Calm down." She chants as she rubs her hands together nervously holding the phone against her ear with her shoulder. She takes two calming breaths and looks out the window. The scenery streaks past at different speeds, the closer things so blurry she can only guess they are fences and shrubs. The further away things like mountains and trees moving more slowly. It does calm her...she will find him wherever he is out there. He cannot hide.

"I'm coming for you Casey."

Casey returns with a smile. He laughed outrightly at Maura's face watching him.

"What did you do?" Maura asked, her bravery had taken a step up when she realized what his next steps were.

"Nothing yet. Did you have a request?"

He watched the expressions and micro-expressions dance across her face. Her wondering if saying anything would cause more harm or if he might be giving her a sort of dying wish. Disbelief. Fear. Pleading.

She knew which requests would be futile. Don't hurt Jane. Let me go. Stop this. Was there anything she could ask for that he would grant that would make a difference.

She is about to shake her head no but then she thinks of something. Something that would help Jane but mostly her. If one or both were to die...there was one thing she wanted.

"I want to speak to her one last time."

Casey studies her carefully. Maura watches his brain work. Working out if he could use it to his advantage. Thinking about the consequences. What Maura would want to say. What Jane would do.

After a few moments he nods, "Fine." He says it nonchalantly.

He says it like it is part of his plan.

"You will be coming with me. You can talk to her then."

Relief clouded by fear. A granted request at what cost under the control of a psychopath.

Casey starts to pack several items into a camouflage backpack. It looks like they are going soon. When he has his back turned, she slides the butterknife out from under the mattress and gently tucks it down the back of her pants securing it against her belt.

Casey zips the backpack closed and puts the shoulder strap over his shoulder and turns to look at her pensively.

"Are you letting me go?" She asks as casually as she can.

Casey snickers and shakes his head at her like she is a silly young child who knows nothing about anything.

"Heavens no."

"Jane. He is at your house."

Jane doesn't respond. She stares out the train window not able to put the puzzle together without all the pieces.

"We have a car picking you up at the next station to bring you back."

"Are you sure he is there?"

"Yes."

"What about Wincester...what about Maura."

"We have the local PD sending a Massachusetts officer that looks a lot like you to the station. They will get off the train at the arrival time and pretend to be you. The officers on the train know what to do...what to look for. If there is information there we will get it."

"Casey will know it's not me. He might hurt Maura." Jane has almost made her hand bleed by clenching it so tightly into a fist.

"Jane. Casey isn't going to take Maura an hours drive from Boston to trade for you in public. Think about it. It's Casey. He isn't some idiot that would believe we would allow you to go there without some sort of backup. He knows you wouldn't do that yourself."

"I might." Jane whispers softly.

"Jane. If you were profiling someone like Casey...Military trained. Smart. Strong. Resourceful. Can read people. Knows protocol. Knows you."

"We don't know what he wants...we can't assume at what he's playing at. We don't know his end game."

"Jane. He sends you somewhere. You get there to find nothing. You wait around for an hour or so until you are sure he won't show. You come back to Boston, tired and upset. You write another email asking what happened...asking for another meet. We debrief. You go home to wait to hear back from him...alone...no backup, no officers, no suspicion. And you open the door and walk into your apartment...straight into your ex and his plan."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"You think he is really going to reveal himself to me."

"I don't see what other option he has."

"He thinks he has the element of surprise."

"We have it now. We are sending one undercover unit to scope the area and will wait for you nearby."

The overhead announcement states the next station coming up, Auburndale, and the train begins to slow down.

"Next station?"

"There's a car ready and waiting. It has sirens...and yes...you can drive."

"Damn straight."

...to be continued...