AN: Depending on how far I get, I may post a second chapter tonight. If not, there will be another one tomorrow. Enjoy!

OA's POV~

As I'm talking to Jubal on the phone, I lean against the wall outside the door to Maggie's room hoping she can get some more sleep. I'm about to hang up when I'm startled as loud popping begins. Thinking it may be a shooter, and probably somehow connected to Maggie, I hang up the phone, draw my gun and take off down the hall toward the sound. The screaming from those close by has stopped though some people, both nurses and patients, are still on the floor taking cover and a few are crying. I go to a nurse who has her hands on the head of an elder woman to stop bleeding and crouch down.

"She's fine," the nurse whispers to me as I show her my badge. "She just slipped and fell at the loud noise and hit her head on the counter."

I stand again, gun raised, and continue toward the source of the sound. When I see the metal bin with smoke rising, I get a sinking feeling in my gut. I look inside and am suddenly enraged. Firecrackers?! It was all a joke! People were hurt and for what? A prank?

Suddenly my eyes go wide as I realize this wasn't a prank at all, but rather a diversion. A diversion for Maggie. I am already running back toward her room, shouting her name, hoping, praying even, for a response. As I turn into her room I hear a short, pathetic cry come from my lips when I see her bed is empty and she is nowhere to be found. Her IV had been ripped out which left a small blood stain on her bed. She is in no condition to go anywhere alone, which leaves only one option. Someone had to move her. I am back into the hall going the opposite direction from the way I had just come. I scan every room quickly, every corner, every hall. I don't see anything suspicious until I take the stairs to the next floor. There in the stairwell is a nurse, unconscious and crumpled to the ground. I feel for a pulse and am thankful to find one, hoping he can help provide information.

I shout for help and move on knowing I'm going in the right direction as a young doctor coming up from the floor below hears my cries and comes to help.

I go all the way down the stairs to the lobby not finding anything else to help, no clues or evidence Maggie's been here. My panic is only building as I continue to search for my partner and her captor. I pull my phone from my waist and dial Dana. I need help, and I need it now.

I fill her in quickly though I'm surprised she can understand the jumbled mess of words that come out of my mouth. I don't really understand what she says to me as my mind races a mile a minute, but when she tells me to come in, I agree.

I feel useless, helpless and can't help the guilt that fills every part of my body as I think about how I let Maggie down. I was there solely as her protector, to keep her safe, and I failed her. Who knew where she was at this moment, and to think she's elsewhere while so injured. Now anything could happen. She could even be dead.

The guilt I feel continues to grow the entire drive. As I pull into a space in the JOC parking lot, I throw open the door, and empty the contents of my stomach on the ground, the shame too much to fight off. As I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand, I stand and head inside. My mind is still racing as I face the whole crew. Anyone and everyone is here on the case, and they are all staring at me waiting for me to give them the details, the rundown of how I let Maggie down.

I feel tears threaten my vision, but I don't dare let them fall. Jubal sees the state I'm in and pulls me into Dana's office. She follows. I'm grateful for this chance at privacy. Here a few tears fall freely, and I turn and walk to the window so they don't see.

Dana is the first to break the silence and I answer every question, my heart breaking a little more with each response until I feel absolutely nothing at all. Nothing. I'm Numb. But that's even worse because now I don't know if I can help.

BREAK~

I met up with Jose and Andy who have the agent. I pull the car to a stop so they can get her in quickly, and I get out to help. They push her inside and then climb in quickly. Jose drives and Gorge is in the passenger seat while I sit in the back with her. She gives in to the blindfolded easily after I hold a gun to her head, and she doesn't bother fighting when I tape her mouth shut with duct tape. I bind her hands and ankles though I'm not worried of her escaping. She is still far too week, and I am thrilled at how easy this was, how things had gone according to plan so perfectly. It was a rush, and I am sure I can't be stopped. I would get everything I wanted. Everything. And have fun while I wait.