A Family Stolen

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Happy V-day, or for me, COFFEE day. As I sit here enjoying a fascinating "mocha amore" at my favorite coffee shop, I bring you chapter 3 of this tale. Do enjoy.

Chapter 3 (The Weary P.I.)

Jade and Beck stood before Mr. Sikowitz's desk at his downtown office, pleading with him to let them go ahead and look into the Vega case since it seemed someone was telling the police not to investigate.

Their friends were standing behind them, wary and quiet; it was better that they speak little at the moment. Convincing Sikowitz to do this was not an easy task to accomplish. "Mr. Sikowitz, if the police aren't investigating this, somebody has to look into it." Jade held her hands together and tried to bat her eyelashes, as though she could win him over for being a favorite. "I don't trust anyone else on this matter."

"Listen Miss West…" Sikowitz leaned back slowly, clasping his hands together on top of his desk. He took a slow and deep breath, his eyebrows furrowing. "You're an eighteen year old girl who just graduated a high school that got lucky enough to get accredited. You have no law enforcement experience, no criminal justice background. The training you'd have to go through just to see a crime scene…"

"I know, but come on." She leaned forward, pushing her hands on his desk and curling her fingertips inward. She looked into his eyes, searching them for any sign of weakness. "Why would it not be legitimate? It'd be better than the alternative." He raised an eyebrow and grunted in reply. "Which you know I would do."

His head rolled to the left, his gaze full of skepticism. "What, pray tell, is this 'alternative'?" A devious smirk formed on her face and a smug feeling overcame her. As she told Beck, she'd pursue the Vega clan with or without help from any form of law enforcement if she needed to.

Beck raised his hand to his forehead, sighing heavily. "She intends to search for the Vegas no matter what. So, even if you tell her she can't aid your investigation on the matter, she'll form her own investigation." Sikowitz chuckled and raised his hands, tapping his fingertips together before his face.

"Is that so? How would you gather evidence that has already been gathered and sampled?" She shrugged. She would find her own way of dealing with evidence; if he already gathered the evidence, she could simply go into his files.

"I'd have to check your files." She pushed her tongue against her cheek and wagged her eyebrows. "What do you think about that?" Hearing Beck sigh was tad discouraging, especially since she hoped he'd be on her side; but didn't blame him for not wanting to piss his boss off. Teacher or not.

"I think that is confidential information for which I would be liable; it is not only illegal for you to break in and do such a thing, but for me to allow you to do so as a private citizen."

"So hire me." Jade shrugged. "When have has 'illegal' ever stopped me?"

"Fewer times than it should have, evidently." Jade chuckled nervously and Sikowitz glanced to the right. "Regardless of circumstance, I am now in charge of investigating this kidnapping. I already have an assistant." Beck's jaw dropped open and he raised his eyebrows, sweeping his hands outwards in frustration. "I'm also having to investigate just why the police are being swayed away from the investigation…there may be a connection."

"Has to be," Beck replied. Jade looked between the two men, confused but slightly understanding how they could reach such a consensus. "I mean think about it. This would be such a high-profile case that unless they were ordered under some sort of strict sanction not to investigate, they'd be all over this."

"Exactly. There's got to be a number of hands already on this. Even as we investigate, we'll have to move carefully. There's no telling who'll be watching." She grinned at his statement, taking it to mean he was coming around to the idea of her investigating for him. He studied her for a minute, arching his eyebrow.

With a sigh, he set his hand on the desk and began tapping his finger. "You're asking me to essentially hire on four new apprentices."

A squeaking noise rang behind them, causing Jade and Beck to twist around while Sikowitz stared between them at Cat. "Maybe just three." Her speaking for the first time was shocking, but Jade was happy to hear the girl's voice again. "I-I'm scared. To be honest, I just want to know they're okay, but I don't think I could handle actual investigating."

"I would be doing most of that work." Sikowitz took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "As apprentices, you would be seeing the evidence I collected and assisting me with certain preparations of documents."

"Glorified office assistants?" Jade wrinkled her nose and Sikowitz raised his shoulders up.

"With a little bit of field work."

"It's better than nothing, I supposes." She didn't want to be a pencil pusher, but helping with paperwork was the only way she could help find the Vegas, then she knew better than to turn it down. "I'd say it's great if it means we get to help."

"This is dangerous work."

"I know, but something's got to be done. I mean hell, the police are ignoring this!"

"The police are listening to someone high up, I have a good feeling about that." Sikowitz raised a hand up, pointing his finger outwards. "Fortunately we have someone inside to let us know what's going on."

Sam was their best help in discovering whatever secrets may be afoot. If someone high up was blocking police investigations, Sam would find out. "Okay. So what is your answer?" Sikowitz ran his hand across his forehead with a husky, defeated sigh. "Will you hire us? I mean hell, I'll bet even Cat can be a receptionist for you to answer phone calls and set appointments!"

"You act like I run a large business." He reclined in his leather seat and propped his heels up on the corner of the desk. His hands moved behind his head and he started to chuckle. "Up until now, I've mostly been a teacher. My PI investigations business has been small and somewhat unknown, I only started it so I could follow an old passion of mine…"

"Well your business could grow." Beck shrugged and crossed his arms. Sikowitz hummed softly and looked to Beck with a contemplative stare. "If you have more employees, and you help solve something like this when it won't be touched by the police…you increase your name recognition."

"Or I'm killed by whoever's able to command the police to ignore the matter." Sikowitz shut his eyes and started groaning. "It makes me sick to my stomach to think of just who that could be…" Jade's lips pursed and the others waited as he opened his eyes halfway and slowly shook his head. "The only person I can think of is either the chief of police or the assistant chief. If one of them put the order out to the police…"

Her blood ran cold and a gnawing fear started within her; it was mind boggling to think of anyone that high up ordering the police to ignore a mass kidnapping of a respected homicide detective. "Why would one of them even do that?"

"I don't know. That's something that would need to be figured out." He pulled his heels off the desk and narrowed his eyes. "If that's true, this just got ten times worse and that much more dangerous." He waved his hand in the air and started to growl. "I can't risk putting your lives in danger like that."

Andre spoke up this time, startling everyone. His hands were balled up and his voice filled with a sense of urgency. "I don't think you understand sir, we don't care how dangerous, we just want to do something." Sikowitz grunted and shook his head.

"If what I fear were true, a low rung private investigator…I'd need evidence, I'd need proof. I'd need to write to the congressmen, to the FBI, to whoever would listen."

Next up was Robbie. He cleared his throat and coughed into his hand, as if the action itself would capture the attention of the others. "My uh…" He looked meek and uncertain, so as he fumbled for his words the others waited impatiently to listen to him. "My older brother might possibly help if he had proof…"

Sikowitz leaned forward, his sharp gaze increasing as he folded his fingers beneath his nose. "Your brother?"

"Yes sir. My older brother. Rex." Jade scoffed, thinking of the puppet he used to own and how his assumption of it was inappropriate. Sikowitz smirked, clearly assuming the same. Before either of them could speak, Beck gave an affirmative nod and interjected his opinion.

"Dude, neither Andre and I have seen the guy since we were kids, right? How is he?" Andre grinned and Robbie smiled politely.

"He doesn't say much about his job or anything, but he's doing well. He travels a lot." Robbie ran his hand over the back of his neck and breathed in deep.

"Rex gave him the puppet," Andre remarked, "When he went off to college. Robbie was so attached to the guy that Rex ordered a custom puppet to be made for him. I think it's been close to ten years ago, hasn't it?"

"Yeah." Robbie nodded fervently. Jade was in awe of the news; if ten years had passed, that would put Rex at either twenty-eight or thirty years of age. "He works is in the CIA."

Sikowitz straightened his posture and shook his head. "No. I don't want to involve the CIA unless it comes to that." Robbie frowned and Jade looked to her teacher with a curious gaze. "I mean to say, the minute we involve the government…I better have the fucking proof to back up my claims. Even if this is your brother, I highly doubt he'd just involve himself without proper cause or proof that the CIA needs to be involved."

"I-I understand. Just, keep him in mind?"

"I will. No worries there, Mr. Shapiro."

"Thank you."

Jade was right there with Sikowitz in hoping it wasn't the Chief of Police or someone that high up that was leashing the police; because if it was, who else was there to turn to on the chain of command beyond the Government?

There was no choice but to wait and see if Sam could come through and tell them who it was that was leashing the police. The who wouldn't be enough for the government, and that's what Sikowitz was getting at. After all, the government didn't give a shit if someone like the police chief didn't want their departments to investigate something.

"We'll have to find the who, what, where, when and how. Right?"

"Right." Sikowitz ran his hand over his face and began to tremble. "Jesus, this, this is all kinds of fucked up." He growled and dropped his hand. "Hell, I never even thought I'd have to be in this position. My own nephew refuses to not take part in this, and now my former students, while investigating the disappearance of one of my former students…god."

"Let us help, Mr. Sikowitz. Please."

"I have little choice." Sikowitz raised his eyes up to the others and sighed. "Cat?" The redhead squeaked and appeared to shrink as everyone turned their gazes onto him. "Will you be okay with working the desk? Taking phone calls and making appointments when I'm not in the office?"

Cat nodded fervently. Sikowitz motioned to Jade. "How about you Jade? If You're willing, you can be Beck's second." She furrowed her brow and nodded, eager and willing to take anything she could. "Okay great. Robbie?" Robbie straightened himself, standing at attention. "I'll need someone to document, draft transcripts and file stuff away."

"I can do this."

"Okay."

Andre took a step forward. "Sir, please let me in the field." Sikowitz curled a finger over his upper lip. "Let me work alongside Beck and Jade. I owe that much to the Vegas…" The elder took a few minutes before adjusting himself in his chair.

"Fine. I'll let you investigate as well." The man rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "There isn't the time to properly train all of you on how to do these different jobs, but I need to train you on everything. Jade, Andre, the two of you need more training than Robbie and Cat will since they won't have to go into the field as often…hopefully not at all…but still there's a process that can't be ignored."

"We'll do whatever it takes, sir."

"Okay. Good. You're hired then." Sikowitz closed his eyes and muttered under his breath. "God help us, what am I doing? God help us all." Sikowitz's desktop phone began to ring. He curled his hand against his left temple, placed his elbow on the armrest and sighed. His eyes moved to the ringing landline and travelled to Cat. "Well. Miss Valentine?"

Cat tensed up and raised her eyebrows. "Y-Yes sir?"

"This is Investigator Sikowitz's office, how may I assist you?"

Cat nodded and hurried to the desk, grabbing up the phone and repeating the line. Sikowitz tapped the speakerphone button and everyone listened as Sam's voice filled the room. "I just got back from checking out Detective Malone's residence."

"Did you find him?"

"No."

Sikowitz lowered his hand and grumbled. "Where is he located, Officer Puckett?" Jade held her breath, hoping and praying Gary could be found; however the sinking feeling in her gut told her he would be gone as well.

"His location is unknown, and it appears he left the place in a hurry. It should be noted that his car is missing, however a vehicle matching the description of his car was found near the Vega home…"

Jade remembered seeing a stray car parked across the street from the Vega house and cringed; it was a red Ford F-150 that she'd never seen across the street before. "Crap, he was at the Vega house too. They must have called him or something."

"Or he's involved. We don't know anything yet."

"Right."

Sikowitz took deep breath and shook his head from side to side. "So. Detective Malone is missing along with the Vega family." With an exhale, his entire body seemed to slump forward. "God help us."

So Sikowitz is semi new to the P.I. game and starting up his own business; and then he gets lumped with all this. Kinda feel bad for the guy. Hopefully they can get some connections that will be of help, Robbie might have given a good option just there. What are your thoughts? This isn't something it looks like they can do on their own, especially not if the ones they think might be involved are. What input and feedback have you?