A/N: JEBUS H. CHRIST ON A POGO STICK! It's been FAR too long. Getting ready for school's been hell.
Chapter 9: Over Too Quick
8:25 AM, May 11th, Temporary Crime Lab
Ryan took pause at the door, smirking slightly and pulling the door open. A hundred faces looked up towards him, hoping him to be Mac. He shrugged and rolled his eyes and muttered, "Sorry to disappoint." But everyone had returned to their work by then.
Ryan headed for Stella, who was still working on the firing range. She looked up and said, "Hey, Ryan. I've actually been wanting to talk to you..."
"About what?" He asked, surprised.
"Mac."
"What about him?"
"He's...He's planning on letting you have the force."
"What?!" This was incredible news for Ryan. Suddenly putting Mac out of business permanently was low priority.
"On one condition." Ryan frowned.
"And that would be?"
"Hand over Lindsay."
"What? Hand her over? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"That's what Mac said you'd say." Danny said, appearing as if from nowhere.
"Oh really? Well, whatever he thinks, I have no idea where she is."
"I said you'd say that too." Mac said, rounding a corner and standing about a three feet from Ryan. Ryan froze. He turned to face Mac.
"Okay, let's say, hypothetically, I know where Lindsay is? How would you know where she is?"
"Exactly where we found her." Mac replied. Ryan suddenly had a bewildered look on his face, but it quickly returned to a calm face of understanding.
"So you remembered too." Ryan said.
"Of course I do. It's hard to forget something like that. The warehouse where I arrested you before? I would've thought you'd be smarter than that."
"Damn you, Mac Taylor." Ryan said, just before Danny slapped the handcuffs onto Ryan.
"So how'd you do it?" Ryan asked, stopping next to Mac.
"By staying one step ahead of you." And with that, Ryan was gone, to a patrol car, and then to a jail, and then trial, and then...Whatever came next.
FIN