Disclaimers are in Chapter 1

Please accept my apologies on a gaffe I only just noticed. Chapter 3 should have started on Monday May 21, 2007. You will notice later in this Chapter that it is now Tuesday May 22, 2007; we're finally on track.

Thank you

Chapter 7:

"She's still very groggy. I'll only allow you a couple of minutes." The doctor stepped aside and allowed the four agents to enter the room.

Agents Mitchell and Clark went right up to the pale woman lying in the bed. Jack and Vivian stood back, they were here as a courtesy and were not going to press their luck.

"Ms. Sanders, we're Agents Mitchell and Clark from the FBI."

The woman opened her eyes and listlessly acknowledged the two men standing beside her bed. She couldn't see Jack and Vivian who were standing by the door because Mitchell and Clark blocked her view.

"We just want to ask you some questions about the man who did this to you."

She nodded slowly. Her throat hurt, her head hurt, she was tired everywhere and she was scared. The doctor told her that her sister was on her way from Arizona, and she couldn't wait for Lynn to get there and stay with her.

"We're going to show you some photos, and we need you to tell us if you recognize any of the men. Okay?"

She nodded. Speaking hurt and she remembered the doctor telling her to only talk if she absolutely had to.

"Okay. Here we go."

Mitchell held up the first photo for Rachel Sanders to look at. She stared at it closely and then shook her head, no. Mitchell held up the second photo, Rachel stared again and again shook her head, no. Two more photos followed in a similar fashion. As Mitchell held up the fifth photo Rachel's eyes widened and she reached for the picture. Mitchell let her take it from him. He watched as she peered closely at the man's features as if memorizing every detail. Finally she looked up from the photo and nodded her head, yes.

Mitchell and Clark exchanged triumphant smiles and Clark turned to give Jack and Vivian a knowing look and showed them the picture that Rachel had recognized. Both Jack and Vivian shook their heads in disbelief. It wasn't possible, they knew Martin could never do this.

The room was silent as each pair of agents was enveloped in their emotions; two were enveloped in triumph while two were surrounded in despair until the silence was broken by the painfully whispered words of the woman lying in the bed.

"That's the man…saved me." Rachel Sanders was pointing to the picture that Clark was holding.

In an instant the emotions in the room shifted. Jack and Vivian no longer felt compelled to stand by the door. They stepped forward and made their presence known to Rachel.

"Ms. Sanders, my name is Vivian Johnson and this is Jack Malone. We're also from the FBI. I know it hurts to talk but are you sure that this man tried to help you?"

"Yes. I was being choked…couldn't breathe…then this man" Rachel pointed at the picture of Martin. "Yelled at me to get into his car and lock the doors. I – I ran. I did it." She was shaking now and Vivian gently put her hand on top of Rachel's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I don't remember much else, I guess I drove away…I'm sorry…I don't remember."

Rachel's eyes slid closed as she slipped back asleep. The doctor had warned them they wouldn't have a lot of time.

The four agents left Rachel Sanders room after the doctor returned and ordered them out. Outside the room Jack fixed both Mitchell and Clark with a stare, "That's it, this dog and pony show you've been conducting is over. We've got a federal agent missing that makes it my jurisdiction."

Turning his back on them as Mitchell opened his mouth to protest he looked at Vivian.

"We've narrowed the list to two suspects. I want you to call Sam, have her meet you back here with pictures of this Daniel guy and Cameron guy. The next time Ms. Sanders wakes up I want you to ask her if she recognizes either of those guys. I'm heading back to the office with Larry and Mo here." Jack indicated toward Mitchell and Clark, "I'll get warrants and APBs and whatever else I need to and turn this city on its ear to find both those guys. We'll either clear one of them or indict them both, I don't care, but one of them has Martin and I want them found." Vivian nodded and headed to the exit to call Sam and have her bring the pictures to the hospital.

Jack glared once more at Mitchell and Clark and then stalked down the corridor, "If either of you are coming, you'd better get moving, I'm not waiting." He threw over his shoulder as he hit the door leading to the stairwell.

Mitchell nodded once to Clark and then hurried after Jack. Clark, without much else to do at that moment decided to stand guard outside Ms. Sanders room. Regardless of their misperceptions towards Agent Fitzgerald, the woman inside that room he now guarded was their only living link to the killer they had been tracking for years – he closed his eyes for a moment and then amended his thoughts, correction, their only living link within their protection at that moment. He was willing to admit he'd suspected Agent Fitzgerald and was willing to defend his reasons for those suspicions, however, now that he knew he was innocent he didn't wish the man dead, especially since he had apparently solved the identity of the killer as well as rescued the latest victim.

Jack had the lights flashing on his bureau car as he dodged the city traffic on his way back to the office. He had his hands free ear piece attached at his right ear in essence making certain he didn't have to hear a peep from Agent Mitchell who sat straight and stared ahead in the passenger seat. Jack hit the speed dial and in a moment he was connected to Danny.

"Malone here. Listen…yes, all right…Sam's already out the door…yeah, never doubted, about time we get going. Listen, I need you and Elena to get with Van Doren and get APBs issued on our two suspects and also I want warrants to search…what? Okay. Good job…when…that's great…okay…yeah, we'll be there as fast as possible."

Jack hung up and drove a block or two in silence. Mitchell turned and looked at the lined face of the agent next to him. Malone was a hunter like himself, he realized. What set them apart was that Malone was still able to hang on to some shred of hope in the human race, something that Mitchell had long since given up since he'd been immersed in some of the worst of human actions.

For a moment, he wished he could have that unshakeable faith that he knew Malone had not only in his Agent Fitzgerald, but in all of his team.

"I won't apologize for my actions." Mitchell decided it was time to open the lines of communication, and he was never one to shrink back from telling it bluntly.

"I didn't ask you to." Malone grunted.

"No, you didn't. I will tell you this, though, I'm glad it isn't your agent. The only one in this whole vicious game of hunter and hunted that I have anything against is the killer. If it had been your agent, I would have taken him down as the animal he was, since he isn't the killer, I hope he's all right and you get to him quickly, as for me, I'm staying in the hunt because, if the killer does have your agent, then finding your agent means finding the killer."

"You keep calling him "your agent" or "my agent" Look call him Martin or call him Fitzgerald or call him Agent Fitzgerald, anything but yours or mine or…whatever. Right now our best course of action is to track down the movements of these two guys that we've narrowed the list down to. Danny and Elena and Sam were hard at work doing that while we were at the hospital.

Mitchell turned and watched Jack and listened intently. "They got warrants issued to search the apartments and offices of both men, their bank records, ATM cards, credit cards, cell phone everything are already being accessed and as soon as Ms. Sanders identifies one or the other that will be enough probable cause to issue a warrant and broadcast an APB as wanted for kidnapping a federal agent.

Mitchell grinned and gave him a sideways glance raising an eyebrow at the same time. "Since we don't have probable cause as of yet, with no identification by the witness and only speculation at best, how did your team manage to get access to search warrants and phone and financial records?"

Jack just gave a small grin and said, "Do you really want to know or do you want to have plausible deniability?"

Mitchell chuckled, "You're right, it's better that I don't know. You and your team do know how to get the job done."

"At this point I'm not interested in the finer points of the law. I've got an agent missing and I want him found, alive."

The two men settled in to a slightly more comfortable silence for the rest of the drive back to the office.

The tap on his cheek barely caused him to stir. It was repeated, a little sharper this time and a light was shone into his eyes that fingers peeled back. With a jolt that immediately set the jackhammer in his head to work, Martin awoke and pulled back from the light that was assaulting his eyes. His vision was blurred and he blinked several times in an effort to bring the figure in front of him into focus.

Cameron sat back on his heels and watched Martin try to focus his vision. The lack of recognition in his eyes and the confused expression told him Martin was not truly aware of where he was or what was happening, a fact that was confirmed again as Martin moved a bit on the hard floor only to wince in pain as his handcuffed arms complained.

"What…where am I?"

"Not remembering a whole lot are you, pal?" Cameron gripped both sides of Martin's shirt and lifted until Martin was upright, then he leaned him back against the wall.

Martin's head spun with the sudden movement and his vision grayed a bit as he struggled against the piercing pain in his skull and this new upright position that left him more lightheaded than previous.

"Help…me." Martin weakly whispered. His head was throbbing with each beat of his heart and the accompanying nausea and dizziness left him listless. He was cold, shaking, he could feel his heart racing and he was so desperately thirsty.

"You don't look so good, Martin. You really look bad. Got some good news for you though, pal, your friends are looking for you."

Martin's head rolled to the side as he struggled to focus on the words. He squinted again and was able to focus on the face in front of him, Cam, Cam was here…where was here again? Then it clicked inside his head, Cam was here, Cam was the killer.

"Cam?"

"That's right, pal. Good ole' Cam. Glad to see you remembered. Now, like I said, your team is looking for you. While you were laying there getting some rest I was busy and one of the things I did was check my cell phone messages. Wouldn't you know but there was a message from an Elena Delgado asking me to call. She said she works with you and that they're looking for you and want to know if I would call in and let them ask me some questions about when I last saw you or if we were together. Sounds fairly innocent but you and I know better. They know and they're looking. Don't worry, Martin, before long they'll find the little markers I left for them to find you."

Martin was confused, what was Cam talking about. "What markers?"

"Not for you to worry about but, if they're as good as you're always saying they are, they'll find them and when they do, they'll find you, it's just a matter of time. Of course, I won't be here."

"Cam, let me help you."

"Help me? I don't want any help. I'm doing just fine."

"You – you killed those women."

"So that's what you're worried about. You have no idea, Martin, no idea at all. It's all about the thrill, being just on the edge, the rush of adrenaline when it's all on the line.

Don't look at me like that, you know what I'm talking about, don't try and tell me your heart doesn't beat a little faster when you're on a stakeout and you see your guy coming and you get ready for the takedown. Don't tell me that when you pull your gun, kick in a door, chase some bad guy that you don't feel just a little bit extra."

Martin stared unable to process Cameron's logic or lack thereof. "I'm doing my job."

He looked in disgust at Cameron, did he think that when he did those things he was doing it for the thrill that was his job, it was real and it was dangerous.

"Don't get sanctimonious with me, Martin. I know you. I've seen you right before you take that last step off a cliff when we're rappelling and all there is at that moment is you, the rope, the rock and gravity. I've seen that rush fill your eyes, hell, I've experienced it just by watching you. This, this is so much more than that. This moment of intense feeling I never get to experience in my job. Investment banking, what's the thrill there?"

"Thrill? You raped and murdered those women – " Martin gasped again at the effort speaking cost him. He felt the floor seeming to roll beneath him and the effort of speaking left him nauseas and his vision blurring.

"They were feeling that intensity of being on the edge, and, man, were they feeling it when I took their lives. A couple of them I didn't finish right away, I took them right to the edge before bringing them back, one, she was a fighter, took almost ten minutes; she just kept coming back from the edge again and again before the ligature finally finished her off, all the time I'm on top of them, their arms under my knees, I'm holding their bodies down with mine and all the while I'm twisting –"

Martin turned his head away and squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the sounds and the images Cameron's words were evoking. The movement cost him dearly as he felt his insides revolt and he gagged on the bile that rose in his throat and the motion of gagging nearly split his skull apart. He heard Cam speaking and although he hated the words he latched on to them in an effort to pull himself back from the pain and the nausea.

"See, Martin, we're not so different, we each gotta have the thrill."

"We're very different, Cam" Martin spit back even though the effort left him gasping for breath and he could see the darkness encroaching on his vision. "We're very different. How do you think this is going to end?"

"It's already ended for us, Martin. This is where we part ways. Like I said, your team is looking for you, and I've left a little trail of breadcrumbs that will have them find this place. They should find you in time to get you before it's too late. But therein lays the thrill for you and for me. See, I win either way, if you live, we'll tangle another day and I'll get to know that I was clever enough to lay the trail for them to get to you in time. If they don't and you don't make it, well then it just proves that I was too clever for you all. But you can't tell me that your heart won't be beating just a little bit faster as you wait here for them to find you, and when they come through that door, if you're still alive, you'll feel a rush like you've never felt and you'll be thanking me for that experience and that, my friend, is what I feel each and every time."

With that Cameron took the light and left the little cabin leaving Martin in the cold, damp dark cabin. Martin's strength was fading quickly and it wasn't long before he slid down on his side and landed hard on the floor, the motion and the landing sending shooting pain through his whole body while his mind processed Cameron's words and he realized that this man, this friend that he'd shared so much with through college and all the years as they had started out in their careers and moved and changed directions and rejoiced in each others advancements and commiserated in each others disappointments was someone that he never really knew at all. That thought was what continued to tumble around inside Martin's battered skull as he lay on the cold, hard floor in the damp, dark cabin…"I never knew him."

1:00 a.m. Tuesday May 22nd, 2007, MPU Office

Despite the fact that team had been working since before 6:00 a.m. on Monday, yesterday, they showed no signs of slowing down. Everyone knew the clock was ticking and the fact that all evidence pointed to signs that Martin had injuries, likely serious injuries, every second counted.

Vivian and Sam had returned from the hospital a couple of hours earlier. Rachel Sanders awoke a second time and was able to positively identify Cameron Reed as her attacker. This enabled the team to fully concentrate their search on Reed and they set aside their inquiries into Daniel Wakefield.

As if to further solidify their focus on Reed Daniel Wakefield had actually appeared at their office after receiving their messages and readily gave his whereabouts over the last month by showing them his day planner and allowing Lucy to quickly scan through his Blackberry to confirm some appointments, he also expressed that he had been out of the country during Bonnie's funeral and hadn't been able to come even though he knew the loss had been staggering for Martin.

With all trails now leading conclusively to Cameron Reed as the murderer the team was completely focused and information was rapidly being compiled.

"Jack, you need to come see this." Jack looked up as Vivian poked her head in his office. Wordlessly he got up and followed her to the bullpen. He stopped at the table that was covered with a large map of Pennsylvania. The others gathered around.

"I think we've got a lead on where Cameron has gone and hopefully where he's taken Martin."

Sam spoke up, "We've been looking through all his information, credit cards, phone records, ATM everything and we just got this report from his E-Z Pass card. It shows his vehicle entering Pennsylvania Route 476 at about 10:00 p.m. that's 10:00 p.m. as in three hours ago. He got on at Exit 36 and got off again at the next exit by Route 80."

"All right. So let's back up a moment. At 4:30 the troopers say they found Martin's car with Rachel Sanders unconscious at the wheel; they notify me at 5:45 a.m." Jack moved to the white board that held Martin's personnel photo. "Then we hear nothing, nothing on this Reed guy until 10:00 p.m. which is approximately 17 and a half hours after Martin's car was found. when we get an E-Z Pass record of Reed being in Pennsylvania and we think he's got Martin with him." Jack wrote above the line, 'Martin in PA?'

"Looking at the location where he got off 476 he could have picked up 81 north and gone to New York State, south through Pennsylvania and be in Maryland by now or even picked up Route 80 again and be in Ohio that's a lot of territory to cover. What's at Exit 36, you said he got on there and then off again at the exit near 80?"

"That's what's really strange. Exit 36 is off the main highway routes. The only thing around it is a small little lake and town." Sam pointed to a small lake town on the map. "It's called Crystal Lake."

Both Mitchell and Clark stiffened instantly and took simultaneous deep breaths.

"I'll be damned," Mitchell breathed quietly. "There was a murdered young woman there about five years ago. They found her body almost a year later. She disappeared one day and then her bones turned up, broken neck, C3 and C4, duck pond, everything."

Vivian spoke up. "I remember reading that file. It's possible he's gone there purposefully."

"All right, but why has he gone there and how do we even know that Martin is with him?" Clark asked.

"My guess is that if he was going to kill Martin, he would have done it back at the crime scene." Danny answered. "Elena and I checked that scene thoroughly," Mitchell and Clark both looked away as Danny fixed them with an accusing look and stopped pointedly. When Jack cleared his throat indicating he should go on he looked away and continued.

"The hill wasn't very steep but it was rocky and would have been difficult to carry an unconscious adult male back up. We're guessing Martin was unconscious from two indications, first the amount of blood and the indications that he was hit not only at the top of the hill with the branch that matched back to his blood but also from the blood at the bottom of the hill near his cell phone.

When Elena and I checked further we found an access road. Reed could easily have driven his car from the parking lot up top down to the access road and then it's just a matter of carrying Martin about 100 yards on relatively flat ground, very doable even in the dark."

"It makes sense," Mitchell agreed. "I've been on this guy's trail for six years and not once has he left any evidence, any trace of himself at any scene. He's been a ghost, women disappear, no one sees or hears anything time passes and bones turn up but no fingerprints, no hair samples, tire tracks and now, all of a sudden when he knows at the very least Martin is on to him he uses his E-Z Pass?"

"He's got to know we're looking for him. We've left messages everywhere for him to contact us." Elena reminded them.

"He's taunting us." Sam agreed. "He drove all these routes to get there and stayed off our radar until Crystal Lake and then he surfaces just long enough to be spotted and disappears again."

"All right." Jack said, "Going along with your theory that he did this on purpose and the fact that a similar murder happened there a few years ago, where in the Crystal Lake area is he?"

"That's where we are stumped. We've checked every database for that area and come up with nothing. He doesn't own any property, has no bank account, no phone records, nothing to tie him to that area. Maybe he just is planning to leave Martin there and disappear." Elena answered.

"Maybe, but I agree with Agent Taylor," Clark spoke up again. "If his plan was just to kill Agent – Martin, then he would have already done so not create this elaborate plan to take us on his trail to Crystal Lake, there's something there for him."

"You said there was a case there similar to these other murders." Jack turned to Mitchell who nodded. "What's Crystal Lake like, from the map it looks small, is it just a little resort area?"

"Basically it's for people that fish or hunt or hike. It's close enough to the major routes that Philadelphia is only a few of hours away and it's got golf courses and –"

"That could be it," Vivian snapped her fingers and went to her desk, rifled through a couple of folders until she located the one she wanted. Nodding her head at what she read she returned to the group. "Martin had a trip that was a golf trip with 'the guys' and they usually get together for outdoor type activities, climbing etc. What if one of the others that their friends with has property there?"

"Except none of their names showed up when we checked for Reed." Elena reminded her.

"Okay, but we know he used his E-Z Pass there after all this time of staying below radar, there has to be something, and we know he committed a murder there, wait, did you say it was only a few hours from Philadelphia?" Jack asked Mitchell.

"That's right and…isn't this guy from Philadelphia originally?"

"Yes, yes, that's right. This could be a summer place for him and his family, wait a minute." Viv pulled out another folder and opened it up. "Here we go, his parents died, his mother from cancer and his father about a year later. Sam, try this, Charlotte Behrens, that's his mother's maiden name, see if there are any real estate listings in his name."

Sam brought up the data base and keyed in the name, after a few moments the screen flashed. "Here it is, 323, Lakeview Road, it's a hunting and fishing cabin that he built on the property about 25 years ago. It shows the taxes are paid in full each year in the name of Charlotte Behrens."

"I'm betting when his parents died he was left the property and Cameron never changed any information on the deed, he just pays the taxes on time each year which is why it's not in his name."

"That would work since the mortgage is totally paid off all he owes are yearly taxes." Sam confirmed.

"Sam, what's the closest airport?" Jack asked. Sam turned back to her computer and pulled up another screen.

"Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport."

"Grab your gear everyone, I'm calling Van Doren to update her and have her arrange air transport. This guy wants to leave us an invitation to find him, we're not going to disappoint."

In less than 15 minutes the agents were speeding out of the parking garage of the FBI building with lights flashing racing to the airport for the quick trip to Wilkes-Barre. The MPU team's thoughts were focused on their missing teammate, would they be in time? Was he still alive?

TBC…