CHAPTER TWO
Sam sat in Vivian's office giving her view on the past couple of days with Jack. Nothing could have prepared her for what was happening. She knew their lives were dangerous, particularly the cases they worked.
"Mario Rodriguez." Vivian looked at Sam as she spoke.
"What about him?" Sam asked.
"Tell me about the case VCU worked on." Vivian responded.
"Mario Rodriguez is a Cuban drug smuggler, primarily. He's also been involved in several cop killings in New York, and rapes." Sam began. She hated talking about Rodriguez because he was a vile and disgusting man who, just standing in the same room made you cringe.
"We got a case on him when a woman was found raped and slaughtered in Central Park. Because of the nature of the attack we linked it to Rodriguez through previous rapes in this city and in Miami. We thought we had him when it was discovered that most of the evidence that we had, Jack had broken into his house without a warrant to obtain."
"That's why he's in DC." Vivian questioned.
Sam nodded weakly hating to admit that what her husband had done was wrong.
"I'm sorry but what does this have to do with Jack missing?" She looked at Vivian feeling a sense of anger and frustration at the woman.
"I'm simply looking into the cases from your angle." She responded.
"In that case you could read the file." Sam knew that she was pushing this woman with her tone, but wanted to show her frustration.
Vivian just looked at her blankly. Sam dropped her head to examine her feet, answering the rest of Vivian's questions in the same position until they were interrupted by Martin who had found a strong lead.
Sam watched through the glass door as Martin spoke with Vivian, every so often, one of them would glance into the room to look at her.
"And you're certain that Rodriguez has him?" Vivian asked Martin.
"Positive. The camera from the Malone's apartment shows Jack exiting the building, being approached by a man, and then pushed into Rodriguez's car." Martin explained.
Sam attempted to lip-read what was being said, but found it much more difficult considering Vivian had her hand over her mouth and Martin was turned partially away from her.
"If that's the case we're going to have to protect Samantha." Vivian said thinking.
"I also found a series of phone calls to and from the Malone's apartment, all of them lasting over thirty minutes and the person being contacted, Mikey Stanza." Martin held up a file for Vivian to read.
"And Mikey is?" Vivian questioned.
"Mario Rodriguez right hand man." Martin explained.
Sam gave up on the lip-reading, instead turning her head around Vivian's office. The desk was cluttered with files, pens and photos of her family. Sam felt a small tear leave her right eye as she gazed at the picture of Vivian with her son.
"I also discovered a series of payments, both direct cash withdrawals and wirings to various accounts registered to Rodriguez." Martin continued. Vivian looked at him shocked.
"Jack Malone, one of the most well respected agents in this building, the deep source for Rodriguez." Vivian asked him stunned. "I'm sorry I don't believe it." She shook her head, looking through the window at Sam.
Sam was now holding the picture in her hands. It was a meager head shot of the two. They were smiling at the camera, big cheesy grins displaying all their teeth and how wide their mouths could go.
Flashback
Sam was sitting on her bed crying, gazing out the window. She couldn't believe it had happened again. They'd been married for close to a year, she was so happy when she found out and now that joy had been ripped cruelly from her body.
She silenced her tears and sobs when she heard the jingling of keys, and the realization that her husband was home. She pulled a tissue from the box, wiped her eyes, then proceeded out to welcome him.
"Hello?" He called as he walked through the door as Sam entered the main room.
"I'm in here." She called from the kitchen she was now in. She placed her self at the sink, beginning to work on the lasagna dish that she still hadn't cleaned from the night before.
"What are you doing in the kitchen?" He asked as he rounded the corner.
"Well, last night, Veronica and her husband Jake stopped by and I decided to make something I actually knew how to cook, so I whipped out the old lasagna dish and got to work. I just forgot to clean it." She didn't look at him as she spoke.
"You okay?" He asked walking up to her and placing his arms around her waist.
"Yeah, just a bit tired. You've missed a lot this past week." She turned off the tap and began scrubbing the dish.
"I bet I have. Then again I hate LA. The heat this time of year, it's appalling." He kissed her neck softly.
"Yeah well I'd still prefer to live there, especially in winter." Sam was intent on not looking at him so that he could see the hurt she had been through.
"You sure you're okay?" He asked her, moving his body to lean against the counter so that he could see her face. "You've been crying." He brought a hand up to her face, touching the areas that were wet.
"It's nothing." She stopped what she was doing, discarded the gloves and left the room.
"Talk to me Sam." He called after her, following her out. "Sam." He stopped when he entered the main room. She was leaning against the door to the balcony.
"There's nothing you can say." She whispered.
End Flashback
"Viv?" Kelly Preston walked up to her and Michael. "Martin, you know the cash trail you found?" She looked at Martin as she joined them. Martin nodded his head curiously at her.
The movement outside caused Sam to look up. She watched as Kelly joined Vivian and Martin for a moment. She saw the looks that the trio gave her as they spoke.
"I've been looking over the footage from the Malone's apartment building, three times in the past week; Jack has been caught with Mario Rodriguez." Kelly handed a photo printout from the security footage to Vivian.
"You believe it now?" Martin asked Vivian.
Vivian looked up from the photo slowly; the look in her eyes an indication that she did indeed believe it. "Wish me luck." She sighed walking back into her office.