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SO HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. THIS ONE'S GOT SOME ACTION. ;)

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What happened at the end of the previous chapter.

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Her head was still spinning when she woke from a dead sleep. Her eyes flew open and she sat bolt up right on the couch. 'It's morning?' She felt immediately exposed and reached for the blanket to cover herself.

"Hey."

She whirled around and saw Mac leaning over the breakfast bar gazing across at her with those gorgeous, piercing eyes. He hadn't bothered with his shirt. God his body was so . . . heavenly.

She stayed very still for several seconds while she tried to swallow her heart back into place.

"Guess I better feed you now." He said at length.

She quickly got off the couch and wrapped the blanket tightly around her. Er . . . Yea." Her eyes shifted to her bag of clothes that had been placed on the chair several feet away. "I'm just . . . going to get dressed first." She grabbed the bag and disappeared quickly out of the lounge.

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CHAPTER 8.

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Mac watched her disappear down the hall. He sighed heavily, straightened up and got on with starting the breakfast.

Ten minutes later Jo was sitting opposite him at the breakfast bar with a plate of egg, bacon, toast and a mug of coffee.

The sex had been incredible. No point in being less than honest about it. It had been so intense, yet he had shown her so much tenderness and it had arrowed straight to her heart. Right now she should be feeling relaxed and loose and comfortable. Instead she felt tense and tight and awkward. . .

"Breakfast okay?"

She broke out of her internal debate to see him watching her steadily with those strong jungle cat eyes. "It's terrific."

"You're not eating it."

Deliberately she forked up some egg and took a bite and swallowed. "I'm not that hungry."

Mac released a long, heavy breath and slid his plate to one side. "Do you regret last night?"

Her eyes flashed back at his. "No . . . of course I don't . . ." She released a long, unsteady breath and looked away. "I just feel a little . . . overwhelmed with everything right now." She answered quietly.

He sat back and tried to clear the buzz from his head by swallowing down some more caffeine. "I know. It probably wasn't the best timing." He placed his mug back on the table and gazed intently at her. ". . . but, I wouldn't change what happened last night for the world."

Slowly, she met his eyes and a faint smile crossed her face. "Me neither." She whispered.

His hand slid up to her wrist and back down to her fingers. They said nothing for several moments. Finally Jo managed to tear her eyes from his. "I'm going to help you clean up your kitchen. Then I have to go."

He rose when she did and a split second later, he'd moved around the breakfast bar and was standing right in front of her. "Where are you going?"

She gazed back at him, hesitated. "I . . . need to go and see Russ. Hand in a written statement. You know that."

He continued to stare across at her. She was holding out on him. "I'll come with you."

She drew in a breath, let it out. "Aren't you going to work?"

"Not today."

She froze to the spot. "What?"

His eyes remained steady on hers. "You heard me. I'm taking the day off."

She swallowed hard. "Why would you do that?"

"I might be the boss of the department, but part of my role is delegation. That's what I'm doing today. Delegating."

"Who's going to be in charge?"

"Danny. He's more than capable and it's about time I gave him some more responsibility."

"Okay. Well you're not coming with me. You haven't taken a day off in like . . . forever, so you need to kick back and relax today." Jo stepped around him and reached for the plates.

He quickly took the plates from her and backed her up against the bar. "Do you really think I'm going to just sit here and watch you run off again?!"

She stared wide eyed back at him and swallowed into an aching throat. "I'm . . . not."

Mac raised his voice in frustration. "Stop lying to me Jo!"

She pushed passed him and walked quickly to the chair for her Jacket. "I said you're not coming with me. I can handle this on my own."

He leaned back against the breakfast bar and gave himself a second to reign in his temper. "Okay fine. I can just find out where your headed to anyway."

Jo spun around and watched him walk to the window.

Mac drew back the blind and looked out. "Carl Bertrum's down there with the van and around half a dozen other Agents. They'll be following you around no doubt. I'll just give him a call."

Dammit! Jo moved quickly toward Mac and stared down at the street. If she wasn't agitated enough to see one van down there, she now spotted another one drawing up along the side walk. So much for her spending the morning back at Sound View Park. There was no way she was going to lead them all there. She wanted to keep that place a secret for now. She glanced back at Mac and attempted to keep her gaze neutral. "I'm going for a walk."

Suddenly there was a tap on Mac's door. He stared across at her for several more seconds, then released a long, weary breath and pushed away from the window sill. "Who is it?" He called.

"It's Carl."

He walked up to the door, unlocked the bolt and opened it. "C'mon in. You want a coffee?"

Jo stared sternly at Carl as he entered the apartment. "Is it really necessary to have two vans parked outside?"

"One of them is for you."

She shook her head in exasperation and looked back out of the window. "Let me guess. You want to transport me to the FBI Apartment to get my statement."

"No. Russ wants you to hop in that van and meet him over at Sound View Park."

She whirled around, her eyes wide.

Mac raised his eyebrows at her. "Sound View Park?"

Dammit. They'd found her hide out. She sighed heavily and sunk back on the window ledge.

"Jo?"

"It's a friend's place. I'm looking after her house while she's away. . ."

"And you were in South View Park the other night." Mac finished.

Jo couldn't help but notice Mac's irritated tone. She glanced back at Carl. "Why does he want me to go up there?"

Carl raised his hands. "I have no idea. He just said he wanted you to go over there and answer a few questions."

"Fine." Jo murmured. She pushed away from the window and started for the door.

Mac grabbed his jacket. "I'm coming too."

She came to an abrupt halt and turned back to him. "Mac. Just stay here and relax. I'll be back soon."

Mac ignored her and grabbed his keys. "She's coming in the car with me."

Carl stared across at Mac for a couple of seconds. "Okay."

"Lead the way."

Carl turned around and headed out into the corridor.

Jo walked quickly up to Mac. "Look. You really don't have to come."

"I want to. Let's go."

She continued to gaze at him for several more seconds. Yep. He had his stubborn, determined face on. She wasn't going to be able to change his mind. She rolled her eyes and followed him out of the apartment.

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Jo stared back at the rear view mirror as they approached the end of Turrell Lane. "We have a van in front of us and one behind. Isn't that overkill?"

Mac signalled onto E167th Street. "Okay let me see. You chuck your car off the edge of a cliff, take a Black Porsche at Inham Garage, then disappear for 15 hours. And then when I finally caught up with you at Colin's Apartment yesterday afternoon you did another runner." He looked back at the road. "So I say no."

Jo muttered under her breath and leaned back in her seat. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and tried to call him again. "Why isn't Russ answering his phone?"

Mac shifted his eyes to Jo. "How many times have you tried calling him?"

"Four times in the last ten minutes. It just keeps going to voice mail."

"He's probably got caught up talking to someone. You know what Russ is like." Mac looked back out the front windscreen and followed the van down E 168th Street.

Jo glanced out the rear view mirror. "Didn't you say Steven Evan's and Ben Anderson were in the Van last night? Where are they this morning?"

"They were probably called away on an urgent case. It looks like Aran, Nigel and Mike took over from them." Mac looked back at her and suddenly noticed the anxiety clear in her expression. "What's wrong?"

She turned around and gazed back at the road. "I don't know . . . Something just . . . doesn't feel right."

Unease crawled up Mac's spine. Whenever Jo used those words, it always turned out, the situation they found themselves in definitely wasn't good. Mac pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Jo turned back to Mac. "Who are you calling?"

Mac pressed speed dial and slid it in the hands free device. "Don."

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Don came to a stop along the corridor and pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. He checked caller ID and brought it to his ear. "Hey. I heard you're taking the day off . . ."

"Don. Have you been in contact with Russ this morning?" Mac interrupted.

"Don's smile faded when he heard the urgency in Mac's voice. "Yea. I talked to him about fifteen minutes ago. He was on his way to your place." His frown deepened. "You haven't seen him yet?"

"Oh God." Jo whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep unsteady breath.

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Danny and Lindsay caught sight of Don outside Mac's Office.

Danny frowned. "Don doesn't look too happy all of a sudden."

"Let's go and find out what's happening." Lindsay replied.

They walked quickly out of the lab and down the corridor toward him.

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Jo swallowed back the lump in her throat. "This can't be happening."

"Okay. Let's not jump to any conclusions here." Mac assured her. "I'm sure everything's just fine."

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Anxiety slammed through Don's chest. "What's going on?"

Danny moved quickly up to Don, grabbed his phone and pressed down on the loud speaker button.

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Mac pushed out a long, pent up breath and gazed back at the Van in front of him. "Don. Did Russ say anything about the team finding a property in Sound View Park?"

Don's frown deepened. "I've just come from the FBI Apartment. I'm telling you right now. They know nothing about a fresh lead on a property in Sound View Park."

"How do you know?" Mac asked.

I sneaked into Russ's office after he left and checked the updated case file myself."

Jo's eyes flashed to Mac's.

Mac cursed inwardly and turned back to her. "Okay. I know I'm rather stating the obvious here, but I think we may have a problem."

Jo surreptitiously glanced back out the rear mirror. "We have to loose them."

Don suddenly realised that Mac and Jo were in a car. He grabbed his phone back off Danny. "Just tell me what's happening?"

Jo sighed heavily. "Well. About Twenty minutes ago, Carl Bertrum came up to Mac's apartment and told me Russ wanted me to meet him at Sound View Park. We left straight away."

Lindsay's eyes flashed back at Danny's "My God." She whispered.

"We have one FBI Van in front of us and another behind us." Jo glanced anxiously back at Mac. "We . . . may be surrounded by. . . Rogue Agents right now."

Don muttered a curse. "Where the hell are you two?!"

Mac sighed inwardly and looked back at the Van infront of them. "We're on E 168th."

Danny and Lindsay exchanged concerned glances.

Mac saw a turning up ahead. "Jo. Hang on." He slammed his foot on the brake pedal and skidded around the bend.

Jo raised her voice. "Scrap that Don! We're on Boston Road! Mac's trying to loose them now!"

Don started running for the elevator. "Don't hang up! I'm on my way with back up!"

Danny's eyes flashed back at Lindsay's. "You coming?"

"Absolutely." She answered.

They turned quickly and raced down the corridor after Don.

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Carl Bertrum's looked out the rear mirror and saw Mac's car turn sharply and speed off down the next road. "Shit! Aran! Stop the damn Van! They've made us!"

Aran slammed down on the brakes and skidded around a full 180 degrees.

Mike moved quickly to the front of the van. "Step on it!" He shouted.

Aran hit the gas and floored it back up the road.

Carl cursed under his breath and Immediately got on the phone to Alex Cole.

Aran turned the wheel sharply and skidded onto Boston Road. He grabbed the radio. "Kelvin! Come in!"

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Kelvin pulled the car over at the side of Crescent Close and brought the radio towards him. "Yea. What's up?

"Kelvin. I need you to cut off Mac's car on Boston Road! Have you got them?"

Lucas quickly checked the computer. "Yep. We're only a couple of minutes away."

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"Okay. We'll see you in a bit then." Aran smiled menacingly across at Mike. "Let's have some fun."

Carl hung up and rolled his eyes. "Alex is on his way. He doesn't want her dead remember?"

"Carl. Lighten up for God Sake." He glanced out of the front windscreen at the Van in front of him and pressed down on the radio. "Gareth?!"

'

Gareth looked through the rear view mirror and grabbed his radio. "Yep!"

"Shoot at the tyres!" Aran commanded.

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Jo glanced out the back window. "We have two Van's behind us now and they're gaining."

"Dammit." Mac looked back at the road. "I can't go any faster. I'm flooring it already."

Just as the words left his mouth a gun shot sounded behind them.

Immediately Jo drew her weapon, leaned out the side window and fired at the van.

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The bullet went right through the front windscreen and skimmed Gareth's shoulder.

Cameron's eyes widened in terror as the van started to spin out of control. He pushed Gareth out of the way, grabbed the steering wheel and tried to reach for the brake pedal, but the van skidded across the road, flipped onto it's side and rolled into the ditch.

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Aran cursed loudly and turned the wheel sharply narrowly missing a huge chunk of metal lying in the middle of the road.

Jo turned back and released a shaky breath. "Okay. . One down, one to go."

By now, Don had managed to get to third Avenue. He glanced ahead and saw yet another traffic jam. Dammit! He hit the brakes and turned down Maynard Street. "Mac! I heard a shot! You two okay?"

Mac cursed under his breath. "If you mean are we hit? No!" He looked back at the road and saw a black car speeding toward them in the other direction. "Dammit!" He hit the brakes and skidded onto Crotona Avenue. "Don. Where the hell are you?!"

Suddenly another gun shot went off and Jo ducked down in her seat as it shattered Mac's back windscreen. "We could use some back up right now." She turned and fired at the black car. The bullet went wide.

Don jumped the lights narrowly missing several vehicles, and skidded onto the next road. "I'm a couple of minutes from Morris Avenue!"

Mac sighed inwardly. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to hold them off.

Jo's eyes suddenly widened as she noticed a black Lamborghini speeding right toward them. "Mac."

He shifted his eyes to hers and immediately saw the fear in her expression. His eyes flashed back at the road.

Jo could just make out the number plates as the car sped closer and Immediately her heart started to race. "It's Alex Cole." She whispered.

Mac swore under his breath. He looked out the side window. "Don we can't out run them." He turned the car sharply and skidded off the road.

Jo held on as Mac manoeuvred through the trees, his vehicle bouncing over the rough overgrown weeds and rocky, uneven ground.

He quickly glanced out the rear-view mirror and saw the Black Lamborghini draw up at the side of the road. "We're in Crotona Park! Jo. We have to find somewhere to dump the car and run."

She leaned back in the seat and swallowed back the fear.

Don checked his rear mirror. Danny and Lindsay were right behind him, along with four Patrol cars. He looked back at the road and floored the gas. "I'm nearly at Morris Avenue. Hang on!"

Mac saw a dense set of Oaks up ahead. He tore through them and brought the car to a shuddering stop."

Jo turned quickly to Mac. "We should just stay in the car and find another way out of here."

"Jo. We can't go any further in my car." Mac wrenched open the door and grabbed the phone from the hand set. "Don. I cant stay on the phone." He hung up and slid his phone in his pocket. Then he reached out and grabbed Jo's hand. "C'mon."

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Alex Cole stepped out of the Lamborghini and waited impatiently as Aran skidded the van to a stop and Kelvin's vehicle drew up behind him.

Aran and his team jumped out of the van and drew their weapons.

Alex's eyes flashed back at Kelvin's vehicle. "Get a move on!" He shouted.

Kelvin and Lucas Immediately jumped out of the car.

"Where did they go?" Aran shouted.

Alex looked back through the tree line. "Mac's taken the car into the Park, but he won't get far. The woods are too dense. Now hurry up and get after them!" He commanded. "And remember what I said! Get rid of Mac, but I want Jo alive! Understand?!"

They nodded and charged through the trees after them.

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Mac and Jo had been running for several minutes, when Mac saw an opening through the trees up ahead.

Jo's eyes widened when she noticed several guys running across the field toward them. "Mike?"

Mike looked ahead and caught sight of Mac. He drew his weapon and aimed at him.

Mac grasped her hand tighter and pulled her behind him, then he aimed his weapon at Mike and fired.

The bullet hit Mike's chest and he sunk to the ground.

Mac glanced quickly around him and pulled Jo back into the woodland. "This way."

They ducked as several gun shots resounded in the air and a bullet ricocheted off a tree trunk millimetres from Mac. Mac returned fire, but the bullet missed.

They took off at a sprint, jumping the fallen dead branches and manoeuvring around clumps of wild growth. A couple of times he looked back at her. She felt like a tethered balloon being tugged along, her breaths coming in rapid gasps. He must have realised she was struggling to keep up with him because he shortened his stride. "No!" She yanked out of his grip. "I'm . . . slowing you down. Just . . . go on without me. . ."

"No way." He reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. They pushed through some particularly heavy undergrowth and Mac halted so abruptly she almost ploughed into the back of him.

"Careful. There's a shallow ditch here." He gripped a sapling and jumped down the low embankment, then he turned, grasped Jo around the waist and lowered her to the ground with easy strength.

Suddenly another explosive crack of gun fire went off and Jo's heart jumped so hard, it felt like it was going to come out of her chest.

Mac pushed her in front of him and fired several shots as they increased their speed weaving around some tall pine trees. Logically, only a few minutes could have passed, but it felt like they'd been running through the woods for a lifetime.

There was a shout behind them and a third shot rang out.

Mac released her hand and went down with a cry of pain, his head slamming onto the side of a tree stump as he fell. Jo skidded on the wet ground and spun back around.

"Mac!" She scrambled back and sunk to her knees beside him. Her heart froze and sick terror gripped at her heart as she stared down at him. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

Trembling violently, she yanked his jacket open and scanned his body for injuries. There was a nasty gash on his head, but to her relief there were no bullet wounds. She heard the voices coming closer and panic slammed through her chest. "Mac. Wake up. . . Mac please. . ." Tears filled her eyes and a sob escaped her. She forced back the emotions and gazed around her. Suddenly she saw some overgrown bushes several feet away. Quickly she got to her feet and pulled Mac toward them.

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A minute later, Aran, Lucas and Carl sprinted around the pine trees and slowed to a stop.

Lucas scanned the woodland and caught sight of Jo. "There she is! She's running toward the river!" He shouted.

They spun around and sprinted after her.

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The branches lashed at her face as she ran faster. She risked a look over her shoulder in time to see Aran leaping over a fallen tree and barrelling towards her. Terror tightened her chest until she could hardly breathe, the lack of oxygen sending spasms through her. She skidded behind a large Oak and fired her gun at him.

The bullet skimmed his shoulder and he yelled out in pain. It wasn't enough to take him down. It just made him more mad and he swore loudly and quickened his pace toward her.

She aimed her weapon at him and squeezed down on the trigger.

The blow came from behind, a solid tackle that knocked the breath from her body and sent her flying forward. Her gun flew out of her hand and she landed face down in stunned pain. His fingers bit brutally into her arms as he turned her onto her back.

Alex Cole stared furiously down at her. "I should have known you were never gonna let this go. You always were strong like me, not weak like your pathetic father."

Anger slammed Jo's chest. "Get your hands off me!" She tried to kick, but his knees clamped her legs together. Tried to wriggle away, but his hold was still too strong.

"I don't think so. You're coming with me."

Jo fought all the more harder when he brought out a dirty white cloth from his jacket. She smelt it immediately. Chloroform.

"No!" She pulled an arm free and frantically clawed at his hands and his face.

Rage tore through Alex. "Stay Still!" He shouted. He grabbed her free arm, slammed her back against the hard ground and covered her mouth and nose with the Chloroform soaked rag.

She tried to fight him off her once again, but what little strength she had, started to sap away.

Her legs went limp first, followed by her body, her arms her neck. The Darkness settled in, easing the fear and sorrow, until finally she sunk into unconsciousness.

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ANOTHER ACTION ANGSTY CHAPTER UP TUESDAY.

IS MAC GONNA BE OKAY? WILL DON FIND HIM OR WILL ALEX'S GANG TAKE HIM? WHAT DO YOU READERS THINK SHOULD HAPPEN? LET ME KNOW ;)