HEY ;0)
HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL.
OKAY . . . SO THIS CHAPTER HAS SOME ACTION AND IT'S A LITTLE TENSE. LOL.
PLEASE R&R. ;D
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CHAPTER 19.
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Jo entered Mac's room with a broad smile across her face. "Hi."
"Hey. You look bright and cheery this morning."
"That's because I've just been discharged."
Mac's smile faded. "You're leaving hospital?"
"Yep."
Locking Jo away in his bathroom suite was a pretty damn appealing idea right about now. "Where's Don?"
She started to turn around. "He's . . ."
"I'm right here."
Mac's eyes flashed to the door and met Don's gaze.
Don sighed inwardly when he saw the unease in Mac's expression. He understood why. Although they'd rounded up the rest of Cole's men from the bunker that night, it still wasn't a certainty they'd got them all. However, so far there was no evidence to suggest otherwise. "I'm taking Jo back to her apartment. I'll . . . keep an eye on things."
Oh God. Jo released a long, pent up breath and fixed Don with a stern stare. "I don't need a body guard."
He gazed steadily back at her and said nothing.
She turned around to Mac and immediately noticed the concern flickering in his eyes. "For God sake guys. I'm a CSI Detective and I'm quite capable of looking after myself."
Mac shifted his eyes back to Don and they exchanged knowing glances. Don had reassured Mac yesterday that he would make sure a Cruiser drove passed her building every hour for the next couple of weeks whilst the Police Department double checked there weren't any more of Cole's goon's lose out there.
There was one piece of good news though; those who'd already been caught were now locked up in New Jersey State Prison and after undergoing some intense interrogation back at the FBI these last few days, Cole would soon be joining them.
Finally he took a breath and glanced back at her. "Don. I need to talk to Jo alone."
"Sure. I'll . . . be outside." Don quickly backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Jo gave Mac a dry look. "You're being over protective you know."
Mac patted the bed. "C'mere." he said quietly.
She hesitated for several seconds before walking slowly towards him and perching on the edge of his bed. "I don't want you worrying abut me Mac. I'm okay now."
He moved closer and took her hand in his. "Jo." His tone was quiet, his hands gentle but firm. "Of course I'm gonna worry about you. I love you."
She tore her eyes from his and took a sharp intake of breath. She knew she loved him too, but after everything that had happened? Could this still work between them?
She released her hand from his but she swore she could still feel his touch. Could feel it in places he'd touched her that wonderful night they were together.
With a sudden rush of heat flaring inside her, she drew back quickly and got to her feet. "I'm off then. I'll be back later. You want me to bring you some pizza? . . ."
He cursed inwardly. "Jo wait."
She turned back and smiled "Yes?"
"Do you trust me?"
She froze to the spot and he saw that uncomfortable guilt flicker in her eyes once again.
It was wrong to pretend that everything was al right between them just to escape his scrutiny, but she didn't want to upset him and this was hardly the place to continue this discussion. She hesitated a second. You idiot. How could you not trust him? She forced her gaze back to his. "Of . . .course I do."
He sighed inwardly and decided to change the subject. "You got your new cell phone right?"
She forced back the frustration and pulled it out of her pocket. "Here it is. And yes. I will call Don If I need him. Now I've got to go. Don's waiting."
She started to turn toward the door.
"Oh. And you have two weeks leave before you go back to work."
She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled back to face him. "Two weeks?"
"Two weeks." he repeated calmly.
"But . . .I can start back on Monday."
He gave her a long level look. "Two weeks Jo."
"Mac. I'm physically fit now."
He released a long heavy breath. "Not quite and you need to go through the Mandatory Counselling Sessions."
"What?"
"Work Policy remember?"
Damn it. "I've talked to a therapist here in the hospital already."
"You had two out of the four sessions and apparently you hardly spoke in either of them Jo."
Cursing under her breath, she closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. Finally she met his serious gaze. "Okay fine."
"Danielle Jennings has Emailed you the times of the sessions, so check your inbox when you get home."
She nodded numbly. "See you later then." she sighed and started for the door once again.
Mac reached out and grabbed her hand. "Be safe okay?"
She gazed down at him for several seconds and gave him her best reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. You just concentrate on getting better."
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He was sitting in the prison van, wearing the orange prison uniform, his ankles and wrists shackled as he stared menacingly across at the two FBI Officers.
Layton glared at him when he saw a ghost of a smile cross his face. "I don't know why you're acting so smug. You've got a life sentence you moron."
Cole said nothing. He just continued to stare back at them with that slightly amused look in his expression.
Feeling more than a little irritated, Jimmy grabbed the radio. "Matt. We nearly there yet? I'm getting sick of sitting in here with this scum bag,"
Cole grinned maliciously and looked away.
Ray chuckled quietly to himself as Matt brought the radio toward him. "We're heading west on Johnson Street. Shouldn't take longer than ten minutes now."
"Thank God for that. I thought our night shift would never end." Jim muttered wearily.
"Tell me about it." Layton rubbed the ache settling in the back of his neck and started checking his phone for messages.
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Russ glanced through the rear view mirror at the Prison Van following behind as he turned into Harper Road.
Chris looked out the front windscreen as the sun disappeared behind some heavier clouds and smiled as the first fat raindrops splattered, raising dust on the landscape around them. "Finally, some rain. It's been so damn hot this summer it's like a desert out here."
"Hopefully it will get rid of the humid air. I'm sweating buckets." Russ added with a heavy sigh.
Chris glanced back at him and sighed inwardly. "You're supposed to be signed off work for another two weeks. If the boss catches you . . ."
"I'm fine Chris so stop fussing will you?!" Russ interrupted irritably.
He sighed inwardly and gazed back at the road. "Fine, but I'm driving back okay?"
Russ rolled his eyes. "On one condition. You stop asking me how I am every five minutes." He muttered.
"That's a deal." Suddenly Chris heard what sounded like a rumbling sound. He leaned forward in his seat and frowned. "Did you hear that?"
"Thunder. Nice. It'll be pouring buckets soon."
Slowly the smile vanished from his face. "It's not thunder." His eyes widened slightly as he glanced up at the sky. "It's a . . .chopper."
Russ's eyes flashed to his. "A what?"
Chris quickly pulled open the glove compartment and grabbed the binoculars.
Russ slowed the car and glanced out of the window. "That's . . . not a Police chopper."
"No. It isn't," he replied anxiously as he peered through the binoculars. "There's a massive metal clamp hanging from it and It's heading this way."
Russ's eye's widened in fear when he saw it. "Crap! It's gonna pick up the bloody van!"
The radio started to crackle as he quickly brought it toward him. "Matt! There's a Chopper . . ." Oh God. He forced back the panic as it came tearing across the sky. "It's nearly above you!. . . Matt? . . . Ray! Answer me damn it!"
Chris stared fearfully at his Cell. "My phone's not working. Our communication's have been disabled!"
Swearing loudly, Russ hit the brakes and skidded the car to a stop at the side of the road, then they drew their weapons, jumped out of the vehicle and started firing at the chopper.
Zach who'd been following behind the Prison Van, also slammed his foot on the brakes and brought his vehicle to a shuddering stop behind Russ.
He jumped out of his car and watched in shock as Ray sped up the road trying everything he could to steer the van out of the choppers way.
He scanned the landscape and the mix of fear and rage intensified within him. There was no cover; no wooded area Ray could head for, just flat, open space.
His eyes shot back to the van as it skidded to a sudden stop and a split second later the driver and passenger doors flew open. A wave of relief swept through him when Matt and Ray jumped out of the van and dived for safety.
The chopper started to shoot passed the Prison Van, but even at this accelerated speed the pilot had managed to bring the chopper low enough and with such amazing precision that Immediately the clamp slammed onto the roof of the vehicle, clasping it in a vice like grip.
"NO!" Matt pushed himself off the ground and started running toward the van.
"Layton! Jimmy! Get out of there!" He shouted frantically
Suddenly the chopper lifted the van off the ground. It started hurtling towards him and Matt dived out of the way once again as the vehicle came within centimetres of slamming into him.
Enraged, Russ forced himself to stop shooting and they all stared up at the sky in total shock as the Chopper soared away with the Prison van, disappearing from sight behind the distant rocks.
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Twenty minutes later, Don pulled into a vacant parking spot outside Jo's apartment building.
He turned off the engine and reached around for her bag on the back seat. "I'll help you in with this."
She grabbed her bag and whisked it away from him. "It's one bag Don. I can manage." Her tone softened slightly. "Thanks for the lift by the way."
"No problem. I'll walk up with you."
"Don please. I'd rather just go on my own."
He met her determined gaze. "Why do you always have to be so damn independent?"
A faint smile crossed her face. "See ya Don."
He watched her climb out of his car and walk across the road towards the building. Damn it. He quickly opened his window."Jo!"
She came to an abrupt stop on the side walk and glanced back at him.
"Text me a smiley when you get into your apartment!" He called out.
An exasperated look flickered in her eyes. "Are you serious?!"
"Just do it for me!"
She shook her head at him, turned and continued towards the building. "Fine!" she called back.
Don released another long breath and leaned back in his seat as he watched her disappear through the front entrance. "For God sake Don. Just relax will ya?" He muttered to himself.
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The lift stopped at Jo's floor. Okay . . .Stairs from now on Jo. . . Stairs are safer.
The guy frowned at her as she dashed out of the lift. "Er . . . Are okay?"
"I'm fine." she kept her head down, cursing inwardly at the shakiness in her voice.
He stood in the lift for several seconds, slightly baffled as she shot off around the corner, then shrugged his shoulders and hit the button for his floor.
Scolding herself for being such a wimp, she walked quickly along the corridor to her apartment, but when she rounded the next corner and saw her door slightly ajar, the fear slammed through her once again.
She stopped dead in her tracks, grabbed her gun from her bag and pressed herself up against the wall.
She swallowing back the fear and forced out some steady breaths, then turned and started to creep slowly up to her door, her weapon trained straight ahead.
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Another minute passed and Don glanced back at his phone. "Come on Jo. I'm not leaving until you text me a smiley." He murmured. Suddenly it started trilling in his hand and quickly he brought it to his ear.
"Jo. . ."
" . . . . . . "
"Russ?" He sat bolt upright in his seat, the unease now crawling up his spine. "Everything okay?"
". . . . . . "
He gripped the phone tighter in his hand, pausing for several seconds as he tried to process what Russ was telling him.
". . . . . . "
"What did you just say?"
" . . . . . . "
Terror and rage slammed his chest. "My God! When the hell did this happen?!"
" . . . . . . "
His eyes widened in fear. "Thirty minutes ago?!"
He dived out of the car and sprinted across the busy road toward Jo's apartment building, ignoring the car horns beeping noisily around him. "Why the hell didn't I hear about this sooner?!" He shouted angrily down the phone.
". . . . . . "
He swore under his breath, hung up quickly, and slammed through the main doors into the building.
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Jo stepped out of her bedroom as the shock continued to bolt through her.. Someone had broke in and destroyed everything.
Pages had been torn out of all the books and files in her office,
Everything in her bathroom had also been destroyed; Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotions smeared all over the bathroom wall.
Her two bedrooms had also been trashed.
She forced herself to take a deep, shaky breath and glanced fearfully around her lounge.
Here in the lounge and kitchen area, her glass and china had been smashed to pieces, along with her ornaments and photo frames. Her table and her wooden cabinet had been knocked over and the rest of her furniture had been shredded with some kind of knife The same one used to slash her bed.
She forced one foot in front of the other as she approached her couch. The slash markings looked almost identical to a Ryder knife. She staggered back and hit the wall behind her, her breaths becoming fast and rapid as a memory flashed through her mind.
Lucas Rohr carried a blade around in his pocket . . . Her heart froze in her chest. It was the same size as a Ryder Knife.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the corridor. She forced back the paralysing fear, charged across the lounge and ducked behind the door.
Don slowed his pace, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he crept along the corridor and through the open door into her apartment.
She jumped out from behind the door and started to press down on the trigger, but he was faster and knocked the weapon out of her hand before she managed to get a shot off.
She screamed in fear as he slammed her back against the wall.
His eyes widened. "Jo?" He could hear her frantic gasps and quickly reached for the switch.
Immediately the lights came on, but she refused to look Don's way and started to fight against him. "Get off me!" she screamed
"For God sake Jo It's me!"
He tried to calm himself down, but it was damn near impossible, what with the adrenaline slamming through his system. "Okay listen to me. . . Jo? . . ." He stopped mid-sentence, cursed inwardly and grabbed her wrist as she went to punch him in the face. "Jo Stop! . . .It's Don!" He shouted.
Through the dark mist of fear she recognised his voice and her eyes flashed up at his.
Oh my God. . . Don?
Immediately she stopped struggling and the relief swept through her. She was sure she would have ended up sinking to the floor like a wet sponge if he hadn't have pulled her out of the apartment that very moment.
Once in the corridor, she tried to force back the emotions. "I'm sorry. I thought you were . . ." She looked away. "Nevermind. . ."
"Stay here and don't move from this spot, okay?"
All she could manage was a nod.
Don went back into her apartment and reappeared less than a minute later.
Anxiously he glanced around, then started to lead her back along the corridor. "I'm gonna take you somewhere safe until this all blows over."
She stopped abruptly and pulled away from him. "Where are you taking me?" she asked shakily.
He swallowed hard and started to move towards her. "Somewhere outside Manhattan."
She stepped back and raised her voice at him. "I'm not going to a safe house!"
He shot forward and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to back away again. "I'm not giving you a choice in the matter, now come on."
"Don stop!" She tried to pull away, but he continued to drag her along the corridor. "You can't force me to stay in a safe house. I refuse to sign the forms."
Don swallowed into an aching throat as he continued to drag her to the lifts. "There are no forms to sign Jo."
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Later that evening Don walked into Mac's room and handed him the pizza. "There you go."
Mac glanced up at him and frowned disapprovingly.
"You didn't want a pizza?"
"Jo was suppose to be bringing me the pizza."
"Jo couldn't make it." Don looked away and released a deep, unsteady breath as he grabbed the chair behind him. He turned back to Mac and faked a smile. "She's fine, but when I circled her apartment building half an hour ago, her curtains were drawn. I think she needs to rest, don't you?"
Mac fixed Don with a steady gaze and paused for a few seconds before answering. "Sure." Slowly, he grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite, not taking his eyes off him. "So, have you got any fresh leads on the case?"
"No." Leaning forward, Don grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and quickly changed the subject. "So have you asked the doctor when you're getting out of here?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Don sat bolt upright in his seat and choked on a mouthful of pizza.
Crap! He grabbed some water from Mac's table beside his bed and gulped down several mouthfuls before staring back at him. "I thought you weren't aloud out of here for another four days?"
"The Doc's decided I'm well enough to continue my recovery at home now. . . so there's nothing you need to tell me about the case?"
Don cursed inwardly and chucked the half eaten slice of pizza back in the box. "No. Now how about we talk about something else?"
Mac sat up in his bed and glared angrily at him. "Cut the bullshit Don and tell me what the hell's going on!"
Adam came flying into Mac's room and skidded to an abrupt stop in front of Don. "We're still running the DNA on the hair found in Jo's apartment, but I have some good news. It doesn't belong to . . ."
Don shot out of his chair and fixed Adam with a fierce glare, silencing him immediately.
Adam gazed across at Don totally confused.
Fear tightened Mac's chest. He shot out of the bed, clutched painfully at his lower chest and charged across the room towards them. "Tell me what's happened? Where's Jo?"
Slowly, Don turned and met his intense gaze. "Someone broke in and trashed Jo's apartment."
Mac's eyes widened. "What?"
Don sighed heavily and started pacing around the room. We don't know exactly when it happened, but when Jo returned to her apartment earlier, she found her door slightly ajar. Clara Philips who lives just along the hall told Police that Jo's door was shut when she left for work this morning. This afternoon Lindsay, Danny, Adam and Sheldon searched Jo's place for evidence."
Mac stepped toward him. "Where is she?" he asked, his voice low, measured.
"She's fine Mac and she's somewhere safe. That's all I can tell you."
He grabbed the front of Don's jacket and slammed him up against the wall. "Tell me where she is?!" he shouted.
His jaw clenched as the pain shot through his back. "I can't . . . do that Mac! It's too dangerous for you two to be together now that . . ." Don stopped mid-sentence and released a long unsteady breath. ". . .now that Jo's apartment's been broken into. . . Now get your hands off me."
Mac released him and whirled back around to Adam. "This could be nothing to do with Cole. Perhaps it was a burglary? Was anything stolen . . ." Mac's voice trailed off when he saw the glum look on his face. "Wait. . ." he moved quickly toward him. "You were saying you found hair traces in Jo's apartment.
Adam swallowed into a dry throat and shifted his gaze to Don. "Yes we . . . also found a partial print, but nothing more."
"And before Don rudely interrupted, you were about to say who this hair trace doesn't belong to."
He released a long, pent up breath and glanced away.
Mac raised his voice at him."Tell me now Adam!"
"Alex Cole." he answered quietly.
Don sighed in relief. "Thank God." he whispered.
Mac turned back to Don. "Cole's . . . in prison." he said anxiously.
"No . . . He's not. We . . . don't know where he is Mac."
Mac froze to the spot as the shock started to bolt through his system. "What?"
Don pushed out a long breath and sank into one of the chairs. "I got a call from Russ at 11:00 this morning. At about 10:25 – 10:30, they were transporting Alex Cole to New Jersey State Prison. They were driving along Harper Road when Chris Taggart saw a chopper hurtling towards them. Apparently, they noticed a big metal clamp attached to it. Russ and the other officers tried to shoot it down but it still managed to get low enough to attach the clamp to the prison Van and lift it out of there."
"My God." Mac sank back against the wall, the Icy, cold fear now tearing through his heart. "Cole actually. . . escaped?"
Don leaned forward in his seat and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Yea." he sighed. "He was one step ahead of us yet again."
"Er. . ." Adam took a hesitant step forward. "It's okay. The person who broke into Jo's apartment wasn't part of Cole's gang either."
Mac and Don quickly glanced back at him.
Adam took a deep unsteady breath. "We know who the hair belongs to."
Mac's eye's widened. "You know?!"
Don jumped out of his chair. "Well for God sake Adam tell me so I can go and arrest this sonofabitch."
Adam shifted his eyes nervously back at Mac. "The hair traces belong to . . . Christine Whitney."
Mac stared back at Adam as the fury slowly darkened his eyes.
Don muttered a curse and rubbed at his forehead. "I can't believe this."
"Neither could we. That's why we ran the hair traces several times." Adam shifted his eyes nervously back at Mac. "The partial print's Christine's too . . . I'm sorry."
Mac swore under his breath and moved quickly to his bedside table.
Don dived around the bed towards him when he saw him wrench open the door and start pulling out his clothes. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm going to find Christine." he spat bitterly
"Mac. You can't do that . . ."
He whirled around and shot Don a cold, hard stare. "Watch me."
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SO THIS STORY HAS TAKEN A NEW DIRECTION, SO I THINK WE WILL HAVE FURTHER ACTION TO COME. ;)
OH AND I GOT THE IDEA OF THE CHOPPER WITH THE METAL CLAMP HELPING COLE ESCAPE FROM THE NEW SEASON OF HAWAII 50, LOL!