Title: Shattered Soul
Author: Cindy Ryan
Story status: Complete
Summary: When Emily becomes the hostage how far will Matt go to bring her home?
Notes: Thanks to those who have stuck with and enjoyed this story. Hopefully the end will be worth the long wait.

Frank nodded as he put the car in park and removed the key. By the time he had done that Matt was already out of the car.
Frank sighed as he got out of the vehicle. He could only pray that they found out something good on Emily here. It was the only thing keeping them going.

Matt and Frank reached the back of the property after a few minutes of initial searching. They had heard radio traffic among the SWAT unit and followed the sound. As they walked Matt took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself.

The agent in charge had every right not to deal with them. They were their on their own. The agent could shove them back in the car and send them home on the next flight. Matt could only hope that he could get a few minutes to plead his right to be there. He didn't care what happened to his career. All that mattered in the world to him right now was finding Emily alive.

Seth Grafton turned at the sound of footsteps approaching. He frowned as he recognized Rogers and Flannery from CNU's bios. Partner or no, Flannery had no right to be here.

"You from D.C?"Matt asked as he reached Grafton.

Grafton nodded as he extended his hand. "Agents Flannery and Rogers I'm Agent Seth Grafton. I recognize you from your CNU files. You're both good agents, but I need you to turn around and leave. If you do I won't report it."

Matt shook his head. "Not going to happen. She's my partner."

"All the more reason for you to go…..while you still have your badge."

"I don't give a damn about my badge."Matt replied his voice catching slightly. "I want to know what you have on Em. He took her because of me."

Grafton sighed as he placed a hand on Matt's right shoulder and moved him toward a nearby clump of trees."Look, I understand what you're going through."

"No, you don't."

"You're right I don't."Grafton snapped the lack of sleep starting to take affect. "Don't make me bust you in front of these officers. I'll give you one more shot to leave on your own or I'll have you escorted out."

"Go ahead and try."Matt stated firmly. "I'm not leaving here without her. My gut's tellin' me she's here."

"So's mine which is another reason why you need to go."

Matt blinked. "You think she's dead."

"Have you seen the conditions of this place? Besides Ellis is a con, always will be. It's in his blood."

Matt shook his head. "There's something you need to look for. Frank came up with the info that this property used to be mined for gold back at the turn of the century. State of Nevada issued rights to it."

Grafton thought for a moment. "The pictures of Agent Lehman……you think she's in a mine?"

Matt nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Perfect place to keep a hostage until the ransom came through."

"Okay."Grafton said as he pulled his radio out and began to walk away. "I still want you gone."

"The time you've spent telling us to leave is time she doesn't have."Matt argued. "I won't try to take over the search. I just need to be part of it."

It was on the tip of Grafton's tongue to refuse Flannery's request. Everything Flannery was doing was against Bureau regulations. But something about the closeness of the CNU unit. Things he had heard about made him think twice.
Made him relent.

"Alright."Grafton acknowledged before he started barking orders into the radio. "First time you get under foot I'm sending your ass back to L.A."

Matt let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
/Hang in there, Em./ Matt pleaded silently./We're coming. Just hang in there./

Emily knew she had to stay awake, but she was finding that simple task very difficult. She knew she should eat something. It'd been several hours since she had last eaten. But she just didn't have the strength.

The injuries from Ellis's beating were starting to take their full affect. Especially after the strain she had put her body through in her escape attempt.
The air in the small mine shaft seemed to be getting thinner and thinner. Emily didn't know how much she had used in her escape efforts but she still felt the gamble was worth it.

Emily licked her dry lips and opened her eyes as she looked around her for her water bottle. She found it to her right and raised it close to her face so she could see it in the dark. Emily closed her eyes as she saw how little water was left.

Emily placed the water bottle back down and leaned against the rough rock wall. She felt tears start to form and willed them to stop. She wasn't ready to give up yet. She wasn't ready to give up on her friends and the Bureau yet.

Emily had to keep telling herself that it hadn't been that long. The Bureau needed time and information to launch a full scale rescue mission. Plus knowing Ellis as she did Emily knew the man hadn't made it easy for the agents looking for her. Who knew what roadblocks he had placed.

Above all Emily knew in her heart that one person would keep looking when others wouldn't. She knew that even without their personal relationship, Matt was her partner.
Partners never gave up on each other.
No matter what Matt would find her.
Emily just had to keep believing in that.
No matter how hard it was.