Chapter 2

An excruciating pounding in her head woke Jessie. She opened her eyes and attempted to sit up and felt a wave of pain and nausea that forced her to keep still. She was lying on a hard metal slab, in a small dark room made of concrete. She stared at the ceiling as the pain and sickness in her stomach subsided then attempted to sit up once again, much slower this time. She scooted up into a sitting position and surveyed her surroundings. Nothing but the dark cell and a door with no handle and a slit towards the top which Jessie guessed was for observation. As her headache began to lessen, she tried to recall how she had gotten into the cell, but the last thing she remembered was entering the trailer at her mother's dig site.

Realization flooded her mind; she had been kidnapped. However, she had no idea who had taken her or why. She thought about yelling out, but quickly realized that her captors more than likely would not do her the honor of introducing themselves and explaining, in detail, why she had been taken. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious or where she was being held. 'What would dad do in this situation?' she thought and quickly came to the conclusion that her best course of action was to wait and gather as much information as possible from her captors when they made an appearance. 'Stay calm, Jess. I'm sure dad is already raising hell trying to find me,' she reassured herself. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, suddenly realizing that it was quite cold in her cell and she was still wearing the clothes from the dig in Brazil.

As her the fog in her head began to clear she remembered that her mother was with her when armed and masked men broke into the trailer. She could only hope that her mother was okay and Jessie knew that if she found an opportunity to escape that she would not leave without her mom as well, no matter what.

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Estella's head was pounding with pain as she slowly opened her eyes, regaining consciousness. She found herself in a small, cold room and she was handcuffed to a hard wooden chair. In front of her was a wooden table, upon which sat a metal lock box. She had little recollection of what happened to her and Jessie, except that they had both been kidnapped by armed men. As her memory returned she thought back on what happened and remembered that the men that had taken her and her daughter hostage had spoken with thick accents. She squinted, trying to remember, but the recognition evaded her. 'In time' Estella told herself. For now she had to figure out where she was and why she, and Jessie, were being held hostage.

As if her captors could hear thoughts a door behind her opened. Being restrained in the chair prevented her from turning around to see who had entered. She heard heavy footsteps, at least three sets she surmised. The footsteps stopped directly behind her. She could smell her captors, their stale sweat and at least one wore a cheap cologne.

"Who are you people? Where is my daughter? What have you done to her?" Estella demanded, but her throat was so dry and so hoarse she wondered if she had made any sound at all.

She heard a slight chuckle from behind. A chuckle that was purely cynical. "I know you have so many questions, Dr. Velasquez," came the voice of another man, one that was not on the raiding party. His accent too was thick, but his English was much more pronounced, he knew how to speak the language fluently. "However, you are not in a position to ask questions."

Estella's hands clenched the arms of the chair as she muster up the bravery to defy these kidnappers. "You kidnap me and then mock me? How dare you? What do you want? Where's my daughter and what did you do to my crew in Brazil."

"Do not concern yourself with your crew, my dear. They were in the way."

Estella felt sick. She knew what this man's words truly meant and she was suddenly overcome by a flood of emotions ranging from anger, to guilt, to sadness, to grief, and then to rage.

"What about Jessie? Where's my daughter?"

She heard fingers snap and suddenly one of the men came into view. He was masked, so she could not identify his face, but even if she had seen her attackers' faces it was dark and everything had happened so quickly. The man approached the table and gently pushed the lock box to the side so he could set down a laptop. He opened the computer and pushed a button and an image appeared on the screen. The image was of Jessie and Estella felt her heart flutter with relief. She watched as Jessie sat on a bed in what appeared to be a prison cell of some sort. She was huddled on the bed against the wall, her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. She looked cold. But as she raised her head, she saw a look of determination on her daughter's face; a look that, thanks to her father, showed that Jessie was not about to take being held captive lightly. Even in the face of terror, kidnapping, and who knew what else, Estella felt a surge of pride for her tough, self-controlled daughter.

"This is a live feed. So as you can see your daughter is safe." The man, who Estella determined to be the leader, stated. "It is up to you to determine for how long she remains safe."

"How so?"

"I have instructions for you. You will follow these instructions to the letter. You will quickly realize who I am and what I want." The man paused and Estella wondered if he was attempting to appear dramatic. "You will understand how you have wronged me and my people. And you will pay for that injustice."

"I don't even know who you are." Estella snorted in reply.

The man grunted, "Oh how quickly you forget. You are all the same. You stick your nose into other peoples' affairs, where you are not needed nor wanted."

The accent was picking at her mind. That combined with the man's last statement was helping Estella close the loop on who this man may be. "What do you want from me? I'm just an archeologist."

There was a long silence, then she heard softer mutterings coming from the men behind her. A moment later, two of the three men appeared before her, masked and armed with AK-47 assault rifles. One man closed the laptop as he opened the metal box.

"No!" Estella exclaimed.

"You will see her again as you just have once you completed your tasks. If you do not complete your tasks you will see her again…in pieces." The man behind her laughed.

Estella's guy wrenched at the implication. "You'll never get away with this. I have friends in high places you know." She claimed, trying to sound calm.

"I know you do." The man replied. There was no hint in his voice that Estella's claim had rattled him at all. "And you will soon be visiting one of them. He's an old friend…of ours." The man laughed again and the evilness contained within that laugh made Estella cringe.

"Here is your first set of instructions." At that, the man that opened the metal box had retrieved a piece of paper and placed it on Estella' lap. She read the words and shook her head.

"No. I won't. I can't!" She jolted.

"Then your daughter will pay the price."

"No! Wait," Estella said. "Why do you want me to do this? What's the purpose?" But she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"You know why. You will retrieve the files listed in regards to the individual whose name is at the bottom of the paper."

"I can do that. But why…the rest?" Estella felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"He's a part of this as well. You know this now. He has to pay for what he did, just as you do."

Estella's throat had gone dry, she couldn't speak.

"You will do as instructed. Everything you need to gain access to the building and complete your task is in that box. My associates will escort you to the drop off point."

"You bastard." Estella croaked.

"You must decide what is best for your daughter, Doctor." The man stated matter-of-factly. "Do as instructed…or else."

Estella heard the man turn on his heel and walk off, a moment later a door opened and then slammed shut. She was alone with the two masked men. Never in her life had she thought she'd be in such a position and all because she had helped save another life so many years ago.

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Kosta had watched the entire interaction play out from the two way mirror that had been located at the back of the room where their captive, Estella Velasquez, was being held. His boss, Drazen, exited the interrogation room with a grin.

"She will do everything we want." Drazen stated.

"Are you sure?" Kosta asked.

"Of course, she wants her daughter back."

"What if she fails?"

"She won't."

Kosta studied Drazen's demeanor. His boss was confident, perhaps too confident. He was the same way in prison, but to Drazen's credit, his plan did get them all out of that hellhole. If nothing else, Kosta owed Drazen his life for the prison break.

"This is a dangerous plan, Drazen." Kosta said dryly.

"It is, but it will succeed. She can get us the information we need to find the girl."

"What about our backers?" Kosta asked, reminding his boss that there was another agenda they were required to fulfill as well.

Drazen's mood darkened. "We will get to that when we have completed OUR mission."

Kosta noted that Drazen's tone indicated that he wanted to hear no more of this conversation; at least for now. Kosta nodded then said, "I'll go make sure the men are ready to take the woman to the drop off point."

"Good." Drazen said quietly. 'The plan is in motion.' Drazen thought to himself. 'Now it's only a matter of time before I reclaim what was stolen from my people.'

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Special Agent Philip Corbin of Intelligence One rubbed his eyes as he glanced at the clock on the wall of his office. A quarter past 8:00 P.M. Corbin had decided to work late on this particular Thursday evening so he could spend some quality time with his family. His eldest daughter, Marissa, had a volleyball tournament in Bethesda over the weekend and he was determined to be there to cheer her on.

He stood and stretched, then walked over to the coffee pot in the corner of his office. The aroma alone was enough to give him a little pep in his step, but he poured himself a cup anyway. Sitting back down behind his desk, he picked up the report he had been working on, and prepared to get it finalized and signed when the buzzer on his desk phone chirped.

"Sir, you have a visitor," Corbin's administrative assistant, Ms. Lisa Saunders, announced. Phil didn't require his assistant to work late whenever he did, however she was studying for the cryptology examination that was going to take place in a couple months, so she did not mind staying late sometimes. Since she offered to stay late when he did, he told her it was okay to use that time once she was done with her tasks to study.

He picked up the receiver on his phone. "At this hour? Who is it, Ms. Saunders?"

"Ms. Estella Velasquez, sir."

"Estella?" Corbin was a bit taken aback. "Send her in, Ms. Saunders."

A moment later his office door opened and Estella entered. Phil immediately noted how tired and worn out she looked. She clutched her purse in both her hands, as if letting go would cause something disastrous. There was something in her face that he could not place, a look of worry or apprehension, perhaps?

"Estella, this is an unexpected surprise," he said as he rose from his chair, gesturing for her to take a seat in one of the leather upholstered seats in front of his desk. Estella nodded and sat down.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so late. I'm surprised you were still here," Estella said, barely looking at the man.

"It's alright. I've been working some late hours the past couple of weeks." Phil shook his head as he tried to ponder why Estella, whom he hadn't seen in probably a year, was now in his office at almost 8:30 at night. When he realized that she wasn't going to speak he decided to prompt her. "So, what can I do for you?" He didn't want to comment on her appearance at the moment.

Phil watched the woman intently as she pursed her lips , searching for the right words to say. "Phil, I-" she started, but stopped, glancing at the windows at the front of his office; the one facing his assistant's work area. Seeming to understand her discomfort, he got up and closed the blinds to the window, giving them some privacy. He hoped that she didn't start crying.

"Is something the matter? Is Jessie okay?" He remembered Race mentioning something a couple months back about Jessie visiting her mother this summer. The fact that Jessie was not with Estella at the moment wasn't lost on the man.

Estella watched the I-1 agent sit down in the chair next to her, trying to make her feel a bit more at ease. She averted her eyes from him, 'He has no idea,' she thought.

"No, Phil. She's not. That's why I'm here." Estella stammered, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes.

She saw a look of concern cross the man's face as he straightened his posture. "What's wrong? Have you talked to Race?"

"No!" Estella blurted out a bit too forcefully, causing Phil to flinch. "No, I can't. I can't tell him. I had to come here."

"Why?"

"Because that's what I was told."

Phil shook his head. She wasn't making any sense. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

Estella placed a hand across her mouth as she finally met the man's worried gaze. She had to stay strong. For Jessie. Remembering her instructions, Estella took a moment to compose herself in front of the agent before she asked, "Can I get a glass of water?"

Phil nodded and proceeded to the back of his office where he kept a small refrigerator filled with bottles of water.

Turning back towards the distraught woman, he noticed she now stood and was facing him. It didn't register at first what she was doing until he saw the small pistol in her hand. The fact that it had a sound suppressor attached to the end and that she currently had it pointed at his chest was not a welcoming sign.

Instinctively he raised his hands in the air, dropping the bottle of water. "What the hell are you doing, Estella?" he asked dumbfounded.

The woman that answered him was not the same as the one that had walked into his office only minutes before on the verge of tears. Estella was calm and cool. He could tell she was still upset, but a steely determination had settled into her eyes. Glancing at the pistol in her hands, Phil saw that the safety was off. 'This is not good,' he thought as he waited for the red-haired woman to make her next move.

"I need information from you, Phil," Estella stated matter-of-factly. Her voice was cold.

"Well, you don't have to point a gun at me for that," He said without moving from where he stood.

"Shut up," Estella growled. "Now, are you armed?"

Phil shook his head. "I don't wear a weapon in my office. Never saw a need for it." He added the last part with a bit of sarcasm.

"Where is it?"

"What?"

"Your gun!" Estella spat.

Phil cocked his head towards his desk. "Top left drawer. Estella, what's going on? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have to. For Jessie," she said as she moved toward his desk. She never lowered her weapon. As she reached his desk she saw the picture of his family. She felt a slight tug on her heart as she looked at the photo of Phil with his wife and two daughters. They were all smiling and happy. She tried to remember the last time she was in a picture like that with Jessie and Roger.

"Estella, please. Put the gun down," Phil said, watching her intently. "Yes, that's my family. You remember them? I have children. Why would you do this to them?"

"I have to," she said as she opened the drawer and saw his service weapon, verifying he was telling the truth.

Phil was starting to get angry and he let that anger get the best of him. "What the hell, Estella? You come here, point a gun at me, and then make demands? Who do you think you are?" He dropped his hands and took a step towards her.

Estella took a step back and leveled the gun towards his chest. "Stop!"

Phil stopped in his tracks.

"I need information and then I'm gone," Estella said. "Phil, please." The last was spoken as a plea.

"Put the gun down and I'll help you get your daughter back however I can."

Estella shook her head vigorously. "No, it has to be like this."

"Why?"

"Because they'll kill her if I don't follow their instructions to the letter!"

Phil sighed, but did not respond right off. "What do you want from me?"

"I need your files on Yuri Delic. All of them."

Phil was actually shocked at the request, to the point his response was purely instinctual. "What?"

"You heard me!" Estella motioned with the gun for him to move to the desk and his computer.

Phil obeyed. He felt Estella's presence directly behind him and as if to affirm this feeling he felt the muzzle of the suppressor pressed into the back of his neck as soon as he sat down. "Estella…" He started but she pressed the weapon harder into his flesh. He also felt her other hand pat down his back. 'She's checking to see if I'm wearing a vest.' He thought. 'This is not good.'

"Just do it. Print out all you have."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I have information on Delic, but…"

"But what?"

Phil could tell she was getting impatient. "Delic is dead, Estella."

He heard her gasp, but she quickly regained her composure. "You're lying."

"I'm not." He said as he worked the I-1 files, quickly pulling up the dossier on Yuri Delic. The file showed a picture of a man and next to the picture informational records, including his date of death.

"What about the girl?" Estella asked.

"Estella, no," Phil said. He had a feeling that once she asked about Delic, she would then ask about the girl. "We agreed on this."

"Things have changed." Estella said. "I need to know where she is."

"I can't tell you that." Phil said.

"Even with a gun pointed to your head?" Estella said, but Phil could tell it was hard for her to say those words.

"Give me her file, Phil!" Estella spat, attempting not to raise her voice so she would not alert the woman outside. With a bit more calm, she added, "I need it to save Jessie."

Phil remained determine in his conviction to withhold the information she wanted. "You know I can't give that to you, Estella. It's too risky."

"What about my daughter, Phil?"

"You know as well as I do that what…the girl possesses must remain out of the hands of those that I assume are making you do this. It goes beyond even us. That's why we did what we did back then. That's why we agreed that only I would know where she went, so to keep her and the secrets safe."

"That was over a decade ago."

"And?" Phil asked. "So you'd have her killed in order to save Jessie?"

"Don't say that, Phil!" Estella blurted and she pressed the barrel harder against the base of his neck. "You know I have no other choice."

"We all have choices, Estella."

"What if it was one of your daughters, Phil?"

"Don't do that, Estella." Phil said. "Instead you should put the gun down, let me stand up, and we can work together to save Jessie. We can call Race."

"No! Just print out the damn file on Delic."

Phil complied and the printer next to his desk whirred to life. "Now stand up." Estella ordered.

He did as she said again and slowly turned towards her. "Estella, just let me help you. I know this case, but Delic is dead. I assume it's those left of his gang that are making you do this."

"I need the girl's location?" Estella demanded.

Phil shook his head. "No more. I'm done, Estella. Take the files on Delic and just go. You are not getting anything on the girl."

"No. I have to do as they say."

At that moment Phil realized that she was serious. A determined mother would do anything to protect her child, even kill. His eyes drifted towards the drawer where his weapon was. He had to take the chance, but as he lunged Estella saw his move and reacted.

The gun went off.

Estella was almost as shocked that she had squeezed the trigger as the man she had just shot. She watched as the bullet hit Agent Corbin in the upper chest area, spinning him around and causing him to knock over his monitor from the desk. Estella watched as his body slid to the carpet. She felt as if she was watching from the outside, as if it wasn't her that had just gunned down an unarmed man in his own office.

Her head spinning, she stepped around the desk and glanced at the door. Nothing happened. Corbin's assistant must not have heard the commotion. Estella exhaled and grabbed the documents from the printer. She found an empty folder and placed the documents inside. It wasn't till she was about to close the folder and place it in her purse that she realized there was blood on some of the pages. It made her stomach lurch.

Estella inhaled and exhaled a number of times, trying to steady her nerves. She felt like she was going to vomit. Phil groaned and Estella watched as he tried to pull himself up off the floor. She stepped back as Phil made it to his knees, and then attempted to use the desk to pull himself up.

She felt as if she was out of her own body, watching the events from afar, observing this woman that looked like her, but wasn't her; attacking an unarmed, wounded man. Over a decade ago she had made a pact with this man, with Philip Corbin, to protect an injured girl from certain torture and death. And now she was betraying that pact, that trust, of both Corbin and the girl. Only Phil knew her new name. Only Phil knew where she was and if she didn't get that from him, Jessie would suffer.

Estella watched as Phil kept attempting to stand. His blood stained both the front and back of his shirt, the bullet had passed through him. He grunted and Estella realized that if he got up, he might have enough strength left to subdue her, then Jessie would really be lost.

Estella, barely knowing what she was doing, pulled the desk chair out the way, and as Corbin was trying to steady one leg under him, she lashed out and landed a swift heel kick to his knee. He collapsed back to the floor, grunting in pain.

"Tell me where the girl is?" Estella said through clenched teeth.

"Go to hell, Estella." Phil spat.

Without realizing her actions, Estella palmed the handgun, raised her arm, and swung. The weapon, secured in her hand, smacked into the side of Phil's face and he collapsed completely onto the floor. The sudden impact of the weapon impacted against Phil's skull jolted through Estella's arm, the pain shocking her back to reality. She saw the man's blood flowing from an open gash on the side of his forehead from the rough edge of the pistol.

"Damn you, Phil!" Estella cried through tears. But she knew she was almost out of time. The secretary outside would soon get suspicious. Estella had no way of accessing the data from Phil's computer; she wouldn't even know where to start looking since she didn't even know the girl's name. And that was assuming he even had a computer file on her, at least one here at his office. Panic finally set in as she looked at the man she had just shot and then knocked unconscious. She knelt down beside him, taking care to stay away from the blood that was slowly pooling. She quickly searched his pockets and took his keys and wallet. She glanced around and saw his suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair. She searched it as well and found his official I-1 credentials. She tossed all the stolen items into her purse, along with the bloody folder that contained the files on Delic.

Estella stood and looked around at the destruction she had caused. 'I had to do it.' That was all she kept telling herself. 'And I have to do this…for Jessie.'

"I'm sorry, Phil," she said. "Please forgive me."

She fired one more bullet into the man's back.

To Be Continued…