Title: Devil's Hand
Author: Cindy Ryan
Story status: Complete
Universe: ATF—created years ago on the Magnificent Seven fanfiction list. The boys live in modern day Denver as members of an elite ATF team.
Category: Angst
Summary: An old enemy of Buck's and Chris's resurfaces intent on shattering the team. But nobody takes down the Seven. Not without a fight.
Notes: I wrote this story about five years back and have had it posted at other sites. Decided to post it here so I'd have all my stories in one spot.
Buck Wilmington stopped at the intersection in front of the church where the others were gathered for JD's memorial service.
Buck glanced at the rental car's clock radio he still had time to go in if he wanted to.
He knew that's what Chris wanted.
It's what JD would have wanted.
Hell it was what a part of him wanted to do.
Buck sighed as he shook his head and maneuvered the car through the intersection.
He just couldn't face everyone. Couldn't look them in the eye when he was the reason they were gathered there.
Buck paused at the next stoplight and made a left turn. He had to do one more thing before starting his investigation into JD's death.
Facing everyone at the church was unbearable but what he had to do next was probably the most painful thing Buck had ever done.
He had to go home.
Five quiet ATF agents filed into their office three hours later. It had been a long day for everyone and it wasn't even half over yet.
Vin picked up a small cardboard box from the break room and moved to JD's desk. Carefully he began picking things up and packing them away.
A tiny diecast F-14...
Three dog-eared comic books...
Small framed picture of his mother...
A Colorado Rockies's baseball hat.
"It'll keep,Vin," Chris ordered quietly as he stood in the doorway of his office.
Tanner shook his head, "Has to be done sometime, might as well be now."
"I said leave it be!" Chris shouted before turning on his heel and slamming the door behind.
Vin winced as the wall vibrated but continued with his task. He figured it would be better for everyone if the reminders were cleared away.
Josiah came up behind the young agent and gently placed a hand on his shoulder pulling him away from the desk, "He's right,Vin. We all need time to reflect."
Tanner looked from his friend to the baseball hat in his hand to the box and back again. Finally he threw the hat down in the box and stalked out of the room.
Chris left the lights off in his office as he leaned back against the door closing his eyes.
He felt guilty about yelling at Vin.
Chris turned to head out of the office to apologize to Vin only to see him storm out of the room.
Larabee sighed and shifted his gaze to his desk. He frowned seeing the single folded sheet of paper laying in the center.
Pushing away from the door Chris moved forward and snatched the paper from the desk.
From the small shaft of sunlight Larabee read the short typed letter.
It was Buck's resignation.
The room he was in had no windows.
The door was heavy steel...no way out that way.
But JD had discovered that the rear wall was an outside wall. And after a few hours of searching he had found that a few of the bottom wooden planks were rotted.
JD knelt down and began to pry the planks away ignoring the splinters that cut into his hands.
He could only pray that he was in time.
Vin Tanner blinked in surprise as his jeep came to a stop. With a sigh he ran a weary hand through his long hair as he found himself at the warehouse where they were keeping what was left of Buck's truck.
How the hell did I end up here?
Tanner shook his head as he opened the door and exited the vehicle. Well he didn't want to go home and didn't want to go back to the office.
Vin headed toward the door of the warehouse might as well see if the lab techs have discovered anything yet.
Buck angrily swiped at the yellow crime scene tape that blocked the doorway of his apartment. He thrust the key in the lock and turned the key but no matter what he couldn't force himself to turn the door knob and go in.
Come on Wilmington, Buck chided himself as he swallowed hard and closed his eyes, You can do this. It's not like the kid's ghost is going to be sitting on the couch.
But as he stepped through the door Buck realized JD's ghost was there.
Memories assaulted Wilmington from every angle.
Too many and yet too few...
JD should've had many more years of memories...
Of his marriage...of his children...of his grandchildren.
Wilmington stepped into the living room and squeezed his eyes shut struggling to pull himself together.
This was not the time to loose it.
Buck sighed as he opened his eyes and walked over the broken glass heading toward his room.
He knew that if he let himself give into the grief he'd never surface.
Buck couldn't let that happen...not now. With each passing minute the trail of JD's killer grew colder.
Wilmington closed the door behind him as he scanned the small room for the items he needed.
There would be plenty of time for grief later once he nailed the murdering coward to the wall.
Chris had taken two steps toward the door when his phone rang. Larabee cursed silently as he whirled to face the offending machine.
Chris was sorely tempted to let it ring but then reason set in. It could be a lead on JD's killer.
The phone was on its fourth ring before Chris snatched the receiver, "Larabee?"
"Chris? It's Jason Krieg, just wanted to let you know somebody broke into Wilmington's apartment."
It took Chris a moment to place the name then he remembered that Josiah had placed a couple agents to watch the crime scene.
"Was the lock forced?" Chris asked.
"No, but with all the sophisticated lock picks out there these days crooks don't need to break a lock," Krieg replied.
"Anything taken?" Larabee asked as he leaned against the desk.
Krieg shook his head, "No, at least not that we can tell. Want me to get a team over to give the place a once over?"
Chris sighed inwardly he had a pretty good idea who had been there, "No, just keep an eye on who comes and goes. Thanks for letting me know."
"Anytime," Krieg replied,"We'll catch this guy,Chris."
"We better," Chris replied bitterly as he hung up the phone.