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.

In frustration Buck shoved the laptop aside and placed a hand over his eyes as he leaned forward.

If he stared at that screen any longer he was going to be seeing double.

Buck sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees his eyes still closed. He hadn't been able to find a damn thing in the old homicide cases.

Not that he really expected too.

But he had hoped he would find an answer, a lead, anything that would keep the grief at bay.

Give him something to concentrate on.

Buck jerked as the computer beeped. The dark haired man reached for the machine trying not to get his hopes up. Before he had set the computer down he had keyed in one more search.

Now the computer was telling him it had completed the search.

Wilmington hit the correct keys and the computer called up the files he had requested.

Buck's frown deepened as the search looked to be another deadend.

Case file #302: convict deceased
Case file #303: convict incarcerated
Case file #304: convict deceased
Case file #305: convict released
Case file #306: convic...

Buck's head snapped up as he quickly scrolled back a screen. Wilmington felt the color drain from his face as he read the information on the convict who had been released only a week before JD's death.

At least now he had a name.

The sun was setting and Chris Larabee was no closer to finding Buck. He had been hoping against hope that Buck hadn't left town. But as the last rays of daylight waned that possibility was looking more and more likely.

With no other places to look Chris parked his car in front of Buck's apartment building and exited the vehicle.

As he waited for the elevator Chris hoped that Buck would've left some clues behind as to his whereabouts.

But being around Wilmington as long as he had Chris knew that was a long shot.

Right now it was the only shot he had without alerting the brass that Buck was gone.

As he stepped off of the elevator Chris noticed that the door to Wilmington's apartment was ajar. Quickly withdrawing his gun Chris cautiously pushed open the door.

The darkened apartment revealed little of the intruder except a dark silhouette near the kitchen.

Larabee cocked the hammer back, "ATF agent, touch the sky!"

The figure turned slightly but didn't acknowledge Chris's command.

Chris frowned as he slowly moved toward the kitchen. As he got closer his eyes adjusted to the dim light but his shocked mind refused to identify the figure before him.

"JD?"The blond agent asked hoarsely as he warily lowered his weapon half afraid his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The boy barely resembled the young agent that Chris had seen only a few days before.

His skin was extremely pale and drawn.

There were dark gray circles under his eyes.

His hands were shaky and covered with dried blood.

His hazel eyes were dull and unfocused.

JD turned to face his hero and opened his mouth as if to speak but no words came out. The young man took a step forward before darkness closed in.

Chris quickly covered the short distance and caught JD before he hit the ground.

Larabee felt for a pulse and was relieved when he found one, "JD, you got more lives than a cat," Chris muttered as he reached for his cellular phone.

A red-haired man in his early forties glared at the empty warehouse.

"How could you possibly let him escape?!"The man demanded as he whirled to face his employee, "There was one, count it, one door for you to guard! Are you really that stupid?!"

The blond haired man in his late twenties visibly cowered in fear, "How was I to know the kid would go through the wall..."

The red haired man glared at him as he cocked the hammer on the gun, "Did I ask for an excuse? There is no excuse you could possibly give!"

The blond man turned to run but it was too late. He was killed instantly as a bullet slammed into the back of his head.

"it's so hard to find good help these days," the red-haired man muttered as he turned away from the body and left the warehouse.

Time to change his original plan.

Nathan Jackson stood a few feet from the small bed and watched the IV feed much needed nourishment into JD's body.

He still couldn't believe they had the boy back.

Chris hadn't had any answers as to where JD had been all this time when Nathan had arrived at Wilmington's apartment.

But the questions had instantly fled Nathan's mind when he had seen how malnourished and dehydrated the young agent was.

"How is he?"Chris Larabee asked softly as he appeared in the doorway. Nathan had suggested taking JD to one of the team's safehouses but Chris knew JD needed care immediately. A safehouse would take time and paperwork to setup so Chris had taken the younger agent to his ranch.

Jackson sighed as he turned to face his commanding officer, "it's a miracle he's here at all, Chris. From what I can tell it appears that whoever the bastard was that had him didn't give him any food or water."

"Will he make it?"Chris asked tightly. He didn't want to have to tell Buck that they had found the kid but not in time.

Nathan glanced back at Dunne's still form, "You know I don't like to give odds, Chris."

"Yes or no, Nate," Larabee snapped fighting to control his anger and helplessness. They still had no idea who had set the bomb and had kidnapped the youngest of the Seven. He had given the search for Buck over to Vin hoping the younger man's tracking skills would speed the process.

Nathan met Chris's gaze, "I don't know, Chris. A human body can only go so long without food or water. But you know there's nobody more stubborn than JD. If we give him enough nutrients he has a chance."

Larabee nodded, "If you need anything you'll have it. Just do what you have to to keep him with us."

With a last look at JD, Chris turned and left the small bedroom to let the others know about Dunne's condition.

Buck checked out of the hotel and sat for a moment in the car unsure of what to do next.

Logically Buck knew he should tell Chris what he had found out. That together the remaining six friends would pull together to bring a killer to justice who had taken one of their own.

But Wilmington just couldn't take it if this bastard got another one of the Seven.

Buck swallowed hard as an image of JD's smiling face unbiddingly sprang before his mind's eye.

It should've been him in the car...not the kid. JD had his whole life ahead of him.

Just like it should've been him who died three years ago and not Chris's family. He and Chris had been on a 'working vacation' down in Mexico keeping tabs on a suspect.

After the surveillance work had been completed Buck had talked his old friend into staying an extra day...

They had returned to Chris's home only to find it quarantined off by bright yellow crime scene tape.

Buck winced at the memory and snatched his cellular phone out of the glove compartment.

There had to be a way to draw this bastard out into the open without endangering anyone but himself.

Vin found his commanding officer out on the front porch leaning against the railing. Tanner stood to Chris's right as he watched the horses in the corral.

"I put a call into Travis," Larabee said quietly breaking the silence.

"You tell him about Buck?"Vin asked.

Larabee shook his head, "No, I was able to keep that out. I just asked him to send my old homicide cases."

"Ezra didn't have any luck tracking down the C4?"Tanner asked as he turned to face his friend.

Chris shook his head, "He's still got a few sources to check but I just got this feelin' that it all goes back to the beginning. There were a few cases that we coordinated with the Feds that might not have got filed with the others."

Chris saw the look on his friend's face and nodded, "I know I'm stretching but we don't have anything else to go on. Hell, we can't even find Buck to tell him about the kid..."

Vin took a step back from the railing, "I don't think he's left town. I'll check a few places see if I can track him down."

"Thanks, Vin," Chris replied as the sharpshooter left the ranch.

Josiah Sanchez quietly closed the door to the small bedroom and retreated to the living room.

Casey had finally fallen asleep after Nathan had sent over a sedative.

The big man settled into one of the living room chairs and picked up the newspaper. Nathan had also filled him in on the latest developments. He was very relieved that the boy was back amongst them but it was going to be hard keeping this from Casey.

The girl had lost her parents in a car accident when she was four. This whole incident with JD must be bringing that horrible moment back.

Josiah could only hope that in the end she would forgive all of them for keeping this information from her. After all they were only trying to keep both of them safe until they could figure out who was behind this.