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Chapter 21: Tragedy

Alex managed to carry Jack up a nearby flight of stairs. She had passed out from loss of blood and was complete and total dead weight. Finally, as he struggled up the last few stairs, an officer flung open the door and peered down inside.

"We have an agent down," he reported briskly into his walkie talkie as he helped Alex get Jack out of the tunnel, "Send a medic immediately!"

Alex sat Jack gently down on the ground and placed his hand over the bullet wound, trying to stop the flow of blood. Just then, his cell phone rang.

"Can't talk right now," he snapped.

"And why not?" demanded Bill Kim on the other end of the line.

"Jack's been shot," said Alex, voice shaking, "And it doesn't look good…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A few hours later at the hospital, Alex was waiting impatiently in the lobby. He kept standing up to pace the room restlessly. The doctors had yet to give him any news about Jack. Finally, a nurse walked into the room.

"Agent Mahone? Jack's out of surgery. She should be waking up anytime now," she said with a smile.

"So, she's going to be okay?" asked Alex, allowing a small glimmer of hope to fill him.

"So far, so good," replied the nurse, "The bullet's been removed and the wound has been sewed. She should be back to her normal self in a week or two."

Alex nodded and thanked the nurse, then made a bee-line for Jack's room. He opened the door and stepped inside. She was lying on a hospital bed, pail and unmoving. For a heartbeat Alex thought the nurse was wrong and Jack really wasn't alive. Then he saw her eyes flutter open.

"Jack?" he whispered as he moved quickly over to the side of the bed.

"Alex?" asked Jack, hoarsely, "What…what's going on?"

Jack glanced around the room with panic in her eyes. She tried to sit up but fell back in pain.

"No, no, no," said Alex brushing her hair from her face, "Don't try to get up. You were shot, remember?"

Jack looked at him blankly for a moment, but then her eyes brightened with clarity.

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, "I remember…Kellerman."

Alex nodded, "Yeah, Kellerman."

"What do we tell Kim?" she asked, concern in her eyes.

"Let me handle Kim," replied Alex gravely, "Don't worry about it."

Jack nodded and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I owe you one," said Alex, looking away.

Jack gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"You kind of stepped in front of a bullet for me," said Alex, with a slight smile.

Jack shrugged it off, "Don't mention it."

"Don't mention it?" said Alex, incredulously, "You nearly died…for me."

"I'd do it again if I had to."

"Well, do me a favor…don't," said Alex, growing serious, "I nearly had a heart attack in the lobby, waiting to see if you would pull through. I'd rather not go through that again if at all possible."

Jack smiled at Alex and reached over to touch his hand.

"I'd still do it again if I had to."

Alex smiled and shook his head.

"You're as stubborn as I am."

"No…I'm not that bad," replied Jack with a slight laugh.

Just then, the door opened and a man in a suit walked into the room. He was in his mid-thirties, blonde, blue-eyed, but had the unmistakable air of Company to him.

"Good to see you're awake," he said, glancing at Jack, "I heard that was a pretty rough surgery."

The man flipped open his cell phone.

"She's awake," he said glancing back and forth between Alex and Jack.

He paused for a moment and listened to the person on the other end of the line. Then he handed the phone to Alex.

Alex gave the man a scrutinizing look, then took the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Mahone? It's Bill Kim. Your partner's lucky. Now that she's okay, we need to talk."

"What is it, Kim?" asked Alex with a sigh.

"Kellerman finished the job you and Jack couldn't. But he, unfortunately, is still out there. He's a loose end. You need to finish what you started."

Alex laughed and shook his head.

"Something funny?"

"Just that Kellerman's more of a loose end than you think. He tried to shoot me. Jack pushed me out of the way and took the bullet instead. The guy you wanted to double-cross just screwed you first."

"Scofield and Burrows…"

"Are probably alive…and on the run with Kellerman."

Kim did not reply. He was too stunned to speak.

"Have a good day, Kimmy."

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Later that day, Jack was sitting on the edge of her bed. Alex sat beside her, arm wrapped around her back for support.

The agent from earlier that day barged into the room.

"Just spoke to Kim. He wants you two to finish the job."

"Yeah?" asked Alex, giving the agent a dissatisfied glance, "Well that's not going to happen."

Jack glanced at Alex in surprise. What did he mean by that? They couldn't just walk away from this, could they?

"This isn't a request," retorted the agent.

"And this isn't a negotiation. Kim and Kellerman can try to kill each other all day long…but we're out."

"You must have forgotten about how discrete we have been with what we know…"

"Go tell the world about Shales!" yelled Alex with a wild look in his eyes, "In fact, I will. I killed a predator…a man who tortured and raped women and I buried him in my own backyard. I'll do the time."

Jack looked at Alex like he had lost his mind. What in the world was he thinking?

"I don't care anymore," continued Alex, "I'm out! Is that clear enough for you?"

Jack glanced back at the agent to judge his reaction. He did not speak, but the look in his eyes was unsettling…very unsettling.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that evening, Jack and Alex were still in the hospital. Jack was lying on her hospital bed and Alex sat in a nearby chair.

"So what do you think they'll do?" asked Jack, hesitantly.

"Who?"

"The Company…they can't be happy with this."

Before Alex could reply, his phone rang. He glanced down at the caller ID.

"Pam?" he muttered, "Why's she calling me?"

Jack sat up slightly. Pamela Mahone…Alex's ex-wife. Part of her was always curious about this woman. She must have been pretty tough to put up with Alex for all those years. He wasn't the easiest man to get along with. He let very few people into his life.

"Alex, Cameron's hurt!" yelled Pam.

"What happened?" asked Alex as he stood up from his chair.

"It was a car…hit and run," sobbed Pam on the other end of the line, "His leg is broken in two places."

"I'll be on the next flight to Colorado, okay?" said Alex, voice shaking.

"He's in surgery…"

"I'll be right there, Pam."

Alex ended the call and began to rapidly gather his things from the hospital room.

"Alex, what's going on?" asked Jack, "What happened?"

"My son…he was hit by a car," said Alex, voice cracking with emotion, "His leg's broken in two places."

Jack felt like her blood had turned to ice.

"I'm going with you," she said, finally.

"No…you need to rest and…"

"Alex, they hurt you're son!" screamed Jack, with a sudden burst of emotion.

"What are you talking about?" asked Alex, pausing long enough to look at her. It was not like her to react like this.

"The Company…it has to be them. You told them we were out…maybe this is there way of telling us we're not…"

Alex closed his eyes briefly. If that was true, then this was his fault.

"Like I said…I'm coming with you."

"I guess there's no way I can persuade you to stay here?"

"No," replied Jack, eyes tearing up, "Not a chance."

Soon, they were walking out of the hospital as fast as they could. Alex kept a steady pace, but Jack was still weak from blood loss. She struggled to keep up, but refused to slow down. They had to get to Colorado as soon as possible.

The second they stepped outside, they heard a familiar voice.

"Agent Mahone, how's your son?"

It was the agent that had come into their hospital room earlier that day.

"You've made a mistake," snarled Alex.

"No, you did," retorted the agent, "Think you can just quit? Now, when you get back in, clean up your mess and maybe there won't be another accident on the streets of Colorado. And as for you, Jack…expect a phone call later."

"Why?" demanded Jack. Suddenly her eyes clouded over as she read the meaning behind the agent's words, "No…you didn't…"

Alex's eyes darkened with rage as he too realized what the phone call could mean.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that evening, Alex and Jack were sitting in their car. Alex opened up his cell phone reluctantly and called Kim.

"Yes?" asked Kim.

"Mr. Kim? I just wanted you to know that we're getting back to work."

Alex stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him. Jack remained where she was in the passenger seat. Her face was pale and her eyes filled with fear and concern.

"So I take it you got my message?" asked Kim, smugly.

"Oh, yeah…loud and clear," replied Alex as he hung up.

He popped open the trunk of the car to reveal the agent stuffed inside with a bullet hole in his head.

Just then, Jack's cell phone rang. She fumbled for it in her pocket and with trembling hands answered it.

A couple minutes later, Alex climbed back into the car. He glanced over at Jack and saw the look of horror on her face. She had her cell phone to her ear, but let it slip out of her hand and fall to the floor.

"Jack…what is it?" asked Alex, hesitantly.

"They…they killed my parents…"

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