Author's Note: This one's probably going to be kind of long…but I had to fit in the plot twist….
Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I love you guys! This one's for you all!
Chapter 46: Rescue
Back at the hotel…
Lincoln stood near the window reading out of a book.
"I'm so glad you thought of buying a fake copy of that book," said Jack, "We'd be in serious trouble right now if you didn't."
Lincoln shrugged, "If you hang around Michael long enough you start to pick up on things like that."
Jack sneered, "Well it's a good thing you did."
Just then, the sound of footsteps outside their hotel room door alerted them. Lincoln froze and Jack reached into the side table drawer and pulled out her gun. Soon, a white envelope slid under the door and the footsteps receded down the hallway.
Lincoln approached the door slowly and opened it a little. Whoever it was had gone. He picked up the envelope and opened it. Two pictures slid out. Lincoln felt a surge of pain stab in his chest as he gazed down at them.
"What is it?" asked Jack, walking over to him.
"Pictures," murmured Lincoln without looking up, "Pictures of Sara and L.J…
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sophia turned away from the visiting area of SONA and walked back into the guard shack to sign out. She had told Whistler that Lincoln and Jack had taken the book. He had reacted indifferent to the issue and simply told her not to worry about it.
She frowned as she signed the book and glanced up to see that Lincoln and Jack had been there earlier that day.
Below their names was the address of the hotel they were staying at…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Lincoln and Jack returned to SONA and waited for Michael to be called out for visitation.
"How's it going?" muttered Lincoln as Michael approached them.
Michael frowned and furrowed his brow in frustration.
"That good, huh?" asked Jack, sarcastically.
"Yeah…it's pretty bad," said Michael, glancing away.
"We got some bird book from Whistler's girl, Sophia," said Lincoln, "Don't know what's so important about it, but she seemed upset when we took it from her."
"And we got pictures of L.J. and Sara," added Jack as she pulled them out of the white envelope. She held them up so that Michael could seem them through the fence.
Michael's face contorted in pain as he gazed at Sara's picture. Then, suddenly his eyes brightened. Jack recognized the look and inclined her head, curious as to what was going on behind those brilliant blue eyes.
"She's pointing at the paper," murmured Michael, "At Santa Rita…it's a small town near Panama City. She's trying to tell us where she is."
Michael's voice shook with emotion. Lincoln shared his pain, but was too busy thinking of a plan to give in to his emotions.
"Where in Santa Rita?" he asked.
Michael shook his head, "I don't know…but, she's trying to tell us…that's where she is, Linc. I know it, I can feel it. Look, if I can't get Whistler out of here, then you're going to have to get her out of there."
Lincoln and Jack's heads shot up in surprise.
"Look," said Michael, "I know it's easier said than done…but what else can we do?"
Jack nodded slowly after awhile.
"He's right," she muttered, looking at Lincoln, "It's up to us now…"
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Susan B. Anthony set up another meeting with Lincoln and Jack that afternoon. It was at another bar in Panama City, much like the first one they met in.
"Michael needs to talk to Sara," said Lincoln, before Susan could have a chance to speak.
Susan sneered in contempt, her eyes flashing with amusement and anger at his demand.
"You have a better chance of banging me on that bar over there than you do of getting Sara," she said, flashing one of her evil smiles.
"That's what you think," snarled Jack, angrily.
"I think I'll pass," added Lincoln, giving her a disgusted look.
Susan let her gaze drift over Jack for a moment. She gave her that admiring look like she always did, and then shifted her ice-cold eyes to Lincoln.
"Look," said Lincoln, "If you want him to fetch, then throw him a bone."
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Late that afternoon…
Lincoln and Jack were at the hotel room trying to come up with a plan when Lincoln's phone rang.
"Who is it?" asked Jack as Lincoln checked the caller ID.
Lincoln shrugged, "Unlisted number," he said as he opened the cell phone, "Hello?"
"Linc? It's Michael."
"Michael? What…?"
"I only have twenty-five minutes, Linc. I need to talk to her now!"
"Susan didn't agree to the call, Michael."
"What do you mean she didn't agree to the call!"
"She didn't say yes and she didn't say no."
"Linc…you have to do something. I have to speak to Sara…now!"
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Ten minutes later, Lincoln had managed to call Susan and convince her to let Michael speak to Sara. He told her it would keep him motivated. Susan finally gave in and allowed Michael to speak with her.
Jack and Lincoln paced back and forth across the hotel room, waiting for Michael to call them back.
When the phone rang, they both jumped in surprise.
"Michael?" asked Lincoln as he answered the phone.
"Linc, listen…they're not in Santa Rita. They can see it. And they're near some kind of clock. She said something about three o'clock too…I don't know what it means yet, but Lincoln you have to find her!"
"Okay, Michael. We'll do what we can."
……………………………………………………………………………………..
That evening…
Lincoln and Jack left the hotel and approached a taxi on the side of the road. As Jack climbed into the car, Lincoln froze with a look of horror on his face.
Jack gave him a curious look, but froze as well when she saw Sophia standing behind him. She had a knife against Lincoln's back and a furious look on her face.
"I want to know what's going on!" she demanded.
"We're breaking your boyfriend out of prison," hissed Jack in exasperation, "We're on the same team for crying out loud!"
"We are not on the same team," protested Sophia, "And James has a lawyer…he doesn't need to break out."
"Well why don't you go talk to him?" suggested Lincoln.
"We don't have time for this," snapped Jack as she grabbed Lincoln's arm and pulled him into the taxi.
Lincoln shut the door in Sophia's face as the taxi peeled away from the curb.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
A few minutes later, they arrived at what appeared to be a red light district of Panama.
"Are you sure this is it?" asked Jack, skeptically.
"Si," said the driver, "The Lady of Lost Causes statue is right there, in the center of the courtyard."
Lincoln and Jack shared suspicious glances, but climbed out of the cab anyway. They approached the statue and began to glance around, looking for any signs of L.J. or Sara.
Lincoln pulled out their pictures and began asking nearby people if they had seen either of them. Jack gazed at the statue with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Three o'clock," she muttered, "Hey, Lincoln…you think she meant a literal time, or a position."
Lincoln raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You know…like maybe she's sitting at three o'clock."
Lincoln's eyes brightened in understanding as they both whirled around to look in that direction. Just then a window in the building they were looking at shattered.
Lincoln's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Sara…"
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Lincoln and Jack tore through the crowd and ran towards the building. A burly looking man tried to stop them. Jack snarled angrily and with a few quick martial arts moves, managed to temporarily impair the man.
She ran after Lincoln into the building. They flew up a flight of stairs and found themselves in a rather spacious room filled with several Company agents. With a quick glance, they saw Sara and L.J. each tied to a chair near the windows.
Lincoln flew into a rage and began tearing away at the first man that made a move for him. Jack fought her way through the throng of agents, making her way to Sara and L.J. For a single second, she locked eyes with Susan. She allowed all the hatred she felt for the woman show in her eyes. She tore free of a man and leapt towards her, but by the time she reached Susan she was gone. It was like she had disappeared into thin air.
She whirled around and saw Lincoln viciously fighting off a rather tough looking agent. She glanced through the throng and saw that L.J. and Sara were no longer tied to the chairs. In fact, they too had disappeared.
Fear and dread clutched at Jack's heart. Where had they taken them?
Just then, she heard a cry from the far side of the room. It was Sara.
Susan had her by the arm and was dragging her towards a back door. Jack's eyes smoldered in fury as she raced towards them.
She grabbed Sara's other arm and pulled hard. Susan nearly lost her grip and whirled around to see who had dared try such a thing. She raised her hand to strike, but then her eyes met Jack's. She hesitated, just for a second, but it was one second too long.
Jack struck out with her foot and clipped Susan under the jaw. She cried out in pain and lost her grip on Sara's hand. Jack pulled Sara away and began to make her way to the other door.
"Lincoln!" she cried, looking around wildly for him.
Lincoln was already making his way for the exit. Jack tore after him, pushing Sara forward until they made it outside into the blinding sun…
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Yes, ladies and gentlemen that's right…SARA LIVES!
PLEASE REVIEW!