Chapter 4

Martin caught a cab back to Samantha's apartment and picked up his car before driving across town to meet Danny at Brian Donovan's apartment.

"Hey," Martin said, greeting his colleague who was standing, waiting for him, outside the entrance to the building.

"How's Jack?" Danny enquired, justifiably worried about his boss.

"It looks like he's going to be okay. That punk Donovan fractured his skull he hit him so hard. He could have killed him," Martin fumed as they started up the stairs.

"I don't know what Sam ever saw in him," Danny commented as he followed Martin. "Apartment 2C," he said, guiding his colleague to the address.

"This way," Martin said at the next landing, as he logically followed the numbering sequence.

The two agents stood outside the door of apartment 2C, one on either side of the door. Danny knocked loudly.

"Brian Donovan!" he shouted. "FBI, open the door."

They both listened intently for any sound or movement but they heard nothing. Martin and Danny exchanged glances. They didn't have a warrant and knew they couldn't legally enter the apartment unless they had probable cause.

"Did you hear that?" Danny asked his partner.

"Hear what?" Martin asked looking puzzled.

"I thought I heard a baby crying," Danny lied conveniently.

"You did?" Martin said, listening intently before he realised Danny's ploy. "Oh, yeah, I think heard something too."

With that, Danny stepped back and put his entire weight behind a kick to the door. The lock gave way and the two agents entered, weapons drawn. The apartment was small and dingy and decidedly unkempt. It was a far cry from the comfortable place Brian used to share with Samantha. It only took a few seconds to make sure they were all clear. Then the two agents got to work, looking for anything that would lead them to Donovan.

Elena and Samantha were allowed to sit with Jack once he was settled into his room. He lay motionless on the bed, the back of which was slightly elevated. His pallor was pale, but at least he appeared to be resting comfortably. As they sat, Elena asked Sam about Brian, hoping to get some insight into where he was going or what he was going to do.

"Has he relatives in the city, someone he could go to?" Elena enquired.

"Not that he ever mentioned. They live out of state," she told her. "Maybe he'd go to a friend? Dave Tomasz is a friend of his that I've met a few times. He lives on Staten Island I think. I don't really know. He had some friends at his old job; we could check with them," Sam suggested.

"Don't worry. Viv's already arranging that," Elena told her. "I'm still shocked that you think he did this to Jack. Has he ever been violent before?"

Sam cringed at the question. She didn't really want to air her dirty laundry to her friend, but she knew that they needed to know the true Brian if they were to find Finn.

"Yes," she replied honestly, trying to hide her humiliation. "That's the reason why I broke up with him. I saw a side of him that I didn't like."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elena apologized. "I had no idea."

"It was good at the start. We were happy. We had Finn and things were going well. Most guys feel intimidated by my job, but he seemed fine about it. He accepted that I had certain responsibilities, but after the accident he grew to resent that I was away a lot, working long hours. Then he started accusing me of seeing someone else, but it was all in his head. He grew more and more paranoid. I tried explaining that there was no one else, but it all came to a head one evening when I got home late again. Finn was in bed and Brian was in a temper. I don't know what brought it on, but we got into an argument and he hit me. I swore that I would never let any man hit me, especially not in my own home, so I told him to get out," Sam explained. "He apologised, begged to stay, but I wasn't having it. I would never forgive him for that."

"You should have said something," Elena said. "At least told somebody."

"I did, I told Jack….. eventually," Sam replied. "Of course, he came over all "knight in shining armour" and wanted to rough Brian up for me, but I managed to talk him down," Sam smiled, remembering that conversation and Jack's bravado.

The two agents chuckled, each knowing exactly how Jack would have dealt with Brian. Sam turned back towards Jack.

"He is going to be okay, isn't he?" Sam asked, resting her hand on Jack's.

"Of course he is," Elena replied. "It will take more than a bump on the head to keep Jack Malone down."

Danny and Martin continued to search through Brian Donovan's personal belongings. Martin had found his passport in a drawer and drew some comfort from the fact that he at least couldn't take Finn out of the country. As he continued his search, Martin heard Danny call him from the bathroom.

"What is it?" Martin asked, joining him.

"Look at these," Danny said, lifting some pill bottles from the medicine cabinet.

Martin read the labels. Klonopin and Effexor – the names of two anti-depressants Martin recognized, a couple of others that he didn't. There was also quite a collection of prescribed pain meds. Obviously Brian was going through some stuff. Martin remembered his own battle with prescription meds and almost felt sorry for Donovan. He knew that Brian had sustained serious injuries in the car accident the previous year and obviously wasn't fully recovered.

"I wonder does Samantha know," Danny asked, as if reading Martin's mind.

"I've no idea," Martin replied. "She never mentioned it but then again, would you?"

"I guess not," Danny replied, bagging them for evidence.

They continued on with their search, collecting bank statements, address books, anything they thought pertinent to the case.

It didn't look like Brian had been back to his apartment in the hours since he took Finn, so they made a call and arranged for some agents to watch the apartment in case he returned. They headed back to the office with the evidence they had gathered and hoped that in their hands they held the keys to finding Brian Donovan.

A/N - a short chapter this time. Small, but necessary. Next one very soon.