Yep. The team is getting closer. Here's the last chapter before the finale!

The SRUs took a total of three hours to finally apprehend the subject involved in the shooting near Grange Park. Three intense hours of scouring the surrounding neighborhood for the armed and dangerous fugitive.

It had started with an argument between two men, which then escalated into a brutal fight. One of the men, the subject, then pulled out a handgun and shot the other man dead. He had also let loose two more shots to a cop arriving in a patrol car, who came to investigate the call of disturbance. The cop was lucky he didn't get hit, while the subject instantly took off running. After a comprehensive door-to-door search, he was later found hiding in an old lady's house. Taking the woman as hostage, the subject had demanded a getaway car and a clear path to escape.

A lengthy negotiation then ensued between Sargent Parker and the subject, while Ed led tactical actions for both Team One and Team Three. It was completely routine, all in a day's work. In the end, the subject was overpowered and the hostage was rescued, unharmed. A happy ending to an otherwise alarming situation.

But Team One hadn't got their happy ending just yet, not until Sam was found. While hunting for the subject, the fate of a missing teammate had never strayed far from their thoughts. And so, the moment they had completely wrapped up the scene, they all bundled up into their vehicle and sped away. Spike had already planted himself behind the computers in the command truck, making a head start on his search through the city taxicab's databases.

"I've managed to gather a list of taxi services that had operating cabs within the immediate area on the night Sam was last seen. Those cabs were from Becks, Royal and Crown," said Spike, his voice sounded clear in everyone's headsets. "But none of them have reports of taking a passenger near the Barn."

Jules frowned. "So Sam didn't take a cab after all?"

"He did flag down a cab, Jules," Spike assured her. "I just got a feed from the nearest traffic camera at the main road. It clearly showed Sam standing in the rain before a taxicab pulled over and then he got in. But something's real odd."

"What do you mean, Spike? What's odd?" Parker asked. Sitting behind the wheel next to him, Ed also looked puzzled.

"I got a capture of the vehicle's plate number and made a quick search. The cab that Sam took was from the Starcab Taxi Company. But that particular cab was supposed to be off duty," Spike explained, "It shouldn't even be on the road because the vehicle was sent to an auto shop the day before for its mandatory annual maintenance."

"That is odd," Ed remarked, exchanging glances with the Sergeant. "If it were off duty, then who was driving it around looking for customers? Taxicab companies won't pay their drivers for any unrecorded pick-ups, would they?"

Parker nodded. "At least we're getting somewhere. Spike, you have the address for the auto shop?"

"Hold on one second. I'm calling Starcab right now."

"Boss?"

"Yes, Raf?"

"Um…it might be nothing, but I got a feeling…"

"What is it, Raf? What's on your mind?"

Glancing at Jules beside him, Raf continued, "Remember the 'Taxi Bandit', the one constantly on the news lately?"

"Are you suggesting Sam has become his latest victim?" Jules's eyes were widened with shock.

"I hope not, but based on what Spike just gathered, we'd better check it out. Just in case."

"Okay. Good thinking, Raf," said Parker. "Winnie?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Get me any authorized officials from the downtown station who directly oversees the Taxi Bandit's case. Let's find out how the investigation is going so far. It might help us figure out if Sam is involved and where he fits in all this."

"And if the Taxi Bandit has nothing to do with Sam's disappearance?" Ed asked.

Parker looked determined. "Then we'll keep on looking for new leads. We'll not stop searching until Sam is back with us, safe and sound."

"Sam…Hey, baby. Wake up."

Sam opened his eyes to a darkening day. Someone was standing right in front of him. Someone that looked awfully familiar.

"Jules…" he tried to speak, but his throat hurt so much.

She crouched down, brushing a warm hand against his burning forehead. "Shhh, my dear. You're going to be alright."

"I'm sorry…"

Of course, she couldn't understand what he said. He was still gagged. And bound. So then why wouldn't she untie him?

"We will find you, sweetheart."

Find me? he thought in confusion. But you're already here.

Sam had to blink repeatedly to clear his blurry vision. Jules had instantly vanished, much to his dismay. There was not even single sign that she had been there. Later, he understood. It was just a hallucination. He was only seeing things he wanted to see. He was so feverish that his mind was playing tricks on him.

Hallucination or not, he was real glad that he had seen her. Maybe for one last time. Even if he didn't make it, at least he had been given the chance to apologize to her.

So it could be okay if he let go now.

Just let go…

Sam's eyes slowly drooped close once more.

"You're kidding me," Parker exclaimed into the phone. "When was this?"

As he continued to listen, his eyes grew wider at what the person on the other line was telling him. Ed kept glancing at the Sergeant, anxious to know the details.

"Okay, Detective. That's great news," said Parker with a pleased smile. "Now we need your assistance. That man is a person of interest in our current case. We believe he is connected to a missing person. Can you arrange something here? Good, that's good, Detective. We are on our way. ETA five minutes."

Parker ended the call and announced to the team, "New deal, guys. We're heading to the downtown station. Gun it, Eddie."

"What is it, Boss?" Ed was quick to ask as he turned on the siren and cherries.

"A stroke of luck. The 'Taxi Bandit' has been caught just an hour ago, trying to leave the country. They have him in custody downtown."

"No shit? What makes them so sure they got the right man?"

"Detective Riley and his team have been following their own leads for weeks," the Sergeant explained. "They've carefully gone through all the statements given by the victims. Though they were robbed in different taxicabs, the victims gave the profile of a same man."

"Let me guess, the suspect is an employee of the auto shop company where those cabs were sent for maintenance," Spike piped in.

Parker nodded. "You're on the mark, Spike. How did you figure that out?"

"I spoke to the lady from Starcab just now. She told me this is not the first time they were questioned by the police about their cabs being involved in the Taxi Bandit's exploits. They have proven records that their cabs were being serviced when those robberies took place. I also checked with the other taxicab companies. Same deal. Someone has been using their vehicle for crime spree. Someone from the auto shop company, most likely."

Raf shook his head. "What a real piece of dumbass. This guy really thinks he'll forever get away with it?"

"I guess it's good for us he is a dumbass," Ed remarked. "This idiot might be our only lead to find Sam."

Upon reaching the police station, the entire Team One spilled out of their vehicle and rushed inside. But Parker put up an arm towards Jules, causing her to halt.

"Boss?" She frowned in puzzlement.

"We're going to interrogate the suspect until he gives us infos on Sam."

She nodded. "I'm aware of that. So?"

"Can you stay objective?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Jules, be straight with me here. Can you stay objective?"

Jules opened her mouth to blast the Sergeant with scathing remarks for questioning her professionalism. And then she realized that she was actually shaking with fury. She knew that if she got within a few feet of the Taxi Bandit, she would cause the man serious bodily harm. That's how angry she was.

"You're right, Boss. I can't promise I won't hurt him," she grudgingly admitted. "I'll sit this one out."

"I'll stay here with you, Jules. I'm real pissed too," Spike said, winking at her.

Raf stood flanking her other side. "Same here."

"Okay," the Sergeant acknowledged with a benign smile. He and Ed then went further inside, looking for Detective Riley. They found the man already waiting at the front desk. After a quick introduction, the detective led the way to an interrogation room down the hall.

"His name is Vince Curtis," said Detective Riley as he handed over a file folder. "He's a mechanic at the auto shop where those taxicabs were sent in for services. He fits the profile, he has the opportunities. All the victims we spoke to identified him as the taxi driver who robbed them. Finally we've caught the elusive Taxi Bandit. The case is closed."

"Not just yet, Detective," Parker said, riffling through the case notes. "We have suspicions that there's another victim that hasn't been accounted for."

"But there's no other recent report."

"That's because the victim is still missing, and maybe this Curtis guy knows where he is." Parker then gave the detective a brief overview about Sam's disappearance and how the team had come out with the taxicab angle.

Detective Riley nodded, understanding the situation. "You're sure he knows where your guy is?"

"Let's go ask him," Ed said with a strange look on his face, making a move to enter the room.

Parker held him back, though. "Ed, just keep something in mind."

"What?"

"We need this man alive to answer our questions."

Ed's eyes drew to a slit. Jules was not the only one who had troubles staying objective. If Vince Curtis was the actual man who had harmed Sam, Ed would love to punch the living daylights out of him. However, the team leader managed a cold smile as he replied, "He can still do that while barely alive."

With a slight roll of his eyes, Parker patted Ed in the back and they all went in.

The suspect was sitting alone inside the room, his arms cuffed behind his back. He looked bored and defiant. Upon seeing the SRU officers though, he sat up straight and turned several shades paler.

"Vince Curtis? I'm Sergeant Parker and this is Ed Lane. We're from the Strategic Response Unit. We've a few questions for you."

The suspect blinked, swallowing hard. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen this man?" Ed placed his phone on to the table in front of Curtis. On the small LCD screen was the most recent photo he had of Sam. Right that instant, the blood seemed to completely drain out of the suspect's face, turning him deadly white. A sure sign that he was guilty of something.

"Have you or have you not seen him?" Ed repeated more forcefully, resting his hand against the Glock strapped to his thigh. "Listen, punk. You'd better answer me now or I'm gonna shoot you in the kneecaps, and then your elbows, and then your—"

"No you wouldn't. You're a cop." Somehow the man found the courage to talk back.

Ed's blue eyes glinted with fury. He hovered over Curtis with a menacing glare, looking every inch the lethal officer of the law that he was. The suspect couldn't help but shrank back into his seat.

"What did you just say?" Ed growled, about to pull out his gun. "You think I won't do it, huh? You dare to test me?"

"Eddie," Parker solemnly said with a straight face, but inside he was grinning. Ed had managed to scare the bejesus out of the poor guy. If that wouldn't make him talk, then nothing else would. Taking over, Parker stepped forward and gave the trembling man a kind smile.

"Mr. Curtis, let us start over," the Sergeant suggested, playing good-cop to Ed's bad-cop. "Look, all we want to know is whether you've seen this young man, that's all. The sooner you tell us, the sooner we leave you alone."

Curtis glanced at Detective Riley who simply stood observing. He then looked at one SRU officer to another, anxious. Finally he admitted, "Yeah, I've seen him."

"When?" Ed snapped.

"Several nights ago. Friday, I think."

"How did you see him?" Parker then asked.

"How? Well, I…uh…I saw him standing by the side of the road."

"That's it? You just saw him standing there?"

"Err…yeah."

"You didn't even speak to him?"

Curtis shook his head, having trouble meeting Parker's direct gaze.

"Don't lie to us!" Ed roared, banging the table with his fist, causing the suspect to jump a foot in the air. He visibly flinched when Ed hovered much closer.

Parker calmly said, "Why don't you come clean, Mr. Curtis? We only want to find our guy. My best pal here, he's quite trigger-happy. He hasn't shot anyone today and that's why he's a bit cranky. Let's not make him any crankier or things might get real ugly."

"Okay, okay. I'll talk. No need for threats, man." The suspect was frantic, squirming in his chair.

"Then talk."

"Yes, I've seen this guy."

"We know that. What else?"

"He was standing in the rain by the side of the road, trying to flag down a taxi."

"And then what happened?"

"I pulled over and gave him a lift."

"What kind of vehicle were you driving?" Detective Riley took the opportunity to ask.

"It…uh…it was a taxicab."

"Was it yours?"

Curtis shook his head, looking extremely sheepish. "Umm…no."

"We'll come back to that later," Ed said, growing impatient. "Where did you drop him off, Curtis?"

At that, the man sat there frozen like a statue.

"No, I rephrase that. What did you do to him?"

Looking very scared now, Curtis audibly gulped and stuttered, "I…I…dropped him off in Warden Woods."

"That's not where he wanted you to drop him off, was it? Why did you take him there?" Ed continued to ask.

When the man stayed quiet, Parker lost his cool and shouted, "Tell us why, god damn it!"

"I planned to rob him," the man quickly replied.

"You planned?"

"Okay, okay. I robbed him. But I didn't mean to do him any real harm. If he hadn't put up a lot of fight, I wouldn't have tasered him."

"You…" Ed saw red. He grabbed the man by the shirtfront and hauled him out of the seat, slamming him against the wall. "You tasered him?"

"I had to! He was fighting me!"

"Well, what did you expect? You think he would gladly give up his belongings to you?"

"No, I…I…"

Ed tightened his hold on the man's collar. "What else did you to him? Did you kill him?"

"No, I just left him there, I swear." Thoroughly shaken out of his wits, Curtis began to weep.

"Alive?"

"Yes, alive!"

"Then why is he still missing?" Parker demanded to know, "Why hasn't he come home?"

"I…I don't know. M…maybe he's still there," the man stammered, tears and snot running down his face. "I left him t…tied to a tree."

Silence reigned as both Ed and Parker glowered at the sobbing man. Without realizing it, Ed had been squeezing Curtis around the throat. He quickly released his hold when Curtis started choking and coughing.

"You're going to show us exactly where you left him," Parker softly said after gathering his composure.

Curtis vigorously nodded. "Yes, yes, I'll show you the place. Just don't hurt me."

"Don't worry, Curtis. We wouldn't even have the chance to hurt you," Ed said with a cold laugh. "Because, you see, by the time we get our turns, a mad woman and an army General would have already torn you to pieces!"

TBC...

Next, the grand finale. Keep on hanging, guys!

p/s : I just watched 'Total Recall'. Man, it was awesome!