Run and Hide
Disclaimer: Ooh, my bank account went up... oh, nope, never mind it's just my meager paycheque. I still don't own anything to do with the show.
A/N: Just watched the show tonight, and I congratulate them on creating the first episode to make me cry. I spent the whole show thinking something bad was going to happen, and what got me? No, it wasn't the child being returned to his mother, though that was close. It was the end of the episode - the family dinner and the Mother's Day prayer they participated in. T_T
Thanks again for the reviews/alerts! Feedback is appreciated. :)
On another note, I get the feeling that there may have been some lost interest in the story - I take the bad with the good... if something bothers you, go ahead and tell me that too, if you want. Then I know what to change/avoid the next time around. ^_^
Anyway, onward! :)
Chapter 5
Danny opened the front door, sniffing appreciatively. His kids raced in ahead of him, laughing and taunting one another.
"Boys, slow down!" Linda called after them, quickly righting the vase that was about to fall off of the small table by the door. She shared a look with Danny, who smirked.
"Boys will be boys."
"That's always your excuse, Danny." Linda grumbled, making her way into the kitchen. She gave him a smile as she passed.
"Dad? Grandpa?"
"Living room." Frank called.
"Kitchen." Henry added, poking his head out the door. Danny glanced inside. Erin was trying to put a salad together as Linda checked on the roast in the oven. His grandfather was holding a pan containing two loaves of fresh bread.
"It smells great, Grandpa." Danny smiled, heading into the living room to meet with his father. He passed by Nicki, who was trying to hold off her cousins as they tried to tickle her. Danny laughed before grabbing his youngest.
"Leave your cousin alone, boys. Nicki doesn't deserve your torture." He put Sean down, ruffling Nicki's hair as he passed by.
"Hi, Uncle Danny."
"Hi, Nic. Don't let them pull one over you. I give you permission to attack them back."
Nicki grinned evilly at her cousins, who shrieked and took off down the hall.
Danny shook his head, continuing on to the living room. "Hey Dad."
"Danny." Frank smiled in greeting, putting down his paper. Danny sat on the couch closest to his father's chair.
"Dad, have you heard anything from Jamie? I noticed he wasn't here yet when Linda and I pulled up." He asked, worry tinting his voice.
Frank bit his lip, sighing heavily. "No, son. I haven't heard anything. I tried calling his apartment half an hour ago, but there was no answer. His cellphone didn't connect."
Danny nodded, staring at his feet. "Well, his cellphone makes sense. There's no signal up there. But wasn't he planning on being back by now?"
"Yes, that's what worries me. Your brother is almost anal when it comes to being on time."
"Yeah, he freaks if he's a minute late." Danny smirked. His smile faded as he shared a worried look with his father. "Do you think he…" Danny trailed off, not wanting to even think it.
Frank shook his head. "No, I really don't, Danny. He was upset about something when he left on Friday, but I don't think it was that bad."
Danny nodded, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. "Maybe he had car trouble on his way back?" he tried. "Who knows when the cell towers start broadcasting again. He might not be in range."
Frank shrugged. "It's always possible, but he keeps that car fine-tuned. It runs better now than it ever did before."
Danny sighed. "I don't know what else to say. Something's not right though, Dad. I just know it."
Frank's face fell. "I know, son. I've had the same feeling all day."
"Dinner!" Erin called, poking her head into the living room. The two men stood up.
"Let's just give it some time, okay?" Frank said. "Maybe he's on his way now. He does become distracted sometimes."
"Yeah, you're right, Dad. We'll just see how it goes."
They made their way into the dining room, taking their usual places. The rest of the family filed in. Henry sat at the other end of the table opposite Frank. He gave a quick, suspicious glance to Jamie's empty seat, sharing a look with Frank and Danny. They both shrugged.
Nicki said Grace that night. As soon as she finished, the food was passed around. Conversations and laughter filled the air with the sound of clinking forks and knives. The three men at the table joined in, pretending that nothing was wrong, but took turns secretly casting worried glances at Jamie's empty chair, one that continued to remain empty.
"Where's Uncle Jamie?" Jack asked once the main course was over, looking enquiringly at his father. Danny cleared his dessert out of his throat as he tried to think of an answer.
"He told me earlier that he might have another engagement to get to tonight. He wasn't sure if he'd get here in time for dinner. My guess is that he couldn't get away."
Jack stared at his plate. "He never misses, though."
Danny ruffled his hair. "Sometimes things have to change. He'll be here next week." He gave a quick glance at his father, fervently hoping that he was telling his son the truth. He felt eyes burning into him and glanced across at his sister. Erin was staring at him, eyes narrowed, trying to read him. He looked away quickly.
"Come on, kids." Henry said, interrupting the tense silence. "Come help this old man clear the dishes."
"No, Pop, you sit." Linda protested. "I'll get them. Come on, boys. Help your mother."
Erin and Nicki stood, gathering up dishes and heading into the kitchen. The boys sighed, reluctantly picking up their own plates and following their mother. Danny, Frank, and Henry were left alone to stare at each other.
"What do we do?" Danny asked the two older men.
"Maybe we should try calling him again." Frank supplied. Danny nodded.
"You're right, Dad." he agreed, pulling out his cellphone. "I'll give him a call."
Danny wandered out onto the back porch, dialing Jamie's apartment as he went. He listened to the ringing in his ear. Two rings. Four. Eight. Danny sighed, hanging up. Jamie's apartment wasn't that big. It wouldn't take him so long to get to the phone. He dialed Jamie's cellphone number. It rang several times…
"You've reached Jamie Reagan. I'm not available right now, so please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Danny groaned in frustration. He heard the beep. "Kid, it's Danny. Call me when you get this, okay? We're worried, you haven't shown up and you're really late. Just call me." He hung up, snapping his phone shut. He made his way back into the dining room, where Erin now sat with her father and grandfather. She turned to look at him.
"Danny, where's Jamie? Has he…" she paused, glancing into the kitchen. She lowered her voice. "Has he gone back undercover?"
Danny shook his head. "No, not that we've heard."
"Then where is he? It isn't like him not to be here!"
"You think?" Danny snapped. Frank cleared his throat, gaining their attention before a fight could break out.
"Danny, did you reach him?"
"No, Dad. There's no answer at his apartment. His cellphone connected, but went to voicemail. I left a message for him to call me."
Frank nodded. "It didn't connect when I called earlier. I suspect that he's back in the city, at least."
"Or at least his cellphone is." Henry muttered.
"What are you three not telling me?" Erin asked, worry for her brother pushing through.
The three men sighed. "Erin… did you see him at all on Friday?" Danny asked.
"No, why?"
"He didn't really seem like himself. He said he was going camping."
"Okay, so what? Maybe that's where he is now. Who did he go with?"
Danny glanced at the other two before turning back to his sister. "He said he was going alone, and that he was heading up to Angels Retreat."
Erin raised an eyebrow. "Why would he go there?"
"Question of the day." Henry grumbled sarcastically. Frank shot his father a look before answering his daughter.
"We don't know, Erin, but something was bothering him. He wouldn't talk to us. He just kept brushing us off. He kept asking what the big deal was and that he just wanted some time alone."
Erin looked at her hands. "Maybe he's been finding the job hard to take. Who wouldn't want some alone time just to think? I'm pretty sure you three have thought the same thing."
The three men glanced at each other, guilty looks on their faces. "Maybe." Henry supplied. "But we've never run off. We've had people to talk to. So does Jamie, but he chose not to. He chose to actually take that alone time. That's what's scaring us, sweetheart. He doesn't usually do this."
Erin sighed. "I know, Grandpa. Do you…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "Do you think he would hurt himself?"
Frank shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He wasn't acting like that. And he specifically said he'd be back in time for supper tonight."
"Except that he wasn't."
"Exactly."
The four stared at each other, worry mirrored on their faces, each wondering what trouble their son, grandson and brother had gotten himself into this time.
~~BB~~
Jamie woke up slowly, light hitting him directly in the face. He squinted, turning his head away from the tiny window above him. He rolled onto his side, first noticing that his ties were gone, that the tape was off of his mouth, then finally noticing the figure standing just inside the room. It was that blond brute. He stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He pushed away from the wall, walking over to Jamie.
Jamie sat up painfully, his head still throbbing, though not as bad as before. He stared at the man before him, watching as he plunked a full bottle of water down in front of him. The man's face surprised him. He wore an almost sympathetic expression.
"Watch yourself." he muttered before turning back towards the door.
"Wait!" Jamie croaked out. The man turned to face him, eyebrow raised. "What am I doing here? What do you want with me?"
A look of pain crossed the man's face, though it was gone so fast that Jamie thought he'd imagined it. The man shrugged. "Whatever Jake wants, Jake gets" was his answer. He quickly left, locking the door behind him. Jamie stared, dumbfounded, at the closed door. Did that man just try to warn him again? Slowly, he reached for the water bottle, cracking the top. Praying it wasn't poisoned, he downed half of it in one gulp. Taking another sip, he replaced the cap, placing the bottle off to the side for later. He leaned his head against the wall.
A sudden realization dawned on him; being back in the city, his phone would be in working order. He fumbled around, feeling his pants pockets. Frowning, he checked his shirt pocket, then his jacket. His lips tightened. The freaks must have grabbed it from him while he was unconscious. He sighed heavily, now more than worried. There was no way out.
He sat, lost in his own morbid thoughts when the door opened again. He stood as quickly as his head would allow, pressing himself against the wall. He stared warily at Jake. His other three cronies filed in behind him, Andy and Kevin smirking and looking excited, Cole shooting wary glances between Jake and Jamie.
Jake smiled, the smile looking rather evil. "Why didn't you tell me, punk?" he asked, pretending to sound hurt.
"Tell you what?" Jamie mumbled, his throat still dry.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a cop, Jamie. Oh, and you definitely left out the part that you're a Reagan as well. Shame on you, withholding information like that." Jake pouted mockingly.
Jamie stared, horrified. "How did you…"
Jake scoffed. "You think I'm dumb, Reagan? You think you can take me for a fool? You wear your heart on your sleeve, moron. Or, should I say your phone!" He held up Jamie's stolen phone. "Really, putting a picture of your beloved family right on the screen… anyone could see that and identify you. Do you not think?"
Jamie's mind raced. That was his personal phone. He never kept it on him while at work. His entire family knew the number of his work phone if they needed to reach him immediately. Otherwise they left a message on his personal phone that he'd get to at the end of his tour. He hadn't been undercover in ages, so he didn't think that factored in. He glared at Jake.
"You're bluffing… you must think I'm the fool!" he spat, ignoring the pain in realizing that this crazy psychopath now knew the members of his family.
Jake snorted, narrowing his eyes. "What is with you, Reagan? Any other man would be crying out for his daddy by now. You know you're going to die, don't you? Yet you stand here, all tough and macho…"
It was Jamie's turn to scoff. "You really think I'm just going to roll over and give up?" His own eyes narrowed. "I won't give you that satisfaction, you bastard! You won't break me!" If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting.
Jake raised an eyebrow as Andy and Kevin snickered. "Watch me." he snarled, angered by the defiance this man showed. No one got the better of him, especially this man! "You ruined what happiness I had, Reagan!" he snarled again. "You're going to pay for that!"
Jamie's eyes widened. "What the hell are you talking about? I've never even met you before…"
"Really?" Jake growled. "You don't remember Thursday night? It wasn't that long ago!"
Jamie's eyes widened as he remembered. "You… that was you… the boy…"
"You killed my brother!" Jake snarled, leaping towards Jamie. Jamie tried to move, but with his back already against the wall and his head still throbbing, he wasn't nearly fast enough. Jake grabbed him by the throat, squeezing. Jamie grabbed at his arm, trying unsuccessfully to get him to let go as he gasped for air. Jake was just inches from his face.
"I… I didn't…" Jamie squeaked out, the pressure in his head increasing.
"Yes, you did! You may not have pulled the trigger, but you still killed him!" Jake spat, finally releasing him. Jamie covered his throat, doubling over, gasping as he tried to pull air past the bruises. "He was the only person I gave a damn about, and you killed him!"
"No…"
"I'll be back for you, Reagan! And you'd better keep your mouth shut next time!" Jake whirled around, pushing past his startled thugs. Andy and Kevin hurried out after him, disappointed that they didn't get to witness a good, old-fashioned beat down. Cole stood there a few seconds longer. Jamie glared hatefully back.
"I told you to watch yourself." Cole muttered quietly, the look of sympathy back on his face. "I'd do as he says next time." He turned, quickly leaving and locking the door behind him, leaving Jamie in his musty dungeon.
Jamie slid down the wall, massaging his throat. He could definitely feel the bruises forming already. He swallowed painfully, his eyes stinging as he remembered the whole reason he ran away Friday afternoon. He remembered the whole reason he couldn't face his family…
His cheeks burned as he felt the tears start down his face, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.
~~BB~~
Danny cracked open an eye, glaring that the offending sunlight that tickled his eyeball painfully. He glanced at the clock, the red numbers showing that it was nearly six-thirty Monday morning. He'd barely slept, only dozing off and on, waking up every couple of hours. His mind was full of thoughts of his brother, his nightmares showing him the worst possible scenarios. He looked at Linda as he sat up, still sleeping peacefully. He heard silence coming from his sons rooms, indicating that they, too, were still sleeping.
Danny stood carefully, unable to relax. He shuffled towards the bathroom, turning on the shower. He showered quickly, turning his attention to shaving. He stared at his tired looking reflection.
"Jamie, you'd better be okay…" he mumbled to himself, turning off the light as he left the room. He wandered back into the bedroom, noticing the bed was empty. He dressed quickly, making his way downstairs. Linda was standing in the kitchen.
"Morning, babe." she smiled in greeting. "Coffee's ready. The eggs will be just another minute. Could you go wake up the boys?"
"Sure, Lin." Danny said, kissing her gently.
"Ewww!" came the voice of his oldest son. He turned, grinning at Jack who stood there in his pajamas, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"Good morning to you too, Jack." Danny laughed. Linda smiled.
"Do you want eggs, Jack? Or just toast and cereal?"
"Cereal and eggs, Mom. Please?"
"That's fine, honey. Did you see your brother upstairs?"
"No." Jack replied, sitting down at the table. "I think he's still asleep."
"I'll go wake him, honey." Danny said, making his way back upstairs to his youngest son's room. He poked his head inside just in time to see Sean sit up, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "Hey buddy, are you getting up?"
"Yeah, Dad." Sean replied, yawning. He hopped out of bed, hugging his father before walking into the bathroom and closing the door. Danny headed back downstairs.
"He just got up."
"Good." Linda replied, scooping eggs onto a plate and adding a couple pieces of toast. She handed the plate to Danny just as her youngest shuffled down the stairs. "Good morning, honey. Do you want eggs?"
Sean made a face, making his brother laugh. "No, Mom. Just cereal."
Linda smirked, handing a bowl and the box of cereal to her youngest. "Be careful with the milk. The container's full." Sean nodded, carefully pouring out the cereal into the bowl. He grabbed the jug of milk that sat on the table, using both hands to pour. He set it back down triumphantly, not a drop having been spilled. He looked at his father for approval.
"Great job, Sean!" Danny cheered, patting his son on the back. Jack snorted into his eggs.
"What?" Sean pouted.
"I had the milk figured out ages before you, Sean!" Jack retorted. "I was younger than you when I poured my first glass!"
"Now Jack," Danny interrupted. "You know it doesn't matter when you were able to lift the jug without spilling. The point is that you did it. Sean did very well, just as you did."
Jack nodded, looking sheepish. "You're right, Dad. I'm sorry, Sean." he said, looking at his pouting brother. Sean nodded, stuffing a spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth. He still glared at his brother every now and then.
Danny stood, taking his plate to the sink. "I've got to run, boys." he said, giving Linda another kiss. "I'll see you at dinner."
"Bye Dad!" his sons chorused.
"Have a good day, honey." Linda said, feeling like something was wrong but unable to put her finger on it. She watched her husband hurry towards his car. She shook off the feeling, getting back to the dishes waiting in the sink.
~~BB~~
"Good morning, Sunshine."
Danny glowered at his smirking partner. "Morning, Jackie."
"What's got you in a fury this morning?"
Danny shrugged off his jacket, tossing it onto the back of his chair. He plopped down, leaning his elbows on his desk. He sighed, squinting into his coffee cup, the black liquid looking less appealing than it did just moments before. "It's Jamie."
"Is he still in a mood?"
Danny shrugged. "I wouldn't know. He didn't come home."
Jackie stared at him. "What do you mean he didn't come home?"
Danny gave her a funny look. "What else would I mean? He didn't show up at dinner last night, and all attempts to phone him went unanswered. Dad tried earlier in the day when his cell wouldn't connect. I tried after dinner and was able to leave a message on his cell."
"Then he's back in the city, right?"
"It would seem so, but why wouldn't he answer or get back to us or show up when he said he would?"
It was Jackie's turn to shrug. "I don't know, Danny. I don't have any answers for you. Maybe you should try calling him again?"
Danny nodded, already reaching for the phone. He dialed Jamie's apartment. In a repeat of last night, it rang several times with no answer. Danny sighed, hanging up. He ran his hands over his face, worry settling in the pit of his stomach. He uncovered his face to reach for the phone again, catching Jackie's sympathetic gaze. He lowered his eyes, quickly punching in Jamie's cellphone number.
"You've reached Jamie Reagan. I'm not available right now…"
Danny groaned, hanging up. "Voicemail." he grumbled. "Damn it, where are you Jamie?" he mumbled to himself.
"Danny," Jackie gently interrupted his thoughts. "Why don't you give the office at Angels Retreat a call? Maybe they can tell you when he left."
Danny nodded again, annoyed that he didn't think of that first. He picked up the phone, doing a quick check in the phone book to find the number. He punched it in, waiting impatiently for someone to answer.
"Angels Retreat, Lacy speaking. How may I help you?"
"This is Detective Danny Reagan. I'm calling to ask when Jamie Reagan checked out."
"One moment, Detective." Lacy answered. Danny tapped his fingers impatiently, listening to some rustling from the other end of the line. "He hasn't checked out yet, Detective. We usually allow an extra day free, but he's going to have to check out by three this afternoon or else we'll have to charge him extra. Would you like me to get a message to him?"
Danny mind whirled. "Is his car still there?"
"Yes, Sir. Is everything okay?"
"Sure. I'm just checking up, that's all. Thank you, Lacy. I'll get back to you if I need to ask you some questions."
"Sure, Detective. I'll be around."
Danny hung up, peering at Jackie uncertainly. She raised an eyebrow impatiently.
"Well? What did she say?"
Danny swallowed thickly. "He hasn't checked out and his car's still in the parking lot."
A worried look crossed Jackie's face. "Danny, you said you were able to connect with his cellphone to leave him a message. That means that either he's back in the city, or his cellphone is."
"I know." Danny sighed. "Either way, it can't be good. Either he's back in the city without his car, or someone has his phone and left him out there. He's run into trouble, Jack, I can feel it, but I have no idea what that means."
Jackie nodded in agreement. "I think we need to take a little side trip."
"I think you're right." Danny said, standing and grabbing his jacket. Jackie quickly stood, hurrying to their Sergeant's office door to tell him that they needed to take a detour. Danny smirked as he could hear Jackie arguing with him. The smirked wiped off his face when she mentioned his brother. 'Jamie…' he thought pitifully. 'What's happened to you?'
Jackie walked out of the office, nodding at him. "We have a go, Danny."
"Thanks, Jack. I probably would have gotten myself fired if I had gone in there instead of you."
Jackie laughed, following him out. "I don't doubt it, Reagan."
~~BB~~
"Baker, are you sure about this?"
"It's not much to go on, Sir, but yes, I'm sure."
Frank pursed his lips. "He's in more trouble than I thought."
Baker gazed at him sympathetically. "Did he tell you anything, Sir?"
"No. He didn't say anything to anyone. Now we have no idea where he is or what kind of trouble he's actually in."
~~BB~~
Danny pulled into the gravel-covered parking lot, immediately spotting Jamie's car. His heart squeezed painfully, but he pushed aside his fear and got out of the car. Jackie jogged around to stand at his side.
"Shall we hike?" she asked.
"Yeah. The trail starts over there. I'll just let the front desk know."
"Sure, I'll wait."
Danny walked over to the office, pulling open the door. The young girl smiled at him.
"Hello, I'm Lacy. Are you looking for a campsite?"
"No. I talked to you earlier on the phone. Detective Danny Reagan."
Lacy looked surprised, but gave him a tense smile. "Of course, I remember now. Is there something wrong, Detective?"
"I don't know yet, Lacy. You told me that my brother hadn't checked out yet. Did you see him at all since he checked in?"
"No, Sir. It was a fairly quiet weekend, though. Most people left by Saturday night. Only one car stayed, but they didn't even check in. We allow for short hiking trips or beach trips without payment so when they left a few hours after arriving, I figured that's what they were doing."
"Another car was here? Do you know how many people were in it?"
"I glanced out the window when they arrived, just in time to see three, maybe four men. I didn't see them leave. I was closing up. When I left, their vehicle was gone."
"What kind of vehicle was it?"
"A van, Sir. Black, maybe a dark blue. The license plate wasn't facing the office. I remember that they parked across about three parking spaces."
Danny nodded, making a few notes. "Thank you, Lacy. That's all for now."
Lacy nodded. "Um, Detective?" she asked as Danny reached the door. He turned around.
"Yeah?"
"I hope that Mr. Reagan… your brother… is okay. He seemed really nice."
Danny nodded. "I'm hoping he's okay, too." he said softly. Giving her another nod, he headed back to Jackie's side.
"There's tire tracks over there, parked across three and a half spaces. Must have been a large vehicle, and judging by the dirt spray, they left at a fast pace." she told him.
Danny nodded, his stomach tightening. "That's what Lacy said. She noticed a van arrive, then when she looked out a few hours later, it was gone again."
"And that was okay with her?"
"This place allows for short hiking or beach trips, apparently. People don't need to pay for those."
Jackie shook her head. "This place is an emergency waiting to happen." she muttered. Danny snorted in agreement as he headed for the trail.
After a few minutes, Jackie slowed. "Danny…" she trailed off, pointing. Danny's heart thumped as he recognized Jamie's tent.
"It's a mess…" he mumbled, staring at the ransacked mess of his brother's campsite. His pack had been emptied, its contents strewn around the grass, and kicked to the side. The tent door had a large tear in it. He took a few tentative steps towards the fire pit, carefully poking at the ashes. "It's cold…"
Jackie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Danny, let's keep walking. Maybe there's more evidence in another site."
Danny nodded, slowly getting to his feet. The bad feeling he felt last night returned ten-fold. They kept walking, Danny's nervous legs wanting to give out, but he forced himself to keep moving. Something to his right caught the corner of his eye. "Jackie…"
"What is it?"
"To the right, in that little clearing… is that a body?"
Jackie moved forward ahead of Danny. She reached the edge of the clearing before Danny could even move. "It's not Jamie." she called back to him. Feeling some relief, he managed to make his feet carry him towards his partner. He strode over to her, taking in the violence.
"He was shot execution style in the back of his head. He's still bound and gagged." Danny said, the bile churning uneasily in his stomach.
"We've got to get to a phone, call this in. Keep your eyes open for anything else." Jackie reminded him. Danny agreed, leading the way back to the trail. They passed Jamie's ruined campsite once more, Danny's heart thumping uncomfortably. He looked away, staring at the ground.
They reached the end of the trail, his eyes sweeping for clues. He stopped suddenly, Jackie running into the back of him.
"Brake lights would be nice, Reagan." Jackie grumbled. She looked at his face, the torn expression and concern-filled eyes causing her heart to speed up. She followed his line of sight to scuff marks in the dirt. "Looks like a struggle took place here."
Danny nodded. "Jackie… is that blood?"
Jackie followed his finger to a dark stain on the grass. She swallowed thickly, crouching down. "Yeah, it looks like it."
Danny made an indecipherable sound. "It looks like someone was partially dragged over to where the van was parked."
"Hit then taken?"
"Seems to be the case." Danny mumbled, his gut turning to ice. He had a pretty good feeling that the person involved in the struggle was Jamie, though he couldn't prove it yet and still didn't know why his brother would be in that situation to begin with. "We've got to call this in, get some backup out here. We need to shut this place down for a while."
"Right. Go talk to Lacy again. I see a payphone outside the store. I'll call in for backup and a CSU team to come out, and explain the situation."
Danny nodded, his throat tight. "I've got to phone Dad… what am I supposed to say to him?"
Jackie tossed him another sympathetic look. "I think you should just tell him the truth as we know it so far. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems. Wait until we hear from CSU before you go all doom and gloom."
Danny smirked slightly. "It's really too late for that, Jack."
"I know, Danny." she replied softly, just as worried as he was about the young officer she considered a friend. "Talk to Lacy. Call your father. I'll handle the station."
"Thanks, Jack." Danny squeezed her shoulder, heading back towards the office. Lacy looked up as he walked in, giving him a smile.
"Detective." she greeted, noticing the grave look on his face. Her smiled slipped. "Is everything okay?"
"No, it's not. We are going to have to shut the retreat down for a while. I don't know for how long. There's been a murder…"
Lacy gasped, interrupting him. She looked horrified. "Oh my God, is it Mr. Reagan?"
"No! No, it's not Jamie." Danny reassured her quickly. "But he may have been kidnapped. There are signs of a struggle where the trail starts. Are you sure you didn't see anything?"
Lacy looked tearful. "No, I didn't notice anything. I'm sorry."
Danny tried to look reassuring. "It's okay, Lacy. You haven't done anything wrong. I have to ask, though. Didn't that van raise any suspicions? Anything at all?"
Lacy shook her head, looking scared. "No, Sir… I didn't even think anything of it… I'm still new here, only a month on the job, and everyone who has come in has been trustworthy… I mean, I know I should have guessed that something wasn't right. Who parks across three spaces? But I just didn't realize it at the time… I didn't even hear anything! I'm so sorry, Detective…"
Danny patted her awkwardly on the back, trying to get her to stop crying. "Lacy, it's not your fault, I've already told you that. You're not in any trouble."
Lacy buried her nose in a tissue. "I know, Sir… it's just… this happened on my watch and I feel so guilty! I mean, when Mr. Reagan came in, I couldn't figure out why he needed time alone… most people look haunted by something, and he didn't. A little sad, maybe, but I didn't think there was anything wrong. He just seemed so nice, and if something happened to him while I was here and could have done something…"
Danny tried again to get her to stop crying. "Lacy, there was nothing you could have done. Even if you did notice, these men could have injured or killed you if you tried something, or they could have kidnapped you as well and we would have two missing people to search for."
Lacy sniffed, her tears finally stopped. "Yeah… but at least I would know where your brother is."
Danny's lips quirked. "True. But we still wouldn't know where either of you were."
"Good point." she agreed, offering him a watery smile.
"Okay, my partner is outside calling in backup and a CSU team to scour the area. We'll need to block off the area. You should call your boss and let him or her know what's going on. Stick around for right now as the officers may need to ask you more questions." Lacy nodded her understanding. "Is there another phone around here that I could use? I have a call to make as well."
"Of course, Detective. There's a public landline phone on the wall over in the corner." Lacy pointed to the far side of the room. Sure enough, there was a plushy chair right by the phone that was attached to the wall. A small table sat to the left of the chair, holding a phonebook.
"Thanks." Danny replied, heading over to the phone. He picked up the receiver, his finger hesitating over the numbers. He swallowed, finally punching in his father's office number, knowing it would be Baker who would answer. He sat on the soft chair, listening to the phone ring, his heart thumping nervously in his chest.
"Commissioner's Office, this is Detective Baker. How may I direct your call?"
"Baker, it's Detective Danny Reagan. I need to speak to the Commissioner immediately."
Baker hesitated. "Of course, Detective Reagan. One moment, please."
Danny frowned as he was put on hold. Why did Baker hesitate? Did she know something that he didn't? If his father knew, why didn't he call him?
'You've been in the middle of nowhere for a few hours now, dummy!' a little voice told him. 'You don't have cell reception!'
Danny nearly blushed, feeling like an idiot. His little internal voice was right. His heart sped up again when the elevator music in his ear stopped, indicating that his father had picked up the line.
"Danny? I tried to call you an hour ago! Where are you?"
"Dad, I tried to call Jamie again when I got into the precinct. There was still no answer…"
"I know, I did the same." Frank sighed heavily.
"Jackie and I took a side trip. We're at Angel's Retreat now."
There was a heavy pause from the other end of the line. Frank cleared his throat. "What have you found out?"
"Dad, he hadn't checked out yet, and his car is still here. The only other vehicle here was on Saturday night, a black or dark blue van. It had parked across three spaces and was only here a few hours, according to Lacy at the front desk. She saw three or four men when they arrived, but didn't notice anything when they left."
"Didn't they check in?"
"No. Dad, this place needs some major protocol changes. They don't require someone to sign in if they're only going to hike or take a beach trip for a few hours. They could have known exactly who these guys are! Maybe they would have noticed…"
"Calm down, Danny. Tell me what you found."
Danny took a shaky breath, attempting to calm himself. "We found Jamie's campsite… it had been ransacked. His backpack had been emptied, the contents strewn all over the ground. His tent was ripped. We walked further… there was a body…"
Frank swallowed audibly. "Danny…"
"Dad, no, it wasn't Jamie! It was a man, shot execution style. He was still bound and gagged. He was probably a victim of the men from the van… the ones I suspect have Jamie right now. There were signs of struggle at the end of the path… blood, too."
Frank sighed again. "Danny… Jamie was part of a shooting on Thursday night."
"What? Dad, when did you find out?"
"Just this morning. Your brother wasn't even supposed to be in the area. It was just south of Chinatown."
"Dad, did he shoot anyone?"
"No. It appears he didn't even pull his gun. He was just in the area. There was a fatality, though. We're pretty sure it's drug related."
A tense silence followed. "Do you think the guys who likely have Jamie were a part of that? Maybe they saw who he was and went after him."
"That's what I fear, Danny, but how would they know where to find him? He was in the middle of nowhere."
"I think the body that was left behind out here may hold a few answers. We've got backup and a CSU team on the way."
"Good. Danny, I've got to go, but I need you to keep me posted. I need to know why Jamie is involved in this. I need to know what happened to my son!"
Danny's throat tightened as he listened to his father's shaky voice. "I know, Dad. I'll keep in touch. I will find Jamie!"
"I know, son. I believe you. Good luck, Danny."
"Thanks, Dad." Danny sighed, slowly hanging up the phone. He stood, easing his way towards the door. Lacy nodded at him, her expression tense and worried. He tried to smile reassuringly at her as he left. He spotted Jackie outside, talking to a uniformed officer. Backup had started arriving. She nodded at him as he stepped outside and made his way over to them.
"Danny, this is Sergeant Arnett. He's going to be heading up the investigation out here. CSU is on its way."
"Detective Reagan, I'm sorry to hear of your brother. I had only met Officer Reagan once, but he's a very promising cop."
"I know he is." Danny spoke, pride in his voice. "He's got good instincts… though they didn't help much out here."
Sergeant Arnett gave him a sympathetic smile. "We'll do everything we can to help, Detective. When one goes down, we all fight to get him back."
Danny had to smile. "That I know very well. Thank you, Sergeant."
Cars started pulling up as uniforms and CSU members got out and milled around. Some walked up the trail to examine the ransacked campsite, others headed towards the body. Still others examined the tracks left behind by the fleeing vehicle, and the site of the struggle. Danny's breath caught as he watched one CSU member grab the blood evidence. He felt positive that it was Jamie's blood, but a part of him wished fervently that it would be some random stranger's instead. About an hour after it started, the body was wheeled down the trail, the body bag strapped to the stretcher. A member of the Coroner's Unit walked up to him.
"Detective Reagan? I'm Andrew Koehler. We need to do an autopsy, but we've already taken blood samples. We'll get all results to you as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Koehler. Please put a rush on it."
"Will do." Koehler nodded as he hurried after the body bag. Danny watched as the van left, sure that the body inside held a large part of the puzzle. CSU wrapped up their final investigations, packing up all evidence and getting back into their vehicles. The remaining officers started heading back to their own cars. Sergeant Arnett walked back over to him.
"Detective, we're about done here. You'll get all results as soon as we've received them. We'll find Officer Reagan, I guarantee you that."
Danny gave him a thankful yet tense smile. "I appreciate your help, Sergeant. Keep me posted." Arnett nodded again, jogging back to his own cruiser. Once again alone, Danny turned to Jackie.
"Well? I don't think there's much else we can do here. We should probably get back into the city."
"You're right." Jackie agreed, getting back into the car. Danny hopped in behind the wheel, quickly starting the engine. They pulled out, each lost in their own thoughts.
'Hold on, Jamie. Wherever you are, just hold on.'
~~TBC~~