After walking to her apartment to avoid suspicion, Natara walked back to the FBI building. She avoided going in for the longest time, checking her phone. After another ten minutes of this she was already late, and decided to walk in. As soon as she entered she found herself face to face with Clark. Jethro Clark, who made everyone was forced to call by his surname, was best know for his stoic face. He rarely let his stoney face break, but a rumor went around that his four year old daughter had him wrapped around her finger. He didn't seem surprised at Natara's sudden appearance. "Ah, special agent Williams" he said, his voice low and monotone. Natara appreciated his professional manner compared to Tom's usual unprofessionalism, but didn't take kindly to his strict demeanor. He strongly reminded Natara of a high school teacher, one that could command the room with one word. "I was just looking for you. I've assigned you a new partner". Natara sighed with relief, but felt bad as she did because Tom honestly tried to be nice. "Who is it?" she asked, looking for any trace of her new partner.
Clark said "That would be me. We have a new case that has taken a position of importance and we do not really want a trainee on this assignment. Thomas is a little unqualified". For some odd reason Natara suddenly imagined Tom in a shoot out, and thought he was to soft and would die as soon as weapons were shown. "What's the case?" she asked. Clark sighed as if this were a stupid question and answered "A couple of child abductions. First few were only in one state, but when it moved to another state and the missing toll came up to high we took jurisdiction over it". Suddenly Natara's phone rang, and she mentally slapped herself for leaving it on. Clark looked at her over his glasses, as if he were about to scold her. "Is this important?" he asked.
"No, probably not" she lied. She knew Mal would be calling her, but wasn't about to hold a conversation with her boyfriend in front of her superior. He turned around and walked away, signaling her to follow. Natara quickly checked her phone, seeing it was a text from Amy. 'How strange' she thought. Amy had never texted her while she was at work, and Natara knew she was too smart to miscalculate the time change. She quickly looked at it as she walked behind Clark. What she read almost made her heart stop. 'Come back quick. Mal is gone'.