After several hours the house was clear except for Gil and Sam. Rick had taken the evidence back to the lab for processing. Gil would follow soon, but he and Sam had a few more questions. They wanted to know more about Maria. Sofia and Jim answered their questions and gave them the name of the service that she had been hired through.

As the two investigators prepared to leave, Vega turned to the couple. "You guys gonna be okay? I mean…here alone."

Jim looked at Sofia and sighed. "Yeah, we appreciate your concern but actually, I think we need a little time alone."

Sam nodded his head as Gil responded. "Call if you need anything…"

Jim smiled weakly. That was about as far as Gil ever went with reaching out to others. The detective appreciated his friend's effort to be supportive. "Just find my boy," Jim whispered.

Just as they were walking out, the phone rang. Jim picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"Captain Brass?"

"Yeah, this is Jim Brass…."

"I have your family."

Jim snapped his fingers to draw the attention of the others and waved them closer. "You have them?" he restated.

"Yeah…your beautiful wife and your little boy. He keeps calling for his Daddy."

"Let me talk to her…them." Jim heard some noises as the phone was being adjusted. Then Maria's voice came over the line.

"Jim?"

"Yeah….you and Jeb, did they hurt you?"

"Ah…no….plenty scared but not hurt. Please…they have demands….please do what they say."

"Um, of course….look hon, do what you need to do to keep you and Jeb safe, okay? I'll do everything I can do…"

More noises and then the first voice was back. "So, we're clear. I have your family."

"Yeah…what do you want?"

"Your daughter Ellie, she has something that belongs to me. I want it back."

"Ellie? It's been awhile since I talked to her…."

"You have until tomorrow to talk to her. I'll call back tomorrow."

"Yeah…but…what is it she has….so I can tell her, you know."

"Oh, she'll know."

"Okay. Um…when you call back….I want to talk to Ma…my wife again. Everytime you call, I want to talk to them."

"Hey, you're not running this show; I am."

"Right, and I'll cooperate as long as I'm sure they are okay."

The line went dead as the caller hung up. Jim replaced the receiver on the phone and sucked in a deep breath. His hand was shaking, Sofia noticed.

"He thinks Maria is Sofie. Hopefully she plays along. This has something to do with Ellie. I have to find her…find out what this is about."

Sofia looked at Jim expectantly. "Jim….Jeb?"

He pulled her into a hug. "Maria said he's okay. Scared…they both are, but okay." He felt her relax a little in his arms.

Sam Vega was on his cell, calling for a tap on Jim's phone, as well as recording gear. Gil looked deep in thought. "Do you know how to find Ellie, Jim?"

Jim sighed. "I have a number for her. But is she doesn't want to answer…."

Gil looked at him solemnly. "Didn't you say you have a friend in the department out there?"

"Yeah, and I'll call her. But I'm going to try Ellie on my own first."

"Okay," said Sam as he came back into the room. "We're set for audio surveillance. Should be all set up in a couple of hours."

"Thanks, Sam" said Sofia. Then she looked at Jim. "Ready to make your call?"

Looking like he was facing an execution, Jim pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial on Ellie's number. As always, hope swelled in him as he listened to the rings. There was a greater urgency this time though. Lives depended on him finding her, including hers.

He wasn't surprised when he got her answering machine. "Ellie, honey…its Dad. Look, call me ASAP. It is really important. Your life and the lives of others depend on you calling me. Please honey, call me."

He ended the call and dialed another number. "Yeah Nancy…it's Jim." There was a pause as he listened. "No…don't hang up, please. It's about Ellie." Another pause as frustration passed over his features. "Look, she's in danger…and two other people are in danger because of her." More frustration as he paused to listen. "No, it has nothing to do with my job. She's into something big….and really bad and now lives are threatened because of it. I have to find her, before it is too late."

Everyone in the room could hear the other voice on Jim's phone and even though they couldn't understand the words, they understood what was being said. He was being berated for every bad thing that had ever happened in the lives of the Brass women. He waited for the tirade to end and simply said. "Look, if she happens to call you….tell her to call me, okay?"

And then he made his third call. "Hi Annie, it's Jim. Look, I really need your help on something…"

As he hung up from that call, he looked at Sofia. "Annie's going to try to track her down. She'll call as soon as she knows anything."

Then he looked at the other two. "I really feel like I'm cuffed here. I could get to Ellie so much easier if I were in LA." He saw the expression on their faces and put up his hand. "I know, I know …I have to be here to answer the phone."

As they left, Gil paused and looked at Jim. "We're going to find them."

"Yeah, I just hope they are alive when you do," he said sadly.

As soon as the two investigators left, Sofia collapsed on the couch in tears. Jim sat next to her, holding her in his arms, tears running down his cheeks too. "Sofie, I'm sorry…"

Sofia looked into his dark, anguish filled eyes and realized he was blaming himself. "Jim," she managed between the tears, "you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Ellie caused all this…if…"

"Stop right there Jim. You aren't responsible for her choices. I'm angry…angry as hell at her for putting this all in motion. But I doubt that she ever considered that her mess might spill over into your life. And her bad judgment is certainly not your fault!" Watching him, she knew he was unconvinced. His relationship with his daughter was such a complicated mess, a disaster that was started by his ex when she cheated on him and got pregnant. It was as if Ellie was the personification of all the hurt, anger, and anguish of the relationship between her parents. But she was an adult now, making her own decisions and there was as no way Sofia would let him blame himself; his mistake had been to love and trust the wrong woman and now he was paying the price. She wasn't going to add to his grief by placing any blame except where it belonged, with the kidnapper.

Jim appreciated that she didn't blame him. Hell, he needed her to not blame him because he needed her. But he still blamed himself; maybe if he'd been a better father…. And now he was failing as a father again. Wasn't he supposed to be able to keep his family safe? Wasn't that one of the biggest jobs a father had?

Sofia knew he was collapsing on the inside, just as she had been a few minutes before. She wrapped him in her embrace, feeling a shudder run through his body as he fought to hold back the sobs that were building within him.

"We'll get him back, Sofie. I promise," he said. "We'll get him back no matter what it takes."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Enough drama/angst/hurt? There's more. Use the little button to let me know what you are thinking, please.