Disclaimer: Don't own anything besides Ann Evans. WARNING: There's gonna be mentions of child abuse in this chapter. Paragraphs in Italics are flashback

Chapter 9

Ryan arrived at Ann's flat half an hour later. He could hear the loud music already downstairs. When she opened the door, he knew why. She was practising. She smiled apologetically at him:

"I should have gone to the gym today, since I didn't know when somebody would come, so I practised here instead." She switched the music off and pointed at her writing desk. "There it is. I haven't touched it no more."

"Thanks, Ann." He bagged it and put it into his kit. Then he said, "Have you been listening to the news?"

"No, I haven't. What happened?" Ryan filled her in. "Oh God. Ryan, I promise, I have nothing to do with it."

"It's okay, Ann. It's just, now, they're gonna have the National Guard coming over… and I don't know how this is gonna turn out for Ron…."

"Well, you said from the beginning on…"

"Yes, I know, but I didn't expect media to spill their information all over the place." He sighed, "Listen. I was thinking of something, but I'm gonna need your help."

"Sure, you can count on me. What can I do for you?"

"I wanna break into that house."

Ann's jaw dropped, "What? You can't be serious. You're a cop; you shouldn't break into other people's houses."

"I know. The thing is that we need to let them know that the house has been broken in. Before the National Guard arrives. If they hear the house has been broken into, they will assume that you have the toxin, they will call you for the drop-off, and we have a chance to catch them."

Ann walked over to the fridge and took a bottle of water out, "So, practically, you don't want to break into the house, you just want it to look like it had been broken into?

"And the safe."

Ann sighed, "Ryan. You know I would do it immediately. For Ron. But… You risk everything there, Ryan. And Ron wouldn't want that." She smiled, "He told me about how you love that job. And how happy he is that you managed to be so happy. You wouldn't wanna throw this away, would you?"

"No…"

"Let me tell you something. Here's what we gonna do. You teach me how to open a safe. I know, Ron has failed, but maybe I just need time. I'm going to break into that house, I'm going to crack that safe. You just sit down and do nothing. If I get caught, at least you'll have nothing to do with it."

"Ann, this is really great but…"

Ann interrupted him, "Ryan. Your uncle has done a lot for me. More than I possibly ever could pay him back. It's the least I can do…" She sighed, "Ron has told me a lot about you. I know you're probably not that happy about it, but… Well, let's just say, he is proud of you. So much that I can't even put it in words. When you lost your job, it nearly broke his heart too. And he was so happy when you got reinstated. If you risk your job like this, and I help you, he's never going to talk to me again. I can't possibly let that happen."

Ryan watched her, "Why do I have the feeling that you actually want to do this more for Ron than for me?"

She blushed a bit, "You might be right about that…"

Ryan grinned, "I see… Okay. I agree with that idea. You got a safe here?" Ann motioned him to the bedroom. In the corner was the safe. Ryan knelt down before it. "I hope you have nothing too private in there?"

"Yes, I have loads of used underwear and all my little sex toys in there…." Ryan turned around and saw that she was grinning. "No seriously. Just some jewellery. For girls, so I know you won't steal it."

"Excellent. Come here, sit down next to me." Ann did as she was told. "Now, it's quite easy. Frankly, no offense, any idiot can do it."

"None taken… Not yet."

"Well, you gotta listen…." Ryan explained. "See, you have a combination of numbers…. When you hit a right number in the combination, the click sound is different than if you just don't hit the right number… Listen." He turned on the wheel, then suddenly paused. "First number is a 2, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Excellent. Now you try."

Ann grinned, "Well, I know the code…."

Ryan shook his head, "That won't help you." He motioned her to turn around. When she had done, he puts his hands over her eyes. "Now you try."

She reached her hand out to find the wheel. "Is that how Ron thought you?"

"No… actually…." He closed his eyes.

-----

It was dark. Ron had turned all the lamps off and had put all the shutters down. Not a single source of light elucidated the room. But luckily, Ryan wasn't afraid of the dark. How could he? After having spent so many nights in the dark basement when his father had punished him, he knew that darkness wouldn't harm him. And he knew how to handle darkness. He heard Ron's voice behind him:

"Okay, Ryan. Now listen, because this is important. You know what my flat looks like. Imagine it before your eyes. The most crucial thing as a burglar and safe cracker is to know where you are, because every noise you make can lead to a catastrophe. Someone could hear you. Now, I want you to go to my safe. Just as you would do if the lights are on."

"Don't I get a flashlight?"

"You won't need it. You know what the room looks like. Now, walk and be careful."

"You follow me?"

"Of course. When did I ever leave you alone?"

It reassured Ryan. Even though his uncle was slightly drunk, he would never do any harm to Ryan. And he wouldn't make him do that if he knew something could hurt him. So Ryan started walking. Slow steps. He closed his eyes because, even though everything was dark around him, he could concentrate better with his eyes closed. Something his father had always hated. He moved on. 'There's the couch. Two steps to the left, then I should avoid it.' He made two steps to the left and moved on. He didn't hit the couch. He walked slowly towards the wall. Then he reached out his hand. His fingers touched the wall 'There's the wall. Now to the right. But careful, there's a little footstool, the cupboard with the glasses and his shoe cabinet.' He walked slowly, his hands not letting go off the wall. Then it happened. His knee bumped into the footstool and knocked it over. Ryan froze, but then he felt Ron's hand on his shoulder.

"You're okay?"

"Yes, but the…"

"Don't worry. Just go on."

Ryan took a deep breath to calm down. His father would have punished him now. It was like this when he tried to show him what would happen if this was serious and he would have stepped on a landmine. Normally he would tug his hair violently, because he knew how that hurt. Or just slap him loudly. Ron didn't. On the contrary, he asked:

"Hey, Ryan, you're really okay? Or should we stop?"

But Ryan shook his head, "I'm okay…"

He continued walking. His hand reached out to see where the cupboard was. When he found it, he didn't let go, but felt his way around it. Then he knelt down and felt for the shoe cabinet. When his fingers touched the cold wood, he felt his way around that too. Then he got up again, walked two steps and then opened the door to the bedroom. There he turned right again and stood in front of the safe.

Ron laid his hand on Ryan's head, "Good job, little one. Now, open the safe."

"But how do I…?"

"Just listen. To listen is the most important part. It's a distinctive click noise you'll hear when you have a hit. Let me show you. Put your ear on the door."

Ryan did as he was told when Ron started to turn on the wheel. And then he heard it. A distinctive click noise. "I think that was right."

"Good, Ryan. Your turn…"

It was a matter of half a minute until Ryan had opened the door.

"Was that good?" he asked.

He felt Ron's hand on his shoulder again, "Very good, Ryan. I always said you're the smartest young boy I know. Damn it, I didn't know how to open a safe when I was eleven." He turned the lights back on. "Come on. Let's go outside and get you an ice-cream."

------

"It's open." Ann looked at her safe door in amazement. "Damn, Ron failed and you managed to teach me in…."

"… half a minute…." Ryan finished the sentence and took his hands off Ann's eyes. "Just remember to wipe the door afterwards or they gonna find your ear print…"

Ann turned back to him, "What do I do once the door is open? Do I take the toxin?"

"I have thought about that too." He shook his head. "No. Just tell me what it looks like. Colour, consistency… We're gonna give the kidnappers a placebo. I do think it's gonna be transparent and liquid, pretty much like water." Then he paused, "You sure you wanna do this? I have no idea how Kaufmann has secured the area. He could have guard dogs, he could have an alarm system, he…."

Now Ann smiled, "Ryan. I'm a pro. Just like you. I have been to all sorts of houses, even to some museums. I know every kind of security system there is. No one will catch me."

Ryan nodded, "Okay. Just take care, will you?"

"Of course…"

They got up from the floor and went back to the living room. Ryan felt he should leave now, "I'm gonna take the ring to the lab… When are you going to… you know?"

"Tonight. You want this done as quick as possible, so do I. I want Ron back…" She sighed, "I hope they didn't hurt him…."

"So do I…"

---

AN: I hope you liked this. When I wrote it I thought it might be a bit out of character for Ryan to actually plan to break into a house, but then I thought, he's more similar to Horatio than it appears on the show, and I guess Horatio would do it... but I don't know... and in the end, he didn't do it so I guess it's alright.