Redemption

Chapter Sixty-Two

Danni lightly cursed under her breath when she was awoken in the early hours of the morning. She tried to just roll over and ignore the growing pressure in her bladder, but Bobby's grip of death upon her waist did little to alleviate the problem. She groaned as she opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. One-thirty glowed in the darkness, giving the bedroom an eerie red glow. She never should have had that glass of water before bed.

Carefully, she plucked Bobby's hand from her waist and gently laid it over his stomach, not disturbing him as she did so. He stirred ever so slightly, but cuddled more into the blanket before stilling. A soft snore escaped him as his mouth opened, but she quickly closed it before climbing out of bed and shuffling to the bathroom. A chill ran down her spine as her bare feet ran over the hardwood floor and then the ice-cold porcelain of the washroom. She shivered and hastily answered her sudden call of nature.

She turned the light off as she exited the bathroom, relief flooding through her as she felt at least two pounds lighter. She glanced over at Bobby, smiling as he mumbled in his sleep and rolled over. It was amazing how intimidating he could be at work, yet so sweet and adorable while sleeping.

She thought about climbing back into bed and cuddling into her fiancée's warmth, but her throat felt dry and her water glass was empty. Usually, she wouldn't bother, but the paramedics told her to drink plenty of water because of the amount of smoke she'd breathed in. That was ignorable on her part, but she was thirsty and couldn't drink from the tap.

Her glass was in her hand before she knew it, allowing her to sneak out without a sound. The moon was shining through the window, lighting her path to the kitchen and the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of water and filled her glass half way. Any more and she would most likely be paying another visit to the bathroom. A sigh of relief escaped her as she felt the cool liquid slide down her throat. Sweet relief is what it was.

The last drop was finally drained and she placed the glass in the sink and turned back to go to the bedroom. But, her walk back was much different than the first. She couldn't shake the feeling of eyes upon her. She saw Luna blink her eyes opened to look at her mistress before they closed again and she fell back to sleep. Maybe she was just being paranoid. All of the excitement of the day was probably going to her head. She shook it to clear it and just to be safe she scanned the large, open area that was her apartment.

When she was satisfied, she chuckled to herself and turned back to the bedroom door. She was just tired, she concluded as she rolled her eyes and let a small yawn escape her.

She never saw the dark man standing behind her or feel the hand cover her mouth until it was too late.

Levi smelled the intruder before Danni had even exited the bedroom. The problem was that the door was closed and his paws wouldn't suffice to turn the knob. He rushed to Sue's side, nudging the hand that lay beside her head and licking it to tell her to wake up, but she only groaned and turned her back to him, snuggling more into Jack's safe embrace. The golden whined loudly, his ears laying flat against his head and tried to wake the other occupant of the bed. He placed his paws upon the coverlet and frantically licked Jack's ear, but the man only shooed the dog away and wiped his ear in his sleep.

He heard Danni's sudden gasp before it was muffled by something and knew that time was running out. The humans needed to wake up and there was only one way to do it. A growl rumbled from deep within his throat before a series of barks echoed off the walls.

Jack shot up, slightly disoriented and waking Sue in the process. "What is it?" she asked, trying to focus her groggy eyes on Jack's pajama-clad form. He signed 'Levi' before climbing out of bed.

The dog couldn't be happier that someone realized the urgency. He rushed to the door, lightly pawing at it before running back to Jack and repeating the process. "Does he need to go out?"

Sue shook her head and climbed out of bed as well. "No. There's something wrong," she asked, concern filling her voice.

At the statement, Jack threw open the door and rushed outside. Levi and Sue were both at his heels, but only the dog could see that something was amiss. Levi sniffed at the floor, following the strange scent that still lingered in the air. He hadn't been here too long ago. It led to the window, which was ajar and he began frantically barking to alert his companions.

"Wasgoinon?" Bobby mumbled when he poked his head out his bedroom door, surprised to not find Danni lying beside him or out here with Jack and Sue. "Where's Danni?" The sleepy fog that had surrounded his brain cleared when he saw two expressions that matched his perfectly. They had absolutely no idea.

At his question, Levi's barking increased as he tried to climb out of the window and onto the fire escape below it. He'd heard an engine roar to life and tires peel out, leaving a cloud of smoke in their wake. He whimpered loudly as Sue coaxed him back inside and closed the window. He shifted from one set of feet to the other before racing to the front door and pawing at it.

"What's with him?" Jack asked Sue who knelt by her furry companion and stroked his fur to comfort him.

She studied Levi's loving brown eyes and noticed the sense of urgency within them. "Levi, where's Danni?" He gave a loud, shrill bark and turned back to the door and continuously pawing at it.

It was all the incentive Bobby needed to pull on his coat and step his bare feet into his tennis shoes. He clipped on Levi's leash and he gave the two of them a look that said "stay here"—a look that neither of them were willing to contradict—and quickly opened the door, muttering "watch over them" to Myles as he and the dog passed by.

Puzzled, Harvard entered the apartment and only finding two of his friends standing before him. "What happened?"

Giving him a serious shrug, Jack picked up his cell phone and quickly dialed D. Donna would not be pleased with this phone call, but it would be something she would just have to deal with. This was an emergency.

By the time Bobby and Levi had returned, Tara was sitting beside a crying Sue, trying to comfort her to little avail. Myles and D were talking to Jack, looking for whatever information the team leader had. Unfortunately, Jack would have nothing, but Bobby might have had slightly more than that. He released Levi, taking the time to check his emotions and slip on the serious mask he always wore in these situations, before getting to his feet and turning toward the others.

He hadn't realized the room had become eerily quiet until his eyes made contact with the five others in the room. "There's not much. He lost the scent about a block away at a pair of skid marks." He paused as his mask slipped for a second and continued when he was sure it was back in place. "Uh, by the size and tread, it looks like it was a large vehicle; probably a van or SUV."

It was after he'd finished talking when he saw D holding a slip of paper. He furrowed his brow in confusion and looked to his supervisor for answers.

"You did good Bobby," D said, knowing it was something the man needed to hear, "but I think you need to sit down." the firm tone he had—along with the gaze he wore—told Bobby that whatever he had to say was serious. The only thing the Aussie could do was comply.