Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.

~ matters of the heart ~

The park near Dr. Grace's office.

He ran.

The most logical option would have been to make a dash for the park's exit, but there were two of them and they had blocked that route of escape.

Oh God, he was scared.

They were driving him deeper into the park's premises, away from the road where someone might hear his screams.

It was evening, the area was deserted around this time.

He halted.

His heartbeat was ear deafening, but everything else was eerily quiet.

Were they still after him? Had they given up?

He gasped for air. Running was so not part of his daily routine. His feet hurt, no surprise given in what pitiful state his shoes were.

He had had to leave his cart with his belongings behind.

Damn bastards! If anyone stole his sleeping bag…

Where were they?

He looked around, strained his ears, tried to block out his galloping heart.

Not a sound. Nowhere. They must have given up. No one can move that silently.

He let out a deep sigh of relief. Saved by the bell. Well, he had always been good at taking a powder. This called for a drink.

Guerrero broke through the undergrowth like a tiger. A split second later he had the homeless man in a chokehold from behind while Chance kept watch in the background.

"One wrong move", Guerrero hissed into the man's ear, "and I break your neck."

"What do you want? I've done nothing wrong!"

The sudden stench of fresh urine told Guerrero that his attempt at scaring him was working well.

"There was a young woman on the bench right by your hideout. She was kidnapped. What have you seen?"

"Nothing, nothing! I swear!"

He was lying. Definitely not the best decision in his life, but when had he ever made good decisions?

Guerrero dragged him over to a small pond and pushed his upper body under the water's surface.

Chance's mobile rang. Ilsa's number. It wouldn't do any good if she heard the man scream. He moved a few feet away from the pond, making sure that he still had an eye on all paths that led up to it.

Guerrero dunked the man a second time, just as Chance took the call.

"You've got to come back to the office. We've made a shocking discovery! The stone plate was apparently used as a means of transport for a hidden message. It looks like a ground plan and we have reason to believe that it's military…"

Chance took a deep breath, like they had taught him at the ashram. He let all possible options run fast forward through his mind.

There was no other way.

He told her, as calmly as possible, that Ames was missing. And then:

"Ilsa, you and Winston have to deal with this stone plate issue alone. Guerrero and I will look for Ames."

She was besides herself. "NO! Under NO circumstances! Heaven knows who has taken her and what they're doing to Ames right now! We've got to find her! To hell with that bloody plate!"

"What if that guy comes back? He might kill me!", the homeless man whimpered in the background.

"What do you think I'll do?" Guerrero replied, very placidly, his hands iron claws around the man's twisted arm and neck. Slowly, very slowly he lowered his face to the water's surface. This time he didn't immerse the head completely – all he did was make sure that his nose and mouth were covered.

"Ilsa, someone sent armed thugs to the museum, risking a bloodbath, and later did the same at Lombard Street." Chance spoke just as placidly as Guerrero, only without the assassin edge. "Whoever stole the plate from the museum was after the information on it, pursued it for years at all costs and now has it. If it's something military, chances are a lot of people's lives are at risk. You can't drop this. You and Winston find out what ground plan it is and make sure nobody dies."

In the background wild splashing of water indicated that the man was running out of air, fast. The panic stage had set in. Guerrero pulled up his face.

"Last chance, dude."

"A license plate. I've seen a license plate, belonging to a blue van."

"We've got to go, Ilsa. You and Winston take care of the plate thing. Don't try and find Ames." Now he let the assassin edge creep in. "This is serious. Don't disappoint me."

He cut the connection.