Misconceptions pt. 15

Michael sat silently in the passenger seat of the cruiser, trying like hell to be the consummate professional that he was trained to be, but how was he supposed to be that when his family was smack in the middle of a federal crime? He stared at his father, who he was quite sure was attempting to do the same thing? "So are you going to tell me what's really going on with John?"

Thomas did not want to talk about this. It was getting harder by the minute. He had two sons to protect, but neither of them wanted his help. "Mike, you need to stay out of it."

"Out of what, dad?" There was no way he was going to play the roll of the bystander. "John's my brother. Stop acting like I have no business knowing what is really happening!"

He shook his head. "Your only concern at the moment should be arresting Buchanan. The sooner she's behind bars, the better things will be for your brother."

Mike continued to watch him - the fear on his face, the lines in his skin. He was scared, and it had everything to do with the tightrope that they were all walking. John had gotten involved with the one person that he shouldn't, and now there was a big, white elephant in the room. He swallowed. "I know that he's in a bad place right now, but he's still John. In the end, he'll do the right thing, pop." He saw a sharp pair of eyes glance from the road for a second. "He will."

Tom concentrated on the drive, wishing he could believe that. "It's good that you have faith in him Mike," his voice was soft, "but don't blind yourself to what is about to go down." He stopped at a red light and turned. "However this plays out, it won't go well for him." He felt his stomach clench and his brow furrow. "This was no accident. He knew...he still knows exactly what he's doing." The light turned green, but they were alone on the street so he ignored it. "Just concentrate on your job, and let me handle your brother." Then he stepped on the gas.

Michael stared blankly, trying to wrap his mind around everything he was being told. "What do you know?" His father shifted in his seat, but didn't answer. The car continued to speed down the road. "What do you know about John and Natalie, dad?"

Tom lost his patience. He turned sharply, veering into the nearly empty parking lot at Buchanan Enterprises. He slammed on the breaks and shifted toward his passenger. "You listen to me Michael! There is no John and Natalie! Do you get me?" He stared down his wide-eyed son, ignoring the thumping in his chest. "I don't want to hear that from you again."

Mike blinked, dumbfounded. His father has always been an intense man, but the passion behind his words was frightening. He was being given a very clear order. He simply nodded and watched him get out of the car, and finally allowed himself to breathe. ...there is no John and Natalie... He definitely knew something to be such a hard ass about it.

Michael stepped from the car and joined the old man and his officers. He focussed on the small car to the right. Natalie's car. "Hank, I want a warrant to search that vehicle and I want it yesterday." He walked toward the building. Her computer was inside, and so were the answers they needed to end this. Then maybe things could get back to normal, and maybe he could have a brother again?

"We don't have time for this, Nat." Rex stepped away from the closed door of her office, and walked toward her desk. "Just grab it and let's go!" He glanced out the large window. The sun was up now, and getting brighter by the second.

She looked at him briefly, before refocussing on the laptop at her fingertips. She just needed another minute.

A dinging sound came from the empty hallway, and his stomach clenched. That was the elevator. "Right now, Natalie!" he barked, rushing back to the door. It opened a crack, and he allowed himself to breathe when he spotted the pretty blonde secretary walk toward them. She had her face in a red folder, seemingly oblivious to their presence at all. He stared at the stubborn redhead, who was still typing on the keys to her computer. "Damn it! We'll snoop through it later. Let's get out of here while we still can!"

She finally looked up at her brother. "Okay." Then she shut down her machine and unsecured it from the wires that tethered it to her desk. She moved around the wide mahogany quickly, when another ding echoed down the hallway. The acoustics in this building were apparently superb.

They both froze.

Rex peered out, watching about five officers step off of the elevator. He found the waiting eyes of his sister. "Well, we have company." The look on her face spoke volumes, because he was feeling a little panicked as well. "We need another way out of here, Nat."

"There is no other way, Rex." She felt her heart beating wildly. She didn't want to go to jail, and she didn't want John or her brother to get into any trouble.

He watched the blonde approach the men with urgency. She didn't look very happy about their intrusion, and he smiled. "You do inspire loyalty, don't you?" he mumbled, meeting her eyes again. "Where are the stairs?"

Natalie took a breath. "They're at the other end of the hall, but there's no way we're going to get to them without being seen." There really was no way. The hallway was straight, offering the police a clear view to her large, corner office.

He shut the door again, leaning on it with one hand. "Well then, we're going to have to run for it." Her eyes were absorbing his words. "You ready for this?"

She shook her head. How had things gotten so crazy? "I'm always ready." She watched him grin, and placed her hand on the knob. They were much closer to the staircase than the men, but who the hell knows how many more of them there were in here? There wasn't exactly a lot of option.

Rex stepped to the side and opened the door. "Go!"

They moved fast, darting for the stairs in a hurry. Natalie pushed through the doorway, and bounded down the steps with her brother on her heels. She could hear shouts and footsteps coming from above, as the LPD followed them down flight after flight of stairs. Rex was yelling, telling her to move, so she did, and she heard her name echoing between the walls of this narrow space. She was running from the police, and couldn't quite believe it!

Rex hit the bottom door at the same time, helping her to propel the metal open wide. They were on the first floor, and bursting into the open lobby at top speed, skidding to a stop at the sight of Michael McBain over by the security desk. "Here!" he shouted, grabbing Natalie's arm and forcing her in the direction of the nearest exit door. Then they were outside, streaking toward the back of the formidable building.

Natalie only had a split second to see the expression of surprise on Michael's face, before she was practically thrown out into the daylight. She wondered if John was here, before focussing on the brother who was leading her away from the parking lot and her car. Where the hell are we going? He went straight toward a chainlink fence, and it took her another second to realize what he actually intended. "Rex..?" she managed to squeak out, before he grabbed her waist and forced her up the metal. Her head was spinning. She was wearing an evening dress and climbing a bloody fence!

Rex climbed, and was over to catch her on the other side. Then they were sprinting into the nearest alley. This was not how he imagined his day when he first heard the knock on his door, but where else could he be? His sister needed him. They ran for what seemed like forever, before ducking into a nearby bakery to get their bearings. He went to the counter and ordered two coffees, and they sat at the back, blending in with the morning patrons. He kept his eyes on the window, hearing sirens in the distance. They were out there looking for them, and now he really had some explaining to do because now he was a fugitive too. Finally, feeling a little more secure in their hiding space, he looked at the woman across from him. She was smiling. "What?"

Natalie chuckled lightly, shifting uncomfortably in the cold, plastic chair. "And the award for the best brother of the year goes to..." He laughed, and the sound made her heart ache a little. She lost her smile. "You're really in my mess now, aren't you?"

He shook his head firmly. "This isn't your mess, Natalie. It's someone else's, and we're going to figure out who it is...believe it." Her smile was back. "But...you do owe me and I will collect on that at a later date." He took a sip of his coffee.

She clutched the laptop that rested on her lap underneath the small, square table. "Can't wait." A cop cruiser drove past the establishment, and her heart began to beat again. "We need some computer geeks."

Rex stared a moment longer and nodded. "Come on." He stood, and they left the safety of the little bakery together.

Michael stood a few feet away from the little car, watching his men poke through it. His back was rigid, and his muscles taut. She had been here, and not only did she get away but she took the damn computer with her! He was not very pleased at the moment. "Get it back to the station," he yelled, crossing his arms over his wide chest. "I want the lab guys to go over everything with a fine tooth comb." His men nodded in silence, very aware of his foul mood.

He turned toward the tall skyscraper, finding the large windows along the top floor. She had been in her office when they got here, but still managed to get away! It would be laughable if he wasn't so pissed off about it, and her brother was helping her. He blew out a sharp breath. With any luck, he was the only one helping her.

His phone rang, and he picked up on the second ring. "McBain." The cool morning breeze was blowing his bangs against his face. "Yeah, dad. We'll have her car there within the hour. Yeah." He swallowed. "Any word? Alright." He hung up, and refocussed on Natalie Buchanan's abandoned car. It was unlikely that they'd find anything of use in it, but he had to try.

He frowned, wondering where his big brother was and what he was up too?

Thomas shut his office door firmly and walked straight to his chair, flopping into the soft leather. Things were not starting off on the right foot. His son was off God-knows-where doing God-knows-what, and his prime suspect escaped right out from under their noses - and she took the damn evidence with her! He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his forehead. His phone rang, interupting the swirling thoughts that tumbled around in his brain.

"What?" he snapped, not bothering to identify himself. He sat up quickly when he heard a familiar voice. "Hey, babe? Sorry."

"Thomas McBain, tell me what the hell is happening? You took off and haven't phoned, and I..."

"...I know," he interupted. "I'm sorry. I just got back."

"From where?" Eve asked softly. She was a nervous wreck, and not very good at sitting on her ass. She wanted to help John. She wanted to talk to him, and see him.

He contemplated not telling her anything, but dismissed that thought almost instantly. Yes, this was an ongoing police investigation, but she needed to know, and he wouldn't be able to get away with not telling her anything. She wouldn't let him. "Buchanan Enterprises."

Her heart pounded steadily against her breast. "And? Was he there with you? Did you get what you needed?"

He shook his head, aware that she couldn't actually see him. "No, we didn't get what we needed? In fact, Natalie was at the building."

Eve stood from the couch cushion. "She was there? So you have her then?"

"No."

Her head was beginning to hurt from all this weaving and bobbing. "Just tell me straight, Tom. What's going on?"

"She was there, but she got away," he paused, "and she took the evidence with her."

"What about John?"

That was the only piece of good news. He was nowhere around when everything went down. That meant that he had been telling the truth earlier about not knowing where she was? Maybe things could work out? "John wasn't there. He's fine." There was silence at the other end. "He's fine, Eve," he repeated more firmly.

She sat back down onto her sofa. "He's not fine Tom, not even close to fine."

"But he will be. I promise you that."

She held the receiver tightly, and then nodded slowly. "Okay."

An officer knocked on his door and poked his head in. "Oh, sorry sir."

Tom put a palm over his mouthpiece. "What is it?"

The young man gripped the edge of the wood. "Just thought you'd want to know that Buchanan's vehicle is on its way."

He nodded, and waited until he was alone again. "I have to go. I'll call you the minute anything changes." More silence. "Okay?"

Eve took a slow, even breath into her lungs. "Yeah." She hung up slowly. The sun was out and the neighborhood was waking up, ready to start the new day, but was she ready? The pit in her stomach told her that things were going to get a lot worse before they got better. A lot worse.

John pulled tightly against the curb, parking the car in one smooth move. He blinked, listening to the information that was broadcasting over the police radio. Natalie Buchanan and Rex Balsom were both on the wire with APB's out on them. He stared at the small black box under the dashboard. She had been at B.E., and then escaped along with her computer. He shook his head slightly, fighting himself to keep the smile off of his face. Unbelievable! And her brother was with her? He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not, but at least she wasn't alone.

"This is Angel Square," Cameron said, watching the occasional pedestrian walk past. They had had Buchanan in their clutches, but she slipped away. He was much more interested in why the good agent was here though?

John frowned, almost forgetting that he wasn't alone. He stared at the man beside him. "Wow, you're good." He opened his door and stepped out into the warm, yellow sunlight.

Jason frowned too, joining him. He leaned casually on the roof of the car. "Why the hell are we here?" He wasn't getting anything, other than a stubborn glare.

"We're not here, I'm here. You...you're staying with the car."

He grinned. "I wouldn't bet money on that." There was no way he was letting this man out of his sight.

"I'm meeting a friend," John offered, anxious to get away.

"A redheaded friend?"

He was pissed and walked away, following the stone fence that surrounded the park. His shadow wasn't far behind, but he couldn't worry about that right now. Then he slipped through the gates, and headed toward the large angel statue that guarded the grounds from its center. He spotted who he was looking for right away.

Cameron watched Agent McBain very closely. Things weren't adding up. Why the hell were they here, when he knew damn well that they both wanted to be at B.E. - and what was with the cloak and dagger meeting? He was concentrating so much that he walked right into his newly found and unwanted partner.

John glowered, using every ounce of strength not to flatten the detective. Not only was he being forced upon him, but he couldn't even watch where the hell he was going? "Jesus, learn to walk!" he snapped, angrily. "Stay here!"

Jason let him walk the necessary few feet away, but continued to watch him. He studied the man who was rising from the stone base of the statue. He was older. Probably in his mid-forties, and he was dressed like a Fed. Great, another one! He stepped closer so that he could hear what was being said?

"Thanks for coming," John said, shaking the outstretched hand that was offered to him in greeting. He glanced down and saw the small non-descript brown package at his side. "I guess we're even now, huh?"

"Damn straight" the man agreed, smiling. He lost his grin when he caught the eye of another man. "Since when do you have a partner?"

John turned for a second, shaking his head. "He's not my partner. He's not my anything." Then he refocussed on the business at hand. "So, it's what I asked for?" His friend just nodded. He picked up the box. "You heading back to Washington?"

"Next flight out, but don't say I never do anything for you." His grin was back in place.

John grinned too, shaking his hand for a second time.

"Well, this is nice," Cameron interupted the two men, "but one Fed is one too many."

John straightened. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this arrangement? "He's no Fed."

"No?"

"No," the man answered firmly. He did not like this ass! "Who the hell are you?"

"Detective Jason Cameron. LPD." He met the heated stare of the mystery guest unflinchingly. "And who the hell are you?"

No one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, he looked to John, who nodded his annoyed permission to speak. "I'm Nathaniel Norsland. Secret Service."

Jason blinked, sure that he heard wrong? "Secret Service?"

Nathaniel turned back to his friend. "Sure you don't want to come with me?"

John almost laughed. "Can't."

"Suit yourself." He nodded a silent farewell and walked away, leaving the little park behind.

"Secret Service?" Jason repeated, yet again. "Why the hell are you meeting with Secret Service?"

He didn't bother answering. Instead, he made his way back to the car and got inside. He was annoyed when the door opened and Cameron joined him. He stared ahead and pulled into traffic, anxious to get rid of his sidekick. He needed space so that he could get things done - so that he could clear this mess up before things got out of control.

His eyes dropped to the square brown wrapper at his side. He needed to get rid of Cameron, and sooner rather than later. For this case, for Natalie, and for his sanity.