A/N: I'm Back! And glad to be so. Just as a warning, this chapter is pretty intense emotionally in the beginning.

TBITC Chp. 26

Jack didn't know how long he sat there, holding Alexx, trying to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be alright. Because it would be, as far as Jack was concerned. He'd get Sam back, or he'd die trying.

He heard footsteps approaching and glanced at the window, noting that it was now dark outside, looked up and saw Mike standing in the doorway. Moving carefully so as not to wake Alexx, Jack stood and went to the hallway. He could tell by the expression on his friend's face, whatever the news was, it wasn't good. His stomach tightened.

"What's up?" He asked.

Mike looked away for a second and didn't say anything. "What?!" Jack snapped in a harsh whisper.

"You remember the social worker, Nancy Jefferies?" He asked, his tone dark.

At once Jack felt a surge of relief that he wouldn't have to tell Alexx that Sam was dead. But then he thought about Nancy. Though he hadn't cared for her or her job, she'd only had Sam's best interest at heart, however misguided the notion may have been. If she was caught up in this somehow, it would be another nail in Rick Stetler and Clavo Cruz's coffins. He would make sure of it.

"What happened?"

"Her body was discovered an hour ago. She was shot once in chest, apparently bled out." Mike said, his voice hard.

Jack looked away, his eyes dark and full of rage. Rage at the people who'd hurt Sam, and who'd taken this woman's life and rage at himself that he may have inadvertently caused Nancy's death.

Hearing Alexx stirring in the bedroom, Jack turned. "Give me a minute." Mike nodded and left.

Jack went back and retrieved his .45 from the nightstand, placing the weapon in the holster on his belt. Alexx was sitting up now, and she rubbed her eyes to wake herself. Then she noticed Jack was avoiding looking her in the eye, or anywhere in her direction. "Jack, what's wrong?" she asked, worry in her voice.

He didn't answer, instead retrieving his M-4 carbine from the corner and checking the weapon. "Jack…" she said, again. This time she sounded plaintive.

"You know the social worker that took Sam last night?" He asked, without looking at her.

"Yeah, what about her?" She asked, and Jack noted anger in her voice.

"She's dead." At this, Alexx whirled around, stood up, crossed the room and slapped him across the face, hard.

"You bastard!" she hissed, tears in her eyes. "I begged you…I…" she tried to slap him again, but he grabbed her hands and looked at her.

"I swear to you I didn't kill her…I.." He looked away.

Alexx saw tears in his eyes. "What is it?"

Jack swallowed. He'd hoped he could spare her this knowledge, but even that small measure of decency had been ripped from him.

"Nancy told us that Rick offered to take Sam to a children's home where he would be placed until this mess could be sorted out, but…" He stopped. Please, God, don't make me do this!

"But what?" Alexx asked, fear in voice.

Jack's right hand automatically dropped to his 1911, and squeezed the grip. "Rick didn't take Sam to the children's home, Alexx." Jack said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alexx looked at him, confusion on her face. "Then where…" She asked, her voice trailing off as the horrible realization dawned on her and she screamed and fell to the floor, sobbing. Jack tried to go to her, but she pushed him away, and when she looked at him, rage in her face. "You bastard! You didn't protect him!!!" She screamed over and over, hitting him. And like the good soldier he was, Jack stayed there and took it. Calleigh and Natalia came in after Alexx had calmed down some and tried to comfort their friend. They couldn't bring themselves to look at Jack, who looked like he'd just been through hell and come out on the other side, a broken man.

Jack left the room and went to the study where the rest of the team had congregated. None of them spoke, mostly because they didn't know what to say. Jack looked around like a man in a daze. Then he seemed to come back into focus, saw his father and went to him. "Stetler's address. I know you have it." He said.

"241 Coral Lane, Baybridge." Horatio said.

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sure he hated Stetler just like everyone else, but his mentor had just signed the man's death warrant by giving his addressed to a trained killer. This was too much. "H…do you realize what they're going to do to him? I mean come on, I hate the guy just like the rest of you, but he's a dead man if you let them walk out of here."

Horatio squared his shoulders and looked at his protégé. "I suppose you condone child molestation, then."

Anger flashed in Eric's eyes, but before he could move Mike drew his pistol and pointed it at him. "Take one more step, and I put a bullet in your leg." Then he looked at the rest of the group. "Understand, we will go through whoever we have to get Sam back where he belongs. You're either with us or against us. I suggest you all think about that." Then he turned and walked out, followed by Jack and Kenny.

"Good speech. You're pretty quick on the draw." Jack said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Mike said. "But if you had done that, my father would've killed you."

Jack gave his friend a 'you're kidding' look in the rearview mirror as they drove away. Mike grinned. "Nope. He would've shot you and never batted an eye."

"So what's your get out of jail free card?" Jack asked.

"I'm family."

000

They drove to the station first, and saw Rick was still there. So they waited. They agreed they would only go to his house as a measure of last resort. Better to grab him on the way home. "How do you think they found out about Nancy?" Ken asked.

"Rick, most likely. He probably has plenty of people who more than willing to inform on cops, maybe they even do it for free." Jack said, as they watched the man in questioned walk out of the building and to his car. Jack started the engineer, and let a couple of cars get between him and Stetler before following the man.

They kept his car within sight, but stayed far enough back that their target wouldn't get suspicious, not that he was paying attention. If the man had bothered to check his six, they could give him an ounce of respect, but he never even noticed them. They parked a couple of houses down from Stetler's and settled in to wait.