Author's notes: Thank you for your response to the last chapter. I appreciate the support. I hope you enjoy this chapter - no torture in this one.
"Where?"
Wiley pointed to the screen.
"Right here sir."
Lisbon pushes past Abbott, Cho steps in front of her, blocking the way.
"Don't stop me Cho."
Cho places his hand on her arm.
"I'm not stopping you, but he's in a bad way, you need to prepare yourself."
There's just one thing she wants to know.
"He's alive?"
Cho nods and she feels rush of relief.
"I can handle anything else Cho."
Cho studies her for a moment and then lets her pass. Abbott's gone around the opposite way and is looking at the computer he puts his hand on Wiley.
"Let's give Lisbon some privacy."
Wiley gets up and Abbott leads Cho and Wiley out of the kitchen as Lisbon takes Wiley's place.
The camera is set so she's looking almost straight at Jane, there's enough angle so Ralph Dennis is not blocking her view. She gasps at the sight of him. The swelling on his face makes him barely recognisable, if it wasn't for his hair, which she's surprised to see is wet, she then notices how clean he is, except for some blood dripping from just below his shoulder, there also something else there that she can't quite work out. There's bruising across his chest and right side, she guesses he's been kicked. Her heart breaks at his nakedness, no one else is going to see him like this. He's already been through enough humiliation. There's something in his thighs. Her eyes carry back to his face. His are lips moving, he looks calm but she can see nervousness and terror in his eyes and above all pain, it's etched in every feature and gesture. He nods his head and agony sweeps across his face. She reaches out in an effort to offer comfort. She murmurs:
"Hold on, we're almost there."
The faces in the hallway look grim. The battered image of their colleague, friend, in the forefront of their mind. Wiley speaks first.
"D..D..Did you see what the guy had in his hand boss?"
Abbott answers tight-lipped, unable to meet his eyes:
"Yes, yes I did."
"He's already used a nail gun on him."
"Are you sure?"
Wiley nods his face turning greener at the images that spring into his head.
"There's one on the floor and I could see nails in his thighs and on his shoulder, there could be more."
Abbott looks to the ceiling and lets out a deep sigh.
"We have to find him. Any ideas?"
Cho speaks up:
"It looks like he's being held in a cabin, the walls are logs, it's not very big and very basic. Not a tourist cabin, but one more functional, probably deep in some woods somewhere.
"Making it harder to find. So where to start."
Abbott looks at Wiley.
"Search for any sign of him owning a cabin, or his family, or a neighbour, anyone he could've had contact with."
"Yes sir, but chances are it's abandoned.."
"Look for those too."
He turns to Cho.
"Do we know what he's driving? He must have got there somehow. Do we have a bolo out for it?"
"Yes, there's a state-wide alert."
Abbot gestures towards the kitchen door.
"Let's go back in."
Lisbon's staring at the screen, she raises her tear-stained face to the men as they enter. Her voice is shaky but her eyes are determined.
"We need to find him."
"We will, the best way is through his car and we have every cop looking for it."
She nods her head. She looks back at the screen.
"I don't want anyone else seeing this, just us. No-one else."
This time Abbott nods in understanding.
"No one will Teresa."
Cho's phone starts ringing.
Jane sees that his captor's not really with him in the cabin anymore, but reliving the moment as if he's there now. Jane knows he has to keep this going, he can't resist looking down at the drill, just making sure it's still hanging loosely by his side, almost forgotten about.
"She must have been pleased to see you."
"Yes she's smiling at me. She has one of those smiles that lights the world, but she smiles for me, lights my world. I know I can be someone, be a better person. When she climbs we head out of town, up into the forests, I have a surprise for her. My hands are shaking with the anticipation, she's going to love it."
Jane suddenly understands, he knows how the story will end, he's not sure what it means for him but he has no choice.
"What a wonderful idea, who can resist the beauty and the peace of the forest."
"It's beautiful. Spring's in full bloom. It had rained the day before and the scent of the flowers fill the air. It's full of chirping birds, squirrels and chipmunks enjoying the end of the winter hibernation. I love the woods, as you walk deeper the trees swallow you and you feel so alone. Angela and I wanted to be alone."
Jane changes to present tense following his captors lead.
"It's easier for love to blossom in such beautiful surroundings, Angela must be very grateful"
Everyone's attention turns to Cho as he answers:
"Where….Got it."
He closes the phone.
"They've found his car, at Texas Hill Country at Uvalde"
"We're, what, an hour and fifteen minutes away?"
Cho nods.
Abbott turns to Wiley, who, already has his tablet out.
"See if you can find the cabin."
"Already on it boss."
"Also, I need you to stay here and watch Jane. Keep us appraised with what's happening."
"Yes boss."
Lisbon is out of her chair, and gives Jane one last look.
"No one else sees him Wiley."
"I'll make sure."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay here Teresa?"
She looks determinedly at Abbott.
"There's nothing I can do for him here."
Lisbon, Abbott and Cho head to the car.
"Did you take her to a cabin?"
"It's too damp to have a picnic on the grass, owing to the rain, and Mr. Robertson has a cabin he lets us use. Angela doesn't come to the woods very often and she's never been this deep in. It's growing darker because of the thickness of the trees, they're so close together now. She's getting scared, but I tell it's all right. She's with me and I won't let anything harm her. She's a little resistant at first, but when I take her hand she follows."