Shane listened as Bo talked to Caroline. It sounded like she was resisting.
"Tell her Jeannie's not safe," Shane said anxiously. When Bo waved his hand dismissively, Shane repeated, "Tell her."
"Ma, please . . . Just do what I'm asking. A cop will be over to get her." Bo rolled his eyes. "If it's Cal Winters in a police uniform then he's psychic. I think you'll know it's a real cop."
Shane felt a surge of anger. This was not a time to make jokes. Scowling, Shane stopped pacing and glared at Bo until the other man hung up the phone.
"You think this is bloody funny, Bo? Your sisters are in the hands of a madman and you're cracking jokes?"
"Shane . . . come on, man." Bo held up his hands. "I was just trying to get Ma to agree."
"It's still not funny," Shane said. He knew Bo understood the severity of the situation, but Shane was on edge. He wanted Jeannie safe immediately. Not in 20 minutes or an hour. Now.
And he wanted information. Now.
Roman returned from the foyer. "Shane, you really need to calm down."
"How can I calm down?" Shane asked. "I should have made sure Cal was behind bars. How the bloody hell did he escape without us knowing about it?"
Roman sighed, as if he was tired of the question. "We don't know exactly how he got out. All we know is that his escape was covered up by the warden - who's conveniently disappeared."
"Oh, that's just great." Shane felt his fury growing anew. "So we know Winters had an accomplice but we can't find him or learn what he knows. He should've been on the FBI and ISA radars." Shane spun away and slammed his palm on the desk. He knew a lot of his anger was misdirected. It was not Roman's fault. Hell, it was a lot less Roman's fault than it was his own. Shane had been in position to investigate the attacks on Andrew and had still been with the ISA when he began to suspect Jericho. There had been time to investigate Winters.
Steve's right. If I had looked into Cal, none of this would have happened.
"Dammit," he spat. "We have to find them."
"We will, Shane." Roman was trying to sound reassuring, but Shane was having none of it.
"Don't patronize me." Shane's voice was barely below a shout. "You've got nothing or you wouldn't be sitting here."
Shane stepped toward Roman, but Bo cut off his path. "Come on, Shane. Don't lose it, man. Roman and Abe are doing everything they can. It's only been a few hours."
Bo did not understand, Shane thought. A few hours were usually the difference in a kidnapping. The more time that passed without a lead, the less likely the victim would be found alive. But Shane did not voice that thought. He just turned and ran his hands through his hair.
It's all my fault. The thought kept running through his head as he began pacing again.
"Look," Roman said. "Why don't you sit down?"
"I don't want to sit," Shane shot back. He saw Roman and Bo exchange looks. "So what do we know? Tell me."
Roman rolled his eyes. "You need to relax." He paused. "Look . . . how about a cup of tea? Isn't that what Ms. Peach always says you should do at a time like this?"
The last thing Shane wanted was tea, but if it would stop Roman pestering him about staying calm, so be it. "Fine. But then you're going to tell me everything you know."
"Okay, partner." Roman walked over to the tea service and began pouring a couple of cups.
As he did that, Bo asked, "So what happened between you and Kim?"
Shane knew Bo meant to be asking why Kim moved out and wound up on Route 6 in the middle of the night. "I'm not going to discuss that with you," Shane said, curtly. "It's between me and Kim."
"Okay, okay." Bo fell silent as Roman handed Shane a cup and saucer.
Taking a sip, Shane felt a little calm return. There was some truth to Peachy's claim that a cup of tea could work wonders in a crisis. After taking a deep breath and another sip, Shane looked at Roman. "So, now, would you please tell me what we know?"
Roman nodded. "The lab matched some blood in the car to Kayla. That same blood was on Kim's jacket. We suspect that Kim used the coat to stop the bleeding. The M.E. says he doesn't think it's enough blood to be life-threatening. The lab also identified the car that attacked Kim as a blue Ford Taurus. It's probably the same car that nearly hit Andrew and Kim near the fish market.
"So Cal tried to run down Kim, but then hired someone else to shoot up the school?" Something about that seemed strange to Shane. He drank a little more tea.
"Maybe he just used the same car and had someone else do his dirty work the last time," Bo said. "Then he needed a car tonight and it was available."
That was plausible, Shane thought. "So where's the car now?"
"We're looking all over for it. No sign yet, but it will turn up." Roman sounded certain. "It has too much damage to go unnoticed."
Shane nodded and then felt a little light-headed. He blinked a couple of times.
"Hey . . . you okay, there, Gov'nor?" Bo asked.
"Yes," Shane replied, even though he felt a little unsteady. He set the tea cup down on his desk and leaned against it for support. He blinked again. "Are you checking Brookville? And what if Cal dumped the car in the woods? He could have a hideout there."
Roman may have nodded, but Shane could not tell, because his vision seemed blurry. He heard Roman, though. "We're scouring the woods. Now that it's light, the chopper will go up and look for any signs in the woods."
Shane struggled to hear those last words. They seemed to dissolve and become very slow and drawn out. Shane shook his head again, trying to clear it, but that only made him more dizzy. The room seemed to be moving, the furniture growing larger and distorted.
What's happening? Shane wondered. I was fine until. . . .
He looked down at the cup sitting on the desk, having to squint just to make it out among the swirling haze that was clouding his vision. Then he looked up at Roman, who was walking toward him.
"You didn't. . . ."
The three Roman's approaching all shrugged.
No, Shane thought, as he fought against the drug. I have to stay awake. I have to find them. I have to be here for Andrew. He tried to step forward, past the multitude of Romans and Bos who were swarming around him, but his legs gave way and he slumped forward.
Roman and Bo caught him before he hit the floor. They looked at a now-unconscious Shane and Roman sighed. "Sorry, partner. . . . But you'll thank me and Neil later."
"You'd better hope so," Bo muttered. He took another look at Shane and shook his head. "Come on. Let's get Sleeping Beauty upstairs and let him sleep this off."