A/N: Sorry I missed out on giving you guys an update yesterday! I miss the reviews as much as you guys miss the story! :D

~ This is gonna be a Swarek centric fic, incase you didn't already know that!

~ Chapter dedicated to "RBRedux" for giving my WIP a chance! I shall reward you with riches...as long as you count frequent updates as riches! :D

When Sam came back from talking with child services he was itching to leave the hospital. Andy was still sitting with the girl who had since woken up. She was no longer talking but continued to hold onto Andy's hand. Sam brought her a coffee and sat with them for a few minutes but it was too much for him. He left the room and was pacing the hall when the doctor approached with a couple trailing behind him. Sam didn't need to be a detective to know these were Karen's foster parents. The woman was wearing mismatched clothes that she had clearly just thrown on when she got the call. The man was dressed in a business suit, but his tie had been pulled loose.

"Officer Swarek, this is Mr and Mrs Griffen, Karen's foster parents."

"Hi, I'm Officer Sam Swarek." He shook hands with them both but the mother was looking past him at the door to the ward. "I'd just like to ask you a few questions before you see her."

"Will this take long?" Mr Griffen asked as he placed an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her close.

"No. Can you tell me why she was out last night without supervision?"

"Karen goes to a music program at UofT. she is incredibly gifted piano player and as soon as we heard her play we enrolled her into the program."

"And she was there last night?"

"It runs three nights a week, from 8pm until 10. She was supposed to wait for me at the university but she must have left... I was late." He put a hand up to his head. He was clearly upset. "the place was locked up when I got then I raced home to see if she was there. She wasn't."

"We called the police immediately but they said we had to wait before they would put out an amber alert."

"She's a foster kid, they presumed she ran away."
Sam bowed his head and wrote on his notebook.

"Can we please go in and see her now?" the woman pleaded.

"Here," the man handed Sam a business card. "Take this, call me if you have any more questions, but please, please let us go in and see her."

"Of course." Sam took the card and stepped aside for them to go in.

Both Andy and the girl were startled by the door opening and the couple rushing in. The mother raced to the head of the bed and snatched Karen into a tight hug. The father stood behind, his hands on his wife's shoulders. He reached down to touch Karen's leg but hesitated then pulled away.

"Hi, I'm Officer Andy McNally."

"Thank you for staying with her." Mr Griffen said as he shook her hand.

"She is incredibly brave."

"Yeah...she is."

Hurt and grief was written over his face as he looked down at Karen who was crying into his wife's chest.

"I'll leave you to it." Andy said when she saw Sam standing at the door.

"Lets get back to the barn," Sam said. He was already hurrying towards the car, not checking to see if she was following. The drive back was silent and tense. Andy knew, now was not the time to ask him if he wanted to talk. The jovial mood that enveloped them earlier had evaporated and left them in a haze of anger. In the bullpen Sam hurried over to where Jerry was sitting at his desk.

"Jerry, we got a call about a young girl who was attacked in Queens park last night."

"Another one?"

"It was the same MO as last year."

"What is going on?" Andy asked. "This has happened before?"

Jerry glanced over at her and grimaced. Sam looked over his shoulder at her but quickly looked away.

"Last summer four girls were raped in the city." Jerry said, his voice was steady but dripping with anger.

"Girls...not women?" Andy said tentatively.

"We got a collar for it but I didn't like it." He turned his focus to his computer an pulled up the file.

"Mark Halford. He was at all scenes, had access to the girls and there was DNA evidence."

"DNA? Then it had to be him."

"Oh it was him, there is no question of that...but I don't think he acted alone. There is a group in the city, and underground club of men, and women, who prey on these girls."

"Jesus..."

Sam walked away from the desk and started to pace. His hands were on his hips, his head was bowed low. Andy watched him for a moment then turned her attention back to Jerry.

"There is no way he could have orchestrated this, he didn't have the intelligence...each girl was found in the place where they had been attacked, they had been drugged with a sedative, none of the girls could give us much information on the attacks.

"Karen said she was hit over the head with something."

"The doc will do a toxicology and we'll see if we're dealing with the same substance."

"Did you get any info off him?"

"Nothing." Jerry leaned back in his chair and looked up to the ceiling. "Once he was arrested he never said a word. All throughout his trial, sentencing...nothing. He is under constant surveillance and throughout his time in jail he has never spoken."

"I'm going to Chatham." Sam said without stopping his pacing.

"Sam he won't talk to you." Jerry turned in his hair to face him.

"I'm going to Chatham," he repeated. "I have to try..." He fished his car keys out of his pocket and studied them in his hand.

"Okay. Go, I'll talk to Frank."

Sam nodded and started to walk out. Andy followed right behind him and caught up with him in the car lot.

"Sam! Wait!"

"Stay here McNally."

"No!" she practically screamed it at him. A few officers that were in the lot turned around but no one paid them mush attention. "I'm not letting you go there alone."

"McNally-"

"This isn't up for debate. I'm going."

She walked by him and got into the car. He stood for a moment, trying to decide if there was a way he could forcibly remove her then got into the driver seat.

They drove to the city in silence and it wasn't until they reached the highway and he could drive easier that she spoke. Sam was surprised that she was able to hold it in for that long and glanced over at her. She was twisted in her seat so she could face him better.

"Talk to me," was all she said but he knew what she meant. The dark cloud that was hanging over his head was visible to everyone he guessed.

"I'm fine."

"Fine? That's why you are squeezing that steering wheel and your foot had been pressed to the floor since we hit the city limits."

"I just want to get there."

"Sam…" she urged him to talk.

"Andy leave it. If I wanted to talk to you I would. Clearly I don't so just drop it."

Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of him Andy sat back into her chair and turned to look out the window and they drive the rest of the way in silence.

Jerry watched Sam hurry out towards the car lot then made his way over to Frank's office. He could see him on the phone as he knocked and silently entered. Frank waved him over as he finished his call and hung up the phone.

"Detective Barbar…" Frank said smiling but then noted the expression on Jerry's face was not a happy one. "What is it?"

"Young girl was raped last night in Queens Park. She was 13."

"Jesus." Immediately on alert, Frank sat forward.

"I'm waiting on medical reports back but the dates sync up to last year…"

"Mark Halford."

"Yep."

"You always thought he wasn't working alone."

"Same date, similar MO." Jerry spoke about details and it all came flooding back like it was yesterday. "Toxicology will let us know if she was sedated."

"Let me know as soon as you do."

"There is something else…" Jerry washed his face with his hands as he struggled to speak. "Sam is gone up to Chatham."

"Sam?"

"He took the call to the hospital and saw the girl. He's just after leaving to talk to Halford."

"Halford hasn't spoken a word since his arrest."

"I know but there was no stopping him."

"This case nearly killed him last time."

"I know." The two of them sat in silence for a minute. "Look, It's something he has to do. I'll have his back."

"Keep me tight in the loop on this one."

"I will."

Jerry was already out the door when he waved back at Frank. He hurried over to the phone and called the hospital to put urgency on the tests then called Chatham prison to prepare them for Sam.

Chatham prison was a tall light bricked building with long arching windows and a dome roof. The entrance had tall columns either side of the door that opened into a large hallway. The floor was tiled with black and white in a checked pattern but the walls were the off white colour that adorned the walls of almost every prison she had been in. They walked right up to reception and the prison guard turned to them with a smile.

"Officer Swarek?" he said and he passed Sam a clipboard and paper. "Sign your weapons in here. Your division called and we have the prisoner in an interview room ready for you."

Sam signed in his gun and passed the clip board for Andy to do the same. Once they were ready the prison guard showed them through the halls to the right door.

"He's just through there."

Sam put his hand on the door then turned to face Andy. She smiled at him reassuringly then nodded her head. Sam pushed the door open and they both walked in. Mark Halford was sitting at the table with his hands cuffed in front of him. He was wearing a denim shirt and jeans. He sat up ram rod street his face cold and expressionless as he stared straight ahead.

"Mark Halford…" Sam spoke as he pulled out a chair across from him and sat into it. "How have you been? Enjoying your stay at the pleasure of your majesty?" No response. Sam talked to him about his case tried to rile him up but the whole time there was nothing from Halford. He simply continued to stare at some point on the wall, his eyes unfocused, his expression empty. Andy stayed silent an let Sam drive the interview but it seemed he was the only one to get riled up. Until finally Sam mentioned the attack on Karen Walker.

"She's 13. Queens park. Night time attack… any of this sounding familiar?" Still nothing. Sam watched him for a moment then shook his head. He stood up and marched out of the room. Andy followed, but when she turned back to close the door she looked over at him and caught him watching her, a crooked smile on his face, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

Back in the car Sam drove home at speed. Andy glanced at him bit didn't speak. His jaw clenched over and over, as he grinded his teeth. His fingers tightened their grip on the steering wheel and he constantly shuffled in his seat. He didn't speak, she didn't force him to an they made the complete journey in silence.