The last thing Alexandra recalled as she came to was being struck hard on the head by a man's fist. She could taste blood in her mouth. She supposed she'd forced her kidnappers to become more violent when she struggled, but she hadn't been about to go willingly.

She fought down a surge of panic at the recollection and take stock of her current situation. It was pitch black, partly owing to the fact that she was wrapped in sheet or something. That in itself was ominous. Usually that meant a murder had or was about to go down and the body to be buried.

The sound of her heart pounding against her chest thundered in her ears. Alexandra took a few deep breaths in an effort to remain calm. Panic wouldn't help her find a way to escape and a plan to escape was exactly what she needed.

The surface she was laying on wasn't soft so she figured she was stuffed in the trunk. She could feel the car's changes in speed and occasionally it stopped, presumably for lights and stop signs. Worry filled her as the sounds of other traffic and the city nightlife gradually faded in the distance.

Even if she could escape, it was going to become more difficult to find help. Trying to run in only one high heel wouldn't improve her chances either so she kicked it off with the help of her other foot.

The first thing she had to do was get this sheet off of her. Surprisingly, her hands and feet weren't bound, but Alexandra was willing to bet that putting up a struggle with them cost them precious time. Sure, the parking lot had been pretty dark, but the longer they were there, the more likely the jerks were to be caught by a restaurant employee taking out the trash or something. So one of them knocked her out, shoved her in the trunk, and they sped off out of the city.

They'll probably stop soon to finish the job, whatever it is…, she thought.

Dread settled in her belly like a dead weight.

For a brief moment, she thought of Mr. Burger and how she might never see him again. Or her sister and nieces and nephews. And how worried sick Paul must be right now. But she had to squelch those thoughts too. They were distracting her and filling her with hopelessness.

Wait a minute… I had Mr. Burger's pocket knife in my pocket. Maybe it's still here…

She rummaged around and with a sigh of relief, her fingers closed around it. Her boss had forgotten it on Saturday after he'd spent the night on her couch and she'd put it in her pocket meaning to return it to him, but had forgotten during the hectic day at work.

That chain of events may well save her life.

She hoped she wouldn't have to try to stab anyone with it, not that it would do a ton of damage as small as it was, but her fingerprints and Burger's were on it. And she really didn't wish to hurt anyone. She just wanted to get safely back home.

As carefully as she could in the dark, Alexandra pried the little knife open and began sawing her way through the sheet. When she was satisfied she had full range of movement, she laid still, but alert, waiting for the moment when the trunk was opened and she could spring out.

Wmwmwm

Hamilton Burger was not calm. He could be excitable in court at times. Impatient, irascible, easily irritated. Pacing, seething like a caged animal was new. He stopped every so often to glance at Tragg whose expression was as solemn as the District Attorney had ever seen.

His strong hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly as Tragg and his officers continued to investigate the scene.

Nearby, Paul Drake had given his statement a short while earlier and was chain smoking out of sheer worry and guilt. Della was still in Mason's arms, though her crying had subsided some. Mason's face was drawn with worry, but like Tragg, he was calm, taking in all the details as was his way.

When he felt his legs would no longer support him under the weight of his intense emotions, Burger sat down next to Drake and tried to think of something comforting to say, but what was there?

Drake put his face in his hands. His cigarette billowed smoke around him and the two men sat in silence.

"It's not your fault, Paul," Burger said gently after a few minutes.

"Isn't it?!" The private Detective retorted angrily.

Burger knew that Drake was angry with himself and wished there was more he could do to help ease the taller man's guilt.

"I'm the one who asked for her help and now she's in danger because of it!"

Burger watched as a cast was made of a short length of tire tracks by the back door.

"We don't know why Alexandra was taken or if it had anything to do with you or your investigation. She could have been chosen at random," Burger reminded him.

Drake took another long drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke forcefully.

"Maybe. But I'd she hadn't been with me in the first place, she'd be home safe."

Burger let out a silent sigh. Realizing that Drake was not receptive to what he was saying right now, he stood and made his way over to Mason.

"I'm going to stay until Tragg is through here," he told Mason. "The rest of you should try to get some rest."

Mason kept his arms protectively around Della who seemed content to remain there.

"What about you, Hamilton? You should get some rest as well," Mason asked, his deep voice heavy with concern.

Burger shook his head.

"There's no way I'll be able to sleep tonight, Perry. This past week I learned I might have a second chance for happiness with someone who cares about me. And now she's missing. Maybe worse. You'd have to knock me out to get me to sleep."

Mason nodded, unconvinced.

"Well, keep me informed. I'm going to take Della home."

Burger watched as the pair slowly retreated back to Mason's car, then turned back to the scene to see Tragg heading his way.

The older man looked tired and worn. They all knew Alexandra so this was a more emotionally exhausting investigation than usual.

"I'm afraid we don't know much yet, Hamilton. You, uh, should probably try to get some rest. I promise I'll call you as soon as we know more," the silver haired officer assured him.

Burger spared him a brief glance, then quickly averted his eyes again, Swallowing hard. He didn't want anyone to see the pain in them.

Tragg wasn't fooled though. He and Burger had known each other far too long and Tragg was far too experienced at noticing the little details.

"We'll find her, son. You have my word," Tragg said with conviction.

Dead or alive though, Burger thought grimly, but he simply nodded.

"Thanks, Tragg," Burger said sincerely, but he made no move for his car. Instead he stood rooted to the spot, frozen in whatever his thoughts were.

Tragg waited patiently with him.

"What if I screwed it all up again, Tragg?" Burger said softly. "Just like Jane. Not being there when they needed me because of my work. I didn't even notice Alex's feelings for me. Why aren't I paying attention?!"

Tragg shook his head.

"Don't do this to yourself, Hamilton," he said softly as he turned back to rejoin his officers.

Reluctantly, Burger found his car and went home.