8. Nobody's Nobody

(Bobby)

He refused to let her sway him from seeing the Jeep's interior for himself, and to be fair, Athena gave in quickly, knowing all too well he'd find a way. As he approached the vehicle, Eddie a step behind him, Bobby tried to brace for what he might see, his mind conjuring up an image from some old horror movie he'd caught one night on TV, the interior of that vehicle left painted red with the remains of a victim. Was he about to encounter the same thing now? His stomach churned.

Athena said something in a hushed tone to the evidence tech—like this is some sort of crime scene—and the woman stepped away leaving the three of them alone. The driver's side door hung open and for the briefest of seconds, as he stepped forward to have a glimpse, Bobby expected to find Buck slumped behind the wheel, far too beyond the kind of help they could provide.

But the cabin was empty.

And Athena would have told him otherwise.

Careful not to touch anything, Bobby drank it all in. From the balled up fast food wrapper on the dashboard to the half empty bottle of pop in the cup holder. Dangling from the rear view mirror was a small picture of him with Maddie and Jee. The sight of it tugged at Bobby's heart. The blood took his breath away.

"You were the field medic, what do you think?" he asked Eddie.

The red stain on the driver's seat marred both the seat and low down on the back with more splashed across the cup holder. There was an ugly smear on the radio screen and another across the steering wheel. Far from the blood bath foisted upon him by the memory of the horror movie, yet enough to scream that Buck had been significantly hurt.

"It isn't enough to automatically write him off," Eddie said, clearly choosing his words carefully. "But we need to find him. Judging by where it presents I'm guessing he took a blow to the abdomen, and you know as well as me how nasty an abdominal wound can be, not to mention how quickly it can turn deadly."

"The tech says the same thing," Athena added her voice to the mix. "She also says that the blood on the radio is likely from him struggling with his attacker, whereas the one on the steering wheel suggests him being dragged out."

Bobby stared, laser focused, at the blood, jaw clenched, hands curling into fists, and then abruptly turned and stalked off. Upon reaching his truck he gave the wheel a swift kick followed by slamming his palms down on the hood. None of this should have happened. Had he bothered to pay attention, taken care of his family like he was supposed to, Buck wouldn't have gotten drunk and gone off the rails.

"Fuck," he swore, smacking the hood again.

"Bobby, Athena said…

At the same time Eddie uttered, "Cap."

Athena put a hand on his arm, her touch gentle, warm, comforting. He barely fought back the urge to pull away, wanting to punish himself. "Bobby, we'll find him. I swear. Just like we found Harry, and Maddie, and Chimney. We will find Buck, you have my word."

"What dis you say to me before we came here?" Eddie asked. "You told me neither of us are to blame."

Bobby's anger got the best of him and whirled on Eddie. "You aren't the one who's supposed to be looking out for him. I am."

"You stop this right now, Bobby Nash. This blame game isn't going to help anyone, not you, and least of all Buck." Whatever else Athena planned to say was cut off by a call coming over the radio for a three alarm fire. She turned to Eddie. "Calling you out here was my mistake so take his keys and the two of you get back to work. Keep your mind occupied."

Without another word she left them there. Bobby thought of going after her, but saw the resolve in Eddie's eyes and knew he'd be treading on dangerous ground if he stuck around. Slightly defeated, he handed over his keys and stepped around to get in on the passenger side. Closing his eyes, he saw the Jeep's blood smeared interior.

XxXxXxXxXxX

(Athena)

She experienced a twinge of guilt as she turned the cruiser into the parking lot of Buck's apartment, confronted with the actions of her deceit. When she initially got the call about Buck's Jeep she went back and forth, conflicted, on whether to call Bobby. In the end, Athena decided it was better he heard about the discovery from her than from someone else. When it came to Buck she suspected she fell to second place on Bobby's list of priorities, and truth be told, she was fine with it. Without the younger man and his stubborn headstrong ways Bobby might never have torn down his walls and let people in, found the spark to live again, and that meant they'd never have gone on their first date and eventually found their way to marriage. And marrying Bobby Nash was definitely one choice she didn't question.

Athena parked.

Upon seeing his reaction to the bloody scene she swiftly changed her mind on sharing all the information they currently had on the missing Buckley. The investigative wheels turned fast on this case, at least for now, under her watch. The man who left Buck's Jeep on the curb didn't seem to care if he got spotted on camera, and indeed he had been, by the business across the street.

Hands resting on her belt, Athena stepped through the open door of the apartment complex, making her way up the stairs, flashing back momentarily to the night they brought drunken Buck home.

She'd watched the video, witnessed in black and white as the man ditched the vehicle, Buck nowhere in sight. Something about his appearance nagged at her so she watched the video on repeat while awaiting Bobby's arrival, and it dawned on her shortly before they arrived. She'd seen him before at Buck's place. He'd excused himself the night of her failed date with Bobby, passing them on the stairs. From there it was easy to send an officer to the landlord with a still frame of the man, getting a name and apartment number.

None of which she shared with Bobby.

It's the right thing to do. He'd hunt the man down and break at least one law. I'm protecting him. So why does it make me feel shitty?

"Athena."

She blinked, her misgivings temporarily swept aside. "Elaine, what are you doing here?" She addressed her captain.

The sympathetic smile Elaine offered hinted at bad news. "I understand you're very close with the missing Mam, Evan Buckley, and figured I'd offer my help. We've given this place a once over," she explained, slowly, casually leading Athena through the space, the furnishings bare and clearly secondhand. No one lived here, they existed, no personal touches in sight. "As you ca. See, there's little to work with, until we checked this room." Elaine paused with her hand on the doorknob. "I'm going to share this with you because I know you're level headed and won't run off the rails. Still, brace yourself because…" Elaine sighed. "Well, see foe yourself."

She let the door swing open.

Athena crossed the threshold, trying to take it all in, the overload weighing on her shoulders, her heart. Pictures and news articles decorated the walls, most of them featuring both Bobby and Buck. The majority of the photos were candid, taken no doubt by the kidnapper, suggesting he'd followed the 2 for some months now. Of course, the others popped up in the photos including herself, but there was no denying that her husband and Buck were the objects of the photographer's obsession. Her stomach twisted in knots.

"Who is this guy?" she asked herself more than Elaine.

Athena played her gaze over the images. Buck playing basketball with Eddie. Buck having a picnic with Maddie, Chimney, and little Jee at the beach. Buck with Christopher on the boardwalk. Bobby grilling in their backyard. At an AA meeting. Sitting on the bench outside the hospital with May. Buck and Bobby at a call. Them standing together outside the firehouse.

"Who is he?" she voiced again, louder, anger and fear lacing her words.

"Lawrence Ray. He's from Minnesota."