In Deep

Ch5 Homework

The Harlem backdrop draws long shadows over the scene and the fact I am late both Vivian and Martins father beating me to this scene, New York traffic doing me no favours only giving me time to mull over what had been nagging me all the way here.

As I break the distance nodding to Agent Fitzgerald and looking to Vivian who does not let me of trying to humour me on something from the past that alines with my very thoughts:

'You gave our missing agent plenty of ear ache years ago for being late on his first day and here are you doing the same now when the stakes could not be any higher Jack?'

Victor Fitzgerald picking up on the fact that my mind is elsewhere as he temporarily fills me in letting Vivian's words pass for now:

'Clean crime scene again bar the use of pigs blood I can only assume it's teasing us to Cuba and yes the only thing still missing out with your agent is his watch.'

As I swallow hard looking to Vivian again us both remembering that day nine years past and what he has eventually earned …the watch which is hopefully still at this moment on him…With this man who now seems to be assisting us in every way possible hands over the new piece of critical evidence.

My thoughts adjoining to what little else we have and it at least ties in nicely with it being a map of New York an old one at that with the Cuban native bird motif coloured and drawn in perfect symmetry through the map. As I find my voice but conceding it seems like the vehicle to be something to side track us:

'What's your thoughts Victor?'

Vivian watched the interplay and that bringing Jack out onto the field might be helping him in some small way as our commanding FBI agent and highest current power plays along:

'I don't like it one bit and Nuru told us explicitly that what we found here would validate that Agent Taylor was still with us for now. Even though our meeting has only likely shortened his chance of survival and that our old foe has went public as we both knew he would.'

I nod filling Malone in further:

'Nuru is doing the same as before he wants chaos and payback to one end. Cuba and our agents, life being the counterbalance and Victor is right time is not on our side for finding him alive with or without this map.'

As I stop Jack finding his tone matching my own:

'I have left your son Victor and Samantha to do the homework and probably the hardest bit for like Vivian.

Danny barely ever mentioned his past to either of us and the map is old school so possibly it is a true lead.'

Stopping there for a moment drawing breath trying to keep my emotions in check as I look over this scheduled but beautiful back drop. The ideal place to leave a stolen vehicle as Victor gets my drift taking the map back of me his features troubled:

'We are on the outer rim of Harlem your agent would know this part of New York more than most and the rest of this district for it is in his teenage pickpocket up bringing.'

The words causing a half smile and that he has indeed took the time to look over the personal files I has handed him earlier. With Agent Fitzgerald like all head agents do and discarding what t has indeed been set up to sidetrack us the - map for now not taking up our attention.

Victor instead using our earlier words to his advantage speaking his mind:

'It's good being out on the field Jack and like me you have experienced these sort of stand offs before to many times for us both would you not say?'

Nodding in reply Vivian giving us a further glance as Martins father continues:

'Nuru accused Agent Taylor of being a murderer and I sense this is what is nagging you at this moment Jack and what you and Vivian mentioned to start with?'

As I gaze to Vivian and he is more than right in his judgement she being the first to reply:

'To define a point and that the victim is not here to speak for himself my earlier words still stand Jack will say the same it's not in his character Victor. Is that not so Malone?'

My gaze turning to Jack needing all the support I can get as he comes through fast:

'The only time I ever got anywhere near his past was on his first day Victor and like the best of agents I did not get much.

All I could see emotionally he was not going to tell me of all people. His new boss the big bad that had so had marked him for life and that my new agent like everyone had regrets over his past.'

With there being a slight pause as I readjust to what these hours have laid bare cruelly:

'Though I think we know now the incident which caused the regret - I'm still in the dark to how deep it went.

i can only guess he probably jumped the gun on the night in question but not in the way we are been made believe plus he was only fourteen years old Victor. '

The FBI holding jurisdiction over me nodding in agreement as I throw the rest of what that day long ago has dragged to the surface or the memories of it more to the point:

'Agent Taylor took over from an agent caught in the cross fire and I swore then I would never loose another in the same way unfortunately statics your son and now Danny seem determined to repeat history.'

My voice finding new power as I digress on the same tangent:

'However it comes with the territory and we both know that but if there is any chance of finding him alive would you return the favour to what's bothering you?'

The power play remaining at a stand-off Victor giving a look of relief:

'Background check on my part Jack and no what has been obvious since my arrival here your best agent is down. Been through the emotional ringer before all this started and though he properly dislikes me.

Your Cuban son has definitely made it hard for you to more ways than one - to many enemies for starters.'

As I flinch hard Vivian also to the words and like his own son he sees how close a bond I have to the victim and Victor still has the map. As an eerie silence now fills the void i can't answer as I fill it in any way I can:

'Thanks to Martin we have leads it might be a joint operation as you rightfully said he has many enemies has Danny.

Plus as I told Vivian way back then and what that hot shot over heard that I compared him to the red Indians at Little Bighorn Victor'.

As I cover my face with my hands and what he has also addresses the mess agent Taylor had been in beforehand with my thoughts getting no chance to delve there …Vivian trying to break the path we're heading down:

'Ok Jack, his family like us can't handle much more either plus you were humouring me back then can you do the same now?'

With my own feelings surfacing stating the obvious to both men:

' And we need to find him before he brakes consciousness for he is a fighter on all counts and like his homeland he is deeply resilient If not a little to quite for his own good at times.'

As I now look between these two powerful leaders Agent Fitzgerald adding to my words :

'Well there is little in the way of bargaining chips left and taking the missing FBI agent out the equation is our only hope and I can assume given his background we're looking for dead men?'

Malone at Last finding his edge even as the emotions begin to break clear:

'Not necessarily your son found out how significant the Taylor part of his name came to be and it should be something that could be chased down quickly. For it belonged to a cop who saved him from going down the wrong path.'

As I come to a halt, aware that Victor did not like where we are now with reason that it was a decoy in every essence as he cuts my thoughts knowing how much our missing agent means to this team:

'Yes but like me there is criminal Cubans involved that Danny would have at one time known well is that not so?'

I frown remembering the fear in my younger colleagues eyes all those years ago when I had indeed without meaning to cut to close to the wire. Mentioning his brother then to and I had been right on that fact also as I give what my instincts are now telling me:

'If that insignia and map are anything to go by and the fact we need to narrow our search area. We either go with the likely scenario that he is hidden under our very nose or what I am batting for at this moment. That it's the fringes of New York or a different part of Harlem they have him in.'

Vivian rolling her eyes to that one with Victor giving the map another glance:

'We're not far from the art school here or the richer neighbourhoods and no Harlem is to obvious Agent Malone.'

As something crosses his mind not realising that like Martin before him, he is interrogating the senior employee once more:

'What about places of interest to the young Danny Taylor?'

As I take up the slack aware that we are only guessing and using old school methods to make up for the lack of clues and the enigma that has always surrounded my younger streetwise Hispanic agent:

'Well you would like me not miss the Statue of Liberty on the ransom note and like a lot of immigrants it seems from the little digging we have done. It certainly inspired him a lot possibly onto the right path Victor.'

With us now scouring the new information and that it's intrinsically drawn the old style map also being an odd choice perhaps the Cuban part coming into play as I turn to look at. The objects that has been on him the weapon and wallet. Like before bar the blood they were clean as I lift the wallet feeling the close connection to its owner and what my heart is now telling me.

That we are playing with fire, on all counts and someone close to him at some point has him and that's it's not just revenge, what my gut can't ignore especially when it comes to a quick thinking confident Cuban. It's personal and somehow linked to the girl from his childhood as I shake the thought.

Aware it is indeed a needle in a haystack with my rebel of a colleague giving me nothing to go on in the first place that my inkling that the fringes of New York. Given how many different factors were involved added weight to Victors thoughts and like Vivian we are way to close to this missing individual.

Shaking my head the sun starting to go down behind us as Agent Fitzgerald uses his experience wisely:

'Definitely the fringes of New York I would say, these Cubans are stubborn and know how to rattle a hornets nest. Either way we could dearly use your missing colleagues expertise and he is never the less an innocent being used in a political tug of war.'

My gaze staying put Vivian flinching a little once more to the words as he finishes with some assurance:

'I gather his family is taking it hard his brother especially but your agent has trusted you for nine years without fail even when you been more than tough on him I would guess?'

Victor sending me a smile and that he is referring to Martin also as Vivian's phone sparks to life causing me to jump. Martin evidently being the agent on the other end. With her giving a full smile and a hopeful expression.

Handing the phone to me as I catch the excitement of my younger colleagues voice and that they have more than found something. The initials clues being right and that there is more as he stops suddenly leaving me hanging as the phone goes dead. Calling us back to our office and off the field.

Agent Fitzgerald seeing the hope I can't hide from him:

'Well Jack what has my son and Agent Spade found?'

As I swallow hard not quite trusting my voice as I take the map once more:

'We will need this but for now everything lies on what the heck he could not tell any of us with reason and what we've spent all day digging up.'

My jaw tightening feeling fresh fear also that he is in way out of his depth and we are loosing daylight. Tying in my female colleagues earlier words and the hope that he might break consciousness if he is still with us.

Sighing without meaning to as I cover my eyes feeling extreme responsibly again. To someone who is the closest to a son I am ever likely to get and that my treatment of late. Had been inexcusable the Cuban becoming even more confused and beyond reach his behaviour even more erratic and I had simply turned a blind eye. To the pain I had all out ignored thinking he could sort himself out as was the Taylor trade mark.

The thought getting no further once more as Vivian finely gets a full statement in and she is trying to get me to step back a little:

'You were right Jack the other brother is alive and there is something more about the cop, but it's not those details that have shaken you so much?'

As I smile despite the situation:

'That I have not once regretted taking him on fiery temper and all but why the hell does it take Nuru, political mayhem with his homeland and Guantanamo to find anything more at all about him?

Passing on the after thought without thinking:

'Is he personally paying us all back for this last week Vivian? and going by Sam the case they worked on before all this. Shook him up big style to begin with and no not one os noticed it bar her.'

My frustration somehow finding voice there to and like Samantha he had hidden the growing relationship well as I frown my emotions finely coming fully free:

'My bad there Victor on more than one score and no Rafael his brother is a lot like him they've healed there wounds and to loose Danny like this would break him completely.'

Hesitating as I fold the map up reading to leave Victor for now filling my missing agents shoes something I am for once thankful for. With him reading my very thoughts and we have been in this game way to long:

'Let's see what the kids homework is like Agent Malone. Before you make any more interpretations of a vulnerable Hispanic who probably has rightfully hide his past to survive this long.'

The statement saying a lot more than the words as he offers his hand in friendship as I take it replying for both me and the woman beside me:

'Well we need a miracle Victor something Danny could usually muster up without even trying and what I would call the Cuban blood in him and certainly what this day has brought ten fold.'

That we are lost without him and you still have some hours to spare unlike Agent Taylor I think it's time we applied some of his ethics to our current quandary.'

As I grin Vivian touching my shoulder in assurance both of us managing the first real smiles to this catalystic situation, my eye taking in the beauty of the surroundings.

The darkness coming as I speak again to someone who is not here where he should be:

'Come on tiger you can't hide from your team that much longer no matter who has you?'

My handsome features rising breathing the New York Harlem air, the gothic elegance of this backdrop and were he here this was the type of case. He would have loved without doubt as Vivian again kicks base and the heart of it:

'Can feel the vibes from here Malone and have faith.

He takes to much after you to give up the fight just yet no matter how much damage has already been done Jack.'

Her features turning serious as I finish the statement:

'Yeah and that's what's worrying me the most.'

TO BE CONTINUED