A/N: Sam returns and the heat is on or the action is about to take place whatever you want to call it. Please forgive all my errors because they are at least one thing that I own.

36

You can donate blood today! Please note: It must be your blood that you donate and the cookies are not to be eaten until after you donate.

—SIGN AT LIMA SPRINGS URGENT CARE CENTER

After leaving her daughter with a secret that was life or death, Cedes rushed to the station. Knowing that she would have talk to Gina about everything later. Right now, Hunter was screaming at her by texting to her in all caps with exclamation points galore.

"Are you okay?" he asked when she finally walked into the sheriff's department a little frazzled.

"Why? Do I look unwell?"

"Of course not."

"Why were you screaming at me via text?"

"Him." He said and then pointed to her office.

She was surprised to find Sam pacing back and forth inside her office like a caged animal. When he stopped pacing and turned to look at her, he seemed to get even angrier. As much as she hated to admit it, she really didn't care if he was angry at her. She was just relieved that he was still alive.

"He seems very agitated and hostile," she said to Hunt.

"He is both," Sam said, as he waited for her to come to him. Apparently, he wanted to talk to her in the privacy of her office.

"Hello, Mercedes." She heard an elderly voice say.

"Why, hello, Mrs. Banks. How's your what one millionth confession going?"

"This one is the best yet. Can you help me out by spelling dismemberment?"

"I'll help you with that, Mrs. B.," Dani said rescuing Cedes and bringing a chair to sit beside the elderly lady.

Cedes waved goodbye to them, entered her office, and got an even better view of Sam's face. His face was the stuff of horror movies. Not that he wasn't still handsome, but the bruises around his eye, not to mention his mouth, were worrying her. Thankfully, there wasn't much swelling, but the subconjunctival hemorrhage had completely discolored the white of his injured eye, leaving it a bloody red.

"Please tell me you had that you at least had your eye checked out."

"Please tell me you found the men who attempted to kill Mike."

"If you answer my question first?"

"Nope, I am not saying anything until after you answer mine."

"You know, you're still under arrest but no rights have been read, you don't have to be silent."

"If it was up to you, I would never not be under arrest. What makes today any different?"

When she didn't answer him, he continued, "Did you find those men?" he asked.

"No. Did you?"

"Are you even looking for them?"

"You know we are looking for them, but we've also had a new angle that we have to fully investigate."

"Sure you have."

"I don't like what you're insinuating, sir, but since this happened, you've been nothing but a humungous pain in my ass." Even when she'd seen Sam at his angriest, he was rarely this awful to her.

"Well your ass is—," he stopped himself when he thought better of what he was going to say. "Sorry, Em."

"Hunter, can you come inside and close the door; I need a witness?"

"Sure, thing, boss."

"A witness for what?" Sam asked worried that she was going to hurt him because of how awful he was being to her.

"Remove your shirt."

"You really don't need a witness for me to do that for you."

"Either you let me examine you, or I will arrest you and watch while Hunter strip searches you."

"For the love of God, Menkins, please let her check you out. I don't want to do that."

Cedes figured that if he had internal bleeding there would be signs by now, and he wouldn't be able to stand. She hoped he really didn't need medical care, but she decided to be safe than sorry.

He gently lifted his shirt over his head with a groan. She noticed he could barely lift his right arm high, but he managed to get the shirt off and hold it. He was thankfully freshly showered and covered with the scrapes and bruises that she expected to see.

She walked around him. noticing he had gashes from the gravel on his shoulders and back that needed to be looked after. Then, Cedes walked around to face him again and lifted a hand to his injured jaw. She stopped at his jaw even though she wanted to hug him and keep him in her arms.

His looked at her and his eyes automatically went to and stayed on her lips. "So, what's your diagnosis, Mrs. not Dr. Mercedes Porter?"

His words broke her out of her trance. "Even a child could see that you need to go to the hospital. A medical degree is not needed."

"Anything else you want to say?"

"I can't force you to tell me what you discovered while looking for the men, but we should be working with each other, not against each other."

"That's mighty convenient for you. Every time you see me, you are using me to save the day or you are arresting me."

"I'm still thinking it's for your good if I did arrest you," she said, stepping closer. "Don't make me do it."

He reluctantly admitted, "I found the Tundra."

"Did you find the body of the man you stabbed?"

"The man I killed was not in it. They burned the truck to the ground at an abandoned warehouse near Crescent City."

"They didn't get far," she said, surprised no one called it in. Crescent City, California, was only about five minutes from the Redwood Forest National Park and fires were not taken lightly in the entire state. She would notify the police department there.

"That means they had to dump the body somewhere between, but I was not able to find it."

"Do you think they buried him?"

"They wouldn't have taken the time. I got the VIN, but I doubt it belonged to any of them."

She nodded. "I'm going to need that baseball cap even though it's covered in your DNA."

"It's in my truck."

"Hunter, do you mind?"

Sam fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to her chief deputy.

"I also need the knife." He went in his pocket, retrieved it, and then handed it over to her. "Why did you take the knife from the crime scene?"

"Because it has initials and engraving."

"You tried to trace it back to the engraver."

He nodded.

"What did you find out?"

"It was sold at a convention in Cleveland, Ohio, but the initials were added afterwards."

"Did the engraver have a record of the transaction?"

"No, the guy used cash."

"Why can't we get a break?"

Sam stopped staring at her and asked, "How's Gee doing?"

"She's worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry."

"You know how much she loves you."

"I feel the same way about her."

"You know, I have never been a threat to you. You could trust me."

"Em, you are the only person in the world I feel threatened by." He opened his legs as though encouraging her to come closer. "Nothing you do or say is going to change that."

Pretending she was concerned about his well being, she began to caress the bruises on his face ending with the one on his full mouth.

"I don't mind you touching me, but you should know that we have an audience." He whispered to her.

She turned around and noticed Jay, McCarthy, Dani, and even Mrs. Banks staring at them through the door that Hunter left opened. "Oh, hell," she said backing away from him.

"Mrs. Banks. How's the confession going?" She asked to divert their attention.

"Not as good as your questioning Sam," the elderly woman said giving her a thumbs up. Jay tried to hide a smile as McCarthy and Dani busied themselves with paperwork.

"You can tell me more later. You need to call your sister ASAP." She told him.

Sam nodded, carefully put on his shirt, and walked out.

"How do you spell obliterated?" Mrs. Banks asked Sam.

He laughed as Hunter brought the cap in signed, sealed in an evidence bag.

Cedes thanked him. "Let's get this along with the knife to forensics."

"Sure thing, boss."

"I just called Method," Cedes said when Sam returned from calling his sister.

"How is Mike?"

"He's alive in critical but stable condition. You were right about the tox screen." Cedes answered.

"I know."

"Sam, how much do you know about Chang?"

"He is a very private person, but I have been friends with him for a few years. I know he was in Special Forces and is now a survivalist living off-grid."

"Let me show you something." She led him to Jay's computer and motioned for him to look at the screenshot of Mack. "Have you seen this kid?"

He sat down for a better look. "That's his nephew, Matt."

"No, that is Mack."

"Who's Mack?" Sam asked.

"Mack Alana was kidnapped from his home in Eureka seven years ago. He would be twelve now." She gestured toward the screen. "And should look exactly like that."

"Are you accusing Chang of kidnapping a kid?"

"How else would you explain it?"

"Matt is Chang's sister's kid. They live in Moonstone. She is a single mother, and Mike is a male role model for him, so while she is working, Matt stays with Mike when he is out of school."

"Sam, Mike Chang had only one sister and she died when he was eight. She was thirteen. He doesn't have a nephew."

"You've gotta be wrong. Mike would never kidnap a child."

"We can figure out why he did it later. But if Matt was kidnapped and Mike's in the hospital, that means Matt is alone and … and could be tied up and unable to eat or drink."

"That's not true." He stood up and left.

Cedes caught up to him and stopped him at the front entrance by putting herself in front of the door, and put a hand on his arm to restrain him.

"Move. I'm going to find Matt to clear this up."

"Do you know where the Changs live?"

"No, but I have a good idea."

"Wait." She took out her phone and called one of her favorite places in Lima Springs.

"Who are you calling?"

"He's a kid," putting the phone on speakerphone. "What kid doesn't like pizza?"

"Breadstix," a male voice answered.

"Hello, Mario."

"Hello, Sheriff Porter. Are you ordering a pizza?" How he always recognized her voice when he got dozens of calls a day was beyond her.

"I'm actually calling on official business."

"Sounds serious."

"It is. And you can help save a kid's life. I know this is asking a lot, but can you give me the address of a customer you deliver to? A Mike Chang?"

"I'm sorry, love. I can't."

"Mike is in the hospital, and we need to find his nephew. It's urgent."

"No, I mean I literally can't. I don't have an address for them. He would always have me deliver it to the Quick-Mart."

"Okay. Thanks, Mario. Oh, wait. Can you tell me the last time they ordered?"

"Sure." She heard him typing on a computer. "I know it's been at least a week. It was last week on Tuesday."

"Okay, thanks, Mario." She ended the call.

"When I would visit him, we would always meet here." Sam showed her the location from a map on his phone.

"So, you think he is staying near this area?"

"More than likely."

"Then I may know exactly where they're staying."

"I think I do, too. I should go out there alone." Sam said.

"Why?"

"Chang doesn't need a bunch of deputies all over his place."

"No offense, Sam, but I don't give a damn what Mike Chang needs right now. My only concern is Mack, so I'm coming with you, and you don't have a say in the matter."

"No, you're not, and I do."

"Stop being an asshat, Menkins. Let's go." Hunter said after retrieving his tactical kit and shotgun.

"Fine, but I'm driving." Sam relented.

"You and Jay follow," Cedes told Hunter.

She called Martinez as she hopped inside the dark cab to fill him in. "Keep an eye on our visitors. Watch what they do when we leave."

"You got it, boss."

She ended the call and then called Dani. "Call the Eureka Police Department and find out if there have been any information on the Mack Alana case. Anything at all."

"Will do boss."

She heard Mrs. Banks in the background. "How many n's does Hennessy have?"

"How come you don't know?" Dani asked.

"I just drink it. I don't read the label."

Cedes ended the call and looked at Sam. "Everybody in this town is certifiable."

"Are we going inside this time?" Ricky asked Gina.

Gina had successfully convinced her mom she had a study hour in preparation for her upcoming final exams, and their teacher had allowed them to go on a coffee run as long as they brought him one, too. Her mom must've really been distracted to fall for that excuse. Probably the life-or-death thing with Stacey. Gina would find out more later. For now, she'd gotten away with skipping school. She had to take full advantage of this opportunity.

She checked with her inside man. Mrs. B. was still confessing, and, if history repeated itself, she'd be there all day. They'd make her coffee, give her water, and buy her lunch. She would fill out a detailed confession, and then one of the deputies would drive her home.

Sadly, the former sheriff, William Schuester, wouldn't allow her to confess, so she'd had to get the mayor, Rachel Berry, involved. Because of Mayor Berry's influence, Mrs. Banks was able to confess again, but Schuester didn't like it.

Of course, if he was anything like his son, Daniel, a junior at Lima Springs High, he didn't like much of anything unless it involved dating, hair gel, and kegs.

"We're definitely doing this," she said.

"Okay, just take one more step," Ashlyn said encouraging her because they were currently outside Mrs. Banks' back door again and had been there for the last ten minutes. It stood wide open just waiting on them to enter.

"I will do this."

"Yes, you will," Ashlyn encouraged her.

It was crazy that Ashlyn was the one encouraging her to break the law.

She gave up. "Maybe we should try again tomorrow."

Ricky looked at her. "Are you certain a crime will be committed tonight that she will be confessing to tomorrow?"

Before she could come up with another stall tactic, Ricky hopped threw her over his shoulder and carried her inside.

"Finally, we are in," he said, setting her on her feet, then closing the door.

He stood back but kept his hands on her shoulders until she'd steadied herself. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She was more than fine. Ricky had his hand on her behind while he carried her and some part of her enjoyed being carried by him.

"We should each choose a room to search."

Mrs. Banks' house was still the seven bedrooms she had when it was a boardinghouse. Gina had read there were seven bedrooms upstairs with three bathrooms one for males and one for females and one for Mrs. Banks, along with a living room, drawing room, dining room, and kitchen.

"This is going to take forever," Ashlyn said.

Gina noticed a small room off the kitchen. The door was locked. She turned to Ricky. "Maybe not."

He grinned and picked the lock. "You'll have to show me how to do that someday."

"And give up my position on the team? My lockpicking abilities are the only reason you brought me along, so I don't think, so."

He opened the door and they entered one by one.

Gina walked in the room and it appeared to be in the same condition is was when the house was initially built over a hundred years ago, yet everything had been cleaned recently. Not a speck of dust was to be seen.

"It's like an antique store in here," Gina observed aloud.

"Unless we find an identifying marks on these items," Ricky said, "we can't connect them to any of the missing persons."

Ashlyn who finally spoke up gave them the best advice. "Whatever you do, don't move a thing. If you pick something up, put it back the way you found it. This stuff is well cared for. Mrs. Banks will know if someone has been in here."

"Agreed."

After twenty minutes of searching items and putting them back where they were found, they found nothing with any identifying marks.

Gina looked at her friends and wasn't surprised to see Ricky going through the books on a nightstand. He opened a book and waved her over. "There's a name, but I don't recognize it from the list of missing persons."

Gina took out her phone and took a photo of the name Tonya Freeman. "I don't recognize it, either."

"It might not be relevant," he said, closing the book.

"I'll look investigate the victims' known family and friends. It could be one of theirs."

"Where do you think she buried their bodies?" Ashlyn asked.

Simultaneously, they all dropped their gazes to the floor.

Panic took hold of Ashlyn and she ran out of the house screaming.

"Ashlyn wait for us," Gina said, trying to put what she was looking at back in place.

Ricky ran after her. Gina followed, but just as she got to the door of the room, something shiny captured her attention. She skidded to a halt and looked at a handful of expensive jewelry dangling from a hook by a chest of drawers. Inside one of the drawers was a tennis bracelet she had seen a picture of before.

She remembered the article about the missing girl who'd worn it because in the interview, the girl's family searching for her seemed more worried about the tennis bracelet than the girl. It had broken Gina's heart.

She took a picture of the tennis bracelet with her phone before running out the back door straight into the arms of Deputy David Martinez.

Dani texted Cedes as they headed out. Other than a couple of reported sightings that never led anywhere, Eureka Police Department had no developments on the Mack Alana case. Cedes wondered if anyone even looked into the sightings. They certainly never told her about them since she'd become sheriff, and she had been lead detective on the case.

She also got a text from her stalker, which she ignored because that would make the him go away. Delusional she knew. And a text from her former partner-in-crime and the queen of bad decisions, Quinn Fabray, asking her if she would be in town soon and suggesting they get a drink. Getting a drink with Quinn was never a good idea, yet Cedes wanted to because she missed her. Although no one could take Hunter's place, Quinn came in at a close second. She'd been her only true friend that was a girl ever. Cedes finally had someone who understood hormones, moods, and what is was like being a female in a career that was predominately male and biased against females.

She texted her back. Let's make a date, but you have to promise to behave. I am no longer on the force their and can keep you from getting arrested. You know you become angry when you drink and try to fight everyone.

Quinn replied immediately with LMAO and I will see you soon.

Sam was sulking during their ride, so Cedes decided to do some research on Mike Chang. She didn't find much on the elusive Mr. Chang. Sam had been right. Other than the fact that he didn't have a social media presence, she managed to find a few mentions of him on various military enthusiast sites.

The only two pictures she found of him were grainy and could have been of anyone. Then a post popped up on Facebook. A pregnant woman from Little Rock, Arkansas, claimed her car had been hijacked with her three-year-old daughter inside. The mask assailant held a gun on her and had ordered her to drive out of the city.

They were stopped at a redlight when a soldier dressed in camo, average height, walked across the crosswalk. He looked inside the car and noticed how scared she was, but she thought he'd kept walking. A few seconds later, the passenger's side door opened and the man was ripped out.

The woman didn't hesitate. She floored it and drove straight to a police station. The post went on to explain the Army had no knowledge of one of their soldiers intervening in a civilian altercation.

A link led to a news clip on the incident. A reporter held a microphone up to the chief of police. "The move was risky. He couldn't have known the gun wasn't loaded. It could've gone off and we would never authorize or condone the use of that kind of force." Another officer came onto the screen. "Let's call it what it is. The guy's a hero."

Nothing she found out about the man, led her to believe him capable of child abduction. She was beginning to believe Sam was right.

"As far as you could tell," she began, choosing her words carefully, "from the times you interacted with him, Chang's nephew, Matt, was not being held against his will?"

"I would have reported that. I could never condone that or be friends with someone who did such a thing."

"And you're sure he only has him while he is on vacation from school?" If that were the case, where was Mack Alana the rest of the school year?

"Not really," he said, thinking about it. "Sometimes Eli was with him. Sometimes he wasn't. That doesn't mean he took the kid from his parents."

"You said he was hypervigilant Saturday night, like he was on a job. What is Mike Chang's job?"

"Odd jobs here and there."

"Like electrician jobs?"

"Yep."

"And that would require his need to be hypervigilant? Sam, you were deputized, a fact you only seem to remember when it benefits you. You are required to tell the truth if a person's life is at stake."

Former Sheriff Schuester deputized Sam long before Cedes returned home.

After a long pause, he revealed what he knew. "Chang's been known to do a side job here and there for certain government agencies."

"He's a gun for hire?"

"Only when it's for a good cause. He left the military life about nine years ago."

"I've never met a mercenary. I wonder if he's like Deadpool but handsome."

"Really Cedes, Deadpool. And how would you know if you met a merc or not?"

"I wouldn't. So now Changs lives off the grid and survives by hunting and picking fruit and uses solar-generated power to charge his cell?"

"He usually gets his produce from the farmer's market, but yeah. Pretty much. He also has a generator for winter."

Cedes looked in the rearview to make sure Hunter and Jay were still with them.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking that he's staying at Fahey's old place."

"That would be my guess. Wes wouldn't tell us what the argument was about in his store that he obviously overheard. Mike felt comfortable shopping there, and he had pizza delivered there, so that means he must have known Wes Fahey before and is probably living on his land."

Fahey had been living in town for the last couple of years, which worked better for him since he owned the only convenience-store-slash-gas-station in the city, but he'd once lived in a trailer on his family's land. The home burned down, but the hookups were still there.

"But if Chang is so off-grid, will Matt be okay out here alone?"

"That kid could weather a winter in the tundra. Chang taught him everything he knows." He thought a moment, then asked, "Do you think the attempt on Chang's life has anything to do with Matt?"

"I have no clue, but we can't rule it out, though what one has to do with the other is lost on me. How do you know him?"

"Chang? He'd come into the bar and grill sometimes and we got to talking. As you know he's a certified electrician and he did a few odd jobs at the distillery for me. Got to know him a bit. He'd bring Matt around every so often while he worked."

"So he was in Special Forces, is a certified electrician, lives off the land, and does odd jobs for distilleries and secret government agencies. How did Mack even end up with him?"

Sam didn't answer only studied the road in front of him.

"The fact that your friend is a mercenary does shed a new light on things. I just don't know how."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"Do you need me to do anything?" she asked.

He looked at her with a panty melting grin. "I think you know what I need you to do."

"I meant to help you with your injuries not cause you additional ones."

"I am willing to take the pain, but if you are unwilling to do that, will you open the glove compartment?"

She did, assuming there'd be a bottle of painkillers inside, but she didn't see anything but papers.

"Look underneath the truck's manual."

She lifted the manual and felt around until she pulled out an envelope.

"I want you to take that home with you. Keep it safe. It would make me feel better."

"What is this?"

"My will."

"Are you planning on dying tonight?"

"No, but plans change." He said it with such finality, it stopped her from probing further.

She put the envelope in her bag. It made sense that he'd have a will. He was now worth a small fortune. Why not just leave the will with his sister or his lawyer?

Cedes didn't want to think of Sam dying, but she began to sing the song "Die With A Smile" in her head just to deal with her emotions.

They pulled up to a cabin Cedes hadn't known existed. No sign of a burned-out trailer. "Is this Fahey's place?"

"Used to be. Wes built a hunting cabin, but told me once years ago he never used it and was thinking about selling it."

After her deputies took up position, Cedes and Sam took the stairs to the porch. Cedes knocked on the door. When they got no response, she knocked again. "Sheriff's department. We need to talk to Matt about his uncle. Is he here?"

No response She tried to open the door. Despite having three locks, the front door wasn't locked. She looked at Sam.

"Mike would never leave his door unlocked."

Cedes drew her weapon and eased inside. "Matt?" Cedes called out, walking a line in front of her, her service weapon in both hands at her side. "Your Uncle Mike has been injured. We just want to make sure you're okay."

She came to a small room under the loft. It was filled with the usual weapons found in a hunter's cabin, but it also had a TV and a PlayStation that ran on a generator next to an outbuilding, a small deskmand a bookshelf filled with academic and fiction books for kids and adults.

"It appears Chang has been homeschooling Matt."

Sam looked just as surprised.

One of the books sat open on the desk with a pencil and notebook beside it. Mack, or Matt, seemed to be working his way through Algebra. "Not bad for a twelve year old," Cedes said, checking over his work.

Cedes went to the back door and let Jay in. "Nobody outside and nobody followed us."

"Thanks." She turned to Hunt as he entered.

"Not a sign of the boy either."

Hunter lifted a pot. "It looks like they haven't been here in days."

"That's a decoy," Sam said.

Hunter raised it to show him. "It's a pot of beans."

He grinned. "A pot of decoy beans. It's not real. It's meant to throw anyone who might be looking for them off their trail. The boy was here this morning."

"How do you know?" she asked him.

He grabbed a toothbrush out of a small medicine cabinet in the bathroom and tossed it to her.

"It's damp," she said to Hunt.

Hunt took out an evidence bag, and she dropped it in. If nothing else, they could test the DNA, and make sure the boy was Mack.

Sam touched a towel hanging on a rack. "He's only been gone at the most a couple of hours."

Cedes was one step closer to finding the kid she'd dreamed of so often. She had prayed he was okay even though statistically the odds were beyond calculating.

"Matt could actually be watching us right now," Sam said.

"Really?" Cedes walked to a window that looked out over the mountainside. "Why did he send us a signal in the Quick-Mart if he weren't in danger?"

"If he was in danger, he could have come to the police station or our office." Hunter said.

I think something scared him. He would have never left the door open." He looked at her. "I can track him but it would take awhile because he took off on his dirt bike instead of on foot."

"He could be anywhere."

"Let's think about this. Chang and the kid came back out here after the run-in at the store."

"True," Cedes said. "Maybe Chang brought him out here to keep him safe? Then he went back into town to try to figure out what was going on? That man tried to stab him outside the store. He had to know it wasn't random."

"That's why he was being so hypervigilant. He knew someone was after him." Sam realized.

"He had to know there was a hit out on him," Hunter added.

"If that's true, why wasn't he carrying a weapon with him that night?" Cedes asked.

"No firearms are allowed inside of any business that serves alcohol," Sam said, eyeing her like she'd lost her mind. "No exceptions. I thought you knew the law."

"I am well aware of the law. Why did he go there if he couldn't have a weapon?"

"He needed to talk to me. That's why he came. If I'd known, I wouldn't have been outside talking to another patron."

"Oh, Angel. Dust."

"Yes. She was talking about her boyfriend, and then she asked me for a job."

"Wow. So, you're a therapist, too?"

"All bartenders are therapists."

"In all the years your family has owned that place, I have never once seen you work there."

"Like you come in there that often," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Hunter ended what could be a trading of barbs. "You said Chang headed back to his truck before he got to talk to you?"

"Yes, he probably knew he'd been drugged."

"I need to go to Eureka and talk to Mack's mother personally." She looked at Sam. "Can you give them a lift, and I'll take your cruiser, Hunt?"

"I'll take you to Eureka," Sam said.

Hunt asked, "Should we call in a team to process this place?"

"Not just yet. Let's try to get Eli to come to us first, but just to be safe, try to get some fingerprints and a DNA sample." She sat at the desk and began composing a letter. "

"Sure thing, boss." Jay said ready to do what was needed.