Pronto

Con hesitates before getting out of the car, looking at Nate suspiciously. But he didn't have much of a choice now but to trust him. "Alright... I'll call you if something turns up."

Getting out of the car, he leans his head back down. "And Nate... when I talk to Laura again... I'll try to get her to talk to you."

Straightening, he closes the door and waits to see Nate drive away, before heading into TJY. This whole thing was one big nightmare.


Rocky stands in the little room, having come to see Jess, but finding only a note. Reading it, a bit of pride wells up in him. She was doing a brave thing, venturing out on her own. Even so, he was still worried about her. He goes for his phone and is about to dial, but then stops. No... she didn't need a babysitter. She would call if she needed something... at least he hoped she would.

He switches numbers and calls Carson and Dani's instead, leaving Carson a message to let him know what was happening.


Scott's eyes rise to meet Hope's for a moment. He didn't know why she was thanking him, and all of a sudden there was an odd tone to her voice. He couldn't quite put his finger on it though, so he says nothing. She was the one that asked the questions, not him.

"Yeah... okay." He aims for the door, turning once. "Maybe... maybe next time I'll bring Domino in with me. I think she enjoyed your company."

Giving a little nod, he exits the office, heading outside to Rick's waiting vehicle.


As the day goes on, no news doesn't seem to be good news. Those charged with the unthinkable were still on the loose. And those searching them grew ever more frustrated. But as night neared, purpose had to be laid aside for just a few hours until dawn brought a new opportunity to bring justice.


Ryder switches the tv channel, searching for something to watch. His stomach growls. But he doesn't get up. It wasn't his place... and he felt funny about just helping himself.

Henry stretches and yawns, curling and twisting onto his back, almost falling off Ryder's lap. Ryder absentmindedly runs his fingers through the cat's soft fur. Ever since the little standoff earlier in the day, Henry had stuck to him like glue.

Ryder glances at the clock. It felt a little odd... Laura had never shown up... and neither had Katie. But perhaps they were working late.


Scott settles down on the couch, a warm plate of food in hand. He sets it on his lap and stares at the empty wall in front of him. He used to have his entertainment center there with his television. Now it was just bare.

Looking down at the food Susanne had sent with him, he sighs. It smelled good. His senses told him that it would taste good. But he just didn’t feel hungry. He would try at least a little, though.

As he eats, Domino plays happily in another corner. She tosses her toy around, watching it roll, then pounces on it and carries it around as her trophy. After a while of play, she finally settles down to give the squeaky rubber a good chew, bathing it in drool.

The house is quiet. Too quiet. It bothers Scott a little, and he wishes he would have borrowed someone’s CD player at least, to create some sound. It was going to be a long night…

The evening has grown dark and Scott’s half-eaten supper sits on the small end table getting cold. He’s curled up on the couch, half asleep, not really tired, but not awake enough to want to get up and do anything. Domino is in her own little bed, resting, though her eyes remain open.

Suddenly though, her head shoots up and she looks towards the door, a low growl escaping. Scott opens his eyes, a wave of fear hitting him. He doesn’t move, but just listens. His ears can pick up nothing, but Domino continues to growl.

Scott can feel his insides start to knot up. He was in a very vulnerable position here, all alone. Was there really something out there, or was it just his imagination? Was Domino hearing something out on the street, or on his porch?

A slight scuffing sound makes his whole body tense. Domino gets up out of her bed and walks halfway to the door, her hair standing on end. Her ears start to go back, her growl getting louder.

Scott swallows hard, afraid to even move. A rattling of the doorknob just serves to make his pulse race. His mind moves almost too fast to even think. He had no other way out. No… wait, he had a back door. He had no way to call for help. No, Rick sent a cell phone home with him.

Frozen with fear, the door being kicked in is such a shock that he’s on his feet in a flash, starting to tremble. He pales as he sees two thugs with guns drawn enter the house.

“Don’t move!” Jaxon’s voice booms, threatening with an outstretched handgun.

Unable to even ask who they are or what they want, Scott backs up against the wall, quaking in fear. Domino, however, is protecting her territory, and she lunges at the large man’s ankle.

“Hey, get off of me, mutt!” Jaxon looks down, his younger partner, who is quick to take over covering Scott.

“Move and you’re dead,” Alec threatens, cocking his pistol.

Scott flinches, his eye wide with terror. The Agency never came back to the same place twice… until now. “Don’t… don’t take me… please.”

Alec laughs and nudges his fellow thug. “Erica was right. This one really is nuts. Look at him.”

“I would, ‘cept I’m too busy with this dang dog.” Jaxon shakes his foot around, trying to rid himself of Domino, who had hold of his pantleg.

Alec can only grin. “Wait ‘til the boss hears a runt of a dog got the best of you.” He looks back to Scott. “Have a seat, Mr. Johnson. We’d like to talk to you.

Scott shakes his head. Images flash through his mind of being interrogated. He’d been beaten. Threatened. Put down. Tortured. “No… not again,” he begs.

Alec’s eyes narrow. “You can beg your fool head off, but it won’t make a bit of difference. You sit down now, or I’ll pull this trigger.”

Scott’s body trembles with the fear of what was to come. Slowly, he slides to the floor, his eyes filling with tears. It was happening again. All over again. He was going to go through everything all over again. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was helpless. He couldn’t stop them. He would have to endure the torture again. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he rocks slightly, praying that this was a horrid nightmare. But he knew it wasn’t.

He hears the laughing at his pitiful state. He hears the jeering and mockery from the two men, as their words reverberate in his head, muddling together until he can’t even understand them anymore. It didn’t matter.

At some point Domino decides it’s more important to console her master than fight, and nuzzles up next to Scott, brought into his arms.

Scott can feel the light kicks and the careless, taunting smacks to his head, but ignores them, pulling tighter and tighter into himself and into a world that was dark and drawn far from the unwanted reality around him.

“He’s not going to talk,” Jaxon sneers as he paces the floor. “This is pointless. Why can’t we just take him in?”

“Because all the boss wanted was to scare a bit and get answers.” Alec rolls his eyes. He looks back to Scott, squatting down in front of him. “One more time. What have you told them about the Agency, Scott?” He runs the barrel of his pistol under Scott’s chin to lift his face. “Nice eye… you want another one to match?”

Scott cowers, remaining silent as he trembles.

“Oh come on.” Jaxon growls, holstering his gun. “Enough is enough. Get that stupid dog out of the way and let’s get down to business.” Reaching down with his hands before Scott can react, he yanks Domino from his grasp.

The next instant is one that seems to last forever. Scott’s gaze shoots upward as his dog is taken roughly from him. As if watching a bad slow-motion movie, he sees Domino thrown across the room. She ricochets off the wall with a yelp, then drops hard to the floor in a heap.

Silence.

Scott’s eyes are wide, his pulse pounding in his head. The two thugs say something to him, but he doesn’t hear. All he can focus on is the lifeless form of his little friend who had been tossed aside like a rag doll.

And suddenly… something snaps. The fear within him is overtaken by a wave of sheer anger, released by the scene before him.

In an instant, he’s on his feet. Chaos ensues. Jaxon is knocked to the side. Shouts order Scott to sit back down, but they’re not obeyed. Alec interferes. A shot rings out. And another. And finally a third...


Scott stands, breathing heavily as his eyes roam the room. Beads of sweat trickle down the sides of his face. Blood runs from a cut in his lip, and flows from a bullet-grazed wound in his side. But it goes unfelt. All his eyes can see are the bodies on the floor.

His fingers wrap around the gun in his hand, and his attention is diverted to stare down at the deadly weapon. Looking back at the damage done, he lets the pistol slip from his hand. It falls to the floor with a dull thud. And just as dull is Scott’s gaze.

Wiping his lip, he goes for the cell phone. His shaking fingers make it difficult to dial, but he finds the number. Rick was still at work.

“Rick?”

“Scott? What’s wrong?”

“I… It… they came and… I couldn’t… I mean…”

“Scott, slow down. What happened?”

Scott’s voice wavers as tears fill his eyes. “I didn’t want to… I… I just… please come.” He hangs up, unable to even explain what had happened, and too confused and unnerved to try.

Taking several steps across the living room, he ignores to two motionless thugs, and stares down at one of his best friends. Dropping to his knees, he gently pulls Domino into his lap. Curling over, he lets the tears fall, ignoring the ringing phone.


“Come on, Scott, pick it back up…” Rick pulls on his jacket while trying to call Scott back, but not getting any answer. Giving up, he quickly exits the infirmary to jog down the hall. “Jase!” he calls loudly, pounding on Jason’s office door, for once glad that someone had stayed late. “With me. Pronto.”

Jason’s feet slide off his desk and he’s up in an instant, on Rick’s heels. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t know. Scott called. Something’s wrong.” Rick reaches the main floor where some have already gone home for the day. “Katie!”

Jason looks down the line of cubicles.

It’s Scott. Don’t know what’s wrong. We’re on it.