Too bad

Reese takes hold of Alec, ready to take him back to the holding cell.

"Aw come on!" Alec complains. "You can't keep me here forever!"

"Actually... we have permission to keep you here as long as we deem you to be valuable." Reese aims him for the door. "Come on."

"I've told you everything I know! Why can't that be enough?!"

"Because... people like you always have more." Reese's tone is calm as he continues to push Alec down the hall. It isn't hard. Alec was getting groggy already. By the time they reach the holding cell, Alec is ready to just lie on the cot, fighting sleep for only a few minutes before he's out cold.

Shaking his head, Reese goes back upstairs. He didn't know the details, but seeing Carson so upset... had Reese been right to ask Carson to come back to the force? Maybe he had been premature. Carson had changed, no doubt, but seeing his temper again... now Reese wasn't so sure that having him here was totally a good idea.


Carson stalks outside and into the parking lot. Leaning back against the brick building, all is quiet. It was very late... or rather "early" was more like it now. The outdoors were dark... and he was miserable. Alec had just pushed the right buttons... had said just the right things... he deserved what he got!

But Carson again sees the look in Misty's eyey. Sighing, he goes for his pack of cigarettes. His nerves would be calm for the drive home.


Jason agrees with Nate and collects all the information he cam to take back to TJY. Before he knows it, they're pulling back into the TJY parking lot.


The steel doors open slowly, letting in a dim stream of light. The Agency operative enters slowly, letting the door fall shut again. Pulling on a thin chain, a little light comes on to reveal the dingy cell. The damp air smelled musty. Dripping water could be heard in the corner.

Gage approaches the pole where Katie was held. His dark eyes study her as he walks. Putting the syringe between his teeth to hold, he reaches out to roll up her sleeve. He could see where the ropes had dug into her wrists, making them bleed. Gripping her arm tightly, he finds the spot he wants, and retrieves the syringe. It was obvious he'd done this before... a long time before Katie had arrived.

A lock of his dark hair hung down over his forehead. His hands were rough on Katie's skin, his grip unforgiving. The needle pierces her skin and the Eliminator is injected once more.

"Hurts now," he mutters under his breath. "But it'd hurt a whole lot more if you didn't have it. It's like a bad drug. Don't want it, but can't live without it."

Backing up a step, he puts a finger under Katie's chin to lift her face. "Too bad you're pretty." He lets his hand drop again. "But don't worry. If everyone cooperates, you'll get out of here before you're too messed up."

Games

Giving a little start as Carson loses his temper Misty just stands almost frozen in place. Misty hadnt seen Carson like this in a long time. He wasnt being forward, he wasnt being stern he was just being down right mean, and had blown his top. For a moment it put a fear into Misty that she didnt like.

Everything happens to fast and though Misty says Carson's name is goes unhurd, and she is powerless to stop anything. One thing leads to the next till finally Reese steps in and Misty lets out a small sigh happy her Uncle came when he did before someone became hurt.

As Carson is told to go home Misty steps forward to talk to him but stops as she receves the glair from Carson. She cant help the emotions that rise inside of her at the look. It made her feel horrable. Maybe she had done something wrong this time.

Trying to keep the feelings at bay Misty turns again looking down at the blood soaked bandage on Alecs hand. A new anger rose as she new he had done this knowing he would get under Carson's skin.

Getting a few more bandages, and another needle and thread Misty goes to work on Alec's hand once again this time not being as careful as she had been before.

"That wasnt a very nice think you did getting under Carson's skin like that. You'd better watch it or someone might really knock you out for it."

Once Alec's hand is stiched and wrapped again Misty lets out a small sigh. She was tired and worryed about Katie and still Alec seemed to rub her the wrong way with what had happend moment before. She new the pain killed and sleeping pills she had giving him would kick in soon and at least for now he would be knocked out.

Turning to her Uncle she gives a nod to him.

"He can go back to the holding cell now."

Looking back to Alec a look of disapointment but sterness for the rules flashed for in her eyes as the tiny flames flicker. Keeping her voice strong and in controlle she looks back to Reese.

"After the show he just put on and the games he played I am sure he will be fine. I'll keep an eye on him through the camras. He will be knocked out shortly anyways."

Feeling his phone ring Nate just lets it go to voicemail for the moment. He would check in a second when he was done with Jason.

"Yeah have Scott run that and take a sample of the oil. Sometimes you can learn alot from simple things. At this point anything that can lead us forward is a good thing."

Nate really ment that. Having some kind of hope would help them stay strong and hold there heads up. He'd take anything at this point. Though it had not even been a day yet that Katie had been gone it was still to long for his liking.

Stepping away for a moment Nate pulls out his phone and see the voice mail is from Laura. Listing to the mail Nate cant help but be a little shocked that Laura said she would be staying at his house but at the same time it made Nate smile, and his heart jump a little bit that Laura was trusting him enough to stay there. Even in the mits of the darkend night, a little light shone through to show not all of the world was dark.

Blissfully ignorant

Carson isn't happy, but finally nods in surrender. "Alright... he can stay up here. But one wrong move and he goes back down." He moves to sink into a nearby chair, to rest and now to keep watch on Alec.

Alec watches Carson and Misty interact for a moment, giving Carson a sly look. "So... she's the one in charge, eh?"

"Shut up," Carson growls.

Alec almost laughs. "Big, bad Carson... being told what to do by a woman. If I ever get out of here, that'll be the story to tell."

Carson bristles, straightening to glare at his brother. "Enough, Alec."

"Whatcha gonna do?" Alec taunts, keeping his voice low. "Doctor's orders for me to take it easy. You can't touch me."

Carson's anger flares up in his eyes. He had enough confusing emotions pertaining to Alec the way it was, without him being mocked on top of it. Getting to his feet, he ignores Misty's request, yanking Alec off the table and starting to drag him to the door. "You're going back down."

"No!" Alec fights against him. "Misty said I should stay!"

"Well, Misty's not in charge, now is she?!" Carson gives Alec a shove toward the hallway. "Walk or be dragged, it's up to you."

Alec spins around, standing tall to meet Carson eye-to-eye. "Just try."

"Fine." Carson manhandles Alec through the door with no mercy.

Alec trips over the door frame and stumbles, only to still be shoved forward. "Ouch!" he wails, holding his injured hand. "Take it easy!"

"Taking it easy on you means not killing you. Now move!"

"You can't do this!" Alec raises his voice. "It's prisoner brutality! Stop!"

His wails echo down the hall and suddenly a new voice interrupts. "Carson!" Reese barks. "What are you doing?"

Carson stops. Unbelievable. He keeps one hand tight on his captive. "I'm taking this guy back down the holding cell."

"What's he doing out in the first place?"

"Long story."

Alec squirms, purposely balling his hand into a tight fist, then snapping his fingers open to stretch his palm. The pain was excruciating as he could feel the stitches tear. "I'm hurt!" he complains to Reese. "I'm supposed to stay up here!" The bandage on his hand has quickly become crimson, noticeable to Reese.

"Carson, he's still bleeding!" Reese reprimands. "Get him back in there, for crying out loud. What are you thinking?"

Carson just stands for a moment, irritated but with no recourse. "Fine." He whips Alec around and gives him a swift shove back into the infirmary. Alec trips, landing hard against a table and just making his hand worse.

Giving a glare over his shoulder, Alec catches Carson's eye, a faint grin ever-so-slight. And only then does Carson realize that he'd just been played. But as he steps forward, he's stopped by Reese's hand to his chest.

Reese shakes his head in warning. "I'll bring Hal to watch him."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Carson throws up his hands.

"How about take a break?" Reese suggests calmly. "We have refreshments to the left and a spare room to the right. Your pick."

Carson is seething. He looks back in the infirmary, accidentally catching Misty's eye. He didn't mean to glare at her, but it slipped. Looking down quickly, he knows that staying here would just cause more trouble. He turns back to Reese. "Have Jason or Nate call me if they need me. I'm going home."

Spinning on his heel, he heads down the hall.

Seeing him leave, Alec relaxes, though it's not easy with as much pain as his hand was in again. But it had been worth it.


Ryder's eyes continue to be wide with confusion and a bit of irritation towards a few of the things Nate had said. But before he can even respond, Nate is gone again, following after Jason.

Sighing, he shakes his head and turns around to trudge to the corner of the living room where he kept some of his things. He needed to get something on his feet, find his badge and go to TJY with or without Nate and Jason. He didn't care whether Nate was okay with him helping or not - he was helping and that was that.


Jason is squatting near a small spot in the road, fingering the oily spot. "Yeah... oil." He looks up to Nate. It was obvious that he was connecting this vehicle to the one that had been in the park. It was also obvious that it was a long shot, but it was all they had. "We've got a license number. I bet whoever took Katie wanted to make a clean sweep and probably thought they'd take out both Ryder and Laura."

He stands up, wiping his hand on his jeans. "We should get back to TJY and have Scott trace this plate number. Ryder can make sure the cops get what they need from this scene."


Laura hits the speed dial for Nate's number as she drives down the road. Reese had told her to get some rest and come back in a couple hours. Getting Nate's voicemail, she leaves a short message. "It's me. I'm headed to your place. Con and Jamie are still working and I didn't want to be at their place alone. I'll check on Maggie while I'm there - Rick said Janet would help me bed down for a few hours. I'll see you in a while. If you need me sooner, give me a call."


Gage sits at the computer in the dimly-lit room. He turns his head only slightly as the other thug comes back from the chamber, then concentrates on his work again. His face told that he was too young to be here... but innocence had already been lost. Twenty-four years, under the influence of the Agency from birth - he hadn't had a chance.

"The family is still clueless," he informs. "Traced calls going in to the ranch and as far as I can tell, they don't know about the girl yet."

He motions to his monitor. "The fathers are blissfully ignorant as well. Would have been easy enough to just snatch 'em ourselves and I told Medridge that this morning. But he still wants to keep things spiced up with the girl. 'Watch 'em squirm' is what he said."

He shrugs, not really caring. "That's the latest if you want to report it."

Confustion

Shaking her head Misty looks to Carson and than back to Alec than Carson again. She really did need to keep him here to keep and eye on his for just a little.

"Carson, I really do need him here. Whether he is a prisner or not he is still human and its my job to keep him safe. You can stay here to, to make sure he dosnt try anything if you want."

Misty's eyes plead with Carson as she talks though the softness is still behind them.

"Just an hour thats all I need, just to make sure no infection or anything else forms. Its my job, I have to make sure."

Looking back to Ryder Nate's eyes show he was sorry. Someone really should have told him, but with all the hussle it was hard to remember.

"I'm sorry Ryder, I really am. If Katie new I forgot to tell you she would probley shoot me. Everything happend so fast and with Jason always keeling over from his emotions being cut off from Katie...its just got lost in the wind to tell anyone."

With that though Nate remember he was going to have to have someone call Katie's aunt and uncle to let them know what happend or for sure they would hear it from them as well.

" It happend about this afternoon. We arnt sure why and this here is the only lead we have right now. Someone called Jason's phone and from there nothing. Its probley not to safe here right now, and 10 to 1 says Laura is gonna stay at Con's. I have extra room at my place and your more than welcome to stay there for now."

Giving Ryder's arm a gentil pat Nate trys to smile.

"If you wanna talk to Reese about maybe helping us out you can tell him I have no problem with that I know Katie was your friend too. I'm sorry again Ryder."

Making his way out of the house down the steps heading to where he saw Jason by the road. Nate was tired, he was stressed and he new maybe a bit groupy but he couldnt give up not yet. Maybe just a few more hours, and lookin into this lead. Right now anything was a step closer to finding Katie and gave hope to finding her alive.

"Find anything Jase?"

Receiving a backhand to the face Katie cringes as a rough voice screams as her again.

"Tell us what we want to know and it would be better for you. This call all end if you just tell us."

Looking up at the bawd man who looked like he hadn't showered in weeks Katie shakes her head only to receive another slap. Tasting blood in her mouth now from where her lip split open Katie trys to hold her head up as she is bound to a pole.

"I don't know what your talking about."

Katie trys to think, using her powers was useless. They new somehow they new and found a way to block her from communicating with Jason and causing any emotional fear to the other people around her.

Everything seemed so fuzzy. She new some time had passed for the last time she had been awake but it was so hazzy its almost felt like thatever they had given her was trying to ajust itself to her body making laps in time.

The man steps up to her again and takes Katies face in his hands jerking it up to look into her eyes.

"As stupid as the rest of your family. You know we don't like it when people interfere with our planes Miss Pent and we know you and a team where in Austraila for just that. How much is your life worth to the Elite huh? You think enough they would give us what we want? If they dont, you'll rot down here and such a shame, a pretty think like yourself."

Squinting her eyes just a little Katie stairs back at her capture. Fear was not an option and not a weakness you wanted to show anyone who belonged to the Agency. So as closed off as she was to Jason Katie also left it out of her eyes. Hawking up a nice spit wad she hurls it in he mans direction a grin forming on her face.

"Than so be it. I'd rather die than have them give you anything."

Taking his hand to whip the spit off the anger shows on the mans face, and his hand connects with Katie's face again with such force and sliping her dry lip open once again.

"Your going to wish you didn't say that because every moment your going to feel it. I am going to make you stay a live to the very last moment....and they...they are going to watch you slowly fade away."

Giving a cackling laugh the man turns his back and starts to head up the steps slamming a heavy steel door behind him.

What did he mean they were going to watch? Katie felt so confused on his last statment but something told her she would find out sooner or later.

Would have been nice

Carson and Jason both jump at Nate's entrance. Jason is on his feet in an instant, holstering his sidearm and clipping his badge to his belt.

Carson stands too, but feels a bit lost. "Jase..." His words trail off as Jason and Trooper disappear. Jason had a one-track mind tonight. Not that anyone could blame him.

Sighing, Carson ambles out into the hall. Without any direct orders now, he wasn't sure what to do. He'd wrung the only obvious source dry... now what? His body warned him that he was nearing exhaustion. And he still needed to open up the restaurant in the morning. Perhaps he should leave things be here and go home for a while. Though he was just as intent on finding his young friend, he knew that sometimes rest was necessary.

Wandering towards the infirmary, he decides to at least stop in to see Misty and check on Alec. Maybe he'd sack out in there for a while instead of going home - at least he would be right on hand if needed, but he could still get some shuteye before morning.

Arriving at the open door, Carson is about to enter, but hearing Misty's voice, something makes him stop. He didn't usually eavesdrop, but there was a different tone to Misty's voice, and wondering why on earth she'd be talking so casually to Alec, he finds himself pausing unseen outside the door.

"...I ended up falling in love with him..."

Carson's eyes widen slightly, and he leans back against the hallway wall. He blinks, trying to decide if he'd heard Misty correctly or not. He knew he had. It was strange... even though he and Misty spent so much time together and even thought they'd always been affectionate towards each other, hearing her say those words... hearing her say that she loved him... It confirmed that she had indeed already said it a time or two in passing...

Why her words sent chills down Carson's spine, he wasn't sure. It was an unfamiliar feeling and one he wasn't sure if he liked or not. Of course Misty's attention made him feel good, but... love? Was it... was it returned?

Shaking his head, Carson forces himself not to think about it anymore right now. This wasn't even his conversation. Listening for a few more moments, he rolls his eyes. Alec didn't belong on the upper level for any longer than absolutely necessary. No one should be babying him.


Alec's eyes narrow as he realizes that he's not going to pull one over on Misty. Taking the pills grudgingly, he downs them quickly. "Kid," he mutters. "That does it... now I have been dissed as many ways as humanly possible."

He shakes his head. "I shoulda known I'd be following in Carson's wake. He was big stuff at the Agency, I'm not surprised he's big stuff around here too. He's got the ego for it."

"Ego isn't what'll knock your lights out if you don't shut up."

Alec spins his head quickly to see Carson enter the infirmary. He tries to hide the fact that his half-brother did indeed scare him to a certain degree. "Well, if it isn't the Aussie himself."

"It is." Carson glares at Alec, folding his arms across his chest. He glances to Misty, his eyes gentler only with her, though there would be no small talk or banter right now. "He needs to go back to the cell right now," he directs.

"You're not in charge of me," Alec defends, desperate not to go back downstairs yet. "Don't think you can fool me - Hal doesn't want you handling me."

"Hal doesn't have a choice," Carson states flatly. "You're stitched up, you got pain killers, it's time to go back downstairs where you belong."

"Aw come on!" Alec throws Misty a sidelong glance, then eyes Carson again. "I gave you what you wanted! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"You don't deserve it?" Carson quirks one eyebrow and takes several steps forward. "You can walk, or I can drag you. Up to you."

Alec grits his teeth. His hand was throbbing, his head hurt, and he didn't want to go back down. "Just try," he threatens.


Laura looks up at Nate, her eyes widening. "The house? But..." Then her face pales. "Oh no... Ryder. Is he okay?" Worry courses through her eyes. "He doesn't even know what's going on - I can't believe I forgot to call him. Please find out if he's okay... and make sure he has somewhere to stay too..."

Concentrating on her tasks was harder than ever now. Not only was Katie missing, but their house had been shot up, just compounding the stress.

Once Nate is gone, Laura does her best to work, though she grows weary. A prayer remains in the forefront along with the hope that Katie was okay.


Jason is quick to catch up to Nate and slides in the car with him for a quick ride to the house. There were several police cruisers and already an officer was needing to keep back a few nosy neighbors.

Brown meets both Nate and Jason immediately. "Glad you guys made it so quickly. Thanks for coming." He walks them to the house. "Ryder hasn't been able to come up with any answers - maybe you guys can."

Talking with an officer, Ryder stops as he finally sees some familiar faces. "Am I glad to see you two. This place is a shambles, thanks to some ruffians."

"Do you know who they were?" Jason asks.

"Nope." Ryder shakes his head. "Agency scum I think though." He points to two body bags. "Couldn't identify them but it was their style of a hit and run."

Jason frowns. "You just had to kill them, didn't you?"

Ryder grows a little defensive. "I'd be glad to go back in time and put you in my place to see what you would have done." He holds out a piece of paper a bit grudgingly. "I did get a license plate number if you think that would help any."

Jason snatches it from him. "What kind of vehicle was it?"

"A van. Why?"

Jason looks to Nate. "This has to be connected. That could even be the same vehicle."

"The same vehicle as what?" Ryder throws up his arms. "What is going on?"

"Katie was taken," Jason snaps. "We're trying to find her. A live prisoner would have been nice."

"What?!" Ryder's eyes turn huge. "She was taken? When? Why didn't anybody tell me?!"

Jason doesn't even respond. He's too fast out the door and sprinting for the street to check for any oil spots.

Ryder looks to Nate. "Who do I have to thank for leaving me in the dark over this one?" He didn't really mean to take out his frustrations on Nate, but he was tired of feeling so out of the loop. He hadn't felt this way in Australia.