Sleep

Katie looks back at Gage dead in the eye an emptyness seems to show in his eye. Most people who worked in the agecny had that look. But along with it they had a longing. Gage was differnt there was no longing only empty. Trying to will herself to stay quiet but her lips would not obay.

"I'll rot here even if they DO get who they want. Like I said before The Agency dosnt let people go. But my friends will find me, and I will see the outside world again."

Swallowing hard Katie trys to move the saliva around in her mouth keeping it wet so she didnt thirst to much.

"To the Agency this is a game, and to them we are just the pawns. I wont go down without a fight and I wont lost this patter without making a mark."

Closing her eyes Katie could feel herself growing weak. The EE they had given her was sucking up what energy she had. If she was going to escape her had to save what energy she did have so the right moment. Droping her head down again Katie closes her eyes. She wanted sleeping only conserving energy but letting her mind still work as her memories of those she loved keep her strong.

Listing to Carson Misty can't help but shake her head. To be raised in the angency, live, breath, and only know that was a horrable thing. She couldnt even start to imagen what thought would be like, but maybe to Gage it wasnt so bad not knowing anything else.

"Thats horrable."

Misty lets out a long sigh continuing to watch the screen. Making out bits and peaces she can get a little bit of what Katie and Gage are saying but not enough to make it give much sence.

"I guess when it comes to something like that I have to stop and wonder if you can blame him for his wrong ways. Live, breath and raised that why how would you knows its wrong."

Shaking her head again Misty moves a little closer to Carson lcoking her fingers with his. She wished there was more they could do for Katie. Seeing here there was hard, and it make her own insides flip flop.

Giving a grunt and unfolds his arms and gives another shake of his head.

"Well I fear that we just wasted a whole day. I really dont see a lead here. The most we can do now is another background check on him, maybe his bank account or something and see if he had any money transfered in. Other than that we are back to squear one."

Lifting his head and looking around the TJY floor and than back to Ryder Phinox just relized how much he had been talking. IT was strange how he felt comfortable talking to Ryder like he was a long time friend. Not that, that really mattered he wasnt here to make friends and in the end, everyone would hate him anyways if he didnt wind up dead.

"Anyways, I havent had anything to eat. I am going to step out for about an hour and call my contact to see if they have anymore information for me. If Reese askes he had my cell number."

Giving a short way Phinox makes his way to the exit making sure his phone was once again in his pocket.

Moving the hair softly from Laura's face Nate strokes her head running his rough hands through her soft hair. Like saten on sandpaper it felt so nice. Holding her a little closer Nate couldnt help but feel a small lump of guilt rise inside of him. Everyone had someone tonight except for Jason.

"I wish I could let you stay close to me all night but sadly I do need to get back to work."

Giving Laura's head a kiss Nate stands his arm sliped under her legs and his other around her back still cradling her in his arms. He was worryed enough and if Laura got sick from lack of sleep he would worry even more.

"Get some rest ok? If anything happend you will be right here and I will come and get you."

Walking across the floor Nate takes Laura to the spair bedroom getting to the door he lets her down knowing she cant go the rest of the way herself.

"At least an hour ok? for me?"

Giving Laura another kiss Nate turns and heads in the direction of Carson's cubicle. He needed an update on what was going on, and than he needed to talk with Ryder about Reiker to see if they had gotten anything to help them.

Getting to the cubicle Nate stairs over Carson and Misty for a moment just watching what was going on, on screen.

"Whats going on here?"

As movment catchs his eye Nate looks up twords the exit to see Phinox heading out of the building. Where was he going?

Giving a soft tap Angelica enters Mike's office and trys to give a small smile. Thought the situations were though at the moment she did what she could to keep her head up for her sake thought the new she now braught would be non to good.

"Mike, I have some information, but tis not to good. I took it on myself to do a little deeper search on the oil Nate and Jason braught in. I wanted to run my own tests, and cover everything. We can get this guy behind bars but only if we charged him with the right thing. If not than we would be the ones hung out to dry."

Angelica lets out a sigh and she puts two differnt pictures in front of Mike and than goes behind him to lean over a little bit as she talked.

"These are two pictures of paint fragments from each oil. Oil leaks it drags paint, a coting anything with it rotting it away a little more. See this one here the while is from the Van that took Katie, and this one here is green the one from the shooting. They dont match."

Turning hear head to look at Mike she was only inches from his face but it didnt seem to faze her.

"I'm sorry Mike but its not the same van and we have to charge Rekier with atemptive murder on Ryder and thats all."

Hearing the voice come over the other end Hope gave a small smile. It had been a while since she had talked with Scott now, and through the gapevine she had hurd about Katie. Knowing this was probley hard on Scott seeing as Katie was his best friend she just wanted to call as another friend to make sure he was ok.

"Hey Scott Its Hope. Sorry I am calling you so late. Hadnt hurd from you in a while and I just wanted to see how you were doind."

Was that really why she was calling? Or was it just that she missed talking to him, and missed hearing his voice? As quick as the thought came Hope pushed it away again. IT was imposable she couldnt think of that.

Free will?

Laura gives a quite giggle, her eyes lowered, but her arm still around Nate's neck signaled she was enjoying his attention.

Returning his kiss, she smiles at him. She'd never felt like this before... being loved like this. Despite the tense situation in the office, there was a slight moment here of bliss

Laura leans her head down, curling up closer to Nate and nuzzling her face into his warm chest. "Can I just stay here?" she mumbles. "I'm so tired... and so worried..."


Jolted from his thoughts, Carson straightens, eying the sandwiches Misty had brought. A sly smile emerges and he gives her a sidelong glance. "You sure know how to make a guy feel good, you know that."

Reaching out, he picks up one of the sandwiches and takes a bite, giving a sigh of content. "Yep... definitely worth keeping you around." Grinning, he watches her as she squats next to him, and leans over to give her a kiss. "Mm... definitely."

Though wanting to keep up with the flirting, he knows they had work to do, and Misty's question just proved as a reminder.

"Yeah." He leans back in his chair and gestures to the screen where the young man was still in the room with Katie. "Gage Pelzer. I met him a few years back - we were on a couple assignments together, though we never interacted on very deep a level. He's probably one of the toughest cases you'd find at the Agency." Carson shakes his head. "He was born there. Literally. His mother was an agent - I never knew who his father was. But he was born in an Agency medical facility, separated from his mother and brought up for the sole purpose of serving the Agency. As far as I know, he's never not been on duty or on assignment. I never saw him allowed to have leave or time off..."

Carson shrugs. "The Agency is cruel, but they know if they're gonna keep agents around, they gotta give sometimes. Me, they let roam whenever I wanted. They were stricter with others. Gage - he was like a robot. Garbage in, garbage out. Talk about a prisoner. Problem was, that he was good. What better guy could they have than someone who's been there all their life? Head honchos took advantage of him though because he'd do anything he was told."

Carson pauses, looking at the screen again. "A lot of people at the Agency have had their freedom taken away, their minds erased and their reasons for living skewed. Gage? He's never known freedom, never had a mind of his own, and his reason for living has never been anything but for the Agency."


Ryder sighs deeply and shrugs at Phinox. "I don't know. Agency usually doesn't screw up like that. Reiker was adamant that they were supposed to kill me. His reasoning still has me baffled, but maybe it was some screwy plan of Medridge. You know... get me to think I had a kid or something to break me."

He scrunches his eyes shut and shakes his head. "But you're right - even if that can be explained, that still doesn't connect with Katie. But... if it doesn't... we just wasted a whole day tracking in the wrong direction. It's all we had to go on. Surely there's more... surely there's something we missed."


Gage is quiet for a moment, letting the knife drop without cutting Katie's skin. "Free will? Is this what you call free will? Bound by ropes and kept in the dark? Who you are will change, Katie. You stay captive long enough and it'll eat away at your mind."

He moves closer, staring her in the eye. "You stay here long enough and your own conscience will start playing tricks on you. You'll lose your ability to think for yourself, and the pain will be so great that you'll do anything to get rid of it. Free will?"

He shakes his head and retreats to throw away the used needle. "We're not playing games, Katie. It's you or them. And if I were you, I'd hope it was them. At least you'd have a chance of getting out of here. Otherwise you'll just rot where you stand."

Hope

Emerging from the room with his arm crossed over his chest Phinox lets out a sigh. That was a dead end and he new it. Reiker wasnt part of what happend to Katie, they were wasting there breath. Turning to look at Ryder Phinox gives a little pase on the floor before stopping again.

"Riker didnt know anything about what we were talking about. His story may have sound fake and madeup but no one would come up with answers to questions about it as fast as he did."

Thinking again Phinox choosed his words carfely knowing he needed to watch what he said.

"Could they have mixed you up with someone else? I just have a feeling he didnt know anything about Katie let alone who she was."

Bringing his hands up to Laura's arms Nate is quiet for a moment leaning his head back aganst her. The soft small of lavander and soap washed over him making him feel safe. He cant ever remembering a woman having there arms around him and him being the one who felt safe.

Turning a little Nate pulls Laura infront of him and draws her into his lap and brings her close to him. Leaning into her Nate nuzzles into Laura's neck just a little before pulling away a little and running a hand over her cheeck just looking into her eyes.

Laura had become his shelter, his sound ground. He was strong, but a little more strangth was always nice and welcomes. Giving a smile he gives a small nod.

"Yeah I think I am holding the best I can with the help of a certin good looking Lady."

Running his finger over her cheek again He leans in and gives her a small kiss.

"I love you so much."

Slowly walking over to Carson Misty sets a plate down for him that had two grilled cheese samwich on it.

"I thought maybe you would want something to eat."

Stairing at the screen for a moment Misty watches what Carson was watching. Hearing him say a name Misty squots down next to him to continue to watch.

"You know who he is?"

Feeling the pinch in her arm Katie gives a wince. She wanted to cry out in pain, she hated the feeling, the way the EE made its way through her body, they way it felt to be left alone with her own mind, she hated it.

Lifting her head Katie looks at Gage in the eyes her own reflecting an emptyness but a strangth at all the same time. At this point she didnt know what to think or how to feel. She was scaired, and she hurt but she had to stay strong.

"I'm happy to still be alive, because when they find me, and I know they will I want to see the look on your face. I have my hope, and my love. Take my emotions away from me you may, but you cant take away my free will to choose who I am."

As Gage runs the blade aganst Katie she can feel the cold steel on her skin and it stung. Everything inside of her quivered but her eyes showed no fear and she didnt wince or back away but just continues to look at Gage. They would come for her, she new they would, se had to keep hope. Things wernt so bad right now.

Familiar Face

Though Gage's back is turned, a scowl surfaces. This was the fourth time he'd been assigned with Rod, and he never once had liked it.

Walking to the one window, he barely parts the horizontal blinds to see out. Medridge was confident about this little scheme, but Gage wasn't so sure. Something about these people just didn't feel right. Though he'd never say it, Gage wondered if Medridge underestimated the Elite and the families from Texas.


Carson knows that Nate is just as torn up as he is about this whole thing, and he wants to offer some kind of words. But he knows he can't lower his wall. Not and survive the task he'd just been assigned to.

Retrieving the address, he makes his way to Katie's own cubicle, turns on the computer and heads to the right place. Staring at Katie's weakened body, his eyes grow dim. He wanted to kill whoever had done this.

Fishing around the desk, he finds a notepad and pen and starts jotting down notes. Study, write, study, write. Soon he had a barrier built strong enough in his mind that it didn't feel anymore like it was Katie he was watching - it was just someone who he needed to get all the information on he could.


Rick shakes his head at Misty's question. "I don't know if it will always be sporadic or not. It's been about twenty-four hours though, and that's how long I thought the first shot might last. I juts need more time to perfect it, and I need Jason to pay more attention, but right now he's too out of it with this mess to care."

He sighs in frustration. "Yeah, giving him a dose he can give himself isn't a bad idea. Eventually I want to get this thing into pill form so if anything like this ever happens again..." In the back of his mind, he wondered if perhaps this scenario would turn into the future if they didn't find Katie. "...he can have a supply wherever he is, and even Katie too."

Jason's mind propells him back to reality like a speeding jet. Sitting bolt upright, the images of Katie flash through his mind. The emotions wanted to come - they wanted to scream out. But the only emotions there were ones that made his stomach churn and his head hurt. "No!"

His scream made Rick jump and whirl around. "Jason!"

Jason wasn't paying a bit of attention. The dosage still was not perfected and it had set him off kilter once more. A flying arm whacks Rick in the gut, sending him stumbling backward.

"Misty! Sedative!" he barks. They couldn't risk Jason hurting anyone or himself. Rick was mad at himself for not getting this thing right, but he just hadn't had enough time. He needed to find the right combination in the formula that wouldn't send Jason into an emotional fit every time. He knew it was a jolt to Jason's system going in and out of these stages, but there had to be a way to make the transition a smooth one.

Before Jason can even get to his feet, he feels the pain of the needle in his arm. Swinging his head around, he shoots Misty a glare that would have shattered glass had his emotions been in tact. But he wouldn't even remember the anger. Sinking back down on the table, everything goes black once again.

Rick is still catching his breath. "Let's hope when he wakes up from that one, he'll have calmed down." Maybe this was an improvement from last time when it had taken several episodes like this before Jason had been under control.


Reiker glares up at Phinox. "You guys ain't got nothing on me. I don't have to talk to you."

Ryder crosses his arms, scowling as he stands next to Phinox. "I was there, Reiker. You tried to blow my head off, remember?"

"You can't prove that!" Reiker's eyes wander from Ryder to Phinox and back again. There was fear behind his gaze, despite his unwillingness to talk.

Ryder shakes his head. "And what if one of your buddies talked first? Then where would you be?"

"You killed them," Reider spits out.

"Did I?" Ryder takes his gun from his holster, cocks it and aims it at Reiker. "You think I'm not good enough to hit you where it'll hurt but not kill you? You want to find out?"

Reiker swallows hard, his face paling. "They're... they're not dead?"

"One of them is." Ryder continues to point the gun at him. His words were chosen carefully. So far he had not lied. "Who's gonna cut a deal first eh? Any tic of the clock and you could be the only one behind bars. Keep quiet and it'll be your head, no one else's. Now I'm fed up to the back teeth with your whining. So start talking."

Reiker's eyes drift back and forth between the two agents in front of him. A bead of sweat runs down the side of his face. A low growl from the corner makes him shoot his gaze to Trooper, who was none too happy with the tension in the room. "Call of your dog first."

Ryder laughs. "He's not mine. I don't know he commands."

"Well make him back off!"

"Keep yourself calm and he might just stay in his corner. Get nervous and he's bound to help out in the pain department."

Reiker stares at the barrel of Ryder's gun. "You were supposed to die."

Ryder holsters his sidearm giving Phinox a sidelong glance. Reiker had been easy - they'd alreayd gotten past the hard part. "Why?" he questions Reiker.

"I don't know! We were just told to come shoot up the place and make sure you didn't come out alive. That's all."

"Why?" Ryder persists. "Why would you be scared of me after you took Katie?"

"I don't know!"

"Talk!"

"I don't know!"

Trooper stands up and takes a step forward, giving a low growl.

Reiker's eyes widen. "Call him off!"

"Talk!"

"I told you! I don't know!"

Ryder slams his fist on the table, reaching over to grab Reiker by the shirt collar. "Why did you take Katie?"

"I didn't!"

"Don't lie. The van matches."

"It wasn't me! I don't know what you're talking about!" Reiker stares wildly at Ryder, then to Phinox, almost as if asking for help. "We were told to kill you off, and that's all!"

"Me?! Why?!"

"Because of your daughter! That's all they said, alright?! That's it!"

Ryder suddenly drops Reiker and takes a step back, his voice lowering to a very confused tone. "My daughter? What on earth are you talking about?"

By now, Reiker was desperate to spill all he knew. "Me and the other two got called in. They said to kill "the Aussie." Said they didn't want you getting in the way with your daughter. So we came to take you out. Figured we'd shoot up the place and we couldn't miss."

Ryder blinks, trying to act like he was still in control, while his mind was racing. "I don't have a daughter, Reiker." He glares at their captive. "You'll have to come up with a better story than that."

Reiker sees the confusion and latches on. He gives a short laugh. "Do you know you don't have a daughter?"

Ryder's face reddens. "Yes. I do."

"Well then somebody got their lines crossed, but it wasn't me. I was just following orders, and that's all I know."

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Ryder warns. "You had something to do with Katie's kidnapping and you know it."


The day drags on. Hours tick by slowly, making it seem like days. No leads. No breakthroughs. No new information. No contact with the enemy.


"I give up." Ryder throws his arms in the air as the interrogation room door was shut behind him and Phinox. They'd worked on Reiker all afternoon, but had gained no more information than they'd started out with. Reiker stuck to his story and had given them nothing more.

Ryder rubs his hands over his face. He was tired and hungry. Everybody was. He looks to Phinox, having given up on getting much more out of Reiker. "Can't squeeze blood from a turnip. There's got to be a connection between him and Katie though. His story about me having a daughter is ridiculous. I would have thought he'd come up with something better than that. Maybe he thought if by chance I did have a kid, I'd get scared and he could make up a whole new story to shake us off the trail, I don't know. He's got to be lying."

He shakes his head. "This is getting us nowhere. It's been a day and a half and we're no closer."


Jason slowly opens his eyes and turns to roll onto his back. He's hardly moved at all when Rick is already beside him syringe in hand. "Whoa..." Jason's voice is scratchy. "What'd I do to deserve that?"

Rick breathes a sigh of relief. Jason was lucid again. "You don't want to know."

Jason frowns, trying to think past his headache. "Did I give you a bad time again?"

"You could say that." Rick rolls his eyes. "More than once."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. I thought I'd made progress with the formula but I was wrong. I've been working all day on an improvement."

Jason quirks an eyebrow. "Ooh, upgrade."

Rick grins. "Haven't lost your sense of humor."

Jason swallows hard an sits up, throwing a look in Misty's direction. His eyes apologized for any trouble he'd caused. He glances back to Rick. "Any news?"

"No." Rick shakes his head.

"They still... still watching?"

Rick nods slowly. "Carson's been watching all day."

"Is she... okay?"

"She's alive." Rick gives Jason's shoulder a pat. "She'll be okay, Jase. We'll find her."


Laura slips in behind Nate's desk chair and drapes her arms around his sholders to cross on his chest. She rests her face down in his hair, breathing deep the lingering scent of shampoo and cologne. She kisses his head before straightening up and hugging him closer to her from behind. "You holding up?" She was asking him, while she'd been worried sick all day. But she knew he was too. Katie had a special place in everyone's hearts - that much was clear.


Scott scrolls through more names and more pictures, trying to place the face in the photo Nate had printed off. It was difficult - the photo wasn't the best quality and it was hard to make out some features. All day and he'd narrowed down the search, but still hadn't been able to pinpoint any names.

His mind drifts back to Katie and the emotions rise as a lump in his throat again. Sitting back, he glances to Dalton who was hard at work as well. Back to his screen again, suddenly the images are back. He tries to stop them, but they're like a bad film reel insistant on playing whether he wanted it to or not. Faces and data flash in front of his eyes, triggered by today's turn of events. He doesn't want to focus on them. He doesn't want to decipher them or understand what they were. All he knew was that there were bad things connected to them - connected to his own past with the Agency - and he wanted to shut them out and bury them where they couldn't hurt him any more.

Scott scrunches his eyes tight for a moment before looking back at his computer screen. His pulse had quickened and he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. He doesn't look at Dalton again, afraid that his own strang behavior had been noticed.


Carson grinds he cigarette into the ground, breathing out the last bit of smoke. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he makes his way around the building to go back inside. Three minutes. Wyatt had kept watch for him while he took a quick break. He'd needed the break too - though he'd tried to keep up with things all day, his nerves were nearly shot. Keeping his habit quiet hadn't been heard - everyone was too distracted to pay attention to him. It was better that way anyway.

Getting back to Katie's desk, he relieves Wyatt. There had been no changes. Carson glances at his notes, then sits back again to watch. He scribbles another note. All that he jotted down were just loose thoughts that may or may not help the situation at all. But it was all they had right now.

His stomach growls. The one thing that sounded good right now was a grilled cheese sandwich.

Movement.

"Hello." Carson sits up straighter, squinting at the screen. It wasn't the same man who had been in there before. He tries to get a better look, but the room on the screen was so dark, it was hard.

Then the man turns and Carson's eyes widen. "Well, Gage Pelzer. Fancy seeing you here." He grabs his pen again and jots the name down. Next time Nate came to check on him, he'd tell him what he knew.


Gage lets the door fall shut behind him, and walks slowly to Katie's tired, weakened form. "And how's our prisoner holding up?" he asks, not expecting a response. "Looks like I'm not late this time. Rod about had my hide for just about letting you die. Though by the looks of it, I wonder if you'd rather die than take all this."

He reaches for Katie's sleeve to roll it up. There were already visible marks where she'd been given shots before. He hesitates before giving in and administering the EE. It would only take seconds for it to spread through her body.

Heaving a sigh, Gage caps off the needle. Putting it away, he retrieves a new tool. A knife. Testing the blade, he runs it along Katie's neck, not hard enough to cut her, but the threat was there. Reaching out, the knife pushes her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Bruises accented her face, purple and black, dried blood smeered from the cut in her lip. "You look like your aunt," he muses. "Least from the pictures."