Break the ice

Jason senses just a little bit of something close to sympathy, and throws Katie a quick glance, but doesn't comment.

Yeah... yeah, I'm sure Destiny is upset. I'm just mad that we let this happen. Somebody should have been smarter somewhere. Reese better take one of his own to be her bodyguard from now on, whether he wants to spare someone or not. We owe it to her.


Chance leans his head against the side window, his eyes looking out, but concentrating on nothing. He'd been beat up before. Why did today put him in such a state? He could have weaseled his way out if he'd tried hard enough. But this time... this time, it was simply different. He wonders where Destiny is at the moment. Surely she hated him now, and rightly so. He deserved that. He never should have accepted this case, knowing what he did. And he never should have allowed Destiny to get close to him.


Arriving back at TJY, Jason manhandles Chance out of the pickup and to the building. Chance stumbles one but Jason has no mercy, picking him up and forcing him forward again. Chance utters no sound but trudges with his face down.

Entering the building and coming down to the main floor, Chance doesn't look up. He could feel the eyes on him though... he could feel the eyes of the other Elite agents who would be wondering why he was beat up and why he was in Jason and Katie's custody. It was a shameful walk to Reese's office.

Once there, Reese allows all three of them in, allowing Jason and Katie to explain what had happened before turning to Chance. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Chance sits in the chair, looking at the floor. His tongue moves to try and keep his lip from bleeding more. "No, sir."

"Who is the Underground?"

"Jason just told you - a vigilante group."

"Who runs it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Chance, if you don't-"

"Would you?" Chance finally looks up at him with question. "Would you have given up information about TJY before it was public? You did things against the law from the beginning, did you not? And you did them in the name of justice. The Underground is no different."

"TJY didn't murder," Jason interrupts angrily. "What the Underground has done is despicable and-"

Reese holds up his hand. "Stand down, Jason." Looking back at Chance, he studies the younger man's eyes for several moments. "As Chief of the Elite and your commanding officer, I am hereby stripping you of your rank and association with the Elite. You have violated many terms and regulations by hacking into our system, sharing information with a third party, endangering a witness, subjecting the Elite to sabotage and assisting in killings, justified or not."

Chance's shoulder sink, his eyes drifting downward again. This was the most humiliation he had ever experienced. He might have always liked riding the fence, and he might have always acted carefree - but he had been proud of being an Elite officer and had been proud of his accomplishments. And in one fatal blow, it was all over. His father would be appalled.

Reese continues. "You will be taken into interrogation, after which, your fate will be decided, based on how cooperative you are. Jason, please take Chance to interrogation one."

Jason nods and takes Chance's arm to prompt him up from the chair. "Anything else?"

"After you have secured Mr. O'Mally in the room, please return." Reese looks to Katie as the men leave. "I'm surmising that Gunner is still with Destiny. Do you have any recommendations for a bodyguard at this time?" In all honesty, he was at his wit's end, and wasn't afraid to ask an officer for any suggestions.


Leo enters the shop and clocks in before wandering over to his bay and opening up his tool boxes. Rolling up his sleeves, he takes a look at the car that was on his schedule, hoping he could get it done in one setting.

Glancing over to the car next to him, he spots Ryan. He knew he still didn't look very good after the fight, but he manages half a smile anyway. "Morning," he greets in an attempt to break the ice.


"Soooo.... since I'm up already, I thought maybe we could do lunch?" Gage paces his living room as he talks with Sapphire on the phone. "And then I'll sack out or something but we can still do supper then too... if you want to?"

Swinging into his kitchen, he fills a glass of water to drink, then continues to wander, waiting for Sapphire's response. He knew she said she would wait for him to sleep, but with a little help from Lonny again, he was feeling just fine and would rather spend more time with Sapphire than waste time sleeping. He'd catch a few hours later.