The message made his blood run cold. He'd hoped this whole thing was something else. But now there was no doubt it was the Agency. Which made the situation all the more dire. With the end of the call, Justin started to try and keep the man on the line, but it no good. He was gone.
Jared looked at Nate and Dalton. He had no idea who these people were or what their roles were. They were on top of this case, which was a comfort, but they spoke with an urgency that scared him. "Warehouses? Well can you go? I mean is it a good bet the guy is still with Grace? Can you check it out?"
Reese nodded and picked up the phone. "Sapphire, get me a layout of the warehouse complex across town, would you please?" He hung up and looked to Dalton. "Nice work - we've at least got a start. Nate, I want you to-"
"Who's the other victim?"
Garret's interruption halted Reese's thoughts. "What?"
"The other victim." Garret looked at Justin. "You can bet he's not bluffing. They have someone else to use against you."
Justin's stomach turned. "I don't know."
"Who are you close to? Who could you lose that would hurt the most?"
Justin shook his head. "I don't have anybody but Beth, my mom and brother."
"Well who are your friends?"
"I don't have any close friends!" Justin thew up his hands, exasperated. "I don't know who that guy is talking about!"
Looking up at his brother, Jared felt a new sense or confusion. He'd assumed Justin was surrounded by close friends. He was so good with people, and was just...the popular type. Seeing him so adamant about this was like seeing through a newly opened door into his brother's life.
Reese held up his hand to stop Garret from continuing. "Justin, are you sure?" he asked calmly. "Can you think of anyone?"
Justin set his hands on his hips and took a deep breath as he wracked his brain. "My uncle." His eyes widened. "He's the only other person who I'm close to."
"He's at Brookshire right?"
"Yeah but he might be at home too. I need to call him."
"We'll take care of it," Reese assured. "Is there anyone else at all?"
"No!" Justin's exasperation returned. "How can I even choose who to save if I dont know who the other person is?!"
Reese remained calm. "We have a little play time. He's going to call you back."
"Don't bet on too much," Garret warned. "This isn't some cop show where the bad guy makes mistakes and lines things up so the genius on the team can figure it out and save the day. He's playing a game where there are no rules, so don't expect him to play by any."
Reese set his hands on his hips and frowned. "Thanks for that word of encouragement."
"Theres nothing to be encouraged about," Garret retorted. "Somebody is going to die, and you better accept that."
Reese's irritated eyes turned to Nate. "Short leash," he reminded firmly, then nodded to Jared and Justin. "Why don't you go to the break room? If you think of any other names, let me know. In the meantime, we'll check out the warehouses and wait for another call."
Levi smiled as Karla accepted his offer. He'd have some explaining to do once he told his dad but... it was worth it. This young woman seemed genuinely happy and even humbled - and he was going to take it as a sign that hed made the right call.
"Don't thank me yet," he teased. "You might be pulling out your hair after working with us for just a week." He tucked the papers back into his folder. "So... how about Monday morning, eight o'clock?"
Wounds on Lane's back? The others exchanged glances and Sparky opened his mouth to ask about it, but Mick waved him down. Now wasn't the time. Feeling out of the loop, Sparky scowled at his brother, but kept quiet.
Lane refused to look at Angel, even when she came around in front of him. As she pulled him into a hug though, his walls started to crack. When he'd first arrived yesterday, he hadn't given her much of a greeting. But right now...he didn't care about his pain, and he couldn't withhold his feelings any longer. She was his sister, and he loved her.
Wrapping his arms around her too, he hugged her tight. And for a few moments, the room stood in silence. Trent sank down in a chair and sighed. Would this type of pain ever end for them? Eric, standing next to Stacy, slipped his hand into hers. Families had been torn apart...and he didn't want that to happen to them. Mick caught Rosetta's eye, his gaze one of sorrow. Lane was being so stubborn, but it was obvious he was carrying around a great burden.
Eventually, Lane pried himself loose and took a couple steps away from Angel before he stopped and stared at the wall. A painting hung there - a beautiful portrait of a landscape at sunset. Reaching out, he gently touched the paint strokes, then ran his fingertip over Wendy's signature. "I always wanted to tell her it runs in the family," he mentioned softly.
The reference to "always" didn't escape Mick's ears. How had Lane known about Wendy's hobby? He'd never even met her before yesterday.
Lane dropped his hand. "Amber never did like it that I spent so much time with my paintbrushes. 'Get a real job,' she'd say." His voice was still so quiet it was almost a whisper. "Maybe she was right. I just couldn't give it up, though."
Finally turning around, he faced the others. But all that did was bring on a new wave of emotions. As new tears filled his eyes, he had to take a moment, and he set his hands on his hips as he swallowed hard and stared at the floor. "You all have families now." His voice quivered. "And mine's not any more important than yours." A tear finally escaped to trickle down his cheek. "I can't do it. I can't. I thought I could...but I can't. It's my mess, not yours and I shouldn't have ever come."
He reached for his hat that was sitting on the edge of the couch, but Trent stepped forward to stop him. "You're wrong. You're exactly where you need to be, and you know it."
Lane retreated and dropped his eyes again. And again he fell quiet, taking several minutes to gain enough control to speak once more. "I have an eighteen-year-old son. His name is Travis."
Shock hung in the air.
Sinking down into the couch, he leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. "And you're right. I've been in contact with the Agency."
It was quiet again until Mick prompted him. "Go on."
Lane took a deep breath and lifted his face to look up at Angel. His hands were trembling and his eyes were so scared. "Travis was with me for the weekend and we were jumped. Next thing I knew, I was in some dark basement tied to a pole. They tore my back to shreds. I think I passed out a couple times. When it was over, they said if I didn't cooperate, Travis would get the same treatment before they'd kill him." New tears spilled over, and he shook his head. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I didn't want to come, and that's the truth."
Mick pursed his lips grimly. Dylan was eighteen - this hit too close to home. "What did they want you to do?"
"Gain information." Lane drew in a shaky breath and sniffed. His gaze had plummeted to the floor. "They wanted to know about some computer chips or something... and they wanted to know how much contact you guys had with the Elite. Like how often you were in touch and all that. Security stuff mostly."
"Did they give you a time frame?"
Lane shook his head. "Not really. I was just supposed to get them information and then they'd tell me when they were satisfied. They said they'd dump Travis somewhere and tell me where he was so I could get him and go on my way."
Mick ran a hand over his face and tried to think. A boy's life was on the line and they had to help, somehow. At the same time, now there were so many more unanswered questions. Allowed to continue taking the lead in the group, he went on. "And Travis' mother?"
A new pain flashed through Lane's eyes. "She doesn't know. She, um...she thinks Travis decided to spend a whole week with me instead of just the weekend."
The picture was starting to become more clear. "So you two are...?"
Lane nodded numbly. "Yeah. We're divorced." His eyes bounced to Angel, then back to the floor. Shame and bitterness were two new elements in his gaze. "It was a long time ago." The details of his failed marriage could wait. "Now that Travis is eighteen though, I was gonna get to spend more time with him..." His voice started to crack. "I was...gonna do what the Agency wanted. But after coming here and seeing you all and...seeing your families... Wendy with her own kids now too... I... I realized I didn't have a right to destroy your lives just to preserve mine." His emotion-filled eyes glanced up at the others. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I just wanted to save my boy. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. I just...panicked."
