The Help of a Steady Hand - Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Right Answer
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~Lao Tzu
Jack beat on the door. “Open up! We have a warrant to search the lab and all adjacent buildings!”
When he didn’t get an answer, Jack pulled back from the door and stepped aside for Jo, who had a master key. The door opened soundlessly under her touch, and Jack had served enough search warrants and knocked down enough doors to know the place was empty. There was a different, echoing feel to the air than there was in an occupied building.
Jo followed him inside, still on the alert, but Jack lowered his weapon almost immediately. “It looks like they’ve left already.”
He cleared the room, with Jo on his heels, and Andy not far behind them. They’d been accompanied by a few of Jo’s security guards, and they milled around the lab. Jack could hear the quiet grumbling start as they realized it was empty.
“Fuck.” He holstered his weapon and slammed his hand into a nearby wall. “She’s not here.”
“So much for a search warrant,” Nathan said as he entered.
“Shut the fuck up,” Jack snarled. “You’re not the one who has to answer for deficient warrants.”
“No, and I doubt-”
“Enough!” Jo’s shout interrupted their incipient fight. “Carter’s right, we needed the warrant. Andy, how long have they been gone? Can you tell?”
Andy shook his head. “At least eight hours, possibly more, although there are some residual energy readings. There’s a 69% chance that this was their staging area, and that they’ve now moved to another area more suited to their final goal.”
“What the hell would they need Allison for?” Jack burst out. The question had been bothering him since he got the call from Kevin. “If they need help with their plan, they’d have snatched Fargo, or Henry, or maybe Stark. But Allison?”
“Maybe it was never about their plan,” Jo said slowly. “Maybe it was all about the distraction.”
“Distraction is a time-honored technique,” Andy inserted. “They want to keep us from the truth.”
“That would do it,” Jack admitted. “Knowing Allison is in danger… No one is going to be at their best. She’s well liked.”
Nathan paced around the room. “What kind of energy signatures are you getting, Deputy?”
“Some residual radiation,” Andy said. “Nothing dangerous, but unshielded radiation of this nature could prove harmful over the long term.”
“They’re not thinking long term,” Jack said. “At least, not for themselves.”
“Would they try sending Allison back in time?” Jo suggested. “Maybe they want her to do their dirty work for them.”
Jack shook his head. “Not unless they had leverage, and we’ve got Kevin safe.”
“What about the two of you?” Jo asked in a low voice. “If they threatened you guys, she might deal.”
“If they threatened Jack,” Nathan corrected her.
Jo shook her head. “I know better than that, Dr. Stark. Even if there’s nothing going on between the two of you now, you’re still Jenna’s father, and she’s still connected to you. She’s not going to give you up.”
“Jo’s right,” Jack said on a sigh. “In the end, it doesn’t matter who the Trust is threatening. Allison will protect them.”
“I can get a list of labs in Eureka that would have what’s needed to power the particle accelerator,” Andy offered. “It’s going to take a little more time, but-”
“It’s all we’ve got,” Jack acknowledged. “Work with Zane to see if you can narrow down the list. I’ll knock on every door in Eureka if we have to, but I’d rather not take the time.”
“On it, Sheriff,” Andy replied, his characteristic smile absent. “I’ll get back to you with a list.”
“I’m going to split my people into groups,” Jo said. “We’ll divide the town into quadrants and go from there.”
Jack nodded. “Thanks, Jo.”
“Anything you need,” Jo replied, shooting a look at Stark. “See you back at Global?”
Jack acknowledged Jo’s sensitivity with a nod. “Give me a call if anything pops.”
“You know it.”
Another minute, and they were alone. Jack felt as though he was coming apart at the seams. He’d been so certain that they would find Allison, that he would be able to find her. The thought of losing her caused his fragile control to crumble, and he turned from Nathan to lean his forehead against the cool, concrete wall.
“Jack,” Nathan said from just over his right shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah.” Jack closed his eyes. “I know. We’ll find her.”
“Jack,” Nathan repeated, gripping his shoulders and spinning him around, using his larger bulk to trap Jack against the cinder block wall.
Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Nathan took the opportunity to cover Jack’s mouth with his own, thrusting his tongue inside. Nathan nipped at Jack’s lower lip when Jack tried to draw back, and Nathan used his body to keep Jack pinned.
Jack fought for a moment, trying to push Nathan away, but the other man had just enough weight that he could control the situation unless Jack resorted to dirty tactics. Instead, he just gave in, going limp against the wall, trusting to Nathan to hold him up.
And ceding control felt a hell of a lot better than he’d ever suspected it would.
Nathan gripped the hair at the back of Jack’s head, his lips tracing the line of Jack’s jaw and down the side of his neck. “We don’t have time for this,” Jack managed to say. “And you know it.”
“We have time for this,” Nathan murmured against the skin of Jack’s throat. “You need this, Jack.”
“Fine, I need it,” he grumbled, hating to admit even that much.
Nathan straightened, and pulled Jack into a full-body embrace. “You gonna be okay?”
“I lost her once before,” Jack admitted, his voice sounding hoarse and strange to his own ears. “Just before Fargo brought you back.”
Nathan pulled him in tighter. “What happened?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Jack admitted. He could still remember hearing his own voice on the recording, knowing that if he didn’t do something-if he didn’t stop it-he’d lose Allison. “I was tracking down the DED, and I found a recording with my voice, giving myself instructions on how to save Allison’s life.”
Jack took a deep breath. “There was going to be a car wreck. I didn’t see it, but-”
“We’ll get there in time again,” Nathan promised. “Was it just you, or did you have help?”
“Grant helped,” Jack admitted reluctantly.
“And I’m ten times better than Grant,” Nathan replied. “So you’re already ahead.”
Jack couldn’t prevent the laugh from escaping. “Yeah, you are, and I am.”
“I won’t tell you to quit worrying,” Nathan said softly. “But you’re not the only person who’s worried about Allison. Stop acting like her safety rests solely on your shoulders.”
Jack leaned his forehead against Nathan’s shoulder. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try.”
“Good.” Nathan pressed his lips against Jack’s temple. “Let’s get moving.”
~~~~~
Allison worked at the bonds around her wrists. Beverly and the other Trust agents hadn’t used handcuffs, but the zip-ties were made of strong stuff. She’d tensed her muscles as much as she could when they bound her, but the agents had known what they were doing.
They were in an off site lab, but one Allison didn’t recognize. A gray van had pulled up next to her as she walked to her car in the parking garage; Allison hadn’t noticed it until it was too late. She had been too busy thinking about getting home to Kevin, and everything else they had yet to do, to pay attention to her surroundings.
The next thing she knew, she was being dragged into the van, yanking her hands behind her back, and pulling a hood over her head. She had struggled, but there had been too many of them, and they’d kept her in the van, in the dark, for what felt like hours, until they’d arrived here at the lab.
Kevin would have called Jack by now, and Jack and Nathan would be frantic. She had no doubt they would find her, but would they be in time?
“You can stop trying to get free,” Beverly said, not looking up from her computer screen. “And I laid down enough red herrings to keep the sheriff busy for the next week. By the time they find you, it will be too late.”
“That’s what you want me for?” Allison demanded, feeling oddly insulted. “I’m a distraction?”
“The best kind of distraction,” Beverly said with a smile. “You’re the personal kind. We thought about kidnapping Kevin, but I’m not interested in harming children.”
Allison felt the rage rise up to choke her. “You’d go after my son?”
“You got your daughter out of town,” Beverly said. “Oh, relax, Dr. Blake. In a few hours, this won’t matter at all. You’ll wake up somewhere with no memory of what came before, in a bright new world.”
“That’s assuming I exist,” Allison shot back. “And what about you? You do realize that by changing the past, you could-”
“This is bigger than you or me,” Beverly said evenly. “We’re creating a world where scientific progress is used for the betterment of humanity, instead of coming up with new and different ways to kill.”
“And you’re the one who’s going to determine that?” Allison asked.
“We’re the Trust.” Beverly intoned the words with a smug smile. “We are the best and the brightest, Dr. Blake. No one is more qualified to steer the course of history.” She turned back to her computer. “I thought about asking you to be the one to go back to change the past, but I don’t think I could trust you.”
Allison didn’t bother denying it. Beverly returned to ignoring her, speaking to Dr. Fields in a low voice, turning to check in with Dr. Walter James. She had no idea what a botanist was doing working with the Trust-that was a specialty that didn’t seem useful to them. Dr. James was an astrophysicist, however, and he might have some idea of how to use the data from Fargo’s experiment.
She tried shifting surreptitiously, trying to work the bonds down over her thumb. She probably would have managed it if they’d used rope, but there was no give in the plastic, and the base of her palm was too wide to slip out.
Allison sure as hell wasn’t going to just sit here and watch Beverly remake the world in her own image, though. She knew the ramifications of changing the past-her son could be changed again, her daughter might not exist, Nathan might still be dead, and Jack might never have come to Eureka.
There were a thousand possibilities, and none of them were good.
~~~~~
Jo leaned against the wall of the lab, watching as Zane and Stark worked feverishly to narrow down possible locations. Jo had never realized that there were so many fucking labs in Eureka, so many places where the Trust could set up.
She already had three teams out searching, but she didn’t think they’d find Allison that way. There were too many possibilities. Carter had wanted to be out with them, but he also wanted to be with the team who found Allison, and they had to narrow down the possibilities first.
“Jack!” Kevin pushed his way into the lab, with Zoe right behind him. “Have you found my mom?”
Carter had been leaning against the wall next to Jo. He pushed himself upright wearily, meeting Kevin in the doorway and putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “We’re still looking, Kev,” Carter assured him. “Let’s go out into the hall, huh?”
Jo edged over to the doorway, the better to overhear if possible. “I thought you were going to go home and get some sleep,” Carter said.
“I can’t sleep with Mom missing!” Kevin argued.
Carter sighed. “I know. Have you eaten anything?”
Kevin shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat,” Carter insisted. “Your mom would want you to take care of yourself.”
Kevin scowled. “That’s a low blow. I want to help.”
“There isn’t anything you can do,” Carter said. “We’re going to have to knock down a few doors, and I need to make sure you and Zoe are safe. I can’t afford to worry about you and your mom both right now.”
Kevin rolled his eyes and heaved a put-upon sigh, but finally nodded. “Okay.”
“I’m going to call Vince,” Zoe said. “Everybody’s going to need to eat before the night is out, and he told Henry that he wanted to help.”
Carter nodded. “Good thinking, Zo. Thanks.”
Zoe headed down the hall, pulling out her cell phone, and Carter slung an arm over Kevin’s shoulders. “We’re all worried about her.”
Kevin’s reply was so quiet Jo had to strain to hear. “I was really mad at her about Nathan.”
“What about him?” Carter asked.
“It was always weird, you know?” Kevin asked. “I mean, sometimes she was with him, but sometimes she wasn’t. And Mom would never tell me.”
“She wanted to protect you,” Carter said.
“I thought that when he came back, it would be like it was, and-I didn’t want anything to change,” Kevin admitted.
Carter leaned his head against the wall. “You can’t stop things from changing, but you can roll with the punches. I can promise you that your mom, Nathan, and I are working things out, though. I’m not going anywhere, but Nathan isn’t either.”
“What if you don’t get her back?” Kevin asked.
“Not an option,” Carter said flatly. “That’s not even an option.”
Zoe appeared again. “Vincent is bringing food for everybody. He was already planning on it before I called, so he should be here soon.”
Carter glanced over his shoulder into the room. “Jo, call if you find anything. I’m going to take a walk.”
Jo nodded. “Sure thing.”
Carter led Kevin off down the hallway, speaking in a low voice that faded quickly. Jo joined Zoe in the hall, thrusting her hands in her pockets, wishing there was more she could do.
“Are you okay?” Jo asked finally.
Zoe shrugged. “I’ve been trying to keep Kevin calm, but there’s not a lot to do here, and we can’t go back to the house. Dad’s right. We’re both safer here.”
“The Trust hasn’t made a move on you guys,” Jo pointed out. “And there’s no reason to kidnap Allison, other than creating a distraction.”
“Well, it’s working,” Zoe said sourly. “Dad should be focusing on the DOD investigation, but instead he has to worry about this crap.”
Jo sighed. “I know. This is going to be difficult enough, and who knows what Barnes is going to say when he gets into town and finds out we lost the head of medicine?”
“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll focus on taking out the Trust,” Zoe replied darkly. “It’s not fair that you guys would get blamed. There are a lot more of them than there are of you.”
“And they have better connections,” Jo added. “We’re just-” She stopped, not wanting to continue. They were practically sitting ducks, but Zoe didn’t need to hear that from her. “We’ll get this figured out. We always do.”
They stood there in silence for what felt like a long time, and then Zoe drew in a breath and asked, “So, how are you and Zane?”
Jo raised her eyebrows. “Do you really want to know?”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “I’m not heartbroken, Jo. I liked him-a lot-but he’s kind of an ass.”
Jo smiled. “He is.”
“So, is that going to stop you?”
“It’s going to take us some time to get to know each other again,” Jo replied. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen, but-Henry and Grace made it work. Maybe we can, too.”
Zoe nodded, then looked over Jo’s shoulder. “Vince is here, and it looks like he brought enough food to feed an army.”
“I’ll call your dad,” Jo replied, her stomach growling, knowing that she needed to eat something if they stayed up all night to search labs and kick down doors.
~~~~~
“We’re missing something,” Nathan growled, frustration coloring his tone.
He’d been awake for nearly 24 hours now, and the words on the screen were starting to blur before his eyes.
Zane stood abruptly, his chair rolling backwards. “We have a list of every lab here in Eureka. The ones that actually have the power requirements have been searched. We haven’t found any sign of them. Maybe they moved her out of Eureka.”
“Not possible,” Jack said flatly. “Where else would they go? The Trust is fixated on Eureka, and this is where they’re going to try to accomplish their goal.”
Henry rubbed his hands over his unshaven cheeks. Nathan didn’t think he’d ever seen Henry look so tired. “Nathan’s right. We’re missing something.”
Nathan rose and stretched, and began to pace. “Pull up the list of locations again, Zane.”
Zane called the list up on the conference room screen. “Here it is. We’ve crossed them all off the list.”
Jack straightened. “Is there any reason one of the locations might have gotten left off the list?”
Nathan frowned, and it hit him. “That’s what we’re missing. Zane, my old lab isn’t on this list.”
Henry leaned back in his chair. “What old lab?”
“My old AI lab.” Nathan pulled a keyboard to him and began to type. “It’s not here.”
“No, we checked it,” Jo insisted. “You’re talking about the lab on the eastern edge of town, right?”
Nathan shook his head. “No, it’s on the north side. Here.” He called up a map, and his eyes widened as he realized that it didn’t include the small collection of labs on the north side. “I know the map doesn’t show it, but they’re there. There are three buildings, and-Dammit! I should have thought of it hours ago.”
“We all thought we had a complete list,” Grace said.
“Those labs don’t officially exist,” Fargo protested. “Someone erased the records.”
“I think we have our answer,” Jack said. “We head out now. Jo, pull your guys together. Nathan, if you’re going to come along, you’re going to wait in the car. Hear me?”
“Jack-”
“I’m serious,” Jack said. “I’ll have Jo and Andy for backup, plus more security. They’re the best, and I can’t worry about you, too. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d ask you to stay here, but I know you won’t.”
Nathan knew he had no choice but to compromise. “Fine.”
Jack nodded. “Good. Let’s move.”
Nathan stayed on Jack’s heels as they made their way to the Jeep. Jack’s steely-eyed focus was a definite turn-on. When they’d hit the dead end earlier, when Jack’s control had been crumbling, Nathan had managed to get him back on track.
He’d caught a glimpse of how good they could be for each other, what kind of team they would make.
Nathan had given some thought to what he might do now that he was back, and he’d half-wished for his old job as head of GD, but now he wasn’t so sure.
He remembered how often he and Jack had been at odds, and Nathan suspected that the three of them would get along a hell of a lot better if they weren’t constantly fighting each other on how things were supposed to be run.
“Look,” Jack said, his eyes on the road as they sped through town, with the lights and sirens a constant accompaniment. “I’m sorry if I was harsh back there, but-”
“You were right,” Nathan said, cutting off the apology. “I’d be a liability, and you can’t afford that.”
Jack gave him a brief, incredulous look before turning his attention back to the drive. “I was right?”
“You heard me the first time,” Nathan shot back. “And don’t get used to it.”
Jack’s teeth flashed as he grinned. “Don’t think there’s any risk of that.”
“Are you okay to do this?” Nathan asked hesitantly. “Your shoulder-”
“I’ve worked with worse injuries,” Jack replied. “I’ll be fine. But thanks for your concern.”
Jack flipped the lights and sirens off as they approached, then turned off the headlights as they drove the last block. Nathan glanced in the side view mirror to see the other vehicles doing the same. Jo’s Subaru was just behind them, and she parked next to the Jeep.
Instead of immediately getting out, Jack reached down and pulled out his ankle piece, and then handed it to Nathan. “Do you know how to use one of these?”
“I’ve handled a gun before,” Nathan confirmed. The semi-automatic was small and lightweight, and Nathan checked the clip and removed the safety. “No problem.”
Jack nodded. “When we’re done with this, and we’re all safe, we’ll have to go to the firing range. I think it might be-interesting.”
Nathan chuckled. “I think you might be right. Jack-be safe.”
Jack nodded and got out of the vehicle. Nathan climbed out a moment later, watching as Jack gave whispered directions to the teams. Jo led a group of security guys around the back, while Andy trotted around the side. One of the security guards, a woman Jo had called Caro, stood next to him.
“We’re backup,” Caro said quietly as Jack approached the front of the lab.
Nathan held himself still, trying not to fidget. “Do you think we’re going to have trouble?”
Caro smiled, but the expression was held no humor or warmth. “We aren’t going to have trouble, but they might.”
She drew her gun and took a relaxed stance. Nathan followed her lead and wished like hell that he was inside.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, and Nathan swallowed, trying to work up some moisture.
“Relax, Dr. Stark,” Caro said quietly. “Lupo is the best, and the sheriff is no slouch. They’ll get her back.”
Nathan nodded, but he straightened when he heard gunfire. “Shit.”
“We stay here,” Caro insisted, but Nathan could see her almost quivering with the desire to go in.
Another long, endless moment passed, and then the front door opened. Caro trained her gun on the door, and Nathan followed suit, but Jack appeared in the doorway, his arm around Allison’s waist.
“What happened?” Nathan demanded, rushing forward.
“They were close to activating the device,” Jack replied wearily. “Allison managed to rush Beverly just as we burst in. There was some resistance.”
Nathan slid his arm around Allison from the other side, not caring how it looked to anyone else at the moment. “Allison?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, her voice weary. “Just tired, and Beverly-”
“She hit her head,” Jack said in an undertone. “Beverly did. She didn’t make it.”
Nathan realized what Jack meant, that Allison had been responsible for Beverly’s death. He let Jack help her into the Jeep, and Nathan caressed her cheek briefly before climbing into the passenger side.
“We’ll get you checked out at GD,” Jack said quietly. “Andy’s handling cleanup here.”
“Kevin?” Allison asked.
“We kept him at GD,” Jack replied. “Zoe’s with him. You’ll see him when we get there.”
Allison leaned her head against the window. “Good. Thank you, Jack.”
Nathan glanced over at Jack with a questioning look. Jack shook his head, his face grim. “Later,” he said in an undertone.
Nathan looked out his own window at the steadily lightening sky and wondered how this was going to end.
~~~~~
Zane could have gone home; Jo had called to let them know that they’d found Allison and the Trust agents, and that it was all over. He couldn’t bring himself to leave, not before he’d seen that Jo was okay for himself.
He stretched out on the couch in one of the out-of-the-way labs he knew of, leaving word with Fargo and Henry as to where he would be. Zane had learned to nap when and where he could, and he was asleep within minutes.
Zane woke instantly when someone shook him. “Yeah, yeah, I’m up.” He blinked as he recognized Jo. “Is everything okay?”
“Dr. Li just sent Allison home,” Jo replied. She had dark circles under her eyes but a smile on her lips. “She’s a little shaken up, but she’s going to be fine.”
“What happened?” Zane asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Beverly was ready to activate the device. Fargo looked at it, but there’s really no way to tell if it would have worked,” Jo began. “Allison’s hands were tied, but she still managed to rush Beverly, who went down and hit her head on the corner of the lab table. She died instantly.”
Zane winced. “It would have been nice to question her.”
“It would have, but Allison couldn’t take that risk.”
“I’m not blaming her,” Zane said quickly. “It just sucks.”
Jo nodded. “Henry volunteered to meet Colonel Barnes. He got a few hours of sleep, so he’s doing better than the rest of us.”
“I’m okay,” Zane protested.
“You’re probably not the best choice,” Jo replied, smiling to take the sting out of her words. “You should go home and get some sleep. You’ve been working hard the last few days.”
“We’ve all been working hard.” Zane stood, however, thinking longingly of a hot shower and a change of clothes-and maybe another 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. “What about the others?”
“Carter and Stark went home, maybe with Allison, maybe not. I didn’t ask,” Jo said. “Henry and Grace went home a few hours ago to get some rest before Barnes arrives. Fargo just left. That just leaves you and me, and we’re leaving, too.”
Zane nodded. “Yeah, I could use more sleep.”
Jo pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
Zane smiled. “Definitely. For dinner, maybe?”
Jo nodded. “I think I could manage that.”
Chapter 9
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~Lao Tzu
Jack beat on the door. “Open up! We have a warrant to search the lab and all adjacent buildings!”
When he didn’t get an answer, Jack pulled back from the door and stepped aside for Jo, who had a master key. The door opened soundlessly under her touch, and Jack had served enough search warrants and knocked down enough doors to know the place was empty. There was a different, echoing feel to the air than there was in an occupied building.
Jo followed him inside, still on the alert, but Jack lowered his weapon almost immediately. “It looks like they’ve left already.”
He cleared the room, with Jo on his heels, and Andy not far behind them. They’d been accompanied by a few of Jo’s security guards, and they milled around the lab. Jack could hear the quiet grumbling start as they realized it was empty.
“Fuck.” He holstered his weapon and slammed his hand into a nearby wall. “She’s not here.”
“So much for a search warrant,” Nathan said as he entered.
“Shut the fuck up,” Jack snarled. “You’re not the one who has to answer for deficient warrants.”
“No, and I doubt-”
“Enough!” Jo’s shout interrupted their incipient fight. “Carter’s right, we needed the warrant. Andy, how long have they been gone? Can you tell?”
Andy shook his head. “At least eight hours, possibly more, although there are some residual energy readings. There’s a 69% chance that this was their staging area, and that they’ve now moved to another area more suited to their final goal.”
“What the hell would they need Allison for?” Jack burst out. The question had been bothering him since he got the call from Kevin. “If they need help with their plan, they’d have snatched Fargo, or Henry, or maybe Stark. But Allison?”
“Maybe it was never about their plan,” Jo said slowly. “Maybe it was all about the distraction.”
“Distraction is a time-honored technique,” Andy inserted. “They want to keep us from the truth.”
“That would do it,” Jack admitted. “Knowing Allison is in danger… No one is going to be at their best. She’s well liked.”
Nathan paced around the room. “What kind of energy signatures are you getting, Deputy?”
“Some residual radiation,” Andy said. “Nothing dangerous, but unshielded radiation of this nature could prove harmful over the long term.”
“They’re not thinking long term,” Jack said. “At least, not for themselves.”
“Would they try sending Allison back in time?” Jo suggested. “Maybe they want her to do their dirty work for them.”
Jack shook his head. “Not unless they had leverage, and we’ve got Kevin safe.”
“What about the two of you?” Jo asked in a low voice. “If they threatened you guys, she might deal.”
“If they threatened Jack,” Nathan corrected her.
Jo shook her head. “I know better than that, Dr. Stark. Even if there’s nothing going on between the two of you now, you’re still Jenna’s father, and she’s still connected to you. She’s not going to give you up.”
“Jo’s right,” Jack said on a sigh. “In the end, it doesn’t matter who the Trust is threatening. Allison will protect them.”
“I can get a list of labs in Eureka that would have what’s needed to power the particle accelerator,” Andy offered. “It’s going to take a little more time, but-”
“It’s all we’ve got,” Jack acknowledged. “Work with Zane to see if you can narrow down the list. I’ll knock on every door in Eureka if we have to, but I’d rather not take the time.”
“On it, Sheriff,” Andy replied, his characteristic smile absent. “I’ll get back to you with a list.”
“I’m going to split my people into groups,” Jo said. “We’ll divide the town into quadrants and go from there.”
Jack nodded. “Thanks, Jo.”
“Anything you need,” Jo replied, shooting a look at Stark. “See you back at Global?”
Jack acknowledged Jo’s sensitivity with a nod. “Give me a call if anything pops.”
“You know it.”
Another minute, and they were alone. Jack felt as though he was coming apart at the seams. He’d been so certain that they would find Allison, that he would be able to find her. The thought of losing her caused his fragile control to crumble, and he turned from Nathan to lean his forehead against the cool, concrete wall.
“Jack,” Nathan said from just over his right shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah.” Jack closed his eyes. “I know. We’ll find her.”
“Jack,” Nathan repeated, gripping his shoulders and spinning him around, using his larger bulk to trap Jack against the cinder block wall.
Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Nathan took the opportunity to cover Jack’s mouth with his own, thrusting his tongue inside. Nathan nipped at Jack’s lower lip when Jack tried to draw back, and Nathan used his body to keep Jack pinned.
Jack fought for a moment, trying to push Nathan away, but the other man had just enough weight that he could control the situation unless Jack resorted to dirty tactics. Instead, he just gave in, going limp against the wall, trusting to Nathan to hold him up.
And ceding control felt a hell of a lot better than he’d ever suspected it would.
Nathan gripped the hair at the back of Jack’s head, his lips tracing the line of Jack’s jaw and down the side of his neck. “We don’t have time for this,” Jack managed to say. “And you know it.”
“We have time for this,” Nathan murmured against the skin of Jack’s throat. “You need this, Jack.”
“Fine, I need it,” he grumbled, hating to admit even that much.
Nathan straightened, and pulled Jack into a full-body embrace. “You gonna be okay?”
“I lost her once before,” Jack admitted, his voice sounding hoarse and strange to his own ears. “Just before Fargo brought you back.”
Nathan pulled him in tighter. “What happened?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Jack admitted. He could still remember hearing his own voice on the recording, knowing that if he didn’t do something-if he didn’t stop it-he’d lose Allison. “I was tracking down the DED, and I found a recording with my voice, giving myself instructions on how to save Allison’s life.”
Jack took a deep breath. “There was going to be a car wreck. I didn’t see it, but-”
“We’ll get there in time again,” Nathan promised. “Was it just you, or did you have help?”
“Grant helped,” Jack admitted reluctantly.
“And I’m ten times better than Grant,” Nathan replied. “So you’re already ahead.”
Jack couldn’t prevent the laugh from escaping. “Yeah, you are, and I am.”
“I won’t tell you to quit worrying,” Nathan said softly. “But you’re not the only person who’s worried about Allison. Stop acting like her safety rests solely on your shoulders.”
Jack leaned his forehead against Nathan’s shoulder. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try.”
“Good.” Nathan pressed his lips against Jack’s temple. “Let’s get moving.”
~~~~~
Allison worked at the bonds around her wrists. Beverly and the other Trust agents hadn’t used handcuffs, but the zip-ties were made of strong stuff. She’d tensed her muscles as much as she could when they bound her, but the agents had known what they were doing.
They were in an off site lab, but one Allison didn’t recognize. A gray van had pulled up next to her as she walked to her car in the parking garage; Allison hadn’t noticed it until it was too late. She had been too busy thinking about getting home to Kevin, and everything else they had yet to do, to pay attention to her surroundings.
The next thing she knew, she was being dragged into the van, yanking her hands behind her back, and pulling a hood over her head. She had struggled, but there had been too many of them, and they’d kept her in the van, in the dark, for what felt like hours, until they’d arrived here at the lab.
Kevin would have called Jack by now, and Jack and Nathan would be frantic. She had no doubt they would find her, but would they be in time?
“You can stop trying to get free,” Beverly said, not looking up from her computer screen. “And I laid down enough red herrings to keep the sheriff busy for the next week. By the time they find you, it will be too late.”
“That’s what you want me for?” Allison demanded, feeling oddly insulted. “I’m a distraction?”
“The best kind of distraction,” Beverly said with a smile. “You’re the personal kind. We thought about kidnapping Kevin, but I’m not interested in harming children.”
Allison felt the rage rise up to choke her. “You’d go after my son?”
“You got your daughter out of town,” Beverly said. “Oh, relax, Dr. Blake. In a few hours, this won’t matter at all. You’ll wake up somewhere with no memory of what came before, in a bright new world.”
“That’s assuming I exist,” Allison shot back. “And what about you? You do realize that by changing the past, you could-”
“This is bigger than you or me,” Beverly said evenly. “We’re creating a world where scientific progress is used for the betterment of humanity, instead of coming up with new and different ways to kill.”
“And you’re the one who’s going to determine that?” Allison asked.
“We’re the Trust.” Beverly intoned the words with a smug smile. “We are the best and the brightest, Dr. Blake. No one is more qualified to steer the course of history.” She turned back to her computer. “I thought about asking you to be the one to go back to change the past, but I don’t think I could trust you.”
Allison didn’t bother denying it. Beverly returned to ignoring her, speaking to Dr. Fields in a low voice, turning to check in with Dr. Walter James. She had no idea what a botanist was doing working with the Trust-that was a specialty that didn’t seem useful to them. Dr. James was an astrophysicist, however, and he might have some idea of how to use the data from Fargo’s experiment.
She tried shifting surreptitiously, trying to work the bonds down over her thumb. She probably would have managed it if they’d used rope, but there was no give in the plastic, and the base of her palm was too wide to slip out.
Allison sure as hell wasn’t going to just sit here and watch Beverly remake the world in her own image, though. She knew the ramifications of changing the past-her son could be changed again, her daughter might not exist, Nathan might still be dead, and Jack might never have come to Eureka.
There were a thousand possibilities, and none of them were good.
~~~~~
Jo leaned against the wall of the lab, watching as Zane and Stark worked feverishly to narrow down possible locations. Jo had never realized that there were so many fucking labs in Eureka, so many places where the Trust could set up.
She already had three teams out searching, but she didn’t think they’d find Allison that way. There were too many possibilities. Carter had wanted to be out with them, but he also wanted to be with the team who found Allison, and they had to narrow down the possibilities first.
“Jack!” Kevin pushed his way into the lab, with Zoe right behind him. “Have you found my mom?”
Carter had been leaning against the wall next to Jo. He pushed himself upright wearily, meeting Kevin in the doorway and putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “We’re still looking, Kev,” Carter assured him. “Let’s go out into the hall, huh?”
Jo edged over to the doorway, the better to overhear if possible. “I thought you were going to go home and get some sleep,” Carter said.
“I can’t sleep with Mom missing!” Kevin argued.
Carter sighed. “I know. Have you eaten anything?”
Kevin shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat,” Carter insisted. “Your mom would want you to take care of yourself.”
Kevin scowled. “That’s a low blow. I want to help.”
“There isn’t anything you can do,” Carter said. “We’re going to have to knock down a few doors, and I need to make sure you and Zoe are safe. I can’t afford to worry about you and your mom both right now.”
Kevin rolled his eyes and heaved a put-upon sigh, but finally nodded. “Okay.”
“I’m going to call Vince,” Zoe said. “Everybody’s going to need to eat before the night is out, and he told Henry that he wanted to help.”
Carter nodded. “Good thinking, Zo. Thanks.”
Zoe headed down the hall, pulling out her cell phone, and Carter slung an arm over Kevin’s shoulders. “We’re all worried about her.”
Kevin’s reply was so quiet Jo had to strain to hear. “I was really mad at her about Nathan.”
“What about him?” Carter asked.
“It was always weird, you know?” Kevin asked. “I mean, sometimes she was with him, but sometimes she wasn’t. And Mom would never tell me.”
“She wanted to protect you,” Carter said.
“I thought that when he came back, it would be like it was, and-I didn’t want anything to change,” Kevin admitted.
Carter leaned his head against the wall. “You can’t stop things from changing, but you can roll with the punches. I can promise you that your mom, Nathan, and I are working things out, though. I’m not going anywhere, but Nathan isn’t either.”
“What if you don’t get her back?” Kevin asked.
“Not an option,” Carter said flatly. “That’s not even an option.”
Zoe appeared again. “Vincent is bringing food for everybody. He was already planning on it before I called, so he should be here soon.”
Carter glanced over his shoulder into the room. “Jo, call if you find anything. I’m going to take a walk.”
Jo nodded. “Sure thing.”
Carter led Kevin off down the hallway, speaking in a low voice that faded quickly. Jo joined Zoe in the hall, thrusting her hands in her pockets, wishing there was more she could do.
“Are you okay?” Jo asked finally.
Zoe shrugged. “I’ve been trying to keep Kevin calm, but there’s not a lot to do here, and we can’t go back to the house. Dad’s right. We’re both safer here.”
“The Trust hasn’t made a move on you guys,” Jo pointed out. “And there’s no reason to kidnap Allison, other than creating a distraction.”
“Well, it’s working,” Zoe said sourly. “Dad should be focusing on the DOD investigation, but instead he has to worry about this crap.”
Jo sighed. “I know. This is going to be difficult enough, and who knows what Barnes is going to say when he gets into town and finds out we lost the head of medicine?”
“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll focus on taking out the Trust,” Zoe replied darkly. “It’s not fair that you guys would get blamed. There are a lot more of them than there are of you.”
“And they have better connections,” Jo added. “We’re just-” She stopped, not wanting to continue. They were practically sitting ducks, but Zoe didn’t need to hear that from her. “We’ll get this figured out. We always do.”
They stood there in silence for what felt like a long time, and then Zoe drew in a breath and asked, “So, how are you and Zane?”
Jo raised her eyebrows. “Do you really want to know?”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “I’m not heartbroken, Jo. I liked him-a lot-but he’s kind of an ass.”
Jo smiled. “He is.”
“So, is that going to stop you?”
“It’s going to take us some time to get to know each other again,” Jo replied. “And I don’t know what’s going to happen, but-Henry and Grace made it work. Maybe we can, too.”
Zoe nodded, then looked over Jo’s shoulder. “Vince is here, and it looks like he brought enough food to feed an army.”
“I’ll call your dad,” Jo replied, her stomach growling, knowing that she needed to eat something if they stayed up all night to search labs and kick down doors.
~~~~~
“We’re missing something,” Nathan growled, frustration coloring his tone.
He’d been awake for nearly 24 hours now, and the words on the screen were starting to blur before his eyes.
Zane stood abruptly, his chair rolling backwards. “We have a list of every lab here in Eureka. The ones that actually have the power requirements have been searched. We haven’t found any sign of them. Maybe they moved her out of Eureka.”
“Not possible,” Jack said flatly. “Where else would they go? The Trust is fixated on Eureka, and this is where they’re going to try to accomplish their goal.”
Henry rubbed his hands over his unshaven cheeks. Nathan didn’t think he’d ever seen Henry look so tired. “Nathan’s right. We’re missing something.”
Nathan rose and stretched, and began to pace. “Pull up the list of locations again, Zane.”
Zane called the list up on the conference room screen. “Here it is. We’ve crossed them all off the list.”
Jack straightened. “Is there any reason one of the locations might have gotten left off the list?”
Nathan frowned, and it hit him. “That’s what we’re missing. Zane, my old lab isn’t on this list.”
Henry leaned back in his chair. “What old lab?”
“My old AI lab.” Nathan pulled a keyboard to him and began to type. “It’s not here.”
“No, we checked it,” Jo insisted. “You’re talking about the lab on the eastern edge of town, right?”
Nathan shook his head. “No, it’s on the north side. Here.” He called up a map, and his eyes widened as he realized that it didn’t include the small collection of labs on the north side. “I know the map doesn’t show it, but they’re there. There are three buildings, and-Dammit! I should have thought of it hours ago.”
“We all thought we had a complete list,” Grace said.
“Those labs don’t officially exist,” Fargo protested. “Someone erased the records.”
“I think we have our answer,” Jack said. “We head out now. Jo, pull your guys together. Nathan, if you’re going to come along, you’re going to wait in the car. Hear me?”
“Jack-”
“I’m serious,” Jack said. “I’ll have Jo and Andy for backup, plus more security. They’re the best, and I can’t worry about you, too. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d ask you to stay here, but I know you won’t.”
Nathan knew he had no choice but to compromise. “Fine.”
Jack nodded. “Good. Let’s move.”
Nathan stayed on Jack’s heels as they made their way to the Jeep. Jack’s steely-eyed focus was a definite turn-on. When they’d hit the dead end earlier, when Jack’s control had been crumbling, Nathan had managed to get him back on track.
He’d caught a glimpse of how good they could be for each other, what kind of team they would make.
Nathan had given some thought to what he might do now that he was back, and he’d half-wished for his old job as head of GD, but now he wasn’t so sure.
He remembered how often he and Jack had been at odds, and Nathan suspected that the three of them would get along a hell of a lot better if they weren’t constantly fighting each other on how things were supposed to be run.
“Look,” Jack said, his eyes on the road as they sped through town, with the lights and sirens a constant accompaniment. “I’m sorry if I was harsh back there, but-”
“You were right,” Nathan said, cutting off the apology. “I’d be a liability, and you can’t afford that.”
Jack gave him a brief, incredulous look before turning his attention back to the drive. “I was right?”
“You heard me the first time,” Nathan shot back. “And don’t get used to it.”
Jack’s teeth flashed as he grinned. “Don’t think there’s any risk of that.”
“Are you okay to do this?” Nathan asked hesitantly. “Your shoulder-”
“I’ve worked with worse injuries,” Jack replied. “I’ll be fine. But thanks for your concern.”
Jack flipped the lights and sirens off as they approached, then turned off the headlights as they drove the last block. Nathan glanced in the side view mirror to see the other vehicles doing the same. Jo’s Subaru was just behind them, and she parked next to the Jeep.
Instead of immediately getting out, Jack reached down and pulled out his ankle piece, and then handed it to Nathan. “Do you know how to use one of these?”
“I’ve handled a gun before,” Nathan confirmed. The semi-automatic was small and lightweight, and Nathan checked the clip and removed the safety. “No problem.”
Jack nodded. “When we’re done with this, and we’re all safe, we’ll have to go to the firing range. I think it might be-interesting.”
Nathan chuckled. “I think you might be right. Jack-be safe.”
Jack nodded and got out of the vehicle. Nathan climbed out a moment later, watching as Jack gave whispered directions to the teams. Jo led a group of security guys around the back, while Andy trotted around the side. One of the security guards, a woman Jo had called Caro, stood next to him.
“We’re backup,” Caro said quietly as Jack approached the front of the lab.
Nathan held himself still, trying not to fidget. “Do you think we’re going to have trouble?”
Caro smiled, but the expression was held no humor or warmth. “We aren’t going to have trouble, but they might.”
She drew her gun and took a relaxed stance. Nathan followed her lead and wished like hell that he was inside.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, and Nathan swallowed, trying to work up some moisture.
“Relax, Dr. Stark,” Caro said quietly. “Lupo is the best, and the sheriff is no slouch. They’ll get her back.”
Nathan nodded, but he straightened when he heard gunfire. “Shit.”
“We stay here,” Caro insisted, but Nathan could see her almost quivering with the desire to go in.
Another long, endless moment passed, and then the front door opened. Caro trained her gun on the door, and Nathan followed suit, but Jack appeared in the doorway, his arm around Allison’s waist.
“What happened?” Nathan demanded, rushing forward.
“They were close to activating the device,” Jack replied wearily. “Allison managed to rush Beverly just as we burst in. There was some resistance.”
Nathan slid his arm around Allison from the other side, not caring how it looked to anyone else at the moment. “Allison?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him, her voice weary. “Just tired, and Beverly-”
“She hit her head,” Jack said in an undertone. “Beverly did. She didn’t make it.”
Nathan realized what Jack meant, that Allison had been responsible for Beverly’s death. He let Jack help her into the Jeep, and Nathan caressed her cheek briefly before climbing into the passenger side.
“We’ll get you checked out at GD,” Jack said quietly. “Andy’s handling cleanup here.”
“Kevin?” Allison asked.
“We kept him at GD,” Jack replied. “Zoe’s with him. You’ll see him when we get there.”
Allison leaned her head against the window. “Good. Thank you, Jack.”
Nathan glanced over at Jack with a questioning look. Jack shook his head, his face grim. “Later,” he said in an undertone.
Nathan looked out his own window at the steadily lightening sky and wondered how this was going to end.
~~~~~
Zane could have gone home; Jo had called to let them know that they’d found Allison and the Trust agents, and that it was all over. He couldn’t bring himself to leave, not before he’d seen that Jo was okay for himself.
He stretched out on the couch in one of the out-of-the-way labs he knew of, leaving word with Fargo and Henry as to where he would be. Zane had learned to nap when and where he could, and he was asleep within minutes.
Zane woke instantly when someone shook him. “Yeah, yeah, I’m up.” He blinked as he recognized Jo. “Is everything okay?”
“Dr. Li just sent Allison home,” Jo replied. She had dark circles under her eyes but a smile on her lips. “She’s a little shaken up, but she’s going to be fine.”
“What happened?” Zane asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Beverly was ready to activate the device. Fargo looked at it, but there’s really no way to tell if it would have worked,” Jo began. “Allison’s hands were tied, but she still managed to rush Beverly, who went down and hit her head on the corner of the lab table. She died instantly.”
Zane winced. “It would have been nice to question her.”
“It would have, but Allison couldn’t take that risk.”
“I’m not blaming her,” Zane said quickly. “It just sucks.”
Jo nodded. “Henry volunteered to meet Colonel Barnes. He got a few hours of sleep, so he’s doing better than the rest of us.”
“I’m okay,” Zane protested.
“You’re probably not the best choice,” Jo replied, smiling to take the sting out of her words. “You should go home and get some sleep. You’ve been working hard the last few days.”
“We’ve all been working hard.” Zane stood, however, thinking longingly of a hot shower and a change of clothes-and maybe another 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. “What about the others?”
“Carter and Stark went home, maybe with Allison, maybe not. I didn’t ask,” Jo said. “Henry and Grace went home a few hours ago to get some rest before Barnes arrives. Fargo just left. That just leaves you and me, and we’re leaving, too.”
Zane nodded. “Yeah, I could use more sleep.”
Jo pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
Zane smiled. “Definitely. For dinner, maybe?”
Jo nodded. “I think I could manage that.”
Chapter 9