(no subject)
Ah now that Sam knows Frankie's real plan what will she and Jack do?
Title: In Due Course
Chapter: 7
Fandom: Without a Trace
Rating: PG-13
The rain had begun falling shortly after noon but the reporters continued to stake out the FBI headquarters. No amount of weather would stop them from barraging the agents involved in the affair with questions. Samantha Spade sat curled up on Jack Malone’s couch in his office. He was out in the main part of their floor constructing a case against Gary Lander, Head of the Terrorism Unit from Chicago. Lander, Sam’s current boss who she had discovered was playing both sides of the fence, did not know he was under suspicion. He had orchestrated her infiltration of Frankie Harrington’s plan to serve his own purposes. He had hoped to call into question the New York office. Why a man of Lander’s stature would do this was still unknown but Danny had located phone records showing the daily calls Frankie received from Lander. They had proven at least that something was hinky but now they needed more evidence to put Lander away.
There wasn’t anything they could do to stop the picture of Jack and Sam kissing from making the news. Jack had already received a phone call from his boss threatening to dismiss him. Motions had been filled by attorneys for their clients arguing that the relationship between boss and subordinate was apt opportunity for a mistrial. Martin had even been called into the conference room for a private chat with the head of the New York FBI- Gail Maxey. He came out of the meeting flushed and unable to concentrate at the task at hand.
I’ve ruined everything again, Samantha thought. She knew she couldn’t go back to Chicago, she knew she couldn’t stay there. She didn’t know what to do or where she would go or how she would make a living. Fear was gripping her. Guilt as well. The FBI Missing Persons Unit which had done such good could forever be taken over or faulted because of her. And Jack, he was going to lose his wife and his child. He lost them the first time because of her and now he would lose his new chance for happiness. She didn’t understand why he didn’t hate her, why it was obvious he still cared.
“Hey,” Jack said as he opened his office door. “You want something to eat? Danny’s going to make a run to the Bistro down the block.”
She shook her head. “No thanks.”
“If you change your mind just let us know.” He began closing the door behind him and then stopped. He entered the office instead and walked over to her. “It’s not your fault.”
“How can you say that- I ruined everything!” The tears began to flow and she cursed herself for not wearing waterproof mascara. She wiped at her eyes with her hand and smeared her face more.
“Here,” Jack handed her a handkerchief and sat down next to her.
“Two times today you’ve given me one. How many hankies do you carry around?”
“You never know when someone might need it especially if a loved one is missing.” He took the handkerchief from her hand and used it to wipe her eyes. “Stop beating yourself up. If anyone screwed up it was me. I invited you to my place and I started the affair with you long ago.”
“Yeah and you were the one to end it,” she said bitterly which surprised herself.
Jack looked down at the black couch. “I wasn’t using you, Sam, I did really care.”
“Oh, Jack. What are we going to do?”
“Pin Lander to a wall and beat the shit out of him.”
Sam laughed even though she wasn’t in a jolly mood. “I don’t think we can do that.”
“If we wore ski masks we might get away with it.” Jack rubbed her shoulder.
“You have quite the criminal mind.”
“I picked it up from the people I’ve investigated,” he grinned slightly.
“Did you hear from Anne?” Samantha asked, switching gears abruptly.
The grin faded quickly from his face. “Yeah, I did.”
“And?”
He was silent for a moment which worried Sam even more. “She’s filing for divorce but she’ll give me joint custody.”
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
“Things don’t work I guess. I have lousy taste in wives maybe.” He tried to grin but couldn’t.
Sam didn’t include, but great taste in mistresses.
Martin came in then, breaking up the silence that had stilted the conversation. “Jack, Diego Riveria is out front. He wants to talk to Samantha.”
To be continued...
Title: In Due Course
Chapter: 7
Fandom: Without a Trace
Rating: PG-13
The rain had begun falling shortly after noon but the reporters continued to stake out the FBI headquarters. No amount of weather would stop them from barraging the agents involved in the affair with questions. Samantha Spade sat curled up on Jack Malone’s couch in his office. He was out in the main part of their floor constructing a case against Gary Lander, Head of the Terrorism Unit from Chicago. Lander, Sam’s current boss who she had discovered was playing both sides of the fence, did not know he was under suspicion. He had orchestrated her infiltration of Frankie Harrington’s plan to serve his own purposes. He had hoped to call into question the New York office. Why a man of Lander’s stature would do this was still unknown but Danny had located phone records showing the daily calls Frankie received from Lander. They had proven at least that something was hinky but now they needed more evidence to put Lander away.
There wasn’t anything they could do to stop the picture of Jack and Sam kissing from making the news. Jack had already received a phone call from his boss threatening to dismiss him. Motions had been filled by attorneys for their clients arguing that the relationship between boss and subordinate was apt opportunity for a mistrial. Martin had even been called into the conference room for a private chat with the head of the New York FBI- Gail Maxey. He came out of the meeting flushed and unable to concentrate at the task at hand.
I’ve ruined everything again, Samantha thought. She knew she couldn’t go back to Chicago, she knew she couldn’t stay there. She didn’t know what to do or where she would go or how she would make a living. Fear was gripping her. Guilt as well. The FBI Missing Persons Unit which had done such good could forever be taken over or faulted because of her. And Jack, he was going to lose his wife and his child. He lost them the first time because of her and now he would lose his new chance for happiness. She didn’t understand why he didn’t hate her, why it was obvious he still cared.
“Hey,” Jack said as he opened his office door. “You want something to eat? Danny’s going to make a run to the Bistro down the block.”
She shook her head. “No thanks.”
“If you change your mind just let us know.” He began closing the door behind him and then stopped. He entered the office instead and walked over to her. “It’s not your fault.”
“How can you say that- I ruined everything!” The tears began to flow and she cursed herself for not wearing waterproof mascara. She wiped at her eyes with her hand and smeared her face more.
“Here,” Jack handed her a handkerchief and sat down next to her.
“Two times today you’ve given me one. How many hankies do you carry around?”
“You never know when someone might need it especially if a loved one is missing.” He took the handkerchief from her hand and used it to wipe her eyes. “Stop beating yourself up. If anyone screwed up it was me. I invited you to my place and I started the affair with you long ago.”
“Yeah and you were the one to end it,” she said bitterly which surprised herself.
Jack looked down at the black couch. “I wasn’t using you, Sam, I did really care.”
“Oh, Jack. What are we going to do?”
“Pin Lander to a wall and beat the shit out of him.”
Sam laughed even though she wasn’t in a jolly mood. “I don’t think we can do that.”
“If we wore ski masks we might get away with it.” Jack rubbed her shoulder.
“You have quite the criminal mind.”
“I picked it up from the people I’ve investigated,” he grinned slightly.
“Did you hear from Anne?” Samantha asked, switching gears abruptly.
The grin faded quickly from his face. “Yeah, I did.”
“And?”
He was silent for a moment which worried Sam even more. “She’s filing for divorce but she’ll give me joint custody.”
“I’m sorry, Jack.”
“Things don’t work I guess. I have lousy taste in wives maybe.” He tried to grin but couldn’t.
Sam didn’t include, but great taste in mistresses.
Martin came in then, breaking up the silence that had stilted the conversation. “Jack, Diego Riveria is out front. He wants to talk to Samantha.”
To be continued...