All characters found in this story are the creation of JD Jenkins and are her property exclusively.

Feedback: I would love to hear what you think of this story. Please email me at jdjenkins7@aol.com and let me know what you think!

Author's Note: For anyone familiar with my stories, you might recognize these characters from my story "Shadows". While the characters and setting and some of the incidents may seem familiar, this story is not necessarily a prequel to that story. At this point, I am playing around with how the two stories will fit together, and as a result one or both stories may be altered at some point. Also, this story takes place in one of my all time favorite towns, Madison Wisconsin. Most of the places mentioned are factual, but some are not, created for the purpose of this story. I hope all this rambling makes sense!

Dedication: I want to thank my beautiful partner in life for never letting me give up on myself. This story, as with all creativity that comes from me, is dedicated to her. Thank you sweetheart.

Part 5

Faces faded in and out of her vision as her mind struggled to wake her, while her body desperately wanted to stay immobile. "Jessie," she whispered over and over again, but no one around her seemed to respond to her request. Didn't they hear her?

"We need to take her to the hospital for a CAT scan," a male voice said.

"I don't want to go to the hospital," she replied, but again no one seemed to hear her. It was beginning to frustrate her that so many people were just ignoring her, like she wasn't even there.

"I'm going in the ambulance with you," the familiar voice caused warmth and affection to rise in her. Jessie was there! Jessie would listen!

"Ma'am, are you family?" The first voice asked this hesitantly, his voice sounding nervous.

"I am going with her," Jessie said again, her voice strong, telling not asking.

"I'll follow in my car," another voice came through, familiar, but not enough for Rowan to recognize it. "Pat, it's Mike, tell Dan to send a squad car to," the voice paused as he talked, his tone changing direction. "Which hospital?"

"Meriter," Jessie answered.

"Pat, tell him Meriter hospital."

"I'm not going to the hospital," Rowan tried to insist. This time, Jessie heard her.

"She's trying to say something," Jessie said, her voice coming closer.

Then she was there, kneeling next to Rowan, her warm hand brushing gently through Rowan's hair. "What did you say baby?"

"No…hospital." This time Rowan heard her own voice break through the air, sounding horrible and harsh. Why hadn't her words come through before.

"Honey, you need to go to the hospital. You have a head injury and we have to make sure that your brain's going to be okay."

"No." Rowan inwardly winced as she heard her own voice sounding so childish and unreasonable.

"I'm coming with you, you won't be alone for a second."

A thought suddenly occurred to Rowan and she tried desperately to sit up. "Danni???" Her eyes, filled with unfocused confusion, looked at Jessie in terror. "Sunny? OJ?"

"They're gone baby, they're gone. Don't worry we're going to find them. We'll find whomever took them and we'll get them back."

The ride to the hospital was very short. When they got there the police escort allowed them to get right into the emergency room and they were able to get a doctor to look at Rowan soon after. After checking the bleeding on her head, the ensuing swelling and then shinning a light into her eyes, the doctor announced that he wanted her to have a CAT scan. She would also have to stay over night to make sure that there was no swelling or bleeding in her brain.

Michael stayed with them as they got Rowan into a room and settled her into the hospital bed. He silently waited as Jessie talked quietly to Rowan, reassuring her that they would find Danni as soon as possible. Two uniformed officers came to the door, looking to Michael for their assignment.

"You're going to sit outside this room at all times. I don't care what you're told, unless the order comes out of my mouth, you don't move, understand?" Michael's voice was filled with a new harshness that neither officer had any desire to go against. "Can I speak to you outside Jessie?"

Turning to look at her lover, Rowan nodded her head for Jessie to go on out. The sooner they figured this out the sooner they could find her sister. She just prayed that she and the kids were okay.

Resting against one of the smooth walls in the hallway, Jessie waited for Michael to speak. He didn't keep her waiting for long.

"I called the station on my way here and found out a bit of what happened. Someone put a general order over the radio for all the officers on this assignment to come into the station for an immediate briefing. The officers who were on duty didn't question the order and headed straight for the station."

"Leaving the house unguarded." Jessie finished for him, her hand going up to rub at her tired eyes. "Can you track where the radio call came from?"

"Not really, everyone is just on the same frequency. Anyone could get a hold of one of the radios we use and make the call in." Michael looked frustrated and angry at this violation.

"So, what do we do next?"

"I want to talk to Rowan so that she can tell me what happened to her and then we try to find any clues left at the house. Now, there are two scenarios. If whoever orchestrated this is after you, then there' s a chance they'll want to make some kind of exchanged. Or, this could be some sadistic SOB who will just want to kill everyone." He ran his fingers through his short hair. "I don't think it's the former, but I want to be prepared for any possibility."

Jessie nodded, understanding, in theory, what he was saying but having a hard time getting past the idea of people dying in this situation. "Do what you have to and I'll do the same."

He stared at her for a moment before nodding. He wasn't sure what she had planned, but he had seen the bulge of the gun she was carrying and knew that he would have to trust her, just the same as she would have to trust him.

Jessie left the hospital briefly after Michael talked to Rowan. What Rowan had said disturbed her. This was all too professional to just be a casual nabbing. Someone had planned this out and had taken the time to create a quick and efficient crime.

Finding a wall of pay phones, Jessie got her calling card out of her wallet. Picking up the receiver, she punched in her calling card code and got ready to enter the phone number she wanted to call. She hesitated. Did she really want to call the number? Couldn't she do this on her own?

She sighed as she realized that she needed help. She couldn't find Danni and the children on her own. With resolute movements she dialed a long ago memorized number. "Dante? Yeah, it's me."

Her head was pounding. She couldn't move her hands. When she opened her eyes she realized that there was a rough cloth wound around her head which prevented her from seeing. She tried to pull herself together long enough to figure out where she was, but that was much more difficult than she thought it would be.

"You stupid fuck!" A loud voice yelled harshly, startling Danni out of her own thoughts.

"You said you wanted the woman. I brought you the woman." A soft voice spoke calmly and rationally.

"I didn't say the redhead! She's blonde, you idiot, the woman I wanted is blonde!"

"You didn't say anything about hair color. If you wanted a blonde you should have said so." The soft voice sounded slightly amused, not at all afraid of the man who was yelling.

"Dammit, there was no redhead, there was only the blonde and her."

"That's not my problem. My men and I went and brought you the woman. That's what you're going to pay us for." The man with the soft voice suddenly sounded very menacing, a quiet threat hanging in the air that Danni didn't understand but she felt very clearly. "We brought you the children so that you would have even more to bargain with. You will pay us more for them."

The children?? Danni felt her stomach turn immediately as she realized that he could only be talking about Sunny and OJ. Her anger cleared her once clouded mind, giving her a sharp focus on the fact that she needed to get herself and her children out of this place.

Don Colston was not as innocent as she had thought. Jessie slammed the phone back down, startling a nurse who had been walking by. Don Colston had worked for many years for Manny Rivera, a long time rival of Jessie's. She'd never met Colston before, but apparently he had been quickly moved through the ranks of Rivera's operation.

This changed everything. The call to the women's shelter hadn't been a coincidence. Neither had the shooting of Colston's "wife" who had probably been an innocent woman that Colston had picked as a victim. It had all been a very elaborate trap that Jessie hadn't even realized had been set.

Jessie gave a feral grin to herself as she walked down the hallway toward Rowan's room. This also meant that the game had instantly become one that she could play because it was one that she was well familiar with. The dynamics had changed and she suddenly felt in control once more.

Before she'd hung up the phone with Dante, she told him that she needed backup. Three of her former bests were going to come out of retirement to help her one last time. Between the four of them they would find Colston and end this game.

She checked her watch. She had four hours to prepare Michael and the rest of Madison for the invasion that was coming their way.

"No!" Michael shouted, earning him dirty looks from the nurse sitting at the nurses' station. "No," he said more quietly this time, "we cannot allow those people to come here!"

"They're going to come and help with this and then they're going to leave." Jessie was tired of getting no where with this man. He was so frustrating! Didn't he understand that people's lives were at stake here?

"Jessie, if these supposed former hit men come here and tear apart this city, how can I have any reassurances that they won't cause trouble?"

"I am giving you my word, Michael. In my life that's all that I have that has any weight to it. I never violate my word."

Michael, hands on his hips, looked down at his feet for a moment as he thought. This seemed so ridiculous, so out of control. And yet, when he looked up into the icy blue eyes, he realized that he trusted her. "One misstep and I will not hesitate to find and apprehend every single one of you."

Jessie laughed harshly. "I promise, that if one person messes up I will personally bring them to you."

"Okay," he nodded his head. "What am I supposed to do with the police investigation?"

"Keep going. You might find out where he is before we do. I want both avenues open. I'll agree to keep you informed if you give me the same courtesy."

"I'll do what I can." Michael sighed. "This is unbelievable, you know?" He awkwardly patted Jessie's shoulder as he began to walk toward the elevator. "Unbelievable," he muttered again.

After calling the animal hospital to check on Sylvester, Jessie went back to Rowan's room. She was a little nervous about how to approach her lover. She knew that she had to tell Rowan what was going on, but she was worried about how she would react. There was really nothing to do but tell Rowan the truth about everything, including what was in her heart and then just wait for her decision.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the hospital room, her face relaxing somewhat as she took in the sight of Rowan's body tucked into the hospital bed. She looked small, almost childlike, lying there. Her head was resting on a pillow, her blonde hair fanned out over the starch white surface. I love her so much my heart hurts, Jessie sniffed back the tears that formed in her eyes before approaching the bed.

"Hey," she said softly, not surprised when alert green eyes looked right at her.

"I was thinking. Can you call Chicago? Get some of the people you used to work with to come and help with the search? They might be able to find Danni faster, they're used to playing without rules, right?" Rowan searched Jessie face as it broke into a huge smile. "What?"

"I love you, you're brilliant."

Puzzled, Rowan shrugged. "If you say so."

Picking up the chair next to the bed, Jessie went to move it so that she could face Rowan and touch her while she spoke.

"Don't sit there," Rowan stopped her. "Sit here," she patted the bed, moving over so that she'd have plenty of room to sit.

Not arguing, Jessie sat down, careful not to crowd her lover too much. "Listen, we need to talk."

"Uh oh, that's never good."

"No, it's not," Jessie agreed. "There's much more going on here then we ever realized." She proceeded to tell Rowan everything she had learned about Colston and what had happened so far. She finished with the phone call she'd made earlier, seeing the dawn of light in Rowan's eyes as she put the pieces together.

"It's 8:30 now, so they'll be here by midnight?" Rowan felt better about the situation they were in now that they had a plan.

"Around then, yes."

"Where are you meeting them?"

"An old building on the north side."

"Dammit, I'll still be here," Rowan said in frustration. She didn't want to be separated from Jessie even for a minute.

"I don't want you there," Jessie's voice took on a firmer tone. Rowan couldn't not get involved in this. No way, no how.

"And I don't want you alone!" Rowan challenged. "I finally found you, I'm not going to let you go so easily!" Tears filled her eyes as she realized what they were getting themselves involved with.

"Shhhh…I'm not going anywhere. I promise, but this time tomorrow this will all be over with and you and I will be sleeping in OUR bed, snug and sound." Blue eyes met green for a long moment as they both realized that they needed to believe. "I promise I will come back to you. You are my heart. Without you I am lost. I will find my way back to you, I promise you that."

The events of the day and the pain in her head were catching up with her. Rowan nodded, placing a gentle kiss on Jessie's hand as her eyes slowly closed. Leaning down, Jessie placed a soft kiss on Rowan's forehead. "I love you," she whispered before she straightened up and left the room.

Anne stood in the hallway, waiting for her daughter to finish. Jessie had called her before talking to Rowan, explaining that Rowan had been hurt and that she needed Anne to stay with her. Not questioning what her daughter was asking, Anne agreed to come right over.

"How is she?" Anne asked, concern lacing her voice.

"She's asleep. I think the doctor gave her something for the pain that made her sleepy. Hopefully they'll be letting her out tomorrow. Can you make sure that she gets home okay?"

"Of course. Where are you going to be?"

"Fighting evil, mom." Jessie's voice was sarcastic, belaying the truth that was in her statement.

"Okay honey, have fun."

The hospital was quiet when Rowan finally woke up. The soft sounds coming from the other rooms on the floor were only a buzz in her ear, nothing more. She took a moment to stretch lightly, realizing that moving too much made her head hurt more.

"I was hoping you'd sleep at least till morning," a soft voice came out the darkness, startling her slightly.

"Anne?" She asked, confused. What was Anne doing here?

"Last I checked." The older woman finally came into focus, a gentle smile warming her face. "Between you and that daughter of mine I seem to be getting to know the local hospitals pretty well." She brushed back the hair that had fallen over Rowan's forehead, the bandage there very stark and white. The gesture was so like something Jessie would do that Rowan felt tears prick her eyes. "Don't cry honey, she'll be all right. That girl has more lives than a cat, and I dare say that now that she has something to live for she'll fight even harder to come back."

"How'd you know I was thinking about her?"

"The same way I knew you two loved each other before either of you did! You both get this misty look in your eyes when you think about one another, and sometimes you even get this goofy smile on your faces. I used to know that face pretty well myself…" Anne drifted off, her mind and memories focused on something long gone. Shaking herself out of the pain she felt at loosing her own love, she took Rowan's hand. "Love is a gift, Rowan. Grab on and never let go."

Rowan allowed herself to be pulled into her own thoughts of love. She had always known that love must be great; powerful and ultimate, it was both volatile and gentle at the same time. All consuming, love dragged you in and then took everything from you, leaving you filled with its impressions. It was a tempest storm and every other calamity that humanity faced, filled with dramatic pain and travesty, but it was also the very joy of existence. It was a rush greater than any drug could give you, lifting you higher and higher every second. In essence, it was the greatest roller coaster ride ever.

Was it worth it? Rowan asked herself. Her answer was a decided yes. What she felt for Jessie was greater than anything she'd experienced in this life and she doubted she'd ever experience anything greater. The highs and the lows of loving someone so much were devastatingly extreme, but she would never give them up.

"Go back to sleep, dear. I'll be here when you wake up." Anne's hand gently stroked Rowan's cheek until she felt her eyes close sleepily and her breathing begin to deepen. She fell asleep and dreamed of her lover.

The three men in front of her were as different from each other as anyone could be. Jamie was a large, black man who's skin was so dark he almost appeared a violent purple at times. His large brown eyes never missed anything, allowing him to carefully calculating things around him. In addition to be an asset because of his size, he was also brilliant at deductive reasoning and finding what most people missed in the smallest of detail.

Peter was a short, skinny man who's skin was so white that he almost glowed in the dark. He had shaggy black hair that hung over his face, obscuring people from seeing his green eyes that were able to see better than most in the dark. He never smiled, never grinned, his mouth was set into a permanent straight line. On rare occasions he would actually frown when really perplexed, but other than that his mouth didn't deviate.

Wu was the last of the men there. He had been a part of the Chinese Mafia in Chicago, but Jessie had recruited him almost 5 years before, finding his abilities in both marksmanship and man-hunting very appealing for her former business.

There was many times where she needed to find someone very quickly, and these three men always came through for her. She had kept them on permanent retainer, leaving them at her beck and call through out the years. When she left the business she'd made it clear to her successor that he needed to keep these three on his good side, otherwise he'd find himself dead.

"So, you finally decided to give us a call," Wu said, his narrow eyes getting even more narrow as he gave her a cold look. "What made you think that we'd help you?" The three men seamlessly created a visually intimidating picture, but Jessie stood her ground, her arms at her side, her feet shoulder width apart.

"Because," she drawled slowly, "I was the one person who got away from you and lived to tell about it."

Everyone smiled jovially with the exception of Peter who merely grunted. "We let you get away, JB. If we wanted to we could have found you," Jamie approached her, hugging her tightly before letting her go. "It hasn't been the same since you left. Does this mean…" He let his question hang as all three men waited for her answer in anticipation.

"No, I'm not coming back." She sobered quickly, the reunion over it was time for business. "You three know that I wouldn't have made contact if it hadn't been an emergency."

"Dante just told us that you needed us. He didn't give us any details." Peter finally spoke, his voice gravely from too many years of smoking.

"This isn't like what you're used to. I do need your help, but this time it's a personal problem."

"Someone messing with you?" Jamie asked softly, the menace in his voice unmistakable.

"Don Colston."

Wu whistled softly. "He disappeared about a year ago. We wondered where he went, but since we didn't hear anything and no one reported having any problems with him, we just let him go. There was no reason for us to go after him." Wu shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I figure that he must have come here and started a plan that would cripple me." It was very hard for Jessie to admit that she'd been trapped. She'd obviously had gotten soft, thinking that she was safe in her new life and that no one would bother to track her.

"Is he working for Manny?" Wu asked carefully.

"I can't see why he'd be working alone, can you?"

"No, I can't." Wu gave a heavy sigh. "Shit. Okay, what's the deal?"

"Last night he was at my house." Inwardly she smiled at the mention of her house. Maybe not in ownership, but she was in fact sharing the house with Rowan, creating a home with her. It felt very good to say that. "He took a woman and two children who were there and who are very important to someone I love."

Jessie watched the three men carefully as they thought about what she had said. While she had a very close working relationship with these men and while they all had a mutual respect for one another, Jessie was a little apprehensive about bringing them into her personal life. These men were cold killers who could take a life without remorse or regret. She'd seen them do it many times, usually on an assignment she'd given them. She had no way of knowing if their loyalties were to her or just to the money that she paid them.

"I'll pay the three of you to-"

Jamie's hand immediately went up and he took a step forward, away from the other two, stopping her in mid-sentence. "No. No money from you. We'll take care of this asshole for you because we want to help."

"But…"

"No buts," Peter broke in this time, his mouth in a hard line as he moved forward to concur with what Jamie had said. "You needed us and you trusted us enough to call for help. We don't want your money."

"Besides," Wu moved to stand with them, a grin cracking his face. "We never liked the guy."

Jessie gave them a genuine smile as her faith in people got a surge of reassurance. How she had ever earned such loyalty from men like this, she'd never know, but at this moment she was very glad for it. She wanted to thank them, to show them her appreciation, but she knew it would only make them feel uncomfortable. "Okay, then let's get started."

"I'm glad that they didn't make you stay the full 24 hours," Anne said as she helped Rowan up the walkway to her house.

"Me too. I think I would have gone crazy. I hate being forced to stay in bed." She fished around in the pockets of her jeans, hoping that someone had had the forethought to put her keys there. Sure enough, they were there. Rowan said a silent thanks to Jessie for thinking of her. She unlocked the door, immediately feeling someone else's presence in the front room.

The police officers from the hospital had followed them to the house and were now sitting outside in their car. She'd asked them if they wanted to come in, but the politely declined, saying that they needed to stay where they could see anyone coming and going. That was all fine and good, but apparently there hadn't been anyone at the house to watch whether or not anyone went in before they got there.

"Hospitals are nicer these days, but the care lacks something personal. When you give birth these days they let you out almost the same…" Anne stopped talking as she realized that they weren't alone.

"Hello," Kelly's voice purred at them, her sly smile reaching them at the same time.

Shaking her head, Rowan gestured for Anne to go into the house and she closed the door behind them. "Why are you here, Kelly?" She finally asked warily. Why couldn't this woman just stay out of her life?

"Well, I happened to find out that you were missing something very valuable to you and I thought that I would come to see if we could arrange some kind of trade." A mysterious smile formed on her lips, but was not reflected in her eyes.

Anne watched the exchange between the two women. She remembered the tall woman from the bookstore. She still wasn't sure of the dynamics between this woman and Rowan, but obviously they knew each other very well.

"You know where my sister is?" Rowan asked carefully, wanting to make sure that she was going to get exactly what she wanted.

"Yes, and her two brats too," Kelly said, giving an evil laugh reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West. "Do you want to trade, or should I take my leave?"

"What do you want?"

"Your little wife."

"What do you mean?" Rowan narrowed her eyes at the other woman.

"I want you to break up with her."

"What makes you think that even if I broke up with her that she'd want to be with you?"

Kelly gave a little laugh. "Oh, I'd make sure that I was there to pick up all the little pieces."

Rowan sighed. Her sister's life over a relationship; but it wasn't just any relationship. It was the one person who had known her from the beginning, the one person who'd fit her own personality and quirks. She couldn't give that up. But, she couldn't let her sister die either. She would have to agree for now and then think of some way to fix things afterward. I'm sorry Jessie, Rowan thought before she said the hardest word in her life. "Okay."

Kelly had watched the conflicting emotions as they flashed across Rowan's face. She'd always been so easy to read. The remaining emotion was one of convicted defeat. Smiling inwardly, Kelly tried not to crow at her victory. "Tonight I'll be by to pick you up at 9." She got up to leave but was stopped by Rowan's next question.

"Why should I trust you this time Kelly?"

"From where I'm at, I don't see that you have much of a choice."

She was right. What if Jessie couldn't find them in time? What if tonight was their only chance? She would have to trust Kelly and hope that she wouldn't not be played again. "Tonight. 9pm. I'll be ready."

"We'll be ready." Anne stepped forward and put her hand on Rowan's shoulder. There was no way that she was going to let Rowan go alone. She'd come to think of Rowan as another daughter and she'd be damned if she were going to lose her now.

Kelly eyed both of them carefully. "Fine, till tonight then." She walked to the front door, opened it, and walked out, closing the door with a quiet thud.

Rowan and Anne stood deep in thought for a moment, each of them thinking about what they were getting into and knowing that it was probably going to be the most dangerous moment of their life.

A loud knock at the door brought them both out of their thoughts. "POLICE! Open the door!"

Rowan immediately went and opened it, surprised to see the face of one of the officers that had been with her at the hospital standing at her door with a gun in his hand.

"Everything okay?" The officer asked, putting his gun away but not snapping the holster.

"Yeah, we're fine. Are you okay?" The man was flushed with exertion.

"We saw a woman come out of the house and we hadn't seen in go in, so we wanted to make sure you were okay." The man explained, slightly embarrassed by his unnecessary bravado.

"She was here when we got here," Rowan explained.

"Are you both okay?" The officer looked past Rowan to check on Anne who was standing further back.

"Yes, we're fine. No danger here."

"Okay, I guess I'll just go back to the car." The officer turned and left, leaving behind a very amused Rowan.

Chuckling, she closed the door and secured the lock. Turning around her eyes went to a dark spot in the corner of the room. It was then that she realized that she hadn't seen Tigger around since she got back. That was very strange. Tigger usually was there anytime the door opened. Maybe he was upstairs hiding.

Jessie had told Rowan what had happened to Sylvester, as well as telling her which animal hospital he'd been taken to. Going to the bloodstain, she knew that she'd have to replace the carpet. Even if she got the stain out, she'd always known where that little dog had almost been killed.

Anne followed Rowan and saw the blood for the first time. "What happened?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Sylvester got knifed. He must have been trying to stop the attackers."

"Sylvester? Who's he? Was he at the hospital? Was he killed?" She whispered the last part, horrified at the thought.

"No, no, calm down Anne. Sylvester is my sister's dog. He was taken to the animal hospital." She looked at her watch. "I think I'm going to call to see how he is before I go up and take a shower."

Walking into the kitchen, she got the yellow pages out and found the number for the hospital. Dialing the number, she explained who she was when the line was picked up.

"Oh yes, the Jack Russell Terrier, right? Yes, he's doing very well. Luckily nothing was damaged internally. He received 30 stitches to the wound, and since he lost a lot of blood we gave him a transfusion. He's been a great patient." The man on the other end of the phone paused. "The cat on the other hand has been a bit of a terror."

"The cat? I didn't think that the cat was hurt?" Rowan was definitely confused at this point. Jessie would have told her if Tigger got hurt, right?

"No ma'am, he wasn't hurt. When we went to pick up the dog, the cat refused to let us get to him until we promised to take him with us."

"Oh Lord," Rowan put her hand to her forehead. "To think, just yesterday they were fighting like…well, like cats and dogs!"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Nothing, nothing. When can they come home?"

"Anytime. When they're picked up we'll show you how to care for the dog and his stitches. He's going to need to take it easy for a while, no excitement, that kind of thing."

"All right, I'll be there in about an hour." Rowan figured that would give her enough time to shower and change.

"They'll be ready."

"Thank you." She hung up the phone still in wonder about her cat. "What a little nut!" She mumbled.

"Everything okay?" Anne walked into the kitchen, concerned when she heard Rowan talking to herself.

"Everything's just fine. Do you mind going with me to pick them up in about an hour?"

"Them? I thought it was just a dog?" Anne was as confused as Rowan had been.

"Yeah, well you don't know Tigger."

By mid afternoon Jamie, Peter, and Wu had found where Colston was located. It had been a bit tricky, but they were all pros at finding people who didn't want to be found. They'd called various contacts and asked about the area, trying to determined where was the most likely place for someone to try to hide without being conspicuous.

Whereas Chicago always had plenty of abandoned buildings that could be used, Madison didn't. So, that made the search a little harder. They'd finally found out about an abandoned barn located on the outskirts of the West Side of Madison that had recently seen more activity than it had in the last five years.

Carefully and covertly they watched the barn all day, deciding that they would wait until dark to go in. From what they could see there was little security, which surprised them. Colston must think that he's invincible to try to pull this off without any security or anyone on watch.

Jessie was relieved to at least have the hideout in sight, but she felt a little apprehensive about the lack of security. They hadn't seen anyone go in or out of the barn all day which only served to increase her anxiety. "What if he's not in there?" She finally asked.

"He's been in there for a few months now, there's no reason why he would change locations now if he hasn't been caught." Wu reasoned as he put a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

"I guess. It just doesn't make sense that he'd keep three hostages without any kind of security." She looked at her watch. It was almost 6 pm. The sun would be setting within the next hour, but something inside of her told her that she shouldn't wait till sun down. "I think we should move in."

The three men with her looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure, JB? I mean, we wouldn't have the cover that darkness would give us." Jamie didn't want to question his former leader's plan, but he was skeptical.

"I don't feel right about this. I want to find out why I am having this feeling before it's too late. The sooner the better."

"Okay," Jamie said. The three men stood up in the back of the van they'd brought from Chicago and put on their coats. Each one checked their weapon to see that it was ready and when they were done, Jessie led them out of the back doors.

They'd parked down a little dirty road, far from the main road, but still close enough to the barn to get there by foot. Ambling over the abandoned farmland, they crept slowly and surely toward the barn. Using hand signals they moved forward one by one until they were all against the back wall of the barn. So far nothing had so much as moved around them.

Carefully, Peter moved around the side of the barn, stopping every few feet to listen for any new noises coming from within the barn. The only way in or out of this barn was the wide front doors. There was no way to get those doors open without attracting the attention of whomever was inside. So, they wouldn't.

With one man on each door, Jessie and Jamie pulled their guns into their hands and stood ready. On the count of three, Peter and Wu pulled the doors open and Jessie and Jamie rushed inside, with the other two men coming in immediately behind them.

They all stood there, taking in the sight before them. Finally, Jessie moved, kicking the ground viciously. "I knew it! Dammit!." She turned around and left the barn, too frustrated to stay and look around.

The barn was completely empty, except for a few piles of ancient hay and a lawn chair, which stood in the direct center of the large area. Walking to the chair, Wu picked up the white envelope that sat on the lawn chair, Jessie's name scrawled in dark, bold letters on the outside.

The three men walked out the barn and followed the distant form of Jessie to the van. Once inside, Wu handed the envelope to Jessie.

"What did it say?" She asked without looking at it.

Wu shrugged. "I don't open other people's mail."

Smiling at the small joke, she took the envelope and opened it carefully. Aloud she read:

"Well," Jamie spoke first, "he's no poet, that's for sure!"

Wu snickered in response, pounding the large black man on the back. Sobering, his face turned to one of contemplation. "There must be something there that tells us where's he's at. He wants you, JB, he's leading you to him."

Fly home…the phrase struck Jessie more than any of the others. Unclipping her cell phone from her belt, she dialed Rowan's number.

"Hello?" Her mother's voice came through the phone.

"Hey mom," Jessie murmured in a low voice. The three men looked at her in surprise. JB had a mother? Who knew!

"Hi Jess, how is everything going? Are you okay?" Despite the years they'd spent apart, Anne's maternal instinct was still well in place.

"I'm fine mom. Are you and Rowan okay?"

"We're just find. Rowan's up in the shower getting cleaned up. We're going to go pick up the animals from the hospital when she's done."

"Animals? As in plural?"

"Yes. I'm not quiet sure what happened. All Rowan said was that I didn't know Tigger. I assume that's the cat?"

"Yeah, that would be him." Jessie shook her head, a little smile playing on her face. "Pain in the ass that he is."

"We also had a visitor," Anne confessed, unsure if Rowan had wanted Jessie to know.

"Who?" Jessie's voice demanded, her senses immediately alerted to danger.

"That Kelly woman, you know the one I mean?" Anne's obvious disgust for the woman was very clear in her tone.

"Yes, I know her. What did she want?" Jessie's voice became cold as she thought about Kelly being in their home. The bitch had better not touch Rowan, she thought.

"You."

"Excuse me?" Jessie was sure she'd heard wrong.

"She wants you. She told Rowan that she'd take her to where her sister is at in return for Rowan breaking up with you."

Jessie gave a harsh bark of laughter. "Rowan couldn't shake me even if she tried. Did Kelly honestly think I'd give her up just like that?"

"I don't think that Kelly has any comprehension of love or what it entails. How can she understand what you feel for Rowan if she hasn't got an inkling herself?" Anne's sage words struck the bell of truth. How could Kelly have any clue when her life was about sex and gratification, not love?

"Is she going to back to take Rowan to her sister?"

"Yes, she said she'd be back at 9 tonight."

"Okay, I'll be there. We'll follow them. Don't tell Rowan, I don't want her to give anything away." Jessie was worried about letting Rowan get involved in this, but she didn't see any other way to find Danni and the kids without putting their lives in further danger.

"I won't. Be careful honey." Anne felt much better now that she knew Jessie would be there. She may not like to think about it, but she knew that her daughter could take care of herself and them if need be.

"You too." As she pressed the end button on her cell phone, the phone beeped at her, indicating that her battery was getting low. "Great, just great," she muttered. She dialed one more number, hoping that the phone would last long enough to get the message across. "Michael?"

"Hey Jess, any leads?"

"Yeah, listen, tonight at 9 pm-" The phone went dead before she could finish. "Shit!" She threw the cell phone at the back of the van, watching with quiet satisfaction as the phone broke into smaller pieces. Sighing, she looked at her watch. It was almost 8 pm. Time for them to move into place before Kelly got to the house. She didn't want her to suspect that they were following her. "Okay guys, new plan." She turned to the three men who'd been watching her in unconcealed fascination. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jamie reached out a slightly shaking hand, poking Jessie's arm and then retreating back. "She IS human, guys!"

Rowan stood in front of her closet in contemplation. They'd gotten the animals from the hospital, paid the substantial bill, and brought them home. The woman on duty had suggested that Rowan get Tigger declawed. Apparently the cat had scratched quiet a few people before they'd reached a compromise with him. Secretly she was very proud of her boy. Sylvester was now resting comfortably downstairs, with Tigger hovering over him like a worried momma. Now, Rowan was attempting to figure out what she was going to wear for that night's rescue. What does one wear when going into a den of evil?

Okay, she thought to herself, that might be a little too dramatic! Her mind was used to the suspense of books and movies, and therefore she felt she was excused if she were just slightly excited about the night's foray into danger. She was, however, smart enough to realize just how serious the situation was and how many lives were on the line. She'd tried to call Jessie on her cell phone to tell her about the meeting, but only got her voice mail. It worried her more than a little bit that she couldn't contact her lover. Jessie had a way of making Rowan feel safe and secure, and God knows she could have used that reassurance right about now.

She finally chose a pair of black jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, followed up by her sneakers. She wanted to be able to run if she needed to. Putting the selected clothing on, she took a second to check herself out in the mirror, satisfied with the look she'd achieved.

Looking at the clock next to the bed, she sighed. There was still a half-hour before Kelly would be there. What would she do for a half-hour? She was anxious and more than a bit apprehensive. Resigned to sit and wait patiently like a good little girl, she went down the stairs and flopped herself onto the couch next to Anne.

At 9pm exactly the doorbell rang. Rowan opened the door and was greeted not only by Kelly, but also by the same officer who'd been at the door before. "It's okay," Rowan told the officer. He gave her a curious look, but left them alone.

"You're little watch dog is kind of cute. Too bad you don't swing that way, I think you could get him." Kelly smoothly breezed in, chatting as though they were friends getting together for an evening of fun.

"Can we go already?" Rowan wasn't in the mood for anymore games. She wanted to get to her sister and her niece and nephew.

Kelly pivoted on her foot so that she could look at Rowan. Raising an elegantly shaped eyebrow, she allowed one side of her mouth to quirk up in a slight smile. "Anxious, are we?"

"I just want to get this over with already."

Nodding her head, Kelly clucked her tongue against her teeth. "Fine, fine. Let's go then." She abruptly moved passed Rowan and opened the door again, walking out into the night.

Anne and Rowan exchanged looks before following her out of the house, locking the door behind them.

Kelly waved saucily at the men in the patrol car as she made her way to her own sleek, black convertible. Unlocking the doors, she gestured for Rowan and Anne to get in before she climbed in herself. "Ready for the ride of your life?" She grinned at them before gunning the more and taking off in a squeal of rubber and wild laughter.

Jessie watched as the black car pulled up to Rowan's house. Kelly climbed out, not even bothering to look around to see if she was being watched. Apparently she didn't care. She walked over to the police car, leaned in the driver's side window and said something to them. One of the cops got out and walked her to the door. At least they're doing what they're supposed to, Jessie thought with mild satisfaction.

A few minutes later Kelly bounded out of the house, Rowan and her mother following her a little more sedately. When they pulled away, Jessie signaled for Wu to give them a slight head start before following. She'd talked to the cops, telling them to follow further behind her. They were instructed to wait until they were signaled before coming in. Where ever they were going.

Wu pulled out of the neighbor's driveway, following the racing car as far back as he dared. The convertible pulled into one of the downtown parking garages. After taking her ticket, Kelly pulled in, climbing the levels till she found a park spot that suited her. Keeping his eye on her, Wu parked on the other side of the garage, on the level going down from where Kelly parked.

"Where the hell is she taking them?" Jessie said out loud as they discreetly followed them down State Street. Rowan must have been wondering the same thing, her face showing her consternation.

"Kelly, where are we going?" Rowan finally asked as they walked further toward the capital.

"Here," Kelly stopped in front of Anne's bookstore, a brilliant smile lightening her face.

"They aren't in my bookstore, I was here when they were taken," Anne insisted.

"You were here, but you can't see the door to Jessie's apartment from in inside of your store, can you?"

"No, I guess not," Anne admitted.

"They managed to get them in here right under your nose. That's pretty good, huh?" Kelly smiled again, tickled by the complexity of the plan. "Donnie told me that he'd been planning this for months. They were supposed to grab you, you know," she told Rowan. "But they messed up and got your sister instead. Wrong place, wrong time, I would say." She laughed to herself.

"If you're a part of this, why are you taking us here?" Rowan couldn't understand why this woman was leading them to where her sister was unless she was trying to trap them.

"That stupid Donnie…" Kelly's eyes took on a far away look and her mouth pursed into a tight line. "He thought he could use me for information and that he could get away with throwing me out in the end." She gave a little growl before laughing again. "He tried to have me killed. Unfortunately, he killed my lover instead."

"Wha…" Rowan's voice faded in horror. This woman was sick. Here she was laughing about how her lover had been killed instead of her, not batting an eyelash.

"I'm not going to let him fuck me over." Kelly gestured for Rowan to open the outside door that led up to the apartment Jessie had been using before moving in with her.

The three women made their way slowly up the stairs until they reached the top door. "You have keys, right?" Kelly asked Anne, pointing to the locked door.

"Uh, yeah, actually, I do." Anne pulled her key ring out of her pants pocket, surprising herself by actually having them on her. She found the key for the apartment and inserted it into the lock, turning it slowly until they all heard it click.

"I'll get that." Kelly opened the door with a flourish. "Ta da!"

"Danni!" Rowan ran to her sister, taking off first the blindfold and then starting in on the ropes around her wrists and ankles.

"Rowan! How's you find us?" Danni looked around wildly, spying her kids sitting in the opposite corner similarly tied, their mouths stuffed with rags. "Get the kids!"

"I've got them," Anne said as she made her way to where the kids were sitting.

Kelly stood back watching the two women rush about, untying and helping to get the circulation moving back through wrists and ankles. She smiled as she thought about her prize. Jessie was hers again.

"I want the three of you to wait here. Watch the entrance. If anyone tries to go up those stairs, I want the three of you right behind them, okay?" Jessie checked her gun a final time before making her way across the street to the door leading to her former apartment. So far she'd seen no signs of distress coming from Rowan or her mother, but she wasn't taking any chances.

The stairs were clear and she made it to the open door without any problems. She peered in and saw the melee that was going on as Rowan and Danni and the children were reunited and introductions were made between them and Anne. She checked the room and only saw Kelly there, standing in the corner watching it all with a strange look on her face.

Holstering her gun, she walked to Rowan, coming up behind her and putting her arm around her. "Hey there," she said, making Rowan jump.

"How'd you get here?" Rowan asked as she hugged the taller woman tightly.

"The walls have ears, my dear," she said with an exaggerated accent.

"Anne told you, huh? Smart woman. But everything looks fine. We should get out of here before-" She broke off mid sentence as she saw a large man walk through the door, a gun in his hand, pointing directly at them.

"Before I come back?" The man said with a harsh smile.

Jessie immediately put Rowan behind her, blocking her with her body. Her hand twitched, wanting to pull her gun from its resting place but with the kids and her mother on the other side of the room she was afraid that they'd get in the middle of a gun battle, which was the last thing that she wanted.

"JB, but you were surprised to find out who I was." Colston gave her a mock smile as his eyes traced the scar that still showed red and raw on her face. "I never forgot you," he sneered.

"I've never met you before in my life, Colston. I knew you existed, but you weren't important enough for me to bother with." Jessie sneered back, hoping to get him angry enough to make a mistake.

"You don't remember, do you?" He laughed. "I should have known that I wasn't important enough for you to remember."

"Are you trying to tell me that we have met before?" She was curious now. She honestly had no memory of this man.

"I wasn't always Don Colston. About 8 years ago I was known as Donald Smith. Does that name ring a bell?"

Jessie felt as though she'd been struck in the stomach. The acid there burned as a memory smoldered in her mind. Donald Smith had been older than her. He'd grown up in the same neighborhood as she had, they'd attended the same high school. The year before she'd left for Chicago she'd been involved in a very bad drug deal that had almost killed one of her friends. She'd left the scene, leaving Donald Smith there to take the blame. "You should still be in jail," she said slowly.

"Yes, I should be. But, while I was there I met Manny's cousin Paolo. Paolo and I escaped together and he brought me into Manny's organization. You can imagine my surprise when I first saw you in Chicago. I knew then that I still owed you something for leaving me to clean up your mess." He waved his gun at the people in the room. "What a better way than to kill everyone who means something to you?" He laughed loudly. "And you all made it so easy on me, coming together to save one another. I thank you for that."

"Donnie, take me with you." Kelly walked toward him, her hands in the air to show she was without a weapon.

"And you, you crazy bitch! You're supposed to be dead. Another botched up job. Why do I bother to pay for what I could do so much better myself." His gun never wavered even as a shot rang out from the area of the door.

They all watched as Kelly crumpled to the floor, blood spreading from where she lay. Anne held the kids closer to her so that they wouldn't see the carnage.

"She's dead now, are you happy?" The soft quiet voice that Danni had heard when she'd woken up the day before floated through the air. They all turned to see a slight man with well-groomed dark hair standing in the doorway, his gun still in his hand. He pulled out a white handkerchief from his suit pocket and mopped his forehead. "So many people in this little space is making me sweat," he explained as he put away the cloth.

"About time you showed up. You never seem to get anything right," Colston hissed at the new comer.

"I came when I wanted to, not before." The man in the suit explained easily not at all disturbed by Colston's attempts at threatening him. He looked around the room, giving everyone a smooth smile as he did. His gaze stopped when he saw Rowan. "So this must be the blonde you wanted so badly." He moved closer, giving Rowan a slow going over with his eyes. "Yes, I can see why you wanted her so badly," he leered at her. A growl from behind him stopped him. He turned and stared at Jessie with a great deal of interest. "Yes, I know who you are. You once took out five of my associates in one night."

"I'm afraid I am not as well aquatinted with you as you seem to be with me," Jessie said through clenched teeth.

"Ah, my apologies" He bent over at the waist in a bow. "I am John Paul Martin. I never worked directly in Chicago, although I always had fingers in so many pies it was hard to tell." He gave her a charming smile.

His back was to the door when Jamie, Wu, and Peter burst through, each one had a gun in their hands. Jessie pulled her own weapon out and held it at John Paul Martin's temple. "So glad to meet you," she said sweetly as she cocked the gun.

Colston roared in anger, pointing his gun toward the three invaders, shooting without aiming. Jamie and Wu managed to avoid getting hit, each of them aiming at Colston and shooting until the man was on the floor. Peter was hit in the arm and shoulder, but he managed to push himself against the wall as he waited for his friends to finish.

The sound of many feet pounding against the wooden stairs alerted everyone in the room to the approach of more people. Three guns pointed to the door, Jessie not moving hers, as two men in uniform came through the doorway, followed by Michael.

Michael's alert eyes took in everything in the room, finally resting on Jessie and her hostage. "What took you so long?" She asked him casually.

Michael shook his head at her and began giving instructions to his officers.

Anne made coffee as the others sat down on the furniture in the bookstore. Jessie leaned against the front counter with Rowan leaning back against her. They'd been allowed to leave the scene, provided that they waited in the bookstore until Michael could come down to talk to them.

An ambulance had come and taken Peter to the hospital, Wu and Peter following in the van. Jessie knew that she wouldn't see them again unless she made the call. They would head back to Chicago to the relative peace of retirement, whatever that meant for them.

The children were shaken not only by the events of that night, but by the news that Sylvester had been hurt. They kept asking Jessie and Rowan if they were sure that their beloved pet was okay. Rowan promised that as soon as they were done they'd go back home and they could see the dog for themselves. If Tigger will let them, she amended silently.

Danni looked tired, but over all she was okay. She'd refused to go to the hospital to let someone look at the nasty lump on her head. She'd had enough hospitals over the last year and knew that more were in her future. Besides, it was nothing that a little ice wouldn't take care of.

Rowan turned in Jessie's arms and gave her a full body hug, nuzzling her nose against Jessie's warm neck. "How come you always smell good?" Rowan asked, taking another sniff of Jessie's skin.

"I dunno. How come you always feel good in my arms?" Jessie smiled down at her lover.

"Cause that's where I'm supposed to be silly," Rowan gave the taller woman a soft kiss on her chin.

"Damn straight," Jessie answered pulling Rowan closer, vowing to never let her go, which was perfectly okay with Rowan. Now that they'd both found love, nothing was going to keep them apart.

The End