Kidnapped

Chris Larabee left the ATF offices late in the evening and headed to his car. As he put the key in the car door he was suddenly jumped from behind. He was violently thrown to the ground and got the wind knocked out of him. Chris managed to kick one of his assailants in the groin but before he could stand up he was hit in the head and passed out.

Several hours later Chris woke up bound in a very dark room. The only light coming in was from the crack under the door. As Chris tried to sit up he groaned loudly as the left side of his body hurt incredibly much. He tasted blood in his mouth and gently ran his tongue over his lips and realized that his lower lip was split. His head hurt like hell from the blow that had knocked him out. As Chris finally managed to sit up he realized that he must have a some broken ribs because the pain in his left side was awful. Chris tried to remember what his assailants had looked like. He just remembered that they had been dressed in black and but nothing else came up.

Suddenly the door opened and a man dressed in black with a hood covering his face entered. Chris blinked in the bright light flooding the room. The man jerked Chris up in a standing position which made Chris groan loudly as the pain in his left side increased. The man chuckled and punched Chris in the gut and he collapsed to the floor not managing to breathe properly.

"Who... the... hell... are you?" Chris gasped.

"Your worst nightmare," the man answered as he picked up a camera and took a few photos of Chris. "We're gonna send some photos to your team and ask for a ransom. If we don't get it we'll kill you."

"They'll never pay," Chris said.

"Who cares, we'll kill you anyway." The man kicked Chris in the gut a few times before he left again.

Chris lay still on the floor trying to ignore the intense pain in his body which made it incredibly hard for him to breathe. He realized that his six friends wouldn't know he was missing until morning.

+ + + + + + +

The next morning Ezra Standish stepped off the elevator on the eleventh floor. The first thing he saw was Vin and Buck looking very worried. Ezra went up to them and said:

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Chris," Vin said. "I think he's missing."

"What?!"

"Yep, he isn't in his office, his car is parked down below and he doesn't answer his cell phone," Buck said quietly.

"But... but..." For once Ezra was speechless.

"I'm going down to the garage to check his car," Vin said. "There might be a clue there."

"I'll go with you," Ezra said and they headed down the garage.

As they exited the elevator and headed for Chris' car Josiah just parked his car. Vin nodded to him and kept walking.

"You check this side, I'll check over there," Ezra said while starting to check the left side of the car.

"There's blood here," Vin said a tone of panic in his voice.

"The cardkeys are in the door," Ezra said in a worried tone.

"Good morning brothers," Josiah said as he came over.

"Chris is missing," Vin said.

"What did you say?!" Josiah bellowed.

"He's missing, at least we think so," Ezra said. "Chris isn't in the office, doesn't answer his cell phone, his cardkeys are in the door and there's blood over there."

"Then we have to look for him," Josiah said. "Where are the others?"

"Buck and JD are up in the office. Nathan is coming right there," Vin said as they saw Nathan exit his car.

The three men relayed the story to Nathan in the elevator. When they stepped off the elevator they were met by Buck and JD.

"Any clues?" Buck asked.

"I'd say so," Vin said. "His cardkeys and some blood."

"Then he's been kidnapped!?" JD exclaimed.

"Now, we shouldn't start to worry too much," Josiah said. "Has anybody checked the building? Has anybody checked his apartment?"

"No," Buck said.

"So that's what we'll..," Josiah said but interrupted himself as the elevator opened.

The receptionist from the first floor stepped off and went up to the six agents. She was carrying an envelope which she handed to Vin.

"It was on the desk when I came in. It's addressed to you," she said and left again.

"It is addressed to us," Vin stated as he saw 'Team 7' written in black marker over the envelope.

"Open it, Mr. Tanner," Ezra said.

Vin gently ripped up the envelope and about 5 photos slid out on the desk. JD gasped in shock as he saw what was on them. Buck put a steadying arm around him as the six friends looked at the photos.

Ezra felt nauseous, in the photos were Chris, badly beat up.

After a while Vin noticed a letter that was placed between the photos. He took a letter opener and opened it without touching it, in case of any finger-prints. It was a typed letter and it read:

"We have your boss. We want $1 million for him if you ever want to see him alive again. What we did to him before the photos is nothing compared to what we will do... Leave the money in a car on Park Road on Thursday at midnight. If we see any traces of you, we'll kill him."

"Oh Lord," Ezra said after he finished reading it.

"Okay," Vin said and took a deep breath. "Josiah, get this down to check for fingerprints, any fingerprint."

"Yes," Josiah said and took the letter that Vin had now placed in an evidence bag.

+ + + + + + +

When Chris woke up from sleep he felt very disoriented. As he stood up he became very nauseous and almost threw up. Suddenly the door opened and the same man as the night before came in with a tray of food. He set it down on the ground just beside the door and left Chris again. Chris went over to the tray and looked at the food. After some thought he decided not to eat it but he took a few sips of what looked like water. Suddenly nausea came over him again and he threw up on the tray. Chris realized that he must have a concussion since he felt so nauseous and disoriented.

He wondered to himself what his friends were up to. Chris had no real idea what time it was but since the man had brought him something to eat he concluded that it at least had to be morning. By this time the team should have realized he was gone and they were probably working hard to find him. Chris laid down on the floor again and fell asleep again.

A few hours later he woke up because someone opened the door. He sat up and saw the same man from before. The man pulled Chris up and proceeded in beating him up even more. As the man left Chris was unconscious on the floor, bleeding heavily from his mouth and nose.

+ + + + + + +

The six agents were anxiously waiting for the fingerprint check up to come back and finally it did. Vin took the piece of paper and read through it. Ezra was trying his best to read Vin's face but it was impossible, it was as if he didn't show emotion at all. Suddenly Vin looked up with a grin on his face.

"We got him," he said.

"What? Who?" Buck asked.

"Jerry Langdon. We even have an address," Vin said. "His fingerprint was found on the letter."

"Let's go," JD said jumping out of his chair.

"Whoa, whoa, kid. We have to have a plan first," Buck said stopping JD in his tracks.

"I have already made one," Ezra said and handed each of the men a piece of paper. "Read this and then we'll meet in the conference room."

Just a few minutes later the six agents were all seated in the conference room discussing the plan. All of them agreed that Ezra had made a very good plan and that it would work no matter what the place looked like.

"What's the address to the place?" JD asked.

"Corel street 5," Vin said.

"I've been there!" Buck exclaimed.

"You have? Any recollection of what it looked like?" Vin said.

"Oh yeah. I remember thinking of the black winding staircase. It's very narrow and the whole building is very small."

"More?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah, there are three floors. One backdoor, one front door and a fire escape," Buck said.

"How have you noticed all that?" Nathan said.

"Well, the girl I was there to see had an angry husband." Buck smiled slightly.

"Oh Lord," Ezra sighed.

"Okay, then we have a clue of what the place looks like. Langdon lives on the second floor," Vin said.

15 minutes later the men were all dressed in their bulletproof vests and in the van, driving there.

When they arrived Josiah and Nathan took the back, JD and Buck took the fire escape while Vin and Ezra took the stairs. They had checked to see that there wasn't an alternative exit from Langdon's apartment and there wasn't. The six men met outside the apartment and Buck knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Somebody asked from the apartment.

"Delivery," JD called.

"Just a sec," the man answered and soon the six men heard him unlocking the door.

When he opened it he was met by six guns pointing at him and he took a step back. Buck threw the suspect up against the wall and handcuffed him. Suddenly Josiah was hit by a bullet in the leg and fell to the floor. The remaining friends spun around and fired several shots at the two men standing with guns in the doorway to the kitchen.

"You okay, Josiah?" Nathan asked checking his wound.

"Yes, I am okay," Josiah said and smiled slightly. "Find Chris."

"He might not even be here," Vin said.

"Let's start looking," Ezra said and headed towards the kitchen with his gun still drawn.

Ezra looked around the kitchen and suddenly noticed a door behind the fridge. Ezra pushed himself past the fridge and opened the door. What he saw almost made him throw up. Chris was lying on the ground, bound and very bloody.

"Get over here!!!" Ezra yelled as he knelt down beside Chris. "Chris, you okay?"

"Ezra...," Chris whispered grateful to see a friendly face.

"How is he?" Buck asked as he came in.

"Alive," was all Ezra said. "Call the ambulance."

"JD's on it already," Buck said and knelt on the other side of Chris.

"Chris... Chris, can you hear me?" Ezra asked as Chris looked up at him.

"Ezra...," Chris whispered again.

"The ambulance is coming," Buck said touching Chris' hand gently.

Within a few minutes the ambulance arrived getting both Chris and Josiah in. Chris was conscious but not reachable. The remaining 5 friends took the van and drove to the hospital.

An hour after they arrived at the hospital a doctor came out to the five agents telling them that Josiah had been stitched up, since the bullet had gone through cleanly.

"You can go and see him," the doctor said.

"What about Chris Larabee?" Vin asked.

"He's in surgery, that's all I can tell you at this time. Mr. Sanchez is in room 33," the doctor said and with that he left.

"Let's go see Josiah," Nathan said and they went to room 33.

"Hey, Josiah, how are you?" JD asked as they entered the room.

"I'm alright, brothers. How's Chris?" Josiah asked.

"He's in surgery, but that's all we know," Buck said.

2 and a half hours later the doctor entered the room. He was met by six anxious faces and Vin stood up and approached the doctor.

"How's Chris?"

"Mr. Larabee is out of surgery. He has 4 broken ribs and his lung was punctured by one of the broken ribs. We were able to fix that but he has slipped into a coma."

"Will he be okay?" Buck asked.

"If he wakes up from the coma we'll know more. He has a heavy concussion and he has taken several blows to the head and face."

"IF he wakes up?!" Nathan said.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but we don't know if he will wake up."

"Can we see him?" Josiah said and sat up in bed.

"He's in the ICU," the doctor said.

"We're going," Ezra said and all six friends left the room.

"Mr. Sanchez, you shouldn't be...," the doctor protested.

"Shut up!" Buck said angrily. "If Josiah wants to go he will."

"Where is Chris?" Vin said as they walked into the ICU.

"Right in there." The doctor pointed.

The six friends walked into the room and found Chris in bed. He was hooked up to an IV, and some other monitors. Vin pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down. Ezra and Buck took the two remaining chairs while Josiah sat down in a wheelchair that a nurse brought in for him. Nathan and JD remained standing hovering over them all.

+ + + + + + +

2 days later Vin and Ezra sat watch over Chris. He hadn't moved an inch or made any sign of that he was waking up.

Vin had been sitting in the hospital for the last two days only catching some sleep in the chair he was sitting in. Ezra tried to convince Vin to go home and get some sleep and take a shower, but Vin refused.

"Have you left this particular room at all, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra asked as they were sitting on each side of Chris.

"Besides getting coffee, no."

"Mr. Tanner," Ezra sighed. "Could you at least go and shave."

"Why?"

"Well, you look like some sort of a hooligan," Ezra said.

"I don't wanna leave," Vin said.

"The nurses have promised me you will be able to take a shower and shave in one of the available rooms. Will you at least do that, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra said.

"Sure," Vin said and rose.

"Talk to Nurse Bierke," Ezra said as Vin left the room.

"Thank God," Ezra then said to himself.

"Is he gone?" A hoarse voice whispered.

"What?!" Ezra exclaimed and realized that it was Chris.

"Is he gone?"

"Yes he is. Chris, how are you?" Ezra said as he rose to meet Chris blue eyes.

"Okay. I just didn't want Vin to be here when I woke," Chris said.

"Why? I thought Mr. Tanner was your best friend?"

"He is, that's why he'll fuss over me too much," Chris said.

"Alright, is there anything you wish for, Mr. Larabee?" Ezra said.

"Yeah, something to drink."

"Of course," Ezra said and poured a glass of water for Chris and held it to his mouth while Chris drank.

"Thanks," Chris said. "How did you find me?"

"We got a fingerprint off the letter they sent and we found you in the suspects apartment."

"Okay," Chris said. "I think I want to sleep."

"You do that, Mr. Larabee, I'll alert the others to you being conscious again." Ezra said with a smile and touched Chris' hand.

"Thanks Ez," Chris said and closed his eyes again.

Ezra left the room and met Buck and JD outside. Buck gave Ezra a weird look and Ezra exclaimed:

"What, Mr. Wilmington!?"

"Nuthin'. I was just wondering who's watching Chris?"

"No one. Mr. Tanner is taking a shower and I was going to get some coffee and call you."

"Why did you leave him alone?" Buck sounded a bit angry.

"Because he wanted to," Ezra said casually.

"Wanted to? ...He's awake?!" JD exclaimed.

"Well, yes, but he's gone to sleep now," Ezra said.

"Is he okay?" Buck asked.

"Yes, Mr. Wilmington, he seems quite alright." Ezra smiled. "Will you gentlemen follow me to get some coffee and perhaps surprise Mr. Tanner in the shower."

"That'll be fun!" Buck grinned as the three friends headed down the hospital hall.

The End