The Control Freak: A Kip and Ezra Novel

16.

"And I thought I looked as worse as I could get," Daniels chuckled from the screen in front of me.

I managed a weak laugh as I looked down into what must have been my sixth coffee of the night.

    "Seriously, Gordon. How are you?"

    "Exhausted. We all are," I said pointedly.

Daniels was silent for a moment.

    "Any more possible strong leads?"

I shrugged, scoffing as I set the cup down, not having an appetite to stomach it.

    "No. And we've been working round the clock. Ever since I got back, we've got nothing. Jake... I don't know what to do anymore. I can't do this. I need to come home."

Daniels shook his head at me.

    "No. I won't allow that. You can, Gordon. Have patience with yourself and the NYPD. And even Estes and Michael Foxtrotter. Nothing gets better overnight... or in this case- nothing gets better over one or two days. You'll get where you need to be. For now, just remember that every day is a step forward and you have survived many tough days that you thought you wouldn't pass through, kid. Say... why don't I come down and help out?"

My eyes shot open more than they already were.

    "No. Absolutely not."

    "Why not, Kip? I'm not doing anything here other than trying to help you some few hours away."

I sighed as I bit my lip, shaking my head.

    "Because... if something happened to you, Jake... I couldn't handle it!"

    "Gordon, I-"

    "I don't need you to be my guardian angel, Daniels. You've saved me once. I don't need you to do it over and over again."

I shut off the call and closed my computer, letting the darkness of the room and the situation envelope me.

Even if it was just for a few minutes.

I couldn't tell where I was anymore. My head was still fuzzy and I could feel my body screaming out as I did things I didn't want to do but... I couldn't stop. I picked up a wrench and swung it against the man's head but before I was about to make contact... I stopped.

    "What are you doing?" Estes growled as I turned around and smacked him with it and bolted out the door, not knowing where I was but I did know one thing:

Just run.

I ran until I realized I was on the street where the precinct was. People were giving me weird looks but I didn't stop running until I came to the police doors.

"Gordon! Kip!" I yelled, my eyes searching for the agent.

The other officers in the room all pointed their guns at me.

"Michael! Hands on your head where we can see them!"

I knelt down and cried softly as I did what they said. It couldn't hurt. I heard a door open as Kip came running towards me, pushing off the officers.

    "Fox!"

    "Gordon!"

He stopped when I came near him and held a hand out.   

    "Wait... how do I know it's really and truly you?" he asked, his eyes hard.

I paused for a second, trying to think of something he would only know. My eyes sparked slightly as I remembered something that would work.