Instant Connection

36

Paige and I were doing a little work out together upstairs. She was on her pull-up bar that is mounted on her door frame, while I did sit-ups.

"Hey, guys, have you seen Briggs?" Mike asks us as he jogs up.

"No." We say, shaking our heads.

"Heard from him or anything?" He asks.

"Mm-mm." Paige says, shaking her head.

"No." I say, sitting up fully.

"Shit." He mutters.

"What's going on, Mike?" I stand up from the floor, brushing off my bottom.

"'Sup, bro? What's going on?" Johnny asks, walking over to us.

"Briggs kidnapped Logan." He drops.

Paige drops from the bar and faces us, "What?" she asks out of breath, "What are you talking about?"

"They grabbed him off the street and threw him in the back of a van." Mike explains.

"Wait, wait, wait, who is they?" Johnny asks.

"I'm assuming Ari Adamian." he shrugs.

"No, no, he's not under with the Sarkissians anymore, so no." Johnny shakes his head.

"Well, if Briggs grabbed Logan, he's got to have a good reason for it, right?" Paige asks.

"I know, and that's why I haven't called this in. But I've been trying to get ahold of him all night, all morning, nothing." Mike shrugs.

"And if the SAC of the FBI doesn't show up for work..." Johnny starts.

"They're definitely going to notice." I nod.

"I might need your help with this one." Mike says, just as footsteps were being heard coming up the stairs.

We all see Briggs coming up, rubbing his eyes, "Hi." he says, walking over to us, "Uh, guys, I have a little problem. I kidnapped Agent Logan."

Briggs instructs us to go downstairs to the living room, so one-by-one we all slowly descend the staircase and take a seat around the coffee table and watch the recording as Briggs presses the play button.

"Ari pulled me in. He handed me a mask. I had no idea where we were going." Briggs' voice comes out through the tape recorder.

"Bullshit." Logan snaps back.

"I warned you, Logan. I told you they wanted to question somebody. Remember that? They're trying to find out how deep the federal investigation goes? Well, here we are." Briggs says.

"What do you want from me?" Logan asks.

"I don't want shit, man. I didn't want this in the first place. It wasn't my design."

"Then get me out."

Briggs scoffs, "You want out? Okay, man, I'll get you out. You say the word, Logan, and I'll shoot us out of here right now. Matter of fact, I'll do you one better. I'll call in the cavalry, how's that, hmm? Tacked-out agents, flash-bangs, birds in the sky, the whole nine. But if we bring Ari in now, we can't touch Martun, and you and I both know it." He sighs, "Look. I have no idea how many people have suffered for this case, but I do know this. Between Paige and myself, we have never been closer to getting Martun Sarkissian than we are right now. We are so close. So you have a big decision to make."

It's quiet for a moment before Logan speaks, "You hold your cover. I want Martun. You do whatever you have to do, but the second you can get me out– the second– you do it. Paul, I do not want to die here."