Logan

185. Chasing a Ghost

*Jack's POV*

I watched the new Captain step in front of her and grab her arms and she pushed him away. I took a breath as I watched her body language. Stiff, shoulders up, tense, he stepped away and put his hands in his pockets. But his body language was clearly a façade, where did they find this asshole?

I've seen guys like him in charge. My chest burned with rage. One more step toward her and I would step in.

I watched her face pale when she turned away from him and our eyes locked. The guy behind her stayed where he was, and then looked and saw me. He nodded at me and walked away. She opened the door and pushed past me.

"Come on, Jack." Natalie's voice was shaky, and she exited the building. I caught up to her and opened the door for her. When I sat down, I fought the urge to ask if she was okay, I am also resisting the urge to go in there and beat him senseless for the way he grabbed her. She's looking out the window when she says, "Let's go, Jack. I'm fine."

I start the car, "I don't like him." I say.

"Join the club," she says.

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We're sitting in the restaurant and Natalie hasn't touched her salad. Breakfast was over five hours ago, I know she's hungry. She's been quiet, mostly looking at her phone and fidgeting with her hands.

Something he did triggered her fight or flight, and she's trying to figure out what to do. We have six hours left of work today, seven if we have the briefing today.

When I step up to the counter to talk to the waitress, a man walks past me and toward the table. I talk to the waitress so I don't hear the conversation, and when I turn back all I see is the man touching her shoulder, and her pushing something into her purse. Her shoulder tenses and she simply nods at him. He walks away and she walks forward and stands beside me.

"Friend of yours?" I ask.

"No. He's the owner of the Iris."

"Everything okay? Anything I should know about?"

She shakes her head, her eyes looking down, "No."

We walk to the car and I open the door, what happened here and the station, it's caused a rift. I know she's anxious about something. I don't know what to say.

I drive us to the office and I try not to think about how powerless I am to stopping whatever's wrong. It doesn't take long, because Bohannon calls me to his office.

Saul hands me a large file, "It's time for you to see what we called you for, there's a briefing in 15." He motions for me to follow him, and he turns on a light to a conference room. Six other agents are sitting in the other chairs. Someone draws the blinds and the lights turn off. He turns on a teleprompter, and opens a few documents.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Saul says, "Let's begin."

He hands everyone a file similar to mine, and I open it.

My heart sinks into my stomach.

Saul clears his throat, "This is a mess. On November 13, we heard a whisper of a fugitive long believed to be dead had resurfaced, and active in the community. A fugitive I declared dead, but she was not. This has resulted in a bigger criminal enterprise than I've ever seen."

He clicks a slide, "This is Victoria Lancaster, head of an organized crime family known as the Castara family."

Another slide contains her mugshot, her record, and a few of her alias.' "Miss Lancaster posed as the daughter of a night club owner to gain noteriety while also smuggling and other acts throughout the state, and the pacific northwest. On thanksgiving weekend of 2019, Miss Lancaster blew her cover, just a few streets down at a studio owned by the current owner of The Iris.