Codename: Kryptonite

Chapter Thirty-two

Agent Mission Log Entry:

He's been missing just over two hours now. I'm trying to remain objective, but I'm not as detached as I should be. If I ever thought this would be read by anyone, I would never admit this... but I think I'm falling in love with the exasperating man. I don't know when it happened, but it was probably about the time he told me to 'get the fuck out of' his house.

Who am I kidding? I already admired him, long before I ever made this trip back in time. I don't have time to extol his virtues here.

I need a plan.

The pain behind his eyes throbbed with every beat of his heart, and he could hear a sort of scrapping noise off to his right. It sounded like metal on metal. After a few seconds that was followed by a series of small little thumps of what sounded like small objects being picked up and put back down on something like a table or cabinet. His head was hanging limp with his chin almost resting on his chest; his arms were stretched behind his back and bound with some sort of plastic strip that was almost tight enough to cut into his skin. Even his feet were fastened to the legs of the chair.

"Well, well, well," a deep voice announced from the same area off to his right that the other sounds had come from, "look who finally decided to wake up and join the party."

How had the man known he was awake? He hadn't moved a muscle. Defiantly, he slowly raised his head to glare in the man's direction. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice hard. He wouldn't ask who the man was; that would be the most idiotic question ever. Of course, this was the assassin. Who else would knock him over the head and carry him off to who knew where?

"Nothing you can give me," the man responded, then added cryptically, "but there's something you can GET me."

Jon watched the man while he spoke. He never looked up from what he was doing, and Jon kept trying to see what that was. Then a glint of metal when the man moved just right, told him. He had been cleaning a pistol, and now he was quickly reassembling it.

Jon flinched at the snick of metal as the man slammed the clip into the pistol. "And Gabby's going to give me what I want."

The thought of Gabby gave Jon a little glimmer of hope. She was damn good; she'd find him. He told the man that in a taunting tone.

"Oh yeah, she's good," the curly haired man agreed with him, tucking the pistol into a shoulder holster. He strode across the room and reached for the door knob. "But I'm better."

The sound of the door slamming made Jon groan softly. He should've just stayed in the penthouse. Gabby was going to kill him.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Gabriella rode the elevator downstairs, impatiently waiting for the doors to slide open. She was answering a summons from Vincent. Nate was in the lobby.

When the door finally slid open, she stepped into the lobby, quickly scanning the room until her eyes landed on Nate waiting by the desk. He smiled at her, and she motioned for him to come to her. They both crossed the short distance meeting halfway.

Nate's smile was huge, as he ducked his head to whisper, "I found something."

"I have news," she said at the same time.

He laughed softly, but after seeing her solemn expression, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Come upstairs with me," she ordered softly, and turned to walk back to the elevators. She pushed the button, and while she waited for the doors to slide open, she turned sad eyes to Nate. "He's been taken hostage. The assassin wants the bracelet."