Chapter 19

Felicity stood beside the chair Jac was sitting in. Brent, Alec, and Reid were standing talking to three men; who looked completely official. She glanced down at Jac and then whispered. “Talk about anal.”

Jac hissed trying not to laugh. “I was thinking the same thing. I’m so glad Reid doesn’t do the suit thing every day.”

Felicity nodded. “Yeah, those other guys look like they watch too many James Bond movies or something.” They both stopped talking when Brent swung around and started walking toward them. Felicity’s stomach twisted with knots now.

He stopped and studied Jac for a moment. “Are you up to standing for a bit?”

Jac nodded.

Brent reached out a sleeve-covered arm. “You two ladies are going to stand well out of the way over here and they’re going to offload the trains, one at a time.” He turned and walked slowly towards a small platformed area. “I want you two to stand up here; if anything appears to get frantic you duck behind this wall area.” He looked down at Jac to see if she understood. She nodded. “It will keep you away from all the people and their emotions.”

Felicity set her purse behind the little walled area and turned to take the thermos from Jac and set it beside her purse. Reaching out she touched his arm as Jac let go. “Be careful.”

He winked. “Always am.”

They both watched him walk away. “My stomach is in my throat,” Felicity whispered. “What if they’re not at this station?”

Jac watched Reid go to the far end of the train on the loading platform. “I don’t know, I guess then we’d meet them at the other station”

An announcement came over the system of a track problem; all passengers were asked to get off the train until the situation was corrected. She wondered if this is what the James Bond wannabes had arranged to get the passengers off the train.

Felicity looked to where Brent was standing. He stood there with his hand in one pocket like he was just another person waiting at the station. Alec was in the middle standing beside one of the guys in a suit. Brent nodded over at her when the first people started to file off the train. She knew they were all positioned to watch for her or Jac to let them know if they saw them. Her eyes searched the people as they got off. Twice her heart jolted when an older woman came through the doors. Neither was who she watched for.

A man in a suit came off the first car and nodded at Brent, letting him know that car was empty. He glanced over toward Felicity then inclined his head towards the middle car as people began coming out of it.

A man with a goatee got off, he was holding a little boy’s hand. The child had his head turned as the man pulled him through the others lingering near the door. They walked and stood against one of the large, tiled pillars in the center of the boarding area. She still couldn’t make out the boy’s face and took a step towards the edge of the platform she stood on. Alec caught her eye and shook her head telling her not to make a move towards them. Digging through her pocket Alec began walking towards them; she pulled out her cell phone and began talking on it.

Felicity knew it was just a way to look normal, so she could get closer to them but her heart was still beating loud enough that she could feel it in her pulse. She looked at the boy again who stood looking down at the floor. Turning, she looked back towards the train and searched through the people getting off. Another man in a suit came through the door and nodded over to Brent. Taking a shaky breath, she hugged her arms tightly around her waist. Where is the woman and the baby? Brent walked further down towards the last door as people began to get off.

She put her hand up to her throat when a woman came through the door carrying a baby, wrapped in a blanket. She couldn’t see the woman’s face, but she walked hunched slightly and paused after a few feet to look around, as if she were looking for someone. She started walking towards the man with the boy. Her heart was jumping into her throat now.

“I think that’s them,” Jac whispered.

Felicity looked at Brent, panicked, they were right there. He held out a hand towards her. Without hesitating, she almost ran to him and clasped his hand.

He leaned down and nuzzled his face into her hair. “Just stroll along with me, okay? We’ll get you a closer look.”

She looked up at his face and thought she nodded, but everything was moving in slow motion on her.

“You’ll be fine. Wrap your arm around my waist like we’re a couple.” She did as he said. He could feel her arm vibrating and knew she was barely holding herself together.

Felicity kept her face turned into Brent’s shoulder as he guided her in the direction of the people. He stopped in front of them and turned her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and took a calming breath. When he turned her to nuzzle her neck, she peeked out from his shoulder at the little boy. He was looking right at her now. It was Damian. She must have tensed, because Brent’s arms suddenly tightened around her, and he spun her to his other arm and strolled them away.

When he got out of hearing distance, he lowered his head. “Was that him?” She just nodded. “Get back over to Jac, walk this way …” He pointed. “Behind them.” She nodded again and turned to do as he said then she froze and gripped his arm. He looked up and glanced around, his whole system on alert. “What?”

Felicity forced herself to look up at his face. “The doctor is coming through those glass doors to our left.”

He searched, moving his eyes only. “Tall, slightly balding, wearing the green jacket.”

“Yes.”

Brent nodded once and gave her a little shove in the direction he’d pointed out to her. “Get back over there with Jac, now.” Not watching to see if she went, he inclined his head towards the doctor and stood there long enough to see Alec grin and spin to walk in that direction. Unzipping his coat so he could reach his gun he walked back toward the couple with his hand behind his back.

Felicity got back over to Jac and turned to watch. “The doctor is here too,” she said quietly. Suddenly more of the suit guys appeared from the doorway and they all headed in the direction of the couple. Felicity held her breath, fearful something would happen to Damian during all of this. She glanced over to see where Alec was with the doctor, she was talking to him in a quiet way, smiling and the doctor was soaking it in without a clue as to what was really happening.

Brent was right beside the couple now and her heart stopped when he stepped right up to them and then smiled down at Damian. He squatted down as she noticed Reid coming up on the other side of them and was almost to the woman holding the baby. He said something and the woman turned toward him. As Reid reached over and plucked the baby from her arms, Brent was picking Damian up and then men in the suits seemed to appear from every angle.

The bystanders from the trains were being ushered to the far end of the station as Brent and Reid began walking towards herself and Jac. She took two hesitant steps and then ran towards Brent. He stopped just in front of her and lowered Damian to the floor.

Squatting down she smiled at him. “Damian, I’ve come to take you back to your mom.” He looked at her for a moment then smiled and fell into her arms. Felicity held him tightly as the tear rolled down her cheeks.

Pulling back Damian looked at her for a moment. His small hand wiped the tears from her cheek and smiled. “Don’t cry. I’m found now.” He looked up at Reid. “Is the baby girl going home too?”

Felicity nodded and stood up slowly, holding his hand. She reached as Reid set the baby into her arms. “Yes, Damian, baby Amber is going home too.” She looked down at the bright blue eyes looking up at her; she was wearing her frilly pink bonnet.

Jac came over slowly and stood a few feet away. She looked down at the boy and smiled, then to the tiny bundle in felicity’s arm. Smiling she spoke to Reid without looking away. “I think someone should go rein Alec in before the doctor doesn’t survive.”

Felicity turned, Alec had the doctor’s face pushed up against the wall and was kicking his legs open wider. Her jaw was clenched as she leaned closer and said something into the doctor’s ear. The man blanched white.

Reid chuckled and glanced at Jac with a grin before he wandered over towards Alec in a leisurely stride.

One of the men in suits came over and looked down at Felicity. “The parents of both children are on their way here. Would you be willing to take them back to the hotel and wait?” Felicity nodded. “Someone will meet you back there shortly, to get a sketch completed of the other suspect.”

Brent leaned down and scooped Damian up into his arms. He nodded to the other man and then turned towards Jac. “You okay to walk to the cars.” Jac nodded and put Felicity’s purse over her shoulder. Brent winked at Damian. “How about we go get some ice cream while we wait for your mom and dad to come and pick you up?” He received a smile, showing one front tooth missing. Reaching over he put his arm around Felicity as she smiled down at the baby in her arms. He hesitated for a moment and looked down at her as the boy in his arms wrapped his arms around his neck. This is what he wanted. The realization startled him. Giving himself a mental shake, he started walking towards the exit behind Jac.

***

As much as they were all exhausted, not one of the four wanted to stay in the hotel that night. They’d answered the same questions for hours by various people from the government suit guys. They’d all taken turns holding the beautiful baby; even Jac did and was so thrilled that she felt nothing of the infant’s thoughts or emotions. Felicity wasn’t sure who cried more when Damian’s parents had arrived, her or his mother. She was turned inside out by the parents thanking her and hugged her over and over again. For her entire life, she’d tried to help those that sought her. This was the one that would make up for all those she hadn’t been able to help with. She would never forget this day as long as she lived.

“Felicity, we’re here.”

Blinking, she turned to look out the window to see her own small house. “Oh. I was off in la-la-land.”

Brent laughed. “I think all of us are.” He opened the door and popped the trunk. “I for one am sleeping all day tomorrow.”

She climbed out with a long sigh. “I’ll probably sleep for two. I’m definitely not used to so much action.”

He pulled the bag and cases out of the trunk and closed it. “I wished I wasn’t most days.” Walking to the door, he waited for her to open it. Silently he followed her in and set the cases down on the small island. When she flipped the light on, he saw how tired she really was. “I’ll go so you can fall into the tub and bed.”

“Oh dear, you have me all figured out.”

“Not by a long shot.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth lightly. His own body even told him he was too tired for more. “I’ll talk to you in a day or so.” She nodded and hugged him briefly.

Felicity stood and watched him leave. Locking the door, she sighed and went towards the bathroom then stopped and grinned. She didn’t even care about a bath tonight. Turning the other way, she flipped off the light and went straight to her bedroom. Kicking off her shoes, she shrugged out of her jacket and let it slip to the floor. Her life of tension was completely drained out of her, and she planned on sleeping until it was sated.