Chapter 7

Felicity sat there, trying not to ask questions and interrupt as Jac read through her notes. She’d tried hard to write down everything she saw, or hints of what she was seeing; it wasn’t easy. When she snapped out of her frozen dreams, she was more often so disoriented that her hand would be shaking as she tried to write. She patiently sat there and watched as Jacinda started to glance through her sketches. “I wished I could draw people.” She said quietly.

Jac smirked without looking up from the sketches. “Your sketches are a masterpiece in my opinion; I can’t even draw a square or a straight line.” She flipped through the sketches slowly, wishing she could just find one thing that stood out. They were good, very detailed. Turning the page, she stopped and stared at the next one. It was a lake, quiet and serene. Her nerves tingled. “There’s something about this one…” She picked it up and then stood up, looking down at it.

Felicity stood and watched as she started to wander around the office, pausing every few feet and closing her eyes. She turned to notice both detectives had also stood up and were watching Jac very closely.

“There’s just something in this one…”

Her face blanched as she stood there. Reid came around the desk quickly and stood beside her. He looked down at the sketch.

Pointing at the tiny dock on the far side of the lake, she glanced up at him. “It’s the dock, isn’t it?”

Brent was beside her in three strides and looked down at it. He noted the long weeds surrounding the well-drawn dock. Squinting he studied it again. Looking up at Reid he nodded. “I think it is.”

“No.” Reid shook his head and scowled. “She is not going there again.”

Felicity looked from one to the other. “Where?”

Jacinda lowered her hand and looked up at Reid. “I don’t have to go to the dock…”

“You’re not going anywhere near there again.”

Jac sighed. “Reid.” She held up the picture. “It’s a view from the other side of the lake, nowhere near the dock.”

He looked at the sketch again and frowned. “Sorry, I jumped the gun.”

Brent chuckled. “With good reason. I wouldn’t have let her go near that dock again; I almost had a coronary the last time.”

Felicity felt like she wasn’t even in the room during this. “What is wrong with the dock?”

Jac looked over at her. “It was a murder site, and I got a little too close.”

Reid snorted. “A little? You almost put yourself in a coma.”

“Oh.” Felicity clasped her hands in front of her. “So, you know where this lake is?” All three nodded. “We could go there and see if we can find the viewpoint for the sketch?” She took a shaky breath. “I’m pretty sure he was looking through a hole in a wall or through slats on a window.” Reaching down, she flipped through the other sketches. “They’re out of order…” She quickly found the sketch that went before the one they were looking at. “This is what I could see before he moved over and looked out at the lake.”

Brent looked down at it. “Looks like a poorly boarded-up window.” Reid looked over at it and nodded.

Felicity’s heart was pounding. This was the closest she’d come to find out anything. They had a place to start. “I don’t think they’re still there, the room – it’s different now.”

Jac looked up at Reid for a moment. “If I could…” She didn’t get a chance to finish what she was saying as the computer they’d all forgotten beeped.

Felicity turned quickly and looked at the screen. It had stopped on a picture that looked very much like the sketch of the boy. She moved aside as Brent came over and clicked on the file attached to it. The information came up on the screen. There was a name. Damian Stewart. She blinked. She knew his name.

Brent started the printing. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction where Reid had been standing. “Call the cap down and get Alec back in here.”

Jac moved over to stand beside Felicity. She didn’t have to touch the other woman to feel the anxiety and excitement going through her. She wasn’t having the visions, but she felt a sadness mixed with anticipation coming from her.

Felicity looked at the screen again then at Jac. “How are they going to explain any of this?”

Jac shrugged. “Just follow whatever lead they give the Captain. He doesn’t care about tiny details of how’s, just the end results.”

They both turned as the tall blonde detective came quickly through the door. She headed straight to the printer and picked up the sheets. “Three weeks.” She flipped to the second page. “Two hours from here.”

Brent straightened and walked towards her. On his way by Felicity, he touched her shoulder briefly, hoping she would take it as encouragement. He picked up her journal on his way and flipped it open. “Miss Dante saw him …” He glanced a Reid briefly. He had no idea how to explain the actual sighting, so he continued. “Two days ago.”

Alec’s eyes jerked over at her momentarily than to Brent. “Excellent. That’s good news, increases the chances.” She pulled a notepad out of her back pocket and began copying information down from the printouts. “I’ll need a photocopy of the sketch; I want to take it to the parents and get some confirmation…” She paused and looked over at the two detectives. “Unless you have a problem with that?”

Brent smirked and put his hands in his pockets. “None. We’re going to go back to where he was seen and have a look around.”

Alec nodded and glanced at Jac. “Are you taking Jac?” She winked at the dark-haired woman. “I don’t know what magic she has, but if anyone can find something it seems to be her thing.”

Reid grinned. “You have no idea. But yes, we’re taking her.”

Everyone paused when the Captain came through the door. He noted Detective McGowan leaning over a desk writing and the picture on the screen. “Kidnapping?”

Brent shook his head. “We don’t think so. A missing child.” He motioned to the screen. “We made a match from a sketch.” He paused when Alec held the pages out to the captain, then picked up the sketch and went to the copier.

Everyone watched as the captain read over the sheets. “Sighting recently?”

Jac smiled and walked toward him. “Two days ago.” He smiled back at her. She motioned towards Felicity. “Captain Reely, this is Felicity Dante. She saw the boy.”

Felicity walked over to the grinning man and extended her hand. “Hello.”

The Captain looked at her for a moment as he held her hand. “A pleasure.” Turning, he zeroed in on Reid. “I don’t want you barreling in on some parents and scaring the hell out of them, Reid.”

Reid’s jaw dropped briefly before he smirked. “That’s why Alec is going to deal with the parents.”

The Captain turned back toward the female detective. “Good.” He watched Jacinda putting her jacket on. She stopped when she noticed him looking at her.

“We’re going to go to where Felicity…” She didn’t know how to explain it, so she turned to Brent.

Brent stifled a chuckle. “We’re going to head over to where he was seen and take a look around.”

The captain stood there for a moment then nodded. “Call in whomever you need.”

Brent nodded abruptly. “Will do.” Without waiting to see if the captain had more to say he went over and picked up the sketches and handed them and the journal to Felicity.

She didn’t want to ask any questions or say anything that would delay this, so she quickly put her journal into her bag and picked up her jacket. Frowning she watched Brent start the search on the computer again.

“Just in case.”

She nodded slowly.

Alec pulled the page out of the printer and headed to the door. “I’ll let you know.”

Jac turned towards Reid then stopped and looked at Felicity. She stood perfectly still. Her complexion was pale suddenly. Taking a few steps towards her she stopped and looked at her. “Brent.” She whispered it. He turned around and then followed to where she was looking. “Don’t touch her; I don’t know if it would affect her.”

He stepped closer and looked down at the motionless woman. Her skin looked pallid and little beads of sweat were forming across her forehead. He lowered his head and looked into her eyes. The pale blueness of them seemed to be darker and glazed over. He wanted to grab her and shake her out of it but remembered Jac’s warning. The first question when she came back to them was to find out if touching her caused her distress.

Felicity took a deep breath and then blinked. Reid, Brent, and Jacinda all stood no more than a foot away looking at her. She frowned for a moment. Letting out a slow breath. “It was blurry images, nothing I could pinpoint.” She looked down for a moment before looking back up at them. “I think he was just groggy and waking up.” She pulled out her journal and a pen. “I’ll write on our way to the lake.”

Brent hesitated after the others began to move. “Do you need a drink or anything?”

“No, I’m okay this time. Really.” She pulled her jacket on. “The longer it is the harder it is on me.”

He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “What happens if someone touches you during that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think anything. I know my parents tried to shake me out of it when I was younger, but it didn’t do anything.” She followed him towards the door. “Once I’m in there’s nothing that can be done to stop it.”

Jac gave Brent a worried look and then looked over at Felicity. “What if the person you’re connected to, isn’t well?”

Felicity looked down at the floor and studied an invisible spot. Memories flooded into her. “Then I don’t fair well afterward.”

Brent didn’t like the sounds of that at all. He’d seen what afterward was like for Jac and it hadn’t been good. At least Jac could prevent it, somewhat. Choose not to touch something or let go; but that wasn’t the case for Felicity, she had no choice. “I think, if it were me, I’d be looking into a way to stop them somehow.”

Felicity gave him a surprised look. “That’s hard to do when no one believes your having them in the first place.”

“Point taken.” He motioned to the door and spoke over his shoulder to his partner. “We’ll take two cars.” He didn’t wait for a response; just lead Felicity up the stairs.

Brent drove as she wrote. He knew when not to interrupt people, and most times it wasn’t a hard thing for him. This time it wasn’t the case. He had a hundred questions to ask the petite woman sitting beside him. When she closed the journal and put it back into her bag, he grinned over at her. “You weren’t kidding when you said you phase out.”

“I’ve been told I suddenly become a statue during.”

“Whoever said it was right.”

She looked out the window for a moment. She hadn’t even asked where this lake was, so she didn’t know how long the drive would be. “So, what happened at the dock in the sketch that you and your partner don’t want Jac anywhere near it again?”

Brent let out a long breath. “A woman was murdered there, so Jac went to see if she could pick anything up.” He raised his eyebrows. “Of course, at that point, we didn’t even know what she could do.” Felicity’s eyes widened. “Exactly. She picked up the image of the killer and actually felt the emotions of the victim…” He shuddered. “She collapsed, we had no idea what was going on or what to do.” He let out another long breath. “After we got her back to her place Sandy came flying in to take care of her.” He stopped and studied her for a moment. “To be honest, I don’t know how either of you women deals with this.”

She felt her eyes burn and looked out the window so he couldn’t see the watery look. “It’s not easy,” she whispered.

Brent studied her for a moment then reached over and picked up her hand. “It will be, now that you have others to help.”

Felicity looked down at his big hand holding hers gently. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath to try to curb the sudden weepiness that engulfed her. “It’s been a long solo journey for me.” She didn’t move afraid he would release her hand. It felt too good, the contact of another to move away. There had been no one to hold her hand for her – ever.

“It’s only a few minutes more.” He said softly.

“I hope we can find something.”

He glanced over at her for what he was sure was the fiftieth time since they’d gotten in the car. “I don’t understand all the quirks of it just yet, but do you have a limit to the distance…” He really had no idea how to word what he was trying to ask.

“I don’t know the exact distance; I just know it has to be relatively close for me to stay connected.” She shrugged. “A few times, when things got to be unbearable for me . . . I had to leave. I packed up and got on a bus heading in what I’d hoped would be the furthest distance from where I was.”

“Did it work? Did they stop?”

“It did, the times I picked the right direction at least.” She smirked. “A few times I took myself closer, at least that’s my guess because the visions would get stronger.” She tried to block the memories of those times from her mind. Brent’s phone rang, giving her the distraction she needed.

“Hello.” He glanced in the mirror to Reid’s car following him. “I think sticking together would be the best.” He nodded. “Lead the way.” He slowed the car down so Reid and Jac could pass them. “They have a map with any buildings on it.”

“Oh.” Felicity watched the car in front of them for a moment. “Do you and your partner do missing children cases?”

“We do whatever needs doing. Mostly the ones that no one else wants to go near – or can’t figure out.”

“I guess having Jacinda on your side helps.”

“We’ve only had her for one, but so far yes.”

“What is her official function at the station?”

He laughed. “Officially, as far as the Captain knows she does research only.”

Felicity smiled. “I guess he’s a need-to-know kind of man?”

“We only tell him what he needs to know if that’s what you mean.”

“Thank you for not telling him about me.”

Brent glanced over at her before looking back out the windshield. “It’s not my place to tell anyone, anything about you. That’s your call completely.” He reached over and squeezed her hand briefly before returning it to the steering wheel. “Maybe now you can stop running from one end of the planet to the other.”

She hadn’t even considered that in everything that had happened in the last few days. “I hadn’t realized that possibility. I’ve been in a whole new experience zone in the last day or so.”

He nodded slowly, understanding how different all of this must be to her. To finally have someone who knew, and someone who believed her. “What would you do if you stay?”

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment while watching the lake appear from out of the trees beside them. “Get a puppy.”

“A puppy? That’s it? You could finally set down roots and stay in one place and the first thing is a puppy?”

“I always wanted one, but didn’t with all the moving around – buses, tiny spaces.”

He laughed. “What kind of dog?”

“One that is all alone in this world, probably one that is too ugly for anyone to love it.” Like I’ve been for most of my life.

Her comment told him everything. It told him she’d been alone and facing life and all the challenges it had forced on her without backup, without support in any way. He nodded to the car as it stopped. “Looks like we’re here.”

“I don’t know whether to be happy or anxious.”

Turning off the car, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and turned to her. “Just keep your eyes open and voice any thought that goes through your mind. Let Reid and I do the rest.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”