Excerpt: Late Night Loss

Gwen ran towards the TI office and put in the security code as fast as she could, only to practically run into Jack standing in the middle of the empty office. Tears were streaming down the captain’s face as he stared at the empty desk, rooted to the spot, shaking and sobbing silently.

She rested a hand on his shoulder and he blinked rapidly, covering it with his own but not turning around. He sighed heavily and visibly collected himself, then took her hand silently and led her down into the Hub.

As they set systems and scans running, every scan they could think of, more people joined them. Mickey was the first to arrive, as he’d dropped Gwen off and gone to park the car, and he joined them immediately at the computers. Not long afterwards, Rhys’s arrival surprised them but Jack said nothing, just nodded at him gratefully and accepting it. This, more than anything else, worried them. To this day he still didn’t like Rhys coming to the Hub, because it was symbolic of him crossing the line from protected to protector, it was one more person he cared about who could be in danger any moment, but today… Today it was like he hadn’t really realised, hadn’t considered it, hadn’t thought. They watched surreptitiously and with horror as he shut down, the worry and anguish fading from his eyes to be replaced with nothing. Cold emptiness.

Gwen looked up as the cog door rolled open again and stared in shock at the sight of a blowfish in drag. “Bloody hell Rax! What the…”

He pouted at her and posed for a moment, “I got Jasmine’s message, came straight here.”

She groaned and gestured for him to use her computer to keep in touch with Jazz over in Vegas, “Let us know if any messages come in from her, OK? Mickey you get her station set up ready.” She ran through a mental checklist and cast another nervous glance across at Jack. He met her gaze for a moment and nodded again before turning back to the computer screen, concentrating once again on whatever means he was using to try to find his lover.

“Jazz is back at the crime lab waiting for John. Should be with us soon.” Atraxet called across to her.

She nodded, “Thanks Rax.” Her phone buzzed and she flipped it open, hurrying to what had been Owen’s station when she’d read the message, “That was Martha, she’s coming over as soon as she gets off duty.”

Jack looked up at her with a dry, strained chuckle, “Is there anyone Jasmine hasn’t mobilised?”

Gwen stood up again and took her station back from Atraxet, “No. We will find him Jack.”

He said nothing, just staring bleakly at the screen in front of him for a moment before their attention was distracted by a sound like ripping fabric and a yell as Jasmine and John arrived in the middle of the room with worried expressions matching everyone else’s.

Jack managed a very weak smile in greeting but didn’t get up. His ex-girlfriend took one look at him and practically ran across the room to hug him, but he hugged her back only briefly before holding her at arms’ length again. “OK people.” He stood up, “What have we got?”