by Captain Sammitch
The unmarked black Lincoln roared down 33rd Street, Fisher riding shotgun with his driver at the wheel. Gant sat in back, between two disturbingly quiet men in neatly tailored black suits, each of whom carried a silenced MP5 automatic weapon and probably several other guns to boot. The scanner was cluttered with traffic on almost every NYPD and FBI frequency, but Gant still had no idea what was going on.
"And the car just disappeared?" Fisher barked into his cellphone. He nodded. "Mmm hmm... yeah... what?" He frowned. "Still no sightings of the car or Smith?"
"Your people can't find him?" Gant asked.
Fisher shook his head.
"Don't you think you ought to get it together?" Gant insisted.
"Remember that you're sitting between two armed men, Mr. Gant," Fisher said quietly. He turned off his phone. "Left on Grand," he instructed his driver.
"Where are we going?" Gant asked.
"Back to Precinct," Fisher replied.
"He's still out there!" Gant retorted. The gunman on his left stared at him through his dark sunglasses. Gant sat back in his seat, muttering to himself.
"Half the NYPD is out there looking for him," Fisher explained, "as well as my handpicked Metahuman Affairs Wing. Someone needs to coordinate a manhunt on this scale. That's where we come in. Twenty dispatchers from FDNY and other precincts have been loaned to us, and they've turned Fourth Precinct into the command center for this search. The Unidentified Man is now classified as a potential terrorist threat."
Gant nodded. "But isn't that a bit excessive?"
"We'll talk at Precinct," Fisher said.
Gant shrugged. "Whatever you say. You're the FBI man."
The car rolled up to the precinct HQ, and everyone except the driver hopped out. It was raining now, and Gant hurried inside, covering his head. Fisher and his two operatives didn't seem to notice as they casually strolled up to the front door.
The apartment
"I'm sorry that we had to ditch your car," Phil said.
"Just a car," Gabi replied. "When all this is over I might be able to get it out of impound. I am your hostage, after all."
Phil chuckled. "You sure got me out of a jam back there, Gabi. I owe you big for that."
Gabi looked around at the various tools of the trade Phil had strewn around the den. "You been at this for long?"
Phil unscrewed the laser sight from his .44 and dropped it onto the charger plugged into the wall. "I'm not a serial killer, Gabi. I'm a P.I. This was supposed to be a one-time job. I was supposed to help a guy named Mike Flannery find his daughter, and that was it."
Gabi's eyes widened. "So it was you who took the Flannery case!" She gaped at him. "You rescued Sabrina Flannery after everyone was sure she was dead!"
Phil nodded. "But something weird happened. I realized that I couldn't stop there."
"There were other girls out there."
Phil nodded. "I was just in it for the money. But then..."
"You couldn't just leave well enough alone," Gabi finished for him. "You cared too much."
Phil looked at her. "Yeah."
"You cared too much about those missing girls and their families to leave things to the police. Not when there was something you could do. You had skills, and rather than use them to make money, you used them to do what you thought was right. You saved six little girls' lives."
"A lot of good that did me. What are you getting at?" Phil asked.
"You're not a criminal," Gabriela said. "You're a hero."
Phil snorted. "Then why is everyone in this town after me?"
Gabi shrugged. "Sometimes being committed to something means doing things you wouldn't otherwise do. Doing what's right sometimes means crossing the line. We're not responsible for the consequences. All we can do is decide how to do what we believe is right."
Phil smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For bringing me a step closer to figuring out who I am."
Gabi grinned. "My pleasure." She looked out the window. "So what happens now?"
"They don't know where I live," Phil said. "But they'll find me soon. Until tonight, I could walk these streets and be just another businessman coming and going around town. But that composite that they put up on the news - that changes everything. I don't know when I'll be able even to leave this apartment."
"Then we'll stay here," Gabi said. "You and me."
"For how long, Gabi?" Phil asked. "Until they come and break down the door? Until Fisher waits for me to come out where a sniper can get a bead on me?" He touched her shoulder gently. "You're a smart, talented girl. You've got your whole life ahead of you. You don't need to throw all that away for me."
Gabi looked into Phil's eyes. "I don't personally think I'm throwing anything away," she said softly. "Two hours knowing you may not be long enough to make an accurate value judgment for most, but I know when I'm onto something. And my heart tells me that you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I know you've done some things that have gotten you in trouble. But I know who you are."
"Gabriela," Phil argued, "I've killed fourteen men! Fourteen! And not a moment goes by when I don't regret that. And how can you say you know who I am? I don't even know who I am! I never did!"
"You may not know all the details," Gabi replied. "You might have forgotten where you're from or what you do or even how old you are. But I've figured out the important part." She poked Phil's chest with her finger. "I know what's in there. And nothing else really matters to me. I don't care what happens tomorrow or the next day or after that. I'll go anywhere with you. It doesn't matter as long as you're there. We can get out of here. We can leave tomorrow. We can go anywhere."
"Gabi! Stop!" Phil started pacing around. "You don't know what you're saying! I've got the NYPD and the FBI after me! They've got orders to shoot me on sight. Once they figure out that you've been helping me, then you'll be labeled an accessory to everything I've done. You'll go to prison, and you'll never have a chance to build a life for yourself or start a family or have children or anything else you could do. I can't let you give everything up for me! I care about you too much!" He stopped pacing. "Tomorrow. You've gotta go. Get out of here while you still can."
"Where would I go?" Gabi asked.
"Back home!" Phil told her. "Back to your family, back to school. Tell the police that I let you go. Anything! But please don't ruin your life by staying with me!"
"I can't do that," Gabi insisted. "I can't go back. Once you've found someone you really love, you can never go back."
Phil stared at her. "Really love? Is that what all this is about?"
Gabi nodded. "Would I be here if it were anything else?" She took his hand in hers. "You gave me a chance and proved that you were everything I was looking for. I'm giving you a chance now. I'm willing to risk everything for you. Don't you throw that away!" She put her hands on her hips. "I don't know what you plan on doing, but I'm not going anywhere without you."
Phil thought a moment.
Then he kissed her.