Calvin was still pulling all the data together that Ryan had requested, when he felt a presence behind him. His office was in one of the lowest and least frequented parts of the Facility and he couldn't help but be creeped out from time to time. Slowly turning his head he let his eyes wander up long legs and a very short mini, a blood red blouse to the piercing eyes of Ryan.

"Do you have anything for me yet?" she didn't feel the need to comment on his half drooling, half frightened look and leaned onto his desk.

"Good. How long will it take?" Ryan crossed her arms over her chest and enjoyed the affect she was having on the poor tech.

"I'd say ten minutes normally, but it looks like someone altered the data," he said, a little unsure of how she would react. He had heard many scary rumours about the niece of the chairman of the Company. She seemed to eat techs for breakfast and was known for firing sorry asses on a regular basis. Actually, not firing but demoting even lower on the food chain in the Facility.

"What exactly do you mean by altered?" Ryan pushed away from the desk and bent down to take a look at the data herself.

"Well, all the tapes are saved on a special server and categorized. It wasn't hard to find the ones from the hallway and such, but it seems there never was a camera in Adrian's room."

"Which is very unusual." Ryan finished the sentence for him.

"Yes, and I found something suspicious." He pointed at a few marks and explained how there were traces of deleted or moved data.

"Can you recover them?" Ryan asked, looking him directly in the eyes and making him feel extremely uncomfortable. Calvin was a very private person and not very social. That's why he was glad to be offered this job. It required almost no people contact and he could do what he was best at, work the computers. But Ryan seemed to enjoy invading his personal space and making him squirm.

"Yes," he gulped, "but it will take a while." He added very quietly.

"When you have it, call me." Ryan handed him a business card and walked out.

Reading the card, it had only her name and a cell phone number. Frowning, Calvin tucked the card into his shirt pocket and continued working. "Well, my head's still where it's supposed to be," he chuckled nervously, and hoped it would remain that way.

+++

Sam's kitchen, late afternoon

"There's something more." Sam spoke quietly, and more to herself than to Tony, who eyed her curiously. "Let me see the file?" she asked him directly and he nodded.

Tony handed it over and wasn't sure if he should be happy he could get her involved or ashamed because he had broken his promise.

"I'll go and make some more coffee, and then I’ll take a look." Sam smiled warmly and they both got up. Jerry didn't quite know who to follow so he wiggled his tail and lay back down.

Tony stood by and watched as Sam made another pot of coffee. She hadn’t mentioned yet what she’d seen, and he didn’t push. He knew that she needed time to put into words what her mind saw.

+++

Augusta, same time

Exciting her sleek green Jaguar XK, Ryan took the elevator up to the penthouse. Throwing her keys on the counter, she put her purse down and pulled her gun and holster from the small of her back. Checking her answering machine, she was not surprised to see there were no calls waiting for her. Working long hours like she did, didn't lead to a very active social life. Not that she wanted one right now anyway.

She found it extremely difficult to meet new people anyway, since she was always suspicious that they were just wanted to know her to get to the Facility or her families wealth. The last time she was seriously involved with anyone, her uncle didn’t approve at all and while she thought it was none of his business, the love of her life was gone from one day to the other. She always suspected her uncle and a lot of money had something to do with it but she could never prove any of it.

Twenty minutes later she exited her bathroom dressed in a stark white terrycloth robe and sat down on her king size bed.

Why was she there? And what was she doing anyway?

"What would you have done, Dad?" she talked to the single photo on her dresser. It showed a handsome young man carrying a young girl piggyback.

Ryan sighed heavily and decided she better get a bite to eat before she passed out from hunger.

+++

Sam's place

"That stuff's great!" Tony had accepted Sam's offer to stay and have dinner with her. She had also offered to work with him, but not to join the force again. Agreeing that it was a one time freelance job, Tony was more than glad to accept her offer.

Tony knew that it was a huge step for Sam, but neither commented on it because that's how Sam liked it. He also knew that if he didn’t solve this case, he’d move down the career ladder quite a few steps. And he knew he was too old to go back on patrol.

"My neighbour brought me over some fresh chicken and the vegetables are from my own garden." Sam enjoyed the company and was glad to have someone to talk to, other than Jerry, for a change. She didn't regret moving out in the country, but from time to time it was nice to see a friendly face. And Tony was someone she trusted completely with no hesitation.

He had taken her under his wing when she first started working as a profiler, and they had become friends quickly. Tony could see that Sam had a very special ability to capture the mind and thoughts of suspects, and also that she paid a high price for it. So, he made sure she got enough time off after a case to chill out and regain her balance.

"I will phone Mrs. Richardson later and ask her to watch my place until I get back." The blonde took a bite from her bread and threw a glance towards the file that rested on the counter now.

"What is it, Sam?" the older agent followed her gaze.

"I wish I knew." Sam shook her head “It’s almost 100% sure that Chief Nevill pulled the trigger himself, as did Mr Saunders, the reporter. But it’s like I can see a shadow behind them that’s urging them on. I can’t see a face or hear a voice, but there’s someone else there.”

+++

Ryan's apartment, around midnight

"What?" Ryan barked, grabbing her phone which had awoken her from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa.

"Miss Ryan, it's me, Calvin." The tech started, and cursed for calling her so late. "I found something you should take a look at." He was getting more and more nervous because she wasn’t saying anything.

"I'll be right there." Was her only reply before she hung up.

"Ok." Calvin mumbled and hung up the phone. Hearing a noise behind him he jumped up, only to find the room empty as it was before.

"Geez! This place gives me the creeps!" he sat back down, waiting for Ryan.

He remembered his first day at the Facility like it was yesterday, and it actually wasn’t all that long ago.

At twenty-four Calvin had graduated from MIT and was not even sure what he was going to do with his degrees in system analysis, communication systems and hardware design.

That same day two guys in suits had showed up at his apartment and handed him an envelope with a personal invitation to work for the Facility. Reading their job offer and what they were about to pay him, he’d been more than happy to accompany them for an immediate interview.

The Facility and the surrounding gardens were huge and he was more than impressed. Being led through a side entrance which was bigger than his whole apartment building he didn’t get to see any of the medical parts of the Facility but he was told in the interview later that he wouldn’t be in contact with any of the patients. His job was support and maintenance of the intranet and databases.

Hours later he had signed a working contract with a huge grin on his face.

Calvin was still pacing in front of his terminal, glancing towards the door every few seconds when the door finally slid open and Ryan entered, her long coat floating behind her as she walked.

"Thank God you're here!" he made a step towards her, and then thought better of it and sat down in front of his monitor. "You really need to see this." He hit a few keys, and before Ryan could say anything a black and white scene came into view.

Two heavy looking men stood by and held a screaming and raging Adrian to the floor while a man clad in white, probably a doctor, injected something in his throbbing vein.

Adrian shouted some more and then fell limp. When he did, the two men picked him up and carried him out of his room. Then the monitor went black.

"Where did you find that and when was it taken?" Ryan turned from where she was standing behind Calvin and leaned on his desk now, crossing her arms over her chest and making the black leather of her coat squeak.

"That's where it gets even stranger." The tech called up another data sheet, pointing at the screen. "They say it was taken after his escape. And that's not Adrian's room. This one isn't even labelled. I can't tell you where it is."

"That can't be true. Why did he send me to find him when he was in this building?" Ryan tapped her fingers on her chin. "Can it have been manipulated somehow?" she asked him.

"Course it can. It's digital. I tried to go and find the original saved file from the server but that has been deleted. I only found this one on the backup because we had a server crash the other day and some things haven't been restored yet." Calvin tried not to trip over his own tongue.

"So whoever deleted the original file did that sometime around the time that server crashed," Ryan said what they were both thinking. "Is it possible to track down from where it was deleted? And if there was more to the file?"

"I'm afraid the chances are very slim, but I will keep trying. As for the file, yes, the log says it's supposed to have four more minutes and there is a second part which I wasn't able to restore yet." Calvin flinched and prepared himself for some yelling, or something similar, but Ryan merely growled and paced the same rounds he had just ten minutes ago.

"If it was really taken after my uncle says he fled, it means he was kidnapped with the help of some of our own folks." Ryan glanced to Calvin who nodded. "Or whoever was on the tape let him escape."

"Now the question is, did my dear uncle know or not."

"Will you go talk to him?" the tech cleared his voice and asked.

"Not yet. I want to find out who those men on the tape are first. Can you give me some screenshots?" the brunette asked and shortly after the printer came to life.

Grabbing the prints, Ryan started walking towards the door. "You can go home now. Get some sleep and meet me here at 7 am." Ryan glanced back over her shoulder and saw how the tension fell visibly off Calvin's shoulders.

+++

Backyard of Sam's house, same night

"I can see now why you love it so much here." Tony watched the tiny sparks of the fire they had made in the back yard rise high with the wind and then go out. It was a cool and fresh autumn evening and they sat near the fire on a tree trunk, each holding a glass of red wine, the bottle resting on another heavy log. Sam had provided them both with a nice thick blanket and they just sat there talking about this and that.

"So Claire is happy in Boston?" Sam pulled the blanket a little tighter and tried not to spill her wine in the process.

"She's thrilled!" Tony beamed. "At first she wasn't really sure if she would like it." He smiled at the memories of his daughter packing all her belongings together and stuffing them into box after box. The day the movers arrived, he had found her sitting in her now empty room deep in thought.

Taking a seat next to her on the floor in front of the bed he had smiled and took her small hand in his big one.

"Dad, am I really doing the right thing?" she had asked, looking at him with the dark brown eyes people said she got from her father.

"Of course you are," He had assured her gently. "And sooner than you think, you'll have all forgotten about us and will be engrossed in history and art."

But she was still looking sceptical.

"What's it you always wanted to do as long as you can remember?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Deep down in here you know it, right?" he pointed at his own heart and his daughter smiled.

Yes, going to college was what she had dreamed of for so long. Now she was offered a place at one of the best universities and even got a scholarship.

Sighing she got up and held her hand out for her dad.

"You're right, Dad. Let's get moving." She laughed. "I want that lunch you promised me and mom and then you can take me to the airport."

"She's like you, you know?" Sam gently bumped their shoulders together. "From time to time you need a kick in the right direction." They smiled and Tony didn't protest.

Sam had been a great help during the time his marriage with Rita was on the verge of breaking up. But instead of pitying him, Sam had sat him down one night when she couldn't take his poor looks anymore and they had a heart to heart talk which made him realize what he needed to do to make both himself and Rita happy again.

Sam spent many evenings with the Minetti family. Rita was a lovely woman and Claire loved asking Sam stuff about their job because her father never said a thing.

+++

Rushmoor Facility, Technical Level 2

The next morning, 7:00 am sharp, Calvin logged onto the system and just was about to take a sip of much needed coffee when the door slid open. Just by the sound of high heels he knew who it was without turning around. Accidentally he spilled some coffee on his shirt and flinched when the hot liquid burned his chest.

Ryan just rolled her eyes and laid her coat over a nearby chair and sat in the one next to Calvin who tried his best to dry the once white shirt with Kleenex.

"Damn!" he cursed and threw the wet paper balls in the nearest basket. "Can I get you one?" the tech asked on his way to the machine in the hallway.

"Espresso." was the slightly annoyed reply.

"Not a morning person either." Calvin mumbled when he placed the cups and pressed the buttons. That machine was the only good thing about his job lately, he sighed.

+++

Sam's place, early morning

"Thank you so much Mrs. Richardson." Sam gave the older lady a firm handshake.

Jerry had grumbled when Sam tossed and turned in her bed that night. The pictures from the two murders had played over and over in her head. It was always the same. A couple of nights she would wake up in cold sweat. Later on, she’d just see frequent pictures now and then until it all faded away.

"Don't mention it, dear! It's no big deal for me and Howard to drop by your farm a couple of times. And I told you already, it's Marge!" Mrs. Richardson took the offered key and put it in the pocket of her well worn corduroys. "You just go and don't worry. Have a good time in town." The eyes of the seventy something lady were sparkling with life and very generous. Her face looked old, but not tired by any means. Sam had liked them instantly when they had dropped by the week she had moved in. They had brought her fresh baked bread and some apples from their own garden and had welcomed Sam into the very small community of a town with not even thirty citizens.

"Have a safe trip," Mr. Richardson shook her hand as well. He wasn't a man of many words, Sam had learned that quickly. But when he said something, it was always wisely chosen.

"Thanks." Sam waved and went back to her Toyota truck. She would be following Tony with her own car because she hated depending on someone and she didn't want to have to ask for a ride during her stay in town.

+++

Rushmore Facility, afternoon

"We've watched dozen of tapes and we still haven't found those guys." Ryan sighed and rubbed her temple. The never ending headache was getting worse by the hour. And Calvin wasn't feeling much better. He had gotten up and stretched a couple of times, but he couldn’t get rid of the kinks in his back.

"I'll go and talk to my uncle now." Ryan snatched the screen prints off the table and headed out of the room.

"It's about time." Calvin wasn't too happy about having to deal with Ms. Ryan all morning and his grumbling stomach told him he had missed lunch as well.

He didn't understand why Ryan wanted to find all this information by herself instead of just asking those who knew, like her uncle. He didn't know that Ryan had learned the hard way only to trust information she could confirm herself.

"Damn that woman." He grabbed an energy bar from his desk. "Does she ever eat?" the tech wondered. "Maybe she does live off the blood of her victims," he thought out loud about the rumours going around with the other employees.

+++

"Uncle Melcome!" Ryan placed a fake smile on her face and greeted her uncle, who had just called her inside his office via the intercom on his secretary’s desk.

"What brings you here, my dear?" He smiled but it never seemed to reach his eyes. "Do you have news on Adrian yet?"

"Do you know these men?" Ryan got straight to the point and placed the very same pictures from the surveillance tape on his desk, resting her hands on each side.

His facial expression when he looked at them didn't give the slightest hint away about what he thought of them.

"I could swear he's not really alive," Ryan thought to herself.

"So?" she asked.

Melcome Ryan breathed deeply and let the air out slowly from his lungs. "I've seen this guy before." He pointed at the smallest of the three men in the pictures, the one that looked like a doctor with the white coat. "His name is Dr. Peter Newman. He's got a medical degree and taught at the local university." The chairman wrinkled his nose a bit in disgust. Ryan might have not noticed if she hadn't watched her uncle closely.

"And why would he kidnap Adrian?" the brunette was growing impatient.

"Did he?"

"What do you think they are doing in that picture?" Ryan had the urge to hit something. "Why was it always like that with the Facility? No question was ever really answered, and no matter what, you always thought there was something more to it.

"Why did you tell me Adrian ran away when he was taken?"

"Was he?" Melcome asked his niece. "I want you to find Dr. Newman and find out if he knows anything."

Ryan took a deep breath.

"Listen," the chairman got up from his leather chair and walked around his desk until he stood in front of Ryan. "There are things I can't quite tell you yet. But be assured it is very important."

She knew the tone he spoke in. He had used it before. He was trying to take advantage of their relationship and she hated him doing that. If he wasn't her uncle, she would have probably kicked his butt. Yet he laid a hand on her arm and looked at her almost pleading.

"Whatever." Ryan shook her arm free and took a step back. "But I need more information. Christ, I spent the better part of yesterday and today trying to find out what happened with Adrian, and who those guys are, only to find out you already knew that!" the brunette was angry and made no attempt to hide it.

"My dear, please listen. Right now you might not understand why I do certain things but believe me, it's only best for you."

He slipped her a note when he took her hand in his and patted their joined hands assuringly.

Ryan frowned and left his office.

"I'm being spied on. Be careful!" displayed the small white piece of paper Ryan had unfolded when she had reached her office.