Room 1518
Sydney.
"Mac, I'm sorry"
Webb paced around his room.
"I...Mac"
He held the phone a short distance from his ear until Mac stopped yelling.
"Mac, we are doing everything possible. I don't think he'll hurt either of them."
He sighed as Mac started yelling again.
His eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.
If he had only stayed and talked to Traci that night, if he had kept a closer eye on her - he had known anyone related to either Mac or Harm would be in danger where Palmer was concerned.
Yet all he had been able to think about was Missy and Casey's return.
"Mac, I will get her back - alive - that I promise. And if has hurt her in any way I will kill him myself I promise you that as well."
Clicking off his cell phone, he sank into a nearby chair, resting his head against the back and staring at the ceiling.
Mac had always been the one person in JAG to stand by him and offer support in his favour to the others. Now he had hurt her beyond words.
A gentle knock at the door interrupted his self-pity party.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Clay," Casey whispered.
Webb's shoulders fell as he unlocked the door.
He had really wanted to be left alone to wallow in his misery.
Stepping aside, he let Casey in.
"What is it?"
Touching his cheek with the warm tips of her fingers, she bit her lower lip.
"You don't look good. What happened?" she softly asked.
"My sister has been kidnapped by a madman as has my partner, Mac hates me and I have no idea where to even begin looking for them! What the hell do you think is wrong?"
He yelled pushing her hand away and walking to the window.
Casey stood there, frozen in place, and never more scared by Clay in her life.
"Clay?"
"No, Case, I've heard what the Company has to say. I've heard what you have to say. But I know what I believe. Traci is in grave danger. If I don't get to them soon..."
He didn't flinch a bit when he felt Casey's hand on his shoulder, when he felt her standing beside him.
"We will find them. Have we ever lost anyone yet on a rescue mission?"
Glancing in her direction, he quietly responded,
"Yes."
She nodded.
"But not when we were together, as a team. You and me against the world, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. I remember that, hat was a long time ago."
Casey fought back the tears and pain.
"Clay, I don't know what is going to happen after this is all over, but right now the important thing is getting Missy and Traci back - alive. We have a lot to talk about, and I will drop the subject, but please, let us work together on this. It may be the only chance they have."
Without hesitation, the seemingly unemotional tin man Clayton Webb took Casey in his arms and cried.
Hours later, Casey once again found herself watching her partner, ex-partner , she reminded herself, sleep.
In all the years they had been together, she never remembered seeing him cry.
It had broken her heart.
Even now, as she knelt beside the bed with her head resting on the mattress, tears escaped from her eyes.
"We'll find them, Clay," she whispered, running her fingers lightly through his hair. "We will and once we do I will step out of the picture so you can be happy."
She held her breath as he stirred beneath her touch.
"Casey?"
"Shhh. I'm here." Webb opened his eyes and was met by her glistening ones. "I don't want you to step out of the picture."
"Clay..."
He touched her lips with his fingertips, slowly, moving closer to her, never breaking eye contact.
She tried to speak, to stop what she knew was happening, but no words came.
Before she knew what happened, she felt his warm breath caressing her lips.
All the memories of ...them... came flooding back.
As his lips pressed against hers, she felt all her will power slip away and lost herself in returning the feelings she had so longed for.
The kiss continued to deepen and she soon found herself climbing up to join him on the bed when his cell phone interrupted.
Clay and Casey moved apart, staring at each other, both unsure of what had or was going to happen, but both embarrassed at the timing.
The phone chirped again.
"Webb."
He watched as Casey closed the bathroom door behind her.
"What?"
His attention was quickly brought back to the conversation at hand.
"I'll kill you. I swear to you, Palmer, you hurt either of them.."
He took a deep breath and lowered his tone.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing I haven't already taken for myself," Palmer responded cooly. "I see that you and Agent McDaniels are extremely upset over the loss of two dedicated agents."
Casey came back out, subtle tear-streaks marred her cheeks.
"Just tell me what you want," Webb pleaded.
Casey stood in the middle of the room feeling helpless.
In some sense, she had just betrayed her friends by putting herself before Traci and Missy and worst of all she had let it happen, she had wanted it to happen.
"I think once I show the video of how deeply distraught you are about Traci and your sister that I will have all I ever wanted."
"What are you talking about Palmer?"
"Why, Webb, have you forgotten all that the Company trained me to do? Surveillance? Video tape? Oh, I have that very touching display of grief and sorrow you just shared with your new partner all here. I'm quite sure Traci will enjoy watching it."
Swallowing hard, Webb's world seemed to suddenly crash around him in one instant.
He had known for awhile there were feelings he shared with Traci, but never had they explored them, except for one night, in the rain, she had been upset and the kiss had just happened, but never was mentioned by either one.
How could he have been so stupid with Casey, especially during the case.
"What's the matter, Webb? Casey got your tongue?"
Palmer laughed as he disconnected the call.
Webb continued holding the phone to his ear, ignoring the dial tone.
"Clay?" Casey cautiously asked while walking towards him.
"I've lost her," was all he managed to whisper. "
Who? Clay? Was that Palmer?"
He slowly looked up at her.
"He taped us. Here. Tonight."
"What?"
"He...I... He's going to show the tape to Traci."
Casey sank into the chair.
"Oh, Clay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
"We both are at fault."
From the day she had met Traci she had known there was something between her and Clay as well.
Both had denied any involvement with each other to Casey, but she knew, even if they didn't.
If not love, it was a definite mutual attraction.
Kelly:
Warrumbungle Mountain Range
Coonabarabran
600km North of Sydney
Australia.
Palmer flipped the cell phone shut with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"Oh my dear Webb, you are so predictable."
He grinned, he had known that Clay would turn to Casey in his hour of need, feelings like the ones they had, had for each other didn't disappear overnight.
He looked through the 2-way mirror at Traci, she was pacing the floor like a caged animal.
He turned his attention to the video Surveillance unit he had set up in the next room, with some careful editing he could make it seem like Clay and Casey didn't care at all.
He pulled out a videotape from his drawer, It was a surveillance tape from 3 weeks ago, Clay and Casey meeting again after 11 long months apart.
This would do nicely he thought to himself.
Traci looked at Missy sleeping on the cot in the corner of the room, she had to get Missy out of this...she only wished she knew how.
The sound of the bolt on the door to their cell being thrown claimed her attention.
Palmer brought in two trays of food, placed them down on the table near the door and turned to leave.
"Palmer?"
"Yes Traci?"
"What do you want?"
Palmer seemed to consider the question for a moment, then he smiled.
"I want you to watch the evening movie I have for you."
He said as he turned and left her standing in the middle of the cell.
Missy woke at the sound of Palmer's voice.
"Dinner already?" she asked Traci.
Traci nodded.
"What did he say about a movie?" she asked
"I don't know something about an evening movie he got for us."
Traci said shrugging as she picked up her tray and sat on the cot to eat.
As they ate Missy had a horrible feeling that Palmer was up to something terrible.
As if to punctuate that thought a ceiling mounted TV screen flickered to life....