WHO: Rachel McKenzie, Basil Romano, Amara Carroll, and Kae Qadar WHEN: BACKDATED to Wednesday afternoon, December 7 WHERE: A few miles south of Seattle SUMMARY: Rachel and Basil are on a rescue mission. WARNINGS: Reference to kidnapping. STATUS: Complete!
Rachel clicked out of her browser and logged out of her computer before standing up to throw her hair into a haphazard ponytail and mentally recheck her list of things she’d need before heading out into the field. Thankfully, one of the WPD’s regular consultants had caught a break with his powers, enough to actually give them a viable direction.
After days of living at the station and surviving on the kindness of her friends and other community members, nothing had sounded more appealing than going home and taking a long, hot shower, followed by an approximately three-day-long nap. But ever since Finnigan had posted the latest update, she could feel the latest spurt of caffeine actually working, and the adrenaline starting to rush through her veins. She turned around as she heard footsteps come closer to her desk, and she put on a smile that hopefully embodied determination, professionalism, and just enough of friendliness so she didn’t look like a manic crazy person surviving on coffee and very little sleep. Even though she was. But. Basil didn’t need to be reminded of that.
“Hi, I’m Rachel,” she offered her hand to the man. “I’m assuming you’re Basil?”
Altogether, there were few members of the Woodsbridge Police Department that Basil wasn’t already acquainted with. Although he had spent only a couple years working there, he had maintained frequent contact, sometimes aiding in investigations such as this one. Other than that— well, he’d certainly had his brushes with the police before, if not always willingly.
He stretched the hand that was offered to him, nodding once, his answering smile charming but distant, mind focused on something his eyes could not see. “How’s it going, Rachel,” he said flatly as greeting, not really expecting a reply. “Ready to go?”
Rachel nodded, and slung her bag over her shoulder. “Let’s do this.”
By the time they decided to stop for a break, they had been forced to turn around twice, making two big circles across the highway traffic. They had crossed one city and two small towns full of potholes, taking, at one point, an illegal turn that Basil might have teased Rachel about, had she not looked like she could have killed him with one look.
“We’re getting close,” he told her as they sipped their coffee just outside a gas station. Once he’d taken a moment to breathe, the pull had become clearer, stronger, just slightly out of reach, it felt. “Should be somewhere that way,” and he nodded vaguely towards one side of the road.
It was official: Basil was the worst backseat driver on this planet.
It wasn’t entirely his fault, to be fair; his powers probably weren’t making this easier for him than they were for her. And at least they had a direction. She’d swerved quickly, suddenly grateful she’d grown up learning to drive in Philadelphia, where literally everyone sucked at driving. At least people entertained the idea of turn signals in this particular town.
“That’s good news,” Rachel nodded, and took a bite of her apple after finishing the gas station coffee which admittedly wasn’t as awful as she’d been expecting. They’d been driving for hours at this point, and they’d only stopped because they both really needed some coffee. “Are we still in Oregon?” She asked curiously, glancing around for some kind of road sign that would tell them.
Basil finished the last of his donut, downed it with what remained of his coffee, licked some frosting off his fingers, and sniffed the air. “Just about. We must be getting close to Washington.” With no time to find a trail, the only thing they could rely on was the vague feeling of direction, of rightness that pushed him forward, like a game of hot and cold. He had no visions, no clear indications. Only a gut feeling. Only this.
After tossing the now empty paper cup into the nearest bin, and taking a moment to stretch… Basil turned back to Rachel. “You’ve been a real trooper, Detective,” he smiled, sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck and leaned his weight against the car. “Let me know when you’re ready to go again.”
Downing the last of her coffee and taking one final bite of her golden delicious, she, too, tossed them into the trash can and quickly arched her back from sitting so long before opening her door. “Well. It helps that my partner’s pretty good company,” Rachel offered back with a friendly smile. “You can take the next shift.”
He nodded, patted the hood of the car as he stepped around it. “And I get to pick the music, this time.”
“Feeling anything?” Rachel kept her eyes peeled as she stared out the window. Basil had said they were getting closer, and had been getting stronger senses ever since they crossed over into Washington. It’d been a few hours since their last stop, and Rachel was determined to push through until Amara and Kae were safely in their custody.
Basil replied only with a noncommittal grunt. He felt as though he was circling something he couldn’t see, something that was moving, changing direction. They had been driving around the same city for a while now, from its rich neighborhoods to the quiet of the suburbs. It was getting closer, closer now—just needed a little more.
“N…,” he’d started, then stopped, looking thoughtful. One more block, then another, and he wordlessly parked the car by the side of the road. The car door clacked open, slammed shut, and, as though expecting to find someone hiding behind the bushes, Basil glanced up and down the quiet street. “Now,” he said slowly, glancing back towards Rachel, “we wait.”
Rachel gave Basil the strongest side-eye she could muster. “We wait? Shouldn’t we, I don’t know, follow their scent, or however you do it, exactly?”
After an answering look, Basil paced up and down the street before ending up in the same place he had started, beside the car. The women weren’t there: that much was obvious. Neither buried, nor hidden inside any of the houses. That feeling was vague-- but he had to trust it. It was all they had.
“We,” he repeated slowly, crossing his arms over his chest, “wait.”
Well, all right then. She leaned forward over the dash and peered into the distance. “I think I…see someone.” Rachel squinted. “Unless I'm going crazy.” Which was also a possibility.
Every bone and muscle in Kae’s body ached with every movement. But Amara seemed to have a clear vision and purpose. She kept reminding herself to trust the other woman, to do as she said as if she were Kae’s own mother.
There was a twinge of guilt at the thought of that - she imagined her mother must have thought her dead at this point.
Amara didn't have a clear vision outside of getting them to safety, and she was going on instinct now. She had to get them to a road, flag someone down, and go from there. If she could just keep walking, and keep Kae walking, they would make it. Her arm was solid around the girl, dark bloodshot eyes searching. She saw a car and wasn't aware enough to try and recognize anyone. After all, she had no idea where they were or if anyone was looking in this area.
"Stay behind me," she murmured to Kae, moving in front of her instead as they came into view of the car. Just in case they were jumping from one incident into another. "We need help here, please." Her throat was scratched up, her eyes unable to focus, but she was determined. "Help!"
No, no, she wasn't going crazy. Rachel got out of the car as two figures approached closer, hand on her gun just in case the slow, hesitant movements were a ploy to put them off their guard and take advantage of some unsuspecting tourists.
But then she heard Amara’s voice - hoarse but unmistakably hers - and Rachel’s eyes widened before she ran over to meet them halfway. “Basil, it’s them!” She said over her shoulder. He lagged behind. Somehow, they'd gotten lucky and found them both. Able to walk, and seemingly unhurt? “Amara! Kae! It's Rachel!” When she reached the two women, she gave them Amara a hug, and then glanced behind them worriedly as she started ushering them towards the car. “You weren't followed, were you? How did you get away?”
Kae did not know the woman who suddenly was yelling and running. She tried her best to hide behind Amara, hoping the other woman would instruct her again.
Amara felt like she was fairly close to passing out just by relief when she recognized Rachel's voice. "It's okay," she murmured to Kae, "she's a detective." She took the hug and tried not to cling, because they still weren't home yet, and reassuringly kept a hand on Kae's arm as they moved toward the car. "The woman left, I saw the opportunity it took it, but no one was following us. I think she's gone, run gone." The words were tumbling quickly as her sluggish mind was trying to keep up. "Leona, did you find her?"
Basil, who had stayed behind to inspect their surroundings with a suspicious eye, moved to open the car doors before the three women reached the vehicle. The terrible shadow of doubt that had started growing inside his chest dissolved under a wave of relief as it became apparent that they were uninjured, and had not been followed.
“A different team is looking for her now. Won’t be long before they find her, if they haven’t already,” he told Amara, before turning towards the younger girl, offering her what he hoped looked like a reassuring smile, and, more practically, the option to go inside the car, where it was warm and soft and safe. “Ready to go home, now?”
“I think we all are.” Rachel sighed, and helped Amara and Kae climb into the backseat. She smiled tiredly at Basil, and then looked up in the rearview mirror at their passengers. Safe and sound.