Stirring the Pot

Dylan smiled at Ashlee's text. Maybe he never would admit it, but she did make him feel good. 

"Mmm... girlfriend?"

Dylan's gaze snapped up to Wyatt, and he smirked as he put his phone back in his pocket. "No."

Wyatt grinned as he aimed for the microwave to warm up his lunch. "I dunno...I've seen that kind of smile before." 

"I don't have a girlfriend," Dylan insisted. He stood and retrieved a water bottle from the refrigerator. "I got those files put where they belonged, by the way. Want me to do anything else?" 

Wyatt leaned back against the counter and thought a moment before shaking his head. "Not that the moment. I'd say check in with Jamie and if she doesn't have anything, go see Reese." 

"Got it." Exiting the break room, Dylan tried to hide his yawn. After his session with Garret today, his body was looking for a hayloft to go take a short nap. 


"You did what?!" Reese stood from his desk, glaring at Kirk. 

"I called Katie's father," Kirk answered bluntly. "Either he's a good actor, or he doesn't have a clue where she and Jason are either. Funny... I figured they'd let their families know." 

"Dang it, Kirk!" Reese shook his head. "Do you like stirring the pot?" 

"I want to know where they are! This cannot be allowed to happen! And if it takes riling up a few other people to get you to call them back in, then so be it, because I don't know what else to do!" 

"I told you, I don't know where they are!" 

"But you know good and well there is no foul play - you know they left after they told me the truth." 

"So sue me! Take my badge! Do whatever you want." Reese threw his hands in the air. "I will not play into your schemes with the FBI."

Kirk just looked at him for a moment. "You would risk everything... all of this... just to keep the FBI from finding them?"

Reese didn't hesitate. "Yes." 

"Why?" 

"Because they are just as important as anyone else. Get it through your thick skull, Kirk - we're a family around here. And if you can't handle it - if you want to shut us down because we don't play by the book - then by all means, just pull the plug and get it over with. I thought you joined this team because you wanted to keep the Elite alive, but it's becoming more and more apparent that you just want to tear us down from the inside out. And if that's how you're going to play, then you're going to play alone." Reese pointed to his door. He was done being afraid of Kirk or the FBI. "Get out." 

Dylan was right outside and was almost run over as Kirk stormed from Reese's office. Blinking, he took a few seconds before poking his head around the open door. 

Reese looked up quickly, ready to yell at Kirk again, but realizing it was Dylan this time, he caught his tongue. "Dylan... sorry... how much of that did you hear?" 

"Um... most of it?" Dylan cringed and took a step inside. 

Reese sighed. "Do you know where Jason and Katie are?" 

Dylan shook his head.

"Good. Keep it that way or else Kirk will probably have you interrogated. I just cannot fathom how anyone can be so-" He cut himself off and swallowed his irritation. "Did you need something?"

"Just... finished everything I was supposed to do." 

"Oh." Reese glanced at the clock. "How about taking the afternoon off to start your weekend?" 

Dylan wouldn't argue with that. He was more than willing to keep working, but things were rather tense around here at the moment and he'd just as soon get out of the fire while he could. "Alright. I'll see you Monday then."

"Thanks, Dylan." 

Just needing his wallet and his baseball cap, Dylan headed out. He'd memorized the route to Hunter's apartment - it would take a while to walk, but he didn't mind. At least it was a nice day. With time to kill though, he was itching to ride, not walk.


Kirk returned to the cubicle and sat down at the desk, flipping open his laptop. "I'm giving Ron another twenty-four hours," he muttered to Adison. "And if he doesn't find anything, I'm putting the FBI on the case to find Jason and Katie."


Aaron was surprised Sam spoke to him at all, and even more surprised that she'd still be his handler. He'd expected them to take her off suspension, but he hadn't expected them to still trust her with him. Unfortunately, things were probably going to be a lot less friendly. Even if she did still claim to be his friend, which really made absolutely no sense at all. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but she was already gone. This... was going to be hard. He'd thought this was a living hell before... and he'd just made it ten times worse. All he could do now was accept this as his fate and live with it. 


As Sam joined him, Hal smiled. Turning, he slid his hands around her hips. "I heard something over the grapevine that you might show up today. Can't say I'm not rather pleased about that." 

Still smiling, he leaned down to give her lips a tender kiss. "Welcome back, partner." 


Travis finished his lunch quickly and was just standing when Ashlee returned. He grinned as she kissed his check and glanced around before deciding not to give her the kiss he wanted to, while they weren't alone. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze though. "Just let me go grab my trunks to toss in the saddle bags and I'll be ready. Meet you in the barn..." 

...It didn't take long for them both to be saddled up and heading down the back trail. It wasn't far to the little secluded pond. Travis would just as soon spend all his days back here if time would allow. Half the pond was shaded under trees, while the other half glistened in the sunlight. 

After unsaddling and tying the horses nearby, it only took them a few minutes to change behind the trees, and Travis was the first one in the water by way of a canon ball off the short dock. Surfacing, he spit out a little water and grinned up at Ashlee. "Come on," he prompted. "Water's great." 


Jeff burst into the office without knocking, to find Rosetta behind her desk. His face was a mix of frustration and worry, which was never good when it came to his heart. He didn't even bother to greet his sister. "I just got a call from the new guy - Kirk - at the Elite, asking if I knew where Katie is. Apparently she and Jason are missing? I called her but she didn't answer her phone. Do you have any idea what's going on?"