She's Never Late

Gabi was out jogging, a smile on her face. Tonight she was going to be spending the night at Seeley's, and she was going over the things she needed to get at the store for the dinner she was going to be making for him. Well, with him. He'd given her that adorkable smile when he had told her he wanted to cook -with- her. The world fell away, as it often did when she ran…and she ran into a wall, looking up.

Big Ange. The side of a Desert Eagle, the gun every Carlucci male carried, collided with the side of her head and Gabi swayed.

“Dating a fed?! You little cunt.” He spat. Little Ange frowned as his father dragged Gabi away. He'd been too late to watch over her route but Gabi was his best friend. He stayed in the shadows and waited until Big Ange had thrown Gabi into the back of a van and drove away, to the Carlucci compound. He took a bullet from his gun and laid it on the ground.

He hoped Booth would notice if he traced Gabi's route. It was a message. Gabi had been taken alive. Then, he drove to Gabi's apartment, kicked in the door. Clues. He had to leave clues. He went into her bedroom and took out her photo album, pulling out a picture of him and Gabi at their college graduation, putting it on the table near the door.

If the bullet wasn't enough, the picture was. Big Ange loomed in the background, looking murderously at Gabi. At the time, it had been chalked up to solemnity over his son's best friend losing her entire family, but the meaning was clear now.

Big Ange had never stopped looking for an excuse to kill the last Carmichael.

Five pm came and Gabi wasn't on Seeley's doorstep.

She was never late.

Seeley checked his watch. 16:59 She'd be here soon.

17:00 Nothing.
17:01 That's not like her. Give her a chance.
17:02 Come on Gabi.
17:03 A couple more minutes, she'll be here.
17:04 What's happened to her?
17:05

He pulled his work phone and flipped it open, punched the quick dial. “Booth. Trace, I want Carmichael's phone… Yes, that Carmichael… No, don't ask questions… What? No, thanks.”

That's not right. She never turns her phone off. Something's wrong.

He knew her jogging route, he had her tell him when she had a run in with a mugger, in case something happened to her. Nothing ever happened to her. Not that she couldn't deal with. This was different, new. He wasn't happy. That might have been an understatement, given his temper.

He grabbed his jacket from the clothes horse and aggressively shrugged it on over his holster. He checked his gun, habit more than anything, and the two extra magazines clipped to his belt, grabbed his keys and walked out the door. He was committed. Anybody would see how committed he was if they looked at him.

He traced her route, stopping every half block to double check and see if he missed anything. Nothing. No clues. Not even a catch of the fabric of her hoodie.

He turned the corner onto her street, and there he saw the unfired round on the sidewalk. A clue. Tiny, but something. Just as well he came prepared. He pulled a pair of tweezers and a baggie from his jacket pocket, picking up the round and placing it safely inside. It was a good sign. Well, sort of. Someone was lax in cleaning up, or… Someone was leaving a clue.

He knew the Carluccis used it in their weapon of choice. He'd had to clean up enough of their messes to realize that, but it was common enough it might have just been a dedicated hoodlum or a kidnapping for ransom. Something more?

Please be safe.

He ran to her apartment, door kicked in, looking around to see if she was there. Nowhere. Bedroom. Nothing. He turned to leave and saw the album, the picture displaced from where it should be. Someone had been here.

Gabi, Little Ange. Graduation. Little Ange would never do anything to hurt her, she protected him when nobody else would. They were friends. The background…

Shit…

There was a note on Gabi's coffee table. I will do what I can to keep her calm. You know where she is. Burn this. LA took a huge risk with that one. But time was running out. Big Ange would likely try to beat any information he could out of her, and when he felt he had all he could get….Gabi was a dead woman.

Everything was dark. Static. SHhhsshshhHHHSSHHNO!

I have to stay calm. If I want to get out of this alive, I CANNOT panic.

“Gabs?” The voice was quiet, hushed, swift. Familiar. “LA?” She whispered. Static.
“Gabs listen…I know it's scary. I know your nerves are going haywire. I'd say Dad's furious but he's giddy. Remember breathing, right? I can't do much. Here. Drink.”
She drank…water. Static.
“I…” LA leaned closer. “I'm going to lead him here. I left a trail. I was only allowed to see you because I pretended to be furious. Scream, please. He thinks I came down here to beat you up.”

Gabi didn't have to be told twice. She let out a long, chilling scream. One that could be heard even outside the Carlucci home.

If Big Ange was involved, it wasn't going to be a pretty end to whatever happened next. He knew where he would take her. Their compound. He needed to figure a plan of attack. Something…

He pulled his phone and punched up another number. “Booth, twenty-two seven oh five. SWAT. Carlucci compound. I need a pick up at…” Ugh, what was the address? Focus. He gave them the street corner to pick him up on as he walked down the stairs, slamming the phone closed. Just his pistol wasn't going to be enough if he was going in there.

The SWAT truck turned up and he dived in the back, dropping his jacket and holster and donning body armor, picking up an MP5SD with spare magazines. Going hot wasn't an option, they were only there for backup if things went south.

They dropped him off half a block away, waiting for his call.

He checked his gun. Single round. Safety off. Cocked, locked, loaded. Breathe.

Never had he feel this nervous and amped simultaneously.

Mine.

LA stood over her, breathing heavily, to anyone who didn't know Gabi like he and Seeley did, it seemed like he was out of breath from beating her. But he was announcing to her. Breathe in. Out. In. Out. Stat-no. Hush. Fall apart later.

“She gave me nothing when I was in here earlier.” Big Ange said coldly. “Did she give you anything?” LA shook his head. “No. Little cagna gave me nothing.”

Jesu, let her agent get here in time…

Big Ange had made a fatal mistake. Two years wasn't enough time to build back the numbers he'd lost in the turf war with the Carmichaels. There weren't many guards. Two, and not even heavily armed.

Inside the house? It was just Big Ange, LA, and one or two grunts.

Scream.

Hold it together Ella, I'm coming for you.

He moved up close to the walls outside. Too high to climb. Front gate. Couldn't be more than a couple of guards. He was prepared for a small army.

Unguarded? That's… Odd. A small favor, a boon. Locked, sure, probably alarmed, but at least he didn't have to deal with guards. Yet. Why so quiet?

Turf war. He couldn't spare the people. Why didn't you think of that Seeley?

Plip: Security camera on the front. No longer able to see him forcing the gate.

One guard left side of the building. Plip Move in, crouched, use the hedging for cover. It's not much, but better than nothing. Silent.

Second guard, right side of the building. Plip Still nothing. Too quiet. This is too easy. Please be an open door.

Door at the back, inside. There's got to be more in here. Surely he isn't this lax? Especially with Carmichael here.

He rounded the corner into the lounge, trying to find where she was, checking his corners doing everything right. But he was one man.

“HALT!” Turn Plip Shit. They would know he was here.

“HALT!” Big Ange looked towards the door. LA took that moment to yank Gabi's crucifix off her neck, curling it in his hand just before his father turned to look at him. “Go check that out.”

LA crept quietly to the corner, letting out a quiet cough. Not enough for Big to hear. He was announcing his presence to Seeley. A hand peeked from the corner, gold shimmering as the crucifix dangled from fingers.

Don't shoot. She's this way.

Big Ange, meanwhile, had gotten out a gun. A different .44. One he'd not used in two years. “You know, you little cunt, I've been waiting. I've been waiting for the day I could wipe you off the face of the earth…”

Gabi looked up as he began to load the gun.

Next: One Hell of a Proposal