FBI Most Wanted

Part 6

The maroon pick up turned into the parking lot and headed for the drive-tru on the side of the mall. It slowly made its way around, until they got to the last window, where a fast food employee hands Gore a paper bag with their food. Bailey and Crosby had pulled the receipt and knew they had order three hamburgers, three sodas and a large box og fries.

Gore parks the car, where the agents had found it. Three people come out of the vehicle. Gore, Leslie and a third woman. She is short, brunette, with a long face, dressed in a red jacket and black jeans. 

"I'll start facial recognition," said Crosby as he opened his laptop. 

Bailey continued with the video. The trio walk around the parking lot for a couple minutes, until Gore picks a Silver BMW, breaks into it and points the girls to get in, as well. Bailey caught the license plate as the car drove out of the parking lot, turning right.

"Leslie seems unharmed," Bailey commented. She turned the tape back to where the trio got out of the maroon truck. Leslie was skipping happily, alongside Gore, and Bailey was sure that if she could see Leslie's face, she would be smiling. "She even looks happy. Poor kid has no idea what's going on."

"Honestly, neither do we." Crosby and Bailey both looked up. LaCroix, along with the rest of the team, had come into the shuttle, without them noticing. "I don't understand why the woman is with them." LaCroix continued, "Leslie expressed that she was in love with Gore and wanted to become 'mrs. Gore'. If her and Gore are having a relationship, why keep another woman around?"

"Maybe it's his sister." Hana suggested.

"He doesn't have one," Bailey explained, "trust me. We would have found her, if she was."

"Alright," Hana admitted, "then maybe Gore is just using her, to help him keep Leslie under control. Or maybe they're really in a relationship and Gore manipulated Leslie by telling her that he loved her."

A ping from Crosby's computer interrupted their theory making. "Facial rec got a hit!" he announced, excitedly, "our mystery woman is Jaqueline Riley. She's 35 years old and works as a nurse at a local hospital."

"Good. Dig into their lives, find me a connection!" LaCroix ordered. 

Everyone turned to their computers and the shuttle fell silent, with the exception of their keyboards clicking as they typed. Everyone was so focused, that they didn't notice the time passing and the sun setting outside.

Eventually, LaCroix closed his computer and yawned, loudly. "We should take a break. There is a pizza restaurant, just across the street, if anyone's interested. LaCroix stood up and grabbed his jacket.

"Yeah, I could go for food." Hana stood up as well. Skye and Barnes agreed and they headed for the shuttle door. LaCroix looked back at Bailey and Crosby.

"I'm gonna stay," said Bailey.

"Me too," said Crosby.

"Alright," LaCroix put his jacket on, "we'll bring you some leftovers." Bailey and Crosby both nodded and watched LaCroix and the team go out of the shuttle.

"I can't find anything," said Bailey, annoyed, after the door had shut. "Nothing fits together, it's driving me crazy!"

"Alright," Crosby went over to her and closed her computer. "Like I said before, we need to keep our heads clear, so let's take a moment." Crosby breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, intending Bailey would follow. She did, and they breathed in unison for a moment.

"How do you do it?" Bailey asked. Crosby gave her a confused look. "Manage to keep so calm," Bailey explained, "during cases like these, that don't fit together, you always manage to keep calm and go on, until we finally find out what happened. I don't get how you can do that."

"I didn't used to be," Crosby sat on the table in front of her and folded his arms over his chest. "I never used to sleep, even when cases spanned days, I attack every suspect for the smallest things...but then I learned that, that will only make the case go slower."

"But how do you do it?"

"It takes effort," Crosby smirked, "and a great partner."

Bailey felt the blood rush to her face, so she looked away from Crosby. "I think you're pretty great, too." She let the blush fade and then looked up at him. The smirk had turned into a smile. His handsome, bearded, face and sparkling eyes made her feel at ease. Aurora made a split second decision. She stood up, grabbed his face and kissed him.

Crosby almost pulled away, in surprise, but when he realized what was happening, he eased into the kiss, grabbing Bailey's hips as she sat across his lap. Bailey ran her hands through his hair and noted that he tasted like salt.

They pulled away, neither of them could stop smiling. "Well, agent Bailey," said Crosby, "you're full of surprises."