Hi! I'm back with a new story. This one is long and, as always, Jack-centric. I apologize beforehand for any spelling or grammar or ... well, for any mistakes. English is not my first language and spell check can do only so much.

LITTLE WARNING:
- this story is dramatic, sometimes extremely so. I'll put warnings before the more dark chapters. Remember that's rated M;
- there's little romance. It's more about friendship and, basically, it has been more a cathartic experience than a literary effort for me.

A prayer: I'll try to reply to every one of your comments but I need to be able to do it so I ask you kindly to register to the site so that I can answer you directly. If you decide not to register then, please, do not take it personally if I won't answer you. Thanks.

I hope you'll like this story.
Ornella

SEATBELT WARNING (no, it's not the title of the chapter)

"They're coming your way." A voice announced through the earpieces.

"Thanks, Tara. Is everyone in position?" A series of affirmative answers reached his ears. Jack turned his gaze to the man sitting beside him "Are you ready?" He asked.

"As always." Bobby answered with a grin.

Jack grinned back but he could see through Bobby's attitude and sense his tension. He was tensed, too. They had been undercover for two months already and today was a special day because they would meet for the very first time their boss, Fred Johnston.
This meeting, though awaited, had been unexpected. Johnston was known for being very careful. Usually, his businesses and his men were managed by his deputies and only these ones knew his face. But apparently he wanted to meet "two of his best men" and compliment them personally on their latest "brilliant" exploit. Thanks to Bobby's knowledge of explosives and Jack's skills as a sniper, the two agents had eliminated a rival criminal group. Obviously the FBI had already taken care of that group and the whole operation had been a set-up, but a very spectacular and, apparently, very effective set-up.
So this meeting was actually good news for them. It meant that they were significantly closer to nail Johnston and his men for drugs dealing and the killing of seven people, three of which were FBI agents.
But Jack knew the true reason for the tension that was enveloping him and Bobby. They were going to that meeting clean and without the protection of the Kevlar vest. Obviously their backs were covered by their colleagues and two SWAT teams and he had the utmost faith in Sue and the rest of his team but still… he had a bad feeling about this meeting.

"They're pulling in the parking lot." Tara announced.

"Ok. From this moment on you're alone, guys." D said, looking at the monitors that filled the van where he was with Tara and Sue.

Jack and Bobby removed their earpieces and exited the car where they're waiting.
Through the monitors, Sue saw them near the two cars full of criminals and raise their hands to be searched.

"I don't know how they do it." She commented.

"What?" Tara asked, turning her head towards her colleague but keeping her eyes fixed on the monitors.

"How can they be so calm? I'm a bundle of nerves and I'm sitting in this van with two armed FBI agents!" There was admiration in Sue's voice but also a note of apprehension.

"They're nervous, too. But they know that they have to appear calm and collected. Their lives depend on it."

"Well, one thing is sure."

"What?"

"If ever they would tire of being FBI agents, they have a future as actors." Sue joked.

D and Tara chuckled but moments later D turned serious.

"Someone's getting out the car on the left." D announced to his colleagues.

Jack and Bobby let the four criminals before them search them and take their guns.
A couple of minutes later they saw a man getting out one of the cars and look cautiously around. The men fell silent and Bobby and Jack exchanged a brief look. It had to be Johnston. The man didn't approach them and stayed near the car forcing the two agents to go to him.

"Jack and Bobby, right?" The man asked, shaking their hands. The two men nodded. "George here talked a lot about you two. He says you're his best men."

Jack and Bobby shrugged self-consciously, shifting slightly to force Johnston to change his position. He was in the shadows and Sue would have had a hard time trying to read his lips. But to no avail. He stayed in the shadows, glancing briefly around him.

"I liked how you took care of the Dominguez family. Great job." He praised, squaring the two agents from head to toe.

Jack was studying him, too. He seemed nervous and … excited. A weird and absolutely not good combination. Jack saw him move his head. Was it a nod? Jack turned his gaze towards Bobby and met his puzzled and worried stare.

"You've been brilliant, really. Probably even now you're thinking you're more brilliant, more intelligent than me. But no one has ever fooled me and one thing is sure. Neither the FBI nor you two, agents Hudson and Manning, will fool me!" Johnston said, his eyes flashing with unconcealed anger. He took a step back and Jack stiffened. The agent put his hands behind his back and signed "HELP" just before he saw the weapon.

"They need help!" Sue screamed, seeing Jack form the word behind his back. But at that moment someone started firing.

Bobby saw Johnston take a step back and tensed. He didn't have the time to question that move though because he heard someone start firing and was roughly pushed over by Jack with such a strength that he hit the head on the tarmac and lost consciousness.

Moments later, the SWAT teams were on the scene and took control of the situation, even though one of the two cars had managed to slip through their fingers. Johnston, however, had already been subdued and handcuffed and was now lying on the ground with his face pressed on the tarmac by a zealous young agent.

Followed by Sue, Tara and Myles, D approached his two team-mates but froze when he saw them. He heard the gasps of his colleagues behind his back but couldn't move. A groan coming from Bobby brought him back to reality and he knelt beside them.

"We need the paramedics! Now! We have two agents down!" He shouted to no one in particular but saw one of the SWAT agents take the phone and dial the 911. Satisfied, he returned his attention to his colleagues. "Myles, help me."