It just didn't make any sense.
Sure they had argued like cats and dogs the past few days over a case, but in the end, Jordan had been right. The body was found along the river, a single gunshot wound to the head. Unfortunately for the Medical Examiner's Office, this particular body belonged to the son of a major diamond collector and soon the case became sustenance for the press. She had relentlessly pursued her hunches; had relentlessly badgered him with her facts. She had theorized that there was more to the father/son relationship that met the eye; that perhaps the son had come by some knowledge he was never supposed to have and was killed for it.
She had gone up against one of the most powerful families in Boston and won. Just yesterday the DA had publicly sung her praises on national television. When he had heard, he really hadn't had any other choice but to let her goad him to her hearts content. It wasn't every day one's former worst enemy did something like that.
And former enemies they were. In her efforts to keep her morgue family together, she had compelled to whomever she had to in order to get him exonerated from all charges and returned as CME for the City of Boston. She has succeeded with Renee as a willing accomplice. Renee claimed that Slocum didn't bring out the ME's drive to solve cases as Garret had done. Jordan knew better.
Garret sighed. Something just wasn't right with this picture.
In the last year, Jordan had turned over a new leaf. She was, for lack of a better term, softer. It didn't mean that she still didn't move heaven and hell in her search for the truth, but it was almost like she had suddenly learned to value her life and the people in it. She asked for professional opinions; she willingly included people in her investigations. She didn't do things alone or ran over people to get her way. He assumed that it had something to do with Woody's coldness to her when he was shot; maybe even his own dismissal from the morgue as well.
Jordan was still Jordan, headstrong and determined, but she had let her "wall" down, brick by brick. She was also a bit more level-headed, a little more reserved. And when she thought no one was looking, she was also a little bit sad. Her work was still flawless, but she had changed her methods of getting her answers. A little less forceful and aggressive, she was now a master of observation and persuasion. She saw more and did more, legally, with the help of her friends at the Boston PD.
Those friends didn't include Woody though. The subject was more or less taboo around the morgue, but they all knew about what had happened in that hospital room. He had recovered and was working again, but seldomly with Jordan. They way they acted around each other was perfect professional civility; Garret knew it killed her to have to pretend nothing had ever happened between them.
And so, she had befriended another detective on the force with just as much passion for the truth. Detective Santana had become an asset to the morgue family despite her occasional rudeness. Jordan and the rest of the ME's valued her intuitive analysis of a crime and Jordan saw a little bit of herself in the young detective. With Santana and Renee in tow, Jordan had made a triage fit for justice and the truth.
Jordan had gone out of her way to let her friends know that she did appreciate them and their friendship. She made it a point to work with Bug more, and ask him his advice. She helped Nigel out when he was stuck on a case for a change, and lent him her ears when he needed someone to talk to. She had cornered Lily one day and had given her a hug. Since then, Lily had taken a more active role in Jordan's investigations, giving her psychological perspective on cases which left Jordan stumped for answers. Jordan had recruited Sydney to help her defend Garret's other cases against Slocum and a committee she called "the evil CME wannabees from hell." But what really bonded Sydney and Jordan together was a case they had stumbled on a case involving a little girl and her two brothers. Jordan helped Sydney put himself back together after he realized that he was plagued with thoughts of his own family in that predicament.
And then there was himself. They had spoken about his actions and Jordan had forgiven him. "I was never angry at you Garret," she had said, "I knew there had to be a reason. Was I disappointed? Sure. But we all have flaws and you are still the most honorable man I have ever met. You're a good man Garret."
On his first day back to work, he found himself walking into a welcoming party, courtesy of Jordan. Since then, Jordan would find something talk to him about everyday. Be it because of a case, whether the sun would shine the next day, or even regarding some of the deeper thoughts in her mind, she would always come in either in the morning when she first walked in, or on her way out for the evening.
Recounting all those things in his head, Garrett reexamined the paper he held in his hands.
It just didn't make any sense.
A year ago, maybe, he thought, even though it wasn't likely. Definitely not likely today
He sighed and put the paper back down on his desk. It was 7:03am on a Monday morning. Picking it up once again, a line he must have skimmed over caught his attention. Suddenly remembering one of his conversations with her, he got the feeling that something was indeed very wrong. He yanked the phone off its holder and dialed a very familiar number.
"Nigel? It's Garrett, listen can you come in as quickly as possible? It's Jordan."
Woody was exhausted. He had been a part of a two-day stakeout outside a drug lord's home. They had been successful in catching a drug exchange and apprehending the guy, but now he was ready to drop dead. He wearily took off his jacket and shirt and made his way over to the mail.
Crap. Crap. Water bill. Crap. Crap. And more crap.
With a sigh he made his way over to his room when he saw that he had a message waiting for him on voicemail.
Irritated, he debated not hearing it until he got some sleep but his judgment outweighed his tiredness. What if it was important, he reasoned.
He pushed the button to hear the message. He went to check his caller ID and realized that he had gotten two calls from the same "Unknown Caller," one right after the other.
Fighting the familiar sense of dread before it overtook him, he drummed his fingers on his nightstand while waiting for the message to come on.
Woody felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when he recognized the voice on his machine.
"Woody, please pick up. Woody! I'm begging you, please. I've been ki-"
And then it just stopped. Silence.
"No more messages"
He quickly replayed the message and swore. Even in his alarm, he could hear the urgency, the pleading, the desperation in her voice. He heard her fear. Cursing loudly, he grabbed the machine and rushed out the door with only one thought on his mind- Jordan was in trouble.
By 8:00am, Garret had assembled everyone who mattered into the tiny conference room.
Nigel. Lily. Bug. Sydney. Renee. Santana.
It was almost everyone.
"Dr. Macy, what's going on?" Nigel asked, a worry line already accentuated on his forehead. He feared that whatever problem Jordan had gotten herself into had to be grave or they all wouldn't be there.
Clearing his throat, Garret began. "I've called all of you here because while in any other circumstance I wouldn't done anything but resign myself, my instincts tell me that there is something going on." Turning to look out the window, he couldn't find the words to voice his concern.
Lily was the only one who voiced their overwhelming confusion. "Garret?"
Then, all hell broke loose. They could all hear the commotion out in front; the raised voices, the loud footsteps running towards them. The door was jerked wide open and there stood Woody, panting. Woody could only voice one thing.
"Where is she?"
The receptionist dashed in the room, "I'm so sorry Dr. Macy, but he insisted on seeing you. I told him you were all in a meeting but he ran right past me."
Everyone glanced at Woody's rumpled appearance and turned to look at Garret.
"It's alright," Garret said gently, ushering the woman out the door. "Just don't let anyone else disturb us until we're done."
Shutting the door, Garret found himself standing head to head with the detective.
"I asked you a question Garret. Where is she?" asked a panicked voice.
Although not happy with Woody for his treatment of Jordan, Nigel hurriedly stepped up and grabbed him from his shoulder. "Woody man, Dr. Macy was just getting to that before you barged in."
Motioning for them to sit down, Garret felt his own fears quadruple at the sight of the fear in Woody's eyes. Fear for Jordan. Despite that, he couldn't help but feel his meeting complete with the presence of the detective.
"As I was saying before, I wouldn't have called you all like this had I not thought it was important," he began. Taking an over-read piece of paper out of his coat pocket, Garret held it up for everyone to see. "I found this in my email this morning. It's from Jordan. It's a letter of resignation. It says she's running again."
That resulted in a loud gasp from everyone in the room. Having had her face buried in her arms, Lily looked up startled, "She wouldn't do that Garret. She wouldn't. Not now. She just wouldn't."
Nodding heavily, Garret said, "I know Lily, which is exactly why I called you all here. I raked through everything that has happened lately and it doesn't make any sense. As surprising as it is for me to say it, it's not like her to do something like this."
Woody got up and slammed his fists on the table, "Damn it," he swore. Grabbing the answering machine and looking for somewhere to plug the thing, he said, "I've been on a stake out for the last two days. I got home and I had a message on my machine." Finished with his task, he mutely pressed play.
Woody sighed and raked his hands through his hair. He hadn't tried to be friendly with her since his return to the force. It had just been easier to keep away from her. Now all he wanted was to see her working desperately on a case. Safe.
The machine came alive. As Jordan's voice echoed through the room, it brought more questions than it did answers.
Garret felt the breath get knocked out from him.
Bug and Nigel looked at each other, already thinking of all the tests they could run on the tape, hoping against hope that the message was telling them something else, something other than what everyone was thinking.
Renee got up and headed for the corner, hoping the stray rays of the sun could warm up the fear settling in her heart. She shivered and hugged herself.
Santana's eyes became cold and calculating. Turning to look at Walcott, they locked eyes and came to silent conclusion that they wouldn't rest until they had answers.
Finding her brain going through everything at the speed of light, Lily tried to focus. 'Calm down, just calm down. There has to be a rational explanation for this. It can't be what I think it is. It can't be.'
"My caller ID said the call was name from an unknown number," Woody said, breaking the silence.
Thinking back to something, Garret grabbed the paper and thrust it into Woody's hands. "Look here. Does this mean anything to you?"
Glancing to the line in question, Woody read.
'The locket. Situation a while ago. Taken. The answer is in my mother's locket. This time it's me'
Only confusion showed in his eyes at first. He paced anxiously, cursing himself for not being able to think clearly. "Taken…" Turning abruptly to face the room, he swallowed hard before saying, "Taken. She's been taken. Kidnapped."