Three - Realizing

Windy's Lab

Jimmy walked into Windy's lab, "did a tsunami just hit this place, Win?"

"Oh, nice of you to show up in the afternoon to help the teams out in the morning!" Windy pointed to Jimmy's lips. "Mustard? Did you just have a burger?"

"A hot dog!" Jimmy wiped his mouth with his wrist. "And don't tell Jordan! You two are always telling Ally and I go home to salads!"

"Ah, that stomach is filling out pudgemaster, aka Mr. Pudge. Jordan is going to put you on a mint leaf diet." Windy poked Jimmy with her pen. "I will call Ally every time you come into my lab with mustard on your lips!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes and headed for the sofa. "If there is a God, please...no salad tonight!"

"Don't you dare move Gib. That is his sofa!" Windy was too late, Jimmy had already made splashdown and Gib just made it safely out of the way. "Seriously, Jimmy?"

Gib jumped onto the lab table looking pissed he had to give up his peaceful part of the world to Jimmy. "No wonder Gib does not like you! Oh and Jordan is off to Jacksonville."

Jimmy sat up. "Okay. Why is she going alone? Why am I on your sofa and not bring driven to the airport by you!" He pointed to Windy.

"Hah! Like you would fit in with teenagers! You really want to ask that? Go ahead ask me." Windy raised her hand. "Now if it were a Freakers Ball, you would already be at the airport, Sunshine!"

"I can still do the job!" Jimmy approached Windy. "Admittedly I am slower. Not as handsome."

"Why don't you just go to Brad's open mic tonight? Get your mind off of things here." Windy suggested. "Jordan dropped off a set of Lee Oskar harmonicas." She held a package up for him.

"I see what you are doing, Win." Jimmy raised his left hand. "Look over here while..." he raised his right hand. "Something more important happens over here!"

"Jimmy, Kiddo can do it better and she won't need to save your ass in the process." Windy made eye contact with her friend. "You know it's true."

"Fuck, you know how to make me feel useless, Win!" Jimmy sat next to Windy then asked. "So, what can I do to help?"

"For starters.." Windy pushed Jimmy's face away. "Don't breathe that mustard breath on me." Then opened a laptop for him. "The trader your kid is after is named Hannah."

"Hannah?" Jimmy turned his face back towards his friend, this time covering his mouth. "Photos? Bio?"

Windy opened the file for Jimmy. "Your fingers actually work, you just ate a hot dog!" The photos popped up.

Jimmy stared at the monitor. He got up unexpectedly and paced without uttering a word, freaking Windy out. He returned then searched victims from two years ago. A set of photos appeared. "Win."

"I am already ahead of you, Old Man!" Windy opened the facial match program.

First Hannah's photo; long thick flowing hair, dark brown eyes and perfect teeth. Taylor's photo; fine sandy colored hair, hazel eyes and a slight gap between all her top teeth. The nose, lips and brow were a match. The program suggested there was a 99.9% probability the two were the same person.

"What made you think of this girl, Taylor?" Windy knew there was something in that marshmallow brain of his that triggered a memory of this girl.

"Hmmm." Jimmy shook his head. "Now, looking back, she over played her role as a victim. Like I was a hero. It was her and an unconscious girl. Fuck me! She was the trader, Win! I fell for it!"

"Jimmy, I remember that mission began in New Orleans." Windy opened the Mardi Gras file. "One girl suspected, two were found."

"She played me! Remember the profile of the Mardi Gras trader? A..." Jimmy was cut off by Windy reading from the file.

"Sociopath, thought to be above average intelligence, a rule breaker, risk taker and a manipulator." There were many more traits to the sociopath involved in that case but Windy stopped. "That is Hannah to a T!"

"Win, get me on the next flight to Jacksonville. I am not letting Jordan deal with this trader alone." He looked at the woman who has been in this fight since day one. "She's my kid, Win!"

"Relax, Jimmy. We'll give her the information. You have to trust her!" Windy did not want to send an emotional father into a fight Jordan could handle on her own.

"Then let's catch up with Taylor/ Hannah. I want to know her entire history Win. And not just our short list we have on her." Jimmy stood then looked at his friend. "I want to talk to her parents and any siblings, friends, people she babysat for. Everyone! And I will do the talking. This is Jordan, my Kiddo." Jimmy began to show emotions Windy rarely witnessed.

She stood beside her friend and offered a single hand on his back. "You know, I care about Jordan like she were my kid too." Windy found Taylor's bio sheet. "Parents Cecilia and David, 555-324-5674."

"Hello." Cecilia answered. Her voice was hallow like she was a parent of a victim.

"Hello, is this Cecilia? My name is James. May I ask you some questions about your daughter, Taylor?" Jimmy did not waste time. "It is important, from a father to a mother."

Cecilia spoke slowly. "She has been gone for years. I mean she came home two years ago for a week after someone found her and that other girl. It was Taylor's body but inside she was not Taylor anymore."

"Do you know if she had any friends? Does she have any siblings?" Jimmy asked trying to be respectful but needing any information he could get.

"She was an only child and never really had friends growing up. Her father passed away earlier this year. They were close until a few years ago, before she left." Cecilia did not want to share the next part but chose to. "She had this temper I never seen before she came back to us two years ago. She swore she would kill us if we told anyone she was not taken."

"Thank you for your time, Cecilia. I appreciate the information." Jimmy was about to hang up.

"Wait a minute, sir." Cecilia hoped to add one more thing.

"Yes, ma'am?" Jimmy waited.

"Please stop her from killing again. I can tell you are worried. I am truly sorry for creating a monster." Cecilia hung up the phone, pulled the family photo from the desk and wept openly clutching the frame.

Jimmy felt the pain in Cecilia's voice make its way to his heart. He felt for this woman who lost her husband and family. He felt privileged to have a loving wife, daughter and friends.

Windy could see a change in Jimmy. "What is it? Jimmy?"

"It's Taylor. I mean Hannah is Taylor. She has killed before and threatened her parents." Jimmy looked at his friend. "No need for anymore calls."

"Hannah is not your fault! Get it through your thick head!" Windy pulled at her friend.

"I'm going, Win. I have to go!" Jimmy felt guilt from letting a killer loose.

"Damn it Jimmy!" Windy patted his shoulder, "you are not alone."

"So, you're coming too?" Jimmy looked at Windy.

"You bet your ass I'm coming!" Windy opened a United Airlines website.

"No charter flight, Win. I am calling in a favor." Jimmy closed the laptop.

"Gentle Rain?" Windy raised an eyebrow.

Jimmy nodded at his master hacker. "Gentle Rain."