Marc looks into his watch and sighs before he a takes a sip of whiskey from the half filled glass, probably trying to brush away the worry, reflecting out of his face, as he stood by the wooden bar, inside the hideout. David walked towards the counter and supported his elbow on the wooden piece as he leaned forward.

David: What's killing you?

Marc: I guess it's time, we tell him everything.

David: I remember boss ordered something else, before he ran off.

Marc: I can't drug Jereff.

David: That's for the bigger good. Jereff won't be sane after he learns that his daughter has been.....

Marc: But, keeping Jereff in darkness, will be no good to Jack. C'mon dude, we have not heard anything from Jack till now. He is stupid enough to go without weapons. He even switched off the tracker. I know he won't be taking any risk, when it comes to Sarah, but..

David: How did you know, he switched off the tracker?

Marc: Yeah, there wasn't any......force....

Marc's eyes widened as he turned towards David, whose expressions' mirrored that of Marc.

Marc: no no no no....

Marc and David turned their heel, to leave, when

Jereff: Marc,..

Marc stopped where he was as he squeezed his eyes of guilt, after Jereff called out his name.

Jereff asked in a suspicious tone: What are you doing here? Where is Jack?

Marc and David turned ther heel towards Jereff, who stood two steps above the stairs, leading to the office.

Marc: Jeff...

Jereff: Where's my daughter?

Marc: I...

Jereff: GODDAMIT! JUST TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE?

Jackson: Here we are.

Jereff looked at the main door, to find Jackson standing in hand with Sarah, both unharmed.

Jereff ran down: SARAH!! OH MY GOD!!

Jackson loosened Sarah's grip and gave her back a delicate pat, gesturing her to go to her father. She ran towards Jereff as he kneeled down to hug Sarah in a tight grip.

Jereff spoke in a husky quivering voice: I am sorry, honey. I'm sorry. I won't let this happen to you ever again. I won't. I am sorry.

Sarah spoke supporting her chin on Jereff's shoulder: Why are you saying sorry?

Jereff: Because, nothing could have gone wrong, if I was a little more careful. Daddy will never leave you alone, ever again.

Sarah pulled himself out of the hug, as she stood near Jereff, looking into his eyes: But, I wasn't alone.

Jereff: Yeah, Jackson was there.

Sarah: No. I was with Madeline.

Jereff creased her eyebrows: Made...Madeline who?

Sarah shrugged: My new friend.

Jereff placed his hands on her little shoulder: Sarah, where were you?

Sarah: I was....

Jackson: Okay, baby girl, why don't you go and play, as I talk your daddy.

Jackson gestures Raven as she takes her inside,..

Jereff: No, wait...

Jackson: Jeff..

Jereff looked over at Jackson. He stood up and stormed towards Jackson who kept standing where he was.

Jereff: What the hell is she talking about?

Jackson: That's true.

Jereff: that BITCH HAD MY DAUGHTER.

Jackson: That's not what it looks like.

Jereff: OH! I KNOW, WHEN SHE FAILED TO GET TO US, THROUGH YOU. SHE NOW TRIES IT THROUGH MY DAUGHTER. I SWEAR I'M GONNA RIP. HER APART.

Jackson: Will you just calm down and listen to me? She wasn't kidnapped. She....was ....at the police department.

Jereff creased his face: What?

Jackson: Yeah, the school set off early and the car failed to reach on time due to congestion, so she walked out on the street. Apparently, Madeline saw her and took her to the police department. She didn't know anything about her. Sarah wasn't harmed in any way. She was just taken care of.

Jereff shifted his gaze towards the surrounding and looked back at Jackson: What was she doing there?

Jackson: A coincidence.

Jereff: That can't be a coincidence.

Jackson: Jereff, stop overthinking. Sarah is fine, that's what matters.

Jereff: NO! I AM ASTONISHED, YOU ARE SAVING THE ENEMY.
Jackson: I am not saving the enemy.

Jereff: THAN EXPLAIN.

Jackson: Okay, listen. Sarah was with the cops because they don't want to risk any girl's life, after everything's that is happening.

Jereff: "What" is happening?

Jackson:(sigh) Corvett, is back into his business.

Jereff: You mean the...

Jackson: Yes. And, I got a hell of a deal....with the Chief.....

Jereff: THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU FUCKING DRUNK? DO YOU EVEN KNOW, HOW SERIOUS THESE ARE? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Jackson: Jeff, I have everything in control.

Jereff: Jack, I don't understand anything.

Jackson takes a deep breath, as he spoke: I had a deal with the Chief of the police, that we are going to help each other in taking down Corvett.

Jereff: Why did you do that?

Jackson: I was desperate.

Jereff: So, that gave you enough reason to come up with this "phenomenal" decision of getting into a deal with the chief of the fed.

Jackson: Jeff, they are anyway after Corvett. So are we. In this fight to get to Corvett like the oscar, he is, innocent lives will get into stake and none of us, will achieve anything. To be precise, if this fight takes off, sinister will follow. I know it sounds damn stupid, but.... Please. The plague named Corvett needs to be washed away from the face of this world. It is just a temporary alliance. After we finish our mission...well..

Jereff: What after that?

Jackson: Nothing. They take their own way. We take ours.

Jereff spoke in a mocking tone: Wow! They are gonna spare you?

Jackson: They are ought to...
Jereff: Jackson, you just made a deal with the fed.
Jackson: And?
Jereff: You just pulled all their attention into us.
Jackson: Calm down. I have got everything covered.
Jereff: Yeah, that's what you say, everytime, we are almost at the egde.
Jackson: Look, when Corvett tries to pull it on us, the least he would be expecting is to come face to face with the law keepers. Atleast, that would cut a part of his wings, as he tries to protect himself from getting busted. That, would make an advantageous situations for us. I won't let anything go wrong.(sigh). We need to get someone on our side anyway, for the greater good.

Jereff moves his head from side to side: This is insane.
Jackson: I agree, but right now, I am ready to go any extend to destroy him. So, does they. Have a little faith in me, brother. We together will fix everything.

Police Department;
Jacob forwarded a cup of coffee towards Madeline who kept seated on Jacob's table swinging her feet that barely reached the ground. She snapped out of her deep thoughts as the steam of hot coffee hit her face. She turned her face to see Jacob, who managed a smile at her. Madeline took the coffee.
Madeline: Thank you.
She took a sip as Jacob went around and sat in his cushioned seat.
Madeline: So....it wasn't him.
Jacob: As we thought. No.
Madeline: Mr. Alvarez accepted to work with him.
Jacob(sighs): Seems so. I don't even know, what the old man is planning.
Madeline adjusted the cup in her hands, as she went back to her thoughts. Jacob studied her expression as he walked towards her.
Jacob: Maddie, what are you thinking?
Madeline looked up at Jacob, with glistening eyes: I dragged the kid into the crossfire.
Jacob: You're still not out of that?
Madeline: You weren't there, when.....he met the kid.
Jacob: Maddie! This isn't about him, right?
Madeline: No. Why would this even be about that?
Jacob: Because, it's not the kid you are worried about. It's been how he was hurting, when he saw her, and whatever.
Madeline: It is nothing like that.
Jacob kept staring at Madeline as he wanted to hear more to it.
Madeline continued: One sin out of his name, doesn't take him out of the bad guy list.
Jacob softened his expression and nodded his head, as he now got the answer he wanted.

Madeline's POV;
Jake happens to be the first person to read through that part of me, which is not even at the reach of my self understanding. He happens to be the only person to know me. But, this time, I can't let him understand, any of the swirling tornado of thoughts, I am fighting with. Even though, I promised myself to never face that person anytime. But, look at how time took a toll on our lives. I encountered that man, again. And, for some unexpected, odd reasons, I am going to have several other encounters with him. Even, though I am acting strong near Jake, but in reality, I don't even know, how to hold myself sane, anymore. Whatever the situations, are. I cannot deny the connection we had. Can I ever act, like nothing ever happened? Or will the memories keep haunting me throughout?But, I guess, this is how the war sets off. My war with myself, by myself.