…in shutting out the light of day, she had shut out infinitely more; that, in seclusion, she had secluded herself from a thousand natural and healing influences… - Charles Dickens

I did not realize how well you knew her. It may be that she will listen to you where she does not listen to me. She only likes me – she respects you. – Conversation between Nessa and Jase regarding Briel.

“Briel?” The voice seemed to float into her mind from a distance, and at first, she did not register its source. “Briel, you were going to tell me where you were.”

The memory evaporated at Nessa's words. In a roundabout way, that night had led her to Mexico, and the new experience gave her insight on the previous one. Suddenly, Briel could feel the leather restraints that had, only hours before, held her wrists.

If Briel had failed in Banff – if Jase had not obsessed over Felicity, if Nick had not cracked Brendon’s computer and tracked the laptop Felicity had contacted him from – the woman might have worn similar restraints. The Miller children might effectively be orphans. A lot of factors out of Briel’s control If Briel didn’t save Emilia Alvares, the girl would suffer the same. If Briel didn’t figure out how to stop Bill Henry, thousands more would as well. Briel sighed, calming her mind. She was only one woman, and she could only do so much.

“Where did you go?” Nessa repeated anxiously as Briel finally rounded the corner to the rendezvous point. Before Briel could answer, Nessa spoke into her communicator, requesting that everyone return to the meeting place.

“I didn't 'go' anywhere. I was taken,” Briel explained. She fell into step beside Nessa who had begun walking toward their black van.

“Taken?”

“Two nights ago, when you and I were asleep in that abandoned restaurant, I felt a needle in my back. The next time I woke up, I was in a closet. Did you tell the team I was missing?”

Nessa stopped walking and gaped at Briel. “What? That's impossible! I would have heard something if someone had taken you. And, no, I just told the team that you had gone off on your own investigation. That's actually what I had assumed.”

Why hadn't Nessa woken up when Briel had been abducted? Briel considered the thought, pondering whether or not Nessa could have been complicit in Briel's abduction. Of course, circumstances admitted the possibility, but Briel could not honestly consider Nessa capable of such a thing. Certainly, the woman's voice she had heard in that basement had not belonged to Nessa.

Still, who else knew that Briel was even in Mexico City besides her team? The hypothesis that someone had randomly chosen Briel out of ten million people seemed unlikely at best. Besides, Jack Buckley had somehow known Briel's identity, though he had never met her before.

“It is strange that you slept through it,” Briel agreed, eyeing Nessa questioningly.

The genuine shock on Nessa's face eradicated most of Briel's misgivings about her.

“You don't seriously think...” Nessa began, hurt painting her face with red.

Briel interrupted her, arresting any outpouring of protest. “No, of course not. I didn't really consider it. I just have to think through all eventualities, and I needed to gauge your reaction.”

“So I passed,” Nessa stated flatly, still slightly offended.

As she and Nessa spoke, several other team members began filtering toward the van and took their places in the back. Looking around at the surprised faces, Briel pondered her next step. If someone on the team had helped capture her, Briel needed to tread carefully, only revealing what would draw the person out. Still, she had to continue her mission.

“I found Jack Buckley,” she began, “or rather, he found me. Does anyone have a suggestion for our next step on the Alvares case?”

For a second, everyone just looked blankly at her.

Finally, Liam snorted. “Are there any steps left?”

Briel tried to ignore his tone, but he knew just how to rile her. “I wasn't asking you, Monroe. Only those who might have something useful to contribute.”

Undaunted, Liam grinned at her. “Well, when the girl called her father from a friend's house this morning and asked him to come pick her up, we kind of assumed she had been released.”

The earlier conversation Briel had heard flashed through her mind.

Why should I take the trade...? If we give up this card, we need to be recompensed...I released the other girl to our new business partner. So, Jack had traded Briel for Emilia Alvares. A relatively easy extraction, in the grand scheme of things, Briel suddenly realized. One night in a cramped cell seemed a small price to pay for the release of an innocent girl. Though anger still boiled within her, Briel smiled coldly at the thought. How disappointed Buckley and Henry must be to lose both girls! Unfortunately, her success did not buy Briel any real peace of mind. She would have to continue very cautiously until she could figure out who had compromised her.

As far as Briel knew, only Nessa had any knowledge of her abduction. Briel decided to keep it that way. “Yes,” Briel proceeded as if she already knew of the release. “But, what do we do about Jack? Can we justify trying to track him down? I hate to let him go when we are so close to him. Should we contact Sara and pursue our new leads? Obviously, since we've completed our assignment, you guys could just leave now if you preferred.” Briel scoured the faces of her team, and though most met her gaze, three averted their eyes: Adam, Martin, and the only other female on the trip besides Briel and Nessa, a woman named Ginny. Ginny, Briel wondered. What did Ginny's voice sound like? Briel could not remember.

“Not in the mission,” Liam said flatly. “You need to head back.” Why did his ultimate words drip with intention, like he knew something he did not want to let on? No, he is not Ted, Briel assured herself. Ted held a cleverness that Liam lacked, and though the juvenile portion of Briel’s brain liked the idea that Liam had depth that would match his good looks. You’re dreaming, Briel. Liam was a cretin, and the sooner Briel accepted it, the better. She had just accepted that Jase might have hacked her system, and the idea that she might have to monitor the two best ops she knew kind of overwhelmed her.

“We really should report to Sara,” added Adam. “I mean, I didn't sign on for an extra assignment.”

Briel sucked in a breath and forced an even tone. “Is that the consensus, then?” Several of the team nodded and others, except Nessa, murmured their ascent. “Okay, what about the debrief? Who wants to interview Emilia Alvares? How about you, Ginny?”

Ginny did not try to mask her irritation. She rolled her eyes, and the tall, ebony-haired woman answered in a flat, irritated voice. “Honestly, Briel,” her island accents caressed the tones. “I need to head straight home. My mom's coming into the states tomorrow, and she needs me to pick her up from the airport.”

Such a banal excuse did not speak of complex manipulation, and Briel relegated Ginny to the bottom of the suspect list. Besides, the Caribbean accent did not match that of Briel's betrayer.

“No problem, Ginny. Enjoy your time with your mom. Actually, I think I would like to debrief her myself, since none of you volunteered.” Briel offered. “I've developed an admiration for Mr. Alvares.”

“I'll go with you,” Liam volunteered, his smile eager and his expression intense. Briel tried to hide any evidence of the sudden sickness that gripped her at the thought. She

“Oh,” Nessa interjected. “I was hoping I could go instead. I specialized in pinpointing drug cartels when I worked for the Bureau. I'd really like to meet someone like Mr. Alvares.”

“Well,” Briel breathed a sigh of relief at Nessa's interference. “Though it's not normal procedure, why don't you both go? There are no rules that restrict the number of participants for a debrief - just recommendations.”

For ten seconds no one spoke. A moment later, though, Liam shrugged and averted his eyes, “No, it's cool. I don't really have a reason to go except boredom. Nessa, it's all yours.”

Briel could have hugged Nessa right there.

“Okay, then. Just send me your reports by the end of next week. I think I have most of the pertinent information. Rendezvous with the airplane in two hours. Nessa and I will see you tomorrow.” Briel smiled in dismissal, and Adam slid behind the wheel of the van to drive the rest of the team to the airport leaving Briel and Nessa alone.

One of Briel’s favorite things about her job was the travel and the new places she visited, whether simple or luxurious. Usually, Briel enjoyed her solitary excursions after a mission. She would leave a couple of her teammates for the debrief and take her time returning to her apartment on her own. After skimming through the mission locale, she would lay to rest any sentimental attachment she held for a place, unwilling that it retain any hold on her once she returned home. She had another reason for wanting to stick around Mexico City: find Jack Buckley and make him lead her to Henry. Right now, though, wandering the streets of Mexico City could only prove foolish, or even worse, deadly, so Briel consigned herself to heading straight home. Someone had targeted her, and she needed to get herself to a more secure location. She bit her lip in irritation. Briel despised running away - running away implied fear, and Briel would fear nothing.

At least, in theory. For the first time in her career, Briel regretted her maverick ways today. Regardless of her stoic demeanor, Briel's recent experience had shaken her. She would have ridden with her crew, but she feared that any change from her usual behavior would tip them off to her captivity. Briel hated to show weakness, and even more, she hated personal failure.

“Are you going to explain what you're doing?” Nessa joined her at the curb where the van had driven away. How could Nessa manage to make irritation sound pleasant? “I know you haven't told me the whole story.” They began a relaxed pace toward a sitio to grab a taxi.

Briel sighed inwardly. Though she wanted to trust Nessa, Briel feared that trusting anyone at the moment would prove foolish. Still, she knew from training and experience that she often needed an objective third party to run things past if she wanted any perspective. Briel had known Nessa for just under four months, but Nessa had proven herself as much a friend as anyone Briel had ever known.

For one thing, Nessa possessed gifts of character which advantageously complemented Briel's. Where Briel had shown an instinctive knack for taking action, she had not shown as much insight in interpersonal relationships. Nessa, however, seemed to read people so readily that she could make out their character upon one meeting. Briel had isolated herself from almost all human contact; Nessa surrounded herself with as many people as possible, not because she needed them per se, but because she liked them. In recent months, Briel had begun to recognize the disadvantages of relying solely upon herself, ones Nessa did not suffer. Even if one of Nessa's acquaintances were to betray her, she would have a hundred waiting in the wings to help her.

Most importantly, with Nessa's insight into the human psyche, the woman could have easily found ways to manipulate those around her. Yet Briel, someone very familiar with strategic manipulation, had never seen Nessa attempt to compel anyone to any action. One of the most attractive aspects of Nessa's personality grew from her simple frankness, and manipulation did not mesh well with that trait. If Briel could trust another human on the planet, she could trust Nessa Santiago.

“Listen, Nessa. This is pretty out of character for me, but I'm going to ask for your help on this. I could use some perspective, and that seems to be your specialty.”

“Thanks,” she interrupted, sincere pleasure apparent on her features. “I'm glad to help.”

“When I disappeared last night, I woke up in a house inhabited by Jack Buckley's men.”

“Jack Buckley? No way.”

“Yes. Actually, I heard enough to know that the reason our Ms. Alvares was released is because whoever traded me to Jack convinced him that I would garner a higher price. It turned out to be true, and Mr. Perez – I can only assume he's of the influential Perez family of this area – offered Jack Buckley $100,000 for me.”

Nessa gaped in disbelief. “$100,000. That's off the charts expensive. I've never heard of a price that high.”

“Well, you know certain characteristics sell at a higher price than others, but, yes. That is a lot. Jack had planned to bring in three competitive bidders, and he wanted to consult with Mr. Perez to determine my market value in the Mexican market. To see if I was worth the trade for Emilia Alvares,” Briel smiled ruefully. “I'm apparently in an 'elite class of slaves.'” Briel tried to make light of her anger, but she could not restrain the acid in her tone.

As usual, Nessa caught the slightest hint of emotion. “Briel, that's awful! I mean, I know we're trained and everything, but are you okay? How did you get out?”

Leave it to Nessa to ask the one question Briel did not want to answer: actually, the two questions. Briel was not “okay,” but she sure as hell didn't want to tell anyone that. She also did not want anyone to know how she had escaped, that she had brought in an unknown variable into her mission, i.e. Ted.

“Well,” Briel interjected as much truth as she dared, “I convinced Jack's second-in-command to let me out of the closet to get a drink of water and, when he did, I managed to acquire a screwdriver.”

“And being Briel, you fought off five trained men with a screwdriver. Of course.”

Briel shot a sideways glare at Nessa, “Not entirely. I just went back to the closet and waited until the opportunity presented itself for escape.”

“So, what? Did they just walk out and conveniently leave you to jimmy the lock undetected? There is something you're not telling me here, Briel.”

“Actually, they sort of did. I heard some kind of disturbance in the distance and the sound of the men's footsteps running toward it. I took the opportunity, expecting fewer numbers since I had heard several men leave. When the door opened, not only had some of the men left, not one of them had stayed behind in the room. So while they were outside, I found a side entrance to the house and walked out.”

“It doesn't seem likely that the men would leave you alone so easily.”

“I thought the same thing, but then I decided that these weren't exactly trained soldiers,” she asserted. “They were a bunch of hired thugs, easily distracted and eager for a fight.”

“Oh,” Nessa stated, apparently unconvinced. “Hmm.”

“Look, Nessa. I just...everything I've told you is true.”

Nessa gazed over the rooftops of the houses the women passed by, and a wan smile painted her lips. “Of course it is, Briel. You're a horrible liar. You might have been better off letting Liam accompany you on this debrief since he is significantly stronger and more combat-hardened than I am, but there’s something going on between you two – you guys were both throwing out signs, apart and together – so I get why you didn’t want that. Plus, I’m with Jase that you need to watch out for Liam. You're holding something back from me, though. I can only assume that, if you feel compelled to do so, you have a good reason. I…I consider you a friend, and so I'm not going to push.”

“Thank you,” Briel offered, genuinely grateful. She didn’t know whether to worry more that Jase was putting ideas in Nessa’s head or that Liam was unsuccessful in hiding his thoughts on Briel. If anything, Liam just seemed like he was sulking, looking for opportunities to tease Briel like a slighted schoolboy. Part of her found the attitude charming – certainly not threatening. Either way, Nessa’s agreement to back off gave Briel breathing room to think about all the chaos that seemed to be approaching. Who knew that a simple mission would cause so much personal upheaval?

“But just so I can perpetuate your story,” Nessa continued, “would you tell me why you didn't say anything to the team about being kidnapped? I'm glad I managed to keep my expression straight when you acted as if nothing unusual had happened.”

“Oh, sorry about that.” Briel felt sheepish. “I just have to tread carefully. If someone from the team compromised me...”

“You honestly think someone on the Team did this? I find that hard to believe. You've known these guys for years. Who? Who would it be?”

A little disappointed, Briel realized that perhaps she couldn't count on Nessa entirely, not considering Nessa's obvious loyalty to the team. Though Briel did not suspect her friend's involvement, Nessa might inadvertently expose something important to someone she didn't “believe” would hurt Briel. Briel held no such illusions.

“I don't really think anyone on our team is involved, but I'm still going to be cautious. I plan on pursuing all other possibilities as well, not just the Team. I mean, for all I know, Jack Buckley has been monitoring me ever since last month's mission, and he took advantage of our isolation here to snag me. All it takes is someone greedy enough to accept a payout from ProtoComm.”

“But what would it accomplish to come after you?”

“I did just bring down one of their top executives. And I don’t expect they will like me better after today. I imagine Mr. Perez will be spreading a negative report when his purchase fails to materialize. But without someone close to me, how will they even find me? Much less catch me.”

“Still, that doesn’t mean the team. What about that computer guy?”

Irritated, Briel snapped “No!” before Nessa could finish the thought. “No, it’s not him. We've discussed this before. Every sign points to the fact that I can trust him.”

“And you have such a good record with evaluating people?” Nessa sassed.

Briel almost laughed. The comment was the closest she had ever heard to a criticism emanating from Nessa's mouth. “I trust you, don't I?” Briel retorted.

A true, amused grin lit up Nessa's face, and Briel took the cue, grinning back at her friend.

“You do trust me, Briel, and I honestly don't know why. I mean, I'm trustworthy, but you're totally not trusting. If it weren't for your questionable judgment about that Ted guy, I would feel flattered.”

“Just wait,” Briel still smiled. “I'm right about you, and you'll see that I'm right about him, too.”

“So someone close to you is helping ProtoComm, but you’re not willing to consider any specific person who is close to you.”

Except for Jase, Briel retorted silently. She had other options – there were several ops who were on that mission with her, who debriefed some of the ProtoComm staff and could have received a contract. They weren’t close to her, though. Only Jase had enough history with her to hold ill will. When meant that if Jase were Ted, then Ted also bore her ill will. On the heels of her abduction, she didn’t have the mental faculties to sort it out, but she had to figure out Jase’s angle. He held every characteristic that spoke his involvement. He had a history, one capped by Briel’s callous disregard for Jase’s paramour. Though he was not on the team, he had access to it. He had the computer knowledge to access her computer, at least if he managed access to the team’s server – he couldn’t have broken in from the outside; she knew that much.

Her instincts, though…Jase seemed more “big brother” and less “angry ex” or “vengeful criminal.” Maybe her only way to figure Jase out would be through Nessa, who seemed his passive companion for the time being. While she summed up her plans for Nessa, Briel suddenly realized that Nessa had stopped walking and now stared at her companion with pursed lips.

“I can understand why you feel suspicious of everyone. I also understand why you feel you can't tell me everything. Just know that, if you decide to trust me, I am more than willing to help. You're an honest, good-hearted person who is also extremely talented. I know that you're used to relying on yourself, but...”

“But what?”

“Nothing, really. Just know that I'm here.”

Briel felt uncomfortable with the gush of sentiment, but she couldn't doubt Nessa's sincerity. And conveniently, Briel just might take her friend up on the offer. “Umm, thanks. I really do appreciate it. When I've had time to think, I'll consider what you've said. Right now, I just need to go with what my instincts tell me.”

Nessa shrugged casually, turning to continue their walk. They could see the queue of taxis a couple of a blocks away. “Well, okay, then. At some point, you'll tell me everything. For now, finish this and get home.”

They walked in silence for the next block, and Briel realized that the black clothes she wore had warmed to her skin. After the distraction of her conversation with Nessa, Briel had almost forgotten the tenuousness of her current situation. If she hadn't noticed the strangely regular movement from the corner of her eye, Briel might have missed the warning entirely, and both she and Nessa would most likely have suffered an unbearable fate. The last thought would haunt Briel later, so disgusted did she feel with herself for putting her friend in danger.

Fortunately for them both, though, Briel's peripheral vision had registered the strangely consistent motion a few yards behind Nessa's left shoulder. A little too late, Briel raised her hand in front of her to signal her suspicions to Nessa. Just as Nessa looked up to take in the meaning of Briel's signs, the rev of an engine accelerated toward them.

With the short presage, Nessa spun to face an unknown assailant. Briel spun in unison with her friend and saw a black sedan in which sat three of the men from her earlier prison. As soon as it pulled beside the women, two of the men jumped from the still moving vehicle and rushed toward them. The women had enough warning that Briel would have had plenty of time to confront her attackers with confidence, but she had no desire to engage in a full-on battle in the open street.

“Allons-nous!” Briel cried out. “Ne combat pas.”

“Okay,” Nessa seemed completely at ease with the French command.

After each woman had landed a particularly solid hit on her assailant, Nessa and Briel turned and ran away from their attackers and toward an alleyway between two rows of houses. “A gauche!” Briel commanded, and the two of them ducked at the last minute through a corner between two apartment buildings on their left. For several minutes, they ran full tilt down narrow alleys and across private yards. The area they traversed consisted of obviously upper-class homes by Mexican standards.

“Ils sont allé?” Nessa panted.

“Yes, they're lost somewhere behind us,” Briel responded in English, sure that their pursuers had fallen behind. “Good job.”

They had slowed to a walk. Fortunately, their encounter with Jack Buckley's goons had only taken them a few minutes off the path, but they were almost closer to the rental place than to the taxi stand, so they forewent the taxi.

“You were right about those men,” Nessa allowed, her breath easing. “They are not trained at all – just a bunch of thugs. We lost them too easily.”

“Yep. Do you still think our team is totally innocent in this?”

Nessa pulled up to a stop and faced Briel. “What do you mean by that? What could this possibly prove? The thugs who kidnapped you wanted you back.”

“Yes, but how did they know where we were?” It seemed so obvious to Briel. “We've traveled an hour on foot from where I was confined. How did they know which direction to look? They came right to us and knew how to ID us off the street.”

Nessa pursed her lips, but her answer came slowly. “That doesn't necessarily prove anything,” she insisted.

“No, it doesn't. But if they had received our location from a team member, it certainly would explain how Jack's goons found us here.”

Unexpectedly, the communicator on Nessa's belt beeped twice, alerting her to a new message.

“What is it?” Briel commanded as Nessa pulled the device up to read.

A moment later, she turned it to Briel. “Here, you read it. I think it was intended for you.”

Cut the debrief short. We need you to come in asap. Follow up quickly then get back here. - Sara

“Huh. I wonder what's going on?” Briel mused.

“Who knows? Could have something to do with your time missing. Maybe someone reported it. Management doesn't always like your renegade style.”

“True.” If her team had turned her in to management, Briel felt even more uneasy about them. Since when had any team member found it necessary to overload his report with such details? Especially details that might reflect badly on a fellow member.

“Let's just get this over with.” Nessa seemed glad to rush home, and once again, Briel regretted having involved her.

“Sure. By the way, thanks for saving me from Liam back there. He seems to have made a new hobby of irritating me.”

“Ha!” she puffed a laugh. “I noticed. What was the stunt with Ginny? You don't usually call people out like that.”

“Well, someone came to visit my kidnappers while I was confined, a woman, and I wanted to see if Ginny's voice matched.”

“But it didn't?” Nessa questioned, seeming to read Briel's expression. “So, that would just leave me,” Nessa offered bluntly. At first, the statement elicited no emotion, but after a moment of thought, the hurt returned to Nessa's eyes as she turned them to examine Briel. “And that's why you suspected me.”

“Come on, give me a break. I'm just trying to cover all my bases.” Why did she want to make things difficult?

“Of course you are,” Nessa sighed. “I'm just not used to sensing a lack of trust in my friends. I guess it confirms one of the reasons that I've always admired you.”

“Why is that?” Briel couldn't keep the curiosity from her words.

“You, Briel Cortes, are consistent. You suspect everybody, and if I'm going to spend a significant amount of time with you, I'm going to have to get used to it.”

Not too used to it, Briel insisted to herself. I plan on putting an end to this soon, before I bring something bad down on you. Suddenly, Briel realized one reason she had always held back from people, and the day's events confirmed her in it: getting close to Briel carried a lot of danger. Maybe her new commitment to create relationships needed to end. I'm not Felicity Miller, she informed herself.

By the time they finished the conversation, Nessa and Briel had traversed the remaining five blocks and spied the sign for the Facil rental car company.

“So, what's our next move?” Nessa asked eagerly as they walked toward their small sedan.

“We go to Morelos and talk to Mr. Alvares,” Briel raised her eyebrows in confusion. “What else should we do?”

“I know that,” Nessa replied impatiently. “But when we get back? What do we do about your kidnapping?”

Briel's step stuttered as she registered Nessa's question. Though she had addressed the issue silently, Briel guessed Nessa would force her to say it aloud.

“We don't do anything. I am going to do some investigating.”

“So you're going there again?” Nessa upbraided her. “You're stepping out on your own? How did that work out for you last time? Seems to me that you almost didn't make it out alive.”

Briel rolled her eyes. “I wasn't prepared before. Now that I'm aware that I'm a target, I'll be more careful.”

“Please, Briel. You've got to trust someone.”

“I trust you, Nessa.” It was true, but Briel needed to make some plans before she brought Nessa into them. “But trusting someone doesn't mean dragging her into the path of a personal vendetta against me. I can take care of myself.”

As the pair lowered themselves into the car, Briel heard Nessa's sigh of frustration.

“I'll be fine, Nessa. Don't worry about me.”

“You can keep me from helping, but you can't keep me from worrying.”

Briel grimaced again as she turned the car south toward Morelos, her heart trying to steady itself. Though Nessa's solicitousness grated on Briel's nerves, she found an unexpected – and unwelcome – comfort in the thought of a companion in her dilemma. If she were honest with herself, she didn't really want to face the coming danger alone. She didn’t expect the sensation to last, though. Briel would not drag Nessa into whatever trouble seemed brewing in the near future.