The man glanced over his shoulder and darted down the alley. He knew that Vin and Buck were on their way...he just needed to stay out of sight long enough for them to catch up. The alley ended right across the street from the park. He looked back and seeing that he had a decent lead he ran for the wooded section directly opposite.

A storm had moved in an hour ago and, although it hadn't started to rain yet the it was beginning to get unpleasant.

The wind whipped through the trees, bending them nearly double, and the clouds were moving in ominously. The park was mostly deserted in anticipation of the coming downpour but a few diehards were still lurking. The older men who played chess in the covered area by the outdoor arena were still engrossed in their latest battle on the checkered board, neither wanting to be the one to call it quits, thus conceding the game.

Chris moved past, pausing to leave a marker and shaking his head at the stubborness of the pair. He soon disappeared into the thicket on the other side of the paved area.

Vin lost track of Buck in his haste to locate his friend and partner. After following one of the suspects into the alley and barely avoiding his trap, they had split up, Buck following the fleeing man down the street while Vin entered the park, looking for the other suspect and Larabee.

He was running hard when he reached the arena area, and seeing the old men playing chess he slowed to ask them if they had seen either man. It was then that he saw the badge...Chris's badge.

It was there on the table, next to the chessboard.

He stopped dead, demanding that the men tell him how and when the badge had ended up on their table. One of the older men, a balding man whose han shook looked up at him and nodded.

The man leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper. "He was here...and the other one, too."

"Where did they go?" Tanner asked urgently.

Meanwhile Buck was having a hard time getting close to his quarry; the street was crowded and noisy. With too many people still out to run unhampered...and many people for the suspect to blend in with. He finally stopped, worn out and confused, the meeting was supposed to be secret. No one was supposed to know. Not even Travis had been in on the set up. It would have been too dangerous, until they figured out where the leak was, no one outside the team could be trusted.

Chris was beginning to falter, he was in good shape...excellent shape, but he'd been running for a long time, and at the same time he had to keep a sharp watch ahead and behind, he knew that the man ahead of him was part of the group that had been sabotaging the entire ATF for the past few months, and he was pretty sure that there was a man behind him, and without backup, he was feeling a bit exposed. He took a short break to catch his breath and dialed Vin's cell number, the phone rang four times and switched to voice mail, he cursed his luck, hoping that the time he's just spent didn't cost him too much, as it was...it cost more than he could afford.

Vin heard his phone ringing but was unable to reach it before it switched to voice mail, he hit the replay button without slowing his pace and heard Chris's curses and labored breathing. "Damn!" He cursed to himself, knowing that this case, and his partner's life depended on him...and he was behind...too far behind to help. He needed to be there to cover Larabee's back. That was his job, he'd vowed to be ther for the man he loved and respected above all and felt a sharp pain rip through him at the thought of failing in his duty...of breaking his promise. And that hurt because it was the kind of promise friends make to each other.

The wind was getting stronger and colder as the day wore on. Vin was wearing a light jacket, not anywhere near warm enough for the sharp drop in the temperature. He was almost glad that he was running since the activity was at least keeping him a bit warm. He watched as a man stood by the next corner, he was wearing a coat that was heavier than his own but was still underdressed. The man pulled his coat collar closer around his ears.

Vin kept moving, he was getting deeper into the large park and soon there were no people to be seen. He wasn't even sure that he was going the right direction...except for that inner voice that said go on.

Chris was finally closing in on the man he'd been chasing for what seemed like an eternity, he'd thought that he'd lost him a while ago but then had caught a glimpse of him as he ducked around a corner. Now he slowed his pace as he closed in. He was just about to move around the corner when he realized that something didn't feel right.

Then there was only blackness.

Vin skirted the small waterway, glancing down as fish darted along the bottom of the pond. He felt like he was getting closer.

---

The prisoner pulled futily at his handcuffs, cursing colorfully at his own stupidity. Above him in the arena the game had started, it was hours since he'd walked into the set-up and he knew that his team would have lost track of his trail by now.

The crowd jumped to theis feet and cheered. Never knowing that a member of the Denver ATF was inprisoned below.

Vin sensed that Chris was no longer in the area. He stopped, turned in a complete circle, trying to get a sense of which direction to go but all he got was a blank. He swore under his breath, he had been sure that he was getting closer, then, almost like a switch was turned off...nothing, his extra sense was as empty of information as his other five. He searched the area anyhow, turning up nothing of use and finally headed back towards the street.

He reached the small art museum at the edge of the park and slipped inside the entrance, the wind was slicing right through his light jacket now and he needed a place to warm up and regroup. He called Buck and found out that he and the others were looking for both he and Chris. He updated them and waited for one of them to pick him up.

He stayed inside the lobby while he waited, wandering around and looking at the pictures on the walls. It was then that he noticed one particular picture. He studied the painting, not sure why it attracted him so. It was a western scene with two men on horses, turned to face each other, their arms clasped together in a full arm grip as they smiled at each other. It sent a shive down his spine.

A car honked and he looked to see Buck's truck outside. As he was climbing in Buck's cell rang. A voice at the other end claimed to know where Chris was and the man just wanted protection from the men who had taken him. They quickly agreed.

Within the hour they had moved in and captured the man who had taken Chris and were behind the sabotage. Chris had a slight concussion but was released with a warning to rest for a few days.

Buck smirked a the thought of Chris resting but Vin assured the doctor that the man would stay abed, giving Chris a look that promised strict enforcement. Chris nodded, smiled and promised to obey. It was, after all, the kind of promise friends make to each other...especially friends like he and Vin. Little did Buck and the doctor know that keeping him in bed was no problem at all, as long as Vin was there with him.

THE END