"Yes, I... Yeah," she muttered softly, almost incoherently. He was alive. Jacob was [i]alive.[/i]

Robotically, Bree took Jacob's picture back in her hand, her eyes riveted immediately to the sweet smiling face in the picture. She had a state, a city even, and Bree knew very well that the center of operations was located in Boston. It made sense of course, and she never once - not even for a moment - considered the possibility that Ethan was just saying something to get rid of her, to ditch her again. Somehow, some way, she just knew he wouldn't do that to her. Not now.

But there was simply no way for them to find him. Not in time at least. Even if they could get warrants for every single building in Boston and its environs, every last penthouse, shack, trailer and that was even [i]remotely[/i] suspected to be owned, run or overrun by this mob, it would be the work of untold weeks. And Ethan had said one word that stopped her breath cold, gripped her heart with a panic that twisted her gut up so painfully...

[i]"Yet."[/i]

"Please... [i]Please[/i] don't go Ethan." She was desperate, as desperate and scared as she'd ever been in her life. And as simple as that, FBI Special Agent Brigit Walsh, former U.S. Army sergeant and all around serious bad ass, had come as close to begging as she'd ever done in all her life. She spit in the eye of anyone threatening her life, but for Jacob... ?

"That is such a large city, such an immense countryside to find such a little boy... " Her voice trailed off, and Bree could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, painful little pinpricks at the corners. She shut them tight, quickly, digging the heels of her palms into her eyelids. She still had that much pride at least - but that was all.

Her hands dropped to her side, and Bree opened her wet, reddened eyes as she looked into Ethan's green gaze. "They buried her alive Ethan," she began softly, "Jacob's sister, they buried her alive. Those bastards took video footage of a little girl crying and screaming for her Mommy and Daddy until she finally suffocated to death, hours later. [i]Hours[/i]... "

"And then? Then they sent the video to her parents."

Bree's hands just couldn't stay still, and she ran her hands through her auburn hair, trying to catch her breath. "I need your help Ethan. Honest to God, if there was anywhere else to turn, I would. I know you just want to get away, far away - hell, you haven't even asked how I [i]found[/i] you. But I know it now, even if it makes no rational, common sense at all. There's just no finding Jacob without you."