“Yes there could be crocks so keep your eyes out and don’t stand too close to the river bank and foliage.” Lara advised.
“If you spot a croc or alligator give it a wide berth, fifteen feet or so should be plenty and IF one does attack  run away from it. Crocs and alligators are not as sluggish on land as many people think, the land speed record for a croc is about 10 miles per hour but it's extremely unusual for one to pursue a person on land. And these animals quickly grow tired when running on land, which means that as long as you can see it coming you can easily out  run it. Oh and be sure to run away from the water.” Lara said passing on her 'What to do if' knowledge to Patrick.

Lara took a drink of the water she had gathered earlier and she offered some to Patrick. She was glad to see the river getting closer and closer as the pair walked and she wondered if they would have to follow it for hours or days before they found civilization or a person.

Patrick felt his eyebrows making a beeline to his hairline. And he gulped loudly, enough to consider it embarrassing for the ever chiper man, before he spoke.
"So it makes me want to become a cheetah. Or maybe a bird would be better. At least that'd be best giving the surroundings." he said in a voice not steady enough. The imagination wasn't his best friend today. It kept playing some hilariously stupid scene of him running from a crocodile only his legs were not of a human, actually, an ostrich's.

He shook his head to get rid of that silly image and nodded. "Okay, eyes wide open, ears pricked up, and ready to sprint. After all it's not a tiger." Or Lisbon... he added in his mind.
In fact, Jane could run. Quite fast, to be honest. Of course, just by looks it was tough to tell how he actually looked beyond the three-piece suit, but looks can be deceiving, as it was known.

"You know, that was quite the encyclopedia knowledge you just shared. Good training or interest in nature?" words popped out his mouth before brain even fully registered water intake. To hide the momentary flush he hid his face into the shirt sleeve as the blonde wiped his face in his shirt. Obviously the filter between his tongue and brain was finally completely fried. After all the consultant, and resident lab's mischief, had made a promise to himself to finally behave around other people, especially those that weren't previously warned about him.

“Relax. The chances of us being attacked are slim.” Lara said trying to comfort Jane a bit, “Both.” She answered in reply to Patrick’s question, “I had a fondness for all things scaly when I was younger and I never really grew out of it, and I have had training yes.” Lara said “Plus I’m kind of a nerd at heart.” She admitted sheepishly, “Always have been, always will be I suppose. I always have my nose in some kind of text book or research paper or the internet…or TV documentary.” She rambled in a spell of blurting out of her own.

(Just to let you know that I doubt that I will be on here over Christmas. So Merry Christmas  )

“Relax. The chances of us being attacked are slim.” Lara said trying to comfort Jane a bit, “Both.” She answered in reply to Patrick’s question, “I had a fondness for all things scaly when I was younger and I never really grew out of it, and I have had training yes.” Lara said “Plus I’m kind of a nerd at heart.” She admitted sheepishly, “Always have been, always will be I suppose. I always have my nose in some kind of text book or research paper or the internet…or TV documentary.” She rambled in a spell of blurting out of her own.

(Just to let you know that I doubt that I will be on here over Christmas. So Merry Christmas )

"Well, that really calms my nerves a lot." Jane said. Well... it did in fact. Good to know, he released a breath inwardly.

As Lara talked Patrick listened. She seemed truly engrossed into all the stuff and as someone spending nearly a decade into hunting one criminal with all the possible means and passion. He could understand someone's hobbies and likes. After all he lived in a house full of passionate people who devoted their lives to the job they loved and still managed to maintain gazillion of hobbies.
And he himself was a bookworm of some sort, possibly why somebody at CBI regularly complained about his random bursts of facts.

"I'm glad you're so passionate. Some people rarely takes off their attention of a video game or bag of chips. At least now I know one more person who likes nature and books enough to actually talk about that." he said with a smile. "And if you ever meet Ryan Wolfe then ask him about leeches. You'll hear a litany about how useless they are when left in wilderness." and added with a chuckle. He remembered the story about the case in Glades and leech incident that earned a lot of pranks later.

[okay, then Merry Christmas to you too! ]

“It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates me talking about such things.” Lara replied, “I often get ribbed about it, especially when I share relevant or random fact without anyone asking for them.” Lara added with a smile.

Lara smiled yet groaned at Patrick’s leech comment, “Err, I don’t like leeches. They are useful but gross.”

“You know Ryan Wolfe, the one that works with LT. Caine?” Lara enquired, “I’ve seen him around the PD but I’ve never met him. I’ve read a lot of his cases though and nearly all of Lt. Caine’s because I’m studying to become a CSI.” She added, “Who knows maybe I will meet him one day and we can share our aversion to leeches." She joked.

"Familiar feeling. I still get all kinds of glares whenever something pops out of my mouth, relevant or random." Patrick told. Well, contrary to popular belief he actually was capable of holding his tongue. Besides Jane didn't mind if Lara shared whatever she liked, he was always open to hear whatever stuff people cane up with.


"Yes, I do know CSI Wolfe. Actually we share a house. And thanks to his sneaky sister even a bathroom or closet." Jane smiled sheepishly. Not often it was him telling the story of how the infamous CBI consultant ended up across the country and even appearing to live a life he'd denied himself for years after mourning his family and chasing their killer. But little Michelle had burst into their office and his life with her energy and bear hugs. And he was fast under her spell and somehow wasn't hard to get him across few states and not let back.
Yeah, Patrick Jane, the great consultant and known con, has definitely changed if he let himself be pulled away from what had been his life for nearly a decade. It had helped actually.

The pair finally reached the river and Lara was glad for that, she just wished she could remember more about last night. She thought and thought about the flashbacks she had earlier and tried hard to remember anything or figure out something from the clues but she felt frustrated because nothing seemed to come to her.

Lara fell silent once again as she led Patrick along the river with a pensive disposition about her. Nature and the sound of flowing water inhabited the air.

Then Lara had another mental picture flash across her mind: a sign that read “Unit 5”. Lara absentmindedly blurted it out loud as the image appeared in her head. “It’s a warehouse.” She said with an odd mix of certainty and un-sureness after a moment of pause.

Patrick noticed Lara becoming quiet as they reached the river. But he chose to not say anything. Something told the man she was once again trying to remember some more. And quite frankly he too.
Not one piece had returned while they walked nor when he'd been talking with Lara about camping stuff.
But what he got was the feeling of being somewhere dark and possibly cold. How real the feeling was he couldn't tell yet.

Until suddenly Lara announced about a warehouse."Warehouse?" Jane asked aloud. His eyebrows were treading towards his hairline. "Could we have been taken there and kept until being dumped here?" he was starting to brainstorm some.
"I'm getting a feeling of being somewhere dark and cold. Could be a warehouse too." the consultant wondered. He wasn't sure where it was located though. Miami exploring got kinda pushed back and mostly he knew his way around cental city area to get to store and beach and to lab. Greater Miami are and South Beach was most often visited areas. Everywhere else either Ryan or Michelle got any of them.

Lara began to remember a little more as she pieced together all the flashbacks she had so far, “I remember now, it was a warehouse that had been converted into storage units. That’s the to let sign I remember seeing, and the unit 5 sign. That’s the unit I in.” Lara said, “I-I went in because I heard a commotion…there where some kind of machines and a small group of men. They looked very unhappy and they looked un happy to see me.” Lara continued, she was remembering it all as she spoke, “…You were there…in front of them I think…It’s all still fuzzy.” Lara finished, she hoped this would jog Patrick’s memory too.

Her words made Patrick to start on flipping the film back. He clearly knew he was at the lab most of the day. He knew he was procrastinating and evading work so he could do a bit of small prank party on Mich for the last 'lock-up' time. (Not that he minded Neal's company) and he'd wanted to find Ryan and ask something about... something that was now eaten by his amnesia.

Jane could only recall leaving lab and getting out of locker room. Those were really clear memories. The shine of the floors in the afternoon sun, the glittering of machines in the glass see-through environment. He clearly as now recalled the buzz, soft murmur of the people talking and things working in the background as he walked down the hall... The smell of coffee and chemical compounds investigators used for evidence examination and testing.
He could almost taste the muffin reception girl had on her desk, he nearly feel the conditioned air of the lab's inner atmosphere flowing through his nostrils. Almost felt his mouth pulling the muscles into a smile he cast upon everyone in his way. The reflection of the orange sun shining on his face and blinding him a bit as he was squinting to see his way out of the hallway and he could literally hear the ding of an elevator he was heading towards.
It was all so palpable, so alive in his memory.

Then why everything after elevator door closing seems so pale suddenly? Why all he could feel there was like a deep fog in early morning? What has happened to him?

Jane opened his blue eyes, not remembering closing them, and rubbed his tired face with one hand. He felt his skin hot under the palm of his hand, felt all the sweat and bit of random dirt.
Even that felt more real than what his mind was hiding.

"I don't know, Lara." the blonde man said with a sigh, "I can practically feel, taste, smell and hear everything that was around me all the way until elevator. The door closes and my memory fades. Like a fog. The more I try the more fog takes over. And I know I did remember more when I told you earlier. Everything gets really vivid of before, more than earlier, but all that happened after more blurry." and with that a proverbial light bulb lights up above his head. Of course, how blind one could be in an empty car. That was it.
He suddenly jumped up to his feet, not sure how he gotten down, and starts pacing, ignoring the vertigo threatening to put him down again. "Of course! That has to be it." he excitedly calls out like discovering a new planet, or species. But then world suddenly tilts and turns black...

Lara watched as Patrick closed his eyes and thought about yesterday’s events. Lara saw that Patrick still seemed a little dizzy as she lowered himself into a seated position without even thinking about it. “Are you Okay?” she asked him concerned but her words probably fell on deaf ears, Patrick seemed far away like he was having a flashback of his own.

Lara thought hard to try and remember any more then Patrick spoke and jumped up excitedly after having some kind of epiphany, “What? What is it? Do you remember something?” Lara asked eager to know what her preoccupied companion had remembered of figured out.   But before Patrick could answer her question, he seemed to black out. Lara grabbed him and lowered him down as gently as she could, “Patrick? Patrick?” she said trying to keep him conscious.

(Hello. Good to hear from you   )

After crow-knows-how-much time Patrick smelled swamp in all its glory and felt sun trying to turn him into a melted butter.
Ever since it had gotten so hot, he absentmindedly wondered as he felt someone else touching him and talking.... Oh my god...!

Two pale-ish blue eyes popped open and like a light switch turned on everything of the day flew back.

"We still here?" he asked although, duh!, of course they were still in Glades. None so far, aside Mich maybe and possibly Neal, didn't use teleportation yet. And as far as he could tell Transformers movie still was just that- a movie- so no chopers would suddenly appear disguised as boats or something, or the other way around.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to portray a light switch." Patrick smiled sheepishly and realized how awkward that must be for Lara.

He'd had to apologize one day, somehow. And maybe do some dinner invitation to someplace like Neal's new fancy all-tastes club/restaurant/bar. At least it felt appropriate.
And most likely there'd be few people wanting to thank Lara for saving his ass from gators and helping through wildlife-on-live because quite frankly if someone will ever suggest camping he'd skip the town. Unless it was someplace with only coconuts and bananas.
But first they had to get out of this mess... Right.



[oh sorry you had to wait this long. I somehow got really busy and then internet hiccuped and it always was too late in the day to muster up energy. but last night I got hit by enormous inspiration and happily chopped up a reply. good to be back ]

Patrick opened his again after just a few seconds. He obviously needed a moment to gain his bearings.
Lara sighed in relief when the blond quickly snapped back into the here and now with an apology and an awkward smile, “There is no need to apologize.” Lara said as she helped Patrick to sit, “Don’t be embarrassed, you’ve been through a lot. We both have. Just rest for a minute.” Lara offered Patrick some of the water that was left, “Do you feel okay?” She asked as she rubbed his arm comfortingly.

Lara gave Patrick a few minutes to regroup, “Before you blacked out you remembered something or figured something out, do you remember what that was?” Lara asked trying not to show how much her curiosity was burning over the mater. Lara did not want to make Patrick feel pressured, especially while he was in his current state.

(That’s okay, I understand. It was a good post by the way. I could literally see Patrick Jane walking through the CSI Miami lab in my mind as if I was actually seeing it on a TV screen. Nice job   .)

Soaking up all the comfort Lara offered, and letting water to moisten his brain cells Jane once again tried not to blush. It was embarrassing for him, man who's always appeared to everyone chipper, mischievous and having some pranks under the sleeve. At least probably during first years at CBI. And even after few more little Michelle Foster had been the only one to see right through and not give a damn. And now in Miami his "new" family treated him like he didn't have any terrible past hanging above his head, like he was normal. But he wasn't. Nevertheless those people didn't care, they just cooed around him and took care he wasn't alone for too long.
Because they knew, but had their own past hanging above. But they didn't let anything stop them from living their lives. They simply plowed right on.
He learned to be relaxed and not become embarrassed. To simply give less damn than before, to himself.

"You're right. It's just weird to feel less embarrassed than I would back home." he said and realized his home wasn't just 'back there', his home was right here- Miami.

Patrick had to shake his head to try and rattle everything into places. Sun was doing a number on his usually splendid talents. Or was it the way he got dazed before taken?

"Yes. I did remember something." he pulled himself back to the lab, the ding of the elevator, past the muffin, the smell of coffee and past the murmur of people talking in background. Into the elevator.
He pulled himself back into the silvery shining metal box. The moment as the door closed, and his eyes landed on its reflective surface... The number of fingerprints littering the surface. It wasn't so shiny anymore. The reflections distorted, muffled and blurred like a fog.
But it was there. Black and cloudy like a smoke. Shadow. Figure.
He looked at the shiny buttons. They were going down, only one button lit up. G.
Groundfloor.
But those above still casting clear reflection.

Patrick squeezed his eyes shut tightly and took an iron grip of the memory. Focused hard on the tiny reflection of the equally tiny button.

His brain was screaming into protest. It felt like fire was licking at his brain cells. It hurt so much to clear the fog away.

"Man. Dressed all black. No, men. They were four. All dressed up in black. They were looking at each other, giving signs. One had paper, like photograph, in hand. He was nodding at others. I couldn't hear them but I suspected different language being used. One had something hidden under the clothes. Another one had headphone, in left, no, right ear. We stopped and door opened. And I walked into two more black clad muscle. There was a buzz and what felt like strong electroshock. Then something really hard touched my head." Jane finished in one breath, "That's all I remember." he breathed hard, as if finished marathon. And he suddenly fell back down, in lying position, not able to hold himself upright.
Sometimes remembering could take out a lot. This was one of the times. He was so tired.


(Thank you! I'm darn proud of that post and glad you saw what I saw while I was typing it up.
Y'know, every time I read reply or write one myself I have the scene in front of my eyes as if I was watching it on tv screen.
And I'm so happy you saw it too.
I'm hoping to keep that way because it's so cool to visualize the text
Besides at 3am my muse has the best mood for writing *looks at clock and grabs head in hands* bedtime! )

Lara listened as Patrick narrate his memories of the four men dressed in black. Afterwards Patrick lay on the ground exhausted from the effort it took to remember.

‘Black’

Patrick’s recount sparked Lara’s memory. Lara slowly lowered to the ground and sat down next to Patrick. The mental road blocks in her mind was suddenly removed allowing her memories to come back in a rushing flood. Not like the hazy flashbacks she had been having but full memories, clear and sound.
“I remember.” Lara said with a weighty tone, her gaze staying straight ahead.

It was all there now, “I was doing a web search on my phone as I was walking home and I accidentally went down the wrong street...” Lara could see it all as she narrated her memories to Patrick:

**************************
Lara looked up from her phone to see an unfamiliar scene of buildings, street lamps and telegraph poles and she realized her mistake. Before she turned to back track on herself a noise filled her ears. Distressed voices all talking at once in the distance, it was obvious that there was something wrong. Lara pocketed her phone and hurried towards the ruckus passing telegraph pole after telegraph pole until she was in an industrial area; a massive warehouse converted into storage for rent.

Lara hurried past it all: unit 1, unit 2, the illustrious “To Let” sign until she reached “unit 5”, those huge wood and metal doors.

Lara walked through the infamous doors to whiteness the distressing scene. Three men dressed in black surrounding a blond man in a nice suite. One man had his arm fully extended holding a gun on the blond man at head height with a hard coldness on his face, convinced this is what he should do.

The scene was frantic, emotions where running very, very high, everyone talk at once with stress and emotion in there voices. The man with the gun was arguing his case. The second man was sternly telling him not to do it, that this is not what he signed up for. The third man was on the fence saying that they should just stop for a moment and think about it first. While Patrick, with his hands up, was trying to reason with the man with the gun, trying to talk him out of it. All the while three printers was running in the back ground acting like backing music for the symphony of stressed voices, three of which spoke with foreign accents.

Lara put her hand into her pocket for her phone so she could call for back up but before she could pull it out she heard a chilling “click”, her hair stood on end and a chill went down her spine as she felt the coldness of a gun barrel against her skull. She raised her hands, and hopped this was not the end, “Who are you?” A man's voice asked with a foreign accent. Lara swallowed, kept herself calm.
The man announced his discovery of the intruder to his comrades and marched her over to stan by Patrick. After a frisk the men discovered that she was a cop and relieved her of her phone. “What shall we do with them?” One asked, “Is not good Idea to kill cop’s.” Came one reply.
Lara looked to Patrick grimly as the men conversed in their native language, her eyes scanned the room to see the printers. These men where making counterfeit money and she, and presumably the blond man, had walked in on them.

After what felt like an eternity but was actually a moment the men came to a decision. Two of them walked away while the remaining two held their guns on their prisoners.
It was now or never, Lara glanced at Patrick and the pair tried to grab a gun each, they grappled with the men but out of nowhere Lara felt herself being grabbed from behind. Then suddenly Lara felt a sharp pinch as a needle was plunged into her neck.
Lara went limp and found herself lying on her side looking at those big doors and that industrial celling, that’s when everything turned to black…

...A rumbling-hum, vibrating floor. Lara forced her eyes to open, they were heavy and her vision was a little blurry but Lara knew that she was in the back of a moving van. She saw Patrick laying by her and two of the men dressed in black watching over them. Then everything faded to black again…until she woke up in the Ever Glades with a blond stranger…
*****************

“…They dumped us out here instead of shooting us.” Lara commented after describing everything she remembered to Patrick.

Lara pulled a $20 bill out of her shoe, “I managed to grab this.” Lara said showing the counterfeit note to Patrick.

(Sorry for the mega long post, but I had a burst of inspiration myself! Courtesy of your awesome post   )

Patrick had perked up. "Of course!"he suddenly was upright again and even jumped to his feet before started to circle around small rock poking out of the ground with a green mop of lazily clad grass. "Oh I'm such an idiot. This must be a large mistake on their side. I heard about that case. Lots of counterfeit money. Neal, our New York's consultant, he's an ex-convict himself. He mentioned it one day, then Wolfe babbled about that murder case where near victim were fake bills." Patrick was suddenly overwhelmed by too much snippets falling into places in effort to create some logic. His thoughts ran in light speed.

He once again was back on the ground next to Lara and took the bill. That was fairly fine forgery. Almost had a real feeling to it. "Neal would like this. He's usually the one to do inspect all things forged, counterfeited, fake and whatnot. He's our white collar specialist. I'm more present at murder cases and Alexa sees through all kinds of robberies." Jane explained. It was still sorta weird that despite most of folks at knew them some still hadn't met or heard of them. And while they weren't really any celebrities it had been fairly usual that somebody made attempts at lame 'ex-con' jokes. But Caffrey only brushed them off as silly and kept on while Mich hid in shadows to pull a prank on them for being nonsense.

He chuckled at the memory and rubbed his face with a hand, still feeling the roughness of his skin mixed with sand and dust particles.

"I just hope those weren't Russians H warned us to be careful about. And idea what their accent may have been?" blonde asked after a moment. He really wished to still have his super gps buzzer Sam gave as a gift, but which actually was some piece of old evidence one time owned by a taxi driver. He was approximately sure somebody still had a signal base somewhere.

I'm really surprised they left us here. Either there's a plan for which they assume our presence will be needed. Or, those who dumped us here have a might good heart." he stated, aware of possibility that lurked from the dark. They were left here to die...


~~~~
(Oh that was brilliant! Cheers! Great reply, the length just made it more inspiring.
I'm happy to inspire
btw greatly detailed flashback/memory, that gave me awesome imaginery )

“I think it might have been Russian accents.” Lara replied regretfully, “I don’t think dumping us out here had anything to do with the goodness of their hearts, they just did not want to add killing two cops to their list of crimes. That comes with a death sentence if they get caught.” Lara explained.

“But why would they ambush you?” Lara asked, it did not make sense, “Do you have a history with them or something? A case you were or are working on?”

It was all coming together a piece at a time, hopefully Patrick could provide a few more answers to tie it all together.

(Why thank you, I’m glad you liked it  . I am having fun writing this story with you  )

Patrick had a hard time coming up with possible explanation. But then the endless options came to him.

"There may be more reasons." he started to ponder.
"Okay. There may have been a mistake. Maybe they took the wrong consultant. Possible enough.
I've been wondering about how much anyone actually knew about us, me and Neal Caffrey, being freelance consultants for the MDPD, Crime Lab, local FBI and some PI offices that were in touch with PD. Because that doesn't make sense.
I'm not the usual counterfeit expert they would call in. I'm usually found at murder crime scenes because that's what I've been doing with CBI for years. And I've been the one to have all Red John cases.
Neal Caffrey, New York's FBI White Collar Division's CI, is the counterfeit kinda guy anyone goes to most likely if they suspect their Van Gogh is fake, some bonds may be forged or some diamond looks odd. Not me.
So there might be that they just got something wrong." Jane had to take a ragged breath before continuing his energetic plotting. He may be called silly or childish but a good mystery was always worth analyzing from all angles, especially the one he is out in the wilderness with a lady who should not be there. Although he felt better having Lara there with him.
"So, another possibility is that they needed me for something.
In the elevator were four, probably having a contact with somebody and maybe they grabbed me just as I was stepping out. Just as well right after I got in and they got confirmation. In that case they probably had gotten into surveillance system of the elevator alone, or maybe even whole lab.
But just as well they could have followed me until I was in a blind spot and cameras didn't reach.
So they may have used something to put me out until they got to their place. Must be why I'm still feeling off.
So, I wake up and try their business, start argument, you come and I cannot exactly give up because I don't want anyone else hurt especially fellow officer. But now they have to get rid of us both because I'm no use anyway and some of them aren't that cold. Maybe something comes up and they needs to run so we got left here either to die on our own or to look for way back long enough for them to vanish, since our memories are supposed to be erased by whatever we got injected. Which, by the way, doubled my trouble." Jane rubbed the back of his neck before next chapter of his theory.
"I'm not sure why but I have a feeling there may be some other reason too. Just something nagging at me.
I'm sure I didn't got any case involving Russian mobs or any gangs at all. So I believe it must be something I cannot yet see..." Patrick said looking at Lara. Then he sighed disappointedly. He was disappointed by his sudden lack of the usual brilliance his mind plotted out crimes.
And maybe he also lacked Neal's experience with gangs and street smarts. The guy had rather impressive mind and right now he felt like actually asking Caffrey to help in this case. With one exception -none was a magician or possed actual superpowers.
With another sigh Jane closed his eyed and put his heavy head into his slightly trembling hands and massaged his aching skull. He was quite sure they'd put more effort into knocking him out than necessary. Chlorophorm most likely as a first mean, then vicious blow to his precious head and finally some drug to add effect while Lara had only injection. At least lady suffered less, he smiled inwardly at that thought, one thing less to worry about.


~~~~~
(Oh me too!
This is one of my favorites )

Lara frowned as she listened to Patrick theorise.
Once Patrick had finished Lara stood up and let his suggestions sink in. She thought for a moment then responded with a lot less gusto that Patrick had displayed, her mannerisms where pensive and serious, “If your right then it sounds like we’re dealing with more than your ordinary counterfeiters; For them to have taken you from a police department in such a controlled, efficient manner...” Lara paced for a moment as the weightiness of it all sank in, “...And if they did have access to the security feed, for them to be able to do that suggests they are professionals that have had specialist training...” Lara looked to Patrick and hesitated before continuing, a bleak expression on her face, “...Or someone on the inside helped them.” Lara put to Patrick in a downhearted tone. Her frown deepened at her own suggestion and there was a moment of heavy silence as the suggestion hung in the air like a dark cloud.

Lara hated the thought, but as much as she hated to think it a corrupt cop would explain how the Russians could have had access to the security cameras or know the layout of the building well enough to know where there would be a blind spot, if Patrick was right on that count. But a dirty cop was just one of many possibilities and Lara was not going to jump to any conclusions, for now it was just a suggestion.
Either way Lara agreed with Patrick there was defiantly more to all of this, she just did not know what.

“Well we could speculate all day, but we won’t know for sure until we get back and figure this thing out. All we do know is that there was a defiant plan and me showing up was not part of it.” Lara took the note from Patrick and examined it, “Maybe this will lead us to some answers when we get back.” Lara said before putting it back in her shoe for safe keeping.

Lara turned her attention to Patrick, he had certainly been through it as he had pointed out; Ambushed, shocked, cracked on the head, drugged and dumped in on of the worst places possible for a “city boy”. Not to mention the sweltering heat that seemed to be aggravating his already suffering head.
Lara looked at him sympathetically, she touched his arm and gently ushered him to a sitting position, “Sit down a moment.” Lara said with a kind tone.
Lara took the handkerchief out of Patrick’s jacket, she dipped it in the river and tenderly placed it on Jane’s hot brow, her beautiful eyes meeting his as she did so.

Lara was a strong woman, she had been in the military and now she was a cop, she always tried to demonstrate her tough front and keep on a brave face, but underneath that strong exterior and all of the wilderness survival stuff Lara was truly a tender and sensitive woman, in fact that was why she had become so guarded and strong on the outside, but for a split second as she tended Patrick the true inner her was visible behind those expressive, beautiful eyes.

Lara let Patrick hold the cool cloth and she took a seat herself. Lara had not been hit or electrocuted as Patrick had been but she was in uncomfortable conditions herself. She had been walking for hours through the everglades in the intense Miami heat, she was uncomfortably hot and sweaty and her limbs itched from last nights mosquito and insect bites and she felt a responsibility towards “city boy” who did not have the advantage of military training.

Lara wiped the sweat from her brow using her sleeve then a thoughtful look flashed across her face, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of sugar packets that she just remembered she had from her meal out last night. She tore the top off one and handed it to Patrick for energy before eating one herself. She was sorry she did not have anything better to offer him in his condition.
“We’ve walked for miles, maybe we should have another rest?” Lara said to Patrick who looked like he could do with a rest, a break did sound appealing to Lara as well but she was okay to keep going now that they had finally found the river, the choice was Patrick’s.

Jane sighed heavily. Of course, he wasn't in Miami that long. And nor he did know all about their run-ins with any mafia. Although, one thing stuck out...

"Yes, I know, it sounds terrible. And I'm hoping this time I was wrong because if I'm not then the whole lab may be in danger. And all of those people: cops, lab technicians and other staff could be slowly closing to something bad." he said. "I know only what Wolfe told me and his sister whispered about. The Russian issue has been there before I popped up, and H has been one to fight it. I've heard a lot about the run-ins with Russians and I fear if this comes to something big..." suddenly he wasn't at all eager to finish the sentence.
Mafia issue has always been cops' problem. Everywhere. Even Sacramento wasn't skipped. Maybe CBI had only been lucky to not get involved in whole lot action about it but nevertheless it was there like a big, looming elephant in the room that everyone sees but fears to shoo away.

"You're right. We can theorize all day. But as long as we are here there is nothing else to do about it. Unfortunately." Patrick admitted. And he just idly wondered what he had missed. He was supposed to be observant and point out what's suspicious. Then why he of all people hadn't noticed anything?
That thought would definitely give him a lot to mull over. And maybe give a nightmare or two. Usually he never slept, just napped on the brown leather couch in the bullpen. Here he did sleep, when it was inevitable. All the other time he only aimlessly floated around the lab, pretended to work on something or other, or napped on Break Room's sofa. Sometimes he chose whatever hideouts Michelle had revealed to him or ones he discovered himself.
Maybe he should have spent more time there, spying around from shadows... But would it have had helped?

Suddenly he realized Lara had spoken to him and Patrick returned to reality. "Okay." he sat down only then realizing how kind her tone had been.
And so he accepted the handkerchief and, while looking into Lara's eyes, realized that there actually was a tender woman hiding behind the hard cop's surface. She was a beautiful woman, something everyone immediately would notice. But there was this military background that gave the character an added volume. And of course, a gentle and kind, caring heart beneath it all. Something not all would be able to see.
And she was taking care of him.
Right, he was a "city boy". But he should try better at being impervious. Usually it worked but not today.

Still, Patrick felt a bit selfish. Although strong Lara had been through bad ordeal herself, she may not show it as much as he apparently just did but nevertheless deserved a break.
They both actually.

"I'm sorry for being such fuss, you are probably just as exhausted. Let's get some rest. It's probably the best we can do right now." he agreed taking the sugar packet with thankful expression.
He should use more of that gentleman part of his that had been taught all the appropriate manners.

Lara frowned when Patrick suggested the entire police department could be in danger. Lara did not yet have many friends here in Miami and all but her eccentric friend Ruth where cops that worked at PD. The thought of her fellow officers getting hurt, weather friends or just her “family behind the badge” was a haunting one. Lara was tough and she could handle a lot of pain, but emotional pain however was a different matter. Lara had a hard time taking emotional pain and not much hurt her more that some she cares about getting hurt.
Lara pushed the thought aside, it was too horrible and there was nothing she could do from here.

“It’s not a problem.” Lara replied with a light smile when Patricks apologized, “I could think of a lot worse people to be dumped out here with. I’ve known soldiers that would complain a whole lot more and make a bigger fuss.” Lara stated as a matter of fact. “You’re doing great, especially under the situation and all that you have gone through.” She added reassuringly.

Patrick noticed Lara getting a brief thoughtful moment after his suspicion and worry, that the whole department could be in danger.
Not that he wanted to upset her.
Still, that was a version MDPD and Crime Lab should be aware about. If only he had anything of his new family's supply.
He knew without a warning none would imagine possible danger right under their noses.

Assuming the bad guys were exactly as prepared as he thought they were. And if he happened to be right about any of his abduction versions there wasn't much time.

Unless he's just hallucinating the whole stuff and having a serious case of heatstroke... Which also was as possible as him being mistaken for Caffrey fellow to do some counterfeiting under the influence and during the ramble discovered not the right guy.

Oh, his head started to spin at the various possibilities so Patrick dropped his musings to another moment to analyze.
He needed to make sure he's well behaved and not making fuss about it.

"Oh, well, in that case I'm glad. I often used to annoy the heck out of my old colleagues and possibly all of them at least twice had considered to put a bullet in me. I swear I was just bored and didn't mean to make a fuss, but tell that to Lisbon, she'd probably never believe I could behave anyway." Jane attempted at atmosphere lightening theme. He still missed his friends but somehow survived moving to Miami after only contemplating visiting shortly. To him these people were his family and friends just as much his CBI team had been.
He idly considered whether sending a lizard to Lisbon would be a nicer option than a turtle to Cho.

Lara smiled lightly when Patrick said that his old team wanted to shoot him a time or two. She could somehow imagine just how childish and annoying Patrick could be capable of being under normal circumstances.
Lara could almost picture the blond standing in a squad room in a snazzy suit, that bright signature smile of his lighting up his cheeky face as he gives a long fact filled, energetic rant to his team mates as they sit behind their desks rolling their eyes and staring at him with deadpan faces.
The mental image made the corner of Lara’s full lips curl up into a small smile. It also made her appreciate Patrick’s currently good behaviour even more.

“Who’s Lisbon?” Lara asked casually.
Lara did not know anything about the famous consultant or his past life and friends, though she had read articles and case files about Red John whom Patrick had mentioned earlier.

Patrick made a secret notice of Lara's slight reaction to his crazy rant. Oh yes, he fully believed Cho imagining pulling out a gun and shooting him during one time they had to drive out somewhere far and he was stuck with him instead of Lisbon who usually drove with Jane.
But he actually didn't have any mean intentions. Jane had no other family left and people around him, closest of them, he'd considered as family once he knew them better. Besides, and deep inside he knows that, his childish behavior has always been a way to get through the tragedy. To actually hide his depression, so avoiding it being noticed, he took on the cheerful, sneaky, carefree man's attitude and childish tricks.
That has been his mask for many years and had fooled many people.
Not all though.

"Oh, Teresa Lisbon. My dear friend, former supervisor. A team leader in California Bureau of Investigation, CBI. Possibly the only one there who was able to keep me in reins, figuratively speaking." he explained. Suddenly realizing how much alike it was with another one of his new friends.

Well, technically there still was a bunch of mischievous things he'd done, still enough paragraphs of slightly illegal stuff, but more than that sometimes they could still somehow dig out the psych ward time. However, Horatio never pushed anything. He received and accepted what Jane offered, listened to him, and read recommendation Lisbon sent along.
A fair man with kind heart who did know only enough for the job needs and didn't poke onto past.
And Patrick knew that kind of men. They made the world a better place and justice more possible.

According to one Ryan Wolfe this was the best place to be. Weather, which currently made it not so pleasant; people, who sometimes turned out the wrong crowd; location, that still was great enough.

Patrick spotted a green lizard at his feet. Partially wishing it had a blue ribbon tied around. That would be a cosmical inside joke, he decided with a puff of weak, hoarse laugh.