The third time his phone call went unanswered, Justin became concerned. The fourth, fifth, and sixth time scared the fuck out of him. In all the years he'd known Danielle, she'd always answered or called him back within minutes. Always. Justin glanced at his watch again. Four hours since he'd last called and still nothing. He palmed his phone and moved to the farthest corner of the gate at the airport. He'd be boarding soon. He couldn't endure a transatlantic flight not knowing what was wrong, and he knew in his gut something was wrong. He hit the switchboard number and stood facing the glass, watching the people behind him in the reflection.

"Good Evening, Mr. King. Please stand by while we locate your brother." The same voice, steady, calm, and reassuring. This morning the delay in being put through to Jason ground against his last nerve.

"What's wrong." Justin could hear the sleep in his brother's voice. He glanced at his watch again. Five in the morning here, shit that was midnight in the States.

"She isn't answering her phone. Something is wrong."

"Dude, who isn't answering?"

"Danielle. She always picks up or calls me right back, even before we became involved. It has been four hours since my last call and over eight hours since I called the first time. Something is wrong."

"Alright. Hold on. I'll need an address." Justin could hear Faith mumble in the background. "It's Justin, he's overseas and needs some help. Go back to sleep."

"I'm sorry for waking you up, but this shit is wrong. She's staying at my place, but she has her own apartment." Justin rattled off her address and drew a breath that didn't quite fill his lungs.

"I'll get on it right away. I got your back."

The announcement sounded overhead calling his flight. "I'm about to board."

"We'll have her, or answers, when you land. You're landing at JFK?"

Justin nodded, vaguely realizing he needed to speak. He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Jason, I'm not overreacting."

"I didn't say you were. It isn't like you to sound the klaxon when there isn't an air raid. Let me get some people on this. I've got you." Jason disconnected the call. Justin picked up his carry on and headed toward the gate. He'd missed first class boarding and had to stand in the line for economy. He didn't care, his mind ran in circles. Something was wrong.

Justin called Max as he waited in line. "Sir?" The croak in the man's voice told him once again how late it was in New York.

"I need the emergency contact number for Danielle Grant. Immediately." Justin clutched the phone tightly.

"Of course. I need to boot up my computer. May I text it to you in a couple minutes?"

"Please hurry, Max." Justin couldn't keep the concern out of his voice.

"Is Ms. Grant alright, sir? She didn't show up for her meetings today. Her assistant called your office looking for her."

Shit! He knew it. Justin clamped his eyes closed and ground out, "I don't know."

"Right. I'm on it. Give me two minutes."

"Thank you."

"Sir, I know I haven't been the nicest person to Ms. Grant, but I'd never want anything to happen to someone you care so much about."

Justin swallowed back the emotion boiling inside him. "Thank you, Max. I understand, and I appreciate it." He hung up the phone, swiped the face and called up his boarding pass. He held the phone over the scanner and breezed through the gateway but ended up stalled in the middle of the passage. His phone vibrated in his hand. Paul Greenfield was Danielle's emergency contact, as he suspected. Jason pushed the number and put the phone to his ear. The phone rang through to a voice message. "Sir, this is Justin King. I'm worried about Danielle. She isn't answering her phone, and she didn't come into work yesterday. I'm in Paris about to board a flight home. If you have information concerning her whereabouts, would you please call my brother, Jason King. Tell the switchboard operator I asked you to call him." Jason rattled off the number and ended the call. The line stutter-stepped forward while he sent a text to Jason letting him know Danielle had failed to come into work and he’d asked Danielle's father to contact Jason. Once inside the plane, he took off his suit jacket and handed it to the stewardess. His phone vibrated, and he glanced at the face.

> Log onto airplane internet when airborne. Communicate through email dead drop. I'll leave word when we have information.

He stood again and grabbed his tablet. The elderly woman in the seat next to him smiled and pulled out a thick romance book. Thank God, she wouldn't want to talk. He sat down and waived off the mimosa the attendant tried to give him.

Granny next to him grabbed two, "Since the young man doesn't want his." She winked at him and downed one glass in a single effort.

Justin faced forward and closed his eyes. His mind thrashed against the confines of the aircraft. Every fiber in his being wanted, no needed, to be in New York. He felt useless and he raged at his inability to do anything. Where was Danielle? Why the hell wasn't she answering her cell?

Justin leaned forward and bowed his head. Praying had never been his thing, but when you are forced to acknowledge you don't have any control over a situation, a higher power needed to be called in. He breathed out his anger and slowly inhaled before he said his first prayer since the day his father died. Dear God, I don't deserve anything from you, but I believe Danielle does. She's...she's the other half of me and I...I don't know how to do it, but I'm asking you to watch over her. Whatever is happening, please be with her. Protect her...until I can get there.

He lifted his eyes and blinked to focus. The plane took off, and Justin leaned back into the seat. This was going to be the longest day of his life.

Three hours. Three damn hours and all he'd been able to do was to stare holes in the back of the seat in front of him. His head ached from the mental warfare raging in his mind. If something happened to her, he would hunt down whoever caused her harm and he would kill them. A visual picture of his brother, Joseph, flashed to his mind. His brother had tracked down and killed the bastard who had murdered their dad. At the time, Justin didn't understand how he could do it. He had no concept of how a switch could flip and allow his brother to feel that type of anger, especially when all Justin could feel was grief and remorse. In this minute, however, he understood. He knew exactly how Joseph must have felt.