Mystery of the Mind
A UC: Undercover story by Deana Lisi

Disclaimer: I don't own Frank Donovan sigh or any other UC characters, but the original ones are mine.

Special thanks to Tracy, Robin, Rae, and Karri for giving me a couple of ideas when I got writer's block!

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(ring )

"Hello?"

"Alex? Where are you?"

Alex laughed as she opened the door to HQ. "Coming in the door, Monica."

"Okay."

Alex put her cell phone back in her pocket, and walked into the building. When she reached the main room, she found Jake, Cody, and Monica all staring at her, none of them looking very happy.

She just stared back for a minute. "Looks like you all need a happy pill."

"You haven't seen Frank, have you?" Jake asked her.

Alex frowned as she sat down. "No...he's not here? You mean I'm not gonna get chewed out for being late?"

Everyone managed to look sheepish.

"We were all late today," said Monica. "But Frank never showed up."

Alex shook her head. It made no sense.

"I don't like it," said Jake, as he paced around the table. "He's never been late before."

"There's a first time for everything." Cody spoke for the first time, not paying much attention as he fooled around with one of the computers.

"I agree with Jake," said Alex, sitting back in her chair. "This isn't like him."

"So do I," Monica piped up. She stood and leaned against the table, crossing her arms. "He isn't the type to not call, at least."

"Something might've happened to him," said Jake, as he took out his cell phone and started to dial. "Call his home," he told Alex.

Alex complied, and counted the rings it took before his answering machine picked up: four.

Jake hung up. "Voice mail."

"Answering machine."

Jake put his phone back in his pocket and started walking towards the door. "I'm going to his place."

Alex jumped up. "I'm coming too! You guys," she said looking at Monica and Cody. "Wait here, see if he calls or shows up. Let us know if he does."

They nodded, both looking worried.

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"There's his car," said Alex, as Jake drove into the parking garage.

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing," Jake remarked, as he parked.

The two of them ran into the building and up the stairs. They both had their guns drawn when they reached the appropriate door.

Jake quietly tried the handle and found it locked. He listened for a minute, but heard nothing from inside. He knocked, but no one answered the door. He shot a look at Alex, preparing to kick it open.

Alex nodded, and stood to the side.

Jake stepped in front of the door and kicked it in. They both jumped in pointing their guns; Jake on the left, Alex on the right. What they saw made Alex gasp.

"Frank!"

Their boss was lying on the floor, not moving. Blood covered the back of his shirt.

They both ran over and knelt beside him. Alex felt his neck for a pulse. It was weak and slow, but there. "He's alive."

Jake carefully turned him over. He heard Alex gasp to see that the front of Frank's shirt was more bloodied then the back. "Get some towels!"

Alex jumped up, to comply.

"Frank?" Jake said, a knot growing in the pit of his stomach. He gently tapped his boss' face, but got no response.

Donovan's skin was very pale and cold, his breathing shallow. Jake found the source of the blood to be from two bullet wounds: his left upper arm, and his left shoulder; the bullet there having gone all the way through.

Alex came running back, and they tried to stop the bleeding. They were successful, for the bleeding had slowed on its own before their arrival.

"He's been like this for a long time," Alex said, her voice shaking.

Jake nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll call an ambulance."

"No!" Jake said. "It'll be a lot faster if we take him ourselves."

Alex nodded, nervously.

Jake carefully picked Frank up and managed to carry the taller man down to the car. Alex sat in the back, keeping a tight grip on Frank as Jake drove like a maniac.

"Call the others," Jake told her.

Alex tried to get her cell phone out and dial without jostling Frank too much.

"Hello?" It was Monica's voice.

"Monica! We found Frank. He's been shot, meet us at UIC!"

"We're there!" Monica said, and hung up.

Alex tried to put her phone away, but dropped it when Jake took an especially sharp corner. She held Frank tighter, looked around the car to see if Jake had left a jacket in there that she could use to try to keep Frank warm. Finding nothing, she said, "Turn the heat on."

"I did," said Jake, as he approached a yellow light. It turned red before he reached it, but he made no indication of slowing down. He flew wildly through the light, swerving to avoid a minivan. Cars honked their horns, narrowly missing them and each other.

"Jake!" Alex gasped.

"Sorry!"

Suddenly Alex heard a faint sound; a soft moan. She looked at Frank to see his face twitch slightly.

"Frank!" she said. She put a hand on the side of his face, noting that his skin felt clammy and cold. "Frank, look at me!"

Jake tried to see what was going on in the rearview mirror and drive at the same time.

"Frank, open your eyes!" Alex exclaimed.

To Alex's delight, he did—barely. He looked at her through half-opened eyelids. "Alex?" he whispered.

Alex smiled. "Yeah, Frank." She held him tighter when she felt him shaking; an indication of shock. "We found you, you're gonna be okay."

Frank winced, abruptly losing consciousness once more.

"Frank!" Alex said, panicked. She felt for his pulse again, and sighed in relief when she found it.

"Alex…" Jake said, wanting to know what was going on.

"He woke up, Jake. For a minute, anyway."

Jake screeching around a corner into the hospital parking lot. He pulled up to the Emergency entrance and theyquickly pulled Frank out, carrying him into the door.

"Help!" Jake yelled. "We need help!"