maximus5

They slept, wrapped in each other, the rest of the night and well into the afternoon of the next day. "You are better, my love?" he asked, watching as her eyes fluttered open.

"Much...I think," she smiled. "Let me sit up and I'll know more surely."

Her side ached as she pulled her body up, but it wasn't too bad. The covers dropped down to her waist and he leaned over her. "Let me see." He wanted to examine the bruise over her ribs.

She turned enough to make that easier for him. "I don't think they're broken, really I don't. Doesn't hurt quite like that."

"Still...," he said, frowning, "an x-ray might be a good idea."

"Perhaps...perhaps not."

"You are a stubborn woman," he smiled. "Make me happy. Do it."

She giggled. "I know ways to make you happy that have nothing, not one thing, to do with x-rays."

"Now?" he replied, truly worried she might have broken bones.

But she giggled again, pushing his shoulders back onto the bed, and beginning to kiss his bare chest. "I am," he sighed, "helpless before your onslaught."

"Good," she grinned, lifting her head enough to grin widely at him. "Even Generals should be helpless from time to time."

He folded his arms under his head. "I promise not to put up a fight."

"Not even when I tell you that I plan to ravish you completely?"

"Not even then," he said, his eyes sliding down to her breasts as she leaned above him.

"You surrender?"

"My flag is already raised."

She pushed the covers down some more. "So I see."

"What do you intend to do about that?"

"This," she smiled...and showed him.

Later as they lay entwined again, he whispered, "Surrendering is not always so bad a thing."

"Not when you surrender to me. Only then."

"Only then," he repeated.

They slept another fifteen minutes or so and when he woke again, his eyes sought the window. "Sun is out," he said.

She turned, following his glance. "I wasn't sure the thing still existed."

"We might possibly be able to get you into Coffs," he suggested hopefully. "I imagine the water has gone down considerably by now."

"Or...," she countered, "we might check and see how Bridgid and Jack managed the storm."

"Are you concerned?"

"I just don't like being out of communication with them, you know. I'd like to give her a call."

She reached for the phone on the bedside table, glad for the dial tone, and punched in her cousin's number. It rang and rang. "No answer," she frowned. "Maybe they went into Coffs to check on the condition of their boat."

"That is possible," he nodded. "Do you want to go over to their house? They might just be outside, or checking on the Glen itself."

"You up for that, General?"

"I believe I may be." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing to head for the bathroom. "Aah!" he cried softly, when putting weight on his leg hurt.

"I could go alone," she said quickly. "I'm quite all right."

"You will not go alone," he replied, straightening, his eyes firm.

"Yes, my Lord," she smiled.

They dressed, each ate a muffin, then they were out the door and into the station wagon, heading for Jack and Bridgid's. Maximus drove slowly, shaking his head at the damage they passed by. The road itself was mud-coated with debris scattered here and there that caused him to have to guide the car carefully, but at least there was no longer water atop it. He parked near their house, but no one answered their knock, not even Jason. A quick circuit around their land didn't turn them up, either, so he drove into the Glen itself, asking several people if they'd seen either Jack or Bridgid. No one had.

"Well, I guess they did go into Coffs," Joimus said. "You know what that boat means to them."

"That leaves a big question hanging," he sighed. "Did they go to the boat during or after the storm?"

"Oh, gosh," she replied. "I hadn't thought of that. Surely they wouldn't....would they?" But she knew them well enough to know they would.

Someone had to ride the perimeter of the Meridius property and at the moment, East was the fittest man for the job. He'd saddled up a bay gelding, choosing him for his fearlessness more than his spirit. Figuring there may be a lot of property damage from the storm, the last thing East wanted was a spooky horse under him, one that would balk at the sight of a downed tree or fence.

Packing some essentials into the saddle bags, the young horseman mounted and rode out to ride along the fence line. He'd fix what he could and make a mental note of the stuff that was beyond the ability of one man to repair so he and Maximus or one of the other hands could take care of it later.

He'd been out for an hour, soaked to the bone even though he wore an oilskin drovers coat and hat. This storm system had a touch of evil in it, he was sure of that. He and his sure-footed gelding saw more than their share of gullies to navigate and it didn't take long before the pair of them were dog tired. He steered his mount up on a dirt road to make the ride home a bit easier.

The horse noticed it first, snorting and shaking his head. East dropped a hand onto the big bay's neck to calm him but in a few seconds he noticed it too. It was a scent that was unmistakable, steam and anti-freeze. It grew thicker and heavier as he moved along and he found its source just at a curve where the road split to head to town. Seeing something that made him pick up his pace, East dismounted before the horse stopped at the scene of an accident.

Someone had run off the road and his heart was in his throat. A small car had plowed into a tree and by the looks of things it had just happened.

Climbing down into a ditch and working his way up to the other side, East approached the driver's side of the vehicle, hoping he wouldn't find anyone there but his worst fears were met when he caught sight of the driver slumped in the front seat.

He tapped on the cracked window but got no response. Bracing himself, he grabbed onto the door handle and spread his legs to try to pull it open. It was jammed at the hinges from the car's impact. Climbing around to the passenger side of the car, East removed his coat and used it to protect himself as he broke the glass from the already cracked window.

After unlocking it, he managed to get that door open. Crawling inside he touched the person's shoulder.

"Mate, you alright? Speak to me, eh?" he said. His eyes grew wide when he noticed that the person at the wheel was not a bloke as he'd originally thought. In fact when she raised her head he had to blink several times. She was not only a she but she was ...beautiful.

Sarah Langston had been to visit friends and was on her way home to Coffs Harbour. She'd known there was flooding, had hoped to be able to avoid most of it, as she really needed to get home.

It had been about halfway there that she realized she wouldn't make it. The water on the roads, even the most well-traveled ones, was too deep and her car too small. When she'd come to a sign pointing the way to the Glen, a new little town she'd heard about, Sarah had hoped she could make it there. Hopefully, find a place to stay until the worse of things was over.

Her car had been difficult enough to control on the better roads, but she'd been totally unprepared for hitting the ruts in the dirt road. The depth of water hid the worst of them. As Sarah hit one of the deepest, the wheel was jerked from her hands.

The little car plunged toward the side of the road. She caught a vague glimpse of a tree through the pouring rain, before the car plowed into it. Sarah's head hit the windshield, as she was flung partially forward, despite her seatbelt.

She lost consciousness for some unknown period of time, although it felt like only a couple of minutes. As she began to come around, she was vaguely aware of someone tapping on the window, of a slight screech of metal, as though someone were attempting to open her door. The sounds stopped and her fogged brain told her that she had been hallucinating. Who would be out on a road like this in the middle of such a storm?

Then she heard the sound of glass breaking. Had a tree fallen on the car? Sarah tried to raise her head to look, but a wave of dizziness and nausea hit her at the slight movement, and she was forced to slump over the wheel again.

When she heard the sound of a man's voice and felt a hand touch her shoulder, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to lift her head, despite the sick feelings. Another tidal wave of dizziness swept over her and Sarah lost consciousness again, just as the thought hit her that, whoever he was, he had the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen.

Now what should he do? It wasn't like he could call anyone, he didn't have one of those dang cell phones. He couldn't just leave her there. He had no choice, he'd have to get her out of that metal trap and take her back to the station.

"Take it easy now, don't be frightened. My name is East and I'm going to help you."

He tried to move her but she seemed stuck. Not thinking at first, he noticed that she was seat belted in. Fumbling with the buckle, East managed to free her. His big hands may have seemed rough but from years of gentling horses they were more gentle then those of a surgeon.

He was a strong lad, and he pulled her from the seat with ease, lifting her to cradle her in his arms. He managed to set her up on the horses back, keeping her stable until he mounted behind her, not an easy feat for a lesser man but East made it look simple.

He wheeled the horse slowly, and started back toward the Meridus' station with no plan but to get this poor sheila someplace warm and dry.

Sarah could hear the man speaking, but couldn't sort out the words in her jumbled mind, other than a syllable or two here and there. She thought she heard "east." Was that the direction she'd been going? Right now, she had no idea. However, the voice had a soothing, melodic quality that calmed her.

The man lifted her with what seemed to be great ease. In her semi-delirious state, that reminded her of the way her father had lifted her and carried her when she'd been a toddler. She smiled a little and mumbled something, laying her head against his shoulder for a moment.

Then, Sarah was being lifted high. Onto the back of a horse. A horse? Surely, her mind was playing tricks on her there, she thought to herself. She'd been thinking of her father, so maybe she was lost in one of the fairy tales he used to read to her. Maybe this man was a handsome prince come to rescue her--the maiden in distress--by putting her onto the back of his horse and riding away with her.

As the man sat behind her, she was cradled in his arms. They felt warm and nice, after all the rain and cold. When the horse wheeled around, Sarah's head seemed to wheel with it and she lost consciousness again. Her last thought was how strange it seemed that the nightmare of a car accident should turn into a fairy tale dream.

He couldn't remember the last time he had his arms around a woman, though he was certain it was under different circumstances. For a fleeting moment he actually enjoyed holding her until his better judgment told him it wasn't proper to feel that way.

She seemed to fit so well and the feel of her lying against him gave him a sense of purpose. Getting her back to the tack room where it was warm and dry was his first desire.

Turning the horse off the road and onto the path that led to the stable had him hold her tighter. He breathed in the scent of her hair and wondered where he smelled that wonderful aroma before. Ah, yes it was similar to the flowers that Joimus had in the greenhouse. Gardenia he thought. That was it.

The rain fell in sheets again and he opened the front of his drovers coat to cover her as best he could. The puddles by the barn were knee deep when he arrived and the water splashed up his thighs when he dismounted. Holding her with one arm, he quickly tugged her down into his arms. Leaving the horse for a moment, East carried her into the tack room and he lay her on his bunk. Brushing her wet hair back, he stopped for a moment to gaze at her face. Beautiful hardly described her; she had the face of an angel by his reckoning.

Standing with a sigh, he bent to cover her with a wool blanket that lay at the foot of the bunk.

He hated leaving her if for only a moment but the horse needed care too.

During the ride, Sarah was in and out of consciousness, but always convinced that she had to be dreaming. Every movement the horse made seemed to cause excruciating pain in her head. At the same time, though, she felt steadied and comforted by the warm, solid presence of the man with his arms around her.

She opened her eyes once, when he lay her down in some place that felt warm and dry. It seemed like forever since she'd felt anything warm and dry. Lying there, Sarah looked up at him, trying to focus her eyes.

She had a brief impression of a face that was young and clean-shaven, but strong. Her father would have said it had character. It was handsome and those beautiful blue-green eyes were looking at her. So this was what Prince Charming looked like. He also had a worried frown, which made lines between his eyes. Sarah would have raised her hand and smoothed them away, but her arms and hands felt too heavy to lift.

She felt a warm, slightly rough blanket being put over her body and, somehow, she managed to find the strength to give her Prince Charming a very brief smile before her eyes closed and she slipped back into sleep.

East returned in a few minutes to find her still in her deep slumber. It worried him. She should have been awake by his reckoning. Perhaps her injury was more serious than he anticipated and he thought it best he seek help and Joimus was the only one he would trust. He didn't want to admit it but his fear was that this beauty he'd found would be taken away from him once he sounded the alarm. He knew he had to risk it, he knew it was in her best interest.

Sitting on the bunk beside her, he reached carefully to sweep some loose tendrils of hair off of her face.

Fighting the urge to kiss her cheek, he lingered for a moment before leaving her once again. His destination, the main house. Knowing full well of the ordeal that Joimus endured, he hoped she'd be well enough to help. He trusted her.

East shivered as he stood at the back door to the main house. He kept one arm wrapped about his body as he knocked on the door. The tail end winds of the storm showed no mercy as its thick fingers teased him, poking and prodding at him just to watch him suffer a bit.

Distantly, through the deep fog of her much-needed sleep, Joimus thought she heard some sound, just enough to rouse her slightly. Deciding it was merely the wind blowing that branch of the apple tree against the kitchen window, she curled more deeply into Maximus' side, immediately drifting back into slumber.

Enough time had passed and East figured his wait at the door was futile. He fought his way back to the stable then the tack room. Finding the woman still sound asleep, he pulled up a chair close to her and sat down in vigil. He'd remain there until the storm passed and he could get help or until she woke. Whatever came first.

Robin spent the week at Julie's house, staying well after he could have gone home. They slept together, ate together, walked together, talked together, and made love several times a day. His coughing had stopped, his strength fully returned, yet he stayed. A second week began and still he did not go. She filled him in a way he'd not known for, well, quite some time. That week passed, too, and their delight in one another did not abate. Then the rains came and he stayed because...he stayed. He wanted to, she wanted him to. It was as simple as that.

Even when he watched her across the room making tea, his hands tingled from remembered memory of her touch. He lifted his right hand now, looking down at his open palm, smiling slightly. There were several things his hand remembered, the fletch of an arrow sliding through his fingers, the ache after battle when the hilt of his sword seemed merged with his palm, the reins of his great white horse, but among all these familiarities now remained the softness of her skin, the curve of breast, the long slope of thigh. A man's hand was like that, knowing both leather and metal, hip and breast. That was the way it should be.

Julie filled the tea kettle, watching him through half-lowered lashes. She'd not written, not on paper nor on the computer, since his coming. It was all in her mind, in her heart, and she overflowed with the words of him. It was not an impatient overflowing, not in any way, more of an endless fountain pouring into some vast reservoir. It was all there, all of it. There was no sense of hurry, no need. Hurry would be out of place, inappropriate, in these days of speaking softly, of meshing bodies. She wanted no more than him, his presence. Was there, in fact, any longer anything other than that remaining in the world? She neither knew nor cared.

They had just returned from a walk through her gardens when the phone rang. She handed it to him. "Maximus."

"Good day, Robin," the General greeted. They spoke a while about Robin's returned health, then Maximus continued, "I have been waiting for Alistair to recover sufficiently to suggest this to you, but now that is so and he wishes very much to meet the man who saved his life. If you would consider it, my wife and I would like for you and Julianna to come for dinner tomorrow evening. Alistair and Ahnna will be here and it may be that the time has come for you to meet some of your fellow residents."

His hand over the receiver, Robin looked up at Julie. "The General would like for us to come to dinner at his house tomorrow. The reverend and his wife will be there as well. What do you think?"

She nodded yes. An island out of time such as they'd been having could never last. Besides, she liked the General and knew Robin did, too. If they had to take an outrigger to the mainland, this would be the best place to land.

"It will be our good pleasure," Robin said into the phone. "I look forward to talking with you again and meeting Alistair."

So it was settled. For the first time since either of them had come to the Glen, they would be going to someone else's house. Well, Robin had been in Alistair's, but that hardly counted as a visit.

Abby wiped at her tears as she knelt beside the two men lying unconscious in front of her. In the distance, she could hear Dwayne rummaging through boxes and drawers, looking for something to tie Alistair up so he couldn't get away. Alistair, sweet, kind Alistair... "He's been through so much," she sobbed quietly to herself, "so very, very much." She gently touched her fingers to the back of his head. There was a rather large bump already forming there she could feel.

Pulling her fingers away she saw that they were covered with blood. She turned his head slightly then was relieved to see only a small bit of blood. He'd be okay and most likely wouldn't even need stitches.

The meds were still pulsing through her system, though their hold on her was starting to lessen. She knew once Dwayne got back in the room he'd most likely restrain her as well, if not worse, so she'd have to act fast. She looked down at Ross, felt his pulse. It was weak, but steady. Blood was still oozing from the knife wound. If she didn't do something quick, he'd be dead. Looking around the room, she quickly snatched a small throw from the couch and pressed a wad against his chest. Ross let out a groan, louder than the ones he'd made before. "Stay with me, Ross," she whispered in his ear. "Stay with me."

Working quickly, Abby grabbed the other end of the throw and managed to rip a large strip off using her teeth and all her might. Quickly, she wrapped it around Alex's chest, tightly covering the wad of throw she'd pressed against his wound.

"You bein' a good girl in there, darlin'?" Dwayne called out to her from the back of the house.

Her heart raced when she heard him, fearful he'd catch what she was going to do next. She closed her eyes, swallowed, then answered, "Yes, Dwayne."

She heard his muffled voice say something in return, though she couldn't make out just what. She looked down the hallway towards where he'd called out to her.

Suddenly, there he was - standing in the hall just outside the back room - his cell phone pressed to his ear. He smiled and waved to her, then walked slowly back into the room and closed the door so that it was just cracked open a bit.

Shit, who was he calling? she wondered to herself, panicking even more so now. She needed to get help and fast! Dwayne had taken Alistair's phone and she'd left hers back in the crawl space. Ross! Surely, he'd have his cell phone on him! Acting quickly, she began rummaging through his pockets until she found what she was looking for.

She heard Alistair let out a moan about that time. He was starting to come around. She touched his hand, let him know she was there and he was okay, then pressed the number for emergency on the cell phone.

"Oh, thank God! This is Abby Campbell, my husband Dwayne has me locked up and..."

"Yeah, we know all about what going on with you, Mrs. Campbell," the voice on the other line said. "Your husband told us that you haven't been feeling well. Best hang up the phone and get some rest; your husband is just doing what's best for you."

A fresh batch of tears streamed down Abby's face as she realized help wasn't coming. Dwayne had made sure the whole town thought she was crazy and now no one would believe her. Just then, Dwayne opened the door and came strolling back down the hallway towards her. She panicked. If he caught her with the phone he'd take it from her. She leaned over Alistair, pressed the phone into his hand. He gripped it as she whispered in his ear, "You'll have to call for help - they won't believe me, but they'll listen to you. Wait until he's left the room again, press the redial."

"Oh now darlin', what are you doin' to the Reverend there?" Dwayne asked as he walked up behind her and grabbed hold of the back of her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Not whispering sweet nothings to him, I hope. You're supposed to save that for me, darlin'." He smirked, then looked down at Ross and Alistair. "Looks like our guests are still a couple of sleeping beauties. Good. I'll deal with them in a moment. First, let's get you back to your room. Time for your meds, too."

Abby nodded, then walked along as Dwayne led her to her room.

Alistair lay there, still dazed, his mind trying to fumble through what he thought he'd heard Abby say about pressing redial. Redial? Was there someone he should call? His head hurt too much and he kept his eyes closed. Something was wrong, desperately wrong. He remembered that much. But what had happened? Alex! His eyes shot open and he turned his head, the simple motion sending waves of nausea through him.

Oh, my Lord...yes! Alex had been stabbed. He'd been going to call for help. That was the last thing he remembered. Alex needed help. How long had he been out? Someone had tied something around Alex's chest, trying to stop the bleeding, but Alex needed way more help than that. He realized his cell phone was in his hand. Still lying flat, he lifted his arm so he could see the phone. It was a bit blurry but he somehow managed to dial Maximus' number. He didn't stop to think why he'd done that, just that Maximus would know what to do.

"Max...Maximus," he gasped when the General's voice came on the line.

"Who is this?" Maximus couldn't recognize the voice.

"M...me, Maximus. Alistair."

"Alistair? Are you all right?"

"N...no. Been...been hit. Listen, Maximus. It's...it's...Alex. He's been stabbed in the chest. Needs...needs help. Fast."

"Alistair, where are you?"

"Dwayne's new place. Abby...Abby's here...drugged I think. Don't...don't come alone. Don't...not safe. I'm going to try...try and help
bleeding. Hurry. Don't know if I...." He dropped the phone, too woozy to hold it longer.

Instantly Maximus called the local rescue squad, giving them the small bit of information he had, telling them, too, that the situation
was still dangerous. Then he called local law enforcement. Biebe was out, Bud must be home with his wife. Only Zack was available.

"Joimus," he said, walking into the den where she was reading, "You need to go stay with Ahnna until I call you." He told her what
had happened and explained that Ahnna didn't know yet. "You will have to tell her," he sighed. "I think Alistair is going to be all right.
He was speaking with me on the phone, so do not let her worry too much." He shook his head. That was, of course, not going to
happen, not with Ahnna when it came to Alistair. "Just do not let her go to Dwayne's. The danger seems still to be there and she
cannot be in the middle of it."

"And you? I presume you are going?"

"Yes. I have called town and Zack is meeting me outside. I need to leave."

"What's up?" Cort asked, coming down the stairs.

"Oh, good, Cort!" Joimus breathed. "Will you go with him?"

"Go where?" He looked from Joimus over to Maximus' grim face.

Quickly Maximus explained about Alistair and Abby. "Just a sec," Cort said, running up the stairs for his guns, buckling his holster
as he came back down.

Maximus kissed his wife, then grabbed his rifle off a rack as he strode to the door. Joimus stood in the doorway a while, watching the
two men leave, whispering a prayer for their safekeeping. She got her purse and headed for her stationwagon. How was she going
to tell Ahnna that Alistair had been hurt, was in danger again?

Cort looked at Maximus' grimly-set profile as the General drove rapidly towards Dwayne's house. He hadn't seen him look quite that way since Joimus had been lost during the flood. He himself was very fond of Alistair and hated the thought the reverend had been hurt again and might still be in danger. His hand moved to the handle of his gun. There it was, a question of force again. He was coming to terms, at least somewhat, with the fact that sometimes force was necessary when evil threatened good folks. And they didn't come any better than Reverend Harris.

Maximus stopped his car some ways back from Dwayne's house, pulling it off the road behind some tall shrubbery. He and Cort got out, looking through the leaves toward the house, waiting for Zack. There was no sign of activity they could discern in or around the house from where they were.

"You think Alistair's ok?" Cort asked.

"I am not sure. He was having a hard time speaking. Said he had been hit. I do not know exactly what he meant by that...or who hit him." Or why, he added silently. Why would anyone want to hurt Alistair? The man never gave offense to a soul. But Alex had been stabbed. Someone in the house was bent on doing harm. That much was sure.

Meanwhile, Dwayne had gone back out into the foyer to where Alistair and Alex were still lying side-by-side on the floor. He frowned, spotting the tiny cell phone lying in Alistair's hand.

"Well, well, well," he said, bending down and snatching the phone from Alistair's outstretched hand. "While the cats away, the mice will play, huh?" He checked the call-log and frowned again. He rolled Alistair over onto his belly. The man let out a moan as Dwayne pulled his arms behind him and quickly began tying them together with a long piece of nylon cord he pulled from his back pocket.

"Now, don't you go gettin' any crazy ideas about escaping, Reverend," Dwayne told him when he'd finished tying him up, "I'll be back in just a bit with the little woman and we can get a move on before your friends show up and try to put a damper on the fun we're havin' here."

Vaguely, Alistair was aware he was being moved. He was having a hard time concentrating and his head had sharp pains shooting through it from the back. There was something he needed to do, something important...something...what? Alex! Alex was bleeding. That was it. He needed to help Alex. He tried to move and was startled by the fact he couldn't. His arms were behind him, uncomfortably, tightly, behind him and he couldn't seem to pull them to his sides. Had he called Maximus? He'd wanted to, but had he? He couldn't remember. Then he tried lifting his head. His cheek was resting on something sticky. The motion sent a sharper pain through his head and he gasped, letting his head fall back to the floor.

"Ahnna," Joimus said, smiling at her friend as she opened the door of the mill, "come and sit with me a moment. I've got some news."

Ahnna looked at Joimus' smiling lips then at her eyes. The smile was not in her eyes. Instantly her heart started to pound. "Is something...?"

When they were seated, Joimus continued, "There's a... situation... over at Dwayne's new house, you know that big place he bought out of town. I don't know any details, but Maximus and Cort have both gone over there and Zack is on his way, too, so there should be nothing to worry about, all right?"

"What...what sort of...situation?"

"Alistair called Maximus just a few minutes ago."

"I saw his note when I got home. He said he was going with...with
Dwayne. Something about him needing to talk with Abby."

"Well, he said he'd been, um, hit and that Alex was there, too, and Alex had been stabbed. We don't know by whom or why, but Alistair was able to call and speak with Maximus. They'll call as soon as they know anything. I'll stay here with you."

Ahnna had stood, looking toward the door. "I need to...."

"No, Ahnna, no you don't. Maximus specifically asked that we stay here at the mill until he's had a chance to discover what's going on over there. We don't want to make the situation worse for them by charging in."

Ahnna sat back down, clasping her hands tightly. "I...I don't think I can go through this again."

"It's not like the fire. He's already been able to use the phone, said he was going to try and help Alex."

"You think he's really all right?"

Joimus had no idea, but she said, "Maximus will take care of things. Trust him."

Zack had been filling in down at the sheriff's when Maximus' call came in. Bud, who'd gotten Zack a part-time job there while they waited for their security business to get off the ground, was out on a call with John, so Zack was there on his own to handle things. As soon as he hung up the phone, he was out the door running – quickly grabbing a couple of shotguns and his berretta, and his vest.

On his way out to Dwayne's, he put out a call on the radio to the sheriff and let him know what was going on and that he'd had to leave the station unattended. When he pulled off the main road and headed up the drive to the Campbell ranch, Zack could see Maximus' car parked off to the side, hidden behind. Pulling up next to it, he quickly jumped out of his vehicle and made his way over to where Maximus and Cort were talking.

"What's the situation here?" he asked, carefully watching the front door of the house in case anyone inside made a move.

"I do not know anything more, Zack, than when I called you," Maximus replied. "It is quiet right now but from what Alistair said, Alex was bleeding pretty badly from a knife wound. He was going to try to help him, but," he sighed, "he dropped the phone."

Cort hadn't realized that. "He dropped...? You mean he might be hurt bad?"

"I do not think we can stand around out here and wait very long to find out," Maximus said, his voice low. "I called for the medics, too. We cannot have them walking in on something that is still dangerous." He gazed deeply at Zack.

Zack nodded. Assuming Alex and Alistair were both still alive, they would be their number one priority. "Alright, we need to find out exactly how many are in there and if they are still alive. I'm assuming if this was a true hostage situation that someone from inside would have made contact already to place their demands. Since that hasn't been done, we've got to assume this is all being played out on the fly. That's even more dangerous a situation, however, could work to our advantage depending on how armed they are in there.

He was well aware of Maximus' capabilities, had heard the rumors about him being an ex-general in the military. Cort, however, was a bit of a mystery. He looked up at the young man and asked, "I assume you know how to handle a gun?"

"That'd be correct," was Cort's reply.

"Do not worry about him," Maximus added. "He knows what he is doing."

"Good," Zack replied, "Then let's get going. I'll sneak around to the side, peek in the window over there - see if I can see anything. Maximus, you go around to the opposite side.Cort, you keep lookout, signal if there's trouble. Once we know what we're dealing with we'll have to find a way inside - possibly
from the back. Sound good?"

Zack nodded to Cort, then crept slowly around to the right side of the house, his shotgun at the ready. Ducking behind some low shrubs, he peeked inside the first window he came to. He found himself looking into a small den. The lights were off, however, the door was pushed ajar and just outside he could make out the front foyer. Someone was moving around in there, but he couldn't make out more than just their feet.

As quietly as he could, he crept over to the next window and peeked in. He was in luck! This gave him a clear view of the living room which opened up to the foyer. He pulled out a small pair of binoculars, adjusted the view, and let out a quiet gasp, then shoved them back into his pocket and quietly made his way back to the front of the house to meet back up with Cort and Maximus.

"Did you see something?" Maximus asked, noting the look on Zack's face.

Zack licked his lip, nodded, "It doesn't look good," he told them, "I could make out 2 bodies - one was definitely in bad shape. Blood everywhere. Most likely, Ross. The other - I assume, Reverend Harris - was lying next to him, face down. His hands bound behind him. Dwayne had his wife tied up as well, set her down next to the two men." He looked Maximus and Cort in the eye, "We need to work quickly. We don't know what he's planning. We've got to get him isolated somehow from his captives and take him down."

Cort's hand hovered over his gun butt. He'd been thinking about this ever since they'd left Maximus' house. Herod. The name kept repeating over and over in his mind. Someone was inside and they were acting like Herod, with no concern for human life. He looked at Zack, who was the official lawman here. "What do you need?"

"I'm going around to the back of the house, get his attention," Zack said, checking the ammo in his side-arm. "You and Maximus go in through the front, break the door in if you have to, but do it quickly. In and out. Get Ross out first, then the other. I'll take care of Campbell." He looked up at them, "Ready, gentlemen? Then let's do this."

Dwayne was putting the final touches on his plan, completely aware of the three new arrivals that were outside creeping around his house. Unbeknownst to them, Dwayne had the entire compound set up with hidden surveillance cameras. At that very moment he was watching their every move from a tiny portable monitor.

"C'mon, darlin'," he told Abby, pulling her to her feet. "Time to blow this joint; it's gettin' a might too crowded here for my taste."

Abby wobbled a bit on her feet, the drugs in her system having taken full effect on her now. Dwayne wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, then kicked at Alistair. "You too, padre!" he said, then kicked at him again when the man didn't move. "Let's get a move on here! Time's a wastin'!"

Alistair moaned, his eyes mere slits.

Dwayne let out a sigh, leaned Abby against the wall beside him. "Stay here darlin'," he said, then bent down and picked the man up and threw him over his shoulder.

Once he was upright, he grabbed his gun and put it against Alistair's head, then pulled Abby by her restraints. "You stay with me, darlin', you hear? Make one move or one sound I don't like and the padre here gets it. Comprende?"

She nodded, her eyes glazed over and tear-filled.

"Good," he told her, dragging her along to the rear of the house, "then let get goin'. Doc will be here to pick us up any moment."

Meanwhile, Zack had just reached the back of the house and was now in position to make his move when suddenly a black SUV came barreling around from the front of the house.

He couldn't make out who the driver was but knew it couldn't be one of his men. Without thinking, he pulled out his sidearm and raised it towards the front of the vehicle. The driver must have seen him because he swerved and floored it - aiming right at Zack.

Zack jumped out of the way just in time as the driver pulled around, opened the door a crack and began firing an automatic weapon at him. Zack managed to duck down and took cover on the side of the barn before the driver hit him. He waited a moment, peeked around, then quickly ducked back when another barrage of bullets came spraying at him. He counted to three, held his breath, then began to return fire - his bullets making no impact on what was obviously a bullet-proof vehicle.

The driver began honking his horn wildly, and Zack saw the back door of the house fly open. Dwayne was moving towards the vehicle as quickly as he could - Alistair draped over his shoulder, a gun aimed at his head. Abby was being dragged along by her wrist-restraints - completely out of it, Zack thought.

Zack watched as the driver helped Dwayne get his two captives into the back of the SUV, then climbed in behind them and shut the door. As they sped off towards the front of the house, Zack stood cursing to himself. He'd blown it. They'd gotten away. He only hoped Maximus and Cort were okay and had been successful at least in getting to Alex.

Maximus' vehicle screeched around the corner, the passenger side deeply dented in. The black SUV had plowed into it, spinning it so that it's rear fender slammed into Cort. Clutching his ribs, Cort had hollered, "Go!" to Maximus. "I'm ok. I'll go inside and check on Alex!"

Out of the corner of his eye, the General had seen Dwayne's getaway. "You are sure?" he asked, already halfway in the driver's seat.

"I'm sure," Cort nodded. The pain told him he probably had some broken ribs, but what had to be done had to be done.

Not really stopping at the rear of the house, Maximus leaned across, opening the door for Zack.

Leaning way forward, holding his ribcage, Cort went in the front door. Alex lay quietly, his eyes closed, blood everywhere. Beside him, more blood was smeared as though someone had lain in it and then been dragged away. Cort hoped to God that Alistair wasn't bleeding, too. He crouched painfully beside Alex, moving back the wrapping someone had covered the wound with. The knife had gone in right in Alex's chest. Cort blew out a long breath, laying the cloth back over it and applying pressure. Before long he heard the sound of a siren coming up the long drive. "Hang in there, Alex," he urged. "Help's here."

Alistair felt himself being carried. Whoever was carrying him was in a hurry and none too careful about his methods. Twice the side of Alistair's head smacked into doorways, then he was tossed into the back of some vehicle, his torso twisted, his hands lashed behind him. When his feet were shoved in, his head slid down to the floorboards and the sounds and the pain stopped as he was lost in the darkness.

"Don't lose him!" Zack yelled, as he jumped into the passenger side of Maximus' car. His heart was pounding. He knew if they didn't catch Dwayne now he'd surely try and flee the country. "Cort with Alex? He okay?"

"Hurt some," Maximus replied. "Car hit him. But he was able to go inside." He was trying to clamp his teeth, to keep the speeding SUV in sight. There were so many curves, so many clumps of trees, that it was hard. His car was making a strange rattling noise, too, from where the SUV had rammed it. All he cared about, though, was that it still operated so that he could stay behind Dwayne's car.

Zack checked the rounds in his sidearm. Empty. As he pulled out a fresh clip and reloaded, he decided he'd better call Bud and John and let them know what was happening. He pulled out his cell phone, dialed Bud's number. He just hoped that one of them would be able to come and help out in the situation.

"White here. Is this you, Grant?" Bud recognized the number of his new business partner.

"Yeah, it's me. Bud, listen, we need back-up, stat! That Campbell fellow has a couple of hostages, at least one of them is injured, the other - his wife, is pretty heavily drugged, it appears. He's got some accomplice working with him, tried to run me over then started shooting. He's pretty heavily armed - automatic weapons. Maximus and I are in pursuit now. Think you can rendezvous with us?"

Bud was back in the Sheriff's office. He grabbed a shotgun and a couple of extra clips for his handgun.

"Oh, my way, Grant. Where are you?" They needed more backup, but when he left Biebe and Bonnie they were off to Coffs. They'd be too far away. "I'll be alone." Bud stuffed shotgun shells in his pocket and headed out the door. He was still on his phone.

Zack braced himself as they rounded a sharp curve, swore under his breath, "We're just coming up past that weird glass house - you know the one - that looks like an alien ship crash landed? Think you can take a short-cut, maybe head the fucker off?"

Bud jumped into his cruiser. "Yeah, I know that weird fucker of a house you're talking about. The shitbird who lives there is as weird as the house." Bud peeled out of the driveway with tires screeching.

"Black SUV," Zack replied, "Can't miss it! It's the one doing 100 fucking miles an hour through town!"

Mentally Bud went through where all his girls were. They should all be home and safe except Marie who was working safely in Coffs.

"Right. How many hostages versus dirt bags are in the SUV?" Bud finished with the last Velcro strap on his vest. At that speed he should rendezvous with the vehicle soon.

"Two hostiles in front, the two hostages in the back," Zack told him, as Maximus pushed the car harder, trying to close the gap between the two vehicles.

Up ahead in the SUV, Abby was trying to make sense of what was happening. She couldn’t understand why Dwayne was doing this and why he’d brought poor Alistair there in the first place. She knew he’d been angry about him turning them down when they’d asked him to perform the ceremony to renew their wedding vows, but this? This was taking things way too far!

She struggled a bit, trying to get the cording around her wrists to loosen without Dwayne noticing, but they were tied too tightly and she didn’t have much strength in her to get the job done. She quietly began to sob, looked over to see how Alistair was doing. His eyes were half open, she thought he may be conscious now, though maybe not fully aware of what was happening. He looked as confused as she felt. Dwayne was talking into his cell phone, barking orders to someone, though she couldn't make out who or what. She leaned over, closing her eyes so that it would look to Dwayne as if she'd gone to sleep and just slumped over, and whispered to Alistair, "Are you okay?"

It took Alistair a moment to reply and then he felt as though he were trying to form words underwater. "I...I...Abby? What...what...happened?" He desperately needed to untwist his torso but was jammed in so tightly he couldn't move. His head was down, his neck bent, and the extra blood flowing into it had his head pounding and splitting even worse than before. "Dwa...Dwayne...did this?" He had no idea why and that only added to his sense of confusion.

"Yes, though I'm not sure why," she told him, keeping her voice in a low whisper. "I have no idea where they're taking us, either. Oh Alistair, I'm afraid," she cried softly. "There were gunshots, some men were there outside trying to save us I think. I just hope they were able to follow us."

Maximus? Maybe he had been able to call the General after all? He hoped so. But shots? He didn't like that, didn't want to be the cause of getting Maximus in some sort of danger. His shoulders were pulled back way too tightly by the bonds that held his wrists. Every bit of him seemed to be hurting. It was so hard to keep his thoughts clear. "Abby," he breathed, "I think we..." But then his voice faded away.

Maximus swerved, narrowly missing a roo crossing the road. From what he'd heard of Zack's phone conversation, Bud's car should be joining them any moment. The damn SUV wasn't slowing at all, no matter what obstacles loomed before it. A mailbox went down, then a trashcan, then a row of flowers. He hoped no people were walking along the road.

Bud saw the SUV in the distance. His sirens were blaring and his lights flashing on the cruiser. He went on the intercom.

"You, in the black SUV. This is the Glen Sheriff's department. Stop immediately." As expected the SUV kept barreling toward him. Bud made a quick decision. He had to stop the SUV before it went through the more populated part of town or he'd kill pedestrians or other citizens in their vehicles. He executed the perfect PIT maneuver. The SUV spun around several times before coming to rest in a ditch on the side of the road. There was no sudden movement from the SUV. Bud grabbed his shotgun and jumped from his cruiser.

With cover from his cruiser he trained his shotgun on the front seat of the SUV.

"You, in the SUV. Campbell. Step away from the vehicle with your hands in the air. Now!"

In his peripheral vision Bud saw Grant and the General pull up. He could use the back up.

No response from the SUV. "I repeat. You in the SUV. Step out of the vehicle NOW with your hands in the fucking air."

Maximus got quickly out of his car, getting his rifle in position as he moved. Why was there no answer from the SUV? His eyes narrowed as he closed the gap between himself and Bud, aware that Zack was circling around to the other side of the vehicle. The silence was broken by a shot and he dropped his rifle, falling to his knees, clutching high on his left shoulder, making small grunting noises between his clenched teeth.

Cort sat back against the wall, one hand pressing atop Alex's wound, the other to his own side. "Damn!" he muttered. It hurt like blue blazes. And he hated it, too, that Maximus was off after the bad guys and here he sat. Then the sound of hurrying footsteps came across. He'd left the front door open for the medics.

Ahnna's ears perked. "Was that an ambulance?" Her eyes were wide, filled with fear.

Joimus, trying to remain calm for Ahnna's sake, replied in as steady a voice as she could manage, "It might have been, but, then, the Glen is full of pregnant women, Ahnna. Maybe it's just that a baby has decided to be born this afternoon?"

Tom slammed on the brakes as Stevo turned off the siren. They both jumped out of the ambo, leaving the engine running and the doors open. All was quiet in the house and they began to worry that this might be a body bag situation. Tom, ever the ex-policeman, held Stevo back while he glanced through the open front door. He saw Alex, not moving, in a pool of blood, and Cort, sitting on the floor with pain etched across his face.

"Stevo, you take a look at Cort while I see if there's anything I can do for Ross."

Inside, Alex was lying very still, the strip of throw that Abby had wrapped around him now soaked with blood. He was cold, real cold and his mind was in a hazy fog. In the distance, he could hear voices as they came closer to him. He tried to speak but it only came out like a strangled moan. He faded in and out consciousness, the pain in his chest that had once been so intense now began to numb a bit, as did his whole body.

From the way Cort was catching his breath, Stevo could see that some ribs were cracked, if not broken. Easing off his shirt he began strapping Cort's chest to support the ribs. When he finished, he helped Cort rest against the wall once more. "Okay, mate?" he asked. He was glad when Cort nodded in agreement; it left him free to help Tom with Alex.

"How's he going, Tom?"

"It doesn't look good, mate. We need to stabilize him before we think of moving him to the ambo. It's gonna be touch and go. Wonder what he did to deserve this?"

Cort watched the two men working over Alex. The strapping was helping him some, but his side hurt pretty bad. "I think," he said softly, "I think he was trying to help Abby." He took too deep of a breath and winced. "See the broken vase," he pointed out, nodding toward the large, scattered shards of the thick, heavy vase that lay about on the floor. "Alistair. Said he'd been hit. I think it must've been with that."

"Abby," Alex suddenly managed to say weakly, "N...nooo..." He tried to move, but the medics quickly held him in place. They were saying something to him, but he couldn't make out what. He tried to open his mouth to speak to them again, but felt the fog coming back, overtaking him. Who were they? What did they want? What were they doing to him? Suddenly, the sharp pain in his chest was back and he screamed out, trying to fight them off, but they easily subdued him and his body gave in, relaxed, as his mind drifted off into black nothingness.

"Alex, you need to keep still, mate," Tom said, holding him down by his shoulder. It didn't take much pressure as Alex seemed as weak as a kitten. He cried out in pain and fell unconscious once again.

"Now might be a good time to move him, Tom, before he comes round again. I don't think he'll stand the pain if we jolt him while he's awake," Stevo said. Turning his attention to Cort, he spoke softly to him. "Hey, mate. Think you can make it to the ambo, or should I bring out a chair for ya?"

Cort closed his eyes. Looked like Alex was on his way out. Who knew how long the man had lain there bleeding like that? He himself was now breathing in short gasps, trying to get through the pain each breath cost him.

"Give me a hand up, Stevo. I think I can make it." Trying to stifle a groan, he leaned on Stevo, curving forward to ease his ribs. It seemed a long way to the ambulance, a very long way, and he was breathing raggedly only half way there. He'd waited while the medics got Alex loaded first, leaning against the side of the ambulance, sweat beading his upper lip, and was glad when he was helped inside and able to sit again. It would take a while to reach the hospital in Coffs and he leaned forward, his face in his hands, not even noticing when Tom slid a blood pressure cuff on his arm.

It all happened in what seemed like slow motion. Before Zack knew what was happening, the driver in the car had begun firing on them and Maximus was hit. He quickly called out to him, "Maximus! You okay?"

Maximus' teeth were clenched so tightly it was hard to reply. "Shoulder," he managed, then sat over on his hip, letting his grip over his wound go, feeling beside him for his rifle. One thing he'd learned, and learned at dear cost, you didn't give in to pain, not when there was something that needed doing.

Zack came around to the passenger's side, hoping to take out Campbell before he could do anything to the two hostages. The driver was still firing but Bud had begun firing back. Zack saw the driver get hit, grab at his neck. That was his chance to move in. With his weapon raised, he jumped out and aimed his firearm at the front passenger's seat and yelled out, "Get the fuck out of the car... now!"

Instead of doing as he was told, however, Dwayne jumped into the back seat, grabbed Alistair by the back of the neck and pulled him up out of the vehicle next to him. Dwayne had a shotgun aimed at the man's head, a scared but determined look on his face. "Don't make me shoot him!" he called back to Zack. "I will, if I have to."

Alistair was aware he'd been grabbed and hauled up. The sudden jerking motion of being pulled upright sent his head spinning wildly. He felt something hard and cold pressed against his temple but was in too much pain, too dizzy, to determine just what it was. If his neck hadn't been being held in some horrid grip, his head would have fallen forward. A long, sighing sound escaped his lips and he let his eyes close.

Zack stood back a distance, looked over his shoulder at where Abby was lying down on the floorboard of the car. Good, she was out of range, he thought to himself, then his eyes found Bud. He'd taken out the driver. Zack called out to him, "You got this, Bud?"

Bud nodded to Grant. The driver was no longer a threat. This shitbird Campbell had to go down. No fucking way he was hurting any more hostages on his watch. Not now, not ever. And not the Reverend. He aimed his shotgun at Campbell's head and waited. The right time would come. Both he and Grant had given him ample opportunities to disarm and surrender. Negotiations were over.

Steady. The Reverend's head listed to the side. Bud squeezed the trigger of his shotgun and felt the recoil slam into his shoulder. The shot blew off half of Campbell's head and he crumbled to the ground along with his gun. Brain matter splattered over the immediate surrounding area.

Bud lunged forward and caught the Reverend as he went down, pulling him out of the way.

Alistair's lips moved, but he made no sound. Blood and bits of bone from Dwayne covered the side of his face.

"His hands," Maximus gritted. "Still tied. Hands." He slid a knife out from the top of his boot, keeping one there a habit he'd not broken, and with some effort tossed it close to Bud, who cut Alistair's bonds.

Alistair's chin fell to his chest. He couldn't hold his head up, not any more. He hung there, completely sagging, in Bud's arms until the cop lowered him gently to the ground. Maximus managed to get to his feet, coming close, dropping down again beside Alistair. When Zack came over, he looked up at him. "Need...need to get him to the hospital."

Zack let out the deep breath he'd been holding, his shoulders slumped as he lowered his weapon. "I'll drive," he replied, then rushed over to check on Abby. She was in the back of the SUV, huddled on the floor.

"Mill. Stop by mill," Maximus breathed, clutching his shoulder again. "Joimus, Ahnna, there." His eyes met Zack's. "You know," he said, his meaning clear without adding more words. He knew Zack had visited Alistair in the hospital before, and was aware of Ahnna's response to the result of the fire. Maximus wanted to stop there long enough to pick up the two women.

Zack turned back, nodded. He wasn't about to argue with Maximus, knew the Mill was on the way to the hospital and there was no real life or death situation for them not to be able to make the quick stop. About that time, the sheriff and his deputy pulled up alongside of the road. Bud was filling them in on the situation as Zack stooped down in front of Abby, wrapped an arm around her back, and whispered, "It's okay, sweetheart, it's over. It's all over."

Abby was shaking pretty badly, her eyes fixed on where her husband lay dead on the ground in front of her. She was cold and tired and confused by what had happened. This was a nightmare - one she couldn't seem to wake up from no matter what she did. Dwayne was dead. Her husband was... dead! She couldn't believe it had all happened, didn't understand why he'd taken them hostage and tried to run from the cops. All she wanted to do was to sleep and make it all go away. She closed her eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Zack held onto her, trying to comfort her. He knew she was probably in shock, needed medical attention soon. "Hennessy," he called out to the deputy, "you take care of the girl? Make sure she gets to the hospital while I drive the others?

She nodded, made her way over to where Abby was still crouched in the car. After a moment, she had her on her feet and was helping her into the sheriff's cruiser.

Zack, with the help of Bud, managed to get Alistair in the back of their police car, then went back to help Maximus. "Sure you don't just want to call them on the way?" he asked, helping the general into the back seat next to Alistair.

"No," Maximus replied firmly. "It is best we stop." He bit his lip as he slid into the seat, using his right arm to prop Alistair, who had started to slump to the side. Damn, but he wished he had something to wipe Alistair's face before Ahnna saw him, but there was nothing to use.

Within moments they had arrived beside the mill, parking next to Joimus' station wagon. "I think it will be better if we switch to that," Maximus nodded, indicating the larger car with three rows of seats. He waited quietly still in the back seat of the cruiser while Zack went to the door of the mill and knocked.

Ahnna started, making a little gasping sound. "They're back!" she cried, getting up and running to fling the door open, closely followed by Joimus. "Zack?" She hadn't expected him. "Where's...where's Alistair?" She looked past him, noticing the police cruiser next to the station wagon. "Is...is....?"

"He's fine, just a bump on the head," Zack quickly assured her, "I'm on my way to the hospital with them, but Maximus insisted I stop by here first to pick up the two of you." He moved aside so she could see the two men sitting in the back of the cruiser.

"Alistair," Ahnna breathed, running toward the cruiser. As she got closer, she called his name more loudly, but he didn't turn and look at her as she'd hoped.

Joimus followed, walking quickly, but not in Ahnna's full-out run. Zack had not mentioned any harm coming to Maximus, but she was terribly concerned for Alistair. Ahnna had paused just outside the open rear door of the cruiser, her hands clamped to her mouth, her face gone all white. Seeing that, Joimus hurried up behind her, putting her hand out to support her friend.

"Ahnna, what's...?" Then she, too, got to a place where she could see inside. Maximus sat quietly, his jaw set, trying to keep Alistair partially upright. The upper sleeve of his light blue shirt was stained with blood. She felt an instant tightening in her guts, but it was the sight of Alistair's face more than anything that shocked her. His eyes were closed and something... something horrible... was splattered over one side of his face. Had he been injured that terribly?

Her eyes flew back to her husband's, her silent question loud. "Dwayne," Maximus bit out. "Shotgun." He shifted a bit then asked, "Can you and Zack help me get him in the station wagon?"

Ahnna hadn't moved, had barely breathed, had not been able to stop gazing in absolute horror at Alistair's face. "It's not his, Ahnna," Joimus said almost in her ear. "It's Dwayne's...not his."

Alistair opened his eyes part way, blinking slowly. "Ahnna?" he whispered hoarsely.

That was enough to get her moving. "I'm here, darling, I'm right here." Between Zack, Joimus, and her, they got Alistair into the third row of seats in the adjacent station wagon, Ahnna sliding in beside him, her arms wrapped around him as he leaned into her.

Joimus turned back to the cruiser where her own husband remained. "You?"

"Shoulder," he said, managing a very slight smile. "Bullet."

She supported his right elbow as he got out and moved to the middle row of seats in Joimus' car. Now that his right arm was free from helping Alistair, he was clutching his shoulder again. Joimus had on an ankle-length skirt and she ripped a large piece off its hem, then tore that in half, handing one section back to Ahnna and then folding the other into a fat compress. She guided Maximus down on the seat, his knees bent, his head in her lap, and she pressed the cloth atop his wound. Leaning close over his face, she kissed his forehead, whispering, "Close your eyes, my love. Rest for a moment."

Ahnna was wiping at Alistair's face, tears running down her own, but whatever it was that coated it had dried and wouldn't come off. "I...I'm ok," he murmured, his eyes barely open. "Head hurts." His head was, indeed, wobbling rather badly and she pulled him into her. He sighed loudly. "Love you." She let out a huge sob she couldn't keep inside any longer.

Once everyone was in the car, Zack quickly grabbed the police light from the top of the cruiser and attached it to the roof of the station wagon, then started the engine and sped down the road en route to the Coffs hospital.

The station wagon's tires squealed loudly on the pavement as Zack came around the curved road at full speed. It was near nightfall now and the sun had already begun it's slow descent on the horizon. More than the darkness, Zack was hoping to outrun the storm that was brewing off in the distance ahead of them. The ominous thunderclouds loomed closer and closer - lightning rippling across the Australian sky. He looked into the rearview mirror at the two men cuddled up with their wives. One barely conscious and the other still losing too much blood for Zack's liking. If he didn't reach Coffs soon their condition would surely become more critical.

"About halfway there now," he said to his passengers, trying to reassure both them and himself.

"Hurry, Zack," Joimus urged. "Maximus' wound doesn't seem to be clotting. I'm worried the bullet might have nicked an artery."

Zack gritted his teeth. He was pushing the poor station wagon as hard as it could handle and was afraid to go any faster without blowing the engine. "I'll get him there in time, Joimus," he replied, "You have my word."

Unfortunately for those in the car, they were completely unaware of the fact that back at the crime scene all had not been quite as over as they had thought. For the driver of the SUV - Dwayne's accomplice - had only had a minor flesh wound on the neck where Bud had shot him. When the local mortician from Coffs finally arrived to pick up Dwayne's remains, the driver - whom Bud had slapped a bandage on, handcuffed, managed to get loose and take off in the sheriff's car. They'd put out an all alert bulletin, but the driver managed to elude them all and a half hour later the sheriff's car turned up in a ditch on the side of the road just out of town. Along side of the car, just a bit further down in the ditch, they found the body of a traveling salesman - shot in the head. The man's wallet was missing and it was assumed that the escaped prisoner had used the stolen police car to pull the man over, then shot him and fled the scene in his car. Without his identity they had no idea who he was or what his vehicle may have looked like.

Dr. Stanley Branagan, who'd lost his license to practice medicine in the U.S. some time ago due to his highly questionable extra-curricular activities, the most notable of them being his illegal sales of certain highly addictive prescription drugs, came barreling up behind the station wagon. He'd been following them since they'd left the mill, keeping a safe distance behind until he knew they were far enough out of town where he could take them down. Now that he also had the cover of darkness and the rain to aid in his plan, he decided to make his move and came up close behind the car with his high-beams on so that they were blinding to the driver of the car in front of him.

Zack squinted when the lights reflected into his eyes, pulled over to the side of the road a bit and motioned for the car to pass. When it didn't, he let out a barrage of swear words aimed at the driver and sped up again.

"What's happening, Zack?" Joimus called out, shaken by what Zack seemed to be doing. She didn't understand what was going on. Maximus' face was growing whiter and that's all she could focus on.

Zack muttered something under his breath, then recovered himself and said, "Not sure what this asshole's up to, Joimus. Hang on and make sure your seatbelts are tightly fastened, I'm going to try and shake him."

He pushed down as hard as he could on the accelerator, the car lurched forward, smoke beginning to rise from the engine. The car behind him was still right on his bumper, easily keeping pace. "Shit!" Zack swore again, swerving the station-wagon to the left and right in order to keep the Ute from colliding with its back bumper. His efforts were useless, however, and the Ute came up beside them and swerved into the passenger side of their car, knocking them halfway off the road.

Up ahead, lightning flashed and the rain began to pour down in buckets, causing the roadway to become quite slick. Dr. Branagan decided to use this to his advantage and came right back at the side of the station wagon with full force. Suddenly, the station-wagon spun around out of control. Zack tried to hold the wheel steady, but it was too late. They went flying off the main road, over the ditch and flipped, rolling over and over until finally landing upside down in a field.

Joimus had been in the act of trying desperately to buckle Maximus' belt, but the way he was lying on the seat made it impossible. Ahnna had been luckier in that Alistair was mostly upright, though slumped, and had gotten both of them in their seatbelts just before the car began to
flip.

Joimus lay on her back in the field, rain pouring into her face. Spluttering, she sat up. She'd landed in an area of deep soft grass and was only terribly shaken. Frantic, though, she searched through the gathering darkness for her station wagon. It's headlights were still on, sending shafts of light through the heavy rain and she scrambled to her feet, running toward it. Oh, Lord...it was upside down!

The passenger's side door where she'd been sitting was missing. She stuck her head inside, calling, "Maximus!" and groping for him with her hands. He wasn't there! A moan from the back attracted her attention. "Ahnna?"

"I'm...I'm all right...I think." Ahnna shook her head, trying to clear it, then realized she was hanging upside-down. She felt dazed, disoriented, and ached in several places. "Alistair!" She twisted to her right where he was hanging beside her. "Alistair?" With her hands, she found his face. He wasn't moving, wasn't responding and an anguished moan escaped her lips. She couldn't tell if he were alive or dead.

"Help me!" Ahnna cried, fumbling for his buckle. "Help me get him down!"

Joimus stretched further into the car, found the seat belt and traced along it. "I've got it! Hold onto him, Ahnna." She undid the buckle and Alistair's body slumped heavily down to the roof of the overturned car.

"Can you get out of your seatbelt?" she asked Ahnna.

"Think so." And in a moment she had freed herself and was on her knees, trying to turn Alistair.

"I've got to find Maximus!" Joimus said, every nerve in her body on edge. Quickly she tried to see how Zack was, but it was too dark and he was very quiet. She pushed herself away from the car, stumbling through the field back the way the car had rolled. He had to be here somewhere. He had to!

She zigzagged across the field, trying to follow the path the car had rolled, hoping to come across Maximus in the dark. The rain beat down on her so hard her hair kept streaming into her face and she pushed it constantly away, blinking, trying to see. Then she was at the edge of the road and hadn't found him, so, sick at heart, she turned, heading back out into the field, searching, searching. About halfway back she fell over him. Shocked, she lay there a brief moment, not realizing at first what had made her fall. Her hands moved, encountering his right hip.

Scrambling to her knees, she felt up his body. He was lying so far over on his left side he was almost facedown. Turning him, her fingers fluttered over his face. "Oh...Maximus," she moaned.

"Co...cold," he murmured.

His skin was, indeed, cold under her hands. He'd lost too much blood! She touched his upper shoulder but it was too wet with the rain and she didn't know how much it might still be bleeding since she could barely see him. Tearing off more of her skirt, she wadded it, pressing it against his bullet wound, straining to look back at the car. There was no one there who could help him and he needed help desperately.

Her phone? Was her purse in the car? No, both she and Ahnna had left the mill in such a hurry neither one had thought to bring a purse with them. With her free hand she patted Maximus' pockets. No phone. Had he been more interested in taking his rifle than his phone? Zack. Maybe Zack had a phone on him? She judged the distance to the car. The headlights would lead her to that, but then she wouldn't be able to find Maximus again in the dark field, and she'd have to stop her pressure on his wound as well. With a little sighing sound, he passed out.

"Oh, GOD! Maximus! Don't you die! Don't you even THINK of dying!"

Zack was only slightly aware of the fact that he was hanging upside down. The impact had been hard and swift and it took him a few minutes to recall what had just happened. He opened his eyes, trying to see into the darkness. The rain was still coming down strong, pouring in on him from both sides of what was left of the station-wagon.

He let himself hang there for a few more moments, trying to clear his head, which was throbbing where it had been pounded against the side of the door when the car had rolled off the road. He tried to move, attempting to free himself from the seatbelt, but a sharp pain shot through him and he let out a gasp. The seatbelt, though had kept him from being thrown through the front windshield, had obviously crushed a few of his ribs. He could hear soft moaning coming from behind him in the back seat.

"Everyone okay back there?" he asked, hoarsely, trying again to free himself from the seatbelt.

"Zack?" Ahnna was terribly uncomfortably twisted, but she had managed to pull Alistair's head into her lap. Every little while he made a low sound, like he was trying to wake up but couldn't quite manage. "Joimus helped me get Alistair out of his belt, but I don't think he's doing very well. And she's gone to try and find Maximus. He was thrown out when the car rolled." Alistair groaned again and she leaned close, covering his face with little kisses, murmuring endearments to him.

Concerned for his friends, Zack managed to release his seatbelt and quickly righted himself. "Stay here until I get back," he told Ahnna, then carefully crawled out of the car.

It was dark - real dark, and Zack couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of him. The rain was coming down in sheets, obstructing his vision even more so. Up ahead of him he thought he could just make out the form of someone. Maximus maybe? he wondered to himself, as he shielded his eyes from the rain and quickly made his way towards the figure.

Just then, lightning flashed, illuminating the person standing in front of him - along with the gun the man was aiming at him. Zack dove out of the way of the bullet just before it could make impact, landing near where Joimus sat with the unconscious Maximus. "Stay down!" Zack ordered them, as he quickly reached for the gun that was still in his shoulder holster.

Joimus threw herself across Maximus, trying to shield him with her body, her heart pounding from the close impact of the bullet. NO! she thought. No more gunshots at him tonight! Still managing to press the wad of cloth over his wound, she rested her cheek on his. It was so cold.

"Why the fuck are you doing this?" Zack shouted at the gunman, trying to distract him while he got into a better position to fire on him.

"Payback for what you bastards did to my buddy Campbell back there," he sneered back. Zack saw a glint of metal as the gunman took aim at him, moved to the left just out of the way as more shots rang out in front of him, just missing them by mere inches.

Zack pointed his gun at the direction they had come from, took aim, then waited for another flash of lighting. That's when he fired on the gunman. His first shot only gave him a flesh wound - hitting him in the left shoulder. The gunman grabbed his arm, lightning flashed overhead once more, giving Zack the opportunity he needed. He fired his weapon once more, this time hitting the man dead center in his chest, knocking him back to the ground.

Zack held his breath, waiting for a moment to be sure the man was down for good. Satisfied he wasn't getting back up, Zack scrambled to his feet and ran over to where the man lay on his back in the mud. He kicked at his side - no movement, then bent down to check his pulse.

"He's dead," Zack told Joimus as he trudged through the mud back over to where she was huddled next to Maximus.

"I'm losing him, Zack!" she moaned. "Oh, God, I'm losing him!"

Just then a car came down the road, heading in the direction of Coffs. "Look, over there!" Julie said, pointing off into the dark field. "Isn't that the headlights of a car out there?"

Robin slowed, leaning a bit to look, a frown creasing his brow. "Seems to have been an accident." He pulled off to the side of the road, backed a bit, then turned his car so its headlights shown across the field.

"Oh, Robin," Julie exclaimed, "It's...it's upside-down!"

In the high beams, they could see someone standing in the middle of the field, one or two other people lying beside him. Paying no attention to the pouring rain, they both got out of the car, running out into the field.

Zack looked up, shielding his eyes as the headlights suddenly lit up the entire scene. Two figures then appeared in front of him and he let out a sigh of relief when he recognized who they were.

Robin, ahead of Julie, stopped close to the man. "I know you," he said. "Met you in the Glen at the barbecue."

"That's right," Zack told him, bent over and clutching the side of his chest where his ribs had been broken, "Name's Grant, Zack Grant."

"Sorry about that, Zack. There were so many people there that day, most of them new to me. What happened here?"

"Ro...Robin?" Joimus lifted her cheek off Maximus'. "Is that you, Robin?"

"Joimus? My Lord! Julie, it's Maximus!"

Instantly he was on his knees. "How's he hurt?"

"I...I don't know about...he...he was thrown from the car...but, oh, Robin, he's been shot and he's losing so much blood...I...."

"Shot? Where?"

She nodded to where she was pressing on his shoulder. "Here, let me." And he took over pressing for her, looking up at
Zack. "Good God, man, what's going on?"

"Earlier today... back in the Glen...Alistair was taken hostage... the details are still a bit fuzzy, but long story short, he was able to use a cell phone, called Maximus, who called the sheriff's office. He and Cort met me out at the perp's ranch, a shootout and chase occurred. I called for backup, Bud got there, shot the driver, and took out the kidnapper - but not before Maximus here was shot. I was just taking them them to the hospital in Coffs when that bastard lying dead over there in the mud," he paused, pointing at the dead gunman, "came out of no where and rammed our car, knocked us off the road. Pretty sure he was the kidnapper’s accomplice, must have escaped somehow, followed us here.” He paused again, thinking about what they’d just gone through, how lucky they were, then continued, “Our car rolled several times before landing here upside-down. I left Ahnna with Alistair, went to find Maximus and Joimus... he’d been flung from the car and she’d gone looking for him. The guy wasn't done with us, though, tried to shoot us... I got him first. "

Zack nodded, "I told them to stay put ‘til I came back for them."

Julie had pulled out her phone and was already calling the emergency number in Coffs. "Hurry!" she ended. "We'll need two ambulances...and the police."

Robin asked Zack to take his place so he could check on Alistair and Ahnna. Julie crouched near Joimus, resting her hand on her shoulder.

"Ahnna?" Robin called as he knelt to peer into the car. "It's Robin."

"Robin? Oh, thank God! Thank God!"

"Help's on it's way. Can you move just a little over so I can see how Alistair is?"

She shifted as much as she could to the side, giving a little cry as the movement sent a pain through her back. "Are you hurt?" Robin asked.

"Don't worry about me. Just see what you can do for Alistair."

He felt for Alistair's pulse, which seemed a bit erratic. "There's no point in pulling him out of the car yet, Ahnna. He'll just get soaked. An ambulance should be here within minutes. He'll be all right. You just hang tight right now. I'm going back to where Maximus is."

"Joimus found him? How...how is he?"

"Lost a lot of blood, but he's alive. That's about all I know."

Zack reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone. He needed to call Destiny before she panicked.

He sighed, shoved it back into his front pocket, turned to Julie, "Mind if I use your phone? I should call my girl, let her know I'm okay."

Julie absently handed him her phone. Maximus looked really bad to her and she was terribly worried.

Destiny picked up on the first ring, the panic in her voice let him know she had indeed been worried. He kept the call short and brief, letting her know he was okay and he'd see her in the morning. No use for her to try and make the drive to Coffs tonight; he'd feel much better knowing she was safe at home and not out driving after dark in the storm.

When he’d finished, Zack hung up the phone and handed it back to Julie. He stood there for a moment, in kind of a daze, then collapsed to the ground. He sat there – in the mud and rain, shaking his head and laughing out loud, recalling the words Bud White had told him just a few short weeks ago about how Zack would be surprised at all the things that went on in the Glen and how it was rarely boring. The big man had been more right than even he probably ever thought he'd been.

Robin, on his way back to where Maximus lay, looked at the man strangely, concerned he was losing it. Julie was thinking the same thing.

Zack noticed the others starting to give him sideways glances. He let out another chuckle, then said to no one in particular, "Who the fuck would have ever thought my quiet day in the office would have ended up like this?!"

Robin's hands clenched the steering wheel grimly as he followed the two speeding ambulances along the two curving lanes of road leading into Coffs. Maximus and Alistair had become his two best friends in this new continent so far from England and he was
worried he might lose both of them tonight. Evidently no one had been aware for a while just how much blood Maximus was losing. He'd seen men that white on more battlefields than he cared to remember. He only hoped with modern technology the
outcome for the General would be different than it had been for those men.

Julie watched the hard set of his profile. "They'll take good care of them."

"They better," he replied without unclenching his teeth. He was speeding despite the heavy rain, determined to stay right behind the ambulances with their lights and sirens slicing through the night. His thoughts strayed to his own stay in that hospital. He hadn't
liked the experience at all, what he remembered of it.

He took a sharp, hilly curve at high speed and his car hydroplaned, spinning around on the pavement three times before its front bumper impacted a sign post and the car came to an abrupt halt. Instinctively, his right arm had gone out, stretched over Julie's upper body, but his forehead snapped forward, hitting the top of the steering wheel, opening up a long gash just inside his hairline. Blood flowed down his face, getting into his eyes, and furious with himself for letting the car get out of control, he wiped at it with both hands.

"Julie? Are you all right?" He turned, trying to see her but the blood obscured his vision.

"I'm fine," she replied, turning on the overhead light so she could see him better. "Robin, my God, your face!"

"It's nothing. Just can't see to drive. You'll have to take us the rest of the way. I'm so damn sorry."

She had a scarf tied over her hair because of the rain and took it off, handing it to him. "Press it up there, Robin. Maybe it will help."

They changed places and she was able to back the car away from the post, though the front bumper fell off. "Don't worry about that," Robin said, "just go."

The ambulances were completely out of sight now and though Julie drove faster than the speed limit, she didn't floor the accelerator like Robin had been doing. He sat in silence, his temple resting against the side window, holding the scarf to his forehead with one hand. The other, red with his own blood, rested in his lap.

In addition to the fact they were the spouses of the patients being transported, the medics wanted both Joimus and Ahnna to come along as they'd been in the flipping car and needed to be checked out themselves. In the interior lighting of the two ambulances, it became evident that all four of them had been more extensively bruised than at first had seemed evident. Ahnna's back muscles had been sprained and it took a great deal out of her to sit there on the jumpseat and hold Alistair's hand, but nothing was going to make her let go of him. He was semi-conscious but not really responding to what was going on around him.

Cort had just come out of the treatment area, having been x-rayed and receiving confirmation that three ribs on his left side were badly cracked. An enormous bruise was already starting to color his skin above them. He'd been strapped and given some pain med, but the hospital wasn't going to admit him. Ambulatory, he headed for the waiting room, intending to call Maximus to see what had happened. He also needed to arrange for a ride back to the Glen.

He'd halfway punched Maximus' number into his phone when the ER double doors slammed open and a gurney was pushed through, closely followed by a second. It was Joimus' face he saw first as she hurried alongside the first gurney. There was an absolute horror of desolation in her eyes and he dropped his gaze to the man on the gurney. "Maximus!" he gasped, staring at the still, white face.

The medics wouldn't let Joimus go where they were rushing the gurney and she stepped miserably aside as Alistair's was wheeled through, also disappearing down a curtained hallway. Ahnna could barely stand and a nurse got her in a wheelchair and took her off for x-rays of her back. Cort, not able to stand fully erect, still placed both his hands on Joimus' shoulders. "What happened to him?"

"He was shot, Cort. He's almost bled out. I...I...."

"Come, sit," he urged, leading her to a row of chairs, startled by the deep bruise forming on her left cheekbone and several others on her arms. "And you?" he asked. "Ahnna? What happened?"

Joimus sat, taking a deep breath, trying to control the trembling that kept taking control of her person. "Bud stopped the SUV, Cort, and Dwayne was killed. He almost killed Alistair, from what Zack said, and Bud had no choice. But Maximus was shot and...and...
no one thought it was very bad...his shoulder...so...so...they came by the mill, got Ahnna and me so we could come to Coffs with them... you know? We...we used my station wagon...more room...Zack drove. It was dark...dark in the car...and he was bleeding... Maximus was...but we couldn't see...didn't know. I tried to stop it, but I think the bullet hit...hit something important." She closed her eyes, pressing her hands over her face and Cort curved his arm around her shoulders.

"Then that man...the one driving the SUV...he got loose somehow...I don't know...he was just there...following us...ran us off the road. Car rolled...just rolled and rolled...and the next thing I knew I was lying in a field. It was raining so hard...so dark. I couldn't find him, Cort." She dropped her hands to her lap, turning to look at him. "He...he wasn't in the car...and I tried so hard...back and forth across the field...back and forth." She shuddered. "Then...then...I fell over him...in the dark, Cort, I fell right over him. He was cold...so very cold. And the man came...tried...tried to shoot everybody. But Zack killed him. Then Robin was there. I don't know how he was there, but he was there."

"Where is Robin now?"

"He's not here? He was right behind us. I...I...don't know where he is. Julie's with him."

The doors opened again and Robin and Julie came in. Cort looked up, seeing blood all over Robin's face. "Good Lord!" he gasped. A nurse came to take Robin back and Julie, seeing Cort and Joimus, came to sit by them.

"You, too, Cort?" She hadn't heard the full story yet.

"Ribs," he said. "Car got pushed into my side."

"So, tell me what you know."

He told her about the call from Alistair and how he and Maximus had gone to Dwayne's meeting Zack outside. "And I think it was that big vase Dwayne must've hit Alistair with," he ended.

Joimus' fingers were clasped together so tightly her knuckles were white. A nurse came up to her. "Mrs. Meridius?"

"Yes! What news of my husband?"

"Nothing yet. They've got him in surgery. But it's you I've come for. Doctor wants to check you out, too."

"I'm all right."

"Your cheekbone might be broken. Could be other things. You've got to come with me, all right?"

Sighing, she stood up. "You'll let me know, wherever I am, you'll let me know about my husband?"

"Sure thing," the nurse smiled.

"What about Alex?" Julie asked Cort.

"I don't know. He was really bad off. I haven't heard a thing since the ambulance arrived here. They whisked him away damn fast." He leaned forward, folding his arms around his middle, his jaw muscles working.

Within a few minutes, Robin came back out, his face cleaned, the long, thin split just in his hairline glued. "Maximus?" he asked, stopping in front of Cort and Julie.

"No news. They took Joimus back to check on her," Julie said.

When Robin sat, they told him what they knew of events. "Damn battlefield," he growled.

The bullet had, indeed, nicked the main artery of Maximus' left arm where it curved up into his shoulder. And though he'd been bleeding a lot, the pressure Joimus had been putting on the wound as he lay in the back seat of the station wagon, had slowed it considerably. It was when he'd been thrown from the rolling car and landed heavily on his left shoulder in the dirt, that the small tear in the artery had increased in size and with
every beat of his heart, more of his blood pooled under him in the rain-soaked field.

By the time the medics got to him, he was suffering from a massive blood loss and was rapidly going into hypovolemic shock with organ failure imminent. All Joimus had known as she sat miserably watching him in the back of the speeding ambulance, was how white he looked despite his deep tan. She'd never seen him that color and it profoundly affected her.

Now she sat even more miserably on the side of an exam table, her legs dangling, all alone as she waited for the results of her facial x-ray. Outside the pulled, blue curtain, two doctors paused, discussing a case. Lost in her thoughts and worries, she wasn't paying attention until the name 'Meridius' pierced through her consciousness. "...and with 45% of his circulating blood volume lost and the way his BP was plummeting, no wonder we lost him there on the table...."

She ripped the curtain open, staring at the two doctors with a ghastly expression.
"He died? Maximus DIED??"

Her voice, loud and shrill with horror, came around the corner into the waiting room. Robin, hearing, made a dash for it, arriving just as she began toppling forward, almost taking down the blue curtain with her. He managed just barely to get his arm behind her head before it would have hit the tiles.

On one knee, he looked up at the startled doctors. "General Meridius? He is dead?"

"Who is that?" the older of the two doctors asked, squatting.

"The General's wife. You did not answer me, sir. Is he dead?"

"For a moment during surgery, but only a moment." He realized what he'd been saying earlier. "I didn't know his wife was right here." He took her pulse, noting how the side of her face was swelling and turning purple. "What happened to her?"

"She was in the car when it rolled. She, too, was thrown out."

They got her back up on the exam table. "Has this been x-rayed?" the doctor asked.

"I don't know," Robin replied. "I think they planned to."

She moaned and started to come around, clamping her hands to her face. "Oh God, no!"

The doctor gently pulled her hands away. "You'll only hurt that more, Mrs. Meridius."

She didn't care. Her entire world was spinning off its axis and she didn't care about her face at all.

"He's not dead, Joimus," Robin said, leaning close. "The General still lives."

"But...but...I heard...."

The doctor spoke up. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Meridius, I didn't know you were in here. What you heard was me discussing how his heart stopped for a moment during surgery. But I assure you he's quite alive and we are engaged in restoring his blood volume."

She tried to sit up but a great weakness seemed to wash over her and unable to help herself, huge tears began sliding down her face. "Here, here," Robin said, smoothing back her hair. "You have him still."

But she couldn't seem to stop crying, couldn't quite get her world to continue on its way. The sheer enormity of that moment she'd thought she'd lost him enveloped her, smothering her with its dreadful loss. The doctor whispered to his younger companion and soon he was giving her a shot. In a moment her tears stopped and her eyes closed. "Let her rest here a while," he said.

"May I be permitted to remain with her?" Robin asked.

The doctor, studying him, thought how remarkably he resembled his patient and figured he must be Meridius' older brother. "That will be fine," he nodded.

The doctors left and Robin pulled a chair near where Joimus lay. Keeping guard over his wife…it was a small service he could perform for the General.

Julie was getting restless. Robin had been gone for a long time. As unobtrusively as possible, she made her way past the registration desk, slipped around the corner and pulled aside the curtain of the small exam room where Robin had gone. He was sitting in the chair beside the narrow bed, his face buried in his right hand, his right elbow on the chair's arm. With his left he held an icepack to the side of Joimus' face.

"Robin," she whispered, and he looked up.

"Ah, Julie," he sighed. "I didn't mean to leave you for such a while. But Joimus overheard the doctors talking about how the General had died for a moment during surgery and was most distraught."

"How's she doing now?""

"They gave her something to help her rest." He lifted the ice pack so Julie could see her face. It was swollen terribly from her left eye all the way down to her jaw-line. "There's a small fracture in her cheekbone," he explained. "When she was thrown from the car, this happened."

"Oh, Robin, so much pain and suffering tonight."

"It is all too familiar, my love, and I do not like it. I did not think to find so much of it in this new land."

"Bad men do bad things no matter where one is."

"That is God's simple truth, though it be a shame and a blot upon humanity."

She came up behind him, sliding her arms around his shoulders, kissing his hair. "How's your head, darling?"

"It pains sharply, but is of no matter."

Joimus woke rather suddenly, looking at them groggily, her left eye now almost swollen shut, making it harder to focus. "Maximus? Is he...?"

Robin put his hand on her arm. "He is still in recovery, still being transfused. But he lives."

"I must see him!" She tried to sit, finding her entire body ached with the movement.

"I'll get someone," Julie said quickly, hurrying out of the room. In a moment she returned with a male nurse.

"Mrs. Meridius, I think the doctor was hoping you would rest longer."

"I can't rest. I need to see my husband. I need to see him NOW!"

"You must hearken to this lady's request," Robin said, standing and looking imposingly at the nurse.

The nurse looked at him a moment, a 'what...the?' expression on his face at the man's choice of terminology. "I'll check with recovery," he said and left.

Robin helped Joimus sit on the side of the bed. "You are highly bruised," he commented, noting her arms and legs. The lower half of her long skirt had been raggedly ripped away and mud and bits of grass clung to her clothing and hair.

Julie went out again, finding a pleasant-looking female nurse. After speaking with her, she and the nurse came back with a set of green scrubs for Joimus to change in to. Robin and Julie went back to wait with Cort while the nurse helped Joimus change.

Cort looked at them with intensely concerned eyes. "Tell me," he said. And so Robin explained about the Meridiuses. Cort sighed deeply, squeezing his eyes tightly shut when it hurt his ribcage.

"Does Claire know you're here?" Julie asked him.

He shook his head wearily. "I don't want her driving here in the night and the rain. I'll still be broken in the morning. Time enough then." He managed a wry grin.

He'd been thinking about Claire a lot as he'd sat there alone. The lovely soft gentleness of her face as he saw it in his mind provided a needed contrast to the ugly brutality of the night. He wanted to bury his face in the curve of her neck, smell the sweet scent of her flesh.

"You are tired, my friend, and in need of rest," Robin said. "I must remain until I know the outcomes for Maximus and Alistair, but when Julie and I leave for the Glen, consider that there is a place for you in my vehicle."

"You had a collision, didn't you...on your way here?"

"A small incident, yes, the loss of a bumper. The Mercedes is still drivable, though I fear I must take it to Colin's garage upon our return."

"I'd be mighty obliged for the lift," Cort said. "Thanks."

When Joimus was in the scrubs and had hospital slippers on her feet, the male nurse returned with a wheel chair. "Doc says you can go see your husband but he doesn't want you to walk."

As she settled painfully into the chair, she asked him, "Do you know anything about Reverend Harris?"

"All I know is they took him off for scans. Haven't heard anything yet, Ma'am."

She sighed and motioned down the hall with a slight movement of her hand. "Please."

He wheeled her down several long hallways, around corners, and then into a room where Maximus lay. Her teeth sank into her lower lip. He was still much too white. "How long...?"

"It takes a while," the nurse said. "I'll leave you now. Be back in a while."

"I want to stay," she said.

He smiled, not replying, and turned to leave.

The bed was too high and the railings were up. Sitting low in the wheelchair, she felt shut off from him, so got to her feet, standing there, her hands gripping the railing. He lay quietly, monitors on his chest, an oxygen cannula on his face, the IV in his right arm, the upper left part of his shoulder and chest swathed in thick bandaging. "Oh, my darling, darling," she sighed, touching his cheek, "this was so close, so frighteningly close."

His eyes opened, small slits of his green showing. "I am...here." His voice was low, very weak.

"It is only because of that that I still live," she smiled, curving the backs of her fingers tenderly down his face.

He was barely able to keep his eyes open even that much, but he saw her face. "You...you...?" A frown creased his forehead.

"I'm fine, beloved. Truly. Don't worry about me. Just rest...rest...and grow strong again."

He blinked, opening his eyes more widely. "Oh, Joimus." Tears brimmed as he looked at her.

"Shhhh!" she murmured. "This is only temporary. I'm not in any danger. There's nothing for you to worry about, my darling."

He tried to lift his right hand, needing to touch her, but only managed two or three inches before it fell back to the bed. She took his large hand in both hers, lifting it for him, pressing it to her lips as she leaned close. "I love you with everything I am," she said almost fiercely.

He smiled a little, then his eyes closed and he drifted off.

She remained standing there, holding his hand, just filling her eyes, her soul, with the sight of his livingness and even when her body protested loudly and her legs began to tremble, she stood because the will to stand was stronger than the need to sit.

Alistair was awake but his head hurt like the hounds of hell were fighting furiously inside his skull. He felt confused, disoriented, and couldn't figure out how he'd gotten where he was. Had the smoke done this to him? Was he in the hospital because the mill was burning? Someone was fiddling with an IV beside his bed. He was aware, too, of a band of liquid fire across his hips and lower abdomen. That was from the seat belt as the car had rolled across the field and then suspended him upside down. He had no memory of any of that, could find no reason for the pain there. Whatever the person with the IV was doing, was beginning to help somewhat and he looked blearily at them, asking, "Ahnna?"

"I'm here, darling." Ahnna came through the doorway and he tried desperately to focus on her.

"Ahnna?" he asked again. She was being pushed in a wheelchair up close to his bed. No, that wasn't right. That couldn't be right. He tried to lift his head again but waves of bilious green nausea washed through him and he lay back, gasping.

"Lie still," Ahnna said quickly, urgently. "Please, darling, lie still."

"What...what's....?"

She slid her arm through the bed railing, curving it over his shoulder. "You've got a concussion," she explained, "a really severe one." She blinked back tears as she remembered the doctor saying how lucky he was that he didn't have bleeding into his brain.

"Cold. Head's cold."

"You have ice packs around you. They're trying to keep your brain from swelling. So far you're doing really well."

Cort had explained to both the doctors and police about the thick shards from the vase he'd found where Alistair had lain in the entryway of Dwayne's house. The impact had fractured Alistair's skull but hadn't depressed the bone. His scalp had split somewhat, but had been repaired.

"Hurts," he said then tried to look at her again, though sometimes there seemed to be two of her overlapping. "Why...why chair?"

"Do you remember Zack drove you and Maximus to the mill? Joimus and I came with you to the hospital."

"Not...not much. No."

"Dwayne hit you with a big vase, but you somehow managed to get word to Maximus."

Very vaguely he recalled that. "All right? He...all right?"

An odd looked passed over her face. "Tell...tell...what happened?"

"Bud killed Dwayne. He, Dwayne, had a gun to your head."

"I...don't...."

She was glad he didn't remember. "Maximus was shot, worse than anyone knew. He nearly bled to death."

"Oh...God! I called...him. My...my fault."

"None of this is your fault. It's all Dwayne's doing. So you stop that right now, you hear me?"

"You...chair...why?"

"At the mill, we all got into Joimus' station wagon because there was more room. Zack was driving and somehow Dwayne's man got loose and came after us, made us run off the road. The station wagon flipped over and over." She closed her eyes. "I thought it would never stop. Then it did, but it was upside down." She breathed deeply then looked at him again. "I'd gotten seat belts on you and me, but Joimus didn't have a chance
and she and Maximus were thrown out of the car."

His eyes widened, making his head hurt worse. "She...?"

"She's hurt some. Not too bad I think. I haven't seen her since we got here. I've been...."

"You? Hurt?"

"My back mostly. Sprained pretty bad when the car rolled. I've got this sort of temporary brace thing on." She touched her middle above her hospital gown.

"How...?"

"There's more. Zack had to kill the man who ran us off the road. Whoever he was tried to shoot him, maybe us, too. I don't know. Then Robin and Julie were there and Julie called for help. That's how we got here."

He couldn't believe so much had happened he had no memory of. "Maximus...he's...?"

"I don't know, darling. I saw him briefly as they wheeled him into the ER. He was very white. But don't worry. I'm sure he's getting good care here."

He closed his eyes and she thought he'd gone to sleep, but then she saw his lips moving and leaning close found despite his own horrid pain he was lifting Maximus in prayer. Her heart almost burst with how much she loved this man and tears slid down her cheeks as she sat quietly, watching him, silently thanking God that He had let her husband live.

Maximus and Alistair both spent the next full day in the hospital. During that time Joimus and Ahnna stayed in their husband's rooms, sleeping in the recliners. That second night Maximus lay awake for a long while, watching his wife sleep. Her face was turned toward him and it caused him deep pain to see how swollen the one whole side still was, and now the deep bruising had turned shades of dark purple and blue so that she looked as though she'd been beaten. In her sleep, she turned that cheek into the pillow, instantly waking from the discomfort.

Her eyes met his and he said softly, "How I love you."

Her own eyes misted over and he held his right arm out toward her, so she tossed aside the light blanket that had been covering her and came to his bed, lying along his right side, his arm curving around her, pulling her close. This was better, he thought. He needed her at his side. It was where she belonged. She nestled into him, her good cheek against his good shoulder, and soon drifted back to sleep in the comfort of his nearness. He curved his arm up more so he could rest his right palm over her cheek, just barely touching its surface, and left it there a while, closing his eyes as though he were imparting some blessing to his beloved, as though he would draw her pain out into himself. Then he, too, slept.

Later, a nurse came in and, seeing her in his bed, moved to awaken her, to ask her to go back to her recliner, but something in the way they lay dissuaded her and she merely smiled and left them as they were.

In the morning, when they were both awake, Ahnna came into the room, still looking drawn and rather pale. "You didn't sleep well?" Joimus asked.

Ahnna shook her head. "I couldn't find a comfortable position for my back." Then, too, Alistair had tossed and turned most of the night, his head still hurting him too much to rest. The doctor had said for him to take it really easy for a while and his remaining symptoms would gradually disappear.

"How are you today?" Ahnna asked Maximus, noting how much improved his color was.

"On the mend," he smiled, thinking of how wonderful it would have been if back in the second century surgeons could replace lost blood. How many of his men could have been saved? "And Alistair?"

"Still a lot of pain, I'm afraid, but at least he can go home." She frowned slightly. "And how are we getting home...any of us?"

Just then a nurse popped her head in the door. "Mr. Meridius, there's, well, there's a limo waiting for you near the main entrance, for you and the Harrises."

"A limo?" Joimus repeated, surprised. She looked at Maximus. "When did you...?"

"I did not," he said, puzzled. "Who arranged for it?" he asked the nurse.

"The driver didn't seem to know, sir. Just said he was supposed to come here and drive the four of you back to the Glen."

"Do you think it was Robin?" he asked Joimus.

"I don't know. Either him or maybe Jack. I'm glad, though, as we'll all fit better this way."

When they'd completed their discharge, they headed to the entrance, Maximus, having refused a wheelchair rather effectively with a deep knit of his forehead and a lowering of his eyebrows, walked, holding Joimus' hand. Alistair was in a chair, though, as he'd felt dizzy as he'd gotten dressed.

The uniformed driver opened the limo's side doors, helping Alistair get in. Ahnna, watching, sighed in a whisper to Joimus. "He's been through so much lately. He worries me." Her whole life had become centered around this gentle man who'd reached down into her abyss and pulled her up.

In the car she helped him with his buckle and he winced slightly, still very tender from where the seat belt had bruised him as the car had rolled. "I'm all right," he said to her, seeing her expression. "And I'm with you." He moved his arm around her shoulders and they leaned together.

No one really talked on the drive back to the Glen. As they approached its outskirts, the driver asked, "Where to first?"

"The mill," Maximus spoke up. "Take the left up ahead and you will see it about half a mile down." He wanted to be sure Alistair and Ahnna got safely inside before he himself went home.

Several minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of the Meridius' house. "We seem to be down two cars," Joimus commented.

"There is still the roadster," he replied.

"Which seats only two. Fairly soon I'd like to replace the station wagon. I need it for the Greenery."

"Yes, soon," he nodded, "but now I would like to enter our home and just be close to you."

"I can deal with that," she grinned, a bit of a sloppy, one-sided grin. "Ow! I think I'm beginning to have great personal empathy for Jim Braddock right about now."

Kate smiled as she sat on the grass and watched the little yellow and white tabby kitten bat at the annoying fly that had been buzzing around its fuzzy head. Now that the days were warmer she’d been spending a lot more time outdoors while Sid busied himself with his brother. She was nearing seven months into her pregnancy now and finding it increasingly difficult to find the energy to keep up with everyday activities, including those her husband enjoyed in bedroom with her.

Though she’d promised Sid she wouldn’t wander too far away from the house, she did like to take a walk to the edge of the property where a line of trees separated their property from that of their closest neighbors. Today, as the weather was so nice, she’d decided to pack a little picnic lunch with her and found a nice clearing to spread a blanket out on while she ate.

She took in a deep breath, letting the warm air fill her lungs and slowly let it out. The kitten, which she’d been secretly feeding for the past week since it first showed up outside her home, had now given up its pursuit of the fly and was now turning its attention towards attacking Kate’s sandal. She giggled as she picked it up and gave it a little cuddle.

“What to name you,” Kate mused, as she studied her little furry friend. The kitten let out a meow then began to softly purr as Kate stroked its back. “Percy, perhaps?” she asked it, cocking an eyebrow, then frowned. “No, perhaps not. I suppose I should know if you are a boy or a girl kitty before choosing a name then. How about just Kitty?” The kitten purred louder and Kate giggled. “Okay, Kitty it is then.”

Kate looked at the sky, noticing the sun was getting lower on the horizon. “Guess we’d better pack up and call it a day, Kitty, before my husband sends out a search party for me. C’mon, little one, time to get a move on then.”

She picked up the kitten in her hands and pushed herself awkwardly up onto her feet and sighed. Yet another thing that was becoming increasingly hard for her to do with her belly now so big and bulging – getting to her feet. As she bent down to pick up her blanket and belongings, the kitten’s fur immediately stood up on end and it began hissing wildly.

“What’s the matter, little one?” Kate asked, holding the kitten up to eye-level. Just then it let out a louder hiss and began snarling and struggling to get out of her hands, then clamped its sharp little teeth down into the flesh of her hands, causing her to scream out in both surprise and pain. She dropped the kitten and it immediately too off running and climbed high into the nearest tree.

Clutching her bleeding and throbbing hand, Kate followed after the kitten. “Kitty! Kitty!” she yelled after it, worried it might get itself stuck up there so high. That’s when she heard it – a low growl coming from just behind her. She turned quickly, horrified by the wild dog that she saw standing ten feet in front of her.

“Nice...dog,” she told it, as she slowly backed away. “Stay back, nice dog, good dog.”

The bite on Kate’s hand was quite deep and blood was dripping down onto the front of her sundress. The dog growled louder, smelling both Kate’s blood and her fear. She let out a gasp and decided she’d take her chances and run for it. The dog was right on her, snarling and snapping at her ankles as she ran as quickly as she could manage towards the other side of the woods. She let out a blood-curling scream, tears streaming down her horror-stricken face, as the dog knocked her to the ground and pounced on her back.

Maximus and Cort had been riding fence, chatting amiably as they rode, enjoying the pleasant day.

"You hear that?" Cort said, stiffening in his saddle. "Sounds like...."

But Maximus had already spurred Legion and was galloping into the woods. Gods, he thought, that was a woman's scream. Could Joimus be in the woods? All too clearly the memory of her trapped on the bank in the flood came, filling his mind, and he spurred still harder. He came into the small clearing just as the animal, dog, wolf, he couldn't tell, knocked the woman down. He reined sharply, his rifle instantly in his hands, and the beast crumpled, its body lying across the prostrate
woman's back.

Cort was there now, too, and both men pounded across the ground, dropping to their knees. Maximus pulled the animal away, then pushed it off to the side to make room for himself beside the woman. Cort was touching her cheek and looked up. "It's Katherine Harbor," he said. "Sid's wife."

Kate let out a moan, her eyelids managing to flutter open briefly. Her vision was blurry but she could barely make out the outline of a man kneeling beside her. "Sid...," she said, weakly, trying to sit up. Pain shot through her bruised and bloodied body and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Gently, they turned her over. "She is with child," Maximus said gravely."

"No way to get an ambulance down here," Cort observed. "We'll have to get her at least part way ourselves."

Maximus mounted Legion and as carefully as possible, Cort handed Katherine up into his arms. Maximus cast a frowning look back at the dead animal. "It will have to be checked for rabies. Pray for the sake of this lady and her child that not be the case."

More slowly this time, the two riders made their way through the woods, across a wide pasture and up to the Meridius' home. Cort helped him again with Katherine, opened the gate, and Maximus carried her into his house where Joimus was just finishing sending off an e-mail back to the States.

"What...?" she gasped as she turned, seeing her husband with an unconscious woman in his arms.

"Katherine Harbor," he said. "She was attacked in the woods by a large dog." He shifted her slightly in his arms. "I killed it."

"Oh, my goodness!" Joimus cried, rising quickly. "Here, lay her on the couch. Have you called Sid?"

"Not yet." He jerked his head briefly toward the end table where his cell phone lay.

"Ok, I will. You get her settled." She picked up the land line, frowned, not knowing Sid's number as she'd never called the man, never intended to call him. Punching in the numbers for information, she got his number, sighed, and entered them into her phone.

"Sid?" she said, when he answered.

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Sid. Joimus Meridius?"

"Pardon me while I go look out a window and see if hell has frozen over."

"There may be a few flying pigs, Sid, but this is serious. I need to tell...."

"What can the likes of you possibly need to tell me?"

"Your wife, Sid, she's here." She turned to look toward where Cort was gently wiping Katherine's face while Maximus was cleaning the wound on her hand.

"Katherine! Why would she be at your house?" His voice level was steadily rising.

"She's hurt, Sid, and she's...."

"If Maximus has harmed a hair on her head I'll....!"

"You've got it all wrong, Sid...as usual. She was evidently by herself in the woods at the edge of our property and a large dog attacked her."

"Dog?" He found himself at a strange loss for words. "Dog?" he repeated.

"Yes, and you'd better hope it wasn't rabid. If Maximus and Cort hadn't gotten to her when they did, it would have killed her."

"She's...she's...?"

"She's lying on our couch. She passed out. But Maximus shot the dog."

"Maximus...?" The phone was silent a moment. "I'll be right over!"

With another sigh, Joimus hung up the phone. "He's on his way." Her eyes locked on her husband's and she shook her head mutely.

Maximus pressed his lips together and continued working on Katherine's hand.

It seemed like mere seconds before a great roar was heard outside. Joimus rolled her eyes. "I hope he didn't take out the garden gate."

Without knocking, Sid burst through the front door demanding, "Where is she? Where's my wife?"

Maximus stepped back as Sid dashed up beside the couch, dropping to one knee, his hands moving over Katherine's face. "Katherine?" he murmured over and over. "Katherine, open your eyes. I'm here."

Kate had the vague awareness of people surrounding her but their voices sounded garbled and so far away that she was unable to make out who they all were. She heard her name whispered in her ear, felt the familiar touch. Sid. He had come. He was there with her now. Still lost in a fog, she tried desperately to reach him, to open her eyes and call out to him, but the fog was too heavy and she only managed to let a slight whisper of his name, "Sid."

Sid looked truly stricken. "Oh, Katherine! Please be all right." His eyes moved then down her form to her rounded middle. SJ. His hand followed his eyes and he cupped it over her. He was unsure of himself and it confounded him entirely. He'd never cared before...ever...if something else lived or died.

Maximus and Joimus exchanged looks again. Sid was acting practically like a human being. He really seemed to care about his wife and the child she carried. Maximus licked his lips, cleared his throat, and replied. "I am sure she will be fine. She...." But Sid didn't seem to hear him.

Joimus almost touched Sid's arm, but pulled her hand back. "She should probably be checked by a doctor, Sid."

"The dog was on her back," Cort offered. "Clawed her shoulders some. Don't know if it bit her there or not. There's blood...."

Sid was running the backs of his fingers back and forth across her cheek, noticing the tracks her tears had made there. Something was terribly wrong about all this. Nothing should happen to Katherine, not to his wife. He lived above this sort of thing. He was the one who created circumstance, manipulated events, managed details to his liking. This was not to his liking, not at all. And how had the damn General got himself involved in it? He didn't want the General part of anything to do with Katherine or SJ. He needed to think...to plan, but some of his gears seemed not to be meshing quite properly. "Katherine," he said again, her name being all that seemed to want to form on his lips. "Katherine."

Kate fought through the thick fog holding her mind captive with all her might until finally she was able to open her eyes slightly, focusing in on the man holding her close. Sid. She cleared her throat, her voice hoarse from screaming when the beast of a dog had attacked. "You found me," she told him, her voice barely audible. "I knew you'd save me." She smiled, and tried to lift her head, but pain shot through her neck and shoulders and she cried out and lay back on the couch.

"I'll always save you," Sid murmured, completely ignoring the fact he hadn't even been there in the woods.

"Would you like me to call the local medics?" Maximus said rather stiffly.

"No!" Sid snapped. "I'll take care of my wife myself." He began to slide his arms under her, which made her moan aloud. "Shhh," he whispered. "I've got you. I'm taking you in to Coffs."

"But...," Joimus protested.

Sid turned, narrowing his eyes at her. "Your opinion is not required." He stood, Katherine in his arms, and walked toward the door, which he'd left open. In fact, the engine of his Bugatti was still running.

Kate let out a yelp as Sid slid her into his Bugatti and closed the door. Her hand had swollen twice its size and was still bleeding from where the kitten had bitten her. It throbbed terribly, as did her head and her back. She clutched her belly, praying her baby was still safe. She hadn't felt him move in some time, but that could just be because he was sleeping, at least, that's what she hoped. She'd heard Sid mention he was taking her to Coffs. The hospital? she wondered. She closed her eyes, floating in and out of consciousness during the long drive to Coffs, which Sid made in record time, even for him.

"Well, that was strange," Joimus commented, watching the dust from Sid's rapid leaving still settle on her roses.

"That was Sid," Maximus half-snorted.

"Um," Cort said hesitantly, "you know this guy from before?"

"We do," Joimus sighed, "but wish we didn't."

Cort was curious and wanted to ask more, but the look on Maximus' face deterred him. "I'll go get the dog. Take him to the vet's to check him out for rabies."

"Thank you," was all Maximus said, his eyes still on the front window.

When he'd gone, Joimus came up behind Maximus, sliding her arms around his waist. "You did a good thing," she murmured, pressing her face into his broad back.

"Mmphm," he muttered.

"I wonder where such an animal came from. I haven't heard of a killer dog in this area."

"I am glad the thing is dead," Maximus said, turning in her arms. "It was on our property and might have come up near the house."

"I love you." Now she buried her face in his chest.

"I know," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

Sid drove like a maniac, his eyes going every few seconds to Katherine's face. She had her eyes closed and he was afraid the dog might have injured her more than anyone knew. "Katherine, you be strong," he urged. "You hear your Sid? I want you to be strong." Damn, he needed her to be strong. He didn't like needing anybody else to be anything, but he needed that from her right now. She was merely human and, therefore, delicate and frail, not like he himself was. Once again he wondered how they even managed to survive at all. And then there was SJ. He would be completely human, too. There was something wrong about that. Perhaps there was something he could do to alter that.

"We're here," he announced, getting out and going around to her side of the car, reaching in to gather her up.

"Wh..where? Where are we, Sid?" Kate asked, feeling herself being lifted then carried swiftly into a building of some sort. The pain in her back and hand was nearly unbearable and she cried out again as she was jarred around in Sid's arms.

"Who's the best here?" Sid called loudly as he walked across the tiled floor of the ER entrance.

"What's wrong with her?" A male nurse asked.

"She was attacked by a mad dog...and she's pregnant."

"Get her on that gurney!" an older man with waving silver hair snapped.

"Who are you?" Sid glared at the man.

"I'm the best there is...so get her on that gurney."

Sid lay Katherine down and was forced to move away by the doctor and two nurses. He didn't like that. There was a lot today he didn't like.

"How far along?" the doctor asked.

"Seven months," Sid supplied. "Do you think...?"

"Give me a few minutes, sir, and I'll let you know what I think."

"Are you the husband?" a nurse asked.

"I am not 'the' husband. I am HER husband!" Sid huffed.

Katherine moaned and Sid blasted, "She's in pain, dammit! Give her something."

Kate felt herself being laid down on a bed of some sort. She heard Sid's voice, the anger and panic in it, and began to shake. "Sid?" she called out, her voice weak. "Sid, what's happening? Where am I?" There were people all around her, their hands poking and prodding at her and she tried to struggle free. She heard a female voice tell her to lay still, then felt the sharp prick of a needle in her arm. She opened her eyes trying to see what was going on around her but gave up and closed them tightly again as the bright hospital lights blurred her vision.

Kate felt herself become calmer and soon after the pain in her hand and back lessened. She felt as though she were drifting off to sleep again and tried her best to fight it, but the urge was too great and finally she succumbed to it.

Sid's eyes widened as he observed Katherine's head loll to the side. "She didn't die?" he gasped.

"She's merely asleep," the nurse replied. "The medicine will help with her tension so maybe she won't go into labor."

"Maybe?" Sid roared. "What do you mean MAYBE?!?"

"Now, now, Mr., um, Mr.....?"

"Harbor. Sidney Harbor."

At that every nearby eye, including the doctor's, turned on him with a 'you've got to be kidding' look. When no one responded in what Sid considered to be an appropriate amount of time, he repeated, "What do you mean?"

"Mr, um, Harbor," the doctor said, "would you happen to know if your wife has an obstetrician and, if so, what his name might be?"

"Of course she has an obstetrician! Dr. Larkin, that's her name. Dr. Larkin."

"Ah, good doctor," the male doctor, whose name tag read Douglas McDuff, nodded. "Nurse, contact Dr. Larkin and advise her of what we've got here."

"What you've got here is my WIFE!" Sid spluttered.

Dr. McDuff ignored that. "You say she was attacked by a wild dog? Do you know if it was rabid?"

"How in hell would I....?" Sid stopped. Damn, that had to be found out, didn't it. "Just a moment." He walked away, calling the Meridius house.

"Well," he said without preamble, "was it rabid?"

"Hello to you, too, Sidney," Joimus replied smoothly. "We don't know yet. Cort went to get the body and take it to the vet for testing.
Where are you and how is Katherine?"

"ER, Coffs. Let me know as soon as you find out." He hung up without another word.

Dr. Larkin was just leaving her office when she received the call from one of the attending nurses at the hospital about Kate's condition. Within minutes she was in the ER and checking in on Kate. They still didn't know whether or not the wild dog that had attacked her had been carrying the rabies virus or not, and it could be another hour or two before they had that information.

Once she was satisfied that Kate and her unborn child were both in stable condition, she decided she better address any concerns Mr. Harbor was having. The attending physician had informed her that he'd been most worried about his wife. She found him pacing back and fourth in the hallway of the ER.

"Mr. Harbor?" she said, as she approached him. "Hi, I'm Dr. Larkin, we met before at your wife's last office visit." She extended her hand for him to shake.

"Keep them alive," he said. "Keep them both alive." He said it, though, with the most intense look possible in his eyes. He hadn't taken her hand.

There was something in his eyes that suddenly sent a chill through Dr. Larkin and she dropped her hand and took a step back from the man standing in front of her. She cleared her throat and quickly recovered herself, assuming the man was just showing his love and concern for his wife and unborn child.

"Mr. Harbor," Dr. Larkin said, still trying to regain her composure, " I assure you, Kate and your child are in good hands here and we are doing everything in our power to assure both will pull through just fine. In fact, I've just examine her myself and she and the baby are both in stable condition. She suffered some scratches and bruising on her back which the attending physician cleaned and bandaged, as well as a rather deep bite on her hand from what we can tell was a smaller feline. I was told the dog that had attacked her was killed and is now being tested for rabies, but what about the feline? Is it a pet of yours? If so, has it been vaccinated?"

"Feline? You mean my wife was attacked by two animals? I know of no cat. We have no pets."

"Perhaps it was a stray? From the condition of the bite it would appear to be quite fresh and most likely occurred at the same time or shortly before the attack. Either way, the animal should be located and confined as a precaution. In the meantime, I've ordered a room for your wife to be moved to. As soon as she's been settled you may go in and see her."

The Glen...ha! Sid thought. Murders, kidnappings, shootings, floods, fires. And now his wife had been attacked in the space of a few short minutes by not less than TWO wild animals. Well, she wouldn't be going out alone like that, not any more. Not her nor his little boy either. But what about the feline? It needed to be found, too, evidently. How many cats lived in or around the Glen? Could he get rid of them all?

Bar Harbor sat on the edge of his bed thinking. Well, trying to think. He seemed to have big gaps in his memory. He knew he'd been sleeping a lot of late, a whole lot, and wondered if that had anything to do with his automobile accident. Not even remembering why he'd gone out in his rental car, not remembering at all that he'd even GONE out in it, much less the accident itself, really bothered him. What was happening to him? His head felt generally...odd, and often he found he had the urge to shake it as though to jiggle loose something in there that had gotten stuck, or clogged, or...whatever.

In the last week or two there were only a few hours here and there that were clear to him. He was beginning to feel he should talk with Sid about this. Perhaps his brother might have some insight into what was wrong. He'd wake up, find himself in bed with no memory of how he'd gotten there. Or he'd be in his room and know he was walking toward the door and then suddenly...nothing...and there he'd be in bed again. Something must be seriously wrong with him and thoughts of brain tumors began to haunt him.

Despite that, he was a generally good-natured man and he found the area in and around the Glen delightful. He knew he'd wanted to see more of it, meet its inhabitants, but whatever was going on with him seemed to keep him confined to his bed more often than not. He got up off his bed and began to cross the guest room, concentrating hard, determined not to black out. This time he made it all the way to the door and smiled when his hand turned the knob and it opened.

"Sid?" he called, walking out into the living area. No one was there. He went to the bottom of the amazing blue steps and tried again, but again there was no answer. "I guess he and Katherine have gone out," he said to himself. Turning, he walked to the front window wall, looking out at the green lawn, at the line of trees and low hills beyond. He would go out himself, he decided. Just walk around a bit. He was a little afraid of driving right now, thinking he might well have another accident in his current condition, whatever that was.

Outside, he inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, which made him feel considerable better, his mind a lot clearer. He curved around to the far side of the dome-like house, heading for the low hills, thinking that from up there he could get a better idea of the lay of the area. Hiking had been one of his frequent and favorite things to do back in Maine and he was still in good condition from all the exercise he'd gotten at home. He gained the top of the highest hill with little effort, found a clearing near a large tree, and sat down, leaning his back against it, indulging his eyes in the panoramic view. Down to his left sat Sid's house, oddly alone in the midst of its flat, grassy field with no gardens, walks, or any of the usual things one found in most yards. To his right, over several low, rolling hills, lay a much different place, a rust-colored brick house in what he decided was an English style and literally almost buried up to its hips in flowers. He liked that, got up, and began strolling in that direction. The sun was on his face and he smiled up at the few billowing white clouds in the vast blue sky, feeling happy just to be out and about.

It took him a while to get close to the house and when he did, he saw a blonde-haired woman busily working in those gardens he'd noted. "Good afternoon," he said, leaning on the surrounding picket fence. "Your gardens are really lovely. I saw them from the hill back there." He turned enough to point to where he'd been.

"Well, hello there," Joimus replied, standing up and brushing off the knees of her slacks. "Are you new to the Glen?"

"Fairly new, yes. I've been staying at my brother's house beyond the hills there. Haven't been feeling too well, I'm afraid, so I've not been out and about very much."

"Brother? Your brother lives in the Glen?" She was wondering who he could possibly mean. The only house in the direction he'd pointed was.... "Um, do you mean Sid, by any chance?"

"Why, yes. Do you know him?"

"I, um, yes, um, yes, I do know him." She'd heard, in fact, he had someone staying with him. Alistair had mentioned it to her. "You were in a car accident?"

"Oh, you know about that? Yes, I seem to have overturned my car. I don't even remember it."

Joimus looked him up and down. He resembled Sid quite strikingly, yet there were differences, especially in his hair, which tended to hang more over his forehead, and in his expression, which seemed open and friendly. Still, if he were Sid's brother, one couldn't be too watchful. "You, you're staying for a while then?"

"I'm not sure how long. I never really knew my brother, only saw him once in passing in Maine. This is my first chance to get to visit with him."

"And how's that going for you?"

"Fine...I think. As I said, I've been rather, um, ill."

"I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Joimus Meridius and you would be...?"

"Bar, Bar Harbor," he smiled.

"Um, like the town in Maine?"

Bar laughed. "I always get that reaction! Yes, like the town. It's where I'm from, in fact. I was born there and have always lived there."

"You were...born...there?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Why, yes. Is that odd somehow?"

It was, indeed, odd if he were Sid's brother. She knew way too much about Sid. "Your, um, parents, did they live there as well?"

"Yes, both of them were born there, too. Our family's lived there for generations."

"Generations?" This was most...curious.

Bar's hands went to his, his fingers quickly exploring. "Is...is something wrong with my face? You keep looking at me as though...."

"Oh, I'm sorry! No, nothing's at all wrong with your face. Um, would you like to come in and have a look around the gardens?"

"Very much! I have a big garden myself back in Maine, lots of delphiniums. Ah, I see you have them, too. I didn't think they'd grow in this climate."

"The Glen's special. Just about anything you like grows here." She shrugged, adding, "With a little hard work and loving care, that is."

"It looks like an English cottage garden," he commented.

"That's the general idea," she smiled, liking the man despite his relations.

For some while she toured him around the gardens and then took him on to The Greenery. "If you should decide to stay in the Glen, I'd be glad to help you choose plants," she offered.

"You don't run this all by yourself, do you?"

"Oh, no, I've got a couple of women who help me and then there's Cort, who does a lot of the heavier work for me. I hope you'll come back when you have more time. For anyone who loves plants, it's a great place to spend a whole afternoon."

"I'd like that." He really would. "I'd best be heading back now. I've been gone for some while and Sid's sure to start worrying about me."

"Sid, um, yes. We wouldn't want him to worry, now would we?"

"It would be lovely if you'd come over to his house some time. Maybe you could even talk him into thinking about putting in some gardens. It's quite bare there."

"Bare, yes, it is. Very, very bare."

"Thank you for letting me see your gardens. I really appreciate the kindness you've shown me, Mrs. Meridius."

"Joimus," she smiled.

"I hope to see you soon," he waved, walking briskly back toward the hills.

Joimus watched him go. This evening she'd have to run all this past her husband.

Surprise, Surprise!

By Jo and Bridgid

His mind was in overdrive. Jack Aubrey was like a small boy sometimes. He was impatient and impetuous.

Many things had set his marriage to Bridgid on hold and neither party was innocent of causing the delays. He'd had enough of the wait. What better time than the present to seal this deal once and for all? Making a mental list of what was needed to be done, he left her preparing supper aboard the ship with the message that he'd be bringing guests back to dine with them.

"Who?" she asked quizzically

"Never you mind, Siren."

"How many?"

He cocked his head, grinning as he feigning an expression of deep thought. "Six including you, and adding myself....." He replied. "That makes eight."

"Wait a minute, Aubrey. That doesn't add up."

Patting his ample gut, Jack just smiled. Thinking that the General may have an appetite similar to his own Jack said "Make it ten, my dear."

"Okay, sailor. I hope none of these mystery guests are vegetarians or allergic to shellfish. I'll have Tua pull up the traps and we'll have lobsters.

"Ah yes, Tua. Well, well, best make it an even dozen."

So much for Jack's math.

With that he kissed her, winked and ducked out of the cabin to fetch his guests, hoping none of them would be otherwise engaged. His first stop was at the Meridius station. As he walked up to the door he brushed both of his sleeves and cleared his throat before he knocked. Jack stood at wait with his arms behind his back and his shoulders squared.

Joimus answered the knock just as Maximus started down the stairs, his hair still damp from a shower. "Jack!" she smiled. "It's so nice to see you. Come on in." She
turned, calling to her husband, "Jack's here, darling."

Maximus came up beside his wife, a pleased smile on his face. "Come in, come in. What brings you out here, my friend?"

Giving Maximus a pat on the back, Jack then turned to take Joimus by the hand. He bent at the waist and laid a kiss on her knuckles. Raising his eyes to look at her he stood and smiled broadly.

"I am here partially because of you, both of you, my friends. You see, I woke this morning thinking of you and the situation here."

Realizing that his statement did not quite sound correct he blinked a few times before rephrasing. "It is not hard to see that your marriage suits you. I feel that it would do the same for me. What I mean to say is, I am ready to commit in a similar fashion."

There was more than a hint of excitement in his voice and he was not sure he was conveying his plan properly. "Let me make this more simple. I would like to marry Bridgid today, as soon as possible and I would be honored if you would both stand for us as best man and matron of honor."

He let out a sigh of relief as if an anchor was lifted off his chest.

Joimus looked at Maximus, her hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle an affectionate chuckle at Jack's manner of asking his question. Maximus curved his hand over her arm then smiled broadly at Jack. "An honor, my friend, that will be my good pleasure to fulfill."

"Does...does Bridgid, um, know?" Joimus asked, figuring somehow that the absence of her cousin at the Captain's side portended that she did not.

Grinning with comfort to Maximus, Jack conveyed his thanks with the expression on his face. His look became winsome as he answered Joimus. "Aye, she is aware that we are to be wed, however she is not aware that it is to be today. If that be the case then we would surely have a larger guest list. There is no time to plan such a thing at this juncture, not a moment to lose. As a matter of fact we should make haste to collect the vicar and his beloved."

Taking Joimus by the hand he urged her toward the door with no thought that she may want to change.

"Jack!" Joimus protested, indicating her cream-colored slacks and yellow plaid shirt. "These aren't exactly wedding clothes. What, um, will Bridgid be wearing?" She was curious if they were all just going to show up and Bridgid had been, say, shelling oysters all day, what her cousin would think of getting married in such attire.

His right brow rose when he thought of what she'd be wearing later on that night and a blush rose above his collar. He cleared his throat several times before his mind grasped what was really asked.

"Attire? I had not given this any thought but she does have a number of frilly and fair scented dresses on board the ship. Perhaps, once she is made aware of the circumstances of this occasion, you, dear, could help her choose something suitable?"

He let go of her hand with a nod. "Forgive me. I will wait until you are suitably attired." Of course he saw nothing wrong with the way she was dressed. Joimus was lovely as always.

Maximus, dressed in nice tan slacks and a cream silk shirt, was fine, but Joimus ran up the stairs and quickly slipped on a pale yellow sundress. The wedding would be on the boat so nothing fru-fru would be appropriate anyway.

Coming down the stairs again, she said, "Jack, we'll follow you to the mill, all right, so Alistair and Ahnna can ride with us. Just give me a minute to swing by the Greenery before we head out."

Maximus got behind the wheel of their car and drove around to the entrance to the greenhouse. Joimus hurried in, gathering up a spool of white ribbon, an armful of sunflowers, and a pair of scissors. Getting back in the car she said, "I'll make a bouquet on the way."

Seeing the sunflowers made Jack happy. He knew they were Bridgid's favorite.

So, it was off to the mill to explain all this to Alistair and Ahnna. So far everything was going well and Jack hoped there would be no monkey wrenches thrown into his plan, though he had no idea what a monkey wrench was. Bridgid had some funny ways of saying things at times.

The Mill was in his sights shortly and the Captain felt exceptionally calm as he pulled up. Maybe it was just this place that settled the storm in his mind.

He found Alistair outside.

"Good day, sir!" He raised a hand in greeting. "Tell me, are you and Ahnna engaged at the moment?"

Alistair stood, taking off his gardening gloves. "Nothing important, Captain. How may we be of service?"

"I am in need of a vicar who can perform a wedding at once. It is about time I made an honest woman out of Bridgid Morgan. There is no time as good as the present. If you and Missus Harris would be so kind as to accompany us..." He nodded toward Joimus and Maximus who had pulled up behind him, "...then we would mark this day as our anniversary in the ships log."

Alistair waved to the Meridiuses then turned back to Jack. "It will be my good pleasure. Let me tell Ahnna and get out of these blue jeans." He looked down at his legs,
where his pants had large smudges of garden soil on the knees.

A mere ten minutes later, he and Ahnna came out the front door of the mill, Ahnna in a pale pink summer dress, Alistair carrying his Bible. The two of them got in the back seat of Maximus' car and followed Jack toward the sea. "It's so good to be together for a happy occasion," Ahnna commented. "We've had enough tribulation for a long while."

"I agree completely," Joimus said, cutting off a length of white ribbon to tie around the sunflower stems. She held the bouquet up so Ahnna could see. "Sunflowers for a sunny day, for hearts full of sunshine."

"Amen," Alistair whispered.

Bridgid was in for one heck of a surprise. Jack was contemplating how he would tell her just what was up his sleeve. How would she react? Would she be madder than a moray with his tail caught in a crab's claw or would she submit to his spur of the moment wishes? He was about to find out. As they pulled up to the docks, she was on the deck waiting and waving.

Jack exited the car and waited for their friends and family to catch up before heading up the gangplank.

"Well load my cannon!" Bridgid exclaimed as the boarding party approached. "I knew we were having guests for dinner but I had no idea who. I couldn't be more pleased."

Extending her arms to her cousin Joi first, she giggled with glee. "I'm so happy to see you, to see all of you. It seems like it's been a year since we've had the chance to talk. Welcome."

After greeting everyone with a hug she smoothed the white sun dress she was wearing and turned to Jack, who seemed to be hiding (for lack of a better word) behind the General.

"Jack, this is a great idea. A spur of the moment dinner party works for me."

Jack looked at the guests as if to plead for help but in the long run he knew that there was no time like the present to spring this on her. He strode up to her and dropped to one knee without a second thought. Before she could say anything he said, "Bridgid, my love, will you marry me?"

With her mouth wide open, she looked perplexed. "Jack, you've already asked me to marry you and I've said yes." Smiling lovingly at him, she touched his cheek. "I'll say it again. Yes, I will marry you."

He stood, kissed her and turned to face everyone. "Vicar, I believe we are ready now, my good man."

"Wha...wha...WHAT?"

"Now, Siren. I meant to marry you now." Jack spoke in a steady voice.

She didn't think for too long before smiling at Alistair. "I'm a bit shell shocked, Alistair, but I've been ready for this moment for a dog's age, an old sea dog's age." Bridgid said as she took Jack's arm. "Joi, Ahnna, would you stand with me please?"

Surprise, Surprise Part 2

By Jo and Bridgid

Joimus was relieved at how well Bridgid had taken the surprise announcement but, then, she also was well aware of how much her cousin loved the sea captain. So it was with great delight she fetched the bouquet of sunflowers from the car, handing them to the bride.

Meanwhile, Alistair had taken Jack aside. "Is there, um, a ring, Jack? I need to know if we are going to make that part of the ceremony."

Jack had not thought of that part. Of course he wanted to have a magnificent ring for Bridgid but in his haste this had slipped his mind.

"A ring?" Jack said, subconsciously buying time. "Perhaps I could find a temporary...a replacement."

Overhearing, Bridgid ducked away down into the main cabin. She had something for Jack that had belonged to her grandfather. The old ring from Scotland had a series of Celtic knots made from the body of a heron and it was left to her when she was a child. It never left her jewelry box but today she had a good reason to bring it out. Of course, that fact that the heron was a sign of fertility to the Celts was on her mind when she emerged with the prize.

Handing the ring to Alistair, she shrugged. "It's okay if you don't have one for me, Jack, but I've had this for you for quite a long time. It belonged to my grandfather, Sean's father."

"I am sorry, Siren."

"Don't be. I'm just happy to finally become you're wife."

The tone in her voice when she said that made Jack's heart warm. "Then let us begin. You have been patient with me, Bridgid Morgan. You will have my name, today."

"Just a minute, Jack." It was quiet, gentle Ahnna speaking up, pulling a slender gold chain around her neck so that in a moment a ring that had been beneath the top of her dress was revealed. Quickly she unhooked the clasp and held a golden circlet out toward the Captain. "If...if it would be all right with you, Sir, you could borrow this to use until, until you can acquire one of your choosing."

As Jack looked at the ring on her palm she explained. "It's olive leaves. My great, great grandfather had it specially made for my great, great grandmother on their 50th wedding anniversary." She smiled as she gazed down at the ring. "He said it was because she'd given him 50 years of peace in his life. I...I keep it polished so it looks new, but it's quite old. Do you think it would...serve?"

Jack gingerly took the ring from Ahnna's hand with a smile. "This is precious to you, Aye?"

Seeing her nod he took Ahnna's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles. "Miss Ahnna, I would be honored to borrow your ring on this special occasion. You have my word that it will be returned to you as soon as possible in perfect condition. Thank you."

"Wait a minute!" Bridgid spoke up. "Ahnna, your ring is beautiful and I'd love to have this deal sealed with it but I have to ask one thing first. Would you mind if ...if we had it copied? It's just so beautiful and perfect that I'd love to have one just like it."

"Why, Bridgid, I think that would be lovely. It makes me feel like I did the right thing in offering it." She smiled and blushed and smiled some more.

Alistair took her hand, squeezing it lightly and whispered, "You are the most precious thing in the world to me, my darling wife."

Alistair's words resounded into Jack's being. 'My darling wife' he said. Soon Jack would be able to use that same phrase for his beloved. He gazed at her at just the right time to see the sun form a kind of corona around her. The gold of her hair and the tan of her bare feet seemed to resonate warmth, needed warmth like that of hearth and home to a lonely sailor too long at sea.

It seemed such a blessing that both Ahnna and Bridgid had rings that were heirlooms. Maybe that was an omen as to their futures. They would both be treasured by their husbands and perhaps, just perhaps, they'd pass these treasures on to their future generations.

Handing Ahnna's ring to Alistair, Jack reached to take Bridgid's hands in his. "Let us begin if you will, Vicar. I believe my soon to be wife has a feast in the galley to help us celebrate and I hear rumblings from the General's stomach. My best man, who is a happily married man I might add, should be fed and filled with joy."

At that moment, Tua stumbled up on the deck from below. He, being a Maori, had quickly carved infinity loops out of bone and shell for Jack and B. He offered them to Alistair.

"It's about time you got here, Tua." Bridgid kind of scolded him. She introduced him all around.

"Was a bit bizzy, missus." He grinned, "Reverend, I dunno if these need your blessing or not but they are a Maori tradition. One for the blushing bride and the other for the groom. Can't say as I've ever seen him blush."

"They are beautiful, Tua, thank you," Bridgid said as she looked at the pieces in Alistair's hand.

Jack was just shifting from foot to foot, wondering if he'd ever say those two little words to his bride to be. "How did you know that I planned this, Tua?" he asked, not remembering speaking to him before leaving to get their guests.

"Got my ways, Captain," Tua winked. He just put two and two together and came up with the obvious.

Alistair looked at the Captain standing just to the right of the General and under his breath quoted, "Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter, home from the hill." He didn't mean it as part of the ceremony. It was just something that sprang to his mind as he gazed at the two men. Then he lifted the two loops up. "God our Father, I ask Your blessing on these symbols of Your infinite love. Make them now also symbols of the infinite and everlasting love between this man and this woman. Amen."

"Captain Jack Aubrey and Bridgid Morgan, you have been drawn to one another as the moon draws the tides of the sea, and as that same moon makes its path of silver across the waters, guiding to the horizon, so the two of you have followed the paths of life and have come now to this moment of public proclamation of the commitment you feel in your hearts. Jack, will you look into Bridgid's eyes as you repeat after me:

"I, Jack Aubrey, do take you, Bridgid Morgan, as my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love you always, to be by your side in both weather that blows storms and in seas that are calm. You are the one I choose freely and with all my heart, to be my wife, to be my companion, to be at my side. My love for you is true and honorableand I promise you your trust is safe in my care. Your welfare will always be my concern, your safety and happiness my joy. I give into your keeping my hope for the future and the key to my heart. You are mine. I am yours. Bridgid, my beloved, I vow that my heart is yours and yours alone."

"Bridgid, now it's your turn. I, Bridgid Morgan, take you, Jack Aubrey, as my lawfully wedded husband. In you my heart has found its harbor and its home. I trust you with my life and with all that I am and all I hope to be. I promise you my faithfulness and devotion and say to you that I choose you and none other all the days of my life. I know my happiness is safe in your keeping and I take unto myself the vows you have made and pledge back to you that I will be ever true and that you, my Captain, are the one I choose freely and forever. You are my beloved and I am yours, now and always."

Alistair handed the infinity symbols to Jack and Bridgid. "Please give the one you hold to the one to whom you have made your pledge and promise and say to them
whatever comes into your heart."

After the symbols had been given, Alistair asked, "Jack, may I have Bridgid's ring." Maximus handed the ring to Jack, who gave it to Alistair. "Lord, I ask Your blessing on this ring, on the one who gives it and the one who wears it."

"Jack, please slide it on Bridgid's finger as you repeat after me: With this ring I thee wed, promising you my heart and all that I am, taking you as my wife."

When Alistair had blessed the second ring, Bridgid slid it on Jack's finger, repeating the same words.

"Please continue holding hands," Alistair smiled. He'd spied a length of slender rope about three feet long lying to one side. Quickly he bent, picked it up, draped it over Jack and Bridgid's wrists, then looped it once more about each one. He hadn't known he was going to do this, but the rope inspired him and he began to sing, "Bind us together, Lord, bind us together...with cords that cannot be broken; Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, bind us together in love." Then he smiled, raised his hand in blessing, and said, "Jack and Bridgid, you have made pledge and promise each to the other in the face of God and of this company and it is my great and good pleasure now to pronounce that you are husband and wife in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jack, you may kiss your bride!"

Jack and Bridgid stood looking at each other for a moment as if neither one of them believed this had just happened. He smiled at her before saying "Missus Aubrey, if I may?" and then he kissed her. He kissed her the same way he had the very first time he did many years ago.

Bridgid was so breathless, the lovely sunflower bouquet she held slipped from her hand that was draped over Jack's shoulder. With the speed of a cat, Tua reached out to save it just before it hit the floor. No one would say if the cheers that came from the guests were for Jack and B or for the prospects of Tua being the next to take the plunge but it didn't really matter.

"I love you so much, Jack Aubrey."

Letting out a huzzah, Jack was full of both pride and humbleness when he invited everyone below for a feast of spirits and fruits de mer, the best Neptune had to offer.

"Thankee all for coming to help us celebrate this moment in our lives." He said, shaking hands with Maximus, Alistair and Tua. He gave Ahnna and Joi each a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek as was his way.

As they were descending into the cabin, Bridgid moved up alongside Joimus.

"Can you pinch me? I'm sure that I'm sleeping. This all seems surreal to me."

Joimus obliged, just a little, and then she laughed. "I'm so happy for you, for you both."

Bridgid cocked up a brow much the same way Jack does on occasion. "You mean to tell me that I am really, honestly completely and fully married to that big sailor who just hit his head on the great cabin beam up in front of us?"

"The very one. And it pleases me more than I can say."

Maximus had been beside Jack during his collision with the beam. "Are you all right?" he asked quickly as Jack was standing there, his hand pressed to the top of his head. The General had spent very little time on boats and had almost hit the beam himself, being of a height with Jack.

"I am fine." Jack replied with a "Thank you." to the General. He wondered if that be the case with Bridgid. Seeing her now he noticed she seemed to have lost her color and there were signs that her knees were weak.

"Missus Aubrey?" he said as he moved back to place an arm around her. "Is something amiss?"

"Hoh no, Jack. I'm just realizing that this is no dream, no trick. It's sinking in now that we are actually married."

"Yes!" he chuckled. "I reckon we will have to do this all again so the rest of our friends can celebrate with us but for now, you can serve dinner."

"Orders, already?"

"Never. It was a cloaked request," he replied

She smiled lovingly at him. "You'll learn, someday, Captain Aubrey."

After giving him a kiss and a cuddle she directed everyone to have a seat. "If I knew this was to be my wedding reception, I'd have got someone else to cook but I'm equally as happy to show off my culinary skills. Let's eat, drink and be merry."

Bending down to whisper in Jack's ear, she reminded him that he should eat hearty because he'll need his strength later that night.

A Need of the Soul

By Jo and Bridgid

What was he like? Was he tall, full of frame like Jack or was he slight built like his mother. Speaking of his mother, Jack had not thought about her in a long time. Remembering when they last parted, she was upset with him that he was going out to sea and he could still see her fiery amber colored hair as it seemed to stand on end when she protested his deployment. Maybe he loved her but he didn't feel she was his soul mate. He wondered if she found her soul mate in the man who became John Phillip's step father. Why didn't the lad take his name? Why was his name still 'Aubrey'? So many questions.

Jack needed advice and who better to turn to except his best friend, Maximus. Deep down, he knew what he should do. Roberts confirmed it but for some reason having a word with Maximus might make things easier.

As Jack arrived at the Meridius property he felt rather lucky that he saw the General out by the barn. The last thing he wanted to do was to involve Joimus at this time. He had a gut feeling she'd manage to slip his secret to Bridgid before he got the nerve to talk to her about it. Women!

"Maximus." Jack raised his arm to get the General's attention. "I was wondering if you had time for me today. I am in need of the shoulder of a close friend."

Maximus finished coiling the rope in his hands, then hung it over a fence post. "I have always a shoulder for you, my friend. Is there something troubling you?" It was so soon after the wedding, Maximus was hoping it was nothing to do with that. The expression, though, on Jack's face told him this was no slight quibble with a bride.

"As a matter of fact there is. Could we sit someplace. I have something to show you."

The letter in Jacks pocket seemed like it weighed ten pounds right now. He felt the best way to explain this all to Maximus was to let him read it first hand.

Maximus led him to his small office area in the barn, a simple room with a desk, two chairs, a shelf of books on horses and cattle, motioning him to a seat, taking one himself. "This sounds serious, Jack." Indeed, he'd never seen the Captain's face look quite the way it was right now.

There was something Napoleonic about the way Jack looked when he slipped his hand into his jacket to remove the letter. Perhaps he just felt smaller than he actually was. Handing it over to Maximus, he gave his permission for him to read it.

The letter said ...

To Captain Jack Aubrey,

There is no doubt that if you are receiving this letter it is due to my demise. I have been plagued as of late with an incurable form of cancer and I feel that since my time is short, this needs to be done. You see, during our brief relationship many years ago, we produced a son. I am sorry that I have not told you about this but I felt it was best to let you move on with your life. I did. I married a wonderful man and we have lived our lives here in Portsmouth. He has been a wonderful step father.

Our son's name is John Phillip Aubrey. Yes, he has your name. I felt it was best that way. There is no mistaking him, he has many of your attributes and is currently serving the Queen in the Royal Navy, stationed in the Gulf of Aden.

I am sorry about withholding this Jack though I do with all of my heart hope you've found happiness. I couldn't leave this earth before I came clean to everyone.

Sincerely,

Sarah Henshaw

Maximus read the letter through slowly, then still holding it, wiped his hand across his chin. A son. He held the letter out to Jack, meeting his friend's eyes, trying to read the emotion he saw there. A son. His mind flashed quickly back to his own lost son. "Jack...I...what do you intend to do?"

Jack sat contemplating for a moment. "I have to tell her, of course but the timing is what is in question. I believe I should wait until after our public reception, General, however this could create a problem if she were to somehow find out prior to the engagement."

Jack sighed. "Maximus, it could drop a proverbial wet blanket on the reception if she were to know prior. I do not believe she will harbor any anger over this, however I believe she may spend some time feeling betrayed until her better judgment kicks in. This occurred long before I knew her."

"From what I know of your wife, Jack, I can understand that it may take her a moment or two to adjust to such news. I also feel you are correct that she will not hold it to your account in the end. So to wait until after the festivities may well be the better route," he smiled, "with fewer bandits waiting, armed, in the hills." He looked out the small window toward his house. "Joimus might not agree entirely, being female and so more inclined to think Bridgid should know immediately, but what harm can a matter of hours do? John Phillip is not here, but far across the sea. Let Bridgid enjoy the fellowship of her friends and her new husband with an unclouded heart."

"Agreed. I reckon I needed validation. Robert's seems to concur."

Jacks brown knitted. He didn't tell Maximus about the will and figured it's probably best he come clean, or cleaner as the case may be.

"I have done something else, something I will most likely keep under my hat. I have added the lad to my last will and testament, leaving him portion of my naval pension."

"He is your son. That is understandable. Surely you do not foresee a problem on that account?"

"I am slightly apprehensive. I have no proof that John Phillip is actually my son other than the word of a woman I bedded twenty years ago, though I do feel that it is feasible. I know nothing of the step father or of provisions he has made for the boy. I guess my haste in doing this was," he paused to lock eyes with the General, "pride and claiming." Jack let out a little growl, wondering if he should have just burned the letter and let well enough alone.

"A son is an important matter, my friend. This is a thing I know. A need for even a slight amount of claiming is not only a matter of the heart but of the soul. I would wish you might see some photograph at some point that you would have the opportunity to find resemblance." He smiled at his friend. "I would do the same, Jack, regarding the will, were I you. If that helps at all, I would do the same."

"If you would do the same, then I believe it is the correct choice." Jack seemed to relax instantly. Somehow, someway things would be right as they always were.