A LOVE FOR A LOVE

NOTE: AT THIS POINT THE STORYLINE FROM "THE FAR SIDE OF EXILE"

MERGES WITH "A LOVE FOR A LOVE"

PART SEVEN:

Maximus was intent, his eyes on Caroline as she stood behind the Praetorian on the TV screen. It was the first time he'd seen her since that night with her face pressed against the green glass

of NanoCorp immediately before the explosion. Instantly he was filled with joy and yearning but as he saw her eyes, saw them fixed on the form of the Gladiator Maximus, it hit him that she was completely out of his reach. His joy drained away, replaced by a bleakness of heart.

She pressed through the crowded gateway, trying to keep up with Maximus as he walked back toward the gladiator quarters. Cicero would be there in a moment, on the other side of where he was walking. He'd pause, she knew, but only for a fraction of a moment as Cicero handed him the small leather pouch. Yes, Cicero was calling to him now and Maximus' eyes were searching the crowd on that side, on the side where she was not.

"MAXI...!" she shrieked, but was knocked to her knees by a group of passing shoulders. She crouched there on all fours, still straining to catch a last glimpse of him as he disappeared and the crowd filled the space behind him. Managing to sit back against the wall, she pulled her knees up, burying her face atop them, utterly lost.

She knew what came next. Yes, he would go straight back to his quarters and open the pouch, would kiss the icons with tears in his eyes. How she'd always loved his face in that scene. But there was no way for her to get to him, no way to let him know she was here.

For the briefest second there in the living room of the safe house, Maximus saw Caroline fall. His breath hissed in and he lay his hand on the screen. But then she was gone and the scene switched away from her. What would she do? Where could she go?

Bud heard a sound at their front door and tensed, turning away from the TV. Maximus didn't seem to have heard it, so intent was he on the screen, but Bud was instantly alert. It was an odd sound, almost like a long scratch. Slipping his gun out of his shoulder holster, he went to the door, listening. The sound didn't repeat so almost in slow motion he opened the door, his gun ready. There was nothing there at eye level, but when he dropped them to the doormat someone was lying there face down.

Frowning, he stepped out onto the stoop, his eyes continuing to scan the area. Nothing moved and there was no sign anyone else had been there. He hadn't heard a car, either, hadn't heard the man fall. The man was face down across the little porch, wearing clothes Bud had never seen before, but there was something familiar about the hair. He squatted, trying to get a closer look at the side of the man's face.

Bud's mouth dropped open. "CORT?"  Good God, it WAS Cort! But...how? Cort was in Australia...wasn't he? Quickly he felt for a pulse. Thank God he was alive. Holstering his gun, he slipped his arms under Cort's, trying to get him up and in the house. He stumbled, bumping against the door, and suddenly Maximus was there.

"It's Cort," Bud grimaced, as Maximus held the door then took Cort's legs. Together they got him to the couch.

"How?" was all Maximus said.

"I have NO idea!" Bud spat, going for the kitchen to wet a towel.

He sat on the coffee table, sponging Cort's face gently, and in a moment Cort began to stir. "Got to...," Cort mumbled. "Got to...."

"What, Cort, " Bud queried, "what do you have to do?"

"Got to....get to her."

"Rachel? You have to get to Rachel?"  Bud looked up at Maximus, hovering nearby. "If Cort's here...where's Rachel?"

"Or Hope?" Maximus added grimly.

Cort moaned, twisting his head. "Too late...all of it...too late."

"What's too late, Cort?" Bud pressed.

Cort's eyes slowly opened, taking a while to focus. "All...all too late."  He grimaced. "Head...hurts."

Bud folded the damp towel, slipping it behind Cort's head where he'd felt a large bump. "Someone hit you?" he asked.

"No...not hit," Cort sighed. "Fell."

"You fell?" Bud repeated. "Here...in town...you fell?"

"Town? What town?"  Cort's eyes widened. "Where am I?"  He looked wildly around. "Bud? Ma....Maximus? H...how?" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, God...no!"

"You're here with me, Cort," Maximus said softly, "and Bud. How did you fall? Where?"

"Cliff," Cort answered, closing his eyes, remembering the deep chasm. "Cathedral Rocks... cliff."

Bud and Maximus locked eyes. "You fell in...Australia?" Bud asked.

Cort nodded then clamped his teeth on his lip, the movement sending waves of pain through his head. "Down...had to get down."

"Why, Cort?" Bud asked.

"Rachel."  Cort folded his arms over his face. "Rachel...dead."

Both Maximus' and Bud's eyes widened. "How?" Bud's face was tightly set.

"She...she saw them. Other side. She saw them and...forgot. Fell." He shuddered terribly. "Blood...all over...so much."

"She saw Hope?" Maximus asked gently.

"Hope, yes, Hope and...him."

"Sid?"

Underneath his arms, Cort nodded again, a long, animal-like moan escaping his lips.

After a long moment, Bud asked, "Sid, he was with Hope?"

Cort could barely form words. "Big," he whispered. "Hope...grown...big." He breathed a while then said, "Blue. All blue."

Bud sat back a little, trying to take in what Cort was saying.  He looked up at Maximus. "It sounds like Sid has Hope."

Cort sat up abruptly, eyes blazing. "Sid has Hope!" he shouted, then clutched his head in pain, crumpling back. His face a mask of agony, he moaned, "Rachel's dead and...Sid has Hope."

"Maybe we should get you to the hospital, Cort," Bud said, laying a hand on Cort's shoulder.

"No!" Cort moaned, turning his head from side to side. "No!"

Damn, Bud thought. If only Henri were still alive. But Sid had killed the doctor, hadn't he. "Cort, you're hurt," Bud tried.

"No!" Cort repeated. "Be all right. No hospital!"

"How could he get here?" Bud stared at Maximus.

They both knew the answer, though. Sid didn't need a warp machine, and he could take others with him. The two men crossed the room to talk privately in low voices. "The question is, did he bring Hope with him, too?" Bud wondered aloud.

"And Rachel," Maximus said, his brow deeply knit. "Is her body still in Australia?"

Bud sighed. "I'm going to call Terry."

When Terry answered, Bud said grimly, "I have news."

"News? About Caroline?"

"Cort's here. Found him on the doorstep."

"Cort is...there? In town? Cort is HERE?"

"He is. He's lying on the couch, big lump on his head."

"And Rachel, Hope?"

"Don't know where Hope is. Sid's probably got her somewhere." He paused, took a deep breath. "But Rachel, Terry, Rachel's dead."

There was a long silence from the other end of the phone. "Is she there?"

"Back in Australia, in the Park. Fell into a deep chasm. I think you're going to have to send out a search party for her, Terry."

"Dead?" Terry could hardly believe it. Rachel. How would he ever tell Deidre? "Cody's there," he sighed. "I'll get him on it. He knows the Park almost as well as I do." He sighed again. "Be careful if you take Cort to the hospital." NanoCorp's medical unit was blown to smithereens and that would have been the only safe place for them to be seen.

"Won't go. You know him, Terry. Can you send a doc over to the safe house? I'd feel better if he was at least checked out some."

"You got it, Bud. It'll be Canfield. You know him. Don't let anybody inside but him, all right?"

"Yeah," Bud said. "Do it quick. And let me know what Cody finds."

"Right," Terry replied. "Soon as I hear, you'll hear."

Within half an hour, Canfield was at the door. He examined a very reluctant Cort, pronouncing he had no broken bones, but that he'd really like an x-ray or MRI of his head.

"No," was all Cort would say.

"You've probably got a concussion," Canfield protested.

"Been there, done that. Know the drill. Just leave me be."

Canfield motioned Bud to join him in the kitchen. "I could give him something, knock him out, then we could take him."

"Not a good idea," Bud said, shaking his head ruefully. "They'd ID him, me too. The authorities are looking for us both right now because of NanoCorp's bombing." He studied the doctor's face. "He be ok without that?"

"No way to tell for sure, Bud," Canfield replied wearily. "Keep an eye on him. If he passes out again or his mind starts playing tricks on him, give me a call. We just might have to work something out."

Letting Canfield out, Bud went back to the living room. He was all too aware of Cort's past history with concussions. Damn! Well, there was nothing he could do about it right now. "You be ok, Cort, you hear me?" Bud whispered.

Cort heard. He wasn't sure he'd ever be all right again.

Maximus had gone back in front of the television, resuming the DVD. Caroline. He closed his eyes. Cort's Rachel was dead and his Caroline? Could he ever get her back? His hands curled into fists. Sid.

CONTINUED AS "HOPELESS", WHICH IS THE MERGER OF THIS WITH "A SECOND BYLINE"  END OF BYLINE HERE

BACK TO LIBRISCROWE

BACK TO PART 6

BACK TO NANOCORP INDEX

BACK TO "THE FAR SIDE OF EXILE" ENDING