Reconciliations Part III:
Resolutions

Disclaimer: This is entirely a work of fiction, for entertainment purposes only, based on the characters from “The Magnificent Seven.” I don’t own them, but if I did I would run away with ‘em and never be seen again. CBS and Co., Trilogy Entertainment, and MGM had ‘em first and do not want to give ‘em away. I only play at this for fun and do not make any money doing it. No infringement of any copyrights is intended. This is strictly a piece of fiction; any references to locations or people are only for story use and is not intended to depict any real place or person.

MCAT AU: MCAT (Major Crimes and Acts of Terrorism) is under the leadership of Commander Chris Larabee. It is an independent, versatile, responsive, and respected premier Federal law enforcement agency, demonstrating excellence in all aspects of its operations. In the last year, this MCAT unit has done outstanding work on a number of cases. Most notably, this unit has neutralized three terrorist’s threats, halted at least two assassination attempts of high ranking officials, taken on serial killers, public corruption, computer crimes, and formed several specialized task forces to thwart major criminal activities.

Chris, along with three members (Vin, Buck, Nathan) of his extended family of brothers, and their families, reside on the Larabee 7. The seven men work together, and jointly own the ranch, where they are raising thoroughbreds, quarter horses and children. Ezra lives in town, while Josiah and JD reside on adjoining properties to the ranch, with their families.

This first series establishes relationships and provides background for the characters in this AU. ‘Reconciliations” is the seventh story in this series.

MCAT Story # 7: Reconciliations (shared in three parts) follows the events that transpired in MCAT #6, Addition and Apprehensions, and references previous stories in this series. It unfolds a year of changes for the Wild Bunch filled with emotional upheavals and danger that will either break them apart or mend the cracks in their relationships that have weakened their bond of strength.

Part III ~ Resolutions. Brings the Turbulent Transition series to a conclusion and will lay the pathway for Series Two ~”Strength in Solidarity”.

Notes: The original characters I have created for this series are mine. Any mistakes are ours and both of us would like to thank Bountyhunter'slady for the great collage for this story.

“Walter, double the patrols around the ranch. As of this minute we are on lockdown, and nothing comes in here unless we check it out first. Max, you had better prepare for more houseguests.” Chris pulled out his cell phone to call the Southern breeze. It was going to take Matt’s cooperation to secure his side of the property that bordered the Larabee 7, and he also wanted Linda safely escorted home. Chambers had declared war, and Chris would be damned if he was going to give the bastard a chance to touch one member of his family.

Karl Chambers sat back in his big leather chair and savored the moment. His antagonist had a name…Vin Tanner…and by now the traitor knew that his identity had been revealed. Even if he did not succeed in taking out his first target, he knew his message would be received loud and clear.

“Kel, what are you doin'?” Vin asked as he watched his wife slide out of bed and move over to her dresser.

“I'm gettin' dressed, Tanner. I'm goin' into the kitchen to eat breakfast with our children before they go to school.” Kelli replied, her voice holding a touch of annoyance in it. Everyone was treating her like she was some fragile piece of artwork that had to be monitored twenty-four-seven or it would break into a million little pieces and the unwanted attention was driving her nuts. Kelli knew that Vin, as well as everyone else, were only being protective because they cared about her, and they all wanted her and the babies to be okay; but she was beginning to feel smothered.

“We’ll have breakfast with ‘em, but then you are comin’ back to bed afterwards.” Vin had become obsessive about her well-being the moment he had learned that she was pregnant with the baby they both wanted so badly. She had expected that, but ever since the bomb delivery he had gone into full protective mode and seemed to feel the need to be with her all the time. He watched her movements the same as he had been for the last three weeks, making an effort to convince himself that she was alright. Tanner was also determined to share as much of the pregnancy experience as possible with his wife, and he even intended to take part in the delivery. He had read everything he could get his hands on about her condition, and talked to the doctor often. “Dr. Weeks may have said you can get up, but I plan to make sure you don’t overdo.”

“I'm not an invalid, damnit!” Kelli snapped; her feelings of being smothered rising quickly to the surface and spilling out” I'm perfectly capable of goin' into the kitchen and enjoyin' a meal with my children without fallin' apart or endangerin’ our babies!”

“I know that Kel, but damnit, after all that has happened since you became pregnant, bein’ a little cautious is not unreasonable.” Tanner snapped back.

“A little cautious, Vin? I have been practically livin' in that bed. Between you, Dad, and Max I have not had the opportunity to do anythin’ that could even remotely be called reckless!” Kelli huffed. “It’s like havin' three mother hens instead of one.”

Vin rolled off of the bed in one fluent movement and came to stand beside her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, searching for the right words. “I know that bein' confined to bed has been hard on you, and the situation here is not ideal, but after everythin' that has gone on around here lately...it was the best thing that Dr. Weeks could have done short of puttin’ you in the hospital. This pregnancy on its own is risky enough without havin' a man like Chambers sendin' bombs to our doorstep to add more stress.”

“I know that…but…Hell, Vin, I worry about you, the kids… and what’s gonna come next. As it is we have someone here babysittin' you twenty-four-seven and a houseful of people constantly. Although I love Rain, Terrell, and Nathan, I’m glad that their home will be ready for them to move into by next weekend. What’s more, I won’t put our life on hold because of that madman either. I want to enjoy the time we have waitin’ for our babies, not hide out from the world, or spend the next six months confined to bed.”

“I know.” Vin sighed and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t ask me not to be protective of you and the kids, Kelli. I can't do that....but I will try to ease up a bit and not make you feel as restricted.”

Leaning into him Kelli sighed. “I’m not mad at you; I just don’t like all of this. I want to get out of this house once in a while, and do somethin’ besides goin' to the doctor’s office. I love our family, and the team is great, but I want our home and our life back Vin. Maybe Chambers did what he wanted to do and left the country, if so we are goin’ through all this worry for nothin’.”

“He's still out there plannin' is next move, you can be certain of that.” Tanner told her, an edge creeping into his voice. “I spent enough time with the man to know that he doesn't give up very easily. He's used to gettin' what he wants, and doesn't settle for anythin' less. Karl Chambers won't stop comin' ‘til one of us is dead, and it ain't goin' to be me.”

Kelli felt a cold chill travel down her spine, and mentally kicked herself for complaining about anything. Vin had enough to worry about without her carrying on. “It won’t be you for sure. God did not give us Jason, Andi, and these two little miracles, to take you away from us. I’m sorry for being so bitchy, and I promise I won’t overdo.”

The Texan smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers. “You bitchy, I don't think so. You're a bit annoyed maybe, feisty as all get out, stubborn for sure, outspoken, and even argumentative on occasion, but never bitchy.”

Kelli chuckled. “I’m not one to argue with Wise Eagle either.” Leave it to Vin to know just what to say to ease a tense moment between them. “Come on, Max should have breakfast ready by now, and I want to enjoy it with Andi and Jason.”

She finished brushing her hair, while Vin pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Together the two of them headed for the kitchen where the sounds of their older children's voices buoyed Kelli's spirits even more. Max had breakfast on the table and Jason, as well as Andi had already started to eat. Nathan sat with the children nursing a cup of coffee.

When Andi saw Kelli come into the kitchen behind Vin, she got down from her chair and ran to give her a hug. “Good morning, Mama.” Kelli laughed and hugged her back.

“Mornin’ Nate, Jason,” She also hugged her son as Andi climbed back onto her chair.

“Mornin’ Nate,” Vin said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s Rain?”

“Still sleeping, but these two have been keeping me company.” Nathan indicated Jason and Andi.

Vin kissed Andi on the forehead and ruffled Jason's hair. “They make pretty good company.” He waited until Kelli sat down next to Andi and then he seated himself beside his son.

Jason eyed Kelli carefully and then turned to whisper, “Dad, should she be out of bed?”

Jackson choked on the sip of coffee he had just taken, since he had been fighting the urge to ask the same question himself, but under the warning look that Vin had sent him...he had decided otherwise.

“Mom is fine, Jason. Dr. Weeks said that it was okay for her to get out of bed as long as she doesn’t do too much.” Vin whispered back to him reassuringly.

“Okay.” Jason replied, relieved to hear his dad's words. “Mornin' Mom.”

Kelli sighed, and acknowledged Jason, pretending that she had not heard his question to Tanner. She supposed she had four mother hens, instead of three. “Max, breakfast looks great, and I can see that these two little imps are enjoyin’ it.

“Thanks Missy. You make sure you eat all you can, we don’t want those babies to be hungry.” Max set a cup of hot herbal tea down for Kelli. “If you want more say so, I made plenty.”

“I’ll start with this, but be sure to save some for Chris, Walter, and Raphael. They should all be here soon, and Rain will be getting' up soon with Terrell.” Kelli looked at the pile of food on her plate and knew she could not eat it all.

“No problem, I made enough to feed an army.” Max laughed, “It seems that’s what we have around here lately.”

Talking ceased as everyone ate, and as soon as Jackson saw that Tanner was finished he posed a question to the Texan. “Uh, Vin, could I talk to you?”

“Sure, Nathan...what's on your mind?” Vin replied.

Jackson hesitated before answering. “In private, please?”

Tanner nodded. “We can use my office.” The two men left the room together and moved through the house and into Vin's office. The Texan closed the door behind them, seated himself in one of the chairs and waited for the other man to say what was on his mind.

Nathan carefully considered the words he wanted to say to Vin. One by one he had talked to all of his other brothers, but the opportunity had never seemed to be there to talk to Tanner. He had done them all a great disservice when he had gotten caught up with his crusade of getting back in touch with his 'black roots'… especially with the Texan. Yet, none of them had ever used his mistakes against him or even mentioned them. Instead, they had been there when he had needed them all the most... when his car had been forced off the road, and when the members of the RMR had set fire to his home with him, Rain, and Terrell inside. Most of all, Vin had risked his life to go undercover to get the vital information needed for MCAT to put the members of the RMR behind bars, and intervened to help Rain, risking himself to do so. Now he and Vin, as well as their families were targeted by Chambers and his men.

“Spit it out, Nathan, before you choke on it.” Vin's quiet voice broke through Jackson's thoughts.

“I don't know how to start.” Jackson admitted, sitting down in the chair opposite the Texan and looking him in the eyes.

“Nate, there's never been a time when we haven't been able to talk things out with each other before; this instance shouldn't be any different.”

“I was wrong, Vin. Wrong about so many things and it sticks in a man's gut to have to admit something like that.” Nathan began. “I said such harsh things to you. Accused you of being a racist, something I never would have done if I had been thinking clearly.”

Tanner waited, knowing that Jackson wasn't finished.

“When I saw Caleb...what had been done to him...it enraged me. It made me want to strike out against the people who had done it to him...Made me feel as if I had had it too easy, that I hadn't suffered nearly enough as my race had over the years and propelled me into joining the group I was in. I suddenly felt as if everything that I had done in my life, allowed my true self to be turned 'white'. I never realized what a load of bull I was convincing myself to believe, until the night of the fire, and the other brothers rescued me, Rain, and Terrell from certain death. Not once since the day I joined up with the lot of you for Team 7, have any of you ever treated me as if I was less than your equal. You all saw the man I am, and not the color of skin I have, and I am truly ashamed of how I acted toward all of the brothers, but especially you. “

Vin considered his words carefully. Nathan had been compelled to say what he had, although for the Texan it wasn’t necessary. “Nate, you’ve seen all of us at our worst at one time or another. We’ve moaned, groaned, bitched, and complained when you did nothin’ but try to help us when we’ve been injured. Yet, you never gave up on any one of us, and we could never give up on you. I reckon you’re no different than the rest of us, ornery, imperfect, and stubborn. As far as I’m concerned there is nothin’ for me to forgive…just forgive yourself.”

Relief flooded through Nathan. He had been dreading this conversation with Vin, yet he had felt obligated to have it nevertheless to clear the air between his Texas brother and himself once and for all. “I can do that...now.”

Standing up, Vin playfully slapped Nathan on the shoulder. “Chris should be here by now, and we need to go rescue my wife from all the well meanin’ mother hens, namely Jason, her dad, and Max.”

“Rain should be up with Terrell by now, so add her name to that list, too.” Jackson said as he followed Tanner out of the office.

Raphael had picked Jason up for school, and Inez had invited Andi to come over to play with Maria. Walter took her over to the Wilmington’s on his way out to the security office. Chris had dropped Grace off for the day, and then he and Nathan went on to Camp Larabee to meet the rest of the team, with the exception of Alex, who stayed behind to be Tanner’s watchdog. It irritated Vin that Chris felt that he needed to leave a man at the house, but he understood the rules of protective custody and kept his mouth shut. Tanner left Alex to fend for himself with Adam, Grace, Terrell, Rain, and Max as he and Kelli slipped off to their bedroom. At least there Vin could feel a little freedom away from being watched by Sandoval, and Kelli would not have Rain or Max monitoring everything she did, besides the couple needed their alone time.

The team had followed the last of the leads they had, and had come up with nothing. Chris had called a meeting for two, and they all knew that he had been on the phone for a while. Even a rookie could read the signs, their dead end on the investigation, added to the sounds of frustrated curses coming from the private room where Chris was talking did not bode well for MCAT. There was no conference room here, but Larabee gathered everyone together for a status report. Of course with Raphael, Selina, and Alex on assignment, and Kat as well as Greg at the main forensics lab with Bones, it was not a large group. That in itself was one of the topics that needed to be discussed. JD, Mallory and Pam were already seated in front of CASSIE II. Chris waited for Buck, Nathan, Ezra, Josiah, Mark, and Justin to sit somewhere.

Chris waited until the small group was seated comfortably. “I’ve been on the phone with Travis for the last hour and we have come to an agreement of sorts.” He looked over the anxious faces of his MCAT family. “I know all of you feel the way I do about searching for Chambers, but…we have run out of leads. Intel suggests that the man has gone to ground with his private army, and possibly even changed his name. He could be anywhere, and truthfully it may take action on his part before we get fresh information.”

“Are you saying we give up?” Buck narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “We know he still wants Vin and Nathan dead. Hell, the barrage of threatening letters he’s been sending tells us that. We can’t stop…”

“I never said we were quitting Buck, but we do have other obligations to consider too. We have run down all the info we have received, forensics has been over every scrap of paper, and we have come up with zilch. I have word that Ross has decided to take a job in the private sector and will not be coming back to MCAT, and at this time Paul is not inclined to commit himself either. Vin is on active status, but will be out until the federal prosecutors release him, and that is not going to be anytime soon. Kelli is on medical leave, and I have no idea when she may be returning. Bottom line we have a team to rebuild, and while we continue our investigation of the RMR, we need to also turn our attention to this Unit and its future.”

“In other words, Travis is getting pressure to move on.” Josiah stated the obvious.

“Something like that,” Larabee sighed. “I don’t care for it anymore than any of you do, but we have our orders. We are required to keep someone with Vin, as long as he is in protective custody, and we need an escort for the kids, but we will not be leaving two agents at the school all day. As of next Monday, we are back in our regular offices and we will be hiring as well as training new agents for the team. Nathan, given the circumstances you will have the option of staying with your family if you choose. I cannot in good conscience condone Rain returning to work yet, it is too damn dangerous. I will understand if you want to be with her and Terrell until we have some type of closure on the RMR. The ranch should be secure enough, but I cannot guarantee anything outside these gates.”

“I will be working.” Nathan answered firmly.

“Josiah and I have discussed something with Rain, Nathan, and Casey; we may have a solution for the kids.” Mallory spoke up. “Suppose we pull Jason, Caleb, Sarah and Joanne out of school temporarily, with the Wilmington's and Tanner’s permission of course. Then Rain and Casey could home school them using the computer and a hookup to their classes to keep them current with normal school work. That would eliminate the need for escorts to and from school and I know we would all feel better knowing that at least the children were not at risk should Chambers decide to target them.”

“Hell, I know Inez and I would agree, and I’m sure Vin and Kelli would be relieved.” Buck agreed. “It may not be ideal for the kids, but it is a solution I think we could all live with.”

“I could setup enough computer terminals for them to use and Casey would love to help Rain. She wants to go back to school when this is all over, and it would give her an opportunity to see if she can be separated from Lilah and Daisy without worrying herself silly.’ JD offered.

Larabee saw the benefits of freeing up two agents, securing the children, and then all he needed to worry about was Vin and Nathan. With Jackson at work he could keep and eye on him, and he would assign Raphael to the Tanners. “You okay with this Nathan?”

“Yes, our house will be ready this weekend, and I know Rain is anxious to be doing something positive. She could start Monday with the kids and I want to be back at work.”

“I’ll talk to Vin, As long as he and Kelli agree we go with it. Josiah, you and JD need to give me your recommendations for your respective profiling and communication teams, we’ll complete them first, and then move to other areas. Buck, you, Ezra, and Nathan are fulltime on the Chambers investigation. Mark, Alex, Selina, and Justin will do physical background checks on all the applicants using the information JD’s team comes up with. Unless something breaks on the RMR and frees Vin up, then we have to start searching for a weapons specialist, too.”

“How long do we have, Chris?” Ezra questioned, he knew how bureaucracy worked. A new hot case had precedence over a cold one any day of the week. It was only a matter of time before MCAT was called into action.

Chris knew what he was asking, how long before the powers that be pulled them off Chambers. “I don’t know, but we’ll find the bastard even if we have to do it on our own time.” Larabee stood up and gathered his notes. “We still have until Monday to get a break in this case, so let's dig in and see what we can come up with.”

Nathan and Chris walked in the back door of the Tanner home and found Vin sitting at the dining room table helping Jason finish his homework. They knew Mallory had already been by to pick up Adam, but there was no sign of anyone else. It was so quiet that Larabee thought for a minute he might be in the wrong house.

“Okay Tanner, what did you do with everyone?”

“Blame your youngest daughter; she has everyone’s full attention in the family room.”

Curious, Chris headed out of the room to find Grace, and see what she was doing. Vin and Jason followed, not wanting to miss seeing Larabee’s reaction when he saw what his daughter had learned. The closer they came to the family room, the louder the laughter and clapping became. Stopping in the doorway to watch, a broad grin crossed Chris’s face as he saw what his youngest daughter was up to. Grace had learned to pull herself up to a standing position by holding on to the coffee table; she would stand, then sit, then stand again. Obviously she was proud of her accomplishment, and loved the attention she was getting from Kelli, Rain, Max, Andi, Terrell, and even Alex.

“Hi Dad. She’s been doin' this for the last thirty minutes,” Kelli smiled. “Seven and a half months and standin’ alone, she’ll be walkin’ before you know it.”

Max laughed, “Then you’ll have fun trying to keep up with her.”

Chris grinned, “You’ve got that right.” Hearing her daddy’s voice, Grace lost all interest in entertaining the others, and looked around to find her favorite person. Her father obliged her by picking her up, and was rewarded with his baby’s sweet laughter.

Alex stood up. “Since you’re here I suppose that means my day is over.”

“Yep, you can leave. See you tomorrow.” Chris answered without taking his eyes off of his baby daughter.

“Night Alex,” Vin nodded to Sandoval as he walked passed.

“Good night, folks, I’ll see myself out.” Alex walked out of the room and toward the back door.

“Lord, I got so wrapped up in watching little Grace; I am behind schedule for dinner.” Max shook her head. “If I’m not careful, these babies will have me so off my routine that it will take me a week to get straight.” She headed for the kitchen.

“Jason, would you help Andi wash up for dinner, while I talk to your Mom and Dad?” Chris asked.

“Sure Uncle Chris, come on Andi, they want to talk adult so we need to find something to do.” Jason took his sister’s hand and disappeared out the door.

“That boy never ceases to amaze me with his perception.” Nathan commented. “Are you sure he’s only seven?”

“Last time we checked, but sometimes I wonder.” Vin smiled as he sat down next to Kelli. “Okay Chris, it’s just us, what’s on your mind?”

“Bottom line, as of Monday MCAT moves back to the office. Mallory made a suggestion that I think is worth discussing. Until we get Chambers, we should pull the kids out of school. Rain and Casey have volunteered to home school them, and I think it will be better all around knowing they are all safe here on the ranch.”

Vin listened, but what he was hearing was what Chris was not saying. “If it’s for the short run, I don’t see why we can’t do that. What I wanna know is how long are we gonna have to find Chambers before Travis has to pull MCAT off the case completely?”

“That, I don’t know, but I promise you that we will find him, even if we have to do it on our own time. He’s gone to ground Vin, and there is no sign of where he is or even a rumor of what he might be up to next. The powers that be want MCAT back up, and operational. The federal prosecutors won’t turn you loose yet, so it’s up to the rest of us to find the sonofabitch. It might take some time, but he will end up either dead or rotting in jail.”

Kelli could feel the tension radiating off Vin. The waiting was tough on all of them, but for him, being in protective custody was hell. He needed his freedom, and she was certain that if she were not pregnant, he would already have skipped out to look for Chambers himself. “I’ll call the school tomorrow and make the arrangements for Jason. Rain can tell me what she needs from them, and we’ll let Jason know that Friday is his last day there for a while. What about here? Is it absolutely necessary to have another agent in the house twenty four hours a day?”

Chris sighed, “I’m sorry, but we have to follow procedure or risk the Marshals taking over. Not only do we need someone here during the day, but when Nathan moves this weekend, you’ll need to have an agent stay over at night. I planned on giving Raphael that assignment.”

The Texan stated. “You do what you have to Chris, but… you only have two weeks. If you don’t have Chambers either dead or in custody by then…I’ll do what I have to. One way or another this is gonna end, and we’re getting’ our life back.”

Chris was dressed and in the process of changing Grace’s clothes when Linda walked in. For the last couple of weeks she had been rising early and often made time to share breakfast with him before he left for work. Since his wife had dropped all her game playing it was not bad, and the stress in his household had dropped drastically. They still planned their divorce, and both of them had come to accept that it was for the best, but if they could manage to enjoy a tranquil period together while waiting, so much the better.

“I have a doctor’s appointment this morning at eleven-thirty; you’re welcome to come along if you want.” Linda informed him and waited for his response.

“I’ll pick you up by ten-forty-five. That should give us enough time to make it downtown.” Chris answered as he lifted Grace up into his arms.

“That will be fine.” Linda hesitated before leaving the room. “I haven’t heard you say. How is Kel doing?”

Larabee was not surprised that Linda had asked. He was aware that she missed Kelli’s friendship, and he understood that her question came from genuine concern for the redhead. “She’s had a rough beginning, but hopefully the worst is behind her and the rest of her pregnancy will be easier. Even though she’s considered high risk, Kel has a good doctor that keeps her monitored. Max, Jason, and Vin are keeping a close watch on her too.” Chris grinned. “In fact it will surprise me if she tolerates all the fussing much longer without rebelling.”

Linda nodded. “She never did like to be fussed over much. Do you think…”She sighed as she collected her thoughts. “I’d like to talk to her before I leave permanently. Do you think it would be okay? I don’t want to upset her, but I would like to straighten out a few things. I know it will never be the same for Kel and me, but…we were friends too long to part on bad terms.”

“I think it might be good for both of you.” Chris agreed. “Look how much better it is for us since we cleared the air between us.”

“Yeah… it is.” Linda was surprised to realize just how much better it was. “It may be a couple of weeks, but I will talk to her. I don’t want bad blood between us, and maybe we can salvage some good memories.” Linda turned to go. “I’ll see you at ten forty-five.”

Chris watched her leave as he held Grace. He wished Linda took more interest in the baby, but he was glad she recognized that their children would be better off with him. He still cared for his wife, but he knew they would never make the long haul together. They were just too far apart on agreeing about their priorities in life, and staying on friendly terms was the best that he could hope for. Linda Dubois could not change who she was anymore than Chris Larabee could walk away from his family. He would embrace the good memories they had made together, and let go of the bad ones. At least this time he was letting go by choice.

Larabee had caught up on all of his paperwork, and had most of it ready to go to the main office on Monday. He hated to give up the office this close to home, but Travis had insisted. Even worse were all the dead ends they had followed to try and find Chambers. Nevertheless, he would comply with the Director’s request and be back in the airport hanger bright and early Monday morning. Chris was more concerned about Tanner’s state of mind than anything; he was not sure how long Vin would stand still and wait for results without acting on his own.

JD walked in waving a report. “I’ve got it!”

“Whatever it is, make it quick JD, I have to leave soon to make Linda’s doctor’s appointment on time.” Chris answered as he stacked folders into a box.

“Chris! The leak…at the Federal Building…I found it.”

That got Chris’s attention. “Tell me.”

“Shelly Turner, age 25, works in the secretarial pool on the fifth floor of the Federal building. That's the same floor as the offices of the prosecutors that are working on Chambers’s case. On December 15th, she made a twenty-five thousand dollar cash deposit to her bank account; and it was not a Christmas bonus. She talked to the prosecutor's assistant, and watched her desk for more than ten minutes on December 8th, right after Vin made his deposition. According to one of the women she works with, Shelly has a boyfriend named…Chip.”

Larabee felt a thrill of exhilaration go through him. Hot damn, they had a lead. “Good work J.D.”

Dunne showed his pleasure at the praise with a smile, and waited to see what his Commander would do next.

Chris finished piling the folders into the box and then rose to a standing position. He moved around his desk toward the doorway, motioning for the younger MCAT agent to follow him. “Listen up, everyone.”

He waited until he had gotten the other MCAT Agents attention before speaking again. “Thanks to JD's expertise with CASSIE, we may have found the leak at the federal building. Her name is Shelly Turner. We are going to arrange for a team to go in and execute a general investigation, enough to make her nervous. We’ll also put her under twenty-four hour surveillance, and hopefully she will lead us to Bellows. If not, we’ll pull her in and ‘talk’ to her.”

“Who are you sending in?” Buck asked.

“Westin and Sandoval, they are the least likely to be recognized by Chambers’s men if Miss Turner describes them to her boyfriend. Buck, you set it up for Mark and Alex, Ezra can take over at the Tanners. Just be sure and let the prosecutor's office know what we are doing. As for the surveillance, JD has her address, make of car, etc. Call in some of the officers you had on the trafficking task force to assist.”

Buck nodded his agreement of Larabee's instructions.” You better get going or else you're going to be late taking Linda to the doc's.”

Larabee was already heading toward the door.” I'll fill in Vin on this latest bit of news when I drop Linda back off at the ranch.”

Max had enough food ready for lunch to feed ten people, but it was only Vin, Kelli, Rain, and Alex that sat down to eat. Andi was over at the Wilmington’s again; and Terrell, Adam, and Grace were sleeping.

“Max, you've out done yourself on this spread.” Vin commented as he served himself another helping of macaroni salad and passed the bowl to Alex.

“There is plenty more where that came from, and Missy you need to eat better than that.” Max looked at Kelli’s plate and shook her head. “Lord, child, you are supposed to be eating for three, and you have barely eaten enough for one.”

“I know,” Kelli answered wearily. “I just haven't gotten my regular appetite back, let alone grown a larger one for the twins. Guess it's because my body is still wonderin' when the next bout of mornin' sickness is goin' to hit. Why they call it mornin' sickness when it lasts all day is beyond me.”

Rain laughed. “They call it that because it usually starts in the morning, but even though it may ease up as the day wears on it can strike anytime and last all day. It’s also easier than explaining the rapidly increasing levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) that hits you during the first trimester.”

“Thank you Dr. Jackson, I really needed to know that.” Kelli stood up quickly. “Excuse me.” She rushed off toward the bedroom.

Vin followed her, he was expecting to find her in the bathroom, but Kelli was laying across their bed instead. He walked over and sat down next to her rubbing her back. “Kel, are you okay?”

“Pretty much, I just needed to get out of there.” She turned over to look at him. “Vin, if I eat what Max expects me to, I’ll be bigger than a barn in six weeks. And it won’t have anythin' to do with the twins. I also know that Rain means well, but I don’t need a medical explanation for everythin'. I’m drinkin' two quarts of water daily, takin' my vitamins and iron pills, gettin’ plenty of rest, followin’ Dr. Week's instructions, and I eat when I get hungry. What else do I need to know?”

Since Kelli’s outburst about feeling smothered he had paid special attention to how everyone was acting around her, and realized that she was right. Every conversation centered on her and the babies. How much she ate, how much she rested, what she should and shouldn’t do, and he was not the only one concerned. Max, Rain, Chris, and even Jason questioned her all the time. It was as if Kelli the person had disappeared, and it was all about her pregnancy. Vin’s problem was that he wanted to be involved and was not sure how to do that without making the situation worse.

The Texan moved to sit with his back against the headboard and positioned his wife to where she could lay her head on his chest. “You need to know that you are not goin' through this alone. I don’t want to make you feel more confined, but I do want to share this experience as much as possible, and I will try to do that without makin' you feel like a child that has to be watched constantly.”

“It’s not you Vin, but it seems that all I hear lately is do this, don’t do that, eat this, and stay away from that. I would not ever do anythin’ to deliberately hurt our children, but ‘m still me and I can think.” Kelli relaxed against him. “I know they all mean well, but this is somethin’ you and I should share, not the rest of the world. Maybe ‘m being selfish, but the only ones that really should have a say are you, me, Jason, and Andi. I want the others to know that although I appreciate their concern, ‘m still Kelli, and have not lost the use of my brain, or the ability to think.”

Vin kissed the top of her head. “I can’t promise not to be overprotective, but I’ll try to give you your space.”

Kelli sighed. “I reckon its confession time. You know that I’ve always been independent, and usually protest bein' fussed over, but I’ve never felt this vulnerable before…I will admit that I am just a little bit apprehensive about what’s comin’ in the next few months.” She turned her head to look directly at Vin. “I like the way you’ve stayed close to me, and been there to keep watch over us. It makes me feel …sheltered, and less afraid of what the future may hold. The rest of them can back off, but…just till the babies are born…you think you could keep hoverin'?”

Tanner understood that her independent streak had been born out of necessity, not by deliberate choice, and until Jake, there was no one she could depend on but herself. After McKenzie died she was on her own for a long time before fate intervened and brought the two of them together, but now she had Vin and an extended family that cared about her. Kelli’s life had changed considerably over the last two years, and little by little she had been adjusting to the permanent changes their love had produced. Yet after all this time, and as close as they were, it had been difficult for her to admit her vulnerabilities, even to him.

“I reckon I can do that.” Tanner tightened one arm around his redhead, while his hand rubbed across her stomach. For Kelli to admit she was a little apprehensive told him that she was closer to terrified about what was happening. The last of the defenses that she had stubbornly held on to were now gone, and instead of perceiving his protectiveness as her weakness, she was allowing herself to draw on the strength he offered. “We’ll take it one day at a time and get through the next few months the same way we have everythin’ else…together.” Vin knew that his wife would never be clingy, it was just not in her nature, but for a woman who had trouble saying I love you when they were first married, admitting the need of his protection to feel secure was a giant step. *We’ve come a long way, Kel.*

Kelli snuggled closer. “Good, because this is the only time havin’ a baby will be a first for us. I want to experience it together, so next time, we’ll know what to expect and it won’t be such a mystery to either of us.”

“Next time Kel?” Vin raised an eyebrow. “How ‘bout we get through havin’ the twins, before we plan on next time.”

“I didn’t mean right away, but we do want at least one more don’t we? I know it won’t be easy to juggle kids, work and home, but we can do it. You did say that together we could do anythin'…”

“Kel… one day at a time, baby.” Vin pulled her to him for a long lingering kiss. He already had accepted the fact that if they made it through having twins without any major complications, it was inevitable that they would try to have another baby at some point in the future. “As long as your health is not at risk, and God’s willin’, I reckon we have room for one or two more.”

“Okay, twins first, then we’ll talk about it.” Kelli smiled. “In case I haven’t told you today…I love you, Tanner.”

Vin couldn't help but kiss her again for the look of deep and abiding love shining in the depths of her sapphire blue eyes. When she looked at him like that, it was all he could do to not sweep her up in his arms and make love to her. Making love was sounding better by the minute as he lowered her back onto the bed and adjusted his body so that he could lean the upper half over her. His lips traced a pattern of kisses down to her neck, as his hands roamed elsewhere. Kelli responded to his caresses by locking her arms around his neck and arching forward to give him more access to her body. The phone rang, startling them both for a minute, but the couple decided to ignore it since they knew that Max would answer it for them. If it was important, she would let them know.

About five minutes after the phone had first rung; there came a knock at their closed bedroom door. “Vin, Kelli...that was Jason's school...one of you needs to call the principal ASAP” Max's voice came through the door.

Vin froze in the middle of his loving administrations, and fought to control his body and its insistence that he continue along the path of pleasuring himself and Kelli. When he had regained control, he reluctantly rolled off of Kelli and sat up. “Damn...talk about timin'.”

Kelli worked to control her heavy breathing and the waves of passion sweeping through her body in reaction to the tender and loving caresses that Vin had been giving. “Damn, is right.” she agreed.

Reaching for the phone, the Texan took a deep breath before calling the school. He dialed the numbers and waited for an answer. “This is Vin Tanner, callin for Mrs. Ross.” He was put on hold and squeezed Kelli’s hand as she moved closer to listen. “Yes…we’ll be right down.”

“What’s wrong?” Kelli asked.

“Jason is extremely upset and won’t talk to Mrs. Ross. He insists that he’ll only talk to us.” Vin stood up and hesitated only a moment, before making a decision. “Come on Kel, our son needs us and ‘m not takin’ Alex along to baby-sit.” He handed Kelli her shoes and a jacket. “We’ll go out the patio door, if Sandoval wants to throw a fit about bein’ left behind, he can take it up with Lar’bee.”

Kelli did not argue with her husband, technically he was still with another agent, even if she was on medical leave. She watched as Vin took their weapons from the gun safe, a reminder that even a trip to the school could become dangerous with Karl Chambers on the loose.

It was a long twenty minutes before they reached the school, and the Tanners’ wasted little time in making their way to the principal’s office. Raphael Cordova was standing outside the door when they reached it and was surprised to see them.

“Raphael.” Vin wasn't in a mood for any questions and the low voice Tanner used to say his name broadcast that loud and clear to the other MCAT agent. Cordova moved aside to allow the younger couple access into the principal's office. Vin opened the door and held it for Kelli to enter through it before him, and then closed the door behind them.

The moment Jason saw his parents walk in he yelled, “Mom, Dad!” Vin barely had time to crouch before his son was throwing himself into his arms. “I want to go home.” They could both see that Jason was obviously distraught, and tears were rolling down Jason’s cheeks.

Kelli looked over to Mrs. Ross. “You have an explanation for this?”

“Not really. After lunch Jason asked to come to my office and said he needed to go home. He refused to explain his reasons, and the more I questioned him the more upset he became. I realize that there are extenuating circumstances surrounding your family at this time, and I thought perhaps Agent Cordova could assist Jason home, but the child insisted that he had to see both of you. I did not know what else to do, but to call you, since I didn’t want to distress the child any more than necessary.”

“You did the right thing.” Vin answered as he picked up his son. “This is his last day here for a while, so we’ll take him home and try to get to the bottom of what’s troublin’ him. Agent Cordova can bring Jason's books and lessons when he leaves with the other children.”

Mrs. Ross nodded. “Call me if I can be of assistance.” Directing her remarks to Jason she said, “We’ll see you soon, you keep up your lessons.”

Jason tightened his hold on his dad’s neck and mumbled. “Yes ma’am.”

“Thank you for callin’ us, and for your help in arrangin’ the home schoolin’. We’ll be in touch.” Kelli told Mrs. Ross before they exited the office.

Raphael waited just outside the door for Tanner’s instructions. “We’re takin’ Jason home; you stay with Selina and the other kids. If you would bring his books and lessons home when you come, I’d appreciate it.”

“I will, but are you two alone?” Cordova asked, concerned for Tanner’s safety.

“Nope, last time I counted there were three of us.” Vin answered as he headed out the front door. “We’ll see you back at the ranch.” All Tanner wanted to do was get Jason somewhere quiet so maybe they could find out what had happened to upset him so much.

Once the three Tanners were in the truck, Vin hoped to get some answers from Jason. “Son, can you tell us what’s wrong?”

Jason was still crying, and hesitated at first to answer, but he needed to show them what he had. Digging into his pocket he pulled out a crinkled piece of paper and handed it to his dad. “Thomas and Robert gave me this and laughed, they said you were gonna die.”

Vin straightened out the wrinkled paper and cursed when he saw what was on it. It was his picture and written underneath his name was the amount of $50,000, Dead or Alive, along with a brief inflammatory message to all militia groups in Colorado. “Damn fuc…”Vin stopped before he said too much, and passed the paper to Kelli for her to read. If the Harrison brothers had taunted Jason about this, then they had to have heard it from their father, and the Texan made a promise that the elder Harrison would answer for scaring his son.

“Honey, nothin' is gonna happen to your dad. The people that put these things out don’t know him like we do. They think he’ll be scared, but you and I both know he doesn’t scare that easily.” Kelli put her arm around Jason, wanting to give Vin a chance to think about what he had to say. “We are being extra careful, not only at the ranch, but with you and Caleb, Sarah, and Joanne too.”

“That’s why we have to home school?”

“Yes, but it won’t be for long, and I promise you, the man responsible for this garbage will be in jail soon.” Kelli hoped that more of an explanation would not be necessary, but Jason’s next question shot that idea all to hell.

“Why does that man want you dead, Dad?"

“It’s a long story Jason, and I think we need to find a better place to talk about it.” Vin started the engine and began to drive. “We’re goin' to a place that’s special, and when we get there I’ll tell you everythin’.”

It did not take long for Kelli to realize where they were going. Their cabin was a special place, and until now they had not taken either Jason or Andi up there. However she silently agreed with Vin’s decision. There were too many people at home, and the cabin was the best place to have the discussion that Jason needed to hear. She and Vin had both hoped to spare the kids worry about their work at least for a few more years, but thanks to the Harrison brothers, Jason was in for a crash course on what it meant to be a federal agent… the good, the bad, and the ugly side to it.

“What do you mean you don’t know where they are?” Ezra was livid. He had come over to relieve Alex of his protection duty, only to find that Sandoval had lost both Vin and Kelli. “Your job is to know where Tanner is at all times! That is what protective custody means!”

“Sir, Captain Tanner’s truck is gone and it appears he and Kelli slipped out the patio door from their room. I believe they went voluntarily and no one else was involved.” Alex had retraced the route the Tanners took and was fairly confident that they were not coerced into leaving.

“You believe! Three weeks ago, Chambers sent a bomb to their home, you can’t believe anything! You either know or you don’t know!”

“Excuse me.” Max interrupted. “I do know that Jason’s principal called from the school and needed to talk to either Mr. or Mrs. Tanner ASAP”

Standish pulled out his cell phone and called Raphael. After hearing Cordova’s account of his encounter with Vin, he at least felt that Chambers was not involved in their disappearance, but it did not explain where they were now. Ezra looked at his watch. Chris was due back at anytime, and he did not want to be the one to tell Larabee that his daughter, Vin, and Jason were missing.

Ezra made a second call. “Buck, you had better get over here. We have a situation.”

It was colder at the higher elevation and the snow was undisturbed except for a few animal tracks scattered near the half frozen lake. They stopped at the cabin first, where Vin started a fire in the fireplace. After making certain Kelli was comfortable, he left her inside the cabin while he and Jason walked down to the lake.

Jason was impressed with what he was seeing and was doubly thrilled to find out that his Mom and Dad owned the cabin and the land around it. “Wow, y’all own a lake and mountains too. How come you never told us?”

Tanner grinned at his son’s enthusiasm. “No reason, the subject just never came up in our everyday discussions. This was the first place I brought your Mom after we were married, and it’s special to us. We had planned to build our home here, but when you and Andi came into our lives, we decided to build closer to your Uncle Chris. Next summer though, I’ll bring you up here to fish that lake. The trout are huge and the water is crystal clear.”

“I’d like that.” Jason became serious again. “Reckon it is a better place to talk.”

Vin agreed. “Robert and Thomas were repeatin’ things they heard…things they know nothin' about, hopin' to cause trouble. Jason, as a Federal law enforcement agency, MCAT takes on some really bad people sometimes. The man that put that paper out is one of the worst. He hates people because they are different than him and he spreads that hate through violence and crime. I made a choice to try and get enough proof to have him arrested. Just like you stood up for Caleb, I had to stand up for what I believed was right."

Seeing that he had Jason's full attention, he continued. "I was able to get information that can put this man in jail for a long time for the terrible things he had done, but he’s not real happy about it and wants to punish me for findin’ out how bad he is. He has threatened to hurt you, Andi and Mom, but ‘m not gonna let that happen. The only thing he can do is try to get other bad people on his side usin’ things like that paper, to make him think he is stronger…but he’s wrong. Your uncles, and all the MCAT agents are lookin’ for him and it won’t be long before he is in jail where he belongs.”

“So, we just have to wait ‘til he’s in jail, then it’s over?”

“He has to go to trial too …that means court with a judge like the one that decided you and Andi should belong with us. I have to go and tell the judge what I saw and then he decides what happens to the man. In the meantime the lawyers that represent the government…that’s us…want me to be in what’s called protective custody. That means that what I have to say is important and they want to make certain that I can say it in court so they want me safe. That’s why we have extra agents at home, and why Uncle Chris will be mad when he finds out ‘m playin’ hooky, but he’ll get over it. The work we do is important Jason, and sometimes dangerous, but we are trained to handle it. Mom and I do it because we want a better world for you, Andi and the twins to grow up in. We don’t get all the bad men, but we can make a difference.’

“You or Mom could get hurt too.”

“True, but there are a lot of ways we could get hurt, even if we didn’t work for law enforcement.” Vin knelt down and looked Jason in the eye. “I cannot promise you that nothin' bad will ever happen, but I can tell you what my grandfather told me. If we worried about the bad that could happen, we might miss the good that is offered to us, and we have to trust fate to reveal what we need when we need it.”

“Trust fate?"

Vin tried to think of a simple way to explain fate to Jason. “When I first met Chris, it was as if we had known each other forever. I believe fate brought us together at a time we both needed somethin' in our lives. I was able to help him during a rough period and he helped me find a place to belong at a point in my life that I needed solid footin'. He is a friend that I trust with my life, the brother I never had, and family."

"Fate did that?"

"Yes and when I met Kelli it was the same thing. We were destined to be together in this life and because we met when we did, a chain of events started that led us here today."

"Is that how me and Andi ended up here with you and Mom, ‘cause we needed y’all?”

The Texan sighed, wondering how to simplify his answer. "It seems that the Lar'bees and the Tanners are destined to share our lives together in one way or another. Kelli is a Lar'bee by blood, but was not one at birth. When I married her, she not only became a Tanner, but she found her father, too. You and Andi were born Lar'bees, but you lost your father and Andi never knew your mother. When Chris found the two of you he wanted you both to have a place to belong with family. He decided to do what he felt was best for you, and that was lettin' you come live with me and Kelli. By allowin' us to adopt y'all, he knew you would have a secure, lovin' home with the freedom to grow into the man that you choose to be, and Andi would have the love of a mother that she had missed out on knowin'. Yet, he would be close enough to keep an eye on you both if you needed him. In return Kelli and I have you and Andi to love and share our lives with, and once the babies are born they'll be Lar'bee-Tanners, too."

"So, we all got what we needed?"

"Yes we did. We are all family son. As an added bonus y'all have a passel of uncles, aunts, and cousins that will always be a part of your lives. I believe that was our destiny, Jason. Just like fate worked to bring you and me here today to a place that will always be special for us.”

Jason stood next to the man that he had claimed as his father and looked out over the frozen lake to the mountains beyond, thinking about what Vin had told him. “I reckon that fate knows what it’s doing, ‘cause I really like being here with you.”

“That makes two of us, son.” Vin laid his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I bet Mom is anxious to see us back at the cabin, you ready?”

“Yep, I think I might need to explain to Uncle Chris about this fate thing too. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble ‘cause Thomas and Robert tried to scare me.”

Vin chuckled as he tried to picture that conversation. “We’ll explain it to him together.”

Chris had paced the length of the Tanner living room at least twenty times in the last hour. He could not decide who he was the angriest with, Alex for not paying close enough attention, Raphael for letting the Texan leave without an agent with him, or Vin. Of all the people involved, Tanner knew better than the rest of them what Chambers was capable of doing. Larabee checked the time again, Raphael and Selina had already been here fifteen minutes with the other children safely delivered from school, and Tanner had left with Jason and Kelli over two hours ago. There had not been one word from him since, not even a phone call to say they were alive and well. Was Chambers watching the school? Did he kidnap them on their way home? Maybe they took an indirect route to the ranch and had an accident. Hell, Chris had a million thoughts running through his mind.

“You want me to put out an APB on Vin’s truck?” Buck was having a hard time watching Chris work himself up.

“No. Not yet.” Larabee did not feel any sense of danger connected with Vin, but if he did not hear from him soon, he would have no choice but to report him missing and instigate a full-scale search.

“Perhaps if we could ascertain the source of Jason’s distress, we may have a better idea of where Vin would have taken him.” Ezra offered. “I could talk to Mrs. Ross again, maybe prod her memory.”

“She said she didn’t know, and I believe her…” Chris looked out the big window and saw Tanner’s truck coming up the drive. He felt a mixture of relief that they had arrived safely, and anger that he had not checked in. Anger won out as he waited for them to walk in the door, and was prepared to blast Tanner for taking off on his own without another agent.

Jason was the first one inside. Vin was taking extra time to make sure Kelli did not slip on the ice that had accumulated on the walkway. “Uncle Chris, don’t be mad ‘cause dad played hooky. It was my fault, for being scared when they tried to make me believe that he was gonna die. If I’d known about that fate thing I wouldn’t have been so scared, but I didn’t, so don’t yell at dad. Okay?”

Chris stopped in his tracks, trying to make some kind of sense of what Jason was telling him. “Who told you that your dad was going to die, Jason?”

“Thomas and Robert, but they were wrong. Dad only did what he believed was right, and he won’t be punished for it. The bad man will go to jail and then a judge will send him away after Dad says what he knows in court, but you gotta catch him first. Can you do that soon, so we can go back to school?”

“By the look on your face Cowboy, I reckon Jason already attempted to explain what happened.” Vin said from the doorway as he helped Kelli removed her jacket.

“I explained Dad, so now Uncle Chris don’t have to yell at you. May I go to my room and change out of my school clothes?”

“Sure you can, son.”

Chris waited until Jason had left the room. “You wanna explain to me what in the hell he was talking about?”

Vin took the flyer out of Kelli’s pocket and gave it to Chris. “Fate has handed us a connection to Chambers. That came from Robert and Thomas Harrison; they had to have gotten it from their Father, who had to get it from Chambers or one of his men.”

Buck read over Chris’s shoulder. “That means that the Ledger Militants are somehow connected to the RMR and if we put them under surveillance, then bingo…”

“We have another possible route to find Karl Chambers.” Ezra finished Buck’s sentence.

Chris reread the flyer and could only imagine how a seven-year-old would react at seeing it, especially if he was being taunted about it. “Next time you call me.”

“Won’t be a next time Chris. That bastard is going down, and Harrison is going right along with him.” Vin vowed. “I plan to be there when it happens with or without your blessin’.”

Chris did believe in fate. The fact that they had two new leads in the space of a few hours made him feel that Chambers’s days were numbered. “You’ll be there…that sonofabitch came after my family and we’ll all be there when he falls but…before he goes to jail, he’s gonna get a personal message from this Larabee”.

Orrin Travis laid down the last file and then studied the man in front of him. Chris Larabee was an exceptional leader and had good instincts about how to get the job done, however his recommendations were far below what the Director had expected.

"Chris, you are asking me to put a moratorium on new shadow assignments. Why?"

“We have the best agents in the country Orrin, and I am confident we can handle our normal caseload with no problems. We have a top notch forensics team with Dr. Metfield, Greg Ramsey, and Katrina Santos, plus excellent lab assistants. JD, Pam, and Mallory have done an extraordinary job with Cassie, and Judy Mullins has enough experience to train another data typist if necessary. Dunne also insists that he has all the personal he needs to run the communications department efficiently. We have the ability, but what we need is time to work out the best way to make use of our assets."

"Time, Chris?"

"Orrin, MCAT is headed into new territory as an independent agency. The types of special cases you, and your superior, expect us to take on in addition to our normal workload require procedures that need defining guidelines to insure the best possible outcome not only for justice, but for the mental and physical well-being of my agents. If we have learned anything from our dealings with child trafficking and the militias, we've learned that our work encompasses more than just getting the bad guys off the street. Our targets are not simply gunrunners and drug dealers that we arrest and move on, but networks of criminal activist and terrorists that support ideologies they are willing to defend to the death. We need to prepare a strategy to meet those challenges without getting bogged down in the gray areas that can suck the life out of this unit. I have already lost two good agents over the last year. I am not willing to sacrifice additional team members to meet your expectations at any cost when I know we can find a better way, as long as we take the time to do it right."

Chris Larabee was not usually one to make speeches, and Orrin knew he would not do it without a good reason. Obviously he had given his words a lot of thought, and Travis respected him enough to listen. "Okay Chris, tell me how you think we should proceed."

"Honestly, for a while it will be trial and error, Orrin. Eventually we will find the best way to achieve success with the shadow operations, without compromising our agents' wellbeing in the process. Josiah is working with me on some ideas, and together I believe we can work out a solution that you and your superior will find acceptable. In the meantime, we will continue with our normal caseload as we have effectively done in the past."

Orrin stood up and moved over to the window. He chose his words carefully. "Our new boss would like to see our situation with Chambers resolved before we advance to other delicate tasks. So, you'll have the additional time you requested Chris, but put it to good use. I realize the pressure this Chamber's situation has placed on MCAT, but I expect to see some recommendations regarding the most effective procedures to carry out future shadow ops, soon." The Director turned to face Larabee. "As to the rest of our work, explain to me how you plan to divide the remaining workload. I respect your experience, but are you certain that MCAT can handle the cases that are presented to us with only a dozen full-time field agents?”

"Josiah came to me with the idea of two of our investigative agents doing double duty as profilers, eliminating the need to hire additional agents. Ezra Standish and Kelli Coulter already have the required educational credentials for the positions, and both are good interrogators. Standish has the added training as a negotiator. Under Sanchez’ instruction they will both do well, should the need arise that he requires assistance.”

“Josiah does understand he can have as many agents as he needs?”

“He does, but truthfully we don’t need to add to the team at this point in time. Josiah agrees with me that we need to use the experienced agents we already have. At least until we have had an opportunity to explore and refine techniques that will be compatible with our extra assignments.

"Captain Wilmington will be handling the investigative assignments. Captain Tanner is our weapons expert, and he will be in charge of all training exercises. Mark and Bandit will work with Buck on explosives; Justin and Alex work well together, and Nathan coordinates all our cases with forensics. Raphael can work solo or with a partner as well as pilot our aircrafts. Selina is our only rookie, and she will alternate her training with each of the experienced agents. We also have the advantage of several team members that can fill in on other positions as needed.”

“We’ll see how it works Chris, but I think you may find that you need more field agents, especially since we do not know how long Tanner will be out. Are you certain that Kelli is planning on returning to work?”

"We'll do this your way Chris, for now. “ Travis picked up a new file. "Where are we on finding Chambers?”

“The surveillance on Harrison led us to a hate rally when they were passing out invites into the brotherhood. The best lead we received from there was a general direction they all headed toward afterwards. It appears that Chambers and his men are held up somewhere in the mountains west of Denver, and seems to be moving between three different camps. Shelly Turner met with Bellows three times; however I don’t think they were discussing the brotherhood. Shelly and Chip had more of a one on one personal session, but it was enough to narrow the field to work on for a location JD is using the satellite to try and pinpoint the new RMR base camp as we speak.”

“What about the trail of destruction that the RMR has left over the last month? “ Travis picked up the reports. “We can credit them with two church bombings, we also suspect their involvement in four drive-by shootings, and we know they are still sending hate mail to Jackson and Tanner.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have one shred of evidence that we can connect any of it to Chambers or the RMR.” Larabee sighed. “Even though we know that they are involved with the church bombings, and the hate campaign against Nathan and Vin. We suspect their involvement in the drive bys, but we don't have any real concrete proof. Nothing that will stand up in court; the only solid information that we have is what Vin managed to accumulate for us as Dusty Slater.”

“Which is why we still have Tanner in protective custody, I don’t know how much longer I can hold off the federal attorneys. The longer Chambers is on the loose the more nervous they get about Vin’s well-being. It’s just a matter of time before they force him into total seclusion.”

“Orrin, you and I both know they will have a helluva time trying to force Vin to do anything. I can keep him as safe at the ranch as any of their ‘secure’ locations. It’s the waiting that is getting on everyone’s nerves, and we are doing what we can to shorten that. We are damn close; we just need one or two pieces to finish this one.”

“Very well, for now we’ll go with your recommendations, and I will hold off the prosecutors as long as possible. Keep me informed on Chambers.” Travis stood up, and walked with Larabee to the door “You have done a great job Chris, under less than ideal circumstances. I’m glad to see you back and fully involved.”

Chris nodded, “Thanks.” He moved past Suzanne’s desk and out the door. Larabee headed straight for Josiah's office and stuck his head in the door. "We have a green light; get to work on those profiles."

MCAT would deliver on the special cases they were assigned, but it would be on Larabee's terms.