Chapter 5

Streaks of soft lilac were attempting to breach the dusky hue of asphalt gray cloaking the eastern horizon. Another hour and the peaceful break of dawn would be complete. Chris stood at the window; taking solace from the few moments of soul vitalizing tranquility, the morning had gifted him. It ended abruptly, when Grace shuffled into the room, her dainty little fists rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He stepped away from the shadow of the window and into the light, intending to welcome her with a hug.

Delight turned to dismay when she saw him dressed for work. “No! No, no, no! Daddy stay,” she yelled, launching her little body across the room like a rocket.

Grace was one unhappy little lady and Chris felt like an ogre. The morning ritual of saying goodbye was hard on both of them.  He had tried several suggested diversionary tactics to make it easier, but it appeared to be getting worse.

Moisture pooled in the depths of her sea green eyes and her bottom lip quivered as Chris knelt down to her level and said quietly, “Honey, you know daddy has to leave for work.”

“No!” her little tears made his heart turn summersaults and were almost enough to make him take a day off from work. “Pease stay,” Grace whined as she pulled on his jacket.

He reminded himself to stay strong and firmly turn her negative into a positive. “Sweetheart, there are times daddy can’t be with you, but you know I’ll never leave you alone.” Chris spoke softly. “If I‘m gone, then you have a big family who will be here and they love you and Cody as much as I do.” He drew her into his arms and soothed her tears. “You know daddy loves you.”

Grace sniffed loudly, hiccupped and said, “Uh huh.”

Chris waited for her to calm down and look up at him. “Miss Dottie has breakfast ready and Cody beat you to it. She could really use your help with him today. Will you do that for me until I come home?”

Shuffling her feet, she halfheartedly nodded her head, causing a cascade of golden curls to fall across her face.

“That's my girl.” Chris hugged her. He waited until he was certain her tears dried, before standing up. “Why don’t we join your brother?” he reached for her hand, which she offered enthusiastically. Together they headed for the kitchen where Dottie had already prepared Grace’s breakfast. Boosting her onto her chair, he leaned over to kiss the top of Cody’s head. Chris wasn’t sure if his son had more food in his belly, on the highchair, or on him as Dottie attempted to spoon-feed him. “Love you, Munchkins,” he whispered, just before making a quiet exit.  Mentally he cursed Summerton again for separating him from his kids for no reason other than revenge. Linda too, for leaving so abruptly and not contacting Grace at all.  Caitlyn had warned him about Grace’s separation anxiety, saying it may not have peaked yet and apparently, she was right.  Sighing deeply, he climbed into his truck to make the short drive to Vin’s house.

Tanner Home  

Chris grinned when he opened the back door. Jason and Andi were on the tail end of eating breakfast, stopping briefly to say hi to him, while Vin kept the bouncers for Trey and Bren in motion. The older kids had two different conversations going, each vying for their father’s attention. The term, organized chaos, crossed his mind, which was normal for the Tanner household. Max reached for another cup when he entered and was already pouring his coffee.

“Mornin’ Chris,” Vin said without turning around or expecting an answer. “There’s a file for you on the counter with the plans Josiah and I worked up last night to present to the Task Force. We’ll meet with them later in the mornin’. Kel will be out in a few minutes.”

“Thanks Max.” Chris smiled, reaching for the cup she passed to him. “By the way, Dottie’s sister was admitted to the hospital last night for a battery of tests.  She’s leaving when I get home tonight to be with her and she will be gone until at least next Sunday. I need someone to watch Grace and Cody while I work this week. Are you up to taking on two more munchkins?”

Max scoffed, “Of course I’m up to it, as if you need to ask. Those two little angels are no problem and I’m available for them anytime. In fact, I’ll call Dottie and tell her to make earlier arrangements. You plan on picking up your little ones here tonight.”

Chris nodded, “Appreciate it.” He sipped his coffee and reached for the file. Sitting down opposite Vin, he attempted to hide the grin, which creased his lips, behind the file he was reading, while half-way listening to the older Tanner siblings argue with one another.

“The whole day will be spent at the museum, but it has lots of Native American and Western artwork.  A lady’s gonna be there to show how sand paintings are made, too.  It sounds interestin’…” Jason was explaining to Vin about the upcoming school field trip.

“Daddy,” Andi increased the volume of her voice. “Me go, too?”

“You’re too little to go,” Jason challenged.

Andi scowled at her brother. “Am not,” she fired back.

“Dad, tell her,” Jason groaned, turning his expressive eyes toward Vin. The babies began to wail too, apparently wanting to add their two cents to the disagreement.

Vin let out a shrill whistle, effectively silencing all four of his children at once. Chris looked up to give him an impressed glance as Tanner spoke to his older kids, even while he continued rocking the bouncers Trey and Bren were seated in. “Andi, sweetheart, there are some things Jason is goin' to be allowed to do that you aren't. Goin' on this field trip to the museum is one of those things. Jason, Andi's age has nothin' to do with why she can't go with you, so I want you to stop tellin' her it is.”

“Yes, sir,” Jason replied.

Andi's lip quivered in response to her father's words, but she didn't have time to start crying before Vin added, “Sugar, this trip was set up for the third grade. You’ll have your own field trips to go on very soon, but we can all go to the museum together at a later date.”

“Really, Daddy?”

“Really, Sugar,” Vin promised as Kelli entered the kitchen at last.

The Tanners shared a brief, chaste, kiss, before Kelli greeted Chris. Neither of them had mentioned what happened Saturday and Kelli was adamant about keeping it that way. “Hi Dad, I'll be ready to go in a couple of minutes.”

“Morning, take what time you need, we’re good,” Chris assured her and went back to reading the file Vin had left for him.

“If y’all are finished eatin’, then get ready for school. Daddy is takin’ you on his way to work.” Kelli hugged Jason, then Andi as they darted off to their rooms. She picked up Bren and smiled. “It won’t be long before you and your brother are runnin’ after them.”

Chris took the opportunity of a lull in the chaos to tell Vin, “I had a long talk with Buck. You may meet some resistance when you try to interview the teachers; they have instructions not to say anything about what goes on at West End. “

Vin nodded, “I expected it. I still have a good relationship with my kids from the old neighborhood; they’ll tell me what the teachers won’t. I also plan on findin’ out where those weapons are comin’ from.”

“It works for me.”

Vin picked up Trey and reached over to take Bren from his mama. “I’ll take care of him, you go. Dad’s on the job this mornin’,” he smiled down at his sons, “Right partners?” When Kelli hesitated, he flashed a mischievous grin. “I can be super dad before I morph into hard ass Captain Tanner.”

Kelli nodded, “I know.” Leaning over to steal a kiss, she whispered, “I love you,” then grabbed her coat and turned to Chris. “We’re burnin’ daylight, Commander, let’s go.” She did not wait to see if he was coming and went on ahead.

“Right behind you, Agent Coulter,” Chris followed her lead, keeping his answer professional.

*I can be super dad too, you know.” Chris winked at Vin, walked over and patted both babies on the butt, “Don’t overtax your Dad, he’s old and outnumbered.” Chris quickly grabbed his coat and headed out the door, laughing at Vin’s outrage.

There were few situations in which Buck Wilmington ever felt out of place or ill at ease. Usually, his discomfort only surfaced under extremely dangerous scenarios, until now. He realized he did not have any idea of what he was getting himself into when he had decided to take this new course in his life.

Teaching junior high kids the rudimentary guidelines and rules of a variety of sporting games should have been a piece of cake, next to the other strenuous assignments he had endeavored in the past, but he was soon learning otherwise. Not only did he have to be an interpreter, he also had to act as a referee and fashion coordinator. He could not believe how much time and attention teenage girls took with their appearances, and he had to remind himself this would be good practice for him when Sarah, Maria, and Tannis reached their teens. Fortunately, he had some time to wait until then.

While he set up the equipment in the gym for exercise and weight training, Buck quietly observed the teenagers who were his first period students as they entered the gym in pairs and quickly formed into groups around the cavernous room. There were the 'high maintenance' group of girls who wore more hairspray and makeup than all of the Wild Bunch Ladies combined. They wore designer dud knockoffs, hooker style earrings, and tons of bangle bracelets. These girls gave him the most trouble about changing into the school's athletic outfits. In a smaller group were the girls who wore their clothing a little too tight, a little too ragged, and who he tagged as a combination of 'rockers/stoners' even though those terms were as outdated as he was when it came to knowing what hip phrases to use. A few sat away from the others, on the indoor bleachers, chatting with one another, trying not to be noticed or make themselves targets for the more popular girls scathing lines and ridicule. 

The fifteen or so boys who were his students had gathered into only two groups and Buck found his eyes lingered on them. There was a combination of Hispanic, white, and black boys who all wore similar clothing, baggy pants, solid color t-shirts in reds, blues, black or white with an assortment of quips, comic lines, rock and rap artists names or athletic equipment logos, and lots of chunky gold jewelry.

Even without his years in law enforcement, Buck was certain he would have pegged the teenage boys as gang bangers or wannabes. He was very seldom wrong in making the accurate assumption in tagging people he met with the type of occupation or lifestyle in which they lived. To what degree the boys' attire and attitudes was deeper than surface level, he didn't know, but he was going to do his damnest to find out. This was where he could make a difference before they became hardened criminals and committed the types of crimes guaranteed to produce nightmares.

“Yo, my white brother, whatcha starin’ at?” an indistinguishable voice yelled across the room, “Yo a racist o’ somethin’?”

Buck’s thoughts crashed into the real world. On the other hand, maybe he should try understanding their language first.

While driving to the next venue, Chris was making an effort to engage Kelli in conversation. Aside from an occasional yes or no answer from her, he was striking out. He tried again. “Did Vin talk to you about dinner Friday night?”

“Yes…,” Kelli exhaled, “Are you sure you want us to be there?”

“I do,” he assured her. “Cait is comfortable with you and Vin. It’s been a while since I’ve been out with only adults, other than at work, and I’m a little anxious about it.”

“Yeah, like you get nervous about anythin’.” Kelli’s words contained a tinge of sarcasm. “You’re the one who gives ulcers, not gets ‘em.”

“Thank you…I think,” Chris actually found her statement amusing, but tried not to show it. “I’m counting on you and Vin to make the evening go smoother.”

“Vin said we were goin’, so I reckon we’ll be there.” Kelli was determined to change the subject. Going out for the evening was not on her list of fun things to do, not at this point in her life. She had far more important issues to tackle, and so far, she was failing miserably at trying to deal with them. “We have one more location to check. Carter owns property about fifteen miles on the other side of Cold Creek. I doubt we’ll find him, but we might get a line on where to look from there. If he has more than one cache of weapons, it’s the perfect place to hide one of them.”

Chris nodded. “I know you didn’t eat breakfast. You want to stop for an early lunch first?” he was concerned about her health. She looked as weary as Vin did, and had lost too much weight.

Kelli was already shaking her head. “I’m not really hungry, but if you need to stop, go ahead.”

“No, we’ll wait.” Chris sighed; he had the distinct feeling of deja vu. Until recently, Vin had been just as evasive with his answers as Kelli was now. Somehow, he was going to find a way to reach her, even if it took every ounce of Larabee tenacity he possessed. All he had to do was bid his time and watch for an opportunity. “We’re covered for just about anything. We have a FISA warrant, which will enable us to search the property if necessary, the state police on call, and a fugitive warrant on Carter himself,” Chris confirmed. “Call in to the office and give Vin an update about our last three stops. Let him know where we’ll be next.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kelli answered as an agent, signaling loud and clear that all personal conversation was finished. She was already punching in the number for the MCAT office.

Josiah and JD made their way through the bullpen and went directly to Vin’s office where he and Ezra were working. The stack of files they were going over was high and the grumbling loud.

Claiming the biggest chair, Josiah sat down and stretched out his legs, while JD went around to the other side of Tanner’s desk to sit.

“Good, y’all are finally back,” Vin said without looking up. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing you’ll be happy to hear, I’m afraid,” JD said, gaining Vin’s full attention. “Captain Richards agrees that most of the violence can be traced back to West End. However…he has run into a brick wall with the schools. Even the Superintendent of the school district is balking about us going on campus to talk to their teachers, much less the students.” He paused when Tanner’s phone rang.

“Tanner,” he snapped. His annoyance from being interrupted was clearly visible to everyone in the room, but he quickly softened his voice, “Hey, how’s it goin’?” he listened. “Right, I got it. Check in when y’all leave…” hesitating to get too personal due to the lack of privacy currently in his office he only said, “take care,” before hanging up.

Ezra grinned, “We would have left the room if you wanted to have a more intimate conversation with your wife. All you had to do was ask.”

“Agent Coulter was givin’ me a report,” Vin growled out, shooting a frosty glance to Standish. “And if I want y’all to leave, I won’t ask, I’ll just tell you to get the hell out.” He turned to Josiah. “What about this brick wall?”

“No go on the interviews. We could force the issue, but Richards doesn’t want to because he’s worked hard to get the co-operation he does have with the area schools. He says it’s too important for his gang unit to risk them shutting him out completely.” Josiah added thoughtfully. “The only way we’re going to find out anything is to get someone on the inside…Someone who could pass as a teacher and be hired as a substitute.”

“Buck’s in there. Can’t we get him to snoop around?” JD asked, hopefully.

Vin shook his head. “No, Buck has his job to look out for and it would be unfair to ask him to risk it.” His expression softened in understanding of the younger man's suggestion. ”He’s made his choice, JD. We have to give him space with it.”

“I reckon. That don’t mean we have to like it though,” JD muttered, knowing Vin was right. “So who do we get inside?”

Josiah began to nod. “With John Lopez dead, we know they’re short one American History teacher. Why can’t we send someone to apply as a replacement? They could get the information we need and be out before anyone is the wiser.”

“Who do we know that could pull that off?” JD mused. “They’d have to be well educated and an agent…”

Vin caught on to JD’s train of thought, “Someone used to working undercover… a know it all who could talk to the other teachers about anythin’.” His eyes focused on Ezra.

“No. I…I…,” Ezra stammered, searching for a good reason to douse the plan he could see formulating. “While, I will be the first to admit I have covert skills far superior to anyone else. My expertise however, is with those of an adult criminal mind, not juveniles. You could not, even for a moment, consider that I, Ezra Standish, would be willing to …”

Vin interrupted him. “Willin’ has nothin’ to do with it. You are the best one suited for the job. Buck wouldn’t blow your cover either. MCAT will take full responsibility if there is any fallout with the school district and if Richards doesn’t know, he's not responsible if it leaks out. You’re our man, Ez, like it or not.”

“Finnias…Finnias Prescott, has a nice ring to it don’t it?” Josiah beamed. This was the perfect solution for their needs and Ezra was the one who could pull it off effortlessly. “I can help write you a background, guaranteed to get you in there, Professor Prescott.”

“What kind of name is that?” Ezra bellowed. “I’ll write my own background, thank you, and professors don’t teach junior high they…” he abruptly realized he was committing himself, “Aww hell.”

Josiah and JD stood at the same time. Dunne grinned, “Come on, Teach, we’ll have you hired and in a classroom by morning.” He patted Standish on the back.

Ezra shot his own glare at Vin and JD. “As y’all are so fond of saying, ‘paybacks are a bitch’. When you least expect it, I will find retribution for this indignity.” He stood, straightened his jacket and said, “Gentlemen, what the hell are you waiting for? Finnias Prescott has a class waiting to be educated.”

“After you,” Josiah swept his hand forward in an embellished fashion, allowing Standish to exit first and then he whispered to Vin. “Ten bucks says the kids get to him before he finishes his first day.”

Vin shook his head and smirked, “No bet. Gunrunners and terrorists don’t stand a chance against him, but those kids will eat him alive.”

“I heard that,” Ezra yelled from outside the door. “We shall see, Mister Tanner, we shall see.”

JD laughed, “And people think law enforcement is all work and no fun.”

“Keep me informed,” Vin took on a serious tone. “I’ll have Guy partner up with Nathan to replace Ezra on the gang unit. Then I’ll make sure our asses are covered by letting Travis know what we’re doing with the school.” He picked up the phone effectively dismissing Josiah and JD.

After twenty minutes of interviewing the woman who was living in Royce Carter’s house, Chris felt a headache coming on and Kelli was finding it difficult to hide her amusement. Lorene ‘Bitsy” Fowler, was apparently not very bright, but she was young, blonde, beautiful, scantily dressed, and well endowed. In fact, she had been attempting to drape her assets all over Chris since they arrived. Kelli finally sympathized with him and drew the woman’s attention in an effort to rescue him.

“Miss Fowler…,” Kelli started.

“Call me Bitsy, everyone does,” she corrected her and giggled. “Actually, it’s Itsy Bitsy because I’m short. As you can see I’m not small where it counts.” She winked at Chris.

“Bitsy,” she complied. “Royce Carter is listed as the owner of record. We need to establish your residency. Do you have a rental agreement with Mister Carter?”

“Sure, honey. I live here rent free and when he comes to visit he gets ‘me’ free, if you get my drift.”

Kelli shook her head. “When was the last time Mister Carter was here?”

“Oh, it’s been weeks. Last month he sent a buddy of his out here to collect.” Bitsy coyly smiled at Chris. She leaned over to give him a better view of her ‘assets’, licking her lips as she spoke. “In case, you’re interested, handsome, Royce and me are only a now and then thing.”

Ignoring her inept advances, Chris moved away from Bitsy. “We have a warrant to search the premises, inside and out,” he told her, laying a copy of it on the table. “We’ll be out of your way as quickly as possible.” Without waiting for an answer, he nodded to Kelli, and they began going through the house, room by room.

Bitsy followed them and offered her help to Chris when he searched her bedroom. She traced a hand down her neck and over her breasts, caressing them slightly in teasing movement. “You could send your partner outside. I promise to make it worth your while,” she whispered as she stood in the doorway.

“Please step aside, ma’am,” Chris forced out the words, trying to sound professional. It did not help when he looked over to Kelli and saw the laughter in her eyes. Bitsy appeared to pout as he moved past her, her eyes following his every move.

Twenty minutes later, they were finished inside the house. Chris took a deep breath when he stepped out onto the porch and growled at Kelli, “One word about this to anyone and I’ll bury you in paperwork for a month.”

Kelli slipped on her sunglasses. “My lips are sealed…’handsome’.” Seeing that Chris was rattled, she ducked her head to conceal her smirk, then walked down the steps and headed toward the barn. A quick look around outside and they could leave, but she planned to tease him about Bitsy every chance she got.

Shaking his head, Chris trailed after her. They checked the barn, several out buildings, and the tool shed. There was no sign of any weapons and although disappointed, the two agents were ready to leave. Heading to the truck, something caught Chris’s attention on the far side of the house.

“Hold up, Kel.” He nodded his head in the direction he saw a door, which they had previously missed. “You see that?”

Taking a step backwards, she looked and saw what appeared to be an entrance to a storage or basement area. “Yeah,” she sighed, not happy about the possibility of entering anywhere even remotely connected to underground.

The agents walked over to the side of the house and found the door was steel, not wooden. Chris saw Bitsy standing on the porch and was unexpectedly ill at ease. Knowing she was watching every move they made, he decided to err on the side of caution. He pulled the door open and spoke to Kelli. “You go down and take a quick look around. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Miss Free and Easy.”

Looking down into the darkened room, she swallowed hard. It was just like a scene from her nightmares. Her stomach began to turn somersaults and she could feel the panic rising within her. Attempting to shake off her mounting fear, she grabbed the flashlight from Chris and started descending the stairs. She stopped when she reached the bottom step and took a deep breath, her hands were shaking and a wave of heat flushed over her body. On the verge of turning around and running back up, she heard Chris’s calm voice.

“Kel, you see anything?” Chris had not missed seeing the color drain from Kelli’s face when she realized what she was facing. Maybe he was pushing it, but he knew eventually that she would have to confront her fear. It was better for her if it was now, with him close by, than to be alone and have no choice.

Taking a shaky step forward, she forced herself to continue and yelled so he could hear her, “Not yet. Give me a couple of minutes.” Using the flashlight she moved ahead then she saw something shiny reflect in the beam of light.

Chris was concerned about his daughter, but when Bitsy walked over and stood next to him, he shifted his focus to her. “We’re just about done here. You can go inside; we won’t be bothering you again.”

Bitsy grinned. “Oh...it's no bother...” she revealed the 9mm pistol she had concealed in her pocket, “NO BOTHER AT ALL!”

Reacting instinctively, Larabee made a grab for the weapon and the two struggled. Bitsy was a small woman, but she fought fiercely for control of the firearm. When the gun discharged twice, Chris grunted. Staggering backwards, the heel of his boot struck a broken chunk of concrete, which caused him to lose his precarious balance and plummet down the steep stairs.

As Bitsy watched him fall, she shook her head. “You should have left when you had the chance, handsome. Now it looks like you’re gonna die instead.”

Wrestling with the heavy steel door she slammed it shut, securing it with a sturdy chain and padlock. Without so much as a glance back, she strolled calmly to the porch, retrieved the bag she had hidden earlier and jumped in her car. In seconds, she was gone.

Chris did not have time to think. An unanticipated free-fall was not on his list of activities to do today. Bracing himself, he drew into a ball and waited for the inevitable bone jarring impact when soft flesh met solid mass. He rolled as he made contact with the ground and felt the air whoosh from his lungs. The sound of a door slamming preceded the darkness, which followed. Somewhere in the void surrounding him, he could hear Kelli calling to him, but he was unable to answer.

At first glance, this subterranean vault appeared to be a storage area away from the house, but while Kelli explored she found all was not as it first appeared. One cold room led to another amid a labyrinth of dead ends and deceptive details. She shivered when she opened the next door. With only the sliver of illumination from her flashlight to go by, her hand franticly searched for some type of light switch to eliminate the creepy darkness from the underground maze. Finding a lever, she pulled it and a feeling of relief consumed her as florescent lighting flooded the room before, revealing dozens of crates filled with illegal weapons. This was one of Carter’s caches. Now all she had to do was retrace her steps, climb out of this hellhole, and tell Chris.

The distinctive sound of two gunshots broke the eerie silence, closely followed by the rattle of a chain. Kelli ran toward the entrance, arriving in time to see Chris hit the ground only moments before the overhead door closed, shutting out the sunlight. All thoughts of training and professionalism deserted her. Panic and fear took over her emotions and she fell to her knees next to Chris, screaming at him, “Dad! Can you hear me? Damnit, you had better be okay! Dad…?”

Chris did not respond.

Finding it impossible to hold the flashlight and check for injuries, Kelli dropped the light. She felt for his pulse and exhaled with relief when she found it was strong. Next, she carefully began to search, by touch, for broken bones or bleeding wounds. Silently she prayed that the vests he had insisted they both wear had prevented any serious gunshot injury and at the worst, he had only sustained a few broken bones from the fall.

Kelli focused on her father, ignoring the tears, which flowed down her cheeks, and the shaking of her hands. Once she was certain his arms and legs were not broken or bleeding, she carefully took off his coat, and unbuttoned his shirt to remove the Kevlar vest he was wearing beneath it. Without so much as a small gasp to indicate he was conscious, Chris reached up and gripped her wrist.

“Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus,” she shrieked. “What the hell are you tryin’ to do? Give me a freakin’ heart attack?”

“Help me up,” Chris croaked out as he attempted to move.

Picking up the flashlight, she shook her head. “Uh uh, you need to stay put until we’re sure you‘re able to be moved.”

“Just had…the wind…knocked out of me.” Chris clenched his teeth and hissed, “I’m fine. Help me sit up, damnit!”

Leaning back on her haunches, Kelli ignored his demands, while she used the light to check the reactions of his pupils. “You’re not fine and you’re not superhuman, Dad. I’d think a man your age would know his limitations. When you fall down a flight of stairs, you land hard and get hurt.” Satisfied his eyes looked okay, she continued, “I heard two shots before you decided to cannonball over the edge. Until I know you weren’t hit, consider yourself grounded and I mean that literally.”

Chris was rankled that his daughter had insinuated he was old. Struggling to get up, he labored to say, “Damnit, she didn’t even come close.”

Gently, Kelli forced him back onto the ground. “Then how do you explain this?” She held up his coat, which obviously had two bullet holes in it. “I suppose you’re goin’ to tell me it was caused by wind shear.”

“Aww hell,” Chris relented. “Find the damn slugs and hurry up about it.” Although he was fairly certain his vest had stopped the bullets, he felt like Pony had stomped on him with all four hooves and come back for a second round, but he was not going to let Kelli know it. He had heard Bitsy slide the chain on the door just after he fell and knew it could be hours before Vin and the others came looking for them. In the meantime, he knew he had to keep her mind off the fact that they were underground, trapped, and apparently had no way out.

Kelli removed his vest and took in a sharp breath when she examined it. There were two 9mm slugs imbedded in the Kevlar, one over Chris’s rib area and the other on the bottom edge of the vest. “I found ‘em.”

“What’s the verdict?”

“One slug hit over your right side. Your ribs will probably hurt like hell for a while, but you’re lucky. The second one caught the bottom edge of the vest. A few inches lower and the Larabee family jewels would have been history.” Kelli anticipated his next order. “You may not be bleedin’, but you could still have spinal damage. Maybe you should lie flat until …”

“No, I’m bruised, but okay,” Chris grunted. “I’m not so old and feeble that I don’t know what hurts and what doesn’t. Now help me sit up, before I forget you are a twenty-eight year old woman instead of an insolent child and I won’t have to turn you over my knee for being so cheeky.”

Kelli snorted as she helped Chris to his feet. “I wouldn't advise it, Dad. Regardless of whether you admit it or not, I know your body is achin' somethin' fierce right now and you're liable to really hurt yourself more.” She took off her coat and spread it on the ground by the nearest wall so Chris would have support to lean against and assisted him into a comfortable position. “Evidently this area is not connected to the main house. There’s another room further back with the weapons we were lookin’ for and good lightin’,” she sighed longingly, “but this spot is closer.”

“This is fine. The weapons aren’t going anywhere, and I doubt we are either,” Chris said as he shifted his body to ease the pain on his right side. “These walls are steel and concrete so we can’t call out, even with a satellite signal. We’ll make do with what little light we have. If Carter’s been using this place to store illegal contraband, it’s probably full of traps and soundproof too. No more exploring until we have backup.”

“So what do we do now?” Since Chris was awake and Kelli knew he was not seriously injured, her thoughts were back on their current situation. Her initial panic about being underground was trying to make a comeback.

“We wait,” Chris said and watched her nervous reaction. “Vin knows where we’re supposed to be and he’ll come looking when we don’t call in.”

Vin headed for Josiah’s office to get an update on Ezra, when he felt an overwhelming sense of pain assault him. His first thought was that Chris was in trouble and he reached into his pocket for his phone. Before he punched in Chris’s code, he stopped himself. *Get a grip Tanner, you’re stressed and overreactin’. It could be anythin’. Hell, it could be the tacos you ate for lunch. Chris and Kelli are doin’ routine follow-up work, nothin’ dangerous.* Glancing at the time he saw it was only two o’clock. He knew they were not due to check in for another hour, at least. There was no sense in letting Chris know just how frazzled his nerves really were.

Josiah stood in the doorway of his office and watched Vin for several moments. It was obvious to the profiler that the captain was on edge, but he wasn't certain whether he should pose any questions to him. Vin had been adamant about not wanting outside help to deal with the aftermath of Kelli and Trey's disappearance and imprisonment. Even if he disagreed with that decision, it was still Vin’s call to make. Of course, instead of personal issues making Vin uneasy, it could be job related. He could question him about job stress without interfering in his private business.

Josiah walked over to Tanner and asked softly, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Vin turned his attention to the man standing before him. “Yeah… uh…Ezra…Did he leave yet to apply for the teachin’ position?”

“He’s been gone almost an hour. If I know Ezra he’s already been hired and will start work at the school in a couple of days.” Josiah answered. One thing was very apparent to him; Tanner was tense and susceptible to explode at any time. Josiah then made the decision he promised himself he would not make. It was time to interfere in Vin’s business. “Son, you can’t keep on like this. If you will not talk to me, I can recommend someone. You’re gonna crash and burn if you don’t.”

“I know it,” Vin sighed. He realized he had to confide his fears to someone other than Chris. Talking to Caitlyn or anyone outside the family was out of the question as far as he was concerned. Josiah would be discreet and he would listen without passing judgment. “You got time to talk now?”

“I got all the time you need.” Josiah placed his hand on Vin’s shoulder. “Let’s go to my office.”

Sanchez and Tanner were almost there when they head an authoritative voice call out. “Hold up Vin, I need to speak to you and Chris.” Orrin Travis was making his way across the bullpen, coming in their direction.

“Damn, “Vin muttered under his breath. It was then he noticed another man trailing a half step behind Travis. He was about the same age as the Director. He had silver streaked light brown hair and wizened facial features. His stocky frame was clad in a black blazer, pinstriped western shirt, bolo tie, and black dress pants. The two men came to a halt in front of the MCAT agents. Travis’s companion greeted Vin with a curt nod, but his eyes, clear and vibrant as a cloudless sky on a cool Colorado morning, scrutinized everything around him

“Where’s Chris?” was Travis’s first question.

“Chris is in the field today. What do you need, Sir?”

“We need to talk.” Without hesitation, Travis headed toward Vin’s office, expecting him to follow.

Vin looked at Josiah and shrugged. “Duty calls I reckon.” Tanner then moved to join Travis and his companion.

Josiah was sorry about the interruption. He almost had Vin ready to talk, which in his opinion was what he needed to do. All he could do now was to wait for another opportunity and approach the subject again.

Travis sat at Vin’s desk, instructing him to shut the door and sit down. “Captain Vin Tanner, meet Aloysius Hunter. I have given him top security clearance since he will be observing MCAT procedures and operations for the next week. I had hoped to discuss this situation in more detail with Chris; however, you are more than capable of handling it in the Commander’s absence. Give Hunter full access to whatever he requests. Show him how the top response team in the country earned their reputation.”

Tanner had no clue as to why this man was here, but he recognized Travis’s disguised order to cooperate. He would find somewhere to put Mister Hunter where he would be out of the way. “Yes, Sir, we’ll take good care of him.”

“I know you will,” Travis stood. “I’ll leave you two to get better acquainted.” He turned to Hunter. “Aloysius,” he grinned, “You know where I am if you need me.” The other man glared at Travis and started to say something, but the Director made a hasty exit leaving the two men alone.

Hunter was the first one to break the silence. “Let’s get one thing straight, Tanner. You don’t call me Aloysius and I don’t have to kick your ass. My name’s Teaspoon, use it.”

Vin straightened up when he heard Hunter’s Texas drawl. He leaned forward and spoke softly, “First off, you’d have a helluva headache if you tried to kick my ass, but since I wouldn’t call a dog Aloysius, I reckon we don’t have a problem.” He grinned and offered Teaspoon his hand. “My name’s Vin. What part of Texas are you from?”

Teaspoon responded with a firm handshake. “A place you probably never heard, Schattel, Texas. Four generations of the Hunter family have called it home.”

Vin nodded. “Frio River country, I know the area. Welcome to Colorado.” He moved over to his desk. “I can start you off readin’ some of our case files if you want.”

Teaspoon shook his head “Don’t stick me with files or paperwork. I want to be where the action is.”

“Unfortunately a lot of the action in this unit is in paperwork.” Vin corrected him. “Case reports, personnel files, surveillance intelligence, etcetera, and of course plans to be submitted to Travis. All part of the territory.” He ventured a guess, “I reckon you bein’ here and bein’ from Texas is no coincidence. You apparently have somethin’ to do with Travis’s plans for the MCAT expansion team in San Antonio. If so, you’ll be workin’ closely with Commander Larabee. He should be here in another couple of hours. Until then, make yourself at home and meet some of the team.”

“Thanks, I think I’ll do just that.”

Vin pushed his chair back and stood. “I’ll get you started by introducin’ you to our administrative assistant, Gunny. If it happens in this office, she knows about it and can point you to any department you want to observe.”

“Lead on, Captain. I’m ready to take it all in.”

Vin left Teaspoon with Gunny and hurried back to his office to call Chris, but could not reach him or Kelli. He was kicking himself mentally for not checking on them an hour ago. One Larabee could find trouble in the middle of nowhere, two could find it in a church full of angels. Vin didn’t know where or how, but he was certain something had gone very wrong with their investigation and ‘his’ Larabees were in danger. It was past time to find them.

Unforeseen revelations are likened to spring showers. They have you unexpectedly ducking for cover, are brief in duration, and can chill you to the bone, yet simultaneously leave warmth in your soul.

Carter Property, 3:00 p.m.

Chris found an almost comfortable position for his aching body and watched in silence as Kelli paced. She alternated between checking the door, hoping it had miraculously unlocked itself, and ranting about Bitsy, nightmares, and the inequities of life in general. His eldest reminded him of Grace when she was on a mini rampage. Even though Kelli had worked herself into a frenzied state, he was pleased. At least she was showing her anger, which she had not been able to do for two months now.

He waited until he felt she might actually explain why and then said, “Kel, calm down and sit for a while before you wear yourself out.”

“I don’t wanna sit,” she snapped. “I want out of here.”

Using his MCAT commander tone he snapped back, “Walking a hole in the ground or checking that door every five minutes is not gonna get us out any faster, so sit!”

“Dogs sit on command, Larabee, daughters don’t!” She continued to pace and mutter to herself. “I should have seen through Miss Hot Pants and said somethin’. If I had we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Chris shook his head. “I missed the signs, too. By the time I realized her true motive, it was too late. If anyone should have known better, it was me.” He softened his voice. “Vin will figure it out and we’ll be home by suppertime. Relax.”

“No, I can’t relax and you can’t order me to. I had no choice last time, but to sit and wait, now I do.”

“Damn,” he whispered. Chris had forgotten that Ice forced Kelli had to wear a damn chain around her ankle, which prevented her from take two steps in any direction. He chastised himself for not realizing why she had to keep moving. “Look, I know this seems bad and probably brings back some awful memories for you, but it’s not the same. We told Vin where we were and he knows when we’re supposed to check in…he’ll be here with the entire team in tow before you know it.”

Stopping in front of him, she snapped, “You know nothin’ about how it was or is for me. Can’t you see it’s the same thing all over again? If I had paid more attention then, I could have prevented our abduction. If I had paid more attention today, you wouldn’t have been hurt and we would be on our way back to Denver.” Her concentration drifted. “You …there’s no way you could understand …”

“Try me, he said softly.

“I have to have a light on day and night… I check on our kids a dozen times a day… I cry constantly when I’m alone… the nightmares keep comin’ back over and over… Even if Vin does come, it doesn’t change the fact that when it really counted, I failed him…. I failed us… and our unborn child died because of it. So don’t sit there and try to tell me to calm down because it ain’t gonna happen!”

Chris was relieved to see her finally opening up, but he needed her to try to see reason. “No one blames you. Ice was responsible for everything that happened. You protected Trey and survived the hellhole where she left you both to die. Vin doesn’t…”

“Stop, please.” Kelli pleaded, not wanting to hear Chris’s words, which only attempted to excuse her actions. She was responsible for it all and the one who had betrayed Vin. Couldn’t he see that? “I blame me and when Vin finds out what I did, he will too…,” she choked back her tears.

“Kel, listen…” he wanted to calm her, but was not sure how to go about it.

She ignored his interruption and continued, “Sooner or later he’ll find out and no matter how much I try to fix things …make up for… hell…I’ve only postponed the inevitable. When he knows the truth… our marriage will be over. There is nothin’ I can do or say to change the outcome, and I am gettin’ damn tired of waitin’ and wonderin’…. Is this the day my world crashes? Is it the last time Vin says he loves me or touches me? What’s gonna happen with our children? It’s pure torture, but I don’t have the courage to confess to him.”

Chris searched for the right words to say. Until now, he thought Ice locking her in that hellhole for eight days was her biggest problem. He was wrong. His daughter was in serious trouble, emotionally as well as mentally and needed more help to fight her depression than he was qualified to give. That realization scared the hell out of him. “Kel, listen to me… I know Vin loves you and no matter what you think you did, he’s not gonna blame you, ever. I’ve seen you two make it through things most people would run from…talk to him.”

She was already shaking her head. “I can’t… I’ve said too much already to stop what’ll happen. You’ll talk to Vin, he’ll demand to know from me, then…No… I can’t.” she backed away from Chris and moved to the opposite side of the room where she leaned against the wall and slid to the ground, crying softly.

It damn near broke his heart to hear her sob, knowing his girl was holding on to so much pain and hurting. Chris closed his eyes, his throat ached with emotion and he felt helpless. *Mister Sensitivity, aren’t you? Vin told you not to push her…did you listen? Hell no! Dad was gonna help fix things. Well, Larabee you stepped into it this time. What now?*

“Kel?” Chris waited to see if she would answer, she didn’t. “I know you can hear me and I promise you, anything you said to me here stays between us. Vin won’t hear it from me or from my thoughts.” Her silence was worst than the ranting. “You’re my baby girl, the only difference between you, Grace and Cody, are your ages. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect and help you the same way you would for your babies.” He knew she was listening even if she did not respond. “As far as the job goes, you’ll stay partnered with me until we work this out. We will find a way to release you from all your pain and make things right again. You just have to trust me.”

Chris figured he said what needed saying. He was certain Vin would eventually tell Kelli it was Tracker who gave him details of her imprisonment, not him. Now all he could do is wait and see if he got through to her. If he did not reach her this time, he would keep trying until he did because that was what good fathers did best. They kept trying.

“Sonofabitch,” Vin yelled above the noise of the helicopter as he ripped off his headset and threw it. He clenched his jaw and counted to ten. “They’ve got the freakin’ license number, a description of the damn truck, and three possible locations to check. All we’ve got so far is excuses!”

“Take it easy, Vin.” Josiah glanced over to the irate Texan. “The state police can only move so fast on the ground. We’ve got a better shot at spotting Chris’s truck from up here.”

“Just find ‘em, Josiah.” Vin swallowed some of his anger before he turned around and asked JD, “Anythin’ on those GPS signals?”

JD looked up from his laptop and shook his head. “Nothing on Chris or Kelli’s phone, they’re either somewhere a signal can’t get out or…, “he hesitated and cleared his throat before continuing. “Or the phones have been compromised.”

Vin nodded, he didn’t need a detailed explanation to know someone could have deliberately destroyed the phones. “Chris’s truck?”

It did not take long for Vin to react. “Disconnected? DISCONNECTED?” He could not decide if he was more shocked or angry, anger won. “Knowin’ the risks, he decides to disconnect the damn GPS system! That is fuckin’ lunacy! I swear I’m gonna disconnect his head from his shoulders when we find him.” Fear and emotion fueled his anger. The memories of the hellish time Kelli and Trey were missing weighed heavy on his mind.

Josiah put his hand on Vin’s arm and squeezed. “Save your frustration for Chris. We’re about ten minutes away from their last known location; even if they’re not there we might find a lead.”

Vin ran his hands over his face and sighed. “You’re right. You concentrate on pilotin’ this chopper and I’ll try to rein in my anger. But, I promise you, Chris and I will be discussin’ this once I know him and Kel are safe.”

Nathan, Alex, Justin and JD recognized Vin’s ranting for what it was…concern and fear for the two people he cared about most in this world. They knew part of Vin’s anger was justified, but they also knew that even though he may curse, yell and seethe, he would never hurt Chris intentionally.

Teaspoon Hunter sat in the back of the helicopter, behind JD. He was here to observe and that was exactly what he was doing. When Tanner told the unit that Larabee and Coulter were in trouble, they each did what was necessary, without waiting for orders. Jackson initially was scheduled to work all night with the gang unit, yet he was one of the first ones on board. It was an effortless and superb display of teamwork in action. Hunter was still working on understanding the dynamics of the unit and the character of each individual, but from what he had already seen, the next week promised to be damn interesting.

Chris hoped that Vin and the others would arrive soon to set him and Kelli free. It pained him to see her in such distress, knowing he was unable to do anything to alleviate what she was feeling. Her bout of shouting and tears was a step in the right direction, but under their current circumstances, he feared it could only make matters worse, instead of better. For the past hour she had been silent, even her crying had ceased and his concern for her was growing. Maybe he should go to her and try to set things right between them.

Once her impromptu meltdown ended, feelings of guilt flooded over Kelli to replace her previous lack of control. Chris was hurt and here she was acting like a child, pitching a fit instead of behaving as a rational adult. She knew she needed to check on him, his injuries could be worse than either of them had thought. With a weary sigh, she stood and walked toward him. He was in the process of attempting to get up and go over to her.

“Goin’ somewhere, Larabee?” she knelt down beside him and on impulse, reached out to feel his forehead.

He shook his head. “No fever, no concussion, no dizziness or anything else I didn’t expect.” He grinned and tilted his head, and asked teasingly, “You worried?”

She sat down next to him. “No, I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t passed out or croaked on me. I’d hate to add the guilt of that to my list of sins, too.”

Recognizing her lame effort at humor as a peace offering, Chris felt relieved. Kelli may have experienced a helluva emotional blip, but she had not completely gone over the edge. He reached out and cupped her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. You, Grace, and Cody are stuck with me.”

“Yeah?” She leaned back against the wall. “Grace and Cody, you still have time to work on, but I’m already broken. You ought to devote your parental skills to them and quit worryin’ about me.”

Chris closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled, quelling his first impulse, which was to tell her how ridiculous her remarks sounded. Instead, he took time to think about what he wanted to say. “You know, Cowboy and Tracker crossed the barriers of time to come here. They did it for their families. Love of family, Kel, there are no boundaries to it, no limitations, and no expiration dates. I don’t know why it took so long for you and me to find one another, but the important thing is that we did. Our great grandfathers didn’t quit on us and I am not going to give up on you, Grace, Cody, or any of my Wild Bunch…ever.” He grinned and patted her on the leg, “Deal with it, Kid.”

Before Kelli had a chance to answer, the walls began to shake. The sound of a freight train bearing down on them vibrated through the air, followed by a barrage of concrete chunks from the ceiling. A rumble from further back indicated part of the rooms had collapsed, plunging them into total darkness. Mindless of the pain from his injuries, Chris instinctively moved to cover her with his body. Abruptly, the noise abated and an eerie silence filled the room.

Josiah brought the helicopter around to circle the Carter property, easily spotting Chris’s truck parked in the drive. It appeared that the State police beat them there and were already searching the area. “Guess they travel faster than we thought,” he quipped as he looked over to Vin.

Vin could feel Chris’s presence and he knew Kelli was close, but he could not relax until he actually had them in sight. “Just get us down, Josiah. Then we…” his words were lost as the ground beneath them erupted into a spectacular wall of flames, which reached dangerously close to the helicopter. Black smoke billowed toward the sky and then silently retracted as quickly as it appeared.

“Hold on!” Josiah yelled while he wrestled with the controls of the helicopter. The aircraft pitched and then rolled to one side as the concussion from the blast reached it. The agents on board dared not say a word, but held on tight, expecting any moment to be their last.

Sanchez fought with the bucking aircraft, attempting to halt its rapid descent toward the fiery hell waiting to claim them. “Not today, you bastard… not today,” Josiah growled out while using every ounce of strength he could muster to pull up and stabilize the aircraft. They were ten feet from the ground when the monster below released its grasp on the helicopter and Josiah was able to divert a disaster. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing it was only due to his experience and the power of prayer that he was able to bring them down safely.

Ducking the wind from the whirling blades, six men jumped from the helicopter before both skids touched the ground and spread out to help the shocked and wounded officers who were staggering away from the site of the explosion. While Alex, Teaspoon, and Justin dragged bodies away from the smoldering rubble, which once was a house, JD was on the phone ordering additional back up and the fire department to the scene. Josiah had been the last to disembark, after he shut down the helicopter systems. He then joined Nathan to help assess the injuries.

Vin located the State Trooper in charge of the scene and shoving his MCAT ID in the man’s face, demanded,” What the hell happened?”

“Our units split up as soon as we arrived, secured the perimeter, and then checked the outer buildings. Officer Davis took a team to secure the house. Evidently it was rigged to explode the moment anyone knocked on the door, Sir.”

“Any sign of my missin’ agents before the blast?” Vin was certain Chris and Kelli were not inside the rubble and still sensed Larabee’s living presence somewhere nearby. That was the only thing holding him together at the moment.

“No, Sir. I’m sorry.”

Vin nodded. “Tend to your men; more help is on the way.” His gaze swept over the area, looking for something…anything, which might give him a clue to Chris and Kelli’s whereabouts.*Chris, you’re gonna have to help me here. Where the hell are you?*

Once Chris was certain their immediate danger had passed, his attention turned to Kelli. “Are you all right?”

“I …can’t breathe,” was her muffled reply.

“Shit,” Chris groaned. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a two hundred pound MCAT Agent on top of me.” She coughed and then huffed, “Get off!”

It took a few moments for Chris to realize, she was talking about him. Shooting her a scathing glare, which she could not see in the dark, made him feel better. “I’m not even close to weighing two hundred pounds,” he muttered, while rolling away from her. Pain radiated over his already aching muscles as his body met with pieces of jagged rock and concrete, instead of the smooth stone surface he expected. “Damn that hurts.” His extended fingers closed around the discarded flashlight and turned it on.

Apparently, their subterranean nightmare had escalated. Slowly sweeping the beam of light across the room, Chris surveyed their immediate surroundings. Chunks of concrete imbedded with steel rods were scattered over the ground and fine particles of dust shimmered in the light beam as they drifted through the air. Wisps of black smoke slowly seeped through cracks in the ceiling. He knew that if help did not arrive soon, he and Kelli would be in serious trouble.

Kelli gasped when she viewed the damage. “No... God no,” she croaked. Flashbacks of her forced imprisonment roared through her mind as her repressed anxieties reared their ugly head with a vengeance. “We’re not gettin’ out of here, are we?”

“Damn straight we are,” Chris assured her. He sounded more confident than he felt, but Kelli’s anxiety was building and he wanted to avert another panic attack if possible. “We’ll be fine.”

“Don't try to coddle me!” She was making a valiant effort to fight her fear, which threatened to choke her. “I'm not Grace or Cody. You can't just make my panic go away by tellin' me everythin' is goin' to be okay.”

“Kel,” Chris started, “this isn't like what happened to you and Trey. We had no idea where you were. Vin knows our itinerary for the day and I’m certain he’s going to find us.”

“How can you be so certain he’ll get here before it’s too late?” She could not refrain from asking, finding herself wanting to believe what her father was telling her.

Chris’s features softened with a smile. “Because I can already feel Vin's presence above us somewhere...We are getting out of here. You have to believe it.”

Kelli nodded, latching on to the thread of hope, which he offered. “Vin’s really here?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Several units of paramedics and the fire department were now on the scene. Josiah had already taken the most critically injured to the nearest trauma center by helicopter and additional troopers had arrived to assist with what was now a crime scene.

“Nathan, you’re the most experienced explosives expert we have. Find out what was used and where it came from.” Vin tersely ordered and then softened his words. “There are plenty of paramedics here to tend to the injured. I need your expertise workin’ on the forensics of that device.”

“Vin, I talked to Ezra.” JD walked in step with Tanner. “He returned not long after we left and used your truck to pick up Mark and Bandit. They’re about twenty minutes out. Josiah dropped off the injured officers at the hospital and is on his way back, too.”

Tanner nodded; he was a man on a mission. So far, he had not been able to pinpoint where Chris and Kelli were, but he had the distinct impression they were underground. He didn't let himself ponder what being trapped again could do to his wife's already fragile state of mind and continued hunting for something, anything which would lead him to them. “Great, we keep lookin’ for Chris and Kelli.”

*Don't take your sweet time on my account,* Chris's sarcastic comment in his head, caused a momentary grin to crease Vin's lips.

*The house was rigged to explode…that’s what you felt.* he figured it wasn’t necessary to tell him how many officers were injured or how bad it looked from up here.

Using the diagram of the landscape Chris painted in his head; Vin was able to find the entrance to the underground room, which held his wife, and best friend prisoner. A wave of anger swept over him when he saw a mound of smoldering rubble covering the buried door. Whoever set this up planned to destroy the storage area.

Vin resisted the urge to ask about Kelli and called the rest of his team together. “Chris and Kel are trapped under this mess. Smoke is seeping into the underground room and the walls are unstable. We need to get them out as quickly as possible. Let’s get to work.”

Teaspoon worked alongside of the MCAT agents, approving of the fluidity in which the team members worked together. The more time he spent with these men, the more he found to admire, and his approval was not something he gave lightly. He picked up a concrete boulder and threw it off to the side as the pile of debris began to diminish. He caught one of the younger agents, JD Dunne, watching him with almost an anxious look on his face. “Son, it's not polite to stare.” He grinned when JD's face flushed with embarrassment.

JD wasn't certain a man of Mister Hunter’s age should be doing such strenuous activity and was concerned for the older man the same as he would be if Orrin Travis were out there. “Sorry. It’s just that this is hard work and with you not as young as the rest of us. I thought… Aww hell…I meant…”

Teaspoon chuckled, but didn't let him finish his sentence. “I’m not goin' to keel over any time soon, Son. Why don't you set your mind back on to the business at hand and stop worryin' about this old man?”

JD grinned back at Teaspoon, relieved that he had not been offended.

Working through the heat left from the explosion, Vin, Alex, and Justin were closest to the entrance. It took backbreaking effort to move all the debris by hand and their muscles were already feeling the strain from removing pieces of what was left of the house. In spite of the forty-degree chill in the air, sweat rolled down their faces while they labored.

“Good Lord!” Ezra shuddered, taking in the chaotic scene when he and Mark arrived. The two MCAT agents were out of the truck within seconds of Ezra turning off the ignition. Bandit trotted energetically at Mark's heels as the men set off to join their teammates.

JD spotted them first and explained. “Chris and Kel are trapped underground,” he grunted when a chunk of concrete landed near his foot, “We’ve been at this about thirty minutes.”

Ezra and Mark were already removing their coats, intent on relieving some of their teammates who were tiring. Pushing his way forward, Ezra tapped Justin on the shoulder. “Take ten and grab some water. I’ve got this.”

Justin nodded and moved, allowing Ezra to take his place. Mark did the same with Alex. Both men knew better than to suggest Vin leave, he wasn’t budging until Chris and Kelli were free and aboveground. Even Bandit got in on the action. Digging franticly at the dirt around the side of the doorway, the dog found an area where the concrete had crumbled from the blast, leaving a good portion of the wall accessible. Bandit dug a hole large enough to squeeze through and before Mark could stop him, he disappeared.

Vin raised his hand to halt the others. “Give me a shovel. If Bandit can get in through there, I can too.”

Chris had been talking non-stop, in an effort to keep Kelli distracted from their deteriorating situation. The air was heavy with smoke and it was becoming more difficult to breathe. He was in the middle of retelling a story about his Navy Seal days when something jumped at him out of the darkness. Instinctively he reached for his weapon, but quickly recognized the blur as Bandit. “Hey boy,” he said while petting the dog. “If you’re here, then the rest of the team can’t be far behind.”

“He must have come from there,” Kelli said, shining the light up the stairs. “You think you’re up to makin’ the climb, Dad?”

“Hell yeah,” Chris answered, but once he attempted to move, he realized how stiff his muscles had become from sitting so long in one position and his knee was swelling. “You might have to give me a hand though.”

“You got it.” She offered her hand and gave him support as he gingerly rose to his feet. Kelli grabbed their coats, draping Chris’s over his shoulders, picked up his vest and then slipped her arm around his waist. “We’ll move slow, lean on me as much as you can.”

“The smoke will be thicker up there. If it gets too bad we stop,” Chris warned. *We’re coming up the stairs with our four-footed friend. I hope like hell you’ve got us a way out.*

Bandit appeared to sense Chris’s pain and instead of scampering up the stairs, walked slowly beside him. Chris tried not to burden Kelli with his weight, but the more steps he took, the harder the next one became. By the time they had maneuvered halfway, both Kelli and Chris were coughing from inhaling smoke and he swore every muscle in his body was sadistically protesting his movements.

“You need to stop?” She could not help but notice how hard this little excursion was for Chris. She felt the slight tremors in his body, which he tried to discount and shining the flashlight at his face, saw the beads of perspiration breaking out on his forehead. He might think he was okay, but no one took two slugs to the vest, then fell twelve feet like he did and came away unscathed. “Dad, please…rest here for a minute.”

Breathing heavily, Chris tried to answer.” I’m…I can… keep going.” He knew better than to say he was fine because he was not, both he and Kelli knew it.

Chris stumbled taking the next step and leaned hard on Kelli to stop himself from falling again. “Easy,” she cautioned. “I’ve got you, but take it slower or we’ll both…” A loud thump above them stopped her next words. Within moments, Vin was there and he shifted Chris’s weight onto him.

“You okay, Kel?” Vin asked, anxious to get topside.

She was so relieved to hear his voice, it took her a moment to answer, “Ye... yes…but Dad needs medical attention.”

“Dad is right here and can still speak,” Chris reminded them. “I…”

“Shut up and conserve whatever energy you have left,” Vin ordered as they moved toward the exit. “Josiah and Ezra are waitin’ to pull y’all out of here, and Nathan is chompin’ at the bit to examine both of you.”

“Damn bossy bastard,” Chris muttered.

“Stubborn jackass,” Vin quipped. “It seems I can’t leave either of you on your own for a minute without some kind of disaster happenin’. I swear turnin’ any Larabee loose on their own is the same as blindly throwin’ a lit stick of dynamite. You know it’s gonna cause a ruckus, you just don’t know where it’ll land.”

“Tanner,” Chris growled.

“Save it, Larabee. We’re here.” Vin had deliberately riled Chris to keep his focus off his injuries.

Josiah and Ezra peered down the hole Bandit had started and reached for Chris, heaving him up to fresh air. Vin lifted Bandit next and handed him to Mark.

Vin moved to stand behind Kelli, encircling her waist with his hands “Your turn, Baby,” he said softly, taking an extra moment to reassure himself she was really okay before he lifted her up to Ezra.

By the time Vin climbed out, Chris was on a stretcher and Kelli was giving Nathan a report of his injuries. Tanner took the vest she was holding and examined the slugs still imbedded in it. While Chris’s injuries weren’t life threatening, they were painful, and would take some time to heal properly. After examining his friend’s Kevlar vest with his own eyes, he realized how very fortunate they all were that their commanding officer had insisted he and Kelli wore them that morning. If he had not, they could have very well been planning Larabee’s funeral.

*We both are Vin, more than you know.* Chris fussed at Nathan for poking and prodding his injuries, insisting he’d go to the hospital for x-rays when he was damn well ready. All the while, his eyes stayed on Kelli as she headed over to the truck.

*You mean Kel? …I thought she was okay.* Vin followed Chris’s line of vision and watched Kelli.

Vin acknowledged Chris’s message with a nod and headed after his wife.

Nathan looked up and yelled after Tanner, “You tell Kel, she’s gonna be checked out too.”

Teaspoon was fascinated while observing the apparent silent communications between Tanner and Larabee. The more he was around this MCAT team the more he wanted to know them better. It was clear to him that he had a lot to learn about these men and women, who Travis spoke of with such great esteem.

“They do that all the time; have since they first met one another.” Josiah stood beside Hunter. “Amazing isn’t it?”

“It is at that,” he replied

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to Commander Larabee before Nathan has me whisk him off to the hospital.” Josiah walked Teaspoon over to where Chris was, and made a brief introduction.

Chris had figured the extra man riding with his team had connections to Travis and the discussion he and the Director had recently. Although Travis made it plain he wanted Chris to oversee all the details of setting up the new teams, he had refused. Chris made it clear that he did not intend to spend time away from his children while traveling back and forth to Texas. Ultimately, the Director had agreed to appoint an Administrative Chief of Operations for the San Antonio unit, who would have the authority to direct the new team, but would be accountable to Larabee.

“Hunter,” Chris acknowledged the introduction. “I’m looking forward to discussing details with you, but I believe I’m being shanghaied to Denver Memorial first. In the meantime, Josiah, JD, Ezra, or Nathan can answer most of your questions.”

Teaspoon nodded. “Let the doc fix you up. We’ll have plenty of time to talk once you’re released for duty.” He knew Larabee had deliberately omitted Tanner’s name, but was not going to pry into the reason why.

“Plan on it being tomorrow morning,” Chris told him and turned his attention to issuing orders. “Ezra, you’re in charge here. The State Police will inventory and load those weapons as soon as they can get to them, just make certain they know to deliver them to one of our facilities. Instruct the officer in charge as to which reports we expect and tell him I want them on my desk first thing in the morning. Then use my truck and Vin’s to get everyone back to Denver. Close up the office and send everyone home.

JD, have an APB issued for Lorene ‘Bitsy’ Fowler, wanted for the attempted murder of two Federal Agents. You’ll find the information you need on her in my notes…” he looked around searching for something. “There it is….Grab my coat. It’s lying next to Nathan’s bag; the notepad is in the right-hand pocket. Also, get me a preliminary report on the condition of the officers who were injured in the blast.

Mark, you make sure Bandit gets a steak dinner tonight, he’s earned it, and I’m paying. Josiah, you’ll be flying Nathan, Vin, Kelli, and me to the hospital and then take the chopper back to the airfield. Nathan, wait and have Kel examined once we get there, but don’t plan on me staying. I can ache at home as well as in a hospital and I need to be with my kids.” Chris lay back on the stretcher, his energy gone, but he had one last instruction. “We’ll leave after Vin has a chance to talk to Kel.”

Kelli held it together until she made it to Chris’s truck where she thought she would have privacy. It had only been a few hours, but it seemed more like an eternity since she had stood in her kitchen this morning and said good-bye to Vin and the kids. She was getting used to having nightmares and while they were disturbing, they happened only at home during times she could control their outcome and had not interfered with her daily activities or work.

Until now, she had not experienced a panic attack during the day and it scared her to think it could happen again. Next time, it could end with possibly more disastrous results. Leaning her head against the frame of the open door she took a deep ragged breath attempting to suppress the nausea she was feeling and control her trembling hands.

Vin stood back for a moment and observed his wife, knowing he was standing knee deep in new territory. Since the moment he first set eyes on Kelli, he had been able, intuitively, to sense what she needed or wanted from him. However, for the first time in their relationship he was unsure of what to do or how to reach out to her. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It was time…past time to confront the demons Lady Ice had dropped into their lives. Whether she was ready or not, before this day ended, he and Kelli would stop dancing around the issues, which were pulling them apart, and together they would tackle them head on.

She felt Vin’s presence before he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered to her, “We’re in this together, no more hidin’ from me, Kel. After we take care of Chris, we are goin’ home and we will be talkin’ all of tonight, tomorrow, and the day after, if that’s what it takes. Whatever we have to do, we’re gonna do it. It’s time we took back our life, and send the demons who are tryin’ to destroy us to hell, where they belong.”

“I know,” she sighed wearily. For now, she was going to draw on the strength he offered to gain control of her wayward emotions. She was too tired of fighting her feelings alone to rebuff him. Living with fear was not living at all. No matter the outcome, she had to tell Vin the truth and get everything out in the open.

He felt her relax against him and knew she wasn’t going to fight him any longer. The underground ordeal had apparently broken through the wall Kelli had built around her emotions, and he did not intend to give her an opportunity to rebuild it. The barriers between them had vanished and for several minutes they stood there, savoring the feelings of closeness they had both missed.

Chris felt Vin’s uncertainties, and was vastly relieved to see that he had worked through them. It was worth the aches and pains he was feeling to know things were headed in the right direction for his daughter and his spirit brother. He turned to his profiler. “All right, Josiah, you can fire up that whirlybird now. It’s time for some overdue healing.”

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