Chapter 28

I


The phone rang in Jacob's office, and he instinctively knew who was calling.

He looked at the ID screen, and it was from Midwest Central Command, with no number listed.

Ah, Nikolai, he thought, I knew you'd come through for me, son.

"Hello," said Jacob as he answered the call.

"Mr. Ross, Major San Marco is returning your call," Sgt. Knox said. "He'll be with you in just a moment."

"That's fine, Sgt. Knox," Jacob said. "I'll wait."

After a brief wait, Nik came on the line.

"Jacob," he said, "I think I have some information about Julia's whereabouts for you. I got these from Homeland Security, who is monitoring Julia's hiding place. She doesn't know this, so please don't tell her if you talk to her."

"I don't plan on talking to her, Nik," Jacob said; "I just want to know where she is and who is hiding her and her family."

"I see," Nik said, but he didn't really. Until twelve hours before, Nik didn't know the name of the man who was helping Julia, nor where he lived. Nik didn't like having this information, which he felt defeated the purpose of Julia being in hiding. But Jacob made a point that stuck with Nik: if A.R.M. could find Julia, then anyone can. And Nik did.

He had no idea who John Christofferson was, and was only told that it was someone that Julia had come across in the nature of her job with Homeland Security. Nik was not aware that Christofferson was, in another life, the New Army Captain once known as Black Jack Coltrane. The same man who kept Julia as his prisoner for over three months, a year before the end of the Occupation.

"Jacob, Julia is in Wyoming somewhere, staying with a man who offered to help her when her life was threatened," Nik said; "I have a name, but I don't feel comfortable giving it out. It would defeat the purpose of Julia being in hiding. I can tell you that the children are doing well, and that other than her injury, Julia is also doing well."

Jacob wasn't completely satisfied, but it would have to do for now. He wanted to know that Julia really was doing okay, not in harm's way, and that her children were safe. He decided that after the holidays, he would dig further into his database to see if he could actually find his daughter and her family.

"Thanks for the information, Nik," Jacob said; "I didn't mean to come on like a hard ass about it. I had gotten this information about Julia being injured and reacted to it as a father should."

"Then you might be interested in the fact that the man she is staying with is terminally ill, and has been given less than a year to live," Nik said; "Julia might be back in Chicago sooner than we all think."

"It's not good that the man is ill," Jacob said; "Julia will want to take care of him, because she didn't get that chance with Ryan."

"Do you think there's something going on between Julia and her friend, Jacob?" asked Nik.

"No, but I do know Julia's state of mind," Jacob said. "She never got the chance to take care of Ryan because he tended to keep his condition a secret for so long. She only knew about it the last six to eight months of Ryan's life."

Nik had to ponder on that a while. He knew it was true. Ryan had told both Nik and Jeremiah that he had serious problems with his heart that he wasn't ready to discuss with his wife. And Ryan did get around to telling Julia, it was really too late for anything. Ryan knew it was only a matter of time before it killed him.

"Ryan tried to keep it a secret," Nik said; "Julia eventually figured it out after she suspected him of cheating on her. She felt pretty foolish when she learned it wasn't a woman that was taking up a lot of his time, but doctor's visits in neighboring states. She was pretty hurt that Ryan didn't trust her with his health issues."

"He was probably trying to protect her," Jacob said; "but went about it all wrong. He might still be alive if he just came out and told Julia when he first started showing symptoms."

"And I'm sure Julia knew that," Nik said. "It probably made her mourning for him harder because he could have been saved. I know she had a difficult time the first year."

"I know what she went through. Christine kind of did the same thing," Jacob said; "Except we were trying to keep it from the whole country."

"You must have succeeded because no one knew she was that sick," Nik said.

"No one but me, Christine, and her doctors," Jacob said, remembering the night Christine died. Her last words to her husband were, Thank you for believing in us, Jacob. Then she was gone.

Jacob thanked Nik for the information and ended the call.

He then sat back and remembered his brave butterfly, and smiled.

===

All the kids were in the barn, watching as the mare struggled to give birth to her foal. Jaime was sitting near the mare's head, speaking softly and trying to keep the horse from panicking. Jaime suspected this was the mare's first pregnancy.

The vet arrived, still bundled up in his winter gear. The mare made distressed sounds as her foal was trying to get born.

Without speaking to those assembled, Dr. Cray got straight to work helping the mare to deliver her foal.

"Jaime, come over here with the rest of us and let Dr. Cray do his job," Julia said.

"Actually, ma'am," said Cray, "She's fine where she is. Whatever she's been doing, it's keeping the mare from getting excited."

It took a couple of hours, but the mare finally had her foal with Dr. Cray's help. He told Jaime that she did the right thing in bringing the mare into the barn. The horse would have died if left outside, either from the extreme cold, or from the difficult labor.

"This way, we were able to save both of them," Dr. Cray said. "How did you know the horse needed help, Jaime?"

"She broke the fence down, and she just stood there looking, I don't know, scared, I guess," Jaime said; "I convinced my sister to help me bring her to the barn so she could be warm."

"The herd had been running around here for how long, would you say?" asked the vet.

"Since September at least," Jaime said; "Though it was probably around mid October that I noticed the mare was pregnant."

"Well, she has a fine, healthy colt, Jaime," Dr. Cray stated; "They should stay here for a while, at least until the temperature gets warmer. I'll come back and check on them in a couple of weeks."

As Jack was walking the vet back to his car in the front of the house, Dr. Cray said, "That's some girl you have there, John. She's pretty smart. I know it's cold as shit out there, but she did the right thing. Your granddaughter, perhaps?"

"No," Jack said, "She's my companion's daughter. And yes, she's pretty smart, just as the other kids are. She likes animals."

"The mare is part of BIA's herd. I noticed her tag when I was assisting her," Dr. Cray said. "The colt will go with her in the spring when she rejoins the herd."

"I know Jaime pretty well," Jack said; "She'll get too attached to both of them and won't be able to let them go."

"I'll talk to the head of BIA and see if maybe if the two of them could be up for purchase," Dr. Cray said; "Since they needed assistance, maybe they'll give them up to a private party."

"Jaime would like that," Jack said; "But I'll have to discuss it with her mother before any decisions are made."

"Of course, John. That's understandable," said Dr. Cray.

The two men shook hands and the veterinarian took his leave. Jack then came back into the house, where Jaime was begging her mother to allow her to keep the two horses.

"Jaime I can't make that decision right now," Julia was saying; "We'll just have to see what happens."

"But you're not saying no, are you?" asked Jaime.

"I'm not, but I'm not saying yes, either, Jameson," Julia said. "A lot of other things have to happen first."

"Yes, ma'am," Jaime said.

"Now, we've all had a long day," Julia said; "Why don't you go get ready for bed."

Jaime then turned on her heel and headed towards her bedroom. Jack sat down next to Julia and said,

"Wasn't expecting that, were we?"

"No, we weren't," Julia said; "We couldn't have planned this episode if we tried. It was good that the children got to witness the birth of the colt. It will make their agriculture lessons easier."

She laid her head against Jack's arm and sighed.

"Julia..." Jack began.

"Yes, Jack?"

"I love you, you know."

"I know, baby."

"When the kids are asleep, may I hold your beautiful body against mine and make love to you?" asked Jack.

"You don't have to ask me, Jack," Julia said; "You know that."

"I know, but it seems important to me to do so."

Julia sat up, leaned over, and placed a soft kiss on Jack's cheek.

"Yes, Jack," she said; "I'd like nothing more than for you to love me."


===
II


The plane landed at Chicago O'Hare airport. Matt and Lisa were looking forward to the time off from school with Matt's family.

They grabbed their carry on bags from the overhead compartment and started to deplane. Lisa noticed a man a few rows back who seemed to be looking at her strangely. He gave Lisa the creeps, but didn't mention anything to Matt about it. She figured that there were always going to be people who just rubbed her the wrong way. The man looked away when Lisa caught him staring at her. She noticed a scar on his chin, and was certain that she'd know him if she ran into him again.

She didn't have to say anything to Matt, however, because he noticed the man staring at her as well.

Once in the airport on their way to meet his dad and his two younger brothers, he said to Lisa,

"Did you see that guy on the plane staring at you, Lisa? Kinda creepy if you ask me."

"I did, Matt, but I didn't want to say anything," Lisa said; "He gave me the heebie jeebies."

"At least we don't ever have to see him again," Matt said. "Maybe he'll just disappear into the city and go about his business."

Lisa nodded but said nothing. She never wanted to see that creep's face again as long as she lived.

Matt saw his father and brothers up ahead beyond the security screening area, and they greeted each other warmly. Matt was pleased that Peter seemed to be getting around just fine now that the back brace was history.

"Damn, bro, you sure shot up while I've been gone," Matt said, noting that Peter seemed to be much taller than he had been when Matt was last home.

"Yeah, Mom said I had a growth spurt," Peter said; "She said that was a good sign that I was really healing from my accident."

"That's good," Matt said; "When do you get to go back to school and start training again?"

"After the holidays," Peter said; "I can't wait!"

"He's a pain in the ass," Danny said, laughing; "But that just means he's more normal than he has been."

Nik just rolled his eyes at his sons ribbing each other. "Shall we get yours and Lisa's bags, Matthias, or are we going to have a one upmanship contest here in the airport?"

"Oh, definitely get our bags, Dad," Matt said, putting his arm around Lisa's waist; "I can't wait to get home! What's for dinner?"

Lisa laughed; "There he goes, thinking about food!"

"He does that a lot, Lisa?" asked Nik.

"He's a bottomless pit," Lisa said. "I think he drinks five gallons of milk by himself a week."

"He's always had a big appetite," Nik said; "His mother thought if we ever went broke, it would be because Matt literally ate us out of house and home!"

"I don't eat that much!" Matt protested lamely.

"I beg to differ," Nik said; "Between you and your brothers, I was lucky to get one sandwich a week!"

"Aunt Julia said once that you ate more than her whole family, Dad!" Danny said.

Nik just waved off the comment and the group headed to the baggage claim area.

However, they were being watched.

"Enjoy your time together now, San Marco family," Pollard said under his breath; "For by Christmas, you'll all be dead."

Pollard couldn't have been more wrong.

===

Krysta just stared at DeWitt in shock. When she found her voice, she said,

"Kathryn is the mother of your children?!"

"Why yes," DeWitt said; "I took her under my wing when she was eighteen and we fell in love. Our oldest daughter is twelve. It was after Helene was born that I saw Chastity for the first time. Chastity said some horrid things about Kathryn and vowed to keep her from coming forward anymore."

"You knew this all this time?"

"I did," said DeWitt; "When Kathryn was present, our lives together were wonderful. We had two more daughters. But as Chastity kept showing herself more and more, I found that I couldn't live with her. The girls were actually afraid of Chastity. For their safety and Kathryn's, I purchased the townhouse for Chastity to live in. I tried to get Kathryn help for her problem, but Chastity wouldn't hear of it. So I put her in charge of the Movement. She and Kathryn fought over who would be in charge of the body. Chastity won. She hasn't been Kathryn again until just recently."

"You knew about her many lovers, her murderous nature, her temper tantrums? Why didn't you get her help sooner?" asked Krysta. "Her father wants to see her. He's regretted sending her away for years. You do know who her father is, don't you?"

"Yes, Krysta. I know Kathryn's father is Eric Hope. He and I have tangled in court many times over the years," DeWitt said.

"And you knew all along that the woman who is the mother of your children is Eric Hope's daughter? And you kept her away from him?" Krysta couldn't believe what she was hearing, nor that DeWitt was so cavalier about the whole episode. DeWitt and Eric are probably about the same age, Krysta thought.

"I knew, and there were many times I wanted to tell Eric Hope, then I'd remember that he sent her away because he and his wife couldn't handle Chastity, and really felt no sympathy for the man," DeWitt said; "I know that he and I are about the same age. I took care of her when he chose not to."

"What if he thought he didn't have a choice!" said Krysta. "What if sending her away was the best thing for her?"

"Do you really believe that, Alexandra? Didn't you run away from home?" asked DeWitt, seeing Krysta's shock on being called by her birth name. He continued, "I can keep Kathryn safe. She's safe in that hospital right now. Her father can come see her if he wants. Her memories are so scattered that she doesn't realize she's an adult. Chastity damn near ruined Kathryn forever."

"What about when Kathryn is well enough to be released?" Krysta asked. "Are you going to swoop down and hide her away?"

"I'll let her decide that," DeWitt said; "I'll let her decide if a life with me and our daughters is what she really wants. The girls miss their mother, but they also realize that she's not herself. But there is something that you should know, Krysta."

"And what's that, Mr. DeWitt?"

"As much as I want to see the Movement succeed, I'll walk away from it for one reason and one reason only," DeWitt said.

"And that is?"

"If Kathryn wants to come home and be part of our family again, I'll abandon the Movement. Kathryn means more to me than a second Occupation. If others in the Movement want to continue the cause, then they'll have to come up with the finances to do so. Once I withdraw from the Movement, my money goes with me."

Krysta was floored that DeWitt would do that. Maybe he did have Kathryn's best interests at heart.

But, Krysta thought, so does Eric.

She knew that it would not be a pretty picture if Kathryn chose Christian DeWitt over her father.

The rumors she had heard over the years had been true. That DeWitt did have children with a much younger woman, and that it was the Kathryn she knew who was the woman who was always mentioned. That DeWitt knew about Kathryn's alter, Chastity. That he would leave the Movement if the mother of his children became well.

I thought I was handing a line of bullshit to Jeremiah Donovan, Krysta thought. I had no idea any of that shit was true! I hope he fact checks everything I told him. This will blow his mind.

===
III

Sandrina and Danica's first semester at Georgetown was drawing to a close. Both were registered for spring classes, and the month long break between the semesters was something both young women were looking forward to.

Danica had made plans to return to Maine for the holidays to spend time with her family. Her sister Kendria was making great progress towards recovering from her injuries, and even talked about going to a community college after she finished her compulsory education. She had made up a lot of what she missed in a short amount of time.

She had gotten the news that her parents were looking into adopting a pair of brothers they had been fostering. The boys were seven and nine years old, the oldest sharing Kendria's September 1st birthday. They were bi-racial like Danica and Kendria.

Sandrina had just learned that Alex was able to get leave and accompany her to Chicago for the Christmas holidays, though he had to be back on post on December 28th. They'd still have two weeks together and he'd get to spend time getting to know Sandrina's family.

Natasha and the twins were going skiing with Darren in Colorado, somewhere the twins had never been, and they were excited about it. They were doing all kinds of research on the internet about Vail, Denver and Colorado Springs so they'd know what fun things there were to do there.

Late one night before the girls left to go to their respective hometowns, they were sitting in the living room with Natasha talking about the time they had spent together during the girls' first college semester.

"Is college what you thought it would be?" asked Natasha.

"It's almost like being homeschooled again," Danica said; "Mom and Dad gave us a lot to do, lots of homework, lots of classwork. College is like that. Five different subjects given rapid fire, and we're expected to learn all we can about them. I think I accomplished that pretty well because that's what I'd been exposed to at home."

"I'd have to say that all in all, I'm pleased with how it turned out," Sandrina said; "My classes are in no way a cakewalk. My art classes challenge me to expand my talents even further than I thought I could accomplish. I took on a lot. Dad thought I was taking on too much, but I finished it all."

"Then you met Alex," Danica teased.

"Alex understands that I'm in school and that I have to be focused on that," Sandrina said. "He chose to join the Army instead of going to college right away. He wants to take advantage of the G.I. Bill when he's ready to tackle college."

"He can go while he's still on active duty, right?" asked Natasha.

"He can, but right now, that's not on his agenda," Sandrina said; "He's a soldier's soldier. His folks are proud of him."

"Have you even met his parents?" asked Danica.

"I've talked to his mother on the phone," Sandrina said; "She is really nice, and really Southern. I'm not sure I liked being called darlin' and honey so much. We're just not like that where I live."

"His family knows who your father is, don't they?" asked Natasha.

"His dad was in the Security Forces," Sandrina said; "He knows who Dad is. Alex's mom thinks Dad is a hero, and admired yours and Aunt Julia's skills, Aunt Tash."

"I hope that Nik can live up to all that admiration," joked Natasha. "I'm going skiing to get away from all the hero worship I encounter around here."

"Why Vail, though?" asked Danica. "We have lots of skiing here on the east coast."

"Darren owns a house in Vail," Natasha said; "It's where he goes to get away from everything. He's wanted to take me there for years. Now he can."

"He's not going to propose, is he?" asked Sandrina.

"I have no idea, Sandy," Natasha said; "We haven't even discussed getting married. The whole idea scares me."

"Of getting married?" asked Sandrina.

"Yes. Marriage scares me. I've lived this long without having to marry," Natasha said. "But if I do marry, I hope it's to Darren. He's waited long enough for me to make up my mind."

"That still blows my mind that he waited for you to be ready," Danica said; "There aren't many men like Darren out there. Most men are anxious to get you into bed on the first date!"

"Oh?" Sandrina said to her cousin; "What about that guy you've been seeing off and on all semester. What's his name...Colby?"

"Cole," Danica said; "And he's a nice man, yes, but he's too old for me."

"Too old?" asked Natasha; "How old is too old in your mind?"

"He's 25, Aunt Tash," Danica said; "That's almost eight years. He'll be 26 in January."

"But do you like him? Does he like you?" asked Natasha.

"I do like him, Aunt Tash," Danica said; "But it's nothing serious. We just like hanging out together. I guess he likes me, too. He hasn't even tried anything yet."

"He sent you flowers on your birthday, Danica!" Sandrina said. "I'd say that he likes you a lot."

Danica said nothing. She didn't want to think about the non-relationship she had with Cole. He was just a friend. And soon, she would be back in Maine with her family. Cole probably won't even be thinking about me, Danica thought.

===

Kimber and Jamey took a taxi to the airport the morning of December 16th to fly to Austin to spend Christmas/Hanakkah with Kimber's family.

Jamey noticed that Kimber seemed a little preoccupied while she was packing the night before. He knew that she had spoken to her sister shortly before that. Maybe there's something troubling Niki that Kimber is concerned about, he thought. If she wants to tell me, she will.

Kimber really hated to fly. Planes made her nervous. But, she realized that it was quicker than trying to drive to Texas.

She was glad that Jamey was going with her. Her family expressed a desire to meet the man who captured their daughter and sister's heart. Kimber knew that her mother and sister had gone shopping for presents for her and Jamey. Her father, brothers, and Drake were looking forward to meeting Jamey and getting to know him. David was a good judge of character, and he'd know if something wasn't right. Kimber felt that he had nothing to worry about and that he would like Jamey just like he liked Drake. Kimber thought that Drake and Jamey were a lot alike.

What weighed heavily on Kimber Draiman's mind was the news that Niki would need a bone marrow transplant. Kimber was a perfect match. So was her brother John, and he would also donate to Niki if it was needed. Kimber was nervous about the procedure, which if it needed to take place, would knock Kimber out of commission for six weeks. That would mean Kimber couldn't graduate the following spring. She thought there could be a way around that, as she only needed half a semester's worth of credit to walk with her class.

She had spoken to her academic advisor about it the day before classes ended for the semster, and felt very encouraged that between her and the school, those seven credits could be obtained, even if Kimber couldn't be there on the first day of class.

They arrived at the airport and went inside the terminal to check their luggage. Kimber's nervousness about flying increased as she and Jamey waited for their flight. She leaned against Jamey and rested her head against his arm. With him, Kimber felt safe, felt secure.

Inside though, she was scared to death for Niki. What if the transplant didn't work? Would Niki die?

She didn't want to think about that, but it was all she thought about.

===

Chapter 27

I

As the holidays drew closer, Jeremiah wondered what to do with the information that Krysta Banks had provided him about the American Republic Movement.

She basically sold out A.R.M., Jeremiah remembered thinking as Krysta spilled her guts about Chastity Edwards, the group's ultimate plans, including what was planned for him, Nik, and Julia. A.R.M. knew where Julia was, which was something not even Jeremiah knew.

The most damning piece of information was that Chastity was not truly the head of the Movement. There was someone behind the scenes, providing the money and the incentive to stage a second Occupation. That man's name was Christian DeWitt. It was a name that Jeremiah was familiar with.

Christian DeWitt was essentially a recluse. He was fifty-five years old, with two grown sons, and three young daughters. The mother of the girls was a woman Krysta would only say was named Katherine (which is how Jeremiah spelled it in his notes) who was in her early thirties and suffering from a psychiatric condition known as Disassociative Personality Disorder. DeWitt was paying for his daughters' mother's (Krysta was unsure if DeWitt and Katherine were married) care in an unnamed mental health facility in upstate New York.

DeWitt had a vast amount of wealth. His family were involved with manufacturing and had received a generous inheritance when his parents died when he was in his late twenties. Krysta had told Jeremiah that she believed that part of that fortune went toward the Movement's plans for the second Occupation. Krysta also believed that Chastity was a beneficiary of some of that money as well. She supposedly owned a very nice home with everything that one could imagine inside it. Krysta believed that DeWitt actually owned the house and allowed Chastity to live there as long as she wished.

As Jeremiah looked over his notes, he knew that the information that he was provided could bring the group down, especially with that last thing that Krysta Banks had told him; that DeWitt would walk away from A.R.M. for only one reason: if Katherine was cured of her mental illness and reunited with DeWitt and their daughters.

Jeremiah had a feeling that Krysta knew who Katherine really was (if that was indeed her true name), but decided to hold that information back as insurance for Jeremiah to help her escape from the Movement. Especially since she asked for anonymity. He had told her he couldn't guarantee it if he was asked for his notes in the event he was sued by DeWitt or Edwards.

It had been two weeks since the interview, and Jeremiah was torn whether to go ahead and investigate further, or let Nik and Julia know about these new developments. He decided that for now, he'd investigate Krysta Banks' claims, and if what he found was relevant, he'd tell Nik and Julia about what he learned.

I hate knowing this about our opponent in this conflict, Jeremiah thought; Julia and Nik deserve to know. But I have to find out if any of this shit was true, or Krysta Banks was just telling a tall tale.

He sighed and locked his notes away. He was sitting on an explosive story, and he knew it.

===

Krysta got the phone call she had been dreading since Chastity "disappeared".

Christian DeWitt wanted to see her.

If one person in the Movement scared her more than Chastity did at times, it was Christian DeWitt. He had all the power, and his fortune kept the Movement afloat financially. Chastity ran the Movement at his direction. As much as Clayton Pollard wanted to be in charge of the Movement and its agents, it was DeWitt who pulled the strings. It was common knowledge in the Movement that DeWitt was unhappy that Pollard essentially usurped Chastity's leadership in her absence.

Maybe that's what he wants to see me about, Krysta thought; or else he found out I spoke with Jeremiah Donovan.

The idea that Christian DeWitt could possibly know that Krysta spilled the Movement's secrets not only to a reporter, but a reporter who as also one of The Triad, scared Krysta to her core. DeWitt wanted to see her in two days. Krysta knew what she had to do.

She would call Eric Hope.

They had spoken on the phone nightly since she returned to Buffalo from Eric's lakeside retreat. He was the only one who knew that she was going to contact Jeremiah Donovan with information about the Movement. He asked about Kathryn's progress in treatment, and Krysta told him that she was steadily improving and remembering more about her past. Eric seemed pleased and asked Krysta if Cameron Chang had okayed his request to come visit. Krysta said that Cameron hadn't spoken to her about it.

"Maybe she will call you herself," said Krysta. "She has not told me anything about that. She seems to be keeping things from me as Kathryn improves."

"Perhaps that's a good thing, Krysta," Eric said; "Patient-client priviledge is a tricky thing. I hope that she does call me. I would like to see Kathryn before Christmas if possible."

"I'll let her know when I speak with her again, Eric," said Krysta.

Now, however, Krysta needed to talk to Eric about having him possibly represent her legally or to recommend someone, given their deepening personal relationship. The meeting with DeWitt made her uncharacteristically nervous. He had the power and the means to end her life, or at least make it extremely uncomfortable for her.

She would find out, though, that he only wanted one thing: he wanted the mother of his three daughters back.

Krysta would find out something else about Chastity/Kathryn that she didn't know.

===


"Midwest Central Command, Sgt. Micaela Knox speaking."

Jacob cleared his throat, then spoke, "Yes, Sgt. Knox. I'm Jacob Ross. I'm looking to speak with Major Nikolai San Marco. Is he available?"

Sgt. Knox's eyebrows shot up. She actually had the husband of the late Interim President on the line.

"I'll have to check on that for you, sir," she said; "It will be just a moment if you'll hold the line please."

"Of course," Jacob said. Maybe it will give me time to diffuse my anger and not tear Nik a new asshole, he thought.

Not more than a moment later, Nik came on the line.

"Jacob, it's Nik," he said; "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Can it, Nik," Jacob said; "This isn't a social call."

It didn't take a genius to know that Jacob Ross was not a happy man at that particular moment. What has he found out that has made him angry, Nik wondered.

"Okay, I get that you're not happy, Jacob," Nik said; "What is it that I can assist you with?"

"First of all," Jacob said, "you and I have a long history together so please don't take what I am about to say the wrong way."

"Okay, Jacob," Nik said, bracing himself for what was bound to come next. He's found out something about Julia's whereabouts and wonders why no one told him, he thought.

"I have heard through unofficial channels that Julia was in Denver back in October because she had been injured somehow," Jacob said; "I know that there had been threats against her life and the lives of my grandchildren. What I want to know is, what was the nature of Julia's injury?"

"Jacob, as much as I'd like to tell you," Nik said, "that information is currently classified."

"Even for me, Nik?" asked Jacob.

"Yes, Jacob, at this time, even for you."

Nik could hear the familiar grunting on the other end of the line. That was one of the things about Jacob that didn't change when he allowed his Morbus personality to die.

"I'm only her father, Nik," said Jacob; "Don't I have a right to know what happened to her, and if her children are okay?"

"Of course you do, Jacob," Nik said; "But I cannot tell you at this time. I'm under orders from the President himself. You might want to take this up with Darren Dixon, because he's the man who recruited us to work for CIA."

"Nik," Jacob said, his voice softening slightly, "I called you because I don't think I can speak to Director Dixon right now without wanting to kill him. I don't care if he is your sister's boyfriend."

"He'd probably be able to tell you more than I am allowed to, Jacob," Nik said; "I don't even know what Julia's injury, if that's why she was in Denver, is."

God, I hate that I have to lie to this man, Nik thought. I'm sure he could still kill me if he got mad enough. I owe him so much.

"Nikolai..." Jacob said; "You don't lie very well, boy. You never have. Now, I'll ask you again: what is the nature of Julia's injury?"

"She was shot protecting Rachel in the location where she and her family is in hiding," Nik said; "But you didn't hear that from me."

"Fine," Jacob said; "So she is okay and the children are okay, correct?"

"Yes, Jacob. As far as I know, everyone is doing fine," Nik said; "I get my information second hand, and that was the last report. That everyone is fine."

Jacob wasn't satisfied. He knew that Nik could only tell him so much, but Jacob had known Nik almost his entire life. If he had to get angry at Nik, Jacob didn't have a problem with that.

"Then I have one more question, Nik," he said.

"What's that?"

Jacob cleared his throat again. God please forgive me, he thought. It's not the boy's fault.

"Where the fuck is my daughter and who the fuck is hiding her and her family?" he asked in the same low, gravelly voice he'd used as Morbus. "Because, Nik, if you don't tell me because you can't, then I will find her on my own. Don't make me do that."

"Jacob," Nik said, "I can't tell you because I don't know where she is, or who is hiding her. The only person who knows that is Julia."

"Obviously, if Julia was injured, then someone who has ill intentions towards Julia knows where she is," Jacob said. "Don't make me go to the enemy to find my daughter and grandchildren."

For the first time since he was fifteen years old, Nik was actually afraid that Jacob would do just that... find out who threatened his daughter and convince them to tell him where Julia was.

"Before you do that, Jacob," Nik said; "Let me see if I can get clearance to tell you. Just hearing your name still has quite a bit of pull around these parts."

"You do that, Nik," Jacob said; "If I don't hear from you in 72 hours, I'm going to look for her myself, and that won't look good on you or the President."

"I'll contact you as soon as I hear something," Nik said; "That's not a promise. This is the government we're talking about. You know how incredibly slow things move when one is looking for information that the government doesn't want you to know."

"Yes, Nik, I realize that," Jacob said. "It frustrated Christine to no end while she was the Interim President. But there is a little thing called the Family Disclosure Act of 2020. By law, if I ask about my daughter's whereabouts, the agency in charge of her employment is obligated to tell me. You could pull that trick out of your bag and see how far it gets you."

"I could," Nik said; "But if I attach your name to the request, it'll probably be in my hands sooner."

"Try that, Nik," Jacob said; "Or I'll look for Julia myself. And trust me, I will find her."

Nik had no doubt of that. It was his job now to make sure that Jacob Ross doesn't have to strap on his guns again and become the most feared assassin the country had ever seen.

Until Julia surpassed him.

===
II


Eric checked the ID screen on his secure phone and recognized the number immediately.

It was Krysta.

"Hello?" he asked when he answered the phone.

"Eric, it's Krysta."

Eric picked up on the nervousness in her voice, like she was calling on the sly.

"What's wrong, Krysta?" asked Eric; "You sound nervous about something. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. A little freaked out," Krysta said; "I have a meeting with a man named Christian DeWitt tomorrow morning."

Eric knew the name. They had been adversaries in court so many times that Eric lost count. Eric, who usually represented the state in matters of how the law was interpreted, usually came up against DeWitt when a law didn't allow DeWitt to do something. The last time they met in court, it was because DeWitt wanted to have certain tax breaks to make his financial burden less.

"Why on earth are you meeting with Christian DeWitt?" asked Eric; "Don't tell me he's involved with the Movement, too?"

"Eric," Krysta said; "He's not only involved with it, he backs it financially. He's a silent partner, letting Chastity do all the dirty work. He probably wants me to tell him where Chastity is."

"Did you talk to that reporter you told me about?" asked Eric; "Jeremiah Donovan?"

"I did," Krysta said; "I spilled the Movement's secret to him. That is the only other reason I can think of that Mr. DeWitt wants to talk to me. He found out somehow."

"If Donovan didn't say anything, I don't see how DeWitt found out," Eric said; "The Movement basically has put a price on Donovan's head. It would be a stupid move on the reporter's part if somehow he leaked his conversation with you to Christian DeWitt."

"I know, and I was told by Jeremiah Donovan that my name was to be kept out of his story, unless he was required to provide it in legal proceedings, so I know he didn't say anything. But DeWitt has ways of find out shit not just anyone can know."

"Unless he's a computer hacker, or has hackers at his disposal, there's no way he could find out you spoke to a reporter," Eric said; "Besides, Donovan probably has software on his computer that protects from someone trying to hack into the system."

"Back to this meeting I'm going to," Krysta said; "Do I tell him where Chastity is, or pretend I don't know?"

"To protect Kathryn, I'd tell him you don't know where Chastity is," Eric said; "If DeWitt wants to know, I'm sure he has ways of finding out."

"What if he asks about Kathryn? Or knows something about Chastity's problem?" asked Krysta. "Or finds out later that I lied to him?"

"That's when I get involved," Eric said; "No one is going to mess with you. If they try, they'll have to get through me first."

He then heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the line. No one will hurt you, my beauty, he said to her in his thoughts; I will protect you from evil scum like Christian DeWitt.

===

As soon as the semester at the University of Virginia ended, Matt and Lisa were ready for a break before classes started up again in January.

A good majority of that break would be spend with Matt's parents and siblings in Chicago. Lisa's father, Vince, encouraged her to go.

"The San Marcos are good people, Lisa," Vince had told her; "and you and Matt spent Thanksgiving here with us. I'm fine, your brother and sister are fine. We'll have your presents sent out to Chicago in care of Matt's dad. Now go and don't give me any 'but Dad' crap and go have fun!"

So, with that in mind, Lisa decided to have fun. She would be with her man, his family, and try not to worry about her father so much. Her younger siblings, 14 year old sister Tracy and 11 year old brother Chase, would tell Lisa if things with Dad got "weird" as Chase put it.

"Whatcha thinkin' about Lisa?" asked Matt as he was trying to put together the right clothes for December in Chicago.

"Having fun," Lisa said. "We can do all the touristy stuff. Is your sister coming home for Christmas or staying in Washington?"

"I think she's coming home," Matt said; "Danica was going to go home to Maine; and Aunt Natasha was going to take the twins and go skiing with her boyfriend somewhere."

"Is she really dating the Director of the CIA?" asked Lisa.

"She really is, Lisa," Matt said; "She worked for him for years, and apparently, he fell for her a long time before she knew how she felt about him."

"She is a stunningly beautiful woman, Matt," Lisa said; "She reminds me of Sandy a lot."

"Sandy will so hate to hear you say that," Matt said, laughing; "She's the last one who thinks she's beautiful. Oh, she might be bringing a boyfriend home with her, if he can get leave. He's in the Army."

"He and your dad will have a lot to talk about, then," Lisa said.

"He'll have to master the 'Nik San Marco's Rules for Dating His Only Daughter'," Matt said; "Dad will give any man dating Sandy a hard time about a lot of stuff."

"Your dad sounds pretty tough when it comes to Sandy and guys," Lisa said.

"Sandy dated this guy when we were in high school who treated her like crap," Matt said; "Dad didn't get a chance to slap this guy down. I did it. Dad found out later when Sandy found out what I did."

"And what did your dad say?"

"He said, 'Next time, Matthias, let me do the dirty work'!"

"That's it?"

"Pretty much," Matt said. "Now, however, you and I need to check on some things before we fly out of here."

"Like what?"

Matt took Lisa's hand and led her to the bedroom. She thought they were going to have sex. Instead, they took a nap. Sex would come later. Final exams took a lot of out both of them. They needed to be rested before getting on the plane in Richmond early the next morning.

===
III


The temperatures in central Wyoming were dangerously low as Christmas approached. When they went out to do their farm chores, everyone was bundled from head to toe to keep them from getting frostbite. Some mornings, Jack wouldn't even let the kids out of the house long enough to walk to the barn, even with all the protective winter weather gear they wore. It was simply too cold.

A week before Christmas, a series of blizzards blew through, dumping nearly fifteen feet of snow in some places. All the occupants of the house could do is watch the weather get more extreme.

Anticipating this, Jack had extra food brought in for all the animals, so if he or the kids couldn't get out to the barn, the animals would still have food. The heated barn also assured that their water wouldn't freeze and that the animals could survive the harsh weather.

Jack knew this would probably be his last winter. He had a talk with all the kids and Julia about his declining health and took questions from them about what would happen were he to die while they were supposed to be in hiding; who would take care of the animals if Jack couldn't; what Jack wanted to happen when he died. All the girls cried, and Zach tried to be the tough protector for his sisters, but there was only so much the ten year old could do.

A few days before Christmas, Jack sent Miri and Jaime to check the fenceline closest to the house to see if it was still intact.

"Do not get out of the truck," Jack said; "This weather isn't fit to be out in. You just check the fenceline, note any breaks, then come back to the house. When this storm passes, we'll go out and mend the breaks. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the girls said.

Miri, who had learned how to drive in anticipation of getting her drivers license after the new year, drove the truck; Jaime looked for any breaks in the fenceline. She found one near the old water tower. As Miri wrote down the information about the location, size, and whatnot, Jaime saw something else.

The way this part of the fenceline got broken.

"Oh, my God, Miri!" Jaime gasped; "It's the pregnant mare I've been watching since fall. She's going to foal out here!"

Miri looked at her sister, and just knew she was going to do something stupid.

"She'll die out here if we leave her, Miri," Jaime said.

"Jack said don't get out of the truck, Jaime," Miri said; "We don't have a choice. We have to leave her out here. It's too cold to be playing James Herriott."

Without a word, Jaime got out of the truck. She was bundled up against the cold. She grabbed a length of rope from the bed of the truck and walked over to the mare.

"Jameson Summers, have you lost your damn mind?!" Miri exclaimed.

Jaime was oblivious to her sister's panic. She approached the mare and slipped the rope over her muzzle and led her back to the truck. She climed into the truck bed and tapped on the glass of the cab.

"Drive slow, Miri," she told her sister; "Maybe we can get the mare back to the barn she before she foals."

"Are you crazy?" Miri said;

"No, Miri," Jaime said; "The mare needs our help."

Miri just rolled her eyes and started driving back toward the barn, Jaime in the bed and the mare following behind while Jaime held the makeshift muzzle.

It took fifteen agonizing minutes to get from the water tower to the barn. Twice Jaime had Miri stop because the mare appeared to be in distress. Once back at the barn, Jaime got out of the truck bed and led the mare to an empty stall inside the barn, where it was warm and safe. Miri had gone into the house to tell Jack and her mother what Jaime had done.

"She what?!" Jack said between coughing fits.

"She brought a mare back to the barn so the mare could foal," Miri said; "I told her we couldn't, but she did it anyway."

"The mare would have died if she didn't," Julia said; "But those horses are government property, aren't they?"

"Jaime wasn't supposed to get out of the truck, Julia," Jack said; "Jaime could have died out there, too."

"Where is Jaime?" Julia asked;

"Out in the barn, making the mare comfortable."

"I don't have the resources to provide the mare, and her colt, with food," Jack said. "And no one will come out here and deliver extra supplies in this weather."

"Jack," Julia said; "You bought enough food to feed those animals for two or three winters. I'm sure there's something we can give the mare and her colt."

"You see how much Sarge eats?" Jack asked her.

"I have, Jack, and even if it were just him, he couldn't possibly eat all that in one winter," Julia said.

Jack sighed. He knew that Julia was right.

Just then Jaime came running into the house, excited.

"You guys have to come out here and see this!" she exclaimed; "There's a mare giving birth to her colt right now!"

Julia looked at Jack as all four of her kids went out to the barn to watch the miracle of birth.

"I'll call the vet," Jack said; "but he ain't gonna like this."

===

Krysta showed up at DeWitt's office thirty minutes before the time he asked her to be there. Although it didn't show on the outside, inside she was nervous. She'd only met DeWitt twice before, both times with Chastity.

She tried to remember all the stuff that Eric told her, but her brain was muddled with worry. She was very afraid of this meeting. Somehow, Krysta knew that DeWitt had found out she had spoken to Jeremiah Donovan.

Suddenly, DeWitt himself came out to the waiting area to meet her.

"Ms. Banks," he said pleasantly; "It's so good of you to come see me. Please, come into my office."

Krysta sat down and looked around DeWitt's office. It reminded her of Chastity's condo. No expense was spared in the furnishings, the art, the desk, the carpet. On the wall behind DeWitt's desk, a massive buck's head, including antlers, was mounted. She doubted very much that he'd shot the buck himself.

"You're probably wondering why I've asked to see you," DeWitt began as he sat at his desk.

"The thought did cross my mind, Mr. DeWitt," Krysta said.

"It's not to ask for any information about Chastity," he said; "I know exactly where she is."

"How do you know that?" asked Krysta, shocked that he knew.

"I have my ways," DeWitt said; "It's the best place for her right now."

"You know why she's there?" asked Krysta.

"Yes, her therapist has been keeping me updated when I expressed an interest in Chastity's progress," said DeWitt.

"Cameron Chang has been in contact with you?" asked Krysta.

"Indeed she has, Krysta," said DeWitt. "And Kathryn is making remarkable progress. I am quite pleased."

"Wait," Krysta said; "You know that Chastity and Kathryn are the same person?"

"Why, yes Krysta," DeWitt said; "You seem surprised."

"It's just that neither Kathryn nor Cameron Chang have mentioned it to me," Krysta said. So that's why I'm not getting updates, she thought. He's getting them all!

"That's at my request," DeWitt said; "You have enough of your own duties to the Movement to worry about Kathryn's mental state."

"But Kathryn keeps asking me to visit," said Krysta; "Have you asked that I not be allowed to?"

"You can see Kathryn as much as you wish, Krysta," DeWitt said; "I'm not going to stop that. Kathryn is quite fond of you."

Krysta's mind seemed to be going a million miles an hour. He knows about Kathryn's problems; that Chastity is not Kathryn's true personality; that be bought off Cameron Chang? she kept asking herself.

"How...how do you know so much about Kathryn?" she asked.

DeWitt looked at Krysta, then said, "What man wouldn't know about the woman he's been in love with since she was 18 years old? What man wouldn't know everything about the mother of his children?"

Krysta's only response was a gasp.

===

Pollard was on a plane bound for Chicago, ready to take his revenge on the family of Nikolai San Marco.

He couldn't get Sandrina to cooperate with him. She had that kid with her who helped her chase him, he thought; so I'll just go after her brothers and parents. At least one branch of The Triad family tree would be broken off.

Pollard was sick of the San Marco family and their super intelligent children. The father always got in his way, and the daughter was, in Pollard's opinion, a little Miss Know it All. He never knew any woman who could stand up to him like Sandrina San Marco. If he weren't so hellbent on destroying her, he might have admired her tenacity. But Pollard only wanted one thing from any woman, and that was complete control over her body to do with what he pleased.

He decided he'd strike on December 23rd. By the time Christmas Eve morning dawned, the San Marco family would be no more. All he'd have to do is get rid of Sandrina.

However, he either didn't know who he was dealing with, or simply didn't care that San Marco had trained his family than any army and could and would bring down Pollard in one shot. Pollard went on with his misguided plans in the vain hope that maybe Chastity would make him her right hand man, give him a place in her bed, and get rid of that incompetent Krysta Banks.

He didn't know, though, that on his same flight were a couple of college kids who had connected with his plane in Washington, DC. The girl had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and could be considered cute. The man was very tall, very blonde, and wore a University of Virginia sweatshirt under his jacket. Had Pollard been paying attention, he might have noticed a familiar, yet younger version of the man for whom Pollard had more hate than any one man was allowed to have.

Pollard wasn't paying attention to a couple of dumb college kids headed to Chicago.

He should have been. One of them would end his life.

===

Chapter 26

I


Drake stepped over the body of the man he just killed to get Niki out of the bedroom closet.

He knocked on the door and said, "Niki, it's me. You can come out now."

When she didn't answer, he opened the door. Sitting in the corner was Niki, pointing his own .357 Magnum at the door.

"Niki," Drake said softly, "put the gun away, love. The danger is over with."

As Niki put the gun away in its box, she said, "I heard gunshots, Drake."

"I know, Niki," Drake said; "A man broke into the house and pointed his weapon at me. He shot at me and missed. I returned fire and killed him. He's laying in the living room bleeding out all over the carpet. We need to call 9-1-1."

Drake helped Niki to a standing position and led her out of the closet. Once in the living room, Niki saw the picture of her parents house laying on the floor.

"Be careful of the glass, Niki," Drake said; "I can get that reframed if you want."

Niki said nothing until she saw the body of the intruder laying on the floor. She asked Drake, "Are you sure he's dead?"

"Yes, Niki," Drake said; "I shot him in the chest."

"We should call 9-1-1, Drake."

Drake was already on the phone, speaking to the dispatcher.

===


David had John come with him to his office. Once there and seated, David said,

"Okay, John, I need you to tell me about this pregnancy scare you and Kelsey had."

"Dad," John began; "we panicked. Kelsey's period was late and we thought the worst."

"Do Kelsey's folks know?"

"No, they don't," John said; "Kelsey made an appointment at the clinic for a pregnancy test and it came back negative. Stress over exams was what delayed her period. She told me that sometimes when she's stressed over stuff, her body does weird stuff like that."

"I've heard of that happening," David said, though inside he was breathing a sigh of relief; "I had a girlfriend a long time ago, before I met your mom, that had that happen to her. Freaked me out but good! But why did you tell your brother and not your mother and me?"

"Sam wouldn't yell at me too badly, whereas Mom doesn't need to be stressed," John said; "Sam giving me the third degree was bad enough!"

"Next time something like this happens, be it a pregnancy scare, or something else, please come to one of us with your concerns instead of keeping them to yourself, okay?" David said.

"Okay, Dad," John said. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," said David; "Kelsey's a nice girl and she's good for you, but you don't need to be having babies right now."

"Don't we know it!" John said.

===

He flew into Reagan National with one goal: to make Sandrina San Marco his bitch.

The weather had cleared enough for a flight out of Buffalo, and Pollard took full advantage of it. He had agents tracking the San Marco girl's every move when she was away from home. Getting her at home was next to impossible. The girl's aunt was the girlfriend of the director of the CIA. There was a five mile safe radius around Natasha Vincent's home, mainly because Vincent had children who were minors. Luring them out of the way was an unqualified disaster.

That five mile safe radius did not include Georgetown University, so Pollard could follow Sandrina anywhere off campus. Even to the gun range where she took target practice and helped new gun users become familiar with their weapons.

It would be at the gun range where Pollard would take Sandrina San Marco down. Or so he thought. As was his usual M.O., he failed to plan how he was going to take down a younger, taller and well trained female adversary. He honestly thought that brute force would work, though the last time he tried that, he had been shot by the San Marco girl's biracial cousin. His shoulder still bothered him where the bullet lodged between his collarbone and his shoulder blade.

Pollard knew he couldn't pretend to be a new client at the range, because Sandrina San Marco more than likely would recognize him. So he waited out in the shadows of the parking lot on a colder than normal December evening. He knew that the girl didn't have a car, and that she would get a ride home with her cousin. Pollard staked out Danica Donovan's car in the parking lot. He didn't know that Sandrina had borrowed it from her cousin earlier in the day.

After what seemed like hours, Sandrina San Marco came out of the gun range, accompanied by a man in his early twenties. Oh this will be too easy, Pollard thought. I'll just kill the guy and take Miss Sandy by force.

Once again, Pollard underestimated his prey. He didn't know that the young man with the San Marco girl was a member of the armed forces, and was an instructor at the gun range in his off hours. He and Sandrina were friends, and had talked about dating.

All of this, had Pollard done his homework, he would have known about. He was so focused on grabbing the girl, that he assumed that she was an easy target. Even after his previous encounter with her, he still assumed that she'd go willingly if he threatened her in some way.

But, as he waited for her to approach the car, he thought about what he would do to her when he got her. That would cloud his thinking until he realized that he was ill prepared. That realization would take a while.

===

"Oh, come on, Alex, you really think I could teach here full time?" Sandrina said to her friend, Alexander Springer.

"You could, Sandy," Alex said; "Not many people have the training that you have, and you'd be good at it. I've been watching you with the beginners, and you explain things so simply that even a child could understand how to fire a gun."

"Thanks, Alex," Sandrina said, blushing. "That means a lot coming from you."

"Sandy, you know I really like you, right?" Alex asked. Sandrina nodded and continued,

"Someday, I'd like the opportunity to take you out, and show you how a real man treats a woman. Not like those frat boy wannabees that come from the area universities to find a willing female. I know you're no push over."

"I have a little more confidence in myself than most of the girls I have classes with," Sandrina said; "I swear, I think most of them are looking for husbands! My aunt was right about that one! Me, I came here for an education."

"And that's what sets you apart from all those other silly girls, Sandy," Alex said; "That and the fact that you can shoot rings around me! And I was the top man in my weapons class!"

"Well, Alex, being Nik San Marco's only daughter has its disadvantages," Sandrina said; "One is that guys only want to go out with me because of that. But you're different. You don't care who my father is, or who my aunts and uncles are."

"The guys on post tease me about you all the time, saying I'm only around you because of your family's notariety," Alex said; "But I really do like you for who you are. I like being around you because you're smart, sure of yourself but not cocky, and you're very pretty."

Sandrina looked at her friend with a renewed respect. Here was someone who didn't have to say any of those things to her, but felt it was important enough to tell her so. She liked Alex more than a little bit, but was hesitant. She felt safe with him, and he'd never held her hand or taken advantage of her because of her background.

She looked up at him and said, "I like you, too, Alex. I'm sure you must have picked up on it by now."

"I did, Sandy, but I didn't want to go any farther than you felt comfortable with," said Alex. "If that makes me a wimp, so be it. I was raised to respect women, not to take advantage of them."

"You're a good Son of the South then, Alex," Sandrina said. "I think that's what attracted me to you initially. That you weren't like all those losers who just want to hustle me into bed, have their way with me, then I wake up alone in the morning."

"I'd never do that, Sandy," Alex said; "I just want a chance to be the man you need me to be."

"Is that why you waited until after I turned eighteen to tell me this, Alex?"

"Yes, Sandy," he said; "It was the right thing to do."

He leaned in to kiss her. Sandrina had been waiting for two months for Alex to do that. Their lips met and she responded. Their kiss deepened and Alex pulled her closer to him. Sandrina realized that in Alex's arms is where she really wanted to be.

The kiss ended and they held each other for several moments.

"You're so beautiful, Sandy," Alex said; "I don't know how I got so lucky."

Sandrina said nothing, just enjoying the closeness of their embrace.

Just then, a bullet whizzed by Alex's head and broke the glass in the windshield of the car just beyond where they stood.

Instinctively, Alex pulled Sandrina to the ground behind the car Sandrina had borrowed from her cousin. Before she had a chance to ask what was going on, Alex said,

"Someone just shot at us!"

===
II


The police arrived along with an ambulance to take the body of the intruder out of the house. An officer was asking Drake and Niki questions about what had happened.

"I don't see where there'd be a problem, Mr. Campbell," the officer said; "You were protecting your property, which under the Make My Day laws you're allowed to do without fear of prosecution. I'll just have to run some background information about the gun and your immigration status."

"I hold a green card, and have since I was seventeen," Drake said; "I passed a background check for that gun, and was allowed to have another gun sent from Australia."

"I understand, Mr. Campbell," the officer said, "and I don't mean to bust your ass over it, but it's standard procedure."

"Here's my Texas Driver's License, my green card, and my authorization to carry a concealed weapon," Drake said; "Check all you want."

The officer took Drake's documents and went back to his cruiser to do some research. Niki looked at Drake nervously.

"They're not going to send you away, are they?" she asked; "If they do, I'm going with you."

"Niki, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," Drake said.

Within a few moments, the officer returned with Drake's documents and gave them back to him. "I'm impressed, Mr. Campbell," said the officer; "You know the laws here pretty well."

"I know my rights as a resident alien," Drake said; "I've kind of had to. A clerical error almost cost me my green card."

"I read that in your information," the officer said; "It must be nice to have David Draiman in your corner."

"He only made inquiries on my behalf," Drake said; "I'm engaged to his daughter, after all. But beyond that, I did all the legwork."

"I didn't mean to imply anything by that," said the officer; "It's not just anyone who has the kind of pull that David Draiman has."

"Geez," Niki said disgustedly, "why does everyone think he's God or something? To me he's just Dad. Even Dad would say he's no one special."

The officer looked at Niki, and realized that she has had to live with attitudes like his her entire life. It must get old after a while, he thought.

"I apologize, Miss Draiman," he said; "people tend to get starstruck, and I admit I'm one of them. It shouldn't affect how I do my job."

"So are you people going to leave Drake alone?" asked Niki. "I want to go back inside and take a nap."

"Until the crime scene is processed, you'll have to wait, I'm afraid," the officer said. "We need to know who this guy was and why he broke into your house."

Niki rolled her eyes. Drake could see she was tired. "I'll take her to her parents house," Drake told the officer. "Are you done with me?"

"Yes, we're done with you, Mr. Campbell," the officer said, "but one of you needs to be here if we have any questions. Is this a rental, or do you own this house?"

"It's a rent to own agreement," Niki said; "Both of our names are on the paperwork."

"We can take you to your parents house, and Mr. Campbell can be here to answer any other questions," the officer said.

"Fine," Niki said; "I'm not feeling well at the moment, and if I can't lay down in my own bed, then I'll just go see my parents."

Soon, Niki was in an unmarked police car headed to her parents house. She had the officer stop at the gate while she swiped her passcard through the reader so the gate would open. As she got out at the front door, she told the officer that all he had to do to exit the property was to push the "OPEN" button then punch in the date on the keypad.

Niki watched as the officer left, then got on her phone to call the family lawyer to get over to her house to help Drake if he needed it. She went into the house, tired as hell and completely pissed off at the Austin P.D.

Her mother was in the living room as Niki came in. She was muttering under her breath about "damn stupid police...can't lay down in my own fucking house...giving Drake the business about his alien status..." all the way up the stairs to her bedroom. As she slammed the door, David came downstairs.

"Jord, what was that all about?" he asked his wife.

"I'm not sure, hon," Jordan said; "Apparently there's some trouble at her place. She mentioned something about police and Drake's green card, then she went upstairs and slammed the door to her old bedroom."

"I just got a call from Albert," David said, referring to the family's lawyer; "He said he got a call from Niki about someone getting shot, Drake getting all kinds of rude questions about his alien status. He was on his way over there as we spoke. Should I go back upstairs and talk to her?"

"She seemed to be in a foul mood, David, so I'd hold off for a while," Jordan said. "Remember the last time you tried that? She practically bit your head off!"

David knew of the incident of which Jordan spoke. He secretly hoped that the young man who broke his daughter's heart at her high school prom was having a rotten life.

===

Kathryn looked around the room that had been her home of sorts for the past seven weeks. She wished desparately that she could leave and stay somewhere else. But Chastity was resistant to being re-integrated into Kathryn's persona, and Kathryn knew she would stay until she made some progress in that regard.

And there was something she wanted to talk to Cameron about.

Kathryn had been having dreams, but she was awake when she had them. Cameron called them flashbacks. They were usually about some part of her past that Chastity allowed her to have.

She kept seeing children, and an older man who took care of her. She kept hearing a name: Christian. He was kind to her, but she knew he was the brains behind the American Republic Movement. He taught Chastity everything she knew.

Kathryn wasn't sure if he was the father of the children she kept seeing. She couldn't even remember their names except for the oldest girl, who she thought was about twelve.

Helene.

===

Christian DeWitt was not usually a patient man.

Very few people saw the other side of DeWitt's personality. He had no patience with people who kept him waiting, who lied to him, or failed at a mission. He made sure that Chastity followed those rules. She made a great leader.

But even he knew that there were people Chastity would give it all up for in a heartbeat.

Their three daughters; Helene, Erin, and Lilibet.

That's when he saw her tender side, the side that allowed her to be a loving, caring person.

He discovered her split personality long ago. The caring personality was named Kathryn, and he addressed her as such when they were together as a family. The manipulative personality was Chastity, and she ran the Movement with an iron fist, backed by his money.

Kathryn was forgetful, and DeWitt suspected that Chastity took over for long periods of time. He knew that one day, if she didn't get help, that Kathryn would disappear forever. And as much as he liked Chastity running things, he couldn't live with her. When Chastity took over, his daughters were actually afraid of her. Lilibet, the youngest at just five years old, didn't understand why her mother was so mean one minute, and willing to be "Mama" the next.

And that's where DeWitt thought Chastity was; getting help to be Kathryn all the time, instead of when Chastity wanted her to be.

He still wanted to overthrow the current government, because it pissed him off that people like David Draiman could have so much sway over people, and that the three assassins who murdered New Government officials could be allowed to get away with it.

DeWitt was torn. He knew he had a choice to make. It was between his family and Kathryn getting well and remembering they were a family; and having the kind of government that forced people to conform with his vision, instead of fairy tale of so-called democracy.

He looked at his girls; his oldest, Helene, so tall and lithe. She wanted more than anything to be a dancer and to have her mother's approval; the middle girl, Erin, could draw anything from landscapes to buildings whose designs came from her imagination; and Lili, who just wanted her mama to be like every other little girl's mother.

My plans will mess with their futures, DeWitt thought; and I'm too old to fight those kind of battles anymore.

But, more than anything else, he wanted Kathryn to get well and make peace with her past.

He'd try to find out where Kathryn/Chastity was, then let her be to get well. He'd let her decide whether she wanted to come home.

===
III


Sandrina looked at Alex. She knew why they had been shot at. It was because of who she was. She also knew who it might be who wanted to shoot at her.

"Alex," Sandrina whispered; "I know who it is who shot at us. They want me out of their way to intimidate my father not to pursue the American Republic Movement."

"That band of whackjobs who want another Occupation, Sandy?" asked Alex.

"The same," Sandrina said; "I'm sorry I got you into this."

"No one's going to intimidate me," Alex said; "And I won't let them hurt you, either. Here's what we're going to do..."

As Alex explained his plan quickly, Sandrina was loading her weapon. If it was the same man who tried to assault her and Danica a few weeks before, they'll have to chase him down.

"We'll have to go after him, Alex," Sandrina said. "He won't stand there and wait for us to attack."

"It was a warning shot that went past me, Sandy," Alex said; "He means to do us harm."

"Then we have to ambush him," said Sandrina.

Taking separate paths to the wooded area at the edge of the parking lot, Alex and Sandrina converged on Pollard's hiding place.

He was so busy trying to get his next shot off, he never saw the pair coming toward him. When he saw someone within ten feet of him, he did what Sandrina predicted: he ran.

Sandrina saw him running along the fenceline that separated them from the open field next to the parking lot. She then saw him hop over the four foot tall fence.

Oh, so you think I can't do that, eh, pal? Sandrina thought; she hopped the fence with no problem, and Alex followed suit. The three of them were running towards the interstate.

Sandrina fired off a warning shot just over Pollard's head. She saw him trip on something and soon she and Alex were on top of him, trying to subdue him. At some point, Alex had Pollard's gun.

"All right, asshole," Alex said as Sandrina trained his gun at his head, "Get up on your knees and keep your hands where they can be seen at all times?"

"What are you, some fucking cop?" Pollard asked, still laying on the ground.

"You wish," Alex said; "You shot at me and my girlfriend, and I don't take kindly to threats against the United States government."

Pollard got up without warning, grabbed Sandrina by the arm and told her, "You're coming with me, Sandy!"

He pulled on Sandrina's arm and dragged her back across the wooded area to his car. Alex chased after them, all the while dodging bullets from a second gun Pollard had.

Somehow, Sandrina managed to unzip her coat, and with a struggle against the older and stronger Pollard, got her hand on his gun.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, bitch!" Pollard said as Sandrina wiggled out of her coat, freeing herself from Pollard's grasp. Now in possesion of Pollard's other weapon, ran back toward Alex. All Pollard was left with was Sandrina's coat.

He threw it to the ground in disgust and ran back to his car and sped off.

There was a police blockade up ahead of him, and Pollard knew that he'd not be able to escape. He ditched the car and ran to the nearest street and carjacked a teenage girl. When she wouldn't give up the keys, Pollard backhanded her hard enough to have her drop the keys on the street. He grabbed them and took off in her car.

Meanwhile, Sandrina had reclaimed her coat. She and Alex were talking to the police about the man who tried to kidnap her.

"His name is Clayton Pollard, and he is an agent with the American Republic Movement," Sandrina said; "This is the second time he's tried to assault me."

"Does this have anything to do with your father's role in ending the Occupation in 2019?"

"Yes," said Sandrina; "They want to kill him; my aunt, Julia Summers; and my uncle, Jeremiah Donovan."

"We will find him, Miss San Marco," the officer told her. "Maybe your friend should take you home now."

"I think Danica would like her car back," Sandrina told Alex.

"I'll follow you home, Sandy," Alex said.

"Thanks Alex," Sandrina said, then asked him, "When you told Pollard I was your girlfriend, was that just to show him you were protecting me, or did you mean it?"

"Both, Sandy," Alex said as he took Sandrina's hand. "If you want to be my girlfriend."

Sandrina couldn't believe her ears. Alex Springer wants me to be his girlfriend?

"Alex, I'd love to be your girlfriend, but on one condition."

Alex looked at her oddly then said, "Name it."

"If you'll be my boyfriend."

Alex took Sandrina into his arms. "Nothing would make me happier than that, Sandy."

===

"Kathryn, how are you this morning?" asked Cameron.

"Okay, I guess," Kathryn said; "I've been having more of those flashback things."

"About Christian and some little girls, Kathryn?"

"Yes, and I want to figure out why I'm having these flashbacks, Cameron," Kathryn said; "Are they my little girls? The oldest one is named Helene. That's my mother's name."

"And is Christian your husband?"

"I don't know," Kathryn said, "I don't know who he is, who the little girls are, and why I'm having these thoughts about them?"

"I can look into it if you want," Cameron said; "What are the other little girls names?"

"I want to say Lili is one, but I just don't know."

Cameron was concerned about this latest development, because it meant that Kathryn had hazy memories of having other children besides Kelly Hope. But who was Christian? And how much about Kathryn and/or Chastity did he know?

"Would you like me to look into it, see is there's something in Chastity's past that suggests such a thing? Though personally, I can't see Chastity as a mother. She's too selfish for that," Cameron said.

"Please, Cameron?" asked Kathryn pleadingly. "I have to know what else Chastity has stolen from me!"

===

Chapter 25

I


Kimber awoke to the sounds of angry meows from her sister's cat.

She cracked an eye open to see Lady Marmalade standing on her chest, looking none too pleased that Kimber was still in bed, and not up putting food in her bowl.

"Yes?" Kimber said sleepily.

"Who are you talking to, Kimber?" asked James.

Lady Marmalade just meowed sweetly to Kimber's now live in boyfriend, James Duncan.

"How come she's always been nice to you, Jamey?" Kimber asked as she got out of bed to tend to the cat's demands.

"I really have no idea, Kimber."

Kimber padded down the hall to the kitchen to make sure Julia's demanding and perpetually pissed off cat had something to eat. Kimber always thought, if my people just got up one day and disappeared, I probably wouldn't be too happy, either. But it couldn't be helped.

Now that the cat was satisfied, she rejoined Jamey back under the covers for some quiet time. It was Sunday, and Kimber had been back from Austin for all of forty-eight hours. During the time she'd been away, Jamey had moved his belongings into her house, then went to the southern part of the state to have Thanksgiving with his own family.

"You're still on vacation technically, right?" Jamey asked.

"Yes, until Wednesday," Kimber said; "But I have classes in the morning. They only give you two days off for Thanksgiving."

"And you missed a couple of days before due to you flying to Austin to see your family," Jamey said.

"True, but that couldn't be helped," said Kimber, snuggling up against Jamey's strong frame; "I didn't want to get stuck in all the day before the holiday traffic at O'Hare."

"That is a bitch, I know," Jamey said. "And it's always busy there, that's why I suggested you leave early in the morning. By afternoon, the place is a zoo!"

"We'll have to book our flight to Austin for Christmas soon," Kimber said; "I can't wait for you to meet everyone! And forget everything you've heard about my father from the history books, the documentaries, the newspapers...he's nothing like that in so-called 'real life'."

"I've kinda gathered that from the way you talk to your sister," Jamey said. "I can't wait to meet your whole family, Kimber; I hope they think I'm worthy of you."

Kimber kissed Jamey's chest, saying, "Why would they think you're not worthy of me. I'm sure that Niki's probably talked you up some to the parents by now."

"Advance press, huh?" Jamey said, laughing as he turned Kimber onto her back; "I think once your family sees how much I love you, they can't help but approve. You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kimberlin."

"Am I, now?" Kimber teased him as he straddled her body.

"Yes, my precious girl," Jamey said as he entered her; "I knew the moment I saw you that you'd be important in my life. I do love you, you know."

"Yes, baby," Kimber said as he loved on her, "I know..."

===

Drake and Niki were in their own world. They had no clue that an entire roomful of people, including strangers, hung on the response that Niki was about to give Drake.

"Niki?"

"Are you sure, Drake? Even with me being sick and all?" she asked.

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't take care of you?" Drake asked her; "Your father would kill me if he thought I wasn't doing right by you."

Out in the foyer, David was about to say something, but Jordan put her hand over his mouth and gave him a look that said David Michael, don't you dare!

In the living room, Drake said, "Part of the marriage vows say 'in sickness and in health', and I know that if the roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me."

"Then there's only one answer I can give you, Drake Edward Campbell," Niki said, "and that is yes. Yes I will marry you!"

Drake got the ring out of his pocket and handed the box to Niki. "It's beautiful, Drake," she said as he slipped it on her finger, where Niki discovered that it was too large for her due to the weight she'd lost during her chemo treatments.

"We can have it sized, Niki," Drake said; "I was told that it wouldn't be a problem."

"No, Drake," Niki said; "I'm sure you bought this before I got sick. I have ring guards in my jewelry box at home. I'll put one of those on it until I gain some of this weight back."

"I love you, Niki," Drake said; "You're my everything."

"Drake, I know that you do," Niki said; "And I love you, too. I'm a lucky girl."

"No, Nicole," Drake said; "I'm the lucky one..."

It was then they heard the applause behind them. They looked back to see four police officers, and Niki's parents and brothers standing in the foyer. Both Jordan and David were wiping tears from their eyes.

"You two," Niki said to her parents playfully, "are a couple of saps!"

"It's not everyday your daughter gets engaged," David said defensively.

Jordan looked at David, remembering the day over seventeen years before when she had said similar words about Julia and Ryan's engagement.

And she had to wonder where her oldest daughter and her family were and if they were doing okay.

===

"I can not wait til I can take this damn brace off for good!" Julia said as she struggled to get dressed; "This thing is driving me crazy!"

"Your appointment is in another month, Julia," Jack said as he assisted Julia in getting her shirt on, then replacing the brace and sling combination that kept her mending collarbone in place; "You'll just have to be a little more patient, my dear."

"My patience with this thing ran out about seventy-two hours after I returned from Denver," Julia said as the brace was back in the proper position; "I'm not used to being this inactive. This is worse than being on bedrest!"

"Julia, I know you're frustrated," Jack said; "I would be too if I were in your shoes."

Julia sighed. She wanted to be more of a help to Jack in the running of the household, but her injury prevented her from doing all but the tasks that she could accomplish with one arm.

"I just wish I could be more of a help around here," she said.

"Julia," Jack said, pausing to have a coughing fit, then continued; "things here are fine. The kids have been a great help, they don't complain, and do good work. You've done a fine job with them. I'm proud to have gotten the opportunity to be part of their lives."

They walked into the dining room, where all four Summers kids were waiting for their daily lessons. Julia got right into it.

"Miri, I'll be giving that Statistics test to you today. You have an hour to do some last minute studying; Jaime, your paper on 'The Grapes of Wrath' is due at noon. If it's not done, you better get it done. No excuses; Zach, your Trig test is in fifteen minutes; and Rachel, you'll start reading 'Great Expectations' after you give me your oral report about how the barley out in the field reproduces. You all have your assignments, now get busy!"

Jack had always been impressed with the way that Julia gave her children their lessons, then tested them on those subjects. Her kids would be able to handle anything that any school could throw at them, including college. It was the way that Julia and her brothers had been taught.

"Julia, I'll be in Jackson this afternoon if you need me for anything," Jack said.

"You'll be back at your usual time?" she asked.

"Yes, before supper," Jack replied.

Before she realized it, Jack was gone; out to the garage to get his old truck for the drive to Jackson for his treatments. Julia didn't know it yet, but Jack had been given a dire diagnosis just a few weeks before: his cancer was terminal and the experimental treatment Jack was receiving had failed. He knew that the trips up there now would be for heavy duty painkillers that made Jack comfortable. Other than Julia and Miri, the others in the household had no idea of Jack's illness. He wouldn't be able to hide it much longer.

"Mom?" asked Rachel.

"Yes, baby girl?"

"Why does Jack go to this Jackson place all the time?"

"Jackson is a town northwest of here," Julia said; "It's mainly famous for its ski resort called Jackson Hole. Jack takes care of personal business up there instead of going into Riverton to do it. Mail, doctor's appoinments; his lawyer is up there."

"Can we go skiing there, Mom?" Rachel asked. "I've always wanted to learn how. It looks like fun on TV."

"We'll have to ask Jack if we could and still be in hiding," Julia said; "I wouldn't mind getting out of here for a day or two."

"Who would take care of the animals if we did that, Mom?"

Julia looked at her youngest girl and thought that Rachel had a point. Who would take care of the animals, especially if the family left to return to Chicago and Jack was unable to do it himself.

"I'm sure a neighbor could come over and feed the animals for a couple of days," Julia said; "We'd have to ask Jack about that. Now, young lady, tell me about the life cycle of the barley plant."

Rachel gave her report, and Julia was impressed that the eight year old had done such intense research into the subject. But the main thing on Julia Summers' mind was not the life cycle of the barley plant, but wondering who would take care of Jack's animals if he became too ill to do so.

She would speak to Jack about it. I know I told him that I would abide by his wishes, she thought, but I'm going to stay here until Jack gets well, dies, or makes arrangements for his animals, be that by selling them, or moving them elsewhere to be taken care of.

My face will be the last one you see before you leave this earth, John Christopher Coltrane the Fourth, Julia thought defiantly; and I dare you to try and stop me from caring.

===
II


"Have you two given any thought at all about what you want to do for your birthday?" asked Natasha to her nieces.

"Not really, Aunt Tash," Danica said; "I can't speak for Sandy, but I really don't want a big to-do about it."

"Maybe a family dinner," Sandrina said; "but not a big blowout. I'm sure I'll get that when I get home to Chicago for Christmas. I know my mom, and she thinks my turning 18 will be a big deal."

Natasha thought about that for a moment, then said,

"Maybe just the five of us could do a low key family dinner. We could go out, or we could just do something here at the house."

"I'd rather stay in," Sandrina said, and Danica nodded in agreement. "Besides, it's supposed to snow again on the fifth. Slipping and sliding on the streets of the Nation's Capitol in a three-thousand pound out of control missile doesn't really interest me."

"You do have a point, Sandy," Natasha said; "And if it's as bad as I'm hearing, it will probably be a snow day. In that case, we should get everything in the next couple of days."

"It seems that all the birthdays, except yours, Aunt Tash, are all bunched up together," observed Danica; "The twins' birthday was just a couple of weeks ago, and mine and Sandy's is in less than a week."

"We didn't plan on being born on the same day, honest!" Sandrina said, laughing; "I was a little early."

"Not as early as Rachel, though," Danica said; "I remember hearing about that from my parents about how early Rachel was. Aunt Julia and Uncle Ryan must have been worried sick."

"I remember that so well," Sandrina said; "Rachel was in the hospital for months! I had dolls bigger than her! But to look at her now, you'd never know she had all that trouble."

"She's like her mother that way, I suspect," Natasha said; "It wouldn't surprise me at all if she does something similar to what Aaliyah did not too long ago."

"That was a shock!" Danica said. "I didn't have the presence of mind to keep a weapon in my room when I was her age!"

"The youngest ones are going to be a force to be dealt with, including my two," Natasha said; "I don't think they even know how good they are."

Vixen scares me, thought Sandrina, remembering the day that some people followed her home, intent on doing her harm. I saw in Vixen things I've only seen in Aunt Julia. And if Nikky is the same way...look out bad guys!

===

The fight started before she had even awakened fully.

-You bitch, why do you insist on being Goody Two Shoes?

Because it's MY life! I want what you stole from me!

-Never! I like my life. I like not having you in the way all the fucking time.

I don't like you. I don't like the things you've done. I don't like the people you associate with.

-Too bad, isn't it, Kathryn Marie? You'll never win against me. Never!

It was the laugh that drove Kathryn crazy. Chastity even had a nasty laugh to go with her nasty disposition.

I will win against you, Chastity! Your days of being the dominant alter are over! You've robbed me of my life, and I'm going to take it back whether you like it or not.

-I'd like to see you try.

Admit it, Chastity, you're scared I'll win, aren't you?

-Scared of you? Bitch, please... you don't scare me one bit!

You should be scared, because I will end you!

-You can't end me, Kathryn Marie! To end me means ending yourself, and you like being up front too much to let that happen. As long as we're both here, we're going to fight. That Cameron bitch isn't going to integrate me with you. I'll fight her, too. With force if necessary.

She's much smarter than you are, Chastity! She knows what she's doing. I will win with her help!

-I'm not scared of her, or you, or that bitch Krysta who used to be my lover.

Krysta saw what you were doing and wanted no part of it anymore.

-And she told YOU this? You're both weak!

We'll see who's weak when this is over, Chastity! I'm willing to bet it's you.

-Me? Weak? You make me laugh! It will be me who ends you, my dearest Kathryn Marie. Just you watch.

Prepare to die, Chastity!

-Oh I'm quaking in my boots, tough girl.

You'll see just how bad I want you gone when we get done with you. You'll just be a bad dream.

-I'll always find a way to shut you up.

And I'll find a way to stuff you in that prison you keep me in and throw away the key!

-I'm not scared of you, Kathryn Marie. You're not strong enough to defeat me!

Soon you'll find out how strong I really am, Chastity. Then it will be too late. Sleep Chastity!

"Cameron?"

"Yes, Kathryn?"

"What if I told Chastity to die instead of sleep? Would she die?" Kathryn asked.

"We'll just have her sleep for now," Cameron said; "and we'll work on her being part of you again instead of being an alter."

"Okay."


===


Pollard looked at Krysta with a suspicious eye when she walked into the office.

"And just where the hell have you been?" he asked nastily.

Krysta returned his stare, saying, "Where I've been, Mr. Pollard, is none of your damn business."

"I'm in charge here, Ms. Banks, and you'll tell me where you disappeared to for four fucking days!" Pollard said in an attempt to pull rank he wasn't entitled to.

"First, Pollard, you're NOT in charge," Krysta said; "You just decided to take over because Chastity isn't here. The position is still hers until she decides she doesn't want it anymore. Second, where I 'disappeared' to is still none of your business. I am entitled to go and come as I please without your permission to do so. Not even Chastity demanded my whereabouts at all times, and you don't have the authority to require that of me or any other member of this movement."

Pollard got up from Chastity's chair and walked over to Krysta in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Tell me, Krysta, or I'll kill you," Pollard demanded gruffly. To accentuate his point, he grabbed Krysta's arm so roughly that it actually hurt her. She knew better than to cry out.

"Let go of me, you cretin!" she demanded in reply. "I may just be Chastity's press liaison, but I can and will kill you if you insist on having power to which you're not entitled."

Pollard released her and pushed her to the floor. "You don't scare me, bitch," Pollard sneered at her.

Getting up from the floor, Krysta said, "You don't scare me, either, Pollard. All you want is power, and you'll do anything to get it. That attitude is going to get you killed."

"And just who is going to kill me, Ms. Banks? You?" Pollard laughed.

"If I must, I will," Krysta said; "But I don't think it'll be me. You don't plan anything. You believe that your objectives are easy to achieve because you want it that way. What if you come up against someone just as determined to kill you as you are to kill them? You will lose. I'm going to predict that right now."

"And who is going to kill me, Krysta?"

"Someone you think is an easy target because of gender or handicap," Krysta said, thinking about Pollard's obsession with Sandrina San Marco. God, I'd love to see that girl kill this bastard, she thought.

Krysta had no idea, and Pollard certainly didn't, that the San Marco girl could weaken his power, but someone else, someone close to her, would finish Pollard off.

When that happened, Krysta Banks would laugh her ass off.

===
III


After his exam with his oncologist, Jack awaited the verdict in the doctor's office.

Dr. Grey didn't look pleased.

"John," he began, "you must know I don't have good news for you."

"I know you don't," Jack said; "but I want it anyway."

"The treatment we had you taking for the last six weeks failed, and failed miserably," Dr. Grey said. "Based on your health over the last twenty years of your life, you've been reasonably healthy. Quitting smoking was probably the best thing you could have done for yourself, but as of now, it's too little too late. John, you're still terminal. I'm estimating that you have nine to twelve months left. You may not make it to the birthday after this next one."

Jack had been expecting this verdict since Dr. Grey told him two months before he was terminally ill, but wanted to try one last treatment.

"So I should be getting my affairs in order and telling my family of my final wishes?" asked Jack.

"If you haven't already done so, John, I highly suggest it."

As Jack left the hospital and went to his truck, he found that he was not afraid of dying. Dying would be the easy part. It was the idea that he'd be putting Julia through losing him, just like she lost Ryan nearly four years before.

He wondered how she was going to find out about that conversation he and Ryan had several years before, because it was obvious to Jack that Ryan didn't live up to his end of the bargain to tell Julia about it.

How do I tell her that her husband came to me and asked me to take care of her? he asked himself on the way to the post office. After that, he'd see his lawyer about a couple of issues. One was about his will.

The other involved Julia.

===


After the police left with the intruder in tow, David turned to Jordan and said,

"Well, that was an interesting afternoon!"

"I'll say," Jordan said in agreement; "First we have our lives threatened, then Drake fights with the guy while Niki picked up the creep's gun and threatened to use it on him; then, Drake picks that moment to ask Niki to marry him and she said yes."

Drake and Niki weren't listening to her parents exchange. They were still talking about the new path their relationship was about to take. "I have to tell Kimber, baby," Niki said; "This will blow her mind!"

"It's not like she didn't know it was coming," Drake said playfully. "After what your dad said at Thanksgiving dinner the other night."

Niki gazed at the too big ring, which fit perfectly on her middle finger. "It's beautiful, Drake," she said in wonder. "I'll cherish it forever."

"It will fit you again on the proper finger, Niki," Drake said assuringly. "We need to beat this bloody disease first!"

Meanwhile, Sam dragged his brother into the kitchen. "Dude, when you going to tell Mom and Dad about Kelsey?"

"What about Kelsey?"

"That you're dating her," Sam said; "That you had a pregnancy scare. Shit like that."

"They know I'm dating her, Sam," John said; "They have met her. But the pregnancy scare thing they don't know about. I'd like to keep it that way, if you don't mind too terribly much, brother."

Before Sam could respond, they heard their father's voice behind them,

"I'd like to know about that 'pregnancy scare', John, if you don't mind too terribly much."

Busted! Sam thought.

===

Jaime had seen the herd of wild horses several weeks before early in the mornings when she was out doing her farm chores.

She was captivated by the beauty of the way they moved as one unit, as opposed to being individual creatures. However, she noticed that one of the mares was noticibly pregnant, and in her reading up on the subject of equine reproduction, knew that she would be giving birth around Christmas.

"You're totally engrossed in that herd of wild horses, aren't you, sis?" asked Miri one morning when she noticed her sister staring off into the distance when she should have been mucking out Sarge's pen.

"Jack doesn't have horses here, Miri," Jaime said as she watched the horses graze. "What if one or two of them come this way? I wonder if we could take them in until spring?"

"You read too many romanticized books about animals, Jaime," Miri said; "You think you're going to find the next Misty of Chincoteague out here in the plains of Wyoming in the middle of winter?"

"I liked that book, thank you very much, sister," Jaime said, still watching the herd in the distance.

"Look, Jaime, I'm not making fun of you," Miri said; "I know you love animals. That's why I think you should go to vet school. You'd be good at it. But taking in a wild horse is not the way to go. Besides, I think Jack said they're government property, or at the very least under control of BIA."

"I know, but I can dream about having a horse one day, right?" asked Jaime.

"Of course you can, sis," Miri said. "And maybe you will have one sooner than you think. But just like the other animals, taking care of a horse is a lot of hard work. You'd be cleaning out a horse's stall just like you're supposed to be cleaning out Sarge's pen. You think he's going to stand out there in the cold indefinitely?"

"I forgot all about poor Sarge!" Jaime said; "I better get busy with this so he doesn't have to stand out there much longer."

Miri just shook her head and went to check on Zach, who was milking the cows; and Rachel, who was gathering the eggs from the henhouse.

Soon, Jaime was done with Sarge's stall and she went out into the field to lead the bull back inside the heated barn.

"I'm sorry you had to stand out there in the cold all that time," Jaime said to Sarge; "I just got all caught up in the horses out there."

Sarge only gave a low, friendly moo in response.

"Now, Sarge," Jaime said as she secured the pen behind the bull; "Try not to mess things up before I leave. After I go inside you can shit up a storm for all I care. It's Saturday and tomorrow, your stall will be cleaned by Rachel, and I know you like her a lot!"

"Mooooo..." said Sarge, and Jaime laughed.

"Be a good boy and..." Jaime sniffed the air, then made a face. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

Sarge snorted and mooed. Jaime got the feeling that Sarge was quite pleased with himself.

===

After the drama of Aaliyah shooting the intruder in her bedroom on Thanksgiving morning had died down, the Donovan family started to prepare for the holidays.

Jasmine had made an appointment with a psychologist colleague who worked with
gang members and adults who had served in the New Army as teens, to have Aaliyah evaluated for any sign of trauma stemming from what happened.

And, as KateLynn predicted, Aaliyah was bored with the whole process.

"Why do you keep asking me these questions about how I feel?" the eight year old asked the psychologist; "My life and my family's lives were in danger. I was the only one who could defend against the intruder. I feel fine. I did the right thing."

"But you're still a child, Aaliyah," the psychologist said; "You shouldn't take on the role of protector."

"What part of 'he was in my bedroom! didn't you get, Doc?" Aaliyah asked, getting angry. "What was I supposed to do, wait for my daddy to save me? I could have been dead by that time!"

"So, as far as you're concerned, it's okay to take another person's life?"

"As far as I'm concerned, if that person is threatening me with deadly force, then I have to answer with deadly force," Aaliyah said; "It's never okay to take another person's life for the sake of doing it. If they're not armed, or are not threatening life and property, I have no right to kill them."

"Couldn't you have cried out for help from one of your parents or an older sibling?" asked the psychologist; "Instead of taking matters into your own hands?"

"And have him kill me right then and there?" asked Aaliyah in response; then she said, "Are we done now, Doc? Because your questions are bugging me. I'm not going to go postal on anyone just because of one incident where I was put in the position of defending myself. I'm not a serial killer! My father and my uncle and aunt have taught us better than that!"

"I have just a couple of more questions, Aaliyah."

Aaliyah rolled her eyes, a gesture not unnoticed by the psychologist.

"I'm done, Doc," the girl said; "If you have any more questions about my feelings, ask my mother. She knows me better than you ever could." And with that, Aaliyah got up off the couch, walked out of the office, and told her mother in the waiting room that she was going to sit in the car.

When she had left to go sit in the car, the psychologist called Jasmine back to speak with her.

"Jasmine, I should have listened to you," said the psychologist; "You warned me that Aaliyah would not be amused by my questions and she wasn't."

"So, Diane, my daughter isn't someone you'd see as a problem in the future?" asked Jasmine.

"I don't know what Jeremiah and his siblings are teaching that girl, but she definitely has her head screwed on straight," Diane said.

"I could have told you that, too," Jasmine said. "My husband, nor his brothers or sister have used deadly force when it wasn't warranted. The man who taught them their skills was very clear on that when they were very young. They teach all of our children the same way."

"If she starts to exhibit undesirable behavior, Jasmine," Diane said, "you'll need to bring her back."

"I don't think that will be necessary, but I will keep an eye on her as I've always done," Jasmine said.

Later, Jasmine took Aaliyah out to lunch, where the girl complained bitterly about people asking her questions about what she did.

"Okay, so I'm only eight years old," Aaliyah said; "So what? I know that I'm not to use force against anyone except where I feel I'm in immediate danger. Aunt Julia taught me and Rachel that when we first got started, before we even shot a weapon."

"I know, Aaliyah," her mother said; "but people who don't know what we're capable of will see it as unusual for someone your age to know how to use a gun to defend yourself, then actually do it."

"I'm not answering any more stupid questions about how I'm feeling, okay Mom?" said Aaliyah. "If something doesn't feel right, I know enough to ask someone about it."

"Okay, no more questions," Jasmine said; "You're a pretty smart cookie, Aaliyah. I know you'll know when you need to talk. And I'm always available for that."

"I know, Mama," Aaliyah said.

===
IV



Pollard was pissed off that he had to delay his trip to Washington, D.C. because of the impending snowstorm due to hit the area. He sat in his apartment near A.R.M.'s headquarters and sulked like a child. Not even the pretty blonde girl he'd engaged in a night of debauchery could lighten his mood. He was stuck with the bitch because the same snowstorm that would be plaguing the Nation's Capitol was laying a fresh coat of snow on Buffalo.

Instead he took his frustrations out on the girl. Again, he insisted on calling the girl "Sandy", though the girl's real name was Corryne. Whenever she tried to correct him, Pollard slapped her, saying, "You will answer to any name I call you. Period. You understand that, bitch? If I call you Sandy, that's what you'll answer to."

Corryne knew better than to argue with him. He paid her to do what he wanted.

So he used and abused her, practising for the day he really had Sandrina San Marco under his control. Just thinking about the girl's body got him worked up for a fresh round of "practice" with the girl he was calling Sandy.

But, in his frustration, he went after the hooker a little too hard. He had trouble rousing her for another round of his sick games. He was relieved she was still breathing, but she couldn't be there if she was going to die on him.

So, Pollard dressed the girl, carried her out to his car, then drove her to a hospital in another town and left her there. He didn't even pay her because in his twisted mind, dead hookers can't spend money. He was sure she was as good as dead to him.

Corryne rallied, though. After her release from the hospital, she sought out the one person in the A.R.M. who could possibly help her.

===

It wasn't hard to stalk a girl with cancer. It wasn't like she went anywhere.

She went to the doctor for treatment, and after that, usually, she went to visit her parents. After that, she was usually alone in the little house on Bastrop Drive.

And that's where he'd get to her.

He totally forgot about the man who lived there with her. And, on the day the stalker went to take care of some sick nineteen year old girl, he didn't know that her fiance was there with her.


Inside the house, Niki had a bad feeling.

"Drake?" she asked; "There's something not right."

Drake looked back at Niki sitting on the couch, looking at bridal magazines.

"You okay, babe?"

"For the moment, but baby, there's something weird going on outside," said Niki.

"Like what?"

"Like we're being stalked. Like what happened at Mom and Dad's over Thanksgiving after Kimber went home," Niki said.

"You think there's someone outside waiting for us?" asked Drake, on his way to the closet in the entryway to get his gun. "Your sixth sense at work again?"

"I hope I'm wrong..."

"That's just it, Niki," Drake said while he loaded the gun; "You're usually right about these things."

Just then, Drake heard someone picking the lock on the back door. "Niki," he whispered; "hit the floor and crawl to the bedroom and hide in the closet, as deep as you can get. Stay there until I come for you."

Without saying a word, Niki did as she told. She crawled into the closet, closed the door, and got deep inside of it until her back was against the wall. She was hidden by bags of clothing that she was planning to give away. In the corner to Niki's right was a box with a loaded .357 Magnum in it that Drake had shipped from Australia shortly after they met.

Out in the living room, Drake waited for the person trying to gain entry to the house via the back door that led into the kitchen. He cocked his weapon and aimed it at the back door as it began to open.

When the intruder made himself known, the first thing he saw was a six-foot-three-inch, dark haired Aussie with a gun trained on him.

"Move any closer and I'll blow your fucking head off!"

The man moved closer, drew his own weapon and fired at Drake.

He missed Drake. His shot knocked the picture of Niki's parents house off the wall. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces.

Drake was faster on the trigger however.

And he didn't miss.

===