Taylor headed into a turn and almost hit a Phoenix rover head on. Grabbing the instrument Malcolm made he aimed and shot, while throwing his vehicle in reverse. As he backed out of rifle range and sight, he noticed the Phoenix vehicle rolled to a stop. "It worked." Grabbing his radio, he made a hurried call, "Taylor to camp, we have Phoenix in the area, mobilize. Get the kids out of sight." looking at a frightened Josh, he asked, "Can you hit anything?"

"Yes, Sir."

Taylor pulled the rover behind a patch of dense brush, "Let's go hunting." Josh followed, holding a spare rifle and trying not to slip in the wet foliage. The Commander worked up a hill and paralleled back to the dead rover. As he expected, the hood was up and one soldier was attempting repairs while the other provided cover.

Whispering to Josh with a point for emphasis, "Two of them, one will die and we'll try and take one for questioning. Got the stomach for it boy?"

"After what they did to Kara, I hate them."

"The one under the hood is smaller. I'll shoot the lookout and wing the mechanic. You provide cover." Not waiting to see if Josh understood, Taylor shot and one soldier slumped. As soon as his rifle spoke, it rang out again and the mechanic cried and grabbed his leg.

"Throw the gun into the road, boy. I don't need you alive, your choice." They waited until the pistol was about ten feet in front of the vehicle before moving in. Pulling a chip from his pocket, he held out his hand, "Can you pull the starter, Josh?"

The apprentice mechanic replied, "I can." He stepped around the wounded man, not looking at the other who had been drilled through the head, leaving a pattern of brain and blood splattered across the engine.

The Commander scooped up the pistol and slipped it into the belt behind his back. He watched the young soldier try and stem the flow of blood, "I expect shock to set in in about three minutes if you don't get something around that leg boy. I may be able to help, but I need to know why you're here and not in the badlands. I have time on my side. I don't care about you."

"I never saw you in the colony. You must be Taylor senior. I've heard about you. You have a reputation for not killing the injured or not helping those in need. You won't let me die."

Taylor started striping the gun and knife off the dead soldier, "You know me too well, soldier. I won't murder you." He roughly pulled him to his feet and stripped his radio off and started searching for anything, stripping as he went, "A wounded young man without immediate backup. I don't have to kill you. You're already dead unless I make you a prisoner and I haven't taken a Phoenix prisoner yet. You done, Josh?"

"It's out."

Taylor dropped the soldier and he sank into the dirt with a moan, still trying to stop the flow of blood with direct pressure from his hands. Taylor had stripped him of his belt so he tried to remove a shoelace and received a swift kick to his bullet hole making him pass out. The Commander took the starter, removed the fried chip and inserted a new one and handed the starter back to Josh, "Move fast, they may have backups coming." He started slapping the unconscious soldier until he stirred, "You don't have much time left." He held up the belt, "What are you doing here?"

"Help me and I'll tell you," the young soldier could feel his life ebbing.

A quick motion and Taylor had the belt pulled into a tourniquet, holding one end.

"When we left Terra Nova, we took a hostage. She escaped."

Josh cut him off, "It's in Commander, we can leave." He slammed the hood down.

"Who's the hostage?" Taylor heard Josh, but kept his eyes on the Phoenix soldier.

"General Hooper and Mira decided to take the unconscious woman we had in the brig. I don't know her name. Lucas stunned her a day before he disappeared. I heard she was in charge when we took the colony."

"You say this woman is alive?" Taylor would slit his throat if he was lying.

"She was four days ago when she broke our General's nose. Taylor told him to stay from her and when Mira got back, she was gone. We looked and couldn't find her tracks," boy, those were ice cold eyes.

"Describe her," a threatening command was not to be trifled with.

"Tall, long dark hair. All the men want her, but the General gets first chance." He struggled to breathe, "At least until Taylor told us finders keepers. Whoever finds her, gets her," boy, that's a big knife.

"And you want her?"

"What man wouldn't."

"You know what you heard about me. It was cleaned up for the record books," he cut the belt twice, not leaving enough for a tourniquet. Grabbing the soldier by his jacket; a quick toss with those muscles and he hit the ditch with a roll and lay moaning, trying to get a shoelace off. Josh dragged the dead soldier out of the way, eyes avoiding the head and its missing quarter.

"Think he's telling the truth?" Josh was scared of this version of the Commander and glad they were on the same side. That injured soldier changed the older man, he was feral. A wild look now pierced his gaze and his jaw was visibly clenching.

"I don't know. Taylor to Reynolds."

"Sir?"

"We used Malcolm's chip killer and got one of our rover's back. Got a soldier to talk. He claims Wash is still alive and may be in the area. Gather the troops. We're coming in hot. Break the camp, get ready to move. Taylor out." Stopping, he let Josh take the wheel and retrieved his rover parked in the bushes.

The entire camp was breathlessly awaiting their returning Commander. Reynolds had every soldier scanning for the dispised enemy, and guns pointed at Josh's rover as he skidded to a halt with the Commander locking up behind him. Both men ran to the small group huddled behind the largest fortification, a black cargo transport vehicle left by the invaders.

"Is it true about Wash?" Malcolm questioned the Commander the moment he stopped. Everyone gathered around except the posted soldiers. The escorts got the word and ran behind Maddy and Everett urging them not to stop until the they were on the safe side of the transport. Both younger people doubled over trying to catch their breath. At the word Phoenix, they remembered the horror of the invading army taking over and the fear of being shot. Everett was glad his mother was safe at home. At twelve he was starting to know the danger of her job.

"I don't know. We have to assume it might be. Malcolm, take a transport. Get the kids and your people to outpost ten. Call Shannon. Tell him to come with half the troops. He won't stay with two kids out here, no use telling him to, neither will Reilly. Put Guzman in charge of the colony, my orders.

"Let Hanson take the transport. I want to be here if Wash is around," Malcolm made his plea. "I can replace starters faster than Josh, but we both could be of use." He saw the boy start to protest at being sent home and put in a plug for him.

"Okay, you've sold me and I don't have time to argue. If she's injured, you're the best medic here outside of her. Get moving." He oversaw the loading of the civilian transport, "Malcolm," he hollered, "consider that rover we recovered yours."

Soon a smaller transport was out of site with another vehicle providing cover with four soldiers back to the outpost with orders to return without stopping as soon as the civilians were safe. It would take eighteen hours for reinforcements to come from the colony and knowing Shannon, he would be moving within two hours. They were looking at two days with marginal numbers. Taking the chip destroyers, he gave one to Malcolm and the rest to his sharpshooters. Goal, drive around and try and kill vehicles. Shoot occupants, take no prisoners, but leave one wounded and interrogate. Try and confirm the first soldier's story.

"Stay in radio contact. Malcolm stay on my tail. Shannon, ride with Dr. Wallace."

Driving past the scene of recent carnage, Josh pointed out the details of their operation. Taylor didn't even slow down and they kept pace. Both soldiers were gone. Did the Phoenix retrieve their own, or were they carried off by wildlife.

Jim Shannon went into hyperdrive when the call was transmitted and a rushing Reilly ran up the steps and into the Command Center. "Taylor's tangling with Phoenix and needs help." Quickly, she filled him in on the orders and they pulled out with an even larger convoy and more Terra Novans gathered than previous. Everyone wanted to help get them underway and a line of civilians formed from the depository to waiting vehicles, loading supplies and food and ammo. Boylan took charge of the civilians and soon the vehicles were loaded and stocked with troops.

When questioned by Shannon about his volunteering, he vaguely replied. "Just go get my helper, Shannon," and he continued directing.

"Listen to what this scumbag has to say, Commander," Reynolds pushed another captured soldier in front of Taylor. He was thrust in front of the obvious leader, the famed Nathaniel Taylor from vids he'd seen. The Commander didn't address him, instead played a commando knife sporting a lethal looking twelve inch blade.

"I told these guys I know where the woman is. They wouldn't take me to her. Said I had to tell you. What kind of soldiers can't think for themselves?" He stopped talking as nobody interrupted or moved to stop his bleeding. The white bearded man didn't speak, nor did his people. The captured soldier started to focus on the knife. It never stopped moving. "I swear, I saw the woman we took as hostage. I saw her heading this way on the road we took to the desert. Before I could overtake her, she saw me and dove into the woods. I stopped and pursued on foot, but couldn't find her. When I got back to my rover, your men captured me. I can take you to her, just let me live."

"If you caught her, what were you going to do to her?" At last, someone spoke, a dispassionate question from the scruffy man who fixed the portal.

"I swear, I wasn't going to do anything," he lied.

"That's not what the other's said," an unruffled Malcolm Wallace spoke again. He was much braver with his soldiers protecting him.

"Look, Lucas Taylor said he would give her to the man who caught her. We all got a good look at her. Mira wouldn't let nobody near her, or she'd been fucked stupid long ago. I don't know how you'd let such a hot woman stay unattached here. We all want her, okay," his shoulder was burning and he felt like throwing up.

His head was forced up as the knife blade dug into skin under his chin, "What are you not telling us?" Finally, the commander was taking charge. He suddenly wished for the non-uniformed man again to ask the questions.

"I, I told you everything," another lie.

"Kill him. Find the other and kill him for the lies this one is telling." There was no display of emotion, unlike his son, who was always angry and raged non-stop, but the knife was pushing harder and he felt blood trickle down his throat and kept lifting his head.

"No, okay, my partner is still on her trail. I went back to call General Hooper and tell him we found her."

The sting of the blade was removed and his head allowed to lower. Then he heard why. The sound of approaching vehicles scattered the troops. The scruffy man and a non-uniformed young man stayed put, but drew and held pistols on him. The younger one challenged him, "Run, see if I'm capable of killing someone who murdered my girlfriend." He stayed still, not liking the hatred in the eyes of one so young.

Shannon, followed by seven vehicles rolled to a stop.

"Good to see you, Shannon," Taylor stepped into sight they went to the prisoner.

Jim took one look at his son and pulled his own weapon.

"Strip him to his basics and boots. Take him ten cliks and turn him lose," Taylor ordered.

"What about my shoulder?"

"I'm giving you your life, take it or leave it," he motioned for four troops to provide escort duty. "Reynolds take us back to the spot. Shannon, all your troops are with me," he motioned for Malcolm and Josh as well. The promised rain suddenly without warning dumped in sheets making the roads a muddy mess and visibility like looking through a waterfall.

"Everyone say hello to Commander Taylor and Lieutenant Washington." They moved to the front of the one room school among a chorus of hellos from young voices. Grades one through four waited to hear the Lieutenant tell them what happened to her.

Mrs. Mathews told her students, "Lieutenant Washington is going to tell her story. I want you to stay quiet until she finishes, and then you may ask questions. Don't interrupt, be polite," she smiled at the command team. "They're all yours Lieutenant and thank you for coming so quickly. The children have been anxious to see you since you returned a couple days ago." She stood to one side, leaving the Commander solidly by the side of his darkly dressed second.

Washington spoke to the teacher first, "Everyone in the colony has wanted to see me. I'm flattered."

She turned back to the kids, "I was technically a prisoner of war or POW, a term you may have heard in the last couple of days. I got shot with a stun gun and when the Phoenix soldiers left, they took me with them. I was to be bartered in a trade back to the colony. After several weeks, I was able to escape and ran a long ways, first through the desert for over two days; then into the forest for three more before the Commander found me. And you know the rest. When the soldiers returned home, I was with them. Any questions?" Every hand went up.

"Derek."

"My dad's a soldier and he said when they found you, an enemy had a gun on you. What happened?"

With a glance to the Commander, he replied, "Sargent Reynolds took us to the spot a he had captured one of their soldiers. That soldier told us he had seen the Lieutenant. We combed the area and saw another enemy soldier up the side of a hill with his pistol on someone. We couldn't see who it was, but crept up behind him. When we got close enough, we saw Lieutenant Washington, and the man surrendered to us as we out numbered him."

What really happened.

Taylor spread his troops over three cliks in both directions Reynolds stopped his vehicle, evenly spaced so if Wash was there, she would run into someone. Scanning with the warm blooded heat sensing binoculars, they saw a figure up a hill and climbing into a rock slide, pistol in hand, feet sinking into the soft sliding rock. Taylor motioned his troops to spread out and moved in. He kept Shannon, Josh and Malcolm close to him along with Reynolds, Dunham and Reilly. So intent on his prey, the soldier never saw or heard the danger. He stopped, having his quarry trapped in a hollow of the hill. He was the soldier Wash later said she had plied with drink and stolen his perimeter card. He wanted revenge for the extra duty and reprimand she caused him. They got close enough to hear him speak.

"You have no place to go, but back to me." He grabbed his crotch, "And I have something for you. The rain had lightened to a steady downfall. "Strip. Get naked before Henderson gets back. I want the first go at that hot cunt of yours."

She was still backing up and her gaze slipped off him for a second, causing her to stop and give the landscape a closer inspection.

To his surprise she stopped retreating and even moved closer to the edge of the slide, giving a clear view of her presence up the incline.

"I said take your clothes off bitch," with the menacing pistol in one hand, he started rubbing his groin with the other.

Looking again apparently at his groin, she seemed to have a change of heart, "I guess you have me. I tried, but you're too strong and fast." Slowly she took her coat off in an effort to keep him distracted pulled her dirty white t-shirt over her head giving him an excellent view of her white push up bra. "Do you want to take it off me?" She was almost purring as she cupped both breast and squeezed.

"Yes."

The soldier whirled to whoever spoke and was hit with no less than six bullets.

Pulling the parka over her bra, she grinned at Taylor as he moved up the slide and swept her into his arms capturing her lips in a long kiss. "I heard," he grinned, "that whoever catches you gets to keep you."

"And what do they get to do to me?" She didn't want to leave his arms.

"I'll take you home and show you," he had to kiss her again and again.

"Pam."

"Are the bad men coming back?"

"I hope not, but we have a strong army and we recovered lots of our equipment if they do."

With Shannon's help and fresh troops ,they scouted for two days, coming home with no less than ten additional vehicles and many weapons including a guided handheld missile launcher and ammo. Taylor taught Shannon how to use the chip killer. The tactics now changed, the captured soldiers were stripped of valuables and hauled several clicks and released. He hated to leave Wash, but she was exhausted and he had Malcolm sedate her at night. He would hold her close, but bided his time until she recovered enough to do more than eat and sleep. They spent the first two nights like that in Reilly's tent. Reilly discretely ignored the Commander when he would enter, take his boots and guns off and lie on Wash's mat. She offered to move out, but he told her he would, when Wash was able.

"Sam."

"Did Mira treat you bad?"

He was so cute, Wash went to his desk and gave him a hug before going to stand beside the Commander, "Mira treated me very well. She brought me food and water and we shared a tent."

Mira avoided her as much as possible, not happy to be providing trips to the outhouse three times a day and food twice a day. Most days she was left alone tied to her cot, and filled with drugs Mira provided at night for pain and sleep. First it was for the pain and later sleep so Mira could rest knowing her throat was safe.

"Leah."

"I hope you don't go OTG for a long time. You'll stay home won't you?"

Again the Commander answered, "The lieutenant needs to recover and rest. I'm keeping her home." And in my bed.

Wash's only request when a triumphant group met at camp was a solor shower. They moved camp close to a stream and Taylor ordered the shower set up first. He waited for her to shower, standing outside if she needed help, and rinsed off after her while the new camp was constructed. Before the civilians were escorted to Outpost Ten, he on the off chance Wash was really alive instructed Private Smith to relay a message to Shannon upon arrival, "Tell Shannon to get bag AW6 from the warehouse and a toiletries kit."

It was the next camp that Taylor got to move Wash to a more private secure spot. As he left Wash in the capable hands of Corporal Reilly, Malcolm and a dozen protectors and hunted with Shannon, he was wondering where to relocate their bed for more privacy. Finally, he ordered the equipment transport to be unloaded and placed inflatamats and sleeping bags. He personally reloaded the vehicle with a narrow corridore down the center. The bedding was upfront and as silent proof as he could manage in the field. He chuckled to himself as he worked, never before was he faced with logistics just to get hopefully laid. Moving Wash to a secluded place, he got his first chance to make love to her. The soldiers and Malcolm gave them privacy and the few times they ventured forth during the next two days, were greeted as if being a couple were normal. Only Shannon ribbed Taylor good naturedly about hogging Wash.

"I have to know, Wash," he murmured into her ear, holding her to his chest, "Did they rape you?"

"No, Mira wouldn't let them. She figured if Lucas failed, she would need a ticket back into Terra Nova."

"She may have earned one by protecting you. How was Lucas?"

"I took a bullet their young medic couldn't find out of him, he'll live. Who shot?"

"Skye." He moved her hand under his t-shirt until she felt the still healing scar, "Parting gift from my son."

"I'm sorry, Nathaniel. How he turned out wasn't your fault. You raised him right. I know, I was there."

Wash moved her hand slowly downward until it cupped his manhood through his briefs, "Where do you and I go from here?"

"Hopefully to the chaplain when we get home," he pulled his tags off and dangled them in front of her eyes. She spotted the engagement ring resting on top of his tags. "I missed your birthday. This was your present."

"It's beautiful, where did you get it?" The hand cupping him reached to touch the sparkling gem.

He dropped the tags on his chest just missing her nose, grabbed her hand and returned it to the former spot, "These are the only jewels I want you holding."

When they immerged for dinner, her hand was adorned with a very noticeable ring. Reilly didn't miss it, "He came out here thinking you were dead, yet produced an engagement ring. Where the heck did that come from?"

"He said he had it shipped through on the tenth and was waiting for the right moment to propose. Seems like the back of a transport in the rain was the most romantic place he could find," she teased knowing he was listening.

"I had it on my tags and just incase anyone here gets the idea Wash is available, she's not."

They gathered Maddy and Everett and the scientists the next day and drove home, forgoing the last night out, arriving home in the middle of the night. Maddy wanted to ride with the Commander and talk to Wash, but he told her to ride with Reynolds. Their new openness needed privacy in its infancy. Now two days after arriving back in Terra Nova, the endless reception of welcomes was ending with a visit to the children.

"Nathan."

"How far did you run and how many days before our side found you?"

"That's two questions, Nat. You can't ask two."

"You can't even count to two, Sam."

"Boys," the teacher warned.

"They kind of go together. I ran fast as I could until I was out of the desert and then had to slow down. I couldn't go so fast in the trees until I found a road. I was out five days before the Commander found me."

For once Wash was content to stay within the confines of the fence. They talked to the chaplain and a small wedding was scheduled for the next day. Taylor was torn between his higher standards of morality and wanting to pound her to the wall every time he saw her. A quick wedding would solve his dilemma.

"Debbie."

"My mom said you and the Commander are getting married, can I see your ring?"

She held her hand out and the kids mobbed her looking at her engagement ring.

"Alright back to your seats. One more question," the teacher ordered.

"Zoe."

"I'm glad you didn't die, but my dad says you will give the Commander a heart attack if you marry him." She didn't get to finish her question as the three adults started laughing.

"It's a figure of speech, Miss Zoe," the Commander took Washington's hand and told the teacher on that note they better leave before they had to explain.

The Commander held her hand openly back to the Command Center.

The End