A/N - A special thanks to everyone reading and taking the time to review. Your enthusiasm totally fuels my creativity and encourages the next story always on the back of my mind. Lynn :)

Chapter Seven

(Upward)

Vic Francesco acknowledged Admiral Nelson's demand with a nod. Nelson's face had remained hard and if his eyes were any indication, he knew the admiral was exhibiting a massive amount of self-control at this point. He could hardly blame him. If Seaview's missing captain wasn't enough to provoke the man's anger, then surely seeing a former mate who had turned on him and had mysteriously shown up at the exact time of Crane's disappearance would have surely done it.

"First, the PTSD was real," Francesco started. "My recovery was a long, slow process, but not nearly as difficult as the dreams and guilt of losing Porter. You don't know what he looked like when I pulled him from the fire," he said, holding his composure but still deeply affected by the charred body of his ONI buddy. "I stayed and held his hand until he died… anyway, I worked through that and I was starting to make real progress when ONI approached me with a mission."

Harry's face relaxed ever so slightly, already deducing where Francesco's story was going. Francesco stood straighter, ready to move full steam ahead with the explanation.

"They needed an agent to… defect to the other side. I've been a double agent for a long time, Harry," he said, breaking all the protocol of Harry's four stars, but returning to the first names they used when they were both young officers.

Harry nodded. "And the charge you made against me…"

"Necessary to prove that I was disgruntled, disillusioned, and fed up with the Navy and ONI," he explained, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry for what I put you through all these years, Harry, I know it wasn't easy."

"What were you doing at Finnegan's?" Harry asked, not ready to accept the explanation and let him off the hook just yet. There were too many questions that just weren't adding up.

"Because I heard you were going to be there."

Harry sat back. "Go on."

"The information network I listen to came up with chatter about you. Someone was asking a lot of questions… making plans… talking revenge. I was too deep under to report; the best I could do was to come here. My cover takes me to lots of places," he explained. "It wasn't a stretch for me to get here."

"Then why didn't you warn me before my captain was kidnapped?" Harry demanded, slapping a frustrated hand on his desk, when his intercom buzzed. Harry pressed the button hastily. "Yes," he nearly barked out.

"Sharkey here…"

"Is everything ready, Chief?" Harry interrupted, not wanting to give Francesco too much information, especially since he had yet to verify his story and had no time to make a call to ONI.

"Aye Sir…"

"I'll be there in five minutes," he answered, depressing the talk button and ending the call. Harry folded his hands and turned his attention back to Francesco. "You have exactly five minutes to tell me what you know about Captain Crane's disappearance," he stated rather bluntly.

Francesco nodded slightly and got to the point. "I tailed you when you left Finnegan's, but I had to hang back far enough not to be noticed. I've got stuff going that I can't walk away from just yet. I couldn't blow my cover. Anyway, I saw you get clobbered from behind when you walked past an alley. I got there in time to save you, but they had already loaded Crane into the van. They picked a quiet place to ambush you; the mercantile shops were closed and the nearest foot traffic was a bar a half block down on the opposite side of the street. But they weren't expecting me, and they panicked. I couldn't risk police involvement; the best I could do was to drag you into the alley and stake out a place to watch over you. I placed your cap out in the open and some of your crew showed up a couple of hours later, but I couldn't watch over you and track Crane at the same time."

"That explains the drag marks into the alley," Chip offered, tentatively.

"And why they left me behind if I was the intended target after all," Harry added to Chip's obvious realization that he had missed something important. Harry noticed and continued. "Lee's jacket was delivered to the docks with this." Harry handed over the note to Chip to read.

Francesco stood nearby, still not sure of his standing with Harriman Nelson at this moment.

Chip's brow tightened. "Admiral, you're not going to meet them? Lee's jacket isn't proof that he's still alive." It wasn't that he was being callous or cold concerning Lee's disappearance, but he had a duty to protect the Admiral as well.

Harry raised a hand to quell the argument. "Sharkey and Sparks have rigged a transmitter for me. He's also assembled a small team to track me. It's the only way to get to Lee," he added, indicating that the decision had already been made.

"Permission to join the team, Sir," Chip interjected without missing a beat.

"Very well."

"Aye Sir. What about him?" he asked with a nod toward Francesco.

"Until I can check out his story, he's going to be our guest aboard Seaview."

Francesco stepped forward, his movement checked by Chip's protective stance. "Damn it, Nelson! I didn't risk twenty years undercover work to have you go out and sacrifice yourself like this. I'm damn good at what I do, or I wouldn't still be alive. Don't sideline me like this!"

Harry stood, answering Vic's fiery outburst with his own explosive one. "That's just the point; you've been playing the double agent for twenty years now, Francesco. How do I know you're not doing just that right now?" he challenged.

"Do you know what I risked to come here?!" he fired back.

"You haven't told me yet why you came, Vic!" Harry challenged, using his first name in the familiarity of the friendship they once had; one that was coming back to the surface even after all these years.

Vic's eyes pierced with conviction as he swallowed back emotion. "I don't have any family, you know that. That's why I was the perfect candidate to disappear into the dark fringes of the espionage world. The only family I have are my buddies. Buddies who will never know that I'm even alive, or that I've sacrificed everything I love so that I can keep my country safe by playing the part of a traitor. I should have ignored this… walked away, protected twenty years of undercover work; but I couldn't. And if I have to explain "why", then maybe you're not the man I thought you were."

The silence of his strong words was met by Harry's remarkably calm voice.

"I just needed to hear it from you, Vic. To see if the man I once knew was still in there," Harry replied, losing the intensity of their heated words, but still carrying the burden of Lee's life if he didn't comply with the kidnapper's demands.

Francesco breathed out his own excess fervor, but that was all the sentiment either man had time for as Harry broke the moment with his next words of action.

"Gentlemen, let's go get back Captain Crane."

The collective determination of the three men was palpable as they filed out of Harry's cabin to put their hastily put together plan into action.

# # # # #

Lee stopped along the road, bending over with his hands resting on his knees. Normally, a run like this would be nothing for the lean and fit captain, but today the endeavor had proved taxing. His body felt as if he were battling the effects of a bad flu with achy muscles and bones. A cough from his smoke-irritated lungs and throat exasperated the generally run-down feeling he was currently experiencing, as he reminded himself that the fire inside the hut had been his bright idea. Regardless of how he felt, it was time to move on.

He stood and took the time to survey his surroundings, taking extra precaution to listen for the sound of an approaching vehicle. Once satisfied that he could stay on the road, he pulled out the transmitter and tried making contact once again.

"Crane to Seaview. Come in Seaview."

The static produced similar results as before as he drew the back of his hand across his mouth. He resolved to continue but was becoming more than uncomfortable with how much time it was taking to get into transmission range. He was pretty sure that his kidnapper had had plenty of time to deliver the bomb and at this very moment, Seaview was unknowingly hosting the deadly device. That thought drove his determination as he took off jogging once again, stubbornly ignoring every pained step along the way.

# # # # #

Randall Fenton watched through binoculars as Admiral Harriman Nelson debarked from the rubber boat to the dock. He continued his surveillance and smiled.

"It looks like Nelson is following orders," he mumbled as Nelson reached the end of the dock. Fenton's smile broadened as the admiral received the envelope with instructions a dock worker had been paid to deliver. He watched as Nelson read the note and then proceeded toward town, following his instructions exactly as planned.

"It won't be long now," he mused darkly, turning his attention from Nelson to scanning the area, looking for signs that the famed admiral had double-crossed him. He knew from experience that the man couldn't be trusted. Finding no unusual movement to indicate that Nelson had been followed, he stowed the binoculars. "Let's go, Baxter," he ordered as his accomplice put the small van into gear.

Meanwhile, a small team of divers surfaced underneath the docks.

# # # # #

Lee had been jogging the rough road as it wound around and spotted a clearing just ahead. It was a natural turn-out of sorts; as he got closer, he realized that it was actually an outcropping along a cliff that dropped at least two hundred feet. From here, he could see the port town below; but more importantly, he had a clear shot past the docks to the large windowed submarine stationed just beyond the harbor. Quickly, he pulled out the transmitter hoping that the perfect line of sight would produce a clear transmission. After all, if his abductor had paid "a lot of money for five-mile remote detonation capability"; surely, he had invested in a decent radio transmitter, he thought as he readied the device.

"Crane to Seaview. Come in Seaview."

He listened intently and was almost ready to call again when his hail was answered.

"This is Seaview. We read you Captain Crane!"

He had no time to relish in the relief of making contact and quickly raised the transmitter.

"Sparks, I need to speak with the Admiral," he replied cutting straight to the chase.

"He left the boat almost an hour ago. Sir, Lt. O'Brien requests your status."

Lee ignored the request and continued. "Did Admiral Nelson receive a package today?"

"O'Brien here; Aye Sir. He received your jacket and a note demanding that he meet the abductor."

Lee grimaced; he could only assume that the pen-bomb had been delivered with his jacket, and the fact that Harry had already left the boat meant that his kidnapper's plan was dangerously close to succeeding.

"Listen to me, Bobby. You've got a bomb aboard with a remote detonation range of five miles. Dive and proceed at flank speed into the open seas. Don't wait for any crew in port; just get some distance between the port and the boat. Do it now."

Bobby kept the mic live so that Lee could hear the subsequent orders being given in the background and then continued.

"Anything else, Sir?"

"Isolate and contain the bomb, it's a silver pen that was delivered with my jacket. Do not, I repeat do not ditch it overboard, there's too much traffic in the harbor."

"Aye Skipper. Your status, Sir?"

"I'm good, Lieutenant," he replied, immediately dismissing his well-being as not important at the moment and continued. "I'll intercept the Admiral; I'm pretty sure I know where they'll be taking him. Where's Chip?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Admiral Nelson is rigged with a tracking device and Mr. Morton is leading a small assault team covering his movements electronically."

Lee blew out a sigh of relief. "Acknowledged," he replied, watching with satisfaction as Seaview dipped into the ocean. "I'll contact you when I can."

"Aye Sir."

"Crane out," he finished and then tuned the transmitter back to its original setting to monitor the kidnapper's communications.

He took just a moment to study the port town below him, calculating the distance from the rocky crag and the fact that Harry had left the boat an hour ago. Rubbing a weary hand across his brow, he started his trek back up the same road he had come down earlier. He'd been successful in reaching Seaview, but now he needed to secure the Admiral's safety. As he jogged, he thought back to his conversation with the kidnapper. While he had never met him before, he still couldn't help but feel that his abductor was familiar, perhaps only vaguely so; but the more he thought about it, the more it bother him.

Feeling a new sense of urgency, he stepped up his pace as best as his compromised physical condition would allow, hoping to reach the encampment before the kidnapper returned.

# # # # #

Chip adjusted the scanner, dialing in to get the proper bearing on the Admiral's signal.

"The signal is stationary, about five miles out of town," he informed. "We're going to need transportation," he stated flatly.

"I can take care of that," Francesco stated.

Chip nodded cautiously and watched him head off toward a side road.

"Sir, you're not going to trust this bozo?" Sharkey asked, lowering his voice to keep the conversation quiet.

"The Admiral cleared him, Chief; besides, I don't have much choice, do I?" he replied, his latter statement indicating that he hadn't exactly decided if Vic Francesco was a good guy or not.

The corner of Sharkey's mouth twitched as he forced back a smile, clearly pleased that the Exec was keeping a guarded eye on their new "friend". It wasn't but a moment later when Francesco drove up in a sedan.

"Get in," he urged, tilting his head toward the car.

"Should I ask where you got this?" Chip inquired, opening the door and sliding into the front seat, while Sharkey, Kowalski and Patterson took the back seat.

"It's all on the up and up, I can assure you," Vic replied with a side-glance toward Chip. "This road?" he asked, getting back to business as Chip studied the screen before him, comparing it to the satellite picture Sparks had supplied in preparation for their mission.

"Yeah, this looks like it should intercept the signal."

They drove past the docks toward the center of town and continued on an intercept course with the Admiral's tracker. Traffic began to thin out as they passed the edge of town where the businesses and houses were fewer and farther in between. Each man kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings as they approached the stationary tracker beacon. Except for the occasional side road, the countryside to their right and left was a dense tropical forest filled with rich ferns and tall green trees. A virtual paradise, had they not been on a rescue mission, that is.

"Stop here," Chip instructed as he they rounded a corner while he continued to study the small radar screen. "That's it up ahead," he said with a nod to an old filling station whose use had apparently been abandoned some years ago.

Francesco pulled over, parking behind a clump of bushes to conceal their presence. "We'd better approach on foot," his tone indicating the request was more than a suggestion as the ONI agent went into spy mode.

"Agreed," Chip replied with a discerning side glance toward the newest "member" of their team. "Chief, you Kowalski and Patterson circle around to the far end. Cover any windows or doors, we'll coordinate an attack in T minus five minutes.

Each man nodded and checked their watches before the threesome took off into the cover of the forest toward their destination.

"I work better alone," Francesco informed dryly.

"So do I, but I guess we're stuck with one another," Chip replied, not in the least bit intimidated by his tone and fully intending on keeping an eye out on the self-confessed double agent.

Vic shrugged in a "suit yourself manner" and continued. "I'll take the front door," he informed, producing a sidearm that Chip didn't know he had, believing that his gun had been confiscated before boarding Seaview.

"Fine, I'll take the window," Chip added seemingly unaffected, as the two entered the forest for their own cover.

# # # # #

Chip's sidearm was pulled from its holster and ready for use, with the small tracking device slung over his shoulder as they approached the filling station. He had yet to decide how to read Vic Francesco. Though in Harry's office, he had seemed sincere enough, he wouldn't allow himself to believe the man was harmless with so little to go on. The Admiral seemed to be satisfied with Francesco, but with so much riding on their success, he'd reserve full trust until the story had been verified. All Chip had to go on was a believable story as to why Lee had been taken when the Admiral was the intended target. It was compelling, but not enough to warrant full faith in this now forced partnership.

He allowed Vic to take the lead, positioning himself behind the so-called agent where he could keep an eye on him, something he knew Francesco was fully aware. To the man's credit, it didn't seem to faze him one bit. Chip wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not; it could mean that Francesco knew something that he didn't at this point, or it could mean that the man was on the up and up. Either way, the Exec intended on keeping his eyes, ears, and options open.

They reached the filling station in short order, with Vic motioning toward the window on the side of the weather worn building, as he proceeded to the front door. After checking their watches, the team stormed the building with Vic kicking in the front door and Chip crashing in the window, rolling once and immediately recovering into a shooting stance from his crouched position. A back door was kicked in at the same time as Seaview's Go-To team filed in, expertly training their weapons in different directions in search of a target.

Even before the dust settled, it was apparent that the building was completely abandoned. Furthermore, the undisturbed dust on the floor revealed there hadn't been any visitors recently.

Sharkey blew a loud disappointed huff of breath out and holstered his sidearm. "Nothing!" he declared disgustedly.

Francesco ignored the outburst and walked around the small building, poking his head into a small supply closet, whose door was hanging half-off the hinges. Chip was unfazed as well, holstering his weapon and checking the tracker device to determine exactly where the signal was emanating from, while Kowalski and Patterson remained vigilant, guarding their position with their sidearms still pulled.

Chip headed toward front door, following the signal as Francesco stepped up beside him.

"No trap door or hidden rooms," he reported to Chip's slight acknowledging nod.

The two proceeded out the front door, stopping abruptly at the tracker's signal strength and looked straight down. He sighed, crouching down to pick up the discarded tracker, its silver button-like appearance glistening in the sunlight on the ground. He held the tracker between his forefinger and thumb, examining the device with full realization that they had lost Admiral Nelson.