Chapter 10

In the Stalwart laboratory…

Kristin managed to find her way to the now empty laboratory. She remembered seeing Lucas here…on the bed. But he's no longer there. She quietly slinked around the room, trying to go from one inconspicuous hiding place to another. She heard footsteps and quickly crouched down underneath a desk that thankfully had a cover on the front. Two henchmen walked by, chatting and giggling away. When she was sure they had passed, she peeked out from over the desk and continued her walk. She overheard voices down the corridor, and peeked around the wall to see the backs of over a dozen of Cobb's men. She could barely overhear some of the conversation.

"I'll do whatever you say. Just please don't hurt Kristin and Lucas anymore."

She was so grateful to hear Nathan's voice…at least he was alive. But what followed made her extremely uneasy as Macintosh responded.

"We'll see about that. You just do as you're told. I can't promise I won't have a little more fun with Krissy. She's still under the effects of my drug. Probably will be for a while. Now, let's get to what you're going to say on that phone call, shall we?"

He paused for a moment. "Oh and surely you don't expect me to trust that you won't rat me out once you get your son's antidote back, do you? Don't underestimate me, Bridger. I've got quite a few tricks up my sleeve. Even if you get me behind bars, several of my men are ready to destroy you and your family if you even think of saying a word. Just play along like a good husband and father and your family will be just fine."

Kristin pieced together some of what was going on. Macintosh was forcing Nathan to convince the UEO that Cobb was behind all of this and to put Macintosh in charge of scientific regulations. They had to put a stop to this. She heard a phone dialing and assumed that She heard Nathan talking to Admiral Noyce and telling him the Cobb was behind all of this and that he and Macintosh were able to destroy him escape in Macintosh's sub.

"Bill, Mr. Macintosh here was a real hero. Given his background and credentials, I officially submit my recognition of his efforts and recommend his actions be highly rewarded. He reminded me, almost exactly, of Secretary General Dre in his ability to keep calm and handle the emergency situation we were in. I trust the UEO will treat him with the same regard as the Secretary General."

There was a slight pause before Noyce continued.

"Well, I officially receive your submission, Captain Bridger. We're tracking your coordinates as we speak and will be there shortly. Mr. Macintosh, it's good to hear you are safe after the last three years. We seem to owe you a huge debt of gratitude and will make sure you are given the proper consideration for your actions."

"Thank you, Admiral Noyce. I'm just glad Bridger and his family are okay and we're finally free of that madman, Cobb."

Kristin immediately caught the reference. Nathan, you brilliant man. That was his way of alerting Noyce that all was not what it seems. After all, Dre was a traitor who was behind the whole hostage situation at the Mondial. Resort. Noyce must have picked up on that insinuation…at least Jeff didn't catch it.

Once the call was over, she heard Macintosh tell Nathan he did well and that soon it would all be over. She heard footsteps shuffling towards her and quietly made her way back through the lab. The footsteps got closer and she realized there was not enough time to make it back to the room. She quickly hunched down behind a desk and hoped it would shield her from her captors.

Macintosh walked in the lab with a few men behind him. Kristin peeked over the side of the desk without being seen.

"Well, that part of the plan is taken care of…Cobb, I want you to take your men on the mini sub and leave. You've got part of your compensation and I'll make sure the UEO never follows you again. You just wait for my instructions on where to meet us once I'm in. You'll get the rest of the money once I've made it in the UEO."

"Right, sir."

Macintosh walked over to the bed where Lucas was earlier and reached for something on one of the shelves nearby. Kristin couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it looked like a small vial with clear liquid. Kershing spoke up.

"Is that the cure for the kid? Seems small."

"Doesn't matter how small it is. It's going to help me become the UEO's golden scientist." He pocketed the vial in his jacket.

Cobb spoke up. "Sir, I've been meaning to ask. How do plan to explain to the UEO that Bridger's wife thinks she's your wife?"

"I've already thought of that, Cobb. You see, as much as I hate to do this now since I didn't get a chance to really take advantage of being Kristin's husband, I must use the same memory blockers in order to have her and the rest of the Bridger family forget everything. Of course, I'll remind Bridger of his recommendation and the trauma that he and his family experienced while you held them hostage. And when the Bridger kid comes down with a horrific unknown disease, I will miraculously solve it and administer an antitoxin…I'll be sure to be seen as a hero to the scientific community."

As he spoke he walked over to another shelf and took out three syringes, laying them out on the table. He pocketed one in his jacket.

Kershing spoke up. "So, all that trouble, and you didn't even get a chance to sleep with her? That's a damn shame." Cobb and Kershing looked somewhat amused.

"Well, we must stick to the plan. Kristin was to be a bonus. And, who knows…there's still time before the UEO catches up to us. Perhaps I'll wait and try to sneak in a quickie before I give her this surprise." He giggled. "Now, where is Milton? Is he still in the kitchen? Do I have to do everything myself?"

Macintosh walked out of the room towards the kitchen, Kershing and Cobb following close behind him, leaving Kristin alone in the laboratory. She quickly looked around and walked over to where they were. There were a few empty vials on the shelf which looked like the one that Macintosh grabbed. Kristin had a moment of inspiration as she grabbed one of the empty injection guns and grabbed a nearby vial of saline solution. She filled the gun with the saline and put it in her jean pocket. She then carefully snuck out the side door and quickly, but cautiously walked down the corridor towards her room., opposite of where Macintosh and the other men were headed. She was close to the door to her room when two men appeared from a side door and turned towards her. Kristin noticed they didn't have guns visible, but that didn't mean they weren't hidden.

"Hey, what are you doing out of your room?" The men quickened their pace towards her.

Kristin's instinct kicked in and she knew she had to stay in character. She decided to flirt a bit to distract them.

"Well, hello, gentlemen. Might one of you be able to tell me where my husband is?"

The two men looked at each other, confused, but knowing that Macintosh had drugged her. Kristin continued.

"You know, Mr. Macintosh?"

One of the men responded.

"Macintosh. Yeah, he's around."

"The dear was supposed to bring me some food and I'm practically starving. Can you please tell him to come back to me?"

"Uh, yeah. We can do that. But you really should stay in your room."

"Oh, of course. I was only trying to find him." She reached a hand to each of their cheeks and pouted her lips a bit. "My, but we have such handsome staff members." She giggled lightly. "Will you please tell my Jeffie to hurry back. I miss him terribly."

The mercenaries let a small chuckle out. "Sure thing."

"Thank you." She smiled seductively and sauntered back to her room, giving them a flirty wave before going inside and letting out a sigh of relief as she closed the door and walked into the shower in the room. The two guards looked at each other trying to hold back a giggle and walked towards the kitchen in search of Macintosh.

"Mr. Macintosh, sir. It seems your…uh…wife…is looking for you."

"She is, is she?" He smiled.

"Yes, sir…she really wants you to hurry back. I would hurry back if I were you…Jeffie." Both of the men giggle.

"Oh, shut up, you two. Well, then. If she's that anxious to see me, I don't want to keep her waiting. How I wish Bridger could see this. Now, as for the rest of you, hurry up and leave on the mini sub. You know your orders. The UEO will be here soon and you don't want them finding you on board." The men quickly shuffled towards the launch bay. Macintosh smiled as he walked to the counter, picked up her sandwich and went back to the room. He heard the shower running and saw a damp-haired Kristin step out in a towel, smiling as she walked towards him.

"Jeff, darling, you took ages! I started to get worried. I took a shower and it felt heavenly. I left it running for you. Now, why don't you hop in that shower and get nice and clean so I can have my wicked way with you?"

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long, promising kiss. Surely, he couldn't resist. He hesitated, knowing the UEO were on their way and time was running out…but this was too good of an opportunity and there could be time for a little bit of fun.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. I brought you a sandwich and some water."

"My hero." Kristin smiled and kissed his cheek for effect. She grabbed the plate and water from him sat down at a small table in the room and started eating. She really was hungry. She only hoped Nathan and Lucas had been given something to eat as well.

Jeff stared at her as he took his jacket off and placed it on the chair. He unbuttoned and took off his shirt and smiled at her as he folded it and placed it on the dresser.

"Go on, Jeff. I'll be right here waiting for you." She winked at him.

He walked towards the bathroom and closed the main door behind him. Kristin waited until she heard the shower door close in order to quickly reach for the saline injection gun she had hidden under her jeans and walk over to Macintosh's jacket. She reached in the pockets and discovered the original one he planned to use on her. She switched them out, knowing that an injection of saline would not be harmful to her. She then heard the water stop running and the shower door opening. In a bit of a panic, she quickly hid the gun underneath one of the pillows on the bed, sprinted towards the desk and sat down as she turned on the hair dryer and grabbed a brush. At that moment, Macintosh stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked over to Kristin stood behind her as she continued to dry her hair. He grabbed the dryer from her hand and turned it off, laying it gently on the table.

"Now, what do you say we pick up where we left off?" He offered as he bent over to pick her up and carry her to the bed. Kristin dreaded what she had to do next.

A/N: It has definitely been way too long since my last update and I thank you for sticking with me and for reading and reviewing. Thank you, also to Mrs. Owl 09 for your recent reviews and feedback. They were a good reminder that people are still interested in this story and I should really keep going. I have a 1-year old keeping me busy and I am now expecting my second child later this year and have been having lots of nausea and fatigue over the last few months. So I apologize that I haven't update this story and my other story, Healing the Wild, in a long time. I admit I always get frustrated when I really enjoy a story and it doesn't get updated for a while and I realize I am very guilty of doing this. I promise not to abandon either one, even though it takes me a lot longer to update than many of the rock star authors out there. I will try to update more frequently. As always, I appreciate your feedback/reviews and I hope you enjoy where these stories are headed.