Chapter 14

Lucas woke up as the brig door opened. Curious, that someone should be visiting him at this time of night. He closed his eyes again, pretending to be asleep. It was surprising how much information you could gather if people thought you were sleeping. His thoughts were interrupted by the alarming noise of a cocked pistol somewhere near his left ear. He didn't bother opening his eyes.

"Well, if it isn't my dear old father. I was wondering when you'd show up."

"They told me you'd survived. I had to see it with my own eyes."

"Well, now you've seen it."

Taylor's pale eyes glinted in the dark brig.

"You're not even sorry, you worthless SCUM."

He grabbed Lucas' neck with his hand and pulled him into a sitting position. Lucas stared at him scornfully.

"Why should I be sorry? You've done far worse things in the name of war and you're not sorry." He smiled, looking as if it caused him pain to do it. "Are you?"

Nathaniel growled.

"The things I've done, the people I've had to kill, I did it ALL to protect my country, to protect my people .. to protect YOU."

Lucas snorted and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall.

"How noble of you. Shouldn't have bothered."

"That's right, I shouldn't have."

Taylor held the gun inches from Lucas' face. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, what are you waiting for, old man? Finish it."

Nathaniel's hand began to shake - first gently, then violently. He shook his head slowly as tears entered his eyes.

"I never wanted it to end this way, son. You leave me no choice."

The tears in Lucas' eyes reflected his father's.

"Just do it then." He glanced at Taylor's rattling hand. "DO IT!"

"WAIT!" Jim charged through the door toward Nathaniel, tackling him to the ground and separating him from his weapon. They both lay panting on the floor of the brig, Taylor's gun near Jim's hand. Lucas looked on in mild surprise, but little interest. He looked as though he didn't care what happened to him anymore.

Jim turned to Taylor as a tear ran down the man's leathery cheek.

"This isn't right. This isn't the way and you know it."

They both sat up.

"You should've let it be, Shannon. You should've .." Taylor trailed off, looking exhausted. Jim helped him up.

"Come on."

With a glance at Lucas, he led the Commander out of the brig. Lucas barely noticed them leave. He was left staring catatonically into space.

After Jim had put Taylor to bed, he had returned home. Nathaniel hadn't wanted to talk, he hadn't wanted tea, he hadn't even responded when Jim suggested bed, but Jim and Reynolds made him go anyway. A couple of extra guards were posted outside Taylor's door that night. As Jim entered his house, Elisabeth stood up from her seat at the dining room table.

"Oh, Jim." She went to him and hugged him. "Come and sit down. I'll make you some tea."

Jim sat down in the seat she had recently vacated.

"What are you doing up?"

Elisabeth opened the tea jar and smiled at him before turning back to the task at hand.

"I dunno, I wasn't really tired."

Jim smiled back at her. He knew very well how often she stayed up worrying about him when he wasn't home, but neither of them acknowledged it much.

"Ah, Elisabeth." Jim took her hand as she sat down opposite him and handed him his tea. "Sometimes, I don't know .. I just don't .."

Elisabeth watched him with concern and took a sip of her own tea.

"What happened? Is Commander Taylor okay?"

Jim shook his head.

"He tried to kill his own son, Elisabeth. His SON."

His wife stared at him in distress as he became more agitated.

"I mean, I know Lucas had done some bad things - terrible, horrific things, but-" Elisabeth shushed him gently.

"Shh. The kids are sleeping."

Jim lowered his voice, shaking his head again.

".. his own son .."

Elisabeth stared at a knot in the wooden table.

"I can't believe he'd ever try to .. even after everything that's happened."

"But he was going to, Elisabeth. I could see it in his eyes. He would've pulled the trigger." Jim put his head in his hands. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Elisabeth put her hand gently on his arm.

"Jim, Taylor hasn't been well. Maybe he'll see things differently in the morning."

Jim kept leaning on one of his hands, and moved the other to rest on top of Elisabeth's.

"I hope you're right."

"The thing you have to remember is that you did your part. You got there just in time and you saved him .. you probably saved them both."

Jim sighed.

"I don't know, Liz. I'm starting to wonder if there's some people it's just not possible to save."

Jim, Elisabeth and the Taylors made up only a few of the small multitude of people that were awake that night when they should have been sleeping. One of the others was Deborah Tate. She was still thinking over her conversation with Lucas from that morning - or wait, no, now it was the morning before. Deborah stared into the dark. During her stay at the Sixers camp, she had only seen Lucas a few times. He wandered around, mostly muttering to himself like he was lost in his own little world. Every now and then, he would look at her thoughtfully and they would watch each other for a moment. Once, he had actually spoken to her. She still remembered it vividly ..

"They tell me you're sick. Sincyllic fever, right?"

It hurt to move, but Deborah had looked up at the owner of the voice. It had been a long time since either of them had lived in the colony, but something about his face made her pause and take a closer look. She had only met Lucas a couple of times, and to be sure, he had changed a fair bit by now, but he still had the same look about him - intelligent, yet somehow abstract, distant. It was unclear whether he remembered her or not. He took a seat near her and continued talking.

"I had the fever once. Painful business."

Deborah had smiled at him. Thus rewarded, Lucas had persevered with the conversation.

"They tell me you were from Terra Nova."

Deborah nodded as Lucas stared at something near the end of the bed. His eyes filled with anger.

"Well, you're lucky. You got out."

"So did you." Deborah managed to say. Lucas smiled at her and rubbed the scars on his neck thoughtfully.

"That's right. I did." He seemed to drift away a little bit. "And soon my father will be dead and everything else will be nothing but a memory."

Deborah had looked worried.

"You're going to kill him?"

"If I have to." Lucas shrugged. "I'll do whatever it takes."

At that moment, Deborah began to shiver uncontrollably. Lucas watched her.

"Are you cold?"

Deborah shook her head.

"I'm alright."

Lucas had nodded and taken his leave then, but he had returned a few days later with a blanket in his arms.

"I .. brought you something."

He had laid it over her gently and started to withdraw. Deborah had reached out and taken his hand.

"Lucas .. thank you."

Lucas had jumped when she touched him, and now he slowly removed his arm and retreated a few steps away.

"Don't mention it, Deborah."

Deborah rolled onto her side. She had known he was dangerous, even back then. He had a vengeful streak that was unpredictable at best and close to terrifying at worst, and she certainly didn't want him anywhere near her daughter. But deep down, she could see he was lost and searching, and, truth be told, Deborah had always had a soft spot for abandoned creatures. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but she had a feeling that if anybody could reach him, she could. It was pretty cold in the brig. Perhaps she would go and see him tomorrow and return the favour. With that settled in her mind, Deborah soon fell asleep.

Unbeknownst to her mother, Skye was also lying awake a few doors away. Her mind was tossing this way and that. First thinking of Josh and his medicine, then Lucas, then Commander Taylor .. Her mind returned to Josh. What was she going to do while he was busy? She normally occupied herself with odd jobs around the colony - cleaning, waitressing at the Bar, helping with preparations for pilgrimages and the like. She had had a medical internship at the Infirmary at one stage, but ever since she had tampered with the evidence in the Sixer spy investigation, she'd been forced to abandon any plans in that department. Elisabeth understood why she had done it, and sympathised with her, but rules were rules. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if being a doctor would've suited her anyway. Too much research, too little sunshine. She was still surprised Josh had chosen the medical profession. After all, she was his closest friend and hadn't suspected it! Guess you never can tell what direction people are going to go in. But now, it was back to her. She had always just sort of drifted around, not knowing where she was going or what was going to happen next. Since she had gotten her mother back, she had some stability, but .. now what?! The only thing she had ever wanted to be when she was younger was a soldier, like her father. Yet, she had never seriously considered joining Taylor's security team. She had always figured there would be more rules and orders than she could deal with. But it was an exciting job. Variety. Lots of outdoor work. She was already a pretty good shot - Taylor had said so himself. They probably wouldn't even let her join, what with her own less-than-spotless record. Still, they'd let Curran back in - it couldn't hurt to ask. She thought back to the occupation. Some self-defence training might be useful anyway in case of another attack. Maybe tomorrow she'd search out Jim.

Having that settled in her head for now, her mind turned to other matters. Lucas' "deal" had been bothering her ever since she had first heard of it. She'd tried to put it out of her mind for a while, but it kept coming back. Could she really be of use to the colony by speaking to him? If she had a chance to help out in such an important regard, surely she should set aside her own personal feelings and just do it. What could he do anyway, handcuffed and in the brig? He was a resource now - there to be used. The last thing she wanted to do was sit and talk with him, but when so many other people had been forced to already .. Elisabeth had had to look after him while he was recovering! Surely she could sit and listen to him talk. Giving her the information was his idea after all. If he made her uncomfortable, she could simply leave. This was an easier decision. She would go to see Lucas in the morning.

Exhausted with the effort of having thought all these things through, Skye fell asleep.