Greetings,

This chapter is going to be a little different - it has three parts. Two are currently written and the third is still in the works. This first part is short, but I decided to post it so it wouldn't be so long in between updates. I hope you're enjoying this story - it's been an interesting one to write.

Bander

Harold leaned forward and frowned. Rain was streaming off the windshield of his car in a continuous sheet. The drive back from the city had taken longer than expected – the pop up storm having drastically reduced visibility and slowed traffic on the interstate to a crawl.

"I think it's starting to let up," Grace said from the seat beside him.

"Perhaps," he agreed, settling back against the seat. They'd spent the majority of the day wandering the halls of the art museum across town. There was an abstract exhibit that Grace had expressed interest in seeing, and he'd taken her as a surprise. "There's no doubt we need the rain, but the timing is a bit inconvenient."

"Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"Yes, but it's in the trunk. If the rain doesn't let up soon, I'll get it for you."

"Harold…"

"There's no need for both of us getting wet. Besides, you have your camera to protect."

Both turned to look out the passenger side when a car honked as it pulled into the spot beside them. It was Sameen returning with Steve from the airport. They could see Bear in the back, his nose pressed against the foggy glass. The two women rolled down their windows a crack.

"Did you order this?" Sameen asked.

"No!" Grace exclaimed. "This is crazy – I didn't think it was supposed to start until after midnight!"

"That's what I heard too. All well – it'll save on showering later. We're going to make a run for it. You guys want to join us or are you going to wait it out?"

Grace turned to Harold. "Sounds like fun – you want to go for it?"

Intentionally getting soaked hardly sounded fun to the hacker, especially since the rain was cold and the suit he was wearing was dry clean only. He was powerless to resist though; the look of excitement in her eyes melted his resolve every time. "I don't see why not. It is only water after all."

She gave his hand a quick squeeze before calling out the window: "You go first! We'll be right behind you!"

Sameen said something back that made Grace laugh, but Harold couldn't make out what it was. Removing and pocketing his glasses, he was about to reach for the door handle when her phone began to ring.

"Oh, shoot, this could be really important," she said, looking at the number on the screen. "Harold, do you mind if I take this?"

"Not at all." He looked out to see the others sprinting across the parking lot.

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up in a minute," she urged as she answered the call. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Hi, yes, good, good, I've been waiting to hear back from you." Noticing that he was still watching her, she mouthed 'go!' and made a shooing motion with her free hand.

Despite his curiosity about her call, Harold opened the door and stepped out into the cold, driving rain. Holding a newspaper over his head, he started across the lot toward the building.

I wonder who the caller could be…? He thought, cutting through one of the landscaped islands rather than going around it. She has every right to her privacy…but she said it could be important…really important…she didn't sound apprehensive when she answered it…I suppose it could be something good…

He skirted around a puddle only to wind up standing ankle deep in another. Without his glasses, telling the high ground from the low was next to impossible. Accepting that his custom-made Oxfords were likely ruined, he gave up avoiding puddles and simply splashed through them.

Oh…Maybe it's a curator from one of the galleries back in Tuscany? It would be great if she got the display space she applied for…her work would be seen and perhaps even purchased or commissioned…but it would also mean going back to Italy…and to the quiet…I don't think I want to do that…or can…

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it had been a curator on the phone. There was no one else it could possibly be. Discarding the ruined newspaper in the trash, Harold schooled his features as he pushed through the first lobby door, not wanting to reveal his newfound dismay until his suspicions were confirmed. He opened the second door and stepped into the reception area just as Bear decided to shake the water from his fur.

"Sorry, Harold," Steve said sheepishly as he let go of the dog's collar. "I tried to stop him, but he was too quick."

"It's all right, doctor," he replied, wiping the vaguely dog-scented water from his face with his wet sleeve. "Once Bear decides to do something, it's virtually impossible to stop him." He retrieved his glasses from his pocket and slipped them on. With the world back in focus, he spotted Sameen by the interior entrance, her phone against her ear and an unreadable expression on her face.

"Some downpour, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was a rather unpleasant surprise," Harold said, noticing that the front desk was unoccupied. "The receptionist is…?"

"Gone. It's after five – Sam used her keycard to unlock the doors. Probably a good thing given all the water we tracked in."

The hacker looked from the puddle on the floor to the walls and up to the ceiling – all of which had been sprayed when Bear shook the water from his coat. "Oh dear…"

"Maintenance will get it," Steve said, spying a 'wet floor' sign by the inner door and setting it out.

"I trust you had a good flight?" Harold asked as he stripped off his sodden sport coat.

"Except for the fuel issue that grounded us in Atlanta for a few hours, yeah, it wasn't bad. How was the museum?"

"Good, good. The exhibit was good," Harold said a little too enthusiastically. "Grace has wanted to go since she saw the ad online. It was a blend of realism and abstract – sort of a new age, hybrid style. Not something I would have gone to on my own, but having her around to offer insight…"

"You were bored out of your mind, weren't you?"

He glanced furtively toward the door. "Through most of it, yes, I'm afraid I was. If it hadn't been for Grace's enthusiasm, I would have called the trip a disaster. She had to take a phone call, but I'm sure she'd be delighted to share the pictures she took with you when she returns."

"Oh, I don't know about that…"

"Sorry to break up the reunion, boys, but we've got a problem – a big problem," Sameen said as she rejoined them. "Reese is gone."

"Gone?" Harold felt his stomach plummet to his knees. "My dear God. He was doing so well, I-I can't believe this – what changed? Why didn't anyone…?"

"Finch, he's missing, not dead," Sameen clarified, hurrying to correct her poor word choice before the man could dissolve into a complete meltdown. "Although he'll probably wish he was after I get through with him."

"John's missing? How's that possible?" Steve asked.

A flicker of something that might have been guilt crossed her face. "It's a long story. Let's just leave it at that I said some really stupid things and he got upset." She shoved her matted bangs off her forehead. "He told me he was just going out to the garden, but the Machine said he headed for the western trail system instead."

"The trails? Ms. Shaw, Mr. Reese wasn't even supposed to be out of his room without supervision," Harold said, having somewhat recovered from his scare.

"Yeah, well, after he put a hole in the wall, I wasn't about to stop him. The Machine said she tried, but he threatened to hurt anyone that got in his way. And he was pissed off enough to do it too."

Harold was more curious than ever as to what she'd said to John. He knew the younger man had a dangerous temper, but he usually kept it under tight control. There were a few things, however, that would set the normally rational man off faster than a spark on kindling. "Why didn't the staff alert us to Mr. Reese's absence?"

"They didn't know," the Machine said, speaking through Sameen's phone so they could all hear. "In fact, they still don't. John asked me to cover for him, so I did. According to the computers, he's been in PT for the last three and a half hours. I'm sorry, Harry. I'm afraid I may have made things worse."

"How's that?"

"John is…" the Machine paused as if searching for the right word. "Sometimes I think he receives bad news better than he does reassurance."

"Can't your Machine track him?"

"I wish I could, Steve. John dumped his phone right before he left the building. The last I saw of him was on the security camera mounted just outside the trailhead. I've been monitoring the game cameras posted along the different trails, but there's been no sign of him."

"He's smart enough to go around them, or he just went off the marked trail entirely," Sameen speculated. "He was sore and not moving well when he left; I doubt he got very far. Although this is ex-GI Commando we're talking about; he could be almost to Canada by now."

"I should hope not," Harold muttered, concern for his friend rapidly mounting. "But regardless how far he got, we have to find him."

The door swung opened behind them. "Harold! Harold!" Grace exclaimed as she hurried into the lobby. "I have the most amazing news! I just spoke to…" She stopped and her smile faded when she saw the apprehension on everyone's faces. "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Reese is missing," he told her. "According to the Machine, he's gone out onto the trails."

"What? Why?"

"The why isn't important right now," Steve said, giving Sameen a pointed look. "But finding him is. It's going to start getting dark soon, and with it comes the potential for more bad weather. He's already been through one downpour, I'd rather he not go through another."

"The trail system here is extensive," Harold began. "How do we even know where to start?"

"We know he went in at the west trailhead. That gives us a starting point and narrows the possibilities of where he could have gone."

Sameen snorted. "It might not narrow the search as much as you think, Doc. That's the biggest trail network on the reserve."

"Some are pretty technical too," Grace added. "During the day you can pick your path, but getting around in the dark would be difficult."

Steve's eyebrows rose. "You know the trails?"

"We've hiked some of them," Sameen said. "And she's right – the terrain gets pretty rough in places. If Reese was at a hundred percent, I doubt he'd have a problem, but the way he's moving now…" She shook her head.

Harold frowned. "How many possible trails are we talking about?"

"The main trail goes in for a ways before it starts to branch off. We saw at least a dozen paths in just the first mile alone. Some loop back around further up, but most go on for miles and link up with other trails within the network."

"All right. I've heard enough talk." Sameen had taken up Bear's leash and was preparing to leave. "You guys can stand around and chat as long as you want, but I'm going out to find John."

"Sam…"

"We're burning daylight, Maxwell."

"Yup. And we're going to burn a little more too. We have a lot of ground to cover and a limited amount of time to do it. We need a plan in place if this is going to work."

"I've already got one."

"Do you now?" The doctor crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to share it?"

Sameen sighed impatiently. "I'm going to take Bear out to the trailhead, let him sniff around, follow him straight to Reese, and drag his sorry, sulking ass home. Is that good enough for you?"

"The first part is," Steve replied, knowing the rain would have likely washed away any physical trail John had left behind. Enough of his scent, however, most likely had remained. "But the rest could use some work. I think you've caused John enough grief for one day. You're not going to be the first person he sees coming up the trail."

Harold took an involuntary step back. Talking to Sameen in such a way was like running with scissors; you might get away with it once or twice, but eventually you were going to get hurt.

Sameen leveled her gaze with the doctor, a silent challenge to his bold statement. "I made a mistake. I admitted to it and I tried to make it right. You're still trying to punish me like I'm a child?"

"This isn't about punishment, Sam," the doctor insisted. "It's about respecting John and his needs right now. Whatever you said to him was upsetting enough to drive him away…"

"More like he ran away…"

"…And I doubt very much that he needs you to accost him for a second time."

"I apologized."

To Steve, her statement came out sounding like it was an accomplishment, and he knew that for her it probably was. "That's a good place to start," he said. "Now show John you're sincere by giving him some space. It's still up to him whether he's going to accept it or not."

Anger flashed in her eyes. A moment later it was gone. "You can't expect me to sit idle while he's out there."

"I don't," he replied, noting the barest hint of surprise that crossed her face. "We're just going to do this my way."

"And that would be?"

Steve turned from Sameen to address the others. Both Harold and Grace wore the same look of guarded bewilderment on their faces, almost like they didn't believe what they'd just seen. "Take fifteen minutes. Change into some dry clothes, sturdy shoes, and rain gear if you have it. We'll regroup briefly and then Harold and I will take Bear out to look for John. Sam, you and Grace will wait here. We'll give you a call when we find him and go over the plan for getting him home."

"You know damn well he's going to need help after having been out there for so long," Sameen argued. "Why don't we just all go?"

"Because John may not be mobile and if that's the case, we're going to need a backboard or a stretcher, and I don't feel like hauling either one around the woods on a maybe. I also want someone here that's knowledgeable in case he returns and our paths don't cross."

"Go with it, Sweetie," the Machine said in her ear. "It's the best way. John's on the defensive right now – even if you went to him completely non-confrontational, there's a good chance he won't listen. Let Steve and Harry run interference. You'll know when you can approach the Big Guy again. I'm proud of you, you know. I doubt that even just a year ago you'd be feeling such remorse for what you said to John. It's a big step. My little Sammy is growing up."

"Yeah, well your Little Sammy is going to throw up if you don't…" Sameen stopped when she saw the others were looking at her funny. She cleared her throat and turned to Steve. "Have it your way."

"Terrific," he said, turning on his heel and heading toward his on-campus quarters. "See you all back here in fifteen minutes."

"Come on – I suppose you want to be dried off too," Sameen muttered as she collected Bear's leash.

"Ms. Shaw…"

"Don't say anything, Finch," she said, leading the dog toward the same door Steve had disappeared through. "I already know it's a hell of a lot easier to make a mess than it is to clean one up."

The hacker frowned. He wasn't used to hearing the tone of defeat in her voice. Time and experiences have the power to change a person…I just didn't expect it to be quite so profound…

"Harold?"

He jumped when a hand closed over his shoulder. He turned to find Grace watching him with a quizzical look. "Sorry, my dear. I was lost in thought for a moment. Let's walk and talk, shall we? Fifteen minutes isn't much time." He reached out and linked his arm with hers. "You're not even wet!"

The astonishment in his voice made her smile. "I told you it looked like the rain was letting up. By the time I was through with my call, it had stopped."

"That hardly seems fair," he groused, though not entirely serious. "You said you had some news to tell me?"

"Later. Finding John is more important right now." She sighed, gazing out at the cloudy day through the floor to ceiling windows that lined the hall. "That poor man. I can't imagine what Sameen said to him. I know she can be crude and honest at times, but…"

"The filter between Ms. Shaw's mind and mouth doesn't always function properly. She seems genuinely sorry – guilty even – which is rather unusual of her. Unfortunately Mr. Reese doesn't forgive and forget as easily as some. Whatever may have transpired between the two of them – I just hope the damage can be repaired."

"Do you think John's all right?"

"He's usually quite good at looking after himself." He had tried to sound confident, but was unable to completely keep the concern from his voice. "I'm sure he's fine."

The couple fell into a companionable silence as they made their way across the campus. It wasn't until they'd reached their apartment that Grace spoke, raising a question that Harold had been pondering himself.

"Do you think John would…I mean…he wouldn't do anything…foolish…would he?"

He wanted to ask her what could be more foolish than venturing out into the woods mere weeks after being released from traction, but he didn't. He knew what she meant and foolish was a polite way to put it. Sameen had said John was upset enough to put a hole in the wall. Added to his frustrations of a difficult recovery and the uncertainly of his future, it might have been enough to push the younger man beyond his limits.

Harold reached into his pocket for his keys. "No. I think Mr. Reese just needed some time alone. We all get that way now and then. I'm sure he's fine." He cringed as he turned away to unlock the front door, realizing he had repeated himself. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or to keep from worrying Grace further, but either way he was pretty sure it was falling short.

And, truth be known, it's not the foolish behavior I'm concerned about… he thought as he opened the door and stepped inside. It's the irrational, irrevocable ones I fear the most…