(Bridget)

Woke up with perhaps only 2 Hours Sleep (v.v.bad); argued with Mum about baby, baby nurseries, and having colors done too numerous to mention) have had slight altercation with Admiral; and another visit from small Mark...Gaah!

8:00 AM Woke to pounding headache thanks to sleep deprivation of non-stop worry of whereabouts of husband. At this point I am attempting to liberate his book of contacts from satchel and start calling in favors to assist in search for Mark.

9:00 are having toast and coffee and have not heard one word from William. I must admit I am losing confidence in William due to Mark's undercover bodyguard buying it in jail, oops now I have suspicitiously began to speak like the very movies I've told Mark he needs to stay away from watching. And have now thought that perhaps William is operative bent on terminating Mark and this is some just clever cover up.

Pacing the room as I feel in such a quandary. Oh silly Bridget he is his son but maybe not, maybe he is some alien from some far away planet and hatched from a pod and this is a conspiracy ...oh I don't know my mind is a webbed mess of confusion and could possibly be baby brain.

Take deep cleansing breath and have paused over the book, and if anything I'm a woman who is determined to see this to the end...perhaps not very good choice of words but I know what I mean.

At this point I held coveted journal and address book in my hand. Thumbing back I came across the day of our wedding and I found a slip of paper clipped to the page, which two hearts were drawn interconnected and on it were our names, scribbled in the center. Imagine my surprise, he is a romantic! It is the poem he recited and held onto. Truly these words had great significance to him

(Submitted by Clarence Allen Iva, South Carolina)

Two hearts

Two hearts beat
at first independently singular
until the first glance
that first interlude;

Two hearts beat
irresolutely singular
through the pretenses, hopes and fears
until the rhythms smooth----the "I Do's"

Two hearts beat
in unison, beat by simultaneous beat
as if one, meshed together
in God's perfect love

Two hearts beat
sharing the flow, warmth and rhythms
of the ripples cascading from
two hearts forever as one

Two hearts beat
my wife's and mine
forever entwined
Bridget's and Mine

I love you

Wiping tears that nearly stained the journal I started calling colleagues close to him hoping to gain assistance by MI6. Two hours went by and all of them had excuses as to why they couldn't help. Moreover, citing that I was better to acknowledge that I didn't know my husband as well as I should and to aid him or me would be aiding or abetting a double agent or worse spy. Gaah! My head hit the table as I rubbed my tummy. What were we going to do?

(Mark)

Mark heard the forklifts of crates being lifted from just outside the room he was detained. It seemed more of an organized operation and one of which caused him to doubt the certainty of escape.
Louder voices came and suddenly he was yanked and thrown to the ground. Then dragged as his captors mocked him and dragged up steel steps to what felt like a cargo hold of a plane.

"Here dog, let's leash you to this so you won't cause any trouble." And then for no apparent reason he was slapped across the face one more time.

He felt the sudden jolt of the aircraft. He felt the rush of engines and then suddenly they were airborne and what is worse he didn't have any idea where he was headed too. He was confused and disoriented from the numerous beatings he had sustained.

Slipping in and out of consciousness as he felt weakened by near starvation and parched from thirst with his blood from his beatings being the only taste that was palpable in his mouth. He attempted to yank at cuffs that held him till he was nearly pierced with a sharp object.

Flashback..."Come Darcy, that is it, in survival training all things can be penetrated." It was his drill and squad leader from Eaton. He remembered they were on Eaton's annual survival weekend and it was his assignment to figure how to escape his imprisonment and make it to the station by week's end. He did it then and he could do it now. Establishing that he had metal against metal and measuring center he began to concentrated task of breaking through his bonds of steel.

The plane afforded the noise he needed to the intense scraping. Yet he felt every muscle as it ached in his weariness and beatings. Then it clicked and his hands were free. Pulling up his mask he confirmed his whereabouts. Then he heard David's voice coming through...quick he assumed his status of imprisonment.

"Hey Wanker," as he kicked him and Mark pretended he was startled awake. He then yanked at his hair but Mark maintained his cool for the opportune moment.

"Well you should be prepared for your future although it is not much." He laughed. "You were always so inept and even more so...you see (whispering near his ear) your plane here will crash over the Kurdish border while we escape via parachute." He laughed even fore diabolically." Then when they find what ever remains of you they will also find arms and ammunitions and that quite possibly that you were guilty in illegal arm trading."

He stood up walking away from Mark, "and I will be retired in Grand Cay..." gagging as struggle ensued and Mark took the chains and used them to choke the life out of one who was his friend but Mark could not go back he needed to survive and the rage in him burned hot..."you are the one who won't make it. He kept looking towards the door wondering if anyone would come through the cargo hold...no one...he stripped his friend and took his clothes and placed him in his prison uniform. He picked up his revolver and took it attaché and placed his chute pack on his back preparing what he had seen Bridget do once...jump from a plane.

Mark heard the creaking of the door and hid behind a box as most assuredly the one that slapped him came through...he realized it was David and before he could pull his gun out Mark popped up from where he stood and shot him as well. By that time another came and Mark hit him as well. Grabbing the attaché and pushing the button to open the cargo door Mark prepared to make his escape but not before another wrestled him to the ground ...Mark continued to deal with his rage and pushed the man against the wall releasing more rounds and shooting another...but not before a bullet ricocheted and hit the pilot on the plane. Mark grabbed the attached flung it into a satchel and jumped.

He opened his chute unaware of where he was headed but never so glad to be free as he watched the plane descend and crash...he knew only know he had a better chance of proving his freedom and making it back to Bridget a free man.

He hit the ground but heard jeeps off in the distance he picked up his stuff but not before he was tackled to the ground. This could not be happening.

As the chute was pulled away and the guns aimed at him...a man parted the two that held him at gunpoint. He pushed away the turban the shielded his face to reveal Kafir...

"Kafir"

"Mr. Darcy...hello friend." He pulled Mark up and the men immediately pulled back their guns.

(Bridget)

4:30 PM Nauseous...I'm feeling nauseous...oh I think I'm going to be sick. Went to the loo and realized startling revelation was true and the worse part of all this pregnancy business is I will be without him with no one to hold onto and I'm two months into it.

I then took my arm to wipe my eyes on my sleeves as I entered back into our room, I feel so alone as I curled up on my bed and began to sob uncontrollably, so much so I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. There was the child's voice again and I walked back to the hall turned to an old study where a boy of 8 stood by an easel. It was Mark and certainly the way perhaps he was at 8 years old.

"Mum just a moment I have to finish this up." He stood by the easel meticulously working on what would seem at least to this little boy a Picasso.

"Hello," he motioned for me to come over. I was startled to find that it was a picture of a very large trees in the yard and paddling pool in the background the tree and my initials BJ in the center. "It is a Valentine for Bridget." "She is my new friend and I'm going to give it to her at my parent's Valentine Party."

I looked at it and looked at him with a tear. "It is beautiful."

He motioned to me, "Can you keep a secret?" I nodded back.

He then whispered, "I'm going to marry her one day."

I stepped back to Elaine's voice..."Bridget are you here?" I turned to see her and point back and she looked at me in some odd fashion.

"Are you ok?" She brushed my hair from my face as she approached and said, "I thought we might have some tea." We left the room and I looked back to see there was nothing.

"Scones," she offered as she poured the tea.

Soon after I saw everyone enter the room and realized that this was not just a social tea but also possibly a wake.

The Admiral paced a bit and I knew something was about to break forth especially since Shazza, Tom, and Jude as well as Heather positioned themselves around me.

I've received news from Willliam...he stopped clearing his throat as if to hold back a little emotion but nothing could break his outer exterior..." It seems the plane carrying Mark as hostage...has
Has...

"Has what"...I said, Wot? " I shouted.

"Has crashed and likely there are no survivors." He stopped and all of a sudden there were people hugging me and holding me but the funny thing was I felt like I was having an outer body experience watching this take place...

"I think a memorial service should be planned right away and of course Bridget we will take...

"No ... No he is not dead...I know it ...I can feel it...he said Darcy men survive...and you, " pointing at Admiral) why are you in such a hurry to dispense of your son just like you have done all your life."

"Bridget!" Mum gasped.

"No you listen he said Darcy men survive...he was always wanting your attention and you never gave him credit for being as brave as you...I was blathering on and Elaine looked alarmed and then the phone rang off with William on the line ...

I grabbed it and told him that I refused to believe his information until firm proof came that Mark was indeed on that plane, otherwise the search would continue...I remember leaving the room and Elaine following suit passed the Admiral who's mouth was gaping with shock at my outburst..

I fell to bed and began to weep..."Bridget we need to talk because you seem to know ... Do you dream?"

I looked up at her and she down at me and I grasped onto her in a big embrace...I think we were about to share in something special...