Chapter 21

Heidi and Jordan snuggled together in Dean's spare bedroom. "Jordan?" Heidi asked, turning over to look at him.

"Yeah, Heidi?" Jordan asked, yawning.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Heidi asked, her fear evident.

"We are going to get out of town for a while, and then this whole thing will blow over." Jordan pulled her closer. He kissed her shoulder and sighed. "We won't let anything happen to anyone."

Heidi nodded, her silence betraying her feelings. She didn't quite think that it was over, but really hoped that Jordan was right.

Much to Heidi's surprise, the rest of the night was uneventful and morning came without incident. Heidi and Lara sat in the front room, waiting for Jordan and Dean to finish securing the house.

Heidi nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "Lara, are you as worried as I am?"

Lara smiled at Heidi. "Sure I am, I just try and not show it too much." Lara patted Heidi's knee. "As long as we stick together, we'll get through all this. Look how far we have come." Lara waved her hand showing her engagement ring. "And, look at what we got out of this!"

Heidi laughed. What Lara was saying was true enough. She listened to Jordan and Dean chat as they walked through the house. "I hear you on that!" Her spirit felt light as Jordan ushered them through the door.

They drove in amicable silence to the HQ, and saw Chase, Lachie, Vince and Michelle waiting for them. Heidi gasped when she saw the sight of the HQ all boarded up. She shook her head. "All this, because of me. This makes no sense."

Lara gave her friend a quick hug, hoping to cheer her up. "It's not because of you – it's because of that psycho family!"

Heidi nodded, but clearly didn't believe her.

Michelle walked over to their truck and put a copy of the directions to the cottage through the window. Dean passed them to Jordan, who had taken the duty of navigator upon himself. "You guys okay?" She eyed Heidi, who merely nodded and continued looking out the window. Michelle sighed and tipped her head towards the HQ. "The place is going to be renovated. Our relief squad will be working out of a different location. When we come back, it will be renovated and be back to normal."

Dean smiled. "Good. So, shall we meet you there?"

Michelle nodded, and pointed to the waiting truck. Vince and Lachie were in the front and Chase was sitting in the back. "We're going to head out. If we get separated, just follow the directions." Michelle lowered her voice before continuing, "and keep your eyes open for a tail."

Dean nodded solemnly and pulled back out of the parking, following the directions. Dean could feel Jordan's anxiousness from where he sat behind the wheel. Dean looked quickly over his shoulder to see that Heidi had fallen asleep, and Lara was watching over her.

Heidi slept through the entire three hour drive, not even waking when they made a quick stop to fuel the truck. Lara jostled Heidi as they pulled up in front of the cottage. "Heidi, we're here." Michelle and her team had been

Heidi slowly opened her eyes, the sight of the cottage registering. It was beautiful, but fear struck her as she looked at it. The last time she had been in a remote place like this, Mac had kidnapped her.

Lara could see the worry on Heidi's face and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay Heidi. We've got you."

Heidi smiled and hobbled towards the porch. She could see a front-porch swing, with tables and chairs set up to enjoy sunsets and the lush views of the countryside. Her ankle was still sore, but she was happy to walk without the help of a crutch or a cane. Banishing her memories, she stepped up the stairs and waited for Michelle to come and open the door. She wanted this whole situation to go away. She wanted to get married and get back to the job that she loved.

She lowered herself down onto the swing and stared out into the countryside. Michelle had been right, this place was fantastic. So peaceful and tranquil that for a few moments, Heidi was able to forget what had happened to her.

Jordan sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into him. "Heidi, you okay?"

Heidi nodded and placed her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, Jordan. Thanks. I'm just really tired physically and emotionally."

Jordan kissed the top of her head and held her tight. If that was what she needed, he would be happy to sit with her like this for forever.

Mac's Family

His mother paced the hotel room that her husband had rented. She knew that the police were onto her by now, but she had more things to figure out before she finished what she started.

Her husband opened the door, entering as quickly as possible. "The coppers are really after you. Your picture is everywhere. That's why I got this stuff." He opened a bag containing hair dye, large sunglasses, a head scarf and scissors. "We are going to give you a makeover, that way you can go and take care of Heidi."

She smiled at him, "thank you darling. You know just what I need."

"Have you worked out your plan?"

"Yes." She pointed to a piece of paper. "They went out of town, unfortunately for them, I have tracking devices on all their vehicles. It is amazing how unconcerned they are for their own welfare. Leaving their vehicles parked there all day." She laughed. "They have gone up to the country. I have the coordinates. We leave tonight."

The Team

They all sat around, munching on dinner. Dean had grilled steaks and Lara had taken care of making a salad. The others had prepared the bedrooms for the night.

Lachie looked over and noticed that Heidi had barely touched her meal. From the looks on his brothers' faces, Dean and Chase had noticed it as well. Chase was the first to speak. "Heidi... Aren't you hungry? Are you okay?"

Heidi shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, no. I feel guilty and I'm tired of it. I'm just tired, period." She could feel the anger that had been bubbling beneath the surface rise, and she pushed back from the table. She paced in the living room; rubbing her face with both hands. "I feel guilty – you guys are here trying to protect me, and that has done is get you shot at, attacked, tied up... It's not worth it. I think you should all go home and let me deal with this."

Jordan rose to speak, but Vince stopped him. "Heidi-ho, you have to understand that when one team member is in trouble, we're all in trouble. We're a team. We are here to help each other - we are more than a team. We're a family."

Heidi turned to face them. "I know we are, Vince, but I still don't feel right about all this."

It was Lara's turn to speak. "Look, I think we are all on edge. Heidi, it is normal to have feelings of guilt. After everything you have gone through, it is only normal. That being said, I think we should just try and take a breather here."

Lachie cleared his throat. "Can I say something? As a person who wasn't here when all this started?" He didn't wait before continuing. "There is no right or wrong reaction here. We are all entitled to feel how we feel, no matter if it is guilt, anger, rage..."

"He's right," Michelle piped in.

Heidi nodded, the fight gone out of her. She sat down at the table and began slowly munching on her food. "Sorry guys – I'm ..." The sound of her cell phone ringing cut her off. Her breath caught in her throat. She didn't recognize the number and decided it to let it go to voicemail immediately, rather than answering it. She wanted to have a copy of whatever the message was, especially if it was from Mac's mother. She waited for the voicemail indicator to show up and dialled in. As soon as she heard the voice, she knew it was bad. She closed her eyes and sat at the table listening. Shaking with rage, she put the phone on speaker and let the team listen to the message. "It's her."

"Heidi... tsk tsk tsk – you shouldn't be screening your calls. You should really be answering me. Remember how obsessed my dear boy was with you? Well I'm going to finish the job. I know you have gone into hiding somewhere – but I will find you somehow." An evil laugh coasted over the line. "Just keep watching your back. It's a real pity that we made it through my first attempt. Tell your little work friend that he shouldn't have saved your life, because now he's on my list too. All your little friends are. See you soon!"

Heidi shivered as she closed the call after saving the message. She pushed her plate away. She had completely lost her appetite. "I'm going outside for some air." She opened the front door and sat down on the swing, her heart heavy.

Jordan stood and immediately began making a tea for himself and Heidi. "I'm going to sit out there with her. Every time she goes outside for air, something happens." A few minutes later, he was outside, sitting on the swing. "You okay?"

Heidi wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling cold inside. "Nope." Hugging herself tighter, she swayed with the swing, her eyes scanning outside.

"Dean, Vince, Lachie, Chase and I are going to take turns sitting on the porch watching. We don't trust that psycho for one minute."

Heidi nodded, withdrawing even further into herself. She hated the fact that the entire team was in danger. She had this horrible feeling that things were going to get much much worse.