I am so sorry for making everyone wait so long for this chapter. I do the majority of my writing on the weekends and these last two have been pretty busy. If it's any consolation, the chapter's pretty long. I've been over it numerous times, trying to figure out ways to condense and after a while, my eyes begin to cross. Hopefully, when all of you read it, you won't suffer the same fate.

This story is just about over - I'm thinking maybe two more chapters to wrap everything up. There's still a couple of loose ends to deal with and I'm assuming everyone would like to know what happens in the aftermath. If not, say so in any reviews you feel like posting and if the 'nays' are in the majority, I'll skip that part. Thanks again for your patience. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 28

Thursday,

Bymer Pass

Southeastern Bacovia

1730 Local

Anatoli rounded the bend and slowed down, frowning. Rocks were blocking the entrance to a wider area of the trail. He glanced at the slope above, perplexed. This wasn't an unstable area and although the rocks looked like they'd rolled down, the ground above didn't appear damaged like it should. He stumbled forward a moment later when a rifle muzzle hit him in the back.

"Stop stalling," Oleg ordered, scowling. "They're just rocks, climb over." He was beginning to wonder if he even needed a guide, much less one that seemed to jump at every shadow. The trail wasn't that hard to follow and he'd yet to see anything to justify its reputation for danger and death. Perhaps the stories were just that - stories, designed to provide some sort of livelihood for the family that lived next to the trailhead.

Pick crouched a little lower behind one of the larger boulders near the trail and looked over to Tink's position. Catching the big man's attention, he pointed to the first man picking his way over the rocks and nodded. It looked like their assumption that Leonid's father, Anatoli, would be leading was correct. They hadn't had much time to plan but neither wanted the boy's father to become collateral damage if they could help it. Pick's role in the ambush would be the most dangerous. He would be responsible for separating Anatoli from the rest of the group while demanding their surrender. It also meant he would exposed for a crucial few seconds if the men decided to fight.

Sliding around to the far side, Pick waited. Tink had done a good job placing the rocks. The line of men spread out as they picked their way through. There were five of them besides Leonid's dad. One of them appeared injured, he was on a horse at the back of the line. Anatoli was leading the packhorse at the head. Pick was counting on the bulk of the horse to help shield him from view until the last possible second.

Anatoli threaded his way through the rocks, looking for the best path for his horse. When he drew level with several large rocks, Mijo threw his head up and snorted. Tensing, Anatoli turned to see what was disturbing the old gelding. The sight of a man in black with a lethal-looking rifle had him stumbling backwards with a startled yelp.

Pick cursed under his breath. Murphy's Law had just trumped their plan. He hadn't taken into account that the horse might spook first. Taking a second to steel himself, he popped up from behind boulder, leveling his rifle at the remaining men. A split-second later, he was ducking for cover as a barrage of shots came his way.

Oleg jerked his head up from watching his feet when the guide let out a fear-pitched cry. Snapping a warning over his shoulder to the rest of his men, Oleg brought his rifle up. At nearly the same time, a man with a rifle appeared from behind a large boulder. Oleg opened fire immediately, his men joining in at the same time. The man ducked just as more gunfire erupted. Beside Oleg, Jovan gave a cry and fell. Ilija went down next and Oleg scrambled for cover, firing as he went. Filip had pulled Danijel off the horse and taken cover near the entrance of clearing. Both were returning fire.

Tink ducked as a slug hit and skipped along the surface of the boulder. Although the odds were a little better now, a prolonged firefight was the last thing he and Pick needed. Their supply of ammunition wasn't limitless. He moved to the side of boulder. Two of the men were hunkered down near the entrance and beginning to lay down an increasing amount of fire. He needed to take them out as quickly as possible. Tink took a breath and leaned around the side, squeezing off a round. He ducked back at the answering gunfire and tried not to worry. He hadn't heard anything from Pick since the shooting started.

He'd just fired off a couple more rounds when he finally heard Pick start shooting. Smiling in relief, he swung around the side of the boulder again. The men were concentrating on Pick and Tink managed to take another one down. Now it was two against two. A minute later, their opponents were down to one. He held on for a little bit longer before finally throwing his weapon out and putting his hands in the air. Tink rose cautiously, motioning for the man to come forward. Once the man was out in the open, Tink threw a quick look over towards Pick and felt a gut-twisting shock. Anatoli had stood up from behind the boulder with Pick's rifle in his hands.

o o o o o

Thursday,

Outskirts of Tchort's Forest

Southeastern Bacovia

1905 Local

Harm and Mac sat quietly together as the men went about preparing a meal and eating. It was hard to watch and worse smelling the aromas, but no one offered them anything either to eat or drink. Despite that, they were both feeling better. Leaving the Forest had lifted an oppressive weight. After the men had finished, several of them began adding more wood to the fires, adding extra light to the camp. The two JAG officers exchanged worried looks, suspecting that something unpleasant was being planned despite Trask's words about waiting until midnight.

Nothing happened and after a little while, Harm frowned, leaning towards Mac, "What was that all about?" Mac shook her head tensely, watching the men slowly gather. She'd seen that predatory look before. Another minute and half passed and their attention was drawn to the tent area to their right. They were both shocked to see Trask being rolled forward in a wheelchair.

He smiled at them, focusing on Harm and gesturing towards the chair, "Surprised at my mode of travel? You shouldn't be - this is because of you." He made a show of looking at his watch, "And in - three hours and forty-two minutes, I will express my appreciation. In the meantime, Mr. Harper?" Trask waited for the big man to step forward, "Perhaps a little entertainment to while away the time?"

Harper grinned, "Yes sir, I think something can be arranged." He turned to see Harm struggling to his feet with Mac's help and strolled towards them spreading his hands, "Why, Mr. Rabb, don't get up on my account." He circled, gradually closing the distance with the wary couple. Harm and Mac started to back up only to collide with a line of men. Two of them stepped in and shoved the JAG officers forward. Harper lunged at the same time, hitting Harm with his shoulder and knocking him down while roughly grabbing Mac from behind.

His satisfied smirk only lasted a couple of seconds as Mac slammed her heel down on the instep of his foot. He loosened his hold with an agonized yelp and Mac spun in his grasp, hammering her elbow into his solar plexus. Gasping from the pain as well as the sudden expulsion of air, Harper folded over. At the same time, Mac crouched, tucking herself tightly under his shoulder while grabbing his arm. Yanking forward as she snapped her legs straight sent Harper sailing over her head to land heavily on his side. Mac held on to his arm through the throw. Sliding her grip to his wrist, she pulled back and pivoted, forcing him onto to his stomach. Planting a foot on the back of his neck, she kept the arm extended and rotated it into a painful wrist-lock. All told, it took less than a minute. There was a shocked silence in the camp punctuated only by Harper's wheezing groans.

After a few seconds, Trask began to chuckle. It grew until he was laughing uproariously, pointing a shaking finger at Harper as tears ran down his face. The men shifted nervously, looking at each other uncertainly. One or two chanced a small smile as the Reverend continued to laugh. Mac shot a bewildered look at Harm, who had managed to regain his feet. He shrugged, watching Trask closely as he limped towards her. Mac felt Harper attempt to shift and increased the pressure on the wrist-lock with a sharp yank. Harper yelped in pain and froze again, gasping.

"Mac!"

Harm's frantic warning had her head snapping up. Eyes wide, she saw a still-chuckling Trask point a pistol at her and fire. Mac threw herself backwards as a force slammed into her chest, sending her sprawling to the ground. Breathless from the impact, Mac squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to hit. Instead, she heard Kate's voice in her ear.

"Dammit, MacKenzie, move!"

Her eyes flew open in time to see a foot coming right at her face. Harper lost his balance at the last moment. His heel slammed into the ground inches from her head as he awkwardly straddled her. Mac shot up, ramming a fist into his crotch and rolling to her feet. She shoved the wheezing man to the ground and spun around in time to see two men tackle Harm. His pain-filled groan was cut off as he hit the ground and a third man landed on top of him. Before she could move to help him, a body slammed into her from the side and for a moment, Mac saw stars as she hit the ground. Instinctively, she swung an elbow and heard a pained grunt as she connected with something solid. Panting, she scrambled away on all fours only to be hit with a dizzying wave of weakness. Fighting it, she managed to get to her knees and froze. Trask was in front of her and behind him was the hideous black shape that had been plaguing her visions. Horrified, she could only stare as it grew larger. A roaring sound filled her ears and suddenly she was gasping for air as black spots danced in front of her eyes. Mac barely felt the hands grabbing her from either side and pinioning her arms behind her.

The dizziness grew worse as she was hauled to her feet. A stinging slap followed immediately by a second actually helped her focus and she blinked as Harper's angry face swam into view. "You bitch," he snarled, and drove his fist into her mid-section, doubling her over and sending her back to the brink of unconsciousness.

"Enough, Mr. Harper," Trask's amused voice broke in. "Don't be petty."

Kate stood helplessly to the side unable to do more than watch. She'd seen the Darkness begin to manifest behind Trask right after he'd shot at Mac and thrown herself in between. It had barely paid any attention to her at all but she'd experienced a sudden and chilling drain of energy that had come close to removing her from this plane of reality altogether. In desperation, she'd sent out a frantic cry for help.

Still smiling, Trask turned and motioned to the men pinning Harm to the ground, "Don't be rude, gentlemen. Help the Commander up and bring him here. He can't see anything from down there."

The two men glanced uncertainly at each other before struggling upright, keeping a firm grip on Harm. Once he was up, Harm immediately looked for Mac. Seeing her bent over with Harper in front told him what had just happened and he reacted in rage. Jerking an arm free, he punched the man holding his other side, knocking him down. The first man grabbed for him and Harm brought his elbow straight back. It caught the man in the jaw and flattened him as well. Harm took one limping stride forward and froze. Harper had his pistol out, the muzzle resting lightly on Mac's back.

"One more step, Rabb, and I'll blow her spine out. If she's lucky, the shock will kill her right away," Harper smirked.

Not daring to move, Harm stayed where he was. He was pounced on once again. This time when they grabbed his arms, they wrenched one painfully up behind his back. Eyes watering, Harm gritted his teeth and stared defiantly from Harper to Trask.

"Impressive, Commander, and a waste of effort," Trask waved a hand, settling back. "Mr. Harper?"

Nodding, Harper pulled the pistol away. He gestured for the men holding Mac to straighten her up. Once again, he slapped her back to consciousness. Mindful of what she'd done earlier, Harper moved back and waited for her eyes to blink open. He scowled when she ignored him entirely to focus on Trask. Stepping forward, he reached out and ripped open her jacket. Mac jerked back and the men holding her tightened their grip. Harm tensed as well, wincing a moment later, when the men holding him yanked his arm up higher.

Harper paused, making sure Harm was immobilized, before pulling a jackknife out of his pocket and slowly opening it. He put the blade against Mac's cheek, enjoying himself as she went still. Slowly he trailed it down her neck and slid the point between the pieces of turtleneck Dubby had cut, flicking a corner away and tracing the dressing on her shoulder. Bringing it back along her neck, he stopped the tip under her chin and lifted the point, forcing her head up. Harper smiled as she rolled an eye at him, not daring to move. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the corner of her shirt, using the knife to slash the material down to her waist. Mac started to react and Harper quickly replaced the blade tip against her neck, stopping her. Watching her carefully, he reached down with one hand and undid her belt, pulling it off. Stepping out of reach, he tossed it to one of the men holding Mac, "Tie her hands and put her on her knees." He watched as they wrestled the belt over her wrists and forced her down. Harper glanced over his shoulder to see Harm struggling to get free and smiled, "Remember what I told you before, Rabb? Watch closely."

"Mr. Harper."

Stopping in frustration, Harper schooled his features and turned slowly back towards Trask, "Sir?"

"We should be democratic about this. There's plenty of time." Trask looked at the men and pointed at one, "You. You may go first."

Matko's eyes widened in surprise as he looked from Trask to Mac to Trask again. A slow grin broke out as the other men began whistling and catcalling. Affecting a bit of a swagger, he walked towards Mac and jumped in fright when Harm lunged at him furiously. Matko flushed in embarrassed annoyance as the rest of the group began to laugh and jeer. After receiving an approving nod from Harper, he waited until the two men regained control of the JAG officer. Stepping in quickly, he hit Harm in the ribs and followed it with a hard blow to the side of his head. Smiling as Harm staggered, he turned and continuing sauntering towards Mac. Stopping in front of her, Matko encouraged his audience into more raucous noise and made a show of reaching down to unzip his pants.

Breathing heavily, Mac watched the man approach while her captors held her in place, their hands digging painfully into her shoulders. She winced when he punched Harm and then her anger flared. Damn coward. In her peripheral vision, she saw the black shape behind Trask expand even more. A moment later, another wave of weakness hit. It felt like her bones had turned to jelly and she started to collapse. The men restraining her switched to holding her upright. The man stopped in front of her, and after egging the other men on, reached down to unzip. A moment later, he collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, landing less than a foot from Mac. Shocked, she blinked and stared at the small round hole in his head. The men let her go and she went down, feeling even weaker than she had before. Ignoring the bedlam as all hell broke loose, Mac decided this must be what dying felt like.

o o o o o

Thursday,

Trail to the Bymer Pass

Southeastern Bacovia

1945 Local

"Hold up."

"What?" Edgerton stopped and turned around, scowling a little. It was dark now and the terrain was growing rougher, forcing them to slow down. Ian kept pushing the pace as fast as he dared, driven by the feeling that time was running out. While he wasn't a believer in the supernatural, he did trust his own instincts and they were telling him to get a move on.

"Do you have any idea if we're going the right way anymore? I can't see a damn thing," Sokol was bent over a little, breathing heavily. It was a small consolation that Fyodr, who was a good ten years younger, was breathing just as hard. They'd been half-jogging, half-walking up a steady incline for the last hour. It was beyond him how Edgerton could be following anything in the darkness.

"We are," Edgerton answered shortly. He eyed the two Russians, "If you need a break, take one. I can go on ahead."

"No one said anything about taking a break," Sokol growled. "I just don't want to miss Trask in the dark. We need to stop him."

"Then we need to keep moving," Edgerton snapped.

"Where?" Sokol glared at the agent.

"For godsakes, use something besides your eyes! Can't you smell it?" Ian turned around and resumed his jog up the trail.

Sokol and Fyodr stared at each other. "Wood smoke," Sokol said finally, "Come on." They hurried to catch up to the FBI agent. Fifteen minutes later, they crouched on a small ridge and looked down into the camp. Sokol peered through his binoculars and swore quietly. Fyodr looked at him questioningly.

Ian pulled his eye away from his scope, frowning, "I don't know how the hell it happened but that's Colonel MacKenzie down there with Rabb, not Carol Dzurick."

"I don't care how it happened, we need to get them out of there," Sokol looked over at Ian. "I counted eight men down there, none of them Trask. He must be in one of the tents. How do you want to do this?"

Ian smiled grimly, "I'm good here. Why don't you two swing over to the right? We can catch them in a cross-fire."

"Sounds good," Sokol glanced down the slope. "Give us about fifteen minutes." They would have to pick their way in the dark and the terrain was rough. Sokol wanted to get as close as possible without alerting the camp or breaking his neck.

Checking his watch, Ian nodded as they disappeared down the hillside before resuming his surveillance of the camp. He still didn't know what angle the KGB agent was pursuing. The man had gone to a tremendous amount of trouble, not to mention personal risk, to help rescue Rabb. He'd been evasive as hell when Ian had pressed him for reasons. It was hard to believe someone like Sokol would do all this out of friendship. Ian frowned thoughtfully, the man hadn't seemed at all surprised to find MacKenzie being held with Rabb, either. The agent snorted silently a moment later. Truth to tell, when it came to those two, he really wasn't that surprised either. The big question was, what had happened to Carol Dzurick?

Movement in the camp caught his attention and Ian focused intently, automatically slipping into sniper mode. His eyebrows rose when he saw Trask being rolled out in a wheelchair. Nothing that Eppes and his team had uncovered had suggested that the man had been crippled. Ian tensed as the scene below him began to turn ugly, alternating his sights between Trask and the big man who appeared to be threatening the JAG officers. Neither was clear enough for a shot as the remaining men milled about. He watched in amazement when MacKenzie took the man down before frowning slightly. As satisfying as that must have been, they were still prisoners. The Colonel would pay a price for what she'd done.

The gunshot startled him. At first, he thought MacKenzie had been hit but she was up too quickly to have been shot. He revised that opinion a minute later when she stumbled to her knees. Two men grabbed her, holding her upright between them. In the meantime, Rabb was contributing to the chaos despite a bad leg. It took three men to take him down. Ian swore quietly to himself when the big man hit the Colonel hard enough to leave her sagging in the grip of her captors. He focused on the man's head. The next moment he blew out a frustrated breath as the men holding Rabb dragged him forward and blocked his shot. Ian could only watch as the big man pulled out a knife and ripped open MacKenzie's shirt. It was payback time and he didn't have an open shot.

A minute later, the tableau shifted again as they tied her hands and forced MacKenzie to her knees. The big man moved back, waiting for them to finish, finally placing himself in the kill zone. Sighting in, Ian's finger curled slowly around the trigger. He released it a second later when the man turned to Trask and stepped to the side. Scowling, Ian tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He got his answer as one of the other men stepped forward. When man stopped in front of MacKenzie and his hands went to the front of his pants, Ian pulled the trigger.

o o o o o

Thursday,

Outskirts of Tchort's Forest

Southeastern Bacovia

2005 Local

With Josef's help, Dubby climbed a small hillock. After leaving the Forest, they'd been drawn by the glow of campfires. They knew it had to be Trask. Josef had been surprised that they'd made camp so close to the Forest but Dubby wasn't. The man was a megalomaniac. He'd easily see himself on par with Satan and see no reason to move further away. Whatever the reason, it worked in their favor. As they approached the summit, Dubby gestured for Josef to lower them. Stifling a groan, Dubby crawled forward as quietly as possible with Josef right beside him. If the light and general noise was any indication, they would be fairly close to the camp when they reached the top of the hill.

A few minutes later, they made it to the crown. It was wider and flatter than Dubby had expected, covered with rocks and brush. He still couldn't see into the camp and muttered a quiet, 'Damn.' Josef echoed him in Russian, equally softly and Dubby grinned. They were getting better at communicating with each other. The old man was sharp as a tack and quick to infer what was needed from words and gestures. In turn, Dubby was learning Russian words and phrases. Cautiously, they moved forward until they finally reached the far side. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his side, Dubby pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning against a large rock. Josef reached out and carefully pulled away the brush that was blocking their view.

It didn't take long to locate the Colonel and Commander. They were sitting together, practically in the middle of the camp. No one was specifically guarding them. There was no need. They were surrounded by Trask's men who looked like they were finishing up their dinner. He didn't see Trask. Dubby turned his head and nodded to Josef. The old man unslung Dubby's rifle and handed it over. He pulled out the extra ammo clips next and handed them over as well. Dubby silently prepped the weapon and settled himself. Activity in the camp suddenly increased as some of the men built the fires up higher. Dubby froze for a second as their position was bathed in light. If anyone was looking, they'd see the firelight reflecting off the rifle barrel and scope. He eased the rifle back out of sight. Swearing a little, Dubby struggled to remove his jacket. Josef reached over and helped, looking a little confused. His expression cleared a minute later when Dubby wrapped the jacket around the rifle barrel. When the Gunny repositioned the rifle, Josef reached forward and draped a sleeve across the scope.

A sudden commotion drew both their attention back to the camp. Dismayed, Dubby could only watch as events unfolded. He didn't dare shoot yet, afraid he'd hit Sarah or Harm as the melee surged back and forth. His heart jumped to his throat when he heard the gunshot and saw Sarah go down. His relief when she got up was short-lived when she began to collapse again like she'd done back in the Forest. As things grew uglier, he peered through his scope, looking for targets. He wanted Trask but there were too many bodies in between for a clear shot. At best, he could start taking the men down. He watched one step towards Sarah, pausing to punch the Commander before stopping in front of her. Dubby swore again as he sighted in. His view was partially blocked, there was a fifty-fifty chance he'd miss. It was better than nothing and he was about to squeeze the trigger when a single gunshot rang out and the man collapsed.

In the shocked moments that followed, Dubby opened fire on the rest of the men, intent on taking as many down as possible. The scene grew ever more chaotic as the men began scrambling for cover and returning fire. They were shooting in all directions, clearly unsure of where their opponents were. Dubby ducked and winced as a few slugs whistled past his position. He could hear gunfire from other directions now. The cavalry, whoever the hell they were, had arrived.

o o o o o

Kate watched in horror as the Darkness sent out a narrow thread of black and hit Mac in the chest, taking her down on all fours. This wasn't supposed to be possible. The thread stayed connected as Harper once again attacked Mac, finally ripping open her shirt. Again, Kate tried to intervene and experienced another debilitating drain of energy. When they forced Mac to her knees, Kate saw the thread grow thicker as Mac sagged weakly. The men on either side held her upright as a third man stepped in front. A moment later, a gunshot sounded and he dropped lifelessly to the ground. His life-force rose out of the body, dissipating with a wail. The men holding Mac let go as they grabbed for their weapons and she collapsed to the ground. The Darkness swelled and Kate watched the thread to Mac grow as thick as her arm.

Kate paid no attention to the gunfire that erupted from all sides. There was tingling feeling in the air that was growing in intensity. Suddenly, a blindingly white light exploded into the clearing. In its center stood Avis, white flames flickering around her like the aurora borealis. The black cable attached to Mac abruptly snapped and Kate felt a surge of energy at the same time. She hurried to Mac's side, keeping an eye on the confrontation. The Darkness retreated at first before gathering itself. It expanded ferociously, filling half the sky and launched itself at Avis like a giant tidal wave. Kate ducked and threw herself over Mac as dark and light met in a thunderous explosion.

Kate slowly lifted her head, almost afraid of what she might see. The energy released in the explosion had been terrifying. She blinked a moment later. Avis was standing there, looking like she always did, and the Darkness was gone.

"Wow."

Kate glanced down in surprise at Mac, "You saw that?"

"Hard to miss," Mac mumbled blearily. She closed her eyes, "Tired."

Kate glanced around the camp where the gun battle was still raging. She needed to get to Harm and playing dead wasn't a bad strategy, "Go ahead and rest. Avis and I will keep an eye out for you."

Even as she spoke, Avis appeared beside them, nodding for Kate to go. WIth one more look at Mac, Kate hurried off. Avis noted that the former NCIS and Secret Service agent plowed through any of Trask's men that were in her path. She was definitely in a mood. Avis seated herself gracefully next to Mac and studied her friend carefully. Finally, she reached out and rested her fingers lightly on Mac's forehead. The brunette shifted with a slight moan before settling deeper into sleep.

o o o o o

Harm blinked and carefully shook his head, trying to rid himself of the cobwebs. His ears were still ringing from the blow he'd taken. Suddenly recalling what had happened, his head snapped up as he looked for Mac. The man was standing in front of her, trading jeers with the men watching him. When his hands began to reach down the front of his pants, Harm started to struggle frantically. His efforts ended abruptly when the man holding his arm behind his back jerked it higher and the other man drove a fist up under his ribs. Gasping, Harm nearly missed the first rifle shot. That was followed by a second of silent shock. It ended when gunfire hit the camp from another direction. Beginning to panic, the men holding Harm pivoted towards this latest threat, dragging the JAG officer with them. Harm stumbled, unable to keep up with the rapid move. Moments later, he was dragged to the ground as one of the men holding him jerked backwards and fell. The second man only had a moment to gape before he, too, went down.

Harm stayed where he was, hugging the ground as gunfire poured into the camp from a third direction. His shoulder ached from having his arm wrenched behind him and he was feeling woozy. Either the punch he'd taken earlier had been harder than he thought or he must have hit something when he landed on the ground. He closed his eyes wearily.

Kate reached Harm soon after. Kneeling down, she touched the side of his head and was rewarded with a soft groan. Figuring everything he'd gone through had just caught up with him, Kate didn't try to rouse him. Like Mac, playing dead, even if it was inadvertent, was the safest thing to do. Kate stood up. Trask's men weren't giving up but they were slowly being overwhelmed. In her estimate, it wouldn't be long. She would keep watch and make sure no one decided to take potshots at the downed JAG officer.

o o o o o

Sprawled on the ground, Harper groaned in pain, gripping the wound to his leg tightly with one hand. His other arm was lying uselessly at his side. The slug that had hit him had shattered the bone. Trask was on his back on the ground about a dozen feet away. In the chaos, his chair had been toppled. The guide was a few feet behind him, his body charred and shriveled. Harper couldn't understand how that could have happened and the smell of burnt flesh was making him gag. His attention was diverted when Trask suddenly groaned and lifted his head. Harper gritted his teeth as another spasm of pain shook him before focusing on Trask. "Sir?" he gasped. The Reverend had an almost unearthly knack for survival. Harper had absolute faith that he could get out of this debacle as well. And, after everything he'd done for the man, surely Trask would remember his loyal servant.

Trask groaned again, pushing himself up on his elbows. His eyes grew wide as he took in scene around him. Turning his head, he seemed equally shocked to see what had happened to the guide. Trask sat up, ignoring the gunfire, his expression dark and forbidding. Harper felt a surge of hope. This was the man who turned any defeat into a victory. His hope turned to outright shock when Trask pulled his legs in and rose to a crouch. "S-S-Sir?" he stuttered, not believing what he was seeing.

Trask raised a disdainful eyebrow as he began carefully backing towards the deeper shadows. "What, Mr. Harper?"

"Your legs! You can't - how, when?" Harper gasped.

Trask had the temerity to chuckle, shaking his head, "I'm going to miss your gullibility, Mr. Harper. Did you never wonder about my daily 'prayer and meditation' sessions? I regained use of my legs years ago." He edged closer to the shadows, watching as another of his men fell.

Feeling utterly betrayed, Harper stared at the man he'd spent years literally waiting on hand and foot. "But why?"

Trask rolled his eyes, glancing over his shoulder for a moment. A few more feet and he'd be home-free. "Because I could," he snapped impatiently, "Because I deserved that level of attention. Don't look so hurt, it's not my fault your IQ's no higher than your shoe size. You should be thanking me for allowing you in my presence." He stepped into the shadows and smiled in triumph, "Good-bye, Mr. Harper."

Suddenly suffused with rage, Harper picked up his pistol from where it had fallen and pointed it at Trask, "You son of a bitch."

Trask's eyebrows lifted in surprise before lowering angrily, "You fool. Put that down. Don't you understand? I've been Chosen. I am the One. I can't be killed."

Harper stared at him for a long second and then calmly pulled the trigger. He watched Trask stagger and drop to his knees as the blood spilled out across his chest. With a look of absolute shock, Trask pitched forward dead. Harper let the pistol fall from his hand and laid his head down. His leg and arm continued to bleed freely and he could feel his own death approaching. "Someone lied to you, too, Reverend. See you in hell," he murmured as he finally lost consciousness.

o o o o o

Josef looked up as a roaring sound began in the distance. Dubby glanced up as well before looking at the old man. "What?"

Josef braced himself, taking a firm hold of Dubby's shirt and lowering his head, "Hold."

Dubby stared at him as the roaring grew louder and louder. His eyes grew wide as he suddenly identified the sound as wind. Ducking his head, he grabbed onto Josef as well as they huddled behind the rocks. Moments later, gale-force winds ripped through the area, filling the air with debris and snapping trees in two. It was over in seconds. Somewhat dazed, Dubby raised his head and looked at the camp. It looked like the aftermath of an explosion. Nothing was left standing. The campfires had been scattered, the hot coals igniting debris and lighting numerous smaller fires. It gave everything a hellish look but it also made it easier to see. He slowly climbed to his feet and felt Josef tugging on his arm. The old man pointed into the camp, "There." He lifted his hand and pointed a little further over, "There."

Dubby squinted in those directions and shook his head. He couldn't tell what Josef had seen. "Come on," he said, edging around the rocks. Keeping his rifle ready, Dubby moved cautiously into the remains of the camp, picking his way around the fires and bodies. Josef hurried ahead, intent on one particular area. When he reached it, he bowed quickly before kneeling down next to Harm.

Kate stared at the old man is surprise, "You can see me?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship. You and the White Lady." Josef bobbed his head again as his fingers sought out the pulse on Harm's neck. He smiled in relief a few seconds later. "Alive," he said as Dubby joined him.

"Thank god," The Gunnery Sergeant replied as he continued to scan the area. He looked down when Josef nudged his leg and pointed a little to the left. Nodding, he headed in that direction. Half a minute later, he carefully knelt down next to Sarah. Relieved to find her breathing as well, he put a hand on her good shoulder and jostled it gently, "Colonel? Can you hear me?"

He smiled as she slowly opened her eyes. They widened when she recognized him and she lifted her head a little, "Dubby? I thought - Are you all right?"

"Mostly," he answered, still smiling. "Think you can sit up, ma'am?" He caught movement out of the corner of his eye just then and swiftly brought the rifle up.

"Hey, take it easy. We're on your side."

Dubby frowned a little. The man sounded American, Texan to be specific. What the hell was a Texan doing out here? He caught the Colonel starting to sit up in his peripheral vision and whispered, "Stay down, ma'am, until we know who we're dealing with. It could be a trap."

Mac continued to push herself upright, gritting her teeth at the effort, "I know that voice." She turned her head and called somewhat breathlessly, "Mark?"

"Yeah, it's me. Mind telling your bodyguard to quit pointing that cannon at us? I've been shot at enough tonight." The voice sounded mildly exasperated.

"That's because you stand too close to your targets, Major." Another voice came out of the darkness from behind Dubby. He winced as he tried to turn quickly in that direction.

Mac turned her head, too, her eyebrows raising, "Agent Edgerton?"

"At your service, Colonel," the voice said dryly. "You throw a helluva party."

"Not my idea of fun," Mac muttered before looking up at Dubby, "It's okay. It's the FBI and the KGB."

"There's nothing okay about that combination," Dubby grunted, lowering his rifle. "Come in," he called. The more protection he could assemble around the JAG officers the better. He needed a break. He watched as two men walked slowly forward out of the darkness.

"Where's Harm? Is he okay?"

Dubby looked down at the Colonel and frowned. She apparently wasn't talking to him, her head turned in the opposite direction.

Avis smiled reassuringly, "Harm is fine. He's waking up now. Kate is with him."

"Trask?" Mac couldn't help glancing around the camp apprehensively.

"Gone from this earth," Avis nodded decisively. She held up her hands when it looked like Mac was about to ask something else, "I will answer your questions later. Now is not the time for that discussion. You must leave this place. It's not safe for you or Harm."

"Don't know, ma'am. Haven't seen him yet."

Confused for a moment, Mac realized Dubby was answering her question to Avis. Sokol and a younger man walked up just then with Ian Edgerton joining them a few seconds later. Sokol looked from Mac to Dubby, "Haven't seen who?"

"Trask," Dubby grunted, sizing up the KGB agents. He had no reservations about Edgerton.

Ian stepped back, already scanning the area, "I'll find him. I've got a warrant for his arrest." He glanced over his shoulder as he moved off, "Get ready to leave. We shouldn't stay here."

"No kidding," Sokol muttered, looking around. It already smelled like a charnel house, he couldn't imagine what it would be like in the morning. He pointed towards Josef, "Who's that guy?"

"Josef Tarchevsky," Dubby answered shortly. "He was the guide the kidnappers hired. He helped Carol Dzurick escape. He's a good man."

Sokol stared at the Gunnery Sergeant in surprise, "Carol Dzurick escaped? Where is she?"

"Hopefully in a hospital by now," Mac answered, rubbing her forehead while trying vainly to hold her ruined shirt and jacket together. She gave Sokol a grateful look when he silently handed over his coat and helped her put it on. "We ran into Carol on the trail. I sent Bell and Tyler back with her." Mac couldn't help frowning, recalling what Avis had shown, "They beat the hell out of her and she'd been shot, too."

She paused, glancing around again before looking up at Dubby, "What happened here? It looks like a bomb went off."

He shrugged a little, "I'm not really sure what to call it, ma'am - a mini tornado? It was here and gone in a less than a minute."

"Made a helluva mess in a short amount of time," Sokol agreed looking around, uncomfortably. A cold shiver crept down his back and he scowled, giving himself a slight shake, "Think you can walk, Sarah? Edgerton's right, we need to get out of here."

Mac nodded wearily, accepting Sokol's assistance in rising. She'd just gotten to her feet when she heard a welcome and familiar voice calling her name. Turning, she saw Harm limping towards her, Josef supporting him on one side. She hurried towards him, her smile threatening to split her face in two. A few seconds later, they were wrapped in each other's fierce embrace. They stood quietly, ignoring everything around them for a little while, knowing reality would be intruding soon enough. Mac had her head resting lightly on Harm's chest, taking comfort in listening to the steady beat of his heart. Harm concentrated on the warm feel of her in his arms. It had been much too close. Finally, he leaned his head down and whispered quietly, "What did I tell you? Butch and Sundance."

Smiling, Mac pulled back a little and reached a hand up to lightly trace the stubble on his cheek. "Butch and Sundance," she agreed softly before adopting a stern look, "But no more cliffs. Understood, Mister?"

He grinned, turning his head and kissing the palm of her hand, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."