AN: Sorry for the wait between chapters. I am in the process of getting ready to move next week, and after having family from out of country here for Christmas things still haven't gotten back to normal. Thank you for patiently waiting for the next update.

I am moving next Friday so I cannot guarantee when the next chapter will be posted, but rest assured, it will come in time!

I also want to thank you all for your encouraging reviews. I love seeing that you are enjoying the story as it progresses and the reviews give me inspiration for the rest of the story. So thank you one and all for reviewing the story as it is posted.


Chapter 29 – Long Ride Home

Limousine – Highway of Heroes

Ed drew in a deep breath and couldn't help the small smile. Tightening his hold on Sophie he buried his nose in her hair once again and breathed in her scent. It calmed him. He was so glad to be back on Canadian soil, headed back to Toronto, back home. Speaking of home, where's Clark? Ed thought as he shifted slightly.

"Sweetheart, where's our son?" Ed asked softly, noting the other passengers seemed to be lost in thought.

"At school," Sophie answered simply as she adjusted her position to be able to look Ed in the eyes.

"School?" Ed couldn't believe his son agreed to go to school with him being gone like he was.

"Yes, school."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you were away for work for a few days." Sophie drew in a deep breath and squeezed Ed's hand. "I didn't think he needed to know the particulars of what happened. It would just make him worry. He's just a boy, Ed. He doesn't need to know about things like abductions and torture just yet."

"I agree." Ed closed his eyes and drew his wife close again. "Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?"

Sophie smiled and blushed slightly.

"Not enough I'm sure." Wordy piped up from his place on the other side of Ed.

"And who made you the expert?" Ed asked as he glared at his friend.

"What can I say. It comes with being your best friend." Wordy smirked. He was glad he was talking to Ed and not Jules. Otherwise, he would have a sore arm and a new bruise.

Ed simply rolled his eyes, leaned his head back, and shifted slightly in an effort to get more comfortable.

"Are you in pain?" Matt asked as he leaned forward, closing much of the distance between himself and Ed who sat across from him in the limo.

"Just stiff really. It's been a long few days. I'm really looking forward to my own bed tonight." Ed answered honestly.

"Understandable. Just let me know if you need anything."

Ed nodded once before settling back. He slowly looked around the limo and noted that most of the Unit guys were leaned back with their eyes closed. General Braddock was tapping away at his tablet, Matt and Suzie were snuggled together, and Sadie was tucked in close to Sam and next to Jules. Team One seemed to be preoccupied with the scenery outside the vehicle. Either that or they were trying to allow some degree of privacy to those in the vehicle.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" Matt asked as he eyed his friend. "I'm sure Sadie sitting on your lap like that isn't the most comfortable position in the world."

"I'm good." Sam smiled as he looked down at his sleeping daughter. Yes, he was hurting. The enthusiastic greetings didn't do much to alleviate his pain. If anything it increased it. However, he wasn't going to admit to such until they got back to his house and they were alone.

Phoenix looked up and noted the familiar look on his sergeant's face. Braddock was trying to hide his pain, and he knew that Tombstone was aware of the fact as well. Taylor and Braddock were such good friends that they could have whole conversations with one another and never say a word.

Matt sighed softly. "Okay, I get it. When we get home I'm giving you a full checkup though." Matt stated with finality.

Sam simply nodded his head in response before turning his gaze back to his beautiful, sleeping daughter.

Spike was mindlessly watching the countryside pass by when a splash of color suddenly caught his attention. He sat up straighter and as he watched closely out the window he saw it again. Anger bubbled just below the surface.

"Why are there people lining the highway with flags and banners to when he was a traitor?" Spike asked, disgust dripping from every word.

"What?" Ed asked as he moved his arm from where it had been around Sophie's shoulders in order to look out the window.

"See, look there. They've even come out to the bridges to honor him." Spike's disgust was evident.

"Spike, Ed, do you really think the Army could admit to a traitor among them? Especially when that traitor was a Lieutenant in JTF2 and there is no telling who else he was working with." Greg said gently, trying to get the men to see reason.

"Sergeant Parker is right. If news got out that we knew Pops was a traitor then his partner could be tipped off and we would lose any advantage we currently have." General Braddock stated without ever looking up from his work.

"It's still not right. He shouldn't be honored for betraying his country, and his brother's in arms."

"Spike, drop it," Sam said quietly from his place next to Jules. He gently shifted Sadie in his arms where she slept, trying to get more comfortable.

"How can you be so calm about this whole situation?" Spike asked as his gaze bore into Sam's.

"Because everybody has a bad day once in a while. You of all people should know that. You see people at their worst with every hot call you respond to. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt until he is proven guilty." Sam took in a deep breath. Well, as deep as he could with his bruised ribs and sore muscles. "Everyone deserves to be innocent until proven guilty."

The limo descended into silence then, each contemplating what Sam said and how it would impact each of them.


Interrogation Room A – Afghanistan

Captain Douglas calmly walked out of the interrogation room on the pretense that both he and Hussein needed a short break and refreshments. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The two corporals inside the observation room jumped in surprise as the door slammed open upon the Captain's entrance.

"I need General Braddock in here, pronto," Douglas ordered to the room.

"I'm sorry, sir, but General Braddock is on a flight back to Toronto with Sergeant Braddock's Unit."

"I DON'T CARE IF HE IS BURIED IN THE DEEPEST, DARKEST PIT OF HADES! GET ME GENERAL BRADDOCK ON THE LINE IMMEDIATELY OR YOUR CAREERS WILL BE OVER. AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

The two corporals gaped at the Captain, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. Neither man had ever seen Captain Douglas so worked up, and they had seen him quite upset before.

"Yes, sir!" The Corporal working the recording equipment immediately picked up the phone and began making calls.

Douglas paced as he waited for someone to track down the general and connect them. This was one interrogation he wished he never had to do.

"Sir, I have General Braddock on the line." Holding the phone out to the captain the corporal held his breath, wondering if he was going to hear yelling from the other side of the world at the news Captain Douglas was surely about to share.


Limousine – Highway of Heroes

As General Nathan Braddock wrapped up his phone call Sergeant Parker could see that the other man was not getting good news.

"Corporal Tremblay, I need your assistance." General Braddock asked as he looked to the techie in the Unit.

"Yes, sir. Treble switched places with Falcon so he could now sit next to the General and assist. "What can I help you with?"

"I need you to set up an encrypted video call with Captain Douglas. He is going to live stream the interrogation with Hussein. "

"Everything okay, sir?" Greg asked as he noted the look of concern on the other man's face.

"I'm not sure. My lead interrogator is about to try and get a vital piece of intel from our star detainee." Nathan swallowed the dread that was creeping up. "This could be the turning point in our investigation."


Unknown Location

Walking into the apartment a black duffel bag was dropped to the floor before the front door was closed and locked. Standing still in the doorway their gaze moved around the room.

"Liam should be here." A breath hitched and a heart ached.

Moving to the living room eyes closed and a deep breath was drawn in. "I can still feel you here. Even though you weren't here often your presence warmed this place."

Slow steps were taken towards the bedroom. Kicking off shoes and shedding a coat they sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, a hand ghosted over the pillow. Slowly the pillow was raised.

"I can still smell your cologne." Tears fell as a deep breath was drawn in, inhaling a scent that would soon fade away. Tightly holding the pillow close sobs burst forth. "I'm never going to hold you again. Never going to smell your cologne, or the scent of hard work and dust when you come home from work. Never feel the warmth of your embrace or your closeness as we sleep.

"You're gone forever and there's not a damn thing I can do about it!" Standing the pillow was hurled across the room, knocking over a picture of Liam Harrison in the process.

An emptiness settled in their heart.

"You were an amazing friend, an even better lover, and you were great as Overlord. I will forever miss you, Liam. May you rest in peace."

The pillow was retrieved before they laid down on the bed, curled into a ball, and grieved.


Limousine – Highway of Heroes

Sadie yawned as she stretched. She always slept so good in Daddy's arms. Looking up she was greeted with her Daddy's smile.

"Hey there, Munchkin. Did you have a good nap?" Sam plastered on a fake smile to hide the concern for what was about to happen. He knew that for Captain Douglas to request a video chat with his father for the interrogation meant he was about to get a vital piece of intelligence. One Sadie surely didn't need to hear.

"I did. I like it when you hold me while I sleep."

"Hey, Sadie. How would you like to watch Princess Sophia?" Spike asked with a playful smile on his face. He knew they would need to distract Sadie from the video call and he hoped that this would work. "You can watch it here on my tablet. We still have a long time before we get home and it can get boring with all these adults around."

"Yeah!" Sadie squealed and laughed at the same time.

Jules gave Spike an appreciative smile as she took the offered tablet and noise canceling headphones. This would distract Sadie long enough for everyone to listen in on the interrogation. At least she hoped it would.

Once Sadie was settled with her favorite princess show and a snack, Sam took Jules' hand in his and looked to his father. "Go ahead."

General Nathan Braddock messaged Captain Douglas that they were ready and to proceed with the interrogation.


Interrogation Room A - Afghanistan

Frustrated Douglas stood and strode around the table he had been sitting at, trying to get the one piece of intelligence that would send Braddock's unit to their target, whoever they may be. But he was getting nowhere.

"So, you've said that you are not the man in charge and that your boss may not be in the country. If not here, then where are they?"

Hussein simply smirked at the Army Lieutenant.

Seeing he wasn't going to get anything using this particular line of questioning Douglas changed tactics.

"How did you get orders from your boss?"

Another blank expression and closed lips.

"How is the man in charge getting their information?"

"From their informant," Hussein answered, baiting the man.

"Informant? Who is the informant?"

Douglas was rewarded with a smirk. He simply glared back until Hussein finally spoke.

"My boss is simply a protector. The Queen of Diamonds his charge."

"How many more people are there?" Douglas leaned over and placed his hands on the table so he was now eye level with the prisoner.

"Just two."

"So you're just a low-level nobody who made us think you were in charge. Why?"

"We wanted to keep you off their trail. We knew you were going to catch me eventually. We wanted you to think you were done, only to discover that Overlord is really who we take our orders from." Hussein smirked as Douglas' eyes rounded in surprise.

"There is more at play than you will ever know. The next step of our plan is already in motion, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Overlord's death was not in vain, you have only made angry your biggest adversary. You have awoken a sleeping dragon."


AN: So... do I need to hide from veggie launchers? Or am I safe this time? Either way... I can't wait to see what you think of this update :D