Once he made his mind up, very little could persuade Luke Spencer to change it. He was tired of being so far from home and needed to get back to his wife. Enough was enough.

Manuel, always the gracious host, helped Luke sell some of the diamonds Lucky and Sam had smuggled down to him and found his transportation that wouldn't ask questions. It might not have been the luxury accommodations he was used to when he traveled with his wife, but that was more about her needs than his. He didn't care how stinky the ride nor how slow the road, so long as he was heading north.

Getting from Mexico into Texas wasn't hard. Manuel knew exactly the people to talk to and the boarder patrol that would turn it's back. Sometimes it was nice living in the land where cold hard cash could still top civil obedience. The loaded 'friend' under his coat didn't hurt either.

He made his connections and found the rides he was looking for. Luke knew better than to ask questions, but he would bet his last dollar that they were Soleito's people doing it for the former Mrs. It didn't matter. He would be back to the border of New York within two days and would find his own way from there. Home was calling like a beckon and he couldn't wait to wrap his wife in his arms again.

The more he thought about Tracy the more satisfied he was with his decision. This past month apart was killing both of them, and he knew it. Last summer it had almost been easier knowing he couldn't contact her for fear of Baldwin's smimy toadies trying to find him. But this summer, the blog made it more difficult. He was in touch with her almost every day and could see the loneliness she was facing. Then when he disappeared from that she was beside herself. Thank god she hadn't come looking. She wouldn't have liked what she found.

At least he could tell her he was on his way home. Not directly, of course, since Baldwin and Zacchara were on the blog. But he could pass the message on to Lucky, who would in turn tell Tracy.

Smiling, he thought about his son. Lucky had come through for him in a pinch a couple of times already. He was Spencer through and through, even if he made the mistake of being a cop. Lucky hadn't forgotten who was important and that the rules weren't always just. Living on your instincts would be his ultimate salvation, Luke knew, not some hooey about rules and guidelines. Someday his son would fully embrace the things his father had taught him. Perhaps with Sam at his side he would start to live life without safety nets.

Luke was proud of his son. His daughter was a different story, unfortunately. Dear Lesley Lu was too big to be put over his knee, but that was exactly what she needed. He couldn't believe the grief she continued to give her step-mother. Tracy had been there for his daughter time and again, but Lulu didn't appreciate it at all. He knew Tracy was at her wit's end, and she had more insight into the workings of a young woman's mind that he would ever have. If Lulu hadn't been involved with the mob prince, Luke would be content to let her learn the hard way. Unfortunately the hard way might end in death this time around.

Around dinner time, Luke saw that they had crossed the state lines into Louisiana. One state down and eight more to go. I'm coming baby, he thought.

They pulled into a tiny Cajun restaurant just inside the border. Luke's ride didn't know all the details about his passenger, but they both were relieved every time they crossed a border without incident. It didn't take a genius to know the cargo in the back of the truck wouldn't be well received by the authorities. They would be traveling primarily by dark, Luke knew, as they slowly wove their way up the eastern seaboard.

Four weeks in Mexico had increased his tolerance for spicy food, but it still didn't sit as well as it had before his heart attacks. At the time he thought it would be a terrible thing to give up, but that was only his stubbornness. Other things he had had to give up over the last few months were worse. Hopefully he would get all of that back. Compared to being with his wife every night, cigars and hot foods were easy to forgo for his lifetime.

The driver motioned to Luke that he was ready to leave. By unspoken agreement they had entered the restaurant alone and would leave alone. Luke would meet the driver down the road a bit so that no one in the restaurant could connect them. It was a simple thing, but it was long a standard on these types of trips. So was the lack of conversation. He guessed that some people would have trouble keeping silent for that long, but Luke appreciated the solitude. It allowed him time to think out his next moves and prepare to surprise his wife. That alone kept his mind active. Last time he left she cut her hair and started buying a different wardrobe. He wondered what he would discover upon this return.

Once the driver slowed and Luke was back in the cab of the truck, the two headed towards the secondary highway that would take them further northeast. The sun was just about to set and they could easily be lost in the shadows.

Settling back in his seat, Luke pulled his Blackberry out and tried to get reception. It had been bad in Texas, but seemed even worse in Louisiana. They wouldn't be traveling close to large centers so it didn't look like it was possible to read the goings on of his family nor signal Lucky to be ready.

Accepting the inevitable, Luke sank down further in his seat, pulled the hat down over his eyes and tried to sleep. He filled his mind with images of his wife in a bubble bath, wrapped in his shirt, in full battle mode as she prepared for a board meeting, even licking her lips after sneaking some cake. She was so many people in one small body and he couldn't wait to see them all first hand.

Luke slept until they reached the border of Mississippi. He was awakened by the sounds of his driver pulling into a gas station. The prices astonished him and he understood why Manuel had been so fond of horses on his estate. Their smell left much to be desired, but the cost was definitely worth it.

He tried his cell phone again and was pleasantly surprised with the reception. He quickly wrote another entry on the blog then settled in to read the comments from their family. Just as it has in Louisiana, the reception faded as soon as they dipped into another valley. The lack of access frustrated him as he kept trying to get a signal then sign on to the blog. He missed seeing his wife's comments and only had had time to note she hadn't written anything that day. He assumed she was busy and thought nothing of it.

When they finally reached a fairly level, straight stretch, Luke pulled out his Blackberry again and signed into the blog. Within seconds of reading the comments his heart plunged into his stomach. Tracy was missing. Where the hell was she? The bounding in his ears increased when he read she had been taken out of the rose garden and no one knew anything about her captors. There was the usual blaming from Edward and the panic from Dillon. It eased his mind somewhat to see the family had responded so quickly to her disappearance. Even Alice was keeping tabs on everything. But it wasn't enough – he needed to get home immediately and find her.

"How long 'til we reach New York?" he asked the driver.

"Not until tomorrow evening. Why the rush?"

"My wife's been taken."

Nodding the driver kept his pace steady while reaching for his cell phone. "Mrs. has been taken." was all he said. Putting down the phone, the driver continued as though nothing had happened. Luke was getting more agitated by the second.

"Well?" he asked anxiously.

"They will look. We'll get to New York tomorrow evening."

And until then Luke could do nothing but worry and read the blog.

I'm coming for you, Baby. Count on it!

(For those interested in the blog, it can be found at lukeandtracy.blogspot)