Stella was starting to worry about Mac. He had said he would be back. She knew he always did what he said he would do. Did he get caught up in the case?

Stella got the phone and called the lab. Adam answered. "Adam, is Mac in the office?" Stella asked.

"No, he hasn't come in," Adam said. "Actually, he's taking another week off, on the advice of his doctor."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

"How are you? I'm sorry I haven't been to see you."

"I'm doing as well as can be expected, I guess."

"Sorry. I hope you get better soon."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later."

Stella hung up the phone. She called Mac's cell phone next, but she only got the voicemail. She wondered where he could be Maybe he was on his way to the hospital. Mac always answered his phone. Stella wondered if he had gone somewhere that he didn't want her to know. Maybe she had waited too long to let him know how she felt. She had pushed him away, even fussed at him. She should have known how Mac was about that sort of thing. She should have confronted him herself instead of getting mad at him. Now, she might have lost him forever.

Mac and Anita were still running through the forest. Suddenly, they heard someone yell, "I'll find you, Taylor! You can't escape!"

Anita gasped. "Just keep running," Mac said. "He's just trying to unnerve us."

Just then, they came out of the edge of the forest at a stream. Mac stopped in his tracks, and Anita ran into his back almost knocking him into the water. Mac backed against a tree.

"What's the matter?" Anita asked.

Mac stared at the water. He was in his nightmare again. Anita looked behind them. "Mac, we have to keep going," she pleaded.

Mac felt like he was paralyzed. He looked at Anita. He could see the fear in her eyes. "Lets cross the stream," Anita said.

Mac shook his head. "No, I can't," he said.

Anita realized Mac was almost frozen with fear. She remembered he had almost drowned. "Come on," she said. She grabbed his hand. "We'll go this way."

Anita practically had to force Mac to come with her. She pulled him into the edge of the forest, and they ran. Mac finally came to himself again as they ran. He couldn't believe he had panicked.

Finally, they came to a place where they either had to cross the stream or give up. "Come on!" Anita said. "We have to cross here!"

"I can't!" Mac said. He tried to back away, but Anita would not let him. "Let go!"

"No! You have to cross this stream! It's not that deep!"

Mac thought he would hyperventilate. "NO! I can't!"

"Yes, you can! And you will!"

Mac stared at Anita. "I won't let you stand here like this!" Anita said. "Now, you come on!" She pulled Mac's hand.

Mac resisted. "No! You're not making me get in there!"

Anita looked behind them. "They're coming," she said. "Do you want to watch while they rape and kill me?"

Mac stared at her. "No," he said.

"Come on. We'll go across together."

Mac let Anita pull him toward the water. He thought he would lose his breath. He couldn't believe he was feeling this way. The water wasn't that deep, only up to his knees. Mac thought he would die.

Anita could feel Mac trembling. She felt sorry for him, but there was no other way. She hoped he would not fall down in this water. "We're almost there," she said, trying to encourage him.

Mac felt like he couldn't breathe, and his heart was in his throat and ears. All he could see was the surface of the water. Anita said something to him, but he didn't hear her.

Suddenly, Mac realized they were out of the water. He thought he would collapse. His lungs were hurting. Anita stopped and pushed Mac behind a tree. She could see Randle Parsons on the other side of the stream. She leaned against Mac to try and steady him and keep herself hidden. She watched Parsons search along the bank. She knew he would find where Mac had struggled with her.

Anita looked at Mac, who looked a little pale. He was trying to calm himself. Anita couldn't imagine how afraid he must have been. She hugged him. "It's okay, Mac," she whispered. "You're okay. You hear me?"

Mac nodded slightly. He was trying to get his breathing back to normal. He felt embarrassed. "Can you just not tell anybody about this?" he whispered, breathlessly.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Anita peeped around the tree again. Parsons was examining the ground. "We have to hide," she whispered.

"Where?" Mac whispered. He looked around them. Then he saw what looked like a little shack. "There."

Anita looked around. "Lets go," she whispered.

They headed toward the shack, hoping there would be something in there to use for a weapon. When they got inside, they found that it looked like a hunter's shack. There were no weapons, however.

"Now what?" Anita asked.

Mac was trying to think. He rubbed his forehead. "We don't need to stay here," he said. "This is the first place they'll look."

"Right."

They looked out, but Parsons was nowhere in sight. They left the shack and ran further into the forest. Suddenly, they almost ran right into Parsons and his partner.

Mac pushed Anita behind a tree at the same time he grabbed Parsons' gun. He twisted his arm around and came down on his elbow. Parsons yelled with pain. Mac relieved him of his weapon and aimed at the other man just in time to see a flash.

Mac fired and saw the man stagger backward as a bright red stain blossomed on his shirt, and he fell to the ground. Mac aimed at Parsons, but then he felt pain in his abdomen. Mac suddenly felt dizzy. Parsons came at him, and Mac fired, stopping the man in his tracks. "I hope you die," Parsons said, as he fell to the ground.

Mac staggered. Anita ran to him and steadied him. "Mac!" she exclaimed. "You've been shot!"

Mac looked at her in disbelief. He looked down at himself and saw his own blood on his white t-shirt. He dropped the gun and almost fell, but Anita held him. "No!" she said. "We have to find a way out of here! Come on!"

Mac put his hand over the wound and looked at the blood on his hand. He weaved on his feet. "Come on and walk!" Anita said.

Mac kept his hand over the wound and did his best to walk. Anita held his arm and tried to steady him. Mac was sweating. He felt dizzy and his ears were ringing. He could feel his heart beating too fast. He knew he had to keep going or he would die out here.

Anita had no idea where they were. She knew they were not in the city. They were in a forest. She hoped they found help soon.

Suddenly, Mac fell to his knees and almost fell on his face, but he got his hands up in time. Anita got down beside him. "Mac, we have to keep going," she said. "Fight!"

Mac thought it would be so easy just to lie down. "I need to rest," he said. "Just a little while."

"No, you have to get up!" Anita wanted to cry. "Please!"

Mac didn't know if he could get up. He had to try. With Anita's help, he made it back to his feet. He almost stumbled backward, but Anita grabbed him. "Come on," she pleaded.

They walked a little further, and then Mac collapsed on the ground. Anita turned him over on his back and cradled him in her arm. She pulled his shirt up to look at the wound. It was still bleeding. The front of his jeans and the side of his t-shirt were already drenched in blood.

Anita looked around them. She didn't see anything but woods until she saw what looked like a cabin. It was bigger than the shack they saw before. "Mac, there's a cabin," she said. "Come on, we have to get to it."

Mac looked at Anita. "Come on," she said.

Mac didn't know how he did it, but somehow, he got up and they made it to the cabin. Anita was glad to see that it was furnished and looked like it was well cared for. She helped Mac onto the cot in the room. She rubbed his sweaty hair.

Anita looked around the cabin, but there was no phone. She found a CB radio, but it didn't work. Mac moaned a little. Anita went to him. He was shivering. "I'm cold," he said, through chattering teeth.

Anita got the blanket from the end of the cot and put it over Mac. She went to look for a First Aid kit and found one in a cabinet. She took some of the gauze and pressed on Mac's wound. He moaned loudly.

"I'm sorry," Anita said, almost in tears. She knew she had to get the bleeding stopped.

"The bullet…" Mac said. "It has to come out."

"I'm going to find help when I get the bleeding stopped."

"You can take it out."

"I can't."

"Yes you can. There's no way we're gonna get out of here in time. Look in the first aid kit and see if there are any long tweezers."

Anita couldn't believe she was doing this. She looked and found what Mac was talking about. "Boil some water, and boil the tweezers," Mac said. "Build a fire and stick that poker in it."

Anita did what he said, but she didn't know if she could do this. It would definitely be something she had never done, if she could do it at all. Mac tried to stay awake while he waited. He heard the water start to boil on the stove. Anita looked at him. "Boil it for five minutes," Mac said.

"Oh, Mac, I don't know if I can do this," Anita said.

"You have to. We can't get any help."

"What am I going to do with the poker?"

"You'll have to cauterize it."

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can." Mac smiled slightly. "You made me get in that water. Now, you're going to do this."

Anita folded her arms and cried. "I don't want to hurt you," she said.

"I'll die if you don't help me."

"I'll try."

"You'll have to do more than try. I'll tell you what to do."

"How can you do that?"

"I just will."

When the tweezers were ready, Anita retrieved them from the boiling water and let them cool. She walked over to Mac. "I still don't think I can do this," she said.

"Get a small piece of wood for me to bite down on," Mac said.

Anita went to the woodpile and found a small piece. She brought it to Mac. He looked at her. "Just go down until you feel the bullet, and then get it and pull it back out. You may have to wiggle it a little to dislodge it."

Anita looked terrified. "I don't think I can do this," she said.

"Yes, you can. You're a strong woman. I need your help."

Anita knelt beside the cot. She used iodine from the first aid kit to clean the wound. Mac put the piece of wood in his mouth. Anita leaned over Mac. He tried not to yell out when she began her trek into the wound. He moaned a little. "This is hurting you," Anita said.

"Keep going," Mac said, around the piece of wood. He was sweating profusely now.

"I think I feel it."

"Get it."

Mac almost screamed when she pulled the bullet loose. It was agony as she pulled it from the wound tract. Anita stared at the bullet. "Now, get the poker," Mac said.

"I can't," Anita said.

"You're almost done now."

Anita got the poker and went over to Mac. "You have to do it now before it cools off," Mac said.

Mac bit down on the piece of wood, but he screamed when she touched him with that poker. Then he passed out. Anita thought he was dead, but she realized he was still breathing. She put the poker back over at the fireplace and put a bandage on Mac's wound. He seemed to be resting now. She got a cold rag and wiped the sweat from his face, neck and chest. She thought he certainly was handsome. She couldn't imagine why a man like him didn't have a girlfriend. He seemed so kind and gentle. Anita thought maybe she would just pursue a relationship with him. She enjoyed having lunch with him. She touched his hair. She thought he was breathing easier now and his wound wasn't bleeding now. Anita wondered how he knew what to do. She knew he had been in the Marines. She didn't know what all they learned in the Marines. She had never been in the service, but she supposed they learned how to care for one another if they couldn't get to help. Maybe she would get him to tell her about it someday.