A/N: I miss the days when I had readers who left guesses as to the possible outcomes of cliffhangers in their reviews. Who am I kidding? I miss the days when I had readers who left reviews...

~ Chapter 57 ~

Absolute darkness greeted Marlena's return to consciousness. For a moment, even though she knew the answer, she questioned if her eyes were open at all. As she waited for her vision to adjust to the pervasive blackness, her hands reached out, exploring the contours of the objects that surrounded her. She quickly established that she was lying on a firm bed, complete with a soft pillow, a full set of sheets, and a thick blanket. No sagging springs or rough linens. Clearly, whoever was responsible for the situation she currently found herself in meant for her to be comfortable.

Or maybe they plan on keeping me here for a while.

The thought made her shiver, and grief stabbed at her heart.

Alex, my love, I'm losing you again…

As a tear began its slow path down her cheek, she yanked the blanket free, and wrapped it tightly around her increasingly chilled body. Her teeth began to chatter, and she struggled to still them. As ridiculous as it seemed, she felt it best to stay as quiet as possible, so as not to give her captors any indication of just how frightened she truly was. But she was scared – terrified, in fact. If these were the same men who'd kidnapped her long ago… In spite of not being in full possession of her memories of that time, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that harm had befallen her at their hands. If they'd been so intent on separating her from Alex once before, they clearly wouldn't take kindly to her reunion with him now.

Why can't they leave us alone? We're not hurting anyone, and we're entitled to some happiness!

She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out in frustration. Whys and what ifs would get her nowhere. She had to be strong. The forces arrayed against her and Alex had been victorious in the past, but she was determined that history wouldn't repeat itself.

With survival as her objective, the cool, professional part of her took over. Sitting up, she let the blanket slip from her shoulders before lowering herself onto the floor. Slowly and methodically, she crawled around the room, one hand stretched out in an effort to avoid bumping into anything that might injure her, or alert her captors to her exploration.

The accommodations were spartan. Apart from the bed, the only other furnishings were a small bedside table – bolted to the ground, its surface bare – and a cotton bean bag chair.

Rising to her feet, she padded around the room's perimeter, feeling every inch of the wall. No vents within reach. No electrical outlets. Not a window to be found. And, as she'd already suspected, the only door was bolted from the outside.

They're not giving me much to work with. Not that I'd have expected anything else of these horrible men.

Dejected at her apparent lack of options, she returned to the bed and curled up under the blanket, grateful for its warmth. Mentally exhausted, and still suffering the chloroform's after-effects, sleep quickly claimed her.

As the elevator made its descent towards the parking garage, Frank and Alex assumed their customary roles as if slipping on a second skin. A grin played at the corners of Alex's mouth as he watched Frank adjust the zipper on his jacket, ensuring that his clerical collar was plainly visible. There would be no mistaking which one of them was about to take on the 'good cop' persona. The men's eyes met, and Frank couldn't resist uttering his oft-repeated adage.

"All but the blackest of souls…"

"…have qualms about lying to a priest," Alex completed the familiar declaration.

"This collar definitely has its uses in our line of work," Frank noted.

"I hope it does the trick this time."

"From what you've told me, the security guards in this building are decent chaps. If this one knows anything that could be of use, I'm certain he'll share it."

"Whether he wants to or not," Alex vowed.

"I don't expect it will come to that, but if it does, you'll have my full support."

"Thanks, Frank. I'm counting on it."

The soft ding of the elevator chime caused both men to tense, and Frank gave Alex's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The doors opened silently, and the duo exited into the coolness of the building's lowest level.

In his booth, Brian blanched at the sight of the two men. Although the older, taller one was unknown to him, he was well acquainted with Alex North. The man was Dr. Evans' houseguest and, although Brian wasn't generally one for gossip, it appeared as if he was more than a friend. Remembering how happy Dr. Evans had looked the previous night, as she and Dr. North had returned from what Brian assumed was the Salem Fall Fair – she'd been holding one of those stuffed animals so typical of fair prizes, after all – he sighed deeply, and a feeling of despair settled in the pit of his stomach.

He nervously fingered the bills in his pocket. His guilt made them seem red hot, and he flinched. He was going to have to lie to Dr. North, he just knew it. Not only did he hate lying, but he wasn't very good at it. How he wished he'd never taken the money. There must've been a better way to pay for his daughter's surgery – one that wouldn't have required that he ransom his soul. In his desperation, he'd made an incredibly foolish choice, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Forcing a smile to his face, he greeted the men approaching him.

"Good evening, gentlemen."

"Good evening, Brian."

In spite of his impatience, Alex responded politely. He was fairly confident that the young man before him had nothing to do with Marlena's disappearance, but even if he did, they weren't far enough along into the interrogation for Alex to go on the offensive.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"There is. I was wondering if you'd seen Dr. Evans today."

A lump the size of a golf ball seemed to have lodged in Brian's throat. He tried to clear it as inconspicuously as possible, so that he could answer without betraying his nerves – nerves that threatened to reveal his complicity as surely as any direct admission of guilt would.

"I believe she's been home all day, Dr. North. Her car hasn't left its spot since my shift started."

Even if Alex hadn't been a highly trained agent, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to detect the evasiveness of Brian's answer. The latter clearly knew something, and Alex intended to pry it from him, by any means necessary.

"Has anyone been to see her, then?"

Brian relaxed. This, he could answer truthfully. Pulling out the building's log book, he ran his finger along the list of signatures until he found what he was looking for.

"Yes. According to the records, Kate Roberts was here this morning, followed by Dr. Evans' daughter, Sami, and then a Frank Kelly."

Brian glanced up from his ledger and fixed his gaze on Frank. A glimmer of recognition flashed across his face.

"Why, that's you, sir. You were one of Dr. Evans' visitors."

"That's right." Frank offered this confirmation matter-of-factly, as he maintained his semi-concealed position behind Alex.

"No one else was here?"

Brian hesitated for a fraction of a second. Mr. Black had come to call, but since he still had a key, he'd simply gone right up to the penthouse. Did these men need to be told that Dr. Evans' husband had been in the building? And more importantly, even though he knew why Dr. North was asking, shouldn't he be acting as if he didn't?

"Is there a problem?"

Brian adopted the most innocent tone he was capable of. Alex's expression shifted from concern to cold fury in the blink of an eye, and the young guard realized his misstep immediately.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. It's your call, Brian."

A sense of menace oozed from Alex's every pore, and Brian took an involuntary step back. This wasn't the man he'd come to know as Dr. Evans' charming companion, the one with a ready smile who'd offered Brian his help on more than one occasion. This man… well, to Brian, he seemed more dangerous in this moment than the one who had bribed him earlier.

"Wh…what do you want?"

"A straight answer," Alex growled. "Did anyone else come to see Dr. Evans today? Someone who might not have followed proper procedure, and therefore never made it on to your list?"

"N…n…no."

An unspoken signal passed between Alex and Frank, and the priest stepped into the open. Brian's gulp was audible, in spite of his efforts to stifle it, and a thin sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Now, son, are you quite sure of that?"

Frank's lilting brogue held no trace of a threat. He appeared curious, nothing more.

Brian's gut twisted. Lying to Dr. North was bad enough, but lying to a priest? Even if it was just a sin of omission, no money was worth the eternal damnation that would be sure to follow if he uttered even one more falsehood in the presence of a man of the cloth.

"I'm sorry, Father. I haven't been completely honest."

"Do you have something to confess, son?"

Confession. Brian latched on to the prospect as if it were a lifeline. This priest would have to keep his confidence. He could unburden himself without getting into further trouble. And if it helped Dr. Evans in the bargain…

"I… I think I have information that might be of use. Could we speak privately?"

Alex's hands balled into fists and he cursed under his breath, but otherwise offered no argument. As Frank led Brian to a quiet corner of the garage, Alex settled into the latter's chair in the booth. The confession could take a while, so he might as well be comfortable.

It was pitch black. Again. And yet, despite not being able to see even a foot in front of her, Marlena knew she wasn't alone. Her sense of hearing, sharpened by her diminished sight, perceived the sound of quiet breathing nearby. At least one of her captors, if not both, had returned. Feigning sleep, she waited silently, in the hopes that one of them might drop a hint as to what was planned for her. Within minutes, her patience was rewarded.

"Looks like this one hasn't learned her lesson."

"She's feisty, that's for sure."

"If she knew what was best for her, she would've given up a long time ago."

"Well yeah, but… I kind of wish someone cared that much about me."

"You going soft?"

"No!" In his haste to deny the accusation, the man's voice rose noticeably.

"Shh! Keep it down, or you'll wake Sleeping Beauty."

The second man's tone dropped back to a whisper.

"Don't you wonder why she's been so persistent? Why she won't believe what she's been told?"

"Unlike you, I don't ask questions. I'm here to do a job. That's all."

"But… she's so different from the others. It doesn't seem to matter what any of us say, she still trusts him. It's like they share some unshakeable bond."

"They might have. But that ends tonight."

"Is what they have planned really necessary?"

"It is, if they're to succeed in convincing both of them that there's no hope. She'll finally stop being an obstacle, and he'll finally stop resisting."

"Okay, I get that they think there's no other way, but erasing her memories? The technology's still in the experimental stages, right?"

"So what if it is? This'll be a good test, to see how well it works – or doesn't. Either way, none of my concern. And if you want to stay out of trouble, I suggest you keep your mouth shut, and just do as you're told."

A soft buzzing interrupted the men's hushed conversation, and they moved purposefully towards their captive.

"It's time."

Marlena's eyes flew open, and she bolted upright, her heart pounding like a trip-hammer. Expecting to find two men about to grab her, she was shocked to discover that she was alone.

I must've been dreaming.

As she replayed the nightmare in her mind, it took her mere seconds to grasp the truth. It hadn't been a dream.

Oh my gosh! I remember! I finally remember what happened!

It was the breakthrough she and Alex had been working to achieve – and he wasn't with her to share in her triumph. In fact, she wasn't certain that she'd ever see him again, not if those same men had taken her prisoner once more. And now that she'd recalled exactly what they were capable of… She shivered, and drew the blanket tightly around her shoulders. What was to stop them from erasing her memories anew?

As she cast about, in vain, for a way in which to evade such a fate, her heart leapt to her throat at the sound of a key scraping the lock. Steeling herself, she turned and bravely faced the door.

In the guard booth, Alex hummed tunelessly as he absent-mindedly flipped through the latest issue of Premier Guitar. Judging by the magazine's already well-worn corners, along with the notes scrawled on various pages, it was clear to him that Brian harboured musical ambitions.

Well, it's not as if many people actually aspire to be security guards.

His instincts taking over, Alex began to sift carefully through the clutter that littered the desk, searching for anything that might prove valuable. It took only seconds to unearth a small scrap of paper, bearing a hastily scribbled note: 'Lily – operation – $$?'. He flashed back to a conversation he'd had with Brian, where the young man had gushed about his daughter, Lily.

She's the light of my life. The best thing that's ever happened to me. I would do anything for her – anything at all.

Re-reading the note with a critical eye, the clues fell into place. Brian's beloved little girl needed surgery, which he couldn't afford – thus making him easy prey for them, what with their unlimited funds, and their total lack of conscience. While it didn't excuse his potential involvement in Marlena's disappearance, it went a long way towards explaining it. Glancing up, he noticed that Frank and Brian were heading in his direction. The younger man's face bore an expression of profound sorrow and, as they neared the booth, Alex detected the tell-tale streaks of recently shed tears. In spite of his anger, Alex was moved by the guard's obvious remorse. Before he could utter a word, Brian stepped forward.

"Dr. North, I'm so… so terribly sorry."

"I know you are, Brian. The next time you need help, you might consider asking friends, rather than taking the first offer that comes along."

With that parting advice, Alex walked away, leaving Brian to stare after him in slack-jawed amazement. Dr. North couldn't possibly have overheard his confession, and yet the man was somehow aware of his circumstances.

"Not much escapes him," Frank remarked, before giving Brian a supportive handshake. "You've been enormously helpful, son. Thank you. And remember, everything will turn out alright. Have faith."

Frank quickly followed Alex to the elevator, and the two men rode to the penthouse in silence. As soon as they were within its confines, Alex turned to Frank with an expectant look.

"Well?"

"You know the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred."

"I'm not asking you to break the seal of confession. I just need to know if he gave you anything useful."

"Oh, most definitely. In fact, although I can't tell you what he said, I can show you this."

Frank dug into his pocket. Pulling out a sheet of paper, he unfolded it carefully.

"Our friend was very forthcoming. As a security guard, he's got quite the eye for detail, so I managed to coax this out of him."

Alex was reminded that, in addition to his talents as a priest, spy and psychiatrist, Frank was also an extremely gifted artist.

"You've sketched Marlena's kidnapper?"

"I have, and young Brian confirmed my accuracy. Here he is."

Alex stared at the likeness that Frank placed before him. Recognition dawned instantly.

"Him!"

Simultaneously, several miles away, Marlena blinked as her eyes adjusted to the beam of light streaming through the open door. The man before her came into focus, and she gasped.

"You!"