It was Jake's turn to take a deep breath.

"I never really left."

At their puzzled expressions, he went on. "When that girl came to me with the amulet, I decided to deal with the demon alone. I lured it to a deserted part of a park, and tried to banish it."

A pained expression crossed his face. "I guess it didn't work. The last thing I remember about that day, is Charaahl, the demon, ripping me apart."

His voice caught. "I guess I died. And the next thing I was aware of, I was back at the spot where I had confronted the demon. I realized some time had passed. I figured that my body had been found, 'cause there was that…yellow police tape, strung between the trees. But no one was there, so I figured that maybe a few weeks had passed. I never got tired or hungry; I just…sorta faded in and out. Then, one day, I saw people", he smiled at the recollection.

"People?" Rachel interjected.

"Yes Dr Corrigan. I saw people. I didn't know how much time had passed, but one of them was talking about 'The great park opening'. I guessed that maybe they shut the park when I was killed. Then, they must have reopened it. And I saw people. One time, there was this guy. He was reading some sort of letter, and he looked really upset. I moved over to see what it was."

He looked slightly sheepish. "I know that was kinda nosy, but I'd been stuck there for God knows how long. I was bored. So, I went over and I touched his shoulder, and the next thing I knew…. I was him."

He glanced at them and noticed the look on Rachel's face. He was about to try and convince her again, when Nick said, "I need to ask you a question."

Jake looked at him in surprise. "Sure, go ahead", he managed to say.

"You say you're a member of this organization, this Legacy. What can you tell me about them?"

Jake looked at him, suddenly cold. He had been so sure that this guy was Legacy. And now, he was acting like he didn't know what it was. As he was about to answer, a thought struck him. What if this guy was faking him out? Trying to get him to reveal secrets. He'd be a threat to security then, and God knows what they would do to him. It occurred to him again how much this soldier reminded him of Robert Boyle. He had only worked with him briefly, but he had left a definite impression. Jake spoke up. "I don't think so, Mr Boyle. I don't know you from Adam. You could be Darkside. I won't risk it."

Nick continued to stare at him. A strange look passed over his face, and he said politely, "Would you excuse us please."

He stood up and motioned Rachel to follow him. Jake frowned. That was a complete turn around. He'd wanted to pump him for information one minute, and now he wanted to leave? As the two of them exited the room, Jake started to get angry. What the hell did they think they were doing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the room, Rachel quickly turned. "Nick, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

She stood, one hand absently brushing her blond her behind her ear.

Nick stood opposite her, his arms folded across his chest.

"What I'm doing Rachel, is trying to get information. He knows about the Darkside. Now it's not proof. But it is a start. No matter how many questions we ask, it still won't be enough."

He leant back against the wall, his arms still folded. Rachel looked on. When he didn't continue, she pushed him. "Well, then what are you going to do?"

She sounded every bit as frustrated as she felt. Nick smiled. "We have two psychics at our disposal , Rach. They can't tell if he's lying or not, but they should be able to pick up something. Some kind of impression. So I suggest that we get him out of here and take him to Angel Island."

He pushed off from the wall, about to re enter the room, when Rachel put a hand on his arm. "Even if we can get him out of here Nick, it's going to take a while."

She watched him add up his options.

"That's right Rach, so why don't I get on the phone to our Boss, while you see about getting him signed out. Then I'll let our friend in there know what's goin' on."

He had obviously thought this one through. She raised her hands in supplication. "Okay, okay. I'll go see what I can do."

And with that, she gave him a smile, and left to see about those forms.

Nick got out his cell phone and dialled Derek's number. This was going to be a long call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rachel had been right, it had taken hours to get the proper forms filled out, and have Jake released to the care of Dr Corrigan and the Luna Foundation.

Once that was solved, they had hit upon a slight snag. Rachel was a busy person. She relied upon her car as the means to get to her patients. She had driven to the hospital in it, and she knew Nick would rather not leave his Mustang in the hospital parking lot. They had eventually decided to take Nick's car. He would then give Rachel a lift back to the hospital to retrieve it later. Course of action decided, they headed off to the ferry port.

The trip back to the island was made in complete silence, each with their own thoughts. They had left the car and were standing at the railing. Nick was keeping a steady eye on Jake.

Jake in turn, was keeping a steady eye on everything. It was almost as if he expected something was about to attack. When it was time to go, they all trudged back to Nick's Mustang, and got in. As they drove off the ferry, they were all thinking the same thing. Namely, what were they going to find on the island?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TBC