Red Chute Bayou

Early Morning

Liz didn't know if it was the distant rumbling in the sky or in her stomach that had woke her up this morning. Stretching as best she could, considering her location, Liz wondered how she could have slept at all. Her neck and legs were full of cramps that were sure to remain and she'd pay for it later. Closing her eyes she grabbed the cell phone from her pocket and started to check the time when she stopped.

* The dumb thing's dead, remember? * She thought as she stuffed it back in her pocket dejectedly. After she'd managed to find another sturdy branch to support her, she'd tried to call the Admiral back but discovered that the battery had finally given out. * I suppose it's only fitting, considering how lucky I had been for most of the day. * She thought as she stifled a yawn. She peered down to check on Palmer and was distracted when she noticed that the rumbling was getting louder. "Oh, that'd be swell. It's gonna rain now too! Yipee." She mumbled sarcastically, throwing her hands in the air. She looked up at the sky and was perplexed to notice that there were no dark clouds, no foreboding weather nothing that would suggest heavy thunder.

Looking back down to scout Palmer out, she was slightly horrified and also elated to discover he was gone. "Oh this can't be good, yet maybe it can." She decided that maybe he'd gone off to relieve himself or something and maybe she had a chance to run again, maybe. Gauging the distance between her branch and the branch below, Liz put her foot down and slowly felt around for the lower branch. "At least the branch isn't breaking this time." She mumbled. "Oh great, now I'm talking to myself." Sighing, she felt for the branch again. As she made contact, she began to slide down, pushing the phone slowly out of her pocket.

Liz steadied her feet on the branch below and then decided to test it while her hands were still firmly grasped to the branch above. Unfortunately, as she jumped, the phone fell from her pants. "Cheese and rice!" Liz could only watch as the phone plummeted the few feet to the ground. * At least Palmer's not here to notice. * Liz mused as she got settled on her new branch to consider her options. She wondered how long it was going to take for the troops to arrive. She had even forgotten to check up on Palmer and his whereabouts again, just happy that the branch hadn't broken and that, at least for now, there was no rain coming.

But from a different angle, out of Liz' eyesight, Clark Palmer had seen the phone drop. He had his prey in his sights. He too, had heard the rumbling and knew that troops had most likely been dropped into the area. This game was getting quickly out of control and if he didn't find Elizabeth soon, then he might just find himself back in Leavenworth. That was an option he didn't even want to consider.

5-Mile Insertion Point

Red Chute Bayou
Harm and Mac got off the transport and headed over to where Webb was mobilizing the MP's. They waited until the Huey had taken off again before beginning S&R. "Ok, we know that he wants me by myself and I think it would be a good idea for me to do that." Mac begins, not caring what Harm or Webb think. "Mac, you aren't serious?" Harm asks.

"You've dealt with Palmer before, you know how he is. Going in by yourself is suicide." Harm told her, not bothering to keep the anger out of his voice. Mac picked up on this and immediately stood in his face. "Commander, I'm a Marine, trained in hand-to-hand combat. My, as of yesterday, little sister, is in there, trapped with a maniac who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. At this point, I don't care." She scolded him, letting the inner DI take over. Webb just watched, amused at the way Mac was handing Harm his ego and his ass.

"I don't care if you're a Navy Seal or 007 Mac, he's dangerous and unpredictable. We have no idea what he's got planned. Hell, he could have the whole place booby trapped and mined for all we know!" Harm yelled back. There was no way he was going to back down, not at this point. Webb took it upon himself to intervene between the two strong willed military personnel. "IF you both could calm down a second, I think that we can let Mac do what she wants and yet at the same time, please you Harm." Both lawyers looked at Webb and he unconsciously put his hand to his nose.

"What are you talking about Clay? You know as well." Harm began, but Webb cut him off. "I know how he is Rabb, all to well. But he had demands and we have to abide by them. She'll go in alone, but we'll be five minutes behind her, ready to give her the backup she'll need to catch Palmer. Is that satisfactory to the both of you?" He asked, hoping that it would. His nose couldn't handle another beating today if they didn't agree. But the lawyers never had a chance to agree. Mac was going to give her approval when a gunshot and piercing scream echoed through to them shot all previous plans to hell.

Liz's Tree

"That should bring your sister a little bit faster Ms. Thompson, I hope you're ready for a show!" Palmer yelled as he aimed his gun and fired again. He'd managed to take her by surprise about five minutes ago and had fired a warning shot just above Liz' head. Now she was hanging on by her fingertips and wondering if this was how she was going to die. "Awww, to scared to talk Liz? You had no problems yesterday pouring your heart out to me, what could have possibly changed?" He sneered as he fired another shot off. Liz screamed and let go, the shot too close to her hands and head for her comfort.

She fells only a couple of inches when another branch caught her, knocking the wind out of her lungs. * This is not happening! * Liz thought as she tried to regain her breath. But along with the loss of breath, she was falling into a panic attack she knew she couldn't stop. A bullet screamed past her head and she tried to move, but couldn't. The way she'd fallen through the trees had trapped her in its grasp. The tree that she had sought some solace in the previous night was now her captor.

She screamed again as Palmer got another shot off, this time, however, he had found his mark as a bullet ripped through her shoulder. Palmer laughed as she grabbed at her shoulder and tried to free herself. "There's no where to hide now missy, I've got you right where I want you." He took aim again and was about to fire again when a new and angrier voice came at him from the side. " Drop your weapon now, and maybe I'll let you live."