Finding Yourself

Disclaimer: No I don't own.

Chapter Eleven: Rescue

Frank Hopkins was pacing the tent of the Sheikh of Sheikhs when the Sheikh received the ransom orders. Frank was no longer wearing his disguise because he pretty much figured that Kaitlin and his cover was already blown so it didn't matter if anyone saw him. Not that he cared either.

"Frank, they want what shouldn't be given to them in return for her," said the Sheikh. "And it would be harder to trick them."

"What do they want?"

"They want Hidalgo… and you."

"What?" asked Frank, unsure that he'd heard correctly.

"They want Hidalgo. Along with information on your location. Frank, they want your life in exchange for Kaitlin's."

"Sheikh, remember what you said to me when I first arrived all those years ago?"

"I remember a bit," admitted the Sheikh.

"You said, 'You are gambling with your very life in this great race.' Well you know what? When I let Kaitlin race, I was gambling with both our lives. And if it takes my life to let her have her life, then so be it!" cried Frank, as he stalked off, heading away from the tent.

"There must be another way!" cried the Sheikh as he ran after Frank.

Frank stopped midway to his tent. He turned around to face the Sheikh, slightly intrigued by what he had said.

"When Jazira was taken, we found another way to save her. There must be another way to save Kaitlin!"

"Jazira…" said Frank softly. "She will be so upset when she hears…"

"She need not hear anything to upset her! There is another way to save Kaitlin!"

"And what's that?" asked Frank, upset and not quite thinking straight.

"They don't know where you are. They think you are still in America. You could use that to save her," suggested the Sheikh.

"You think it could work?" Frank asked, hope shinning in his eyes.

"Frank, I know you can make it work."

Frank nodded and gave a weak smile. He was going to try and save Kaitlin but if it came down to it, he would sacrifice his life if it meant she could escape.

Kaitlin was worried. She had heard the others talking and she had heard many things. She knew that she was being used a trap to lure her father. Apparently, the man who kidnapped her was Aziz's son and wanted Frank dead. He had overheard her and he'd also heard her call out 'Frank T. Hopkins' and decided to use her against her father.

But she had also heard that if the Sheikh didn't produce Hidalgo, her father's prized horse and at least information on Frank's location, if not Frank, that she was dead. Kaitlin was a liability for them and they wouldn't hesitate to kill her if things didn't go their way. And Kaitlin knew it. But she also knew that they didn't understand why their leader hadn't had her killed already. Kaitlin knew that her father would try to rescue her but at what cost? What was he willing to do? Would he willingly give up his life for her?

Frank rode in on Zodiac, with Hidalgo running alongside. He was dressed once again in his Arab disguise. He hoped that he could fool everyone long enough to escape with Kaitlin. He had brought Zodiac because Zodiac should be able to find Kaitlin. And the raiders also wanted Hidalgo. Plus, Frank wasn't leaving his partner behind.

"Someone's here! With a painted stallion!" cried someone to the leader who grabbed Kaitlin, dragging her.

"Let go of me!" cried Kaitlin fighting her captor.

Out came the dagger and it once again rested on her throat. Kaitlin stopped fighting and instead looked around. Then she saw him. Her father was there, in disguise with both Hidalgo and Zodiac. What did he have planned?

"Thank God she's still alive," whispered Frank to the two horses when he saw Kaitlin come out. But her life was still at stake, judging by the dagger on her throat.

"Who sent you?" questioned the Arab holding Kaitlin.

Frank narrowed his eyes in disgust and hatred at the Arab. He knew instantly that this was Aziz's son and the mastermind of Kaitlin's kidnapping.

"The Sheikh of Sheikhs sent me here," was his coolly stated reply.

"Why did he send you?"

"Because the cowboy is no longer around. And this matter affects the Sheikh directly. The person that you have is none other than the Sheikh's granddaughter he wants her back."

"Where is the cowboy?"

"Dead," lied Frank. "He was accidentally killed by the Sheikh's men in the raid."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Is that the cowboy's horse?" asked Aziz's son, pointing to Hidalgo.

"Yes, it is."

"Give me him and I'll release the girl. Someone one already beat me to the prize. What a shame…"

Frank nodded and untied Hidalgo who was taken by one of the raiders. And Kaitlin was released. She looked towards Frank who winked and she kept walking and acted hesitantly. That was good. She needed to act unsure. Otherwise, they were in big trouble.

Kaitlin kept walking. She was free but she wasn't going to be to eager. She also attempted to appear saddened. She had to act like she had just heard that her father was dead. Which she knew wasn't true because her father was right in front of her on her horse. But they didn't know that, which was all that mattered.

Frank dismounted Zodiac when Kaitlin reached him and allowed Kaitlin to hop on her horse. Then she asked him something, out loud.

"Is it true? Is he really dead?" Kaitlin asked, tears in her eyes.

"I'm afraid so," was Frank's solemn reply.

Kaitlin began to cry.

The girl was crying! What the hell was he supposed to do? First, Hopkins wasn't there and then he found out that he had been killed. And now, Hopkins' daughter was crying because she asked the Arab who came for her to verify the story. She had been hoping that he was alive and he wasn't.

What could he do? He liked her and he felt bad enough that he was plotting to kill her father but he knew he could have never killed Frank or her. He was far too soft for cold-blooded killing. But she was still upset and it was his fault that her father was dead.

He then watched as the Arab who had ridden in tried to comfort her and she pushed him away. Any doubt that he had had about the Arab disappeared. Had that been her father, she never would have pushed him.

"I have no use for this horse. The horse no longer matters. The prize is gone and even the horse can't make up for it…" he said as he ordered one of his raiders to give Hidalgo back to Kaitlin.

"You… don't… want… my… father's… horse…?" asked Kaitlin shakily. "I… can… keep… him…?"

"No, I don't want the horse. It's an infidel, just like the cowboy and has no place here. I want it gone," said the leader.

Kaitlin nodded and dismounted her horse and went to hug Hidalgo.

"You'll have to take care of me now, huh boy?" asked Kaitlin between sobs. Then she mounted her father's horse and slowly rode away.

The Arab mounted the other horse and followed her but she seemed to have forgotten about him. Soon, both were gone.

"Double check on the story. I wonder if the cowboy is really dead or the Sheikh's servant misinformed," said the leader to one of the raiders, once Kaitlin was gone.

"Yes, sir," said the raider, mounting a horse and riding out to double-check the story.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the delay! I fell behind due to school and then I went out of town and well, I'm back now. I have to have a procedure this week that means that my Thanksgiving vacation had to be early or I wasn't getting one. So I wouldn't be away from the computer for the rest of the week. Except for Thanksgiving dinner.Next update due: Friday, November 26th

Reviewers!

Soccer-Bitch - Hopefully I can write some in soon but I'm not very awake at the moment because I can't eat so I'm very tired.

Kovu's-gurl-1992-12-2004 - Thanks for telling me that. I must have forgotten with all the different stories I'm writing. Too much stuff in my head.