"He's ready to be moved," Gavin said quietly into the phone as he headed for the exit of the warehouse. "Be certain that he's kept comfortable until I return." Continuing to smile to himself, Merrill headed for the black sedan that'd been waiting for him. Not only was he going to get the jewels he'd spent the last four months looking for, but he was also going to have the son that he'd been wanting since before he tracked Mackenzie down to find his diamonds. Her little friend will be the perfect family member. Gavin could only hope that the young man would respond to him the way he wanted him to. Leaning forward in the seat, the soft gray leather groaned with his movement, Merrill softly told his driver to take him to the dock keeping the Vast Explorer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What kind of double cross do you have in mind?" Judson asked, watching Mackenzie with mild amusement as she paced the decks of The Vast Explorer. What he wouldn't give to see and know what was going on in her head.

Coming to rest against a rail of the ship, she considered Judson's question. It was easy for her to be honest with herself, but she didn't have the heart to tell Judson that she hadn't yet figured out how she was going to double cross Merrill. She knew deep within her that Merrill was setting them up for a double cross, figuring out what his plan was would be the first step to helping her figure out how to best double cross him.

With a ragged breath, Mac opened her mouth to attempt an explanation how she didn't have a plan for double crossing Merrill, but the sudden shrill ring of Judson's cell phone cut her and her thoughts off.

"Cross," he answered his phone barely keeping the anger and fear he was feeling from his voice.

"And here I thought that you couldn't feel anything," Merrill's cheerful voice filled Judson's head.

"You son of a bitch," he spat into the phone. "Let Gabe go, now and I promise not to kill you."

"That's an awfully nice gesture, Judson, however given the circumstances perhaps neither of us should make promises that we don't intend to keep." Gavin couldn't help but smile at the pause he heard Judson take. They both knew the stakes of the game all too well to be threatening each other. Merrill wanted both the jewels and Gabe, or rather Nigel; and Judson wanted his little student of life back. Gavin knew that Judson would never play hardball with the life of a friend, but he knew that Judson would be trying to work every angle that he could to get that friend back unharmed. Mackenzie was another story. She was just like Merrill. She played both sides of the fence almost better than he did. She was the one that would nearly get everyone killed to get the bad and the friend. She would be the one that he'd really have to keep dancing. "You know what I want, and I've got what you want. You two help me and I'll give him back, you have my word."

"I'll hold you to that," Judson said eyeing the daggers that Mac was sending his way, "for now."

"Good boy," his voice returned to the all too chipper tone it had when he first called. "You have twenty-four hours to get the ball rolling on permits and getting the dive around. I've taken the liberty of faxing the coordinates of the dive site to you."

"How kind of you?" Judson retorted with a snort of anger. "Anything else we can do to accommodate you?" He could feel the smile etching across Merrill's face at the sarcasm that Judson had allow to seep into his voice.

"You're too kind," Merrill met Judson' s sarcasm. Levity in situations such as these was always the best way to handle your emotions; though he knew that Judson's levity wasn't because he was attempting to keep his worry in check or even to humor him, no it was to keep Judson's anger in check. What would Judson do to me if I were to meet him face to face? Merrill wondered, staring at the Vast Explorer and Judson pacing the deck cell phone in hand. The man was obviously pissed. "Once you have the permits call me at 555-1310."

"Will there be any problems getting. . ."

"For young Gabriel's sake there had better not be," Merrill said, his voice a mixture of smug knowing and threatening. Satisfied with the silence and annoyed that the call had gone on longer than he'd anticipated, Gavin flipped his phone down ending the call. "Let's go home."

The wave of anger that Judson'd been holding since beginning his conversation with Merrill finally raged it's way through him, as he punched the end button on his phone.

"Well?" Mac asked, her hands balled into fists at her hips.

"We have twenty-four hours to get the permits." He couldn't bring himself to say or else Merrill will do God only knows what to Gabe, if they ever got to see their friend again.

"I swear if Merrill puts even one hair on Gabe's head out of place, I'm going to make him wish that I'd let him die," Mac hisses as she drove her open hand into the metal of the ships rail.

"We have work to do," Judson said, managing to keep his voice even, despite the anger and guilt that he was feeling. If only he'd realized that Gabe'd been acting strange that morning. If only . . . there were too many what if's. There was no was no way to know that Merrill wasn't dead. After all the man did fall into a river after being shot, and he was never seen again. The CIA and Scotland Yard believed that the terrorist was dead, why should they have ever believed any different. How could he make her see that what Merrill was doing wasn't anyone's fault but Merrill's? Gabe seemed to be the only one tuned into a warning system.

"Judson," her voice was almost above a whisper on the breeze that'd picked up. "I don't know that I can do this." He could almost feel the tears that were longing to flow freely from her baby blue eyes. "Merrill was my problem before I met you guys. Being around you has put into the path of my old life more than once. After we get Gabe back . . ." she stopped for a moment, as though she were attempting to find the words or perhaps the strength to finish her thought.

"It's not your fault." Lightly he brushed his finger tips across the exposed skin of her back. Judson was almost surprised to find the skin to be cool to the touch, despite the deep tan and the warm sun that'd been shining on her back most of the morning. "My past has put us in just as much danger as yours has."

"Stephen was tame compared to most of the people I associated with, Judson." She finally brought her eyes around to meet his. For a moment her blue eyes penetrated his green ones and she was nearly able to see what he was thinking and feeling, but then she blinked and it was gone.

"Let's save Gabe first, then we can discuss our next move," Judson said, pulling her into a much needed hug.

"All right," she sighed into the soft fabric of his tee shirt.

A/N: Sorry for the wait for an update, I was a little blocked. Thanks to those who took the time to review, I'm glad that you're enjoying this. Sorry about any errors. This has not been betaed. Well I'm off to continue working on this fic now while the juices are still flowing.