Part 5: Journeys

"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."
-Confucius

"The longest journey of any person is the journey inward."
-Dag Hammerskjvld

Dawn was just cresting over the tops of the San Gabriel's when the ragtag group of refugees began rumbling into the camp. Despite their exhaustion and anguish, the mood sense was of utter jubilation. The emotion began to catch hold and spread along the caravan. As the first truck rolled to a stop with a hiss of its air brakes, cheering and laughter had begun to erupt from under the canvas covers.

Those in the camp, already awake and moving about, turned toward the commotion to meet the new arrivals. Others exited their tents, looking on in curiosity. The dominants of the settlement had already sensed that many of those in the convoy were their own kind. Tom and James descended from the cab of their truck just as two men approached them with smiles and outstretched hands.

"Morning." Tom said shaking hands with the two men. "We're looking for a safe haven for these people and were told your settlement might be a good place to start."

"You're an unexpected surprise, but you have found your sanctuary. We are refuge to wayward dominants and their repulsive human sympathizers," one of the men replied with a grin. "I'm Bill Davidson and this is Michael Clark. How many of you are there?"

"We have just under five hundred." James answered shaking hands with the men. "We lost several during the breakout and we have several more wounded."

"Five hundred!" Mike Clark whistled as he looked down the long line of trucks where people were beginning to climb down from under the canvas coverings. "Where did you breakout from?"

"We were all being held in an internment camp at Fort Erwin, until Tom here and his friends planned our escape." James replied, wearily rubbing the back of his neck.

"An internment camp!" Bill voiced his surprise. "This is the first time I believe we've ever heard of an entire prison camp escaping. We've had one or two straggle in here that managed to escape, but never an entire camp."

"If you wouldn't mind holding off on your questions..." Tom began. "These people have been through hell. We'd like to get them unloaded and set up a triage to tend to the injured. That is if they are welcome to stay." he held his breath waiting for an answer.

"Hell yeah you're welcome to stay!" Bill said. "We don't turn anyone away. You get your folks organized and we'll get the medical tent ready for the wounded. We have a couple doctors here that can give you all some assistance."

Tom sighed with relief. "Thank you. Umm ... In one of the trucks, we also have about twenty dead."

Mike nodded his head solemnly. "We'll see to your dead too Tom. Let's take care of the others first though. They've been through enough."

x.x.x

Evening settled over the camp as the weary refugees took stock of their plight and tried to calm frazzled nerves. The day had been long and somber, tending the wounded and burying their dead. The cuts, scrapes, and injuries could be mended, and would heal over time. But the anguish and heartbreak of their ordeal might never ease. Everything they'd suffered at the hands of the government was out of fear and ignorance, that fact would never be forgotten.

People milled about as the two groups got acquainted. Children ran and played as they chased each other in a game of tag, some of them laughing for the first time in months. Parents hovered on the fringes of the game, relief clearly showing on their faces.

Tom took it all in as he made his way to a group of men gathered around of fire pit near the center of the camp. Nick and Scott saw his approach and made room for him in their circle. Sonny, James, Jake, and Jim were present, as well as others from the camp. Tom sat down on the log in the space they'd offered him trying to stifle a yawn.

"How you holdin' up Tom?" Nick asked in a concerned voice.

"Tired," Tom replied. "How about you?"

"I gotta admit, I been better." Nick said. "But I'm glad it's over."

Tom nodded silently in agreement then turned to look at Jim, "How are you doing? How's Kelly?"

Jim exhaled a long breath, "I'll be fine eventually. Kelly will too. It's just going to take some time."

"So what are your plans now Tom?" Sonny asked joining the conversation. "You still going into LA?"

"Yes." Tom said. "I have to find out what happened to Sloan."

At Tom's statement, another young man in the group whipped his head around sharply and stared at him in astonishment. "You can't possibly be serious! LA is a war zone!" Shaking his head slightly to himself, he stuck out his hand, "Sorry, guess I better introduce myself. I'm Robert. I just got here myself a couple days ago."

"Robert," Tom said shaking the man's hand. "I understand the danger, but I have to go. I have no choice."

"This Sloan was someone close to you I take it?" Robert folded his arms across his knees.

"Yes." Tom answered quietly.

"You'll be lucky to get in and out of there alive. You know that don't you?" Robert asked.

"Yes." Tom said with a hint of a smile. "But I can be pretty resourceful when I need to be. Were you there right up to the end?"

"Yes and no," Robert replied. "I lived and worked up at the Mount Wilson Observatory. Shortly before all hell broke loose, we made a discovery and I had to go down into L.A. to collaborate our findings with astronomers from Palomar. I barely made it back out of there with my head intact."

James sat across the fire from Tom and looked up sharply with the revelation. Tom locked eyes with James and asked, "What did you find that would cause you to risk your safety and go into the city?"

"Kewley's Comet ... we had been tracking its trajectory because it's suppose to swing our way on October 18th." Robert began. "But according to our calculations, its course had changed slightly from what we'd expected to see. Based on our findings, it appeared that the comet was going to come much closer to Earth than we'd anticipated. The astronomers at Palomar have much more sophisticated equipment than we did. So we wanted to compare notes."

Tom held his breath, "What did you come up with after your meeting?"

"It's hard to say exactly." Robert continued. "You have to understand that when you are tracking something that large that far away, the slightest change can equal a great variation from our point of view as potentially being ground zero. We all came away from that meeting agreeing we needed more data. We designated it an Orange and decided to keep a close eye on the changes in the comet's orbit as it got closer to Earth. But before we could gather that data, we lost control of all the satellites and all communications went down, then we lost power at the observatory."

James cleared his throat and spoke up, "Orange? What does that mean?"

Robert now held the attention of not just Tom and James, but the rest of the men gathered as well. "The Torino Scale is used to categorize or rate the impact hazard of an orbital body, much the same way as hurricanes are rated as Category 1 through 5. The scale ranges from 0, no impact hazard to 10 meaning collision is imminent. The scale is also color coded with numbers 2 through 4 being assigned to Yellow; 5 through 7 are Orange; and 8 through 10 are Red. The Orange designation we gave Kewley's Comet meant 'threatening event'. You only designate an asteroid or comet as Orange if the likelihood of collision exceeds what we normally see and by its shear size, its impact would cause significant devastation. The problem is, we never got enough data to narrow down exactly where within the orange range it fell. It may not sound like a great difference, but it is."

Tom leaned forward with a piercing look. "What type of damage are we talking about?"

Robert ran his hand through his hair. "Well... If the comet just passes us as closely as we thought it might, we'll likely see some meteor showers from debris from the tail. If any of this debris is large enough and it hits one of the oceans, it would create a Tsunami. If it hits land, it would cause a crater and the force of the impact could trigger Earthquakes. The gravitational pull from the comet interacting with that of the moon could cause shifts in tides, which would affect the weather. If the comet itself hits, we're talking about a global catastrophe."

Tom frowned, "A lot of 'if's' in that statement. Based on what you know, what does your gut tell you?"

"It's gonna be close, real close." Robert replied with deadly seriousness. "The comet may or may not hit, but we'll definitely see some fireworks and affects from it.

"Worst case scenario... what is the risk to the people here?" James asked.

"Worst case ... a large meteor hits the Pacific Ocean." Robert answered. "That would generate a Tsunami thousands of feet high. The Pacific coast would be hit with a wall of water that would wipe out everything. The Central Valley would be under water. The impact would trigger major Earthquakes. I'm not a geologist, but I would venture to guess that would cause a major shift of the Pacific plate, which in turn, could trigger some volcanic eruptions along the Cascades and the Long Valley Caldera. If the asteroid were to hit land, it would be like setting off 100's of Hiroshima bombs, you don't even want to think about it. "

"Jesus!" Sonny yelped. "We're safe here, right? Being up in the mountains?"

"No, not really." Robert shook his head as he spoke. "We're too near the San Andreas. We need to be on the other side of the Sierra Nevada's and nowhere near any potentially volcanic regions to be safe."

"Well..." Bill grimaced as he stood up and stretched his arms, bones popping. "Looks like we'll start planning a big relocation tomorrow. We've got time if it isn't supposed to pass us till October 18th. I think I'm gonna go sleep on it awhile."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Mike agreed and rose as well. "We can start going over what we have and what we'll need."

Scott looked at Tom, "So Tom, when we leaving for L.A.?"

"Scott, I think you'd be better off staying with the members of the camp." Tom replied. "L.A. is going to be very dangerous, you'd be safer staying here.

Upon seeing Scott's dejected look, Tom continued, "I'm not rejecting you Scott. I'm going to need someone with a little more combat training if I want to get in and out of there quickly."

Scott nodded in silence, he understood completely.

Tom turned to James, "How you feel about taking a trip into L.A.?"

James tilted his head slightly to the side as he regarded Tom, "I could use a vacation. I'm in."

x.x.x

Sloan walked into the kitchen to see Lou sitting at the table with papers spread out before him. His head was bent in concentration as he read, occasionally using the pen he held to write remarks in the corners of a paper.

She grabbed a cup of coffee and joined him at the table, "Whacha got there?"

Lou started slightly, looked up and grinned, "Some essays my students wrote. I want to use them in another assignment when the school year starts again.."

Sloan smiled and craned her neck to peer at the one closest to her, "Can I see?"

Lou waved his hand at the papers, "Sure, be my guest."

Sloan grabbed a paper off the top of the pile, "The Sun Dance?" She looked up at Lou questioningly.

Lou rested his arms on the table and explained, "The Sun Dance is an ancient Indian ceremony. It's practiced at Summer Solstice and symbolizes the circle of life. My students' assignment was to pick an Indian tradition or legend and to write about it. It gives them the opportunity to study their heritage ... " he chuckled, "... and to practice their writing skills."

"Really?" she perked raising her eyebrows smiling. "That sounds fascinating. Pretty sneaky too, you're tricking them into learning more than they think."

Sloan's eyes sparkled as she began to get more excited about their topic. "So this Sun Dance is just one thing they wrote about? What else did they pick?"

"Well, let's see what we got here," Lou started shuffling through the essays. "Here's one on the Thunderbird. Here's another on the legend of White Buffalo Calf Woman." He frowned as he looked at the next paper, "Hmmm, this one is about The Longest Walk. Not exactly what I asked for, but I can live with History."

"So is there one there about this legend your grandfather was talking about?" Sloan asked, looking up with an almost innocent smile.

Lou laughed as he leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her, "Oh you're good! Here I thought you were really interested in this and you were just fishing for information."

Sloan shook her head in denial, "That's not true Lou! I really am interested in what your students wrote."

Lou's grin grew broader, "uh-huh... And you're also very interested in what my grandfather didn't tell you too."

She propped her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her hand as she looked at him with wide eyes. "Well of course I am. It's another legend isn't it? It falls into the topic of conversation."

Lou snorted as he stood from the table and gathered the papers together, "Nice try Sloan, but it isn't gonna work." He started to walk away from the table.

She jumped up to follow him, "Can't you even give me a hint?"

He turned to smirk at her, shaking his head. "No."

x.x.x

Tom watched the fires burning in morbid fascination. High from the hilltop he and James were parked on, the orange flames could be seen dancing toward the night sky. A haze of smoke hovered over the city and the rattling of gunfire could be heard in the distance.

For reasons Tom didn't understand, James agreed to accompany him on his quest to find Sloan. While his motives may be in question, Tom welcomed his company. He enjoyed talking to the man and wanted to learn more about their history. He was also confident that should the need arise; James could handle himself in a fight.

He had no doubt they'd see their share of action before they made it back out of the city. Not only were they looking for clues as to what happened to Sloan and the others, they were also going to try and get desperately needed medical supplies for those back in the camp. The plan was to get in, get what they needed, get out, and return to the camp. In theory it sounded simple enough, but Tom knew better.

The news they'd heard of L.A. had been grim with reports of murder in the streets and rampant destruction. People told stories of barely making it out with their lives. He and James were descending into the bowels of that hell. Common sense told him he should stay out of the city, but that was not an option. He had to try to find her and that was where he had to start. It wasn't a desire; it was a need... an all-consuming passion. The longer he went without knowing if she was alive and safe, the more intense the ache in his heart became. He couldn't bare the unanswered question any longer, he had to know. ... Even if his answer was his worst fear.

"Well are we going in or are we gonna stand here all night and stare at it?" James queried.

Tom started, realizing he'd been lost in his thoughts. Turning to James, he saw the raised eyebrow and the slight grin on his face. Shaking his head, he kick-started the bike. He was beginning to find out his companion had a bit of a sense of humor. "Yeah, let's go."

x.x.x

They slowly rode through the old Pasadena neighborhood, the Harley's engines rumbling in a distinctive growl. Those that were out prowling the ruins this night cut the pair of leather-clad men a wide path. Even the toughest street punk knew not to tangle with someone in leather, on a hog, carrying an M16 on their back. These men didn't look like they'd much care who it was that got in their way; everyone got the same kind of justice.

When they pulled up next to the burnout building, they stopped and cut their engines. Tom stared stone faced at what used to be Sloan's apartment building.

James let out a low whistle, "Looks like a missile hit the lower level. Is this where she used to live?"

Tom nodded his head silently as he dismounted his bike, "Stay here and cover me."

James planted both feet on the ground, straddling the bike, as he brought his rifle around and took off the safety. Tom carried his weapon at the ready and slowly walked toward the ruins.

Climbing through the brick and concrete, he reached out with his senses. Finding no immediate threat, he disappeared inside.

He scaled the precarious staircase and found Sloan's apartment. Entering through the blackened doorway, he started sorting through the rubble of what used to be her things. He kicked pieces of broken pottery and furniture aside looking for anything that would give him a clue. Just as he was about to give up the search, he noticed the glitter of glass among the ruins. Reaching out, he picked up the picture of Sloan and her sister that used to set on her mantle. The wood was charred and the glass was broken, but the photo remained intact. He removed it from frame and put it in his front jacket pocket, tossing the remains back into the pile.

As Tom prepared to exit the building, he sensed others outside. Their malevolent emotions were on the surface as was their intent. He crept to the remaining partial outer wall and reached out again to sense the intruders. There were four of them, humans, who'd spotted James and the bikes. Tom watched as two of the men approached James. Raising his weapon, he trained on their position and waited to see what happened.

"Yo! Old man! Wha 'chew doin' hangin' out on our street?"

"This 'hood be dangerous at night, wha 'chew thinkin' man?"

James addressed what was apparently the leader. "I appreciate your concern, but we aren't staying long."

"Yeah? Dat's pimp-tight pops, but I th'o't ya should be givin' me somethin' fo' sittin' on muh curb. Dat's uh nice ride you's be sittin' on. I th'o't I'd like'd ta gots one o' those. Iz not like ya need two o' dem."

"Yeah?" James chuckled "Well, since you seem to think I'm going to let you have one of them, you might like to know my partner has a semi-automatic rifle pointed your back."

Tom's voice was cold as steel as he called out from his hiding place, "If you're smart, you'll walk away now." But he knew they weren't as he sensed the other two creeping into position behind where James sat. Looking down the sight, he found his first target and squeezed the trigger.

Before the punk even fell, James shot the one standing in front of him. The man went down with a shocked look on his face as the other one hit the dirt and tried to roll under a car for better cover. Without missing a beat, James swung his arm around and started firing behind him as Tom took out the one on the ground. Knowing all four were dead, Tom emerged from the building and approached James.

James cocked an eyebrow at his new friend, "This neighborhood is going to the dogs."

Tom threw him a glance, the corners of his mouth twitching, but said nothing. He started walking towards what looked like Sloan's car parked in the street. Opening the door, he got in and started rummaging through the glove box. He found a receipt from a store near Palmdale. Digging between and under the seats, he found a slip of paper with an address and directions in the same area. For once he was glad for her carelessness because now he had a starting point to look. He got out of the car and walked back toward the bikes.

"Well?" James asked as Tom mounted his ride.

"I found an address and directions to some place in Palmdale," he replied. "Let's head for the University and get the supplies we need. I want to get back to the camp so we can go check it out."

x.x.x

"Hey you! Whacha doin' sittin' out here with such a sorrowful look?" Mari asked Ed as she ruffled his hair and plopped down next to him.

He gave her a grin as he smoothed his hair back out of his face. "What is it with you and my hair?"

"You Ed, remind me of a little boy trapped in the body of a 6 foot 2 man. Little boys just need to have their hair messed up," she answered as she made a grab for his head.

Ed caught her hands and held them as he once again rested his arms across his thighs. His smile faded and he dropped his head.

Mari frowned as she studied his profile. She could sense he was very disturbed about something, but she couldn't make out what it was. "Sweetie, what's botherin' you?" she asked in a careful tone.

He sighed, raising his head to stare at nothing in front of him, "I was just thinking about Walter, and everything else that's happened. I can't stop feeling like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in this mess." He gave her sidelong glance.

She rescued one of her hands and slipped her arm around him, sensing he needed some comfort. "Well, you may be right, probably are in fact. But it ain't gonna do any good worrin' about it. What will come, will come. All we can do is wait and see what happens, try to be prepared."

He turned to look at her, "Mari, I'm a doctor. I'm supposed to save lives, not take them. I'm not comfortable with deaths that have had my involvement, even if I didn't pull the trigger."

"Ed, death is part of life. Everyone dies, you can't avoid it. Walter's death wasn't your fault, neither was the deaths of those soldiers. When you are at war, it's kill or be killed."

He looked at her with such intensity; it was as though he were searching for answers in her eyes. He cradled her hand in both of his, then dropped his stare to their clasped hands.

"Sweetie," she continued softly, "This is about survival... ours. If it comes down to it, you'll be there to save lives, not take them."

Ed closed his eyes and nodded his acceptance. Mari patted his back and laid her head on his shoulder trying to project some solace into his troubled soul.

x.x.x

It was past dawn by the time Tom and James managed to pull up near what used to be Whitney University. They'd already had to dodge soldiers several times by backtracking so their senses were on high alert.

"Well, what do you think? Think they have guards posted inside?" James asked as he cut the engine.

Tom studied the grounds through the binoculars in his hand, "I don't see anyone, but that doesn't mean they aren't there." Lowering the binoculars he continued. "Just in case, I think we should push the bikes up closer so we can make a silent approach and have a fast getaway if we need it."

"Good idea." James responded as he got off the scooter and started walking with Tom following suit.

The men reached out with their senses as far as they could as they carefully threaded their way through the parking lot and approached the medical building. They left the bikes near the entrance, hidden from view behind some shrubs, and went inside.

The first thing they noticed was the disarray. Shattered glass was everywhere. What had been potted plants now lay dead in crumpled heaps. Pieces of broken furniture were thrown about amid scattered papers. As they neared the doors of the medical lab, they noticed bloodstains on the floor and walls. Still sensing no one around, they entered the lab.

Tom had his weapon ready and covered James as he removed the empty pack from his back. He started going through cabinets, find bandages in one, surgical instruments in another; each time emptying the contents into the pack.

When he'd checked all those in the room, he turned to Tom, "We have everything we need except the medicine we came for. It'll probably be locked up in a secure area."

Tom nodded in agreement, "Let's find it and get the hell out of here before we get caught."

They wound their way deeper into the labs. Finally they came upon a room with reinforced glass in the window. Trying the door, they found it was locked.

"Bingo." James grinned at Tom. "Good thing locks are made for humans huh?" He grabbed the doorknob and grunted as he gave it a hard twist. The lock gave way and the door opened. Inside were locked cabinets filled with vials of antibiotics and painkillers. Using his elbow, he broke the glass front of each and carefully scooped the vials into the pack.

Just as James announced he was done and had placed the heavy pack on his back, they heard whimpering and a shuffle coming from one of the darkened rooms. He looked at Tom as he removed the safety from his weapon. There was clearly someone in the next room, but neither could sense them. That meant whoever it was, they had to be one of their own with the ability to mask.

The men were on high alert as they entered the office. Creeping deeper into the dark space, they again heard a mewl.

Tom stopped and called out quietly, "Whoever you are, we won't hurt you. Come out and show yourself."

Tom opened himself so the party would know his intent. James felt the action and did the same. A woman emerged from behind a divider carrying a weapon of her own. She was dirty and covered with scrapes and scratches, her clothing torn in several places.

She leveled the men with a look that clearly indicated she meant business, "Who are you and what do you want?"

James lowered his weapon first, leaning it against the nearest wall, and raised his hands in front of him. "We are no threat to you. We came here looking for supplies and heard crying. Are you injured?"

The woman's eyes darted quickly to Tom, then back to James, "Are you soldiers?"

Tom lowered his own weapon, "No. Who are you? Why are you hiding here in such a high risk area?"

The woman stared at him hard for several minutes before she answered. "I'm hiding here so I can be close to supplies I need. The ones you have clearly taken."

James asked again, "Are you injured? You don't appear to be."

The woman finally relaxed her stance and lowered her rifle. "No, I'm not... but she is." She tilted her head toward the divider wall behind her to indicate there was another person hidden there.

Tom handed his weapon to James and slowly moved forward. The woman immediately went back on the defensive. "Can I get a look at her? Tom asked. "Maybe we can help."

She seemed to think about that for a moment, then nodded, "Unless you're a doctor, I doubt you'll be able to help her. She is seriously hurt."

Tom made his way behind the divider and found a young girl lying on a couch, covered in dried blood. He dropped to his knees beside her and started to try and access her injuries.

The woman came around behind him, "I managed to stop the bleeding. I've been giving her antibiotics to prevent infection, but I think she has internal injuries."

"What happened to her?" James asked as he hovered near the entrance.

"She was attacked by a group of assholes that thought she was a dominant," the woman answered snidely. "Apparently we are beneath humans, but we still serve some purposes... the females anyway."

Her meaning clearly understood, James grimaced, "She's just a kid. How'd she get away?"

"She wouldn't have if I hadn't killed the bastards. But the damage was already done; one of them had a fondness for knives. Anyway, I didn't know what else to do, she was in so much pain, so I brought her here."

Tom raised his head and looked at the woman, "She's human?"

"Yeah, she's human. What the hell does that have to do with anything?" the woman barked. "She's a kid and an innocent, I couldn't just leave her there to die or worse."

Tom understood her anger, he was feeling some of his own, but he needed to get her to calm down. He needed her cooperation if they were going to help the unconscious girl. He sat back on his heels and looked at the woman. "Do you have a name?"

The woman snorted, "Yeah, it's Sheila. How about you?"

"I'm Tom, that's James." Tom nodded toward the other man, then looked back up at her. "Sheila, we are not anti-human, far from it, we can get you and the girl out of here and to safety, but you are going to have to trust us."

Sheila's eyes shifted from Tom to James then back again, "I'm a little short on trust these days. How about I give you the benefit of the doubt?"

James smirked, "That'll work for me. How about you Tom?"

Tom carefully picked up the girl and rose to his feet, "I'll take what I can get. Sheila? Are you as good with an M16 as you appear to be with that rifle?"

Sheila smiled and grabbed Tom's gun, "I love new toys." She expertly removed the safety and loaded the weapon. "Any questions?"

James raised his eyebrows and looked at Tom. Grinning, he looked at Sheila, "I like your style woman."

She growled at him and turned to lead the way out of the labs. Tom followed her with James trailing up the rear for cover.

James leaned closer to Tom, "I think I'm in love."

"I heard that!"

Tom chuckled and rolled his eyes. This was going to be an interesting trip back to the camp.

x.x.x

Lou let the screen door slam as he walked out of the house and down the steps. His long strides carried him over to the picnic table where David sat cleaning weapons.

"You got a minute?" Lou asked as he straddled the bench and sat down.

David looked up from his task, "Sure."

"I spoke to my Grandfather right after all of you got here about planning something for the anniversary of your friend's death." Lou stated. "Something that would give Sloan and the others a chance to say goodbye."

At the mention of Sloan's name, Lou had David's full attention. Lou noticed the change, but said nothing and continued. "Grandfather has spoken to the other elders and we've put together a Powwow for the end of the week. I'd like your opinion on how to tell Sloan. You seem to be the closest to her, I thought you would have some insight."

"Sloan was tore up over Walter's death, but she doesn't do well with secrets." David responded. "I think just telling her the truth would be the best approach."

Lou nodded as he tilted his head and considered the other man, "How do you think she's going to handle the secret your keeping?"

David tried to cover his surprise at the question, "Secret? What secret?"

Lou smiled, "You love her don't you?"

David's eyes widened, but Lou continued, "You don't have to answer the question, but it is obvious, at least it is to me."

David scratched his eyebrow and cut a glance at Lou, "You sure you're human?"

Lou let out a laugh, "Yeah... I'm sure. But I'm a very observant human. I knew the night you asked me about the notebook. Your secret's safe with me, so don't worry about it."

David let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

Lou frowned, "What are you going to do if Tom is alive and shows up?"

"I'll step aside and hope she's happy." David answered quietly.

Lou examined the man in front of him in a new light. "You love her enough to actually let her go?"

David silently nodded his acknowledgment.

Lou rose from the bench and clasped the other man's shoulder, "Brother, I'm not sure I could do it. Sloan is a very special woman. I'm glad I'm not you." With that, he walked back toward the house.

x.x.x

They made it back without incident. Tom had cradled the girl in front him while Sheila rode with James. When they rolled into the camp, Scott was the first the greet them. As soon as he saw the girl, he ran to get help.

Tom carried her to the medical tent with Sheila hovering close behind. One of the camp doctors came in just as Tom laid the girl on one of the beds. After checking her pupils, taking her pulse and blood pressure, the doctor started to lift her shirt. Sheila's arm shot out like a bullet and grabbed his wrist.

The doctor sighed, sat back on the bed and looked at her, "I have to examine the girl to determine what her injuries are."

Sheila looked at him and nodded her head, "Ok, but I want the room cleared except for me and you."

"Fair enough," he turned and addressed the small group that had gathered. "You heard the lady, everybody out."

Tom was the last to exit after making sure everyone else followed orders. Scott and James met him outside with a cup of coffee. "Thanks." he said taking a grateful gulp.

Together, the three walked to the campfire and settled onto one of the logs. Tom closed his eyes and scrubbed his face with one hand.

"Rough day?" Bill asked.

Tom looked at him and squinted, "You could say that."

"Where'd you find the two women?"

"They were hidden at the university. We found them when we were searching for medical supplies." Tom answered taking another sip of his coffee.

Before Bill asked his next question, Tom cut a glance sideways at Scott and shook his head slightly at Bill. The movement was barely noticeable but Bill caught on right away.

"Scott," he said looking at the young man. "I bet Tom and James are hungry. Why don't you go see if you can sweet talk Amy and Janice into fixing them something to eat."

Scott stood up and started walking away, "I may be able to sweet talk Amy into it, but Janice will just box my ears."

Bill chuckled as he picked up a stick and started poking at the fire. "That bad?"

"Yeah," Tom sighed. "The girl was beaten and raped by humans that thought she was a dominant. The woman, Sheila, rescued her and hid her at the medical labs."

"Sheila acts like she's one tough cookie." Nick joined in.

James looked up and grinned, "She sure is."

Nick guffawed, "Well I can tell someone's takin' a shine to a certain redhead."

James peered at some unseen point over Nick's shoulder, then directed his gaze at the man, "I've always been partial to redheads."

"Me too." Tom said softly to no one as he finished the last of his coffee.

x.x.x

Tom gave up on the idea of sleeping and left his tent. He was anxious to get started on his search. He had a lead now and he wanted to follow it. The full moon clearly lit the path he walked. He came to a stop at the edge of the camp where the tree line gave way to a view of the mountains. Crossing his arms across his chest, he gazed out at the horizon.

He sensed her approach before she spoke, "How is she?"

Sheila stood next to him, relaxed but alert, "Katie."

She glanced at Tom as he frowned in confusion, "Her name is Katie."

She looked back out over the mountains. "The doctor says she'll be fine in a couple weeks. She has a couple of broken ribs, lots of internal bruising, but nothing that won't heal."

She moved to stare at her feet, "He was able to repair the damage from the assault, he stitched up the tears."

Tom dropped his chin to his chest but said nothing. They stood in silence for a while before he spoke, "You're a Chameleon aren't you?"

Sheila regarded him for a moment before she answered, "I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out. Does that bother you?"

"As long as you're on our side and these people don't get hurt, no." he replied.

"The only side I'm on is my own." she stated flatly. "But I have no intention of doing anything that would put these people at risk if that's what you're concerned about."

"Good, that's all I care about. How long have you been on your own?" he asked.

"About ten years. I was on an assignment and disappeared, they thought I was killed. The truth was, I got to know some of these humans we were suppose to hate. When I did, I realized they weren't all really as evil as we were always told, although there are a few scumbags out there that don't rate a place on food chain." She blew out in frustration thinking of those who'd hurt Katie. Bending down to pick up a rock, she threw it out over the embankment, "Anyway... I arranged my disappearance because I wanted out."

Tom considered what she'd said, "I'm surprised Lewis believed it."

"Lewis believed it because I made damn sure I took out my target and me with him."

Tom waited for her to explain. She looked at him, sensing his questions, "I was sent in to seduce and take out a senator who was leaning heavily toward favoring genetic research. He would have been the deciding vote on a bill that would have approved billions. What the general public didn't know was the real research to be funded was DNA manipulation, more specifically enhancement and cloning. The assembly felt that was getting a little to close to home so they decided he needed to be eliminated."

Tom looked at her in surprise, "Are you talking about Senator Braxton?"

"Yeah, that's the scumbag," she snarled. "Another thing about the dear senator no one knew was he was on the kinky side, he liked to film snuff videos."

Her eyes took on a haunted look, "We were out his boat. They had picked up some girl off the street, a hooker. Once they started filming, and it became real obvious what they had planned, she was so scared... she screamed for help. But there was no one to help her except me and I couldn't blow my cover."

Tom could clearly see the tears form in her eyes before she closed them, as though trying to shut out the images she was re-living. She spoke so softly, Tom had to strain to hear her, "She begged me to help her ... and they actually laughed when she did, like it was some big joke. She wasn't anybody, she was just a whore. I was so relieved when she finally died."

She cleared her throat and continued in a stronger voice, "Luckily, for me, she was a redhead. I blew up the boat. I can't imagine there was anything left to find, I planted enough C4 on that yacht to sink a battleship. I made it look like the explosives were set on a timer. I figured if Lewis sent anyone to investigate, he'd see the red hair and a body in handcuffs and think it was me."

Tom watched as she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, "Your ruse worked. I was on an assignment when that happened, but I remember seeing the report. He sent out a team of divers after you didn't report back, they found enough evidence to suggest you died in the explosion."

"I'm sure Lewis was pleased that I accomplished my mission," she remarked sarcastically. "I wonder where the hell the bastard is during all this mess. I can't imagine him not taking a front row seat to watch."

"Lewis is dead." Tom informed her as he thought about the story she'd told him. It explained a lot about her and why she was so protective of the girl.

She looked at Tom in shock, "No shit? Lewis? I didn't think the hardhearted asshole could die."

"He was tortured to death, I was in the same prison with him."

"Oh God!" she whispered. "No one deserves to die like that, not even Lewis."

Tom proceeded to tell her the story of his capture and what occurred while he was imprisoned. He told her about his subsequent escape, carefully leaving out the part about him discovering the nature of their true origins. He relayed how he'd come to meet Nick, the breakout and the rescue of everyone from the internment camp, and finally how they'd ended up here in the mountains.

She started walking back to the camp, "You're damn lucky you escaped. It makes me sick how Lewis died. Although I hated the son of a bitch, I'd never have wished that on him." She shuddered at the thought, "To change the subject, I saw your face on a news broadcast. That's why I was in L.A. I was coming to find you when this insane war broke out."

"Why would you want to find me?" Tom asked as he walked beside her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Strength in numbers I suppose. I was tired of being out on my own. I figured you and I were of the same opinion on all this since you were helping the humans. I had no idea you'd been captured."

She contemplated a bit before she asked, "Why were you in L.A. today? Seems like a big risk to get medical supplies. You could have just as easily gotten them from a smaller town where you wouldn't chance running into the humans' army."

"I was looking for clues so I can find Sloan," he answered.

"Who's Sloan?"

"She's one of the scientists I was working with. You would have seen her in the same broadcast where you saw me."

Sheila stopped walking and turned toward Tom, studying him briefly she sensed his turmoil, "She's more than that."

Deciding not to push, she turned back to the path and began moving again, "How can I help?"

Tom rubbed the back of his neck, "James and I are leaving tomorrow. I found a clue we're going to check out. There are men in this camp, humans, that are highly trained... ex-military. But I'd feel better knowing there is a Chameleon here to help protect them."

"Now that I can do." Sheila grinned at him as they entered the camp.

x.x.x

Sloan was just finishing her coffee when she heard the knock at the front door. She rose from her chair and headed for it when Lou bellowed from his room, "Sloan? Would you mind getting that?"

"Sure," She yelled over her shoulder as she opened the door. "Hi Charlie, come on in. Lou's busy in his room, but he knows someone's here."

"So I heard. The kid always did have a big mouth." Charlie chuckled as he entered the house. He took her hand and gave her a kind look, "How are you doing Sloan?"

She exhaled carefully, "I'm doing OK... really." She tried to reassure him by squeezing his hand.

He gently patted the hand he held with his other hand, "Hopefully today will bring you some peace."

Sloan nodded her head mutely, afraid to trust her voice.

"I guess Junior's still getting dressed," Charlie said, changing the subject. "That boy has turtle in his spirit."

"I'm not sure what he's doing in there," she replied. "He's been in there for hours."

"Oh I know what he's doing, he's just slow about getting it done." After seeing Sloan's puzzled expression, he elaborated. "Lou is one of the lead dancers today, he's putting on hisregalia."

"Oh! You mean for the Powwow?" she asked. When he smiled, she added, "I'm sorry, I've never been to a Powwow, you'll have to excuse my ignorance."

"That's all right Sloan, there's a first time for everything." Charlie considered the woman before him. He sensed she approached everything with a curious fascination. Every new thing that came to her was a wonder, to be examined from all angles, much like a child turning over a rock to discover the hidden treasures underneath. "This will be a new experience for you. I'm sure you have many questions."

"Well, yeah I do actually. I assume there is some type of proper protocol for how to behave?" she crinkled her nose as she gestured with her hands, "Like a Catholic mass, ya know? You have to do things a certain way."

Charlie's eyes twinkled in merriment, "We aren't that formal, but yes, there's some rules you should know. The most important thing to remember is, once the dance area has been blessed, it becomes spiritual ground, so don't walk on it. The dance area is clearly marked, so you don't have to worry about accidentally wandering into it. Either Lou or I will be with you to answer your questions during the ceremony, so don't concern yourself with 'messing up'.

Sloan's relief was clear in her expression, "What's aregalia?"

"A dancer's clothing." Lou answered, as he emerged from his room in a bright outfit of feathers, leather fringe and beadwork.

"Oh my God! Look at you! You look beautiful!" Sloan exclaimed.

Lou winced while Charlie laughed, "Sloan, I'm a man. I'm not supposed to look beautiful."

Sloan bit her lip and looked at Lou in amusement, "Ok... stunning then. You look stunning. Is stunning OK?"

Lou grinned at her as he opened the front door, "I can live with stunning, though I would prefer handsome. We need to go or we are going to miss the opening of the ceremony."

"Junior, they can't start without you. But maybe if YOU showed up on time, the ceremony would start on time." Charlie shook his head as they stepped off the porch, adding under his breath, "for once."

Lou turned to Sloan still grinning and silently gave her a wink.

x.x.x

Tom spotted the general store off the highway and decided to stop. He was ready for a break and hoped there was a possibility someone may recognize Sloan from her picture.

They'd found the ranch house yesterday where Sloan and the others had stayed. It was clear from the clutter that she was with a group before they fled. After carefully searching all the rooms and the area, he and James found the remains of a map that had been burned, but not quite destroyed. From the backward routes outlined, it indicated the group had headed for higher ground. Tom suspected there were other dominants with her, he could only hope they weren't enemies.

Pulling the bike around to the side of the building, he parked and looked at his surroundings. He took off his sunglasses and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Sighing, he pushed off the bike and headed for the door.

Tom rubbed the back of his neck as he scanned the interior of the shop. He walked toward the counter where he saw an old man behind the cash register. Pulling his wallet out of his back pocket, Tom removed Sloan's photo.

"Good morning," the old man said cheerfully. "Can I help you?"

"Good morning." Tom replied placing the photo on the counter. "I'm looking for a friend of mine and I was wondering if you'd seen her."

"Well let's see..." the old man answered as he shoved his glasses further up his nose and picked up the picture. "Oh I remember her. Pretty little thing. Yeah, she stopped in here ... oh I guess about a month ago now, maybe a little more. You her boyfriend?"

"Excuse me?" Tom asked a little taken aback by the question.

"Yeah, she bought a card while she was in here. Had to have been for her boyfriend cause she blushed when I asked her about it." The old man said with a chuckle. "Must have been for you by the look you got on your face."

"Do you know which way she was headed?" Tom asked ignoring the implications of the owner.

"No... But she did leave this," the old man replied pulling Sloan's journal from under the counter and handing it to Tom. "She and the people she was with left in a hurry and she forgot this. I hung onto it thinkin' she might come back for it. Maybe you can find somethin' in there to help you find her."

"Thank you," he said taking the book from the old man. He nodded his thanks again on his way out the door.

Tom walked around to the side of the store and leaned against his bike inspecting the book. He donned his sunglasses and opened the cover. Inside he saw words in Sloan's script and started to read.

... June 1, 1998

... My Dearest Tom,

I have no idea what I'm going to say...

An hour later Tom closed the cover of the book. Dropping his head, he removed his sunglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath as he threw his head back and looked at the sky.

"My God! What she's been through," he thought to himself as he sifted through her words in his mind. She'd had to kill a man. He couldn't wrap his brain around that fact. Sloan wasn't a killer; her's was the kindest of souls.

He shook his head as he stood up and put his glasses back on. He put the journal in his saddlebags and threw his leg over his seat. Straddling the bike, he stood it up and raised the kickstand.

James, who'd been silently sitting nearby watching, asked. "Did you find anything?"

"Yeah." Tom said, kick-starting the bike, it roared to life. "We're heading for Washoe."

James took that as his cue and started his as well. The two men gunned their engines and headed east down the highway toward Nevada.

x.x.x

As they came into the more incorporated area of the reservation, they heard the sound of drums and chanting. Following the haunting cadence, they came to a park where a ceremony was taking place. Tom signaled to James to pull over and they stopped to watch the ritual. Looking closely at the various people gathered, Tom noticed the glint of copper hair. He got off his bike and slowly removed his sunglasses to get a better look.

She stood with her back to him, in his black coat and jeans. Her hair, an explosion of curls, glistening in the fading sunlight. Time stood still as he drank in the sight of her. His heart pounded in his chest and he couldn't breathe. Reality narrowed to that one small woman centered in his vision. He ached to hold her, but he couldn't move. All he could do was stand there and look at her.

He'd thought of this moment for so long, searched for her for what felt like forever. He'd dreamt of finding her again yet feared he never would. Now, to see her standing there, alive and well, he was awestruck with feelings he couldn't process.

Sloan sensed someone staring at her. She turned and saw the two men standing with motorcycles. One was in the middle of the road and gazing at her intently. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun and squinted to see him better.

He was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, his dark hair barely grazing his shoulders. As she looked closer she saw the unmistakable blue of his eyes. Her breath hitched as it whooshed from her lungs. She reached out and grabbed Ed's arm to steady herself. "Oh my God, it's Tom!" she gasped. Tears sprang to her eyes; she started running toward the still figure and cried louder "Tom!"

The voice was all he needed to free him from his stupor. He managed two steps forward before she slammed into him. She held him tightly as she cried into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. He felt himself fall into the aura that was Sloan and relief washed over him in waves. He'd found the part of him that had been missing and he finally felt at peace for the first time in months.

Reaching up to cradle her head in his hands, he pulled back so he could look into her eyes.

He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb and let out a long-suffering sigh. Leaning down to kiss her, his lips barely brushed hers in the gentlest of touches. He was home... he had Sloan in his arms and he was never letting her go again.

x.x.x

Ed started to run after Sloan, but Mari reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him, "Not so fast sugar. Give 'em a couple minutes before you go blastin' in there like gangbusters."

Ed snapped at her in irritation, "What? Are you kidding? We don't even know yet if that IS Tom. Sloan could be in danger."

Mari looked at him incredulously, "Ed Tate, not only are you dense, you're blind. Take a real close look at that scene and tell me that's NOT Tom."

Ed blinked at her in confusion then looked again at the couple in the street. Both of the people he saw were hopelessly entwined with each other and the joy they emanated was almost visible.

Realizing his mistake, he glanced at Mari sheepishly, "It must be Tom. If it wasn't, Sloan would have already floored the guy by now."

She snickered, "Well...yeah, there is that. Not to mention about 10 dominants standing around that would have sensed danger by now and killed the guy."

Ed glanced around at the crowd that watched the reunion, everyone clearly happy about the event. He scratched under his chin, "Ummm... okay, you made your point."

"Relax," she said as she gave him a squeeze. "You can stand down now, her man's home."

x.x.x