Caitlin put her coffee cup down and smiled at Tom across the table. 'That was lovely.'

'I'm sorry for bending your ear all night.' Tom said with a rueful smile. 'You always were easy to talk to.'

She waved his gratitude away. 'It was my pleasure.'

'So have you decided on a wedding date?' Tom gestured at the ring.

Caitlin touched it a little embarrassed and nodded. 'February. I'm sorry I didn't know how to broach it…'

'Your folks told me.' Tom said. 'Actually it's why I'm here in LA. I wanted to…tell you how I felt before you married Hawke.'

'Tom…' Caitlin said uncertainly.

'I love you.' Tom sat back. 'There I said it.'

'Tom, you don't love me.' Caitlin said. 'You don't even know me.'

'And he does?' Tom asked. 'I'd be good to you, Caitlin. You know that.'

'You're a good man, Tom, but this…' she gestured at the two of them, 'is never going to happen. I love Hawke.' Even when we're having problems, she silently added.

Tom nodded reluctantly. 'It was worth a try.'

She glanced at her watch. 'I should be getting back to the airfield.'

'It's pretty late. You're not working at this time surely?' Tom said gesturing for the waiter to bring the bill.

'No,' Caitlin said laughing, 'but I do have an early start. I'll bunk in the hangar.' Hawke had called her earlier; she was heading to Vegas first thing in the morning with the Lady.

'You're kidding.' Tom handed the waiter his credit card and refused Caitlin's offer of a contribution. 'This was my treat.'

'Thank you.'

'You're really sleeping in the hangar?' Tom asked incredulous.

'We often have early calls particularly for the movies so there's no point in going all the way out to the cabin.'

'Movies.' Tom repeated. 'It all sounds so glamorous.'

'Yeah.' Caitlin said her fingers brushing against her bruise self-consciously.

'Well let me escort you back at least.'

'There's no need.' Caitlin said. 'I have my car.' She paused whilst Tom signed the credit card slip and took back possession of his card. 'I can drop you at your hotel?'

'No. I'm only up the road. I think I might walk, get some fresh air and clear my head.' Tom said. He got to his feet and helped her with her chair.

Caitlin rose to her feet and took the arm he offered her to walk out to the front of the restaurant. She handed the valet her ticket before turning back to Tom. 'It was a lovely evening.'

'Would it be too much to ask for one kiss?'

Caitlin leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She forced a smile and told herself not to let Tom's announcement and a small, insignificant kiss ruin the evening. She saw her car with relief. 'Enjoy your travels, Tom.' He escorted her into her car and she waved him goodbye as she pulled away.

Caitlin was glad to get back to the airfield and she parked the car in front of the hangar. She unlocked the side door to the hangar and made her way in darkness back through to the office. She switched the small desk lamp on and reached for the post. She hadn't had a chance to check it yet and Hawke's plan depended on the small book Rowan had posted to him being there. She hunted through the stack of envelopes and her hands settled on a small package addressed to Hawke. She tore it open and reached inside. She felt the smooth lines of the small black leather booklet and pulled it out. She flicked through the pages seeing row on row of numbers. She shook her head as she added the figures up; it looked like Gough had taken a lot more than ten million. Her eyes caught on a sheet of paper still stuck in the envelope. She hesitated before she pulled it out. She held the single white sheet of folded paper for a long moment debating whether to open it or not. She put it down on the desk. Really, it was a private note from Rowan to Hawke; she had no right to read it. Her head shot up at a clattering sound from the hangar.

Caitlin frowned. She'd forgotten to lock the hangar door after her…she reached into her handbag and brought out her gun. She removed the safety and silently moved out of the office and into the dark hangar. The darkness gave her an advantage and moved swiftly to the source of the sound. A wrench had fallen from a worktable near one of the choppers that was in for maintenance. She crouched beside the chopper and scanned the shadows. Her eyes caught a faint movement and she moved to intercept the intruder without conscious thought.

She rounded the corner with her gun pointed; there was nothing there. She frowned and in that instant a body tackled her from the side, sending her sprawling to the ground. The gun was flung from her grasp and she struggled breathless against the weight pinning her in place. Her assailant whacked her head against the ground but even dazed some inner urgency kept her resisting as his arm fell across her shoulders. She struggled wildly, trying to get leverage, trying to dislodge her attacker as he splayed her legs with a purposeful intent. She bucked and twisted as he grabbed at her skirt shoving it upwards. Just as she felt the touch of his fingers and she managed somehow to thrust her knee up hard between their bodies.

There was a muffled cry and she shoved him hard to get him off her. She lurched across the hangar floor and grabbed her gun. She was turning and aiming even as he came after her…

There was a shot and the body jerked and fell to the floor. Caitlin's eyes shot to the doorway. Marella stood there with her gun firmly held, her dark eyes glittered dangerously. 'Meryl!'

The other agent came running from the limo.

'Get a clean up crew.' Marella ordered.

Caitlin felt her legs wobble and she lowered herself to the ground as the hangar lights were snapped on. She blinked against the sudden glare and suddenly found Marella was beside her.

'Are you OK?' Marella asked. She'd put the gun away and knelt beside Caitlin tentatively noting the ripped blouse and torn skirt.

Caitlin nodded.

'Caitlin, did he…?' Marella found she couldn't complete the sentence.

Caitlin hastily shook her head. 'No, he only managed to paw at me a little. I'm OK. Really.' She still shuddered in reaction; she knew exactly how close the intruder had come to raping her.

Marella nodded. She rose and headed over to the body. She grabbed the ski mask the man wore and pulled it up to reveal his face. 'Harold Gayling.' She looked over at Caitlin. 'When you sent me the names earlier, I did some checking. There were a number of calls from SecOp to Santini Air; all short in duration. He started Friday; does that mean anything to you?'

Caitlin's eyes widened. 'The phone creep.'

Marella nodded. 'He has a history of violence against women. I think he figured he'd grab this book of Rowan's and have a little fun when he realised there was a woman here.'

'How did they track the book here so fast?' Caitlin asked.

'It has to be Rowan.' Marella said. 'Either they must have watched her post the package and had somebody close enough to her to read the label or she told them.' She gestured. 'Do you have the book?'

Caitlin nodded. 'It's in the office.' She rose slowly to her feet and led the way. She handed the book to Marella.

The agent flipped through the pages. 'Swiss bank account, one in the Cayman Islands, another in the Caribbean and details of all the transactions. Gough was one busy man.' She looked at Caitlin. 'We can't hand this back to him. It's too valuable.'

'But Allie…'

'We can make a copy.' Marella said.

'By tomorrow morning?'

Marella nodded.

'Good because Hawke's plan kinda depends on having it.' Caitlin rubbed her forehead tiredly.

'You stay in here.' Marella gestured at the hangar. 'I'll deal with everything out there.'

'Thanks, Marella.' Caitlin smiled at the other woman gratefully and sank into her chair.