Chapter 5:

"Nathan, we're so relieved to hear from you! We saw on the news! What happened?" Bill Noyce, Nathan's oldest and closest friend, and head of the UEO, sounded deeply concerned on the vidphone.

"Bill, it's kind of a long story. As it turns out, our old friend, Niles Sinclair is still out there. He faked his own death, the bastard!"

Noyce registered what he just heard. He looked worried, but it seemed he was also hiding something.

"Not only that, Bill, but he kidnapped us. My family! He tried to use them against me! He tortured Lucas so he could see me suffer…and Kristin…"

Nathan stopped as his eyes filled with tears.

"Nathan…are you alright? What happened to Kristin?" Bill tried to console him but he really wanted to know what happened at the castle.

"Bill, he took her for himself. He said he was going to kill us and she said she'd stay with him if he spared me and Lucas…"

It wasn't like Nathan to cry, and he was fighting hard not to. But he couldn't help a tear get by every now and then and his words were choked.

"Are you and Lucas all right, Nathan?"

"Lucas is injured, but the doctors say he'll be fine in a bit. He just needs some rest." He paused for a moment to breathe in. "They didn't hurt me one bit. They just hurt the people I love. That's how they get to you, Bill. He wanted what I had. He wanted the SeaQuest…and now he wanted Kristin." He slapped down on the desk and put his head in his hands, facing down in defeat. "And I have no idea where she is…or how to get her back."

Noyce paused for sec, showing compassion for his old friend.

"Nathan, I think there's something you should know. We've known about Sinclair for a while now."

Nathan looked up, realizing what Noyce just said. HE quickly got up, his anger showing through.

"What?! Dammit Bill! You mean to tell me you knew all along this…maniac…was out there and you didn't do anything about it?"

Nathan was absolutely furious, and he started pacing around the room, ready to pounce.

"Nathan, listen to me! We have an insider! One of Sinclair's men is actually one of our special agents. He's been contacting us as often as possible."

"How often? Has he called you recently?" Nathan looked hopeful, having calmed down a bit, but still visibly upset.

"He hasn't yet, but we're expecting him to soon. I'm sure once he sees Kristin is there, he'll find a way to reach us and let us know that she's all right."

"Do you know where she is?"

"We have the location…but we can't just go bargin in…the man is a very powerful terrorist. He has a lot of friends who would like to see you and the UEO fall. We need to plan this out."

"Then get my crew together and have them meet me at my house tonight as soon as they can get there. I'm going to need someone to watch over Lucas while I go save my wife."

With that, he hung up and went back to Lucas' hospital room. He was awake, watching tv. He turned it off when his dad came in.

"Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay. Better actually. But I'm still so tired. What time is it?"

"It's only 4:00pm. That's the medication. No doubt they'll put you back to sleep soon."

"Good. I need to catch up. And from the looks of it, you do too. Are you sure you don't want some of this? It's good stuff."

He motioned towards his IV while saying that, which made Nathan giggle a little.

"Just don't get too attached." He paused and then walked over to Lucas and sat down on the bed next to him. "Listen, buddy, I'm going to go back home and get a shower. But I'll be back in the morning with some of your clothes and I'll even sneak in your computer so you can play games and stuff."

"Thanks dad!" Lucas hugged him and Nathan stood up towards the door. "And dad…" Nathan looked back. "Promise me we're going to get mom back. I hope she's allright."

Nathan smiled weakly. "I promise son…I miss her too. And you know she's a strong woman, your mother."

"I know. I just want her home with us."

"You an me both, kiddo. Now get some sleep."

Nathan went home and took a shower. By 8pm, the three people from his crew who could make it that night were there. Jonathan, Katie, and Ben hugged their captain as they walked in, asking him how he was and how Lucas was doing. They all knew what was going on and they wanted to console their dear friend.

"Listen guys, the reason I called you over is not to console me, although I really appreciate it. I called you because I need your help. I need to get Kristin back, but I need to feel like I've got my crew with me. The UEO knew all about this and didn't tell me what was going on and now Lucas is the one paying for it." He paused. "Kristin is the one paying for it."

"Hey, cap. You know you can count on us whenever you need us. We love your family. And we'll do whatever it takes to bring her back." Katie stepped in, saying what was going on through all of their minds.

"Thank you my friends. Although to be honest, I have no idea where to start. The UEO says they know the location, but they're right. It's far too dangerous to barge in. I don't know if you've heard of our friend, Sinclair."

"Heard of him? Captain, the man is infamous in UEO training. He's terrifying." Krieg called in.

"Yes, I know. I found out more about him than I care to know."

Suddenly, a vidphone ring sounded throughout the room. Nathan walked over to the caller id and saw that it was "unknown."

To be continued…please review! Send ideas/comments to