Northwood Lodges Hotel – 05:55am

Caitlin slowly opened her eyes and for a moment she was disorientated, not sure where she was, then everything came rushing back to her; Molly being snatched and Danny…………something warm and heavy was lying across her and she realised it was his arm. She lay still for a moment enjoying the feeling of being in his arms, listening to him breathing………..and realised he was awake. She turned onto her back and could see him watching her;

He smiled 'Morning beautiful'

She felt a lump in her throat as she was reminded of all the times they had woken up together in the past. She turned so she was facing him and he traced her jaw line with his index finger before kissing her softly. 'You OK?'

'Mmmmm, I must have fallen asleep, what about you, did you get any sleep?'

'Yeh, I dozed off for an hour or so'

'Danny, I'm scared'

He pulled her to him and held her; 'I know, I'm scared too'

A noise made them both look up and they saw Sam standing at the doorway holding cups of coffee. She smiled 'Hi, thought you could both do with some coffee'

Danny sat up, swung his legs over the side of the lounger and rubbed his eyes before taking the mugs from her. 'Thanks, I think we both need this' he glanced behind her into the bedroom, 'Where's Jack?'

'He's in the living room,' she switched her gaze from Danny to Caitlin, 'he really needs to talk to you, he wants to ask you some questions about Molly'

Danny stood up and held a hand out to Caitlin who took it and let him pull her to her feet. She slipped her sneakers on, then picking up the mug of coffee, followed Sam through to the living room where Jack and Martin were waiting.

Jack looked up as Sam, Caitlin and Danny came into the room; 'Morning, how are you feeling?'

'OK I guess,' she sat down on the sofa next to Danny, 'Sam said you needed to ask me some questions about Molly'

Jack felt a slight twist in his gut, he had been dreading this ever since he had interviewed the Hotel Manager last night.

'Yes, I do,' he paused trying to find a way of asking the question without upsetting her and quickly realising he couldn't; he could see the expression on Danny's face change as he realised that something was wrong. Jack took a breath then continued

'How does Molly behave when she is tired?' he watched her face and saw a look of confusion appear

'I'm not sure what you mean?' Caitlin spoke slowly, looking at Danny for a clue but saw he was confused as well

'Well, you know, some kids just zone out when they are tired, others get louder and hyperactive; I wondered how Molly is when she is tired.'

Caitlin looked at him for a moment and he knew she was on the edge of asking why he needed to know, but seemed to change her mind; 'I assume you mean tired after a long car journey' her gaze was steady although he could see she was gripping Danny's hand very tightly

'Yes'

She took a steadying breath, 'OK, well if I'd done that drive with Molly she would have been desperate to get out of the car and she would have wanted to explore everywhere. She would have been a devil to get to bed as well'; she stared intently at Jack 'why?'

Jack looked at her for a moment, his face showing an emotion that was hard to pin down; 'I interviewed the Hotel Manager yesterday after Danny and Martin came back to the lodge. He told me that he had been in the lobby when Rachel and Molly arrived. He said Molly stayed in her car seat when Rachel checked in and appeared to be sleeping. The porter who helped her carry her luggage in from the car to their Lodge told me that although Molly woke up when Rachel carried her inside, she was, as he described it, 'floppy and docile'. They both thought she looked as if she was very tired'

He knew Caitlin understood straight away; the look of agony on her face told him that;

'That bitch' she was struggling to remain calm,

Danny was staring at her, 'What? What's he talking about?'

She turned to look at him and he could see tears forming in her eyes 'She's drugged her'

Jack watched the horrified look on Danny's face 'How do you know?'

'When Molly sleeps she sleeps like the dead, but not at that time of the day and certainly not after a long car journey; the moment you turn the engine off she's wide awake and raring to go, no way would she sleep through an arrival at a hotel and being carried out of the car, no way' Caitlin was adamant.

Jack nodded, 'It's what I thought. I've contacted the local hospital, an ambulance plus a Doctor are on their way and will be here when we take Molly back. I've told them I thought that she may have been drugged and they have promised to bring everything they need to treat her.'

'Why would she drug her?' Sam regretted asking the question the moment the words left her mouth and she saw the annoyed look Jack threw her

'My guess would be that although Molly was OK with her in the park I'm betting that it didn't take long before she started wanting to know where she was going and where I was and she can make a lot of noise when she want's to. I bet Rachel was worried that someone would get suspicious so I think she probably gave her something to sedate her'

Jack looked thoughtful, 'So you think she was probably sedated not long after she left the park'

Caitlin shrugged helplessly 'It is only a guess, but yes. Also, If she knew how long the journey was going to be she could have given her enough so that she could get up here before Molly really started to wake up'

'OK, but we know that Molly hasn't made a sound all night and appears to have slept….'

He saw Caitlin bite her lip and glance at Danny 'That's what worries me; she probably administered more sedative when they got here so she would sleep'

'And that's dangerous?' Martin could tell from Caitlin's face that she was really scared

'Sedatives are cumulative,' she saw the confusion on his face, 'in other words to keep someone sedated you need to administer the next dose before the first has worn off. This means that there is still sedative in the patients system which means that you don't need as much for the second dose as you did the first to achieve the same effect. It also means that even when you think the sedative has worn off you can't drive a car for example for another 48 hours because traces remain in your blood and can react with other medications to make you drowsy again.'

She was gripping Danny's hand so tightly that her knuckles were white 'With children, because they are so small even a slight overdose can be dangerous and can cause them to stop breathing.'

Jack stood up 'Right we need to get her out before she administers another dose then don't we?'

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Northwood Lodges Hotel – 06:45am

Danny stood watching his colleagues working in the back of the truck, parked out of sight of the lodge that Rachel and Molly were staying in. Jack had arranged for listening devices to be placed next to the windows the previous night and that so far there had been no sounds to indicate that Rachel or Molly had woken up.

Jack, Sam and Martin all had earphones clamped to their ears listening for any noise at all that would tell them what was happening inside the lodge. Danny shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again; the frustration he was feeling was unbearable. He wanted to do something, anything but he couldn't. He turned his head as he caught a slight movement in the corner of his eye to see Caitlin arrive back at his side.

'OK?'

'Yes, they've sent a paediatric specialist so he knows better than me what to do if………' she bit her lip and Danny hugged her tightly to him.

She lifted her head and looked over at the van and Jack, Martin and Sam; 'Nothing from the lodge yet?'

'No, not yet'

He glanced down at her and caught her eye 'The waiting is the hardest part'

She shook her head 'I don't know how you do it day in, day out, I couldn't'

A movement caught both their attention; Jack appeared to be listening intently to something he was hearing on his headphones and then turned to Sam, seemingly sending her over to Danny and Caitlin.

Sam put down her earphones and headed over at a run

'Rachel is awake and we've heard sounds that are definitely Molly but she sounds very drowsy,' Sam looked at Danny, 'Rachel has just been asking Molly if she would like to speak to her Daddy today, we think she's going to call you. Jack wants you over in the van.'

Danny glanced at Caitlin 'You'll be OK?'

She nodded; Sam indicated that Danny should go 'It's OK, I'll stay with Caitlin'

Danny threw Sam a grateful look and headed for the van. He climbed inside, already feeling better, as if he could actually do something to help rather than stand around uselessly. Jack was still listening and paid no attention to Danny but Martin handed him the set of headphones that Sam had been using.

He leaned toward Danny and spoke in a low voice; 'She appears to be hunting for her address book or something, we think she is going to make the call soon'

'Why would she call me? I mean she's been hiding her tracks pretty well until now, surely she realises that as soon as she calls we are going to know where she and Molly are.'

Jack looked up 'It's getting to the point where she is having a harder and harder job distinguishing reality from fantasy. Now she has Molly she is convinced that Molly really is her daughter and that the two of you are a couple and so she's not thinking about hiding her tracks because in her mind she doesn't have to.'

He listened to the sounds of someone walking around the Lodge and then he heard a sound that froze his blood; he saw Martin and Jack also go rigid and exchange glances,

'That sounds like she was loading a gun' Martin sounded horrified

Danny kept listening, fighting down the feeling of panic that was sending his pulse racing, trying to hear any signs of Molly; he heard a slight whimper and then heard Rachel speak,

'Oh you're finally waking up are you sleepy head. Well I'll call and get us some breakfast and then you need your medicine again'

Danny heard a slight sigh of relief from Jack

'Well that at least tells us that she hasn't given Molly another sedative yet

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Sam watched as Caitlin paced up and down, throwing frequent glances toward where she could see Jack, Martin and Danny in the van. A young waiter from the hotel approached 'Excuse me ma'am, I have some coffee and pastries for you'

Sam all of a sudden felt her stomach rumble and realised that she hadn't eaten much since all of this had started yesterday. She thanked the waiter and pouring some coffee into a mug and grabbing a pastry headed over to Caitlin

'Here,' she could see that she was about to refuse so continued 'you wont be any good to Molly if you're passing out because you haven't eaten in 18 hours' she saw Caitlin pause for a moment then nod

'Thanks' she took the pastry and the coffee and perched on the wall. Sam grabbed herself a coffee and a pastry and sat next to her.

They sat in silence for a while, then Caitlin spoke 'Danny used to talk about you and Viv and Jack a lot,' she smiled sadly, 'I wish the circumstances were different but it's nice to be able to put faces to names'

Sam smiled not knowing what to say since Danny had never mentioned Caitlin, but before she had to say anything she heard a soft chuckle 'It's OK Sam, I know he didn't say anything about me'

Sam smiled 'Well Danny always has been closed mouthed about anything outside work'

Caitlin nodded, her face had a wry look on it 'Well, I understand better than most not wanting to talk about the past,' she looked sideways at Sam, 'I understand you had the dubious pleasure of meeting my father'

Sam smiled cautiously at her 'Yeh, can't say I saw much of a family resemblance'

'Hmm, well if you look at photos of my mother then you can see I take after her,' she paused and met Sam's eyes before adding, 'thank god'

Sam raised an eyebrow sympathetically and nodded, 'You and Danny seem as if you have sorted out your issues' as she said the words Sam could have kicked herself; she opened her mouth to apologise

'I don't think we have sorted the issues out I think we have both just agreed to ignore them until Molly is back and safe.' Caitlin's voice broke slightly but she smiled at Sam, 'I don't really understand it to be honest but it sort of feels as if the last four years haven't happened, I mean, I've always said I would never go back to a failed relationship but…………….' She shrugged her shoulders 'I just know that I'll never feel like this about anyone else so there isn't really a decision to be made'

Sam nodded thoughtfully 'Yeh, I know what you mean' her eyes strayed to where she could see Jack, Martin and Danny, 'sometimes you just have to go for it and damn the consequences don't you?'

She turned back and saw Caitlin looking at her thoughtfully. For a moment Sam thought she was going to ask a question but instead she smiled 'Well I know that I would far rather take a chance and get it wrong than spend the rest of my life wondering what would have happened if I had taken the chance'

Sam stared at her for a moment then turned and stared at the van again………………

She stood up and knew Caitlin had stood up next to her as they saw Danny leave the van rapidly, lean one hand against it and throw up………………..

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Danny could feel the frustration growing as he listened to Rachel moving around the Lodge, humming softly to herself

'What if she decides to shower before they take the breakfast in; could we go in then?' Martin sounded as frustrated as Danny felt

Jack nodded, 'Well that would be an option as long as we are sure that Molly isn't in the bathroom with her'

'Oh there it is', they heard Rachel laugh, 'you'd think I would know Daddy's cell phone number wouldn't you' they heard the sound of pages turning. Jack looked at Danny

'You ready for this?'

Danny nodded and took a deep breath, staring at his cell phone; he heard the sound of a phone being picked up and a few seconds later his cell rang.

Danny let it ring twice, then taking a deep breath, 'Taylor'

'Hey sweetheart it's me', she sounded happy, relaxed, as if she was speaking to her boyfriend. Danny felt his gut twist but somehow managed to keep his voice calm

'Hey, I was wondering when you would call'

She giggled, setting Danny's teeth on edge. He saw Martin shift in his seat and knew he hated this too. 'Well, by the time we got here last night Molly was really tired so we both just went to bed but we're missing you; I've told Molly that you will be here soon.'

Danny took a deep breath and saw Jack push a note toward him

See if you can speak to Molly

'Yeh it's a long drive isn't it. Is Molly awake, can I say hi to her?' Danny kept his voice calm, even, relaxed and felt Jack's hand on his arm, offering silent support.

'She's not really awake yet'

Danny looked at Jack, took another deep breath 'OK well don't wake her up she's probably tired after that drive yesterday'

He heard her giggle again 'So what time do you think you will get here'

'Well after I got your email yesterday I spoke to my boss and he's given me some time off so I set off last night and stopped on the way, I'm about 20 minutes away from you,' he managed to laugh, 'I was planning on surprising you both but I guess that's not going to happen now is it?'

She laughed happily 'Oh baby I'm sorry but I'll order some breakfast to be delivered after you get here and then we can decide what we are going to do today'

'OK, well, I'd better get going if I'm going to be there in 20 minutes'

'Bye sweetheart, I love you'

Danny saw the horrified look on Martin's face and felt Jack's hand arm tighten involuntarily on his arm. He closed his eyes and imagined Caitlin stood in front of him;

'I love you too, see you soon'; he hung up. Without looking at Martin and Jack he hurled himself out of the van, grabbed hold of the side and threw up.

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Jack watched as Danny gulped in air trying to calm his stomach. Jack thrust a bottle of water into his hand and saw Danny nod his head in thanks, seemingly unable to speak.

'Danny, you did what needed doing, you've got us in the best possible position to get Molly out safely', he saw the look of self loathing that crossed Danny's face and clapped him on his back; 'I know it's hard but you did the right thing'

He turned and saw Martin talking to Caitlin who had obviously been handed a hell of a shock when she had seen Danny throw up like that. She was looking over at Danny, clearly concerned and wanting to come over to see him. Jack saw the question on Martin's face and indicated that he should let Caitlin come over.

She headed for Danny; Jack saw her put her arms around him and hug him tightly and Danny return the hug, he went to speak to Martin and Sam;

'Right, I think this is the best possible way of getting Molly out safely,' he checked his watch, 'we have 10 minutes before Rachel is going to expect Danny to arrive.'

'Do you think Danny is going to be OK? I mean is he going to be able to stay calm long enough for this to work, because if he loses it or lets Rachel see what he really thinks……….' Sam's voice trailed away and she stared worriedly at Jack

'I think he'll be fine, Danny is more motivated than any of us to get this concluded………..'

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Danny took a deep breath as he climbed out of the car and walked toward the Lodge. Jack had just confirmed that Molly did not appear to be awake properly yet; Danny hoped this was the case as it would make the whole thing a lot easier……….

He reached the door and knocked…………..he could hear Rachel through the door, 'Molly, Molllleee; Daddy's here'.

Danny could feel a roaring in his ears and felt a rage taking hold of him….he heard Jack in his ear 'Remember, stay calm, we want Molly safe'. He could hear Rachel approach the door and he took a deep breath in an attempt to get himself under control;

She opened the door, her face alight with happiness but rather than greet him on the doorstep she stepped back into the room 'come in, come in, Molly's so excited that you are here'; Danny stepped into the room……………

Rachel was beaming at him; he forced himself to smile hoping that she would come closer but instead she was backing away from him toward the bedroom; 'Come and see Molly...';

He forced himself to keep smiling and crossed the floor to the bedroom door; Rachel had rushed to the bed and was bending over Molly. She straightened up, and Danny could see she had picked Molly up and was cuddling her; he felt the anger grip him like a vice and had to fight to keep his face relaxed.

He saw her frown, 'I don't understand why she won't wake up' she stuck her bottom lip out, pouting like a child who had been denied a treat

Danny was fighting hard to stay calm and in control; all he wanted to do was grab Molly and head for the door. He managed to keep an easy smile on his lips and held his arms out, 'here, give her to me she's probably just exhausted after the drive yesterday'

For a moment he thought that Rachel was going to hand her to him then she frowned again and looked at him, a hint of suspicion on her eyes. Danny made himself imagine it was Caitlin stood in front of him; he smiled warmly at Rachel; 'you know you haven't even said hello properly', he managed to put a hurt look on his face.

The suspicion faded from her eyes and she beamed at him again. She lay Molly down on the bed again and advanced to where Danny was standing. She slid her arms around his waist and raised her face to be kissed….

'Go, go, go'

Danny grabbed Rachel's arms and twisted her around so he held them behind her back. She shrieked and struggled trying to get free, her face now twisted into an expression of hatred. Danny heard the door to the Lodge burst open and felt Sam and Martin grab Rachel from him...

Danny left Rachel without a backward glance and ran to the bed where Molly lay, unconscious………