Bang! Coffee splashed up to the ceiling and began to run down the wall as the coffee cup shattered from the impact of hitting the wall. "Damn kid!" The figured paced in the apartment, frustration building. The assembly was supposed to be a defining moment of sheer brilliance. The plan had been perfect, until that stupid kid ran out to the fort, disrupting a perfect plan.

"The school was supposed to be a shining moment to show off my skills," the figure complained to the empty apartment. Of course, the K-9 unit had been unexpected as well. That was not part of the original assembly plan. The kid may have actually been a blessing in disguise.

Having to watch as Stoker played the hero fireman though had been excruciating. He should've been the reason for so many injuries, instead the kids had fawned over the fire truck and laughed as Mike and his pals put them in turnouts and fire equipment that was way too big for their little bodies.

"Aaargh!" This time a container of juice flew through the air, orange juice joining the coffee stains on the wall.

The figure took a deep breath. This was far from over. A plan was already under way to get back at Mike Stoker. He thought he could just toy with people's lives, destroy their hopes and dreams; well he would soon learn a very hard lesson.

The figured moved toward the kitchen table and looked at the small container of iron oxide powder. A little salt, a little wire, some aluminum foil and pretty soon this would make just the right amount of thermite. A chemical mixture that burned so hot it could literally burn through asphalt. The trigger could be a long fuse that was created to slowly burn. The trick would be to ignite the fuse and have the burning end be where Mike wouldn't see it. It also had to be long enough to allow for a quick exit without being seen by anyone. That shouldn't be too hard though, you just had to fit into your environment.

E

Joe hurried around the car to open the door for Meg. The Greystone Mansion was their last stop on the historic home tour. He had saved it for last because he knew a great little Italian restaurant nearby that had seating on a deck that overlooked the water. They should be able to watch the sun set as they dined. He hoped it would be the perfect spot to have a very important conversation with Meg. Knowing she'd spent Thursday morning with Mike had been bugging him ever since he'd seen them. He had been walking out to his car to head to work when he'd spotted them standing on Meg's driveway. Joe was no fool, he knew Mike had been checking her out, and he knew they had history.

"I think you'll love this home," Joe said. "It's a 55-room Tudor-style mansion built in 1928 by Edward Doheny, the oil tycoon, for his son Ned. At the time, it was the most expensive home in California at a whopping $4 Million."

Joe led her around to the back of the house to the gardens first.

"It's beautiful. I can't imagine how amazing it would've been to live here," Meg commented.

"Unfortunately, for Ned, it wasn't that amazing. Just four-months after moving in Ned was killed in a murder-suicide with his personal secretary Hugh Plunkett. It was said Hugh Plunkett killed Ned for refusing to give him a raise, but a lot of people dispute that theory and think that Ned actually murdered Hugh and then killed himself."

"Really? How do you know all this?" Meg asked.

"I confess I've been to this house before; but I do love history and especially things that lend themselves to mysteries. I'm still mesmerized by news and stories about President Kennedy's death. I remember sitting in class and having the loud speaker come on and announce that President Kennedy had been assassinated. School was almost over anyway and those of us that could drive were allowed to leave. I can't even remember the drive home."

Meg did a quick mental calculation in her head. If Joe had been at least 16 when JFK was shot in 1963, that made him 30 now. A little older than she would have guessed, but not too old for her. Meg had just turned 24.

"I was in elementary school when JFK died. They didn't announce it in school. Instead a note was sent home to our parents advising them that they should talk to us about it before the next school day. I remember my parent's telling me about it, and knew it must be serious because my mom was crying; but it didn't mean a lot to me at that age."

They leisurely explored the gardens and the inside of the house itself. Joe held her hand, opened the doors and was able to give her little details since he'd done some previous research on the homes. Meg had enjoyed the day and the conversation. Joe was easy to talk to and they had a love of history in common.

As they came to the end of the tour, Joe suggested an Italian restaurant he knew for dinner. Meg readily agreed, she was having a nice time and not in a hurry to have the day end.

Meg admired the view as they were ushered to their seats on the balcony. The table was right at the railing and she and Joe were overlooking the water. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was turning beautiful shades of pink and purple.

"It's so beautiful," Meg said, looking at the water.

"I agree," Joe said, looking only at Meg.

Meg blushed at his gaze.

"Meg," Joe reached across the table and took her hand. "I've had such a wonderful time with you, tonight and the other night at dinner."

"I've had a really nice time too."

"Meg, I want to be clear about my intentions. I'm 30 years old. I've had a lot of fun traveling over the past few years. My career is going the direction I want it to go. But, I'm tired of coming home to an empty house. I want to get married and start a family. And you're exactly the type of woman I'd want to do that with," Joe said, staring intently into her eyes.

"I'm not trying to pressure you," Joe quickly added, when Meg looked shocked at his words. "I just want to let you know that I'm not just trying to play games here. I'm not sure what the situation is between you and that Mike guy, but I want you to know what I'm serious about having a relationship with you."

Meg didn't say anything; her mind was spinning. She wanted to find someone to settle down with, she loved the idea of getting married and starting a family. She had let herself entertain the thought of having that with Mike and then he'd started dating Caroline. Now, here was Joe, offering her exactly what she wanted and her first thought was why couldn't he be Mike.

"I'm not looking for an answer tonight, Meg," Joe said, when he could tell that she was at a loss for what to say. "I meant it when I said I wasn't trying to pressure you. I just want you to know what I'm offering."

"Thank you, Joe. There isn't anything going on with Mike, just so you know."

"Well, I know you dated in the past and then I saw you with him the other morning. I didn't want you to think I was just ignoring the fact I may not be the only guy who's interested in you. In fact, I'd be surprised to find out it was only two of us," Joe smiled at her.

Meg laughed. "I assure you, there isn't a line."

Joe lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "That's good to know."

They shared a nice meal and Joe kept the conversation light the rest of the evening, but Meg was making mental notes of all the things they had in common and all the areas where they would be so good together.

Joe drove them back to his house and parked the car in his driveway. He opened up her door and took her hand to walk her down the street to her house. He walked her to the door and waited for her to unlock it. He stepped in closer. "May I kiss you good-night?"

Meg swallowed and nodded.

Joe leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. He slowly slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Meg returned the kiss and slipped her arms over his shoulders. Joe took that as a positive sign and deepened their kiss, his tongue parting her lips. Meg allowed the kiss to continue and returned the kiss equally.

Joe finally broke the kiss. "Good-night, Meg. Have sweet dreams."

"Good-night, Joe."

Meg entered the house and closed the door. Joe waited until he heard her slide the lock into place and then headed home, a big smile on his face.

Meg wiped her chin with the back of her hand, the kiss had been kinda sloppy.

Meg slipped off her shoes and walked toward her bedroom. Joe was such a nice guy; she knew she should be overjoyed at what he was offering her. On paper, Joe was perfect for her. He was good looking, had a good job, they shared a lot of the same interests, he liked her and wanted to settle down. There just wasn't a romantic spark. Kissing him had not been anywhere near as interesting as kissing Mike. But, Mike wasn't interested in being a part of her future hopes and dreams, Meg told herself, feeling the anger again at what she felt was Mike leading her on with his compliments and suggestions they train together. Yet, he was probably with Caroline right now, she thought.

Meg paced the room, feeling a ton of bottled up frustration. She pulled open her dresser drawer and quickly changed into her running shorts. She stopped at the kitchen table and picked up a small package, slipping it into a small zippered pocket in her shorts.

E

Mike carried his plate to the counter, where Caroline had begun to do the dishes. The meal, steak and potatoes with asparagus, had been excellent. Caroline had been a completely different person tonight and Mike was still trying to wrap his head around it. She was dressed slightly more subdued than normal, her hair pinned up rather than flowing freely. Her make-up was a bit softer, and she had the curtains open letting light into the house as they had dinner. Now that the sun was starting to set, she had lit several candles that set the mood for a romantic evening.

She smiled at him as she took his plate. "I just want to finish these up real quick. Why don't you help yourself to a cup of coffee and go relax in the living room? I'll be in shortly."

"I can help dry," Mike offered.

Caroline smiled at him "You mentioned you had a lot of calls last night, just go rest and I'll take care of this."

Mike poured himself a cup of coffee and walked into the hallway. He looked down the hallway toward the bedrooms of the apartment. He'd never been anywhere other than the living room and kitchen in Caroline's apartment. All the other doors were closed, and the hallway was dark, making the place look unwelcoming, even tonight.

Mike headed into the living room, but before he sat down on the couch he moved over to the record player to put on some music. He chose a record from Linda Ronstadt, and put it on the record player. The lyrics to "You're no good" filling the living room.

Mike listened to a few songs as he drank his coffee and listened to the faint sounds of Caroline doing the dishes. This is what our lives could be like, he thought.

A few minutes later, Caroline entered the room. "Would you like some more coffee?"

Mike shook his head, leaning forward and putting the empty cup on the coffee table. Caroline walked over and sat down next to him. The song "When Will I Be Loved" started to play.

"I really relate to this song," she said softly. "I've been waiting for you to break my heart. I'm really sorry I caused you so much worry the other day, but I just want to tell you again how much it meant to me that you were worried about me."

Mike slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She snuggled up against him, but didn't push the physical contact. They sat there for a while, but Mike couldn't think of what to say to her. The whole evening had him feeling a little off his game, because it wasn't what he'd come to expect with Caroline.

"Can I get you anything else?" Caroline asked.

Mike smiled down at her. "I've got an idea of what I'd like for dessert."

Caroline giggled, getting his hint. She tilted her head so Mike could kiss her. Mike went through the motions of getting them comfortable on the couch, their bodies entwined. Caroline knew all the right moves to be seductive and she didn't hold back; but Mike just couldn't seem to get into their make-out session that night, something that was rarely a problem.

"Is something wrong?" Caroline asked, pulling back.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," Mike apologized and sat up. "I'm just not myself tonight."

"It's not surprising with the week you've had," Caroline said, running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm just gonna step into the bathroom for second; maybe splash some water on my face," Mike said, getting up from the couch. He walked down the hall and entered the small bathroom. He used the restroom and splashed some cold water on his face. "Get it together man," Mike said to his reflection in the mirror.

Mike walked back into the living room to find it empty. "Caroline?"

"Right here," Caroline said, moving back into the hallway from the kitchen. "I was packing you up a piece of pie. I put in an extra for Marco."

"You don't want to go back to the couch?" Mike asked, not really wanting to resume their make-out session, but feeling bad about the direction the night was heading and knowing it was his fault.

"It's okay, Mike. Everyone has off nights. I think the best thing is for you to go home and get some rest. I've got some stuff I've got to do tomorrow, but I'll see you at the station on Monday."

Mike nodded, knowing it was probably best he just leave.

Caroline stood at the door and watched him get into his truck. She waved as he pulled out of the parking space and then closed her door.

Mike looked for traffic before pulling out into the street, but hit his brakes as he started to move. "Is that Meg?" He asked out loud. A woman was jogging a few blocks to the left, she turned down a side street, but Mike could've sworn it was Meg. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction where he'd seen the woman turn. When he turned on the side street she was nowhere to be found. Mike drove up and down a few streets, but he never saw her again. He decided to give up and head back to Marco's.

It was then that he noticed the air in the truck was getting much hotter. When he tried to move his foot from the gas to the brake pedal, it felt like the soles of his tennis shoes were melting and sticking to the floor. Mike looked down and saw the floor of the truck smoking as the metal peeled away and glowing embers of burning metal lit up the inside of the truck. Mike pushed on the brake pedal trying to stop the truck, but nothing happened. Mike realized the brake lines had already been burned. Mike looked around, the truck was heading toward the main road. He could feel the skin on his legs starting to burn as more of the floor disappeared and the floor mats caught on fire. Mike had to get the truck stopped and he had to get it stopped right now.

Mike jerked the wheel hard to the right and a few seconds later felt the impact of the truck hitting the tree. His seat belt jerking him back when the impact pushed him forward. Mike reached to release the seatbelt and pushed open the truck door jumping clear as his pants started to burn. Mike hit the grass and rolled a few times to extinguish the flames. He got up as quickly as he could to move away from the truck as the flames began to melt the metal frame.

A few people began to come out of their house. "Call the fire department," Mike called out. "And the police."

Mike moved further back and looked down at his leg, the skin red and blistering from the heat. Some of the skin was charred and he could continue feeling it burn. He needed saline solution and sterile sheets to wrap the skin; but it was unlikely that was going to happen until the paramedics arrived. Mike knew from his location that it would be Station 24 arriving on scene; which meant Bryce. Mike shook his head, at this point, he just wanted someone to help stop the burning pain.

Mike worked to keep people back as he watched his truck literally melting from the extreme heat of the fire, the tree caught fire and began to burn like a giant torch in the street.

Mike could hear the sirens in the distance. He watched as Engine 24 pulled up, the guys pulling two lines to extinguish the truck and the tree. Mike knew the danger with the tree was they exploded when they got too hot. He'd been in enough forest fires to know that was one of the most dangerous aspects of fighting those fires. One tree didn't make the danger any lower. The guys kept their distance, but were quickly dousing the flames.

He felt someone touch his arm, and by reflex jerked away, his hands coming up to defend himself.

"Relax, Mike. Let me look at your leg," Bellingham said, taking a step back from Mike.

Mike nodded. Bellingham took his arm and helped him walk a few feet to the porch of nearby home. "Do you mind if I have him sit on your porch?" Bellingham asked the family. "I need to look at his legs."

The man nodded.

"Can I get you anything?"

"This isn't a social call, Martha, go back inside," the man said.

"Actually, if you could get him a glass of water, that'd be great," Bryce said, joining them. He had the biophone in one hand and the first aid kit in the other.

"I'm okay," Mike said.

They both ignored him as Bellingham worked on cutting away what was left of Mike's pant legs.

"It's only my left leg," Mike said.

Bryce shook his head. "Both your legs are burnt. The left is probably just hurting bad enough you haven't been paying attention to the right; but you've got a nice first degree burn on the right to accompany the second degree burns on your left."

Mike ignored what Bryce and Bellingham were doing to his legs and instead watched as the firemen fought to extinguish his truck, that was more a smoldering pile of metal at this point.

"Nice job stopping the truck," Kate said, moving to sit down next to him.

Mike looked up and said nothing.

"I'm guessing from this location you were at Caroline's?"

Mike just nodded.

"Was she ever out of your sight?"

Mike looked at her.

"Someone did this," was all Kate said.

"I went to the bathroom briefly, but she wouldn't have had time to plant anything in my truck."

"Did you see anything unusual when you got to her apartment? When you were leaving?"

"I thought I saw Meg," Mike said.

"What?" Kate said, looking over at Mike.

"I thought I saw Meg jogging down the street. I turned to follow her, but I never saw her again."

"Are you sure it was Meg?"

Mike shook his head. "No. I really thought it was though. But, I can't think of any reason she'd be over here."

"Maybe looking for you."

Mike shook his head. "She doesn't know where Caroline lives."

"Maybe she does."

"Whatdya mean?"

"I had Caroline's address on my desk when I interviewed Meg. She could've easily seen the address and remembered it."

Mike shook his head again. "I don't believe Meg would do this."

Kate lifted a walkie-talkie to her mouth. "Dispatch, send a unit over to Megan Trask's home please. See if she's home and get an alibi for where she was in the last two-hours."

"I'll call Johnny and have him meet you at the hospital," Kate said, as she watched Bellingham begin to wrap Mike's leg in a sheet he'd just doused with saline solution.

"That's okay," Mike said. "I'll call Marco and have him pick me up. I don't want to bother Johnny."

"You don't want to call Caroline?" Kate asked, her eyes narrowing.

"You just asked me if I thought she could have been the one that did this," Mike said, pointing to his truck. "Do you want me to call her?"

"I'm curious as to why you don't want to? Did something happen between the two of you?" Kate asked, she watched Mike's reaction.

He became very still, other than tilting his head to the side and averting his eyes. "Did something happen?" Mike repeated. "No, nothing happened. We just had an off night; completely my fault. I'm a bit tired from work last night."

Kate picked up on the subtle tells that Mike wasn't being honest with her. But, in this case, she doubted he was being honest with himself either.

"I can call Marco for you," Kate said, handing Mike a small notebook. "Write his number down for me, okay."

Mike scribbled the number and handed the notebook back to Kate as the ambulance pulled up and an attendant jumped out to begin pulling out the gurney. Bellingham helped him stand up, while Bryce was cleaning up their equipment.

Mike got on the gurney and laid back. He closed his eyes, his head starting to pound in rhythm to his pulse. Mike took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to help himself control the pain that was starting to make his leg twitch as the nerves realized they were injured.

Kate watched as they loaded Mike into the ambulance. "May I use your phone?" Kate asked the homeowner.

"Of course," the woman said, opening the door and leading Kate into the house.

Kate picked up the phone and dialed Marco's number. When she didn't get an answer she hung up and flipped several pages in her notebook until she found Johnny's number. Ainsley answered on the second ring. "Gage residence."

"Hi, Ainsley, it's Detective Kate Stryker."

"Is everything okay?" Ainsley instantly felt a sense of fear.

"There's been a fire. Mike's legs were burned; they're talking him to Rampart now."

Ainsley heard the ambulance siren start in the distance through the phone. "I'll send Johnny right away."

"Mike asked me to call Marco, but I didn't get an answer."

"We'll take care of him, Kate." Ainsley assured her. "He should be with us so Johnny can help care for his burns. If they even release him from the hospital tonight."

"I'll check-in at the hospital shortly," Kate said. "If they release him, I'll have extra patrols in the area to make sure your family is safe."

"Thank you." Ainsley hung up the phone and moved quietly down the hall toward the nursery where Johnny was rocking Grace to sleep.

She stood in the doorway and watched as Johnny stood up and carefully put their daughter into her crib. Ainsley waited until he joined her in the hall before she spoke in hushed tones. "There's been another fire. Mike's legs were burned, they're taking him to Rampart right now. He wanted Kate to call Marco, but she couldn't reach him."

"Keep the doors locked and keep Chief with you," Johnny said, as he quickly moved into their bedroom to find his wallet and keys.

"Bring him back here, if they release him," Ainsley said. "Kate said she'd increase patrols to watch the house. Mike's gonna need you to help treat his wounds."

Johnny stopped next to her and gave her a kiss. "We'll see."

Johnny walked past Chief on the way out the back door. "Protect, Chief."

Chief stood up and walked to the door with Johnny. When Johnny walked out the door, Chief made a circle around the interior of the house. His ears up, he stopped by each room and just stood for several seconds before finally moving to sit in the living room.

Ainsley moved to sit down too, wondering exactly what happened this time.

E

"How bad is it, doc?" Johnny asked, as he walked into the treatment room where Mike was.

"First degree burns on his right leg, second degree burns on his left calf; most of it is superficial, but he has about 10% deep second degree burns. We've treated them and are just finishing wrapping his legs. He should be ready to go soon."

"I told Kate to call Marco."

"He wasn't home."

"I'm not going home with you Johnny; it's too dangerous."

"You need someone that can change your bandages tomorrow," Johnny said.

"Agreed," said Dr. Morton said.

"Kate said she'd increase patrols. Between that and Chief, my house will be the safest place to be," Johnny said. "We'll swing by Marco's on the way to my house to pick up some stuff."

Mike could tell by the look on Johnny's face that arguing was going to be pointless. He simply nodded.

E

Kate pulled up behind the patrol car, got out and walk up to the Officer who was leaning against the car.

"She's not home. But, dispatch just called. The fire investigator says the cause of the truck fire was thermite."

"Go ahead and get back on patrol. I want extra cars around the Gage neighborhood. Right in front of their house would be a great place to take lunch breaks for the all the units working tonight," Kate said, making her point clear.

"Got it, Detective," the Officer got back in his car and pulled away as Kate walked back and sat in her car waiting for Meg to return from wherever she was.

Kate sat up a bit straighter as a jogger turned the corner onto the street. Mike said he thought he saw Meg jogging. Kate watched as Meg slowed down and walked the last few houses before turning into her driveway.

"Megan Trask," Kate called her name, as she got out of her car. "I need to ask you a few questions."

Meg dropped her head, and then looked up and nodded.

"Can we go inside?" Kate asked.

Meg seemed to think about it for a few minutes; but finally nodded.

She walked into the house, Kate following closely behind her.

"Can I ask where you've been?" Kate asked.

"I went for a jog."

"Do you always jog at night?"

Meg shook her head. "No."

"Then why tonight?"

"I just needed to clear my head," Meg said.

Kate glanced around the room and froze as she looked at the kitchen table. She looked at Meg and then moved over toward the kitchen table. "Is this iron oxide?" Kate picked up the small container on the table.

Meg nodded. "I'm using it for a science experiment next week with the kids. We're creating magnetic slime."

"This is also used to create thermite," Kate observed. "Were you by Caroline's apartment tonight?"

Meg looked at her.

"Were you?"

Meg dropped her eyes and slowly nodded.

"Megan Trask, you're under arrest for arson and aggravated assault against Mike Stoker. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to…"

"What happened to Mike?"

"As if you don't know," Kate said. "He saw you jogging away from the apartment. Right before the thermite burned his truck into a pile of melted metal."

Meg looked up, her eyes wide. "You don't think I did that, do you?"

"Iron oxide is used to create thermite," Kate said bluntly.

"It's also used in magnetic slime," Meg said. "I can show you the recipe and the directions for the science experiment," Meg moved to grab a book off her bookshelf.

"Don't move," Kate said, putting her hand on her gun.

Meg stopped abruptly and looked at Kate. "I'd never hurt anyone; and certainly not Mike."

"I recommend you wait to speak until you have a lawyer," Kate said, removing her handcuffs. "Put your hands behind your back." As Kate put the cuffs on Meg, she continued reciting her Miranda rights.

"Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

"Yes," Meg whispered.