Chapter 6

Dixie flipped her cell phone closed. She was glad that Tad was a few aisles back and couldn't see her reaction to the news Ian had just given her. She wasn't ready to deal with whatever questions Tad might have. Might – hah! Tad was always full of questions. Always suspicious. Always condemning. When she told him that her latest lead on Kate had come from Ian Wells, the sneer that spread across his face had her itching to wipe it off with her fist. Despite his insistence, she refused to give him any information on how Ian had gotten this lead. She told him that if he didn't want to pursue it, she damn well did. She got on the phone and booked the next flight to Minneapolis. Sighing in disgust, Tad followed up with a booking of his own. The flight was almost full due to people traveling for the Fourth of July weekend.

Dixie sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. Madden escaped. The bastard had taken off with Erica and Spike. Her heart ached for Zach, Kendall and Ryan. How many more lives was this man going to wreck? Ian told her that he was on his way to see Zach. He said the time for hiding was in the past – he was about to resurrect himself. He wasn't going fully public yet, which meant that she shouldn't mention to Tad that the man he referred to as "Eurotrash" was none other than the very much alive Chris Stamp – FBI agent and former fiancé of Erica Kane. Not that it was any of Tad's business, but he'd probably be pissed when he found out the truth. Even though it had nothing to do with him, Tad would consider it yet one more secret she kept from him.

She initially spotted Chris in Prague. It had taken her a little while to remember him – they weren't in each other's orbits much before she left Pine Valley. Once she did have full recall, she realized how invaluable his help would be. He was an FBI agent with access to a lot of information. Because she kept up with the news from home by reading the PV Bulletin online, she knew that he was supposed to be dead. Dixie approached him and told him all about her travails. He told her he was always willing to help out a pretty lady – especially when they shared the unusual status of faking their deaths.

Chris, who had donned the identity of a rich playboy named Ian Wells, helped Dixie for a year before his secret government work required him to back off. During that time she posed as his lover. He created a fake identity for her – Rosanna Cahill. It wasn't long before the lover charade became real. He was a very attractive and charming man. They were never any danger of falling in love. It had been the only respite from her unending grief over not being able to snare Dr. Madden.

Dixie was torn from her musings by the ringing of her cell phone. She checked the screen. Zach. She knew why he was calling. She stepped into the aisle and went to the tiny bathroom. Closing the door, she answered her cell. "Hello?"

"Dixie, I've got some distressing news. Where are you?"

"I'm on an airplane heading to Minneapolis. Tad's with me - we have a lead on Kate."

"That's great. I hope it's legitimate this time."

Dixie sighed. "I certainly hope so. It came straight from the horse's mouth."

Zach frowned. He sat down on a nearby chair. He had found an empty room the next hallway over so he could make some calls to his people, get a few things set in motion. He was calling Dixie to warn her about Madden. "The horse's mouth? You mean Greg Madden?"

"Yes, Greg Madden. I know where he's been the past month."

Zach leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "David told you?"

"No, the person who rescued Greg from David's hiding place was the one who told me."

Zach rubbed his chin. "Who was that? Tad?"

Dixie cleared her throat. "No, it wasn't Tad. Zach, there's some things you ought to know. Remember I told you once that there was a guy who was helping me look for Kate - Ian Wells?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I didn't tell you everything. When I told Ian I was coming back to Pine Valley because I was worried about my family, he told me that if I got into trouble I should call you."

Zach frowned. "What? I thought we met at the cemetery by accident. You already knew about me?"

"Running into you at the cemetery was an accident. But when you told me your name, I already knew who you were. After I was shot, it was a no-brainer for me to come to you. Ian told me that you were very good at keeping secrets."

Zach leaned back. "How the hell would he know – I've never heard of the guy."

"Not by the name Ian Wells. You knew him as someone else." The intercom clicked on and the flight attendant asked for everyone to return to their seats in preparation for landing. "Look, I can't talk anymore. We're going to land and I have to turn off my phone. Ian is coming to see you - he'll explain everything."

"Will he explain why he let Madden loose to wreak havoc on my wife's family?"

"I'm sorry about that, Zach. Ian was holding him until we could get DNA confirmation on Kate, and then he was going to turn him over to the Feds. Unfortunately Greg escaped. Ian just told me about it a little while ago. I'm so, so sorry."

Dixie quickly hung up and Zach stared at his cell.

Zach cast his mind about trying to think of who this Ian Wells could possibly be. He heard a voice behind him in the small room. "It used to be that the only thing we had in common were our rugged good looks." Zach whipped around and stared at the man whose photograph he had been holding just the previous night. Sam Keith.

Greenlee hugged her long body pillow, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable position. Her baby was apparently restless too, because she felt his little feet poking everywhere. Normally such activity made her smile. Tonight it made her feel even more miserable. She remembered the previous night when she held Max's hand to her belly. The look of awe on his face had been priceless. She was particularly giddy over his reaction, because up until that point she had no one to share such tender moments with. Fresh tears spilled onto her cheeks, which were starting to feel raw. It was completely ridiculous. Why was she so upset over a man she met a couple of days ago? She could use the hormone excuse only so much.

She wanted so badly to confide in Kendall. She missed her. When she read about her friend being in a coma, her first instinct had been to pack her bags and head straight to the airport. But then she read other articles where reporters had interviewed Ryan about the danger to his unborn child. The way he gushed about Kendall and the baby had infuriated Greenlee and reminded her of why she left in the first place. It seemed like so many of her actions these days were ruled by hurt and anger.

In the time that she'd been in Paris, she hadn't gone to visit Bianca or Maggie. She would have had to swear them to secrecy about her pregnancy, and she didn't want to put them in that position. Greenlee sighed and rubbed her sore eyes. She was sick of hiding and running. She missed Pine Valley. She missed Jackson. She missed Ryan. Staying angry with him and longing for Leo was bringing her nothing but heartache. Every so often she thought of the time Zach talked to her and told her how much it had hurt Ethan not to know his father. Ethan was now dead – they would never have that chance to bond. Did she really want to do the same thing to Ryan and their child?

Greenlee got out of bed and dialed the cell number of the pilot for her grandfather's jet. He answered in a tired voice, and she instructed him to make plans to fly to Pine Valley in the morning. For better or worse, she was headed home.

Kendall forced a smile at Joe Martin's attempts to reassure her. "Dr. Martin, I don't blame you for what's happened. You couldn't have known that Madden would come back and take Spike."

Joe patted her hand. "My dear, that's beside the point. As soon as it became clear that Madden's activities were wildly unethical, I should have gone to security and had all of his clearances removed. I was too complacent over the fact that he disappeared. We all thought he would never come back. I can't help but wonder where he's been all this time."

Kendall glanced over at David. "Who knows. He went into hiding, and then as soon as Spike was well enough to leave the hospital, he swooped in and…and…" She broke off.

Joe put his arm around her. He glanced up at Julia. "I think you should call Jackson Montgomery. It's not confirmed yet whether Madden is responsible for Erica's disappearance, but I think he should be informed, just in case." Julia nodded and went to the nurse's station.

Kendall pressed her hands to her face. She hoped Zach would get back soon. He was off somewhere calling his people to start the search for Greg. She always knew he had some sort of network he relied on for such tasks, but it was only now that she realized that his network had probably been formed when he worked for Chris. It wasn't a mob thing as a lot of people liked to assume.

Ryan was also somewhere making phone calls, to inform Jonathan and Erin what happened. As soon as they had gotten confirmation from Nurse Betty that the last person to be with Spike was Madden, there was no longer any question of a mix-up. Spike had been kidnapped. Kendall made a keening noise as she thought of that awful word. She stood up. "I need to find Zach. I need my husband."

Chris sat down in a chair next to Zach. "I still can't get over that you married the daughter of the woman that I almost married. Ain't that a pisser? And we've both helped Dixie in her search for her daughter, Kate."

Taking a deep breath, Zach asked, "You're the one posing as Ian Wells?" Chris nodded. Zach leaned back in his chair. "When Kendall showed me the picture of Chris Stamp and told me about how he died, I made the mistake of believing it. You hadn't contacted me since that last assignment in Rio, so I assumed that the reason was because you really were dead." Zach shook his head. "I should have known better. A man like you would never get taken down by one of your drones."

Chris smiled smugly. "Stupid fuck-up aimed for my heart. As if I would get near a scumbag like him without a kevlar vest."

Zach glared at him. "You're the fuck-up, letting it escalate like that. A little girl almost lost her life."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Maddie Grey. Maria's daughter. I was pretty surprised when I found out that the woman you had stashed in your little casita and Maria Santos Grey were one and the same. More coincidences."

Zach stood up and paced around the room. "Let's talk about the only coincidence that matters. Greg Madden. He has Erica and Spike."

Chris leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I don't think there's a mistake of mine that I regret more. I assumed that Madden was too physically and psychologically weakened to pull off an escape. He bounced back quicker than I imagined."

Zach cocked his head. "You thought he was too weak? What'd you do to him?"

Chris laughed. "I just gave him a tiny shove over the edge. He was teetering on the brink because of what David did to him." Chris told him about the box in the park.

Zach sat back down. "Jesus. He only said he imprisoned Madden. I had no idea, but I'm not surprised Hayward would pull something like that." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we need to find out where Greg's gone."

Chris rubbed his face. "Madden is the most paranoid son of a bitch on the face of the earth. I spent a year with Dixie using whatever money and contacts in the government that I could to find this guy. He always eluded us. The only thing that drew him out of the woodwork was his obsession with Erica. Like a moth to a flame, he just couldn't resist setting up shop where she lived. Not that I blame him – damn it was hard to leave her when the time came…"

Zach raised his eyebrow, deciding not to comment. "Erica was what drew him here, but I think what made him stay was when his so-called son moved to town and went to work for Erica."

Chris narrowed his eyes. "So you know the truth about Josh?" Zach nodded and told him about the video tape of the procedure. "Oh that's right. Dixie said that was also where she learned about donor #1. I'm sure it's occurred to you that your wife's little boy may not be Ryan's. I'm surprised you haven't shouted it from the rooftops."

Zach folded his arms. "Right. I'm going to clue my wife into the fact that she may have been violated by that freak, just so I can have Ryan out of my hair. The thought of that man jacking off into a cup and approaching Kendall with it makes my skin crawl. I'm not going to burden her with that nightmare. Besides, as much as Ryan annoys me - he loves that baby. He had a vasectomy, and Spike may be his only chance to be a father. I'm not going to take that away from him."

Chris smirked. "So, you're content to let Ryan play house with a child and a wife that aren't his? You're a prince among men. Don't worry, your good deeds will be rewarded. Soon Ryan will have a real wife and real child that are all his, and he'll leave your little family alone."