"No, Lee," Angie said over the phone, "he still hasn't come in and he hasn't called. Quite frankly, I'm getting more than a little concerned." It was 10:35 and Angie's voice was laced with anxiety as she spoke into the receiver. "I've postponed the budget review. Lee, you know the admiral. It's not like him to miss a meeting, especially the Quarterly Budget Review. I know he doesn't like it but he wouldn't miss it."

Standing next to Sparks on board Seaview, Lee ran a hand through his dark hair. "Did you check with Admiral Hewitt's office?"

"Yes, the admiral's secretary said Admiral Nelson left the office around 6:30 last night. Admiral Hewitt invited him to dinner but he said he already had dinner plans. She asked Admiral Hewitt if he knew with whom the admiral was dining but all Admiral Hewitt knew was that it was a friend."

Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton, standing at Lee's side, listened in with concern. "Something's wrong, Lee."

Lee paused and, cupping his hand over the receiver, spoke to Chip, "I know. I don't like it either." Then, returning to the phone, he said, "Angie, check with the Highway Patrol. See if there were any accidents between here and San Diego that could have delayed his trip." Lee paused. He was quickly running out of avenues.

Sensing Lee's growing exasperation, Chip asked, "What about Edith? Maybe she can at least give us a clue as to whom he might have met."

Lee said to Chip, "good idea," then to Angie, "if you hear anything…"

"I'll call you," she finished.

"Sparks, put a call through to Edith Nelson. I'll take it in my cabin."

After a brief delay, Sparks' voice sounded over the intercom. "Captain, I have Miss Nelson on your private line."

Lee, pacing the floor of his cabin and chewing on his thumbnail, grabbed the phone. "Hello!" he replied anxiously.

"Lee?" Given the tone of his greeting, Edith knew something was the matter. "What's wrong?"

Lee took a deep breath and decided he was overreacting. Trying to inject a little levity, he asked, "I don't suppose you might know the admiral's whereabouts?"

"Don't tell me you've lost Harry," she replied with an incredulous laugh.

"No, nothing like that," he responded lightly, marveling at just how close to the truth her statement was. "He had a meeting in San Diego Monday afternoon and hasn't returned yet. Angie had a message that he was meeting a friend for dinner and decided to stay overnight but he didn't leave a forwarding number." As an afterthought and to avoid causing the admiral's sister undue worry, he added, "I really need to get in touch with him."

"San Diego? He must have at least a dozen old Navy buddies there."

"That's what I'm afraid of. It's going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

Edith thought a moment, "Not really. You say he stayed overnight?"

"Yes."

"I'll bet he's at Kate's."

"Kate?" Lee raised a curious eyebrow. He never recalled the admiral mentioning anyone named Kate.

"Dr. Kathleen Manning. She's a very close friend. They usually have dinner whenever he's in town. I think I have her number somewhere if you can hold on." There was a brief pause and the sound of rustling papers then Edith returned. "Yes, here it is." She relayed the number and, when he pressed, the address. Having picked up on the urgency in his voice, she asked, "Lee, there's something more, isn't there?"

Lee hesitated. He had known Edith Nelson for almost as many years as he had known the admiral. Lee and Edith had dated a few times, though not what either would call seriously, so they did have a degree of familiarity. Despite being related to someone who so obviously wore his emotions on his sleeve, Edith had an uncanny knack for reading Lee's more subtle emotions. He never could fool her. "I don't know. He told Angie he'd be back in time for the budget review this morning but that was at 10:30 and so far there's been no word from him."

"That's not like Harry at all."

"I know. He likes budget reviews about as much as Christ liked sin but he'd never intentionally miss one—not without at least calling." He paused, his mind trying to reclaim something Edith had mentioned that piqued his curiosity. "You say he and this Dr. Manning are close friends?" Lee hated to have to ask the question but his first inclination was that this woman might somehow be implicated.

Edith shook her head, "Lee, I know what you're thinking and it's just not possible. Harry and Kate are, well, let's just say they are very close friends and leave it at that. Besides, she's an expert in physics at…oh, what's that called…that Center? What IS the name? You know, the one near La Jolla."

"Center for Advanced Research?"

"Yes, that's the one. She's got all kinds of security clearances if you want to check her out."

Lee didn't like the feeling that was starting to form in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sure that won't be necessary," he fibbed. Purposefully changing the mood of the conversation, he let out a light laugh, "you know, Edith, I'm sure the admiral just got detained and lost all track of time. I'm sure I'm just overreacting. Thanks for the information. I'll talk to you soon." Lee slowly returned the phone to its cradle, feeling a little crass for the curt goodbye. He would try to remember to apologize later, when he was certain he was worrying for no reason and the admiral was giving him a good ribbing for being a mother hen. But he didn't believe half of what he had just told Edith. The admiral wasn't the kind of man to shirk responsibilities, especially where the Seaview and the Institute were concerned.

Lee knew what he had to do. Picking up the receiver, he quickly dialed Dr. Kate Manning's home number and was immediately greeted by her answering machine. "Damn!" he cursed, slamming down the phone. That feeling in the pit of his stomach was starting to fester. Tapping his fingers against his chin, his thoughts formed quickly. Grabbing up the intercom, he barked, "Chief Sharkey, Seaman Kowalski, report to the control room on the double!" Before leaving his cabin, he made one more call. "Sparks, contact DISCO. Have them run a check on Dr. Kate, er Kathleen, Manning. When you get an answer, pipe it through to the Flying Sub. Also, have a car standing by at the Naval Air Station, San Diego." He grabbed his flight jacket and jogged down the corridor.

~oOo~

The sun was warm and bright, the sky as blue as sapphire when Kate and the admiral emerged from the car into the dry, breezy air. "I hope I can trust the two of you to wait here. Please be aware that Mr. Marco will have his gun trained on the back of the admiral's head at all times. Mr. Marco rarely misses."

Nelson's gaze followed Briere and Karl as they disappeared into a small out-building on the other side of the compound then let his eyes drift towards the ocean. Leaning on the warm metal railing that followed the path leading down to the rocky beach, mesmerized by the mystical colors that danced across the sunlit water, he spoke quietly, "I'm sorry I got you into all this." His feeling of helplessness was exposing the chinks in his imaginary armor.

"Sorry?" Kate leaned on the railing next to him. "Harry, it's not your fault." He was fighting the feeling that he had disappointed her. She couldn't blame him. He had established himself as her protector and as he saw it, he had failed. His head may have suffered but his ego had taken the hardest blow. "You're not omnipotent, you know. Contrary to what you might like to think, there are some things that are beyond your scope. Three against one odds are one of them." Feeling as though she had only succeeded in further denting his ego, she tried to boost it back up. "If Briere wanted me, he would have gotten to me whether you were there or not. I'm only grateful you were there. I don't think I could have held it together otherwise." She flashed her familiar, playful grin. "Besides, I'm counting on you to get us out of this." Although her face would never betray her, she was scared to death. Maybe she was placing an inordinate amount of faith in Harry but she was truly confident he would be able to get them out of this mess. He had to—she had no other hope.

The admiral let out a deep sigh, watching a big gull glide effortlessly over the water. "I just wish I knew how." It was one thing to be responsible for only himself but the burden of Kate's safety weighed heavily. As sexist as it may have sounded, the fact that it was Kate, a woman he loved, made it different than if it had been Lee or Chip or a crewman. Kate put her hand in his, feeling relief when he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Absently stroking the smooth skin of her hand, Nelson was deep in contemplation. He knew she was depending on him and he couldn't, he wouldn't, let her down. His mind churned as he tried to think of something but each avenue only brought a dead-end. By now, if he knew his captain, Crane would be leaving no stone unturned trying to find him. Only Crane wouldn't know where to look. Hell, he mused, Lee didn't even know about Kate. He could kick himself for being so careless, for not leaving Kate's number with the Institute's message center. Thinking back, would it have really mattered? It was apparent that Briere had premeditated this little escapade; he doubted the man was the type to leave a palpable trail. There was no mistaking it: he was going to have to conjure up a miracle. It wouldn't be the first time.

"You know," she began, interrupting his thoughts, "when I said I wanted more of you, this is not what I had in mind." Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, revealing a breach in her iron exterior.

The comment and the break in her voice as she said it was not lost on him. Turning deliberately towards her, a skeptical smile playing at his lips, "Somehow, I didn't think so." Embracing her tightly, she seemed to collapse against him.

"I can't do this," she said, an errant tear streaming down her cheek and dampening his shirt. "My God, I'm so damned scared."

"It's okay. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared too. You're going to be fine. Briere needs you too much to hurt you."

"What about you?" She fought back more tears. "You heard what he said. He thinks you're a liability."

He didn't want to say he had the same thought: that Briere's words weighed heavily on his mind as well. He could only imagine what value he had to Briere. As he thought of his own fate, something flashed in his mind: an earlier conversation in the car. "I have a feeling there's much more to all this than you're telling me."

She pulled away slightly and looked deep into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Briere mentioned a second prototype. He seems to think you have some connection to its whereabouts. Do you?"

Her hesitation was all the answer he needed. "I wanted to tell you in the car but with Briere there, it was impossible."

Nelson surveyed the area. Karl and Briere appeared to be still occupied in the out-building while Marco suspiciously returned the admiral's gaze. He was far enough away to have a clear line of fire should either Kate or the admiral feel foolish enough to try to run yet well out of earshot if they kept their voices low. Satisfied they were alone: "I think you can tell me now."

Kate turned back toward the ocean. Looking out at some distant, imaginary point, she explained, "By now you know that Mankin had the designs to Lightning Bolt. The fake blueprint wasn't discovered for some time. Several months after Mankin left, the Pentagon became very interested in Lightning Bolt. While the General Accounting Office conducted a feasibility study, I examined the blueprints and discovered the ruse. It was an area of some embarrassment for the Center. They had let a terminated employee walk away with blueprints for a highly classified government project. We couldn't afford to lose the contract or to admit such an oversight so I was asked to recreate the design."

"You?" He didn't intend to question her ability—in addition to being a physicist, he knew she was equally capable of designing electrical systems much more complicated than Lightning Bolt. He was merely surprised to know she could possibly be involved with the project.

If she felt affronted, she didn't convey it. Her voice remained calm, extremely controlled, and almost amused. "You forget, Harry, like Tesla, I have a photographic memory. I worked with Mankin when Lightning Bolt was in the developmental stage. I've seen his notes, his drawings, I sat through the meetings, the brainstorming sessions that lasted all night. I knew the design." She noticed the disquieting look cross his face as she continued. "I could recreate Lightning Bolt and Ted Slaughter, Head of Project Development, knew it."

"So you built the second prototype."

"Yes."

"And you know where it is?"

"Yes. The second prototype was nearly ready to enter the testing stage but the Pentagon put us on hold again, this time pending a congressional investigation." A bit begrudgingly, she continued, "In its current capacity, it's not as powerful as Mankin's original design but…"

"It can be easily modified," he finished.

"I'm afraid so."

"Kate, just what is the potential of Lightning Bolt?"

She thought for a moment. "With unlimited power, the use of broadcast electricity would be limitless. It has the potential to be extremely destructive."

"There's no guarantee that Mankin's device ever realized its true potential."

"I'd be very surprised if it didn't."

"Why?"

"Well, the concept is quite simple really. It's just a bastardized version of the Tesla coil." He gave her an inquisitive look that urged her to continue. "Well, the Tesla coil is a special transformer that takes a small amount of power and boosts it rapidly to a great deal of power. The high-frequency output of even a small Tesla coil can light up fluorescent tubes held several feet away without wire connections." She could tell by his disgruntled frown that she was only telling him something about which he was already very familiar.

Ignoring his impatience, she continued, "Guglielmo Marconi experimented with extremely low frequency waves and displayed their exceptional ability to penetrate metallic shielding. These waves could affect electrical devices, overload circuits and cause machines like generators, electric motors and automobiles to stall. Not only did Mankin take Marconi's experiment one step further, he also expounded on Tesla's claim to have invented a death ray. By combining the theories and experiments of Marconi with Tesla's, I believe Mankin would have easily validated Tesla's claim to something comparable to a death ray. If he were to somehow combine the high-frequency output of the Tesla coil with Marconi's use of the low frequency waves, the destructive power would be unyielding."

"And the result would be Lightning Bolt."

"Exactly. Unfortunately, I don't think Mankin realized the true destructive power until it was too late."

"And by that time, he had formed some kind of alliance with Briere."

"Yes. For all his faults, Mankin did have a conscience."

The admiral slowly rubbed his left eyebrow. "Yes, Elliot would have seen the scientific benefits, not the destruction it could cause. If this second prototype can be modified, expounded the way you say, the consequences, in the wrong hands, could be devastating."

"Yes, it could easily be a weapon of mass destruction."

Nelson mulled over her statement, remarking blandly, "I really don't think that's what Tesla had in mind."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a second car. As the sedan stopped some yards across from them, Karl trotted dutifully out of the building and opened the door, stepping aside to permit its occupants to exit. Briere's enthusiastic greeting carried over the warm, dry air.

"Emil Carag." It was Nelson who spoke first. Noticing the look of recognition on Kate's face, he asked, "Do you know him?"

"That little weasel who claims to be an electrical engineer? Yes, unfortunately I know him."

"Not a positive experience, I gather?" he asked, eyebrow cocked and slightly amused.

Her attitude was laced with obvious disdain. "I have an aversion to vermin."

Still watching with some concern as the small, birdlike man vigorously pumped Briere's hand, Nelson spoke with seriousness, "Kate, I want you to promise me something." Carag and Briere slowly strolled out of Nelson's sight, the sound of their voices in light banter still carrying on the breeze.

Taken by the earnestness of his tone, she quickly drew her attention towards him. "All right."

He regarded her warmly, taken by her confident, hastened response. It was as if she trusted him implicitly, knowing he would never ask her to do anything that would harm her. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. He was about to test her will. "No matter what Briere says, more importantly, no matter what Briere does, do not tell him where the prototype is. The life of one man isn't worth the devastation Lightning Bolt could reap upon the world if a madman gets his hands on it."

Weighing his words carefully, she didn't answer right away. His request carried an ominous foreboding that pained her to think about. Her eyes fixed on his and for a moment, she was about to say it was impossible for her to agree but seeing the expression of intent on his face, she slowly nodded. Leaning against him, her arms encircling him, "Oh, Harry, has it come to this?"

His expression was set in grim determination. "I'm afraid it has."

He let go of her only when he felt the stab of Marco's gun in his side. "Come on you two, get moving."

They were guided down a long walkway of what seemed like a hundred steps that eventually emptied onto the rocky beach. Looming high on the water, creaking and rocking against stressed cleats, sat the Falconer, a 190ft. research ship moored to a solid pier.

"That's far enough," Marco said, motioning for them to wait before starting towards the ramp.

Kate and Nelson waited for several long minutes, subtle glances passing rapidly between them before Briere, with Karl and Carag at his side, casually strolled down the hundred steps and joined them on the beach.

"Now is the time to show our cards, as the saying goes. Dr. Manning," Briere began, taking Kate by the elbow and leading her away from the admiral. "I think it's time you and I had a little talk."

~oOo~

"I'm not asking that you tell me; I'm demanding that you tell me." Briere was reaching the limit to his patience yet his voice remained eerily steady. His face displaying the slightest beginnings of his exasperation, he chose his words carefully and spoke them clearly, "You see, Dr. Manning, there is no room for discussion. I know there is a second prototype and I know you know where it is. I'd be very grateful if you'd share that information with me."

Kate glanced quickly at the admiral. Recalling their earlier conversation, her response was immediate, yet calmly forthright, "Go to hell."

Briere locked eyes briefly with Karl.

The sharp, deafening crack made Kate jump.