10. Answers and Riddles

Ezra and JD entered their office to find Moriss and Bryant preparing to leave.

"Gentlemen," Ezra said, approaching them. "I was wondering if we might have a word before you leave."

Moriss looked at him a moment. "Of course," he indicated JD, "Mr Dunne updated us on the current situation, did you come across some new information?"

Ezra looked at JD a moment before asking, "Is Agent Tucker still present?"

"He stepped out for a bit, but he'll be back any second now…" Moriss studied Ezra's face. "Is there a problem?" he asked straight.

Ezra indicated the doorway, "Perhaps it would be better if we adjourned to the meeting room to wait for Agent Tucker."

They moved down the hallway into the room, taking seats around the table.

"How long did you say you have all been on this case, Agent Moriss?" Ezra asked.

Moriss detected the veiled suspicion in Ezra's voice. "A year, Bryant came on board six months ago, Tucker's been involved on and off for a bit longer. Why?"

Ezra shrugged, hearing the office doors open and waiting until the Agent in question entered.

"Agent Tucker, we were just about to discuss a few points to the case, care to join us?" he asked the surprised man. Ezra could have sworn he looked… flustered.

"Certainly," Tucker eyed Moriss. "Something happen while I was gone?"

Moriss shrugged, "Not that I know of." He narrowed his eyes at Ezra. "Perhaps you should just say what's on your mind, Agent Standish."

Ezra stood slowly, determined to play his hand, his way.

"There are just a few things that I wanted to go over… Agent Tucker, we were just discussing how long each of you have been on this case, how long has it been for you now?" He watched the man's eyes closely.

"Just over a year," Tucker said, looking to Moriss with a raised brow. Moriss simply shrugged.

"And explosives, you were transferred to that department in ninety…?"

Tucker's eyes narrowed, "Nine."

"Mmm…" Ezra appeared to consider this as he paced the table slowly.

"Is there some point to this, Standish?" Moriss asked.

Ezra looked at the older agent a moment and shrugged. "It just seemed odd to me, that for over five years now, Agent Tucker's name has been present consistently on reports relating to the crimes of our mysterious `ginger man'. The last three years have involved major bombings throughout the country, most far distanced from the Washington Department that Agent Tucker was appointed to and yet his name *still* managed to appear on a conspicuous number of reports pertaining to the incidents."

Moriss frowned at that information. "If that were so, we could have seen the evidence of it by now. My team and I have been going over those reports for the last year now since a task force was put together to get the guy."

"Perhaps…" Ezra said, his hands in his pockets as he turned to face Tucker, although he addressed Moriss' objection. "However, as we discovered today, the governments computer system is not necessarily the most full proof in the world." Ezra moved to the phone at the table. "I have someone I would like you all to meet from the computer lab downstairs." He picked up the phone and dialled an extension.

Tucker stood impatiently and looked down at Moriss. "What the hell is this about? We don't have time to sit here while Standish plays inspector, this is the closest we've ever been, why are we wasting time with this? I never saw any of those reports until I was assigned the case just ahead of you."

Almost imperceptibly, Moriss' eyes narrowed before he looked over at Ezra, now asking someone to come upstairs as discussed. Ezra hung up the phone. "Where is this going?" he asked him, not liking to play games.

Ezra took a seat a moment and gave Moriss a hard look. "Please, this will only take a moment, there is a valid point, I assure you."

They waited in tense silence until they heard a voice in the main office.

"Please, step this way," Ezra called out.

A young man from the IT room entered, looking slightly nervous at the men gathered formally in suits at the large table. He looked to Ezra.

"Gentlemen, this is Agent Scott, he is one of our esteemed computer analysts. I asked him here to better explain to you what I discovered today as I looked back over the case reports of the past years. Agent Scott, please explain to these gentlemen what you so kindly explained to me earlier regarding the altered files."

Ezra merely flicked his eyes to Tucker, but it was enough to see his discomfort. He was nervous. If Ezra was playing cards right now, he would say that the pot was definitely his for the taking, that man was about to have his bluff called.

"Um… Well… Every night each network is backed up both locally and from the head office for data protection. That includes all reports and files created or altered that day. If requested, we can generate a report on any specific files to view the dates they were accessed or altered. Mr Standish presented me with several file names and it appeared that those files were both created from the Denver Department, but altered from the Washington bureau. This information is not evident on the normal logs, it is only through the backup reports that you can see this and you have to know what you are looking for. Mr Standish requested I determine Agent Tucker's login registration code and it was found to match the identity of the one embedded in the changed files on the system."

All eyes turned to Tucker who got to his feet. "You have been investigating my activities internally? By what authority have you gained access to my login code?"

"Something to hide, Agent Tucker?" JD asked, understanding the implications of what the young agent had told them.

"Is this true, Tucker? What reason would you have to alter files on the system?" Moriss looked at Ezra. "What information was changed?"

Ezra looked at the young agent. "Are those original reports available yet?"

Agent Scott shook his head, "Almost. They were a little hard to find in the archives."

Ezra nodded. "We will be here when they are ready to be reviewed."

Scott took one last look at the men and took his leave.

"What this means, gentlemen, is that initial reports were altered following their filing and signing off. My educated guess," he looked at Tucker, "is that on several occasions, witness accounts were altered so as not to allow investigating departments to build an adequate profile of the suspect. I believe the task now, is to re- evaluate the original reports and to question once more the detectives involved in the cases."

Tucker stood. "Anyone could have gained access to my code. I didn't touch those reports and I'm not sitting here whilst you accuse me –"

"Sit down, Tucker." Moriss's expression was fierce, he had put a whole year into this case, constantly hindered by a lack of evidence and information.

Bryant's expression was also dark. "What was in it for you?" he asked his former team-mate, for the guilt was written in the man's defensive reaction. He had worked in the game long enough to read a person's body language.

Tucker scoffed at the implication. "I don't know what the fuck you are all talking about. Why the hell would I sabotage a case I was working on? It would be detrimental to my own progress."

"Money? Power? You tell us, Agent Tucker."

Tucker almost lunged for the smug southerner who was souly responsible for attempting to ruin his career. "I did *nothing* wrong." He took a step to the doorway. "And I'm not going to stay here while –" he turned as he saw two uniformed officers behind him. They had been ordered to arrest the agent when he tried to back form the room, just as the ATF agent had told them he would.

Tucker looked at Ezra with hatred. "You can't fuck me over, Standish, you'll regret the day you met me," he vowed as his hands were manoeuvred behind his back.

"I assure you, that day has already come my friend." Ezra left the man with a hard look, promising him that he would see him destroyed for what he had done. He looked at the remaining men.

Moriss rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't believe it… Jesus Christ a whole fucking year I've been working side by side with him and I never suspected a thing!"

"Neither did I…" Bryant looked at Moriss. "You think he'll talk to us?"

Moriss shook his head, but said, "He'd better, or he's looking at a lifetime of hell – and that's just from me."

..

Vin was cold, colder than he could remember being. Funny, he had not thought it was going to be this cold last night… he should have grabbed another blanket when he'd gone to bed. He made to get up and find one when suddenly he frowned. He could not move his arms. Slowly he opened his eyes and fought through the slow spin that his mind was intent on continuing. His mouth was dry, his brain was foggy and his body was stiff. What the hell was going on?

Finally his eyes focused and he found it was dark. He could hear… water… and traffic… He peered into the darkness. Where the hell was he? The traffic was busy, and close, it seemed to be coming from… above? He angled his head and saw nothing but concrete, a yellow light illuminating the roof above him. Again he tried to move and finally looked down… and saw enough explosives strapped to his chest to make a large dent in the world.

..

Chris was winded by the time they were safely away in the black government sedan. It had taken half an hour to clear his leaving with the doctor and organise their transfer from the hospital. From his discussion with Ezra had come the decision to go back to the office. He could not allow his team to deal with that situation alone. He leant back in the seat and tried to relax, thoughts of his earlier conversation plaguing him as the car stopped at a traffic light and he sighed softly.

"You alright, Chris?"

Chris curved his lip at the ever-diligent healer that had met them at the hospital. "I'm fine, Nathan, we've only been on the road three minutes."

"You shouldn't be up and about just yet. That's a serious bump you got to your skull there. I don't need to tell you the dangers of hitting your head again."

Chris's phone rang and he answered it with relief to avoid Nathan's worry.

"Larabee."

"Chris, it's Buck…"

Chris heard the fear immediately. "What's happened? Did you get to Vin?"

"I was detained, Chris. The fucking Denver PD picked me up, they were tipped off that I was a God damn serial killer! Someone didn't want me to get to Vin… Chris I've found my car, but by the time I cleared it up with those idiots he wasn't here. I can't see him anywhere."

Chris slammed a hand onto the door's armrest. "Fuck!" he took a calming breath, he needed to think. "You've tried his phone?"

Buck looked at the passenger seat beside him where he sat beside the wheel of his car. "It's on the front seat."

Damn damn damn…. "Call it in, Buck, stay down there, help search the area, he could be hurt somewhere off the road, check it out thoroughly. I think I know who might have set it up. Ezra's found evidence that Tucker's been playing on both sides of the fence."

"What? He's helping this bastard? Why the hell would he do that?"

"I don't know yet, I'm heading back to the office now. Just keep searching, Buck, I'll be in touch."

Chris hung up and dialled the office, if Tucker was involved, he was as good as dead.

..

JD and Ezra sat down again in the meeting room when Agent Scott again returned with a massive stack of reports they had printed out. Moriss and Bryant had already decided to see what information they could get from Tucker.

"We're going to be here all year," JD moaned.

"Just look for eyewitness accounts, anything pertaining to the suspect that may have been eliminated."

..

Chris returned to the office with Josiah and Nathan and found Ezra and JD in the midst of piles of paperwork.

"Hey Chris, how's the head?" JD asked. He had yet to see his captain since the incident that morning, nor had Ezra.

"I'm ok, JD," Chris said, gripping the young agents shoulder as he moved past him.

"Mr Larabee," Ezra said, looking up.

"Ez," Chris said. He addressed them both. "You've done some great work today, guys."

Ezra nodded, accepting the compliment and JD smiled in pride as he found the page he had been looking for before Chris had entered.

"Any news on Mr Tanner?" Ezra asked, seeing Chris's jaw tighten at the question.

"Not yet," Chris said, sitting down. "Buck's still at the scene, they haven't been able to determine much. It's possible he went for help." Even as he said it, Chris knew that was not the case, Vin would not have done that without telling them, or left without his phone.

"Grab a pile, boys," Ezra encouraged Josiah and Nathan. "As far as we can tell, these are the original documents from cases relating to our illusive `ginger man' over the past three years."

..

Buck stood still a moment amidst the flashing police lights. The road had been blocked off and was now being thoroughly examined for any clues that might tell them where Vin had gone. He eyed the open hood of his car and looked away again. If something happened to Vin, it was his fault, that was a fact.

..

Vin couldn't tell much about the device rigged to trigger the explosives strapped to the vest he wore. He could see little more than the explosives themselves. His hands were tied behind him and he was chained to a pillar, there was little much he could do but stare at the dark water and pray that someone came along – preferably someone that did not intend to rob or kill him...

He could not believe the situation he was in. It really did not get much worse than this, he realised. With that thought a grin found its way to his freezing lips and he tilted his head back to lean against the cold concrete that he stood attached to. There was definitely a bright side. If he managed to live through this, life really didn't get more dismal than being strapped, alone, under a concrete bridge, with a shit-load of explosives that were set to blow you and half the city to pieces, with the trigger in the hands of a hell-bent psychopath…

..

The ink on the pages were beginning to blur and there was talk of pilfering more coffee from another office when Nathan made a small noise and peered more intently at the paper in his hands. Four sets of weary eyes looked for an explanation. So far, they had found several accounts of the suspect having been seen at the site of the explosion that were deleted from the initial reports. Descriptions of a man, in his early to mid twenties, with bright, red hair and pale skin, often wearing gloves and a high-necked sweater, were given by several witnesses.

They had had no news on Vin as yet and the morale in the room was beginning to wane.

"What is it, Nathan?" Josiah asked.

Nathan looked up. "There was a detective working the Alvarez case nearly three years ago… He makes some connections here about our guy and a case many years before, where a school was blown up, just outside of the city…" He scanned the paper, "It was a Detective… Lonsdale."

"Lonsdale…" Josiah began to rummage through a pile of notes before him.

"Go on…" Chris urged.

"Well…" Nathan said, picking out parts of the report, "He says here that the method and execution were similar to that of a case of a small school in a border town. The bomb exploded on a Saturday, fourteen children and a teacher were killed where they were conducting their weekly choir practice."

"What's his connection?"

"Lonsdale made a note here to reference to a case in the same town many years prior to that, where a single mother was killed by a bomb rigged to the timer of her microwave."

"We need to talk to this guy." Chris looked at JD, "JD see if you can find his–"

"There's no need," Josiah said, causing all eyes to look to him. He held up a photo of an older man in a police uniform, who looked around the retirement age, with a newspaper clipping scanned beside it. "He's dead."

Ezra grabbed the sheet and read the paragraph out loud. "Former US Army Captain, explosives expert and decorated Vietnam veteran-turned police Detective, Hector Lonsdale, was killed by a car bomb outside his Denver home yesterday… One year from retirement, Detective Lonsdale leaves his wife, four children and six grandchildren behind in a crime that may be related to a case he was working on with the Denver ATF Department."

"This doesn't end…" Chris said as they all tried to keep their minds in focus.

"I guess this means there was some validity to his connections," Ezra said.

"And look at this!" Nathan stared at another page a moment before looking up and holding up another photo.

"Is that…? Holy shit!" JD said, looking to see if the others had come to the same conclusion.

"I do believe we have found `Mamma' Ginger Man," Josiah said with a wry smirk.

Chris took the picture of the woman with the too pale skin and the bright red hair and shook his head. "Mrs Patrice Newton, mother of only child Wade Daniel Newton." He stood up slowly. "Alright, see if you can get a current location on this prick."

"You alright, Chris?" Nathan asked as Chris moved to leave the room.

Chris held up a hand to ward off the concern. "Fine, just gonna go to my office for a bit."

As he reached his office he left the light off and let the light from the outer office cast a more bearable glow on the room. His head was pounding, but his worry for Vin was overriding his need to lie down. He sat at his desk a moment and put his head in his hands, thankful just to close his eyes for a moment. He did not realise he had drifted to sleep until a loud beep caused him to lift his head from where it rested in his arms on the desk.

It took a moment to realise it was his fax machine beeping that a call had been received. He got up slowly and moved around his desk to the wall unit, retrieving the paper that had come through. His heart froze at the image on the page, of low quality but recognisable all the same. He moved quickly to the door and saw four sets of eyes look up expectantly.

"He's got Vin." Suddenly he felt the ground tilt and before he could recover he felt Josiah guiding him back into his office and to his couch.

JD and Ezra entered with Nathan who went to check on Chris. JD took the sheet from his hands.

"Dear God…" Ezra said, peering over JD's shoulder and seeing the image of what was obviously Vin, with explosives strapped to his chest, head bowed and hair covering his face.

JD read out the text beneath the picture:

"Man walks over, man walks under, if this one blows, to their deaths they will plunder."

They were silent a moment before Ezra spoke softly. "A bridge."

JD looked at Ezra and then finished the text:

"I am bound to the South, so if you are able, you may stop the force, that will break my cables."

"The Signature bridges…" Josiah said, referring to the relatively new bridges that connected traffic in the city over the Platte river.

"They made such a fuss about the cable arches when they put them up…" JD said softly. "Wasn't that a bit easy?"

"He want's us to know," Chris said, sitting up. He pushed himself up as fast as he could. "Let's go." He turned to Josiah who had worked with the bomb squad at one time. "Alert the bomb squad, Josiah. Ezra we need a chopper ready, we'll cover the bridges quicker that way - and we need the whole area blocked off and evacuated."

"Jesus, that's a huge area." JD said as the other men moved to follow their orders.

Chris looked at him. "And that's a huge fucking bomb." And it was strapped to his best friends chest. "And someone call Buck," he said, moving to get his jacket, "Tell him he can stop looking and meet us."

11. Under The Bridge a chilli pepper remix

Vin's legs wanted nothing more than to cease supporting his weight. He was chained to the pillar, but still needed to support himself to avoid hanging by the chains. He was colder, if that was possible and felt another long shiver run through his stiff body. How long he had stood there now he had no idea. His mind was still fuzzy, no doubt a lingering effect of whatever had been in the dart that had brought him down.

He caught movement to his right and flicked a wary gaze in that direction. A middle aged man with dark skin, fairly large by the look of him, decked out in what looked to be an old army jacket and faded jeans… Just what he needed, some sort of Vietnam Vet come to blow him to hell…

"There's other ways of killing yourself where they wont be picking bits of your body up half way `cross town, son…" The voice was deep, soothing almost.

Vin sighed, "Yeah and after I chained myself to this pillar here, I couldn't work out how to light the friggin' match," he said sarcastically.

To his surprise the man chuckled. "I was just kidding, looks like you've got yourself in a nice pickle there."

Vin eyed the approaching man warily as he came further into the light. "Don't s'pose you have a phone on you?"

The man smiled and patted his top pocket. "Now as a matter of fact…"

Vin's eyes turned hopeful…

"…No."

"Sonofabitch," Vin muttered. He tipped his head back to the wall again, not caring if the man stabbed him to death and blew him up. He was beyond it all. He was standing under a concrete bridge, about to be blown to hell at any given second, talking with a vagrant.

"But if you've got some shrapnel on you, there's a phone just over the hill thataways."

Vin looked back at the man and saw him smiling at him as he approached, studying the set up around his vest and giving a low whistle.

"Son, you've got enough C4 here to take out the whole damn bridge, what country did you piss off?"

Vin gave a dry laugh, "Think he said he's from a place called Hell, or somewhere South of that area."

The man moved in closer still and studied the explosives and the mechanism put in place to set them off as Vin tried to avoid his hand.

"Hey there, I don't think you wanna be touchin' that."

The man ignored him. "Yep, tidy as…" he said thoughtfully as though he had expected as much. "He could trigger it at any second, from the other side of the planet if he wanted to."

Vin did not know what to make of the man. "Is that a fact..."

The man frowned a little and met Vin's eyes. "That's a certainty. In fact," he stepped back a little, "You probably aren't a good person to be hanging around right about now."

Vin frowned, "I'm usually a lot more approachable… Listen, can ya just call someone for me? If this thing goes off its not just me that's gonna get burnt here." He looked up at the bridge above him, still hearing the relentless traffic cross overhead.

The man smiled again. "Relax, I wasn't going to leave you here." Suddenly he bowed dramatically." Detective Hector Lonsdale, Explosives Expert and rescuer of homeless men strapped to bridges, at your service."

Vin's brow creased. "I ain't homeless…"

Hector moved forward again, "Ain't no shame in it son."

Vin frowned further at the man again inspecting the vest. "Yer a cop?"

Hector flashed him a smile, "I was many things... in another lifetime." He looked back down and continued working.

Vin took that as a 'no' and yet, there seemed something very cop-like about this man, military even. "So how about makin' that call fer me?" he tried again.

"Did two tours back in '63, got me a medal and all to show for it."

Vin considered that. "Then yer lookin' mighty good fer an' old feller." The man did not look much more than fifty.

Hector reached into one of the many pockets of his jacket, pulling out an army knife and taking out the pliers. "I've been living an uncomplicated life," he said, smiling to himself. "Does wonders for the skin."

Vin watched the man move to strip a wire on the device and pressed himself into the wall at his back. "Look, I really appreciate this an' all but really, I think the bomb squad might like a crack at this, give the boys a bit of a challenge, ya know? Maybe you can give them a call, fill `em in on what you've found here…?"

Before Vin could say anything else, Hector had a wire stripped and was studying it. "Oh, I think I can go one better than that," he said, his mind on the task at hand, his movements confident and sure. He saw the route to getting the jacket undone and that was his first concern. The bomb could go off at any moment and would take much longer to defuse than the trip mechanism set up to prevent the jacket being taken off. "Let's get you out of this life preserver."

Vin closed his eyes, ignoring the sweat that had begun to break out on his skin in the cool air. "I was kinda gettin' used ta the colour…"

Again Hector chuckled and flicked his glance at the young man. The kid had character, he admired that. "Maybe you can sell it when you get out of this, there's a few overseas markets I hear with a high demand for this sort of thing." He moved around behind the large pillar to look at the chain fastening the vest to the concrete.

It was Vin's turn to smile, "I'll send instructions to pull the red wire to inflate." He was grateful for the chit chat, not for a second did he forget that any moment could very well be his last. He heard a helicopter fly overhead slowly. 'Where are you guys?' he thought then. Was Chris still at the hospital? Had Buck finally arrived to pick him up? Again, he thought of Buck and cursed the tall agent under his breath. This was his doing… and if he got out of this, he was going to have his head on a plate.

..

Chris peered through the binoculars down to the area beneath the bridge, illuminated by the powerful searchlight that shone from beneath the helicopter. Police and emergency vehicles could be seen moving through the streets towards the area, their lights strangely beautiful, yet predatory in the night.

"Come on… Vin where the hell are you?" he said to himself. This was the third bridge they had looked under, the bomb squad waiting to move in as soon as they determined the location.

"Chris, there!" came a shout from JD beside him and he followed the pointing arm across to his left, spotting a dark figure beneath the bridge and focusing in.

"Get us closer!" he ordered the pilot through his headset and the helicopter moved closer in towards the ground.

Slowly the light moved in until they could clearly make out Vin's solitary form in the bright light. He did not look up.

"This is it, Vin's down there! Josiah you copy that? It's the southbound bridge, on the northern end, he's underneath the pylons," Chris relayed.

"Copy that, Captain, we're moving in," came Josiah's voice back in his headset from the second helicopter. He had ridden in with the bomb squad, allowing the rest of his team to travel in the one helicopter and to liaise between the two teams.

Chris remained focused on the still figure beneath them, Vin's hair not moving in the cold, but still night. He continued to watch for movement as the helicopter pulled up to land away from the overhead cables supporting the bridge's structure.

The bomb squad landed first and began unloading equipment as the ATF team touched down. Chris recognised George Steward, the squad's Captain and immediately approached him.

"Larabee," the tall man said, watching his team work quickly as he turned briefly to Chris and shook his hand.

"George."

"I know its one of your boys, Chris, but you have to let us handle this. Sanchez showed us the picture, it's not going to be easy, that thing could go at any second, you know that. I'm sending in two men with the robot, I need your team to stay back."

Chris only smiled. "No problem George," he said submissively as he walked off.

George watched the ATF Captain walk away with a scowl on his face. He knew Larabee well enough to know he wouldn't give in that easily, not where his men were concerned. They were a tight knit group, that was a part of what made them so damn good.

"Wait here boys," Chris whispered to his team, adjusting his head set as he walked by casually.

"Larabee!" Steward shouted and Chris turned back with an innocent expression. The older man cursed and shook his head. "Just don't touch the vest," he pleaded. As Chris walked off with a grin he yelled after him,

"It'll be rigged to go if you try and take it off! … You hear me Larabee?"

"I hear you!" Chris called back, picking up his pace. He wasn't going to touch it, but he was going to make sure Vin was all right down there.

..

Vin had heard the helicopter before the light had reached him and kept his head bowed as it moved off. They had seen him, they had hovered in close enough to make him out. He heard it landing a safe distance away.

"Well, looks like the cavalry is here after all," Hector said as he continued working on the vest.

"How we doin' here?" Vin asked, trying to crane his neck to see behind the pillar, a futile mission.

"Just a… oops…"

"Oops?" Vin repeated, trying to see what the problem might be. "Oops?" he said again, his voice rising in growing panic.

"Nothing, nothing," Hector assured him, unbuckling the side of the black vest.

Vin continued to sweat, not liking the casual air of the man `helping' him. He was still cursing in sync to the deep chuckle behind him when he heard approaching footsteps and heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Vin! You all right?"

"Never better," Vin said with a wry expression.

Chris was relieved to see that Vin looked ok as he ran up to him, his side screaming at him from the jarring movement but his determination to reach his friend overriding his pain. "He's ok, boys, looks a little blue and his teeth are rattling, but he's all right," he told his team.

"You tell him we're waiting for him, Chris," Nathan said, smiling as Josiah slapped him on the back.

"Roger that," Chris said, grinning as he took in Vin's appearance in relief. "Jesus Cowboy, you're enough to give a man grey hair."

"Ah… I wouldn't worry `bout that, you'll prob'ly lose it all first `fore that happens." Vin realised his teeth really were chattering as he tried to get the words out coherently.

Chris grinned, sharing a look with Vin a moment that communicated their relief, fear and joy at seeing each other - alive, before he looked to the vest strapped around him. His fear was still causing his adrenaline to pump, but at least Vin was ok, for now…

"Bomb squad's right behind me, they'll get you out of this get-up," he assured him. "The boys want you to know they're waiting up there for you to get your sorry butt out of here."

Vin grinned. "Hell, they jist want me ta buy the first beer."

Chris grinned, "Yeah, that too."

Vin looked at him with a serious expression, noticing the way he stood, favouring his broken rib and fully aware of the blow he'd taken to his head earlier. "Get the hell out of here, Larabee," he told him as a long shiver ran down the entire length of him. "Let the squad handle this."

Chris merely grinned, "That ain't gonna happen."

Vin's eyes became angry and he leant forward the inch he could move in the chains that bound him. "I mean it Chris, this thing could go off any second. I don't want you chasin' me to hell, you get your own ride there."

Chris looked intently into Vin's worried face. "Prefer to catch a lift with you, if that's where your going..."

Vin cursed and tilted his head back as a rattle of metal alerted Chris that they were not alone and a large link of chain fell to the ground at his feet, still hooked through part of Vin's vest at the front, but freed from the wall. He jumped back in surprise and his hand went to his gun. "Put your hands up and come out where I can see you."

Hector peered around the pillar and smiled at the shocked ATF Captain. "You here about the bomb?"

Vin grinned and looked at Chris. "Chris, meet Hector, Hector, this is Chris, my Captain. Hector's been helpin' me outta this thing."

Chris looked from the dark man to Vin, wondering if maybe his friend had received his own blow to the head. How could he be so casual about a man in an army jacket fiddling with explosives strapped to his chest?

From Vin's point of view, he'd had nothing to lose… and he'd never be able to explain it exactly, but the man's help had felt, right. In a completely bizarre sort of way...

Hector began to unbuckle the vest as he winked at the speechless Chris.

"Hector?" Chris asked, still holding his gun aimed and quickly overcoming the shock that there had been a man behind Vin, concealed by the pillar.

Vin nodded and Chris looked to the large man who smiled back at him. "That's me, Detective Lonsdale by trade."

Chris felt his mouth open involuntarily in shock. "Lonsdale? Hector Lonsdale?" he said in complete disbelief.

"At your service, Captain Larabee."

"You two know each other?" Vin asked, confused.

Chris looked from Vin back to Hector, completely at a loss. "Only by his death notice."

Hector came around to face them and pointed to Vin's chest, not bothering to explain himself. "That thing's gonna go. I've defused the vest's trigger to save the bomb squad some time. You can bet Newton will be watching from somewhere, you'd better get this thing out of here." He looked at Chris and then at Vin in turn. "Then you go kill that motherfucker."

He moved back around behind Vin, Chris staring after him, not at all sure what to make of him, but somehow trusting him instinctively. It couldn't be the man from the picture earlier, he was too young.

"This is insane. You can't be him, you're too young. Not to mention you're supposed to be dead," he said into the shadow and received no answer. He looked again at the explosives on the vest and then to Vin's face, noticing the sheen of sweat on the younger man's skin despite the cold night air. "You ok, Vin?" he asked, noticing that his shivering was increasing.

"Just freezin' is all." They heard the bomb team moving in. "Bastard put a dart in my chest, knocked me out cold, woke up here."

Chris scowled. "Yeah Buck found the car, but you were gone."

"Alright, move back let's see what we've got!"

Chris moved back to allow them access. "Detective…" he paused, "Ah… Detective Lonsdale has already defused the trigger on the vest itself, he says it can come off."

The detectives looked at Chris strangely.

"Detective who?" One of the men said.

Chris pointed to the shadow behind the pillar and then dropped his hand. He really had no idea what he had seen.

The detectives frowned at each other and one moved behind Vin to take a look. He poked his head back out. "Ain't no one here, Captain…" he peered at Chris, noticed his dark eyes, his unsteady stance. "You alright Sir?"

Chris frowned at Vin before moving to look for himself. The detective was right, there was no-one there. He spun and looked around the dark area, seeing nothing. "Vin?"

"Yeah?"

Chris walked back to face Vin as the detectives got to work examining the device. "He was here, right?"

Vin nodded. "Mmm hmm."

A thought struck Chris then and he peered at Vin. "You did hit your head, didn't you…" he accused, looking for a logical explanation.

Vin shook his head sincerely. "Nope. Sorry Pard, that was your trick today."

Chris opened his mouth to protest further, confused as he pointed at the vacated shadow and one of the detectives brushed by him. "Nathan? Boys? You heard Lonsdale through the headset right?"

Back up the top, the four ATF agents looked at each other.

"Well… we heard someone… and we heard you call him Lonsdale Chris," Josiah answered.

Chris did not know how to explain the man's presence with them a moment ago before he had disappeared into thin air.

"Well you were right, the vest has definitely been deactivated. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

"OK, Agent Tanner, we're going to take it off real nice and slow now." The other detective said and pulled his microphone closer to his mouth. "Move the robot in, the device is free to move."

"That was quick, Bransby," the squad Captain said.

"The vest was already deactivated, Captain."

"Who, Larabee?"

The detective looked at Chris as the robot began to make its way toward them down the sloping footpath, directed in by remote control via the three camera's attached to its hull. "Apparently not Sir, he claims it was Detective Lonsdale."

George frowned. "Lonsdale?" Lonsdale had been an expert in the field. Had being the important word. "He's dead for Christ sakes!"

"That's what I told him," Chris said flatly.

"Lonsdale…" Josiah repeated, "How is that possible?"

The four ATF agents looked at each other, bewildered. They had heard Chris's voice talking, but had not made out the other voice clearly.

A squad car approached the police barricade as Steward received further information from his men. Buck jumped out, flashing his badge and talking his way into the restricted area and heading straight toward his team.

"Captain," he nodded to Steward and then his friends, "Boys, miss me?" he asked them.

"You were absent?" Ezra asked innocently, not turning to face him.

Buck scowled at the southerner's back. "What's the latest?" he asked.

Steward answered him. "They have the vest off and will be placing the explosives in the robot shortly… Your Captain seems to think it was a Detective Lonsdale that removed the trigger on the vest."

"Who's Lonsdale?" Buck asked, not having been present at the meeting earlier.

"A prior victim of our Ginger Man," Nathan told him, "A dead victim."

Chris shook his head as he watched the vest be removed slowly and placed inside the robot's shell.

"Ok, device is secure."

"Let's get you out of this now…" They began to work on the final chain's securing Vin to the pillar. Vin was shivering so hard he couldn't do much more than try to keep from hindering them. He looked at Chris and could see the strain around his face. "Go back up, Chris, ya look like yer about ta fall down, I'll be up in a sec."

Chris smiled. "I'll go back up when you're off that wall."

"Is Buck up there?"

"I don't know. Is Buck with you boys yet?" Chris asked his team.

Ezra looked at Buck. "Yes, Agent Wilmington has decided to grace us with his presence."

"He's there," Chris told Vin, "He was searching the interchange by the cars all night for you."

Vin smirked. "Good, he'll be nice an' grumpy then. Tell him I sold all the CD's in his car ta get money fer oil."

They heard a loud beep and the four men froze.

"What the hell was that?" Vin whispered, looking at Chris for an explanation.

The two detectives looked up towards the roof above them.

"Jesus Christ, Captain, we have a second device!" One of the men shouted.

Chris and Vin immediately looked up and saw the red light flashing above them.

"Get him free!" One detective shouted and climbed up toward the red light.

Chris moved in to help with the chains as the other detective investigated. There was one last lock to go.

"It's on timer!" Came the voice from above. "Fuck! Go go go! Get the fuck out of here! 60 SECONDS!" The man shouted even as he leapt to the ground and ran to help them.

"Get the hell out of there!" Steward called and turned to the detective with the remote control unit, "Get the robot out of there – now!"

"Damn… its not going," the detective muttered, trying to pry the lock with his pick for the third time.

"Don't panic," Chris said firmly, "It'll go." He kept his voice calm, even though inside he was about to explode himself as he tried to reassure Vin with his eyes.

"Go," Vin said, meaning it, his eyes steady.

Chris smirked. "Never."

Seconds ticked by as they saw the robot heading away up the path.

"Yes! I've got it," the detective said, finally releasing the lock and pulling the chain down.

They pulled Vin free, his legs weak from too long standing immobile in the cold and began to sprint away from the bridge, dragging him with them. He stumbled and Chris grabbed him around the waist, practically dragging him back up the footpath. The only sound heard was the pounding of feet and the laboured breathing that punctuated the still night air, even the insects seemed to have taken cover.

The detectives got slightly ahead as one shouted "DIVE!" at the last possible second and they all leapt across the line of shrubs running the length of the footpath. They hit the earth with sickening thuds a fraction of a second before the ground shook violently, seemingly from its very core.

The terrible blast spread its violent fury out through every space under the concrete structure, forcing apart everything that dared defy its rightful journey. The foundations shook and the force of the explosion rocketed through the man made creation, sending massive cables snapping free and flying with tremendous speed through the air, rocketing metal shrapnel like deadly missiles great distances in every direction. The massive ball of flame billowed up into the dark sky, carrying up the pieces of the proudly built framework and spitting them back to the earth in disdain, a shower of thick dust already starting to descend from the powdered concrete at the core of the blast. Massive support beams crumpled as shock waves sailed through the structure and the entire formation began its devastating collapse to the earth.

"Sweet Jesus…" Steward said, getting up from the ground where they had all dived for cover. They had received the tail of the blast even at the distance they had waited, so great was its power, yet were unharmed despite the flaming debris now sailing through the air.

"Bransby… Reagan, do you copy?"

No answer.

The five remaining members of Team Seven stood as one and began to run through the billowing dust and falling debris, shirts held up over their faces to avoid breathing in the thick dust and smoke as they shouted their friends' names.

"It's not safe – damn you ATF cowboys!" George yelled, seeing them run and knowing it was useless to protest. They would not wait for the emergency crews when they were there ahead of them.

12. Beats Pencil Pushin'

Newton sat back at the table and replayed the explosion one more time, his laughter bubbling up yet again. The second bomb had been a wonderful idea and he beamed with pride yet again at his creative thinking. He rewound again to the moment that the agents faces looked up to discover the red light looming above them and slapped a hand on the table. Marvellous. That was the only word he could find to describe the result. Simply marvellous. He thought about grabbing a bottle of wine to celebrate, but found himself rewinding to the man helping Tanner with the vest. He could not make him out, he did not have a clear enough view of his face. If he'd managed to get the vest off before Larabee got there, he would have had to blow the bridge early.

He followed with glistening eyes until the screen flickered and changed to static, then switched to an overhead feed from a neighbouring building, panning down on the emergency crews already storming the rubble he had so beautiful created.

"Good luck!" he laughed, finally pushing back and going to find the wine before he sat down to watch the scene yet again.

..

The night crept into the morning hours and still the emergency crews worked to find the four men known to be trapped in the blast. Tempers were fraying amongst the two teams first on the scene, for it was their men missing. They used bare hands and sheer determination to plough through wreckage and debris, their clothes, skin and hair completely covered in the smoke and dust that had rained down in the aftermath.

Floodlights lit the area and news helicopters were ordered away, although it did not stop the myriad of vans that lined the streets like vultures hovering for the first kill, the carefully made up reporters vying for some insight into what would no doubt be the biggest story to hit the city for a long, long time to come.

Some were careful not to get dirt on their perfect suits and immaculate hairdo's, although others, perhaps the more ingenious of the breed, decided it would make a nice touch to their "ground zero" coverage to get a little dirty, make the viewer feel like they were right there at the scene. After all, that's what the viewers needed now to alleviate their fear, to experience the aftermath as realistically as they could, from an endless supply of angles, for days on end. They knew what the public needed to see alright.

Two hours after the explosion, there was little distinction between the dust-covered earth and the five standing members of Team Seven. Each had become a silent, determined force as they had plundered through rock and metal, not daring to give up hope.

Nathan was on both knees, sifting through a pile when he looked over at Josiah and saw the preacher sanding stock still, looking out towards the flashing lights that now barricaded the area from the public. He got to his own feet and approached him.

"What is it, Josiah?"

Josiah blinked at the interruption to his thoughts and flicked the shorter man a glance. He shook his head slightly, looking back out at the hovering helicopters that were unable to cross into the blast zone. He knew that their high-powered lenses could read the label on his shirt, even from that distance.

"They can't have them," he said in a low voice.

Nathan frowned. "Who can't have who?"

Josiah jutted his chin at the helicopters. "Those circling buzzards, waiting for their story. They can't have their deaths."

Nathan frowned a little but said nothing.

"And God can't have them either," he said, looking down at Nathan. "What chance do they have, Nathan?" he waved a hand at the littered ground. "In this?"

Nathan lowered his head. Deep down, they all knew that the chances were slim. Josiah wanted to vent some frustration, he could see that - and was prepared to let him.

"Not much do they…" Josiah's voice rose to the sky, "And you can't have them!" he shouted.

Buck and JD looked at each other a moment where they worked close by and got up to see to Josiah as heads turned from all directions to see what the Agent was shouting about.

"You ok, Josiah?" Buck said in low voice, moving closer.

Josiah looked at him and smiled. "Why wouldn't I be? We've just lost two of our men tonight to a God who offers no comfort nor reason."

Buck frowned and stepped forward threateningly. "Hey, Preacher, you can think that if you want and stand there pondering the why's," he thrust an arm out to indicate the carnage, "but I'm gonna keep looking – cos they're in here somewhere – and they ain't dead!"

"Easy Buck," Nathan said and Buck turned on him.

"You think so too don't you! You agree with him!" he pointed to Josiah who now remained silent. Buck's voice dropped to a growl, "Well you can both go to hell." He turned his back on them and attacked the ground with renewed vengeance as JD watched silently, feeling torn apart by what was happening. He looked over to see where Ezra was and saw him studying the ground a short distance away, either not hearing them, or not wanting to get caught in the exchange.

Half an hour later there was an excited shout from a fireman a short distance away, further from the former bridge than they had been looking. Help converged around him to see what he had found.

Buck staggered towards them, JD behind him and Josiah and Nathan moving silently beside them. They saw the arm the man had found, surrounded by rock and debris, the rest of the body buried in the ground.

Buck looked down, his voice breaking. "Please God, no…"

As they continued to pull the man free, a paramedic felt the uncovered wrist and shook his head. Whichever man he was, he was dead.

JD looked at Buck who threw an arm over his shoulder without looking his way. He knew the kid would be a mess inside dealing with this and truth be known, he needed the support himself. Ezra was still haunched on his knees, looking over a section of ground as the men continued to pull the man free. He heard the shout of a grief-stricken man when the identity was revealed.

"Oh Jesus no, Mike!" A young detective ran towards the dust covered man now pulled clear from the ground and sank to his knees, overwhelmed by the death of his team-mate and friend.

Buck met Josiah's eyes and both looked away, not wanting to see the relief in the other's eyes. It was a devastating situation. One which they had all hoped, could end with no loss of life, but they could not help the feeling of reprieve that came with the news that the dead man was not their friend as they turned away and continued to pray while they searched. The dead detective gave them hope, but at the same time, showed them how little there really was, but they clung to that slim thread with everything they had - and collectively, that was a lot.

"Here, I think its Bransby," a squad detective said and began to uncover the back of a man's vest, right beside the spot the first detective had been uncovered.

"And the robot," came another voice.

"Jesus Christ, don't touch it!" Steward yelled, hearing the discovery and moving over to handle its removal. The thing was loaded, designed to handle blasts in its core, but full of explosives none the less. And it had already been blown up once.

Ezra had only moved a few feet in an hour as he continued his close search of the ground. The two detectives had been together… Vin had to have been weak after being immobile for so long… He moved closer to the men pulling the second body free, ignoring the site behind him of the shattered ruin of the former bridge, looking for all the world like a war zone. He kept his eyes on the ground, moving rubble with his ruined Armani shoes.

"Damn it, he's dead too!"

"Fuck!"

Ezra blocked out the grief around him that was manifesting itself as anger from the team-mates of the dead men that were already beginning to deal with their loss. There was hope yet - he still believed that. He had to believe that. He could not lose them, not like this… There was always a way out in Ezra's mind, always a back door to escape through. His toe moved another rock and he saw a glint of metal…

Buck turned from the sight of the second body being lifted from the ground and saw Ezra bend sharply to the ground. Following his gaze he snatched JD's arm and pulled him with him. Josiah nudged Nathan and they too, moved to see what Ezra had found.

Ezra crouched down once more, daring to hope even as he reached out to touch the shiny metal he had caught in the overhead lights.

"Is that a ring?" JD asked as they stopped beside him.

Buck watched Ezra uncover the dusty hand and moved quickly to help him, "It's Chris's ring!" he said excitedly and they all surged to life with renewed energy.

Together they pulled the hand free and Nathan reached in to feel the slack wrist as JD and Josiah stepped in to help uncover him. They all waited for Nathan's prognosis with hearts and breathing all but stopped.

After countless seconds, Nathan gave a ghost of a smile, amazed that Chris could be alive under all of this. With consideration for the other team, he kept his voice lowered, "He's alive. Sweet Lord he's alive." The pulse was faint, but it was there.

They shared a joyous moment, containing their relief through a respect for the grieving team beside them. Josiah moved quickly to continue searching the ground, Vin would not be far from Chris's side, as Nathan signalled for help and the waiting medics swarmed in, immediately applying a cervical collar around Chris's neck as another began to assess his vital signs.

"There's a pocket here, under this concrete slab, it must have covered him, but his arm is about the only thing reaching the surface, we'll have to move it away," Buck said. "Need some help here!" he shouted out to the rescue teams.

"Buck," Ezra said suddenly, putting a hand to the kneeling man's shoulder, "Move back."

Buck looked up at Ezra and then down at the ground where the concrete slab continued to run beneath the top layer of rubble. Vin… he had to be close if Chris was right there. Cautiously he stepped back and waited as the rescue team moved in to remove the large, heavy slab. As it lifted slowly under the group effort of straining muscles, JD pointed to the newly exposed ground.

"There he is!"

They all looked down to see most of Vin's upper body free, having been hidden in the space the concrete had made. His head was tilted back and covered in dust, his hair all but blending into the ashen ground. Another waiting team of paramedics moved in and knelt by his side in the dirt.

"Pulse is thready - he's breathing!" came the much prayed for words and every person on the site felt uplifted that another man had been found alive after so long searching.

Ezra closed his eyes a moment and tilted his face to the overhead lights. 'Thank you.' He lowered his head and smiled at Nathan when he felt his hand on his back.

A medic listened to Vin's chest to assess his breathing while another took his vital signs as the other team had done for Chris. "BP's 82 over 50. Heart rate is 120."

"He's pinned," the other medic said as they all eyed the beam that ran across his stomach. "We'll try to stabilise him but we need to get him out of here stat."

Buck watched them place a cervical collar around Vin's neck and reach for an IV set up as he continued to help clear the rubble so that they could move the large support beam that was holding Vin and Chris trapped to the ground. It had fallen right across them, pinning them, yet without it, there is little chance that they would have survived. The concrete that had rested on top of it at an angle had given them the precious space they had needed to avoid being suffocated by the fallout.

"We need to move – now!" A paramedic working on Chris said, trying to get to the blood coming beneath the heavy metal that lay across his chest. "He's bleeding under here." He tried to assess what damage existed beneath the weight of the metal beam as firemen moved in to help the ATF team get them free.

The other medic continued to tend to whatever exposed injuries they could get to on the trapped Captain, setting up an IV and running it wide open. "Check his blood pressure again."

JD stood looking at the scene playing out before him, overwhelmed by the emotions racing through him that vied for supremacy. The sounds surrounding him merged into a low murmuring as he was suddenly overwhelmed by his emotions. Relief, fear, anger, helplessness… This was his family, his life… and two of them were bleeding into the ash and dust right at his very feet. He stared silently at the still burning bridge just a short distance away, the fire fighters working hard to bring it to heel. Somewhere inside, he wanted to shout, to release all of the emotions building inside of him. When they had found Chris alive, he had wanted to grab Buck and whoop with joy in relief, for the miracle of it all. Yet as he eyed the quiet team removing the bodies of their lost friends just feet away, he knew that would not happen, out of deserved respect for their grief and their loss. He felt a comforting weight across his shoulders and looked up at Josiah who smiled at him warmly.

"We have witnessed a miracle this day, Brother," Josiah said to him, his low voice soothing and familiar as he quietly shared his joy with him at having found Vin and Chris alive after so long searching.

Somehow just that comfortable, familiar arm of support and the voice that accompanied it, brought calm to JD's soul and he found the smile that he had been looking for, that he had been too afraid to give in the fear that it would be premature. With that relief, noise returned in a rush to the frantic scene surrounding him.

"One – two – three!"

Again muscles strained as the heavy beam was lifted and pulled away from the battered bodies beneath its path. A low moan escaped Vin as he fought to rise from his unconscious state. Sterile dressings were torn out of packets in a frenzy to control the wounds exposed on the two men, bleeding anew with the absence of the terrible pressure that had sat over them for so long. Despite the urgency to get the injured to hospital, the medics ensured that spinal precautions were taken as they carefully manoeuvred them onto backboards.

"Strange that they ended up on their backs, is it not?" Ezra said, wincing as he heard another noise of pain from Vin but was unable to get close to him just then to reassure him.

JD glanced at Ezra who had stood back to join them, giving the men room to work.

"The blast would have thrown them forward after they dived, they probably hit the ground and rolled," Josiah thought out loud.

"That beam was both a blessing and a curse," Nathan said, joining them and dusting himself off in vain. "It stopped them being killed, if it doesn't kill them first."

"How did they look, Nate?" Buck asked, having moved aside also to give the paramedics more room when the beam had been removed. He stepped closer to hear the medic's answer.

Nathan shook his head slightly. "They've made it this far…" he hedged. "That beam pinned them pretty good, caught Chris across the chest, he's got more broken ribs most like, and there could be internal bleeding. Vin was cut pretty deep across his stomach…"

"I've lost his pulse!"

Chris floated in an orange sea of fire, yet was not warm in its glow. He was… weightless, he felt… nothing. He simply sailed through space like dust caught in the sunlight, just drifting, hanging in time. A spot appeared before him and he drifted toward it gently, slowly as it grew into a shape. A beautiful face, smiling for him; a hand reaching out to touch his cheek, her skin so warm on his own. Dear Lord… *Sarah*.

Vin became aware of the pain long before he opened his eyes. He knew instinctively, that moving anything would be a big mistake. His low moan of pain had alerted the medics to his awareness before his eyes had fluttered open, revealing their startling blue depths that stood vivid against the mass of pale dust that seemed to coat everything in sight, both living and not.

Ezra moved forward, regardless of the medical team and sat by the Texan's side, taking a filthy hand and giving a reassuring squeeze as Vin's eyes found his. At that moment, Vin felt the pressure being applied to his stomach and closed his eyes quickly on a growl of pure torture, feeling a mask slip over his face as his breathing became harsh.

"He's gone," he heard a voice say.

"No!" Buck yelled pushing forward, "you keep going damn it! He won't give in this way! Not after we found him alive!"

Her smile grew before she removed her hand and turned away and he felt panic and loss flood his heart. *No… please!* But she turned back and this time her hand held another's as she led the small child forward before him. *Oh God, Adam… son…* His child smiled at him. Neither of them spoke but Chris felt their message, their love. They spoke of forgiveness, of happiness, of patience… *I – miss - you,* he said, his voice barely able to work through his desperately tight throat and once more she came close to him. Her face moved in, an ethereal sweetness that was somehow not blinding, but overwhelmingly comforting. He was home… He simply stood transfixed as she filled his vision, her face touching his own, a -part- of his own, before she moved back and smiled once more and turned, her son following her. He felt content, almost. Still sad, but no longer filled with the terrible grief. This time he let her go. She had left with happiness in her heart, with promises of an eternity to be shared, when the time was again theirs to share it.

Buck almost fell to his knees as they continued to work on Chris, desperately trying to breathe life back into him and stimulate his heart to beat again. "Don't you dare die on me… don't you fucking die on me…" he said in a broken voice, his hands clenched tight. Finally he could take it no more and lunged forward to kneel beside him, touching his hand. "You get back here, damn you! It ain't your time!"

Vin heard Buck's plea and once more opened his eyes, reaching up a hand and trying in vain to move his head to see Chris. He lifted a hand to his throat, wanting out of the collar restricting his neck.

"Easy, Vin…" Ezra said, placing a hand on Vin's shoulder.

"You have to leave that on, Sir…" A hand held Vin's own still.

Vin almost snarled as the paramedic stopped him moving his head and reached out his free hand to Buck's leg blindly. Buck turned, surprised to see Vin looking up at him and looked from one man to the other before speaking harshly to Chris.

"What about Vin, huh buddy? You care what happens to him? You just gonna up and leave him like this you selfish son of a bitch?"

"Buck," Nathan moved forward to pull Buck back but the grief-stricken man refused to budge. He studied the lifeless face, covered in dust and shook his head, turning back to Vin with tears in his eyes.

Vin saw the desolation in Buck's face and closed his own eyes to the sight. He couldn't reach Chris but he could tell him what he thought. "Wake the fuck up Larabee..." he said in a rough, barely-there voice filled with pain. "This ain't no time to be quitin' on me."

Buck turned back to Chris just in time to see a drop of moisture make its way out and cut a trail through the pale dust a second before the paramedics felt his chest rise and stopped their life saving actions.

"I'll be damned," one of them whispered quietly, a little in awe.

Buck looked back to Vin's still closed eyes, seeing his relaxed fingers had relaxed and knowing that he'd passed out on a wave of pain. Buck moved forward on his knees and touched the top of the filthy long hair, unable to speak. 'Nice work, Junior. Now you hang in there too.'

13. Mothers Good Advice

There was silence in the wake of the men being transported to the waiting ambulances. The paramedics moved quickly and professionally to speed up the transport, but the five agents following them were quiet, reflective. It had been a long night and they need only look at the faces of Steward and his men, to know that it had been a tragic one. All too easily, it could have been them, mourning the loss of their brothers.

They formed a united force around Chris and Vin as they were carried through the rubble and placed in the backs of the two waiting vehicles. Prying lenses were not far away and they knew that this would be the shot they were after to headline the papers in the next editions. They wanted to protect them from that, the two men that both would do everything possible to avoid being exploited in such a way publicly, that would do everything they could to protect any one of them if the situation called for it.

Ezra considered the body bags that were being moved in solemn silence close by and looked again at the ambulances, ready to leave. This was not over, that much was a certainty, not whilst Chris was still alive. He stopped Buck with a light hand to his sleeve as the taller man moved towards the waiting squad cars and the rest of the team stopped with them, all looking a little lost as their adrenaline ran down. They were all dirty and tired, looking like they had just rolled through the ashes of a cold camp fire.

"It has occurred to me, that this game has not yet ended," he told them all.

JD looked at Ezra curiously. "You mean he's going to go after them again?"

"Indeed, until he has achieved his goal, he will not stop."

Buck looked at the vehicles as they turned on their sirens and pulled away. "Then we need to get after them –"

"Or we need to kill them before he can."

Buck scowled at the blunt words and then felt Nathan's hand on his chest.

"He's right," he gave Ezra an admonishing look, "he might not have put it in the best possible way, but he has a point. He'll check the hospitals and be watching the news coverage, we need to get him the message that they are already dead."

Ezra looked at Buck, then all of them in turn. "…I believe the question we need to ask ourselves, is how do you catch a Gingerbread Man?"

The all looked at him strangely for a moment before JD spoke up. "You lure him to the alligators back!"

"Precisely." Ezra gave him a small smile.

"Then you turn and bite his head off," JD added, remembering the childhood tale.

Buck smiled briefly, now that he liked. His face was grave, however, as he spoke, turning to enter a police car for a ride to the hospital. "Let's just hope that we ain't reporting the truth anyway."

With that they all moved to the cars, praying that there was a good ending to their story.

..

Newton flicked the channel of his wide screen television yet again. He had already heard the report several times, but could not get enough of the coverage.

THE TRAGEDY CLAIMED THE LIVES OF FOUR MEN, TWO BOMB SQUAD DETECTIVES WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE, ANOTHER TWO ATF AGENTS WERE REMOVED FROM THE RUBBLE IN CRITICAL CONDITION, BUT WERE ANNOUNCED DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL.

He grinned and went to his computer, wanting to collect as many accounts of the incident as he could, to feed his own ego, which was beginning to consume his common sense. He was beginning to feel invincible, like he could do anything he wanted, that the limit was endless to his possibilities. He entered his system and began to pry into the government servers, looking for the official reports of the incident. He liked this feeling, this sense of accomplishment. Tonight, he had affected the entire city and the shock waves of his glory were reverberating across the entire country and beyond. It started with Larabee's death and rippled out from there. He needed to celebrate, he needed to stop and simply enjoy his moment… and he needed to think about his next project. Killing for money was great, but now he knew what he really wanted to do with his life.

..

It was quiet in the secluded waiting room, the five tired bodies slouched around the meagre furniture weary and sore. They remained in their ruined clothes, although the cuts and scrapes on their hands and legs from tearing through the rubble had been cleaned and attended to. A TV played quietly in the corner, showing the report that they had themselves manufactured with the help of the ATF's Director, Orin Travis. False reports had been entered into the government's registry, knowing that the bomber would try to access them… and they would be waiting. Waiting for him to climb up the alligator's back and if he did, they would be ready to tear his head off.

It was a long wait, with both men in surgery, fighting for their lives. There was little they could do but pray silently and nurture thoughts of their revenge. They had been informed that both of their friends had been in shock by the time they had reached the emergency room, both with temperatures alarmingly low. Blood had been warmed in advance to be given to them as quickly as possible to replace the high amounts they had lost from their abdominal and chest wounds.

JD had fallen asleep on a hard couch, leaning on Buck by the time a nurse came with new information.

"Oh fuck…" Buck said under his breath and Nathan raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"You!" she said with obvious dismay as her eyes found Buck, her deep red hair catching in the light.

Buck actually looked sheepish as he muttered, "Ma'am…"

She cleared her throat, blocking out the image of the man who had ruined her new shoes.

"How are they, ma'am?" Josiah asked, sitting stiffly at the small table with Nathan, Ezra having gone to call the office for an update. The large man had not moved from his seat since they had arrived. He sat still and patient, praying that the news would be good.

The image of their two friends, lying amongst the torn ground covered in rubble and ash, was still at the surface and was something none of them would ever forget. The waiting and searching, the tension as they had waited to see if they were alive and still they waited, could not give in to their hope, for it could be torn from them in an instant, with one negative shake of a nurses head or two uttered words, 'I'm sorry.'

They looked up at her now, the fear and worry obvious as they looked to her for good news. As she smiled softly to them, they felt the first glimmer of light enter the room.

"Mr Larabee seems to want to take up a permanent residency with us this week," she smiled at them, trying to relieve their serious expressions.

Buck grinned slightly. "With pretty nurses like you, ma'am, its no wonder."

JD groaned, only half awake but hearing the pathetic retort and wishing he hadn't.

The woman turned a wide smile on Buck that somehow sent a chill up his spine. "Is that so, Mr Wilmington… Perhaps you could show your appreciation for my beauty by paying the cleaning bill for my shoes?"

Buck grinned at her, "Hey, the offer for dinner's still there."

The woman's nails bit into her palms as she focused on the information she had come to impart.

"Mr Larabee fractured several ribs where the beam hit his chest, but is stable and recovering well."

"But he stopped breathing – his heart stopped," JD said, sitting up.

"His arrest at the site was attributed to a myocardial contusion - a bruised heart. We are monitoring him and keeping an eye on his blood work, but believe he will make a full recovery. We also performed another CT scan which did not reveal any complications to his prior head injury."

Buck closed his eyes and leant his head back. Chris was going to make it… He could not react, his emotions were still too unsettled. He opened his eyes and saw the nurse looking at him, yet there was no hostility this time as they shared a brief look.

"And Vin?" Nathan asked.

"Mr Tanner was caught across the stomach from the structural beam and the laceration was quite deep. He suffered internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen."

"Will he be ok?" JD asked, not hiding the fear in his voice for his friend.

The woman looked at him and smiled. "They had to remove his spleen. His right leg was also broken and it was a bad break. They're moving him now and I won't lie to you, his condition is still serious, but he's stable. The doctor's believe that he, too, will make a full recovery in time."

The men took this information in quietly. Vin had made it this far, he would get through. He was a fighter, that had to count for something.

The nurse looked at their solemn faces and smiled once more. They obviously needed a moment to accept her good news after all they had been through. She turned to leave and was suddenly stopped by two strong arms that spun her back around.

Buck had risen silently and approached her before she could move away. She did not have time to blink when he had grabbed her fiercely in a bear hug and twirled her once around before putting her back down, pulling back and giving her a resounding kiss straight on the lips before whooping with joy.

"Thank you darlin'!" he said with a grin at her completely shocked expression. "My boys are gonna be Oh-Kay!" His smile lit the room as he looked to his team-mates to see if the news had sunk in with them yet.

Nathan shook his head at the dirt that covered the woman's pristine uniform and they all grimaced as she looked down at her ruined attire, Buck completely oblivious for a thankful moment before he turned back to see what they were all grimacing about.

His blue eyes looked slowly down and he finally realised what he had done, watching as her flaming eyes rose up slowly and bore into his, her face white in her outrage.

"… Now darlin', that ain't as bad as it looks…"

Ezra walked through the doorway just as the nurse stormed out, elbowing past him in her hurried departure. He watched her retreat down the hallway, huffing in agitation before he raised a brow at Buck.

"Another lesson in charm gone awry, Mr Wilmington?"

"She overreacted," Buck grumbled, looking at the ground, trying to think how he was going to make it ok with the woman who God seemed fit to have hate him. A woman – hating him. It was just not on.

"They're gonna make it, Ez. The nurse said they'll both recover fully," JD told him.

Ezra paused at that, letting the good news replace the hollow void of fear that had ridden in his stomach all night. "Well, that is good news." He said softly, thankfully.

"…And Buck showed us how to send a woman crying from the room with just one move."

Buck turned and scowled at JD.

"It's all in the technique, I believe, Mr Dunne."

Buck whirled back to face Ezra and suddenly a massive grin spread over his face and the wary southerner took a step back, but not in time before Buck had him, too, in a lung-crushing bear hold and proceeded to lift the smaller man off the ground, bouncing him twice to the ground before dropping him back in a spluttering heap.

"How's that for technique Ez?"

Ezra began dusting himself off with earnest, despite the fact that he had been completely filthy before Buck had touched him. He was completely affronted by the invasion of his personal space. "You have the manners of a boar, Mr Wilmington."

"Any news, Ezra?"

Ezra stopped brushing and looked at Josiah. "Indeed, Mr Sanchez…" his expression was serious. He looked at the four men in the room. "Would you gentlemen care to join me on a little excursion this fine morning? I believe we have a cookie to bake."

..

The back streets of the city were quiet, the working day was still nothing more than a nightmare in the sleeping minds of the workers still at home in their warm beds when the teams of ATF and bomb squad detectives converged on a lone street.

Under Moriss's direction, they had planned their approach, he having been on the case the longest, now that Tucker was awaiting trial. Still dirty, but changed into protective clothing, Team Seven had joined Team four and a multitude of professional operatives to seal off the area and storm the premises own by Wade Newton, aka the Ginger Man. He had taken their bait and looked into the official reports they had placed on the system and they had followed his long trail home with a frenzied chase of computer wizardry.

As they moved up the narrow alley, they allowed the agents with their explosive detection canines to move ahead of them to the entrance of the building. Looking up, Buck saw the many agents already in position on the rooftop of the next building and for a moment, could picture Vin up there with them. They should have been here to take the sonofabitch down, both Vin and Chris.

Signalling to follow, the agents up ahead entered the double doored entry and stopped in a foyer with a single elevator and a stairwell. There was a woman exiting the building who stopped before them. She was attractive, although her attire was poor and she looked completely out of place in the cold morning air, surrounded my government agents.

"You're looking for Newton."

They were all surprised.

"Yes ma'am," Buck said.

She smiled a wide smile as her head turned slightly to the sound of his voice. "He's not up here," she whispered then and pointed to the floor, "He's down there."

"How do we get down there, ma'am?" Nathan asked her.

"Outside, a side entrance, he enters like a mouse under the building… infecting its foundations…" her face looked distant a moment… "like a mouse scurrying through the feet of the damned…"

Nathan shook his head and saw that he was not the only one affected by the strange presence of the woman. The rest of his team and the other agents all cut a quick path for her as she moved through them to leave.

"Outside it is then," Buck finally said, breaking the weird moment and they left the building to enter the alley once more.

Again the dogs lead the way and they found a narrow set of steps with a metal doorway at the bottom. They waited patiently as the explosives detection team worked to determine any traps and finally saw them move in. The door had been unlocked…

The first thing the men noticed was the cold. The lavishly furnished room was set to a ridiculously low temperature. They moved forward cautiously, all tense and alert for the smallest of movements. When loud laughter began to play into the room, there was not a man or dog who did not jump in fright. A multitude of weapons swung towards a lone computer sitting at a bench and slowly, the vengeant force moved forward, remaining silent and communicating only with sharp gestures of their hands.

They saw the mass of tools and electronic equipment on the large table as they moved closer, all tools of a deadly, cowardly trade.

JD tapped Bucks sleeve and pointed to a half eaten packet of candies resting on top of a book. Buck used his gun to nudge aside the packet to reveal the title of the thick volume and shaking his head, drew Josiah's attention to it also. **Embrace Satan And You Shall Be Forever Strong**

Josiah shook his head also as the laughter surrounding them slowly died down and an image began to form on the screen, row by row horizontally. Several agents continued to explore the room as Team Seven watched the screen closely. A familiar ginger bread man began doing a little dance.

**Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man.**

"Dammit!" Buck said loudly. He knew! The bastard knew they were coming.

"He knew… " Nathan repeated Buck's thoughts.

Ezra's face was hard as he looked at the screen and the laughing picture.

As the first dog sat obediently on the floor and gave a single bark, all men in the apartment froze, wherever they were and turned to look. They all knew what that sound meant. In silence, two agents cut back a square of carpet and pulled it back, revealing a smooth and well-made door that entered the ground. Signalling each other, they opened it and after sharing a flashing look of panic, leapt to their feet causing all hell to break loose.

"Everyone out! It's gonna blow, everyone clear the hell out – NOW!" came the frantic shout as men began running for the doorway.

"Pull out, everyone pull out!" came the relayed shout and the ATF agents did not have to be told twice as they turned and sprinted for the exit.

JD led the charge for his team with Ezra beside him and Nathan, Josiah and Buck all right on their heels. They reached the end of the alleyway and kept running, putting as much distance as possible between them and the bomb before its blast tore through the lower level, knocking them all off their feet in an instant and scattering men in every direction. Before they had a chance to pick themselves up, a second blast rocketed through the concrete jungle and this time it took most of the six story building out with it.

They could only watch as the building shook and slowly disintegrated in a devastating heap to the ground, just like they had seen so many times on demolition footage, only this was no demolition, this building had not been prepared in advance to contain a blast. Concrete and debris flew in all directions, pieces finding them amongst the smoke that drifted over to them and there was little they could do bar try and protect themselves once again.

Buck suddenly jumped on top of Ezra and rolled with him along the ground.

"What are you? Unhand me! Get –"

"Shut up Ezra, your coats on fire," Buck told him, slapping him repeatedly to put out the last smouldering spark.

"Do you really consider that much force to be – nec - ess – ary?"

Buck finished and dragged Ezra back up, making sure the fire was out. He gave the disoriented southerners arm a final hard whack, "Didn't want to see you gettin' hurt now, Ez!" he grinned and turned back to the flaming building.

Ezra took a moment to compose himself. "Of course not…" he mumbled.

"Guess he saw the alligator coming," Nathan said as they all stood in the orange glow of the flames in the cold morning air.

Ezra continued to watch the building continue to come down before them, the sounds of sirens already approaching in the distance. "Mother did always say not to believe in fairy tales," he said in a flat voice, the flames of the burning building reflecting in his eyes.

..

ONE MONTH LATER…

"'Nuther round boys?" Nathan asked, leaving the table and heading for the bar. "I have to go, but the next buy was mine."

"Not for me!" Buck said, finishing his beer and slapping his hands on the table, he grinned at his six friends as he pushed up from his chair. "I got a nurse to see to."

Nathan looked at Buck in disbelief, "Surely not that woman that hates you."

Buck only smiled as he grabbed his jacket, looking smug. "It's a fine line Nathan, a fine line between love and hate… and with the right coaxing, a woman can be swayed in either direction."

They all looked at each other, shaking their heads as a slow drawl spoke quietly. "You have a dance fer me, Bucklin."

Buck's grin faded a little as he looked down at Vin's innocent expression. He might look injured and vulnerable at the moment, his cast leg propped up on a chair, his face still healing from scratches and bruises and one hand still resting protectively across his stomach, but Buck knew the Texan wanted payback and knew it was only a matter of time before he was well enough to try something. "What's that supposed to mean, Tanner?"

Vin shrugged his shoulders slightly and sipped his beer, licking his bottom lip as he looked up at the weary man. "Don't mean nothin', it's just an expression. Yer a might paranoid there."

Buck continued to study Vin's face for a moment, a feeling of great unease starting in his belly. He looked at

the rest of them. "Yeah… well… I will, Junior, I will… You all enjoy your beers now."

There were muttered goodbyes and with one last weary look at Vin, Buck left. A moment later Chris shook his head. "Cowboy, was nice knowin' you." He tipped his beer towards Vin in farewell.

Vin only grinned. "Hell, he had it comin'. Stranded me out on the road, almost got me blown all ta hell… He's expectin' it Chris, he'd be disappointed if I didn't retaliate."

Chris just shook his head as JD grinned. "She didn't really call him did she?"

"Heck yeah she called him."

JD looked confused and Vin's grin only grew.

Ezra looked at Vin with interest. "And where, pray tell, have you sent our poor comrade into the night?" He was impressed with Vin's skills of exacting punishment, as always. He often thought he did not want to be on the receiving end of the Texan's wrath.

"Oh… just a little bar 'cross town… Nice cosy place, he'll fit right in." He tipped the last sip of his beer to his lips with a mischievous grin.

"Well, I'm heading off too," Josiah said, getting up. "Any of you boys want a lift?"

"Yeah, thanks, Josiah, Buck's taken the car," JD said thankfully. Buck's priorities never faltered.

"How about you, Ezra? Another drink?"

Ezra smoothly stood and slipped into his coat. "No, thank you Mr Jackson. I need to return home and remove my fingernails with pliers in preparation for my mother's visit."

Nathan laughed. "Pain tolerance, Ezra?"

"You have no idea, Mr Jackson." He turned to his friends, "Gentlemen."

Again there were muttered goodbyes.

"How 'bout us, Nathan?" Chris asked the healer who was preparing to leave without extending the offer to either him or Vin.

Nathan gave him a sour look. "You've had your quota, you two should be home, not sitting here breathing in all this smoke and stale beer."

Vin sniffed the air, "It's got healin' properties, Nathan, don't ya know?"

"Mmmm, good for the soul," Chris agreed, to which Vin nodded.

Nathan picked up his keys and stood with Josiah and JD. He was going to comment again about them being out when they should be at home resting from the injuries that were still healing, but knew it was a futile goal. Instead he leant forward and spoke softly. "You just remember to watch your backs."

The five of them were quiet a moment, they had purposely not brought up the topic of the still at large criminal that had caused them all such grief as they had taken off work early to head to the bar to unwind. It had been a long month of hospital visits and recovering as the trail to the illusive Ginger Man had quickly grown cold. Chris and Vin had returned to the office and the tension had slowly risen as each day passed without a lead on the assassin. Not only had he disappeared, but Giorgi had again dropped out of sight. It had been a frustrating month as they had begun to deal with new cases that came their way and they had finally had to face the fact that neither case may ever be closed. The man could be anywhere and may never surface again. Still, there was the constant knowledge that he might, at any time and that was what could drive them crazy, if they let it.

Chris had finally decided enough was enough and had called them into his office. If they were going to have any chance at getting back to their normal lives, they had to move on. If they changed the way they lived, then the bastard would have won. If he ever returned, then so be it. They could still try and locate him, but that had been assigned to a new team. Most suspected he had left the country already. He ordered they take the afternoon off for some down time, where the topic could not under any circumstance, circulate to the Ginger Man.

He looked at Nathan solemnly a moment. "Always, Nathan." He nodded to JD and Josiah, "Goodnight boys."

"'Night Chris, Vin," JD said and Josiah too nodded as they all left.

As soon as they had gone, Chris got up and went to the bar, not having to ask if Vin wanted another beer. He returned and sighed as he sat down.

"You feelin' ok?" Vin asked him. He knew that Chris had been declared fit to return to work a few weeks ago, but was still worried about his friend's injuries. A bruised heart might be considered something not uncommon in accidents, particularly in cars, but it was not something that he would ever take lightly, not where Chris was concerned. He had stopped breathing, his heart had refused to beat… that scared the hell out of him.

"Fine… just thinking…"

They had each spent over a week in the hospital recovering. He remembered the first few days of confusion, trying to piece together what had happened, worrying whether Chris had made it out alive. He did not understand how they had made it, but no longer questioned it. They were alive, that's all he cared about. There were so many questions left unanswered it could drive them insane. On a long talk with Chris one night in the hospital, they had come to the conclusion that the only way to deal with it was to live in the now and not worry about what was out of their hands. They were still alive to take on the next challenge the world threw at them and that's all that mattered in the end, that they face it together. He remembered Chris smiling as he looked out the window of his room.

"I've been thinking a lot about that place you were talking about a few weeks back. That place in the mountains those ex-cops started for a little R and R." He looked back over his shoulder. "Was thinking some fishing might be a nice change of pace for a week."

Vin grinned. "Won't argue with that."

He looked at Chris now as they sipped their beers. "As long as yer thinkin' sunshine, clear water, beer and fish, I'm with you."

Chris looked at him and Vin knew that's not what his friend had been thinking. He sighed. "Thought we weren't allowed to think about it tonight?"

Chris shook his head slightly, "Can't stop," he said softly. He looked up. "I never really knew what I believed about life and death, about what happens, where we go… I never really had a set idea on that… But after this… I think there must be something."

"You thinkin' 'bout Hector?"

One of the biggest mysteries had been the mysterious appearance of Hector beneath the bridge. He had saved Vin's life that night in getting him free before the bomb squad had arrived, yet he was most definitely deceased. There was a giant question mark on their report that was still under review.

"And that woman they saw at Newton's apartment." To top it all off, the woman at the apartment building had been identified as Laura Wyan… the deceased woman who had set free a toy mouse in a courtroom and taken the lives of many, before she herself was killed in a car bomb on the way to the police station.

Vin studied his beer. "Saw a show once, 'bout these people that died but couldn't go into the next world til they'd tied off some loose ends… they were stuck in between."

Chris grinned then and looked at Vin. "Was that 'show' maybe the movie 'Ghost'?" He'd caught Vin watching it once and had long suspected the Texan had had a tear in his eye when he'd walked in.

Vin scowled. "No…" he grinned then and shrugged, "maybe… anyway, I was thinkin', maybe they had to see about Newton before they could pass on to the next life, ya know?"

Chris thought about that. "If you believe in that sort of thing…"

Vin smiled, "Which you don't."

Chris raised his bottle to his lips and grinned. "Exactly."

They were silent a moment before Vin spoke again. "Well, since ya brought it up," he said casually and then his eyes were serious. "This guy might be out there, one step ahead of us forever. If he keeps his nose clean, he might just walk away from this and never pay for his crimes."

Chris thought about that. "I'm betting he won't be able to stop himself. He loves what he does, thrives on it. It's who he is." He looked at Vin. "He'll show himself again… I'd put money on it."

Vin smiled, "Lucky Ez's ain't here, he'd have that money in his pocket already fer keepin'."

Chris smiled. "Don't I know it… besides, everyone faces their sin's sooner or later, there's no escaping that. That's something I do believe."

They finished their beers in companionable quiet before Chris looked at his watch. "Well, guess I can give you a lift home if I hurry."

Vin raised a brow at his best friend. "Hurry fer what?"

Chris grinned as he winked. "My date."

"You got a date? Who with?"

Chris's grin only grew, "Someone a hell of a lot prettier'n you son."

Vin concentrated, trying to work out who it was and finally grinned as they stood up to leave, Chris handing him his crutches.

"Ah… well then, you go pick up yer mail, Larabee, I got some place ta be, too."

Chris frowned as Vin put his crutches under his arms and settled his weight. "You knew?" He scowled.

Vin laughed. "Weren't hard to figure out. You ain't exactly been out hangin' in singles bars meeting women lately. She's about the only one you've met, Jesus and that was through work, that's pretty sad."

Chris smiled as he remembered how she had bowled him over in the park, the day it had all started. "Where are you going anyway? And how are you planning on getting there like that?" He eyed Vin's leg and crutches.

Vin grinned as they moved to the door. "Unlike Bucklin, I really do have a date with a red headed nurse…"

Chris's mouth dropped a little, the Texan still managed to shock him sometimes, actually a lot of the time.

"You didn't ask her out…" he looked at Vin and then laughed, "Jesus you did!" He kept laughing as they left.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift. Once Buck finds out I might not see your sorry hide again."

Vin kept smiling as he pictured Buck entering the bar… yep, revenge was definitely best served cold.

..

ACROSS TOWN

Buck sprayed a little more aftershave on and checked his teeth in the rear-view mirror before he got out of the car and pocketed his keys, whistling as he stepped with a bounce to the entrance of the bar. As he walked closer he thought it odd that the place seemed so quiet. It was a small place tucked into a dark street, towards the rougher end of town. He had not questioned her choice of location though truth be told he would have met the spitfire anywhere.

He got to the large wooden door and had to work hard to get it open. Immediately there were two bouncers inside.

"You have a ticket? There's a cover charge tonight."

Buck frowned. "What? I'm supposed to meet someone here tonight."

"I don't think so, buddy, not without a ticket."

Buck pulled out his wallet, already scowling. "How much?"

"Fifty dollars."

"American?" Buck exploded. "Who the hell is playing here, the President?"

"You can always go home," the bouncer advised him.

"Alright, alright! Jesus… here!" he parted with his money and the bouncer smiled.

"Thank you sir, right through there." He pointed through the next set of doors.

Buck muttered as he put his wallet in his back pocket and walked to the next doors, again pushing at them to enter, having to use force to get them open. "Who the hell built this place, Hercules?" he muttered again. He pushed through and stopped.

"What the fuck…?" He whispered.

Inside there was no bar, only rows of chairs all facing a speaker who stopped when he entered. What was worse, there were no women in site, only men.

"Ah, you are late, but please, grab your badge and take a seat, we are just going over the night's agenda."

"No, I thought…" Buck backed up a step but the door was behind him.

A man left his chair and walked over. "Hey, its ok, we're all a little embarrassed at first. Most of us get sent here by other people, or as part of our sentence, come take a seat, you'll feel at home in no time."

Buck felt himself being led further into the room and tugged his arm back. Still trying to make sense of what had happened. Had he gone to the wrong place? Did he even have her number to call her? And the what in hell had he stumbled into?

"No, I'm…. at the wrong place."

"Are you Buck?" A man asked at a registration table.

"Buck? No! Maybe… why?" Buck said, totally flustered.

The man held out a badge with a name on it, his name. He looked up. "Am I dreaming? How the hell did you know my name?"

The man looked down his list and looked up at Buck in sympathy. "Ohh, I see…" His voice turned soft as he tried to reassure the newcomer. "Your friend told us you might not like it, but that you would stay."

"My friend? She's here? Where?"

The man frowned, reading the name on the sheet. "No, your friend is a 'he'... Mr Tanner?"

Suddenly Buck's blood turned cold. He looked around the room, they were all staring at him. "What the hell is this place?"

A gentle hand touched his arm and he flinched away. He'd had enough. He grabbed one of the men by his collar. "What the hell is this place?"

The man gulped and looked at his friends. "It's the Society for MAS."

"MAS?" Buck asked frowning and giving the man a shake.

"MAS," the other man explained when Buck's victim could not find his voice. "Men Addicted to Sex."

Buck's eyes widened and he dropped the smaller man, ignoring his crash to the ground. He spun and looked around the room, took in the large 'MAS' banners, one that read 'You don't have to live with it any more!" and felt his face grow pale.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch…" He stormed towards the door and then stopped, turning to face the shocked men. "And you should all be ashamed of yourselves!" he shouted to them before leaving. He had him a Texan to hunt.

Fini