"No, I don't want a rent-a-cop," Shane said into the phone. "I need people with skills and experience. This isn't just your basic security job." Shane tossed aside the resumes he had received from the agency. Only three of the ten had any military experience and none were remotely qualified to serve as protection for Kim and the children.

"I understand," the man on the other end of the phone replied. "Unfortunately . . . well, if I may be honest with you-"

Shane was losing patience. "Yes," he barked. "Be honest. Tell me why there doesn't seem to be a single qualified security person within 100 miles of Salem."

"Nobody wants to work for a traitor."

Shane's immediate reaction was to lash out and begin yelling, but he forced himself to control his emotions. His jaw shook from the strain of maintaining his calm. "This is not for me; it's to protect a five-year-old child from a madman."

The other man said, "It doesn't matter, Mr. Donovan. Nobody with any credentials wants to risk their career by working for you. So it's the resumes you've received or nothing. Why don't you review them again and call me once you decide?"

As the phone clicked dead, Shane finally lost it. He threw the handset across the room. It struck the bookcase by the study door and broke apart.

How was he going to do this? The Victor Kirakises and Stefano DiMeras of the world seemed to be able to hire moderately skilled guards. Why can't I? Shane had to figure out the answer to that question soon. Two months was not a lot of time to develop security protocols, hire personnel, and make sure they were properly trained.

He was still shaking his head in frustration when Kim knocked on the door and came in. She took a glance at the pieces of the telephone and raised an eyebrow.

"I guess I shouldn't ask how the day is going," she said.

Figuring Kim did not need to worry about the security issues, Shane replied, "Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out."

"You're not fooling me, Shane," Kim said. "Look at you. You've barely slept in weeks. First, it was whatever was going on with the ISA and, now, you're wearing yourself out trying to plan everything for. . . ." She did not finish the sentence. "Whatever happens, we'll be okay. We've got Roman and Bo and, even though I'm still furious with him, I'm sure Steve will help out. You can't kill yourself trying to plan for everything."

A voice in the back of Shane's mind told him Kim was right. He was bone-weary from trying to find some information on Jericho or whoever had sent those objects to Kim and from trying to put together a security detail, but there was no way he could stop. "I just need to make sure you and the kids are safe."

"We'll be safe," Kim said.

If only it were that easy, Shane thought. If only he could just get a break on these threats to Andrew. "I can't just sit back and do nothing," he said. "I've got two months-"

"You don't know that." Kim's voice rose sharply. Then she took a deep breath and said, more calmly, "You don't know what's going to happen. I know what you said the other night, but nobody can predict the future."

Shane wished he could share her optimism, but it was pointless to try and dissuade her. He walked across the room and began picking up the remains of the telephone.

"Shane?"

He looked up at her and, for the first time, noticed how her face was showing the effects of the past several days. Kim obviously had not been sleeping that much either. Her normally bright eyes were red and the area just below them was puffy and dark. Tension seemed to draw her cheeks and jaw tight.

"I wish you didn't have to go through this," he said. "I'm sorry."

She sighed. "You don't know the half of it."

"What?" Shane stood up with the phone pieces in his hands. "Are you having trouble at the clinic because of me?"

"Not at the clinic," Kim said. She turned away from him. "Rachel Knight visited me today."

Shane knew he was not going to like this. "What did she say?"

"She's been going through the Salem Spectator archives. . . ." Kim wrapped her arms around herself, like she was warding off a chill. "She had the article Victor planted - the article about me and Leopold Bronski. She's going to write about it."

Shane slammed the pieces of the phone down on a shelf. "No!" How could she? He began to pace angrily around the room. "That's just not right. You shouldn't be dragged through the mud like this. It's just not right."

"It's okay," Kim said. "I got through it before. I just. . . ."

"You just what?" Shane stopped pacing and looked at her.

"I just hate that my past is going to hurt you."

"That's crazy," Shane said, confused. "It's you who I'm worried about."

Kim shook her head. "She said it would hurt your case. If people read that you used me with Bronski for the ISA, they'll believe you'd do anything."

"I don't give a damn about that," Shane said. It really did not matter. Not if what Tarrington had said about fixing the jury was true. "I just . . . I just wish you didn't have to suffer like this. Your past has nothing to do with this and if that woman had one ounce of decency, she'd let it go."

Shane remembered how the last article had hurt Kim. Victor had tried to use it to force Kim to give up custody of Andrew, but they had refused. The article had forced her to confess about her past as a prostitute to her family and to endure so many nasty comments from people in town. That was the last thing Kim needed to endure right now.

And it's all my fault that this is happening to her. He looked at her once more, again noting the tension and strain in her face. "Maybe you should leave," he said.

"Leave?" Kim looked baffled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean leave Salem. Take Andrew and Jeannie and get away from here - from me. If you weren't here. . . . I mean if you were just my ex-wife, maybe they would leave you alone."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Kim cried. "I'm not going anywhere. And Andrew's certainly not going anywhere."

"Then I'm going to stop her," Shane said. He would find a way. He started for the door, but Kim grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" She waited for him to turn to face her. "I need to warn you. She said she'd drop the article, but only if you told her about the Iraq mission."

And give her classified information, Shane added silently. Nothing more than basic extortion. He looked Kim in the eyes and saw the worry and pain in them. And what about Andrew? Would word get back to him if the article was published? With the current circus around his trial, Kim's past could be broadcast throughout the country. Shane could not let that happen; he would do whatever it took to protect her.

He forced himself to take a deep breath. "If that's what it takes, so be it."

Kim's eyes blazed. "Don't you dare!" she hissed. "You wouldn't do that to protect yourself, and I don't want you doing it for me - no matter how much you want to protect me."

"What about Andrew?" Shane asked. "What's it going to be like for him to find out? I mean-"

"To find out his mother was a whore?" Kim said evenly. "If he does, we'll deal with it when he's older. But don't you give them any more reason to go after you just because you think it's the noble thing to do."

"But Kim-"

"No!" She still had her hand on his arm and she squeezed it gently, as she lowered her voice. "This is about me and I'm telling you I can handle it." She smiled softly. "I know you, Shane, and telling some reporter the story would go against everything you believe in. It would prove all those lies they're saying about you. So don't do it."

She said that with such certainty that he could not deny her request. "If that's what you want. . . . I just feel like you'd be better off without me. If-"

"I already told you that was nonsense," she said softly. "I need to be with you. I could never be better off without you."

As she finished, he could plainly see the love and the desire in her eyes. Shane felt his pulse quicken, but he also felt a chill run down his spine. He reminded himself that he was supposed to be keeping his distance, so he pulled his arm free and began backing toward the door. "I . . . I need to go. . . ."

"Where are you going?" Kim asked, sounding confused.

At first, Shane had no idea, but then something popped into his head. Maybe he could reason with Rachel. Maybe he could stop the article by letting her know what it would do. He stepped further away from Kim and said, "I'm going to see if I can fix this."