"Please try to calm down," Roman was saying into the phone as Steve entered the Commander's office at the Salem PD.

"Eve . . . I can understand you're upset." Roman held up a hands, his fingers about an inch apart to tell Steve that it would just be a little longer. "I wish I had more I could tell you," Roman said. "Look . . . We've made arrangements for a plane ticket for you. Just go to the airport and get on the next flight to Salem."

Roman flinched and jerked the phone away from his ear. Even halfway across the room, Steve could hear Eve at full shriek, though he could not make out her words.

"No. . . . I am not saying he's going to die." Roman sighed, speaking back into the phone. "Eve, we don't know right now. He's in a coma and his injuries are severe. That's all I know, okay. . . . You're his next of kin, so we need you here to make decisions. Until you get here. . . ."

Roman took a deep breath and seemed to wince, before he spoke again.

"Kimberly's doing that."

Steve had been wrong. Now Eve was at full shriek. This time he could hear her words, as she yelled, "Kimberly! How can you let her-"

"I didn't," Roman said, trying to cut Eve off. "That's the hospital protocol. With you gone, Andrew would be next-of-kin, and Kim is Andrew's guardian, so-" Roman stopped abruptly. "Yes. Okay. The next flight. Good. I'll have someone meet you at the air-" He stopped again and looked at the phone. Obviously, Eve had hung up.

Now that his attention was no longer on the phone call, Roman looked over at Steve. "I didn't want to play the Kim card, but she left me no choice. How the hell can Shane be so calm all the time and then have daughter like Eve? Sometimes, I wonder. I know they did DNA tests, but. . . ." Roman shook his head and changed the subject. "Well, we'll just deal with Eve when she gets here. So what can I do for you, partner?"

Steve pulled out the Chronicle containing Rachel Knight's latest story. The headline "Doubts Persist about Donovan Shooting" blared across the top. "Why aren't you fixing this?"

"I don't control the press," Roman said.

"So you're just gonna let them keep running this bull about Shane being in cahoots with Winters?" Steve asked. "Why not release a statement saying what really went down the other day?"

Roman looked Steve in the eye. "You already told the whole story, Steve. If they're not going to pick up your side of things, there's not much I can do. Besides. . . . the Police Commander ordered us to remain hush-hush until the full investigation is complete."

Steve snorted. "Right. . . . So they can keep smearing Shane's name. This stinks of the ISA, Roman. They can't have Shane look like a hero, so they make up all this BS."

"Steve, there's nothing we can do to stop it. For now, we just have to let it lie." Despite Roman's words, Steve could tell that his brother-in-law hated the situation as much as Steve did. But Roman clearly was not going to give in. At least not on that.

With a resigned look, Steve said, "Fine, then. But if you're not going to help Shane that way, I want your help with something else."

Roman's eyes narrowed. "What kind of help?"

"I've got a plan to clear Shane's name," Steve said.

"Steve. . . ." Roman shook his head. "This isn't the time-"

"It is the time," Steve barked. "Okay? Right now. Look . . . I owe him, Roman. I owe him and that's how I'm going to pay him back. So I need to know if you'll help me."

Roman looked confused. "Why me? Why not Bo?"

"Because you're a cop, and I need a way to get to them."

Cocking an eyebrow, Roman asked, "'Them'?"

"The soldiers," Steve said. "I know where they're based and, I'm telling you, if we can get to them, they'll jump at the chance to testify." At least, I think Deakins will. "They'll tell that courtroom that the ISA knew all about the mission. Hell, they'll tell the truth; the ISA planned it. But I want your help getting onto that base in Kentucky. They aren't going to let me in."

"So what do you want me to do?" Roman asked, maintaining a neutral tone.

"You're a cop. You can come up with some reason to get us on base." Steve threw up his hands and paced around the room. "Hell, I don't know, use your badge to get the local cops to help us. Whatever. All I need is a way to get on that base."

"I can't do that." Roman shook his head from side to side. He started to turn away, but Steve grabbed his arm.

"Don't walk away." Steve jerked Roman's arm so he turned back. "Come on, Roman. Help me out here. Shane's your friend."

Roman started to say something, then stopped. He closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he said, "Shane wanted them left out of this."

"Yeah, well, Shane's in a coma right now and may never wake up, so I don't think he's got much say in this mater." Steve's frustration was threatening to overwhelm him. "I'm gonna do this - with or without you."

Roman pulled his arm free of Steve's grip. "I know what you're thinking, Steve. You're thinking if you can clear Shane, the slate's wiped clean. But you don't get it. There's no slate."

"You're wrong," Steve growled, then repeated, "You're wrong." I owe him. "Look, I was hoping you would help me, because it would make things easier, but if you won't help me, I'll do it alone." When Roman seemed to hesitate, Steve urged, "Just help me."

For a moment, Roman seemed to mull it over. Finally, he said, "Even if I could go against what Shane wants, I can't. I'm supposed to leave town with Marlena to try to find out what happened to her. We've already put it off a couple of times, and we can't really put it off anymore."

"That won't take long," Steve said. "You'll be back and you can help soon enough."

"I don't know how long it will take," Roman replied. "Besides, I'm still not sure exactly when we're leaving." He looked down at the ground. "I didn't want to go until Shane woke up, but. . . ."

But nobody knows when that's going to happen, Steve added silently, thinking how several days had passed since the shooting. Or if it's going to happen.

"So you're just going to move on?" Steve muttered. "You're not going to help Shane at all?"

"Damn it, Steve," Roman snapped. "It's what the man wants. And, no, I'm not just moving on. Shane's one of my best friends, and I want to help him, but not by going against what he wants."

Steve shook his head. Roman was not going to budge no matter what was at stake. So typical of the by-the-book cop. "Great, so go off to Mexico and have yourself some Margaritas or Piña Coladas or whatever it is they sell there. Who cares if your best friend dies or goes to jail?"

Roman started forward, but stopped. "Johnson. . . . Get out of here right now. I'm going to forget you said that, because I know how you're feeling about what happened with Winters. But don't push your luck."

Angrily, Steve began to respond, but decided there was no point. "Fine, Roman. I'll go. You just think about what I said." Then, with a bit of a sneer, he added, "Hasta luego."