CH49

Rick found Kate's Jeep as he pulled up, just not Kate herself. 'Where are you? I'm here with dinner for you and your state troopers,' Rick told her. 'I'll be right there, just give me a few minutes,' she replied. He spent the time pulling the single folding table he had brought with him along with four folding chairs out of the truck. The chairs were the inexpensive ones he had bought locally earlier in Newcastle. That was followed by setting plates of food out along with something to drink though he kept one of the Honey beers for himself.

Eventually he spotted her walking his way with two of the state troopers right behind her. Rick's green-eyed monster made a brief appearance as it became clear to him that the two troopers were watching her ass most of the way.

"Thanks babe." Kate kissed him just as her stomach rumbled at the smell of food. 'What's wrong?' She hadn't gotten the kiss she had been expecting. 'Those two watched your ass all the way over here,' he informed her, still not liking those two. 'And you're jealous. That's so sweet!' Kate kissed him but still didn't get the kiss she wanted back from him. 'Babe, they can look all they want, they just can't have me. Now kiss me,' she told him and finally got a better kiss though she'd had better from him.

"This is really good," one of the troopers commented. "I'll be happy to tell my mother you liked it. She's opening a new restaurant in Newcastle on the 4th," she informed them. "What's it called? We may just have to pass through that town on purpose," the same trooper said. "It's called AFTER DARK and it's only open for dinner," she said. They were eventually joined by the other two troopers who had the dogs. They were all just finishing up and had thanked Rick for the food when a military car stopped and Kate's hated colonel stepped out. "We have our helicopter and we'll be out of your hair in minutes," he announced.

"Oh, you've been in my hair before I even got here. Care to explain why your helicopter blew up this home?" Kate asked him. "I'm sure you're mistaken. We haven't yet learned why it's out here but we will," the colonel advised them. "That's nice but I have a witness that watched it all happen. A Cobra attack helicopter, as I'm sure you well know, promptly put six Hellfire missiles into this home the second it showed up. Now explain to me why the military wanted this home blown to hell!" Kate was still sitting while looking up at him. The state troopers were also now listening intently.

"I'm sure you're mistaken and if you had a witness you wouldn't have waited until now to produce this person," the colonel countered. "Now if you'll excuse me we're done here." Kate, however, launched herself out of her chair which got the attention of the colonel's driver as he placed a hand on his side arm.

"My name is Katherine Beckett and I was a homicide detective in New York City. My team and my precinct had the highest closure rate in the city while I worked there. I'm not some stupid girl or a country hick who doesn't know the difference between a Cobra helicopter and a 747 jet. And for your information the explosives tests are going to be sent out of state for analysis. More than one out-of-state lab if I can arrange it, even if I have to take it there personally. How much would you like to bet that the chemicals in Hellfire missiles are different from a block of Semtex? Plus do you really think you can hide the loss of a Cobra attack helicopter, its 2 man crew, and the Hellfire missiles it was carrying?" Kate got up in his face.

"Do not involve yourself in something that does not concern you, ACTING SHERIFF," the colonel warned her sternly. "Doesn't concern me!? I've got a witness that tells me there were 5 adults and 2 children in that home when you, your helicopter, and your men swooped in and blew it to hell. We're going to find enough DNA eventually to prove it. And if I find out that you're involved in this murder, you are going down whether you ordered it or are simply covering it up. That still makes you a murderer either before or after the fact. Which means you are now playing in my ballpark," Kate almost snarled in her fury with that high-handed jackass of a colonel.

"Good luck with that acting sheriff. We're leaving, let's go," he ordered his driver which had her putting her hand on her gun thinking about putting a round in his front tire. 'Don't Kate. You have 4 state troopers and me on your side. He or the military can't hide it forever. Don't forget we have friends like Serena for example,' he told her. 'And I'm betting that your witness and her family are going to follow them all the way back to their base. You'll know exactly where that helicopter ends up.'

"This isn't over Colonel. You can't hide having murdered 7 people forever. There is no statute of limitations on murder," Kate called after him. "Yes, acting sheriff, it is over. You just don't know it yet," he countered as he got in his car and drove away.

"Witness?" one of the state troopers asked. "In protective custody so that the military doesn't get their hands on this person. I'll ask if they're willing to talk with you after we're done here. The military is hiding something and I'm not losing this person to them as they try and cover this up," she said firmly. "Our captain may not go for that, but it's enough for now. Just be ready to hand this person over when you're told to," the state trooper warned her. "Let's find this evidence, shall we, before the military sends another helicopter and blows us to hell and gone to cover themselves," she asked them.

"You should be going babe and thanks so much for dinner," she told Rick. "Oh no, I'm not going anywhere. I figured you would stay out here another night and probably haven't slept yet. Which is why I brought a lot of the camping equipment we used earlier with me," he told her. "And save it, I'm staying. Alexis has your mother, Oscar, and Midas and Maggie to protect her. And we both know that if Alexis is threatened that we're both going to know it." He tried to cut off her objections.

Kate felt her heart open up just a little more not believing that was possible for to love this man even more. Her answer was to step into his hug, let his magic work on her, then she kissed him. She buried her face in his chest and let him hug her. "I love you," she whispered into his chest. "I love you, too. Now show me what we're looking for so we can shove it down that colonel's throat," he demanded. "Oh here, before I forget,your mother wanted to talk with you." He handed Kate her satellite phone that he had gotten out of her Jeep.

"Hi Mom, thanks for dinner," Kate told her as soon as she answered. "How are you doing Katie? When was the last time you slept?" Johanna inquired, barely taking a breath between questions. "I'm doing fine Mom, just fine. Listen I'm going to be here until at least until tomorrow. We still have a lot of work to do," she advised her. "Just be safe Katie, that's all I ask," Johanna told her and Kate hung up.

Kate made another call. "Sloan, this is Beckett. You'll probably be getting a phone call or a visit from a certain Colonel Pike. Just tell him what he wants to know, no matter what he asks you. Do you understand?" Kate needed to know exactly what Sloan was going to tell him. So long as he told Pike the truth, she knew what to expect. "Yes ma'am. Do you need help, ma'am?" Sloan didn't know what he could do, but he could try and think of something. "No Sloan, but thanks for asking. Just keep holding down the fort. I'll be in tomorrow. Has anything come in recently?" Kate asked him. "No ma'am, it's actually been amazingly quiet lately," Sloan answered her. "Good, let's hope it stays that way. I have to go, just do what I told you." And Kate hung up the phone and went to join Rick who was with the state troopers.

By the end of the day the state had what it wanted and was going to send it into their state lab for analysis. Kate also had her samples to be sent in for analysis, only it wouldn't be to the same lab. Rick had already set up the two room tent that he had shared with Johanna and Oscar over the weekend along with 2 of the sleeping bags he had bought earlier. He had water, some breakfast bars, and toothpaste and toothbrushes for both of them. He had even taken the time to zip the two sleeping bags together.

Kate placed all her paper bags that contained her evidence in one room while she slipped into the other room where Rick was waiting for her. "God, what I wouldn't give for a shower." She laid down on Rick without bothering to take her clothes off. "Tired?" he asked her since she had been out here a long time. "Very, but not that tired." She began working on unbuckling Rick's belt followed by unzipping his zipper.

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"Sir, reporting as ordered." He stood at attention and saluted his commanding officer. "At ease soldier," Pike told him and watched him relax just a little. "We have a problem. Someone shot down our helicopter and the local county sheriff is being difficult. She even called in the state to help her investigate. The state cars will deliver their evidence they have gathered and it will conveniently disappear. However, I don't trust this county sheriff. She's just a little too sure of herself," Pike informed him. "Do I eliminate her sir?" He was perfectly willing to eliminate her and, if she was good looking enough, maybe even have a little fun with her first. "Only if necessary, but I want the evidence she has collected. Be advised that her boyfriend may be with her and he's a big guy," Pike warned. "Shouldn't be a problem sir." Maybe she would even watch him die.

"Take the Toyota and take the ultra-light with you. Use it if you think you need it. I want those samples and if those two get in the way…" Well, he wasn't going to lose any sleep if their dead bodies were never found. "Bury them," Pike ordered him. "Get moving."

"Yes sir." He came to attention and saluted before turning crisply and leaving with a smile on his face. The other two had gotten sloppy and gotten themselves killed. These two were never going to know what hit them.

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He elected not to use the ultra-light and simply used the trees to move in closer and closer to the site in question. The information Pike had handed over said that she had a dark green Jeep 4x4 while her boyfriend had a large, black, Ford truck 4x4. He had no problem finding them and using them to calculate his approach. Still he didn't see them or where they were sleeping until he got a view between her Jeep and his truck. There was what looked like a tent large enough to hold maybe four people. He needed to get eyes on them to make sure he knew where they were. For all he knew they were out collecting wood for a fire that they didn't appear to have. Or they were off peeing in the woods before coming back.

It took him time but he crawled his way over to just under the front bumper of the boyfriend's truck. The tent was just a few feet away and looked to be closed up so it was likely they were inside. What he needed was a way to verify his supposition. He could blow up the truck and the Jeep forcing them out where he could shoot them. His problem was that he needed to verify the location of the evidence she may have. If he didn't find it he would need hostages to torture the information from. So that eliminated throwing a couple of grenades next to the tent.

He took his time and had just started slicing open the tent so he could take a look inside when suddenly a stupid bird flew over the site and he heard "kee-eeeee-arr."The next thing he knew the tent was gone and he was screaming in severe pain because his arm was killing him. It didn't help that his back began hurting a lot as he was being dragged across the road through some open brush that helped rip his back open. He had just enough sense left to turn his head to look at his arm and what he saw terrified the crap out of him. There was a huge bear that had his arm in its mouth, dragging him across the ground.

Suddenly his back hurt even more than his arm did followed closely by his abdominal area. The bear had let go of his arm and his head dropped. He saw a tree branch protruding from his abdomen. He was impaled by a tree limb had began bleeding out. Still his training kicked in and he had his side arm in his hand and actually got a shot off that hit the bear. However he watched as the bear swung a paw and his hand along with part of that arm was ripped clean off. He was off the ground with a piece of a tree sticking out of him. He was still alive and slapping at the tree limb when he saw a beautiful naked woman come running up and stand next to the impossibly big bear.

"Nice job babe." And she actually tried to hug the bear with a weapon in one hand and kiss his fur. "Looks like Colonel Pike has decided to act quickly just like I thought he might after the state troopers left," Kate told him. "Did you like our alarm system?" she asked looking directly at him and raised her hand. He watched a hawk glide in, land, then turn into a lovely naked woman. "Thanks Allison, I owe you one," Kate told her. "It was my pleasure to assist the lone Wyvern in existence. I will inform Hayley who in turn will inform Serena that we may have someone who can give us a lead to Paladin at last. …I would expect her to show up at your house soon," Allison told them and began to run away. She shifted back into a red-tailed hawk as she made a jump in mid-stride then flew off quickly into the night sky.

'Yeah, last of my kind,' Kate thought. 'Maybe it's time to remove my IUD,' she added to herself. Suddenly he saw the bear turn his head and look at the naked woman who still had hold of some its fur. He could swear he saw tears start running down its fur.

'I had it all planned out just as soon as I made it back from Rapid City. I was going to have Alexis offer your ring to you when I asked you during a sunrise to symbolize a bright and shiny new day. But I can feel your heart hurting because you are the last of your kind,' Rick told her.

He was coughing up blood and knew he didn't have much longer. He was dead, it was just that his body hadn't died yet. Then he watched the way-too-big-of-a-bear-to-be-believable as it sat down on its ass and held out its front paws. He was astounded that the naked woman stepped right into them without fear.

'Marry me Kate. We'll make the most beautiful little dragons and/or Kodiak bears anyone has ever seen or ever will again,' Rick lovingly asked her. Kate cried while he hugged her. She felt the power of his hugs calm all her fears and replace them with hope and a future filled with love. If the book was right and Rick was right, they would live together as bound life mates for hundreds of years to come.

'I want to be your wife so badly baby, so very badly.' Kate had never felt like this before in her life. Yes, it was partly due to what Rick was doing to her while hugging her, but she really did love him with all her heart. Suddenly a future with a husband and children didn't sound so scary. She could just imagine what Lanie was going to think about this. Hopefully her medical coverage covered broken ear drums.

When Rick finally let go of Kate he stuffed his nose into her and sniffed. Kate giggled since she felt so good. When they next looked at their guy impaled by a tree branch, he had collapsed and was sagging over the branch, dead.

"We should probably drive home now since our tent is ruined. Plus I need to phone the state and warn them their samples will likely disappear while in the lab unless they redirect them to a different lab they don't usually, if ever, use," Kate told him. "I wish I had time to put on some shoes," she grimaced. She had done her best to ignore the pain of running out here with her weapon in hand. Kate watched Rick crouch down. 'Get on,' he said offering her a ride. She soon found herself lying on a bear while grasping two handsful of fur. "I'm riding a bear!" She couldn't believe it while she smiled widely. 'Ride of your lifetime huh?' he teased. "And you just had to ruin it," she replied, teasing.

"I still want you to ask me just like you planned babe. Alexis deserves to be a part of this. Our brave little bear," she told him which had Rick whooping it up silently.

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Serena and Joanne were sitting on the sofa holding onto each other. Along with 3 others of the house, they were in the living room watching Momento on the TV. It was one of the latest movies that had become available for purchase. Suddenly the movie stopped and everyone groaned. "We just bought this stupid machine," Serena grumbled thinking the player had broken down. "My apologies," Sarah said as she suddenly came up on the TV. "But Haley is signaling in and I thought you might want to talk to her," Sarah informed them. "Put her on," Serena called out.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, however one of my family has just returned and it would appear that Katherine Beckett and Richard Rodgers may have just given us the name of a person still associated with Paladin. He is Colonel Jay Pike and he is based at Ellsworth Air Force Base. It is believed that he ordered the destruction of the former sheriff of Weston County using the Cobra helicopter that you shot down."

"He arrived at the crash site to take his helicopter back. He sent a man to kill Kate and Rick tonight and a member of my family warned them about his presence. That man is now dead and Kate is betting that Colonel Pike sent him," Hayley informed them and ended her transmission.

"YES! Movie is over. Load up the plane, we're all going. I want his exact location as soon as you can get it. When will we have eyes on the air base and his home?" Serena asked Sarah. "There is a satellite above the site at this time, however it will be out of range in 15 minutes. The next one will be in one hour thirty minutes," Sarah told them.

"Find everyone else and have them suited up. I want to be in the air in 30 minutes. I want this guy alive before Paladin figures out this colonel is a liability and sends someone to kill him. Let's move like we have a purpose and Sarah, save our place in the movie for when we get back." Serena stood up and headed for the Bat Chopper.

Joanne helped Serena push the tool bin back into the plane followed by the boxes of parts. "Tranquilizers only this trip. I'm not taking a chance that someone may accidentally shoot and kill him; we want him alive." Serena went over to a panel. "Put his face up on the screen," Serena requested. "This is the guy we're after. Try to keep any potential collateral damage to a minimum with hopefully none at all. If this works out we just might have an ID or a lead on the Paladin hierarchy. This is the closest we've ever come and I don't want to lose our chance. Please remember I don't want to lose any of you either. Do not make yourself a martyr just so we can get to Paladin. It's not worth it." Serena didn't want to break anyone's heart let alone her own.

Thirty-two minutes later Serena and her friends, all mountain lions, were airborne and headed towards Rapid City, South Dakota.