Chapter 44

"I guess I got to rambling there and didn't tell you what is in store for you, didn't I, AJ dear?" Vicky taunted. "Well you're going to slit your wrists, and yes I do know the right way to do that, so you'll bleed out in just a short time!"

Outside, Mac told the Private to turn the headlights off as they pulled into AJ's driveway. She didn't want Vicky alerted to their presence. He did as he was told, trying to suppress another sigh. He just knew that he was going to be embarrassed beyond belief when they found the Admiral having a peaceful night at home.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the ranch style house, and Mac could see that the living room light was on, but there was no sight of the Escalade. AJ must have pulled it into the garage when he got home. She flicked the inside lights off in the car so when the doors were opened they wouldn't come on. Getting out, she motioned the Private to follow her. Creeping up to the house she peeked into the living room windows as the Private wondered what charges he would face for this. Mac didn't see AJ in the house so she motioned that they were going to go around to the back.

She had seen no other lights on in the house, but by the time she and the Private got around to the back door she could hear Dammit barking like crazy in the mud room. It had been a while since she'd had Jingo with her, but this sounded like more than an 'I'm hungry, or a, I want to go out' bark, this only reinforced her belief that AJ was in danger.

Pulling out a credit card from her wallet she jimmied the lock to the back door, much to the horrified gaze of the young man with her. He was now sure that he would be facing time in Leavenworth, the only good thing he could imagine about that was the dream that he might get a cell close to the Colonel's.

Dammit growled when the door opened, but Mac quickly held out her hand for the dog to smell her. Having met Mac before, Dammit allowed her into the house, as well as the young man with her when Mac assured the dog that he was a friend.

In the office AJ had heard Dammit's bark turn to a growl and then silence. He wondered what had caused that, but then realized that he had other problems closer at hand. Vicky had pulled a razor blade out of her purse and was approaching him. Trying to move, yet again, AJ couldn't even groan in frustration at his inability to do so.

Mac quietly crept across the mudroom, seeing the messes that Dammit had made in there. She knew that AJ was a neat housekeeper and wouldn't allow messes like that to linger any longer than necessary. So whatever had happened to him had happened before he could get to this room to take care of it. The door was barely open a crack when Dammit pushed past her and practically flew from the room. Knowing that this would alert anyone in the house that someone was there, she knew there was nothing else she could do but follow the dog as quickly as possible.

Dammit raced into the office and because Vicky's back was to the door, even though she heard the dog coming, she couldn't do anything about it until it was too late. As Mac and the Private came running in, they saw Vicky on the floor with Dammit on top of her. Vicky was straining to reach the razorblade that she had dropped when Dammit had knocked her to the ground.

Mac raced to AJ's side, not understand why he hadn't leapt into action the minute Vicky was pinned by the dog. He was oddly still in the chair; only his eyes expressed relief at seeing her. "AJ, what is it? Are you alright?" she pleaded.

"No, he's poisoned and unless you let me go, I won't give him the antidote and he will die!" Vicky shouted from where she lay.

To be continued…..