Chapter 2

When Steve awoke the next morning, he felt well rested again. For a long time last night he had pondered how it should go on with him, but had come to no conclusion and finally fell asleep over it. Quietly he got up not to wake Catherine, who still slumbered peacefully. He took his clothes and slipped into the bathroom to take a shower. All in thought, he winced when suddenly the shower stall door opened and Catherine wormed her way through the crack into the shower.

"Morning sailor."

"Good morning, Cath."

He took her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Hmmmm, breakfast," she murmured against his lips, pressing even closer to him in the cramped booth.

Their hair still damp from the extensive shower, the two appeared later at Mary's in the kitchen. She had already set the table and pulled the birthday cake for her daughter out of the oven. The scent was already spreading throughout the house.

"Good morning you two, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you sis. Where's the birthday girl?"

"I think she's still asleep."

"Very well. Let me help you."

Steve still decorated the cake with powdered sugar and put eight candles into the plastic holders that his sister had already poked into the chocolate cake. Then he took a lighter and lit the candles. Together they made their way to Joan's room. Carefully, they opened the door and began to sing softly. Eyes shining, the now eight-year-old jumped out of her bed and blew out the birthday candles. Steve held out a small package to her.

"For you, my big girl."

Curious, Joan tore the paper from the box. When she opened it and pulled out a silver chain, her eyes lit up even more.

"Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you."

Again she fell around her uncle's neck, who pressed her lovingly against him and explained to her what the Celtic piece of jewelry was all about. After Joan had unwrapped her other gifts and thanked him profusely, she went to breakfast with birthday cake.

At eleven o'clock they wanted to meet their three best friends on the Santa Monica Pier. On time, the four of them sat in Mary's jeep in a good mood and Steve steered the car through the traffic at a speed so that they were five minutes early at the meeting point. After Pam, Kim and Ashley joined theirs, they were about to leave when Steve asked to wait.

"Wait here, I have an idea."

Steve disappeared into the nearby Lasertec Center and bought admission tickets for the birthday party. Mary rolled her eyes as Steve came back to them beaming with the tickets in hand.

"Steve, they're girls."

"So?"

He grinned, then looked around the room.

"Who wants to be on my team?"

Four girls immediately switched sides and stood chattering excitedly next to Steve. Catherine just grinned. The girls adored their sailor and he let them. That's how well Cath knew her super-seal that he would read his niece's every wish from her eyes today.

And so the party started first with an entertaining Lasertec Battle. When they came back outside, it was already after twelve and the pier had already filled up well.

"Okay, now what?"

"Cotton candy!"

Mary objected, "Maybe we'll eat something real first?"

But Steve had already hooked up with two of the girls, who in turn had grabbed their friends, and strode toward the cotton candy stand. Defeated, Mary and Catherine followed the five. They had just made themselves comfortable with the cotton candy near the roller coaster when suddenly shots rang out. Screeching, the crowd on the pier dispersed and ran in their direction. Horrified, Steve, Catherine and Mary looked at each other. Steve jumped up and looked around frantically, "Over there, quick."

He pulled the girls up and pushed them in the direction of the show caravans. Most had, some kind of underpinnings, but there seemed to be room under one.

"Under the caravan and keep quiet. Run!"

The panicked crowd and the gunshots were fast approaching. Finally they had reached the caravan.

"Girls, hurry up."

Catherine and Steve pushed one girl after another under the trailer.

"Mary, now you."

He helped her crawl under the car.

"Steve, there's not enough room. You won't fit under it."

With panic in her eyes, Mary tried to crawl even further under the caravan to make room for Catherine and Steve.

"We'll find something else."

He quickly pushed another box a little in front of their hiding place and looked around for Catherine. The latter was already looking for a place for them both to hide. Steve cursed inwardly that he didn't have a gun with him. By now the gunfire was very close and Steve saw the first people go down.

"Uncle Steve!"

"Joanie, please stay with your mom."

"There's nothing here, Steve."

"Damn."

"Over here, quick."

One of the other trailer doors had opened and a young woman was waving frantically at them.

Steve just yelled, "Get away from the door and get on the ground, get to safety!"

Then he and Catherine ran to the open car door.

But too late, the first shots already hit the trailers. Catherine had just reached the door when she felt a burning pain in her back, while falling she hears Steve's horrified exclamation 'Catherine!

Steve turned around, the attacker was standing not two meters away from him. He had stopped his uncontrolled shooting and exchanged the empty submachine gun for a Sig Sauer. He was sizing Steve up. Sirens were already approaching. Then the assailant turned away, reholstered his pistol, and aimed at the caravan under which Mary and the children were.

"NO!"

With two steps, Steve was with him and jerked the pistol up, sending the shots flying. Wrestling, the two men went down. Desperately, Steve tried to wrestle the gun from him, but the gunman was strong. Suddenly a shot rang out and both men looked each other in the eyes.

A shout of 'police, stop' rang out, the attacker broke free of his stiffness, jumped up and ran away.