Forgetting about her bound legs and the muzzle at her temple, Barbara managed to free herself from Tanya's grip with a sharp movement of her body and jerked toward Lynley, but was immediately stopped by a strong push in her back. As she fell, she realized that the imminent meeting of her forehead with the stone step did not bode well, but she tried to regroup as best she could. When she woke up again, there was no one in the house. There was silence, broken only by the sound of more waves and rain. With difficulty, using the couch for support, Barbara rose to her feet and looked around for something to help her free her hands. She found nothing better than a lit candle standing on a low table. Carefully she held her bound wrists to the flame, fearful that a careless move would extinguish the weak, salvific flame that burned her with pain, but promised to give her freedom. Once she had her hands out of the putt, she had no trouble freeing her feet.

She didn't have to look for Lynley, he was lying at the water's edge not far from the house. By some miracle, the waves had not dragged his limp body down to the depths. Examining the spot where she had seen the bullet strike, Barbara fumbled for the vest under his shirt and mentally praised the heavens for their foresight. Now she realized that her chief's business wasn't so bad. His pulse was easily palpable, he was breathing. His main problem seemed to be a broken head, as evidenced by the deep abrasion on his forehead almost at the hairline. There was hardly any blood, it had been washed away by the water.

- Sir! - She slapped his pale cheeks, wrestling him as hard as she could, trying to bring him to his senses. - Sir, you have to help me. You're too heavy, I can't lift you myself... Please!

She was relieved when she felt him start to move. In spite of his efforts, it had cost her a great deal of labor to drag him into the house. From the curt half-smile that Lynley whispered in her ear as they walked, Barbara realized what had happened. Thompson and Tanya had gotten into the boat he hadn't been able to stop them. Not a good decision to go out into the straits in this weather.

Leaving the chief on the couch in the living room, Barbara went over all possible escape routes, but very quickly realized that they were all cut off: she was unable to find a phone in the house, both cars parked outside the house were locked. The search for the keys was unsuccessful. She mentally cursed the day she'd turned down an offer from a local gang to teach her their auto theft trade. The only thing left to do was to get help on foot. But first it wouldn't hurt to realize how much distance she had to cover. The area didn't look busy at all.

Kneeling in front of the couch, she gave in to an involuntary impulse, gently brushed a wet, dark strand from his forehead, and gave him a gentle shake on the shoulder.

- Sir, do you remember how far the road or the other houses are from here?

Without waiting for an answer, she touched his shoulder again, trying to reach his clouded mind.

- I need to go get help.

The lack of any response from him led her to conclude that he had fallen into oblivion again. That made her think she should go for help as soon as possible. She tried to get up, but he suddenly grabbed her arm tightly.

- I don't want you to go alone!

- It won't take long, I promise I'll be back soon. You need help.

- I'm fine.

- You're not," she smiled softly at him and shook her head.

- I can go with you. We need to notify the Coast Guard as soon as possible so they can start searching...

Only now she realized that Linley's health had pushed all the other thoughts in her head to the back of her mind, while he was still one of the Yard's best inspectors, even in his condition.

To prove the truth of his words, he sat down on the sofa, hesitated for a moment, apparently waiting out the wave of dizziness that had come over him, wrinkled his eyes painfully with the base of his palms, then leaned on the armrest and rose uncertainly.

- As you can see, I'm all right," Lynley concluded, and started toward the door, but staggered back. He was only able to stay on his feet because of Barbara's quick reaction and the back of the sofa, which had just happened to be behind him.

- You'd better lie down, sir.

Still holding Linley carefully by the waist, she noted the thick lower row of fluffy, almost colorless eyelashes, which usually were almost invisible to the eye, but now, from this unusually close distance in the bright warm light of the floor lamp by the sofa, they caught her eye. The comparison that came to mind again, the one that came to her mind from time to time when she saw him in those starched, almost crisp shirts and expensive, needlepoint suits. At such times, in his unadulterated perfection, he reminded her of a doll. A strange comparison for a man who to some might seem hopelessly far removed from the concept of real masculinity, but the resemblance was surprisingly unaffected by her belief in Lynley's absolute masculinity.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she tried to catch a glimpse of the brown eyes to assess his condition. It was as if the gaze was not his at all. Incomprehensible, distracted, hovering somewhere far away from reality...

- It's cold," he complained.

Linley pulled her lightly to him and buried his nose in the hair at the top of her head. She felt his body shudder and mentally berated herself for her carelessness-no plaid or fireplace would keep him warm in his wet clothes, and she should have taken care of that first.

- I must take off your wet clothes, sir.

Without waiting for a reaction from him, she pulled off his leather jacket, then began unbuttoning his dark maroon shirt with awkward haste. Once it was off his broad shoulders, she praised the heavens once more at the sight of the bulletproof vest with the word "police" on it, which had been able to hold the bullet that had hit it. With a loud sound, she ripped open the wide Velcro fasteners and carefully removed the vest over her head. After that, her resolve waned. This naked torso she'd already seen, but beyond that... Beyond that was harder. She didn't want to and shouldn't have to see..., however, this whole thing was such nonsense. Stupid and unprofessional. Besides, you don't have to look. She stared unseeingly at the naked torso in front of her and resolutely began to fasten the wide belt on his jeans. He stood obediently and immovably in front of her for a while, but then his hands came to life. Linley pulled her sharply to him, which caused her to give another embarrassed smile. Earl Asherton decided to cuddle? Well... okay, she didn't mind - a human body warmed better than any plaid. And that was probably the warmth he sought in her embrace. Barbara still didn't mind when he pulled off her cloak. It was warm in the room, and her clothes had had time to get wet, too. She only began to object when his hands began to roam randomly over her body, going under her sweater...