June 8, 2018
1:36 AM

"God. Those prison guards really are stupid. They have such a regular patrol! A fool could get away from that place. And I am no fool." Lawrence Wolonczak thought to himself as he skimmed across the water on a speed boat. He had heard about Nathan and Kristen's wedding and was planning on getting his revenge against Lucas then. He knew the boy would be there. "That brat will pay for putting Cynthia and myself in prison. If it wasn't for him Cynthia would still be alive. I will make him pay." Lawrence thought to himself as he smiled evilly.

June 10
9:00 AM

"Katie! Here. I'll help you." Ben grinned as he came jogging up to Katie and Lonnie. The two women were gathering flowers, near the edge of the woods behind Nathan's house, for Kristen and the bridesmaids to carry, as well as for decorations in the house.

"Ben. I'm surprised you would want to do something so gentile as to gather flowers." Katie said to her ex-husband.

Ben glared at her. "I want to help. Besides. Maybe I can get on the doc's good side. Maybe I can convince her I don't need the complete physical I know she has planned for me. I mean just because Lucas and I watched some vids she wants to make my yearly physical a complete physical? That's not fair!"

Katie and the other woman in the group, Lonnie, laughed. "I doubt it Ben. Kristen loves tortureing you like that so much. And considering what kind of vids I hear you and Lucas watched I think she's entitled."

Ben glared at her yet agian. "Hahaha. Let me hang my jacket on this branch. I don't want to risk the ring falling out of the jacket pocket. The captain would kill me."

Katie smiled slightly. "Yes he would. And then Kristen and Lucas would kill you again. So do try not to lose the ring."

The group never noticed the shadow that had been watching them for several minutes. "Maybe I can get Lucas if I steal the ring. That brat will probably want to help look for it." The man reached his hand around and dug into Ben's jacket pocket. He pulled out the ring and smiled to himself. "No one messes with Lawrence Wolonczak and gets away with it. No one."

9:38 AM

"What do you mean the ring is missing?!" Nathan yelled at Ben. He couldn't believe Ben had lost the ring.

Ben shrugged. "It must have fallen out of my jacket pocket when I went to help Katie and Lonnie gather some flowers." he said sheepishly.

Lucas spoke up, "Dad? Why don't Ben and I go look for it? It has to be near where they were picking flowers, if we just look we might find it."

Nathan smiled slightly. "Good idea. Go. And Lieutenant? Try not to get into any trouble."

Lucas stifled his laughter at the idea of Ben Krieg not getting in trouble. As the two walked out the door they ran into Katie and explained the situation. She volonteered to go with them since Ben had been helping her when he lost the ring.

Nathan sighed to himself. 'And here I thought the wedding would be ruined by the hurricane. But it was just another type of natural disater. One named Ben Krieg.

9:55 AM

The trio was far enough into the woods that the house was barely visible, when Ben called Lucas and Katie over. Lucas hoped that meant Ben had found the ring. The wind was picking up as the hurricane got closer and he really wanted to be inside when it hit. Lucas turned to make his way back to the other two and he was suddenly grabbed from behind. He let out a scream and was slammed into a nearby tree trunk. Ben and Katie came running and, as they reached the small clearing Lucas had been searching, they skidded to a halt. There, in the middle of the clearing was Lucas. And standing right behind him, holding a gun to the teen's head, was Lawrence Wolonczak.

"Oh my god." Katie whispered under her breath as she saw the blood trickling down the terrified teenager's face.

Lawrence smiled slightly. "Good. Two additional hostages. Both of you get over here and don't try anything. You do I hurt him. Got it?" Katie and Ben both nodded and walked over slowly, all the while keeping their eyes on Lawrence and the gun. As they reched him he knelt down and placed the ring box on the ground under the bloody tree. He stood up and smiled evilly at the two other adults. "Now. Walk. You try anything. You try to stop me. You try to grab the gun. He dies." The group walked solemnly through the woods until they reached what looked like an old bomb shelter. "I found this while I was hiding in the woods the past two days. It can be quite comfortable, if you have light and heat. You won't. Get in." Katie and Ben walked slowly down the stairs and Lawrence followed, dragging Lucas down with him. The group could just barely make out two of the walls in the dim light filtering in from the stairwell. "Now. You two sit down. And you, you worthless brat, Go stand against that wall." Lawrence pointed at the far wall. Lucas complied and stood against it. His eyes widened in terror as Lawerence raised the gun. Before Ben and Katie could move to stop him Lawrence raised his gun and shot Lucas in the abdomen. "That should teach you. Goodbye."

With that the man turned and walked out, locking the door behind him and shutting out the only source of light.

Katie was up in an instant and trying to find Lucas. She gasped as her hand hit a sticky wet puddle. "Ben! I need you to find a light source!" After a moment a dim light came on overhead. Katie stifled a scream when she saw Lucas. The teen was slumped against the wall and bleeding heavily from a stomach wound. "Lucas! Lucas can you here me?" Panic slipped into her voice.

'Oh god! Let him be alright!' she thought. Ben was thinking the same thing. "Ben, try to find a first-aid kit. I need to stop the bleeding soon." Katie said quickly. She wasn't a doctor but the large puddle of blood spreading out from Lucas' small body was obviously not a good sign.

As Lucas and the other's were being led to the bomb shelter the rest of the senior staff were busy putting the finishing touches on the houses decorations. Wendy hummed to herself as she helped arrange Kristen's hair. "I really think it will look good in this style." Wendy was telling Kristen as she finished pulling the hair back loosely.

Kristen smiled slightly. "It looks wonderfull Wendy. Thank you."

Wendy smiled. Her smile faded after a moment as a wave of pain and fear overwhelmed her. "Oh my god! Lucas!" She instantly recognized the person sending out the strong emotions.

Kristen looked at her friend with concern. "Wendy? What about Lucas?"

Wendy turned her frightened eyes to stare Kristen right in the face. "He's hurt. The emotions of fear and pain were so strong. He's hurt very badly." she whispered in a tight voice.

Kristen yelled for Lonnie to come in. As Lonnie raced in Kristen told her, "Help me undo the back of my dress. Wendy thinks something is wrong with Lucas. I have to find out where he is."

As soon as her dress was off and Kristen had changed into jeans and a t-shirt, she raced into the main room and had Wendy explain what she had felt to the others. As they heard Wendy speak the whole Senior Staff paled.

Ford was the first to speak up after Wendy finished. "I think Lucas was with Katie and Krieg. If something was wrong one of them would have come back for help."

Wendy shook her head. "Not if they were all hurt or..."

Nathan looked at her. "Or what?"

Wendy gazed right at Nathan's face as she delivered the other news. "The fear...it felt almost familiar. It wasn't just fear it...Everyone has different types of fear for different situations. The fear Lucas was experienceing...I think someone he knows caused the pain. And I think he had a few moments of warning before the actual pain. He was terrified of a specific person. Maybe I should try to sense him. See if he's conscious. Able to reply. Able to tell me where he is."

Nathan nodded. "Good idea. We need to find out what's happening. Where they are." The fear in his voice was evident. A very similiar look of fear was in the entire senior staff's eyes.

June 10, 2018
11:03 AM

Katie cried helplessly. It had been over an hour since Lucas had been shot and she and Ben had been unable to staunch the flow of blood very well. They had tried everything they could think of and used quite a bit of the gauze from the first-aid kit. Although the bullet didn't seem to have punctured any vital organs, Lucas' side he was bleeding heavily. Katie had moved so that Lucas' head was resting in her lap and she had directed Ben on how to use the gauze and medical tape from the first-aid kit to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately the blood had continued to flow. The odd thing was that, although Lawrence had been standing directly across from Lucas, the entrance and exit holes were at an angle from eachother. She held onto the thin hope that since no major organs seemed to have been punctured the rescue team might get there in time. But the continued blood loss still concerned her.

12:36 PM

Nathan was walking through the woods, looking for any sign of Lucas, Katie or Ben. The only clue were footprints leading into the forest. He suddenly stopped as he saw a splatter of drying blood on a tree trunk.

"Oh my God." he whispered, praying it wasn't Lucas' blood. As he stepped closer he felt something under his foot. When he looked down to the ground he saw the object was the ring box Ben, Katie, and Lucas had been looking for. He knelt down and picked up the box. As he held it he started to cry. If Lucas died because of this ring he would never forgive himself. He heard the footsteps approaching, but his mind didn't register anyone's presence until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and gazed into Kristen's eyes.

She saw the tears. "What's wrong, Nathan?" He gestured up to the blood stained tree trunk with his free hand. As the stain registered in Kristen's mind she sank to the ground and began to cry as well. The thought that the blood could be Lucas' was terrifying. Of course it would be just as bad if it was Ben or Katie's blood, but if it was Lucas'...

As he sat there Nathan noticed a small piece of paper poking out from under the edge of the ringbox. He opened the it and inside he found a note. Once he read it, he let out a strangled cry.

Kristen turned and saw the look of terror cross his face. She switched her gaze to the piece of paper in Nathan's hand. She gasped in horror as she saw what the note said -

Bridger -
I thought you should know who it was who shot your 'son'. He might live if you figure out where he is soon enough, but considering where I shot him, there is not much of a chance. At this very minute he is slowly bleeding to death. And your other two crewmembers are watching him die. You may have thought you had won when I went to jail, but you didn't. Now you know that Lawrence Wolonczak always wins.
Lawrence Wolonczak

Kristen almost screamed as she read the note. Wolonczak had escaped from jail. He had attacked Lucas. He also had the teen, Katie, and Ben somewhere and they didn't know where. The idea was almost too much to take in.

Nathan looked up at her and whispered, "I found the note in the box. He must have stolen the ring so he could grab them. Oh God. If he hurts Lucas...I'll kill him. I'll hunt him down and kill him." His voice was harsh in his fear.

1:17 PM

Katie gently stroked Lucas' hair. It had been over three hours since Lucas had been shot, and a few minutes before the teen had started shaking slightly. Ben was searching for a blanket or something else to keep Lucas warm. The loss of blood was bad enough but if the teen got too cold... Katie made herself think about something else. Thinking about Lucas' injuries was not helping. She smiled slightly as Ben came over to them with a blanket. He gently spread it over Lucas and then he listened to the teen's breathing. Lucas' breaths had become shallow and rapid over the past half-hour, and Katie took that as a bad sign. 'One of many', she thought.

Ben glanced up at his ex-wife and saw the tears starting to form in her eyes. "It'll be all right, Katie. I know it will. The captain will find us in time. They'll get here before the storm starts. I'm sure they will. They have to. I really don't want to spend the storm here. The wind echoes so much it's worse than being in the raft during that one hurricane."

Katie looked up. "Ben, don't think about the hurricane. I know you hate them, but if you survived one in a life raft you can survive one in a bomb shelter. I promise you. Right now I need you to help me take care of Lucas. He needs us to stay calm. He needs us to take care of him. You can't do that if your starting to panic about the hurricane. Just take a deep breath and stay calm." They both looked down as Lucas let out a small moan.

Lucas opened his eyes and gazed up at them. "Katie? Ben? What happened? Where are we?" He asked in a small voice.

Katie and Ben exchanged concerned looks. Katie looked down at Lucas again and stroked the hair of his forehead. "It's okay. Wolonczak shot you. He locked us in a bomb shelter. He's gone. He left a while ago. It's okay. You don't need to worry.", she said to him.

Lucas looked up at her. "Why would I be scared? I know dad and Kristen will find us. Wendy knows I'm hurt. She'll make sure they find us quickly. She knows were we are, too, I told her. They're coming. They'll get here soon.", he whispered.

Katie and Ben exchanged glances again. "I'm sure they will. Until then we stuck here. So, how about we...tell a round robin story. How's that sound?" Ben asked quietly. He knew that it might be a good idea to distract Lucas from what was happening.

Katie smiled. "I think that's a great idea." She was relieved that Ben had realized that they needed to focus Lucas' attention on something. She looked down and saw Lucas nodding slightly.

Ben grinned at Katie and began talking. "I'll go first. One day, a dashing young Lieutenant was walking down a hall when all of a sudden a beautiful Lt. Commander appeared. She gave him a kiss and said he was the best guy ever to be born. He smiled and asked her..." He stopped as he caught Katie's glare. "What? It's a great story!" he said quickly.

Lucas opened his eyes and looked at Ben. "I think she has a problem with the fact that your story sounds like your trying to imply her kissing you. And I think she's trying to say it's not gonna happen."

Katie smiled down at the teen and stroked his hair again. "Exactly. My turn." 'The Lt. asked her if she wanted to go out sometime and she said 'No, I haven't lost my mind completely, just partially. Now I better go get the doctor to give me a shot before I catch something.' She turned and walked away. "Lucas? Do you want a turn?"

Lucas looked up at her sleepily. "I don't know. I'm not sure I can stay awake long enough to say anything." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Katie? I'm starting to get scared. Are they coming soon? I really want to see Dad and Kristen. You guys are great company, but..." he trailed off as he yawned slightly.

Katie frowned. "I know. Lucas? Can you try to stay awake for me? I'm a little worried about your head. You have a nasty cut on your forehead. I'm a little worried about it. And I'm sure the Captain and Kristen are coming soon. Maybe when we get back to the house Kristen will even tuck you in.", Katie teased softly. All she wanted was for Lucas to stay awake. She thought that if she could get him to laugh it could buy them some more time.

Lucas opened his eyes again and smiled slightly. "I kinda hope she does. All I want to do is go to sleep. I'll try to stay awake but it's hard. It really is." His eyes slipped shut again.

Ben came over and sat next to Katie. He gently took Lucas' hand and said, "I know. But you have to try your best. For us. For the Captain and the Doctor. Please. We need you to try to stay awake."

Katie smiled at her ex-husband to let him know she approved of his tactics. "We won't be mad if you do fall asleep, but we want you to stay awake. Just try your best. Okay?"

Lucas looked up again. "I'll try. I really will. Are Dad and Kristen coming soon?"

Katie looked up at Ben and saw her own fears mirrored in his eyes. They had just told him the answer to that question, but he didn't remember. "They are coming really soon. In fact, Ben, why don't you go over by the door to greet them when they get here?" She gave him a significant look. He nodded and stood up slowly, patting Lucas' hand again before setting it down.

Ben walked over to the door of the shelter and tried to open it. He knew it was hopeless, but he also knew that he had to help Lucas stay calm, and that meant pretending everything was fine, even though it wasn't. Not by a long shot.

1:21 PM

Nathan sat, leaning against the tree trunk. He had found the note 45 minutes ago and after he got everyone orginized in a more active search he had sat down and begun crying. Lucas was bleeding to death somewhere and he had no idea where. He felt Kristen sit down and put her arm around his shoulders. He just stared at the ground as she began to speak.

Kristen knew Nathan was upset but she hoped the next news would help. "Nathan, Wendy thinks she knows what the place they're in looks like. She says it seems like the walls and floor are concrete. There are steps going down. Does that sound at all familiar?"

Nathan's head jerked up. "It sounds like the old bomb shelter. It was built years ago. I don't even know if the door could still open. We have to go check it out. Maybe...maybe they're there. Maybe we can find them in time." Kristen saw the look of hope in Nathan's eyes.

"Yes, we should. Let's get the group and go. The storm is getting worse and I think we should get Lucas back to the warm house as soon as possible." She smiled and stood up, waiting until Nathan stood, before going to get the others.

As they reached the others, Nathan quickly told them about the shelter. "It's close to the center of the island. It will take us at least an hour to get to it if we start now," he finished. He smiled slightly as he saw his senior staff grab what little gear they had with them and get ready to follow him. He turned and began making his way towards the shelter. He only hoped they would make it in time. As they set off to the shelter, it began to drizzle slightly.

2:14 PM

Ben walked back over to Katie and Lucas as he heard a soft murmuring sound. As he got closer, he realized Katie was singing. He waited for her to finish the song then commented, "You know. You never sang like that for me." He regretted teasing her when he saw her face. She had obviously been crying and was terrified. As he was about to ask her why she was crying, she gestured down to Lucas' abdomen.

"The bleeding is getting worse, Ben. I don't know what to do. We can't get out. We don't even know if they have any idea where we are. Ben, I don't think he's going to make it. The bleeding is too severe. I'm scared, Ben. I don't want to watch him die. He's only a child. He has so much to look foward to and he might not get it." Katie began sobbing helplessly again. She felt Ben's arms wrap around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "Ben? I know I always call you immature and childish, but every once in a while you prove that you can be adult about things. If you ever tell anyone I said this I'll kill you, but, I still love you, Ben. Especially when you are being so compassionate. Just don't expect me to get back together with you. It's not going to happen."

Ben chuckled softly. "Don't worry. The way I figure it, that was just the emotions talking. I won't ever mention it again. I promise. And, Katie, Lucas will make it. He has to. He's a strong kid. He'll be fine. He has to be."

Katie smiled and stroked Lucas' forehead again. "I just hope you are right. I could never forgive myself if he died. I couldn't. It would destroy the Captain to lose Lucas. I know it would. Lucas means so much to him, I don't think he could take it," She sighed. Lucas looked even younger right now. His hair was damp with sweat and clinging to his head. His face was scrunched up in pain. He looked so young. He couldn't die. He just couldn't. Both of the adults knew, though, that his chances of survival were slim to nil. The rescue team would never get here in time. They didn't even know where the trio was. She was startled out of her thoughts as Lucas let out a small moan.

Lucas looked up at Katie. "Katie? Why are you crying?" He asked, concerned.

Katie smiled down at him. "I'm just nervous. The hurricane's getting worse. Don't worry though."

Lucas nodded. "I won't. Ben? Can I ask you something?"

Ben nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Lucas asked, "I know you didn't find the ring because *HE* had it, so why did you call us back over to you?"

Ben smiled slightly. "I called you back over to me because of the storm. I figured the Captain and Doctor would rather do without the rings then without you."

Lucas looked up at him with eyes starting to cloud with pain. "They are going to have to do without me though. Don't try to tell me I'll be fine. I know that's not true. I can feel the blood on the floor. I spend a lot of time with Kristen, remember? I know I've lost a lot of blood. I know I'm not going to make it. Just...will you guys stay with me until I do die? I know it's going to happen and I don't want to die alone. Please?"

Katie began crying again. "Lucas, you have to hold on. I know that the Captain and Kristen are coming. They will get here soon. I know they will. You have to try to hold on until then. You are right about the blood. You have lost quite a bit, but you will make it if you just hold on a little while longer. Ben and I will stay right here until they get here. Then they can be with you while you get better. Just hold on a little while longer. Please."

Lucas reached a hand up and squeezed her hand. "I'll try my best, I really will. Just in case...can you tell them I love them a whole lot? And tell Dad that it meant more than anything to me that he loved me. Please?"

Katie tried to smile. "You can tell them yourself once they get here. But just in case, I promise I'll tell them." She was about to say something else when she realized Lucas had passed out again. Just as she turned to talk to Ben she heard a sound coming from the door. "Oh my God! Someone's at the door. Ben? What if it's Wolonczak?!" the panic in her voice was obvious. ******