Part One--by Susan

As the music in the distance gradually faded away, the two dancing figures became still, holding each other silently in the gentle glow of the moonlight. She was dressed in an elegant full-length black silk gown, with a neckline that bared the skin of her shoulders and accented the exquisite sapphire and diamond necklace which adorned her neck. He complimented her perfectly, his black tuxedo perfectly fitted to his lean and muscular frame. The only visible movements were the tender caresses of their lips as they softly met and joined. The party inside the house was ending, the silence their cue that it was time for them to make their exit. The evening had been extraordinary, right down to the magnificent floral arrangements which adorned nearly every inch of the terrace to which they had made their escape. After an evening of socializing and dancing with the elite of the Los Angeles business scene, they had felt the need to excuse themselves to the terrace to get some much needed air, as well as to spend a few uninterrupted moments in each other's company. As much as they had enjoyed their evening, they had opted to spend the last dance of the evening alone, as they so often did, in each others arms.

Pulling slowly away from her husband, Jennifer Hart reluctantly broke the silence. "Well darling, I guess it's time to make our exit." Glancing toward the open double doors leading to the party within, she noticed the guests beginning to bid their hosts goodbye and move in the direction of the door.

"I suppose you're right, darling. You've got a busy day planned tomorrow and we probably should call it a night." He placed his arm around her shoulders, leaned down to kiss her cheek gently, and led her into the ballroom of the exquisite mansion.

As they walked through the doorway, Jennifer was as awed as she had been the first time she had arrived that evening. Though she was accustomed to the finer things in life, these surroundings had truly taken her breath away. The house had been modeled after a 17th century English estate and, had they not known they were on the outskirts of Los Angeles, they would have sworn that they had stepped back in time.

The home was owned by James and Allison Sullivan, whom the Harts had just recently met as a result of a business deal between Jonathan and James Sullivan. James Sullivan was a self-made man, very much like Jonathan, and at the age of 45 he had already amassed a sizeable fortune through his dealings in the electronics industry. Jonathan admired his business savvy and had instantly recognized that a partnership between himself and James would undoubtedly prove profitable for both parties. Though the Sullivans were new to the West coast, his reputation had preceded him, and Jonathan welcomed the opportunity for a merger of technologies between Hart Industries Electronics Division and Sullivan's company, Advantage Technologies.

James Sullivan was an impressive man, whose entrance into a room usually commanded attention. He was ruggedly handsome, with deep green eyes and dark brown hair that had a slight hint of silver around the edges, adding to his distinguished look. He always appeared at ease and comfortable in his surroundings. His mere presence usually attracted the attention of endless females, the few who were not already captivated would undoubtedly be drawn in by his natural charm and friendliness. His personality was genuine though, very different from most of the men who traveled in his circle.

His wife of fifteen years, Allison, was not without her own appeal. She was a thin, yet shapely, woman with shoulder length light brown hair that perfectly framed her oval face and delicate features. James had known the minute he met her that she would be the only woman for him. They had been introduced by a mutual friend and an instant chemistry had become evident to both of them almost immediately. They married a year later and Allison had given up a promising career to be the perfect corporate wife, a decision she had never regretted. She was an asset to her husband's career and her considerable charm had been the deciding factor in closing many a business deal.

Jennifer and Jonathan approached the Sullivans slowly as they were still immersed in their own private world.

"We wondered where you two had disappeared to," James said, taking Jonathan's extended hand in his. "It isn't like you to leave without saying goodbye."

"We were just taking advantage of the view from the terrace," Jonathan replied, smiling softly at his wife, wishing he were still holding her in his arms in the moonlight.

James understood Jonathan's motivation, though he was completely devoted to Allison, he was not blind to Jennifer's appeal. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it? Allison and I were thinking of having a drink on the terrace ourselves. Are you two in a hurry or would you care to join us?"

Most of the other guests had already begun their departure and Jonathan looked to his wife. "What do you think, darling? You're the one who has an early day planned for tomorrow."

It was nearly midnight, and although she was scheduled to meet her editor at nine o'clock the next morning, she was reluctant for the evening to end. "Sure, that sounds wonderful. It's such a lovely night."

The foursome proceeded back out onto the terrace, having a seat at the elegant marble table that sat near the outer edge of the terrace, overlooking the valley below. The lights of the city were just barely visible in the distance and the peace and quiet were a relaxing change of pace after a busy week.

The Sullivan's maid, Mary, quickly arrived carrying a bottle of champagne and four long-stem glasses on a tray. Without disturbing their conversation, she proceeded to pour the bubbly liquid into the glasses, and then disappeared without a word.

James motioned toward the tray in the center of the table, encouraging them to reach for a glass. "To new friends and profitable business ventures," he toasted, raising his glass till it met those of the others. The all nodded in agreement to his sentiment, clanking their glasses lightly, the sound of crystal echoing in the silence of the night air.

As they sipped their champagne, Jonathan and James began discussing some of the latest developments that their companies were exploring together. Jennifer and Allison were engrossed in the details of a charity fundraiser they were co-chairing for the local children's hospital.

After a few minutes Mary returned and quietly whispered something to James that was inaudible to the others. He then excused himself, explaining that he had an important call that he had to take but that he would return in just a few moments. Allison continued chattering to her guests until James returned a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry, Jonathan, Jennifer, but I'm afraid we're going to have to call it a night. Something has come up that requires my attention and unfortunately it can't wait till morning." His demeanor had changed somewhat and he appeared anxious to clear up whatever pressing business matter was demanding his attention.

"I completely understand," Jonathan said, rising from his seat and placing an arm around his wife. "Thank you for everything."

"Yes, thank you for a wonderful evening," Jennifer added. She hugged Allison lightly, promising to call her the next day to work out some details on the fundraiser budget, and kissed James on the cheek before turning to her husband. "Shall we then?"

"Your chariot awaits, my darling," he replied, smiling at her.

They arrived home shortly after two o'clock to a silent house. Max and Freeway had apparently retired hours before as there was no sign of them in their usual spot--dozing on the couch in front of a television set displaying nothing but the blank signal of a station that had gone off the air for the evening.

"What's this?" Jennifer asked, picking up a note on the table just inside the front door. "Looks like it's for you."

Jennifer handed him the paper, which was folded in half, with the words "Mr. H" scribbled across the visible portion. Jonathan instantly recognized the handwriting as Max's, which barely passed for legible at best. However, after nearly 25 years of experience, Jonathan had become quiet adept at deciphering the scrawl. He read the message aloud to Jennifer...

"Well, that's strange. I know that Stanley is a workaholic but that's a little early on a Saturday morning, even for him." Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the thought, and turning his attention to his wife. "Care to join me upstairs?"

"That's the best idea you've had all night," she replied, reaching out for her husband and pulling him into a hug before turning toward the stairs. They walked up the stairs, arm in arm, till they reached the double doors leading into their bedroom.

The fact that the bedroom doors were closed was the first thing that caught Jennifer's attention. But it was Jonathan's reluctance to enter through them before her that clued her in to the fact that her husband was up to something. As she slowly opened the doors, she could see the soft lighting from within. She turned back toward her husband suspiciously.

"Jonathan?" she asked curiously, "What are you up to?"

"Why don't you go in and see for yourself, darling," he responded, his eyes filled with a mischievous look. He gently guided her through the doorway, carefully watching her reaction.

"Jonathan!" she gasped in amazement.

The room had been transformed into a romantic paradise. Soft lights glowed in the far corners of the room, draped in nearly transparent silk cloths to mute the brightness. A sheer fabric formed a tent-like structure over the bed, with one side open, inviting them in. The satin comforter within was covered in rose petals, their scent filling the air with fragrance. A bottle of wine was chilling on ice in a stand next to the bed.

"You remembered!" she exclaimed.

"Of course I did. How could I forget?"

Just yesterday they had been reminiscing about the trip they had taken to Kenya the year before. Jennifer had been doing a story on the endangered animals of the jungles of Africa and Jonathan had willingly agreed to accompany her. It had been several months since the two of them had been able to get away and Jonathan had seized the opportunity to spend some time with his wife. One night, after a long day on safari, Jonathan had whisked his wife away from the rest of the group to spend some much needed time alone. The day before he had discovered a secluded waterfall, not far from their bungalow, and he blindfolded her as he led her there. She had been amazed by the sight of the water cascading over the rock formation and the beautiful greenery surrounding it. Jonathan had taken her hand and led her into the water and, after assuring her that she was perfectly safe from predators, they had enjoyed themselves frolicking and bathing in the cool water. Afterwards, they had returned to their bungalow, which looked remarkably like the room before Jennifer now, and spent an enjoyable evening in each others arms.

Jennifer looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you did this." After thinking about it for another moment, she added, "How did you do this? We just talked about it yesterday. Should I assume Max was involved in this little plan?"

"I might have had a little help," he admitted with a sly grin. "But the thought was all mine."

"Well, you know what they say....it's the thought that counts," she said, wrapping her arms around her husband and kissing him tenderly on the lips. The kiss deepened in intensity briefly before he gently pulled away.

"Mmmm.....," he mumbled. "I'm glad that my little plan is having the desired effect on you."

"So this was all just a set up to seduce me, huh?" she said playfully, running her fingers gently along the side of his face and trailing them down to the tender spot on the back of his neck which so often caught him off-guard.

"Well..."

"Can I give you a clue?" she said, glancing toward the bed, "You didn't need the tent!"

Soft laughter filled the room, subsiding only when he lifted his wife into his arms and carried her to their private paradise. He lay her on the covering of rose petals and joined her there, their bodies intertwining as the flora clung to their clothes and in Jennifer's auburn hair. As they slowly removed each other's clothes, the wine remained untouched, silence filled the air, and their only thoughts were of each other and the promise that the evening held. It was only as the sun began to rise in the distance that they drifted off to sleep in each others arms.

They were both totally unresponsive when Max's knock at the door alerted them to the fact that they had already overslept. Max had assumed that it had been a late night for them and had returned downstairs after the voices within the bedroom and assured him that they were awake. One look at the clock sent Jennifer into a panic. She was already late for her meeting with her editor and knew this would not help with the fact that she was planning on negotiating an extension on the deadline for her current article. She jumped up from the bed and rushed into the bathroom, turning on the water for a quick shower.

Just then the phone rang. From the bathroom Jennifer yelled out to her husband, "Tell her I'll be there in forty-five minutes." She poked her head around the corner into the bedroom and added, "I'm sure you can make up a good excuse." She ducked back into the bathroom, leaving Jonathan to answer the call.

When she returned a few minutes later, her husband was gone. She quickly dressed, and ran down the stairs, hoping to grab a cup of coffee before dashing out the door.

Jonathan and Max were seated at the table, a manila file folder filled with papers opened up between them. Max rose immediately and went over to the counter to fetch the coffee carafe and a cup for Jennifer. As she pulled out a chair, he placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. The smell of it alone was making her more alert and ready to face the day.

"Thank you, Max," she said, turning her attention to Jonathan. "What did Marcia have to say? I'm sure she was furious."

"Actually, that was Stanley on the phone."

"Wow, he certainly is being persistent. Is there a problem at the office?"

Jonathan hesitated. "I'm not sure. He called to say that he had some papers sent over that he wanted me to look at right away. I was just taking a look at them now."

"Does this have to do with the new structure of the marketing department?" she asked inquisitively, knowing that Stanley had been overseeing the changes in that department for the past few weeks.

"No, actually it has to do with the joint venture we are planning to do with Advantage...with James. I asked Stanley to put together some information for me before we signed the final papers..." His words drifted off, as carefully studied some numbers on the paper before him.

Jennifer looked to Max, hoping he could shed some light on the situation. He shrugged his shoulders in response and excused himself to take care of the dishes that had been left in the sink from the day before.

"Darling? Is there something wrong?" She could see from his expression that at that moment her husband was deeply engrossed and that something was troubling him.

"I don't know," he answered. "A couple days ago I asked Stanley to gather some information for me about James' company. When he called a few minutes ago he said that he thought I would want to review some of the financial statements before proceeding with the joint venture. He wasn't sure there was a problem but he was suspicious enough that he wanted to bring it to my attention." He paused. "He's right......something here doesn't look right. I'll have to give James a call this morning, I'm sure he can clear it all up." He put the papers back into the folder and drank the last sip of his coffee.

Looking at her watch, Jennifer got up from the table and grabbed her leather attache case and car keys off the counter by the phone. "I guess I'm late enough. If Marcia calls, tell her I'm on my way."

"I'll walk you out," Jonathan responded.

"Bye Max," she called out to him as she left the kitchen through the swinging door leading into the living room.

"See you later, Mrs. H."

"I know you're in a hurry, darling," Jonathan said, stopping her just inside the front door and pulling her close to him, "But I just needed to do one thing before you go." His hands traveled up to her face and he brought his lips to meet hers, stirring the passion from the night before.

"You really don't care that I'm late, do you?" she said, returning his kiss and, for a moment, forgetting all about her meeting. Snapping back into reality, she kissed him one last time, on the cheek, straightened her hair and shook her head at him. "I shouldn't be long. If you let me go now, maybe later we can continue where we left off," she said teasingly.

His blue eyes grew big. "Go!" he said forcefully, reaching for the doorknob.

As he opened the door, they could see a dark colored car coming up the winding driveway.

"That looks like one of the Sullivan's cars," Jonathan commented. "Maybe James wants to continue last night's discussion. We were actually making some progress before we were interrupted. Max must have opened the gate."

The car came to an abrupt stop in the turn-around in front of the house and Jennifer and Jonathan walked toward it to greet their guest. Allison Sullivan jumped out of the car and, without even shutting the door, ran up to them and grabbed Jonathan's hand.

"You've got to help me," she said, clinging to him and looking desperate. Her hands shook almost violently but it was the look of fear in her eyes that revealed even more than her trembling touch. "I didn't know where to turn.....I mean......I thought you...."

"Try to calm down, Allison," Jonathan responded, hoping to calm her enough to make her words more coherent. "Can you tell us what has happened? Where is James?"

"He's gone......he's gone.....I need your help...." She began sobbing and her whole body began to collapse. They both reached out to support her and led her to a bench near the front door.

"Now Allison, this is important......you need to calm down and tell us what is going on so we can try and help you," Jennifer said, rubbing her back gently.

Allison wiped her eyes and took a deep breath before exclaiming, "He gone...they took him...he's been kidnapped." With those words she collapsed into Jennifer's arms.