Rudy parked the car on the tarmac and looked at Steve who was sitting motionless beside him. Following his friends distant stare Rudy realized he was looking at the government owned Cessna Citation, no doubt remembering his first interactions with Kayce when she was on the pilot of the private plane.

“Steve?” The doctor reached out and placed a hand on Steve’s arm which startled him back to the present with a brow raised at his friend.

“I’m fine Rudy. Thanks for the ride.” He hopped out and quickly grabbed the suitcases from the trunk. The doctor was relieved that Oscar had offered the OSI’s plane to return Steve and his family to California. The former operative was looking quite haggard and distracted. With the state his patient was in there was no way Rudy, a certified flight surgeon, would have cleared him to fly himself.

The three Austin’s’ said their goodbyes and boarded the plane. Rudy watched the sleek aircraft race down the runway and lift effortlessly into the blue sky silently wishing them Godspeed.

A few days after returning to the ranch Steve knew he had a difficult job to do. Kayce’s best friend Sarah and husband, Lt. Stephens, had settled in California not far from Ojai. It probably wouldn’t have been in the forefront of his mind had Sarah not left Kayce several messages on the answering machine, which Steve listened to upon their return.

Initially he picked up the phone to call her but immediately dismissed the thought and put it back. This wasn’t something he could say over the phone. In fact this wasn’t something he wanted to say in person.

Taking the chance that Sarah would be home he loaded up the kids and drove an hour north. Kyle was excited to see his former nanny again. By mid-afternoon they were pulling into the drive. Shutting down the engine Steve paused a moment before forcing himself out of the vehicle.

Sarah heard the doorbell and was surprised to see Steve, Kyle and Stephanie on her doorstep.

“Steve!” She smiled brightly.

“Hi Sarah.” He greeted.

“Hi Miss Sarah!” Kyle called out with enthusiasm.

”Hi Kyle…hi Stephanie.” She said tousling the boys light brown hair and tweaking the little girl’s button nose. “Please come in.” She requested with unvoiced concern over why Kayce wasn’t with them.

“Dad, look!” Kyle exclaimed as he pointed to the small dog sitting on the couch.

“His name is Skipper.” She offered then chuckled with a glance at Steve “What else would a career Navy man name his dog?” Steve just nodded.

“Is it alright if Kyle takes him out to the yard to play?” Steve asked wanting to get his son out of earshot.

”Sure, I think Skipper would like that. Just stay in the yard Kyle and come back in when it starts getting dark.”

”Okay. Come on Skipper.” He opened the door and the excited canine made his exit with a smiling boy right behind.

Steve settled a sleepy Stephanie on the couch next to him, her little hand rubbing her pink blanket fighting the sandman’s invitation but failing instantly.

“Steve, what going on? Where’s Kayce?” The young woman asked in a hushed tone.

Steve sat with his elbows on his thighs, staring at the carpet. “I don’t know how to say this Sarah.”

“Well, not saying anything is scaring me so please say something.”

Steve, unable to make eye contact, took a breath and told Sarah the whole story. The young woman sat motionless, numbed by the news.

“You mean she’s……she’s really gone?” The tears welled up in the dark brown eyes.

Steve just looked at her and nodded. Sarah got to her feet, feeling like she had just been kicked in the stomach. She began sobbing and Steve quickly embraced her, letting her release her grief. Her body soon slowed its trembling and the pair was startled by the low masculine voice.

“What’s going on?” Silver asked, wondering why his wife was crying in another man’s arms.

Sarah moved swiftly to her husband, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, her muffled sobs returning. “Sarah?” He rubbed her back in an effort to get some answers. Looking over his wife’s shoulder he inquired, “Colonel, what’s going on?”

Steve didn’t have the energy to go through the whole story again. He felt sure Sarah would share it later when things settled. “There’s evidence that Kayce was killed in an explosion.” He stated softly.

“WHAT? WHEN?”

“Three weeks ago. I just returned from Washington. I’ve been trying to get some answers but haven’t gotten any leads.”

The room filled with silence while the news was digested, Silver using all his military discipline to keep his emotions in check. At that moment Kyle was heard trying to get the dog back into the house. Sarah swiftly wiped her eyes in preparation for seeing the little boy Kayce adored.

“Would you like to stay the night?”

“No we need to be getting back. I just wanted to tell you in person.”

Silver finally found his voice, strained as it was, “We appreciate you coming. Is there anything we can do?”

“Not really.”

Sarah added, “Well if you need anything please call us.”

”I will.” Steve picked up his sleeping daughter. “Come on Kyle its time to head home.”

“Okay. Bye Skipper.” He patted the happy dog’s head. “Bye Miss Sarah, bye Mr. Silver.”

“Bye Kyle.” They replied in unison

Steve followed his son out the door. Once the unexpected visitors left there was a long quiet evening in the Stephen’s household.

Two months passed and Steve was dipping deeper into depression. He wanted to hold onto the hope that without a body Kayce would turn up but it wasn’t turning out that way. His head fought constantly with his heart and it drained his energy, making it harder and harder to hold things together.

He spent most nights sitting alone in the darkened family room gradually emptying the bottles in the wet bar. He whittled away the hours staring at photographs of Kayce. He knew he was sinking into a depression that would not change the facts. One evening he staggered quietly to his children’s rooms and spent a long time watching them sleep, their faces so peaceful and innocent.

It was then he knew he needed help. He was their only parent and they deserved to have him emotionally committed to the role. Checking his watch he made a call knowing it was past 7:00 am on the east coast.

The two men sat on the patio, the cool fall breeze wafting by while they sipped coffee. Rudy was surprised to get the unexpected call the previous morning but wasn’t surprised at his friend’s emotional state when he arrived.

He watched Steve interact with his children, very skilled at appearing alright to them. But as soon as Kyle went to pre-school Steve’s body physically slumped as if the effort had totally drained him.

The doctor sat silent, knowing Steve was struggling internally. The former astronaut was a proud and independent man who hated to ask for help from anyone. Whatever was happening must be pretty significant for him to call for assistance. Finally Steve’s soft voice reached him.

Staring out across the corral Steve began sharing some information, his voice monotone.

“Thanks for coming Rudy. I’m sorry to take you away from your work.”

“I was glad I could come. Besides I was due for some time away from the over-crowded city.” He assured him as he shared his distant gaze.

A heavy sigh was heard before Steve continued. “Every ounce of my being wants to believe she’s still alive….still out there somewhere….but…..”

“But what?” The doctor asked in an effort to get his friend to open up. He worried about Steve’s state of mind after noticing several empty bottles of hard liquor in the trash can next to the driveway. Hearing the widower beginning to speak of his feelings gave the physician much relief.

“I don’t think it’s good for my kids.” He stated simply in a soft level voice.

“Go on.”

“It’s Kyle.” He replied as he sat forward, placing his forearms on his thighs, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation.

“What about him?”

“He’s been getting more and more quiet. When I put him to bed the other night I asked him to tell me what was bothering him,” The father, staring into his empty coffee mug, paused to take a shaky breath before finishing, “He said he thinks his mother left because he was bad.” Blinking back tears he added. “He asked me if he promised to be the best little boy ever would she come back.”

Now it was Rudy’s turn to swallow the lump in his throat and let out a long exhale. His mind going over what options Steve had. There weren’t many. “Steve, maybe it’s time to tell him.” The doctor looked over but Steve would not make eye contact, in fact he didn’t move a muscle, which made it difficult to read what the man was thinking. “I spoke with a child psychologist before I left Washington. She says that children need closure,” He explained. “Just like adults do.” A statement specifically aimed at Steve.

Getting to his feet the tired man stretched, “I don’t know Rudy….I just don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“I don’t know where to go from here.” Steve confessed honestly.

Rudy came to stand next to his friend. “Do you want to know what I think?”

Steve just silently nodded to the affirmative. The doctor, being sure to look his depressed friend in the eye, spoke his mind. “I think Kayce was in that warehouse when it exploded. I don’t think she got out and I don’t think she is off somewhere living a different life.”

The blue eyes just stared unblinking at the man who spoke so bluntly. “We both knew Kayce very well,” he said deliberately using the past tense. “If she was somewhere else she would have gotten back here by now. It’s been over three months.”

Steve wanted to grasp at any straw he could find to debate the issue. “Rudy I was gone for 6 months…apparently everyone thought I was dead too…except Kayce! If she had that much faith then so should I!”

“Steve,” The doctor did his best to calm the man. “You were in the middle of Central America….Kayce was in a populated city. There’s a big difference.”

There was a tense silence as Steve considered the facts. “I need to go pick up Kyle. Can you watch Steph for a few minutes?”

“Sure.” Rudy replied knowing his friend needed time to digest their conversation and come to a conclusion on his own.

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

That evening over dinner Rudy was surprised at the silence that hung over the table. He glanced at the 5 year old a few times and noticed he didn’t even look up from his plate, which was still as full as it was when they sat down.

The physician had made a point to watch the little boy when Steve returned him from his half day of preschool. After greeting his Uncle Kyle walked, his head down, into the house and dropped in front of the TV. Rudy thought he looked like he had lost some weight too. Unable to get the boy to talk the invited guest waited to see if he would talk at dinner.

“So Kyle how was school?” Rudy asked with genuine interest.

“Fine.” He replied just above a whisper. The half-hearted answer took Steve’s attention from feeding his daughter to see his son was slouched in his seat. With a raised brow Steve inquired further.

“Kyle, did something happen at school today?” The tow headed boy nodded slowly.

“What happened?” his father asked with concern.

The blue eyes never came off the plate as the little voice asked a very big question. “Did you and mom get a divorce?”

The question shocked both men who had to take a moment to recover. “No Kyle, your mother and I did not get a divorce. Where did you hear that word?”

“At school.”

“From who?”

With the questions getting more and more stern Kyle’s voice became softer. “Billy.”

“And what did Billy have to say?” Steve asked in frustration.

“He said when a mom and dad aren’t together anymore they are divorced.” He paused to choke back a sob as tears began flowing down his little cheeks. He looked up at his father and asked, “Why did you throw her out?”

“Kyle I did NOT throw your mother out!” With a glare from Rudy Steve took the hint to lower his tone. “Kyle, why do you think that?” He asked in a more caring voice.

“Billy said when his parents got divorced his mother threw his father out and he never saw him again.”

“Kyle, believe me… I want your mother back here as much as you do.” Steve, his eyes filling with unshed tears, moved to crouch next to his son’s chair.

Kyle’s tears slowed but continued, “Did she ab…adandon us?” Steve’s eyes grew wide at the innocent questions.

“Oh God no Kyle.” Steve pulled his son into his arms and held him tightly. “Your mother would never, ever abandon us…NEVER.” Over his son’s shoulder Steve looked at Rudy’s sympathetic face and realized he may not be able to continue with his hopeful charade, not without emotionally harming his children.

He hated it, feeling like he had betrayed his wife’s trust in him. As he had told his son last week Kayce did not abandon them but now Steve felt like he was abandoning her. She was the love of his life, his best friend, his soul mate, and the mother of his children. Did his actions show the belief he didn’t feel? What did those around him think?

Standing by the large lake located just behind the ranch Steve never heard the words said by the reverend but a nudge from Rudy made him return his attention to the event he was participating in.

After careful consideration of Rudy’s insights Steve finally broke down and told his son the true reason for his mother’s absence. Even though the explanation was difficult for the young boy to hear he seemed almost relieved to know for sure that her absence was not his doing, not because of anything he did wrong. In fact, as his father explained, she would be here with them if she could.

After the long conversation, where Steve answered his son’s questions as best he could, Kyle seemed to return to his old self with just an underlying sadness that spoke of his missing his mother’s presence in his life.

Steve stood, dressed in a dark navy suit, holding Stephanie with one arm and holding Kyle’s hand with his other. The 1 year old girl was oblivious as to what the ceremony was about but Kyle, also dressed in a dark blue suit, understood and he never left go of his father’s hand the entire time. . It was Kyle who chose the spot to hold his mother’s memorial, stating it would be like having her there with them whenever they came to the lake.

The moment soon arrived for the surviving family members to pay their respects. Steve moved to the water’s edge and placed a rose accented wreath in the water and Kyle imitated his father’s actions with two smaller ones, one from him and one from his younger sister. Sniffles, from the gallery, could be heard in the silence as the deed was done.

A tearful Sarah held tightly to her husband, Silver, who was still numb with disbelief. Jaime’s heart ached for Steve and his children. Oscar stood with a lump in his throat wishing he could go back and make different choices. Rudy, who held onto the guilt for Kayce’s presence at the warehouse, knew he could not have dissuaded her. Her mind had been made up that she would be involved in rescuing a woman he held dear. Still the guilt remained.

The luncheon after the service was exhausting to Steve. Several friends and former colleagues came to pay their respects for a woman they regarded highly. After some light conversations and giving Steve their regards the ranch house finally emptied out.

Later that evening Steve wasn’t surprised that Kyle asked to sleep with him. The little boy was struggling with the thoughts that if his mother disappeared so quickly then so could his father. Stephanie, picking up on the unusually solemn atmosphere, cried incessantly until she too was put in her father’s bed with her brother. The three of them fell asleep, each holding tightly to the other.

Even though Steve didn’t expect it the memorial service seemed to help him move forward with his life. Over the next month he made sure Kyle’s October birthday was a happy occasion. Each time there was a special event Steve found himself telling Kayce all about it when he settled into bed at night. He smiled wondering if this was the sign of an undiagnosed mental illness but it made him feel better so it continued.

One evening in early November Steve was startled awake by a rapid knock on his door. Rubbing the sleep from his half-closed eyes he ambled down the narrow hallway wearing only a pair of jeans. Opening the door he was shocked to see his boss standing before him.

“Oscar? What the hell…?”

“Steve I need to talk to you.”

The retired operative gestured him in. “What’s this all a bout? Its 2 am!”

“Get dressed. I need you to come with me to Florida.”

“Florida! Why?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

“What about my kids?”

“I’ve taken care of that. Jaime’s on her way over.”

“What?”

“Just get dressed. We need to leave as soon as she gets here.” He insisted.

Steve took a moment to assess the strange situation. He knew since his contact with the OSI had been limited to consultations since becoming a single parent there was no reason for Oscar to show up in the middle of the night to pull him into something unless….. “This is about Kayce isn’t it?”

“Just get dressed.” Steve rushed off and in 20 minutes he was showered, dressed and just coming from his children’s rooms after kissing them goodbye.

Within the hour the two men were airborne on the OSI’s private plane. Oscar finally explained the sudden trip to Florida.

With a devilish smirk he explained that he had continued to keep two operatives on Kayce’s disappearance without drawing attention from his superiors. Steve moved forward in his seat that faced the OSI director. Suddenly he felt hope welling up inside him. He silently nodded his gratitude and waited for the briefing to continue.

The OSI agents had finally located Thomas Sheridan, hold up at his secure estate in Florida. He placed a few 8 by 10 photographs in front of his friend.

“They did some surveillance to see if Sheridan was at the property which was purchased under a fictitious name. Here you can see him on the phone while sitting on his patio. Here he is through the window of his bedroom, getting into his car…”

He doesn’t look too concerned that he’s a wanted man.” Steve commented off-handedly of the handsome dark haired man.

“No he doesn’t because he knows how to get away from us.” He watched as Steve looked over the pictures with interest, hesitating how he would tell him the news. Soon the blue eyes looked up and he asked, “So what does this have to do with Kayce?”

Oscar placed another photo on the table he had been withholding. “They caught another person on film.” Steve took the grainy, long distance photo and gazed at it closely. Sitting next to Sheridan was a person in profile…a woman with her head lowered…with sandy colored hair. He looked at his boss with a raised brow.

“They couldn’t get a good look at her and we cannot confirm that woman is Kayce. In fact it’s a long shot but according to the agents that woman is the same build as Kayce…same hair….”

“At least it’s worth a shot but….” Steve swiftly interrupted.

“But what?”

“Why? Why would Kayce be with Sheridan?” He asked in confusion.

“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll have more information when we land.” Steve just nodded and sat back in his seat, his eyes locked on the picture of the unknown woman. Even he could not confirm it was his wife.

Entering a conference room at the Florida branch of the FBI Steve was surprised to find Rudy and Cassie both with long faces. They stood up as their friend entered the room.

“Hi Steve.” They greeted in unison without much enthusiasm.

“Hi.” Steve responded with a furrowed brow. “So what’s up?”

Cassie answered in a frustrated tone, “Just waiting for Agent Burke.”

Steve nodded then went across the room for a cup of coffee. He wanted to be ready to go when the time came. No sooner had he returned the pot to its home that the agent in question rushed in and shut the door.

“What have you got Burke?” Oscar inquired in an authoritative voice.

“A lot more than we had.” He replied confidently. “We waited and finally the maid, Juanita Ramirez, left the property. Just as we suspected she’s an illegal immigrant. Just announcing we were government agents opened her mouth wide.” He looked at Oscar, “We promised her a permanent Green Card if she assists us with the mission.” Oscar nodded his approval and Agent Burke filled everyone in.

“She lives on the estate as well as the butler and cook. There are also several armed guards that roam about. Sheridan comes and goes unannounced. It isn’t going to be easy.”

“Go on.” Oscar urged.

“I asked her about the woman who lives there.” He glanced worriedly at Steve. “She said Sheridan brought her to the estate about 5 months ago.”

“That fits.” Steve responded with encouragement. “Go on.”

“Well…well Sheridan apparently told the staff she was his new wife.”

The statement brought total silence to the room. Steve was observed rubbing his eyes as if trying to wake from a dream, a very bad dream. He reminded himself the woman may not even be Kayce.

“Anyway since this woman was brought there she has been ill and getting worse. The maid said Sheridan hired two nurses to care for her day and night.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Rudy asked with concern.

Agent Burke shrugged, “The maid didn’t know. Apparently Sheridan had a doctor come out but he couldn’t find anything wrong and just prescribed some sleep medication.” The doctor rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat, helpless to do anything.

“What else?” Oscar urged.

“That’s it except she agreed to help us.”

“Why would she do that?” Steve asked.

“For one she said the staff is very fond of the woman. She is also afraid of being deported back to El Salvador.”

Steve was immediately on his feet anxious to find out if the woman was Kayce. “Let’s go.” He ordered but was quickly stopped by Oscar.

“Not so fast pal, you aren’t going anywhere. Burke, I want the nurse that covers the night shift to become indisposed. Cassie, here, will be taking her place. Once inside she will confirm who the mysterious woman is. If it is Kayce she’ll try and get permission from Sheridan to transport her to a hospital, if the woman is as ill as the maid said it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“But Oscar….” Steve tried again.

“Don’t ‘But’ me. I’m not about to send you in there. Do you understand?”

The three observers watching the scene could see the blue eyes of the former astronaut turn an icy blue, his facial muscles contracting as he clenched his jaw tight. Oscar didn’t wait for a retort.

“Cassie, see what you can find out.”

“What about Sheridan?” She asked.

“I don’t give a damn about Sheridan right now, only that woman.”

“Got it.” She replied and headed out the door.

The immense wooden door opened slowly and intimidating man shadowed over Cassie. The butler stood in silence waiting to hear the reason for the woman’s presence.

Acting nervous she spoke quickly, “Ah…as I told your guard at the front gate I’m Cassie. I got a call from Mary, the nurse that cares for the woman of the house through the night hours. She has fallen ill and requested I take her place.”

The black suited man, easily towering over 6’ 4”, remained silent. So Cassie continued to explain, “She didn’t want to appear unreliable and I was told her patient could not go without assistance during the night.”

After looking over the sleight woman, dressed in a white nurse uniform, the butler just nodded and guided her into the mansion. “I will show you to your patient.” He lumbered off with Cassie walking fast to keep up with his elongated strides. He took her to a separate wing of the residence that housed the master suite. Opening the door he waited for her to enter. “Everything you need can be found in these rooms. If not you can buzz the intercom you’ll find next to the bed.” Without waiting for a reply he shut the door.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief that she had made it this far without incident Cassie slipped off her white cardigan sweater and tossed it on the bed. She already knew the daytime nurse had left for the day. Walking about the spacious room she wondered where the mystery woman was. As she moved through an adjoining door into a sitting room she saw what she came for.

Sitting in a wheelchair, the young woman was seemingly unaware of her surroundings, just staring out the window. The sun, which was setting fast, gave the pale profile a pinkish glow.

“Kayce?” She called out softly.

There was no response. Kneeling next the chair Cassie called again. When the woman remained silent and unmoving the OSI agent gently turned the face to her. Cassie sucked in a breath at the face that was before her. The dark grey circles under the dull lifeless eyes were accented by sunken pale cheeks. She swallowed hard in disbelief. “Oh Kayce.” She whispered.

Cassie wasn’t sure if Sheridan was on the premise or not but she needed to get her friend out of there. Rudy had provided her with possible serious medical conditions that would warrant hospitalization if Sheridan was to question her need to move his ‘wife’ to a hospital.

She buzzed the intercom and the deep baritone voice of the butler responded quickly.

“I’m afraid Mrs. Sheridan is very ill she needs to see a doctor immediately.”

There was no reply but she heard the intercom disconnect at the other end. She waited anxiously for him to call back and was startled when he came to the door. “I’m afraid Mr. Sheridan does not want his wife to leave the property. He has had a physician examine her and he did not feel she was seriously ill.”

“When did he see her?”

“Last week.”

“Well, I would think Mr. Sheridan would be concerned that without treatment she could die. Let me talk to him. I’ll explain the situation.”

“I’m afraid he is not here at the moment.” The butler stood lost in thought a moment while staring at Kayce. He and the staff liked this woman. When she first came to the mansion she was nice to them. Then she became ill and was getting worse. He hated to see her in pain, which came and went depending on the medication she was given, but she never got any better. He suspected the young nurse knew what she was doing. He certainly didn’t want to be responsible for his employer’s wife should she expire. “He prefers to have his personal physician come here to treat her.”

“Well obviously that didn’t work too well before.” She challenged. “Look at her. She needs medical attention….now. Let me call a doctor and…..”

“NO,” he conceded. “I’ll call Mr. Sheridan’s physician. We’ll see what he has to say.”

The tall man turned on his heel and closed the door behind him. Cassie sunk down onto the bed and looked over at Kayce sitting next to the vanity. “I hope this works Kayce.”

It was only an hour later that the doctor was escorted through the gates to the mansion. The butler wasted no time taking him to his patient. He had never met Mr. Sheridan’s physician personally so it did not occur to him that the man following him to the master suite was not the same man.

He let the doctor into the room and stood there wanting to make sure he was making the right decision. Rudy and Cassie were surprised to have an audience. Suddenly the maid moved in behind him. “I need jew to help me move da furniture.” She said in an effort to pull him away from the undercover agents she was helping.

The grey haired butler took once last glance at the pair before closing the door securely, letting the medical professionals do their jobs in private.

“Thank God Oscar was able to intercept that call. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do should another doctor show up.” Cassie commented quickly.

“Where is she?” Rudy asked knowing that the phone call from the mansion requesting a doctor’s presence was the signal that the woman sequestered in the mansion was Kayce Austin.

“In here.”

“Oh my God.” He exclaimed seeing the frail body of the once vivacious woman. “Kayce?” He called while kneeling in front of her. She didn’t respond but her pain-filled eyes met his, her slender body trembling. He took her pulse at her wrist. It was rapid and weak. Suddenly she doubled over in pain, her breath coming in pants. “Cassie, call an ambulance.”

“Do you really think getting her out of here will be as easy as that? There are armed guards who plan on keeping her here.”

“Just do it!”

Cassie turned and buzzed the butler and he arrived without question. “We need to get Mrs. Sheridan to a hospital.”

”I told you Mr. Sheridan…..”

“I don’t care about Mr. Sheridan!” Rudy blurted out with real anger. “This woman is gravely ill and in pain. She needs to be in a hospital.”

“Alright. I’ll make the call.” He turned and left.

Soon the sirens could be heard. Looking out the darkened window Cassie described what she was watching, the lights flashing in the distance. “They stopped it at the gate.” Seconds ticked by. “It looks like they aren’t going to let it pass. They obviously don’t want her leaving. It looks like the driver is out of the vehicle. I can’t make out what he’s doing.” She glanced back at the doctor who was trying his best to get Kayce to respond to him. Her spasms had passed and she sat quietly rocking slowly as if the pain hadn’t totally subsided. “Here it comes.” She reported seeing the ambulance stop at the front door.

There was no knock on the bedroom door before it opened revealing an anxious Steve with a gurney. The maid stood guard at the door with a plan to distract any staff member who interfered with the removal of the ill woman.

“Steve what are you doing here? Where’s the ambulance driver?” Cassie asked in surprise.

“I took his place. Where’s Kayce?”

”In there.” The fearful husband pushed past his friend in search of his wife. “I didn’t think they were going to let you through the gate.”

“I was very persuasive.” He said before stopping in mid-stride. “Oh god.” He moved to her side. “Kayce can you hear me?” Her sunken eyes and cheeks brought him to the brink of panic.

“I don’t think she recognizes us.” Steve looked at Rudy as if he had two heads.

Kayce suddenly doubled over again and cried out in pain, causing Steve’s stomach to twist. “Steve, give me a hand getting her onto the gurney.” Steve moved efficiently to assist the doctor. Cassie watched the door for unwanted guests.

Kayce’s left arm tremored uncontrollably as she winced in pain. “Rudy what’s happening?”

“I don’t know. Something is affecting her bionics. I don’t think her legs are functioning at all.” The two easily lifted the weakened woman to the wheeled bed as she began mumbling incoherently. Once settled on the narrow bed she moaned softly. Steve caressed her forehead trying in vain to take her pain away. He suddenly realized he was actually touching her, something he never thought he would ever do again. “Kayce it’s me. We’re gonna get you out of here okay?” She turned her head towards him trying to speak.

“Tttt……Tooommmmm? Where’sssss myyy husssband?? I nnneeeeddd Tommmmm.”

Steve forced his Adam’s apple to move in his constricted throat. Reaching down he held her left hand before placing on the gurney. His eyes fell upon the diamond wedding band he didn’t give her.

She cried out again in excruciating pain and Rudy quickly drew up a syringe of sedative. While Steve continued to try and sooth her the drug was injected. The underweight body slowly stilled, the eyelids dropping causing the tears to slide down her temples. Rudy looked up at a distressed Steve who was staring at his wife and suggested strongly, “Let’s get her out of here.”

During the drive to the hospital Steve rode in the back with his wife while Cassie drove the emergency vehicle. Rudy was busy starting an IV, putting her on oxygen and attaching a heart monitor. Both men had the same disturbing questions on their minds….why didn’t she recognize them….how could she believe she was Sheridan’s wife and what was causing such intense pain.

With his work temporarily done the doctor sat back keeping one eye on the monitor which showed a slightly irregular heartbeat and the other on Steve. The patient’s husband sat forward with his eyes locked on the delicate features of his sedated wife. He was filled with so many conflicting emotions he couldn’t even think straight.

Oscar met his team at the medical center. He watched as Rudy immediately took Kayce towards the operating room.

“How long Rudy?” Steve asked.

“At least 2-3 hours.” He responded and moved with his patient behind closed doors. Steve began pacing back and forth in the waiting room with his left hand on his hip, his right hand fingering his bottom lip.

“Steve?” Oscar tried to converse with his friend. “Steve?”

“Are your men going to question Sheridan’s staff?” Steve inquired abruptly.

“Yes. There should be several agents searching the estate by now. Why?”

Steve was instantly moving towards the door he had just recently entered. Oscar called out after him. “Steve, where are you going? STEVE!” The only reply he got was the glass doors swinging shut.

The experienced physician assisted his staff with moving the anesthetized patient off the operating table. He wasn’t sure how Kayce would handle the surgical procedure to temporarily repair her bionic limbs but she had held on. The irregular heartbeat she had earlier slowly transformed into a normal rhythm with the help of medication. She was out of the woods and Rudy let out a sigh of relief as the recovering woman was moved to a private room.

The doctor was standing over Kayce’s still form monitoring her closely. She was no longer in need of supplemental oxygen but she was not as well as he would have liked. He only glanced up when he felt a solicitous presence in the room. Oscar, treading quietly, took a position at the foot of the bed. It was his first good look at the young woman who he thought was long since dead. Seeing her pasty skin tone against the white sheet he wondered if she was still being chased by the grim reaper.

“Well Rudy?”

The doctor put his stethoscope into his coat pocket before replying. “She’s dehydrated, malnourished and her bionic system was seriously damaged. The surgery took a lot out of her and she was in bad shape to begin with. At least her injuries are no longer life threatening. I repaired her bionics as best I could until we return to Washington. Now she just needs a lot of sleep and nourishment.”

“What happened to her bionics?”

“I have no idea. All I know is she has similar damage as Steve had when we lost him in that small town…what was the name….?”

”Broken Fork?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Something triggered a severe overload in her circuitry causing the insulation around a lot of the wires to disintegrate as they shorted out.” He stared down at the slumbering patient. “There’s something else.”

“What?”

“She didn’t recognize Cassie, me or even Steve. Before I sedated her she mumbled something like she needed her husband…Tom.” He looked at the director with eyes that spoke of his sadness.

Oscar’s eyes grew large at the revelation. “You mean she lost her memory?”

“I think so. It also happened to Steve when he had the same damage to his arm.”

“But it will come back…I mean Steve got his memory back in a couple days after you corrected the problem.” Oscar reminded the scientist.

“In Kayce’s case it’s a little different. Her whole system was damaged not just her arm and she wasn’t treated for months. There’s a strong possibility that it could be permanent.” He looked down at his patient again. “Its amazing it wasn’t fatal after all this time. She must have endured so much pain…I can’t imagine.”

Suddenly Oscar realized what he was holding in his right hand, a small sealed baggie. Looking down he began to connect the dots. “Rudy, could this have caused the damage?” He handed the evidence to the doctor for inspection.

“What is it?” He said turning the rectangular black box over.

“Sheridan is known for buying and selling weapons, some still in the early experimental phase. We found four of these in various stages of development in a safe in his home. It’s something of a stun gun. This one was the only one not locked in a box. It is my guess that he used it on Kayce to subdue her in the warehouse. I had it tested and they found it gives a jolt of at least 8,000 to 10,000 volts of electricity…enough to drop a human being instantly.”

“10,000 volts? On a normal human being it would just render them semi-conscious but on someone with bionic circuitry it could cause serious damage.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’d say your guess would be right as to how they got her out of the warehouse without a fight. It would have caused a painful loss of consciousness almost immediately.”

Rudy handed the primitive device back to Oscar who inquired with concern, “Does Steve know about her memory loss?”

“Yes. He was closer to her then I was when she asked for her husband and called him Tom. I also saw him notice this.” He lifted the patient’s limp left hand to display the wedding ring. “Where is he?”

With this recent information Oscar realized where Steve had gone and why. “Oscar?”

“I think he went to question Sheridan’s staff.”

“Why would he do that? Your agents can handle it.” The doctor asked with a furrowed brow.

“I think you answered that question already.” He nodded to the ring on Kayce’s left hand. “I think we can understand his need for answers…it was five months after all.” Oscar replied in a low voice.

The unasked question hung in the air for several seconds as they considered what Steve might be doing to an uncooperative staff member. Rudy took a deep breath. “I think it’s safe to say Kayce would have been feeling pretty bad as soon as she woke up from being stunned and got worse as time went on.” He looked at the director. “I doubt the so-called marriage would have been consummated.”

“If not I would hate to be Sheridan after Steve gets a hold of him.” The two pair of brown eyes looked at the woman in the bed, restless in her sleep.

...Continued