TITLE: Weakest Link

By AT Jackson

Send FEEDBACK outriggerblue@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: seaQuest and all the characters in it belong to Amblin Entertainment, Sci-fi Channel and anyone else with a legal claim to them. I am writing this for fun and I am not making a profit.

Notes: The Outriggers are figments of my imagination, so I claim ownership of them. Please consult me if you wish to use them. Any resemblance to people, living or dead, or places, real or fictional, are purely coincidental.

This is a sequel to Temporary Duty, the story which introduced the Outriggers. However, while it does refer to events that happened in that story, it is not necessary to have read it in order to follow this one. Those interested in reading can find it at Chance's Ultimate seaQuest Fanfiction Archive at: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/seaquestarchive or Maureen and Riana's Fanfiction Archive at: http://www.angelfire.com/mo/moandriana . My thanks to both sites for posting it.

I know that O'Neil should be O'Neill, but it's a habit I can't break.

I received editing help, but all errors, grammatical, factual or otherwise are my own. Constructive criticism, suggestions, advice and comments are encouraged and welcomed and can be sent directly to me at outriggerblue@yahoo.com.

Finally, I have to thank Alexia, who once again coaxed, encouraged, and threatened until I finished it. As well, as Diena and Jackie who offered invaluable advice. Plus, the numerous other people who wrote to ask if there was a sequel to Temporary Duty.

Rating: PG-13/R for scenes involving mild swearing, violence and bloodshed, although nothing is graphically described. I will provide specific warnings for sections that warrant it when I post them.

Copyright: A.T. Jackson 1999.

Weakest Link

By AT Jackson

Lucas Wolenczak and Lieutenant Tim O'Neil stood in front of Captain Nathan Bridger, each privately wondering why they had been summoned and afraid that they already knew the answer.

The captain, for his part, studied the two carefully. The last several weeks, he had been hearing reports, from the rest of the crew, that both seemed unusually preoccupied. At the moment, the duo looked rather nervous and tense, which made no sense to him.

"You wanted to see us, Sir?" Tim prompted nervously.

"Yes. The UEO has ordered me to send representatives to a personnel enhancement seminar," Bridger explained. "I'm sending the two of you and Commander Ford."

Lucas hoped the relief he felt did not show on his face. Attending a seminar with the commander was not high on his list of fun things to do, but it was much better than he had expected. "When is the class?" he asked, hoping his voice sounded normal.

Bridger looked at him in surprise; this was not the response he had anticipated. He had fully expected Lucas to object to being required to attend. "It starts on Monday and goes all week, then you'll have two days extra leave," Bridger replied.

"Bribing us?" Lucas inquired, realizing that Bridger was giving him a funny look. Lucas figured the captain expected him to complain, so he wanted to make up for lost time.

"I prefer to think of it as an incentive," Bridger told him.

"When do we leave?" Tim questioned, glad that Lucas had jumped in first.

"You'll have to speak to the commander for those details."

"What is the topic of this seminar?"

"I believe it's teamwork," Bridger replied.

"Teamwork? I'm afraid to ask what they're going to make us do," Lucas grumbled.

"Mr. O'Neil, you many go," Bridger informed Tim. "I want a word with you," he added to Lucas.

"Uh, I'll see you later," Tim mumbled to Lucas.

"Yeah, sure," Lucas agreed.

"You are going to behave yourself at this seminar, aren't you?" Bridger questioned Lucas.

The teenager had a feeling it was more a statement than a question. "Of course," Lucas assured him.

"Good. I don't want Commander Ford reporting anything about you being uncooperative."

"If you're worried about my behavior, why am I going?" Lucas asked.

"I have to send three representatives and I thought you might like to get off the boat," Bridger responded.

"In other words, you couldn't think of anyone else?" Lucas interpreted.

"Not completely. It's been observed that you've been rather quiet lately. I thought a change of scene might help," Bridger remarked carefully, watching Lucas for his reaction. The captain had learned that, often, Lucas said more through his body language than actual words.

"I've had a lot on my mind," Lucas answered vaguely.

Bridger nodded his head. "I know. However, distancing yourself from your friends is not the best way to deal with it," he pointed out, thinking that Lucas was referring to his recent assignment with Outrigger Blue.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I talk to Tim," he told him.

"All right." Bridger sighed a little. It was obvious that he was not going to learn any more. Lucas could be remarkably closed-mouthed when he set his mind to it.

******

Lucas found Tim in the mess. He grabbed some food and joined his friend, glad to see no one else seated at the table.

"Well?" Tim queried.

"He just wanted to remind me to behave myself," Lucas sighed.

"And?" Tim prompted.

"And to make the observation that people have noted I've been kind of quiet lately."

"To which you replied?" Tim questioned.

"That I'd had a lot on my mind," Lucas responded. "He assumed that I meant what happened in Tarsinia and I let him think he was correct. Then he subtly suggested I talk to someone, so I said I talked to you."

"Gee, thanks. I suppose I'll get another summons before we leave to make sure you're all right," Tim informed him.

"I had to tell him something, Tim," Lucas pointed out. "What was I supposed to say?"

"I know, I know. Maybe things will cool off while we're gone."

******

"Nathan, are you sure sending them on this trip is such a good idea?" Dr. Kristin Westphalen asked the captain.

Having decided to send Lucas and Tim, but especially Lucas, to the conference, Bridger realized that he had better tell Kristin before she heard it somewhere else. He knew that she would have some objections. "Both are recovered from their injuries," he pointed out. "We have to let them off the boat some time. Sending them to the conference with Commander Ford seems like a good trial run."

"I don't know," she said. Kristin knew she was probably worrying over nothing. However, the thought of what had happened to both on Tarsinia scared her more than she had imagined. The doctor wanted to keep it from happening again. "It just seems a little soon. I know the commander is responsible…" Kristin did not complete her thought, not sure what point she was going to make. Ford would keep the two out of trouble, but he was not the most sensitive man she had met. She worried that this trip could be emotional for both Lucas and Tim, both of whom avoided talking about their feelings with others. The commander was certainly not one who encouraged sharing confidences. Kristin understood it was not that Ford did not care; he did. He just did not express it very well.

"I thought it would be a little obvious if I sent you or if I went," Bridger observed. "And they're not likely to talk to anyone but themselves if they get uncomfortable anyway. Both have been preoccupied and isolating themselves lately. I think getting off the boat might be a good idea. I think they find all the attention stifling."

"Both have made that quite clear," Kristin agreed dryly. "Have they reconsidered the idea of counseling? It could help."

"They still refuse to see it as an option," Bridger replied. "And we can't force them. Time away might be all they need."

"You're probably right. I just can't help worrying."

******

Lucas stared at Lieutenant Commander EJ Rodriguez of Outrigger Blue on the vid-screen. "Anyway, we have to attend this UEO seminar, so we'll be gone about a week. Captain Bridger gave us two days leave after that. I think it was a bribe."

"Really," Rodriguez remarked, studying Lucas and trying to figure out what was wrong. He felt like he knew the teenager fairly well, probably almost as well as anyone. Even from the long distance call, Rodriguez could tell there was something on his mind. "Everything okay?" he inquired.

"Sure. It's just fine. Why?" Lucas asked nervously. Lucas wished Tim was here with him, but the lieutenant had been in the middle of work when Rodriguez had called.

"You seem a little tense."

"I'm going to spend all week at a UEO personnel seminar with Commander Ford. This means that I will actually have to attend every single class. I mean, if someone else was going along, I'd at least get to skip. And I've heard horror stories about these seminars," Lucas informed him. Lucas realized he was babbling, but he hoped Rodriguez would not pay attention.

"Taking Blue with you?" Rodriguez questioned, knowing it would provoke a reaction. He decided there was no point in pursuing the other topic of conversation.

"Why are you so obsessed with what I do with the bear?" Lucas growled referring to the stuffed bear the Outriggers had given him as a souvenir.

"Ryan wants to make sure you're taking care of him properly," Rodriguez responded, keeping his expression innocent.

"Yeah, right," Lucas muttered. "You just like to be nosy. I'm sure if you asked, they'd get you one."

"I'll pass," Rodriguez told him. "Listen, the commander wants to talk to you, so I'll talk to you later. Call me if you need to talk," he reminded him.

Lucas smiled at the other man for the first time in the conversation. Rodriguez never ended the call without telling him to call if he needed someone to listen. Lucas had talked a lot to Rodriguez since their return from Tarsinia. Being held hostage together had given the two a powerful bond. "I will. Tell the rest hi and tell Ryan that I'm sorry she couldn't be here to fill me in on the gossip."

"All right. Tell O'Neil to stay out of trouble."

"Bye," Lucas told him. "Hi, Commander," he greeted Commander Hunter McKinnon as she appeared on screen. "Hello," McKinnon returned his greeting. "Where's O'Neil?"

"He got stuck training on the bridge," Lucas replied. "What do you need?"

"Well, since your captain has not called, I'm assuming you have not told him about Section Ninety-nine."

Lucas flushed at that. "Not yet. We're, uh, still waiting for the right time. Besides, I thought Sullivan was supposed to take care of it."

McKinnon gave him a dark look. "You know that he'll wait until it actually becomes necessary. I thought some advance warning would be wise."

"We'll do it soon," Lucas assured her, hoping she would not press him for specifics.

McKinnon recognized that the teenager was being vague, but opted not to pursue the issue. "How is everything?" she inquired.

"Just fine," Lucas responded, not sure he liked the way the commander was studying him.

"No problems from your assignment with us?" McKinnon persisted.

"Uh, no," Lucas answered, a slight hesitation in his voice.

"Listen, make sure you tell your captain about Ninety-nine. I have to go. We're still looking for replacements. Are you sure you and O'Neil don't want to consider becoming permanent members?"

"I think that would happen over Dr. Westphalen's dead body," Lucas observed.

"I see your point," McKinnon conceded. "Talk to you later."

"All right, Commander," Lucas said. The call ended, leaving Lucas with the feeling that he had missed something.

******

"Well?" Rodriguez prompted his superior officer, when she had ended the transmission.

"I'd say you're right. Too bad O'Neil wasn't there. I would have liked to have observed him too."

"He was the same way last week," Rodriguez commented.

"Well, do you think you could get Wolenczak to talk to you face to face?" McKinnon inquired.

"Maybe. Why?"

"Because I think it's time we sent a representative to the UEO personnel training. It's for a good cause," she added, when Rodriguez groaned. "Who do you think could get O'Neil talk? In case your charm doesn't work on Wolenczak," she explained.

"Ryan or Karneering. Possibly Chandler."

"Well, even though we're on downtime, I can't afford to have you, Ryan and Karneering gone. I'll send Karneering with you."

"You sure? I mean, I could be wrong," Rodriguez pointed out.

"The worst that will happen is you and Karneering will spend a week at a class that will most likely drive both of you nuts. I agree that Wolenczak seemed a little uptight today. It could be nothing more than the two of them needing time off." McKinnon knew that a long distance conversation was not much to base their feelings on, but working with the Outriggers had developed their ability to read people. When Rodriguez and Ryan had approached her last week with their concerns, McKinnon had taken them seriously. In her short talk with Lucas, the commander sensed the teenager was being careful about what he said. In her opinion, it was worth further investigation.

******

"Mr. O'Neil?" Bridger stopped Tim as the lieutenant walked down the corridor. "I'd like a word with you," he requested.

"Yes, Sir," Tim replied. Tim had a sinking feeling he knew what the captain wished to discuss. He followed Bridger into the wardroom.

"Is everything all right?" Bridger asked him, as soon as they were seated.

"Yes, Sir," Tim responded, feeling slightly nervous.

"You've seemed kind of preoccupied lately. I wondered if something might be on your mind," Bridger observed. He found talking to the lieutenant almost as difficult as talking to Lucas.

"Some days are easier than others," Tim commented. He knew how the captain would take the remark, but it seemed better than telling an outright lie.

Bridger nodded his head. "If you need anything…"

"I'm fine, Sir," Tim reassured him. "Lucas and I talk. And we speak to the Outriggers regularly. Rodriguez and Karneering have been especially helpful."

"One more thing, I'm concerned about Lucas," Bridger told him. "He's been quieter than normal. He mentioned that he talks to you."

"Uh, I, uh…" Tim stammered, not sure what to say.

Bridger sensed his dilemma. "I'm not asking you to tell me what you talk about. I just wanted to make sure he was talking to someone. I've learned with Lucas that he's very good at misleading people," the captain explained.

"He does talk to me," Tim confirmed. "It's hard to talk to the others about some things. They tend to get tense when the Outriggers are mentioned."

"The others are still coming to grips with your assignment with them," Bridger agreed.

"So are we," Tim remarked dryly. "And I know he talks to Rodriguez," he added, which was true.

"Yes, I know," Bridger remarked. It was the regular calls that had helped him change his mind a little about the Outriggers. During their first two weeks back, Rodriguez had called every night. He also knew that Lucas had made a couple of late night calls to the other man. It had been obvious that the Outriggers felt responsible for the two. "Just keep an eye on him at the conference," he requested.

"I will," Tim promised, grateful that the captain seemed willing to let the subject drop.

"Thank you."

******

Lucas spoke as soon as Tim entered his room after a quick knock. "It's about time," he informed him, not even turning around.

"I got waylaid by the captain. He wanted to know if everything was all right," Tim responded, taking a seat next to Lucas.

"Rodriguez asked me the same thing. Then McKinnon got on and wanted to know if we had mentioned Ninety-nine yet," Lucas grumbled.

"Sorry, I missed that," Tim said, not sounding sorry at all. "You tell her no?"

"Of course. She knew we hadn't. She expects a phone call from Bridger when we do."

"She'll probably get one," Tim agreed. "Well, shall we check our mail?" he inquired.

"Sure, why not?" Lucas sighed. He entered his password and waited for his mail to pop up. "When you least expect it," he read out loud.

"Oh gee, I can't wait for the punch line," Tim commented. "Let's go look at mine," he sighed. Lucas waited for the proper screen to appear, then quickly accessed the lieutenant's mail. The fact that the teenager knew his password did not bother Tim. With Lucas' abilities, he could have known it a long time ago. The fact that he had waited for Tim to give it to him said a lot about his character, at least in Tim's mind. "I'll be there," Tim muttered, looking at the screen. "We have to figure out what all these means," he told Lucas. "This is starting to get annoying." Actually, Tim felt more than irritated; he was scared.

"Tell me about it." They had started receiving the joint messages two weeks ago. The sender split them up; Lucas received half, while Tim got the other half. They had no idea who was sending them, although Lucas hoped to figure it out. They had tried to send replies, but the address was never the same one twice.

Reporting the messages never really occurred to the two. At first, they thought it might be some kind of prank. Recently, the UEO had experienced a problem with an unhappy employee sending out embarrassing messages to a host of superior officers. In fact, Lucas had found himself questioned about the incident. Fortunately, Bridger had believed him and told the investigators to look elsewhere. There was nothing sinister about the messages, they were just unsettling.

Tim sighed. "Maybe we'll have some time to work on it at the seminar," he remarked. Lately, they had both been kept too busy to spend a lot of time investigating.

"Perhaps, although we're going with the commander."

"I see your point. You know, of all the people, Bridger could have decided to send, why Ford?"

"Just lucky, I guess," Lucas told him.

"We could use some of Chandler's luck," Tim observed, referring to Lieutenant Nicholas Chandler of Outrigger Blue.

"Why is Rodriguez sending me e-mail?" Lucas mumbled, having switched back to his own mailbox. "Oh great," he said.

"What?"

"He just wanted to remind us that we should make sure we take our gear with us when we go. Just in case. He added that he wasn't kidding."

"I could have done without that reminder," Tim sighed.

"I know," Lucas agreed. "It's bad enough that Ben almost spotted my stuff under the bed," he commented. "I don't want to have to explain it to the commander." "Don't worry. I'm sure the commander will have his own room."

"Yes, but the last time I went upworld, the captain made me share a room with him."

"Lucas, you went with him and Ben. Did you honestly think Bridger was going to let you room with Ben?"

"I see your point."

A knock on Lucas' door made both jump. "It's open!" Lucas called. The door opened to reveal Commander Jonathan Ford. "Oh hi, Commander."

"Lucas, Tim," Ford greeted the two. He wondered briefly if he should be concerned about their nervous expressions and then decided Tim was too sensible to be doing anything wrong. "I'm glad I found both of you. We're going to leave Sunday afternoon, since the first seminar activity starts at oh-eight-hundred."

"Lovely," Lucas grumbled. "What time are we leaving?"

"Fifteen hundred. Try not to be late," he instructed the teenager. Lucas was well known for losing track of time.

"I won't be."

"Commander, do you know exactly what a teamwork seminar is?" Tim inquired.

"No, I'm afraid that I don't."

"Does the thought frighten you as much as it does us?" Lucas questioned.

"I'm sure the UEO feels that there is a valid purpose to the class," Ford responded.

"Of course, Sir."

Ford shot him look, trying to decide if the teenager was being disrespectful or just making a general comment. Lucas kept his expression blank, recognizing that annoying the commander before departure was not the wisest move. "If you'll excuse me," he finally said.

"We'll see you later, Commander," Tim told him, before Lucas could say anything more.

"It didn't come out quite like I intended," Lucas said, not wanting Tim to lecture him.

"Just be careful. He won't tolerate as much as some."

"I know." Lucas got along all right with Ford; he just didn't know him particularly well. The commander made him nervous.

"Well, you know, Ford isn't going to tell us that he thinks this seminar idea is a bad one. It's against his nature."

"Too bad he couldn't spend some time with the Outriggers. It sure would loosen him up."

Tim looked at him, thought a moment and then laughed. "They would drive him nuts inside five minutes."

"You're probably right."

"I'm tired, I'll see you tomorrow," Tim said, standing up.

"All right. 'Night, Tim."

******

Two days later, Lucas was finishing up his packing when Bridger stopped by. "Hey Captain," he greeted the other man, spotting him in the doorway.

"Waiting until the last minute as usual, I see," Bridger commented, nodding at the bag.

"We don't leave for another two hours," Lucas pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"Please don't give the commander a hard time."

The teenager looked at him. "I'm not planning on getting into any trouble," Lucas assured him.

"I'm reasonably sure that you rarely 'plan' to get into trouble," Bridger observed.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Lucas sighed.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"It's all right; I know what you meant."

"Have a good time. Relax; enjoy yourself."

"Everything will be fine, Captain," Lucas told him.

"I can't help but worry. I remember what happened the last time you left seaQuest," Bridger reminded him. Bridger did not want to relive that incident any time soon.

"I'm fairly certain that Tim and I will manage to get through the seminar without either one of us getting shot," Lucas commented dryly. The teenager appreciated the concern; he even welcomed it. He just did not know how to accept it gracefully.

Bridger gave him a smile. He was slowly starting to understand how to read between the lines with Lucas, especially when the conversation centered around emotions. "I'm sure we'd all appreciate it. I'd better let you finish packing. Commander Ford wants to leave on time."

"I've been apprised of that fact already."

"Behave."

"Yes, Sir."

******

"All set, Commander?" Bridger inquired of Ford, nearly two hours later.

"Yes, Sir. Don't worry; it will be fine," Ford reassured him. Ford knew this was the first time that both Lucas and Tim had been off seaQuest since they had gone to help the Outriggers. Everyone on the ship felt a sense of apprehension about the two leaving.

"I'm sure it will be," Bridger agreed. "It's just that both seem preoccupied lately."

"It hasn't been that long," Ford pointed out. The XO decided not to mention that he had seen them up late at night, visiting Darwin, several times over the past two weeks. On those occasions, Ford had gotten the impression they were trying to hide from the rest of the crew. He did not think it would ease the captain's anxiety, so he kept quiet. "And they seem to be handling it okay." "That's what worries me," Bridger sighed. "Both have a tendency to internalize their problems. They turned down Dr. Westphalen's suggestion of counseling," he added. The captain shook his head at the memory of that conversation. Neither one had taken to the recommendation kindly.

"That's not surprising," Ford remarked. The commander could not see why anyone would want to talk to a counselor. However, he kept his opinion to himself.

"Well, I just hope getting off seaQuest for a few days will help."

******

Lucas and Tim arrived promptly at the appointed time, accompanied by Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg and Chief Miguel Ortiz. "Have fun," Miguel told them with a smirk. He was grateful not to be going; everyone on the boat was happy to have avoided selection.

"And don't anything I wouldn't do," Ben added. Lucas and Tim looked at the lieutenant and then at each other. "That gives us broad latitude, Ben," Lucas commented.

"I wouldn't let the captain hear that piece of advice," Miguel observed.

"We have to go now," Tim said. "We'll be back next week."

"Just be careful," Ben muttered.

"It's a seminar; what could go wrong?" Lucas inquired. "All that's going to happen is we're going to be bored out of our minds."

"Yeah, well, last time it was only a simple translation and a computer problem," Ben pointed out darkly.

"It will be fine," Tim insisted. "Last time was an unusual situation."

"Just stay out of trouble, please?" Miguel requested. "You guys scared us last time."

"Good bye," Lucas and Tim told them in unison, both feeling slightly exasperated. They appreciated the concern of their friends, but it was getting smothering.

"I'm just glad Ford's going with them," Miguel informed Ben in a low voice.

"He'll keep them out of trouble," Ben agreed.

******

Lucas and Tim found themselves sharing a room, which had a connecting door with the commander's. "You'd think we'd never left the ship before," Lucas grumbled to his roommate, as they got settled for the night.

"They just remember the last time we left," Tim reminded him patiently.

"Yeah, well, this is a personnel seminar. What do they think is going to happen?"

"I know, I know. They just worry and they want us to be safe."

"I understand that, but it's kind of overwhelming at times. That's the only good thing about coming on this trip. It means that the captain and the doctor have finally accepted that I'm fully recovered," Lucas commented. Bridger and Westphalen had made it clear that Lucas was not going to be leaving their sight until they were sure he had completely healed from his time with the Outriggers.

Tim nodded his head. He thought Lucas had a harder time dealing with the concern expressed by everyone on board seaQuest than his physical injuries. "They can't help it. And you would like it less if they didn't care at all," he pointed out.

"You're right," Lucas conceded reluctantly.

"I may have to write this down. Lucas Wolenczak admitted I was right," Tim teased.

"You want me to check our mail?" Lucas questioned, ignoring Tim's comment.

"Might as well."

"Nothing," Lucas reported.

Tim heard the relief in his voice. "Maybe we should tell someone about these notes," he suggested.

"We've talked about this, Tim," Lucas reminded him. "First, who do we tell?"

"Captain Bridger?"

"If we take this to the captain, he'll look at us like we're nuts. He'll say it's likely some kind of prank. There's no outright threat."

"It's more than a simple prank."

"You and I both know that, but how do we know it? What proof do we have? Nothing has happened. In fact, our names are not even on them. They could argue it's entirely some bizarre coincidence and not even meant to be directed at us."

"Just because we're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get us," Tim joked weakly.

"If we show these to Bridger and tell him we think they're serious, he will send us to counseling."

Tim looked at him, hearing the edge in the teenager's voice. Tim did not like the idea of talking to a stranger about his life any more than Lucas, but he had the impression there was a specific reason Lucas did not like the concept. "You're right," he concurred. "He did leave the impression that, if he or the doctor thought it was advisable, it would no longer be left up to us. What about Rodriguez?"

"What could he do?"

"Well, we know it started after we got back."

"Yeah, but that could be coincidence. There's nothing in them that suggests it might be related."

"You know, I'm supposed to be the logical one; you're supposed to be the emotional one," Tim remarked with a smile, recalling a conversation they had overheard between Ben, Miguel and Lieutenant Commander Katie Hitchcock.

"I hate being predictable," Lucas said with a quick smile. "Until we can trace the origin of the notes, or something happens, we have nothing. I'm used to people looking at me like I'm nuts, but it won't help your career if we report this with only our feeling that something is wrong."

"I'm not too worried about that," Tim informed him. "My record is clean, and neither Bridger nor Rodriguez would report it."

"If Bridger forced us to go to counseling, it would go in your file. And you know that McKinnon would insist we tell him."

"She wouldn't have to know."

"You think Rodriguez wouldn't tell her? He likes us well enough, but he would report it. I don't think they keep too many secrets within the team. The Outriggers might be unorthodox, but she would feel obligated to inform Bridger."

"You're right."

"We just have to hope it goes away."

"That would be nice," Tim agreed with a yawn. "We'd better get to bed. We have to register tomorrow."

"And I'm sure the commander will want to be early."

part two

"All right, because you need five or six people for some of the exercises," the woman at registration informed them, "and you only brought three, you've been paired up with another group. They'll also have number thirteen on their nametags."

"Name tags?" Lucas mumbled to Tim; they were standing behind Ford. "We have to wear name tags?"

"Apparently. I want to know how we got to be group number thirteen?"

"Just lucky, I guess," Lucas remarked with a straight face, while Ford turned and glared at both of them. "Sorry, Commander."

"Write your names," Ford told them, handing them each a sticker. "Legibly," he instructed, having heard the grumbling about the name tags. "Then, while I finish up here, why don't you see if you can find the rest of the group?"

"Okay," Tim agreed.

*****

"I feel like an idiot," Lucas groused, as he and Tim looked through the crowd for someone else with their group number.

"It's probably part of the seminar," Tim pointed out. "Some kind of character building experience."

"Oh no," Lucas groaned suddenly.

"What?"

"What are the odds?" Lucas asked.

"Lucas?" Tim queried, looking at his friend in some concern.

"Look," Lucas said, pointing to two men standing in the corner, one of them holding a piece of paper with the number thirteen written on it.

*****

"I think we've been spotted," Dr. Joshua Karneering murmured to Rodriguez .

"Yeah. I think you're right."

"What exactly are we going to tell them?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"You have about two seconds."

"Don't worry, Karneering; it'll be fine."

*****

"What are you two doing here?" Lucas demanded, as he and Tim joined the two members of Outrigger Blue. "And how did we get paired with you?"

"It's just your lucky day," Rodriguez responded. "As for why we're here, the Outriggers always send a representative to these things. And it was our turn. The Blues, in general, I mean. I'm afraid that Karneering and I lost the drawing. I still say it was rigged," he grumbled.

"He's been saying that since McKinnon gave us the news," Karneering informed them.

"Commander!" Tim called, raising his arm to get Ford's attention. "He's going to love this," he muttered. "You remember Lieutenant Commander EJ Rodriguez and Dr. Joshua Karneering from Outrigger Blue? They're the other part of thirteen."

Ford had only met the two Outriggers once, while Lucas and Tim had been in the hospital. He acknowledged each with a nod.

"We probably should go get seated," Rodriguez recommended. "They're going to start soon and I'd hate to miss anything."

Ford looked at him, unable to tell if he was being sarcastic or not and decided that it was going to be a long seminar. For the moment, he kept silent and led the way to the conference room.

*****

"They want us to do what?" Lucas inquired, two hours later, after they had completed a lengthy introduction.

"Lead each other around the building blindfolded," Rodriguez explained patiently.

"And the purpose for this activity is… what?"

"To build trust," Karneering interjected. "The person who can't see has to trust their guide not to let them come to any harm."

"The frightening thing being that the UEO probably paid a lot of money for someone to come up with this," Tim muttered under his breath.

"The fact remains that we have to do it," Ford reminded them, even though he could think of things he would rather do. "The book says we're supposed to pair up, but there are five of us."

"Then we'll have to split into three and two," Rodriguez said with a shrug. "How do you want to divide?"

"Why can't the two of you pair up?" Lucas queried, referring to Rodriguez and Karneering.

"Because that would defeat the purpose of the exercise. They already know one another," Ford pointed out.

"So do the people who sent enough along," Tim commented. Tim did not really want to get left alone with either one of the Outriggers.

"No, the commander has a point," Karneering interrupted. "Why don't you, Rodriguez and Commander Ford make one team and I'll pair with Wolenczak," he suggested.

"That's all right with me," Lucas responded. If he had to be with one of them, he would rather it be Karneering. Rodriguez would not question Tim with Ford present. Lucas did not trust the sudden appearance of the Outriggers at the conference, especially since Rodriguez had not mentioned it during the phone call.

Ford thought for a minute, not sure if he liked the idea of leaving Lucas alone with the other Outrigger, mainly because he knew, at some point, he would be explaining this seminar to Bridger and he did not want anything to go wrong. He wanted Lucas where he could keep his eye on him.

Rodriguez saw his hesitation and decided to use it to his advantage. "No, why don't you and O'Neil pair?" he recommended. "Wolenczak can go with the commander and myself."

"That's acceptable," Ford agreed.

Lucas and Tim both had a feeling that, somehow, they had been trapped, but to object would look strange.

"This is supposed to take an hour, so we'll meet back here at eleven hundred?" Karneering questioned.

"Good."

*****

"What do you think?" Karneering asked Tim. "How long before those two start at one another and drive your commander nuts?"

"Five minutes tops," Tim replied, smiling at the thought. He had a feeling this would be the last time Ford paired with Lucas and Rodriguez.

"There's a step there," Rodriguez told Lucas, who had, reluctantly, agreed to go first.

"Where is there?" Lucas inquired.

"Down," Ford interjected quickly, not wanting to listen to them get into another discourse about word choice.

"I can't see, Rodriguez; you have to be more specific than that."

"I figured you knew I meant down."

"It could have been up."

Ford glanced at the time and wondered how it could be passing so slowly. "Perhaps I should take my turn now," he suggested.

"If you're sure," Rodriguez said. "Ford is going to take over now," he informed Lucas.

"I'm blindfolded, not deaf, Rodriguez," Lucas informed him.

Ford took Lucas's arm and finished leading him down the steps. "Time's up. You want me to go next or do you want to do it?" he asked Rodriguez .

"I'll go," Rodriguez told him. "Just don't let him shove me down the stairs."

"He might help me," Lucas commented.

*****

"So, how are things?" Karneering questioned Tim, as he lead him through parts of the convention center. "There's a tree to your right."

"Fine," Tim replied, feeling one of the branches brush his cheek. "I'm surprised you guys are here. Thought you'd be too busy."

"McKinnon's still reviewing recruits."

"Really? I thought she would have found replacements by now."

"The first batch washed out," Karneering responded.

"Why? I thought if they were eligible for getting a team assignment, they were qualified."

"They probably are. It was a personality problem," Karneering explained. "They weren't what we were looking for in teammates."

"Oh. I can see where that would be important," Tim remarked, wondering what the problem had been, since Karneering seemed unwilling to elaborate further.

"Things are slow right now anyway. Oh, there's the rest of our illustrious group. It looks like Mr. Ford is now the lucky victim."

"Does he look like he still has his sanity?"

"He's not screaming, so I'd say yes," Karneering answered. "We're going up stairs now."

*****

"There are five steps down, Commander," Rodriguez informed Ford, as they returned to the general lobby of the convention center.

"Why couldn't you have been that specific for me?" Lucas grumbled.

"Probably for the same reason you let me walk into the door," he responded.

"I told you about the door," Lucas protested.

"Wolenczak, 'watch out for the door to your left' is not helpful as I hit one on my right."

"Are we almost back to the meeting place?" Ford asked.

"Yes, Sir. Only about ten more feet. Looks like we beat the other two back," Rodriguez replied.

"I still say this exercise makes no sense," Lucas observed, as they stopped and Ford removed the blindfold. "After lunch what are we doing?"

"Some kind of group activity for all of us," Rodriguez answered. "Didn't you pay attention to the introduction?"

"I suppose you have it memorized?"

"No, but I know what's next," Rodriguez told him smugly. "Commander Ford, are you feeling all right?" he queried; he thought the man looked like he was in pain.

"I'm just fine," Ford assured him, wondering what he had done to deserve being with the two of them.

"You guys are all in one piece; that's good," Karneering greeted the trio cheerfully.

"Not for lack of trying by some people," Rodriguez remarked with a glare at Lucas.

"I sense some hostility," Tim commented to Karneering.

"It's time for lunch," Ford announced. "They're serving it the other conference room."

Tim and Karneering looked at one another and hid their smiles. "Let's go," Karneering agreed. "I'm anxious to see what kind of food one serves at a teamwork seminar."

"Apparently, you have not read very far ahead in your handbook," Rodriguez informed him. "Tomorrow, during lunch, we're supposed to feed each other," he added, glancing up from his copy.

"Oh dear," Tim muttered.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Lucas groaned.

Ford kept his expression blank, but inwardly cringed at the thought. He also made a mental note to make sure he was not paired with both Lucas and Rodriguez for that one.

*****

After lunch, the activities involved problem solving as a team, which went smoothly. "What exactly do they think people are doing together?" Lucas asked, after they had finished the last scenario. "The average person is never going to encounter these situations."

"It's the teamwork concept," Tim explained. "The idea is we're supposed to use it to our advantage even in unfamiliar situations."

"Why are you guys here?" Lucas inquired. "I wouldn't think you all needed teamwork lessons."

"Yes, well, sometimes our definition of working together is not quite the same as everyone else's," Rodriguez observed. He waited for a moment, fully expecting Lucas to make a comment and was surprised when the teenager remained silent. "It's an effort on the part of the UEO to remind us we're all one big happy family," he continued.

"You mean we're not?" Karneering questioned him.

"Depends on who you ask," Rodriguez pointed out. "Listen, do you three want to join us for dinner?" he invited.

"I'm meeting with some friends of mine," Ford responded. "But you two should feel free to go," he told Lucas and Tim.

"Uh, sure," Tim accepted, not liking the idea of going to dinner alone with the two Outriggers.

"You're staying at the hotel next door?" Karneering asked them. "Good. We are too. What room? We'll stop by and get you."

"Eight-twenty," Tim answered. "What time?"

"Eighteen hundred. Gives us plenty of time to have a long dinner, catch up on old times and not keep you out late."

"All right," Lucas agreed, knowing there was no way they could refuse. He had the feeling that Rodriguez and Karneering were well aware of it too.

*****

"Well?" Karneering asked Rodriguez, once they had parted company with the seaQuest trio.

"Something is definitely up. He missed several opportunities to insult me today," Rodriguez responded.

"Only you would see that as a problem, Rodriguez."

"You know what I mean. Ever since we've gotten to know each other, we spend the better part of our time together picking on each other. It just happens. During the trust walk, he was normal. That's because he hates to feel like he's lost control."

"Neither one seemed eager to dine with us tonight. You think they suspect?"

"A little, but they have no reason to think we're here for any other reason than our stated purpose."

*****

"I can't believe Rodriguez and Karneering are here," Lucas grumbled to Tim, back in their room. "I mean, what are the odds? And why didn't he mention it on the phone the other day?"

"Sounded like it came up rather suddenly. Why? You think they have an ulterior motive?" Tim questioned him, dropping on to the bed.

"I don't know. This whole thing has made me suspicious of everything," Lucas sighed, as Ford knocked on the communicating door. "Come in."

"Just wanted to remind you that there is a curfew," Ford said, as he opened the door.

"We'll make sure to follow it," Tim assured him. Tim knew that the curfew was in place more for Lucas, but he knew that the teenager hated to be reminded of the fact he was not considered an adult.

"Good," Ford told him, surprised when Lucas did not make his routine protest over the matter. "I'll be back later," he added.

"Have a good time, Commander." Tim waited for the door to close. "You have to start acting normal, Lucas."

"What do you mean?"

"The curfew thing. Ford was waiting for your normal complaint about not being a child."

"Oh. I'm trying not to annoy him. I think Rodriguez and I got on his nerves a little during that trust walk. I didn't like that activity, I might add."

"Shall we check our mail before or after dinner?"

"After," Lucas replied. "If there's anything there, I don't necessarily want to think about it until later."

"True. I have a feeling we're going to need all our wits about us tonight."

*****

"If Ryan were here, she'd have a list of restaurants prepared," Karneering remarked, when the two Outriggers had joined Lucas and Tim.

Rodriguez looked at him and shook his head. "She doesn't have to be here for that," he said dryly, pulling a sheet of paper from his pocket. "She sent along her top ten for the area and even made sure they all served vegetarian meals, since she assumed we would run into the two of you," he reported.

"Well, then, let's pick one and go," Karneering recommended. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Rodriguez observed. "Looks like there's a wide variety of styles. Any requests?"

"No," Tim answered. "Whatever you want is fine."

"Okay, but I don't want any whining when we get there if you don't like it."

"We don't whine," Lucas informed him tartly.

*****

Lucas had the sinking feeling that Rodriguez had selected the small, unpopulated French restaurant for a reason. "So, how come you haven't found replacements yet?" Lucas questioned the two Outriggers, hoping to forestall their interrogation for a little while.

"We've been having trouble finding the right personality for the group," Rodriguez responded.

"What do you mean?"

"We're a small team. The ability to get along is part of being able to work together. We tried some out, but it just wasn't going to work out."

"Why not?" Tim queried, still curious from his earlier conversation with Karneering.

"It's complicated," Rodriguez evaded. "One of them hit on Adamsen, Ryan and McKinnon," he offered with a slight smile.

"McKinnon likes to let Rodriguez run the first day of training to see how some of the men act around women, since some of them have problems with women in charge," Karneering explained.

"Oh dear," Tim murmured, imagining how the three women must have reacted. He doubted it was favorably. "What happened?"

"Well, Adamsen politely refused. Ryan informed the guy that one of her specialties was security and suggested he did not want to get on her bad side," Karneering began.

"And McKinnon?" Lucas prompted.

"Took the guy down on the ground and told him that, in his current position, she could cause him a great deal of pain, so perhaps he should take a moment to decide if he wanted to pursue this line of discussion or offer an apology and take a walk," Rodriguez finished. "It was a sight to behold."

"I'm sure it was. What was the guy thinking?"

"Who knows?"

"Still, it seems like there's been plenty of time for someone to be found."

"We've been together a long time; it's going to take the right people to fit into our group. We've got one McKinnon's going to start trying out next week. Her file looks good," Karneering commented.

"The other files looked good too." Rodriguez sighed. "But we're doing all right. How's work on seaQuest?"

"Okay. We just completed a mapping mission, so it's been kind of slow," Tim answered. "Is McKinnon serious about us having to attend the annual refresher training when you guys go?"

"If she mentioned it, yes," Rodriguez confirmed.

"What exactly does it involve?" Lucas interjected.

*****

Rodriguez and Karneering let the conversation drift until the food arrived. "Here, this is yours," Karneering told Tim, passing him the entrée he had ordered. "I think Wolenczak has mine."

"I don't even see mine," Lucas mumbled, handing the doctor the plate, as Rodriguez took the food Tim had originally been given.

"I think our waitress is a little out of it. You want to send it back?" Rodriguez inquired, handing Lucas the extra plate.

Lucas eyed it carefully. "Doesn't look like it will kill me," he commented. "I'll try it."

"That's the spirit," Karneering encouraged him.

"So, you two want to tell us what's going on?" Rodriguez asked Lucas and Tim bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Tim asked, keeping his expression blank.

Lucas was grateful he had a mouthful of food and had an excuse for not answering.

"We've talked about every inane topic the two of you have been able to dredge up since we arrived here," Rodriguez observed. "Every time we get remotely personal, one of you jumps in with some question that takes us back off track. And, while you two are an impressive team together, it's fairly obvious that the two of you have something on your minds."

"You're nuts," Lucas told him.

"I'm an Outrigger; it comes with the job," Rodriguez responded. "Don't try to sidetrack me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tim stated. "Our only problem is being stuck at this teamwork seminar, which is enough to drive anyone crazy."

"Except perhaps Commander Ford," Lucas pointed out. "Of all the people that could have come with us on this thing, it had to be the one person who will make us participate in every single activity without fail and probably not see the humor in any of it."

"He's doing it again," Karneering whispered to Rodriguez , loud enough for the other two to hear. "He's quite good at it. I'd say he's had lots of practice."

"I think he could teach a class," Rodriguez agreed. "Maybe we should have McKinnon think about adding it as part of training. You know 'how to evade questions without telling an outright lie'. I think it could come in handy."

"Did you know that O'Neil can't sit still when he's nervous?" Karneering questioned Rodriguez.

"I'm not nervous," Tim commented. "

"Then why is your leg jiggling the entire table?"

"It's a habit."

"I ate a lot of meals with him before and I never noticed. I think I would have," Rodriguez told Karneering. "But I think we're digressing from the topic at hand."

"Which is what? Your paranoid delusions?" Lucas queried.

"His sarcasm gets worse when he's bothered by something," Rodriguez explained to Karneering.

"Are the two of you having fun doing a running commentary on our personality quirks?" Lucas inquired.

"We'd like it more if you'd tell us what's going on," Karneering replied. "In the absence of that, we'll settle for the running commentary," he added.

"There's nothing going on. I think you two have spent too much time in the field," Tim commented.

Rodriguez shook his head, but recognized they would get no further pursuing the topic. He had been afraid that tackling them together would not work. They backed each other up too well. "You bring up Ninety-nine with your captain yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No. I told McKinnon that already," Lucas responded. "Is she obsessed with this?"

"McKinnon likes to have all the bases covered; you know that," Karneering reminded him.

"Mentioning the Outriggers in any form around seaQuest has not been exactly easy," Tim observed.

"That bad, huh?" Rodriguez questioned. Both had intimated as much in previous conversations, but he had never been inclined to delve too deeply into the subject. He knew the topic made them uncomfortable.

"It would have been okay, except for the whole getting shot part," Lucas answered dryly. "That really upset everyone."

"They weren't too keen on the hostage part, either," Tim interjected.

"Well, I can see how they might find it disturbing," Rodriguez agreed. "You're both leaving out part of the story, though."

"I think you need to work on your perception. You're not doing so well tonight," Lucas informed him.

"I can't be perfect all the time," Rodriguez said with a smile. "You guys ready to go?" he inquired, reluctantly conceding that he was not going to get any information from the duo.

"I think so. Tomorrow is another fun and exciting day," Tim sighed.

"Yes, and we have to check in with McKinnon," Karneering grumbled. "We're supposed to be on downtime, but she makes us check in twice a day to make sure we're still in the same status."

"Other commanders just call if there's trouble. McKinnon likes to be different," Rodriguez explained.

"That's why you like her," Tim pointed out.

"You may be right about that."

Part 3

"That was fun," Tim groaned, half an hour later. He and Lucas were in their room, reviewing their dinner with Rodriguez and Karneering. "They definitely suspect something."

"That much was obvious. I didn't think they were going to let it go."

"Unfortunately, I think it was just temporary retreat."

"I agree. But what can we do? It's not like we can avoid them. Plus, if we're not careful, Ford will get suspicious," Lucas pointed out, waiting for the appropriate screen to appear on his computer. "Are you ready to see what we have today?"

"No, but I guess we'd better take a look."

******

"Then, you think, there's something going on?" McKinnon questioned Rodriguez and Karneering.

"Definitely," Karneering responded. "They were not overjoyed to be paired with us."

"At dinner, it was just the four of us, and they were definitely doing their best to keep us from getting too personal," Rodriguez added.

"Anything else you noticed?"

"Tell her what you told me," Karneering encouraged Rodriguez.

"What?" McKinnon prompted.

"Well, this afternoon, except when we did the trust walk, Wolenczak didn't really give me a hard time," Rodriguez told her, knowing McKinnon would understand the significance.

"That is certainly out of the norm," McKinnon agreed. "What next?"

"Well, I figure, tomorrow the commander is not going to want to be paired with Wolenczak and me again," Rodriguez remarked. "I'm going to try to get him to let Wolenczak pair with Karneering. He'll be expecting me to question him; he might not expect Karneering. Together it's no good, Commander. It's like they have a routine going."

"They probably do, subconsciously anyway," McKinnon pointed out. "If you and Ryan noticed it over a vid-link, then someone on that ship has noticed it, too. If you don't have any luck with them, then that might be your next plan of action. Get one of you alone with Commander Ford. We didn't see much of him around the hospital, so he's not as close to them as some of the others, but it might be worth pursuing."

"It's something to think about."

"Keep me posted," McKinnon ordered.

"All right. We'll talk to you tomorrow."

******

"Tim? Are you all right?" Lucas inquired, noticing that Tim looked decidedly unsettled by the note. "Some secrets are better left in the closet," he repeated. "What does that mean."

"When I was a kid one of my cousins locked me in a closet and left me there for about eight hours. He forgot he had done it," Tim replied, his voice wavering. "When I went through training, it came out that I experienced claustrophobia from the experience. They almost kicked me out because of it. I mean, how can you serve on a sub if you're claustrophobic? I got some counseling and passed all the tests, so they let it slide."

"But how did our note sender know any of this?"

"I don't know," Tim sighed. He looked at Lucas with concern. "This is getting personal. Maybe we should talk to Rodriguez and Karneering."

"Do you really want to? Once again, we have no proof. Until we do, all anyone is going to say is that we're overstressed and have overactive imaginations. I agree that it's personal, but there's no proof that it's meant that way. It could be any secret, not something directed at you."

"I know. But I don't want anything to happen to you," Tim admitted. Seeing the note had shocked him. Tim had no doubts that Lucas had something in his past that could be used to rattle him. In fact, Tim had a suspicion that Lucas had a lot in his past that they did not know about and could be used to evoke unpleasant memories.

"I'll be fine," Lucas assured, hoping he was right. "I think he's using it to make a point. To show that he knows us."

"Probably," Tim agreed. "I just don't like the idea of the guy digging around in our personnel files. Or at least mine."

"I don't either. But, until we have proof, it comes down to the same thing. It's just our feelings about the notes against what they actually say."

"And who would want to threaten us, right?"

"That's right. We've already gotten enough attention since we came back from TDY with the Outriggers. I think this would bring us more than we could possibly want."

"I see your point," he agreed. "You still can't trace it?"

"Not enough time or the right equipment," Lucas sighed. "I mean, he hasn't used the same e-mail address twice. It comes from a different location each time. If we were on seaQuest, I might be able to trace it. But then we'd have to make sure we didn't trigger anything he had set up to check on us."

"I guess you're right. So what do we do?" Tim queried.

"We be careful and hope we can figure out what's going on, or that it stops."

"Not much of plan, is it?" Tim remarked dryly.

"Come on; we'd better get some sleep. Commander Ford will probably want to do a bed check," Lucas commented.

"Lucas."

"Hey, I didn't say it to him. You're the one telling me I'm not acting normal."

"Now you listen to me," Tim groaned, throwing a pillow at him.

******

Ford had no problem letting Lucas pair with Karneering the following day, mainly because he wanted to avoid being stuck with Lucas and Rodriguez together. The whole idea of having to eat blindfolded did not sit well with him in the first place; he did not want to listen to any bickering while he was doing it.

"This is worse than yesterday's activity," Lucas grumbled.

"Oh well, it could be worse," Karneering assured him.

"How?"

"Ryan could be here telling us exactly why we should give it a chance."

"You make a good point," Lucas conceded. "I guess we should be thankful she didn't lose in the lottery."

"Rodriguez tried to trade with her, but McKinnon vetoed the idea," Karneering responded. "You ready to start?"

"No, but I guess we don't have a choice."

"You're right," Karneering said with a smile that Lucas could not see. "We'll start with the soup."

"Just don't spill it on me."

"Trust me."

"Very funny, Karneering," Lucas groaned.

"You know," Karneering began, as he started the feeding process, "Rodriguez and I only want to help you two."

"With what?" Lucas queried, coughing a little when he swallowed too fast. "Water," he requested.

"No water, how about apple juice?"

"What are my other choices?"

"I think it's tea, but I'm not sure."

"I'll take the juice."

"With whatever is on your minds," Karneering responded, going back to his question.

"The only thing on my mind is getting through this lunch without wearing any of it," Lucas informed him.

"Talking about something can help you sort it out: make the problem seem not quite so big," Karneering remarked. The doctor had never realized someone could glare with their eyes covered, but Lucas was definitely giving him a dark look.

"Are you the local advocate for the mental health association?" Lucas inquired heatedly.

"It was just an observation: both as a professional and as your friend," Karneering interjected, deciding he had obviously pushed a button with his remark.

"Why are you so obsessed with this?"

"Let's try the salad now," Karneering told him. "Because we like both of you and you're both tense about something. We want to help."

"Of course, we're uptight! Everyone keeps watching us like we're going to around the bend at any second!" Lucas hissed. "You'd think we were the poster children for a breakdown."

"Everyone?" Karneering questioned, figuring this was a topic that might be wise to follow. "Everyone in general? Or just those people that are concerned about your well-being?"

"You're starting to talk like a shrink," Lucas said tightly.

"I'm just trying to figure out why this topic makes you so edgy," Karneering observed, hoping he did not go too far. "Needing some help through a difficult time is normal."

"I'm tired of being under a microscope and having everyone analyze everything I do or say. You have a bad day and everyone wants to talk about it. If you say you're fine, they don't believe you. Why ask if you already know the answer?"

"I think it's your turn now," Karneering informed him. The doctor prided himself on knowing when to retreat.

"Good," Lucas responded shortly.

******

"I sense that things did not go well," Rodriguez mumbled to Karneering when the five reunited after lunch.

"I think I hit a nerve," Karneering replied.

"These people are nuts," Lucas pronounced, having just read the next activity.

"I'm with Lucas on this one," Tim agreed.

"It's another trust building exercise, just like the others," Ford interjected, even though he did not like the idea any better.

"Does that mean you'd like to go first?" Rodriguez asked him.

Ford sighed inwardly and realized he had to agree. "That's not a problem."

"Good."

The other four formed a circle around him and waited for him to fall back. Since the idea of the activity was for the four of them to push the commander from person to person without letting him fall. His job was simply to trust them not to let him hit the ground.

"If you drop me, I'm not going to be a happy camper," Rodriguez muttered as he took his place.

"And that would be new?" Lucas inquired.

"You have yet to take your turn, just remember that," Rodriguez threatened him.

"That has nothing to do with your personality defects. I would never describe you as a happy anything," Lucas retorted.

"Lucas," Ford warned in a voice low enough to be heard only by the teenager.

"Don't worry; I know in your heart you care," Rodriguez assured him.

"You're not that special."

"Lucas!" Ford spoke sharply, still keeping his volume down so no one else could hear.

Lucas kept quiet after that, sensing a lecture from Ford in the future if he was not careful. He suffered through his turn in silence, glad he had gone last and that there was not much time left.

******

"You want to eat dinner with us? We still have nine restaurants on Ryan's top ten," Karneering invited the trio.

To Lucas and Tim's surprise, Ford accepted. "What time?" the commander asked. Ford had decided it was a good time to get to know the two Outriggers.

"Eighteen hundred is good for us," Rodriguez replied, glad Ford had spoken up before the other two could refuse. "You?"

"That's fine."

"We'll meet you at your room," Karneering told them.

******

"I'd like a word with you," Ford informed Lucas, when they were back at their rooms.

Tim shot him a look of sympathy, but had enough sense not to make any comments.

"Yes, Sir," Lucas said, trying to keep the sigh out of his voice as he followed the commander into his room. He took the seat Ford pointed at and waited.

"I'm not sure what kind of relationship you have with Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez, but you need to curtail your penchant for arguing with him."

"But he isn't exactly silent," Lucas protested.

Ford gave him a stern look. "I can't direct his behavior. Just because he does it, is no excuse for you to respond."

"Yes, Sir," Lucas replied. The teenager had decided he was better off not pursuing the topic.

"Also, did something happen during your lunch with Dr. Karneering?"

"Sir?"

"You did not look too pleased when you rejoined us," Ford observed, watching him for his reaction. "And you were rather short with him."

"Nothing happened. I just didn't care for the exercise."

"That's no excuse for having a bad attitude."

"Yes, Sir."

******

"What happened with Wolenczak?" Rodriguez quizzed Karneering. "He was not happy with you."

"You noticed?"

"He sent you a glare worthy of McKinnon."

"Well, I hit a sore point. When we talk to McKinnon tonight, remind me that I want to have her check his file," Karneering requested.

"What for?"

"I want to see if he underwent any kind of counseling in the past."

"Why?"

"He definitely didn't like it when we even passed near the subject. It just makes me curious; usually someone isn't that touchy about a subject for no reason. I have a feeling that someone has recommended it since they went back to seaQuest. I know that I certainly would have advised it."

******

"What did Ford want?" Tim queried, when Lucas entered.

"To remind me to behave myself. He's not appreciative of the finer points of my relationship with Rodriguez."

"Oh. What happened at lunch?" Tim questioned, having been waiting to ask him about it.

"Karneering was bugging me again," Lucas answered.

"That all?" Tim inquired. "You seemed rather annoyed with him."

"I'm just frustrated. Why do you think Ford agreed to dinner with them?"

"I have no idea," Tim answered, accepting the change in subject. "It surprised me. I was hoping he would say no."

"Me too."

******

"Just how does Ryan know where to eat?" Tim asked Rodriguez and Karneering, once they were seated in an Italian restaurant.

"She reads restaurant reviews," Karneering replied. "It's her hobby."

"Her father and brother are both chefs," Rodriguez elaborated. "They often send her recommendations. Besides, she hates to cook, so she eats out a lot."

"When we're on assignment, she uses it to get a feel for the situation."

"How?" Ford questioned, genuinely curious.

"I don't claim to know how her mind works," Rodriguez told him. "It seems to work for her, at least, in certain situations. Many of our missions are not designed for the long term, so she doesn't always use the technique."

"Everyone has their personality quirks," Karneering added with a shrug. "Rodriguez likes to throw his alarm clock."

"Like you're the picture of normalcy," Rodriguez retorted.

Lucas and Tim looked at each other, each considering how the commander would react if Karneering gave him a lollipop after a medical exam. "I think being abnormal is part of being with the Outriggers," Lucas commented.

"You would know," Rodriguez agreed. "You're supposed to eat your food, not play with it," he informed him.

"I'm not playing with it."

"You're not eating it either. You're cutting it up into increasingly smaller pieces and eating about every fifth piece."

Lucas flushed as Ford and Karneering both turned their attention to his plate. Rodriguez looked back at him innocently. Lucas had no idea what Rodriguez was up to, but he was fairly certain he did not want to play along. "Not everyone can eat as fast as you," he remarked.

"How much longer before you guys absolutely have to have replacements?" Tim interjected quickly. "I mean, they won't keep you out of the line up indefinitely, will they?"

"When we return from this seminar, we're supposed to go back on active duty," Rodriguez answered, "whether we've found the new members or not. We can go with eight and there's always the reserves," he said with a shrug and a small smile.

"McKinnon would really like to lure you two away from seaQuest, but she fears the wrath of your captain and your doctor," Karneering teased.

"I don't think they'd be the only ones with objections," Ford told him.

"Yes, but they're really the only ones that scare McKinnon."

"I didn't know Outriggers were allowed to get scared," Lucas remarked.

"At least once a year," Rodriguez responded.

"Is that per person or for the entire unit?"

"Per unit, we take turns. My year is coming up pretty soon."

"It's okay, Commander," Karneering reassured Ford. "This is the way they show they care about each other."

"How nice."

******

"I thought you were on another floor," Lucas commented to Rodriguez and Karneering, when the duo stepped off the elevator.

"Oh, we wanted to ask you guys a favor. McKinnon wants to test this new program out. So, we wanted to call her from your room," Rodriguez explained. "She doubts that it will really work, so she wants to test it before we rely on it."

"Sure, no problem…" Lucas' voice trailed off. "Hey!" he yelled, as someone ran out of their hotel room.

"I don't think he's part of housekeeping," Rodriguez told Karneering, as both moved toward the door. "Stay there," he ordered the other three. "High or low?"

"Low," Karneering answered shortly. By now, both men had their weapons in hand, and were approaching the door cautiously, although neither believed anyone remained inside.

"I'm calling security," Ford said.

"It's clear," Rodriguez called out moments later.

"Ford called security," Lucas mentioned to him, as he and Tim surveyed their hotel room.

"Good," Rodriguez responded. "Anything missing?" he questioned.

"Doesn't look like it."

******

"Maybe the two of you should take the manager up on his offer to change rooms," Rodriguez told Lucas and Tim, after hotel security and the manager had left.

"Why?" Tim questioned. "It was probably a random thing anyway."

"You might feel safer," Ford commented. The incident concerned him on several levels. It was disconcerting to realize that someone had broken into the room, through hotel security. There was also his sense of responsibility. He was nominally in charge of the two. On a more emotional level, the commander worried about the two. They had been preoccupied and somewhat distant before this seminar; he did not see how this could help matters any.

"I feel safe here," Lucas responded. "You're next door. What exactly do you think is going to happen? I don't think the guy is going to return."

"What about your peace of mind?" Karneering inquired. "It may not bother you right now, because we're here, but later tonight you might not feel so safe."p> "Better yet, what about our peace of mind?" Rodriguez interjected swiftly. He could tell that Lucas was dangerously close to losing his temper and Tim did not look far behind. "I think we'd all sleep better knowing you weren't in the same room."

"The captain will feel better too," Ford added.

"The captain?" Lucas repeated.

"Yes. We have to call him," Ford informed him. "I'm not waiting to tell to him until we return."

"All right, all right. You're just going to bug us until we agree," Tim gave in.

"I'll call the manager," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez wanted to make sure that they ended up on the same floor with him and Karneering. "I assume you want to change as well, Commander?"

"That's fine," Ford told him.

******

"Are you all right?" Bridger asked Lucas. Having spoken with him already, Ford and Tim had disappeared into their new room, to give the captain a chance to talk to Lucas.

"I'm fine. We weren't here when it happened," Lucas reassured him, exasperation tingeing his voice.

"It's hard not to worry about people you care about," Bridger observed, reading between the lines. He knew how Lucas hated anyone making a fuss over him. He had the impression that Tim didn't like any better.

"We're in a new room; we're perfectly safe. And we have plenty of protection," Lucas added. "We have the commander on one side and Rodriguez and Karneering on the other."

Bridger looked at him, recognizing the names. "From the Outriggers?" he questioned, surprised.

"Yes. They got sent to the seminar as well," Lucas responded. The teenager decided not to mention that they were paired with the Outriggers for the conference.

Bridger nodded. "Just be careful. I'd like to speak to the commander again. Get some sleep," he instructed softly.

"I will," Lucas told him. "Good night," he added, before summoning Ford. "He wants to talk to you again," Lucas told the commander.

"All right. I'll see you two in the morning."

"I'm glad you called tonight. I trust they didn't offer too many protests?" Bridger commented when Ford reappeared.

"Not really. They didn't want to change rooms though.

"That figures," Bridger said. "Just make sure you keep an eye on them. If necessary, you can come back early."

"I don't think that we'll have to. Hotel security thinks it was random and it is unlikely that the person will come back. Besides, I think that would bring more attention to the matter than either one wants."

******

"Well, that was the perfect ending to a good day," Lucas sighed, laying down on the bed.

"No kidding. You think it's related?" Tim queried.

"I don't know, Tim. I don't know."

"Hotel security seems to think it was random."

"I'd certainly like to think so."

******

"Why didn't they take anything?" Karneering quizzed Rodriguez, while they waited for McKinnon to appear. "By the way, I liked the testing a new program story."

"I wish I knew," Rodriguez responded. "But I don't like it. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to them again, maybe they'd relax their guard. The break in sure ruined that plan."

"You're late," McKinnon greeted them.

"We've had an exciting night. Someone broke into the hotel room," Rodriguez informed.

"Yours?"

"No. Sorry. Wolenczak and O'Neil's."

"They're okay?"

"We were out to dinner. None of us really saw the guy."

"Anything stolen?"

"No."

"Really?" McKinnon questioned, thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Rodriguez questioned, recognizing the pensive look.

"I'm not sure. Just keep an eye on them."

"We convinced them to change rooms. They're next to us now," Rodriguez reassured her.

"Good. Let me check on a few things and I'll get back to you," McKinnon instructed.

"Uh, Commander?" Karneering interjected quickly.

"Yes?"

"Check Wolenczak's file. I want to know if he's ever been any kind of counseling," he requested.

"How come?"

"Well, he seems to have a strong aversion to the idea. Kind of like he had a bad experience with it in the past. I'm just curious."

"I'll see what I can do," McKinnon promised.

"Okay. We'll talk to you tomorrow," Rodriguez told her.

******

"What do we have tonight?" Tim asked Lucas, waiting for the teenager to check their mail.

"Don't look back," Lucas read to him, before quickly opening Tim's mail. "I'll always be one step ahead of you."

"That's helpful."

"No kidding," Lucas agreed. "I just wish they made sense. Then we would have a place to start."

"I think that's the idea behind it. He doesn't want us to have a place to start."

"I know. He's trying to make us paranoid."

"It's working," Tim informed him, sitting up on the bed. "Every time I check my mail, I wonder what I'm going to find. Then I worry about what's going to happen if he stops sending threats."

"Me too," Lucas confessed. "But I don't want anyone thinking we're delusional."

"I know. And, unfortunately, I can see them shaking their heads and murmuring quietly about being under stress recently."

"No kidding."

"You think there's any chance that Rodriguez and Karneering will get tired of asking us questions?" Tim inquired. "

"Probably not. I don't think the Outriggers allow the word 'quit' in their vocabulary."

"Great.

Part 4

"I cannot believe this," Lucas stated the next morning. "What possible purpose could this serve?" he asked rhetorically. The five stared up at the rope bridge that extended between two platforms. It was just high enough to scare him.

"It's another one of those teamwork building things," Rodriguez answered. "Since you have to stabilize it on both ends to get someone safely across."

"Great. I feel fairly confident this is not a skill I'll need in the near future," Lucas mumbled.

"It's the concept, not the actual exercise, that you're supposed to gain from it," Ford pointed out.

Rodriguez glanced at Ford and realized that the commander had no clue as to the real source of the problem with this activity.

"Let's get it over with," Lucas sighed. He thought he could handle it, though just barely.

"Who wants to cross the thing first?" Tim asked.

"I will," Ford volunteered. He did not like the idea any better than any of the rest, but he saw no reason not to complete it.

"All right. O'Neil and I can anchor it from one side. You can go up with Wolenczak and Rodriguez," Karneering suggested. Like Rodriguez, he had figured out Ford had no idea that Lucas was afraid of heights. Karneering thought Rodriguez might be able to talk the teenager through it, but not with an audience.

"I'll go after Ford," Tim added, understanding the reasoning Karneering was using.

*****

"I don't think I can do this," Lucas informed Rodriguez fifteen minutes later.

"Do you want to try?" Rodriguez asked him.

"I don't know."

"Well, if you don't want to do it, don't force yourself," Rodriguez told him. "This is not something you have to do."

"But…"

"But nothing. If you don't want to do it, then don't put yourself through it. This is just something some idiot dreamed up. It has nothing to do with whether or not you trust us," Rodriguez continued.

"This is embarrassing."

"Why?"

"I should be able to do this. It's not that high."

"It's okay. You have to pick your battles and this one may not be important enough," Rodriguez pointed out softly. "You came through when you had to. In the greater scheme of things, nothing is going to change if you don't cross this bridge," he added, giving Tim a hand for the last few steps. "Do you want to do it?" he questioned.

"No."

"All right, I'll go over and send Karneering over and we'll be done. I'll explain it to Ford."

"Thanks."

"Just don't jiggle this while I'm going across," Rodriguez instructed with a smile.

*****

"You all right?" Tim inquired, noticing that Lucas kept growing paler.

"I'm fine," Lucas assured him, deciding not to mention that he would be much happier to be back on the ground.

*****

"Your turn," Rodriguez told Karneering cheerfully. He waited for Karneering to get started. "He's going to be the last one."

"What about Lucas?" Ford queried.

"Wolenczak is afraid of heights, Commander," Rodriguez responded.

"Oh. How did you know that?" Ford inquired, curious. "I've never heard him mention it."

"It became fairly apparent during his temporary assignment with us," Rodriguez answered, sensing that Ford might not know all the details about the Tarsinian mission.

"If he had said something…"

"I think he was hoping to be able to do it and not make a huge fuss."

*****

Having completed the exercise involving the bridge, the group then had to tackle the outdoor trust walk. "How do we want to divide up?" Tim questioned.

"I think we should let Wolenczak and Rodriguez go on their own," Karneering suggested. "That way they can snipe at each other to their heart's content and the three of us won't have to listen to it."

"That's not nice. We don't snipe at each other," Rodriguez protested, even though he wanted to be partnered with Lucas.

"What would you call it?" Tim inquired. "And I agree with Karneering."

"That's fine with me," Ford interjected before anything more could be said.

*****

Rodriguez led Lucas along the trail until they were out of sight of the rest of the groups and he found a bench. "All right. I've really had enough of this particular activity. Sit," he ordered.

"Should I roll over and play dead?" Lucas questioned, pulling the blindfold off. "I think they ran out of activities to run a full week, so we're recycling old ones."

"You could be right," Rodriguez agreed. "You okay?"

"Yes."

"You still look kind of pale."

"Well, it's stupid that I couldn't…" Lucas started, staring straight ahead.

"You're afraid of heights; you can't help it."

"I jumped out of a helicopter and I can't cross a dumb bridge?"

"Different circumstances," Rodriguez pointed out. "No one's life changed because you couldn't cross that bridge. Things could have been different if you hadn't jumped out of the helicopter." "I was referring to the five hostages we rescued, not the other parts," Rodriguez explained. "The whole team could have been taken if you hadn't gotten us past the locks. You never did explain how you were able to do that."

"It's a long story."

"That's usually the best kind," Rodriguez teased, but did not press the issue. "I'll get it out of you yet," he concluded.

"The commander probably thinks I'm an idiot."

*****

"You knew he was afraid of heights, didn't you?" Ford quizzed Tim.

"Yes, Sir," Tim answered.

"Perhaps you should have mentioned it before we got started. He could have stayed on the ground."

"He doesn't like to admit that it's a problem," Tim sighed. He wondered if Lucas realized how much his fear got Tim lectured. The Outriggers had not been overly pleased when he had not told them either. "And I thought you knew," he added.

"Why?"

"The first sign was on seaQuest. I sort of assumed it went all over the boat after he panicked on the ladder," Tim explained.

"No, I never heard about it."

"That's odd. There were a couple of witnesses, at least at first," Tim mused. "The captain cleared the area pretty quick though."

"Maybe the witnesses decided to be nice," Karneering offered.

"You've obviously never been on a sub," Ford remarked dryly. "That's usually the kind of thing that spreads like wildfire."

*****

"Come on; we'd better go back. They should be done by now," Rodriguez sighed. "I'll even let you lead me back. Just stay away from the edge of the cliff."

"It's a trust walk, Rodriguez, you're supposed have faith in me."

"Yes, but I know you too well for that. You never told me if you brought Blue with you."

"No. I really wish you'd stop bringing the bear up."

"Well, we could talk about what's on your mind if you prefer," Rodriguez offered, not surprised when he received no response.

*****

They met up with the other three, everyone anxious to be done with the outdoor activities. Ford noticed Lucas was avoiding him, which was why he made sure that he sat next to him on the bus ride back to the convention center. Even though the noisy ride was not the best place to carry on a conversation, Ford knew they could not complete the seminar if Lucas would not even look him in the eye.

For his part, Lucas was supremely embarrassed. He had thought panicking over the jump off the Tower in Hawaii had been bad; this felt even worse. He glanced at the commander and waited for the lecture to start. Lucas could not imagine Ford being afraid of anything.

"You can't spend the rest of the week not looking at me," Ford commented quietly.

"I'm sorry," Lucas mumbled, still not looking at him.

"Why?"

Ford's question caught him off guard, forcing him to look up. "Because I didn't, you know…"

"That's okay. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of heights."

"I should have…"

"No one can do everything, Lucas. And I'm not mad at you nor do I think any less of you."

"Thanks." Lucas muttered.

*****

"I'm just glad they didn't try to serve us lunch out there," Rodriguez remarked, as they arrived back at the conference center. "And at least we're done for the day."

"No kidding," Tim agreed.

"Uh, guys, why are those people pointing at us?" Lucas inquired, noticing a man and woman talking to the clerk at the front desk, who was, indeed, pointing at them.

"I think we're about to find out," Rodriguez responded, as the two walked over.

"Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil, Lucas Wolenczak?" the man queried, stumbling over Lucas' last name.

"What do you want with them?" Rodriguez spoke before anyone else could.

"Inspector Daniel Crewes and my partner, Emily Stanton. We have some questions for them."

"What kind of questions?" Ford asked.

"I'd like to speak to Mr. O'Neil and Mr. Wolenczak," Crewes said impassively.

"And we'd like to know why," Rodriguez persisted.

"About a break in that occurred last night at Nicholson Technology," Stanton interjected. "We're curious as to how their fingerprints ended up at the scene of the crime. We'd like them to come down to the station."

Lucas and Tim looked at one another and swallowed nervously. Ford felt distinctly out of his league with this one.

"Why can't you talk to them here?" Rodriguez questioned.

Stanton glanced at her partner. "Very well," she conceded. "Their room?"

"All right. It's room ten-fifteen."

"The desk said ten-seventeen," Crewes corrected.

"We traded last night, for security reasons," Rodriguez lied. He decided it was better to keep them out of Lucas and Tim's room until they knew for sure what was going on.

"Then let's go," Crewes ordered.

*****

In the elevator, Rodriguez slipped Lucas his key, and took the one for ten-seventeen.

"We'll need to question them alone," Stanton instructed them, when they arrived at the rooms.

"No," Ford said firmly. "Lucas is a minor. You can't question him without the presence of an adult." Ford had let Rodriguez take charge downstairs, mainly out of surprise.

"Lieutenant O'Neil is an adult," Crewes pointed out.

"Mr. O'Neil has other things on his mind right now. Either I'm present or you don't question either one."

"And you would be?"

"Commander Jonathan Ford," Ford introduced himself. He would not back down on this one. He did not want to face Bridger's reaction if he allowed either one to be interrogated without some kind of protection.

"Very well."

*****

"What's going on?" Karneering asked Rodriguez, who was making an emergency call to McKinnon.

"I have no idea, but I think we know why nothing was taken last night."

*****

"Now, which one of you is which?" Stanton questioned.

"Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil."

"Then you must be Lucas Wolenczak," Crewes remarked to Lucas.

"Yes."

"Now, can you explain how your fingerprints ended up at Nicholson Technology?"

"No," Tim replied, trying hard to keep his voice even.

"Mr. Wolenczak?"

"No."

"Someone broke into their room last night, could it be related to that?" Ford interrupted, getting a glare for his efforts.

"Why?" Crewes challenged.

"A security guard was killed during the robbery," Stanton added. "This is very serious. You need to cooperate with us."

"You can't honestly believe that we had anything to do with the break in. What do we know about that kind of thing?" Tim queried.

"The building was protected by an alarm system designed by Aegis Security. Mr. Wolenczak's familiarity with their product is well-documented," Crewes announced.

*****

"All right," McKinnon said, thinking. "Invoke Ninety-ninety and use Eighty-six to pull O'Neil and Wolenczak out of there," she ordered swiftly. "Retro it to last night."

"What about Ford?" Rodriguez inquired, curious about McKinnon's reaction.

"I'll get him assigned to us as well," she responded. "Until I can get orders transmitted, you'll have to stay with him and keep him from answering questions. We can't let him contact seaQuest either. Your inspectors will take their inquiry there next; we need Bridger and company to remain ignorant until then. Karneering, you have to get Wolenczak and O'Neil out of the hotel. Follow standard protocol," she instructed. "I'll assemble the team and we'll be there as soon as possible. Whatever you do, do not let Wolenczak and O'Neil have any time alone."

"Commander?" Rodriguez queried, sensing McKinnon knew more than she was revealing.

"We can't let them have any time to come up with a story together."

"You know something."

"We'll talk when I get there; just keep them away from the police. If the authorities object, tell them to contact the admiral."

"Sullivan going to okay this?"

"Sullivan won't be a problem," McKinnon assured him. "Check in later. I'm sending you the orders for Wolenczak and O'Neil now. I'll have the ones reassigning Ford transmitted within the hour."

*****

McKinnon waited for Admiral Christopher Kincaid to appear on screen. "Sorry to disturb you, Admiral," she greeted him, giving a quick salute. Kincaid had joined the Outrigger organization when Admiral Walter Ramsey had been ousted.

"What can I do for you, Commander?" Kincaid inquired politely, keeping his tone professional.

"I need to reactivate two reserve team members and get another person temporarily assigned. I also need permission for an emergency deployment."

"Why?"

"I think someone is setting up my reservists," McKinnon informed him, quickly reciting the details.

"Proof?"

"None. That's why I need to do this."

"Not good enough, Commander."

"Do it for Jordan then," McKinnon requested. "There are similarities," she added, before Kincaid could speak.

"You sure?"

"Not until I can investigate."

"Your captain know you called me?"

"I need you to cover that too."

"All right. I'll need names. I'll tell Sullivan you're on special assignment, strictly need to know and he's not considered part of the loop."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Don't make me regret it, Hunter," Kincaid said quietly.

*****

"Shall we be polite or abrupt?" Rodriguez asked Karneering.

"Your call."

"Let's make an entrance; give me your key."

*****

"This is supposed to be private," Crewes pronounced when Rodriguez and Karneering entered the room.

"This interview is over," Rodriguez told him. "Lieutenant Commander EJ Rodriguez, Outrigger Blue. This is Lieutenant Commander Joshua Karneering," he added, opting to use Karneering's rank. "And there will be no more questioning of Wolenczak or O'Neil at this time."

"You can't end this interview. We'll take it to the station if necessary," Crewes threatened.

"Section Eighty-six, paragraph one of the Outrigger Code of Conduct, states that no member of an Outrigger unit can be questioned out of the presence of their commanding officer or legal affairs officer. Commander Hunter McKinnon will arriving as soon as she can, but, until then, you cannot question them or hold them. That's covered under paragraph two, subsection C, which states you violated their rights by not allowing them to have appropriate representation at the initial inquiry," Rodriguez explained.

"Your rules don't apply to them," Stanton reminded him triumphantly. "They are assigned to seaQuest."

"Section Ninety-nine, paragraph two," Rodriguez quoted, "establishes that any non-organization member that has participated in a successful deployment is considered a reserve member, subject to recall at the discretion of the team. Commander McKinnon reactivated Wolenczak and O'Neil last night. They are members of Outrigger Blue and therefore all rules and regulations associated with the Outrigger Code of Conduct apply to them," he elaborated. "This interview is over. If you have any questions, you can contact Admiral Christopher Kincaid. Here's a copy of the orders establishing the validity of their assignment."

"Commander Ford is not excused," Crewes pointed out. "He's not mentioned here," he added after examining the orders.

"Commander Ford's orders will be here within the hour. Until then, I'll wait with him to make sure that you don't violate his rights."

"Don't worry, Inspectors; we'll be in touch," Karneering assured them. "Once Commander McKinnon has arrived."

"I'm contacting headquarters," Stanton informed him. "You're not going anywhere until I get verification."

"That's fine," Rodriguez told her, trusting that McKinnon would have already taken care of the details by now.

Part 5

Bridger stared at Admiral Kincaid with a growing sense of horror about what he was hearing. "What do you mean they're reserve members?" he demanded.

"That should have been explained to you after they completed their previous mission with the Outriggers, Captain," Kincaid explained impassively. "Any individual who proves himself in the field automatically joins as a reservist."

"No one told me. Did they know?" Bridger questioned, referring to Lucas and Tim.

"According to the report filed by Commander McKinnon, it was part of their debriefing and was duly witnessed by Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez."

"One of them is only sixteen and not even a member of the military."

"Mr. Wolenczak is an active participant on seaQuest, which makes him eligible for assignment under our rules. You'll receive confirmation of the orders for them and Commander Ford very shortly."

"I am not happy with this at all."

"I can see that, Captain, and I'm sorry. But we need their services at this time." "And that's all you can tell me? I'm don't know if you're aware of this, but the last time your rules were invoked, both of them were shot!"

"I'm sure Commander McKinnon will endeavor not to repeat that particular performance," Kincaid assured him. "If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to."

******

"All I know is that it was an emergency deployment, Nathan," Admiral Bill Noyce told Bridger, less than ten minutes later. "Rumor has it that Kincaid ordered it without even consulting Sullivan."

"They could have been killed last time, Bill," Bridger said angrily. "Now, I'm informed that they're reserve members!" he yelled, making a mental note to have a long talk with the two about that piece of information. "Do they make up the rules as they go?"

Noyce decided it was safer to assume that the question was rhetorical. He knew any answer he gave was likely to rile the captain. "I'll keep looking into it," he promised.

"Thank you. Now, I have to explain this to my crew," Bridger sighed, imagining the response he was going to get.

******

"What exactly are we doing?" Lucas asked Karneering, as he ushered him and Tim into their room.

"You brought your gear with you?" Karneering questioned, more for something to say, since he knew the answer.

"Yes. Rodriguez said we had to," Tim confirmed.

"Good. Grab it and anything else you absolutely need," he ordered. "We're going to be leaving the hotel now."

"The inspectors aren't going to like that," Lucas observed.

"Probably not, but, by the time they realize it, it'll be too late," Karneering commented.

"Why did McKinnon activate us?" Tim questioned.

"I don't know," Karneering replied. "She'll explain when she gets here with the rest."

"Ford isn't going to be pleased by this," Lucas remarked.

"McKinnon will deal with him. You ready? Just leave the rest of your stuff here. It'll give them something to think about."

******

"Where are Lucas and Tim?" Ford quizzed Rodriguez, when they were finally released by Crewes and Stanton.

"Karneering took them to a safer location," Rodriguez replied.

"That's not good enough. These are serious charges that are being made. I need to contact the captain."

"You'll have to take that up with Commander McKinnon. But right now you are an Outrigger. That means no contact with anyone off the team until she approves it."

"What?"

"I just follow orders, Sir. Failure to do so gets me in a lot of trouble. Right now, we're waiting so I can go back and get my things and Karneering's."

"Why did you tell them that was their room?"

"To keep them from taking a quick look at Wolenczak and O'Neil's. Someone's taken care to get them involved; we don't need to help them."

"If we're not here, they can look."

"I know. Karneering and I already examined it and took pictures. If anything appears after the fact, we'll know it was planted."

"You honestly think that…"

"It looks that way. In my line of work, it pays to be suspicious everything. Okay, let's go. We're going to go out the fire escape after I get what I need. They'll be watching the main entrance."

******

"What's going on?" Miguel asked Ben, as they took seats in the wardroom.

"I have no idea," Ben responded. "But I don't think it's good news," he added. "Captain looks a little tense."

"I was in the middle of an experiment," Dr. Kristin Westphalen grumbled to Bridger, taking a seat next to Katie.

"I'm sorry," Bridger apologized. If he could have avoided this meeting, he certainly would have. The four, along with Chief Crocker, waited for him to speak. "I just had a call from Admiral Kincaid," he started, wishing there was some other way to make this announcement.

"Who's he?" Kristin interrupted. "I don't recognize the name."

"Admiral Kincaid took over Admiral Ramsey's position," Bridger explained. He watched as the information sank in. "It would seem that the Outriggers have need of Lucas and Mr. O'Neil…"

"What?!" Kristin shouted, not bothering to keep her voice down. "And just what was the commander doing during all this?" she demanded, not wanting to hear any more.

"Commander Ford has also been temporarily reassigned to the Outriggers," Bridger continued.

"Why?"

"The admiral did not care to enlighten me."

"How could they use them again, after last time?" Ben inquired, unable to bring himself to actually say the words.

"The Outriggers apparently reserve the right to recall anyone who has previously served with them," Bridger evaded slightly. He did not think this was the best time to add that it was likely Lucas and Tim had known they could be reactivated.

"Is it the same unit?" Katie questioned.

"Yes."

"That group is insane! Why didn't Commander Ford contact you?" Kristin queried.

"The orders came from Kincaid himself; I don't think the commander had much choice," Bridger told her. The captain hoped for his sake that the commander had not have any alternatives. If the doctor suspected he could have prevented this in any way, his XO was in big trouble. He ignored the sanity issue, understanding that he was not going to persuade her otherwise.

"I don't suppose they told you what they were doing?" Ben asked, his voice filled with resignation.

"No. I'm afraid that, as usual, everything is top secret."

"So we just have to wait until they come back?" Miguel questioned.

"Yes."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Crocker offered hopefully. Like the rest, he worried about what might happen. "And the commander is with them."

******

"Why this place?" Lucas inquired, after Karneering had checked them into a hotel.

"Standard protocol for this kind of thing," Karneering replied, "so everyone knows where to go in case of separation. We go six blocks south, turn right, go five miles and take the first left, proceed for nine blocks and start checking hotels until we find one with a vacancy. We always have a check in name ready. We'll change it when we leave and it will remain in place until we use it again."

"That's very confusing," Tim commented.

"It's the Outrigger way, O'Neil," Karneering reminded him with a smile. "We won't stay here long, just until we can hook up with McKinnon and figure out what's going on."

"What is going on?" Lucas questioned.

"I don't know. Right now, we want to keep you away from the police so we have time to figure it out," Karneering explained. For the moment, he had only checked them into one room, figuring it was the easiest way to follow McKinnon's instructions about not leaving them alone.

******

"You contact McKinnon yet?" Rodriguez asked, when he and Ford arrived twenty minutes later. "Nice place, by the way," he commented. "But I don't think this is really going to work for five of us."

"That's your job, not mine," Karneering informed him, referring to the call to McKinnon. "As for the accommodations, I figured you'll get another room."

"Let's see what McKinnon wants us to do first," Rodriguez sighed. "You two okay?" he asked Lucas and Tim.

"We're fine, considering that they seem to think we were involved in a major break in that resulted in someone getting killed," Lucas responded sarcastically.

"Well, can't be doing too bad. You still have your attitude," Rodriguez observed cheerfully. "Let me see if I can reach McKinnon. Then we'll see about dinner and starting to sort this mess out."

"I'd still like to know why I can't contact Captain Bridger," Ford interrupted.

"McKinnon said no outside contact," Rodriguez replied. "That means your captain. I just follow orders."

"I outrank you," Ford pointed out.

"Technically yes," Rodriguez agreed. "However, you forget, I'm an Outrigger; we go by our own set of rules."

"Excuse me?"

"Section two, paragraph one, subsection B states that a lower ranking officer is not obligated to follow the orders of a superior, if the officer issuing the order comes from outside the organization, and the officer in question is disobeying the order in order to follow the orders already given by a superior within the organization of equal rank," Karneering recited for Rodriguez.

"In other words, you and McKinnon are both commanders, so he doesn't have to listen to you because she gave him an order that is opposite of yours," Tim translated. He and Lucas had already been subjected to repeated drilling on the Outrigger Code of Conduct in their phone calls with Rodriguez and Ryan. McKinnon had explained she expected them to memorize the regulations as reserve members.

"And I should also remind you that Wolenczak and O'Neil are, for the moment, in our chain of command," Rodriguez added.

"But I'm also temporarily assigned to your unit," Ford argued.

"Yes, but you're only a temporary duty, so your rank has no status."

"Tim and I are reserve members of the unit; you're an outsider," Lucas clarified.

"Yes, and does the captain know this particular point?" Ford inquired.

Lucas and Tim looked at one another and back at Ford, who was standing with his arms crossed, his command face on. "Uh, we hadn't, uh, gotten, uh, around to, uh, telling him just yet," Tim confessed, nervously.

"Why not? When were you planning on telling him?"

"He knows now," Rodriguez interjected. "I'm sure McKinnon had Sullivan contact him."

"You two are going to have a lot of explaining to do," Ford told them. "So, you might want to start with me."

The two looked at each other again, knowing he was right. Neither one looked forward to going to back to face Bridger, especially when he found out they had omitted this detail. "We were hoping it wouldn't become an issue," Lucas explained, although judging from the look on the commander's face, it was not a sufficient explanation.

"I think I'll make my call," Rodriguez mumbled, moving to the corner of the room. He felt a certain amount of sympathy for the two seaQuest members. He recognized the look on Ford's face; he had seen it on McKinnon's more than once. However, Rodriguez knew better than to get involved.

"You," Ford spoke to Tim, "should know better than to keep something like this quiet. How long have you known?"

"Since the end of our last assignment," Tim muttered, his voice barely audible.

"You've had how long?" Ford questioned. Both had the sense to recognize the question was rhetorical. "I can't believe that you two didn't mention this," he repeated. Ford could only imagine the captain's reaction. "I assume no one else on the crew knows either?"

"No, Sir," Lucas answered.

"I can only imagine how they're going to react. Especially after what happened last time."

Lucas and Tim both looked down at the floor, not sure how to respond and deciding that, in this instance, silence was the best option.

******

"McKinnon and the rest will be here in two hours," Rodriguez announced, "so I'm going to wait to get another room until she arrives."

"How about Commander Ford and I go get some food?" Karneering suggested. "I'd go alone, but I can't bring it back myself and I don't think we want these two out wandering the streets."

"All right," Ford agreed, although he did not like the idea of leaving them alone, even if Rodriguez was there.

"We'll be fine," Tim assured him.

"What do you want us to get?" Karneering questioned.

"I don't care," Tim replied.

"Don't ask Wolenczak; all he does is play with his food," Rodriguez told him.

"Thanks a lot," Lucas said. "But I don't care either."

"Good. Looks like we get to pick. No griping when we come back," Karneering admonished them. "Come on, Commander. Rodriguez will keep them safe while we're gone."

******

"Well, I'd say you guys ticked someone off," Rodriguez remarked, after the other two had left. "Or you just have incredibly bad luck."

"It could go either way. I haven't felt lucky in awhile," Lucas responded.

"I don't think the commander is real keen on this situation," Tim observed.

"He does seem rather uncomfortable with us," Rodriguez agreed. "But we'll grow on him."

"Somehow, I don't think he wants to hang around that long," Lucas pointed out.

"Ah, you guys took to us pretty quick. We're not that hard to love," Rodriguez said with a quick smile.

"If I were you, I'd worry about acceptance before going for love," Tim informed him. "He's only going along now because he's in shock."

"In two more hours, he's McKinnon's problem," Rodriguez reminded them. "She'll take care of it."

The other two thought about it for a moment. "You're probably right," Lucas conceded.

part 6

"Lucas, what did Crewes mean?" Ford questioned the teenager, while they ate dinner.

"Excuse me?" Lucas responded, knowing what the commander meant, but wanting to buy some time.

"What he said about you and Aegis Security?" Ford elaborated.

"What did he say?" Rodriguez inquired, his interest piqued by the mention of the security company.

"He said that Lucas' 'familiarity with their product was well documented'," Tim quoted. "You interrupted before he explained himself."

Rodriguez grew more alert both at the question and the look that crossed Lucas' face. He saw from the way Karneering leaned forward that the doctor was interested as well.

Lucas was grateful that McKinnon chose that moment to arrive with the rest of the team. He recognized he was only avoiding the inevitable, but he did not mind the delay. It gave him more time to think of an explanation that would answer the question without him having to lie about it.

"Nice hotel you picked out, Ghost," Lieutenant Nicholas Chandler greeted the group, as Rodriguez let them in the room.

"You have complaints, take them up with Einstein. He picked it," Rodriguez retorted. He wondered what McKinnon had told them; the team was obviously in mission mentality though.

"It's not that bad. The rooms are clean. And no one thought it odd that we arrived together," Lieutenant Commander Jenna Ryan observed.

"Thank you, Sunshine," Lieutenant Philip Hallowell said, from the back of the group.

Ford listened to the exchanges with growing confusion, noting that Lucas and Tim seemed to follow it with great ease.

"I'll cover the details with you later," McKinnon muttered to Rodriguez, knowing her second in command was bursting to hear details. "Right now, I need to have a private chat with Commander Ford."

"Better you than me."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Afterwards, I need to talk to Slick and Indy. The rest will wait until tomorrow. I'll have to contact Kincaid and see about getting us into some place we can use for a base of operations. We can't work out of here."

"You're the boss."

"Try and remember that as time goes on," McKinnon requested dryly.

*******

"If you missed us, you guys could have just come for a visit," Ryan teased Lucas and Tim.

"This is a bit dramatic," Lieutenant Maxwell Dawson added.

"It got your attention, didn't it?" Lucas pointed out.

"Yes, but a phone call would have had the same effect," Lieutenant Sara Adamsen observed. "And probably created less trouble it the long run."

*******

"What is going on?" Ford demanded of McKinnon, once she had led him to one of the other rooms.

"If I had the answers, we wouldn't be here. We would be down at the police station," McKinnon informed him. "But I'd say someone wanted to get Slick and Indy in trouble."

"Excuse me?" Ford queried, puzzled.

"Sorry. I forgot," McKinnon apologized. "Wolenczak and O'Neil. We use nicknames," she explained. "It's a habit."

"How interesting," Ford commented, making a note to get more of an explanation from Lucas and Tim. "Why can't I contact the seaQuest? Captain Bridger should be informed of this."

"I'm sure the inspectors will take care of that," McKinnon told him. "Once they can't get in touch with us, they'll go to seaQuest. And we need your captain and crew to be unaware of this when they start asking questions, because in the morning, Inspector Crewes and Stanton are going to be told that the three of you are on assignment with us and unavailable for questioning until further notice. We're Outriggers; we can get away with it," she remarked, when he gave her a startled look. "Everyone knows we don't play by the rules. Your captain and friends on seaQuest need to be able to honestly tell them this is the first they've heard. Besides, it won't take the police too long to get transmissions tapped if they're serious about thinking Slick and Indy are involved."

"I still don't understand why you're involved?!"

"They're part of my team and no one messes with my team," McKinnon stated bluntly. "Now, you can work with us or I can have Admiral Kincaid park you somewhere safe so that you can't interfere. It's your choice. But if you stay with us, we do it by my rules."

Ford could tell the commander was serious. "All right," he assented. "Just don't expect me to follow everything without question. I'm interested in their welfare too." Ford did not care for the deal, but he was not about to leave Lucas and Tim alone.

"If I thought otherwise, I wouldn't have given you the choice," McKinnon noted calmly. "Now, I'm going to talk to Slick and Indy and see what they can tell me."

"I want to be present."

"Not this time," McKinnon responded. "I want to talk to them alone."

"Why?"

"It doesn't really matter why, but I've found some things are best discussed in private. I've been around both long enough to know that they don't like being pressured. And I wouldn't worry too much, Commander. They'll protect each other. Besides, I haven't killed anyone from my own team," McKinnon commented with deliberate precision. "At least not recently," she added, opening the door and rejoining the others. She figured that would give Ford plenty to think about.

*******

"What did you say to him?" Rodriguez asked, noticing the shocked and horrified expression on Ford's face.

"Nothing much. Just let him think some of the rumors are true."

"Oh dear. Ice, what's going on?"

"Not yet, Ghost. I need to talk to Slick and Indy."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"All right," Rodriguez agreed, feeling like he was missing something.

"Okay, Slick, bring your computer," McKinnon instructed Lucas. "I think we may need it," she added obliquely.

*******

"Okay, we're going to start with the easy questions and then move on to the hard ones," McKinnon announced to the duo. "I need to know what happened starting with the break in last night and your questioning today."

"Then Rodriguez came in and said they had to stop and that's where it ended," Tim concluded. Lucas had remained silent for most of Tim's narration.

"We'll get back to the interview momentarily," McKinnon commented. "Now, you want to tell me what's been bugging the two of you?" she inquired.

Lucas and Tim glanced at one another, realizing, for the first time, that this could all be related, but not completely sure.

"Let me rephrase the question. How long have you been receiving the notes?"

"Notes?" Lucas repeated, surprised.

"Yes. The ones that make you think you've been threatened, but are just vague enough to make you think you're wrong."

"What do you know about it?"

"Not much," McKinnon admitted. "However, I'm familiar with the pattern. It happened once before. So, I think you better tell me."

"About two weeks ago, we started getting them. He sends half to me, half to Lucas."

"You ever get any alone?" McKinnon questioned.

"I got two, before the first one with Lucas," Tim replied.

"Lucas?" McKinnon prompted.

"Mine started about two weeks before that," Lucas confessed reluctantly.

"Two weeks!" Tim shouted. "You never mentioned that detail."

"I thought it was part of that prank," Lucas mumbled.

"Well that tells us one thing," McKinnon interjected.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Slick is the primary target," McKinnon responded. "You were drawn in to pull him in further. He didn't react as the sender expected, so you started receiving the notes."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen the game played before," McKinnon answered. "Now, why didn't either of you mention these notes?"

"We didn't think much of them," Lucas explained. "They're vague. No proof of a threat. They're already watching us for signs of strain over our assignment with you guys. We didn't want to add more fuel."

"More fuel?"

"They thought we weren't dealing with it properly, because we didn't talk about it with anyone," Tim elaborated. "They wanted us to get counseling. And everyone's been kind of overprotective, especially of Lucas."

"Why wouldn't you talk to anyone?"

"I talked to Bridger and Tim," Lucas corrected. "It wasn't like I was ignoring it. And I talk to Ghost. But the rest, they don't understand; it just upsets them. They feel guilty. Everyone seems to think they should have been able to stop it from happening," he added. "Talking about it seems to add to their pain."

"That doesn't mean they wouldn't have taken the threats seriously."

"But when nothing happened, they would have thought we were paranoid. There were times when we thought we were paranoid," Lucas replied.

"Well it's safe to say you're not," McKinnon pointed out dryly. "Someone's trying to set you up. And they must have a reason, which is what we're going to work on tomorrow."

"What about the inspectors? They are going to want to question us."

"The admiral is going to buy us some time on that end."

"And Bridger?"

"He was notified you've been reactivated and Ford has been assigned. From what Kincaid told me, you're going to be having a long talk with your captain upon your return."

"Great," Tim sighed.

"Hey, I told you guys to let him know."

"Thanks for the support, Commander."

"Any time. Okay, Indy, you can return to the room. Tell Ghost to come on over," McKinnon ordered. "You can stay right there, Slick. We still have a few things to discuss. I also want to see the threats; I assume you saved them."

"Yes," Lucas replied, wondering what else she wanted to talk about and why Tim couldn't stay. He had a feeling that he was not going to like the answer.

*******

"You lose someone, Indy?" Rodriguez inquired, when Tim returned alone.

"No. Ice wants to see you now. Lucas is still with her."

"Oh. You might want to reassure your commander that we have retained some of our sanity," Rodriguez suggested.

"Why? I don't want to lie to him."

"Great, now you're starting," Rodriguez groaned. "Sunshine?" Rodriguez tapped Ryan on the shoulder.

"What?"

"I guess Ice wants a word with me, so I'll be back."

"All right. Should I send in rescue party if you don't come back soon?" Ryan asked him. "She was a little uptight earlier."

"Hey, I've been at this conference. I haven't had time to get into trouble," Rodriguez defended.

"True."

"Besides, she still has Slick in there with her. I figure I'm safe."

"Sure, hide behind the rookies, Ghost; that's classy," Chandler observed, having heard the last part.

"Thank you, Irish. I learned it from you."

*******

"They act like this to relieve stress," Tim remarked to Ford.

"Really?"

"And when they have an audience."

"I don't see how it can be productive."

"It seems to work rather well for them," Tim said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Great. By the way, want to explain the nicknames?" Ford inquired.

"Well, McKinnon is Ice and Rodriguez is Ghost, and Karneering is Einstein…" Tim answered, knowing full well what the commander wanted to know.

"That's not quite what I meant," Ford told him. "I'm more interested in why they call the two of you 'Indy' and 'Slick'."

"Uh…" Tim did not really want to explain the nicknames accurately. He swallowed as it occurred to him that it was likely the Outriggers would give the commander a nickname at some point.

*******

"You wanted me?" Rodriguez questioned McKinnon, when he entered.

"Yes. Now, Slick, why don't show us the notes? Let's start with the ones you got first," McKinnon instructed.

"Notes?" Rodriguez queried.

"Yes. Slick and Indy have been receiving threats together for about two weeks now. It would also seem that Slick has been getting them for about four weeks."

"This what's been bothering you?" Rodriguez asked Lucas.

"What do you think?" Lucas retorted.

"I think you should have talked to someone a lot sooner," Rodriguez informed him, sitting down next to him, so he could look at the computer. "But what do I know? I'm just the concerned friend," he added.

"We didn't think they were serious."

"You thought they were serious; you just didn't think anyone else would listen to you," McKinnon corrected. "They've had the two of you jumpy since they started."

"What was Indy thinking?" Rodriguez questioned. "This is not something you ignore."

"Well, Slick neglected to tell him about the earlier threats," McKinnon said. "I think if he had known, Indy would have spoken up quicker."

"Yeah, well, Slick's good at keeping secrets," Rodriguez observed.

"Do you have to talk about me like I'm not in the room?" Lucas inquired.

"No, but it's more fun."

"Anything specific you can tell me about the notes?" McKinnon interjected, not wanting the two to get started.

"Well, the one about the closet, Tim thought it was a specific reference to something from his past. I mean it's not obvious or anything, but he took it personal."

"Any thing from yours show up yet?"

"No. Last one we got was just generic again. They're just vague enough to be innocuous. And there wasn't one tonight."

"Okay. We'll study them more tomorrow, see if we can't get any clues from them. I assume you've tried to trace it?" McKinnon quizzed him.

"Yes, but I haven't had much time or luck."

"You're going to have plenty of time soon."

"I have a question," Rodriguez interrupted, deciding it was time to find out the answer and knowing McKinnon would not allow the teenager to avoid it. "What is the deal with you and Aegis Security?"

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, stalling for time.

"Indy said that, in the interview, Crewes indicated that you had an intimate knowledge of their systems. In fact, he said something about it being documented. Why?"

"Yes, I've been wondering about that since Tarsinia," McKinnon remarked, curious to see how he would explain it. She had seen the brief look of resignation that had crossed his face when Rodriguez brought the subject up. Obviously it was not something he wanted to discuss. "You were rather familiar with the alarm systems."

"A lot of security firms hire people to try to break their systems, so they know how well they work," Lucas evaded, not wanting to get into precise details. "I used to test their prototypes," he admitted, reluctantly, hoping they would not want the rest of the story.

Rodriguez studied him closely, waiting for the rest. "And?" he prompted. "You said this was a long story when I asked you about it before," he reminded him. "Right now, it's not very long at all."

"That's it. I tested them for awhile and then I stopped," Lucas hedged.

McKinnon noted that Lucas was not looking at either her or Rodriguez and that his breathing pattern had altered. Something had the teenager distinctly upset. She shook her head at Rodriguez when he acted like he was going to pursue the subject. McKinnon's instincts told her that, whatever the rest of the story was, for she had no doubt that there was more, it was not related to the current situation. "How long ago was this? How current is your information?"

"It's current," Lucas admitted. "I keep an eye on the product line. I stopped testing right before going to seaQuest. Their engineers and programmers found it to demoralizing that I could crack their codes and security measures."

"Why?" McKinnon questioned. "Why keep up on the current systems?"

Lucas sighed and thought about how to answer the question. In general, the teenager tried to avoid outright lying, particularly to his friends. "I'm curious," he said, realizing if he did not say something soon, it would make them more interested. "I like to see what they've upgraded, what they haven't, if they ever took any of my suggestions," he elaborated.

"All right," McKinnon accepted his explanation, although she had a feeling there was more to it than simple curiosity. "We'll talk more in the morning. You can rejoin the others. Ghost, I need a word with you before I call the admiral."

"He left something out," Rodriguez stated, once Lucas had left.

"No kidding. He's extremely agitated about it."

"He ducked the question earlier when Indy and Ford brought it up. Same thing when I mentioned it earlier in the conference."

"I don't think the rest of the story is related to this case. At least, he honestly believes it's not important."

"You're willing to take the chance?" Rodriguez questioned. "I mean, they kept the threats a secret."

"That's another emotional web," McKinnon sighed. "I think both were afraid that they were making a fuss over nothing. For now, we're going to leave Aegis alone, although we may have to come back to it."

"You going to tell me what it is that you know about this situation?" Rodriguez quizzed.

"I've seen it play out before," McKinnon responded, still not giving many details. "Or very similar. I think they were right to be hesitant about reporting the initial notes. It probably would have gotten them discredited."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I think if they had made an issue and reported it, the threats would have been revealed as some kind of joke gone bad. I think Slick's the original target. Indy got drawn in when Slick did not respond the way the originator intended."

"What do we do?"

"We're going to try to turn the tables on him. I want you to stick close to Slick."

"Why?"

"Because he trusts you and I don't think he's dealing with this as well as he'd like us to think."

"You think he's going to share with me?" Rodriguez inquired.

"He and Commander Ford do not have that kind of relationship. Indy is already under enough stress; he won't go there. That leaves one of us. You're the likely choice."

*******

"Ford asked about the nicknames," Tim muttered to Lucas, upon the teenager's return.

"And you told him?"

"Nothing specific. I'm hoping it won't come up. What did Ice want?"

"Just to look at the threats and ask a couple of questions," Lucas replied. "Did you tell him that they're likely to give him one?" he inquired.

Tim glanced at him, but accepted that the teenager did not want to talk about his conversation with McKinnon. "No. I thought that should wait for another time. They will too, won't they?"

"I think that's a given. I'm afraid to think what they might come up with," Lucas commented.

"I'm kind of hoping I'm not around to see it. You look tired," Tim remarked.

"I'm fine."

"He's right," Ford interjected. Lucas did look tired and stressed.

"I'm okay," Lucas insisted. "Besides, I'm sure Ice will start sorting people out pretty quickly. You know how she is about getting plenty of rest," he reminded Tim.

"How are you guys doing?" Ryan asked, joining the trio.

"We're fine, although I could do without being considered part of a crime," Lucas informed her.

"Well, that's true for most people: even those that are guilty. Don't worry about it. We'll get to the bottom of it."

"I wish I had your confidence," Tim sighed.

"No one has Sunshine's confidence," Adamsen told him. "But that's why we like her."

"Thank you, Brook," Ryan said.

Ford listened to the conversation and wondered how this chaos formed one of the elite groups of the UEO.

Part 7

Rodriguez returned to the room and sat down next to Lucas. McKinnon had told him to stick close to the teenager; he might as well start now. Plus, he wanted the chance to study the younger man and this seemed like the time to do it. With the rest of the team around, Lucas was less likely to notice his scrutiny. Rodriguez also wanted the chance to observe Ford; he could tell they made the commander nervous. Rodriguez had no doubt that McKinnon had issued some kind of threat to get his cooperation. He knew his commanding officer well enough to know that she was taking this situation personally.

******

"Commander McKinnon," Kincaid greeted her politely. "What do you have?"

"Scenario is similar enough," McKinnon responded, getting right to business. "Tomorrow, we'll get to work on what kind of evidence they have against the two. I'm fairly certain it'll be circumstantial, but just enough to make it look bad for them."

"Keep on it. Sullivan is not very happy that this assignment was made over his head."

"Sorry, Sir."

"No, you're not," Kincaid said dryly. He had known McKinnon long enough to know that she rarely worried about the chain of command and then only when it suited her purposes. "I made it clear that I contacted you, not the other way around."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Now, do you need anything?"

"We need some place to set up operations. We can't do it from a hotel room. It's too hard to secure the area and restrict access. Plus, we need computer equipment. Given enough time, I'm confident that Wolenczak can dig up some information for us."

"Yes, I'm familiar with his reputation."

McKinnon noted the amusement in his voice, but did not comment. "For now, Commander Ford is cooperating, but I have a feeling that's not going to last forever."

"I imagine he finds your methods a little unorthodox."

"That's an understatement."

"Call me in the morning and I'll have an address for you. I know of a place or two that will serve your purposes. Do you need anything else?"

McKinnon thought for moment, wondering about having him check on Lucas' story about Aegis Security, then decided not to worry about it for the moment. "Not right now."

"Oh, I meant to tell you that when I spoke with Captain Bridger, he expressed a certain amount of concern for his crew. In particular, he mentioned that the two were shot the last time," Kincaid told her. "I told him you would endeavor not to have a repeat performance."

"I imagine he liked that."

"Yes, well, he did seem a bit perturbed. However, try to make sure that you don't make me a liar," he requested.

McKinnon looked at him. "I'll tell the team that if anyone is going to get shot it should be anyone but the three from seaQuest," she offered. Kincaid glared at her. "I'll do my best to make sure they don't get shot this time, but it's not like I can offer a guarantee," she observed.

"Just do your best."

******

"You doing okay?" Rodriguez asked Lucas quietly. The teenager had been silent since he had returned to the room.

"I'm fine."

"You seem kind of tense."

"Gee, I wonder why? I mean, I start off my day panicking over a stupid bridge. I'm questioned by the police about a crime I know nothing about, but they seem to have good reason to believe I do. I'm suddenly reassigned to you guys. No offense, but the last time I did this, I got shot. And I'm going to face the wrath of the captain when we return for not mentioning that we could get recalled, not to mention anyone else who finds out about it!" Lucas hissed. "This has not been a particularly good day."

"I really think you need to start considering taking a nap in the afternoon. You'd be less cranky if you had more sleep," Rodriguez recommended, knowing he would get a reaction from the boy. He knew there was not much else he could do to change the situation.

"Thank you for the advice, Ghost. I've had so much time for one lately."

"You always have an answer," Rodriguez sighed.

"Are you trying to irritate me?"

"I don't know. Am I having any success?"

"What do you think?"

"Is it time to separate you two?" Karneering asked, joining them.

"No, we're doing fine," Rodriguez assured him.

"Besides, Einstein, if they're bugging each other, Ghost isn't bothering one of us," Ryan pointed out.

******

"They actually work like this?" Ford asked Tim, having overheard the exchange.

"Yes, Sir," Tim replied, deciding this was not time to add that it only got worse.

"How?"

"I've found it much easier to accept it and not to try to understand it, Commander," Tim advised. "It's just simpler that way."

******

McKinnon entered the room, having finished her call. "All right, gang, we're going to get to work in the morning. There's nothing we can do for now," she explained. "Let's do room assignments so everyone knows where they're sleeping."

"We're going to be crowded," Chandler observed.

"Yes, well, it's a good thing we're all friendly," Hallowell remarked.

"Sunshine, Brook and I will stay in one room. Ghost, Slick, Indy and Ford will go ahead and stay in this room. Einstein, Irish, Casanova, and Columbus will take the one on the other side."

"Yes!" Dawson yelled cheerfully. "Hey, I was afraid we'd get Ghost," he explained when everyone stared at him.

"Cute, Casanova. Very cute," Rodriguez responded.

"I get the alarm clock," Tim told him.

"You have no sense of adventure," Rodriguez sighed.

"Ghost likes to throw the alarm clock," Lucas mumbled to Ford.

"Really?" Ford muttered in a strangled voice.

"It's a habit," Rodriguez commented. "And it's not like I hit anyone with it."

"Not for lack of trying," Lucas remarked.

"If I was trying, I would hit you. I have good aim."

"Should I be scared?"

"Probably."

"You know, you two sound like you're related," Adamsen interrupted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rodriguez inquired.

"That you two can't spend five minutes in each other's company without engaging in some kind of verbal battle," Chandler elaborated. "Just like kids."

"Coming from you guys, I'll take it as a compliment."

"You take everything as a compliment, Ghost," Ryan pointed out.

"He has to take what he can get," Lucas mumbled.

"Watch it, Slick," Rodriguez warned him quietly.

******

Karneering moved to where McKinnon was sitting. "You look up what I asked?" he asked.

"Yes. There was nothing available," McKinnon answered him. "However, I see what you mean about his reaction."

"Maybe I was wrong."

"Or maybe it's just not there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first, if his father has the pull to get him put on seaQuest, he has the pull to clear his file. Second, it's a touchy subject with him. He has the ability to fix his file any way he wants," McKinnon observed. "But I don't see it helping us with this situation. Somehow, I don't see him thanking us for digging around in his personal life."

"You're right," Karneering agreed. "I was just curious more than anything. I thought it might give us some insight in to what's been bothering them."

"Probably not," McKinnon responded. She ignored the look he gave her and changed the conversation.

******

Since there were only two single beds in their room, Lucas and Rodriguez volunteered to sleep on the floor. "Just don't trip on us," Lucas grumbled.

"We'll try hard not to," Tim assured him. "But, if we do, would you rather we trip on your head or your feet?"

"Oh good, his personality is returning," Rodriguez mumbled. "Why are we so lucky?"

"I'm just trying to act in your best interests," Tim protested.

"Good night," Ford stated, fearing where the discussion would go if someone did not end it.

******

Rodriguez sat up, immediately alert, looking for something out of place. Then he realized that Lucas was thrashing around on his makeshift bed and had kicked him. Rubbing his leg, he watched the teenager for a few minutes, wondering what had his friend's sleep so disturbed. Rodriguez knew that, when he woke the boy up, he would not get an answer, but he could not leave the young man in this state. "Hey," he spoke softly, "we've got to stop meeting like this," he murmured, as Lucas came awake.

"Why are you always waking me up?" Lucas complained, rubbing his eyes. He hated when he dreamed; he always woke up disoriented and feeling vulnerable.

"You kicked me," Rodriguez informed him.

"Well, I get kind of restless…" Lucas started.

"Come on, Slick; we've progressed beyond the 'I'm a wild sleeper' story," Rodriguez interrupted. "When you're stressed, you have dreams. Want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Lucas hissed. "Except the fact you like to wake me up."

"Sure there is. You are one complicated individual, Slick," Rodriguez observed quietly, refusing to rise to the bait for the moment. "Something tells me you have more secrets in your past than the average person twice your age. Besides, you get defensive when you feel threatened," he added, referring to the last comment.

"You woke me up to give me a character study?"

"No, I woke you up because you weren't sleeping well," Rodriguez corrected. "Tell me, do you give your captain this much trouble when he tries to talk to you?"

"He doesn't wake me up."

"He would if you kicked him. But I'll take that as a yes," Rodriguez sighed. He wondered briefly if Bridger found the boy as frustrating as he was finding him to be at the moment.

Lucas shot him an exasperated look. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Sure. Just remember, sometimes it does help to talk about it."

Lucas did not respond and Rodriguez let the conversation end, although he lay awake for a long time listening to Lucas' breathing, able to tell the teenager had not gone back to sleep.

Rodriguez sighed softly, wishing he knew how to get the teenager to talk. Experience had taught him that people often said they did not want to discuss something because they wanted someone to pursue it; it was a test to see if anyone really cared. Rodriguez had no doubts that Lucas meant what he said and that the teenager would only become more entrenched in his position if pushed. Rodriguez had seen his stubbornness in Tarsinia, when the teenager had insisted Rodriguez could not protect him at the expense of the rest of the team. In fact, Rodriguez had figured out in the time since that it was one of the reasons Lucas trusted him. Besides accepting him as an equal, Rodriguez had not lied before or after. Unfortunately, the relationship they had formed while being held hostage and afterwards did not seem to be helping much. Rodriguez suspected that Lucas retreated inside himself whenever he felt threatened. He just wished he knew what had the teenager scared.

Part 8

'First, we're going to move to a new location," McKinnon announced in the morning. "We can't work here. Kincaid's found us a building we can use where we won't attract too much attention. While we're moving, Sunshine, you and Casanova are going to find out what's going on with the police. We need to know what evidence they have."

"How are you going to do that?" Ford inquired.

"We're going to invoke Twenty-three," Ryan replied, following McKinnon's train of thought. "Are we with OID or Outrigger Gray?" she queried.

"OID," McKinnon replied. "Outrigger Investigative Division. Handles all investigations of personnel under suspicion of criminal wrongdoing," she explicated for the benefit of Lucas, Tim and Ford.

"Isn't it illegal to impersonate someone from another section?" Ford questioned.

"I am part of OID," Ryan informed him. "And, as such, I'm allowed to deputize anyone I need to in order to complete my investigation. Thus, Casanova is covered. I'd take you with us, but they've already seen you."

"Exactly how often does this happen?" Lucas asked. "That you would need an actual division?"

"Not often, actually, which is why no one is assigned to the division full time. All members are part of other units. I'm also a member of OID; all commanding officers are. However, I don't want to see them in this capacity. I'm the only legal officer Outrigger Blue has, so I'll be representing you."

"You're going to meet with them?" Tim inquired.

"Of course. I have to meet with them at least once, so that they believe we're cooperating. I'll call and make an appointment for the afternoon."

"And do you have legal experience?" Ford questioned.

McKinnon looked at him before answering. "I took the three day seminar that authorizes me to be the legal officer," she admitted with more candidness than Ford would have liked. "I'm not going to appear in court or anything like that. I'm just to represent their best interests. Which, as I see it, involves keeping them from getting railroaded for a crime they were not involved in."

"What about the rest of us?" Chandler asked. "You'll be going with me as my assistant," McKinnon answered. "After Sunshine and Casanova are finished at the police station, they'll meet Columbus and Brook at the scene of the crime. Sunshine and Casanova, you will be there officially. Columbus and Brook, I want you there to get the gossip."

"Why do I always get gossip detail?" Adamsen complained.

"Because you can get anyone to talk," Hallowell responded. "If only to make you be quiet."

"Yeah, well, at least I don't get lost."

"What about us?" Lucas queried, referring to himself and Tim.

"We're going to let you do what you do best," McKinnon told him with a smile. "Try to get information on the computer. We need to find out why Nicholson Technology was robbed; was it random or was there any purpose to it? We also need to see if we can trace the notes."

"Notes?" Ford interrupted.

"Slick and Indy will explain that to you after we get situated at the new site," McKinnon informed him, noting his expression as she did. The commander did not look very happy. She understood how he felt, but she also was not going to change her position. Her main concern was getting Lucas and Tim out of this mess and figuring out exactly who was threatening them. "Right now, we have to move quickly because we're only going to be able to move in the open for so long."

"We can't afford to have the two of you out and about; it makes you too visible," Rodriguez added to Lucas and Tim, "which is not a good thing. Last we checked, this story had not gone to the media. However, if it does, it will get big play. I mean, you are assigned to the flagship of the UEO."

"Thanks for the reminder," Lucas mumbled.

"Hey, we won't let anything happen to you," Ryan assured them. "We know what we're doing."

"Most of the time," Rodriguez muttered, just loud enough for Lucas to hear.

"That often?" Lucas inquired, keeping his voice low as well, although, judging from the look McKinnon sent both of them, not low enough.

******

"One more thing," McKinnon told Lucas and Tim, before leaving them to pack. "This is an official field deployment. Section Four applies," she elaborated at their puzzled looks.

"Section Four?" Ford queried.

"It's the armament clause, Sir," Tim mumbled inaudibly.

"What? I didn't hear that," Ford prompted. He had a feeling he did not want to know, but he had to ask.

"It's the rule that requires us to carry our guns, Sir," Lucas informed him, speaking clearly. The look on Ford's face was worth having to tell him.

"Guns?" Ford repeated, not sure he liked the way Lucas had said 'our'.

"We always go armed on deployment," McKinnon stated.

"Unless it involves fire. We've discovered that's not a wise thing to do," Rodriguez offered hopefully.

"Is it really necessary?" Ford inquired, ignoring the whole fire remark. He knew he did not want to find out any more on that topic.

"Yes. We don't know what kind of situation we may walk into. If we get into trouble, I want to know we'll have every chance to defend ourselves."

"But…" Ford glanced at Lucas, not wanting to state the obvious.

"Slick and Indy both have to be able to take of themselves. We get into a situation where we need weapons, there will not be any time for us to protect them and ourselves. Their guns are designed for immobilization only. In fact, that's primarily all we use ours for."

"I still fail to see the need…"

"Commander, if someone starts shooting at us, they aren't really going to care that Slick is a teenager or that Indy normally is a communications officer. The bullets aren't going to discriminate either," McKinnon pointed out bluntly. "Indy has already proven he has no problem shooting and, given some of the other things he's done with us, I have every confidence that Slick will be fine should the occasion arise. There are no exceptions to this rule. Lieutenant Commander Ryan will, in fact, issue you a weapon when she returns this afternoon."

Tim could feel the commander's eyes on him and really wished McKinnon had not made the comment about him being able to shoot. He had omitted that from his report to the rest of the crew. The lieutenant had no doubts he would explaining that one. Lucas did not look any more thrilled at the prospect than he was either. Tim knew that Lucas had not told anyone, except for possibly Bridger, about jumping out of the helicopter.

******

"Well, that went well," Rodriguez commented to McKinnon, having followed her out of the room.

"That's why we did it now. He needs time to get used to the idea that, as far as we're concerned, they are members of our team. He has a strong desire to protect them, which is admirable on his part, but doesn't work for us. We need the them to be active participants."

"It's hard to get past the fact that Slick is just a teenager," Rodriguez reminded her. "Especially if you haven't seen him in anything other than a contained environment."

"I'll remind you of that the next time one of the new recruits makes a smart remark about them," McKinnon said with a smile.

"It was more than a smart remark," Rodriguez defended. "Besides, I didn't hear anyone offering any objections. In fact, I believe you all agreed."

"I never said we didn't."

"Then what's your point?"

"No point, I just like to get you riled up every now and then."

"You're cruel, you know that?"

"I'm a commanding officer; it comes with the job."

******

"You carry that stuff with you?" Ford asked Lucas and Tim, noting that they both were now dressed like the rest of Outrigger Blue, in black jeans and blue T-shirts.

"It's required," Tim replied with a shrug.

"You get used to it," Lucas added.

"How?" Ford questioned.

"You guys ready to leave?" Rodriguez inquired, returning before the other two could answer Ford's question.

"Looks that way," Tim told him.

"Good. If we go out now, you'll get to see a rare sight, indeed," Rodriguez commented.

"What?"

"Sunshine in a dress."

"The only thing rarer would Ice in a dress, is my guess," Lucas remarked.

"And you would be correct. I think it's part of her agreement to serve that she doesn't have to wear one. Never seen her in one."

"Well, she's probably never seen you in one either," Tim teased.

"And if she has, we don't want to know about it," Lucas interjected swiftly.

"It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?" Rodriguez sighed.

"You think the inspectors have contacted seaQuest yet?" Lucas asked Rodriguez, on a more serious note.

"Ice says if they follow true to form, they won't do that until she refuses to produce the two of you. Then they'll look to gather their information the hard way," Rodriguez replied, as they made their way out of the hotel. "So it probably won't be until this afternoon or tomorrow."

******

Ryan looked at Inspectors Crewes and Stanton and kept her expression blank. "Lieutenant Commander Jenna Ryan, Outrigger Investigative Division," she introduced herself, showing her identification. "This is my associate, Lieutenant Maxwell Dawson. We're here to see what information you have on Lieutenant Timothy O'Neil and Lucas Wolenczak."

"We're not releasing any information until we have a chance to speak with them again. I believe you're supposed to arrange that," Crewes informed her.

Ryan gave a short nod. "I'm afraid you have us confused with their commanding officer, Commander Hunter McKinnon. She'll be contacting you when she arrives later this afternoon, I believe. We're here to look into the complaint lodged against the two. We always perform an in-house investigation when any member of a unit is suspected of criminal behavior."

"It's bad for the image as an organization," Dawson offered helpfully.

"I'm afraid we can't help you," Stanton reiterated.

"Section twenty-three, paragraph five states that any law enforcement agency will make available all information in an ongoing investigation of any member of the Outrigger organization, active or reserve, for the purposes of internal review," Ryan recited, carefully hiding her smile. "I don't want to take this to my superior, but I have to be able to do my job."

******

"This is interesting," Hallowell pronounced, when the team arrived at the address provided by Kincaid. The gray building, located on a street of abandoned buildings, did not look very impressive.

"We've stayed in worse," Karneering remarked.

"You've been spending too much time with Sunshine," Chandler interjected. "Although you're right."

"Then why are you giving me grief?"

"Because it's fun."

"Let's get moving, gang," McKinnon called. "We need to get to work."

******

"What do you want me to do first?" Lucas asked McKinnon; while the others looked through the building, he was exploring the computers.

"Start trying to trace the notes; we need to establish where they're coming from."

"Any ideas?" Lucas questioned. "You said you recognized this setup," he reminded her.

McKinnon sighed. She knew there was no way to avoid this. "Start with an investigation of Lieutenant Jordan O'Rourke," she instructed quietly. "See what leads you can find there."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"It should be in the file."

Lucas nodded and sat down at a computer. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Good. I'll have Ghost and Indy help, along with Commander Ford. They can start looking up the information on Nicholson Technology. I'm sure they can find the surface information, so that, when you're ready, you can start digging around. Admiral Kincaid mentioned he was familiar with your reputation. Do you know him?"

"I've never met him," Lucas replied.

"That's not what I asked," McKinnon pointed out.

"Someone in UEO challenged my abilities. They accused me of having inside information. I proved them wrong by breaking into Kincaid's secure computer files and replacing them," Lucas answered. "Since I did not know Kincaid, he was the target they chose.

"What did you replace his files with?"

"Nothing much. Just some obscure articles from a variety of journals relating to paranormal activity and comic books."

"How creative."

"I thought about using his bank to make a sizeable donation to charity, but I feared I'd get in trouble for that."

"I have a feeling that we're lucky that you're on our side," McKinnon sighed. "I'm surprised he didn't offer you a job." It was the kind of action that Kincaid would appreciate. His general disregard for protocol and politics had left many people shocked when he had actually advanced as high as admiral.

******

"Before you get involved, I want to hear about the notes," Ford informed Lucas and Tim. He knew he was not going to like what he heard, especially when they started looking at each other and at the floor: every where except for him. He also noticed the Outriggers were moving away, like they were trying to avoid trouble.

"Well, uh,…" Tim started, not knowing how to address the issue.

"I have a feeling this is another detail you're going to be explaining to the captain at great length. It's probably wise to practice now," Ford commented, crossing his arms. He was very much in his XO stance, which did nothing to encourage either one to speak up. Lucas always found the commander intimidating when he assumed this position.

"Well, a couple of weeks ago…" Lucas began.

"A couple?" Tim queried, still upset with the teenager for not telling him how long he had really been receiving the threats.

"Okay, about a month ago," Lucas amended, glaring at Tim. "I, uh, received some notes via e-mail," he mumbled.

"What kind of notes?" Ford prompted.

"Threats," Lucas admitted, looking down at the floor.

"Threats? And you didn't report this?"

"Well, they, uh, were kind of, uh, vague. I didn't take them seriously. I mean, there had recently been that incident with the disgruntled employee and uh, I figured someone was playing some kind of joke."

"And your reasoning?" Ford questioned Tim.

"Mine started about two weeks later," Tim confessed. "I got two or three alone, then he started sending them to both of us. Lucas received the first half; I got the second half. The first note of Lucas' that we shared told him to come see me."

"Yet it never occurred to either one of you to report it?"

"We figured it was some kind of prank," Lucas explained. "And after everything that happened, we assumed you'd all look at us like we were nuts. I mean, they weren't specific. It wasn't like they came out and directly threatened us. They just felt weird."

Ford stared at them. "I don't even want to imagine how Bridger is going to react when he finds out about this," he told them, finally. "What were you thinking? Were you even thinking?"

Lucas and Tim glanced at one another and decided to take the question as rhetorical. Neither one had seen the commander lose his temper before, but both felt fairly confident they did not want to witness it now. "It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time," Lucas said quietly. "I mean, people were already talking about us being under stress and watching for signs that we were ready to crack."

Ford looked at them and sighed to himself, realizing how they had come to keep this a secret. Neither one was prone to making a scene or trying to attract a lot of attention. Their return from working with the Outriggers had generated more notice than either liked. He understood why they were reluctant to bring themselves under more scrutiny. However, comprehending their motives did not make him feel any better. "You still should have said something."

"Tim probably would have, but I didn't tell him about how long I was getting the notes before. I let him think that I started getting them the same time," Lucas added, wanting to defend Tim.

Ford nodded his head, not surprised by that piece of information; partially because of the tone in the lieutenant's voice when he had corrected Lucas' earlier statement and also because of something Bridger had once told him. The captain had explained that Lucas was very good at misleading and evasion and that, sometimes, the key to getting at the truth was knowing the right questions to ask the teenager. Given a broad enough question, Lucas could answer it without lying. Ford had never been particularly sure why Bridger had shared this knowledge with him; Lucas spent less time with the commander than he did with anyone on seaQuest.

******

"Need any help?" Rodriguez asked Lucas two hours later, smiling when the teenager jumped.

"Ghost!" Lucas shouted at him, almost falling off his chair.

"That's what you get for getting so involved in your work," Rodriguez informed him. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

"Thank you for the advice," Lucas said sarcastically.

"You know, if you slept better at night, you might be less cranky in the morning," Rodriguez observed.

"Don't start."

"If you two can't play nice, I'm going to separate you," McKinnon interrupted.

"What's up?" Rodriguez questioned.

"Not much. I'm getting ready to contact our inspector friends at the station and break the news that we're going out in the field for a short period and they'll have to wait to question Slick and Indy until our return."

"That should make things go over well."

"Kincaid's also going to send their superiors a detailed letter of what will happen if any of this gets into the media. We can't have their faces splashed all over."

"I knew you'd figure out a way around that problem."

"That's why I'm in charge," she reminded him.

"I've often wondered about that."

"Excuse us, Slick, I need to remind Ghost about the finer points of chain of command," McKinnon said, leading Rodriguez away. "Make sure he takes regular breaks from the computer. I have a feeling the intensity he showed in Hawaii pales in comparison to what we're going to see over this."

"Why me?"

"Because you're good at it. And, as much as you pretend not to care, you really do."

"Sure, throw that back at me," he mumbled.

"I'm sure Commander Ford will be willing to help you."

"Gee, thanks."

******

"You like this," Ford commented to Tim, as they reviewed information on Nicholson Technology.

"What?"

"Working with the Outriggers. You and Lucas are really part of their team."

"It's different than on seaQuest," Tim explained. "Here, they assume we can do the job. No one questions it or puts limitations on it. Most of the time, I like being on seaQuest. But some times it's nice to be able to show I'm more than a communications officer."

"I don't think anyone sees you that way."

"Commander, as soon as they were told we had been reassigned to Outrigger Blue for another assignment, I'm sure everyone panicked and then either said or thought 'at least the commander is with them', like Lucas and I are incapable of managing on our own. It gets old after time."

"What did McKinnon mean? When she said you had proven your shooting ability."

"I shot someone in Tarsinia," Tim replied shortly. Even though he knew he had not caused any permanent damage, he did not like talking about it. Lucas was the only one he had discussed it with, because the teenager understood. His feelings about it, he knew, meant that he would not make it among the Outriggers on a permanent basis. "He was going to shoot Ice, so I shot him."

"Oh." Ford decided not to pursue the topic. "What about Lucas?"

"He didn't have to shoot anyone. Sunshine ran him through some simulations, that was it."

Ford found that piece of news oddly comforting. Ford had only heard parts of what had happened to the pair in the mission to Tarsinia and he had seen both in the hospital afterwards. He knew they had been through a lot, especially Lucas. He was just glad to hear that the teenager had not had to use his weapon. The commander did not fully understand his feelings, and he did not spend a lot of time analyzing them.

******

Lucas read through the file on Lieutenant Jordan O'Rourke, not finding much in it. The lieutenant had filed a complaint about receiving threats via her mail and over the phone. An investigation had turned up nothing and the notes had stopped. Several people suggested O'Rourke had sent them to herself, trying to attract attention. Then O'Rourke had been accused of selling government secrets. Evidence had implicated her in several acts of treason. A special team had been called in to handle the investigation. Their documentation seemed endless. O'Rourke persisted in maintaining her innocence. Then the intensity of the investigation decreased. Reading a bit further, Lucas discovered why. Lieutenant Jordan O'Rourke had committed suicide, unable to withstand the pressures of the investigation. Lucas thought he was going to be sick when he read the last part; O'Rourke had ultimately been exonerated of all charges.

Reviewing the file again, Lucas studied the picture of the lieutenant, wondering why she had given up and wondering if anyone had believed in her innocence. Lucas thought that had to be the worst, believing that your friends had deserted you. The teenager wished the young woman had been able to have Outrigger Blue standing by her.

"You okay?" Rodriguez inquired, noticing that the teenager looked rather pale.

"I'm fine," Lucas muttered, finally noticing something else in the file. He quickly saved the information and changed screens.

"You sure? Maybe you should take a break," Rodriguez suggested, not liking the way he looked.

"I'm all right. If you want to helpful, you can help me check some personnel files."

"Slick, it wasn't really a request. It just sounded like one because I was trying to be polite."

Lucas looked at him. "Why? Trying to shock everyone?"

"Don't change the subject. It's been three hours. It's time for a break."

"I don't need a break."

"I disagree."

Lucas sighed. The tone of Rodriguez's voice told him it was useless to continue arguing with him. "Fine."

"So gracious," Rodriguez teased. "The computer will be here in fifteen minutes, I promise."

******

"Commander," Karneering greeted Ford, as he joined him and Tim. "You and I are on food detail again."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's one of the down sides of being a doctor on a mission of this type. I don't get to do a lot," Karneering sighed. "I end up running a lot of errands."

Ford stared at him, wondering if the doctor meant what he thought he did. "I'm not sure I would see not using your medical skills as a 'down side'," he commented.

"Oh, I didn't mean that I like having team injuries to take care of. But I often get to use my skills in research or in preparation if we're making some kind of rescue," Karneering elaborated. "In this type of assignment, the others are better skilled at the investigative aspects. I end up feeling rather useless."

Ford still was not sure he followed Karneering's reasoning, but he decided against making any further remarks in the matter. "When will we be leaving?"

"About thirteen hundred."

******

"Can I go back to work now?" Lucas questioned Rodriguez .

"I suppose if I say no, you're just going to whine about it," Rodriguez mused out loud. Rodriguez supposed he should try to exercise restraint, but he liked goading the teenager. In the time he had known the boy, Rodriguez had learned what buttons to push.

"I don't whine," Lucas told him.

"No? What do you call it? Complaining? Grumbling? Griping? Fussing? What? You don't like any of those words either?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Lucas sighed. "Isn't there someone else you could bother?"

"Not really. I'm fond of bugging you. I mean, the rest of them are around all the time. I can disturb them at a later date. Who knows how long you guys will be with us this time? So I have to make up for lost time and build up for the future."

"Have you had a psych eval lately?" Lucas inquired. "I definitely think it's time for you to have one."

"Why?"

"Because you're logic is a little skewed."

"Slick, I'm an Outrigger; it comes with the job."

"That's certainly comforting. I don't think you should let the commander hear you say that."

"Ah, why not? Do you think he has a problem with our methods?"

"I'd say that's a safe bet."

"We're just misunderstood. Come on, I believe you said something about looking at personnel files. I hope they're interesting. Why are we looking at them?"

"Ice asked me to look at a similar case that happened a few years ago. She seems to think they're related. I thought we might look at the people mentioned in the file. See if there's anything suspicious," Lucas replied, sitting back down at the computer.

"Who's the person?" Rodriguez asked, curious.

Lucas concentrated on the file. "Write down these names for me, please?" he requested, starting to read them off.

"Now, I'm your secretary?" Rodriguez grumbled, scribbling them down. He noted that Lucas had not answered his question about the person he was investigating, but could not tell if it was intentional or because he was distracted.

"I think they prefer personal assistant these days," Lucas retorted.

******

"Did they do this when you were assigned to them before?" Ford quizzed Tim. They were close enough to catch parts of the exchange between Lucas and Rodriguez .

"Well, not at first," Tim replied. "Initially, Ghost did not have a lot of faith in Lucas' computer skills. He thought he was bit on the young side. I think it started changing when Lucas got irritated with his attitude and suggested they wipe the whole computer system and start from scratch. Ghost appreciated the gesture. After that, one thing led to another. They did a lot of the computer research in the first part of the mission. I think the close proximity for so many hours resulted in what you see now," Tim explained. "It's a stress reliever for both of them. You know how Lucas can get; Rodriguez just encourages it."

"I'm surprised McKinnon lets them get away with it."

"I think McKinnon finds it amusing that Lucas gives him a hard time, as long as it doesn't interfere."

"What do you mean, we can't talk to them? This is an ongoing investigation," Crewes said to McKinnon and Chandler incredulously.

"I'm sorry," McKinnon apologized, sounding sincere. "We're being sent on emergency deployment and their services are vital to accomplishing our mission. When we return from our assignment, I'll bring them to your office for further questioning."

"She's legitimate," Stanton informed Crewes, returning from a talk with their superiors. "The Secretary-General said we have to cooperate. And the admiral just quoted some rule that says they can get away with this."

"This is ridiculous," Crewes told McKinnon.

"I just follow orders, Inspector," McKinnon commented blandly. "We do not anticipate this operation taking more than a few days and then we will return."

"I'd always heard you were crazy," Crewes mumbled.

"Are you calling Commander McKinnon insane?" Chandler inquired.

"I believe he was referring to the Outrigger organization," Stanton interjected hastily. She had the impression that angering either one of these two would not serve them well. "However, we're just interested in clearing up some questions. It seems silly to delay it."

"It's not my job to question the judgment of my superior officers," McKinnon remarked. "They just want Lieutenant O'Neil and Mr. Wolenczak to have their full attention for the duration of the assignment. After all, mistakes can be costly. We would hate to have someone inadvertently injured due to lack of proper focus. The Outriggers fully believe that they had nothing to do with this break in and see no reason to pull two valuable members from the field until further proof is provided."

Chandler hid a smile. He always enjoyed watching McKinnon in this role. As much as she acted contrary to rules and regulations, she could act like a very straight and narrow officer when needed. He knew she was doing two things, buying them time not to worry about being questioned by the police and making them think she was a typical officer. McKinnon did not want them to see her as a threat. If they thought she simply followed orders, they would dismiss her.

"Very well. It's not like we can do anything about," Crewes sighed.

"The investigators from OID have been instructed to keep in touch with you and provide updates on when we are expected to return," McKinnon explained. "We are not trying to impede your investigation; it's just that certain things take precedent."

Part 9

"It's lunch time," Rodriguez informed Lucas, exasperation in his voice. "Do you know what that means?"

"You're going to leave me alone for five minutes?" Lucas inquired.

"If you're good. No. What it means is that it's time for you to stop working and take a break."

"I already took a break."

"About two and a half hours ago. See, we allow you to take more than one break in a day. In fact, Ice encourages it. She's already going to be disgruntled that we're eating late."

"Just a minute."

Rodriguez sighed and then walked over to where Ford and Karneering were unpacking lunch. "Does one of you want to try to get him to stop?" he asked.

"Don't look at me," Karneering told him. "That does not fall under my area of expertise."

"Allow me," Ford said.

"This should be interesting," Rodriguez remarked, as Ford headed in Lucas' direction.

*****

"Lucas?"

"What?!" Lucas answered tersely, before realizing who was speaking. "Sorry, Commander," he apologized hastily. "I thought you were Ghost."

"It's time for lunch and Rodriguez has indicated you're being less than cooperative."

"I'll be done in a second."

"Lucas," Ford leaned forward to speak directly into the teenager's ear, so no one could hear him. "If you don't stop working now, I'm going to pick you up and carry you over to the table."

"You wouldn't…." Lucas' voice trailed off as he took in the commander's expression. "Can I save this first?"

"Of course."

*****

"Why wouldn't you come when I asked?" Rodriguez questioned Lucas, curious about what Ford had said to the young man.

"Why are you hovering over me?" Lucas inquired.

"I just asked a question; I'm not sure that qualifies as hovering."

Lucas glared at him and turned his attention to the food on his plate. "You having any luck?" he quizzed Tim.

"Not a lot. There's a lot of information about Nicholson, but I don't know that any of it helps," Tim replied. "They don't seem to be involved in anything particularly specialized that would warrant a break in. How about you?"

"Ice has me looking at a similar case. And, this afternoon, I'm going to try to trace the notes. We should check mail after lunch," Lucas added.

"I guess. I keep hoping they'll go away."

"Pretending they don't exist won't help matters," Rodriguez pointed out.

"Thank you for that bit of insight," Lucas told him.

"Any time," Rodriguez assured him. "And I won't even charge you."

"Gee, don't I feel blessed," Lucas muttered sarcastically.

*****

"Well?" Ford prompted the pair, as they checked their mail.

"I liked this better when it wasn't a spectator sport," Tim grumbled.

"No kidding," Lucas muttered. "How nice," he sighed.

"You going to share with the rest of the class?" Rodriguez inquired.

"You can run, but you can't hide," Tim recited. "I think we've seen that one before," he added.

"You could be right," Lucas agreed. "I'll look. I'll see if I can trace this one."

"Good luck," Tim told him, remembering their other attempts. While they had not spent a lot of time on it, they had not turned up anything either.

"Can I help?" Rodriguez asked.

"Not right now. Keep with the personnel searches."

"All right," Rodriguez responded.

*****

Bridger stared at the two people on the vid-screen and wondered if he had heard correctly. "How do you think I can help you? Neither one is currently on board seaQuest," he finally told them. "You'll have to contact the Outriggers," he added, realizing this was the first time he liked being able to say that. The thought of Lucas and Tim being involved in anything of this magnitude was ludicrous.

"We're aware that they are with the Outriggers," Crewes informed, irritation in his voice.

Bridger sensed that the inspectors had not come out on top in their conversations with the Outriggers. "Then I really don't have anything else to add," Bridger responded, his mind racing ahead to what to do next. He certainly was not going to sit idly by while they investigated two of his crew.

"We have some questions about Lieutenant O'Neil and Mr. Wolenczak," Stanton explained. "We're trying to establish some background information on both: see if we can't clear this all up. We need to talk to you and anyone on the crew that they associate with," she added.

Bridger nodded, thinking about how this piece of news was going to go over with his crew. If they had been upset by the duo being reassigned to the Outriggers, this was going to outrage them. The captain knew that one of the reasons Lucas was on seaQuest was his father feared that he did not always apply his energy in the wisest manner. However, he knew the teenager well enough to know he would never get involved in something like this. "Very well, Inspector," Bridger conceded. "If you will give me some time to inform my crew of this development…"

"We'd like to talk to them now, Captain."

"Of course," Bridger assented, understanding that they were trying to control the situation. "It will take me a minute to see who's available," he added, already knowing who he intended to have them speak with first. Bridger knew Kristin could keep the two busy long enough for him to warn the other members.

*****

McKinnon returned with Chandler shortly after the others had started back to work from lunch. "Any luck?" Rodriguez questioned.

"You missed Ice putting on an excellent performance as an officer who can't think for herself," Chandler told him cheerfully.

"I wish you'd let me have fun," Rodriguez complained.

"They weren't happy with the news that Slick and Indy would not be available," McKinnon responded, as Ford also joined them.

"But they accepted it?" Ford asked, surprised.

"The admiral managed to get the Secretary-General to back up the order," McKinnon remarked. "I'm sure that, by now, the inspectors are starting to interview the seaQuest crew. They'll try to get authorization to trace the calls. Hopefully, Sunshine and Casanova will be able to tell us if they'll have any luck. Are they back yet?"

"No," Rodriguez replied. "Columbus checked in and said he and Brook will be in by dinner, as will Sunshine and Casanova."

"How's it going here?"

"Indy and Ford have been looking into Nicholson Technology and I've been reading personnel files with Einstein, while Slick tries to track the latest note."

"Personnel files?"

"Slick wanted to check on some of the people listed in a similar investigation that you had mentioned."

McKinnon ignored the question in Rodriguez 's voice. "Good. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I hope you're not pinning this investigation on luck," Ford commented.

"Why not? It's worked in the past." Just as Rodriguez liked giving Lucas a hard time, McKinnon had to admit to getting a certain enjoyment in getting a rise out of Ford. "Right now, we're just gathering information, Commander," she clarified quickly. "Then we'll figure out where to go. Until we get a better idea of the set up, we can't formulate a plan. Don't worry. We're going to take care of them."

"As much as some of them would prefer we didn't," Rodriguez muttered under his breath.

McKinnon caught his comment and made a mental note to discuss it with him later. She had a pretty good idea what he was talking about, but wanted to clarify it. "Let me talk with Slick and see what he's found out and then we'll talk about the break in. Hopefully, by then, Sunshine and the rest will have returned so we can hear more about the robbery itself."

"Very well, Commander," Ford said reluctantly.

*****

"Didn't we just do this?" Ben asked Katie, meeting her outside the wardroom.

"I'm sure everything's all right," Katie reassured him, knowing what he was thinking.

"We're missing the doctor," Crocker observed, just before Bridger started speaking.

"I've been contacted by two police inspectors from Portland regarding Lieutenant O'Neil and Mr. Wolenczak," Bridger announced. The assembled group looked at one another; the captain only used titles when it was bad news. "No one's been hurt," he continued hastily, realizing what they were thinking. "Apparently, the inspectors feel that the two are somehow connected to a recent burglary."

"Are they nuts?!" Miguel burst out. "Sorry, Sir."

"Their fingerprints were found at the scene of the crime. The inspectors wish to ask you all a few questions."

"What do Lucas and Tim say?" Ben questioned, unwilling to believe that either had anything to do with the matter.

"The Outriggers have informed the police that they are currently deployed on a mission and are unavailable for comment."

"They haven't spoken to the police yet?" Katie quizzed. "That seems like a bad idea."

"I don't understand it myself, but I do plan to contact Admiral Kincaid."

"I can't believe the commander would let them get away with that," Crocker interjected.

"I'm not sure Commander Ford had much say in the matter," Bridger remarked. Every time he thought of his XO being assigned to the Outriggers, he felt a pang of sympathy for the man. Everything Lucas and Tim had said about the group made him believe the commander would find his time with them uncomfortable.

"I can't believe anyone would believe they were involved in a crime," Miguel muttered.

"There is one other thing," Bridger added reluctantly. "A security guard was killed in the process."

"There's no way Lucas and Tim had anything to do with it," Katie protested.

"Dr. Westphalen is talking with the inspectors now; then they want to talk to each of you."

*****

"How's it going?" McKinnon questioned Lucas, approaching the computer.

"All right. I'm trying to trace the notes," Lucas replied. "So far I'm not having much luck. The e-mail accounts are all false and no longer in operation."

"Rodriguez mentioned you had him on personnel files?"

"Yes. I looked at the file you recommended."

"Anything of interest?"

Lucas looked at her. "Don't you know what it says?" he inquired.

"I may not be the best judge of the file's contents, Slick," McKinnon pointed out quietly.

"Nothing much. I just thought there might be a common denominator. Besides the obvious one."

"Anything yet?"

"No, but I'm still looking. I want to look at the rest of the lieutenant's records, see if maybe it was something she was doing that attracted attention."

"Go ahead," McKinnon assented, appreciating the implied request. "How long have you been working?" she asked, studying him closely. The teenager looked rather tense.

"Not long. Ghost has been bugging me to take regular breaks."

"Good."

*****

"I fail to see why you think a sixteen-year-old would have anything to do with such an act. And Lieutenant O'Neil doesn't exactly have a reputation for being a master criminal either, I might add," Kristin informed Crewes and Stanton tartly. "I would think your time would be better spent pursuing other avenues than this."

"We're just trying to clear up some anomalies at the crime scene, Ms…" Crewes stammered.

"That's Doctor Westphalen," Kristin corrected sharply.

"Has either one seemed troubled lately?" Stanton questioned.

Kristin glared at her. "I'm not sure if you're aware, although you certainly seem to know enough other things about their personal lives, they have only recently returned from a rather difficult assignment with the Outriggers," she began, never having imagined she would use what had happened as an advantage. "Both of them were shot, among other things. I'd be worried if they weren't a little troubled. That doesn't normally happen to them."

"Could you elaborate on that, please?"

"Neither one gets into dangerous situations," Kristin answered, purposely misunderstanding the question.

"I meant about the troubled part," Stanton clarified, suspecting that the doctor knew what she meant.

"Have you ever been shot?" Kristin asked them. Both shook their heads. "Perhaps if you had, you'd understand what I mean." Kristin's tone left the impression she liked to help them experience it. "It was out their realm of experience. Particularly Lucas. They've had a period of adjustment, but nothing out of the ordinary," Kristin concluded. The doctor had no intention of mentioning there had been fresh concern the last two weeks about the pair. She knew it had nothing to do with them planning a robbery.

"Are you sure you can't think of anything that might help us? Anything they might have said or done…" Crewes started.

"We live on a submarine and don't have much contact with the outside world. I assure you, if they were planning some kind of heist, the entire ship would know. Gossip spreads through this place like wild fire. Keeping secrets is virtually impossible," Kristin interrupted. "Now, if you don't mind, I have much more important things to do than entertain your ridiculous notions about two upstanding young men who would never hurt a fly, much less do any of things you're suggesting," she concluded, ending the link before they could request to speak to someone else. "Was that long enough for you?" she asked the captain, who had appeared in her doorway.

"Yes, it was. Thank you."

"Do you think they're serious?"

"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding," Bridger reassured her. "It would just help if they were available to clear it up."

"What are you going to do about it? You surely aren't going to let those two inspectors handle it."

"I already have a call into Kincaid and the others are already working on finding out exactly what's going on," Bridger explained. Katie, Ben, Miguel and Crocker had all demanded permission to start researching, unwilling to remain idle when their friends might be in trouble.

*****

"You want to explain your comment earlier?" McKinnon asked Rodriguez; they were still waiting for the rest of the team to arrive back.

"Which one?" Rodriguez responded innocently.

"The one you mumbled when I explained to the commander that we were going to take care of Slick and Indy."

"That one."

"Ghost."

"I just think the whole thing makes Slick nervous," Rodriguez answered. "He's been kind of uptight and tense all day. I think it stems partially from the fact that we're doing all of this for him and Indy."

"A lot of people have a hard time accepting help. You would be one of them."

"We're not talking about me."

"I understand that."

"Why do I have this feeling that this is when you're going to make one of your cryptic remarks that it will take me days, possibly even weeks or months, to figure out?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Because you're naturally suspicious of everyone around you."

"It's only been since I started working with you."

"Then my work here is almost done," McKinnon said smiling at him. "Good, Sunshine's back."

Rodriguez watched her walk away and shook his head. "I didn't even get one of her comments," he mumbled to himself. There were times when McKinnon drove him crazy, and this certainly qualified. He also had the impression that she did it intentionally.

*****

"All right, gang, let's gather around and discuss what we have and where we're going to go from here," McKinnon called out.

Lucas stifled a groan as he found himself sitting between Ford and Rodriguez. He knew it meant Rodriguez could bug him and he would be unable to respond in kind. Ford was not loosening up around the Outriggers, so the teenager knew the commander would disapprove of any response he might offer. Judging from the pleased expression on his face, Rodriguez understood this little fact.

"Where do you want to start?" Ryan inquired.

"What did you learn?"

"Not a lot. There was a break in at Nicholson Technology and they found Slick and Indy's fingerprints at the site. Slick's were on the alarm system and on a couple of computers. Indy's were on the computer and inside the door. There weren't many, but enough to look suspicious. The police are harping on the fact that Slick has a reputation with knowing Aegis Security." Lucas ignored the looks from the rest. "They're also willing to consider that it could be some bizarre coincidence because of the burglary in their hotel room, but, basically, they're not impressed. Still, they can't figure out a motive, although they are willing to consider they might want to sell the secrets. Stanton, however, seems to be leaning toward the fact that perhaps the two of you were coerced into participating," Ryan reported. "So, I imagine they will take their questioning in that direction."

"Yes, and I'm sure that your recent behavior will do nothing to encourage that theory," Rodriguez muttered. He knew their friends on seaQuest had to have noticed something was bothering the duo. Without meaning to, the seaQuest crew could add fuel to the fire.

"Like you would have announced it right away yourself," Lucas shot back quietly, hoping Ford did not hear him.

"I'd like to think I had more faith in my friends," Rodriguez hedged, knowing the teenager was right. "And enough sense to figure out that, after four weeks, it wasn't going to stop."

"Not everyone is blessed with your superior insight."

"Lucas!" Ford hissed.

Rodriguez gave Lucas a mischievous smile, confirming the teenager's initial thought about the seating arrangements.

McKinnon caught the look on Rodriguez 's face and wondered what her second in command was up to, even as she decided she probably did not want to know. "I've bought us some time away from the inspectors by explaining that we're on field assignment and unavailable. I've also promised that the OID officers will stay in touch. That way they won't think we're being uncooperative."

"In other words, we're lying to the police?" Hallowell inquired.

"That's one view," McKinnon agreed. "But we are on assignment and Sunshine and Casanova will keep in touch."

"Thinking creatively has never been a problem for you," Adamsen observed.

"It's a team trait," Hallowell muttered. "And you're one to talk," he added.

"Is this something you should share with the whole class?" McKinnon asked with interest.

"It's nothing," Adamsen interjected hastily. "Speculation around the company itself is that it was an inside job, but no one's naming any names. They know fingerprints were found, but not whose. There's a lot of guessing that it's a disgruntled employee. There have been a few minor security breaches prior to this. All false alarms."

"How did you get this information?"

"I asked."

"Columbus?" McKinnon queried, knowing there was more to the story.

"There were no witnesses to the break in and nothing was captured on the security cameras," Hallowell recited. "We got that from the other security guards, another reason they suspect it being an inside job. They also think that Crewes and Stanton want make this a big case: turn it into some kind of example."

"Why would they tell you this?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Brook put on a convincing performance," Hallowell explained.

"Brook?" McKinnon questioned.

"Well, they didn't seem too friendly, so I, uh, told them that, uh, the dead guy was my brother and started worrying that it was going to swept under the carpet," Adamsen confessed.

"It was a beautiful performance," Hallowell informed the group at large. "She was just sobbing all over the one guy, going on about poor Benny."

"You must have done that before we arrived," Ryan sighed. "I'm sorry we didn't get to witness it."

"It was something," Hallowell agreed.

"Did you do anything?" Chandler inquired.

"No. I just stood there and looked properly concerned for her mental health."

"Well, that's important."

"I thought so."

"So, Ice, what is it that you know about this situation?" Rodriguez asked, deciding it was time to get a straight answer.

"This scenario played out with another individual a couple of years ago," McKinnon explained. "Lieutenant Jordan O'Rourke found herself under investigation for selling military secrets. Before that investigation arose, she received a series of threats, which she duly reported. Nothing came of the inquiry and they stopped. Some figured it was a prank, others thought it was a cry for help. With the specter of treason brought up, even more thought she was trying to divert suspicion. Someone set her up pretty good. The investigators had all sorts of documentation proving she was involved."

"What happened?" Ryan queried.

"O'Rourke collapsed under the weight of the investigation and committed suicide," McKinnon replied. "Four weeks later, the task force cleared her of all charges."

"Why her?" Tim questioned.

"No one knows for sure. There was some speculation was that she had something on her commanding officer and he wanted it buried."

"Who was the commanding officer?" Ford quizzed.

"Walter Ramsey."

"Oh dear," Ryan said.

Rodriguez stared at his commanding officer and recalled her words in the hospital. He had a feeling this what she had meant about him not getting away with it this time. "You think he's behind this?"

"I don't know," McKinnon admitted. "He could be. He has a powerful reason to be annoyed with the team. It could just be someone copying what worked in the past."

"Why Lucas?" Ford inquired.

"Weakest link," McKinnon stated.

Lucas felt himself tense up at hearing the phrase. For a second, he felt like he was back in Tarsinia, hearing Inouye's voice explaining his theory. Ford saw Lucas go rigid and wondered at the cause, noting that Tim shot the teenager a look of concern.

"Easy, Slick," Rodriguez murmured quietly. Like Lucas, he had experienced a brief flashback. "It's okay."

McKinnon mentally cursed at herself for choosing that particular phrasing, but chose not to apologize, knowing it would bring more attention than the boy wanted. No one else had noticed the effect it had on him and it was better not to go over it. "It's a well-known fact that Outriggers are loyal to the organization and particularly their unit. That's how we survive in the field. If we go with the assumption that Ramsey is somehow involved, it would make sense he would go after Slick and Indy. Because of the nature of the ending of the mission, he saw the reports that were filed. He knows that we consider them members of our squad. It's not hard to make the connection that we would get involved. If it's not Ramsey, then it's hard to say. Certainly anyone who knows anything about the Outriggers knows that we have a high degree of loyalty. And, while their involvement with us is not widely known, it's not inconceivable that someone would find out."

"It still seems like a big leap to make," Ford remarked.

"I know. There's no proof, only the suspicion that Ramsey was connected in the O'Rourke set up. Right now, it's the best thing we have. Slick and Indy were not random targets. He took the time to look up personal information on Indy and it probably is only a matter of time before he does the same with Slick."

"We trashed Ramsey's career; it would give him a powerful motive," Rodriguez commented. "But we're going to need more. There's no proof that he's been any where near this."

"I know."

"What do we do?" Ryan questioned.

"We need to spend some time to find out what Ramsey's been doing since his forced retirement. But we can't afford to spend all of our time on that. It could just be a wild goose chase. Slick is going to continue to try and trace the notes. It's possible the sender will escalate now that things are in progress. We'll have to keep working the official investigation as well. I don't want to be blindsided by anything. However, right now, we're going to break for dinner, before going back to work."

*****

Lucas moved next to Tim, who glanced at his friend. "Okay?" the lieutenant asked quietly. Ford made a mental note to ask Tim about it later, not wanting to upset Lucas any more.

"Yeah. Just caught me off guard," Lucas sighed. "I hate it when it happens."

"There's nothing wrong with it."

"I know."

"You don't sound very convincing," Tim observed.

"Sorry."

"Come on, guys; dinner is here," Karneering called out to them. "You know there will be nothing left if you don't come now."

*****

"Two in one day. How did we get so lucky?" Lucas muttered, as he and Tim checked their mail after dinner. McKinnon had insisted they check again. "Lesson number one," he read.

"That sounds interesting," Tim remarked. "What's the end?"

"Just a second," Lucas informed him. Lucas froze as he saw the message that waited in Tim's box.

"Always trust your instincts?" Tim said, looking over the teenager's shoulder when he did not say it out loud. "That makes no sense."

"I don't think you're supposed to understand it," McKinnon commented quietly. She studied Lucas, who had gone paler than normal and seemed transfixed by the screen. "This mean something to you, Slick?" she inquired.

Lucas became aware of the attention on him and forced himself to answer McKinnon's question. "It's a variation of something that was said to me a long time ago." Lucas hoped his voice did not sound as odd to everyone else as it did to him.

McKinnon nodded her head. Obviously the note had been designed to trigger some kind of response in the teenager. She also had to ask him some questions about it, namely, who would know what to say to provoke such a reaction. From the look on his face, Rodriguez was having the same thoughts. She shook her head at him.

Rodriguez recognized that Lucas was upset by the note, but he wondered why McKinnon did not want him to ask for details. They had to know a few things. However, he trusted his commander, so he kept silent and watched as she carefully directed the others back to work, noting that some of the others looked just as puzzled.

Lucas, for his part, did not really notice. He just wanted to avoid answering too many questions. He mentally reviewed the possibilities of who knew about it; unfortunately, there were too many to consider. The teenager turned his attention to the computer, effectively preventing anyone from talking to him.

*****

McKinnon stifled a smile as Rodriguez , Ryan and Karneering all approached her. She knew what was on their minds, but she waited. "What's going on, Ice?" Ryan asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, as well as the rest of us, that when notes start getting personal, there are certain questions that need to be asked," Rodriguez stated.

"Like who would know such a thing? The context? And why it made Slick go so quiet? Someone's pushing buttons here and we need to know who had access," Karneering interjected.

"And who among us thinks Slick's going to tell us anything with everyone watching him?" McKinnon inquired mildly. "We're talking about someone who was receiving vague threats for four weeks and did not bring it up," she observed.

"What do you suggest?" Rodriguez questioned. "If that doesn't work?" Ryan queried.

"Then I'll try," McKinnon replied, already walking toward Tim and Ford.

The other three looked at one another. McKinnon was fairly easy going and compassionate, but they understood she planned on pushing if necessary.

"You know, we really need to find a name for him," Ryan mused, looking at Ford. "I mean, we can't keep calling him commander."

"Somehow I don't see him being too keen on that idea," Karneering remarked.

"And we care?" Ryan retorted. "It's just not right. The man needs a nickname. We have to loosen him up a little."

"That I want to see," Rodriguez commented. "I just hope one of them has luck. He's not going to like Ice's methods."

"I think that's why you're not doing it," Ryan told him.

"Probably right about that."

"Come on, guys; surely between the three of us we can come up with something appropriate?" Ryan pleaded.

"Ask Ice," Karneering advised. "You know I'm no good at the nicknames."

*****

"How do you propose we do this?" Ford questioned Tim, willing to follow the lieutenant's lead on this. He did not know much about getting people to talk, but he was willing to try.

"I have no idea," Tim replied. "Getting him to talk when he's not receptive can be difficult."

"We said we'd try."

"I know. I just wouldn't rate our chances of success as very high."

"Think positive, Tim," Ford encouraged dryly.

"I am thinking positive," Tim assured him. "Hey, Lucas," he greeted the teenager.

"What's up?" Lucas inquired.

"Ice says it might be time to see if we can't dig up some dirt on Nicholson Technology," Tim responded, deciding not to address the issue head on for the moment. "There's nothing on the surface that really should make them a robbery target. She figures there might be something under the surface.

"All right."

"She thought you might need a change of pace from tracing the notes," Tim added.

"I'm not having much luck, that's for sure."

"The last message, what exactly did it mean?" Tim questioned, trying to keep his voice casual.

"I told you; it was something that was said to me once."

"Who said it?" Ford quizzed, deciding it was time to jump in. The commander figured Lucas would expect him to ask these questions. "It could be important. If it was something said to you, how many people knew about it?"

"At the time, it was not a huge secret. Any number of people could have known."

"I'm sure you could narrow it down."

*****

"I don't think they're having much success," Rodriguez observed. "Slick is not looking like a happy camper."

"I'd have to agree with you there," Karneering confirmed.

"What are you three up to now?" McKinnon queried.

"Sunshine has decided that the commander needs a nickname," Rodriguez informed her.

"Oh. What do you have so far?" McKinnon inquired.

"Uh, well, I'm kind of going with the fact that he looks very serious all the time," Ryan replied.

"Such as?" McKinnon prompted, genuinely interested.

"Well, actually Ice would probably be a good one for him, but you already have it," Ryan pointed out thoughtfully.

Rodriguez snickered at the expression on McKinnon's face.

"For different reasons, of course," Ryan interjected hastily, noting the look McKinnon was wearing. "I also have Stone, Rock, Granite…" she recited her list. "None of them does much for me."

"Well, I suspect that nothing we come up with will do much for the commander," McKinnon remarked.

"Indy's shaking his head," Rodriguez sighed.

"I figured as much," McKinnon sighed.

"You want me to try?" Rodriguez volunteered.

"No. I don't want to alter your relationship. He needs it to retain some of his equilibrium," McKinnon replied. "I'll take care of it."

*****

"Uh oh," Adamsen mumbled. She, Hallowell and Dawson were reviewing what they had learned from their outings that day and trying to decide the next plan of attack.

"What?" Hallowell questioned.

"Ice is approaching Slick with her 'it's time we had a little chat' expression," Adamsen observed.

"I kind of thought she let the note issue drop a little quick," Dawson commented.

"I just hope he has the sense to talk quick, otherwise she'll push," Hallowell pointed out.

The trio looked at one another. All had been on the receiving end of one of McKinnon's talks; it was not something they cared to repeat any time soon.

Part 10

Slick?" McKinnon approached Lucas' computer.

"Yes?" Lucas responded, not sure he liked the expression on her face. The teenager had also noticed that a lot of people were watching them.

"Let's take a walk."

Lucas did not need to be told that the commander was not requesting his presence. He did not bother to protest. Instead, he stood up and followed her with a sinking sensation that he was not going to like whatever McKinnon had planned.

McKinnon led the way in silence, having enough sense not to try to start a discussion until they were out of the room. McKinnon took Lucas upstairs, wanting to create some distance between them and the rest of the team.

*****

"Relax, she's not going to torture him," Rodriguez reassured Tim and Ford, who were feeling anxious about the whole thing. "But she needs the answers to the questions."

"How does she plan on getting them?" Ford inquired.

"Ice is something you have to experience," Rodriguez replied. "When they finish, she'll have her answers."

"At what cost?"

"She's not going to hurt him, I promise," Rodriguez told him. He understood Ford's concerns. "I know we're not quite what you're used to, Commander," Rodriguez explained. "But we do care about each other. If we didn't, we wouldn't be here. However, Ice knows that, no matter how much we may not want to discuss a topic, we don't always have that luxury. She purposely set it up so that neither one of you would have to push him. The same with me. Ice knows if she upsets him, he'll go to one of us. She's made sure that we're still considered accessible."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Didn't figure that it would. At some point, you're going to have to trust us. Indy and Slick do and you're going to have to learn to trust their judgment, because I can assure you, if Ice thought there was a chance she could get either one to join us full time, she'd recruit them in a heartbeat."

*****

"Okay, you want to tell me what that note means?" McKinnon asked Lucas, getting straight to the point. The room had a table and two chairs, which they both now occupied.

"What are you asking?"

McKinnon sighed softly and realized they could be at this for a little while. "Whoever sent that note wanted to get a reaction. I think he did."

"What do you mean?"

"You couldn't even read it out loud. You went paler than I've ever seen you, including when you were shot, and you shut everything out immediately," McKinnon observed.

"So, besides legal training, they train you as a counselor too?"

"I'm an Outrigger; I have many skills. This diversion technique may work with Ghost and Indy, and possibly even your captain, but it won't work with me," McKinnon stated firmly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When you don't want to talk about something, you get defensive. Generally it makes people back off."

"Is it some kind of game you all play? Offering instant analysis of someone's personality?" Lucas inquired. "I've already done this with Ghost and Einstein."

"And now you're going to do it with me," McKinnon informed him, refusing to back down. "I can't afford to ignore this for you. I let the Aegis Security answer slide, even though we both know you left part of the story out on that one."

"What else is there to tell you?" Lucas quizzed.

"I don't know. If I did, we wouldn't be having this conversation. And don't try to change the subject. I let that one go, but not this one. Someone got into your personal life and dug up something that obviously upsets you. I need to know what it was and how they found it."

"Like you're the paragon of full disclosure," Lucas retorted.

"No one's messing with my life," McKinnon reminded him. "I'm not the one that is being framed for robbery."

Lucas stared at her and knew that he should not have made the comment. McKinnon was right; he was defensive. "I told you; it's something someone said to me once."

"Not good enough. Who said it? Did someone overhear it? Who knew it was said? I have to know, Slick."

"A lot of people knew. The remark was made in front of a lot of people."

"Where at?" McKinnon persisted. McKinnon figured she would either wear Lucas down or get him so upset that he would explode without thinking about it. She was not sure which one she would prefer; she had elicited both types of responses from various crew members. "What kind of people? I need specifics."

"I don't know who all was there. I didn't exactly take a poll."

*****

"They've been gone a long time," Tim remarked to Rodriguez and Ryan, who were working with him and Ford.

"Don't worry. I've known some people to take hours," Ryan responded, sending a pointed glance to Rodriguez.

"Be subtle, why don't you?" Rodriguez groused. "Like you're always Miss Talkative."

"I never went all night. Ghost holds the record for holding out the longest," Ryan explained.

"Somehow I think Lucas could top it if he set his mind to it," Tim commented. "He can really dig his heels in."

"Well, Ice likes a challenge."

*****

"Slick, you and I can go around and around this thing for the rest of the night if you want," McKinnon sighed. The commander had let things drag on about as long as she intended for the moment. "But I can't let this drop, as much as we'd both like for me to. I'm trying to help you and Indy get out of this mess that someone created."

"I don't recall asking for your help."

"That's because you're too stubborn to admit you need it. And, if you think you're going to convince me that you don't want us here, think again," McKinnon informed him.

Lucas had the grace to blush at that. "It's not that I don't appreciate you guys coming…"

"Then perhaps you could demonstrate it by giving me a straight answer."

"I said it is not important."

"I can't take your word for it."

"In other words, you don't trust me," Lucas shot back. McKinnon was pushing him close to an edge he did not want to approach.

"I could say the same thing to you," McKinnon retorted. "After all, I'm not the one refusing to talk."

"I'm talking."

"Not about what you need to be talking about," McKinnon pointed out.

"Why it was said is simply not significant!" Lucas shouted, frustrated.

"Someone knew that remark would get a rise out of you. From where I'm sitting, it worked. I'm sorry if it's a painful subject, but I will not risk the team over this," McKinnon informed him coldly. "I'm not asking because I've suddenly developed a sadistic streak. I need to know so that two days from now we're not completely blindsided."

"It has nothing to do with this!" Lucas declared. "And it's not something that needs to become common knowledge."

McKinnon sighed again, realizing she was probably going to have to push every button she could find in order to get him to talk to her. "I can't take that chance."

"So you get to keep your life private, but I have to explain mine?"

"We've already done that battle, Slick. If I thought there was anything to be gained by telling people Jordan was my half sister, I would."

"Why are you the judge of what's relevant? You have some special power?" Lucas did not particularly care that he was being unfair. He just wanted to avoid discussing this note.

"I'm not the one being threatened. You are," McKinnon reminded him. The commander understood Lucas was doing his best to avoid the subject. However, she knew she could not afford to let him.

"And that makes it okay to pry in my past?"

"It's not like I went looking for this, Slick. I'm simply addressing an issue that came up. It's related to this case. We are not discussing me. We are talking about you."

"How did I get so lucky?"

"I wish I knew. As for your private life, right now, you don't have one. If you think I'm prying, what do you think the police is doing? They're looking into everything they can find to prove you had a motive for being involved."

"So that makes it okay for you?"

"You don't have to like it, but if you want to get out of this, you're going to have to start talking," McKinnon told him. The commander had decided it was time to start trying to make him lose control. Wearing him down was not going to work. However, if she angered him enough, she might get him to let go.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked. "You think I like being a suspect in a robbery investigation?"

"I'm starting to wonder. You don't seem inclined to give out the information we need to get to the bottom of this."

"You should know better than that."

"I thought I did. Now, I'm not so sure. Understand this, Slick: I'm not walking away from this one. Something tells me, I've had more experience at this game than you."

"You going to keep me here all night if I don't talk?" Lucas challenged.

"If necessary," McKinnon replied, her face impassive. The commander did not mention she had no intention of letting it last that long. "This is not something I can just let go."

"Why not? What do you think knowing this is going to tell you?"

"Who's behind the notes, maybe. If it's something only a few people knew, it could narrow the search."

"I thought Ramsey was behind it."

"He's only a possibility. I won't take chances. I'm not going to overlook something because it makes you uncomfortable. Life is hard, Slick, and sometimes you have to face stuff that isn't pleasant."

"Thanks for that piece of comforting advice! I might not have figured it out on my own!"

McKinnon nodded and decided it was time to end this conversation. "You don't want to tell me that's fine. But if something happens to anyone on this team, because you didn't, then you have to live with it," McKinnon stated icily. "You may not care for yourself, but what about Indy and Ford and Ghost and the rest? Are you willing to risk their lives? I think you owe them more than that." Usually McKinnon tried to avoid emotional blackmail, but sometimes she had no choice.

"That is unfair!" Lucas yelled at her. "I can't believe you would say such a thing!"

"Why not? I'm only asking so that I can be prepared to face anything that might happen. You're withholding information. I just can't believe you'd risk your friends' lives over it." McKinnon recognized she was pushing Lucas hard, but she knew she could not afford to back off.

Lucas stared at McKinnon and wondered if she knew exactly how close to the mark she was with this.

"Fine!" the teenager shouted, standing up, too angry to stay seated. "Several years ago, I got caught in a bad situation," he started, forcing his voice to stay even. "I was in a store looking at computer magazines when a guy walked in. I thought he looked kind of off; I don't know what it was. He just made me nervous. I told myself I was being silly, so I stayed. He held up the store. One of the other customers got shot. Later, when I told the police officer about my feelings, he told me I should have trusted my instincts. Are you happy now?"

"And?" McKinnon encouraged, cringing as she realized how he must have taken the words. That somehow it had been his fault for getting caught in the situation. However, the commander knew that he was not going to listen to anything she had to say on the matter.

"Afterwards, the counselor said the same thing. It was probably in my file."

"Counselor?" McKinnon prompted.

"Yes. They had me undergo counseling to deal with the problem."

McKinnon knew she was in a difficult position. When she had checked, there had been no record of him ever going to counseling. While she needed to know when that file had disappeared, asking meant admitting she had gone looking in the first place. The commander suspected that Lucas would not be happy with the news.

Lucas looked at her coldly, knowing what she was thinking. "The file did not go missing until after Tarsinia, which is why you didn't find anything when you went looking," he informed her. "I had it set to let me know if anyone checked," he explained, before she could ask.

"Why did you remove it?" McKinnon inquired, deciding not to confirm or deny his statement. It seemed like the wisest course of action, even though it was fairly obvious he already knew.

"I knew that the idea was bound to come up at some point. Some people seem to think that talking about your problems is a good way to resolve them." McKinnon winced at his tone of voice, guessing, correctly, he was not one of those people. "And I didn't really want people prying around in my personal business and deciding that somehow it was all related. In general, I figured my past is not anyone else's business," he said pointedly.

"Someone else already made it their business; I'm just running damage control. As for looking in your files, people have to get answers somewhere, Slick. They do it because they care, not to distress you," McKinnon observed quietly.

"Some of them sure have a funny way of showing it," Lucas retorted.

McKinnon asked Lucas several more questions before accepting that he had told her everything he planned to; she recognized that it was time to retreat. "For the record, Slick, I can tell there's more to this story than you're telling me. However, I'm going to trust that you're telling me everything I need to know to make sure we're not caught off guard by any of this."

"Gee, that's generous of you."

"Don't make this personal. I'm doing my job. And I'm trying to keep you and Indy out of jail."

"You do your job well, Commander. Are we done? Or do you want me to share other childhood memories?" Lucas questioned bitterly.

"That's all for now."

"Then I'd like to get back to work."

McKinnon watched him leave, knowing the last thing he needed was to go back to work. She would have to count on Rodriguez to realize that, since she could tell that any suggestion she made to the teenager would not be given much merit for a little while.

*****

Rodriguez looked up from where he and Ryan were conversing as Lucas returned to the room. "Oh dear," he muttered. "I don't think things went well," he added. "If anyone asks, we went for a walk," he instructed Ryan. Rodriguez could tell the teenager was on the verge of exploding and he did not think it needed to be done in front of the entire team.

"No problem," Ryan told him. It seemed fairly obvious that the talk between Lucas and McKinnon had not been pleasant. They had all been there, not that it did much good during the process.

*****

Rodriguez intercepted Lucas before he made it halfway through the room.

"What do you want?" Lucas asked sharply. He was not in the mood to deal with anyone, especially not Rodriguez , who always seemed to see more than he should.

Rodriguez decided it was best not to answer his question. Instead, he gripped the teenager's shoulder and turned him around. "I don't think you're ready for this just yet," he said firmly, leading Lucas out of the room.

*****

"Let Ghost handle it," Chandler advised both Tim and Ford, who had made moves toward Lucas before the other man had interrupted.

"He didn't look too happy," Tim commented.

"McKinnon has that effect on people. She needed the information. Whatever it was, she did not want to have to push to get it, but she had little choice," Chandler responded. "Right now, Slick is angry. Ghost is the right person to let him work it out."

"Personal experience?" Ford inquired, curious.

"Actually, yes. Ghost will let him vent as long as he needs and hopefully get him to be a little less annoyed with our commander. The best thing we can do is keep working and act like we have no idea that this is going on."

"You're probably right," Ford admitted reluctantly.

*****

"Wait here," Rodriguez ordered Lucas, stopping at the room where their gear had been stored.

"What's that?" Lucas asked, when Rodriguez returned carrying a bag.

"You'll see."

"I'm not interested in whatever you have in mind, Ghost."

"Too bad. I'm not letting you around people in your current mood. Some of them are less understanding than I am," Rodriguez told him, leading up the stairs.

*****

"Ghost took Slick for a walk," Ryan informed McKinnon, who had rejoined the team just after Rodriguez had left with Lucas.

"Probably not a bad idea."

"Things did not go well?" Ryan queried.

"That's an understatement," McKinnon replied. "I had to push pretty hard."

"You had no choice, Ice. You had to know the answers. What now?"

"Keep working on the investigation. I'm going to check out what Slick told me," McKinnon answered. "I owe it to him not to broadcast it if it isn't necessary," she added, seeing Ryan's confused look. "It killed him to tell me; I don't think it needs to be a team concern until I get some more information."

"That's why we like you," Ryan said quietly. She figured McKinnon kept more secrets than anyone on the team. "Ghost will get him to calm down, maybe even understand."

"Perhaps," McKinnon responded, although she was not sure of that. The whole thing was obviously very upsetting to the teenager, which concerned her: not because she thought he was endangering the team, but because McKinnon hated to see anyone on her team hurting, particularly when she felt responsible. It also left her wondering what Lucas had not told her.

*****

"Here," Rodriguez said, handing Lucas an alarm clock.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Lucas questioned, turning the clock over in his hand, wondering if Rodriguez had lost his mind.

"Throw the thing. How do you think I developed the habit? It's very cathartic. Trust me," Rodriguez told him. "You'll get rid of some of your anger and then we'll talk."

"I've had quite enough talking for one night, thank you very much."

"All right. Then maybe I'll talk. Just throw it. I guarantee it will help."

"This is stupid."

"So, who's watching? Aim for the wall; pretend it's Ice," Rodriguez suggested. The teenager had too much pent-up emotion to try talking to him now. He wanted to get Lucas to the point where they could talk. "I'm going to bug you until you do it."

"Persistence is an Outrigger trait, isn't it?"

"Pretty much. It works in our favor most of the time. Come on; you know you want to. Here, I'll throw one, so you'll see how it's done," Rodriguez offered, picking up another alarm clock and throwing it. "See it's easy. It's a great stress reliever."

Lucas looked at Rodriguez and shook his head and then decided he had nothing to lose. "It wasn't a compliment."

"You've got quite the arm," Rodriguez noted, as the clock went flying. "Did that help?"

"No," Lucas said shortly.

"Obviously you need something more destructive," Rodriguez mused, thinking.

"I need you to leave me alone."

"I don't think so."

"You and Ice have a tag team thing going? You both think you know what's best for me?" Lucas questioned angrily.

Rodriguez shook his head at the hard edge to his voice. This was worse than he expected. "I'll be right back," he informed him. "Stay here."

"If I don't want to?"

"I'll handcuff you to the chair."

"Are you nuts?"

"I'm an Outrigger; what do you think?"

"Does it matter?"

"Let's just say that I don't think you want to test me on this," Rodriguez observed. "You are in no shape to be with anyone right now."

"Then why are you bugging me?"

"Because if I leave you alone, you'll never release all that anger that's welling up inside of you. Stop arguing with me and I'll be right back. Or do I have to break out the handcuffs?"

"Fine. I'll stay."

*****

"You lose someone?" Karneering inquired, as Rodriguez approached him.

"Not yet. Listen, you know the souvenirs you got for your nieces? I'd like to borrow them."

Karneering eyed Rodriguez nervously. "Why?"

"My clocks don't have enough destructive power. I need something that will shatter and make a big mess," Rodriguez explained.

"So, I won't be getting them back?"

"I'll get Ice to pay for it. She's the one that ticked him off."

"That bad?"

"Makes him look positively happy with you the other day."

"Sure, why not? It's for a good cause."

"Thanks, Einstein."

*****

McKinnon stared at the computer, reading the newspaper article she had located. There were times when she hated her job; this was definitely one of them. She wondered if Lucas still felt guilty. Thinking about his reaction, she realized he probably did. Hearing footsteps behind her, McKinnon blanked the screen. There were some things that did not need to be common knowledge.

"Hey Einstein," she greeted. "What's going on?" McKinnon had seen Rodriguez speaking with the doctor.

"Well, we're still moving forward. Irish is trying to see what he can find out on the accounts that were used to send the notes. He thought it might help Slick. Indy and the commander are still working on Nicholson Technology. Sunshine, Casanova, Brook and Columbus are plotting their next foray into the investigation. I assume you're verifying the information Slick gave you."

"Yes. And, if I were you, I wouldn't bring up counseling any time soon. He knows I tried to get a look at his file. But that wasn't what I was asking."

"I'll let Ghost give you the details. How did he know?"

"Apparently he had it tagged."

"Interesting."

"He's been to counseling in the past. I don't think it was pleasant."

"Unfortunately, that can happen."

*****

"Now what?" Lucas asked, exasperation in his voice.

"Try this," Rodriguez said, dropping the snow globe in his hand.

"You want me to throw this? Can I throw it at you?"

"That's not a good idea, Slick. Throw it at the ground, the wall, I don't care. But you are way too uptight to do anyone any good right now."

"Is this your professional opinion?"

"I'm a concerned friend, Slick. That's all. I understand that you have a hard time accepting this concept, but try."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"If you're trying to pick a fight with me, I'm not buying," Rodriguez informed him, suddenly realizing what the teenager was doing. "But this is precisely why I couldn't let you stay in there."

"Great, so now you know what's in my best interests too?"

"No. I leave that for other people. I'm just minding my own business."

"I wish other people would."

"Come on; you're making this harder than you need to. Throw it; it's going to help."

"Where did you get this?" Lucas questioned, turning it over in his hand. He could not imagine Rodriguez buying a figurine with a girl sitting on a bench reading a book.

"It doesn't matter."

"This is a bad idea."

"I can call Ice back in. I'm sure she'd like to talk with you some more," Rodriguez pointed out. He figured it would be just enough to goad the young man. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to throw it at me!" he shouted, ducking as the globe shattered against the wall.

"Reflex. Besides, I knew you'd duck and I never agreed to any of this!"

"Do it again and you will regret it," Rodriguez warned.

"I already regret enough other things right now," Lucas said, automatically accepting the next snow globe Rodriguez pressed into his hand. This time, the teenager did turn away from Rodriguez. He had to admit he got a certain amount of satisfaction at hearing the shattering glass and seeing the contents flying everywhere.

"You know, if you wanted to yell, maybe call Ice some names while you did this, it might help," Rodriguez suggested, passing him another one of the souvenirs. If McKinnon refused to reimburse the doctor, Rodriguez knew he would; it looked like this might be working.

"I've had quite enough talking for the evening."

"Okay," Rodriguez told him, handing him another one and hoping there were enough to get him reasonably calm. McKinnon must have opened an extremely difficult topic to provoke this type of reaction. He resisted the urge to ask about it. Rodriguez knew he would only alienate the teenager if he pushed.

*****

"So, if you had to give Commander Ford a nickname, what would it be?" Rodriguez inquired, after Lucas had thrown the last snow globe, deciding it was a better question to broach at the moment.

"You're going to give him one?"

"It's a team thing; you know that. He may be kind of tense about being around us, but he's not a bad guy overall. What would you call him? Sunshine's not happy with the ones she's come up with so far."

"I have to work with the commander when we go back to seaQuest. I don't think I'd call him anything," Lucas informed him, sitting down on the floor next to Rodriguez, "because I don't think he's going to be too keen on a name."

"Like that's going to stop any of us. Describe him for me. You know him and maybe that will help."

"He's calm under fire. Always handles himself well. He's not as inflexible as he appears. He likes to be ready for the situation," Lucas recited, recalling all the times he had seen Ford in action. "Why are we discussing this?" Lucas questioned suddenly, trying to figure out Rodriguez's motivation.

Rodriguez shrugged his shoulders. "This is my attempt to gently ease you into the real reason why we're sitting here after you've destroyed all the snow globes Einstein bought for his nieces."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Rodriguez studied the teenager's rigid profile. "I don't know what you and Ice talked about, but she had her reasons for needing that information. It's standard procedure when notes start getting personal. Someone wanted to pull your chain and they obviously succeeded. She didn't insist because she's cruel. Ice cares about every person on this team, but some times that's just not enough. Just trust that whatever it was you told her, it will stay that way unless absolutely necessary. She will keep it out of the mission files as long as it doesn't become involved. She won't tell anyone. It'll be between the two of you."

"I don't find that comforting."

"Didn't figure you would. I don't usually when I'm on the receiving end of a grilling by her."

"At least you're honest."

"Slick, Ice cares. We wouldn't be here otherwise. I mean, let's face facts here. Do you honestly think Einstein and I just happened to attend the conference?"

"I thought it was a bit contrived."

"We were worried about you. Ice wanted to make sure you were okay, so she had us come. She pulled some strings to get them to let her bring the team out. I don't what she said or how she managed it, but she did it. She cares, even when you want to smack her a good one."

"This is supposed to make me feel better?"

"I don't know about that. How about help you understand? You can be mad at her, just don't hold a grudge and don't let it interfere."

Lucas leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes and did not speak. Part of him wanted to tell Rodriguez the whole story; the other part was afraid of how the man would react. Thus, he did what always did in this situation: he kept quiet, figuring it was the easiest way to protect himself.

Rodriguez watched him in silence, figuring the young man needed the time to process everything. He resisted saying any more himself, because he did not want to cross the line.

"I hope you're getting Einstein replacements. And why do you have so many clocks?" Lucas finally asked, still keeping his eyes shut.

"I collect them for occasions like these," Rodriguez replied.

"Where did you learn this trick?"

"My sister. It used to be baseballs, but Ice got a little annoyed after I broke the window out of my room the sixth time. She said I had to find something else. There's something satisfying about alarm clocks."

"Get angry a lot, do you?"

"Comes and goes, Slick," Rodriguez sighed. "So, you think you can go back to work without choking Ice or biting anyone's head off?"

"Guess we'll just have to see."

Rodriguez looked at him and caught the smile that flitted across his face. "Very funny, Slick. Just remember that Ice has quick reflexes; she'll take you down and probably draw her weapon at the same time."

"Sounds like fun."

"Let's clean up and get out of here."

PART 11

Lucas headed for the computer while Rodriguez went to talk to McKinnon. "You owe Karneering replacements," he informed her.

"Pardon me?"

"He didn't tell you?" Rodriguez queried. "I had to let Slick destroy the snow globes he bought for his nieces. The alarm clocks weren't going to be enough. He needed the shattering glass."

"I'm sure his captain is going to be thrilled you introduced him to that habit," McKinnon observed.

"Well, you managed to tick him off pretty good. There was no way I was going to get him to be rational if I didn't get to him to blow off some steam. I figured I could either fight him or have him throw. Since I doubt he has my training in martial arts, fighting seemed like a bad option. Plus, he was just angry enough I feared he might beat me up, which I did not want to have to explain. So they died for a worthy cause. Take my advice; don't try to talk to him again tonight. Just steer clear. By tomorrow, he won't be giving you his version of the 'death glare'," Rodriguez told her. "You hit a nerve."

"If he wants to tell you he will."

"I think he's had enough sharing for the moment. You do room assignments yet?" he inquired.

"I wasn't planning on it; there's enough space to allow you all to sort it out yourselves."

"You announce that yet?" P> "No."

"Don't. I want you to put him and I together in a room. I don't want Indy or the Boy Scout with us."

"I assume you mean the commander," McKinnon said, her lips twitching.

"Slick says the man likes to be prepared," Rodriguez commented.

"All right. Why?"

"Slick had dreams last night. He probably will again tonight. Because he internalizes so much, it's way for it to escape. Anyway, he does much better when there's not an audience."

"Will do."

"Don't worry so much, Ice. He'll get over it."

"I'm not sure it's going to be that easy," McKinnon responded. "He wasn't real thrilled about me looking into his file."

"You told him?"

"He had it tagged to notify him."

"Feels protective of his privacy, huh?"

"Apparently so."

*****

Twenty minutes later, McKinnon announced it was time to stop. "Okay, we have room assignments. Starting with the second floor at the end of the hall to your left as you are in the stairs. Odds are on the left, evens on the right," she called out. "Room one: Einstein and Columbus; room two: Brook and Sunshine; room three: Casanova and Irish; room four," McKinnon hesitated a bit and then glanced at Rodriguez, who gave her a smile and nodded. Both figured it could only help alleviate the tension. "Room four: Indy and Scout. That's all the rooms available on that floor. On the first floor at the far end of the hall will be Ghost and Slick and I'll take the room across from them."

"Did she just call me 'Scout'?" Ford inquired in a strangled voice.

"I think you've been named, Commander," Tim confirmed, hiding a smile.

"It was brought to our attention that you always like to be prepared," McKinnon told him. "Boy Scout seemed a little long."

"Don't laugh," Ford ordered Lucas, who was trying hard to stem the mirth that was filling him.

"It's a team tradition," Ryan informed him cheerfully. "Did you think of that?" she questioned McKinnon.

"No. The honors go to Ghost."

"Every once in awhile I get creative," Rodriguez remarked with a shrug.

"Somehow, I don't feel very lucky," Ford mumbled, unable to fathom how they had come up with this and understanding that protest would be futile.

"Don't worry; we won't repeat it back on seaQuest," Tim promised.

"Good. Because if you do, I'll be forced to disclose yours."

"That's why we'll be keeping our mouths shut," Tim noted.

*****

"You all right?" Tim questioned Lucas. The lieutenant had insisted that the teenager come up to the room he was sharing with Ford.

"I'm fine. Ice just ticked me off," he replied with a shrug.

"I hope you're never that mad at me," Tim commented.

"I don't think I want to see that either," Ford remarked. "But she was just doing her job," he added in McKinnon's defense. Ford did feel a certain amount of sympathy for the commander.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I'm still trying to figure out where Ghost came up with Scout," Tim mused.

"Uh, I may have had something to do with that," Lucas admitted.

"How?" Ford questioned.

"Ghost asked me how I would describe you. I said you liked to be ready for whatever might happen. I meant it in a good way. I didn't realize until later that he was looking for a nickname."

"I guess this means the two of you are now going to explain your names to me," Ford stated.

"Didn't I do that already?" Tim asked hopefully.

"No; you avoided explanations. I'm waiting."

"Uh, I accessed some classified data and managed to avoid detection," Lucas responded. "Ghost named me too," he put in as an afterthought.

"That makes sense. I'm really interested in hearing about Indy."

"Uh, Sunshine, Columbus and Brook thought they should call me that, because when we were in Hawaii, they all thought I drove on the fast side. So Ryan came up with Indy after the Indianapolis 500," Tim confessed quickly. "It's not that funny," he added, when Ford laughed.

"Don't worry; your secret's safe with me."

"I'm going to go. I want to get control of the alarm clock, if I can," Lucas excused himself.

*****

"Why did Lucas get so upset when McKinnon said 'weakest link'?" Ford asked Tim, once Lucas had left.

"When they were held hostage, the man in charge used that phrase to explain why he was beating on Lucas and making Ghost watch," Tim replied. "He thought Lucas would crack and tell him what he wanted to know or Ghost would give in for fear of what would happen to Lucas."

"It didn't work that way," Ford pointed out. Like the rest of the seaQuest crew, this was the thing he had the hardest time accepting. The fact that Rodriguez had not done what he could to protect the teenager.

"Lucas made Ghost promise to uphold Article One," Tim responded. "Ghost honored that promise. Besides, I think Ghost figured if they gave in, then they would no longer be of any use as hostages."

"Still…"

"We made a commitment to help them out, Commander. When we did that, we agreed to follow their rules. We did what we had to do to keep them safe and the other hostages we were trying to rescue. We understood that when we went into the field with them. I know everyone thinks that we somehow got trapped into the situation. We had a choice and we made it. I wish everyone would accept it!"

Ford looked over at him and nodded his head, suddenly understanding what the lieutenant was saying. "I'll try," he offered, knowing that he could not speak for anyone else.

*****

"How did I get so lucky to be paired with you?" Lucas questioned Rodriguez.

"It's your charming personality. Ice knows I'm the only one that truly appreciates it. Touch the alarm clock and die," Rodriguez threatened. "You'll just have to deal with the fact that I'm in charge of it."

"Why?"

"I outrank you."

"Oh, that's a brilliant answer."

"Thank you, I thought so."

"What makes you think I'm interested in following rank?"

"Because I'm also bigger and stronger than you and I'll use it to my advantage."

"Figures," Lucas sighed, rummaging through his bag.

"So, are you going to make up with Ice tomorrow?"

"Don't push, Ghost," Lucas warned. "Why didn't she put us upstairs?"

"The other rooms weren't set up for sleeping," Rodriguez hedged. He did not think it was a good time to mention that the sound traveled through the walls fairly well and McKinnon had thought it might be best to give them some privacy.

"Oh."

"You sound unconvinced? You think she had an ulterior motive?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me," Lucas quoted.

"Go to bed, Slick," Rodriguez ordered.

"Now you're in charge of curfew?"

"Why me?" Rodriguez questioned. "Why couldn't you have bonded with someone else on the team? Then, you could be bugging them."

"You're just lucky, I guess."

"You want the bunk on the right or left?"

"Does it matter? They both look like they've seen better days," Lucas commented.

"I think they have. Pick one, so we can go to bed."

"Sounds like you could have used the nap today."

"Oh, you're quite the funny man, aren't you?"

"Good night, Ghost," Lucas told him, climbing into one of the beds.

"Night, Slick," Rodriguez responded, turning off the lights.

"Thank you," Lucas mumbled softly, hoping the other man understood what he meant.

"Any time."

*****

Lucas sat up abruptly and looked over at his roommate. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, the teenager was grateful to see that Rodriguez still slept. Waiting for the terror from his recent nightmare to subside, the boy knew he would not be going back to sleep in the near future. This dream always left him wide awake. Shaking his head, wanting to clear the images from his mind, Lucas decided to take a walk. He knew he couldn't leave the building, but he wanted to get out of the room, away from the remnants of the dream; mainly, he wanted to be alone.

*****

The knocking on his door woke up Rodriguez, which was when he noticed he was missing his roommate. Since the door was not locked, he assumed it was not Lucas knocking. Swearing, he opened the door. "You do know the time?" he asked his commanding officer.

"Yes. But when I heard your door open, I didn't think you were taking a midnight stroll," McKinnon pointed out. "And I'm fairly certain Slick doesn't want me following him."

"Sure, bring logic into it. When did he leave?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

"You're just now waking me up?"

"I thought I should give him a chance to return on his own. I think he finds us somewhat suffocating."

"He's not used to someone caring about him like we do, or like his friends on the seaQuest. He finds it baffling," Rodriguez commented. "Go back to bed, Ice. You can't do anything about this."

"I know," McKinnon sighed.

"Ice, I don't think you created this problem," Rodriguez told her. "I don't know what did, but it's not you. And you know that. You had to push him because you needed the information. You were doing your job."

"I'll keep that in mind as he skewers me with one of his looks. He's got quite a gallery of them."

"I imagine they've kept people at bay in the past."

"Good luck."

"I don't need it; I'm not the one that ticked him off."

*****

Rodriguez wondered what had caused the young man to leave the room. However, he did not spend too much time on the subject. Instead, he concentrated on trying to find where Lucas had gone. Not finding him in the work room, Rodriguez started a systematic search of the building, since the teenager had not turned on any lights. He just hoped the boy had remained downstairs.

*****

Lucas blinked at the light that flooded the room when Rodriguez opened the door. Since he had been sitting in the dark for nearly an hour, his eyes had grown accustomed to it. "Hey."

Rodriguez sighed. Only Lucas would greet him nonchalantly, as if it were midday and not the middle of the night. "You mind if I turn the light on?" he queried.

"Yes."

After thinking about ignoring his preferences, Rodriguez sighed again and waited for his eyes to adjust, before making his way over to sit against the wall with teenager. He decided it might be wise to humor him for the moment. "You want to explain what you're doing here?"

"Not particularly."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You leave the room for any particular reason?"

"Felt like it."

"Think you could answer me in more than three words?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Rodriguez shook his head, not caring whether or not the boy saw him do it. "You're in rare form, aren't you?" he quizzed. Rodriguez was trying to decide if the young man was being intentionally difficult or just reacting naturally. Unfortunately, it could be either one. Lucas seemed to have quite a few defense mechanisms built up and Rodriguez was willing to bet all were fully operational at the moment.

"I don't recall sending you an invitation," Lucas reminded him.

"Well, I frequently crash where I'm not wanted. It's comes with the job," Rodriguez observed. "You always get up in the middle of the night and go sit in darkened rooms?"

"No."

"Then why start now?"

"I wanted to be alone."

Rodriguez opted to ignore the hint. "You could still turn the light on."

"I like it off."

"You know, Slick, most people are afraid of the dark, not the light," Rodriguez pointed out.

"Just because I don't want the light on, doesn't mean I'm afraid."

"No, but the fact that the topic makes you defensive, means there's something going on," Rodriguez commented. His hand reached out and gripped the teenager's shoulder before he could stand. "No, I don't think we're going to let you run on this one, Slick," he said, holding Lucas in place. "I'm an Outrigger; I have good reflexes," he added, before Lucas could ask how he had moved so quickly.

"You don't have to stay."

"I know," Rodriguez informed him. "But I'm kind of enjoying myself. I mean, it's not often I get to sit in a dark room engaged in a verbal battle with anyone. It's a rare treat indeed."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, Ghost."

"That's what Ice always tells me. I don't let her bother me either. So, why don't you want the light on?"

"Turn it on if it makes you happy."

"Didn't say that it would. I'm just trying to understand. Has it always been like pulling teeth to get you talk or is just since you joined us?"

"I don't know. No one's really tried before," Lucas responded, more honestly than he intended.

"Tell me about the light."

"Nothing to tell."

"Why is it that when people say that, it usually means there's some story behind it?"

"You've been an Outrigger for too long, you're starting to sound melodramatic."

Rodriguez smiled in the darkness; he could feel Lucas squirming next to him, trying to get away. Tightening the grasp on the teenager's shoulder, he waited for him to stop moving, making it clear to Lucas that he had no intention of letting go.

"It's nothing really," Lucas reiterated.

"Uh huh," Rodriguez mumbled, disbelief evident in his voice.

"They used to make me sleep with the lights on," Lucas mumbled. He mentally cursed himself for admitting that much. Rodriguez was too perceptive to be making such errors. The only person who was better at seeing past his barriers was Bridger. The teenager wished he understood why Rodriguez seemed to be able to get at him so easily.

"Your parents?" Rodriguez guessed, interrupting Lucas' thoughts.

Lucas made a noncommittal noise and hoped it was enough of a response to keep Rodriguez from pursuing this particular train of conversation.

"Why?" Rodriguez inquired, not seeming to notice that Lucas never confirmed his supposition.

Lucas breathed a small sigh of relief. "Control," he whispered, his voice shaking.

Rodriguez could feel the teenager trembling under the hand he had resting on Lucas' shoulder. "That still doesn't explain why you left the room."

Lucas remained silent for several minutes, wanting to come up with a believable answer, without telling a lie. Besides finding it easier to remember the truth, the teenager had heard enough lies in his past to want to avoid spreading them himself. "Dream."

Rodriguez wished the teenager would move beyond giving him one word answers. It would make it easier to understand what he was saying. "About?" he prompted.

"Nothing."

"Back to that, are we?" Rodriguez queried, frustrated. "You ready to go back?"

"Don't feel obligated to stay."

Rodriguez took his response to be a no and wondered just how long the teenager planned on sitting in the dark. He feared it would be all night if he let him. "Fortunately, I've got no plans."

"Do you ever take a hint?" Lucas questioned, his voice filled with exasperation.

"No. Just ask Ice: she'll vouch for me," Rodriguez informed him. He felt the boy stiffen at the mention of McKinnon's name. He resisted the urge to comment, deciding it would only make the young man defensive. Right now, the last thing Rodriguez wanted was to put him on edge. However, he wondered if it was McKinnon herself that was the problem or the memory of the talk that had him tensing up. When he had finished talking with him earlier, Lucas had seemed to have a better attitude about McKinnon's actions. Not that the teenager had been any happier about them, but Rodriguez thought he had come to an understanding.

"Now might be a good time to practice," Lucas observed. He really wanted Rodriguez to leave him alone.

"Why break my record?" Rodriguez asked, shrugging his shoulders. Even if Lucas came out and requested that he leave, Rodriguez planned to stay. He was counting on the boy's inherent desire to avoid confrontation to keep him from asking outright.

"I don't know; to try something different?" Lucas suggested.

"Consistency is the key to being a good Outrigger," Rodriguez noted. "You know, I was thinking I could set you up with my sister, but I'm not sure it's going to work now."

"What makes you think I want to be set up?"

"Isabella's a great girl. You have something against my sister?"

"It's nothing personal. I just might not be interested in your matchmaking services."

"Hey, I don't let just anyone date my little sister. However, now I don't think it's going to work out."

"Why not?" Lucas asked, wondering why he was even engaging in this conversation. Still, it beat other topics Rodriguez could bring up.

"She hates the dark. She'd never understand you. Well, that's probably not the only thing about you that wouldn't make sense. However, she blames me for her fear of the dark."

"What did you do to her?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"It seemed like a natural response."

"She says it has to do with all the stories I used to tell her," Rodriguez admitted, sliding his arm around Lucas' shoulders. "It's not my fault either," he continued, shifting his position and the teenager's slightly, so that Lucas leaned against him. He was trying to move casually and hoping the boy would not notice until it was too late.

"What are you doing?" Lucas quizzed, trying to get away and finding that he was no match against Rodriguez 's strength.

"It's not often I get a captive audience: not growing up with five sisters and now with Ice and the rest," Rodriguez explained. Lucas stiffened at the mention of McKinnon's name and Rodriguez stifled a sigh. He did not know what nerve the commander had touched, but it was definitely a sore point. "You really need to learn to relax, Slick. Stop squirming," he instructed.

"I'm just trying to mind my own business."

"Try cooperating instead. Now where was I?"

"You were elaborating on why your sister is afraid of the dark and how it isn't your fault," Lucas mumbled, understanding that Rodriguez was now following some agenda of his own. He also recognized that the other man had no intention of letting him move away.

"That's right. See, the next sister in line, Serena, she liked scary stories."

"I thought you said your sister's name was Ana," Lucas interjected, only vaguely recalling him mentioning her when they were being held in Tarsinia.

"Isabella couldn't say 'Serena' when she was little, so she called her 'Ana'. Then last year, Serena got uptight about it, so now we're in the process of learning not to call her by her nickname."

"That's very odd," Lucas told him.

Rodriguez shrugged his shoulders; he'd given up trying to explain his family a long time ago. "Anyway, as I was saying, I used to tell Serena stories about demons and monsters. Isabella insisted on listening too, which scared her. Elena is the one that used to tell her the trolls were going to eat her. I got blamed. I always got blamed. It's not easy being the only boy in a household of girls," Rodriguez protested. It turned out that Rodriguez had a long litany of complaints related to being the only male among his siblings. When he started on the problems of dating, Lucas fell asleep. "This would have been much easier if you'd let us have this talk in the room," Rodriguez grumbled to himself, picking Lucas up. "Why is it I always end up carrying you?" Rodriguez asked the sleeping teenager. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

*****

McKinnon met him in the hallway. "Having fun?" she inquired, eyeing Lucas.

"Why don't you be useful and get the door for me?" Rodriguez advised. He was tired and starting to lose patience. Since he figured that part of the reason he had just spent a little over an hour sitting on the floor in the dark was due to the commander's recent talk with the teenager, Rodriguez was not inclined to be overly polite.

"Sure," McKinnon agreed, opening the door and leading the way in, quickly straightening the covers before Rodriguez set Lucas down.

"For someone who keeps telling me he's a light sleeper, he sure goes out like a light," Rodriguez remarked.

"What happened?"

"I'm not really sure, Ice. We can analyze it in the morning."

"Good night, Ghost," McKinnon said, getting his hint that he had no plans to talk any more.

"Night, Ice." Wearily climbing into his bunk, Rodriguez had the impression that somewhere in his conversation with Lucas, he had missed something. Unfortunately, sleep overtook him before he was able to remember.

Part 12

The next morning, Rodriguez groaned as the alarm clock rang and reacted instinctively. The noise of the alarm clock hitting the door jolted Lucas awake. Not remembering when he had returned to the room last night, the teenager chose not to ask his roommate for the specifics. "What time is it?"

"Oh-six-thirty," Rodriguez growled. "I really wish we worked later in the day," he added. "Come on; Ice will be pounding on the door if we don't get moving." Rodriguez thought it was good sign that Lucas did not tense up when he mentioned the commander's name.

"We're up!" Lucas shouted, as McKinnon knocked on the door.

"Just checking!" McKinnon called back. She had thought about letting the two sleep in, but had decided that neither would appreciate making the explanations it would entail.

*****

"Those beds are worse than the ones in Hawaii," Tim complained, as he and Ford joined Lucas and Rodriguez in the work room for breakfast.

"We've slept in worse places," Ryan observed cheerfully. "And we get real food."

"Sunshine believes we all want to be as happy as she is," Rodriguez groused, starting on his fourth cup of coffee. He had woken up several times to make sure Lucas was still in the room and he was feeling the effects. Rodriguez hoped enough caffeine would counteract the lack of sleep.

"Perhaps we should get Einstein to inject that directly into a vein," Hallowell suggested.

"I've already asked. He says it's not a good idea," Rodriguez informed him.

"He's probably right," Ford observed, noticing that Lucas did not look particularly well rested. "What are we doing today?" he inquired.

"More research. I want to see if we nail down the source of the notes and the choice of Nicholson for the break-in. To that end, I think that Sunshine and Casanova need to talk to the inspectors again as well as some of the employees at Nicholson. Columbus and Brook, I want the two of you to canvass the area and see if you can't find out some more gossip. Irish, Einstein and Scout," McKinnon began, wondering if Ford was going to glare every time someone used the nickname. "I want you looking into the whereabouts of Ramsey. Indy, you and Ghost are going to look at Nicholson's financial situation: find out if they're as solvent as they seem. Slick and I are going to dig around in their personnel files and see if we can't find some kind of connection," she continued, ignoring the surprised looks on everyone's faces at that piece of news.

*****

Rodriguez could not say the assignments shocked him. He had anticipated McKinnon would put herself in close proximity with Lucas. However, he hoped it did not mean she was going to want to talk to him more about the note.

Ford was not at all sure that he liked the arrangements either. Even though the commander understood why McKinnon had needed the information, Ford knew she had upset Lucas the previous evening.

McKinnon noticed the expression on Ford's face and realized she would have to talk to him first. There were times when being in charge weighed heavily upon her. "All right, let's get to work. You'd like a word with me?" she asked Ford.

"Yes."

*****

Taking advantage of the fact McKinnon was going to be busy for a minute, Tim took a moment to talk to Lucas, knowing that Rodriguez would get started without him. "You okay?" he questioned softly. "You look tired," he elaborated.

"I didn't sleep real well last night," Lucas admitted. "Dreams again," he explained.

"I'm sorry."

"Ghost was there," Lucas reminded him, knowing why the lieutenant had apologized.

"Still…" Tim started. He knew that there was nothing he could have done. There was no way Lucas would have come by last night: not with him rooming with Ford at the moment. However, Tim had been the one there for Lucas the past weeks and he felt like he had let the teenager down, particularly since Lucas had been distressed before going to bed. While Rodriguez had calmed him down the previous evening, Lucas had still been upset.

"It's okay, Tim. I'll be back on your doorstep when we get back on seaQuest," Lucas promised with a small smile, referring to the fact that several times he had visited the lieutenant late at night, usually waking Tim up. Tim always opened his door and welcomed him, no matter what the time. Some times they would sit up and talk; other times, Lucas slept on the floor, feeling safer with someone in the room. These were the details they did not share with anyone else.

"It's not all one-sided," Tim pointed out. He had experienced his share of bad moments. Plus, Miguel had told him that Lucas had read the riot act to him, Katie and Ben when one of them, -Miguel would not say who, but Tim guessed it was Ben- had vaguely implied that Tim was at fault for not doing a better job of protecting the teenager. Lucas had also yelled at him for trying to take the blame. "Just take it easy on Ice. She was just doing her job."

*****

"I just don't think he really wants to work with you right now," Ford told McKinnon.

"You could be right," McKinnon agreed. "But that's the beauty of being in command. I can make these decisions without consulting anyone."

"You got under his skin last night."

"Probably not as far as I should have, Scout," McKinnon said quietly. "But I couldn't let it go. You know that. I understand your desire to protect him. It's admirable. Under different circumstances, I would be more than happy to let him keep his secrets, but I couldn't afford to take that risk. Slick is used to being able to put his walls and not letting anyone get around them. He's used to people backing off because he wants them too. I had no alternative."

"Why not let Rodriguez take a shot?" Ford inquired; he still had not adjusted to the use of nicknames. "They seem to have a good relationship, albeit an unusual one."

"I'm sure Ghost could have gotten him to talk. But then who would have gotten him to let go of the anger?" McKinnon queried. "Slick was going to be mad at anyone who pushed him last night. If I had asked Ghost to do it, then there would have been no safety valve. I know my command style throws you off, Scout, but I know what I'm doing."

"What about Tim? You don't think he would have calmed him down? He knows him better than Rodriguez."

"They have a different relationship: not better, not worse, just different. Indy is good with most things that bother Slick. They talk; they have a shared experience. Last night, Slick was beyond angry when he and I finished. Indy's not equipped to deal with that kind of aggression," McKinnon stated calmly. "Slick did not need to talk when he finished. In fact, that was the last thing he wanted. Given a choice, he probably would have liked to deck me, but we try to avoid allowing that in the unit. Ghost gave him a viable alternative to give into his destructive emotions without getting hurt. No one else could have given him that."

"What exactly do you mean?" Ford questioned.

While McKinnon would have enjoyed seeing the expression on the commander's face at the idea of Rodriguez having told the teenager to throw snow globes, she decided it was not her place to tell. "That's between Ghost and Slick."

"Do you know?"

"I make it a general rule to know what's going on with my team, even when I'm not involved. However, as long as it didn't jeopardize them or anyone else on the team, I have no call to bring it up. Ghost gave Slick the tools he needed to work through his anger. That's all that matters."

Ford nodded his head, comprehending that McKinnon would not say anything else on the topic. "Why do you want to work with him?"

"He needs to see me as something other than the interrogator. This is a good way to accomplish it. We're in the room with the rest of the group, so he feels reasonably safe that I'm going to push into any areas he does not want to discuss."

As much as he hated to admit it, what McKinnon said made sense. Ford nodded his head slowly. "All right."

*****

"How do you want to divide the search?" McKinnon asked Lucas neutrally. She planned on keeping things as even as possible and let him set the pace.

"You can take the important people; I want to look at some of the middle management types," Lucas answered, trying hard to ignore the fact that everyone in the room was watching them surreptitiously. He felt like he was on stage because of all the attention they were receiving.

The teenager studied McKinnon for several minutes. He never had been able to hold a grudge for very long. Plus, as he saw it, he had two options. If he stayed mad at her, then eventually she or someone else would want to talk about it. Lucas wanted to avoid any further conversations on the topic. His second choice was to make peace. It was something Lucas understood how to do. He had spent the better part of his childhood masking his anger and disappointment and making sure things looked all right. The teenager knew he could avoid any further questions if he made it seem like he was no longer upset. "Do they think I'm suddenly going to strike you down with lightning?" he inquired, speaking low enough so that no one else could hear.

"I think they were thinking along the lines of 'if looks could kill'," McKinnon responded, accepting the olive branch he offered. She had already figured out that Lucas was not the kind of person that was going to want to talk about it directly when he was ready to make peace. She was just grateful he had gotten over it quickly. She wondered if she could get him to explain it to some members of her team. There were a couple that could stay mad at her for quite some time.

"Wonder how they'd react if we both left the room," Lucas mused.

"I don't think we'd make it out the door. Ghost and Scout would be on me in a flash."

"I don't know; I think you could take them both," Lucas informed her.

"Most likely," McKinnon agreed, hiding her smile. "Think we've given them enough of a show?"

"Yep. They're all trying to figure out if I'm telling you I hate you forever or we're making up," Lucas noted.

"Which is it, Slick?" McKinnon queried, mainly just to see how he would answer her.

"If I hated you, I wouldn't have tell you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Lucas turned his attention to the computer, hoping that there would be no further discussion of the previous evening.

*****

"What do you think they're talking about?" Tim asked Rodriguez , who was watching the exchange with avid interest.

"Well, no sparks are flying, so I imagine it can't be too bad," Rodriguez remarked. "Although both are pretty good at hiding their emotions, so I could be wrong. They might be carrying on a civilized name calling contest."

"You're a lot of help."

"I try."

"I hope all that caffeine isn't going to make you hyper."

"Outriggers are never hyper, Indy. We're just enthusiastic. And I'm going to need the caffeine if we're going to be digging around in the financial records. They're really boring."

"You think anything involving research is boring, Ghost!" Chandler called out.

"It is," Rodriguez replied absently, still concentrating on Lucas and McKinnon.

*****

Lucas stared at the computer screen and stifled a yawn. He knew if he showed signs of being tired, McKinnon would make him take a break. The teenager was in the midst of tracing something and he did not want to stop until he finished.

McKinnon, for her part, glanced at the time and then at the young man sitting next her. He wore an intense expression, which told her he had shut out everything around him. He also looked ready to fall asleep. That reminded her that she had not talked to Rodriguez this morning. "Slick?" she said, to get his attention.

"Yes, Ice?" he responded, hoping he sounded alert.

"I have to go check in with the admiral. I'm taking Ghost with me. It should make his morning," she informed him. "When I come back, you're taking a break."

"I'm fine."

"Then you'll have to humor me."

"Yes, Commander."

"See? You're learning."

*****

"What are you going to make me do now?" Rodriguez asked McKinnon as she approached.

"It's time to check in with Kincaid and I want to go over a few details with you."

"Are you going to make me sit in?" he complained.

"Ghost, for a grown man, you whine an awful lot," Tim observed, getting a snicker from McKinnon and a glare from Rodriguez .

"You're so helpful Indy."

"Any time."

"You keep working with us and they're not going to want you back on seaQuest," Rodriguez remarked, as he followed McKinnon.

*****

Ryan and Dawson looked at Crewes and Stanton and waited for a response to Ryan's question. "You have a witness that could not identify either O'Neil or Wolenczak, yet you insist that somehow they're still involved. Care to elaborate?" Ryan repeated.

"It was a photo check. We want to run it in person," Stanton explained.

"You'll have to check with Commander McKinnon, and I don't think she'll allow it," Ryan responded. "Besides, these photos are recent," she commented, leafing through the ones Crewes had handed her. "If the witness could not ID them, it should be enough. Especially since he gave you a description of who he did see."

"There's still the matter of their fingerprints," Crewes pointed out.

"Stranger things have happened," Dawson observed.

Ryan hid her smile; Dawson had been producing these statements throughout their interview with the inspectors. It seemed to keep them off balance.

"It's beyond being strange. I don't like coincidences," Stanton informed him.

"Few people do. It scares them," Dawson remarked.

"What are you trying to say?" Crewes asked. "That we're afraid?"

"I don't recall Lieutenant Dawson saying anything of the kind," Ryan interjected smoothly "If you don't mind, we would like the name of your witness. Don't bother trying to keep it a secret. I will get the name. I just thought I'd ask nicely first."

*****

"You do this to torture me, don't you?" Rodriguez questioned McKinnon, once the call with Kincaid had been completed.

"One of these days, Ghost, you will be a commander. And, while you have many fine leadership qualities, dealing with your superiors is not one of them. I'm trying to help you develop them."

"No offense, Ice, but what qualities are you helping me build? I mean, you're not exactly known around the office for your diplomatic skills."

"I can't help it if I have a low tolerance for stupidity."

"Yes, but most high ranking officers see it as insubordination. What's up with you and Slick this morning?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Define nothing," Rodriguez requested.

"He's acting normal."

"What do you mean?"

"Why all the questions?"

"Just answer me first, Ice. Then it will be your turn to ask."

"He seems to have gotten over being mad at me."

"Uh huh."

"Okay, what's going on in your head, Ghost?"

"Seems a little quick to me," Rodriguez observed, getting up from the chair and pacing.

"You don't think he's sincere?"

"Yes and no."

"That certainly sheds light on the subject."

"Ice, last night, if you had been willing to let him, he would have decked you and not been at all sorry. Now, I know not all of that was you personally. It was from whatever feelings you stirred up inside of him. But the boy was pretty well steamed with you. I think he's figured out making peace with you is expedient."

"How so?"

"If he stays mad at you, what's going to happen?" Rodriguez asked her. "First, you're going to want to talk to him again at some point. I know you'd let it slide a day: see if it worked out. But then you'd want to talk to see if you couldn't get some kind of reconciliation: not only for the two of you, but because of the fact it isn't good for the team to have two of its members angry at one another."

"So?"

"Lucas doesn't want to talk. So, unless you did something unforgivable, he's going to avoid it. And even if you don't want to talk, he knows someone is going to. Indy is a natural peacemaker; he'll want to get Lucas to ease up on you. Scout is so by the book he wouldn't let Lucas get away with giving you the cold shoulder. He isn't keen on our methods, but you are the commanding officer and deserve a certain amount of respect for that. And you know the rest of the gang."

"You think he's still mad?"

"Not in the sense you're thinking. I think the rational part of him fully understands that you were doing your job. But I think, if he wasn't worried about further scrutiny, he would have just let this go away on its own instead of making a concerted effort to end it. He's making sure the issue dies in a way he can control."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Ice. If we push him, we're likely to end up with something we can't handle," Rodriguez sighed, feeling frustrated. "He is so used to keeping things to himself; he's not going to give them up without a fight."

"What happened last night?"

"I was there and I don't know," Rodriguez answered. "He was sitting on the floor in one of the rooms, no lights on. He was not real keen on my presence, but I ignored that and he wasn't willing to risk asking me to leave directly. He wouldn't tell me why he got up. Just mentioned he had dreams."

"What is it?" McKinnon asked, watching his face.

"Nothing. I just have this feeling that there was something I should have caught last night."

"What?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be wondering about it. Anyway, I couldn't get anything out of him, except every time I mentioned your name he got tense. I never did decide if it was a reaction to you personally or the association with your chat. He would have stayed awake all night if I'd let him."

"How did you get him to go to sleep?"

"Told him about the trials and tribulations of being the only male in a household of females."

"That would have put me to sleep."

Part 13

What is Brook doing?" Dawson inquired of Ryan. They had just arrived at Nicholson Technology to find Adamsen and Hallowell talking to the security manager.

"I think she's mourning for Benny again," Ryan responded, wincing as the pitch of Adamsen's wails increased.

"She should have been an actress," Dawson observed.

*****

"I just couldn't bear it if Grandfather's watch was in Benny's locker and we had to wait for the police to return. Surely you could let us take a quick look to see if it's there. Benny wanted my son to have it. He's named after Benny, you know," Adamsen sobbed.

"It's okay, Brook," Hallowell murmured, patting her shoulder. "We'll just wait for the police to come and inspect Benny's things and get it then."

"But what if they lose it? It's the only thing we have left of Grandfather's. He took us in when our parents died and I couldn't stand to lose it now that I have no one left."

"You have me and the kids," Hallowell reminded her, hoping the man caved soon, because he was ready to start laughing. "It's been a rough few days. Surely, you could just let us take a look for the watch. What's that going to tell the police? They probably won't catch the guy responsible anyway," he added, producing another mournful cry from Adamsen, who was enjoying her role.

"I think we could bend the rules," the security manager assented. He did not do well with sobbing females and this one seemed on the verge of hysterics.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You're such a kind man," Adamsen told him.

*****

"Whatever she was doing, she got what she wanted," Ryan observed, watching at the man led Adamsen and Hallowell away.

"Good. I'd hate for her hard work to be wasted," Dawson remarked. "Let's go see what we can find out ourselves."

"All right."

*****

"Okay, it's break time," McKinnon announced to the group at large. She was greeted by several groans, which she ignored. Instead, she just stared at them until they moved away from their research.

"Hey, Ice," Einstein approached her.

"What?"

"Since this is an official deployment, it has occurred to me that I should probably medically clear Slick, Indy and Scout for duty."

"Is that the only reason?" McKinnon inquired.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've been dying to give both Slick and Indy an exam since you haven't seen them since they recovered. I can't imagine either one gave you a chance to examine them at the hotel nor do I see any of them going peacefully."

"Scout will. He'll have to set an example," Karneering pointed out, ignoring her other comments.

"Good point."

"I'll let you tell them."

"Thanks a lot, Einstein," McKinnon told him. "I assume you have everything you need?"

"Of course."

"Good. I'll take care of it in a moment. Just try not to get Slick riled up again. I'm not sure we have anything left for him to throw."

"Very funny, Ice."

"Any time. You want to send Irish over?"

"Sure thing."

*****

"What do you need?" Chandler asked McKinnon after Karneering had delivered her message.

"Uniform for Scout. If we go anywhere officially, he's going to need one."

"He's going to love that."

"I'll explain the rules to him."

*****

"Anyone coming?" Adamsen asked Hallowell, as she sorted through the locker.

"Not yet," Hallowell replied, checking the door. He had requested a glass of water from the security manager after Adamsen had increased the volume of her tears. "Wait. He's on his way."

Adamsen shoved a couple of papers in her pocket and closed the locker, turning on the sobs just as the man returned. "It's not here," she cried. "I don't know where it could be."

"Here's your water, ma'am."

"I'm sorry we troubled you, Sir. It was very kind of you to let us take a look like that," Hallowell said. "We do appreciate it, don't we, honey?"

"Of course. I'm so sorry."

"That's all right. I understand," the security manager assured them, leading them out of the locker room.

"I just needed to know."

"Please accept my condolences, Ma'am, Sir."

"Thank you again," Hallowell told him. "It's time to go now," he informed Adamsen, guiding her out of the building. "Keep it up; he's still watching," he mumbled.

"I hope we're clear soon. I'm about to start laughing."

"Okay, we're safe."

"Good. Now, we'd better go shopping," Adamsen told him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I need to get rid of this dress. Besides the fact I hate it, Benny does have family. I'd rather not keep anything they've seen me in."

"Are you serious?"

"I took a copy of his insurance policy. Benny has a daughter."

"Ice is not going to be happy."

"That's why I want to do this before we tell her. Come on; you know they'll never recognize me. Not in my regular uniform."

"What about me?" Hallowell questioned.

"They never looked at you, just the sobbing wife. Trust me. Besides, we put our uniforms on and no one would be able to tell you apart from Irish or Casanova. All they're going to remember is that you're about six feet tall with dark hair."

"Ice is still going to be upset."

"Please don't remind me."

*****

"Resistance is futile," Tim read out loud.

"That mean anything to either one of you?" Rodriguez questioned Lucas and Tim.

Lucas thought for a moment before answering. "I've heard it said lots of times," he remarked. The statement had a vague ring of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place the significance. He kept this part to himself, not willing to open himself up to more questions.

"So have I," Tim added. "I had an instructor that used to like to use it, usually when it came to doing something our class didn't like, but nothing really stands out."

"Probably another random one then," McKinnon commented. "Okay, before we get started back to work, we have to take care of some official details," she added.

"What?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Einstein needs to give Slick, Indy and Scout medical clearance for deployment," she responded. "You two know the rules," she reminded Lucas and Tim, when they groaned. "And it is a requirement that on all official deployments that a medical exam take place."

"Here?" Tim queried.

"No, I thought we'd do it in one of the other rooms. It will offer more privacy," Karneering replied, smiling at him. "And since you're so eager, I will start with you."

"Einstein, I'm healthy," Tim protested. Any further complaints were silenced by a glare from Ford. Although the commander was not any happier with the arrangements, he saw no reason to object to them.

"Yes, well, given that you've never been to medical school, they require me to certify that fact," Karneering informed him. "Now it can go quickly or it can take a long time. Your choice," he added cheerfully.

"You better listen to him. He's not kidding," Rodriguez muttered to Tim. "He gets real cranky when you don't cooperate."

"Ghost, I can put you in the line up, too."

"Hey, I had my physical already. And I brought my records to prove it."

"You're learning."

"Thank you."

"Let's go, Indy."

"I'm right behind you," Tim sighed, following Karneering out of the room.

*****

"You having any luck?" Rodriguez asked Lucas. Since Tim was getting his physical, Rodriguez decided to take a break from looking at financial records to talk to the teenager. "I hear you made peace with Ice," he commented.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I was just making conversation."

"Why don't you make it somewhere else?"

"I think I'll see if Ice can schedule you for a nap. You're getting kind of grouchy."

"I'm trying to work, Ghost."

"Yeah and I know you could work and talk to me at the same time if you wanted to. You're just trying to avoid me. And all that does is make me curious."

"You've obviously been working hard. All I'm trying to do is work."

"Uh huh. Want to talk about last night?"

"No!" Lucas hissed at him.

"You really need to relax, Slick. All that tension can't be good for you. I bet if Einstein took your blood pressure right now it would be through the ceiling."

"Ghost, don't you have something you should be doing?"

"Oh, probably, but this is much more enlightening," Rodriguez replied, as Chandler walked over. "What can I do for you Irish?"

"You bring your extra cap?" Chandler asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Can I have it?"

"Why? Didn't you bring your own?"

"Yes. It's not for me."

"Who's it for?"

"Scout. Ice has me putting together a uniform for him in case we need them."

"Whose uniform are you using?"

"Whose do you think?" Chandler quizzed. "Casanova's of course. He always brings extra. You know that. But I think your hat will fit Scout better."

"Sure, I'll get it for you. You going to tell him about the uniform?"

"Of course not. That's Ice's job."

"I'm sure it will go over well," Lucas commented.

"Well, it's going to have to wait until after his physical. Looks like you get to be last, Slick," Rodriguez observed, as Tim returned and Ford followed Karneering.

"I can't wait."

*****

"It's just a formality," Karneering assured Ford, as he took his blood pressure. "We just don't want anyone keeling over in the midst of a mission."

"I can understand that."

"It's extremely unprofessional," Karneering continued. "Although I'm assuming that you're healthy or you wouldn't be on seaQuest."

Ford made a noncommittal noise, wishing the doctor did not insist on talking through the exam. He just wanted it done, so he could get back to work.

"I just need to take some blood."

"Why?" Ford questioned.

"It's standard procedure. I'll send it to the lab overnight and get the results back in the morning."

"Is this necessary?"

"No. I'm just doing it for fun. We have rules to follow. This is one of them."

"Great," Ford sighed.

"Okay. We're all done," Karneering informed a very relieved Ford. "Here you go," he added, handing him a red lollipop and enjoying the confused expression that crossed the commander's face.

Ford accepted the candy, looked at the doctor and decided not to bother asking. He felt certain he would not understand any better if he did.

*****

"Ice, we need to talk to you," Adamsen told McKinnon, when she and Hallowell returned.

"Am I going to like what you have to say?" McKinnon inquired, not liking the looks on their faces.

"Well, probably not. First, I want to give these to Slick and see if he can trace them for us," Adamsen responded.

"What happened?" McKinnon questioned Hallowell.

"It's a long story and I'd really rather let Brook help me tell it."

"I'm really not going to like this, am I?"

"Well, uh…"

"I guess this means we better take this somewhere else," McKinnon sighed. "Ghost!" she called, waving Rodriguez over.

"What is it?" Rodriguez queried.

"I need to talk to Brook and Columbus. You want to give Scout his uniform? And also make sure Sunshine issued him a weapon."

"The answer to your first question is no, but I will. As for the weapon, I don't think so, but I'll verify it."

"Thank you."

"I'll take care of it now, in fact," Rodriguez assured her, spying Ford returning to the room.

*****

"How have you been feeling?" Karneering asked Lucas. The doctor was glad for the chance to examine the teenager, even more than he had been at the opportunity to check out Tim. While Westphalen had sent him regular updates, he wanted to see for himself that everything had healed properly.

"Fine," Lucas sighed. "I don't know why you have to do this. I've been getting regular check-ups."

"In the Outriggers, we like to see things for ourselves," Karneering commented. "So you'll just have to suffer through. Any problems with the shoulder? Or your knee?"

"They're fine. The shoulder gets a little stiff some times, but nothing major."

"That's good. Are you sleeping all right? You look a little tired today?" Karneering queried, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Last night was not one of my better nights. By the way, sorry about your snow globes."

"That's okay. Ice will make sure I get reimbursed. She'll file it with Kincaid under something obscure," Karneering reassured him.

"That's good."

"Don't worry about it. Sometimes throwing things helps."

"I can't imagine you doing it," Lucas commented.

"I've done it once or twice. Ghost thinks it's the best way to get rid of aggression, outside of fighting."

"Fighting?"

"In a controlled environment. However, throwing tends to bring less injuries all around."

"I would think so," Lucas told him.

"Okay, let me take some blood and we'll be done."

*****

"Ice asked me to give you these," Rodriguez informed Ford, handing him the jumpsuit that Chandler had gotten from Dawson.

"What for?"

"If we go out on official business, you'll have to be in uniform. While you're assigned to us that means our uniform, not seaQuest's. I can quote the regulation to you if you would like."

"That won't be necessary," Ford sighed, accepting the clothes.

"And she wants to know if Sunshine issued you a gun yet?"

"No."

"Okay, I'll remind her when she returns," Rodriguez said. He looked at the lollipop sitting by the computer console. "I see you did all right with Einstein."

"What?"

"The sucker. He only gives the red ones to people who make a semblance of cooperation. Since you didn't get green, you must have done something though."

"The man has a system for dispensing candy?"

"Einstein is very methodical."

*****

"Now, talk to me," McKinnon ordered Adamsen and Hallowell.

"Well, we wanted to get access to the security guard's locker. You know, see if maybe there was a connection to him and the robbery," Adamsen started. "So I did the distraught act and told the security chief I was looking for Grandfather's watch."

"How about we get to the part where you tell me what I'm not going to like and why you changed clothes?" McKinnon advised.

"Uh, it turns out Benny has a daughter. I saw it on the insurance policy. That was among the papers I gave Slick," Adamsen answered in a rush.

"You took something from the locker?"

"I didn't have time to read it. The guy was returning."

"Great. You know how I feel about that. I'm fairly certain that falls under the category of removing evidence. And you should have checked for family members before you started any of this."

"I'm positive they won't recognize either one of us."

"Still, you can't go back there just to be on the safe side. The last thing we need is to be caught hindering an investigation"

Adamsen and Hallowell glanced at each other, thinking McKinnon seemed a little bit too calm for this. Past experience had taught them that when she sounded this unruffled, it meant she was controlling her reaction. While McKinnon generally held her temper fairly well, neither one wanted to be in the firing line in the near future.

"We'll talk about this more later. I sincerely hope there is something in those papers that makes it worthwhile."

"Yes, Commander," Hallowell responded.

"You can go."

Adamsen and Hallowell decided that they did not need a second invitation and headed for the door.

McKinnon waited for them to be at the door to speak again. "By the way, the evidence processing class will be going on next month, as will the one on preparing for undercover operations. I'll make sure your schedules are cleared so that you can attend. You apparently need some refresher training," she informed them.

"Thought we got off too easy," Adamsen muttered to Hallowell.

"Should have known better."

"Yes, Commander," the duo said in unison, knowing better than to argue.

"What have you got?" Rodriguez inquired joining Lucas at the computer and making the teenager jump.

"Security guard was diagnosed with cancer a week before he was killed," Lucas replied, still focused on the computer. He typed quickly as he spoke to Rodriguez. "His life insurance policy pays more if he dies on the job than through illness."

"You think he let himself get killed? That seems a little odd."

"I'm checking on that now," Lucas mumbled. "Ghost, back up," he ordered, when Rodriguez leaned over his shoulder to read the computer screen. "You're crowding me."

"Sorry."

"Have a little patience."

"What are you looking at?"

"The reason he might be interested in such a deal."

"Well?"

"You got to give me a little time here."

"How do you know he was diagnosed with cancer?"

"I looked at the medical file; what do you think?"

"I don't think you want to share that part with Ice," Rodriguez informed him dryly. "She's already wound a little tight and something tells me that whatever she had to discuss with Brook and Columbus was not going to improve her mood."

"Don't worry; I was discreet."

"I'm sure that will make her feel better. Especially considering you're already under suspicion for breaking and entering."

"This is different."

"Yes, but somehow I don't that argument is going to fly. Why do I have the feeling she would not approve of anything you're doing right now?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and kept working. "I'm doing my job."

"Make sure you tell the judge that."

"Cute, Ghost. Aren't you supposed to be looking at financial records?"

"Bugging you is infinitely more fun."

"So happy I can provide you with entertainment."

"I can tell."

*****

"Well, we had some luck today, Ice," Ryan greeted McKinnon.

"That's good. What?"

"Witness to the robbery failed to identify Slick and Indy from photos. The inspectors want to do an in-person line up, but I told them you weren't likely to go for it."

"You're right. This witness have a name?"

"Yes. We tried to contact him, but there was no answer. I plan to run his name through the computer and see what it turns up. Crewes and Stanton aren't ready to give up on it just yet, but it is a good sign for our side."

"Good. After dinner, we'll meet and discuss what we have thus far. Maybe we can start making some connections."

"That would be nice."

*****

"How's the financial world?" Lucas asked Tim, as they sat down to eat dinner.

"Very dry. And Ghost is not much help. He keeps wandering off."

"I know. He keeps coming to bug me."

"I'm just checking on your progress," Rodriguez corrected.

"I wish you'd find another hobby."

"But I like this one."

"It's not something to be proud of, Ghost."

"Why not? Ice is always telling us we should do our best, no matter what the situation."

"I'm fairly certain this isn't what she had in mind."

"You have no sense of adventure, Slick."

"Gee, Ghost, that ruins my day."

"Do they ever get tired of this?" Ryan asked Tim, listening to Lucas and Rodriguez.

"Apparently not. I'm just glad I'm not rooming with them this time."

"I think Ice puts them together to spare the rest of us," Hallowell commented.

"Too bad they don't see fit to apply their energies in a more constructive manner," Ford observed.

"I don't know, Scout. They're relieving stress," Ryan remarked. "That's fairly productive. Relaxation is important. They're not really hurting anyone. And personally, I'd rather have a mellow Ghost than an uptight one. He is a lot less pessimistic with Slick around."

"I keep telling you that it's my defense against working with you, Sunshine," Rodriguez retorted.

Ford looked at them and decided he wasn't sure what would be worse: spending time with Lucas and Rodriguez and their bickering, or Ryan's excessive optimism. The thought made him wish he was back on seaQuest. The Outriggers made even Ben seem like standard military personnel.

"You weren't stuck at a teamwork seminar with them, Sunshine," Karneering interjected. "Scout got to do the trust walk with them."

"Yeah, well, you and Indy should have known better," Dawson pointed out. "It wasn't very nice of you to do that to Scout."

"It wasn't intentional," Tim protested. "It worked out that way."

"We're Outriggers; we don't believe in coincidences," Adamsen informed him.

"I believe that's called paranoia," Chandler commented.

"I don't think this conversation is reassuring Scout about our sanity," McKinnon told the group. "If we're done eating, we should get back to work."

"She never lets us have any fun," Rodriguez mumbled to Lucas.

*****

"All right, we're going to start with Ryan and work our way through the information," McKinnon announced.

"Not much on our end. The police have a witness that couldn't identify Slick or Indy at the scene, but the inspectors are still hesitant to clear them entirely. The fact that your fingerprints were at the scene is too much for them to ignore," Ryan told the group.

"Crewes, in particular, is reluctant to give up on the idea," Dawson added. "We tried to contact the witness, but haven't had much luck so far. We also talked to some of Nicholson's employees."

"How did that go?" McKinnon questioned.

"The same. They were all horrified at the burglary and the murder, but could give no hints as to who might be behind it."

"You think any of them were lying?"

"Well, there were a couple that said the only big surprise was that it took that long to happen. They figured someone would have tried a long time ago."

"But that's not really lying. Nothing felt wrong during the interviews. But we also didn't interview everyone on staff," Ryan reminded them. "If one of the lesser executives is involved, we don't know. We're going to need more to go on before we start asking the entire company questions."

"Brook and Columbus?" McKinnon requested. Everyone looked over at Adamsen and Hallowell, curious about the edge in McKinnon's voice.

"We were able to get a look at Benny's locker this afternoon. There was nothing out of place, just some papers that we brought back to run through the computer," Adamsen replied.

"Uh oh, no wonder Ice sounded a tad bit irritated," Rodriguez mumbled.

"You took something from his locker? Isn't that going a little far?" Ford questioned.

"Yep, didn't figure he'd keep quiet on that," Rodriguez observed.

"It's not our usual method of operations," McKinnon said in response to Ford. The look on her face was enough to stop even Ford from pursuing the issue. "Anything else?" McKinnon prompted Adamsen and Hallowell.

"The security guard was not supposed to be working nights. He usually worked the day shift, but he had traded schedules with another guard that week. The guy he traded with feels pretty bad," Hallowell replied.

"Most people would," Chandler observed quietly. "I mean, you trade shifts and the guy gets killed."

"Slick, do you have anything to add?" McKinnon inquired.

"Benny was diagnosed with cancer a week before he was killed," Lucas answered. "Benny refused treatment, against medical advice. His life insurance pays out more if he dies on the job instead of dying of an illness."

"Are you implying that he got himself killed?" Ryan asked.

"Beneficiary on the policy is his daughter, Tracy. Tracy has four children and her husband just left after being suspected of embezzling money from his current employer. The company is thinking about going after her for what the husband owes. Tracy is not in good financial shape. She's about ready to lose her house and a good deal of other property has been repossessed," Lucas continued. "Three days after the diagnosis, Benny made a rather large deposit into his bank account. I'm still trying to find out where it came from. Someone hid their tracks well."

"Which would indicate that it was not a normal transaction," Karneering commented.

"It still seems a bit extreme," Dawson remarked. "I'm not denying the possibilities, but it's hard to imagine that someone would set themselves up to get killed in a robbery."

"People kill themselves all the time, Casanova," Lucas pointed out. "He just got more creative than most. It is possible that he decided he was going to die anyway and wanted to make things better for his family. This way, he didn't have to suffer a protracted illness and his daughter could clear up her financial debt."

"It still makes no sense. I mean, you said he refused treatment against medical advice, so there was a possibility it wasn't fatal."

"His wife died of cancer two years ago. From what I read, it was a long, drawn out process that was hard on the entire family. Benny may have decided to save his daughter that pain. Things in her life were already messed up."

"And losing her father would be such a help," Chandler said dryly.

"You have to keep in mind that people who are willing to commit suicide tend to be looking at the world a little bit differently than the average person, particularly at the moment they make the decision. And I'm not saying that's what he did. I'm just telling you what I found out. There are some coincidences, but nothing that couldn't be explained away either."

Rodriguez glanced at Lucas and decided he did not really care for the casual way the teenager was discussing this particular topic. He spoke about it with more familiarity than Rodriguez liked. There were certain universal topics that made most people uncomfortable; one of those, Rodriguez knew, was suicide. It was not an issue that was discussed easily. Yet Lucas sounded very matter-of-fact about it, which Rodriguez found disconcerting. Judging from the look on Tim's face, the lieutenant agreed with him.

Tim had never been comfortable with the idea of suicide; it went against everything he believed in. What he found most amazing about the conversation was that Lucas seemed unfazed by the possibility that the security guard had indeed intended to get himself killed. With the exception of McKinnon, everyone else on the team seemed to find the idea somewhat incredible, even Ford looked shocked.

Lucas, for his part, seemed oblivious to the attention he was getting. "As for my research on Nicholson's personnel, I haven't found anything, although I have found two employees that have anomalies on their resumes, so I'm trying to verify the information they gave," he concluded.

"Financial information?" McKinnon requested. "Ghost!"

"Sorry, Commander, I was thinking," Rodriguez apologized. "We can't find any evidence that shows Nicholson was anything but a financially solvent company. It looks pretty stable from that end."

"What about Ramsey?"

"Not much. He's been quietly making contacts with old friends, visiting them on occasion. There are four instances when he's made trips, but did not end up at his intended destination until several days later. We're working on finding out where he went during that period. However, there's no indication that he's been doing anything illegal," Chandler reported.

"He seems to be trying to keep a low profile," Ford added, "which could easily stem from being removed from his position."

"Keep on it. It isn't much, but it is the only connection we have," McKinnon instructed. Her instincts told her they were on the right track; it was just a matter of making the right connections.

*****

"If you get any closer to that screen, you're going to be stuck to it," Rodriguez observed quietly, making Lucas jump. The teenager had been leaning forward, staring intently at the screen.

"Would you stop that?!" Lucas hissed, regaining his balance. "One of these days you're going to make me fall and crack my head open."

"And that would be bad?"

"Generally, yes, head injuries are considered to be a problem."

"You're awfully picky."

"Don't you have work you should be doing?"

"Probably, but Indy says I'm no help anyway. He thought you looked lonely."

"He did not."

"Well, no, but it sounded better than what he really said."

"Which was?"

"I don't think I should repeat it."

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"I am trying to concentrate here."

"And this matters to me?"

"It would help."

"And you think Ghost wants to be helpful?" Ryan asked, walking over to join them.

"I keep hoping."

"Well, it is nice to have dreams," Ryan agreed.

"Hey, no fair. He does fine on his own without you adding your two cents, Sunshine," Rodriguez protested.

"Ice wants to talk to you," Ryan informed him.

"What did you do now?" Lucas questioned.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence."

"You're welcome."

*****

"You want to explain why you were off in your own world during the discussion?" McKinnon asked Rodriguez, once he had joined her.

"I was mulling the idea of the security guard," Rodriguez replied.

"It's an interesting idea."

"Yeah, I notice it didn't seem to strike you as odd as it did the rest of us."

"I've seen stranger things in my lifetime, Ghost."

"You and Slick should be teaching a class," Rodriguez sighed.

"Oh?"

"Yes. You could call it 'cryptic remarks you can make to irritate your friends' and probably make a fortune."

"Something you want to tell me?"

"No. I was just making casual conversation."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're suspicious."

"I'll take it as a compliment. I think it's time we all took a break. Everyone's starting to get glazed expressions from the computer screens."

"We always have glazed expressions and it doesn't usually bother you."

Part 14

"How's it going?" Tim questioned Lucas, stopping by the teenager's computer as he walked by. McKinnon insisted that everyone leave their stations for the breaks.

"All right," Lucas responded, distracted.

"Come on; you know Ice is going to make you stop working."

"Uh huh," Lucas mumbled, not really paying attention.

"Lucas? It's time to take a break, and Ice and Ghost are both sitting at the table glaring at you."

"That's nice," Lucas replied.

"Lucas? You're not listening to me, are you?" Tim asked, not expecting a response. At least not one that made sense.

"Okay. Just a minute," Lucas muttered, still focused on the computer.

"The building is on fire," Tim tried, wanting to get Lucas to stop concentrating on the computer.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and kept typing. He had stopped hearing Tim about five minutes ago and had no intention of starting any time soon.

Tim sighed and realized nothing he said was going to penetrate at the moment.

*****

"Oh, looks like Indy's giving up," Karneering commented, as Tim walked away. "Is he like this back on seaQuest?" he questioned Ford. "If we let him," Ford answered. "He gets involved in his work, particularly when it comes to computers."

"Involved or obsessed?" Ryan inquired.

"Both," Tim told her, sitting down. "I tried. He's completely tuned me out."

"Don't look at me," Rodriguez said. "I've taken my turn, thank you very much."

"I'll try," Ford volunteered.

*****

Lucas had pretty much shut everything else out. His mind was racing as he followed the trail and he found the implications somewhat frightening. Usually he found it easy to work and keep track of his surroundings, but sometimes he had to turn his attention away from the outside world and focus on his task. This was one of those times. He vaguely heard someone's voice, but nothing registered.

Ford sighed as he realized that Lucas had not heard anything he had said for the past few minutes.

"Lucas?" he said sharply, still trying to get the teenager's attention.

"Yeah?" Lucas responded, mostly due to a prompt from his brain that some kind of comment was required. He still had not really heard what was being said.

"You need to take a break."

"In a minute." The answer was automatic. He had said it often enough over the years that he no longer had to think about it.

Ford still had the impression that Lucas was not aware of his surroundings. "Lucas? Are you paying any attention?"

"Uh huh," Lucas mumbled.

*****

"I'd say Scout's not having much luck either," Adamsen observed.

"You could be right," Chandler agreed.

"And they say the youth of today lacks an attention span," Ryan remarked.

"I'm not sure this is what they meant," Karneering informed her. "I could always sedate him," he offered.

"We may try that later," McKinnon told him with a smile. "Well, I guess I'd better go see if I can pry him away."

"Oh yeah, you have such a way with him," Rodriguez muttered under his breath.

"Ghost," McKinnon warned.

*****

"I don't think he even knows we're here," Ford informed McKinnon. "I told him I could pick him up and carry him away and he told me 'all right'. Not his usual response."

"Indy told him the building was on fire," McKinnon added. "I'm going to give it a try."

"Good luck," Ford told her. When Lucas got like this, no one seemed to be able to break the spell the computer held. This was one of those things he usually let Bridger handle anyway. Dealing with teenagers was not in his realm of experience.

"I'll probably need it."

*****

"Slick? Do you think you could focus your attention on something other than the computer for one minute?" McKinnon inquired. He jumped as McKinnon touched his shoulder lightly.

"You're as bad as Ghost."

"Well, maybe if you weren't existing in your own world, you would have heard me," McKinnon pointed out, steadying him when he almost fell. "It's time for a break."

"Just a minute. I'm trying to track something and I almost have it."

"What?" McKinnon asked.

"Not sure yet," Lucas replied. "I'm trying to find out."

"What is it?"

"Just a minute."

"Any time you wish to elaborate, I'd appreciate it," McKinnon sighed.

"I'm working as fast as I can."

"It's definitely time for a break."

"Just let me finish this," Lucas requested. The tone of his voice suggested that he planned on continuing whether she allowed it or not.

McKinnon weighed the consequences of forcing the issue and decided not to push, particularly since he thought he was on to something.

"What's going on?" Rodriguez inquired, having grown tired of waiting with the rest. Besides, he figured this might not be the best time to leave the two alone. While Lucas professed to have made peace with the commander, Rodriguez suspected their recent trouble could make the teenager more defensive with McKinnon.

"He says he's tracing something. I'm going to let him run with it for a few more minutes. If it goes on too long, we'll resort to force," McKinnon answered.

"Promise?"

"Don't sound so eager, Ghost," McKinnon admonished.

"You never let me have any fun, Ice."

"Be quiet, Ghost. I'm trying to concentrate," Lucas told him.

"You were tuning us out just fine about five minutes ago," Rodriguez observed.

"Yeah, well, I'm not now. So try to help me out."

"Is it me, or does he sound a little petulant?" Rodriguez questioned McKinnon.

"Reading the dictionary again, Ghost?" Lucas queried.

"What can I say? I'm trying to expand my horizons."

"Try a little harder. I'm almost finished, if you can manage to be silent for a few minutes."

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Ice. You shouldn't eavesdrop."

"Stop provoking him, Ghost," McKinnon ordered softly. "I have a feeling that only bad things will come of it."

They moved a couple of steps away. "I'm serious, Ice. He sounds a little on the aggravated side."

"I know. Once he finishes with this, I'm going to have him check his mail again and then he's done for the night."

"Good."

"Okay, I've got it," Lucas stated triumphantly.

"Now would like to share what 'it' is?" McKinnon inquired.

"I can see Slick isn't the only one a little on edge," Rodriguez mumbled, getting a look from his commander.

"The deposit the security guard made. I traced it."

"To?"

"See for yourself," he said, pointing at the screen.

"I don't believe it," Rodriguez muttered. "You think…"

"I don't know what to think," McKinnon told him, shaking her head.

"That's not all," Lucas interrupted.

"What else is there?"

"I traced the holder of the account. His niece works for Nicholson Technology."

"All right. Looks like we're going to hold another quick meeting," McKinnon decided. "This can't wait overnight. First, I want to you check your mail, see if anyone has sent you another message. Then you're taking a break. Do not argue with me."

"Yes, Commander," Lucas replied; he could tell she was serious. "You want to get Tim?" he asked Rodriguez.

"What?"

"Tim. Can you get him for me? I don't go around checking his mail without his presence. He's my friend; it wouldn't be right," he explained, noticing their looks.

*****

"Lesson number two," Lucas read.

"Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this," Rodriguez mumbled, remembering the last one that had started out in a similar fashion.

"Always be hospitable to your 'guests' and guests is in quotes," Tim finished, puzzled by the note.

Lucas froze, hearing the voice over and over in his head. The first note had scared him, but had been far enough in his past not to produce the graphic images that swam through his head now; they were a mixture of reality and the nightmares that had been created out of the situation.

"Slick?" McKinnon spoke quietly, watching his face and trying to figure out what was going on.

"Lucas?" Tim's voice filled with concern as he realized his friend had gone extremely quiet and very pale. In fact, Tim feared the teenager might pass out.

However, even before the first wave of panic subsided, Lucas regained control. While most people thought of him as an emotional person, Lucas was selectively emotional. The teenager could be passionate about defending his friends and issues that he believed in, but, when it came to those feelings that affected him personally, he exercised intense control. Past experience had taught him that revealing emotions only got him hurt.

Rodriguez could almost see the change taking place, as the young man pushed his feelings beneath the surface and refused to give in to them. While he felt a certain amount of admiration for the ability, he wondered how many times Lucas had done that in the past and what kind of damage it had done. Like Lucas, the message had hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew it had to be worse for the teenager, because it was aimed at him.

McKinnon noted the distant look that appeared in Lucas' eyes and hoped that it did not mean she was going to have to pry the information out of him again.

"I think we'd better have that meeting," Rodriguez told her.

"I think I'd like to have some questions answered first."

"They will be, Ice. Trust me," Rodriguez sighed. "But not right now."

The fact that Rodriguez seemed to comprehend the meaning of the note told McKinnon it was related to Tarsinia. It was the only really shared experience the two had. She just did not like being kept in the dark, even if it was for only a short time. Recognizing the expression on Rodriguez 's face, however, McKinnon chose to rely on his judgment. In general, Rodriguez did not thwart her authority. Upon occasion, he would stand his ground, she sensed this was one of those moments. "All right," she agreed.

*****

"What's up?" Ryan inquired, once McKinnon had summoned them to the table. She knew it had to be something important, because the commander had not insisted on Lucas taking his break.

"We've found a connection of sorts," McKinnon explained. "Slick found who made the deposit into Benny's accounts."

"Who?"

"The account was first traced to bank in Tarsinia," McKinnon elaborated.

"Are you serious?" Karneering asked.

"Yes. The holder of the account, Lionel Nyland, has been linked with the Tarsinian Nationalist movement," McKinnon continued.

"Anything else?"

"His niece works in public relations at Nicholson Technology. Marta was hired a year ago," Lucas supplied. "She's high enough to have access to certain information, but low enough not to attract much attention."

"You think that's who Ramsey was in touch with on Tarsinia?" Chandler queried.

Ford felt the energy in the room changing. The atmosphere had become charged as each team member digested the information. All of them stared at McKinnon with an intensity that was surprising, giving occasional glances to Lucas and Rodriguez.

"It's possible," McKinnon affirmed.

"Then I guess we're lucky he didn't get the entire team compromised," Ryan stated quietly. Ryan still had trouble accepting that she'd had to leave Lucas and Rodriguez behind.

"Most likely."

"What else is there?" Ford spoke up. He could tell there was something more to the story.

"The latest note to Slick and Indy."

"What did it say?" Hallowell asked.

"Lesson number two: always be hospitable to your guests," Tim recited, still baffled by the remark.

McKinnon nodded her head, as comprehension suddenly dawned on her. She just had been focused more on Lucas' reaction than the actual words before.

"What does that mean?" Dawson quizzed. "That's stranger than the rest."

"Not really," Lucas replied, keeping his voice even. Both Tim and Rodriguez, whom he was seated between, heard the alteration of his breathing patterns, indicating he was not in as good control as he would like everyone to believe. "The word 'guests' was in quotes. Inouye referred to the UEO medical team that he took hostage as his 'guests'. Every time he asked Ghost about their whereabouts, that's what he called them." No one spoke; each remembered what had happened when Rodriguez refused to answer the questions.

"That was mentioned in the official report filed by Ghost and Slick. Ramsey would have had access to it right up to the time he was removed," McKinnon interjected. "However, given everything else, we're going to have to look and see if we can't find out what happened to Inouye."

"I thought you shot him during the rescue?" Chandler brought up.

"I did, but there was no verification of his death."

"Why not?" Ford inquired, thinking it was rather strange they had not confirmed his status.

"Standard policy is to immobilize and complete the mission. I knew he wasn't moving. My main concern was to remove Ghost and Slick as quickly as possible. If we had not been performing a retrieval operation, I wouldn't have even been using live ammunition. Tarsinia never established whether or not he survived. And the UEO was not in a position to ask too many questions about it," McKinnon pointed out.

"So now we'd better find out," Ryan commented.

"We'll work on that tomorrow. Right now, it's been a long day and I don't think we need to spend any more time on this tonight beyond planning our next steps."

*****

The team was too keyed up to go to bed, which was fine with McKinnon; she just did not want anyone working, so they sat around, talking in groups. "You okay?" Tim asked Lucas, when they were alone. Ryan and Chandler had Ford trapped in the corner, discussing something.

"Starting to really hate that questions," Lucas sighed. "I'm not going to fall apart just because someone managed to stir up some bad memories."

"I didn't say you were, but it doesn't mean that you have to be calm about it either," Tim observed.

"What am I supposed to do? Start screaming? I can't change what happened."

Tim nodded his head in understanding. Lucas has all his defenses up at the moment. Part of him was scared; the other part was angry. Trying to talk to him about it would do no good. Tim had learned that when they had returned to seaQuest after Tarsinia.

Most of the time, Lucas was willing to talk about what had happened. Every once in awhile, though, he would erect a wall that could not be breached. It was almost as if the teenager had decided he should be over it and was trying to bury his feelings. The lieutenant had learned to back off and leave him alone at those times. Not that Tim had just ignored what was happening; he had simply taken a different approach. As far as Tim knew, Lucas never figured out that Rodriguez always called him when he started trying to deny his feelings. Tim did not really want him to notice the pattern either. It gave the lieutenant a way to still help his friend without pushing him.

*****

"You think he's really okay?" McKinnon asked Rodriguez. They were sitting, talking and watching Lucas and Tim.

"Depends on your point of view," Rodriguez answered.

"Care to explain?"

"Well, Ice, Slick knows how to hide his true feelings better than most people I know and he's apparently capable of continuing to function under a lot of stress," Rodriguez clarified. "But that's not always healthy. I think it bothered him more than he would like anyone to know. I also think that the fact it still has the power to upset him makes it worse."

"Could be."

"And I have a feeling that this case is going to get worse before it gets better."

"That's what I like about you, Ghost. You're always thinking positively."

"You want optimism, talk to Sunshine."

"And don't think I didn't hear you earlier

"I had no doubts about it, Ice. I mean, you can hear what's said about you behind close doors, three rooms away."

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because I'm good at my job."

"I guess that's it."

"I really hope he doesn't decide to go wandering tonight," Rodriguez said, knowing McKinnon would follow his train of thought.

"Maybe he's too exhausted tonight."

"I can only hope."

Part 15

Ford joined Lucas and Tim. "McKinnon always do this? Decide when to stop working?"

"Yes," Tim replied.

"It's because deployment is always an option," Lucas explained. "She doesn't want to risk the team being too tired if they get sent out on a rush assignment."

"When they're at HQ and moving up on the rotation, there are certain procedures they have to follow," Tim added. "The idea is to keep them as prepared as possible."

"Don't they usually have a day or two to get ready?"

"No, sometimes we deploy and engage in a matter of hours," Karneering replied, joining them. "Depends on the situation."

"What would have that kind of turnaround?" Ford questioned, curious.

"Fires, floods and other natural disasters, or things like explosions. Plus, our unit, Outrigger Green and Red are used for hostage negotiations. They'll use us to disable the takers if we can and talking fails. We also do the occasional security and protection detail. Those are the worst. If you want to see Ghost cranky, send him one of those."

"Why?"

"Because we have to break it down into twelve hour shifts and that puts him in charge of a shift. Leaves him with all the administrative work that McKinnon normally handles alone."

"Will he ever get his own command?" Tim questioned.

"If he wants it. Beyond that, you'd have to ask him," Karneering responded. "Personally, I'll stay with the team as long as possible. I have no desire to take command of a unit."

"And the rest?"

"Hard to say. Every once in awhile you get a unit that remains intact until everyone retires. Everyone just advances up the ladder without leaving the team. You take on more responsibilities as you go up. It depends on the personality of the unit and the success. Obviously, if our success rate slips, they'll take a look at it and try to fix the problem."

"Seems strange that people would not want to leave and advance to their own commands," Ford remarked.

"Well, Scout, does everyone on seaQuest want a chance at a command of a sub? Probably not. It's the same in the Outriggers. I like the job I do. I do not want to do McKinnon's job. I've had to take charge upon occasion and I'd just as soon not take that headache on permanently."

"So, what great important issues are you guys discussing?" Rodriguez queried.

"Nothing much. Just furthering our knowledge of the Outrigger organization," Tim responded.

"Any time you want to sign on, just let us know."

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Don't you like us any more?"

"It's not a question of liking you; it's the problem that we always get into trouble when we work with you," Lucas commented.

"First, it's only been twice that you've worked with us. Second, you were already on your way to being in trouble before we got involved. And third, I think you manage just fine without any help in the mischief department, Slick."

"Like you're the poster child for proper behavior."

"Why do I get the feeling that if they both talked in their sleep, this is what we would hear?" Karneering inquired.

"You can always leave, Einstein," Rodriguez suggested.

"And miss the show? It's the most entertainment we've had in awhile."

"Glad we can provide you with some amusement."

*****

Finally the team relaxed enough to call it a night. Rodriguez waited until Lucas was ready for lights out to broach the subject that had been bothering him most of the evening. "You mind if I ask you a question?" he asked the teenager.

Lucas looked at Rodriguez, who was sitting on the other bunk, studying him closely. "Can't stop you," he finally responded, already figuring he probably was not going to like it.

"When you were talking this afternoon about Benny, why didn't you find the idea as horrifying as the rest of us?" Rodriguez inquired, still watching the young man's face.

"I just presented the options. A man finds out he has cancer, suddenly he gets a deposit, changes shifts and gets killed in a robbery; it seemed like a viable option."

Rodriguez waited a moment before pursuing the topic; he was trying to figure out how far he could get away with pushing. He was not ready to let go, but he didn't want to alienate Lucas either.

"That's not what I meant. With the exception of you and Ice, everyone had a hard time seeing it as a 'viable option'," Rodriguez quoted. "You were extremely blasé about the subject. Most people find the topic extremely uncomfortable and will do anything to avoid discussing it, much less bring it up in casual conversation."

"I'm not sure that an Outrigger briefing qualifies as casual conversation, Ghost."

"You know what I mean. You acted like it was something you discuss every morning over breakfast."

"What is it that that you want to know, Ghost?" Lucas questioned. "And make sure you want to hear the answer before you ask it," he added, lying down on his bed.

"Why doesn't the subject make you nervous?"

"Why should it? People try to kill themselves every day. Some of them even succeed. It's a fact of life."

Rodriguez sighed and realized that Lucas was going to make him come out and ask directly and nothing guaranteed he would get a straight answer. "Have you ever tried to…" Rodriguez found that he could not bring himself to put it into words, nor was he sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Tried to what, Ghost?" Lucas asked harshly. "Commit suicide? Kill myself? Take my own life? Stop me if one of those appeals to you."

"I just want to understand," Rodriguez told him quietly.

"Yes."

Rodriguez was glad Lucas was lying on his back and could not see his face, for he was certain it showed the shock he felt. Even though he had suspected as much, hearing the teenager actually confirm it still startled him.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to off myself in your presence," Lucas stated callously. He had not planned on answering the other man's question and now wanted to retreat back into the safety of his defenses.

Rodriguez decided if Lucas was trying to shock him, it worked. "Does that mean you still think about it?" he inquired, when he found his voice.

"Some days more than others. Relax, Ghost," Lucas responded, taking pity on the other man. He knew Rodriguez was concerned, but there were just some things he had to keep to himself. "I haven't seriously considered it since I went to live on seaQuest and, even if I did, I'd talk to someone first."

Rodriguez raised an eyebrow at that, thinking Lucas was not the most talkative of people under normal circumstances. He did not see him openly admitting he was suicidal.

Lucas continued, almost as if he heard Rodriguez's doubts. "I made a pact with a couple of friends. I won't attempt to kill myself without giving one of them a chance to talk me out of it and they made a reciprocal agreement. Generally it works."

"Generally?"

"You want to die bad enough, you'll find a way, Ghost," Lucas said neutrally.

"Why did you attempt it?"

"At the time I profoundly wanted to die and it seemed like a good way to accomplish it," Lucas replied and turned over on his side to face the wall, ending the conversation.

*****

Rodriguez turned off the light and lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time as he thought about what he had learned, as well as the unanswered questions. He discovered that he really wanted to know what had made Lucas want to try suicide.

Rodriguez needed to understand how it had become a 'viable option' for the teenager. He thought he knew the boy well enough to know that it was not a decision he would undertake lightly, not that anyone did. He sighed and wished there was someone else he could talk to about this.

However, Rodriguez was willing to bet no one else knew and he knew for a fact that Lucas would never forgive him if he repeated it. In reality, it was amazing the young man had said as much as he had. However, he had still controlled the flow of information, refusing to allow his emotions to enter into it. In talking about it, Lucas had remained detached; he could have been talking about someone else.

*****

"NO! STOP!" Lucas struggled against the weight pinning him down. He wanted to escape, but he couldn't move his hands. They were trying to trap him. He heard voices, but they weren't loud enough to distinguish the words. Since he assumed he wouldn't like what they were saying, he ignored them. The teenager felt a sense of triumph as his foot connected with something solid and he heard a sharp intake of breath. It only made him fight harder; if he could get in one more good shot, he might be able to get free. The light shined in his eyes, blinding him and making it impossible to see; he turned away, trying to shield himself from it, wanting to return to the privacy of darkness.

"Lucas!" McKinnon's voice cut through the last vestiges of the dream.

His immediate thought was that he had never heard her call him by his first name. Then, he wondered why she was in the room, it made no sense. Next, he realized that the reason he could not move his arms was because Rodriguez had them pinned to his chest. In turn, he recognized that he must have kicked the other man. Finally, he realized that the voice, which he had heard was Rodriguez speaking into his ear.

"It's just a dream, Slick. It's time to wake up now." Rodriguez felt Lucas relaxing as he emerged from the dream, but he kept his arm firmly across the boy's chest, holding his arms immobile. Having almost ended up with a black eye, Rodriguez was not willing to give the teenager a second opportunity, until he was absolutely certain Lucas was awake.

"The light," Lucas mumbled, over and over again, shaking and trying to hide his face from its glaring brightness, even as he realized he had no reason to be afraid.

"Turn the light off, Ice," Rodriguez instructed, wishing he knew more about what was going on. Unfortunately, he feared only Lucas had the answers and he seemed incapable of talking at the moment.

McKinnon surveyed the situation one last time and decided it was best for everyone concerned if she left. She was not sure if Lucas had fully registered her presence or not. As much as she wanted to stay, McKinnon knew Rodriguez was likely to have better luck in dealing with Lucas if they were alone. Giving him a wave, she returned to her room.

"You can let go of me now," Lucas muttered. He was still trying to rid himself of the dream.

"In a minute," Rodriguez told him, shifting his position. He did not really want to release his hold on the boy. He had the vague feeling that he might have better luck if he stayed close. If he let go, it gave Lucas a chance to distance himself. Besides, despite his efforts to hide it, the young man was still trembling. "Just relax and take a minute to calm down a little more."

"I'm fine," Lucas insisted, failing to keep his voice from wavering.

"Sure, you are, Slick," Rodriguez said dryly. "You yelled loud enough to wake up McKinnon." Rodriguez decided not to mention that McKinnon entered the room with her weapon drawn, fearing that someone had broken in and was attacking them. "You tried to deck me in the eye three times before I got your arms pinned and you kicked me half a dozen times. This does not fall under the category of being a restless sleeper."

"Sorry," Lucas apologized. The situation left him mortified and unsure how to explain what had happened. He had already shared more of his personal life with Rodriguez than he had intended. This was not something he could share with anyone. "It seemed very real," he finally commented, which was the truth. It seemed like the safest thing to say.

"Yeah, well, we've established you have a powerful set of lungs and you can fight dirty," Rodriguez remarked. He could tell from the teenager's body language that he was not likely to get any answers out of him. Therefore, Rodriguez decided he might as well try to ease the boy's embarrassment by injecting a little humor into the situation. "You want to tell me about it?" he questioned, figuring it never hurt to try.

"It was just a dream."

"Well, I suppose that's better than your standard answer of 'nothing'," Rodriguez mused. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to push."

"Thank you," Lucas responded gratefully. The teenager was running out of ways to avoid the truth, unless he simply lied. As much as he did not want to talk about the dream, he could not justify telling his friend a lie.

"You ready to go back to sleep now?" Rodriguez questioned several minutes later, when Lucas remained silent.

"I think so," Lucas replied uncertainly. He did not want to return to the dream, which still replayed vividly in his mind. To his intense embarrassment, he started shaking again. The teenager mentally cursed himself for not having better control over his emotions; he did not want Rodriguez to ask any more questions about it. If he could act normally, then maybe the other man would forget. Lucas had learned if he showed people what they wanted to see, they left him alone.

"Have I told you about my sister, Olivia?" Rodriguez inquired. Lucas shook his head. "She's the oldest. She spent the better part of my childhood trying to be a second mother. Actually, she hasn't stopped," he added thoughtfully. "She's also designated herself the official matchmaker for me. I keep telling her to help Elena if she wants to find someone a mate. She says I need more help. It doesn't sound like a compliment to me, I might add."

As he drifted back to sleep during the middle of one of Rodriguez 's tales, Lucas wondered briefly how much was truth and how much Rodriguez made up for the sake of the story. The man seemed to have a flair for the dramatic. "You know, Slick," Rodriguez muttered softly, as he slid out from underneath the teenager and covered him up, "we keep this up, you're going to know all about my cousins, aunts, uncles, because I'm almost out of sisters."

*****

Knowing that McKinnon would not go back to bed until he assured her that everything was all right, Rodriguez left the room quietly and went across the hall.

"What happened, Ghost?"

"I have no idea. He didn't want to talk about it and I wasn't going to push," Rodriguez answered tiredly. "But he was terrified."

"I noticed that. I thought someone was trying to kill him."

"I assumed that's why you were carrying the gun," Rodriguez observed.

"Habit. Someone shouts like that, I can't afford to make assumptions."

"Seeing as he was already hugely embarrassed, I left that part of the story out."

"He get you?"

"Not with his hands, but he kicked me about six times. That would be the other thing I didn't mention: he tried to bite me."

"Really?"

"Twice. Kid knows how to fight dirty."

"Wonder where he learned it."

"I don't know, but I don't think he's going to be sharing that information with us."

"You think this assignment is becoming too much?" McKinnon inquired.

"Not in the way you mean. You pull him now, all he's going to do is focus on whatever it is that he won't talk about. He wants to see this through. Someone's working very hard to bring up unpleasant memories. He needs the chance to fight back. All we can do is keep an eye on him. You know that the team looks out for him. Indy and Scout aren't about to let anything happen."

"Why do I have a feeling that you know him better than he thinks you do?" McKinnon queried.

"Because he's used to people not looking beyond the surface. I've spent too many years with the Outriggers to accept anything at face value, you know that."

"Who would have thought being a cynic would come in handy?"

"I could help him if I knew more about what the problem is," Rodriguez pointed out. "Unfortunately, I have a feeling that if you really talked to his friends, they'd learn that, for the most part, they only know the superficial stuff."

"I just wish he hadn't altered his file," McKinnon sighed.

"You think his captain knows?" Rodriguez questioned.

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"I just think it might be something to share with him when this is all over."

"You could be right about that."

"At some point, he's going to have to trust someone with his secrets."

*****

"Is it me, or is your roommate avoiding you this morning?" Karneering asked Rodriguez the following day at breakfast.

"What would make you think that?" Rodriguez inquired.

"The fact that the only way he could be further away from you is to be in another room."

"Let's just say I got a little more into his personal space than he would like."

"Oh. That would explain it."

*****

"How was your night?" Tim questioned Lucas. Like the doctor, he had noted that Lucas seemed reluctant to be around Rodriguez.

"It was okay," Lucas responded, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really like sleeping in strange places."

"I know what you mean. There is something to be said about sleeping in your own bunk," Tim agreed.

"Even if it's the exact same type, it doesn't have the same feel." Tim did not need anyone to tell him that Lucas was not in a mood to talk about anything that came close to being personal.

"Slick, Ice wants to talk to you," Ryan told him, walking up.

"Where is she?" Lucas inquired, wondering what the commander wanted.

"In her room."

"Thanks, Sunshine."

"He seems a little distant this morning," Ryan observed, sitting down.

"I think something happened between him and Ghost. They're not talking."

"Well, at least it's quiet," Ryan pointed out. "I don't see Ghost arguing with him."

"Lucas doesn't avoid people over arguments. It's not in his nature. He's a born peacemaker."

"Well, Ghost has been known to grate on the nerves. Maybe he went too far."

"I doubt it. Lucas likes bantering with him too much. Most of the time, he gets in trouble for being sarcastic like he is with Ghost."

"Trouble?"

"Not real trouble. But Bridger sometimes likes to make him face why he's being sarcastic when he thinks it's masking a bigger problem. Lucas doesn't like that very much."

Part 16

"You wanted to see me?" Lucas asked McKinnon, feeling rather nervous. He remembered her being in the room the previous night and hoped she did not want to talk about it.

"Yes. I wanted to check a couple of things with you," McKinnon said.

"What?" Lucas questioned, sitting down where she indicated.

"First, I'd be lying if I told you that what happened last night did not concern me," McKinnon explained, studying him. She saw him tense up at the mention of the nightmare and he was not focusing his eyes on her.

The commander wondered if he could teach her that trick. At first glance, it looked like he was looking at her, but, following his gaze, she could see that he was really looking at a point above her right shoulder. There were times when such a skill would be helpful in dealing with superior officers. They seemed to find it disrespectful if she did not give them her full attention.

"It was just a dream," Lucas mumbled, deciding some response was in order.

"I'm sure it was. What caused it is of some concern." McKinnon clearly recalled her conversation with Rodriguez; she wanted to hear what Lucas had to say on the matter. "I don't want you working on this if it's going to upset you so much you can't sleep without dreaming."

Lucas relaxed a little bit; he was on familiar ground here. "I'm the one receiving the threats. How can I not work on it?" he queried. "I can't sit around waiting for the next one to arrive in my mailbox," he continued. "And I know more about hacking than any of you."

"Slick, that's generally not considered a marketable job skill," McKinnon interjected. "But I get your point. As your commanding officer for the moment, it's my job to make sure this isn't too much for you," she paused as Lucas snickered. "Yes, I know Scout would like to think he's in charge of you," she added, following his train of thought.

"I think you scare him."

"And I think you're amused by it," McKinnon retorted. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you're okay with it."

"I can't just let someone try to frighten me: frighten Tim, without doing what I can to stop it, especially if this is connected to what happened on Tarsinia. Tim's taken a lot of heat for what happened there. This surely isn't going to help matters."

"Yeah, well, as much as I'd like to be in the room when you two start explaining all of this to your captain, I probably won't get the chance. I have a feeling that neglecting to mention Section Ninety-nine is going to be the least of your worries when he finds out about the threats," McKinnon observed. As a commanding officer, she knew exactly how she would react to finding out someone on her team had received threats and not reported it, especially if the danger had passed. She figured Ford had taken it easy on them, since they still had to figure out the source of the threats; it was the immediate problem. When Lucas and Tim returned to seaQuest, the captain should not have to concern himself with the actual threats, just that the two had not reported them.

Lucas swallowed at the thought of facing Bridger when they returned. While they had not lied to the captain, Lucas knew he was not going to be very pleased with them. "You mean we can't classify this one?" he questioned, hopefully.

"Parts of it may eventually be classified, but probably not the parts you're hoping for," McKinnon informed him. "For now, I'll keep you in place. I can understand your desire to be involved. Just don't argue with me when I tell you it's time to take a break. Deal?"

"Deal," Lucas consented, having no doubt that McKinnon would remove him if she felt that it was appropriate.

"And now the other matter I wanted to discuss," she began.

Glancing at her face, Lucas could tell he was not going to like the other subject very much. "What?"

"The editing of your file."

"What about it?"

"I'm giving you a week from the day you leave your assignment with us to tell your captain about it. After that week, I'm calling him to make sure he knows."

"That's not fair," Lucas protested.

"I'm an Outrigger; I don't play fair," McKinnon reminded him. "First, I shouldn't be encouraging you to alter your file by keeping quiet. Second, I know you don't want people to know what's in it, but those things go in your file for a reason, Slick. Usually so they can help the people who care about you understand what's going on a little better. As the person who's primarily responsible for you on seaQuest, Bridger has the right to know."

"Can't I just put it back?"

"No," McKinnon told him. "You have to tell him." McKinnon had seen enough of the captain to know that, as soon as he found out about it, he would want to know why. She also sensed that Bridger would push until he got to the truth. As much as Lucas did not want anyone to know whatever was written in the file, she thought it could do him a lot of good. Watching him for a minute, she decided to play her final card on the subject. "Who do you think is going to get blamed if something goes wrong and he doesn't handle something correctly involving you and someone comes back and says 'if you'd read his file it never would have happened?' and he has no idea what they're talking about?"

Lucas looked at McKinnon and suspected the commander knew exactly what she was doing. There was no way he was going to get Bridger get into trouble. While he could think of nothing he had removed as being of any importance in the future, Lucas was not willing to take the chance. "They teach you this in training?"

"No. I come by it naturally," McKinnon replied cheerfully. Lucas had acted predictably. He would tell Bridger because he did not want anyone to be held responsible for his actions.

"Is that everything?"

"Yes," McKinnon assented, as her beeper went off. "I'll be there in a minute," she added.

*****

"Where's Ice?" Rodriguez asked Lucas, when the teenager returned alone.

"She got paged."

"So, you going to avoid me all morning, all day, the rest of this assignment?" he inquired.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas queried. "I've eaten breakfast and talked to Ice. That's not really avoiding you."

"Whatever you say, Slick."

*****

"Well, this is certainly great news," McKinnon sighed, looking at Kincaid. "But I understand, Sir."

"Good, because your understanding isn't really a requirement. I'm transferring the details to you now. Contact me once you finish."

"Of course, Sir."

*****

"Ice is not looking really happy," Chandler remarked, as McKinnon entered the room.

"Let's gather around the table, gang," McKinnon called out. "I've just spoken to Admiral Kincaid. We are being sent out on an emergency deployment," she announced before they sat down. Ford noticed the subtle shift in attitude as they all took their seats. All chatter ceased and everyone sat a little straighter and stared towards McKinnon intently.

"There have been some problems around the federal building," McKinnon started. "It's currently on fire," she continued, "along with several surrounding buildings. The buildings have been evacuated of all personnel, but there is some data on three computers which needs to be retrieved. Plus, there is the suspicion of arson to be addressed."

"Sounds like a lot of fun. Why us?" Rodriguez asked.

"We're in the area. They can't really afford to deploy a unit for the assignment when we're already on site. Our goals are very simple: get the information and check for signs of foul play. They expect us to be ready to engage in three hours and be completed in no more than six, which isn't a bad time frame."

"What kind of information?" Ford asked.

"They don't pay us to ask questions, Scout," McKinnon answered. "All I know is that it is high security and they're afraid of what will happen if the whole building goes. Right now, the fire is contained, but the fire department is not guaranteeing it will stay that way, which is why we want to try to achieve our results in a short time frame."

"What's the plan?" Ryan questioned.

"Our primary concern is the data retrieval. Teams Two and Four will focus their attention on accomplishing that. Teams One, Three and Five will search for signs of arson and verify that no one's been left inside. The areas with the computers have been well protected, so accessing should not be too difficult in terms of the fire."

"What are the team assignments?" Rodriguez asked.

"Team One: Irish, Indy and myself; Two: Ghost and Slick; Three: Casanova and Brook; Four: Einstein and Columbus, and Five will be Sunshine and Scout. We will go with standard fire gear with one exception," McKinnon informed them. "We are going into a fire situation and therefore we will not be carrying our weapons. Questions?"

"Do we have schematics on the building?"

"Where did the fire originate?"

"Are all the computers on the same floor?"

"Are we retrieving the same type of information from each computer?"

The questions were fired off at a rapid rate, which Ford found somewhat chaotic, but McKinnon seemed to follow. "We have the building layout. Details on the origin will be provided by the fire team. The computers are in separate locations; the data is not duplicated. Two and Four, you will need to coordinate your plan for accomplishing the retrieval. Sunshine, you will need to make sure that Scout is properly outfitted. Casanova, I assume we have the right locators this time?"

Dawson flushed a little. "Yes, Commander. I brought both kinds this time."

"Good," McKinnon said shortly.

"We'll run tests prior to departure," Ryan interjected.

"That would be wise. We will depart at twelve hundred. Inspection is at eleven-thirty."

"Are we wearing vests?" Hallowell queried.

"No. Fortunately, we're not going to be near the federal arsenal."

"How did that happen?" Adamsen asked rhetorically.

"Must be our lucky day," Ryan chimed in. "Last time we did one of these, we had to worry about ammo going off."

"You'd think they'd get rid of that stuff," Karneering observed, recalling the business he had acquired afterwards.

"That was an unusual situation," McKinnon pointed out. "They once neglected to tell us we were going into a building that had live ammunition stored in it. Several of us got clipped. Since then, we wear our vests if it's a possibility."

Ford contemplated the ramifications of McKinnon's statement and wondered if it was too late to get out of this assignment.

"We making calls?" Adamsen questioned.

"Yes. Ten minutes," McKinnon responded It was team tradition to make the phone calls; McKinnon thought there was something to following rituals.

"What?" Ford mumbled to Lucas, who was seated next to him.

"Before going on assignment, everyone gets to make a call home," Lucas replied, "in case someone doesn't make it back."

Ford was not sure which was more frightening: the fact the Outriggers felt the need to make it a policy or that Lucas could speak so calmly about it. Tim did not look very shocked by the turn of events either. It had not been until McKinnon had started making the team assignments that he fully understood that Lucas and Tim were accepted as members. McKinnon had not hesitated in using them and had automatically assumed they were capable of doing the job.

*****

"One, Three and Five, let's start reviewing possibilities and what we're going to look for. Two and Four, start deciding how you're going to accomplish your part of the mission."

"Do we have mission parameters?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Log on to the main server. File name is 'conflagration'. The word for the day is 'blaze'. You should find all you need," McKinnon ordered.

"Okay."

"Scout, I need a word with you," McKinnon told Ford.

*****

"Let's find out what we're getting first and then from where and decide how we're going to proceed from there," Rodriguez suggested to his group. "Go ahead and access the server information, Slick."

"Almost have it," Lucas commented. "It's a pretty big file."

"Not surprising. Federal buildings are usually rather large. Let's hope we're going to find the information in the same sections," Hallowell remarked.

"You know, if Sunshine were with us…" Karneering started.

"But she's not, so we don't have to go down that road," Rodriguez interjected.

*****

"What did you want?" Ford asked McKinnon.

"To review a couple of items with you that are pertinent to deployment. The first thing is Article One."

"Article One?" Ford repeated.

"Most of the items in the Outrigger Code of Conduct are labeled as sections, but, in order to make it stand out, we call it Article One," McKinnon clarified. "Article One states that, in case of capture, you are not to reveal any information about yourself: not even your name. You are not to name your unit or indicate any affiliation with the UEO. Any members of the team that remain free must be able to depend on you maintaining the integrity of the mission. You are to follow the lead of the senior office held hostage with you. If this is a problem, please let me know now. While I do not anticipate this occurring, I am required to make sure that you understand what I'm saying."

"I understand. This is why Rodriguez wouldn't talk?"

"Yes, which is another point. You're going to have to get used to the nicknames. In the field that's how we operate. There are too many people with the same rank and you never know who might be listening. The nicknames are solely within unit confines. It's a safety feature."

"I'll do my best," Ford promised.

"Once you try it a couple of times, it won't be so difficult," McKinnon assured him.

Ford was not so confident. The nicknames struck him as rather unprofessional. "I've noticed that Lucas and Tim don't use their nicknames with each other," he commented. He really could not see himself calling either one by their nicknames and he knew he did not really want to hear them call him 'Scout'.

"They do in the field," McKinnon noted, working very hard to hide her smile. Actually, she understood his feelings. She had not been overjoyed the first time Rodriguez had called her Ice. However, she had adjusted to it and it worked well for the team. "Finally, I know that you outrank Sunshine, but, in the field, I expect you to follow her lead. She has infinitely more experience in this type of operation than you do."

"I can accept that."

"Good," she stated. McKinnon's tone left no doubts that he had no choice in the matter and that she had only mentioned it as a courtesy.

*****

"What do you want to do?" Hallowell questioned Rodriguez. Lucas, Rodriguez , Karneering and Hallowell were studying the building blue prints and the locations of the computers they were supposed to access.

"I'm not sure yet," Rodriguez admitted. "Slick, how long do you estimate it will take to get the files downloaded?" Rodriguez had decided there was one good thing about the deployment: Lucas was no longer hiding from him.

"Depends on what kind of security they have. I mean, I don't see any passwords in our information," Lucas answered. "If this is classified information, then it should be protected. You guys know anything about breaking passwords?"

"Not as much as we should," Rodriguez responded. "Usually we let the computer do the work for us, but we don't have our systems with us."

"I think we're probably going to have to split up," Karneering advised.

"How?" Hallowell asked.

"Slick will get the two of you started on the first system. Then he and I will move to the second one. When you finish, you can take over on two for us and we'll proceed to the last one," Rodriguez explained, "otherwise we could eat up a lot of time. Once the download is started, we all have what we need to keep going or Slick can walk you through the next phase."

"Sounds like the best option," Lucas agreed.

"How are we going to work it?" Karneering asked. "As far as the order."

"We'll go top to bottom. It will be easier to work our way down to the entrance and make evacuation quicker if it comes to that," Rodriguez decided.

*****

"It's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to have to divide the work," McKinnon told her group. "Irish, Indy and I will check the sprinkler systems and find out why they did not go off. It seems kind odd that they all jammed, especially since they are checked quarterly."

"Ice, I don't know a lot about fires, just so you know," Tim interjected.

"That's all right; you'll do fine," McKinnon assured him.

"Hey, don't worry, Indy. You handled jumping out of the plane just fine. An arson investigation ought to be easy," Ryan chimed in cheerfully.

Tim felt Ford's eyes boring into him and feigned sudden interest in the building layouts in front of him. He and Lucas had left out all mention of precisely how they had landed on Tarsinia. Neither one wanted to explain their crash course in jumping out of airplanes. "Thanks, Sunshine," he mumbled.

McKinnon hid a smile as she realized from Ford's puzzled look that the commander had no idea what Ryan was referring to, which meant that Tim was going to be doing some explaining.

*****

"Okay, Scout. Let's see about issuing you some equipment," Ryan said to Ford, fifteen minutes later. "Irish?"

"Yes, Sunshine?"

"You'll want to perform a check on Indy's gear before we leave," she instructed.

"Will do. I hope you haven't broken anything," Chandler informed Tim. "I'm not real keen on field repairs."

"I haven't done anything to it," Tim remarked. "I've been trying to forget it was there."

"That's not the right attitude to have," Adamsen told him. "You never know when you might need it to work."

"Brook, I think he was hoping not to use it," Dawson commented.

*****

"Okay, let's get changed, guys," Rodriguez ordered his group. "You know how Ice is about being prompt for inspection."

"Yeah, like you're any better," Karneering grumbled. "Being inspected by Ghost is worse."

"I'm just thorough. Besides, Ice would kill me if I didn't bring everyone back safely."

"Slick?" Adamsen called out, as Lucas prepared to follow Rodriguez out of the room.

"Yes, Brook?"

"You guys are going to be the last call. Ice's assuming you want to call seaQuest," Adamsen explained.

"It's fine with me," Lucas replied, glancing back at Tim and Ford. "Better check with Indy and Scout," he added, slipping into the new mood of the unit.

"Will do."

*****

"Slick?" Dawson caught Lucas before he could leave.

"What do you need? Ghost is going to think I disappeared," Lucas joked, turning to face him.

"I want to run a couple of tests with your locator once we've got it online," Dawson informed him. "I really want to avoid a repeat of last time," he added.

"All right," Lucas agreed. "Let me get changed first."

"What happened last time?" Ford inquired, having come up behind Lucas.

"I reacted poorly with the locator they used. They had a hard time keeping my signal," Lucas answered, not really thinking about what kind of reaction it might provoke.

"Really?"

"That's why Ice made sure she kept me with Ghost. His worked fine." Lucas shrugged his shoulders like it didn't really concern him.

"You know, you two left a lot of details out of your report, didn't you?" Ford finally said.

"Sunshine mentioned something about jumping," Tim clarified, noticing Lucas' strange look.

"Oh. Well, I really need to go get changed. Ghost is going to think I'm avoiding him," Lucas muttered quickly. "Uh, Brook is assuming we're going to call seaQuest. If that's not okay, you need to let her know," Lucas continued, exiting the room as he spoke. He figured he had enough explaining to do; Tim could handle this one.

"Thanks a lot," Tim mumbled under his breath, even though Lucas could not hear him.

*****

"Make sure all your tags are removed," Rodriguez reminded Lucas, as the two got into their uniforms.

"I know," Lucas assured him.

"Just checking," Rodriguez commented. "What did Ice want this morning?" he inquired, curious. McKinnon had looked unusually pleased with herself when he had asked her, but had refused to give any details beyond telling him that she had taken his advice. That piece of information made him extremely nervous.

"You don't know?" Lucas quizzed.

"No. Ice keeps those things to herself. I'm just curious."

"You're nosy."

"That too," he agreed. "You don't have to tell me."

"It was no big deal," Lucas sighed. There was really no reason not to tell him, but Lucas was in the habit of keeping things to himself. Plus, he suspected Rodriguez would just keep bringing the subject up until he did tell him. The man could be very persistent when he felt like it. Lucas recognized the tone in Rodriguez 's voice from a couple of phone calls they'd had since Tarsinia. While he picked unusual topics to pursue, Rodriguez never gave up once he decided he wanted the information. "She wanted to make sure I was okay with continuing the investigation and threatened to pull me if I didn't follow her instructions about breaks."

"That sounds like Ice," Rodriguez remarked, still trying to figure out what his commanding officer meant about taking his advice and not sure how to continue the conversation without making Lucas nervous.

"And to engage in emotional extortion."

"That also sounds like Ice. What's she holding over you?"

"Long story," Lucas mumbled, not really wanting to give all the details. He did not know if Rodriguez knew about his missing file and did not want to bring it up if the man did not know.

"Last time you told me that, it took you three seconds to tell. Give me the highlights. You can't tell me Ice is blackmailing you and leave it like that."

"You're going to bug me until I answer, aren't you?" Lucas guessed.

"Yep. And I'm going to do it in front of Scout. Bet you'd have some explaining to do then."

"All right, all right. Sunshine's already done enough in that department."

"You can explain that in a moment," Rodriguez told him, waiting for him to continue.

"She apparently mentioned something about jumping in the commander's hearing," Lucas responded, dealing with that one first. "As for Ice, she told me I have a week to tell Bridger something or she's going to do it for me. And that she's going to check with him to make sure I did it. I guess she doesn't trust me."

"Yeah, I can't imagine why not. I mean you only had how many weeks to tell the guy about Ninety-nine?" Rodriguez retorted. Rodriguez shook his head and mentally gave McKinnon credit. Without Lucas telling him, he knew that McKinnon meant the missing file information. Rodriguez wished he could be present for that discussion.

"Well, we were waiting for the right time," Lucas mumbled.

"I think you should have found it sooner."

Part 17

"Are you going to explain the jumping?" Ford asked Tim, as they got ready.

"You have to remove all identifying marks from your gear," Tim informed him.

"I'm not going to give up that easily, O'Neil."

"Somehow, I didn't think so," Tim muttered to himself. "When we went into Tarsinia the first time, we couldn't exactly land at the airport, so we had to jump. We dropped rafts in the water and took those almost up to land, but had to swim the last part because of the reef," he explicated in a rush of words.

"Jumped? As in out of…"

"An airplane, yes," Tim clarified reluctantly. "I jumped with Sunshine."

"Lucas?"

"Ghost."

"I thought Lucas was afraid of heights," Ford stated.

"He is," Tim confirmed. "Ghost talked him through it. It was the only way to complete the mission, so he did it."

"What else did you neglect to mention?"

"I think that's about it."

*****

"Okay," McKinnon said to Lucas, Tim and Ford. "You two know the drill, but we'll review the specifics for Scout," she began. "I will speak with Captain Bridger first and remind him of the rules. I will also monitor your conversation to insure that they are followed. Anything that may compromise either mission will result in the conversation ending. You will not mention anything about the investigation of the break in, except to confirm that we are aware of the situation and that we will take care of it. There will be no discussion of the fire, your current duties or location. You do not know when your assignment will end. Beyond that, you may discuss anything you wish. Understand?"

"Yes," all three agreed.

"Good. I should make one of you," McKinnon commented, with a look at Lucas and Tim, "make the initial contact, since I'm sure he's going to have to few words to say about Ninety-nine."

"But then you would miss your chance to repeat the rules to him," Lucas pointed out.

"Lucas!" Ford hissed. He had grown used to the teenager's comments to Rodriguez; however, McKinnon was their commanding officer.

"Don't worry, Scout. Slick and I understand each other just fine," McKinnon remarked. As she expected, her statement earned Lucas looks from the other two.

Lucas opted to remain silent, realizing that he was only raising more questions than he wanted to answer.

*****

Bridger was examining what information the others had been able to turn up about the investigation of Lucas and Tim when McKinnon called. Thus far, they had learned nothing conclusive. It seemed evident that the two inspectors, Crewes and Stanton, believed the duo had some type of involvement in the crime. They had made several calls to the seaQuest to go over various points. Bridger was trying to cooperate, but his patience was wearing thin: not only with Crewes and Stanton, but with Admiral Kincaid, who refused to reveal anything about the whereabouts of his three crewmembers. Therefore, he was not in a particularly good mood when McKinnon appeared before him on the vid-screen. "Commander McKinnon," he greeted her coolly.

"Captain Bridger," McKinnon returned, keeping her voice even.

"I assume my crew is still unharmed."

"Yes, Sir. As with our last assignment, I am permitting Wolenczak, O'Neil and Ford to make a brief call to you. The same rules apply. Do not bother asking them about what they're doing; they can't tell you that. The call will be monitored and transmission will be cut without notice if it is believed that the mission will be compromised."

"Fine. You do know that Lucas and Tim are suspected of some kind of involvement in a break in?"

"I have been apprised of that situation, yes. However, while we are in the field, it is not my primary concern. HQ is following the progress of the investigation and will notify me if the status of the investigation changes."

"That's all?"

"Sir, I'm engaged in an high priority exercise. I don't have time to focus on peripheral details," McKinnon told him. She realized she sounded callous, but could not help it. They could not risk anything about their efforts leaking, even to the seaQuest crew. "We can discuss this further if you want, but I'm not going to be able to give you the answers you desire. I have orders to follow; that's precisely what I'm doing."

*****

"I think I understand why they call her Ice now," Ford remarked, since the three of them could hear the conversation with Bridger.

"That's one of the many reasons," Tim commented, while Lucas nodded his head in agreement.

*****

"It's good to see the three of you," Bridger said, when the trio appeared. He found the sight of Ford wearing the Outrigger uniform more disconcerting than he did Lucas and Tim. His XO looked decidedly uncomfortable in his current predicament.

"You too, Sir," Ford returned.

"I'll be very interested in hearing the explanation the two of you have to offer for the fact you are eligible to be recalled by the Outriggers," Bridger addressed Lucas and Tim, who both flushed and looked down at the floor. "I'll be particularly looking forward to hearing when you planned on sharing this information with me."

"Yes, Sir," the duo mumbled, neither one looking forward to that meeting. Lucas could see McKinnon smiling at them in the corner and got the feeling that she was enjoying watching them squirm.

"Just so you know, I did keep that detail to myself when I had to inform the crew of your reassignment."

"Thank you, Sir."

"There will be plenty of time for them to find out later. And I don't suppose the two of you can shed any light on why you are being investigated?"

"No, Sir," Tim replied. "We have been advised of the investigation, but don't have any details beyond that."

"That's what I thought. Perhaps you should remind the commander that they are serious charges."

"Commander McKinnon is aware of that," Ford reassured him.

"Good. I don't really enjoy getting regular calls to answer questions, because none of you are available."

"I think Commander McKinnon would like us to move on to another topic, Captain," Lucas interjected, catching McKinnon's signal from the corner.

"All right," Bridger sighed. "I believe Dr. Westphalen would like a word with you."

"This should be fun," Lucas mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Sir."

"While I call her, I'll let you talk to some of the others," Bridger informed them, deciding not to bother pursuing Lucas' comment. He already had him and Tim scheduled for a long talk when they returned.

*****

"How are you guys?" Miguel asked, when he, Ben and Katie appeared on screen.

"We're just fine," Tim assured him.

"I thought this was just a conference and you two couldn't get into trouble," Ben observed.

"We're not in trouble; we're deployed," Lucas pointed out.

"You're with the Outriggers. It amounts to the same thing."

"How is it?" Katie asked, directing her question to Ford.

"It's a unique experience," Ford remarked, for lack of anything better to say on the subject.

"I don't see you fitting into their command structure, Commander," Ben commented.

"Thank you," Ford replied, while McKinnon gave a short laugh in the background.

"Just be careful this time," Miguel instructed them quietly. He worried about all three, but especially Lucas and Tim.

"We'll do our best," Tim responded.

"We have to go. They said our time is limited," Katie informed him. "And the doctor has a few words."

"Oh good," Lucas muttered.

*****

Kristin looked at the trio carefully. Since Bridger had told her to refrain from mentioning the investigation, she started on her topic of concern. "I expect the two of you to come back in one piece," she said, fixing both Lucas and Tim with a stern glare. "And I'm holding you responsible if anything happens to either one," she added, turning her attention to Ford.

Ford wondered if it was too late to get McKinnon to pull them from the mission. He did not want to face the wrath of the doctor if either one encountered any difficulties. "I'll do my best," he assured her.

"I certainly hope so. You look like you're not getting enough sleep," she informed Lucas. "Are you working too hard?"

"I'm not working any harder than the rest. Commander McKinnon is very strict about taking breaks and having proper bedtimes." Lucas sighed; he wished the doctor did not obsess so much about his sleeping and work habits.

"Are you mocking me, young man?" Kristin questioned sharply.

"No, ma'am," Lucas reassured her. "I was just trying to answer your question."

"That had better be all. And I sincerely hope those people do not have the same detrimental effect on you that they had last time," she addressed Tim.

Tim wisely remained silent, sensing anything he said would be wrong. However, he did wish McKinnon would stop laughing at them.

"Well, I'll let the captain on again," Kristin conceded. "Just be careful."

"We will," Tim answered.

"Good. I'll expect you in for physicals upon your return. All three of you."

"Doctor is that really necessary?" Ford queried.

"Yes, it is. No telling what might happen while you're out with them."

"Don't argue, Commander; there's no way you're going to win," Lucas mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Kristin inquired sternly.

"It was nice talking to you, Doctor," Lucas ad-libbed quickly.

"Lucas, you're skating on thin ice," Tim muttered to the teenager. "And I don't really want you to take us with you."

"What was that, Lieutenant? I couldn't hear you."

"I think Commander McKinnon is indicating that our time is almost up," Ford interjected, not wanting to get the doctor riled. "Do you think the two of you can behave for the last two minutes?" he quizzed Lucas and Tim, while they waited for Bridger to return.

Lucas and Tim looked at one another and both decided it was best not to say what was on their minds: at least not where the commander could hear. "Think she'd be impressed by the detrimental effect on Ford's behavior?" Lucas whispered.

"Probably not," Tim agreed.

*****

"Hopefully, you will be released soon," Bridger told them, preparing to say goodbye.

"I'm sure all parties concerned would like that, Captain," Ford answered, not letting either one of the other two have a chance to speak.

"Just take care of yourselves and come back safely."

"We have to go, Sir," Tim interrupted.

"All right."

"We'll talk to you later," Lucas added.

"You can count on that," Bridger assured him, the expression on his face leaving no doubt as to what he meant.

*****

"Yep, you two are going to have fun when you go back," McKinnon remarked cheerfully, when the call had ended.

"Why do I get the impression that you find this amusing?" Tim questioned.

"Because I do. I reminded you both on several occasions that your captain was not going to be happy if he did not hear about it before it was exercised."

"Thank you for bringing that to our attention again," Lucas grumbled.

"Any time, Slick."

*****

"Okay, let's just put this on and then see what we get," Dawson muttered, mainly to himself, as he worked on putting the locator on Lucas. "Columbus, you have him?"

"First try."

"Very good. Now, go take a walk, go upstairs and around the second floor. I want to make sure we can track you. Put your headset on and I'll tell you when to come back."

"Being thorough?" Lucas inquired, setting up his headset.

"Ice is not real fond of repeating one's mistakes," Hallowell explained. "It's a case of better safe than sorry."

"I can understand that," Lucas agreed.

"You all set? Go to channel six and you can leave."

"All right. What do you want Ghost?" he asked as Rodriguez approached.

"Just checking to make sure everything is on schedule," Rodriguez replied. "Locator working?"

"Yes. We're going to have him walk through the building and test it out."

"Good idea. You want company?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"He's learning," Dawson commented.

"Watch it, Casanova," Rodriguez instructed.

*****

"So, did you want something in particular or are you just bored?" Lucas questioned Rodriguez , when they were walking up the stairs. He had the mike away from his mouth to avoid transmitting his conversation to the others.

"You really should get some help for your paranoia," Rodriguez advised. "I just thought you might want some company."

"Ghost, we're in the midst of preparing for a mission. You are not looking for casual conversation."

"How do you know?"

"I know you well enough to know that you're up to something."

"I just want to make sure you're okay with this," Rodriguez admitted.

"What about it?"

"The last time we were deployed, you ended up being taken hostage. I thought it might stir up some bad memories."

"I'm fine. Are you suffering from problems because you were held hostage?"

"I've been deployed several times since then. And you know that the first time out was not a real thrill for me," Rodriguez reminded him.

"I'm okay. It's a different situation. Everything's going to be fine."

"You convince yourself yet?" Rodriguez asked softly. "It's okay to be scared, Slick. That doesn't mean you're not capable of doing the job. It just means you're human. No one's going to think any less of you."

"I'm fine."

"Okay," Rodriguez accepted his answer, understanding Lucas' need to believe in it at the moment.

"Casanova, is there anything else you want me to do?" Lucas inquired, effectively ending his discussion with Ghost.

"No. I've kept track of you. This should work just fine," Dawson responded.

"All right. I'm going to come back now."

"Let's go get ourselves inspected," Rodriguez sighed.

*****

"All right, gang, line it up!" McKinnon called out. "And count it off!"

Ford let Ryan drag him to the end of the line. "Follow the leader," she ordered.

"Irish, Team One!"

"Indy, Team One!"

"Ghost, Team Two!"

"Slick, Team Two!"

Ford listened as they continued down the line, until they reached him. "Scout, Team Five!" He felt strange using the nickname, but he did it. He then watched as McKinnon began approaching each team member, carefully reviewing their equipment and talking to them.

"All right, Indy, if you're good, maybe I'll let you drive us to the site," McKinnon told Tim with a quick smile.

"I'd like that, Commander," Tim commented.

McKinnon adjusted Lucas' collar before speaking to him. "Promise me, you're not going to get shot on this one, Slick" she requested. "It looks really bad on my record."

"I'll try to avoid it, Commander," Lucas agreed.

Ford could not hear what she was saying, but it was obviously some sort of tradition everyone expected. He felt slightly uncomfortable as she studied him.

"Don't worry, Scout; you'll get used to us by the time this is over, whether you want to or not," McKinnon remarked. "All right, gang, looks like we're ready. Teams One and Two will be in Hawk; Three, Four and Five in Eagle. Indy and Brook are the drivers. Irish and Sunshine are the navigators. The rest of you will refrain from making comments about the driving."

"You always have to take the fun out of everything, don't you, Ice?" Rodriguez complained.

"It's my job, Ghost. You should know that by now."

"You do it well."

"Thank you," McKinnon said. "We will do a radio check on site, before proceeding. At last report, the fire was still contained, but we will need to monitor it throughout. Let's get moving. We do have a schedule to keep."

*****

"Okay, Ghost, I want to hear more specifics about your plan of action," McKinnon instructed, once they were on their way.

"Our plan is to start with the computer on the seventh floor and work our way down. Slick's going to get the download started and we'll leave Einstein and Columbus watching it, while Slick and I go down to the sixth floor and start on the second computer. When they finish, they'll take our place and we'll move to the second floor and the final computer."

"Good. How long will each one take?" McKinnon inquired.

"Slick?" Rodriguez turned to Lucas.

"It depends. Not knowing the precise system set up, I can't really tell you. The files themselves should not take more than an hour to complete the download, but getting into them could prove a bit difficult. It depends on their security."

"Okay. There's one more thing you're going to have to do. Kincaid just notified me of it before inspection."

"What?" Rodriguez asked, warily.

"The files are to be erased from the computers. The fire team thinks the only way to fully rid the fire is to do a controlled burn. UEO wants no chance of the files being left accessible," McKinnon explained.

"That's going to add to the time. I can set it up to erase when the download is complete, so I won't have to wait, but Einstein and Columbus will have to verify that it finishes the cycle," Lucas told her. "We should be well within the six hour time frame for finishing though."

"Let me know if it gets close."

"Certainly."

*****

"Don't worry about Slick and Indy, Scout," Karneering told Ford. "They're in good hands. Ghost will watch out for Slick, and Ice will make sure Indy stays out of trouble. And, in reality, they know how to take care of themselves."

"You all just seem to accept that they can do it," Ford commented.

"They can. You have to understand that we've seen them in action before, so to speak," Karneering responded.

"We know them outside of what they do on seaQuest," Hallowell elaborated. "In our world, they're not confined to communications or computers. Sure, those are their areas of specialization. We all have those. But we're also part of a small team. We do what we have to do to make the outcome favorable."

"Our strength is our size, Scout," Ryan called from the front seat. "We're small, but we know how to work as a team: how to help each other out. We're only limited by our imagination and creativity. And we never do anything that would knowingly endanger our lives or anyone else's."

"We're not really as insane as people would like to think," Dawson remarked.

"And, yes, we do encourage the outside world to believe in our reputation. It makes us unpredictable and, sometimes, that's the only edge we have," Karneering added, noting the look on Ford's face.

"It seems like a strange way to work."

"We get results. And they don't call us in to handle the normal situations. We get called when traditional methods don't work," Hallowell pointed out.

"It comes down to the fact that you're going to have to trust us, Scout," Ryan stated.

Part 18

Arriving at the site, the unit found the surrounding area deserted, except for fire crews. McKinnon checked in with the fire chief, who was not particularly pleased with their involvement. The commander ignored his displeasure and kept everything professional.

"All right, I want to do a radio check. Channel one is the open frequency. Teams One, Three, and Five will use two for communications; Two and Four, you'll be on three. Make sure you stay on the main channel unless you're going to be engaged in a lengthy conversation. At least one person on each team should be covering the open channel at all times. We're going to be spread out and this will be our only way to communicate. Clear?"

"Clear!"

"Casanova, locator check?" McKinnon requested, once everyone had verified their headsets worked properly.

"All members accounted for."

"Good. Please proceed with caution. The fire crews will notify us if there is a change in status. Einstein?" McKinnon prompted.

"If there's smoke, please keep your masks on," Karneering instructed. "I do not want to be treating smoke inhalation cases. You will wear your patches," he added, distributing them as he spoke. "These will tell you if there's a lack of oxygen in your area. They're very simple to read, but I will review. Green means you're clear, yellow means caution and red means don't hang around any longer. You should only remove your mask when it's green. Everyone understand? Good. I don't need anyone passing out here either."

"He takes it personally," Rodriguez mumbled.

"All right. Let's get this done," McKinnon called out. "Good luck," she told Lucas, Rodriguez, Karneering and Hallowell.

"You too, Ice," Rodriguez returned. "Single file: I'll lead. Don't argue, Einstein," he ordered. "Then Slick, Columbus and Einstein."

"You should let me lead," Karneering protested. "You're the leader and protocol…"

"Protocol says it's at my discretion," Rodriguez told him. "Besides, the key to this one is Slick. So give it a rest."

"And you wonder why I put him in your group?" McKinnon inquired.

"Sunshine, make sure the commander doesn't do anything crazy," Karneering ordered, as the teams headed in their separate directions.

*****

"We're on the stairs, approaching the seventh floor, Ice. Everything is clear so far," Rodriguez reported twenty minutes later. "I will notify you when we're engaged."

"Very good. So far the sweep of the building shows it as clean. We're looking at the sprinkler systems now," McKinnon replied.

"Why didn't McKinnon put you on that detail?" Lucas asked, as they reached the top of the stairs. "You are an engineer, right?"

"I've learned not to question Ice's wisdom," Rodriguez replied. He knew precisely why McKinnon had made the choice. Almost any of them would be able to identify if there had been any tampering with the sprinkler systems or other fire safety features. The commander wanted him with Lucas, who was the logical choice for the data retrieval. While they all had computer abilities, his skills were far superior to theirs. Rodriguez had enough sense not to tell Lucas that it was McKinnon's way of offering the teenager more protection. There was no point in getting him annoyed in the middle of the mission, or afterwards, if it could be avoided.

"Is it hot in here, or am I imagining it?" Hallowell asked.

"Yes," Karneering answered.

"That was helpful, Einstein."

"The door feels cool and I don't see any smoke, so I'm going to open it," Rodriguez interrupted.

"Be careful," Karneering warned.

"That's my intention."

*****

Ford followed Ryan, not sure what they were looking for, although she seemed to know. Unfortunately, her instructions had not been precise. He had no idea what was supposed to be in the building, so how was he going to know if something was out of place? He was really starting to wish for his nice, orderly job on seaQuest. He almost walked into Ryan when she stopped abruptly.

Pointing to their patches, Ryan removed her mask. "This will make things easier," she said.

"I'm just curious; why send you guys in on an arson investigation? Wouldn't the fire department be better equipped?" Ford inquired.

"It means they suspect one of two things," Ryan replied. "A firefighter is involved or someone used non-traditional means to start it. Most of the arson investigators are not creative thinkers, so they don't see things we do. They tend to get caught up in the rules; we don't."

"I'm not following you."

"Most people when told something won't work will just accept it. In our experience it just means no one's found out a way to do it. We believe that anything is possible if you want it bad enough. Therefore, we don't allow ourselves to be confined to what can't be done. It's a defining characteristic of most Outriggers," Ryan clarified.

*****

Lucas sat at the computer, wishing the room was slightly larger; it had obviously not been designed to hold four people. It did not help that the other three had little to do, so they kept interrupting him. Lucas was getting short-tempered. "If you ask me that again, I'm going to scream over the mike, so that you can explain it to Ice," Lucas threatened them.

"Perhaps we can find time for you to grab a nap later," Rodriguez commented.

"What is your obsession with me taking a nap?"

"It's what my grandmother always did with my sisters and me when we got irritable. She firmly believed that lack of sleep and a bad attitude go hand in hand."

"I'm sure she'd make an exception for anyone that had to deal with you," Lucas retorted.

"I'm sensing some hostility towards you, Ghost," Karneering observed.

"You're going to sense some towards you, if you're not careful, Einstein," Lucas grumbled. "You want to add anything?" he asked Hallowell.

"No. I think I understand the situation fully," Hallowell responded. "Just remember: I only follow orders. They both outrank me."

"I don't think he cared much for that answer either," Rodriguez told Hallowell. "I'm going to check in with Ice," he added, deciding it probably was not a good idea to continue provoking the teenager.

"Good thinking," Karneering agreed. "I don't think we're scoring any points else where right now," he added.

"I had noticed."

Lucas glared at both and forced himself to shut them out and concentrate on the computer problem.

*****

"Ghost?" McKinnon's voice interrupted before anything else could be said.

"Yes, Ice?"

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, but Slick is finding the systems a bit tricky. However, I'm sure he'll have it soon," Rodriguez answered. "Although I think that next time, he may want to request who he works with."

"Irritating him, are you?"

"It's not just me," Rodriguez protested. "What have you got on your end?"

"Nothing so far. Haven't found any reason for the system to have failed, but we're not done yet. Any suggestions?"

"Was it turned on? No, I'm serious. Could be someone took the system off line for maintenance and then forgot to reset it."

"I'll look into it. You may be right."

"It does happen once in awhile, Ice."

"I know."

"Beyond that, I don't know what else to recommend; I'm not there."

"Unfortunately," Lucas mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that," Rodriguez informed him.

"Am I going to have to start separating the two of you?" McKinnon questioned.

"I think we can manage to conduct ourselves in an appropriate manner."

"All right. I'm going to get back to work. And, Ghost, be nice and don't annoy Slick."

"But it's fun," Rodriguez complained.

"You're an Outrigger; you're not supposed to have fun."

"Sorry, I forgot about that clause."

*****

"Okay, I've got it," Lucas said. "It's going to do the work for you. All you have to do is watch it. When it's done downloading, I've set up an erase program. It should start automatically upon completion of the file transfer. When that finishes, shut the system down and try to re-start it. Nothing should come up, because I'm having it wipe everything."

"I think we can handle that," Karneering assured him.

"Ice?" Rodriguez spoke into his headset. "Slick and I are going to be moving to the sixth floor to start on the second system."

"Affirmative," McKinnon replied, sounding preoccupied.

"We'll alert you when we're on our way down," Hallowell told Lucas and Rodriguez as they prepared to leave.

*****

"Ghost is going to love this," Chandler mumbled, as he, McKinnon and Tim looked at the main control of the sprinkler system.

"Most definitely," McKinnon confirmed.

"But who shut it off and was it intentional?" Tim queried.

"See, I told you that you would do fine," McKinnon reminded him. "There should be some kind of maintenance log that tells when the system went down, who took it down and what kind of work was performed. This strikes me as odd. There's something familiar about it."

"I'm sure it will come to you. Ice is a walking encyclopedia of information regarding criminal activity," Chandler explained to Tim.

"Why?"

"It comes in handy," McKinnon responded. "Let's see what we can find out about this."

*****

"You doing okay?" Rodriguez questioned Lucas, when they were on the sixth floor. He thought the teenager looked unusually pale and tense.

"I'm fine," Lucas replied, forcing his voice to stay even. In reality, he was finding the situation extremely stressful. He kept waiting for something to go wrong. However, the young man was not going to admit to it. Besides not wanting to divulge his fear to Rodriguez , Lucas needed to keep himself in control.

"Okay." Rodriguez accepted his response. "We're ahead of schedule; Ice will be happy."

"I aim to please," Lucas said.

"I had noticed," Rodriguez commented.

*****

An hour later, Karneering and Hallowell came to replace Lucas and Rodriguez. "Ice, we're advancing to the last computer. Are we still clear?" Rodriguez requested through the mike. Communications had slowed as each team worked as quickly as possible.

"Yes. And you were right. The system was shut down. But it looks like it was an outside termination."

"Figures. Haven't we seen this somewhere else?"

"I can't place it yet."

"We haven't found anything in our end yet," Adamsen interrupted. "But we're still looking."

"Sunshine?" McKinnon queried, deciding they might as well hear from everyone.

"Not much, except the ventilation system was blocked where we're at," Ryan reported. "Whoever did this knew how to do it right."

"Keep searching; we're bound to find something."

*****

"This file is smaller than the others: shouldn't take as long," Lucas remarked to Rodriguez, once they had started on the last computer.

"Good. I'm ready to wrap this one up," Rodriguez sighed. He held up a hand, turning his head to listen. "Einstein? You and Columbus still on six?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Just checking," Rodriguez replied.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked him.

"I thought I heard something: thought maybe they forgot to check in."

"I don't hear anything…" Lucas let his voice trail off, as he heard it too.

"Casanova? I need a location check of everyone," Rodriguez ordered. "Are any other teams on the second floor?"

"No. Just you and Slick."

"Ghost? What's going on?" Ice's voice cut through sharply.

"Someone's on the floor with us," Rodriguez reported. "I just heard footsteps."

"Casanova? Who's closest?"

"Einstein and Columbus. We're three floors above them and Five is up near you."

"All right, Einstein, you guys are going to have break off and check it out. Three will back you up and the rest of us will start heading down," McKinnon instructed. "Ghost, you know the drill. And everyone proceed with caution."

"Of course," Rodriguez assented. "Slick?"

"I'm erasing now," Lucas replied.

"Jam your communications, Slick," Rodriguez commanded, as the doorknob turned. "That's not help at the door. It's too fast for it to be anyone on the team."

Lucas nodded his head and obeyed, shoving the disk in the drawer and placing a blank one in the computer. "Patches?"

"Yes," Rodriguez agreed, as the door opened.

"Step away from the computer and put your hands up!" a voice ordered. Lucas and Rodriguez found themselves facing five armed individuals, dressed in black and wearing masks. "Take 'em both."

"We're just supposed to get the…."

"I said take 'em both. We don't have time to waste. Grab the disk."

"You heard him," another said, herding Lucas and Rodriguez to the center of the room, so that they were surrounded. One man grabbed Lucas and another Rodriguez. Both knew that, with the rest of the unit unarmed, they had no choice but to cooperate. Five armed men would prove no match against the defenseless team. Not that it made a difference; seconds later, both were drugged and unconscious.

*****

The open door was the first clue Karneering had that they had arrived too late. That, combined with the fact that Rodriguez had not responded to him over the radio, told Karneering he was not going to like what they found. "Damn it!" he shouted in the empty room.

"They left their patches," Hallowell reported. "It was a hostile departure."

"Ice?" Karneering dreaded the news he had to give. "Channel two."

"What is it, Einstein?" McKinnon asked, forcing her voice to remain calm.

"We have a breach. Ghost and Slick are gone and it was not voluntary. They left their radios and patches behind."

"Anything else?"

"Slick managed to stash the download disk," Hallowell informed him, finding it in the drawer.

"They didn't get the downloads. They hid it in the desk."

"Do you have the others?" McKinnon queried.

"Yes, it was erasing when you sent us down."

"Good. We're pulling out," McKinnon ordered. "Casanova? Channel two."

"Yes, Ice?" Dawson responded.

"Please confirm that you do not have a fix on Ghost or Slick in the building."

"They're not showing in the building. Are they…" Dawson stopped talking, realizing McKinnon had already switched frequencies.

McKinnon switched to the open channel. "We've been compromised and we are disengaging. Proceed out of the building and to the parking lot. I repeat; we have a breach and we are aborting," she announced.

"Ice?" Ryan spoke hesitantly. "Is everyone secure?"

"No. Ghost and Slick were taken hostage. I want you, Irish, Casanova and Brook to stay behind and investigate."

Part 19

"What happened?" Ford asked, trying to stay focused, while the rest of the team was headed back to their base of operations.

"We don't know. Ghost reported hearing footsteps and I sent teams to investigate. They were too far away. Ghost and Slick left their radios and patches behind," McKinnon replied.

At Ford's look, Tim elaborated. "When someone is taken hostage, they remove their triangle in order to alert the team if possible and to distance themselves from being identified with the unit." Tim was having a bad sense of déjà vu about all of this. Explaining little details like this made him feel like he was capable of functioning. He tried not to think about what had happened last time.

"How are we going to find them?" Ford questioned.

"Casanova still has them on locator. It won't give us a long range fix, but if we can figure out their general vicinity, it will help. Ghost will know that there's not much for us to go on, so he will attempt an escape if at all possible. He won't do it if it will endanger their lives," McKinnon told him.

"Why didn't they alert you that they were being taken?"

"My best guess is that they were afraid for our safety." McKinnon's face changed abruptly as something occurred to her.

"What?" Ford quizzed.

"It's something I have to check when we get back to our home base," McKinnon commented, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"Commander…"

"Trust me, Scout. I want them back as much as you do. But I have to check some information before I start formulating a plan."

*****

Both Lucas and Rodriguez came to in the process of being carried into a building. The smell of the place assaulted their senses immediately. Rodriguez could tell from the scent of stale antiseptic and the generally musty odor that they must be in some kind of abandoned hospital. It had the aroma often associated with long term illness and the efforts to cover it up. It had not been closed so long ago as to have lost the essence of its prior use. Rodriguez wondered at the choice of location, but figured there would be plenty of time to question it later.

They were dumped on the floor of a room and the door was locked, without anyone speaking to them. "How are you?" Rodriguez whispered quietly.

"I've had better days. Why is it that whenever I go somewhere with you, I end up a hostage?" Lucas inquired, trying to stay in control. He was more freaked out by this place than he wanted to admit.

"I wish I knew. Although, for the record, I've been taken hostage more often with you than any other time in my career," Rodriguez retorted, watching Lucas closely. He could see the anxiety in his eyes. It seemed more intense than it had been in Tarsinia. He wondered at the cause and what he could do to make this easier on the teenager. "We're going to be fine, Slick," he promised, hoping he could make it true.

*****

"I want to know who requested Outrigger assistance with the fire," McKinnon demanded of Kincaid, as soon as he appeared on the screen.

"Local authorities. Why?"

"I want a name."

"Scott Abraham. What's going on?"

"I just lost two members of my team!" McKinnon shouted at the screen. "And I'm not buying that it was just a coincidence. I think we were set up by someone who knew we wouldn't take weapons into a fire."

"Who was taken?"

"Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez and Wolenczak."

"I think you had better start at the beginning."

"Just a minute. I want Hallowell to start a full check on Abraham. I can't afford to waste time."

"All right," Kincaid consented. He could tell she would defy him if he ordered her to wait. McKinnon's reputation when it came to protecting her team was well known. He wanted to bring this to a speedy conclusion; having to tell Captain Bridger that one of his crew had been taken hostage again would be much easier if they had already recovered him.

"Okay. He'll let me know when he has anything."

*****

Lucas stared at the woman with a sense of growing horror. She had made no attempt to disguise herself and he understood, with increasing clarity, that it was intentional. Rodriguez could hear that Lucas was dangerously close to hyperventilating and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Their captor still hid behind his dark clothes and face mask, but the woman seemed to want them to see her clearly. Rodriguez was not sure he liked the implications.

"I know that you are Mr. Wolenczak," the man said to Lucas. "You must be Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez."

Rodriguez gave him a blank stare, refusing to confirm his identity. He saw no reason to help the man. "And who might you be?"

"You may call me Mr. Smith."

"Is your first name John?"

"You're very quick," Smith told him. "Now, this is my associate, Dr. Keller; she's going to assist me."

Lucas felt like he was traveling backwards in time. She had not been a doctor when he had known her. In fact, he hadn't realized she was interested in medicine. Of course, he had only seen her three times and they had not had any deep, meaningful conversations.

Rodriguez did not like the fact that Smith was introducing Keller or the effect it was having on Lucas. The boy was on the verge of a panic attack and Smith seemed to know that.

"Now, if you'll tell me the location of the rest of your team, we can finish this up easily enough," Smith informed them.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rodriguez responded, hoping this was not going to produce the same results as Tarsinia.

"Mr. Wolenczak?"

"I didn't understand the question," Lucas answered. In his head, he kept telling himself to get under control. He had to stay in charge of his emotions; it was their only hope. Smith was trying to make him freak out and he could not let the man succeed.

"You're sure about that? We have ways of making you talk," Smith continued. "I'll give you one more chance. Where is the rest of your team?"

"I can't answer that," Rodriguez replied.

"And you, Mr. Wolenczak?"

"I don't remember."

"Very well. Your ability to withstand physical methods of interrogation have been documented, so we're going to try something else," Smith explained.

*****

"Abraham has a tenuous connection to Ramsey. His father served with Ramsey prior to leaving the Navy under suspicion of theft," Hallowell reported to McKinnon and the rest of the team who were gathered around the table. "Who is he?"

"We were set up," McKinnon stated. "Abraham is the one that made the request for assistance in the investigation. He's high enough up in security to justify HQ's agreement."

"A set up? What do you mean?" Ford inquired.

"I mean, we were called there to bring Slick and/or Ghost into the open to be taken hostage. Whoever was behind getting Abraham to ask for help knew that we wouldn't take guns into a fire. The computer problems were an additional ruse to get Slick isolated. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he would be handling that aspect. By establishing a tight time frame, it insured we would be spread out and unable to protect them. They also counted on Slick going quietly to prevent one of us from getting injured. If they had weapons, we would have been in trouble if we had arrived in time to save them."

"How do we find them?"

"We're going to have to review every piece of information we have and try to make the connections. Kincaid has already arranged for surveillance on Abraham. It's possible someone will contact him now that his part is done. We're going to have to dig into the lives of the people whose names we have, and hope we find something that makes sense."

"And if that's not enough?" Tim asked.

"We'll find them, Indy," McKinnon vowed. "And, if there is any way to do it, Ghost will attempt to escape or get some kind of message to us. Now, let's get to work. Scout, Indy, I need a word with you."

*****

"Are you familiar with truth drugs?" Smith queried, as Keller prepared an injection. "It's amazing what people will say under their influence."

Rodriguez stared at him impassively. He knew he would be immune to the effects of the drug. While not common practice among the Outriggers, in certain instances members had to acquire a tolerance to the truth serums. Rodriguez had undergone the process prior to undertaking an extremely risky mission. He worried about Lucas: not because it would make the teenager talk; he knew Lucas would resist as long as possible. However, he knew the young man would feel guilty about it afterwards.

"I'm not going to bother with you, Mr. Rodriguez. I'm sure you have been well prepared for this eventuality. But Mr. Wolenczak has no cause for such immunity. I'm sure that, with a little CDT in his system, he will all too happy to tell me every secret he has," Smith remarked rather cheerfully.

"Go to hell," Lucas told him, although, for the first time, he felt a glimmer of hope. As long as he could remained focused on his goal, this could work out.

"Not yet, I'm afraid. You do know the success rate of CDT, don't you? Less than two percent of recipients can resist its influence."

Rodriguez watched as Keller finished preparing the injection and wondered if there was anything he could do to stop it. This was going to be worse than watching Lucas getting beat up in Tarsinia. Having to see the teenager forced to betray the team was more than he wanted to bear, mainly because he understood how Lucas would feel about it.

"Trust me," Lucas whispered under his breath, hoping Rodriguez heard him.

*****

"I know that you want to contact seaQuest and I don't blame you, but I can't allow it," McKinnon informed Tim and Ford.

"Why not?" Ford asked. He knew that Bridger would want to know about this.

"Right now, the only thing we have going for us is keeping things quiet. If you notify Bridger, he'll want to know what we're doing. There's no telling who else might find out. We're dealing with someone who understands how we operate. We need to keep things as covert as possible."

"I have to disagree."

"I'm sure you do," McKinnon stated. "However, I know if we notify Bridger, he is not going to sit and wait for us to handle it. He's going to want to do what he can. We get too many people asking questions, someone's going to figure out what we're doing. The longer we keep them guessing, the better our chances. Give me forty-eight hours and then I'll let you call."

"I don't like it."

"Ice, can you give us a minute?" Tim questioned softly.

"Of course."

"You agree with her?" Ford queried, when McKinnon had left.

"Yes. I've seen them in action. They will do everything in their power to rescue them. If Ice thinks we're better off not contacting seaQuest, then she's probably right. They have more experience with this type of situation. And you know it will only create a panic on the boat."

"I don't like it."

"I'm not keen on it either, Sir. But I've learned to trust their judgment. If Ice thought there was anything to gained by informing seaQuest, she'd be doing it right now."

"What if she's wrong?"

"She'll feel really bad about it. When we were in Tarsinia, she gave me a choice of contacting seaQuest before the rescue attempt or after. The fact Ice is not doing that now convinces me that this is what she thinks is best for Lucas and Ghost."

"Okay. I'll go along with it," Ford consented reluctantly.

"Besides, Sir, I think she was only explaining her reasoning as a courtesy. If we disagree, there's probably a rule that lets her hold us without access to communications," Tim pointed out.

A moment of thought was all Ford needed to decide the lieutenant was probably right. "Thirty-six hours," he told McKinnon, when they returned to the room.

"Thirty-six it is," she accepted. If the circumstances had not been so serious, the commander would have smiled. She had offered forty-eight on the assumption that Ford would try to get some control over the situation by negotiating the time frame. McKinnon knew that their best hope was that Lucas and Rodriguez would find their own way out of their predicament. They really had no place to start.

*****

Rodriguez woke up slowly to the realization that he was handcuffed to a chair. After Lucas had vomited on Smith the second time, the man had slapped the teenager rather hard and then told Keller to drug both of them. Lucas not answered any of Smith's questions, at least, not with anything that made sense. Ten minutes into the session, the young man had thrown up and Smith had been standing close enough for Lucas to hit the man's shoes. The second time it happened, Rodriguez felt confident Lucas had done so on purpose. They had handcuffed Lucas to a chair as well, but the teenager was still unconscious.

As he watched the boy, Rodriguez tried to understand what was going on. The situation had been carefully orchestrated, but he did not know what Smith hoped to accomplish. What frightened him the most was the sense that Lucas understood what was happening. Smith was obviously into mind games of some sort. If he wanted the entire team, why hadn't he tried to take them at the fire? Nothing connected properly. Rodriguez decided it would help if he could think more clearly. He did not know what they had given him, but it was strong.

*****

"We found little at the site, Ice," Ryan informed McKinnon, when she and the others returned. "No sign of their entrance or exit."

"Figured as much. They knew we would search the scene. You talk to the firemen?"

"They saw nothing unusual, but what did you expect? It was the perfect situation. Plenty of activity and people moving in and out. And we suspect they were drugged. I did find two empty cartridges," Ryan added, holding up a bag. "Thought Einstein might recognize them or we can have them tested. It would explain why we didn't hear anything when they left. Ghost and Slick would not have been able to protest. What have you learned?"

"I think it was a set up from the beginning," McKinnon answered, quickly explaining what had happened while the others had stayed at the scene of the fire.

"Hopefully, Ghost can get them out of there without risking their lives too much," Ryan said, when McKinnon finished. "I'm surprised you got him to agree to thirty-six."

"I think it was more Indy's willingness to go along than anything else"

"I just hope we live up to his faith in us."

"Me too."

"It's not your fault, Ice."

"I know. But it doesn't make me any happier with the situation."

"How are Einstein and Columbus handling it?"

"I finally got them to stop rehashing how they could have reacted faster."

"It's a tough one. They were too far away. If they had been sooner, it could have turned bad very fast."

"I know. They'll feel better when we get them back."

"We all will, Ice."

*****

Lucas opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the darkness. He spotted Rodriguez, sitting across from him. It looked like the other man was unconscious. Doing a quick inventory of their situation, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they had been allowed to keep their shoes on.

Hearing a noise outside the door, the teenager closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. Seconds later, Keller and another man entered the room. Lucas guessed it was one of their other captors, but did not open his eyes to verify his assumptions.

"They're both still out of it," the man said.

"I want to keep it that way," Keller responded. "This should keep them quiet through the night," she added. Lucas forced himself to stay relaxed through the injection, even though his first instinct was to fight it.

*****

"No. I don't recognize it," Karneering told Ryan, when she showed him what they had found on site.

"Well, I don't know if it will do any good, but we'd better send it to the lab."

"That's all you can do."

"Einstein, there's nothing you could have done," Ryan commented quietly.

"If I…"

"The 'what ifs' aren't going to solve this," Ryan informed him. "And it could have turned out worse if you had shown up sooner. We don't know what happened. Trust me, I know how you feel."

"Thanks, Sunshine. Maybe you can go make Columbus feel better about it."

"It's going to work out. Ghost knows how to handle himself and Slick's pretty smart too."

"I know. I still wish it was me."

"Well, it's not. All we can do is focus on finding them."

*****

Lucas waited several long minutes, after Keller and the man left again, before opening his eyes. The drug was strong, but he willed himself to fight the effects. There would be plenty of time for sleep later. Testing his restraints, Lucas breathed another sigh of relief; they were designed to prevent someone from slipping their hand through, but still loose enough around the wrist. All Lucas had to do was get his fingers aligned correctly to slip one off. From there, it would not be too difficult; the designer had always assumed there was no need for safety measures once the handcuffs were on the individual.

Concentrating, with great difficulty, Lucas managed to free his left hand, dislocating his thumb in the process. Reaching for his right hand, Lucas pressed the release mechanism, shaking his head at the ease and freed his other hand.

Rodriguez woke up in time to witness Lucas slipping his thumb back into joint. The sight enough to give him pause for a moment, then he realized that the teenager's hands were no longer restrained. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting us out of here," Lucas replied calmly.

"How did you do that?"

"You don't want to know, Ghost," Lucas answered. "And we really don't have time to talk. They came in and gave us some more drugs. They won't be back for several hours."

"How are we getting out of the room? The door's locked."

"The window's not," Lucas observed, kneeling behind Rodriguez to free his hands. "Franklin apparently hasn't learned anything."

"Who?" Rodriguez queried, trying to turn his head to look at the teenager.

"The doctor," Lucas mumbled, still working.

"You mean Keller?"

"That's what I said."

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea; we do have a lot of drugs in our system," Rodriguez commented. He was not so concerned for himself, but for Lucas. He feared the teenager might not be up to breaking out.

"It's the best time to do something like this. They don't expect it. Besides, Ghost, it's going to take a lot more than they've given us to make me hang around here."

"How high up are we?"

"They were nice enough to put us on the ground floor. I'm surprised Franklin doesn't know any better."

Rodriguez turned to face Lucas, staring into his eyes. He did not like what he saw. Lucas had a far away look, like he was not fully concentrating on the world around him. "What did they give us? Do you know?" he queried.

"Cocktail of some kind."

"Cocktail?"

"Sorry. They gave us more than one type of drug. It tends to leave you more lethargic than if they just use one," Lucas elaborated, moving to the window. "This would be easier with some tools," he mumbled, examining it.

"Should I even ask how you know what you're doing?" Rodriguez asked, unable to comprehend what was going on. His thoughts were too fuzzy to let him do much beyond watch, yet Lucas appeared to be remarkably focused on what he was doing. Rodriguez found the teenager's detachment rather unnerving.

Lucas ignored the question; he was too busy searching for something he could use to pry the screen off. "You'd think they'd be a little more security conscious," he muttered to himself. He finally found something he could use: a metal strip that ran down the side of the window. It was sturdy, but flexible and he was able to get it to break off.

"Be careful," Rodriguez hissed at him. Lucas gazed down at the cut on his hand -the metal had slipped at the last minute-but decided it was not that serious and kept working.

"Slick…." Rodriguez did not like the way this was progressing at all.

"It's nothing. I have enough drugs in me not to care anyway," Lucas remarked. "And this beats having to put my hand through the window," he continued, managing to the get the screen off, "which is why the screen is on the inside," he added. "However, it makes it easier on us, so I can't complain."

"Slick, are you feeling all right?"

"Ghost, I'm fine. Told you the window was unlocked. You want to go first?"

"Sure," Rodriguez agreed, wanting nothing more than to get out of the room and to safety. He looked around the outside, glad to see that they were actually on a street and not away from the city. The building was not in an isolated area; it gave them better protection. If they could get to a main road, they could find a phone and call McKinnon. "There's a little drop," he told Lucas.

Lucas looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay." Rodriguez found the window a tight fit, but managed to get out. He was glad Lucas had a smaller build, so it would easier for the teenager.

Lucas swore a little when he had to put pressure on his hand to hoist himself through the window. He could tell it had started bleeding again, but did not allow himself the luxury of paying too much attention to it. The teenager just kept reminding himself to stay focused on the important details, the primary one being to get away from the place. Lucas recognized that he was about three steps away from losing control and he knew he could not afford to do that just yet. "Let's go. I don't want to be anywhere around here when they do bed check," Lucas encouraged Rodriguez, pulling him forward.

"I'm with you on that one. You would think they would have guards posted," Rodriguez mused.

"Ghost, they gave us enough drugs to sedate an elephant. They did that so they wouldn't have to watch us closely. Neither one of us should be conscious much less functioning."

"Why are we?"

"Adrenaline does funny things; you should know that."

"You're going to explain this to me when I'm sober, I hope," Rodriguez informed him.

"Sure."

*****

McKinnon surveyed the team and wondered if it was time to take a break. They had stopped briefly for dinner, but even that had been a silent affair. Lucas and Rodriguez had now been missing for eight hours and they were no closer to finding them. McKinnon knew if Lucas and Rodriguez managed to escape on their own, it would most likely happen in the first twelve hours, while both still had the energy to do so. Not knowing who had them, or what kind of treatment they were receiving, made it hard to figure out what action the duo might take.

Everyone in the room jumped when McKinnon's pager sounded, breaking the silence. "Maybe it's Kincaid with some news," Ryan speculated hopefully.

"I hope so," Tim sighed. He was worried about them. This was worse than last time. In Tarsinia, they had known where the hostages were located. They had been able to plan a rescue. Right now, it felt like they were not doing much of anything.

Ford nodded his agreement. "We could use some good news," he commented. Like Tim, he found the waiting unbearable. Every time he thought about Lucas being held hostage at some unknown location, he cringed. He knew they were all doing what they could, but it did not seem like enough.

For the first time since it had all started, McKinnon smiled. "They got out on their own," she announced.

"What?!" Ryan exclaimed.

"I don't know anyone else who would page me with 'ET phone home' and an address," McKinnon responded. "Plus, Ghost included the pick up code. Einstein, Indy, Scout and Sunshine, you're with me. The rest of you are going to wait here for us. We will go armed. We have no idea what kind of situation we're walking into or how far they are from where they were held. Our primary concern is to get them out of there safely."

Part 20

"Do you realize that everyone thinks we're drunk?" Rodriguez remarked to Lucas, as they sat on a park bench. Rodriguez was not sure how far they had walked; everything had blurred together. He had wanted to put considerable distance between them and their captors. Lucas seemed to be handling his drugged state much better, which concerned Rodriguez immensely, mainly because he was afraid of the implications.

"Everyone in the park is drunk or stoned," Lucas pointed out. "It makes it perfect for us. We went into a restaurant or something we would stand out."

"True. Why are you so calm about this?"

"It just comes with the territory, I guess."

"Why didn't they disguise Keller? Why introduce her to us?"

"I would have identified her anyway," Lucas answered candidly.

"What do you mean?" Rodriguez found that he was suddenly more alert than he had been in awhile.

"She used to be a receptionist for my doctor," Lucas replied vaguely, trying to cover up his admission. "I only saw her about three times though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. How long do you think it will take for Ice to arrive?"

"I have no idea, Slick. I'm not sure how far away we are from them. They'll take a few minutes to get their gear together."

"Gear?"

"Yeah. You don't think they're going to come down here unprepared, do you? Even though I used the pick up code, Ice will still be cautious."

"Guess that makes sense."

"Let me see your hand," Rodriguez commanded, suddenly remembering Lucas had cut it during their escape. When Lucas proved reluctant to produce it, Rodriguez reached over and grabbed it. "Doesn't look too bad," he commented, examining it. "The bleeding's stopped. Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"I don't suppose Ice is going to let us go to sleep right away," Rodriguez sighed. He knew they would have to answer questions. He just wasn't sure how much good he was going to be when the adrenaline wore off. "Slick, you're not looking so hot," he noted.

"I think I'm going to be sick again," Lucas told him, standing up to find a garbage can. He returned a few minutes later, after stopping by a water fountain.

"You okay?" Rodriguez inquired, hoping McKinnon and the rest arrived soon. Staying focused was becoming increasingly difficult and Rodriguez knew they needed to stay alert.

"Just peachy, Ghost. I've been taken hostage, again. Drugged, given truth serum, threw up twice, drugged again, chained to a chair, drugged yet again, cut my hand escaping and now I've thrown up in a public park where people think I'm drunk!" Lucas recited.

"I see your point. I'm still impressed we were able to get out. That was nice work, Slick," Rodriguez complimented him.

"Fra…" Lucas started, then stopped before he made the mistake again. "Keller underestimated us," Lucas corrected himself. "She didn't think I'd learned anything since she last saw me."

"You want to explain that one?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Explain what? You think they'll be here soon?"

"I hope so." Rodriguez was impressed that ,even heavily medicated, the teenager could change the subject with ease.

*****

"This is the address he gave?" Karneering questioned McKinnon.

"Yes," McKinnon replied, surveying the park. "It makes sense actually. Public place with room to run if necessary."

"You'd think it would be less populated at this hour," Tim commented.

"Not really, Indy. This is apparently where all the drunks and druggies hang out," Ryan noted.

"We're not going to find them standing around. Let's start walking," McKinnon decided. "Just be careful."

*****

"Ghost?"

"Yes, Slick?"

"I'm cold."

"Next time bring a jacket," Rodriguez told him.

"I wasn't planning on hanging out at the park when I left this morning."

"I know. Ice will be here soon," Rodriguez assured him. He was growing more and more concerned about Lucas' reaction to their situation. The teenager seemed too calm, like he was struggling to maintain control. Remembering the young man's panic back with Smith and Keller made Rodriguez believe that Lucas was trying to bury his true feelings about what was going on. "You going to be sick again?" he asked, noticing that Lucas had grown rather pale.

"Don't worry," Lucas reassured him. "CDT always has this affect on me. I'm good for another six or seven hours of this."

"You've had CDT before?" Rodriguez quizzed.

"Excuse me," Lucas mumbled, standing up abruptly.

*****

"I think I see them," Ford said, pointing to a bench away from most of the rest of the park.

"I think you're right. Let's get a little closer and make sure it's them," McKinnon instructed.

"It's them," Ryan confirmed. "I don't think we should sneak up on them. It might make them freak out a little bit."

"That's very true, Sunshine."

*****

"I hope they get here soon," Lucas grumbled. "I really want to take a shower."

"Me too," Rodriguez agreed. "Unfortunately, I don't think Einstein's going to want to let us do that right away. He'll want to check us out, run blood tests…."

"No hospital," Lucas pleaded, cringing at the thought of having to go to a hospital.

"No hospital," Rodriguez promised softly. "I'm not keen on the idea myself, Slick." A high pitched whistle interrupted their conversation. "Ice is here. They must be close by. She didn't want to scare us. I suppose she thinks I'm going to answer her," he mumbled. He gave a half-hearted attempt, lacking sufficient energy to necessary for a full effort.

*****

"Are you two okay?" McKinnon questioned, as soon as they had gathered around Lucas and Rodriguez.

"That depends on your definition of okay," Rodriguez answered. "They pumped us full of drugs."

"What kind of drugs?" Karneering inquired, moving to get a closer look.

"Some kind of cocktail," Lucas replied, getting the same puzzled look from the five as Rodriguez had given him earlier. "A mixture of medications. Most likely sedatives, anti-depressants, sleep enhancers, you know, a little of everything."

Karneering glanced at Rodriguez and raised a questioning eyebrow and received a shrug in response. Rodriguez could tell the doctor had the same concerns he had, but now was not the place to discuss it.

"Oh, and I got a nice healthy dose of CDT," Lucas concluded.

"They figured I'd have tolerance, so they gave it to him," Rodriguez explained.

"Did you…" McKinnon started.

"No. They learned nothing from it. Except not to stand so close to Slick."

"I'm allergic to CDT. It makes me throw up," Lucas elaborated.

"We need to get them checked out," Karneering told McKinnon. "Judging from their eyes, I'd say we're lucky they're able to sit upright and converse in a rational manner."

Lucas moved closer to Rodriguez, not liking what he was hearing.

"You want to take them to a hospital?" McKinnon asked.

"No," Rodriguez interrupted. "You'll have to do it back at home base."

"Ghost…" Karneering started.

"All we need is to have time to let the drugs get out of our systems," Rodriguez argued, feeling Lucas starting to shake next to him. "Ice?"

"It's the doctor's call, Ghost," McKinnon reminded him.

"I think you better make a decision soon," Ford commented, noticing that Lucas had grown visibly paler.

"No hospital," Rodriguez said firmly. He had promised Lucas and he was going to hold to it. The thought of a hospital obviously terrified the teenager and Rodriguez thought Lucas had been traumatized enough for one day.

"Why don't we get you two in the car and discuss this more there," McKinnon suggested.

"We're going to settle it now," Rodriguez informed her. "I'm not moving otherwise."

"Ghost, don't be obstinate," Karneering requested. "It's really the best place for both of you. Think of Slick's health even if you won't think of your own."

"That's precisely why we're not going to the hospital," Rodriguez responded tersely. "In case you haven't noticed, Slick is on the verge of hyperventilating."

"Einstein, I think Ghost may be right," Tim interjected. He had sat down on the other side of Lucas when they arrived. "Every time you say the word, he gets more agitated."

"All right," Karneering conceded. A quick study of the teenager confirmed that he was not looking well at all. There was a panicked expression on his face and it was obvious that something had him frightened. "But I'll have to stop and get some supplies. I didn't exactly come prepared for this kind of emergency."

"Thank you."

"Can you two walk?"

"How do you think we got here?" Rodriguez inquired.

"I'm not real sure," Karneering answered. "But I have a feeling adrenaline played a heavy role."

"And I thought it was fear," Lucas mumbled, letting Tim help him stand up. He was having trouble focusing now.

"What did he do to his hand?" Tim queried, when Lucas winced at his touch.

"Hey, that's right; I cut it," Lucas remarked.

"Let me see," Karneering ordered. "You should have bandaged it."

"There wasn't time and it didn't hurt," Lucas told him.

"Okay," Karneering said. He could not wait to run some blood tests and find out what they had been given. He also had a strong suspicion that both were going to lose all coherence before they ran through the course of the drugs. Right now, they were suppressing the worst effects, but eventually they would emerge. "Scout, I think it might easier if you simply carried him," he recommended.

"Certainly," Ford agreed. He lifted the teenager before Lucas could offer any protest. It was a testament to his weakened state that the boy did not complain. The commander was glad to be able to do something, even if all he could do was carry Lucas. Ford noticed the bruise on Lucas' cheek. "What happened to his face?" he questioned, shifting Lucas so that Karneering could take a look.

"Mr. Smith was not happy when Slick threw up on him," Rodriguez replied.

"I think it was the second time that ticked him off," Lucas remarked.

"It may have been your answer to his last question," Rodriguez told him.

"You could be right," Lucas agreed.

"I think the detailed fashion commentary did him in."

"If he wanted straight answers, he shouldn't have given me drugs."

"This sounds very interesting," Ryan commented. "But we can continue it when we get on the road?"

"Sunshine's right," Karneering chimed in. If Rodriguez was going to be so insistent about not going to a hospital, he wanted to get them back and settled.

*****

"Ice?" Karneering spoke quietly, as they left the park. "You had better ask any questions you have on the way back. They're both fading fast and they're going to go down hard when they have a chance to relax."

"Kind of figured as much," McKinnon remarked. "You really okay with not going to the hospital?"

"I can deal with it, although Ghost better have a good reason for his objections."

*****

"You okay, Ghost?" Ryan asked Rodriguez . She was helping him walk, since he seemed to have trouble traversing in a straight line.

"I'll be all right. Mainly I just need some sleep."

"Just don't fight with Einstein when we get back. You don't want to set a bad example."

"Sure, I do."

*****

"Here, I think they both might need these," Karneering said, passing out blankets.

Tim took one and wrapped it around Lucas, who was sitting next to him. Actually, he was leaning on Tim more than sitting. Rodriguez took his blanket and refused to let anyone help him get settled.

"Sunshine, can you drive?" McKinnon asked. "I need to talk to them while they're still conscious."

"You got it. Einstein, you'll have to tell me where to go."

"I have no idea. Ice?"

"I'll call Kincaid. He'll arrange something for us. Once I get him, you can tell him what you need."

"Good," Karneering responded, knowing that having the admiral take care of arranging supplies would make it much easier.

*****

Minutes later, McKinnon sat down next to Rodriguez , behind Lucas, Tim and Ford. "Okay, I need to ask you guys some questions. I know you're tired, but I can't wait."

"We were held by Mr. Smith and Doctor Keller," Rodriguez told her, anticipating what she wanted. "Smith isn't his real name, but he had ours. They were after Slick. I was just an added bonus."

"Keller was his real name?" McKinnon interrupted.

"She, and yes. Don't have a first name."

"Why would they give you her name?" Ford inquired.

"Vanessa," Lucas interjected, after some thought.

"What?" McKinnon asked, not following his train of thought.

"Her first name."

"Slick has seen Doctor Keller before," Rodriguez explained.

"Really?"

"She was into drugs back then, too. More recreationally though."

"Okay," McKinnon drew the word out and stared at Lucas, wondering if it was just the drugs or something else that was causing him to respond in this manner. "Do you know where you were held?" McKinnon queried, moving on.

"We didn't stop to look at the sign. I got the cross streets and it was an abandoned medical clinic or something. Smelled like a hospital."

"Oh," McKinnon said, understanding. She watched as the word made Lucas tense up and lean into Tim a little more.

Tim just slipped an arm around the teenager to reassure him that he was safe. The lieutenant could feel Lucas shaking and suspected it had nothing to do with the temperature. He wished McKinnon did not have to go through this right now, even though he understood why she was doing it.

"Now you do you understand?" Rodriguez asked McKinnon, who nodded.

"What did they want?" McKinnon continued her questioning.

"To know where the team was."

"Why not take all of us?"

"No idea. There were only five of them: not enough to take all of us peacefully."

"How did you get out?" Tim interrupted. This was what he really wanted to know and he suspected they were all anxious to hear the answer.

"That wasn't my doing. Slick handled most of it," Rodriguez informed them, getting surprised looks from the other three.

"Slick?"

"The restraints they were using don't require a key once you get your hands free. They have a release mechanism. I got my hand free and that was all I needed."

"How did you get your hand free?" Ford quizzed, trying to imagine it.

"It's just a matter of aligning your fingers right, then, with a little maneuvering, they'll slide out," Lucas explained, hoping no one would ask for further details. "Then Fran…" Lucas stopped, trying to remember what he was going to say next.

"They locked the door, but they left the window unlocked," Rodriguez continued for him. "The screen was on the inside; I still don't understand that one. Once it was off, we climbed out. We were on the first floor."

"I explained that to you earlier. It's to prevent people from putting their hands or feet through the windows in order to break out," Lucas reminded him. "Besides, the lock wouldn't have been that big of a problem. It was just a Guardian 656," he continued, oblivious to the looks the others were sending in his direction.

"A Guardian 656?" McKinnon repeated.

"A lower end lock produced by Aegis. One of their earlier efforts. All you need is a screwdriver to take care of it. There was probably something in the room that would have worked. But I assumed that, uh, that uh," Lucas paused a moment, trying to regain his thought, "that Smith and Keller might have actually had someone waiting in the hall. Plus, there would have been other doors and they might have had trickier locks, although I kind of doubt since they were still using Guardians. I would have thought they'd have at least gone to the Sentry series."

Rodriguez looked at McKinnon and shook his head, telling her not to pursue the topic any further. McKinnon nodded in agreement; she did not know what to ask in any case. With a last glance at Lucas, McKinnon continued asking the rest of her questions, sensing that there was more to this story than she was hearing at the moment.

*****

"Ice?" Ryan called out, ten minutes later.

"Yes?"

"We're going to stop so Einstein can get his supplies."

"All right. Einstein, do you need help?" McKinnon inquired.

"Most likely."

"Okay. We'll be back," McKinnon told the others; she wanted a chance to talk to Karneering privately.

*****

"You okay?" Tim questioned Lucas. He already had his own opinion on the subject, but he wanted to hear what Lucas had to say.

"I'll be fine," Lucas assured him. "Just really tired."

"It's been a long day," Tim commented. He glanced at Ford and saw the same disbelief in the commander's eyes that he felt. "We'll be back soon. You can get some rest then."

"Uh huh."

*****

"Well?" McKinnon questioned Karneering, as they walked to the emergency room Kincaid had directed them to.

"I'm not sure, Ice. Rodriguez's reactions are well within normal for someone who has been drugged. Slick's responses are a little off kilter. He's too calm, almost detached, about the whole thing. It's as if he's watching it, instead of experiencing it."

"You did hear the part about the hospital?"

"Yes. Ghost was right. Hospital would be the worst place for him right now."

"They'll be okay?"

"They just need to get the drugs out of their system, and Slick's probably dehydrated if he's been vomiting a lot, which is another reason I need to get better supplies. I'm going to have to put him on an IV. It will help flush his system a little faster, I hope, as well as getting some extra liquid in him throughout the time he's sleeping."

"You putting one in Ghost?"

"Yes."

"He's going to love that. I think I'll let Irish assist with that little chore."

"No, I expect you to be there, bearing all your weight as his commanding officer. I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"Won't the vomiting get rid of the drugs faster?" McKinnon queried, changing subjects as the thought occurred to her.

"Not necessarily. Nausea and vomiting are two of the most common side effects in medicines. Most drugs are designed not to leave the system in that fashion. They absorb into the tissue at a faster rate and you just have to wait for them to wear off. Plus, some medications are time release type drugs. They're formulated to stay with you over several hours. And I sincerely hope someone gets an explanation of Slick's seeming familiarity with the use of multiple drugs on a person."p> "You noticed that too?"

"Yes. It was kind of hard not to."

"There's something else going on," McKinnon sighed.

*****

"Here, I want you to drink a little of this," Karneering told Lucas, handing him a bottle of water. "Not too much or you'll get sick. Same with you," he instructed Rodriguez . McKinnon had taken his place up front, so that the doctor could keep an eye on Lucas and Rodriguez.

Tim took the bottle out of Lucas' hands, since the boy was still shaking. He held it to the teenager's lips, so that he could get a few swallows.

Rodriguez managed on his own, not wanting any aid. He had the feeling that he needed to assert his independence while he could. Rodriguez knew that once they were fully under Karneering's supervision, he would have no choice but to follow orders.

"He was sick again while you were inside," Ford informed Karneering quietly, with a nod in Lucas' direction.

"Thanks for telling me. One of you went with him?"

"I did," Ford admitted. He knew that Lucas had been hugely mortified by his presence, but there had not been much choice. "He doesn't have anything in his stomach."

"Well, I don't imagine they were fed. The drugs tend to have a stronger effect on an empty stomach," Karneering observed. "Don't worry, Scout; he's going to be fine. They both are," he added, noting the concern on the commander's face.

"I know," Ford responded, although he appreciated the doctor's reassurance. As he realized that at some point, he was going to be explaining this to Bridger and Kristin, the commander could not decide which he feared more. Over all, he suspected the captain was going to be the more understanding of the two.

"Slick, I need you to tell me what type of allergy you have to CDT," Karneering requested. "Mild, moderate or severe?"

"Since I'm still breathing, I guess it's moderate," Lucas observed. "They gave me a large dose. It will take six or seven hours total to get out of my system, I think."

"When did you discover your allergy?"

"I was twelve, I think," Lucas answered, trying hard to remember.

"Twelve?" Karneering repeated, realizing that he must have gotten it right after CDT went on the market, which surprised him. "Who gave it to you?"

"A doctor," Lucas replied. He sensed from the expression on Karneering's face that this was not the right answer to have given.

"What kind of doctor?"

"A regular doctor."

"Any particular reason?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't really remember. The whole thing's kind of hazy. It made me rather ill at the time," Lucas answered, vaguely. All he recalled was being sick for several days afterwards and the sense that the doctor had not been pleased with the results. He had just been glad not to take anymore.

Rodriguez decided that Karneering had stayed on the topic longer than necessary for the moment. Lucas was starting to get a faraway look in his eyes again. Shifting his position, Rodriguez kicked the doctor in the leg.

"I'll give you something for the nausea when we get you settled. Just let us know if you need to stop before we get back," Karneering told Lucas, getting Rodriguez's hint.

"Don't worry, Einstein," Rodriguez reassured the doctor. "He seems to only puke on people he doesn't like."

"Thank you for that image," Karneering said, noting that Lucas had smiled at the comment.

"He has pretty could aim, too."

"I don't think they really want to see it, Ghost," Lucas informed him.

"Why not? I had to."

"It didn't kill you."

"And that's reason enough for me to be alone in this experience?"

Tim could feel Lucas starting to relax during the exchange and realized that was what Rodriguez wanted. "It's a sign of your deepening friendship," Tim remarked.

"Thank you for your input, Indy," Rodriguez grumbled.

"It's nice to see that, even in your drug induced states, your personalities don't change all that much," Karneering commented. "And I can't wait to have the two of you in the same room getting medical care."

"Thanks for the reminder, Einstein," Rodriguez complained.

"If you were more careful, you wouldn't need my expertise, would you?"

"I'll keep that in mind the next time someone points a gun at me and tells me I have to come quietly. I'm sure Smith would have let me stay if I had explained I didn't want to need a doctor afterwards."

"I'm sensing some hostility," Tim commented.

"I think he needs a nap," Lucas interjected.

"Like you're the model of alertness right now," Rodriguez retorted. "Face it; Slick, we're both basically stoned out of our minds right now."

"Basically that sums it up," Karneering agreed. The thought of what he was going to face when he started trying to treat both of them made the doctor cringe. Neither one liked needing medical attention.

Karneering had gotten a taste of Lucas' dislike after Tarsinia and he was extremely familiar with Rodriguez 's opinions on doctors and medical care. The thought of dealing with both while under the influence of an unknown spectrum of drugs left the doctor wishing he had chosen another profession.

*****

Adamsen, Chandler, Dawson and Hallowell met them at the door. Ford was carrying Lucas again and Rodriguez had reluctantly consented to letting Karneering assist him in walking. "They all right?" Dawson asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Karneering replied. "Irish, I'm going to need your help," he added.

"Okay. What first?"

"For now, we're going to put them in their room," Karneering decided. "But I think we're going to have to set up one of the larger rooms for their care."

"Pick a room and we'll get bunks moved around," McKinnon instructed.

"Just give me a minute. Irish, you're probably going to have to help them change clothes. They've been heavily drugged and the adrenaline is rapidly wearing off. Indy, why don't you come along for this part?" Karneering suggested. "Medical reasons or not, I'm fairly confident neither one wants Ice involved in this particular part."

"You're probably right," Chandler agreed. The fact that Rodriguez was accepting help told him more than anything else the doctor might have said. He walked over to the man's other side and slipped an arm around Rodriguez so that Karneering could extricate himself. "Come on, Ghost," he prodded. "They must have given you something really powerful."

"Slow down, Irish. I'm already feeling dizzy enough."

"Sorry, Ghost."

"All right, we don't have any hospital gowns, so you'll have to get them into T-shirts and shorts. Give Slick one of Ghost's T-shirts, the looser the better," Karneering instructed Tim and Chandler once they had arrived that the room Lucas and Rodriguez were sharing. "They'll probably be able to manage on their own; just make sure they don't fall over. I'll go pick out a room with more space than this. We're going to need it."

*****

Fifteen minutes later, Karneering had setup a makeshift hospital room in one of the storage areas. He figured the others would be in and out, visiting, over the next day and the doctor wanted to avoid overcrowding. He estimated that it would only take about twenty-four hours to get their systems cleaned out. Karneering also surmised that Lucas and Rodriguez would be quiet for about eight of those hours before both wanted to get out of bed. Rodriguez had already started being difficult.

"Ghost, I just want you to go down the hall," Karneering sighed. Chandler had already moved Lucas, but Rodriguez was arguing with him.

"I told you I would go, but I need to speak to Ice first."

"Why?"

"It's important, Einstein. And I need to talk to her privately," Rodriguez insisted. He had been giving this matter some thought and, having made a decision, he planned on acting on it. "I can't do that if I let you move me and you get that IV started."

"What IV?"

"I'm not stupid, Einstein; I know you're going to start one. I just need to a few minutes with Ice. Then I'll come quietly."

"Okay," Karneering consented. Once Rodriguez set his mind to something, there was no talking him out of it anyway "I'll give you ten minutes. I'll start on Slick in the meantime."

"Trust me; it's worth it."

*****

"What's up?" McKinnon quizzed Rodriguez, entering the room. "Einstein says you're already balking and he hasn't done anything to you yet."

"I need to talk to you before I completely give in to these drugs and can't think straight."

"You're past that, Ghost, but I'm listening."

"You have to call Bridger and get him to come out here."

McKinnon stared at Rodriguez and sat down on the other bed. Of all the things she had expected to come out his mouth, this was not one of them. "Ghost, we're in the middle of a mission…"

"This is important, Ice."

"Why?"

"Our whole captivity was set up to scare the heck out of Slick. It was completely orchestrated. I think it worked better than he wants to let on. He was headed for a full scale panic attack when they brought the CDT out. Afterwards, it was like he was suppressing his reaction: like he knew if he gave into it, he was going to shutdown. If you ask me, Slick is headed for a major emotional meltdown and I don't think we can help even if he would let us."

"You think Bridger is the person that can?"

"Yes. If you try to send Slick back to seaQuest, he won't go. He won't even admit there's a problem. He's going to want to stay and help us figure things out. I don't really blame him. It's his life that someone's messed up. But something has him frightened and it's not going to stay buried forever. You didn't see him, Ice; I did. He was not acting normal."

"I'll figure out something to tell Bridger to get him here," McKinnon promised. The commander had known Rodriguez long enough to trust his judgment. "And Einstein also thinks that his reaction is a little odd, even under the circumstances."

"Thank you. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I just think he's the one person that can get through all the walls Slick has built up."

*****

"You're going to have better luck trying it in my left arm. The veins in the right collapse if you don't get it just right. And I'm not keen on being a pin cushion," Lucas advised Karneering, who was preparing to start an IV on the teenager.

"You want to tell me what vein I should try?" Karneering inquired, with a trace of sarcasm.

"If you're interested," Lucas replied, pointing to a spot above his wrist.

"Why is your thumb swollen?" Chandler asked, noticing that the young man's left thumb was a little puffy.

"It got dislocated."

"We'll get ice on it momentarily," Karneering said, taking a look. He decided that he did not want to know how it had happened, at least not right now. He was not sure he wanted to listen to another one of Lucas' explanations. The doctor found the boy's detached manner extremely unsettling.

"It looks like Ice has corralled Ghost," Chandler commented, as McKinnon entered the room with Rodriguez.

"Good. I was afraid I might have to track him down," Karneering remarked, motioning Rodriguez to take the other bed. "We're almost done, Slick, and then I'll let you get some sleep. The nausea improving any?" he questioned, preparing to slide the needle in.

"Yeah. I don't feel sick any more," Lucas mumbled, tensing, as Karneering stuck him, and forcing himself to relax just as quickly.

"That's what I like to hear. Irish, why don't you let Indy and Scout come in?" Karneering suggested, adjusting the flow of the IV. "I'll have Ice help me with Ghost. And get an ice pack for his hand," he ordered.

"Okay," Chandler agreed.

*****

"I just have one quick question for you before I get started," Karneering informed Rodriguez, once he had made sure Lucas was occupied by Tim and Ford.

"What is it? I'm getting really tired," Rodriguez responded.

"How did he dislocate his thumb?"

"I don't know, Einstein. I woke up just as he was putting it back into joint. I think it played a role in him getting his hand out of the cuffs though."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"I don't think I want to know any more. Okay, I'm going to take some blood, then I'm going to start an IV. It's mainly to help flush out your system and get some fluid and nutrients into you. You've had a lot of drugs put into your body, expended a lot of energy and you haven't had anything to eat in quite some time."

"As long as I can get some sleep, Einstein, I'm not really picky," Rodriguez said, tiredly.

"I need to find out what they gave you," Karneering teased, lightly. "This is the most cooperative you've been in ages."

*****

"You doing all right?" Tim asked Lucas. He hated seeing the boy lying on the bed, looking so pale and vulnerable.

"I'll be fine, really," Lucas reassured him. "Einstein gave me something to stop throwing up, which was the worst part. Right now, all I need is some sleep."

"Then stop talking to us and rest," Ford instructed him with a smile. Like Tim, he found it hard to see Lucas like this. Ford could not remember seeing the teenager this subdued, except for the one visit he had paid him when he was in the hospital in Hawaii.

"Tell Ghost, thanks," Lucas mumbled, sleepily. He could tell the drugs were about overtake him completely.

"We will," Tim promised, hoping Rodriguez understood what he meant.

*****

"Is he asleep?" Karneering asked Tim, who had walked over to relay Lucas' message to Rodriguez .

"Yes," Tim answered.

"Good. I suggest you and Scout do the same. He should be out of it for several hours and I'll need you both when he's bugging me to get out of bed."

"Okay. Ghost? He said to tell you 'thanks'," Tim reported to Rodriguez, who also looked on the verge of sleep.

Rodriguez nodded his head. "I promised him we wouldn't have to go to the hospital," he explained.

"Oh. I'll let you get some rest," Tim added, walking away. He could tell Rodriguez was not going to be awake much longer.

"Listen to him, Ghost," Karneering recommended. "Stop fighting it and let yourself sleep."

"You'll call?" Rodriguez prompted McKinnon.

"As soon as it's a reasonable hour. We don't want to create a panic," she agreed. "Now be a good patient and listen to your doctor."

*****

"What was he talking about?" Karneering asked, following McKinnon out into the hall after Rodriguez had fallen asleep.

"I'm going to get Bridger to come out and pay us a visit."

"How come?"

"Ghost thinks that Slick's headed for some tough times that we can't handle. According to him, everything about their kidnapping was done in order to make Slick panic and it worked pretty well up to a point. Then, all of the sudden, Slick basically shutdown and detached himself from everything that was happening. From what I've seen, I think he's right. We don't know him well enough for him to really trust us," McKinnon responded.

"What about sending him back?"

"Do you honestly think he'd agree?"

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking. He's not the type to just walk away from this."

"And it's safe to say none of us would act any differently."

"True. I really wish he had not played with his file. I'd like to know a lot more about why any doctor was administering CDT to a twelve-year-old."

"I didn't think that was normal."

"No. And, from Slick's age, the drug would have been new on the market. I just don't understand it myself."

"So I assume you're not going to take the advice you're foisting on the rest of us," McKinnon commented.

"Which advice is that?"

"About getting some rest."

"I have two patients with unknown drugs in their systems. They both may have reactions later. I'm going to keep an eye on them and make sure there's no trouble. I don't think they should be left unattended."

"After I check in with Kincaid, I'll join you."

"Ice…"

"You can't do it alone," McKinnon argued.

"Neither can you," Ryan interjected. "Columbus and I will sit up with Einstein You will get some sleep. In a few hours, you, Indy and Casanova can take over for us. Irish, Scout and Brook will take the next turn. We're a team. Isn't it amazing what can be accomplished when we work together?"

"You're as bad as Ghost when you get the chance," McKinnon grumbled.

"Sunshine's right. And you want to be alert for your call a little later," Karneering reminded McKinnon.

"All right, all right. I'm not going to argue with you."

"That's a first. We had better write it down," Karneering joked.

"Careful, Einstein. I've had a long day."

Part 21

Three hours later, after a quick check to make sure his patients were still resting comfortably, Karneering was more than willing to relinquish his duties to McKinnon. The commander looked remarkably refreshed for three hours of sleep. Karneering knew that she would stay up the rest of the day too. Given the unusual circumstances of the previous day, and the fact that Lucas and Rodriguez were under medical care, she would alter the work schedule. He knew that Kincaid had people working on the information McKinnon had gotten from Lucas and Rodriguez, but McKinnon would not leave it idle on their end for long. He expected that the rest of the team would be the same way. He fully anticipated that Ryan would be up and working in a few hours. The doctor refused to admit that he would be no different.

*****

The yelling woke Rodriguez up, although it took him longer than normal. Gathering the energy to roll over on to his side, he could see that Lucas was thrashing around on the other bed. Tim, McKinnon and Dawson were trying to hold him down, mainly out of fear he was going to hurt himself. It was obvious they were not having much luck. "Indy, get behind him and grab him that way," Rodriguez directed, already calculating how much trouble he would be in if he got out of bed. Since getting out bed meant disconnecting his IV, he decided to wait for a few minutes. He really did not want to face Karneering's wrath if he did such a thing without good reason.

Tim managed to pin Lucas' arms, following Rodriguez's instructions. He had never realized the teenager was so strong. Unfortunately, the action only seemed to galvanize the young man's response.

Lucas struggled against the weight that held him down, still kicking wildly and trying to escape. He tried to catch his breath, but found it difficult. He heard someone swear as his teeth sunk into something solid. This was one battle he intended to win. They were hurting him and he planned to stop it.

"Casanova, go get Einstein!" McKinnon ordered, sharply. "Lucas!" she shouted at the boy, hoping to penetrate whatever dream he was having. However, it did not work and he only fought harder, barely missing her with his feet.

Rodriguez desperately wanted to help, but knew that he was still too out of it to be much use. However, it was difficult to lie there and watch the teenager flailing about the bed, very close to hysterics and nothing Tim or McKinnon said seemed to be helping things. Every once in awhile, Lucas yelled at them to stop, but mainly he just screamed and tried to get out of their grasp. Periodically he said someone's name, which Rodriguez filed away to ask him about later.

Unable to distinguish reality from his nightmare, Lucas was in a full scale panic. All he knew was that they were preventing his escape. Rational thought had fled with the dream and he did not recognize that they were trying to help. He could hear them calling his name, but he knew it was just a trick to get him to calm down. If he relaxed his guard, that's when they would get him. He had to keep fighting for as long as he could.

Karneering surveyed the situation and shook his head. The first thing the doctor noticed was that the teenager had pulled his IV out, rather violently from the looks of it. Nothing seemed to be penetrating enough to wake him up. He figured he had two options and he was not keen on the idea of giving Lucas a sedative on top of whatever else that might be in his body.

"Give me a minute," he told Tim and McKinnon. He returned seconds later. "Ice, move out of the way. Indy, I'm sorry," he apologized. Once McKinnon was clear, Karneering threw cold water on Lucas, figuring the shock would bring the boy out of the nightmare. He wasn't sure who yelled louder, Lucas or Tim. "Sorry," he repeated, lifting Lucas out of the bed.

"Indy, go dry off. Ice, you and Casanova can change the bed, while I help Slick with dry clothes," he barked out the orders, not giving anyone a chance to respond. Lucas was already shaking. Karneering was not sure how much was the dream and how much was the drenching in cold water. The doctor just knew he needed to get Lucas dry and warm. They could deal with the cause in a moment.

*****

"What happened?" Ford asked Tim, waking up as Tim entered.

"Lucas freaked out. He was having a bad dream or something. He ripped his IV out and started trying to leave. He wasn't hearing anything we said, so Einstein threw cold water on him. Unfortunately, he got me too," Tim replied, grabbing dry clothes.

"Lucas all right?"

"I'm going to go back once I change. He was pretty hysterical," Tim admitted. "He bit me when I was trying to keep him from hitting Ice."

"He bit you?"

"I don't think he realized it was me. He just wanted to get away."

*****

"Let him sit over here," Rodriguez requested, sitting up carefully. Karneering had been looking for a place to have Lucas wait while McKinnon and Dawson were still changing the bed. Since Karneering had soaked the mattress, they had to find a new one. Rodriguez figured he could handle trying to talk to the teenager, even though he still felt the effects of the drugs. He was particularly concerned because Lucas had not spoken since Karneering had pulled him out of the nightmare. Instead, he had quietly let Karneering help him into dry clothes. "You'd better check Indy," he advised Karneering.

"Oh?"

"Slick bit him," Rodriguez informed the doctor. Lucas blushed when he heard that, but still didn't speak.

"Okay. Just let me look at your arm," Karneering told Lucas, setting him on the bed, so that he was sitting next to Rodriguez, who slipped his arm around the young man's shoulders. The doctor did not like the fact that the teenager still hadn't caught his breath, his pulse was racing and drying him off had not done anything to decrease the shivering. Karneering hoped Rodriguez might be able to calm him down. "We won't be able to restart on this one," he commented, looking at Lucas' wrist where the IV had been. It was already bruising from the abrupt removal of the IV. It had been done with such force that it had been bleeding, although that appeared to have stopped. However, Karneering gently bandaged it to be on the safe side. "Okay, I'm going to check on Indy. You take it easy," he admonished Rodriguez.

"We're just going to sit here," Rodriguez assured him. "When you come back, they should be done with the bed and you can set him settled."

"Maybe you could have a little talk while you sit," Karneering whispered in Rodriguez 's ear.

"I'm going to try," Rodriguez commented. He knew it was likely that likely Lucas would not tell him anything. "You want to tell me what that was all about?" he questioned Lucas, after Karneering had walked away.

"I was having a dream," Lucas mumbled.

"I figured that part out," Rodriguez told him. "What were you dreaming about?"

"I wanted to leave and they wouldn't let me."

"Who wouldn't let you?" Rodriguez prompted.

"I'm not sure," Lucas hesitated, thinking. He did not know what to tell Rodriguez. Telling him the whole story was not an option he even considered.

"Who's Christian?" Rodriguez asked, remembering the name Lucas had yelled several times.

"What?" Lucas queried, trying to keep his voice even and failing. He had not remembered calling Christian's name. He wondered what else he had said, but he did not want to ask. If he could convince the other man he could not recall all the details, maybe Rodriguez would stop asking questions.

"You yelled the name when you were dreaming," Rodriguez explained, feeling how rigid the teenager had gone. He sensed the young man was stalling for time, but had no basis for feeling that way. "Okay, take it easy, Slick," he murmured, hearing Lucas' breathing become agitated again. "It's okay now. Where were you trying to leave from?" he inquired, trying another tack.

"My room," Lucas answered, trying to figure out a way out of this. There was no way he was going to admit what the dream was about. Rodriguez would never understand: none of them would.

"All right, Slick. You gave us a pretty good scare," Rodriguez told him, recognizing that the conversation was just making the teenager more upset. Since he wanted to get him calmed down, Rodriguez gave up on trying to get answers. The more he heard, the more he suspected he knew the problem.

"I didn't mean to."

"I know; no one blames you, Slick. You were just having a bad dream." Rodriguez was slowly coming to the realization that Lucas was afraid to tell him about the dream. He wished he could convince the teenager that he wanted to know the truth; however, Rodriguez understood this was not the best time to push. Lucas was still under the effects of the drugs; they both were. Pushing him now, when he was vulnerable, would be unfair. Rodriguez shook his head and tried to figure out what to do next.

*****

"What happened?" Karneering asked Tim and McKinnon, getting them both in the hall, so he could talk to them.

"One minute he was sleeping, the next, he wanted to leave," McKinnon responded.

"And he was determined not to let us get in the way. He had the IV out before we realized what was happening," Tim added.

"Indy, I normally wouldn't ask this," Karneering started, "but is there anything that you know that might explain this reaction?"

"No. I wish I could help you, Einstein, but I can't imagine what might have provoked it." Tim sighed. "Lucas doesn't like to talk about himself much. Most of what I know comes from casual remarks he's made. If you press for details, he backs off. He can change the subject before you realize he's done it."

"Could it be the drugs?" McKinnon questioned. "Creating some kind of reaction?"

"It could be. I'll know more when I get the results back on the samples that Casanova and Brook took to the lab for me."

McKinnon could tell from the tone of the doctor's voice that Karneering believed there was something more to the nightmare than a drug reaction. "What now?"

"Now we get him back in bed and hope this doesn't happen again. How's the arm, Indy?"

"It's all right," Tim replied, showing it to him. "He didn't break the skin. Not for lack of trying."

"Ghost said he knew how to fight dirty," McKinnon remarked, without thinking.

"What?" Karneering quizzed.

"The other night he had a nightmare. It wasn't as bad as this one, but he was fighting with Ghost. I startled him by yelling his name and got him to wake up."

"You know what he was dreaming about?"

"No. I don't think Ghost got it out of him either."

"Well, I left him sitting with Ghost. Hopefully, he's calmed down some."

"Why did you throw water on him?" Tim asked.

"Because I had to get him out of the dream. Under normal circumstances, I would have given him a sedative. However, with all the drugs in his system, adding to the combination wouldn't have been wise. I wouldn't have given him the anti-nausea medication earlier if I hadn't felt that the continued vomiting was doing more harm than additional medicine. If I had let you get out of the way, it's likely he would have hurt himself."

"That's all right. I don't mind getting a little wet for a good cause."

*****

"You don't have to be scared, Slick," Rodriguez told the teenager. He didn't know how else to help him, so he thought he might try to reassure him. "We're here together and we're safe. You know I'm not going to let anything happen to you. If you relax and go back to sleep, nothing's going to happen. The whole team is in the building protecting us. I promise. And I kept my last promise, didn't I?" Lucas nodded his head. "Then just trust me on this."

"All right, guys, I want to get Slick back in bed and get the IV restarted," Karneering said, joining them.

Lucas stiffened up again. He didn't want the IV started again: that meant he had to stay in bed. He did not like being confined.

Rodriguez figured it was something in Karneering's statement that produced the tension. He looked at the doctor. "Give me a few more minutes," he mouthed to him. Karneering nodded and walked over to Lucas' bed, to make sure everything was setup properly. "Slick? He needs the IV because he's concerned about you being dehydrated. He's not putting anything in you that's going to hurt you. Einstein wouldn't drug you. He just wants to help get all the drugs out of your system," Rodriguez explained softly. "Einstein's only trying to help. Why don't you let him?"

"Can't move," Lucas confessed, assuming Rodriguez would know what he meant.

"Right now, you don't need to move. You just need to sleep."

"Don't want to sleep," Lucas mumbled, shuddering. He knew if he went to sleep, he would dream again. The last thing he wanted to do was dream again.

"You're afraid you'll have another dream," Rodriguez stated. "Slick, it's okay. Indy will sit with you until you fall asleep. I would, but Einstein thinks I need to stay in bed. But I'm here in the room with you. Nothing's going to hurt you anymore: not right now," Rodriguez assured him, hoping he was telling the truth. "There will always be one of us sitting by your bed, so nothing can happen. Trust me? Good. You ready to let Einstein get you settled again?"

"I guess," Lucas said, uncertainly. "Thank you."

"Any time, Slick. You know that." Rodriguez motioned Karneering to come back over. "Okay, he's all yours."

"You better lie back down and get some sleep, Ghost," Karneering instructed, as he picked up Lucas. He knew the teenager was capable of walking, but the doctor didn't figure it hurt the boy any to be carried. Plus, it made him feel better.

Karneering wanted nothing more than to understand what had happened. He felt a sense of guilt that he had been gone when the teenager had panicked. The doctor knew he wasn't thinking logically, but he often got emotionally involved with his patients. In this case, Karneering knew that Lucas held the key to comprehending what had happened and something had made him too scared to tell them..

"That was on my agenda," Rodriguez informed him, waving Tim over. He wanted a few words with the lieutenant. Like Karneering, he felt guilty at not being able to do more. Even though he understood now was not the right time to coerce Lucas into talking, he still felt like he had let the teenager down.

*****

"Ice, do you want to help me?" Karneering questioned; he was getting ready to restart Lucas' IV.

" Are you sure you really want me to answer that honestly?" McKinnon retorted, walking over.

"No. It was more of a rhetorical question than anything else," Karneering informed her. "Don't worry; I won't let her stick you. She's not very good," he whispered to Lucas conspiratorially.

*****

"I told Slick you'd sit with him until he went to sleep," Rodriguez told Tim. "He's afraid he'll dream again. He didn't come out and say it, of course."

"I was planning on it anyway," Tim assured him.

"I thought so. I didn't think Einstein would be too keen on the idea of me doing it."

"I think you're right about that. You are not exactly in top form. In fact, you should get some sleep yourself, Ghost. You look ready to drop off any second," Tim pointed out.

"Just make sure someone stays with him."

"Don't worry, Ghost. We'll take care of him."

"I know you will. I can't help it; he brings it out in me," Rodriguez said with a yawn. While his mind no longer felt as cloudy as it had earlier, he was still tired.

"Go to sleep, Ghost," Tim ordered.

*****

"Sorry," Karneering apologized to Lucas, after failing to hit the vein a second time.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to disparage my efforts," McKinnon teased.

"It's okay," Lucas reassured the doctor. "I'm used to it."

"Really?" Karneering prompted, curious to see if the teenager would reveal any information.

"Yeah. I once had a doctor miss seven times, before he hit one."

"I would have stopped him after three," Karneering commented. "If I don't hit it this time, I'm going to get Irish and have him try. He's usually pretty good."

"I didn't have a choice," Lucas mumbled. He was getting sleepy again. He gripped McKinnon's hand tightly as Karneering poked the needle into his skin for a third attempt.

"All right, I got it. Try to keep this one in," Karneering instructed.

Tim walked over and took McKinnon's place, holding Lucas' hand and giving the teenager a smile. "Just go to sleep. I'll be right here," he promised softly.

Lucas nodded his head tiredly and closed his eyes. "Thanks," he murmured. However, the teenager did not go to sleep right away. He had learned a long time ago how to feign sleep with a high degree of success. No one bothered him if they thought he was sleeping.

Instead, he lay there thinking. As much as Lucas wanted to believe there would be no more questions, he knew they would ask. If Rodriguez did not ask, then McKinnon surely would. The very fact he had known Keller was going to mean more queries. The teenager also knew he was reaching the point where he would have to tell them the truth or lie. He was not sure he could come up with a convincing story without making it a complete fabrication.

The idea of telling them the truth terrorized him. He had spent the last couple of years trying to forget; now someone was forcing him to remember every detail. Lucas did not know how much more he could take. If he lost control, they might… He forced himself to forget that thought and move on to something else. The boy was so tired that he could not concentrate.

Finally, he gave up on finding a plausible story and let himself go to sleep, where no one could bother him, as long as the dreams stayed away. As if he could hear his thoughts, Tim chose that moment to give his hand a reassuring squeeze, and Lucas let himself succumb to the sleep his body desperately wanted.

*****

"Go ahead and do whatever you need to do, Ice," Karneering offered McKinnon. "I think I'll stay for awhile: make sure he's going to stay down for now. I'm really impressed Ghost didn't try to get involved."

"I think he decided you had enough to handle without him pulling out his IV too. If you're going to stay, I'm going to pull Irish to help us out. If Indy stays, send Brook along. I want to see what we can find out. Kincaid sent a preliminary team to check out the building where they were held and it was clean. However, Sunshine, Casanova, and Columbus are going to go check it out when they're up. I'm hoping they can find out what the connection to everything else is," McKinnon told him.

"If Scout wants to help, do you want him too?" Karneering inquired.

"Sure."

"I don't see him being real comfortable in this type of situation. He's not a real emotional guy. It's a different brand than Slick's. I think Scout's uncomfortable being around emotions as opposed to suppressing them. I can see him being more interested in working on the investigation," Karneering explained. "I can always call you if we need help."

"Okay. I still have to call Bridger. However, I think I'll wait a bit longer. A call at oh-five-hundred is not often good news," McKinnon sighed.

"What are you going to tell him?"

"I'm working on that."

"Good luck. You going to tell Indy and Scout before or after?"

"After. It'll be much easier to lie to the man if they don't know."

"Lie?"

"That's what it amounts to. I can't exactly call him and say 'I managed to get one of your crew held hostage again. Can you come help him through his emotional trauma? Please don't tell anyone else.' I just don't see it working well."

"I see your point."

"If I tell him that, we'll have half the ship here. And quite frankly, I don't think I want to face that doctor again. Not unless I can give her Slick in top condition."

"I would have to agree with you on that one."

"As his current physician, I thought you might."

*****

Ford entered the room and approached Tim, who was still sitting by Lucas' bedside, not doing much of anything, but staring into space. "How is he?" Ford inquired quietly.

"He seems to be sleeping pretty well now," Tim replied, looking down at the teenager. "Einstein said if you wanted to go help the others with the investigation, you can."

"What about Lucas?" Ford asked. He preferred the idea of doing something to sitting around, but, if the teenager needed someone there, Ford was not going to desert him.

"I'll stay with him," Tim answered. He had discovered about thirty minutes ago that the minute he let go of Lucas' hand, the boy grew restless. The lieutenant knew that Ford cared about Lucas, but he could not envision the commander sitting there holding Lucas' hand while he slept. This was something Tim could do for his friend and Ford could help the others just as well, if not better than he could. "Besides, you don't want to be here when both of them," he added, with a nod towards Rodriguez 's bed, "wake up. It's probably not going to be pretty."

Ford thought for a moment. "You're probably right," he agreed. "I'll come back later, so you can take a break."

"That's fine."

*****

Ford found Ryan, Chandler and Dawson in the main room. "What can I do to help?" he asked.

"Ice said she had to make a call and will be in when she's done," Ryan answered. "For now, we're going to see what we can find out about Keller. Casanova, Columbus and I are going to go out to the building where Ghost and Slick were held. We don't really expect to find anything, but we can't afford to overlook it. You, Brook and Irish can concentrate on the computer searches. We want to see if Ramsey has any ties to Keller, directly or indirectly, or any kind of connection with the people we've already encountered. When Ghost and Slick are a little more alert, Ice will question them again. But, for now, we're going with what we already know and what they gave us when we picked them up."

"All right. Sounds like the way to go," Ford agreed.

*****

McKinnon waited for Bridger to appear, hoping that inspiration struck soon. This was one of those times when she did not like her job. However, she felt that she had no choice but to deceive the Captain until his arrival. She could not afford to have all of the seaQuest crew present. It would make it difficult to maintain security. It would also cause trouble with their current investigation. The kidnapping of Lucas and Rodriguez just made her more determined to find the person responsible for setting up Lucas and Tim, and to figure out the motivation behind it.

"Commander McKinnon," Bridger greeted her, forcing himself to remain calm. He kept telling himself that, if it were bad news, Kincaid would have called.

"I find that I'm in need of your assistance, Captain," McKinnon began, a story forming as she spoke.

"What can I do for you?" Bridger asked, surprised.

"I need you to come meet with us."

"What?!" Bridger exclaimed.

"We are getting ready to discuss the investigation of Wolenczak and O'Neil with the police inspectors," McKinnon explained quickly, not wanting to give Bridger a chance to interrupt. "It has suddenly occurred to me that Wolenczak is a minor, which means that he should be represented by a responsible adult during his interrogation. Since OID is performing its own investigation, I think the police might feel that I have an ulterior motive in attending the questioning."

"OID? And what about Commander Ford?"

"Outrigger Investigative Division. It's a specialized branch of our organization that looks into alleged criminal misconduct by unit members. In this case, they're trying to prove that the fingerprints are a coincidence. As for Commander Ford, I'm sure he would be willing to stand in for Wolenczak."

"But…" Bridger prompted.

"Wolenczak is being interrogated for being linked to a robbery which resulted in a murder. Commander Ford is a very capable officer; however, I do not think Wolenczak would find him the most comforting person to be with during an interrogation."

"Does Lucas know you've called me?" Bridger queried.

"No," McKinnon replied honestly. "If I had asked him, he would have told me not to bother you; that Commander Ford would be suitable."

Bridger nodded his head. It sounded like something Lucas would say if consulted. "When do you need me?"

"We'd like to get the matter cleared up as soon as possible."

"Let me make some arrangements and I'll let you know when I'll be arriving. You'll have to tell me where you are."

"I'll pick you up when you dock, Captain," McKinnon informed him. The trip back would give her a chance to explain her duplicity. "For security reasons, I'm afraid you'll have to stay with us. We are still engaged in a mission."

"That's acceptable," Bridger responded. He had a feeling he had missed something during their conversation. However, he welcomed the chance to get to the bottom of this investigation. Plus, there was no way he was going to let Lucas go through questioning alone: not if he could be there. Although he had not said anything, he had to agree with McKinnon's assessment of Ford. Comforting a teenager through an interrogation was not the commander's forte. "How can I contact you?" he inquired. "I've only communicated with Kincaid so far. I don't have a number for you."

"Just ask Admiral Kincaid to page me and I'll get back to you."

"Very well."

*****

Finishing her call with Bridger, McKinnon went to find Tim and Ford, since she figured she should tell them before the captain arrived. "Hey, Ice, we're going to be leaving soon," Ryan told her, when McKinnon entered the work room.

"All right. First, I need to borrow you and Scout," McKinnon spoke.

"You're the boss."

"What's going on?" Ford asked, following her out of the room.

"I'll explain. Sunshine, can you take Indy's place?" McKinnon requested. "I need to talk to him and Scout."

"No problem," Ryan assured her. She had already heard about Lucas' nightmare and understood McKinnon's caution. Ryan knew Lucas almost as well as Rodriguez, so she was a better choice than one of the others.

*****

Tim looked up as Ryan entered and spoke first with Karneering. "What's going on?"

"Ice wants to talk to you and Scout, so I'm going to sit with Slick while you chat," Ryan explained. "Anything special?"

"He's likes to hold your hand. He gets agitated if you don't," Tim advised her. As if on cue, when he let go of the teenager's hand, Lucas shifted restlessly and let out a little whimper.

"I can handle that," Ryan reassured him, taking the boy's hand. "Go ahead. We're not going any where."

"Thanks."

*****

"Is something wrong?" Tim asked McKinnon, joining her and Ford.

"No. I just thought I should let you both know that Captain Bridger is going to be joining us in the near future," McKinnon replied calmly. The expression of shock on Ford's face was worth not telling him sooner.

"Why?" Tim inquired, finding his voice first.

"Ghost wanted me to."

"Could give us some more details?" Ford questioned.

"Ghost is concerned about Slick's mental state. He believes that the entire setup of their kidnapping was designed to scare Slick and that it worked fairly well. You all heard him when we picked them up. He was completely distancing himself from the situation."

"He wasn't normal," Tim agreed. "And I don't think he told Ghost what had him so freaked out when he was dreaming."

"Eventually, Slick's going to have to give us a full explanation as to how he knows Keller and why she and Smith setup the situation like they did. We need the answers. Someone's going to have to push to get them and I don't think any of us here are the best people to accomplish it. I don't want to hurt Slick, so I need someone here that he trusts. I know the two of you care about him, but I think this goes beyond the friendship that you have with him."

"Bridger can usually get him to talk," Tim admitted.

"It's fairly obvious that Slick has some things in his past that he would rather forget about," McKinnon commented, remembering what he had told her before. "Unfortunately, someone's decided to make it their business as well. We can't afford to wait for him to be ready to talk."

"You'd be waiting a long time," Ford remarked.

"Probably. So I want to make it the best possible situation for him that I can."

"Isn't any of this in his file?" Ford queried. "Like his allergy to CDT. That should be available to anyone treating him. And the circumstances surrounding that should be documented."

"Most files are incomplete," McKinnon evaded. She had a feeling she was going to have to tell Bridger about the altered file; however, there was no need for her to tell Tim or Ford. "There's one other thing," she added.

"What?"

"I had to lie to him to get him here."

"Why?" Tim questioned, already contemplating Bridger's reaction to that.

"I was afraid that, if I told him the truth, I'd end up with half your boat on my doorstep. We still have a mission to complete and I need to keep focused on that, which is why I called him before telling the two of you. I'll make sure that he knows you were unaware of my plan. I don't want either one of you getting in trouble for it."

"I think, once you explain, Captain Bridger will understand," Tim commented. "Lucas is important to him."

"I know."

"What are you going to tell Lucas?" Ford queried, curious. "You can't exactly tell him that Bridger is coming because Ghost thinks he's heading for emotional problems," he pointed out.

McKinnon did not acknowledge that Ford had used the nickname without thinking, which was a step in the right direction in her opinion. "I think I'll let Ghost handle that one."

*****

"So, they're allowing you to go and help?" Kristin asked Bridger, who had just explained he would be leaving seaQuest for a little while.

"Yes. Apparently Commander McKinnon thinks Lucas needs a more comforting presence than Commander Ford," Bridger responded. Making arrangements had gone more smoothly than he had expected. Although, once he realized that McKinnon must have contacted Kincaid, Bridger had understood why no one raised any objections. Kincaid was well respected and few people wanted to go against him. Plus, seaQuest was not involved in anything that Lieutenant Commander Hitchcock could not handle.

"I can't imagine why," Kristin remarked dryly. She and Ford maintained an uneasy truce; he was far too military for her tastes. The doctor definitely could not envision the commander giving Lucas the kind of emotional support he needed, particularly since, with Lucas, one had to read the signs and figure out what the teenager wanted or needed. Kristin had grown accustomed to reading between the lines, although she still found it difficult at times.

"I'll be interested to see how the commander likes working with the Outriggers," Bridger commented.

"I'm sure it's been an interesting experience for him. I just hope they're all right," Kristin told him.

She worried about both Lucas and Tim, especially after their previous time with the Outriggers. What troubled her the most was what worried all their friends. The two had enjoyed working with the unit; they genuinely liked the team members. The duo had been injured in the process of assisting the team, but it hadn't dimmed their enthusiasm for the unit. The thought of either one coming to further harm scared her. "I certainly think your presence will be beneficial."

"I hope so," Bridger agreed.

*****

Rodriguez woke up slowly, glad to realize that, this time, his head was clear. He no longer felt like he was under the influence of the drugs. He glanced over and saw Ryan sitting with Lucas, who appeared to still be sleeping. Rodriguez was not surprised. He suspected they had been given the same dosage of medications and the teenager was much smaller than he was, so it would take more time for the drugs to leave his system. "Where's Indy?" he asked, startling Ryan, who thought he was still asleep.

"Ice wanted to talk to him and Scout, so I'm filling in," Ryan answered. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. What do you think the odds are that Einstein will let me get up?" he inquired.

"Slim to none," Karneering replied, entering as Rodriguez asked his question.

"Figures," Rodriguez grumbled.

"Slick was correct. I got the lab results. The two of you were given six different drugs: seven for Slick, when you add the CDT in," Karneering reported. "I'm keeping you here until tomorrow morning. Don't argue with me, Ghost. I'm not in the mood."

Rodriguez looked at him. "Don't I get points for staying put when Slick was freaking out?" he negotiated.

"At the end of your stay, I'll take it under advisement," Karneering replied, coming over to do a quick examination.

"Be nice to Einstein, Ghost," Ryan instructed. "Besides, you should set a good example for Slick."

"I'm not the one that tried to check myself out," Rodriguez protested.

"I can give you a sedative if that will help," Karneering offered.

"That's not funny, Einstein."

"That's good. I wasn't joking."

"Uh, do you guys think you could move on to another topic?" Ryan questioned. "Like the weather?" she suggested.

"Why?" Karneering inquired, turning to face Ryan.

"Because Slick doesn't seem to like your current one," Ryan responded absently, concentrating on Lucas. The young man had tensed up, though he remained asleep, as soon as Karneering had started talking about the lab report. She was glad to see Tim come back into the room. "Indy's back now," she whispered to Lucas. "He'll make sure those two behave," she added softly, glaring at Rodriguez and Karneering.

"Everything all right?" Tim asked, anxiously.

"Yeah. He's been pretty quiet. They started a conversation that he didn't care for though," Ryan said, giving a nod at Rodriguez and Karneering. "I'll see you guys later," she called out as she left.

"Where are you going?" Rodriguez queried.

"Out," she answered, sending a look in Lucas' direction.

"Come see me when you get back," Rodriguez requested. Karneering might not let him out of bed, but he could have visitors.

"It's going to be a long day," Karneering sighed.

"Can I least get rid of this?" Rodriguez questioned, pointing to his IV.

"Maybe later. For now, I think we'll leave it there," Karneering replied. "I'm going to go check on Slick. Looks like Ice is here to visit."

"Good. I'm bored."

"You've only been awake fifteen minutes."

"So, I'm fast."

"Why me?" Karneering asked no one in particular. "What did I do to deserve this?"

*****

"I don't think you should answer that," McKinnon told Rodriguez, who had opened his mouth. "Besides, I have a project that should occupy your mind."

"What?" Rodriguez asked, feeling a certain amount of trepidation at the bemused expression on McKinnon's face.

"Well, I spoke with Bridger and told him he needed to come here. Now you have to think of something to tell Slick."

"Why?"

"What do you think is going to happen if we tell him that you thought Bridger should be here because you think that he's headed for some kind of emotional meltdown?"

"I see your point. He'll have his walls up so fast we won't have time to see them coming."

"Right. Actually, it was Scout who brought this question to my attention."

"Then why isn't he figuring out the answer?"

"I'm not sure that stretching the truth is really his area of expertise."

"Are you saying that it's mine?" Rodriguez challenged.

"Do you want me recite the list chronologically or alphabetically?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's see. There was: 'it's just a sprain, Ice. I can walk, no problem'," McKinnon mimicked. "And that was…what was it again? A compound fracture?"

"Ice…" Rodriguez warned.

"I can go on," McKinnon reminded him.

"Yes, like you're the poster child for veracity," Rodriguez retorted. "You're the one that completed the mission profile after getting shot."

"That was different."

"Sure it was, Ice."

*****

"He'll probably sleep a couple more hours before he wakes up," Karneering informed Tim, ignoring the ongoing conversation between McKinnon and Rodriguez. "He was exhausted before being taken hostage. His body's taking the opportunity to catch up on its rest," Karneering continued, addressing Tim's worries without the lieutenant having to ask. "It's the best thing for him right now."

"Thanks," Tim answered.

"He'll wake up when he's ready. Just make sure you don't exhaust yourself sitting here all day," Karneering admonished.

"I won't," Tim promised.

"I'll be keeping my eye on you," Karneering warned. "I remember you in Hawaii."

"What? I was very good."

Karneering glared at him. "Yeah, right."

*****

"You do realize that we're going to have to tell him the truth," Rodriguez finally said, after he and McKinnon had ended their recent bout of bantering.

McKinnon nodded her head; she had been coming to that conclusion herself. "He's not going to be happy."

"No, but he'll be even more upset if we're not honest. There's no way he'd trust us again."

"I know. But what do we tell him? Or more importantly, how do we tell him without making him feel threatened?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that one, Ice, but we're going to have to come up with something. And I get to be there when you tell him, so you'd better clear it with Einstein."

"I will."

"Ice, you did the right thing," Rodriguez told her quietly. "This is not something we can deal with on our own."

"Remind me again after we tell him and he looks at us like we've sold him out," McKinnon sighed. She glanced down as her pager beeped. "Well, looks like we'll know soon how much time we have. I have to go contact Captain Bridger."

"What did you tell him?"

"I needed him here to represent Slick during questioning."

"Well, that's true. It would be a good idea to have him here if you were going to allow the inspectors to have another go at interrogating them."

"True."

"You do see the irony in this? You lied to a superior officer, but you won't lie to a sixteen-year-old."

"Which one do you think will be more understanding?"

"Bridger. But Slick won't hate you forever."

"Thanks, Ghost."

*****

After a brief conversation with Bridger, who confirmed he would arrive the next morning, McKinnon went back to the work room to see if any progress had been made. "Anything on Keller?" she asked, sitting down between Ford and Chandler.

"Not much. We haven't been able to connect her to any of the others as of yet. But we're still hoping," Chandler reported.

"Keep digging. Also, find out what doctors she used to work for," McKinnon ordered.

"Ice, have there been any more threats delivered?" Adamsen inquired.

"Good question," McKinnon told her. "With everything else, Slick and Indy haven't been checking their mail."

"You want me to go get Indy?" Chandler queried. "I can stay there for a bit: give Einstein a break."

"Since Ghost is awake, I'm sure he'd like that."

"Most likely."

"Go ahead. We should see if there are any other messages," McKinnon commented absently; her mind was already working on a new idea.

"Ice needs you to check your mail," Chandler informed Tim. "I'm going to take your place."

"All right. She wants to know if there's been other threats?" Tim guessed.

"Something like that. We forgot about it with everything else that has happened."

"I hadn't given it much thought myself," Tim admitted.

"Take your time; if you need a little break, I can stay."

"Thanks, Irish. I just keep hoping he'll wake up. I'd like to know he was feeling better."

"Don't worry, Indy. Einstein would wake him up if it was something to worry about," Chandler assured him.

"I'll be back."

"We're not going any where."

"Unfortunately," Rodriguez chimed in. "I can't believe he's making me stay here the whole day," he grumbled as Tim left.

"He'll make you stay longer if hears you say that. Where is Einstein?"

"I think he went to talk to Ice about what kind of food he wants to give us," Rodriguez replied.

"You don't sound very enthused."

"Well, as long as he takes this thing out," Rodriguez said, pointing at his IV, "I'll live with it."

"Poor, Ghost," Chandler sympathized. "You just hate being out of the action."

"You would too."

*****

"Nothing," Tim reported to McKinnon. "Maybe he's given up."

"More like he's taking a break," Ford observed. "If he was behind the kidnapping and drugging, he would know that it would be a little while before Lucas was up to checking e-mail."

"Scout's right," McKinnon agreed, "particularly since Slick is his primary target, although it is possible that he's returned to sending the threats only to Slick. We'll have to wait for Slick to feel a little better and have him check his to make sure there's nothing new."

"Thanks, guys," Tim muttered under his breath. He would have preferred to think that they were not going to get any more threats. He knew it was not logical, but he wanted to believe in it for a few minutes.

"Sorry," McKinnon apologized with a quick shrug. She understood his thoughts. "All right, let's see what we've got going, gang. The question we need to answer is why suddenly make a move to kidnap Ghost and Slick? Up until now, there's been no direct contact. Something made him move. Why?"

"You don't think it was planned?" Adamsen asked.

"I'm not sure," McKinnon admitted. "But it seems like a dramatic move to make."

*****

"All right, I know that you're dying to check on Slick," Karneering told Ghost, who had been bothering him for several minutes.

"Irish has better things to do than sit with him," Rodriguez pointed out.

"If I remove the IV, it is not the all clear for you to leave and go back to work," Karneering admonished.

"I just want to keep my eye on Slick. I can sit there quietly just as easily as I can lie in this bed," Rodriguez argued, sensing he was winning his case and not wanting to push too far. "I'll be good."

"I find that hard to believe," Karneering mumbled. "However, I'm going to do this because you'll just bug me until I do. But you are not to encourage your friend in any acts of rebellion."

"Who me?"

"Yes, you, Ghost," Karneering sighed. "You still need to take it easy," he reminded Rodriguez, as he carefully removed the IV.

"I just want to sit with him."

"Here, I even brought you some clothes," Karneering said, handing him some sweats and another T-shirt.

"You just wanted me to beg," Rodriguez grumbled.

"I have to get my fun somewhere, Ghost."

*****

Tim turned as Chandler entered the room. He stood up, wondering why Chandler had left Lucas alone.

"Don't worry," Chandler assured him. "Einstein got tired of Ghost's whining, so he unhooked the IV and let him go sit by Slick's bed."

"That should keep him feeling useful long enough for Einstein to pronounce him ready for action," McKinnon commented. "Indy, if you want to go check on him, that's fine."

"No. Ghost can manage it," Tim replied.

"Okay. Let's talk about what we know and see if we can't figure out what's going on."

Part 22

Lucas opened his eyes and found Rodriguez sitting by his bed, studying him. He wondered what the other man was thinking, but could not tell from the expression on Rodriguez's face. "Einstein let you up?" he asked.

"Yeah. He decided it was safe enough to do so," Rodriguez responded. "How are you feeling?"

"Still kind of fuzzy," Lucas confessed, reluctantly.

"That's because the concentration in your system was higher than what was found in Ghost's," Karneering reported, coming over to check on the teenager. "It'll take a bit longer for it to completely leave your system. I'd venture to say that you were actually given nearly twice as much as Ghost," he continued, ignoring the look Rodriguez was giving him.

Rodriguez wished the doctor had mentioned this detail sooner, which was why he glared at him now. "Why would they do that?" he queried. "That makes no sense."

"It does if they wanted him really sedated," Karneering observed, noting that Lucas' pulse had increased during the conversation.

"What did they give us?" Lucas questioned, curious.

Karneering ran through the list of drugs, noticing that Lucas seemed to recognize the names, and did not require an explanation of how the medications reacted.

"I'm surprised they didn't give us Prozac," Rodriguez grumbled, not pleased at hearing what some of the drugs were. Unlike Lucas, he was not familiar with them and had asked Karneering for explanations on a couple. "Isn't that supposed to keep people calm and happy?"

"That's what the Elavil was for," Lucas answered automatically. "It's from the same family. Although, generally, it's only good for extended use, and it can have some killer side effects."

"Such as?" Rodriguez prompted, deciding he wanted to see just how much Lucas knew.

"It can dramatically alter your mood or make you feel things more intensely, plus nausea, vomiting, violent nightmares and, in some cases, it can result in psychotic episodes."

Rodriguez felt relatively certain he did not want to continue this conversation. He glanced at Karneering, trying to figure out what the doctor thought about all of this.

"What reaction do you have?" Karneering inquired, hoping Lucas would answer it without thinking.

"Nightmares," Lucas replied, distantly. He shuddered briefly as he recalled a particularly frightening set of them.

"What about that other one? The one you said was a type of steroid?" Rodriguez queried. He really wanted to know what had been in his body. He also figured if Karneering asked another question, Lucas might realize what the doctor was doing. They had to proceed cautiously or the teenager would put his walls back up.

"I'm not sure about that one," Karneering admitted. "It's generally used as an anti-inflammatory. It seems like an odd choice, but they must have had a reason."

"It's highly addictive," Lucas reminded him. "You can get someone hooked on it quickly." Karneering nodded his head. "I'd forgotten about that," he remarked. "You really should try to get some more rest," he advised Lucas. "Later this afternoon, I want to take you off the anti-nausea medication and see if that problem is gone. However, I want to wait until you're more alert."

"How long do I have to have the IV?"

"You're just as bad as he is. You're keeping yours until tomorrow," Karneering informed him sternly. "Right now, I'm going to take some more blood from both of you. I want to see where we're at."

"Should have nicknamed you Dracula," Rodriguez groused.

"Ghost, I can always…" Karneering glanced at Lucas and decided to revise his original comment, "take an extra vial if you're not good."

Rodriguez noticed the hesitation and wondered at the cause. However, he chose not to pursue it for the time being. He waited while Karneering drew the blood sample from Lucas. It was when Lucas squeezed his hand that Rodriguez realized that he was still holding the teenager's hand. It was another instance uncharacteristic behavior to file away for later study. In the hospital in Hawaii, Lucas had always dropped Rodriguez's hand like it was contaminated when he woke up. The only person who had not evoked that response was Bridger.

*****

"So, what were you going to threaten me with?" Rodriguez questioned Karneering, ten minutes later, when Lucas had gone back to sleep.

"Restarting the IV, but I didn't think Slick was up to hearing me joke about drugging you."

"Probably not. I liked the way you were testing Slick's knowledge about drugs."

"Well, it goes against my grain to interrogate someone when they're not at one hundred percent, but, with Slick, I'm starting to think it's the only way to get a straight answer," Karneering observed.

"One more thing, Einstein," Rodriguez interjected, wanting to ask before the doctor walked away and he looked like he was ready to leave.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you mention any of the stuff in the report before? All you told me was there was six drugs present. You didn't say anything about Slick having a higher concentration."

"Same reason I slipped the question in about the side effects, Ghost. I know you well enough to know you'd get around to asking questions. I wanted to see what Slick knew."

"You're very devious."

"I'm an Outrigger; it's part of the training," Karneering commented with a wry smile. "His information goes beyond casual information, Ghost."

"I'd already figured that out. I suppose he could have researched it. Slick's not the type of guy to settle for reading one book about something when he can read a hundred. Anything that captures his attention probably gets a lot of time and effort."

Karneering glanced at Rodriguez and raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything in response. He knew that Rodriguez did not really believe what he was saying. If Lucas had been doing any research on medicine, then there was a purpose behind it. Neither one of them wanted to fully consider the implications of what that reason might have been. "Don't sit there too long," he instructed quietly, understanding that neither one of them really wanted to prolong this discussion for fear of where it might take them.

*****

"The building was clear. We found the room where they must have been kept. It was the only room with the screen missing," Ryan reported to McKinnon and the others. "You can tell it was occupied recently, but that's about it. We checked for fingerprints, but the section where Ghost and Slick must have been held was wiped clean. There are fingerprints throughout the rest of the building. It used to be a hospital, so that's not surprising. Kincaid's team is already going to try to run those, in case someone missed something in clean up, but I didn't bother picking any up. It's probably a waste of time we don't have. I'm going to have to contact the police inspectors or they're going to get suspicious."

'That's fine," McKinnon replied. "I want you to notify them that Ghost and Slick are missing," she ordered.

"Why?" Hallowell questioned.

"Because we've been discussing the kidnapping," McKinnon explained, pointing at Tim, Ford, Chandler and Adamsen. "We find it interesting that shortly after finding a witness that could not identify either Slick or Indy at the Nicholson burglary, our threat sender increased pressure by taking hostages. I need to question Ghost a little more about that, since he's more alert now. However, I think it might be enlightening to see how the police react to the news."

"You think there's a leak in the department?" Dawson inquired.

"There might be. It could just be coincidence. Either way, it doesn't matter. It buys us some more time and, if there is a leak, then they'll think Ghost and Slick are on their own. It could work in our favor."

"I'll do it. Think they'll buy into it? They could see it as a stall tactic," Ryan pointed out.

"It's easy enough to prove that we were at the fire and that we were asking a lot of questions afterwards. We may not have told anyone at the site what was going on, but I'm sure they all figured out something had happened," McKinnon told her. "And, for the most part, we've been straight with them."

"True. You want me to call or notify them in person?"

"In person. You need to see how they react. I think it's time to give the inspectors a closer examination. It's also time to get organized," McKinnon commented. "We're missing connections somewhere along the way. Indy, I want you and Scout to produce hard copies of all the threats you and Slick have received, marking the ones that have some kind of personal connotation. Maybe there's something there we've missed. Check with Einstein later today and, if Slick is up to it, talk to him about it. But let Einstein make the call."

"Don't worry, Ice; we're familiar with Lucas' ability to ignore medical advice," Tim reassured her.

"Good. Brook and Columbus, I want you to put together a list of all the people we've encountered. Make a chart and let's see how everyone relates to everyone else. We need to really see how each person fits into this scenario," McKinnon ordered. "Irish, you and I will work on investigating the inspectors and seeing if we can find out more about this Dr. Keller. I'm going to talk to Ghost and see what Slick may have told him about her."

"Ice?" Ford spoke up.

"Yes?" McKinnon responded.

"Is it possible any of this is coming from within the Outriggers?" he inquired. "Like the threats or the knowledge of how you'll react?"

"I don't think so, but I couldn't vouch for it one hundred percent," McKinnon replied, honestly. She understood Ford's concerns and had considered them before herself. "It's one of the reasons that only Admiral Kincaid only knows for sure what we're doing. The assistance he's given us has been channeled through another investigation."

"How do you know we can trust him?" Ford persisted.

"Because it resembles the O'Rourke case too much. Jordan O'Rourke was Kincaid's goddaughter. He's always had unanswered questions and a sense that he failed her," McKinnon announced, ignoring the stunned expressions it produced. "If there's a chance this case will answer those questions or, at the very least, prevent someone else from experiencing what she did, he'll take it. Besides, Kincaid is unorthodox, but he is loyal and very scrupulous. He's about as likely to give away our plans as anyone on this team."

"Thank you."

"You were entitled to ask the question, Scout. Any other questions?" McKinnon paused for a moment.

"All right. Then let's get to work and see if we can't get this thing figured out. Oh, Sunshine, check with Karneering. I think he might have wanted some more samples taken to the lab," she instructed Ryan.

*****

"He wake up at all?" McKinnon asked Rodriguez, who was still sitting by Lucas' bedside, watching him sleep..

"A little while ago. Einstein said that they gave him more drugs than they gave me, or did he already tell you that?"

"No. I haven't had much time to talk to him about it."

"What have you been up to?"

"Trying to put the pieces in the puzzle," McKinnon answered. "I need to talk to you," she added.

Rodriguez looked down at Lucas, who seemed to be fairly peaceful for the moment. "We can go back to my bed," he said, releasing Lucas' hand and standing up. "I can always come back if he gets spooked again."

"We're going to have to talk to him tonight, Ghost. Bridger will be here in the morning."

"I think you'd better get Einstein to remove his IV then. We don't want him ripping another one out," Rodriguez commented. "Problem with telling him in advance is it gives him time to build up his defenses."

"I think they're automatic. Besides, I think Bridger knows him well enough to recognize when he's not being wholly truthful."

"I know. What do you want to know?"

"More about what happened while you were being held. Let's start at the beginning. I want every detail."

"You always do," Rodriguez groaned. "We were working on the final computer when I heard a noise, which I reported."

"You did everything you could, Ghost," McKinnon told him, hearing what he was not saying.

"I don't think they expected to take me along with them. They were just after Slick," Rodriguez continued, not acknowledging McKinnon's statement. "But, since I was there, they took me too. They drugged us there."

"I know. Sunshine found the vials."

"They kept us in a room for a bit: not sure how long we were there before we regained consciousness. Then we met Smith and Keller."

"Tell me about that."

"I was concerned because Smith kept himself disguised, but not Keller. That's usually not a good sign. Slick was pretty panicked by everything. I think he recognized Keller right off. Smith had our names. And he knew about Tarsinia."

"How do you know that?"

"When we wouldn't answer his questions, he made some comment about us being resistant to physical interrogation," Rodriguez explained. "I don't remember the exact phrasing, but it seemed pretty clear that he knew what had happened. Then we moved on to the CDT. That was when Slick seemed to get himself under control."

"What do you mean?"

"Up to that point, he'd been pretty scared, which was what Smith and Keller wanted. When they said they were going to use CDT, he got very calm and focused: told me to trust him right before they injected him."

"Well, if he knew he was allergic to CDT, it was probably the only way he had to let you know."

"I was afraid he'd be forced to give up the team's location," Rodriguez admitted. "I knew he would never forgive himself if he did that. About ten minutes after they administered it, he threw up. His answers were bizarre. I'm not sure how much was the drugs or if he was consciously making it up as he went along. By then, he was focused on some agenda of his own."

"What do you mean?"

"He was concentrating on something within himself, Ice. It's hard to explain. It was like he knew exactly what he had to do and nothing was going to stop him."

"Then what happened?"

"He threw up a second time; this time he really nailed Smith. I think he did that one on purpose. Smith slapped him pretty hard and they drugged us again. I woke up and we were both handcuffed to chairs. I was having a hard time thinking clearly, so I went back to sleep. Apparently, at some point, Keller came in and gave us more drugs. When I woke up again, Slick had just freed himself, which was kind of interesting. He acted like it was no big deal," Rodriguez continued his narration. "Then he let me out. This is when things started getting kind of strange, Ice."

"I thought we'd progressed past strange by now."

"He called Keller 'Franklin' and when I called him on it, he didn't seem to comprehend the error: told me that's what he had said, but not in an argumentative way, just very matter-of-factly. It was like he honestly thought he was talking about the same person."

"You ask him about Franklin?"

Didn't get a chance. So, then he tells me we're going to go out the window. He made some comment about Franklin again, then proceeded to search the room until he found a piece of metal with which to pry off the screen."

"What were you doing?"

"Staring in stunned amazement. I mean, he was completely functional. I was having a hard time staying upright and he was moving about like it was no big deal. When I asked him if he was all right, he made a statement along the lines that it was going to take more than what they'd given us to keep him from escaping. I believed him."

"What about the cut on his hand?"

"He slipped with the metal when he was breaking it off. It was pretty flimsy construction, so it's not like he suddenly had superhuman strength. He looked at his hand, shrugged his shoulders and kept working. I don't think he really felt it. He got the screen off and asked me if I wanted to go out the window first."

"And?" McKinnon prompted.

"And we left the area as fast as we could. We found a place we thought would be safe to wait and I paged you."

"Anything happen in the park?"

"He admitted he knew Keller. I don't think he planned on it, but he did. Said she was a receptionist for his doctor. He also mentioned he had only seen her three times."

"Interesting."

"The only other thing was that he made a comment to the effect that Keller had underestimated him. I wish I could remember the exact remark. I asked him about it, but, even drugged, he knows how to change the subject, which is what he did."

"I think this is something we're going to have to let Bridger pursue for us," McKinnon said. "At the very least, we're going to have to wait for him to be here. I don't want to push Slick on this one without him available."

"You're right. I got him through your last little chat. I'm not sure about doing it again. I'm afraid he's more likely to withdraw and, reaching him in that state is harder than when he's angry."

"Well, I intentionally ticked him off last time. I'm not sure I know how to do it with this one. And I think that this is one area we need to approach with caution."

"You're going to have to ask him some questions later today. Slick's not stupid. He knows that what we gave you earlier isn't enough. He knows you're going to want more information. If you wait to even start asking, he's going to get nervous," Rodriguez pointed out.

"True. Should we do it before or after we let him know about Bridger?"

"Before."

"There are times when I really hate my job."

"I know. But, as much as he probably won't admit it, I think Slick understands that you aren't asking questions to be cruel."

"I hope so. I sent Sunshine to notify the inspectors that we lost you guys," McKinnon informed him, changing the subject.

"Really?"

"Thought it would be interesting to see what comes of allowing that information to get out."

"So that means you didn't tell them we were found?"

"Naturally. That would defeat the purpose."

"Care to explain why?"

"I'm curious as to the timing of the action."

"What do you mean?"

"Shortly after Crewes and Stanton have a witness that can't identify Slick or Indy at the scene of the crime, we get called out into a setup and the two of you are abducted."

"You've been an Outrigger too long; you're suspicious of everything."

"It's worth testing out. Besides, it buys us some time with the inspectors."

"True," Rodriguez agreed. "Oh, you might want to consult with Einstein on Slick's knowledge about prescription medication. He was a fountain of information earlier."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Listen, you'd better get some more rest. Einstein's going to regret removing that IV if you don't take it easy."

"I have been taking it easy," Rodriguez protested.

"Humor me."

"You're worse than my mother," Rodriguez complained, earning a dark look from McKinnon.

"On that note, I'll be leaving. Have Einstein come and get me when you think Slick's ready to talk."

"All right."

*****

Lucas did not want to wake up. Whenever he woke up, there were questions: questions that he could not answer. It was safer to stay asleep. In his sleep, he did not have to think; he could remain in the comfort of darkness. Unfortunately, his body did not want to cooperate with him; it insisted that he get up. If only he could stay here, where it was safe: where they left him alone and didn't insist he answer their endless questions or solve their puzzles. If he was asleep, there were no worries about being locked up again. That terrified him more than the rest.

Lucas sat up abruptly, gasping for air, disoriented for the brief moment it took for him to gather his bearings and remember where he was. As he became aware of his location, the teenager realized that Tim, Rodriguez and Karneering were all staring at him. "Hi," he greeted them weakly, hoping he had not been saying anything out loud.

"Are you okay?" Tim inquired. He had returned almost an hour ago, because McKinnon thought Rodriguez needed a nap. Since the other man had been asleep when he first arrived, she must have been right.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lucas mumbled, lying down on the bed again. He groaned as Karneering approached. "Behave. I haven't done anything yet," Karneering admonished him. "And, if you're good, I'll let you have real food," he offered, checking the boy's pulse.

"Don't lie to him, Einstein," Rodriguez called out. "He told me the same thing and I got some kind of broth."

"It's better than the IV," Karneering responded, unperturbed.

"Not a whole lot. It had no taste."

"You chose the broth."

"Well, it's not like you gave me a wide variety of choices. In fact, if I remember correctly, you asked if I wanted it 'colored' or 'clear'," Rodriguez whined.

"The man is so picky," Karneering told Lucas and Tim, shaking his head. "I'll let you have something a little more solid for dinner," he added.

"That's generous."

"Are you feeling more alert?" Karneering asked Lucas.

"Yeah. I don't feel quite as fuzzy as I was before."

"Good. Were you dreaming before you woke up?" he questioned, checking the teenager's pulse a second time. It had been racing before and he wanted to make sure it had slowed to normal.

"I think so," Lucas replied uncertainly. He really was not sure if he had been dreaming or not.

"All right," Karneering said, deciding not to push. A quick conversation with McKinnon earlier had convinced him that the commander was going to be creating enough stress for the teenager without him adding to it. "You're still keeping the IV until morning," he informed him.

Lucas made a face, but did not offer a verbal protest.

"But I'm going to take you off the anti-nausea medication. I just wanted you to be more awake before I did."

"Okay." Lucas sighed. "How long do I have to stay in bed?"

"As long as I say," Karneering answered tiredly. "Don't start with me, either. I've had to listen to Ghost all day. My patience is wearing thin."

"Gee thanks," Rodriguez groused.

"Any time."

*****

"Sounds like you could use some help," Ryan commented, entering the room. "Ice said to tell you to take a break. She and Irish are available if they need medical care."

"I'm fine," Karneering insisted, reluctant to leave his patients.

"Einstein, it wasn't exactly a request," Ryan remarked. "She had her 'he'll either go quietly or I'll make him go, but he going to do it' look on. I'm going to entertain them for a little while and maybe, by that time, she'll be ready to let you return." "In other words, she'll have Columbus and Casanova forcibly remove me if I don't make an appearance very soon?" Karneering guessed.

"Something like that."

"I'll be back, so you two behave. And don't try to pull anything over on Ice or Irish," Karneering ordered Lucas and Rodriguez .

"How stupid do I look?" Rodriguez inquired. "I am not going to try to pull anything over on Ice. She would never forgive me and neither would you."

"Keep your eye on them, Sunshine. They're starting to feel better."

"What? You don't think I'm capable?" Tim interjected.

"I was not slighting your abilities, Indy," Karneering assured him. "I figure you already know to watch out for Slick. I just want to make sure someone keeps a close eye on Ghost."

"Thanks, Einstein," Rodriguez grumbled.

"You better go before Ice sends a search party," Ryan recommended.

"I'm going, I'm going."

*****

"So, what did you learn today?" Rodriguez asked Ryan, who had taken a seat next to his bed, since Tim was still with Lucas.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy," Ryan observed.

"Yes, but if you fill me in today, you won't have to do it tomorrow and then I won't have to work as hard tomorrow trying to catch up," Rodriguez reasoned.

"And you wonder why Einstein and Ice get so riled up with you when you're injured?" Ryan queried, shaking her head at him. "I should have known you would want to pump me for information."

"I'm just curious."

"Great. Is this going to get me in trouble?"

"No more than usual. And only if you get me upset, which is what will happen if you don't tell me what's going on," Rodriguez threatened.

"All right, all right; don't get upset."

"I'm not upset. Just bored."

"I kind of figured that one out, Ghost," Ryan commented. "Well, we didn't find much at the building. That place was kind of creepy, Ghost."

"Tell me about it."

"Anyway, there wasn't really evidence of your presence or your captors."

"That figures. They were pretty well organized. They cleared out the second they found us gone, which was probably before McKinnon was able to get a team out there."

"You guys were pretty lucky."

"I know," Rodriguez remarked, glancing over at Lucas' bed to make sure the teenager was still occupied by Tim. He did not want his discussion with Ryan upsetting the young man.

"Well, Ice had me tell Crewes and Stanton that the two of you were missing."

"She mentioned that. How did they react?"

"About what you would expect. They were shocked, concerned and a little suspicious."

"That figures."

"Just have to wait and see what happens. I agree with Ice that the timing seems a little odd, but nothing about this makes much sense." Ryan sighed. "Scout asked how Ice could be sure it wasn't someone in the Outriggers sending the threats."

"Sounds like something Scout would ask. And it's a good question. What did Ice say?"

"Told him Kincaid was the only one who knew what we were doing."

"That comfort him?"

"I think he felt better after she explained that O'Rourke was Kincaid's goddaughter, so he's personally motivated by the case…." Ryan's voice trailed off as she realized Rodriguez was not listening to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rodriguez replied. "Just got caught on a tangent. Sorry."

"That's all right. Maybe you should get some rest."

"I'm allowed to wander off mentally without needing a nap, Sunshine. And I already had one."

"You're sounding a little irritable, Ghost," Ryan informed him. "Anyway, Ice has us going back to the basics: looking at everything we know and seeing if we've missed any connections."

"Sounds like a good plan."

*****

"How's the commander doing with the team?" Lucas asked Tim, deciding it was a safe area of conversation. He did not want the lieutenant questioning him about recent events.

"He seems to be settling in a little better. I think he's afraid of what's going to happen when the doctor finds out you were taken hostage again," Tim responded, "since she made it pretty clear she was holding him responsible for us."

"Like it was his fault."

"I think he fears that's a distinction the doctor won't be making," Tim commented.

"He's probably right."

Ford appeared then, wanting to see how Lucas was doing. "How are you feeling?" he asked, studying the teenager closely.

"Better," Lucas answered. "Not as groggy as I was when I woke up the first time."

"That's good. You giving the doctor a hard time?"

"That depends on who you ask," Tim replied before Lucas could. "I'm sure he thinks he's being good; I have a feeling Einstein would tell you differently."

"Kind of what I figured," Ford commented. "I'm just glad you're feeling better. But listen to Einstein; he has the medical degree."

"Can we keep you?" Karneering inquired, entering. "No one else seems to think that having a degree in medicine makes me qualified to dispense medical advice."

"I thought Ice wanted you take a break," Lucas commented.

"I took a page from Ghost's book and bugged her until she let me go in order to shut me up," Karneering explained.

"I heard that," Rodriguez called out.

"You want more broth for dinner?" Karneering asked him.

"Now he's blackmailing me with food. That's not fair."

"Life is hard, Ghost."

"You're very cold, Einstein."

"It's a gift."

Part 23

McKinnon waited until after dinner to talk to Lucas, mainly at the request of Karneering, who wanted the teenager to have a chance to eat in peace. Lucas sensed something was up when everyone cleared the room shortly after she entered. He had known that, eventually, she would get around to asking questions.

"Hey, Slick," she greeted him, sitting down. "I have some questions I need to ask you. I'm going to have Ghost join us, if you don't mind."

"Okay." Lucas wished they weren't doing this now. He felt vulnerable and exposed, since he was stuck in bed. Lucas understood why McKinnon did not want to wait, but the situation left him feeling uncomfortable and awkward.

Rodriguez took a seat on the opposite side from McKinnon. The young man's unease was visible and Rodriguez knew there was no way to avoid what was coming next. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Lucas replied shortly. He did not want anyone feeling sorry for him. He could answer McKinnon's questions and everything would work out fine; all he had to do was stay in control and not slip up and give them more information than absolutely necessary. He could handle this.

"I need to know what happened," McKinnon told him. "What do you remember about being taken hostage?"

"Ghost heard a noise and then the door knob turned. We knew it was too quick to be one of you, so I shoved the disk in the drawer and put a blank one on top, in case that's what they were after. They made us come forward and injected us with something to knock us out. We woke up in a room, but we weren't restrained in any way. Two guards came and got us and we met Smith and Keller," Lucas recited.

McKinnon watched his face as he spoke, noting the lack of expression on it. It matched his voice, which showed no emotion. It went against her nature not to push, but she agreed with Rodriguez, this was not the time to force the issue. "You said you recognized Keller? Who is she?" McKinnon questioned.

"She worked for my doctor for a little bit. They fired her when it became apparent she was selling drugs from the doctor's supply."

"What was your doctor's name?"

"Uh, Doctor Evers? No; that's not it. Doctor Evans?" Lucas ran through several names trying to remember it.

"Doctor Franklin?" Rodriguez suggested, curious if that was why Lucas had experienced the confusion earlier.

Lucas froze when he heard the name. How did Rodriguez know about Franklin? What had he said? Had he given anything away?

While Lucas ran through his litany of mental questions, Rodriguez studied the teenager. The name had certainly provoked a reaction, breaking the façade of calm detachment for a brief moment. "Slick?" he prompted.

Rodriguez's voice brought Lucas out of his reverie and he answered the original question. "No. It was Doctor Ellis."

"First name?" McKinnon prodded.

"Norman."

"Did Keller recognize you?" McKinnon asked, since they had never officially established this.

"I think so."

"Why?"

"The way she looked at me. She wanted me to recognize her. And Smith had my last name. It isn't that common."

"What happened next?"

"Smith wanted to know where to find the team, so he asked. When we wouldn't answer, he decided he could force it out of us. He made some comment that indicated he was not going to try anything physical, because he didn't think it would work. It seemed like he knew about Tarsinia."

"Were you scared?"

"Yes. Until he brought out the CDT. I knew I was allergic. I knew he couldn't use it to force me to tell him anything."

"What happened?"

"Smith didn't like it the second time I threw up, so he hit me and they drugged us again. When I woke up, I was chained to the chair and so was Ghost. Keller and another guy came in, not Smith; it wasn't his voice. She gave us some more drugs, so that we would stay unconscious."

"I'm surprised she wasn't worried about an overdose," McKinnon remarked.

"It's one of the benefits of that kind of combination; it takes less of each to really knock someone out, so there's less likelihood of overdose," Lucas reported.

"Why didn't it put you back to sleep?" McKinnon continued.

"I knew it was going to be our best chance at escape. I let the adrenaline work for me."

"How did you know how to get your hands free?"

"I've studied and tested most of the Aegis products on the market."

McKinnon nodded her head; somehow his relationship with Aegis tied into all of this. She wondered how and suspected that asking him would serve no purpose. He was very calm. It was like he was giving her an official report. He remained very focused on the information he was relaying. McKinnon continued asking questions, but Lucas' narration of events closely resembled Rodriguez 's. Although McKinnon tried to vary her approach, to see if she could shake him out of his controlled response, Lucas remained detached throughout. He would get briefly disconcerted when she asked questions out of sequence, but never enough to crack his emotionless description of the events.

Rodriguez listened as McKinnon asked her questions, wondering if she was interested in the answers or just delaying the inevitable. Both recognized that Lucas was likely to get upset over them calling Bridger. Rodriguez had not made the suggestion lightly and still thought it was the right choice; however, it did not make him feel any better.

"There's one more thing we have to discuss, Slick," McKinnon told Lucas.

"What?" Lucas inquired, not sure he liked her tone or the look on Rodriguez 's face.

"Captain Bridger is going to be here in the morning," McKinnon informed him, deciding it was best to just say it and offer explanations after.

"Why?" Lucas asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"Because I called him and asked him to come," McKinnon replied, watching his face. However, he remained outwardly calm.

"How come?" Lucas could hear his voice wavering and hoped no one noticed.

"It was my idea," Rodriguez explained. "I asked her to call."

Lucas stared at him in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because I'm worried about you, Slick," Rodriguez answered truthfully. "That kidnapping was orchestrated to freak you out."

"I'm fine," Lucas protested.

"That's the problem; you're too calm," McKinnon commented. "You've been keeping details from us since this thing started."

"I've told you all you need to know," Lucas insisted. He did not want McKinnon thinking he had withheld important information.

"I'm sure you have. But whoever's sending the threats has done their best to learn what buttons to push. I don't think he's done yet. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. I can understand why you may not want to talk about it with Rodriguez or myself, but I think you need to trust someone, Slick," McKinnon responded. "And I can't promise that I'll continue to let you maintain your silence. At some point, I may need the answers you've avoided up to this point. If it happens, I want Bridger here to help you through the rough spots."

"I don't need a babysitter," Lucas interjected, afraid it meant she was going to take him off the investigation.

"He's not coming as a babysitter. As far as I'm concerned, once Einstein clears you, you're still part of this team. He's coming to give you moral support, which I happen to think you need."

"So do I, Slick," Rodriguez interrupted. "You may not want to talk about it, but it would help you if you did. You can't get through everything by yourself."

"I'm fine," Lucas assured him.

Rodriguez looked at McKinnon and raised a questioning eyebrow. Both had expected this piece of news to get a rise out of him, yet he maintained his composure.

Lucas took the moment of silence to close his eyes and hope they would take the hint. He did not want to answer any more questions or face them any more. All he wanted to do was go to sleep and escape.

McKinnon knew Lucas was not asleep yet, but decided they would not benefit from prolonging the discussion, so she indicated to Rodriguez she was going to leave. Rodriguez stayed seated by Lucas' bedside, watching him.

*****

Lucas found himself unable to fall asleep; instead, his mind was occupied by a variety of thoughts. There had been relief when McKinnon said Bridger was coming. He wanted the captain with him. He always felt safe and secure when Bridger was around; he trusted the captain. However, Lucas was also scared.

He feared that if Bridger learned the truth, he would want to send him away and he did not want to leave his friends. They had become his family. When he felt alone, he liked to pretend that they really were his family. He did not want to lose that feeling, but, if they were allowed to find out the truth about him, Lucas knew everything would change. They would not want him around anymore. Lucas believed he could stay in control enough to avoid Bridger ever discovering his secret. All he had to do was keep his feelings in check and he would still be safe. With that thought firmly in his head, Lucas let himself drift off to sleep.

*****

"Everything in one piece?" Karneering asked McKinnon, encountering her in the hall.

"Of course," McKinnon replied, sighing.

"What happened?"

"He offered an emotionless protest and then closed his eyes, so we would leave him alone. He's so calm it's eerie."

"I had noticed."

"Do you have any ideas?" McKinnon inquired, "about the cause?"

"Only the same one you and Ghost both have about it," Karneering answered quietly, not wanting to voice his suspicions any more than McKinnon did. "Somewhere along the line, Slick learned to hide his feelings: most likely from his parents, but not necessarily. It may not have even been intentional on their part," Karneering continued, ignoring the derisive noise McKinnon made. "But, obviously, it's worked in the past. When we're scared, we revert to the behaviors that have enabled us to survive before. In Slick's case, he buries his emotions and tries to pretend that it didn't happen. And, if it did happen, he was only an observer, not a participant. My guess is that no one ever bothered to look past the surface, for one reason or another. If he said he was fine, they accepted it and moved on. Therefore, it reinforced his actions."

"Of course. It told him people weren't really interested in him, so, if he pretended everything was okay, no one pushed him," McKinnon summed up.

"It'll work out, Ice. Ghost really believes that Bridger can reach him on a level that we can't. Trust his instincts."

"I do trust his instincts. I lied to a captain, didn't I?"

"That's not really so unusual for you, Ice," Karneering teased, trying to lighten her mood a little bit. McKinnon cared for each member on the unit and wanted to solve everyone's problems. Even when she recognized there were no easy solutions, McKinnon wanted to help find the answers.

"Usually I do it in a more subtle manner," McKinnon pointed out.

"Yes, but it's for a good cause. You would have created a great deal of worry for his friends otherwise. There's nothing they can do for him now. And you'll tell Bridger when you pick him up tomorrow. I think he'll understand."

"I hope so."

"Now, I think I better go make sure that Ghost is behaving himself."

"That goes against his nature, Einstein."

"I know, but I'm allowed to have my delusions."

*****

Tim entered the room, not surprised to find Lucas sleeping; as much as the teenager acted like he was all right, Tim knew better. "You guys tell him about Bridger?" he asked Rodriguez, who had finally left Lucas' bedside to return to his own bed.

"Yeah. He was calm about it, at least on the outside. Is he always like this?" Rodriguez questioned.

"Lucas is the guy that listens to everyone else's problems even when he's got his own," Tim responded. "You can go to him and tell him anything you want and you know that he won't tell a soul, no matter what."

"You speak from experience?"

"Yes," Tim replied, but did not elaborate. "However, he never expects you do to the same in return. If you miss dinner, Lucas notices and will bring a tray to you. When he misses a meal and you return the favor, he acts shocked that he was missed."

"I get the sense that Lucas is very used to be overlooked," Rodriguez commented.

"I don't understand it myself. You know, he's been on seaQuest for months and he hasn't heard from his parents? Forget the fact that they let him come on board, but they don't even call to check on him?"

"It does seem odd," Rodriguez agreed, sensing that this was an old refrain, voiced often among Lucas' friends.

"It has to bother him, but he never lets on. I'm glad he's on seaQuest, because it's been great to get to know him. We all feel like that," Tim said, frustrated. "We'd all miss him if he ever left, but sometimes I think it's a lot harder on him than we realize."

"All you can do is be there for him and be his friend," Rodriguez observed. "At some point, he's going to start believing in it."

"I hope so. I just wish I could help him now. It's obvious that what happened to you two upset him, but he acts like it's normal."

"I know. It's a defense mechanism. With any luck, your captain can break it down."

"Bridger connects with him in a way no one else seems to, so maybe he will. How are you doing?" Tim asked Rodriguez suddenly. "You were taken hostage too."

"I was an afterthought. It wasn't setup to frighten me. I'm not saying that I want to repeat the experience, but it wasn't quite as intense for me. Don't worry about me, Indy. Ice will keep me honest if she thinks I'm hiding from it," Rodriguez reassured the lieutenant.

"Good. I'd better let you get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be busy. I think I want to be alert for the captain's arrival."

"That's probably a good idea," Rodriguez agreed. "I'm, personally that hoping Karneering will set me free in the morning."

"Only if you're good," Karneering informed him, entering in time to hear his comment.

"I'm always good," Rodriguez complained. "You just don't appreciate it."

"I think I'll go now; I don't want to get caught in this one," Tim interjected quickly.

"Coward," Rodriguez told him.

"I know better than to disagree with Einstein about medical care. I wouldn't want him to think that I, in any way, supported your rebellion."

"Thanks, Indy. It's always nice to know I can count on you."

"You can: just not when it comes to medical treatment," Tim responded, leaving the room.

"Smart man," Karneering remarked. "Has Slick been sleeping?"

"Yes. I think he was awake for a little while after McKinnon left, but he's been asleep for most of the evening."

"It's good for him."

"I sense some hesitation in your voice, Einstein."

"Well, sleep is another good way to escape problems."

"True, but I wouldn't worry too much just yet. I've done my share of napping today and you said I had a lower concentration of drugs in my system."

"It's just something to watch," Karneering commented.

"Besides, I don't see him sitting on the sidelines forever. He's more likely to try to bury himself in work."

"I know. However, Ice keeps a tight rein on that."

"It's because she has the same habit."

"And you don't?" Karneering quizzed. "You're the worst one on the team when it comes to long hours."

"You've been known to pull your share of double shifts and all nighters," Rodriguez countered.

"Only because people like you won't slow down when they should."

"As long as I'm upright, I don't see the problem with continuing on with my job."

"I know. It's not a particularly good philosophy to live by, Ghost."

"It works for me."

"Why do I bother? You always say the same thing," Karneering groused. "Listen, get some sleep and maybe I'll let you get back to work tomorrow. On a restricted schedule, of course."

"Of course."

*****

The next morning came much faster than McKinnon wanted. It seemed like very little time passed from talking to Lucas the night before, to it being time to meet Bridger. Before leaving that morning, it had finally occurred to her to have Chandler and Hallowell set up a room for the captain to use during his stay. Fortunately, there was one available on the other side of Lucas and Rodriguez, which she thought was the best place for him

Bridger glanced at the commander, who appeared to be focused on her driving, and wondered why she had decided to come alone. He had expected to see Lucas, Tim and Ford. He was starting to sense that this did not bode well. McKinnon spoke before he could voice his concerns.

"Captain, I'm afraid I lied to you about why I wanted you to come," McKinnon informed him, deciding that she had better just come out and say it.

"Pardon me?" Bridger responded, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I needed you to come and I gave the most convenient excuse I could come up with."

"I'm going to need more than that Commander."

"I know. It's kind of complicated."

"Just start at the beginning and I'll ask questions if I get confused," Bridger advised, hoping she got to the point quickly.

"When we reactivated Wolenczak and O'Neil and got Ford assigned to us, it was to investigate the charges against Wolenczak and O'Neil. Once I heard their story, I was convinced they were framed for the Nicholson robbery. When I learned about the threats, I was positive."

"Threats?" Bridger interrupted.

"Yes. Wolenczak and O'Neil have been receiving threats via e-mail for a couple of weeks," McKinnon elaborated, wishing she had made Lucas and Tim explain this detail.

"And it didn't occur to them to let me know?"

"They only told me because I guessed. I believe Commander Ford has spoken with them about the omission."

"I know I certainly plan on it. Is that all?" Bridger queried, even though he feared the answer.

"No. We've been making inquiries, trying to get to the bottom of the threats. Some of the threats have gotten personal; the sender has taken the time to get to know both, but especially Wolenczak"

"Do you have any ideas who might be behind them?"

"We believe so, but we're still trying to put all the pieces together."

"I'm sorry. Please continue," Bridger requested, sensing her reluctance to name the person for the moment.

"In the midst of this, we were given an emergency mission to retrieve some sensitive data at the site of the federal building, which was on fire," McKinnon told him. "In the process of that operation, Wolenczak and Rodriguez were taken hostage."

"Again?!" Bridger exclaimed. "Are they all right?" He sincerely hoped that McKinnon would have said something sooner if they weren't.

"Yes, Sir," McKinnon answered, understanding his outraged tone. "They managed to escape after about eight hours. Their captors drugged them rather heavily, but other than that they were unharmed."

"That doesn't explain why you've called me," Bridger pointed out, failing to see what he was missing in the conversation.

"It was Rodriguez's idea to call you, but I agreed with his reasoning. Wolenczak needs you here."

"What do you mean? You said he wasn't hurt…" Bridger tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but her comment made him nervous.

"Not physically. However, their kidnapping was orchestrated to terrorize him and Rodriguez said it was extremely effective, up until they gave him the CDT. Then Wolenczak became focused and distant. He's been extremely detached since we picked them up. There's more to the setup than he's been willing to tell us."

"How do you know?" Bridger decided to ignore the issue of the CDT for the moment, wanting to understand the larger picture first.

"Lucas knew one of his abductors: a Doctor Keller. She did not bother to disguise herself; she wanted Lucas to recognize her. At least that's the sense that Rodriguez got."

"I'm still not sure why you called me. Not that I regret coming."

"Wolenczak won't talk to any of us about what happened in anything less than a detached manner. If you question him, he's very matter-of-fact. It's like he's telling you about the weather, yet he has an uncommon knowledge of the drugs he was given and other aspects relating to their captivity. He's the one that engineered their escape. There are a lot of questions and no answers. Rodriguez believes, and I agree with him, that someone needs to get those answers out of him, because all he's doing is burying his problems. We can't reach him; I think you might be the one person who can. There have been a few other revelations since all this started." McKinnon realized that Bridger might find her narration hard to follow, since she found she was rambling a little bit. Whenever she got nervous, she tended to speak with a certain lack of organization. In her mind, she had held a perfectly calm conversation with Bridger on this matter and everything had made sense. She just wished it was working as well now.

"Such as?"

"One of the notes got personal and I had to force him to share the meaning with me. It's safe to say that he did not want to tell me anything. The end result was I got my information and a rather ticked off teenager. Rodriguez got him calmed down, but he never told either one of us the full story. We know it made him have nightmares. Any time something personal enters the picture, he'll give us what we need for the investigation, but it's obviously not the full story. I think there's stuff in his past that he hasn't dealt with. The fact that he's been showing little emotion scares me."

"You told him I was coming?" Bridger inquired, noting that McKinnon was doing her best to maintain Lucas' privacy by not giving specific information about their discussion.

"Yes. And I told him why I called you. I apologize for not being honest when I called, but I needed you to come alone and, from what I've seen of your crew, I would have ended up with several extra visitors. I knew you would want to be here for him and I think he needs you, probably more than he would like to admit."

"That's usually the case with Lucas."

"I would also like to add that O'Neil and Ford did not know what I was planning until after I spoke with you."

"While I don't entirely approve of your methods, I do understand them. I also appreciate the fact you are so concerned for Lucas' mental well being."

"He needs more than any of us can give him. I did consider pulling him off the investigation, but I didn't figure it would do much good. I thought it was better to keep him supervised in his inquiries."

"As much as I hate to agree with you, you are probably right about that. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"At this point in time, no," McKinnon answered. She would tell him about Lucas' edited file if the teenager did not tell him first, but she wanted to give the teenager the chance to do so on his own. A sudden thought occurred to her that would enable her to speed things along and she filed it away for later.

"In other words, there is, but you're not telling me?"

"There are some things which I'm hoping Wolenczak will tell you himself and I don't feel comfortable doing so without first letting him know I'm going to do it," McKinnon replied, hoping he would understand. "I'm not saying I won't tell you. If we reach a point where the information is necessary for you to know, I have no problem telling Wolenczak that if he doesn't tell you, I will. I just don't feel right about not giving him the chance."

"But you called me without telling him," Bridger observed, curious to see hear her reasons.

"Yes. I knew he would object. In that case, I felt it was in his best interests not to be consulted. The other information I was told in confidence and he expects me to keep it that way. As I said, I just want to give him a chance to tell you himself."

"You're probably right. He's already going to wonder what exactly you've told me," Bridger commented. "I don't think it would help matters any if he thought you were telling me his secrets."

"After you talk to him, you may want to talk to Rodriguez. It was his idea to call you and he can give you a better impression of what happened while they were being held."

"I'm sure I will. I've discovered that Lucas rarely wants to say much the first time you try talking to him, particularly since I'm not going in with very much information. I do expect to hear more details about this investigation and these threats they've been receiving, although I think I want to talk to them about it first."

"Yes. I think both Wolenczak and O'Neil are aware that would be on the list of topics," McKinnon remarked.

"Where exactly are we going?" Bridger questioned, deciding he could learn nothing more for the moment.

"A building that Kincaid authorized us to use. We did not want Wolenczak and O'Neil anywhere the inspectors could easily find them," McKinnon responded. "Plus, it enabled him to supply us with the resources we needed to conduct our inquiry."

"Is there any reason you didn't inform me of any of this sooner? The impression I had was that the Outriggers were not very concerned about the situation."

"I needed you to respond to the inspectors as naturally as possible under the circumstances," McKinnon explained. "The best way to insure that was to keep quiet."

Bridger opted not to pursue the topic for the moment. "When were you going to let me know that one of my crew was taken hostage?" he asked, with more calm than he felt. He found the idea of Lucas being abducted horrifying.

"Standard procedure would have meant waiting until the completion of our assignment."

"I suppose I should just be grateful no one's been shot this time."

McKinnon wisely chose not to comment and was grateful to see that they had arrived at the building. She wanted more time to prepare for the questions she knew would be coming as Bridger had time to digest the information. Their arrival would delay those, since Bridger would want to see Lucas, Tim and Ford first.

*****

"I'd like to see Lucas," Bridger said, as they entered the building.

"Of course. We didn't take them to the hospital because they were held in an abandoned one and Rodriguez promised Wolenczak no hospitals," McKinnon told him. "Kincaid arranged for the supplies that Karneering needed and he took care of them here. I'll show you your room first. We put you next to the room that Rodriguez and Wolenczak were using prior to this. I believe Rodriguez will be moving back today; I'm not sure if Karneering is ready to release Wolenczak from his watchful eye just yet," McKinnon continued, opening a door and letting Bridger set his stuff inside. "Right now, they're on the other side of our work room. It was larger and a better setup for their medical care."

"I'm sure Lucas is anxious to get out of bed," Bridger commented.

"Most likely."

*****

"Why can't I leave?" Lucas questioned Karneering, who had just informed Rodriguez that he was free to go.

"I'm taking it under advisement," Karneering answered him. "I'm going to remove your IV now; will that make you feel better?"

"I'd feel better if you'd let me go," Lucas grumbled. "I'm bored and, without Ghost here, I'm going to have nothing to do."

"Erase that thought from your mind, Einstein; I'm not staying just to entertain him," Rodriguez called out from his side of the room, where he was eagerly preparing to leave. "Sorry, Slick. I want out of here."

"Traitor."

"Like you'd hang around for me," Rodriguez countered.

"We'll see how it goes this morning. I might, and I stress the word might, release you in the afternoon," Karneering told Lucas. "Besides, Ice went to pick up your captain. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to entertain you."

"I'm sure he's going to be ready for a nice long chat with you and Indy," Rodriguez interjected.

"Thanks a lot," Lucas mumbled.

"That's right," Karneering agreed. "I'll make sure we have enough chairs available," he teased.

"You're a lot of help."

"Maybe I will stay. I want to hear the explanation they offer," Rodriguez mused.

"Great. It's nice to know I can count on you, Ghost."

"You can. I'm just not going to protect you from your captain," Rodriguez replied. "I know better than to get involved in that situation."

"I think you're enjoying this too much."

"Probably. Listen, Slick, be good and Einstein might let you out on good behavior," Rodriguez advised.

"Now, I'm going to go see about some coffee, since I haven't had any in far too long. I'll come back later and visit," he promised. "Captain Bridger," Rodriguez saluted Bridger, as the captain and McKinnon entered. "Come on," he invited Karneering. "You can supervise my breakfast selection."

"Someone needs to restrict your caffeine intake," Karneering sighed, following behind him.

"I'll go let O'Neil and Ford know you're here," McKinnon told Bridger, wanting to give him and Lucas time alone.

"Thank you, Commander," Bridger said, walking over to Lucas. He studied the teenager carefully. Lucas looked tired, although Bridger knew if he said anything, the boy would deny it. He also seemed rather tense, which made the captain curious.

"Hi, Captain," Lucas greeted Bridger, not sure of what else to say.

"Hey there." Bridger sat down in the chair next to the bed. "I hear you've been busy. How are you feeling?"

"Better than I was before," Lucas replied. "I was really hazy yesterday."

"The commander mentioned that you had been drugged."

"Yes, Sir."

"We'll talk about it later. I just wanted to see for myself that you're all right."

"I'm fine. The doctor is just being cautious."

"There's nothing wrong with being careful. If I thought it would do me any good to try it, I'd take you back to seaQuest right now."

"I want to stay," Lucas protested.

"I know you do," Bridger commented, deciding it was not time to discuss any of this. If he tried to talk to Lucas too soon, the teenager would his defenses up before Bridger could fully assess his mood. "Just be grateful it wasn't any more serious, otherwise, I'd have let you explain it to Doctor Westphalen when we returned."

"That would not be nice," Lucas pointed out, glad the captain seemed content to let matters drop for the moment.

"She's not going to be very pleased about this happening when you were with the Outriggers," Bridger observed.

"I know. She already thinks they're a bad influence."

"I'm starting to think she might be right."

*****

"You think we should go in?" Tim asked Ford, as they approached the room. McKinnon had let them know about Bridger's arrival.

"I don't think he's doing anything more than just checking to make sure Lucas is all right. He's not going to start grilling him right away," Ford responded, giving the matter some thought. "Or are you just afraid to face him?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Tim confessed. "He's going to have questions, isn't he?"

"I imagine so."

Tim sighed and then opened the door. "Commander McKinnon said you were here, Sir," he told Bridger.

"Commander. Lieutenant," Bridger acknowledged. "How are you?"

"Just fine, Sir," Ford replied. "I see you lost your roommate," he commented to Lucas.

"I'm hoping it's just temporary. The doctor indicated that he might let me out of his supervision in the afternoon," Lucas answered.

"Did he mean it or was he just trying to keep you quiet?" Tim teased.

"I don't know. He's supposed to take my IV out."

"I'm sure you'll be glad to see it go."

"Yes, but I'd rather get out of here," Lucas grumbled.

"You'll listen to the doctor," Bridger instructed him.

"That's pretty much what he says," Lucas sighed. "I'm just bored with having nothing to do," he added, as Karneering returned.

"Well, unless your doctor thinks you need the rest, perhaps you and Mr. O'Neil would like to explain a few things to me," Bridger suggested, giving both Lucas and Tim a stern look.

"I think that's my cue to get back to work," Ford interjected hastily. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks a lot, Commander," Tim remarked.

"I have no problem with you talking to them, Captain," Karneering assured Bridger. "Just let me remove the IV first."

"What happened to your other wrist?" Bridger questioned, noticing that Lucas had a bandage on it. "I understood you weren't harmed outside of the drugs."

"I, uh, had, uh, a nightmare and, uh, kind of, well, I, uh, removed the IV in the middle of it," Lucas mumbled, not meeting Bridger's eyes.

Bridger suspected this was one of the incidents McKinnon had alluded to earlier and filed it away to pursue later.

"Among other things," Tim muttered under his breath. The look from the captain told him he would be explaining the comment at a later time.

"Okay, Captain. They're all yours," Karneering informed Bridger cheerfully. "I'll be in with the others if I'm needed."

*****

"How's it going with Bridger?" Rodriguez asked Ford, when he returned.

"He's getting ready to make them explain why they didn't mention Section Ninety-nine or the threats," Ford replied, taking a seat.

"I was hoping to get to hear that conversation."

"I imagine it will be interesting," Ford agreed. "Aren't we missing some people?"

"Sunshine and Casanova got paged by the inspectors. They went to see them in person."

"What are we supposed to be doing?"

"For now, Einstein and Brook are looking to see what they can learn about Keller, and her known associates, to see if anyone might match Smith's description. Irish and Columbus are trying to see if there's any connection between Keller and Ramsey, and Ice and I are going to see if we can find out anything about Inouye, since Tarsinia keeps popping up in this investigation."

"What can I do?"

"Work with Einstein and Brook for now," McKinnon directed him. "If Indy returns unscathed, then the two of you can pick up on the investigation of the inspectors."

"All right," Ford said, standing and preparing to join Karneering and Adamsen.

"And ask Einstein to come over here for a minute," McKinnon requested.

*****

"Both of you should have had better sense than to leave those notes unreported for two weeks," Bridger lectured.

Lucas noticed Tim's glare and sighed. "Actually, I was receiving them for two weeks prior to Tim getting his first one," Lucas confessed, staring down at his hands.

"So, for a month, you received threats and did not bother to let anyone know?" Bridger queried, trying to remain calm.

"Yes, Sir," Lucas admitted, still unable to look at the captain.

"You both realize that some of this might have been avoided if you had spoken up sooner?" Bridger questioned, unwilling to let either one off without making both face the implications of their actions. While part of him understood their reasoning, Bridger felt obligated to make sure that it did not happen again. The realization that it had been happening disturbed him greatly, especially the fact that both had been afraid to tell anyone.

"Yes, Sir," Tim responded, also refusing to make eye contact with Bridger. That thought had been particularly prevalent since Lucas and Rodriguez had been kidnapped.

"I'm not saying you wanted this to happen," Bridger continued, softening his tone. He could tell from Tim's expression that the lieutenant felt guilty enough and he was starting to see what McKinnon meant by Lucas' lack of emotion. The teenager had been remarkably calm throughout the discussion. Usually, Lucas displayed a certain amount of nervousness when they had these type of conversations: particularly if he thought he was in trouble. "I'm just suggesting that, next time, you come to me or someone else when it starts."

Both nodded and Bridger wondered how much longer the duo planned on looking at everything but him. "It's my fault," Lucas finally said. "Tim would have said something sooner, but I didn't…"

"I made my own decisions, Lucas," Tim reminded him. He would not let Lucas take the blame for his behavior and he knew the captain would not accept the argument. "You didn't force me into it."

"Am I interrupting?" Karneering asked, entering the room.

"No. We're done for now," Bridger replied.

"Good. Your last lab results came back drug free, so I'm going to let you go," the doctor informed Lucas. "However, you will follow my instructions or the commander's. If we tell you to take a break, you will do it without arguing about it. Are you clear on this point?"

"Yes," Lucas grumbled, although he was glad Karneering was letting him get up.

"Actually, let me amend that. If anyone advises you to take a break, you will do so, or I will restrict you to bed. And you know the commander will back me up."

"So will I," Bridger added.

"I get the picture."

"Good. Rodriguez said he'd get you some clothes," Karneering told him.

Bridger wondered why everyone kept hesitating over their names. He found it rather odd, but did not question it.

"Does that mean I can go back to work?" Lucas verified.

"Yes. As long as you follow the rules. If you want the truth, we need your computer skills. McKinnon's pretty good, but you seem to have better luck in certain areas."

"Do I want to know?" Bridger inquired.

"Probably not, Sir," Tim replied. "I'm going to go see what's going on with the rest."

"All right."

"Here you go." Rodriguez handed Lucas some clean clothes. "Captain, the commander says you are welcome to join us in the work room and assist us if you're interested."

"I would like that. I have a feeling I'll find it most enlightening," Bridger commented.

"That's what most people say when they work with us," Rodriguez remarked. "Come see us when you're ready," he instructed Lucas.

"I won't be long."

"Take your time," Rodriguez encouraged. "You're not supposed to be in a hurry."

"Like you're the prime example of proceeding cautiously," Lucas retorted.

"Keep it up and I'll make the doctor explain why we're both being released on the same day, even though you had more drugs than I did," Rodriguez shot back at him.

"Because I have his captain here to enforce the rules if he gives me trouble," Karneering replied blandly. "It's a well known fact that you don't listen when it comes to your health."

"I can tell I'm not going to win here," Rodriguez complained. "Captain, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the work room."

*****

"Commander McKinnon mentioned that it was your idea to call me," Bridger told Rodriguez.

"Yes, Sir. Wolenczak's been having some difficulty dealing with recent events. He'd like to pretend they never happened. I figured he needed someone around who wouldn't let him get away with it."

"You think I'm that person?"

"Yes, I do. He trusts you. And it's fairly obvious you care a lot about him."

"I'll do my best."

"I have a feeling it will be enough," Rodriguez assured him, opening the door to the main meeting room and stepping aside so Bridger could enter.

Part 24

Bridger watched the reaction of the others when Lucas appeared twenty minutes later. Almost everyone in the room took a moment to walk over and greet him as the teenager made his way over to McKinnon to see what he could work on. Bridger found himself in a very interesting position as an observer among this unit, which seemed to work without being aware of his presence. Everyone seemed intently focused on their own jobs, but acutely aware of what the rest were working on as well.

"So, where do you want me?" Lucas asked McKinnon, who was explaining the details of the investigation to Bridger.

"I want you to help G...Rodriguez run a check on Doctor Keller. We're looking for people that might fit the description of Smith. After that, we'll see," McKinnon answered.

Bridger noted the way Lucas tensed up at the mention of Keller and Smith, but trusted the commander knew what she was doing.

"All right," Lucas agreed.

*****

"You doing okay?" Rodriguez questioned Lucas.

The teenager looked at him. "That's the fifth time in twenty minutes. I'm fine. I'll let you know if my status changes."

"I just don't want you to get tired."

"I'm okay. By the way, I'm sure the commander appreciates the fact everyone's trying really hard not to use the nicknames," Lucas commented, neatly changing the subject.

"We're making an effort not to embarrass anyone," Rodriguez acknowledged. Privately, he knew that they were bound to slip up; they almost had several times already. He had no doubts that, in the near future, someone was going to make the mistake and call one of the three seaQuest members by their nicknames. It had become second nature to all of them.

"That's a first," Lucas mumbled.

"I heard that. Be nice or I'll tell Karneering you need a nap."

"I'll tell him you need one too," Lucas countered.

"I'll tell him you both need one," Tim interjected, walking over to join them. "We're supposed to check our mail again."

"Okay," Lucas said, changing programs. "Nothing," he reported, moments later.

"I'll let her know."

*****

"We have a bit of a problem," Ryan announced, entering the room followed by Dawson.

"What is it?" McKinnon asked.

"There was another break in at the hotel. They got into Slick and Indy's room and were in the process of opening Scout's door when the housekeeping staff came along," Ryan answered automatically. The moment of silence that followed made her realize what she had said. "Sorry," she apologized.

Bridger looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out who she was talking about. "Slick? Indy? Scout?" he repeated blankly.

"It's a long story, Sir," Ford finally responded, his voice sounding rather strained. "But that would be Lucas, Tim and myself," he concluded quickly, hoping someone else jumped in before he was forced to explain the origins of the names.

"Really?" Bridger inquired, enjoying the commander's discomfort.

"Nice going, Sunshine," Rodriguez commented; he had not expected the mistake to come this soon.

"Anyway, the inspectors are trying to claim that it was Ghost and Slick," Ryan continued, seeing no reason to correct her error now. "Casanova and I figure we should take Scout and Einstein over to check everyone out of the hotel and see what we can find out."

"That's a good idea," McKinnon agreed. "The rooms have outlived their intended purpose."

"I hope we're not paying for them," Tim remarked.

"No. Kincaid is making sure that payment is taken care of," McKinnon assured him. "The four of you can go after lunch," she informed Ryan.

"Beyond that, they have nothing new to report in the investigation. Crewes and Stanton are both reluctant to accept our contention that the initial break in was to get their fingerprints to plant at Nicholson. They still believe that Slick and Indy are tied in with the burglary," Ryan reported.

"Which means we can probably expect your fingerprints to turn up at another crime scene very shortly," McKinnon proposed thoughtfully.

"How nice," Lucas commented.

"We'll just have to wait and see what they do next and try to counter it," McKinnon responded. "On second thought, Sunshine, I don't want you to clear the hotel rooms. I'll have Kincaid send someone."

"Why?"

"It could be a ploy to draw us out in the open again. If you go to the hotel, it would not be that hard to follow you. While we take precautions against it, it's a risk I don't want to take at the moment."

"You're right," Rodriguez agreed. "Particularly if they think Slick and I are still at large. We don't want to give anything else away."

"Okay. We're going to break for lunch," McKinnon directed the group. "Then we'll start again after lunch."

*****

"Care to explain the names, Commander?" Bridger queried, once he taken a seat next to Ford and across from Lucas and Tim.

"It's a team tradition, Sir," Ford replied. "They feel a compelling need to extend to it anyone serving with them."

"That's not quite what I meant, Commander," Bridger observed. "I'm more interested in the specific origins of yours," he added, including Lucas and Tim in his statement.

"It's part of the tradition not to reveal the meanings outside the group," Rodriguez said, sitting next to Lucas. "You going to eat that?" he asked Lucas, pointing at the teenager's sandwich, "or just dissect it slowly?"

"What is your obsession with my eating habits?" Lucas inquired.

"I've never met anyone who likes to play with their food as much as you do," Rodriguez remarked. "I find it fascinating."

"I'm so happy I can entertain you, Ghost."

"Einstein, you just had to let both of them out on the same day, didn't you?" Chandler questioned.

"Don't complain, Irish. I've had to put with it all by myself. Why do you think I let them go?" Karneering retorted.

"They're always like this, Sir. You get used to it after awhile," Ford informed Bridger.

Bridger shook his head and realized he was going to have an interesting experience observing the Outriggers. While it was obvious they would not accept him as part of the team, in the way the other three were, the unit showed no signs of adjusting their behavior for his presence.

*****

McKinnon waited, until everyone was returning to their assigned tasks, to approach Lucas, who still sitting at the table with Rodriguez and Bridger. "Oh, by the way, Slick," she said, her tone casual.

"Yes, Ice?" Lucas responded, sensing from the curious expression on Rodriguez's face that he should be nervous.

"The week I gave you? It starts today," she informed him.

Lucas swallowed nervously, shot an uneasy glance at Bridger and stood up quickly. "I'll keep that in mind," he mumbled. "You coming or are you going to sit there all day?" he asked Rodriguez.

"Thanks, Ice. He's going to be fun this afternoon," Rodriguez grumbled, following after him.

"Care to explain that, Commander?" Bridger questioned.

"I think I'll let Slick tell you about it," McKinnon replied, flashing a quick smile.

"Would this have anything to do with the other information you wouldn't share with me this morning?" Bridger inquired, recognizing that she had timed her remarks carefully.

"There is a strong possibility of that," she acknowledged.

*****

"I can't believe she did that," Lucas groused.

"Ice can be unpredictable," Rodriguez agreed, understanding now was not the time to let Lucas know that McKinnon had done it on purpose.

"That's very helpful, Ghost," Lucas muttered. "What do you want now?" he asked McKinnon, who had walked over.

"Something wrong, Slick?" McKinnon inquired with an amused expression.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Lucas quizzed, suddenly catching on.

"Now, why would I do anything like that? Anyway, I need you to find out what Inouye has been up to. The last threat you received, plus the remarks made by Smith, indicate that there's a connection to Tarsinia. We can't find anything from official sources."

"That's probably the wrong thing to be telling him, Ice," Rodriguez pointed out.

"Just make sure he doesn't over do it, Ghost," McKinnon commanded. "As for the search, I don't want any details."

"You have no sense of adventure Ice," Rodriguez complained.

"I'm a commanding officer; it's against the rules."

"I didn't know you followed any," Lucas retorted.

"Somehow, I don't see you as the best one to be making that argument," McKinnon pointed out.

"Do you two need to be separated?" Rodriguez interrupted with a smile.

"No. I'm going to leave you two alone now," McKinnon replied.

"Are you sure you should trust them?" Ryan inquired, walking by.

"Probably not, but no one wants to work with them."

"All right, you two can go now," Rodriguez directed the two. "We've heard enough."

"Maybe Einstein should have kept him in bed longer," Ryan suggested to McKinnon. "He seems a bit annoyed."

"You may be right," McKinnon agreed. "I think if we leave quietly, they won't make a scene."

"We've already lost Slick anyway," Ryan observed, nodding her head at Lucas, who had turned his back on them and was already working on the computer.

"Watch him," McKinnon instructed Rodriguez one more time.

Rodriguez nodded his head and then began concentrating on what Lucas was doing.

*****

Ryan walked over to where Bridger was sitting, reading through some of the information the Outriggers had gathered over the course of the investigation.

"Captain," she greeted him politely.

"Commander Ryan," he returned.

"Just call me Ryan or Sunshine," Ryan told him with a quick smile. "I only get called by my rank when I'm in trouble. I thought you might like to know all the nicknames, so you would know who we're talking about," she added. McKinnon had pointed out that, since Ryan was the one that had introduced him to the nicknames, she should clarify them with the captain. Ryan figured McKinnon wanted to avoid explanations and had used the first excuse that came to mind.

"That would be helpful. I've figured out a few," Bridger responded. "And it certainly explains the earlier hesitation everyone seemed to having with the names." Bridger figured this conversation was a way of keeping him occupied while the rest of the team conducted its business. He did not mind the diversion.

"When we're in the field, the nicknames are second nature to us," Ryan explained, before giving him a quick summary of all the nicknames.

*****

"Okay, both you of you need to take a break," Karneering informed Lucas and Rodriguez two hours later. "A nice, long break," he stressed.

Both made faces, but neither argued with the doctor, recognizing that Karneering would just get McKinnon to back him up if they did. Having been instructed not to let Lucas over do it, Rodriguez did not want to annoy McKinnon on the issue. Protective of her entire team, the commander was feeling particularly protective of the teenager at the moment and Rodriguez knew better than to push her. "Can I check in with Ice?" Rodriguez requested. "Just to talk to her for a few minutes," he added, when Karneering seemed to be giving the matter considerable thought.

"Just talking. No computer work. You, go sit with your captain," Karneering directed Lucas.

"Gee, I don't even get to pick how I take my break?" Lucas inquired.

"No."

"Okay, I get the picture," Lucas grumbled.

"And make sure you drink something," Karneering instructed.

"I will," Lucas promised. Karneering was obviously still in full doctor mode and Lucas figured he had better follow orders.

*****

"Taking a break?" Bridger asked, when Lucas sat down next to him.

"Yes. Einstein ordered me to. It didn't seem wise to object," Lucas responded.

"You going to explain your nickname?" Bridger questioned, curious.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "Ghost gave it to me. It's because of something I did with the computers on the Tarsinian mission."

"I have a feeling that I probably don't want to know any more," Bridger remarked.

"That's usually what Ice says," Lucas told him.

"How are you feeling?" Bridger queried, looking at him closely.

"I'm all right. Just doing computer searches right now. It's nothing very strenuous. Besides, between Einstein, Ice and Ghost, I'm not going to get to work very much," Lucas groused.

"What did Commander McKinnon mean when she told you that your week started today?" Bridger asked. The guilty expression that crossed Lucas' face told him more than the young man's answer.

"It's kind of complicated, Sir," Lucas mumbled, not wanting to discuss this now.

"I've got plenty of time."

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Bridger nodded; he was willing to let it go for the moment. He could already see that he and Lucas were headed for a lengthy discussion in the near future. However, the captain wanted to gather as much information as possible first. With Lucas, it was always better to enter a conversation armed, particularly when it involved the boy's emotional state.

"Slick, when you're released from break, can you give us a quick hand?" Adamsen inquired, as she approached.

"Sure. What do you need?" Lucas was glad for the distraction and change of subject.

"I'll tell you when you're done resting. I have my orders," Adamsen explained, with a backwards glance at Karneering. "I don't want to find myself suddenly going through a second annual physical."

"Oh good: he's threatening the rest of the team now," Lucas muttered. "Okay, Brook. I'll come as soon as I get clearance."

*****

"How's Slick doing?" McKinnon asked Rodriguez.

"Fine."

"That his interpretation or yours?"

"He's the same as he has been. On the surface, he acts normal, but there's just this sense that it's a strain to do so. What did you tell Bridger?"

"Nothing too specific. I won't break Slick's confidence without warning him first."

"I figured as much."

"Bridger's been watching him all day," McKinnon observed. "He studies the files I gave him, but he's got his eye on Slick, as well."

"Well, that's not surprising. The man obviously cares a lot about Slick."

"I wouldn't have agreed to invite him if I thought otherwise."

"By the way, speaking of people with secrets, who is Jordan O'Rourke to you?" Rodriguez inquired suddenly.

"Why do you ask?" McKinnon queried.

"Ryan mentioned that O'Rourke was Kincaid's goddaughter. If I remember correctly, so are you."

McKinnon raised an eyebrow. "I should have expected you to remember that," she commented.

"Well?" Rodriguez prompted.

"She's my half-sister," McKinnon answered.

Rodriguez stared at her, momentarily stunned. "No wonder you wanted in on this case."

"I found out midway through the investigation of her. There was nothing I could do to help her."

"How?"

"We have the same father, different mothers," McKinnon responded. "Since he was married to her mother, he couldn't exactly acknowledge me."

"Ramsey know this?"

"I don't know."

"You really know how to keep a secret, Ice."

"It didn't seem relevant. And, since he kept quiet, Slick must agree."

"He knows?"

"He figured it out when he went looking at the file."

"Then I can see why you want to give him fair warning with his secrets," Rodriguez commented. "He could have really nailed you, especially after you ticked him off."

"It goes against his nature to do something like that," McKinnon pointed out. "I think he would if he honestly thought it was for the good of the investigation, but not just because he was mad at me, although he wasn't above using it during our conversation."

"He was trying to protect his own territory."

"I know."

*****

"It's much easier to keep him on break with you here," Karneering told Bridger. "Usually, we have to threaten to forcibly remove him from the computer."

"After the first time you do it, he doesn't give you much trouble," Bridger noted.

"Really? I think I would have liked to have seen that."

"I think Lucas believes far too many saw it as it was."

"I'm sure he did."

"You feel comfortable telling me exactly what was in his system?" Bridger asked.

Karneering gave him an inquiring look, surprised at the way he had worded the question.

"Commander McKinnon felt there were some details that Lucas needed to tell me himself," Bridger clarified. "I don't want to make anyone nervous, but I need some information."

Karneering nodded his understanding. "I have no problems. Lucas' medical history is available to you as the adult in charge of his well being."

"Then I would appreciate hearing what you have to say."

"He was given a mixture of six drugs, plus the CDT, which he was allergic to." Karneering launched into technical part of his medical treatment before going into the more subjective areas.

*****

"Einstein clear you for work?" Rodriguez asked Lucas.

"Yes, Mother," Lucas replied.

"Maybe you should have taken a nap. It might have improved your attitude," Rodriguez commented.

"My attitude is fine. I just wish you wouldn't hover over me like I was an invalid. You were pumped full of drugs too."

"I don't think I found the experience as emotionally stimulating as you did."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'm just making conversation."

Lucas glared at him, but didn't pursue the topic. He had the impression that Rodriguez was intentionally baiting him.

"Ice?" Rodriguez called McKinnon over to where he and Lucas were working.

"What did you find?" McKinnon inquired.

"Three weeks ago, Inouye left Tarsinia. He went to Hawaii and then supposedly to France, but no one collected his bag. It's like he disappeared," Rodriguez answered.

"The plane stopped for refueling in New York. Supposedly, no one got on or off," Lucas reported.

"Great. So we know he's alive, but not where he is."

"Basically."

"Let's see if we can match any of our other suspects to New York or Hawaii in the same time period," McKinnon instructed. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

"Don't hold your breath," Rodriguez advised.

"Always the voice of good cheer, Ghost," Hallowell said, walking up to the trio. "We're still trying to trace Ramsey's recent movements, but without much luck," he added. "You want us to keep on it?"

"Check and see if he or any of his associates have made any trips to Hawaii or New York," she instructed. "If you don't turn up anything, we'll try something else."

"Ice, whatever happened to the data we picked up at the federal building?" Lucas queried suddenly. "Smith had them take the blank disk when he grabbed us."

"Really? Neither one of you said anything before."

"I assumed you knew they took it," Lucas told her. "I mentioned it last night."

"I didn't make the connection," McKinnon answered, not mentioning that her mind had been otherwise occupied the previous evening.

Rodriguez offered no response, just shrugged his shoulders. "You ever make delivery of them to HQ?" he asked.

"No. We were too caught up in your abduction to arrange to transfer them to HQ. Maybe we should take a look at them," McKinnon mused. "I'll go get them and let you two have a look at them. Just don't get too engrossed."

"Like anyone will let us," Lucas complained.

*****

"Slick?"

"Yes, Ghost?" Lucas responded, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his voice. Rodriguez had been interrupting him every twenty minutes on one pretext or another. Lucas had yet to figure out why, but he suspected it was intentional.

"You find anything yet?"

"Not yet," Lucas sighed.

"You tell your captain what Ice meant earlier?" Rodriguez inquired.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It didn't seem like the right time," Lucas mumbled.

"Well, waiting for the right time didn't do much good in regards to Section Ninety-nine," Rodriguez observed.

"Ghost?"

"Yes?"

"Is there a reason we're having this conversation?"

"I'm bored."

"Then why don't you go visit Sunshine?"

"Because she'll give me ten reasons why I should be utterly fascinated by all of this. I don't want to fascinated."

"Let me guess; you just want to be annoying."

"That's not very nice," Rodriguez protested.

Before Lucas could say anything else, Tim and Ford walked over. "Ice said for us to check our mail and then we're supposed to take a break," Tim reported.

"We just took one," Lucas muttered.

"That was two hours ago," Ford pointed out. "She said to tell you not to argue about it either."

"All right, all right," Lucas grumbled, noticing that Bridger and McKinnon were both headed in their direction. He changed screens and quickly logged into his mail. "I guess he decided to start writing again," Lucas remarked, opening the message. "I'm still watching you," he read. "A whole one. Let me see if Tim got one," he added, quickly changing screens again to check mail. "Nothing. Looks like I'm the only one."

"Could mean that he buys you're out on the run with Ghost," McKinnon commented. "It would be a natural assumption that the two of you would find a way to access a computer," she added.

"Probably," Rodriguez agreed.

"The message hold any significance for you?" McKinnon questioned Lucas.

"No," Lucas replied. "I mean I've heard it before, but nothing stands out."

Bridger noticed the way Rodriguez was watching the teenager and wondered what had the other man's attention. Studying Lucas for a moment, Bridger realized that the young man seemed somewhat shaken.

"After dinner, let Indy, Scout and Columbus take over looking at the disks. You and Ghost try to trace the sender of this one. Eventually he's got to make a mistake that we can capitalize on," McKinnon instructed.

"Of course," Lucas replied, distantly.

*****

"So, I suppose, the next time the UEO has another personnel training seminar, you're not going to want to go?" Bridger said to Ford. He noticed that Lucas had taken a seat as far away as possible.

"It depends on who else you're sending," Ford replied. "I'm starting to think trouble finds those two," he continued, looking at where Lucas and Tim sat with Rodriguez, Ryan and Karneering.

"It would seem that way," Bridger agreed. "By the way, Commander, you shouldn't blame yourself."

"Sir?"

"It's not your fault Lucas was taken hostage," Bridger elaborated.

"I understand that, Sir," Ford answered.

"I'm sure you do. Do you believe it?" Bridger countered. "Someone has set this up very carefully. It sounds like there was nothing anyone could have done to have prevented it."

"I know."

"However, I can't promise that Doctor Westphalen won't have a different view," Bridger teased lightly. "I think I'll let you tell her, Sir."

"Maybe we won't mention it."

*****

"Are you getting tired?" Karneering asked Lucas.

"No. I'm fine," Lucas insisted.

"I don't want you working too late tonight," Karneering admonished him. "You still should be taking it easy. Both of you should be taking it easy," he amended.

"It's not like we're doing anything strenuous," Lucas told him. "All we're doing is digging through files."

"It still takes energy," Karneering informed him.

"Give up now," Tim advised Lucas. "You're not going to win against Einstein. He's very crafty."

"You know, Indy, I could do another physical," Karneering remarked.

Ryan felt Lucas stiffen up next to her and kicked Karneering under the table. Obviously subjects relating to the medical field still disturbed him.

"So, was your captain too upset about finding out about your reserve status after the fact?" she inquired, changing the subject and ignoring Karneering's dark look.p> "He took it all right," Tim replied. "Although he did have a few words to say on the subject of that and the threats."

"Good," Rodriguez remarked. "I still can't believe the two of you kept quiet for so long."

"We've already had the lecture, Ghost," Lucas interrupted.

"Yeah, well, you should have it again to make sure that you don't repeat the same mistake."

"We don't really plan on getting any more threatening e-mails. There has to be some kind of limit on this kind of behavior," Tim commented. "I mean, there's all sorts of people in this world; let one of them take a turn next time."

"No offense, Indy, but if it was going to happen to somebody twice, I'd put my money on the two of you. You seem to be magnets for trouble," Rodriguez observed.

"Only when we hang out with you," Lucas retorted.

"Hey, we were peacefully doing our jobs with very little trouble until the two of you showed up on our doorstep," Rodriguez informed him.

"You invited us," Lucas reminded him. "You didn't even think I was capable of fixing your problem."

"I think he's still a little sensitive about that," Rodriguez whispered to Karneering.

"Children," McKinnon interjected, "do you need a time out?"

"Not really."

"That's what I like to hear."

"We know," Ryan mumbled.

"You two are to stop working at twenty-one hundred," McKinnon directed Lucas and Rodriguez. "Don't even start with me, Ghost," she ordered, when Rodriguez opened his mouth.

"Yes, Commander," Rodriguez sighed.

"As I said earlier, let Indy, Scout and Columbus take over the data tapes; the two of you can attempt to trace the note Slick received earlier."

"I don't really need any help on that," Lucas advised her. Lucas already knew it would not do any good to trace the name on the note. He had told McKinnon the truth when he said the message had no significance; she had not asked about the sender.

McKinnon studied him closely. "Then you can help me," she instructed Rodriguez. "I want to start looking at the whole picture and seeing what it is we're missing."

"Maybe Captain Bridger can help," Rodriguez suggested. "He'd be a fresh outlook. We've gone over and over this information; maybe he'll see something we missed."

"Good idea," McKinnon agreed. She noted that Lucas did not look overly pleased at the idea. She understood his unease, but did nothing allay it. If worrying about what she and Rodriguez might tell Bridger encouraged the teenager to talk to the captain, she was willing to let him wonder.

*****

Lucas stared at the computer screen, lost in thought. He had only bothered doing a cursory trace. He already knew that Christian Delacroix had died eighteen months ago; Lucas had attended the funeral. He was, at the moment, thinking about Christian. Christian had been one of the bright spots in an otherwise dark period in his life. His friend's death had hit him hard. He had lost more than a friend; he had lost one of the few people who had truly understood him.

*****

"Ghost? Are you still with us?" McKinnon asked. Bridger recognized the tone of her voice; he had used it often with distracted crewmembers.

"Sorry, Ice," Rodriguez apologized. "I was thinking."

"About?"

"The fact that Slick hasn't typed anything on his computer in about twenty minutes," Rodriguez responded.

"You're timing him?" Bridger inquired.

"Not really. I just noticed that he seems to be working at less than his normal speed."

"Probably because he's afraid you're telling me all his secrets," Bridger guessed.

"I don't think anyone knows all his secrets, Captain," Rodriguez pointed out.

Bridger glanced at Rodriguez and had the sudden feeling that the man understood Lucas better than most people. Most people were put off by the teenager's barriers or fooled by his outwardly positive front. It looked like Rodriguez saw more than most. It was fairly obvious the man cared about Lucas. "He's very good at keeping them," he agreed.

"Too good is more like it."

"Go ahead, Ghost," McKinnon said.

"Thanks," Rodriguez responded. "I'll be back."

"We're not as hard as we seem," McKinnon commented with a wry a smile, as she and Bridger watched Rodriguez approach Lucas.

"I figured that out in the hospital in Hawaii," Bridger assured her. "I just hadn't realized how well he had gotten to know Lucas."

"Being held hostage together will do that. It's a bond that can't be broken. They were in a bad situation together."

"Someone else might have ignored it."

"It's not in Ghost's nature to do that. He has a lot of admiration for Slick and wants to help him as much as possible."

"Lucas isn't too good at accepting help," Bridger remarked. "Is that how he got his nickname?" he inquired, pointing at Rodriguez, who had startled Lucas.

"Pretty much," McKinnon confirmed.

*****

"Ghost!" Lucas hissed when Rodriguez made him jump.

"Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"Why must you doubt me?" Rodriguez queried.

"It's habit."

"I'm sure it is," Rodriguez told him "What are you doing?"

"What Ice asked me to do. What did you think I was doing?"

"Staring off into space."

Lucas looked at him. "Are you working with Ice and the captain or watching me?"

"I'm an Outrigger; I can do more than one thing at a time," Rodriguez noted calmly. He found the teenager's response interesting and wondered if it was worth pursuing or if he should let it go for the moment. "What's got your attention?"

"Nothing," Lucas muttered, shrugging his shoulders. He hoped Rodriguez got tired of questioning him soon. He did not want to talk right now. He really wanted to be alone, but knew it arouse too many questions if he just left.

"Sure, Slick," Rodriguez responded, not believing him for a second. "What did you find out?"

"Not much."

"Are you going to tell me what you did find or are we going to play twenty questions?" Rodriguez persisted.

"The guy's dead, just like most of the others," Lucas finally conceded.

Rodriguez stared at him, wondering why he seemed to want to avoid the topic. "How did he die?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Maybe there's some kind of connection there," Rodriguez proposed, catching the brief flash of anxiety that crossed the young man's face. "I mean, does he pick the names at random or is there a reason he chooses one over the other?" Rodriguez could tell he was hitting a nerve, but had no idea why.

"I'm not inside the guy's head, so how would I know?"

"It's just a thought. I think I'll see what Ice thinks. Everything else has been carefully planned up to this point. It seems worthwhile to check this out more closely."

"Getting desperate?" Lucas questioned.

"You know, a more suspicious person might think you don't want to work on this," Rodriguez observed.

"I didn't say that," Lucas told him.

"True," Rodriguez agreed. "I think I'll go talk to Ice."

"Ghost…"

"What?" Rodriguez inquired. He could tell there was something about the topic that made Lucas very nervous.

"Never mind," Lucas sighed, realizing that, if he continued objecting, it would only fuel Rodriguez's interests.

*****

"Learn anything?" McKinnon queried.

"Not yet," Rodriguez remarked. "But I just had an idea."

"It's been a while since your last one," Ryan interjected, walking over. "I just got a page from the inspectors. I'm going to check and see what they want. But I may need to take Casanova and go pay them a visit."

"All right," McKinnon acknowledged. "What's your idea?" she asked, returning her attention to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez explained his suggestion. "I figure we can afford to overlook anything in the process. Every other detail has been carefully planned to evoke the greatest emotional response possible; it seems worth checking."

"Didn't he do that when he was tracing the others?" McKinnon quizzed.

"I think he just found out that they were dead without fully checking into cause of death. It may not have seemed important. It shouldn't take that long. We'll do the last couple; if there's no pattern, we let it go."

"We?"

"I'd like to help him."

"Does he want your help?" McKinnon questioned, hearing what he wasn't saying.

"No. In fact, I think he wishes I'd go away and not pursue this idea."

"Well, then that alone should make it worthwhile."

"Ice?" Ford interrupted.

"Yes, Scout?"

"We think we've found something in the files."

"I'll be right there."

*****

"I could do this much faster alone," Lucas informed Rodriguez, fifteen minutes later.

"I don't have anything else to do."

"I thought you were working with Ice and the captain."

"Ice is talking to Indy, Scout and Columbus right now. She doesn't like me to be around superior officers unsupervised. She thinks I make a bad impression."

"I can't imagine why."

"Sounds like you two are back to normal," Chandler observed.

"Thanks, Irish," Rodriguez growled.

"Well, it's true," Chandler defended. "Brook and I are trying to check on Crewes and Stanton; we need a little help," he requested of Lucas. "There's a database we can't get into. If you could download the records, we'll search for them."

"Go ahead; I'll stick with this," Rodriguez encouraged.

"All right," Lucas consented, preparing to follow Chandler over to where he and Adamsen were working. Before he could, Ryan walked over, her face very serious.

"Well, you two have been busy," Ryan informed Lucas and Rodriguez.

"What?" Rodriguez asked, sensing he was not going to like the answer.

"Your fingerprints showed up at Nicholson Technology."

"That's not good, is it?"

"No. Especially when they also have two figures dressed in black about your height recorded on tape to go with it."

"Great," Rodriguez groaned. "What else can go wrong?"

"Look on the bright side, Ghost," Ryan advised.

"What bright side, Sunshine?" he inquired.

"No one got killed this time."

"Thank you. Make sure you share that ray of hope with Ice."

"I plan on it."

"You going to go talk to them?"

"Of course. I want to find out what I can and it always works much better to do it in person. I just need to get Casanova and let Ice know what we're doing."

"Good idea: she gets upset when we wander off," Rodriguez commented.

"See, your humor's already returning," Ryan pointed out.

"I wasn't joking."

"I'll see you guys later."

"Go ahead and help Irish and Brook," Rodriguez encouraged Lucas. He wanted a chance to see if he could figure out what had Lucas acting so strangely this time and knew he had a better chance if Lucas was elsewhere.

"In a hurry to get rid of me?" Lucas quizzed.

"A minute ago he was whining because I was bothering him. Now, he wants to stick around," Rodriguez informed Chandler, who just shook his head. "He really needs to make up his mind."

"Let's go, Irish," Lucas said, deciding he was not going to gain anything by continuing the conversation. Plus, he did not think there was really anything for Rodriguez to find on his own. None of the information would reveal anything for him to worry about.

*****

"So far, they check out clean," Adamsen told Lucas, while he worked on their computer. "But there are two cases, one for each, that have been sealed; we thought it might be worth looking into."

"We're getting desperate for some kind of connection," Chandler added.

"Then I'll get them downloaded and you can start digging," Lucas assured them.

"We appreciate it," Adamsen commented. "I really wish you and Indy would join us full time; Ghost is much more agreeable when you're around."

"You mean it gets worse?" Lucas inquired.

"Definitely," Chandler confirmed. "Ice and Sunshine are the only ones who can get the best of him in an argument and even Sunshine has trouble."

"Maybe you'll end up with a couple of new people that can help keep him in line," Lucas observed.

Adamsen and Chandler looked at each other and snickered. "Not likely," Chandler finally responded. "Right now, he seems to be scaring them off."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Ghost can be intimidating in the recruitment process," Adamsen explained. "Particularly if he thinks they lack the proper attitude."

"Really?"

"Ice wasn't any better," Chandler pointed out.

"What was the problem?"

"Lack of a teamwork oriented spirit," Adamsen replied.

"That wouldn't necessarily happen overnight. They could have just been really nervous. I mean, you guys are one of the best, if not the best, Outrigger units. I would find it a little daunting to face all of you," Lucas offered, missing the look that passed between the other two.

"Well, you hid your fear well," Chandler noted. "The ones we tried out prior to this assignment had a few personality conflicts with the team as a whole. It just was not going to work out. We'll see who's available when we get back. Ice won't take on anyone until we're all happy with the choice."

"Sounds very complicated. You all seem easy enough to get along with; I don't see why it should be so difficult."

"Some things are just insurmountable," Adamsen mumbled.

"Okay, I've almost got it."

"At twenty-one hundred we're going to have a meeting and see if we can't pool our information and find some new leads," McKinnon informed Rodriguez. "Sunshine and Casanova will still probably be gone, but we'll go over what we have. I'll let you and Slick stay for that, but then you're done for the evening," she continued, realizing that Rodriguez was not fully paying attention to her. "After that, I thought maybe the two of you could go down and turn yourselves in and take your chances with the wheels of justice."

"I don't think Slick wants to be incarcerated at this point in time. It would look bad on his record, even if he is a juvenile and he isn't guilty," Rodriguez retorted.

"So you were paying attention."

"I hang on your every word, Ice," Rodriguez informed her.

"Ghost, I thought you knew better than to lie to me."

"Usually I do."

"What is it that has your attention so completely?" McKinnon queried.

"Nothing, really," Rodriguez responded, seeing Lucas walking up behind her. "I'm just doing my job."

McKinnon gave him a look, but had no chance to comment any further since Lucas had arrived.

"Did you do anything while I was helping Irish and Brook?" Lucas inquired.

"No. I was just sitting here anxiously awaiting your return. I mean, without you I can't seem to function."

"What did you say that made him so cheerful?" Lucas asked McKinnon.

"Don't look at me," McKinnon protested. "This is normal for him."

"That's not very nice," Rodriguez objected.

"They don't pay me to be nice, Ghost. You should know that by now."

"I know, but hope springs eternal."

"Have you two found anything that indicates a pattern among the names of the senders?" McKinnon questioned.

"We haven't checked out that many yet," Lucas answered. "I can finish on my own, if you need Ghost."

McKinnon glanced at Lucas and back at Rodriguez, who gave her one of his blank stares, which usually meant he was up to something. "That's okay. We're going to have a meeting shortly. There's no point in moving him to another project." Her response was received by a look of gratitude from Rodriguez and one of resignation from Lucas, which told her she had made the right decision.

*****

"They keep you busy," Bridger remarked, when McKinnon returned to the table.

"They seem to think it's part of their job," McKinnon agreed. "However, I only have seven of them to worry about. I'm sure you do the same on a much larger scale."

"What made you join the Outriggers?"

"A number of things: mainly because I liked being in the military, but I was proving unsuitable for the more traditional career routes. I never would have made commander in a standard unit. I most likely would have earned myself a court martial and an early discharge," McKinnon replied. "I'm considered unorthodox even by Outrigger standards."

"You have standards?" Bridger queried, smiling a little.

"Yes, we do, although we try to keep that part a secret, since it might ruin our reputation."

"How is it that such a close group manages to take on temporary members without any difficulty?" Bridger questioned, changing the subject.

"It usually doesn't happen. Slick, Indy and even Scout are the exception, not the rule. We've had some disasters, which is why we try to borrow from other units first. In the case of Slick and Indy, at the time, we had no choice in the matter. We needed their skills. It was their ability to adapt to our rules and operations that made it work."

"One doesn't usually associate adapting to rules with Lucas," Bridger remarked.

"They're the ones that made it work. If they had behaved differently, the team would not have accepted either one."

"Would they have been deployed with you if that had been the case?"

"Yes," McKinnon answered without hesitation. "Captain Sullivan is a pragmatist. We needed people and the other teams were already stretched thin. Their being able to fit in just increased our chances of having a successful mission."

"Will Commander Ford be subject to your recall regulation?"

"I don't know. That decision will be made by Sullivan and Kincaid," McKinnon responded. "If they feel he would a viable option for service in the future, most likely."

"So, it's not always applied?"

"That's correct," McKinnon replied. She decided not to mention that Lucas and Tim had been the first to be subjected to the rule in quite some time. She doubted he would see it as a positive development.

*****

"Let's see; we have three shootings, a hit-and-run, five of undetermined causes, and two, no, make that three, suicides," Rodriguez recounted, as he and Lucas continued checking names. "Basically, so far, no one died of natural causes," he observed. "That seems interesting."

"How do you figure three suicides?" Lucas inquired.

"I'm counting the man who stepped in front of the train as a suicide," Rodriguez commented. "The police say he wasn't pushed."

"Oh," Lucas replied.

"But that wasn't the one you were talking about, was it?" Rodriguez guessed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Slick, just because I haven't mentioned it, does not mean I have not noticed the coincidence of one of the senders being named Christian: the name you were shouting in your sleep the other night."

"It's not like there's only one person in the world with that name," Lucas pointed out.

"I am aware of that little fact," Rodriguez remarked, deciding not to argue. "And he was listed as a drug overdose," he continued.

"Accidental," Lucas corrected quickly.

Rodriguez nodded his head. " It was still ruled a suicide. Only his counselor insisted he was not suicidal."

"First time one of them gets something right and it gets ignored," Lucas muttered under his breath.

"I didn't catch that," Rodriguez told him.

"I was talking to myself, Ghost," Lucas responded.

Rodriguez sighed and wished he had been able to hear the comment. He should have known Lucas would not repeat it. "You want to tell me about this Christian?"

Unable to think of an appropriate response, Lucas ignored the question. "Come on; I want to get this finished tonight. We've wasted enough time as it is," he grumbled.

"E. Burrows," Rodriguez read the name to the teenager.

"First name?"

"If there had been one, I would have given it to you," Rodriguez explained.

"If you need a break, feel free to take one," Lucas advised.

"I'm fine, Slick."

"You sounded a little testy."

"It happens," Rodriguez commented.

Part 25

"All right, gang: let's gather around and see what we have now," McKinnon called out to the team.

Lucas stifled a groan as he realized that Rodriguez had situated him so that the teenager sat next to him and across from the captain. He felt like he was under surveillance.

Bridger caught Lucas' disgruntled expression and Rodriguez's satisfied smile and understood that the man had arranged the seating intentionally. He was becoming increasingly aware that, while the Outriggers would not reveal anything they felt Lucas considered private, they had no trouble creating scenarios for him to observe the boy.

"All right, Ghost: what have you and Slick found out about the names on the notes?" McKinnon requested.

"No one's died of natural causes. Many of the deaths are undetermined. There are a number of people who died of gunshot wounds," Rodriguez started, noting the look that crossed McKinnon's face. "We haven't run all the names yet," he concluded.

"Keep on it," she ordered.

"Okay," he agreed, sensing Lucas' discomfort with the idea. This was definitely something to examine more closely.

"Scout?" McKinnon prompted, moving on to the next person.

"In the files downloaded at the site, we discovered that Nicholson Technology is engaged in three suits over patent violations. They were all filed by Inter-Allied Technology, claiming that Nicholson is copying their product," Ford reported. "There was considerable evidence already filed on the part of Inter-Allied with the court. We are focusing on those cases and seeing what we can turn up on the people involved in the them."

"Good. It looks like Nicholson was not as clean as we originally thought. Brook?"

"We're still looking into Crewes and Stanton. We found two cases which were sealed and are examining them now. However, both appear to be very dedicated to their jobs and there has been no hint of scandal touching either one, although Stanton's previous partner, Angelo Gianni, resigned after a questionable shooting," Brook replied.

"Check him out. They may still be in touch with one another. It's possible he's involved in something shady and Stanton doesn't realize it."

"All right."

"Einstein?"

"I've contacted a few friends in the medical profession and found out that Dr. Keller has a reputation for being fond of medication," Karneering answered.

"Big surprise there," Lucas mumbled.

"She also tends to prefer the older, more addictive drugs," Karneering continued. "This would certainly explain some of the choices she made when drugging Ghost and Slick."

"Why?" Hallowell inquired.

"Control factor," Lucas responded automatically. "If you're hooked, you tend to keep your appointments."

"Why would a doctor do that? Aren't they supposed to help their patients?" Chandler persisted, trying to understand. "And wouldn't their families figure it out?"

"She treats most of her patients for depression," Karneering explained.

"So?"

Once again Lucas provided the answer. "Most of the drugs she would use would alter their mood, probably making them more docile and pleasing, once the right combination was found. Few people would object to the appearance of the problems going away. If someone is depressed and suddenly they're feeling better, no one's going to really care how it's achieved, as long as the problem has gone away."

Bridger did not like the way the teenager answered the question. It was like it made perfect sense to him. He took as another sign of what McKinnon, Rodriguez and Karneering had been telling him about the young man's detachment.

"And Benny?" McKinnon prompted.

"What about Benny?" Tim queried. He thought they had concluded the investigation of Benny.

"Columbus handled that part for me," Karneering informed her.

"Do I want to know?" McKinnon asked.

"Um, probably not, Ice," Hallowell confirmed. "His doctor verified the diagnosis and that Benny refused treatment. I also got him to admit that Benny asked him about ending his life. He suggested that Benny take a few days and think about his life before making any hasty choices. He recommended he seek counseling. Benny called him back three days later and thanked him for the referral and that everything was going to be taken care of."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. The doctor referred him to Doctor Keller."

"Why?" Tim questioned. "I mean, according to Einstein, she's fond of medication. That doesn't seem like the best solution to his problems."

"It is if the doctor wants to help Benny die and do it without liability," Lucas responded.

"Perhaps you could explain that," McKinnon suggested, even though she understood what he meant. She wanted to hear what he had to say and, judging from the looks Lucas was receiving from everyone else, she wasn't the only one.

"It just makes sense. If you have someone facing a protracted illness that wants to die, you send to someone likely to prescribe a multitude of pills. If that person then chooses to take them all at once, it's not your fault," Lucas elaborated. He remained matter-of-fact and could not understand why the others had such a time grasping the concept.

"If that's the case, then why get shot?" Adamsen inquired.

"The insurance policy. It pays more if he dies on the job. Most policies pay very little, if any, for suicide," Lucas responded. "They don't want to encourage the practice."

"I'm sorry, I just can't understand how someone could orchestrate their death so coolly," Chandler finally said. "I mean, if I was going to take my life, I don't think I would do it so calmly and carefully I would want to do it and get it over with."

"That's true of a lot of people. But if Benny really wanted to kill himself, he would want to make sure he had it all planned out. Too many attempts end up not succeeding, often leaving the person seriously injured."

Rodriguez watched Lucas' face as he spoke and wished he knew more about the teenager's own attempt. He also wished he felt comfortable telling Bridger about it. However, at the moment he could not justify breaking that trust.

"So, if we're operating under the theory that Benny actually committed suicide, you think he would want to make sure he could guarantee his success," McKinnon summed up.

"Yes. Benny would want to make sure he did not end up on life support, so he would pay attention the details. He's already decided he doesn't want to suffer a lingering illness; he's going to proceed with caution."

Bridger realized with a great deal of clarity why McKinnon had called him. The young man's attitude was so calm as to be unnatural. Everyone else at the table seemed somewhat uneasy with the whole subject, except Lucas. The captain also recognized that Lucas had many of his walls already up and that taking them down would probably be a long, and possibly painful, process. However, he also knew that it could not wait much longer.

"But why would he be willing to set you and Indy up in the process?" Rodriguez questioned, wanting to change the subject.

"I don't imagine whoever hired him told him the entire plan. They probably let him think they were just engaged in some industrial espionage," McKinnon interjected. "Benny may have decided to change the scenario on his own and left them no choice. I can't see the mastermind of this taking the chance of a murder charge; the penalties are a lot stiffer for murder than for robbery."

"The whole thing is just weird," Adamsen remarked.

"I think we passed weird a long time ago," Rodriguez muttered under his breath.

"We're missing some of the connections somewhere along the way," McKinnon said, ignoring Rodriguez's comment. "However, we're not going to find it tonight," she added. "I think it's time to shut down and start fresh in the morning," she announced.

"What about Sunshine and Casanova?" Hallowell inquired.

"They can report when they get back," McKinnon replied. "But, for now, I think we need the break."

******

"Here," Rodriguez told Lucas, handing him a bottle of water.

"Thanks," Lucas responded. He was starting to feel tired, as much as he did not want to admit that fact.

Bridger was going to say something about it, when Karneering walked over. The doctor wore a similar expression to Kristin's when she planned to exert her medical authority.

"You two have thirty minutes, then you're to call it a night," he commanded Lucas and Rodriguez.

"I want to hear what Sunshine…" Rodriguez began.

"I don't care if Sunshine is in the middle of her report," Karneering cut Rodriguez off. "I don't even care if she's in the middle of telling us she has conclusive proof of who's behind this; in thirty minutes you two are going to bed."

Bridger smiled at the expression on both faces as they judged the seriousness of the doctor's order. "I, for one, will be more than happy to help the doctor enforce his instructions," he interjected, giving Lucas a significant look.

"I think this is one of those times where we can do it gracefully or do it by force, Ghost," Lucas remarked.

"I'm getting that same feeling," Rodriguez agreed.

"Thank you, Captain," Karneering told Bridger.

"My pleasure."

"I think I'll go see Ice before we're banished," Rodriguez remarked. "I assume that's okay?" he addressed Karneering.

"I'll allow it."

"That's mighty generous of you," Rodriguez groused.

"One more thing: I want to take a quick look at both of you when you leave," Karneering informed them. "Don't try to duck me either, Ghost."

Rodriguez rolled his eyes, but offered no other protest, as he moved to where McKinnon was sitting, obviously lost in thought.

"I love my job," Karneering said, sitting down.

"I can tell," Lucas mumbled.

"It's for your own good," Karneering pointed out.

"What's for his own good?" Tim inquired, taking the chair Rodriguez had just vacated.

"Einstein has established a curfew for us," Lucas responded.

"Well, under the circumstances, I wouldn't argue with him," Tim advised, "since most of the team would help him with making sure you followed it."

"Yes. That's already been established," Lucas observed, glancing at Bridger, who gave him an innocent smile.

"You look tired anyway," Tim commented.

******

"What's on your mind?" Rodriguez questioned McKinnon.

"Nothing much," McKinnon responded, absently.

"Sure. I recognize the look on your face. You're thinking about something and you don't like the direction of your thoughts," Rodriguez told her.

"Reading my mind again, Ghost?"

"I've worked with you too long not to recognize the expression. It's usually the one you have when you have to talk to superior officers."

"I'll have to work on it then," McKinnon sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm starting to think that I'm going to have to do something I was hoping to avoid, Ghost."

"That was certainly enlightening."

"That's all you're going to get for the moment," McKinnon said.

"Okay," Rodriguez accepted her answer. "I suppose Einstein shared his ultimatum with you."

"I think it's more for Slick than you, Ghost. But he's operating under the theory that if he includes you, Slick will offer less resistance."

******

Ryan and Dawson had not returned by the time Lucas and Rodriguez had to head for bed. Karneering did not really care if they went to sleep right away; he just wanted them away from work. Neither one was happy about having to stop before Ryan and Dawson came back, but they knew better than to argue the issue.

"I'm fine," Lucas insisted, as Karneering performed a quick exam on both.

"Forgive me for not taking your word on this one, but I suspect you would tell me you were fine if you were on your deathbed," Karneering responded, finishing with the teenager. He was satisfied with the young man's condition. All Lucas needed now was rest. "Your turn," he told Rodriguez.

"Lucky me," Rodriguez grumbled. He had less patience for the exam than Lucas.

******

"Something bothering you?" Bridger asked Tim, noticing the lieutenant seemed unusually quiet.

"I'm just thinking, Sir," Tim answered, as Ford sat down next to him. He did not want to broach the topic on his mind.

"That's usually a good thing," Bridger told him. "It's been an interesting day."

"I think most days with the Outriggers are interesting, Sir," Ford commented.

"No, only when we're on a mission," Adamsen interrupted, overhearing Ford's remark. "The rest of the time, our lives are pretty quiet."

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to witness it."

"I've never seen it either," Tim added.

"That's because if things were calm, we wouldn't need your help," Hallowell pointed out.

"That's a very good point, Columbus."

******

"All right, don't stay up too late," Karneering admonished the duo as he left their room.

"Yes, Father," Rodriguez replied.

"Ghost, I will ask Ice to ground you if you don't stop being annoying."

"That's against his nature, Einstein," Lucas observed.

"True. However, he could at least make an effort. I'll see you two in the morning and not before."

"What if I need a glass of water in the night?" Rodriguez mused.

"You are determined to try my patience, aren't you?"

"I was just asking a question. Some times I get thirsty in the middle of the night and I don't want to get in trouble…"

"Ghost, you know very well what I meant."

"I just wanted some specific guidance on the topic."

"Ghost, I could just tie you to the bed and take care of the problem," Karneering threatened.

Lucas felt himself freeze inside and he tensed up instinctively.

"That won't be necessary," Rodriguez responded, his tone changing as he noted Lucas' expression.

Karneering followed his gaze and nodded, deciding not to address his mistake; he had a feeling it would only make things worse. "Good night," he said quietly.

"Good night," Rodriguez echoed. "He was just teasing."

"I know," Lucas answered, trying to regain control of his emotions. He could not let Rodriguez see how much the doctor's casual joke had frightened him. Rodriguez already knew too much.

******

"Commander," Bridger greeted McKinnon, sitting next to her.

"Yes?" McKinnon acknowledged, giving the captain her full attention.

"I think in the morning, there are a few things I would like to discuss with Lucas. I'm going to need a room where we can do that privately," Bridger told her.

"Your room won't work?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would say yes However, I think this time I need neutral territory or as close to that as possible," Bridger explained.

"There are a couple of empty rooms upstairs; you're welcome to use one of those. If you want, I can show what there is and make sure there are some chairs in there for you," McKinnon invited.

"That would be good," Bridger accepted her offer. "I think it would be best not to use the room you did when you had your talk with him. I'd like to make this as unthreatening as possible."

"All right."

"Having spent the day here, I do understand why you called me," Bridger told her, following her up the stairs. "He is rather detached about certain things. It's fairly obvious this disturbs him more than he would like to admit. Is there anything else you can add without betraying any of his confidences?"

"Slick has only confided in me reluctantly. I wish I could tell you more, but…"

"I understand your position, Commander. You did not get where you are by breaking people's trust. I know that if you felt it was in his best interests, you would tell me everything you know."

"Ghost might know something more that can help you."

"I may be calling on him for help," Bridger remarked, looking inside at the room McKinnon had opened for him. "I take it from the reactions that this was not the first time the idea that Benny used the robbery to kill himself was discussed?"

"No, it wasn't. Slick first proposed the idea when we were looking into the break in."

"Was he as calm about it as he was tonight?" Bridger queried, walking around the room. It had two chairs and a table in it and not much else: precisely what he wanted. The fewer distractions available the better. "This will do," he added.

"Yes. He does not find the subject as uncomfortable as most people," McKinnon commented.

"I had noticed."

"I figured you might."

Bridger looked at her. "Then that discussion was…"

"Just part of a larger conversation about the case," McKinnon cut in before he finished.

"Does the entire team know why I'm here?"

"I didn't make a general announcement. However, I'm sure they've figured it out. They are perceptive and everyone's been voicing the same concerns about Slick's behavior. When someone is having a tough time, we tend to pull together. And, if that's not enough, we do what we have to do to find the solution."

"Ice!" Hallowell called out, appearing on the stairs. "Sunshine's back."

"Okay, we'll be right there."

******

Ryan looked around the room, while they were waiting for McKinnon and Bridger to return. "Where are Ghost and Slick?" she asked.

"Einstein put them to bed," Hallowell replied.

"Oh, that must have been interesting."

"Actually, neither one put up much of a fight," Adamsen remarked.

"I think the captain indicated his willingness to assist if necessary," Tim explained.

"We all would have," Chandler interjected.

"I'm still sorry I missed it," Ryan sighed.

"Missed what?" McKinnon inquired, entering.

"Nothing, Ice."

"What did you find out?"

"The only things the police have are the fingerprints and the video. The video is not clear enough to make any kind of identification, but the inspectors aren't overly concerned. Their current theory is that Ghost, Slick and Indy are all involved in this together: that Ghost and Slick were not abducted, but took off on their own."

"What's my role in all of this?" Tim queried.

"You're feeding them information," Dawson informed him. "You stayed behind in order to betray us."

"And you were able to listen to this with a straight face?" Adamsen questioned.

"It was not one of the easier tasks in my career, but I managed," Ryan admitted.

"Which one of them is the mastermind?" Karneering quizzed.

"They're not sure," Ryan responded. "Although, because of his training, they are leaning toward Ghost."

"Why would Lucas be involved in this?" Ford probed.

"Because of his computer skills and his ability with locks," Dawson explained.

"Locks?" Bridger repeated.

"Yes. Apparently, the inspectors contacted Aegis Security regarding his previous employment with their company. Several of the designers and security specialists expressed their opinion that, while Slick's area of expertise was with their brand, they doubted any system would keep him out for long," Ryan elaborated. "They were rather disappointed when he tendered his resignation."

"The fact that Slick field tested some of their systems makes them even more inclined to think he's capable of breaking into Nicholson," Dawson added.

Ford voiced the question on Bridger's mind. "Field tested?"

"Aegis would install a security system at a location and then have a team attempt a break in to make sure everything worked properly. They also offered a similar opportunity to customers with other systems. They would show them where their security was lacking and then demonstrate how Aegis offered a better product," Ryan explicated. "Slick did not do too many of these jobs, but he did enough to convince Crewes and Stanton that he's more than capable in the area."

"Do they have a theory as to why they would return to Nicholson?" McKinnon inquired.

"They're assuming that they did not get what they wanted in the first place. They believe that Benny disrupted the first attempt, resulting in the one last night. They're getting really uptight about wanting to question Indy."

McKinnon looked at Tim. "I'm going to try to avoid that, but we may have to go in for questioning in order to buy ourselves some time," she told him.

Tim nodded his understanding. He had no desire to be interrogated, but, if it was necessary, he would do it.

"And, uh, you might get a call from Kincaid," Ryan informed her.

"Why?"

"He was already in bed when I called and not real appreciative of that fact."

"Why did you call him?"

"Crewes was preparing a press release on the burglary complete with pictures and a request for assistance in locating Ghost and Slick. I had to get someone who could impress upon them the problem with doing that."

"Kincaid succeeded?"

"After a fashion."

McKinnon looked at Ryan and decided she did not want to know any more details. "Anything else?"

"No. I promised to keep in touch and that you would likely contact them about these latest developments, but that you were entrenched in trying to resolve their kidnapping," Ryan concluded.

"Tomorrow we need to take a closer look at the police department," McKinnon said, thinking out loud. "Shortly after you tell them about Ghost and Slick being taken hostage, they're implicated in another break in. It strikes me as odd."

"It could just be a coincidence," Ford pointed out.

"We're not going to put all of our resources on it. We just can't afford to overlook the possibility of a leak there."

******

"Can't sleep?" Rodriguez asked Lucas, hearing the teenager tossing and turning on the other bed. They had turned the light out shortly after Karneering's departure, both hoping to fall asleep.

"No."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Are we back to one word answers?"

"Maybe."

Rodriguez sighed, unable to decide if Lucas' last response was an attempt at humor or intended to be taken seriously. "You mind if I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Slick, are you intentionally being perverse or is this just your natural personality shining through?"

"Yes," Lucas answered, rolling over. He kept hoping Rodriguez would get tired of questioning him and be quiet. He was fairly certain he did not want to hear what Rodriguez wanted to ask him.

"That certainly cleared things up."

"You can ask whatever you want, I just won't guarantee I'll answer," Lucas finally told him, after being silent for so long that Rodriguez suspected the teenager was trying to ignore him.

"When you, uh, made your suicide attempt, uh, did you plan it carefully or was it spur of the moment?"

Lucas thought about how he should answer the question. He did not want to talk about this right now: not with Rodriguez, not with anyone. If he told him what, then Rodriguez would want to know why, how and, very possibly, what made him change his mind. Lucas had no desire to face Rodriguez's disgust when he heard the truth. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to understand," Rodriguez replied, realizing Lucas was not going to give him an answer. "And, I guess, I'd like some kind of reassurance that you don't feel like trying it again," Rodriguez admitted. The idea that Lucas had wanted to kill himself at some point in his life terrified Rodriguez. He had lost a number of friends in his lifetime already; he wanted to know Lucas was not going to join them.

"I told you before; I'm not going to kill myself. That stopped being a viable option a long time ago."

Rodriguez really wished the boy would stop referring to it as a 'viable option'; it made it sound so simple. He wanted to believe that such a decision was not one easily reached, especially for Lucas.

"It's in the past. It's not important now," Lucas continued.

Rodriguez wondered who Lucas was trying to convince with his statement. He sighed softly and let the subject drop reluctantly. "I really wish Einstein let us wait for Sunshine's return," he said.

"You just hate being out of the action," Lucas teased, glad Rodriguez had changed topics.

"I'm an Outrigger; I thrive on action," Rodriguez retorted, willing to pretend that the previous conversation had not happened. He hoped that one day Lucas would trust him enough to answer his questions; he really wanted to know what had happened in the teenager's past.

******

After Ryan's report, everyone headed to their rooms. Bridger had tried reading, but found that he couldn't. His thoughts were occupied by Lucas' behavior throughout the day. On the surface, the young man had acted normal, yet part of him had been distant. It was as if he responded automatically, because it was expected of him. Then there had been all the bits and pieces of information he had picked up in the discussions he had participated in and heard during the day. Bridger sighed softly. He knew that whatever it was Lucas was protecting was important to the boy. The captain had no desire to cause the teenager pain, but he had a feeling that Lucas was not going to appreciate efforts to get him to talk. Bridger recognized that this was not one of the times when he could patiently wait for Lucas to be ready to face whatever had him disturbed. Someone had to push and he had been elected. Bridger just hoped Lucas would allow him to help. Finally, he forced his turbulent thoughts out of his head, knowing that he was going to need to be well rested for the next day, and let himself fall asleep.

******

"Don't! Stop it!" Lucas screamed, thrashing around on his bed.

"Should have predicted this," Rodriguez mumbled to himself, leaping out of his own bed. He caught Lucas' arm before the teenager could hit him. "Take it easy, Slick," he whispered, as Lucas continued to fight him. Getting behind the young man, Rodriguez used his body to stop Lucas' flailing limbs. He kept up a steady stream of soothing sentences the entire time, even when Lucas bit his arm.

"Don't leave me," Lucas pleaded, giving up. They were going to win; they always did. They were going to leave him alone in the room again and not come back for days, just like they had last time. He didn't want to be alone.

"I'm not leaving," Rodriguez reassured him, shifting Lucas slightly, once he was sure the boy was not going to fight anymore. Lucas did not resist, his body was surprisingly limp considering that, only moments ago, he had been violently struggling to escape from Rodriguez's grasp. "I'm going to stay right here," he promised.

******

McKinnon touched Bridger's shoulder and pulled him back and closed the door. "Let Ghost take this one," she advised quietly.

"Have the other nightmares been like that?" Bridger inquired; he and McKinnon had arrived in time to see Lucas bite Rodriguez.

"Pretty much," McKinnon confirmed. "The last one, Einstein ended up throwing water on him to get him to wake up," she added. "Ghost seems to know how to bring him out of it," she added.

"That was the one where he removed his IV?"

"And bit Indy."

"So that wasn't the first time?" Bridger inquired, with a nod at the closed door.

"No. Actually tried to bite Ghost once before. It's another defense."

******

"You want to tell me about this one?" Rodriguez questioned Lucas, still holding the teenager. Lucas was shaking with fear and trying to control his emotions, which were threatening to overwhelm him. He was on the verge of tears and the last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of Rodriguez . "Come on, Slick; you know you can trust me."

"I can't." Lucas wanted to trust Rodriguez, but he was afraid. Once he told the truth, it would all be different. His safety and security would be gone; everyone would know he was just a fraud. He shuddered at the thought.

Rodriguez was not sure what Lucas was responding to, but he did not press. Instead, he focused on calming him down. "Well, I haven't told you about Francesca," he remarked, with a small sigh. "She's second in line. I think it always bothered her that Olivia was the oldest. Like anyone had a choice in the matter. Anyway, she's always pulled these outrageous stunts for attention. My parents often wondered if she was going to survive her teenage years. Actually, they wondered that about all of us, but Francesca caused them greater concern. And kept the rest of us out of trouble in the end, since anything we pulled seemed positively tame."

"I always wanted a sister," Lucas mumbled.

"I'll give you one of mine," Rodriguez offered. "With five, I can spare one."

"Thank you."

"So, you want me to let you go to sleep now?"

"No, please…" Lucas did not know how to finish the sentence. He did not want to talk about the dream, but he did not want to return to it either.

"All right. I guess I'll have to tell you about Francesca's senior prom," Rodriguez informed him. "You're going to love this tale. However, should you ever meet Francesca, it's probably best not to admit you know the story."

******

Rodriguez was not too surprised to find McKinnon's door open with her and Bridger in her room when he emerged thirty minutes later. "He's asleep," he reported.

"Will he even tell you about it?" Bridger questioned.

"No. All I can tell is that he's scared. Once he wakes up, he gets control of his emotions as quickly as possible and shuts down."

"Let me see your arm," McKinnon ordered.

"He didn't break the skin."

"Why does he bite?" Bridger asked.

"He was terrified and I had his arms pinned. There's a brief moment when he's caught in the dream and trying to get away before he realizes that it is a dream and he's safe."

"I'm going to try to talk to him in the morning," Bridger told him. "I may need your help," he added.

"I'll do anything I can," Rodriguez responded.

"Well, I have a feeling he's going to put up a fight," Bridger prophesized.

"Most likely," Rodriguez agreed. "I know we've both been tempted to push, but I'm afraid he wouldn't let us help him deal with the fallout. That's why I wanted you here. You know him better than either one of us."

"Hopefully it will work in my favor."

******

"Not hungry?" Tim questioned Lucas the next morning.

"Not really," Lucas admitted. He did not remember much about the previous night. He just had the vague feeling that he had done something embarrassing. Rodriguez had not been forthcoming with any information when they woke up and Lucas had not wanted to ask him directly.

"You have to eat something," Tim told him.

"I know. What's on today's agenda?" Lucas asked McKinnon.

"Pretty much the same as yesterday. I'm going to shift some of the assignments around. Maybe a new eye will catch something," McKinnon answered with deliberate vagueness. She knew that Bridger had decided to let the teenager eat in peace before he let him know they were going to talk. She had no idea how he planned to broach the idea, but trusted that he knew what he was doing.

"Just don't make me work with the two of them together," Tim begged McKinnon, referring to Lucas and Rodriguez .

"Ice wouldn't do that to her worst enemy," Karneering assured him.

"Thanks a lot, Einstein," Rodriguez grumbled.

"Hey, they make a good team," Ryan interjected.

"Do you ever say anything bad about anything, Sunshine?" Adamsen asked.

"Not in years. Well, at least not since I started working with Ghost. It's the only defense I have against his pessimism."

******

Bridger waited until the rest were getting ready to start on the day's research to drop his bombshell. "Not so fast," Bridger said, catching Lucas's arm before the teenager could move away.

"Sir?"

"I want to talk to you. Privately."

Lucas did not like the sound of this, but knew he could not exactly argue with Bridger about it: not without attracting all sorts of attention and he didn't want that. Therefore, he followed the captain out of the room and upstairs, dreading it with each step. Taking the chair facing the door, Lucas folded his arms across his chest and waited.

Bridger took in the boy's defensive stance and sensed they were in for a long session. "Commander McKinnon may have given you a week," he started. "I'm not willing to wait that long."

******

"Aren't we missing someone?" Dawson questioned McKinnon before she started discussing assignments.

"Captain Bridger needed to review a few things with Slick. He'll join us when they're finished," McKinnon replied, her tone indicated there would no other answers forthcoming.

"Oh dear," Tim muttered. He could only imagine what they were reviewing and he knew Lucas was not going to like it.

******

"If you check the time one more time, Ghost, I'm going to choke you," Karneering threatened. McKinnon had paired Rodriguez and Karneering together, figuring the doctor would keep Rodriguez occupied. "I would be very surprised to see either one return before lunch, particularly if they're chatting about what I think they are," he continued.

"I can't help it," Rodriguez mumbled.

"There's nothing you can do for him in there. So try to focus on this research and maybe we'll have some good news when he comes out."

"I'm trying."

Part 26

"What?" Bridger questioned. It had taken twenty minutes to get Lucas to confess to editing his personnel file, which was all the teenager had told him.

"Sir?" Lucas knew what the captain wanted; he just hoped to evade the question.

"What did you remove from your file?" Bridger elaborated.

"I put everything back," Lucas responded. He had made sure to do that when McKinnon had set the time limit. "You can go read it for yourself."

"I'm sure I will," Bridger promised. "But I want you to tell me what you took out and why you did it."

"It's nothing major."

"Apparently, it was important enough for you to erase in the first place," Bridger observed, trying hard to maintain his patience. He knew that Lucas' behavior was calculated to get a rise out of him and he was doing his best to avoid falling into that trap.

"If I put it back, what does it matter?" Lucas knew that if he explained what he had removed, then he would have tell Bridger the whole story. The captain was never satisfied until he had the entire story. Lucas felt his only hope was to stall until Bridger gave up. He figured that eventually Bridger would get tired.

"I want to hear you explain what it was and why you took it out. I don't condone the idea of you editing your file. We've discussed the appropriate applications of your talents in the past," Bridger reminded him. "Removing pertinent information from your file is not one of them."

"You never would have known about if Ice hadn't gotten involved," Lucas grumbled.

"We'll get to that when we're done with this particular topic," Bridger assured him, not wanting to get sidetracked. "Whether I would have known or not, you cannot remove data and expect to get away without offering some kind of explanation."

"It's stuff I didn't really think anyone needed to know."

"If it was in your file, someone thought it should be accessible," Bridger stated. "And I don't think you're necessarily the best judge of what should be in it."

Lucas stared at the wall and did not say anything.

Bridger sighed and studied the teenager's posture for several moments. He could tell that Lucas planned to battle him every step of the way over this. He wondered if Lucas realized that the harder he fought, the more determined it made Bridger to get at the truth. It seemed fairly obvious that the boy needed to talk to someone. "This is not going to go away, Lucas."

"It's in the file. Why do we have to discuss it?"

"Because the fact that you're so intent on avoiding a conversation on the subject tells me that we need to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because you only avoid talking about topics that upset you."

"I'm not upset."

"Lucas, running away from your problems is not going to make them go away," Bridger commented softly. "I know this from experience. If you talk to someone you might find it must easier to handle."

"I'm not running away. I just don't see the reason for discussing something that's old news and you can read for yourself."

"It's not going to work that way. I want you to tell me what you took out and why."

"I removed my psychological profile," Lucas conceded suddenly.

"The entire thing or just parts?"

"Just parts."

"What specifically?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me," Bridger corrected.

"Why? Why should you care what it says?"

"Because you obviously cared enough to edit it. This is not something you did on a whim, Lucas. And I want to know why."

"I felt like it."

"That's not good enough. Lucas I want to help you with this, but I can't if you won't talk to me."

"Maybe I don't want your help," Lucas mumbled, staring down at his hands. He wanted out of here. Bridger, apparently, was not going to stop pushing any time soon. Lucas could not tell him what was in the file. What it said was bad enough; if he read it, there would be other questions: ones not easily deflected. He wanted to forget about it.

"Lucas, something is tearing you up inside and ignoring it is not the solution."

"I'm fine."

"Is that why you're having nightmares?" Bridger countered. "Nightmares that are so real you bite the people who are trying to help you."

"I was on drugs," Lucas pointed out.

"You bit Rodriguez last night; I saw you," Bridger informed him, watching as the teenager flushed at the news. "People have nightmares for a reason, usually because they have something they need to deal with. I think you certainly qualify."

"I didn't want you to push counseling after Tarsinia," Lucas muttered, hoping, if he gave Bridger something, the man would let the rest go.

"Why not?" Bridger encouraged. He recognized the ploy. Lucas had pulled it on him a couple of times before he realized what the boy was doing.

"Because I didn't want to go."

"You made that abundantly clear when Doctor Westphalen made the suggestion," Bridger reminded him. "That still doesn't tell me what you removed."

Lucas glared at him. "Why won't you just drop it?"

"Because I care about you and I'm concerned about why you did this."

"I told you."

"Telling me that you didn't want to go to counseling is not enough, Lucas," Bridger told him. "Nor does it tell me what you erased."

"What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're trying to hide from whatever is bothering you and that is not a solution."

"Not wanting to talk to you does not mean I'm hiding."

"Lucas, if you want to talk to someone else, I'm more than happy to let you."

"I don't want to talk to anyone."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bridger said. "Let me make one thing clear: you and I are not leaving this room until you tell me what is going on."

"I don't have to tell you anything," Lucas told him defiantly and then stopped talking.

*****

"I would say things are not going particularly well in their discussion," Tim commented to Ford.

"You're probably right," Ford agreed. "However, I think the captain is more stubborn than Lucas."

"We can only hope," Tim sighed. "He needs to talk to someone."

Ford nodded. He was glad Bridger had come. It was fairly evident that Lucas was bothered by recent events and no one else seemed capable of reaching him. Bridger seemed to have a way of getting past Lucas' barriers and getting the boy to stop hiding.

*****

Bridger studied Lucas, trying to figure out what the teenager was thinking. Since he had issued his ultimatum, almost an hour ago, Lucas had not said a word. He just sat in his chair with his arms crossed, staring at the wall. Bridger wondered how many times this attitude had worked in the past. He knew that a great number of people would have given up; he even suspected that's what Lucas counted on him doing.

However, Bridger was determined not to let Lucas down. As much as Lucas protested there was nothing wrong, Bridger knew that something was hurting the young man. He cared too much about Lucas not to push on this issue.

There had been other times when Bridger had known not to push. In this instance, Bridger felt that if he let Lucas continue hiding that, somehow, their relationship would be altered forever. While he recognized that pressuring the boy could end up damaging their relationship, he believed it was a necessary risk. As he contemplated the man seated across from him, Lucas began to realize that the captain was entirely serious. He planned on sitting there until Lucas told him something. It gave the teenager some pause. Usually all he had to do was act difficult and clam up and people left him alone. Lucas needed to think of something to tell Bridger that would satisfy the man enough to let him leave. If he set his mind to it, he should be able to manage that; after all, he had been fooling people for a long time.

*****

McKinnon surveyed her team and wondered exactly how much work was getting done. Rodriguez was not the only one watching the clock. Everyone was surreptitiously checking the time and trying hard not to speculate. When Lucas and Bridger had not returned right away, everyone understood that this was not a simple chat. "What's up?" she asked Ryan, who had just joined her.

"Not much. Just thought I'd see how you were doing," Ryan told her.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It must be hard for you to be on the sidelines for this one," Ryan observed.

"Mind reading again, Sunshine?"

"You'd like to fix all of our problems," Ryan pointed out. "For you, it's part of being a unit leader. I know you well enough to know you'd like to be up there, helping Slick with whatever's got him so upset."

"You're right," McKinnon agreed.

"You made the right choice, Ice."

"I certainly hope so. Where are you going?" McKinnon inquired, as Ryan stood up.

"To visit Ghost."

*****

"Lucas, running from your problems doesn't work. It doesn't make the pain go away. I know. I tried that when I lost Robert and when Carol died," Bridger started, trying to find some way to reach the young man. "I didn't start feeling better until I started living again. Pretending your feelings don't exist, -burying them-, is not a solution. You have to face them and accept them. You have plenty of friends who are willing to help you. They care about you and they're very worried."

Lucas stared at him blankly, listening to the words. He realized that Bridger thought he knew what he was talking about, but he didn't. He could not know what it felt like. Bridger was not him; he had never done the things Lucas had. "I tried to kill myself when I was eleven." Lucas made the statement calmly, refusing to let his emotions show through. He had to remain in control. If he maintained his composure, he could tell Bridger enough to satisfy the man; he would never have to tell him the rest.

"Why?" Bridger prompted softly, willing himself not to display any shock. He had suspected something of this nature from the teenager's demeanor during the discussion of the previous day.

"Does it matter?"

Bridger resisted the urge to let out a long sigh of frustration. Lucas had given him something, but not everything. "Yes, it does. You must have had a reason for doing it at the time and for removing it from your file."

"I was suffering from a severe depression."

"I'm not asking what your file said; I want to know what you say," Bridger informed him.

"I was unhappy," Lucas said, his voice expressionless.

"Why?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "My parents were divorced, neither parent wanted me and I had no friends because I was a freak," he recited.

"You're not a freak," Bridger corrected. "How did you feel?"

"I wanted to die; how do you think I felt?"

"I don't know; that's why I'm asking you."

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"I want to understand what you were feeling," Bridger explained, watching his face. "I find it hard to believe that this was as simple a decision as you want me to think."

"It wasn't simple; it's just in the past. I can't see any reason to talk about it."

"I see plenty of reason to talk about it."

"Then why don't you find someone who's interested in talking about it? Because I'm not."

"Right now, you're the only one I'm interested in."

"At least Ghost knew when to stop," Lucas mumbled.

"So you told Ghost," Bridger paused over the nickname briefly, "about this?"

"He asked; I answered. Like I told him, I'm not going to try it again. I got over the desire to die. End of story," Lucas told him, his voice flat. This was not going as planned. Why wouldn't Bridger stick to his end of the bargain? He had told him everything he could; he could not tell him the rest. Bridger would never understand.

Bridger could tell there was more to the story; he just did not know what questions to ask. He strongly believed that Lucas needed to talk about this more than ever. He just wasn't sure he knew how to get the boy started. Bridger had the feeling if he could break down the wall that surrounded the teenager's emotions, it would come flooding out. Bridger had hoped to handle this alone. It wasn't that he felt like he, alone, should be enough to help the teenager; he was just afraid bringing someone else in would threaten Lucas. However, he lacked enough information to get anything started.

*****

"I'm fairly certain the captain is not torturing him, Ghost," Karneering remarked. Ryan's efforts to ease Rodriguez's mind had not done any good, so the doctor thought he would try.

"I never said he was," Rodriguez responded. "I just didn't know it was going to take so long."

"Sure, you did. You just can't stand being stuck down here when you feel responsible," Karneering told him, looking at his friend.

Rodriguez raised an eyebrow, but did not comment one way or the other. He knew from experience that Karneering would continue on his own.

"You know that it's not going to be an easy conversation and you feel guilty because Bridger would not be here if you had not made the suggestion," Karneering said. "Plus, you're human," he added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rodriguez inquired.

"That you want to know Lucas has to say," Karneering answered. "You would like to hear what has him so withdrawn."

"I just want him to be okay," Rodriguez corrected.

"That doesn't mean you're not curious," Karneering noted. "It just means you won't force him to give answers he doesn't want to, as long as he's all right."

"Besides, I think you may get your chance," McKinnon observed, joining the two.

"What?" Rodriguez queried.

"I'm not sure Bridger has enough ammunition to get Slick talking. I have a feeling if things are going slowly, he may ask for your help. At least in getting things started," McKinnon informed him.

"Slick will think we're ganging up on him," Rodriguez protested.

"I'm sure that's why Bridger's trying to go it alone. It just might not be enough. We'll find out at lunch. If they don't come down, you'll have to take them some food."

"Lucky me. Why don't you send Indy?" Rodriguez proposed.

"That might be a better idea," McKinnon agreed.

*****

"I'm going to go see about lunch," Bridger informed Lucas, who had lapsed into silence again. "I told you we're not leaving until we discuss this to my satisfaction," he continued when Lucas looked ready to argue about it.

Lucas did not respond, just glared at him briefly and then returned his attention to the tabletop, which he had been staring at for a long time. He just wanted Bridger to leave; once he was gone, Lucas had no intention of staying around. While he understood that he could not leave the building, -that would jeopardize the team and he would not do that-, he needed to feel like he was in control. Being forced to stay in the room was too much like before; he had to prove that he could escape Lucas already knew where he would go; he just needed a chance to get there.

*****

"How's it going?" Ford asked Bridger.

"He's currently giving me the silent treatment," Bridger replied.

"That good?"

"Yes. Either one of you have any suggestions?" Bridger inquired, including Tim in the question as well.

"I wish I did. But he only talks to me when he wants to," Tim answered. "The rest of the time, I couldn't pry it out of him."

"That's what I figured," Bridger said, frustrated.

*****

Lucas shut the door behind him and sat on the floor. He knew that they would find him. It was not like he had gone very far, but he liked this room. It was smaller than the one upstairs and it didn't have any windows. He liked being in the dark. They couldn't watch him there; he had privacy. Lucas needed the time to gather his thoughts; nothing was working out like it should. Bridger was supposed to have been satisfied by his admission to attempting suicide: people usually left him alone after that. Instead, the captain had persisted, not wanting to accept what Lucas told him. Lucas knew if he told the rest, Bridger would not understand. The captain would know Lucas did not belong on seaQuest and make him leave and Lucas desperately did not want to leave.

*****

"Well, if nothing else, maybe seeing someone else besides me will help," Bridger said hopefully, as he and Rodriguez walked up the stairs. He had asked Rodriguez to come up and try to talk to Lucas.

"I'll do my best," Rodriguez promised. "However, he may not be too fond of me, since calling you was my idea."

"I'd like to know how Commander McKinnon got him to talk," Bridger commented. "She seems to have managed better than I have."

"Well, Ice basically pushed as many buttons as she could until he got so mad at her, he blurted it out."

"You were there?"

"No, but that's her usual formula when patience fails," Rodriguez explained. "While I'm not as reticent to discuss my problems as Slick, I have been known to internalize a few of them in my career. The whole team is like that, if you want the truth. We've all had our share of difficulties and a reluctance to discuss them. Ice feels that one of her jobs is to make sure we're emotionally healthy as well as physically. As frustrating as it can be when you're on the receiving end of one of her 'chats', it is one of the reasons we like her."

Bridger opened the door, more than a little surprised to find the room empty. "Where would he go?"

"He didn't leave the building," Rodriguez stated with certainty. "Besides the fact he knows Ice would kill him, he would not endanger the team that way. That being the case, why would he leave?"

"I think we should concentrate on where before we worry about why," Bridger told him.

Rodriguez thought for a few minutes. "I think I know where to find him," he said. "Follow me."

Bridger trailed behind Rodriguez, trying to understand why the teenager had left the room. It seemed more than an act of defiance, but it made no sense, since it would not be hard to find him if he was still in the building.

*****

Rodriguez led Bridger to the room he had found Lucas in before. "You want me to go?" he inquired.

"No. I think you need to stay," Bridger responded. "He's not telling me anything. He admitted to a suicide attempt but won't go beyond that. Maybe you can help get him started."

"Okay," Rodriguez agreed, opening the door. Lucas was sitting against the wall, arms wrapped around his legs, which were drawn up to his chest. The light was turned off and Rodriguez stopped Bridger from turning it on. If Lucas felt safe in the dark, they could let him keep it. "Hey, Slick. We have got to stop meeting like this," he remarked, as he sat down on one side of the teenager.

Bridger moved to the other side, but decided to let Rodriguez take the lead and see what happened. "Then don't stay," Lucas told him.

"No. I'm trying to figure out the attraction of this 'sitting-on-the-floor-in-the-dark' thing you have going," Rodriguez informed him. "You know, Slick, people worry when you just disappear."

"You found me."

"That's not the point. You want to tell me why you left?"

"No."

"It wasn't really a request, Slick," Rodriguez commented.

"There's nothing to say. I didn't want to stay, just because *he* said I had to."

"In other words, he was getting too close to whatever it is you don't want to talk about," Rodriguez interpreted.

"Not everything needs to be discussed."

"That's true in some instances; this would not be one of them."

"He asked what I removed from my file; I told him. That's all he needs to know."

"Did you explain why?" Rodriguez inquired. He had seen enough of Bridger to know that the mere facts would not be enough.

"What's the big deal?" Lucas questioned. "I tried to kill myself. Why must you two analyze it? It's a thing in the past; I don't want to talk about it."

Rodriguez studied the young man, trying to decide how to proceed. Pressing forward seemed like the best option. "If that's true, why do feel the need to honor the pact you made?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me that you had made an agreement with some friends to call if you ever felt like trying it again. Why maintain it, if it's in the past?"

"You wouldn't understand," Lucas responded, not wanting to explain. He wondered when they would know enough to leave him alone.

"Try me," Rodriguez countered softly.

"Why?"

"Because I care."

"They might need me."

"They?" Rodriguez prompted.

"My friends. Thea, Keri, Vic, Charlie and Ray."

"And Christian? Is he part of the group?" Rodriguez probed, earning a sharp intake of breath for his efforts.

"He was a friend."

Bridger noted the use of the past tense and wondered if it was significant. However, since Rodriguez seemed to be getting a response, he kept quiet.

"Then he was the name on yesterday's note?" Rodriguez persisted, wanting answers.

"Yes."

Rodriguez decided not the address the fact that Lucas should have told McKinnon that; they would have to deal with it later. "Who was he?"

"I told you."

"Why did you want him to run?" Rodriguez queried, remembering that from Lucas' shouting when he was dreaming.

Lucas froze and tried to figure out what Rodriguez might know. He could not remember what he had said about Christian.

"And where does Franklin fit into all of this?" Rodriguez threw in for good measure. He knew they were all related; he just needed Lucas to explain it to him.

Both Bridger and Rodriguez felt Lucas stiffen up and shrink against the wall. Rodriguez had hit a nerve.

"He doesn't," Lucas replied, his voice flat.

"He must fit in there somehow. You kept calling Keller Franklin," Rodriguez pointed out. Having jarred the teenager, he wanted to take advantage. "So who is he?"

"It's none of your business."

"It became my business a couple of days ago, Slick," Rodriguez corrected. "Remember, I was there too. I saw you. I witnessed the absolute panic you were in when you realized what was happening. That scenario was not set up on accident. Someone planned it very carefully."

"Being kidnapped would make anyone panic," Lucas retorted.

"You were terrified. It was worse than Tarsinia."

"Why do you care?"

Rodriguez considered the question, not wanting to give a rash answer. "You're my friend, Slick. I can see you're hurting and I want to help you."

"I don't want your help," Lucas hissed.

"That might be true. But you need it and you're not going to chase me away just because you're being stubborn about it. Eventually you have to face to your past; it's not going to stay buried forever."

"He's right," Bridger encouraged gently, deciding now might be a good time to get involved. "Tough times can be made easier if you rely on your family and friends."

"Yeah, right," Lucas muttered, thinking about his parents.

"Lucas, there's nothing you can't tell us," Bridger told him, realizing that mentioning family might not have been the best choice.

Lucas' mind was racing. They were going to make him tell and then they'd send him away; that was what happened every time he confessed his feelings. He was labeled troublesome and made to leave. Unfortunately, he couldn't shut either one of them out. A small voice inside kept insisting he should tell them the truth: that these two would understand. The other voice, the one that he listened to most of the time, reminded him what had happened when he had trusted people before. If he told, there would be no taking it back. They would be able to use it against him, just like everyone else. The softer voice told him it was time to make a choice and time to trust; the louder voice told Lucas to be quiet and it would all go away. For the first time, Lucas was not sure which voice to listen to.

Then, without even knowing, Rodriguez said the final thing needed to make the choice for him. "We only want what's best for you."

The words exploded from his mouth before he could stop them, because he was trapped in the memory of his father saying those very words to him: right before his parents walked out. It had been one of the few times his parents had been in the same room since the divorce. "The last person who said that had me committed to a psychiatric hospital!" Lucas shouted. "They just wanted the problem to go away! They didn't care about me!"

Rodriguez had known a long hospitalization had been involved: that was the only explanation for Lucas' reaction to being held by Smith and Keller. However, he had not been prepared to hear it.

"Who?" Bridger asked, trying to keep his voice even. "Why?"

"I was eleven! Who do you think?" Lucas shot back, unwilling to put into words. If he admitted that his parents thought he was crazy, then everyone would know that he was.

"Your parents," Bridger guessed. His estimation of Lucas' parents plummeted lower than it had been since he had met the teenager. He had always disapproved of them allowing Lucas to be on seaQuest, particularly since he knew that they did not keep regular tabs. He was glad to have Lucas on board, but the teenager deserved better.

"They said they couldn't deal with me. St. John's was supposed to help fix me."

"St. John's?" Rodriguez repeated, his body going cold. He sincerely hoped it was not the St. John's he knew about.

"St. John's Family Health Facility," Lucas replied, his voice shaking. He was on the verge of tears. He did not want to cry, not now. They would really think he was a baby. However, he could not escape the images that name evoked.

Bridger could tell from Rodriguez's face that the name meant something to the other man and searched through his memory for a reference to name.

"It's a fancy name for a nuthouse. As long as your parents could pay, they could make you better," Lucas continued dully. Against his will, the tears had started falling and he couldn't stop shaking.

Bridger reached out and pulled Lucas into his lap, deciding it was time for a break. Lucas needed time to get himself under better control and they needed time to digest what had been said. "It's okay, pal," he whispered, as Lucas buried his face in the captain's shoulder. "Just let it out."

Rodriguez moved over and rested a hand on Lucas' leg, wanting the teenager to know that he was there. Closing his eyes, he tried to stop his imagination from running wild. His sister, Francesca, was a social worker. She had been one of the investigators when St. John's had been shut down following a spectacular escape by several of its patients. Francesca had called him in tears every night, angrily cursing everyone at the hospital. Rodriguez had been angry himself; now, the realization that someone he knew had been there filled him with rage.

Bridger gently rubbed Lucas' back, waiting for the sobs to subside. As much as he wanted to end this discussion now, he knew they had to get the rest of the story. Lucas needed to talk about this and past experience had taught him he needed to capitalize on the break through. Given too much time to think, Lucas would erect his barriers and act like the conversation had never taken place. At the moment, his main concern was comforting the boy.

Lucas wanted to stop crying. He was embarrassed, but he knew if he stopped, he would have to look them in the eyes and see their disgust in them. They would never trust him now that they knew the truth. He had been in a mental hospital; how could they? He did not want this moment to end, because everything was already ruined.

Even though he was unlikely to admit it to anyone other than himself, Lucas liked being held. He felt safe and loved in Bridger's arms; he didn't want the feeling to end. Lucas had never been held and comforted like this until after Tarsinia, when Bridger had done the same for him them. His mother had never had the time and his father refused to tolerate crying. He was going to miss this, even though he didn't need it very often. Lucas had no doubts that Bridger would send him away; the captain couldn't have him running around seaQuest.

"Lucas?" Bridger spoke softly. He put a hand under the teenager's chin and forced him to look in his eyes. The fear that was in them saddened Bridger, especially when it turned to genuine surprise as the boy registered Bridger's expression. The captain realized that Lucas expected him to react negatively to the news. While Bridger would like to let the young man's parents have a piece of his mind, he only wanted to make Lucas feel better.

Lucas could not believe it; instead of horror and revulsion, he saw sympathy and concern. The captain didn't look angry at him. "Yes?"

"We need to talk about this some more," Bridger told him quietly. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to find this out about you and I think you might hold some answers." He felt Lucas tense up. "Lucas, the choices your parents made: they're not your fault. You're not less of a person for having been hospitalized."

"You're not going to make me go back?" Lucas asked hesitantly, looking away, still fearing that Bridger might not want him around.

"Of course not," Bridger reassured him.

"They said if things didn't work out on seaQuest, I had to go back."

Rodriguez knew right then that he never wanted to meet Lucas' parents because he would not be responsible for his actions if he did. Judging from the look on his face, Bridger felt the same way.

"I promise you that you will never go back to a place like that again," Bridger stated, his tone making Lucas look at him and see the sincerity in his eyes.

"You have my word on that too," Rodriguez interjected.

Lucas turned and saw the same sympathy and concern that had been in the captain's eyes. He did not understand it; everyone else backed away when they learned the truth.

"Now, can you tell us a little bit more?" Bridger encouraged. "We need to know what happened while you were there."

Rodriguez thought it might be time for him to depart and prepared to do just that, slightly surprised when Bridger shook his head and indicated he wanted him to stay.

Bridger knew Rodriguez was startled and he did not have time to explain his reasoning. The captain had thought about asking Rodriguez to leave, until he realized how scared Lucas was of losing his friends over this information. He thought having Rodriguez there might reinforce the fact that no one was going to blame Lucas for any of this. Bridger also admitted to himself that, if he had to hear the story, he really wanted someone to share it with.

Part 27

"I don't know where to start," Lucas mumbled, trying to pull away from Bridger a little bit, only to discover that Bridger held him firmly in place. P> "Start with the beginning," Bridger suggested. "Why were you there?"

"I tried to commit suicide twice. The first time, I overdosed on pills. The second, I tried to slit my wrists. My father paid extra to insure there were no scars," Lucas began. "It was embarrassing for him in particular. Everyone was always asking him if I was all right. He thought it looked bad to have me around. My mother told him she couldn't deal with it. She had just remarried and having me try to kill myself was cramping her style."

Rodriguez felt his anger towards the teenager's parents grow. He could not imagine what could be more important than trying to figure out why your son wanted to die.

"Somebody told my father about St. John's," Lucas continued, hedging the truth a little. "They told him that it would help me. So they took me there and left."

"How long were you there?" Bridger inquired, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"A little over a year."

Bridger closed his eyes and hugged Lucas a little tighter.

"Franklin worked there?" Rodriguez guessed. Now the name seemed vaguely familiar from talking to his sister.

"He was the director."

"What happened while you were there?" Bridger questioned.

"A lot of things," Lucas mumbled.

"They gave you a lot of drugs, didn't they? That's why you were so familiar with what Keller used," Rodriguez interrupted, trying to help Lucas out.

"That's the first thing they did. The first few days go by in a blur; you're so full of drugs you can't think straight. I don't remember what all I was on."

"Christian was a patient there?"

Bridger felt Lucas stiffen up a little. "He was my roommate for awhile. Until he left."

"Left?"

"He escaped," Lucas explained. "They couldn't figure out how he managed it. That's when they gave me the CDT. They wanted me to tell them."

"Why were they so interested?" Rodriguez prompted.

"They locked us in at night; there were bars on the outside of the windows, screens on the inside. Everything was intact when they found out he was missing."

"Screens?" Bridger repeated, puzzled.

"They put them on the inside to keep you from putting your fist through the glass. Several people tried to do it to get away and Vic did it when she was having psychotic episode as a result of medication." Lucas shuddered at the memory of that incident. "Then she tried to kill me. The orderly said I attempted suicide again, so that they would put me in solitary," he added, distracted from his original tale.

"Solitary?" Rodriguez prompted, positive that he was not going to like this.

"They'd put you in restraints, lock you in a room and leave. They always left the lights on, so they could watch you. They'd put you on an IV so that they didn't have to bring you food, just had to come in and change it."

"How long?" Bridger barely got the question out.

"Two or three days, sometimes a week. Never any longer than that."

"So, how did Christian get out?" Rodriguez questioned, returning to that topic.

"I picked the lock and then locked it again when he left," Lucas answered.

"Why didn't you leave?"

"My parents had made it abundantly clear that, if I left, I'd be returning. Life was not especially good if you escaped and then were brought back. Christian's grandmother wanted him; if he could get to her, she would protect him."

"That's why you know so much about locks?" Rodriguez inquired.

"That was the worst part. Being locked in that room, especially in solitary. First, I learned how to do the one for Christian. It wasn't so hard; it had a broken piece. Some of them were trickier, more complicated and it's hard to think straight when you're on drugs. When I got out, I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. Aegis was the best, so I learned how to break their security, figuring, if I could break theirs, I could crack anyone's."

"Why did your parents finally take you out of there?" Bridger asked.

"They didn't. At least not willingly."

"I don't understand."

"When they shut the hospital down, they had no choice."

"Who shut the hospital down?"

"The state," Rodriguez replied, having already figured out that the time frame was right for Lucas to have been there for the closure. "It was closed down after a group staged a break out by setting starting a fire in their wing. When the firemen arrived, they found a lot of the patients locked in their rooms and restrained, and not enough staff around to help them. My sister was part of the investigation afterwards."

"Everyone could have been killed," Bridger said.

"Five patients had recently overdosed; three of them died, the other two suffered brain damage. They were overmedicated," Lucas explained. "There were rumors that they were starting to use some of the inmates for medical testing. They wanted to make sure it was something no one could ignore."

"Were you involved?"

"No. I was in the building; only the four that started the fires knew about it ahead of time. By then, I had sort of accepted that I was never going to get out. My parents never came to visit; they were happy to have me away."

"When you left, what happened?"

"I went to live with my father. My mother's husband said I was a mental case and he didn't want me around his children."

"That was it?"

"My father told me I should just be thankful I was out of there and deal with it."

"Were you involved in the investigation?" Rodriguez asked, wondering if his sister had ever met him.

"No. My father did not want anyone to know his son had been in a psychiatric hospital. That I needed to be in one was bad enough, but he didn't want it plastered all over the news." While a part of Lucas recognized that his parents had not protected him properly, the other part of him was afraid to admit that they were wrong. It was more than he wanted to handle at the moment. Plus, Lucas knew if he told the rest of the story, then Bridger and Rodriguez would understand that he deserved to be there.

Listening to him talk, Bridger realized that it was going to be a long time before Lucas fully healed. He knew if it was him, he would be incredibly angry at his parents for what they had done, yet Lucas seemed to be accepting of it. Plus, after his initial outburst and the bout of crying, the teenager had been remarkably calm in telling his story. Bridger knew that, at some point, they would have to deal with the emotions of his past. However, getting Lucas to talk about it was a step in the right direction. "You didn't need to be there. Your parents picked an expedient way to deal with the problem," he corrected gently.

"Everyone always leaves when they find out," Lucas whispered. Lucas was still scared that Bridger and Rodriguez might change their minds about him. If they ever got really angry at him, they could hurt him with the information. He desperately wanted to believe in what they told him, but relying on people frightened him.

"We're not going to leave you, Slick," Rodriguez told him firmly. "You didn't deserve what happened to you. You were just a kid who needed some help. There's nothing wrong with that. No one that knows you: no one that cares about you is going to think any less of you. You didn't do anything wrong," he insisted.

"He's right," Bridger echoed. "I can't change what happened to you, but it's not going to happen again."

"Slick?" Rodriguez spoke hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I need your permission to tell Ice and the rest," Rodriguez requested. "Some of this could have bearing on the investigation. Someone knew enough about your hospital record to attempt to recreate it." Rodriguez did not like bringing it up, but he knew it could not be avoided.

Bridger studied the other man and realized that, if Lucas did not give him his approval, Rodriguez would find a way to work around it without breaking the young man's trust. "Lucas, they're your friends too. The only thing they're going to feel is sympathy for what you went through and admiration that you survived it as well as you did," he interjected. Bridger decided not to mention that they would all probably also feel an overwhelming anger directed at his parents and anyone else involved. He did not think the teenager was up to dealing with that right now. "They're not going to use the information to hurt you," he added, finally figuring out this was another one of the boy's fears.

"I don't want everyone staring at me like I'm a freak."

"They won't," Rodriguez assured them; he planned to make sure that everyone treated the teenager properly.

"Lucas, I also want your permission to tell Doctor Westphalen. I think this is something she needs to know. Other than that, who you tell is your business. But your friends would want to know, so they can help you at times like these."

"I don't want to tell them," Lucas mumbled. Lucas did not want to have everyone looking at him while they heard about his past. If they couldn't accept it, he did not want to see it on their faces.

"You don't have to be there if you don't want," Bridger told him. "We can take care of it, if you'll let us."

Lucas nodded his head slowly. He knew they were right, at least in regards to the investigation. It was entirely possible that there was some connection in the whole mess. He could not endanger the team in this way. He could feel the tears forming again, which just embarrassed him. They were going think he was a big baby.

Rodriguez watched as Lucas rubbed his eyes and decided it was time to let Bridger be alone with the young man. "Slick? I'm going to go now," he said softly. "I need to let Ice know we have not gone AWOL," he joked a little, earning a weak smile from Lucas. "But, you know, if you need to talk some more, I'm here for you." He gave the teenager's shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Take your time," he mouthed to Bridger. Rodriguez knew he was not ready to explain this to the rest of the team yet and he wanted Bridger present when he did it.

"Thank you," Lucas muttered, his voice muffled because he had his face buried in Bridger's chest. He hoped Rodriguez understood what he meant.

"Any time, Slick. That's what friends are for," he reminded him, as he left the room.

Once Rodriguez left, Lucas stopped trying to hide his tears. "It's okay to cry, Lucas. Sometimes it's just what you need," Bridger murmured. He wished he could do more for the teenager, but he had to content himself with comforting him and hoping it was enough. Rocking him gently, Bridger wondered if anyone had ever tried to help the boy with this. He was now starting to fully realize that most of Lucas' barriers had been erected because he had been led to believe there was something wrong with showing emotion and the boy feared the consequences of showing his feelings.

*******

Rodriguez did not go to the work room; he knew he was in no mood to face the questions of the rest of the team. Instead, he went to the room he shared with Lucas and grabbed his extra alarm clocks, grateful he had brought a few extra this trip. He headed upstairs where he could get rid of some of his anger and frustration in peace He was not furious with the teenager; he only felt sympathy for Lucas.

Rodriguez was enraged that his parents had done that to him. Parents were supposed to protect their children and it did not seem like they had done a particularly good job with Lucas. Rodriguez was upset that Lucas seemed to think he had brought it on himself and that he deserved what had happened.

Rodriguez knew he needed to get his anger and aggression under control so that he could help Lucas. Being mad was not what the boy needed right now. He needed to know that his friends understood. Rodriguez did not want to send any mixed signals to the young man. He did not need anyone telling him that, if he seemed angry, Lucas would interpret the emotion as being directed at himself.

Ryan spotted Rodriguez in the hall and was going to say something, until she looked at his face. Rodriguez had a temper, but it was only on rare occasions fully aroused. When it was, the entire team knew to leave him alone. It was one of Rodriguez's better qualities; he always knew when he should stay away and get himself under control. Ryan did not know what had him so upset now, but she was willing to bet it had something to do with Lucas. It made her worry about what it might be, since she cared about the teenager too. Heading back downstairs, Ryan figured she had better let McKinnon know that something was going on. McKinnon was the only one brave enough to face Rodriguez when he was in this mood and even she was reluctant sometimes.

Returning to the room where the rest of the team was pretending to work, while anxiously waiting to see if Lucas was all right, Ryan headed for McKinnon. She knew her commanding officer would want to know about Rodriguez, even if she could not do anything about it.

"What's up?" McKinnon inquired, looking up from the computer and seeing Ryan's concerned expression.

"I just saw Ghost upstairs," Ryan started.

"Something wrong?" McKinnon interrupted.

"I'm not sure. But he's mad about something."

"Define mad," McKinnon requested, already standing up.

"Um, you remember the Benson mission?" Ryan asked. "When Einstein and Irish got shot because the officer from Outrigger Gold blew their cover?"

"Yes," McKinnon responded. "That bad?" she queried, remembering. It was the first time, in fact it was the only time, she had seen Rodriguez lose control of his temper in public. The team had never seen him that irate in the past and it was generally agreed that no one wanted to see it again. It was one of the reasons she had suggested he needed to find a way to channel his anger.

"The look on his face bore a strong resemblance to the one he had before he made the rather colorful suggestion to the CO of Gold."

"I'll be back," McKinnon said. "If I'm gone for a real long time, send someone to retrieve my body."

"Ghost wouldn't kill you. He might maim you a little, but he wouldn't kill you," Ryan pointed out. "But I promise, if he does slip, we won't let you rot in there for too long."

"Thanks, Sunshine."

*******

Rodriguez heard the door open and didn't turn around. "Don't interrupt me, Ice," he commanded, throwing another alarm clock and watching with satisfaction as it shattered against the wall. He was not ready to talk just yet.

McKinnon nodded, not surprised that he knew it was her without looking. She leaned against the back wall and watched him in silence. She had learned the hard way not to disturb him when he was like this. Since it appeared that he was running out of things to throw, McKinnon knew she would not have to wait very long for him to start talking. Studying his posture for a few minutes, McKinnon saw it might take a while for him to be ready to have a discussion.

"If you have anything you don't care for, I'm accepting donations," Rodriguez informed her fifteen minutes later. "And I hope someone has an extra alarm clock; I may need to borrow one."

"I'm sure we can find you one," McKinnon responded. "Should I see if Einstein has replaced his snow globes yet?"

"It's tempting."

"Maybe you could try telling me what has you so riled up instead," McKinnon suggested. Since he had started talking to her, she assumed it was safe to proceed.

"You ever realize that some people should not be permitted to have children?" Rodriguez asked.

"Frequently. However, I sense this was not a generic question."

"That's what I like about you, Ice: you're very astute."

"Just out of curiosity, does this have anything to do with the fact that you did not return after lunch?"

"No, Ice. I just decided to go for a little walk without telling you," Rodriguez said sarcastically, as he threw the last clock he had brought up with him. He really wished he had something more to throw. "What are you doing?" he asked, as McKinnon started picking up the broken pieces of clock.

"I thought it was fairly obvious," McKinnon told him.

"Why?"

"Because you still seem a bit irritated," McKinnon observed in a vast understatement of the situation. "And, like a good CO, I am prepared to deal with that."

"I'm not fighting with you on this floor," Rodriguez informed her. "One of us would get seriously injured."

"Trust me to have a little common sense," McKinnon advised him, finishing with her cleaning. Walking over to the door, she picked up something which he couldn't see.

"Here," she called, tossing him a baseball glove. "The rules are very simple: you hit me with the ball intentionally, and you will live to regret it."

"You came prepared for this?" Rodriguez queried, pulling on the glove.

"I'm an Outrigger; it's my job," McKinnon reminded him. McKinnon threw the ball so that it landed behind him and he had to run after it.

It only took about five throws for Rodriguez to realize that McKinnon was intentionally making him run, while it did not seem to matter where he threw it, as she always managed to catch the ball.

Finally after twenty minutes, Rodriguez sat against the wall. "Well this is déjà vu," he mumbled, trying to catch his breath.

"So, you want to tell me about it now?" McKinnon questioned, sitting next to him.

"Not really. In fact, I need to go check on Bridger," Rodriguez replied. "I just needed to get rid of some excess energy. What brought you up here?"

"You didn't see Sunshine?"

"No."

"Well, she saw you. You're sure you don't want to talk about this?"

"Not right now, Ice. Maybe later. Right now, I need to change my clothes and see if Bridger needs any help. If I talk about it now, I'm just going to get angry all over again," Rodriguez told her.

"All right."

"We'll fill you in when we're sure he's okay."

"Should I plan on a team game of catch when you've finished your explanations?"

"It might be a good idea. And just where did you learn this technique?"

"One of my former CO's always wanted to be a pitcher."

Part 28

Lucas had finally cried himself to sleep, which was when Bridger realized that he was sitting on the floor and not sure how he was going to stand up without disturbing the teenager. He wanted the boy to sleep for a while, especially since he had not been getting much rest over the past few days. He decided to wait a few more minutes and see if, maybe, his predicament occurred to Rodriguez. It also gave the captain time to assimilate everything Lucas had told him. Like Rodriguez, he felt incredibly angry at Lucas' parents for their actions and everyone else who had contributed to the situation. He wished he could erase the past and make it never have happened to the teenager, but he couldn't change the past.

Bridger glanced up as the door opened. "I was hoping you might come back," he commented.

"Well, I suddenly realized that he was likely to cry himself to sleep and that you were going to have trouble moving him," Rodriguez responded.

"Can you carry him?" Bridger inquired, noting that Rodriguez had changed clothes and his hair was damp, like he had showered. However, the man seemed less tense than when he had left the room.

"Sure. Slick and I have had lots of practice at this," Rodriguez assured him, taking the teenager from the captain's arms. "I always seem to end up carrying him," Rodriguez continued. "Fortunately, I have two younger sisters and I have a lot of practice at this."

"Thank you," Bridger said, following him out of the room.

"I'm just glad you were here," Rodriguez remarked. "I couldn't have handled it alone. How do you want to go about telling the others?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to leave him alone, even if he is asleep. I know him well enough to know that, if he wakes up and he's alone, he'll take it to mean we're abandoning him," Bridger pointed out, opening the door for Rodriguez.

"You're right about that," Rodriguez agreed. He waited for Bridger to pull back the covers on the bed and then set Lucas down on it. Removing the teenager's shoes, he covered him up and stepped out in to the hall with Bridger to finish their conversation. "Why don't I tell Ice and Einstein and you can stay here with him. Then they can tell the rest and you can explain it to Indy and Scout," he proposed, thinking that Bridger probably wanted to tell Tim and Ford himself. "I'll stay with him while you're doing that. By the time we've brought everyone up to speed, we'll have to consider waking him up for dinner, since he didn't eat lunch."

"That sounds like a good idea, although he's not going to like the idea of having to see everyone," Bridger observed.

"I know. The longer he waits, the more he'll tie himself up in knots. I know the team, Captain. The only thing they'll want to do is let him know that they still care. And Ice will likely have to talk them out of causing bodily harm to his parents."

"I can relate to that feeling."

"So can I."

"Where did you go?" Bridger inquired suddenly. He was curious, since it was obvious the other man was angry when he left.

"I went to throw my alarm clocks."

"Alarm clocks?"

"It works," Rodriguez assured him. "Then Ice decided we needed to play catch."

"Why catch?"

"Well, usually we go to the gym and she lets me beat her up. However, we're not set up for that here. I probably would have hurt her."

"I would imagine she can handle herself."

"Yes, she can. However, she tends to exercise restraint when she's sparring with someone who's angry."

"Is this a team practice?"

"No. Only Sunshine and I need physical activity when we're mad. The others have their own quirks. I should mention that I did introduce Slick to the throwing method of anger management," Rodriguez confessed.

"Really?"

"Yes, only I gave him snow globes, since the clocks weren't working."

"Snow globes?" Bridger repeated.

"Yes. You know, they're scenes inside a glass ball with water with some kind of white confetti type stuff. You turn it upside down and then when you turn it over again, it looks like it's snowing."

"That sounds rather interesting."

"It worked at the time."

*****

"That would explain why he panicked at being held by Smith and Keller," Karneering said, when Rodriguez finished telling him and McKinnon about Lucas. Actually, it explained a great many things, but Karneering could not bring himself to list them all. As a doctor, the story appalled him; as someone who cared about Lucas, he was horrified at what the teenager had experienced. Plus, Karneering could tell they had not heard the whole story. Rodriguez had edited parts of the story, feeling that there was some information that Lucas should be allowed to tell the others himself if he wanted.

"How is he?" McKinnon asked. The tightness in her jaw revealed, to anyone who knew her, that the commander was furious. Like Karneering, she knew there was more to his ordeal. She also figured Lucas had retained some details in telling it to Bridger and Rodriguez.

Rodriguez could tell from the steely glint in his commander's eyes that no one had better try to put Lucas through anything like that in the future. McKinnon took things relating to her team personally. Rodriguez was not too worried; Bridger seemed more than capable of insuring Lucas never had to fear being hospitalized like that again. "He's sleeping right now. We don't want him alone when he wakes up. That's why I'm going to let you tell the team. Bridger wants to tell Indy and Scout. Slick was terrified that, when we found out, we were going to be angry with him and send him away."

"You think he's going to be okay to continue working or will it be too much stress?"

"It'll be worse if you pull him. This was the first step and he needs to see that things aren't going to change dramatically just because we found out his parents are idiots."

"Ghost is probably right," Karneering concurred. "If he was afraid that we're going to be angry, any alteration in the routine is going to seem like proof. We'll keep an eye on him and make sure that he's okay. Bridger isn't going to let him overwork either."

"It's fine with me. I just don't want to put too much pressure on him," McKinnon responded.

"We have to make sure that we aren't too gentle with him," Rodriguez pointed out. "Walking on eggshells around him will be just as bad. He'll think it means that he's too fragile to handle it."

"Come on, Ghost. You know us better than that," Karneering chided him.

"Einstein has a point. It's likely to happen for about ten minutes and then things will get back to normal," McKinnon agreed. Besides, she already planned to do her part in establishing normalcy by talking to him about the fact he had not mentioned he recognized the name on the note.

"Sorry. I forgot who I was talking to for a moment," Rodriguez apologized. He knew that they were right. The team always managed to conduct themselves with a surprising amount of normalcy, even under the most trying conditions. If Lucas needed them to still act the same around him, they'd manage it without too much difficulty.

"I sure would like to meet his parents," Karneering mumbled under his breath.

"I imagine we all would," McKinnon informed him. "Are you okay?" she questioned Rodriguez.

"I'll be fine. I was just angry for him earlier," Rodriguez replied. "See, I had already heard about St. John's, so I knew the story was not going to be good."

"What do you mean?"

"My older sister was an investigator when it was closed down. She used to call me every night because she couldn't handle keeping it to herself. She figured I was the only one that it wouldn't give nightmares to."

Karneering studied him for a minute. "Small world."

"Too small. It was bad enough when they were strangers."

"It'll be okay. I mean, at least he talked about it," McKinnon reassured him. Rodriguez always teased her about wanting to take care of everyone, but he was just as bad.

"It's a good place to start."

*****

"What were his parents thinking?!" Tim demanded. Not normally prone to loud outbursts, Tim could not believe what Bridger had just told them. Ford looked equally stunned.

"I don't know," Bridger answered. "They probably weren't."

Ford shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand how places like that continue to exist." He didn't know what else to say. Ford was not particularly close to the teenager, not because he did not like him; he did. They just did not have a lot in common and, if he was honest, he felt uncomfortable around Lucas at times. The age difference, Lucas' lack of respect for military order, the fact that he could be emotional when it came to causes he believed in: all of that made Ford nervous. None of that meant the boy had deserved to be put in a mental hospital though.

"Because, unfortunately, people continue to look for a quick fix to difficult problems," Bridger responded.

"At least they didn't put him in another one," Tim muttered. "What?" he asked, seeing the look that crossed Bridger's face.

"His father told him if things didn't work out on seaQuest, they would find another hospital," Bridger admitted.

"No wonder he's always so eager to please everyone," Tim said, thinking of how terrible it would be to have that kind of threat hanging over his head. He felt guilty that he hadn't known, even though he understood that Lucas had not wanted anyone to know.

"Then, when he was abducted, it was designed to scare him," Ford commented.

"Yes. It's the main reason he agreed to let us tell you: because it might have bearing on the investigation."

"Why didn't he tell anyone before?" Tim questioned.

"He was afraid of how we would react. He thought if we knew, he'd be sent away."

"How could they make him feel that way?" Tim knew he was repeating himself, but he wanted to understand.

*****

Lucas opened his eyes and realized he was in the room he shared with Rodriguez. The memory of what had happened came flooding back to him in all of its embarrassing reality. He could not believe he had told Bridger and Rodriguez about being in the mental hospital or any of the rest of it, but at least, he had not admitted to everything. He groaned as he thought about the afternoon.

"And I thought I was going to get to wake you up," Rodriguez greeted him cheerfully.

Lucas rolled over and found himself looking at Rodriguez. "You babysitting me?" he inquired.

"That's about the size of it," Rodriguez agreed. "We kind of figured if we let you wake up alone, you'd start having all sorts of silly thoughts about how we didn't like you," he continued, deciding to be truthful. "Don't be embarrassed about anything that happened today either," he instructed the teenager with a smile. "You did nothing to be ashamed about."

"I cried all over the captain," Lucas mumbled. He was most mortified by that lapse in his emotional control.

"Yes, you did," Rodriguez confirmed, seeing no reason to pretend it hadn't happened. "I'm fairly certain you're not the first person to do so and you probably won't be the last. It was something you needed to do and I don't think he minded at all. Everyone cries, Slick. It's a way to release our feelings. There's nothing wrong with it."

"But…"

"But nothing, Slick. It made you feel better, didn't it?" Lucas gave a reluctant nod. "Then that's what's important."

"Still…"

"Slick, I guarantee you that everyone in this building has shed their fair share of tears over one thing or another," Rodriguez assured him quietly. "It does not mean you're weak or unstable; it means you're human."

"Even you?" Lucas questioned, curious.

"Even me. In fact, in spite of her incessant optimism, Sunshine is great when you need a shoulder to cry on."

"Oh."

"Hey, we're Outriggers, not robots. Contrary to popular belief, we do have feelings."

Lucas looked at Rodriguez and smiled as he realized that the other man wasn't treating him any differently than he would any other day.

"Now, let's go get some food. I'm hungry and if we wait, they won't leave us any."

"I think they know better than to deny you food, Ghost."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Rodriguez inquired, as Lucas got up off his bed.

"Who me?"

"That's what I thought."

*****

Lucas felt a little awkward as he followed Rodriguez into the room. He wondered how everyone else would react. "We're still waiting on the food," McKinnon informed them. "I think it might have been a bad choice to let Sunshine, Scout and Columbus go," she added.

"Oh really?" Rodriguez prompted.

"Sunshine and Scout were discussing the relative merits of how to order."

"Columbus is not going to forgive you, Ice."

"He'll get over it."

Lucas walked over to where Tim was sitting with Bridger and sat down next to the lieutenant, who moved over for him. Tim did not know what to say to his friend. He wanted him to know that he cared, but he did not want to embarrass him either. Tim settled for giving him a warm smile, deciding to wait until later to say anything.

The smile made Lucas feel more comfortable with Tim. He had been afraid about how Tim might react to some of the information. He knew how Tim felt about suicide; they had talked about it once. He had been scared that Tim wouldn't like him any more when he found out the truth. Lucas still feared what Tim must be thinking about him. "Hi," he said, shyly.

"Hi. How are you?" Tim asked, unable to think of anything better to ask.

"Okay. Kind of tired, but don't tell Einstein or he'll have me in bed after dinner," Lucas told him.

"Your secret is safe with me," Tim assured him.

Bridger smiled at Lucas across the table, glad that the boy seemed to be handling himself fine. He moved over to let Rodriguez sit next to him.

"So, Indy, I hear you were talking about me behind my back this afternoon," Rodriguez remarked.

Tim thought for a moment. "Nothing I wouldn't say in your presence," he responded with a shrug. "Ice had me looking at financial data this afternoon with Brook. All I did was point out that she made a much nicer partner than you."

"Why is that?"

"Because she actually works."

"That's not very nice," Rodriguez informed him. "I work."

"Just not on your assigned task," Chandler interjected. "Particularly if it's boring. That's why he likes working with Slick. Slick gets to do the hacking and Rodriguez likes anything that allows him to break the law."

"Thanks, Irish," Lucas said. "And I don't break the law."

"At least not more than the rest of us," Dawson put in.

"That gives him a lot of leeway, Casanova," Tim interrupted.

"What are you trying to say, Indy?" Adamsen demanded.

"That you all have probably stretched the law in the past," Tim replied.

"We follow the rules."

"Yes, but the Outrigger Code of Conduct is not exactly the rule book followed by most people. I'm not really sure it would considered admissible in a court."

"Actually, it would," Rodriguez noted.

"How do you know?"

"It's a long story."

"It figures that if anyone would know, it would be you, Ghost," Lucas commented.

"Hey, for your information, I was a witness. I was not actually involved in the incident."

"What happened?" Tim asked.

"You really don't want to know, Indy," Rodriguez assured him. "It was not really a highlight in my career."

"I don't know; you've got my interest," Adamsen told him.

"That's nice. I'm still not going to tell you."

"Ice, do you know about this?" Chandler questioned.

"Contrary to what you might think, I did have a life before joining Outrigger Blue," Rodriguez remarked. "Ice does not know all there is to know about me."

Bridger had to hand it the Outriggers; they were managing to act like everything was normal. He could see Lucas gradually relaxing and appreciated their efforts.

*****

Five minutes later, Ford, Ryan and Hallowell returned with dinner.

"What did you guys do? Let Columbus be the navigator?" Chandler inquired.

Hallowell glared at him. "Don't start with me."

"Did you two irritate him?" Adamsen asked Ford and Ryan.

They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "I'm not sure what his problem is, but he's been like this all the way home," Ryan responded.

"You have no idea what my problem is?" Hallowell repeated. "Should I list everything or just stop with the top ten?"

"Ice, you really need to make sure he's getting enough rest," Ryan told McKinnon. "Scout and I just had a very reasonable discussion in the restaurant over the best way to order."

"Do I really want to know the rest of this story?" McKinnon queried.

"I don't understand why he finds it so upsetting," Ford commented. "I did not find it disturbing."

"Neither did I," Ryan agreed.

"We were ordering pizza, not settling matters of diplomacy," Hallowell pointed out.

"Let's just eat," Karneering suggested. "I think that's all I really need to hear."

"Einstein's right," Rodriguez interjected.

"Thank you for your support," Hallowell grumbled.

"Any time," Dawson remarked.

*****

"Slick?" McKinnon approached Lucas after dinner had finished and everyone had returned to work.

"Yes?" Lucas responded, hesitantly.

"You feel up to answering some questions?" she inquired. McKinnon did not want to push him too hard, but she also needed information from him. She also thought it would reassure him if she treated him like she would anyone else.

Lucas nodded his head, although he felt a little shaky about it. However, he appreciated the fact McKinnon was not treating him like he was too fragile to handle it. He had been afraid that she might think he was incapable of doing his job.

"Do you want someone to join us?" McKinnon offered.

"I don't think so."

"Okay."

"Ghost?" Tim stopped Rodriguez as the man walked by.

"Yes?"

"Would you, uh, mind visiting Ice for a little while after we shut down?"

"Depends: why would I do that?"

"I want to talk to Lucas."

"Not a problem. Why not ask Ford to visit Bridger?"

"I figured you've had plenty of practice," Tim commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's what you did in Hawaii, isn't it? Visit Ice so we could have some privacy."

Rodriguez shook his head and sighed. "Well, it wasn't supposed to be that obvious."

"It wasn't. "

*****

"Ghost mentioned that you knew the name on the note yesterday," McKinnon began, giving Lucas a stern look.

Lucas looked at the table. "I should have told you, I know," he admitted.

"Yes, you should have. Don't let it happen again: not when you're on my team."

"I won't."

"Good. Was there any significance to using his name or was it just to jar you?"

"Nothing special that I can think of. It must have been just to get me upset."

"Did you recognize any of the other names?"

"No. That was the first one."

"What can you tell me about Franklin? Also, did Keller work at the hospital?"

"Yes. The doctors were all on site. They had their own offices and staff there. We never left the grounds."

"Franklin?" McKinnon prompted.

"What do you want to know?"

"What kind of person he was like. I can get his statistics from the computer. I want to hear about his personality," McKinnon clarified. She studied his face, wanting to make sure she did not push him too hard or go too fast.

"He liked his job," Lucas remembered. "He liked the control."

McKinnon continued asking him questions, until she thought the teenager had reached his limit. Besides not wanting to pressure him, Rodriguez had already established that he was going to take it personally if anyone upset Lucas unnecessarily. McKinnon had no desire to find out exactly what he meant. When Rodriguez was feeling protective, it was best not to get in his way. "All right, I'm done grilling you for the moment."

"What do you want me to do now?"

McKinnon checked the time. "I'm not sure. Einstein has already informed me that you and Ghost are going to be having another early night."

"Has he told Ghost?" Lucas inquired.

"Probably not," McKinnon confessed. "I think he's waiting until the last minute."

"He's not going to go quietly."

"I know, but that's what makes it so entertaining."

Lucas shook his head. "I don't think he sees it that way."

"You're probably right. I've learned to ignore him on matters like this anyway, particularly when it's for his own good."

"I still don't see him being too keen on the idea."

"Of course not. Ghost only likes to give advice; he doesn't like to take it."

"Quit talking about me," Rodriguez instructed, joining them.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Ghost," Lucas informed him. "We could be discussing something else."

"That's true. The part about advice could be applied to either one of you," Rodriguez pointed out, earning glares from both. "We're having trouble tracking Stanton's ex-partner. We thought maybe Slick could help us out," he suggested.

"Who's we?" Lucas inquired.

"What does it matter?"

"I just want to know. I want to make sure someone's actually been working."

"You and Indy have a bad attitude about my work ethic," Rodriguez complained. "Einstein has been working on it with me."

"Go ahead," McKinnon urged him.

*****

"You're all very good with him," Bridger observed to McKinnon, several minutes later.

"Well, when I wouldn't let them go for their first option, they settled for doing what they could to make sure that he knows nothing has changed."

"What was option one?"

"Something that would undoubtedly have gotten us arrested."

"Well, I have a feeling that it'll be a good thing we're out in the ocean when he gets around to telling some of my crew," Bridger remarked.

"You think he will?"

"Not necessarily right away, but there are one or two that I think he'll confide in. None of them will use it against him. And, should anyone else find out, they'll keep it from being spread all over the boat," he added.

"That's good. You know, I would love to hear what your doctor has to say about all of this," McKinnon commented.

"It might be enough to get you off the hook for him being taken hostage again," Bridger agreed. He had already decided he had better tell Kristin the information in person. Actually, he was hoping to convince Lucas to tell her; he just wasn't sure the boy was going to be up to it.

"Somehow, I don't think I'll hold my breath. My plan is to be on a top secret assignment and unavailable via standard communications when you all return to seaQuest," McKinnon informed him. "Maybe, by the time we finish, she'll have forgiven us."

Bridger smiled at that. Kristin in full temper was a sight to behold, as long as one was not on the receiving end.

*****

"How do you know this stuff?" Karneering asked, watching Lucas work. He had given up trying to understand what Lucas was doing.

"Lots of practice," Lucas replied. Computers had always fascinated him and, even in the hospital, he had been able to use them most of the time. However, that was not something he planned on explaining in the near future.

"It's got to be more than that," Karneering remarked.

"He's a genius, Einstein. What you expect?" Rodriguez interjected.

"Maybe we should have nicknamed him Einstein," Karneering commented.

"Then we would have had to change yours and it took forever for us to settle on it. I thought Sunshine was going to be traumatized by the wait," Rodriguez reminded him.

"I was the last person assigned to the team," Karneering explained to Lucas. "Their creativity was waning."

"Oh?" Lucas prompted him.

"Yes. For a little while, I thought they were going to call me Mr. Hyde."

"That must have been nice."

"I liked it better than the other choice for a long time."

"What was it?"

"Dr. Quack."

"Don't look at me," Rodriguez protested. "I was not the founder of that name. In fact, until you came along, I had not tagged anyone."

"So, I should feel special?"

"Of course."

"You know, Slick, I'm not sure chewing on the pencil is such a good idea," Karneering observed.

"Einstein, I've been recently heavily medicated, probably very close to getting an overdose. I'm fairly certain nothing on the pencil is going to hurt me."

"Have you considered chewing gum?" Rodriguez queried.

"Yes and, usually, that's what I do."

"Why not now?"

Lucas mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"The commander told me to leave the gum at home when we left for the conference."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Rodriguez muttered. "Well, I hope neither one of you was planning on being up too late tonight," Karneering commented.

"Einstein, I'm an adult. I think I'm capable of setting my own bedtime," Rodriguez informed him.

"Well, first, we've never determined that you are an adult and, second, I'm the team physician: I can give you whatever bedtime I feel like."

Rodriguez glared at him. "I'm fine, Einstein."

"Slick? Ice wants you and Indy to check your mail," Adamsen told Lucas.

"I'll be back," Lucas said, following after Adamsen.

"You have to cut me some slack here, Einstein," Rodriguez explained. "Indy wants to talk to Slick tonight. It's not going to work if you insist on tucking us in bed."

"This better not be some kind of trick."

"Einstein, would I lie to you?" Karneering gave him a look. "Okay, would I involve someone else in a lie to you?" Rodriguez corrected himself.

"You have a point."

"Thank you."

*****

"Nothing," Lucas reported.

Tim heard the relief in the teenager's voice and worried that maybe the situation was getting too stressful for him. The lieutenant knew he was finding the whole thing to be nerve-wracking and he had not been through nearly as much as Lucas had. He wished he could say something that would help, but he didn't know what it might be. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and end up making Lucas feel worse.

*****

Bridger, who was watching the two, could see from his posture that Lucas was exhausted. However, he knew that any suggestion that the boy call it a night would likely be rejected. Having felt vulnerable earlier, Lucas would feel the need to assert his independence.

"I suppose if I recommend he go to bed, he'll bite my head off," Bridger commented to McKinnon, who was also observing him.

"Most likely," McKinnon agreed. "However, he knows better than to argue with me," she added, standing up. "I'll be back."

Bridger looked on as the commander approached Lucas and had a short conversation with him. He wished he knew what she was saying, as it seemed to be working.

*****

Tim listened as McKinnon explained to Lucas that it was time to call it a night. When he protested and she countered with the argument that, if he went quietly, it might persuade Rodriguez to be more cooperative, the lieutenant had to hide a smile. At his resistance to that appeal, McKinnon offered her next reason, suggesting that Bridger was tired from his trip the previous day and was only staying up because of Lucas. Tim had to admire her ingenuity; appealing to Lucas' concern for others was usually a sure fire way to get the boy to agree.

"All right, all right," Lucas finally conceded. He had the distinct impression McKinnon planned on offering him reasons until he went to bed.

"Thank you," McKinnon told him. "Now to see if Ghost will be as cooperative."

"I'm sure he'll see the light after he talks with you," Lucas grumbled.

McKinnon smiled and walked over to where Rodriguez was working with Karneering. Tim followed behind Lucas, who went to say goodnight to Bridger.

"What's going on?" Bridger questioned.

"I'm going to bed," Lucas informed him with a small sigh. "If I don't, Ice is going to explain to me that it's my fault the entire team is still working," he complained.

"Getting some extra rest won't kill you," Bridger pointed out.

"I just wish everyone would get over this obsession with my bedtime," Lucas groused.

"Well, maybe if you weren't prone to staying up all night, we wouldn't worry so much," Bridger observed.

"Thanks," Lucas said with a trace of sarcasm, realizing that Bridger had probably prompted McKinnon's actions. Further thought on the matter convinced him that McKinnon probably had not needed much prodding.

Bridger wisely refrained from any more comments and settled for wishing him a good night. He hoped that, having talked, the young man would not be haunted by nightmares.

*****

Tim followed Lucas out of the room, not wanting to wait until later to talk to his friend. "You mind if we talk for a minute?" he asked Lucas when they arrived at his room.

"Come on in," Lucas invited, unsure of what Tim wanted, but feeling afraid.

Tim sat on Rodriguez's bed and studied Lucas for a few minutes. "When we talked, before," he started, knowing Lucas would understand which conversation he meant, "why didn't you say anything?"

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion," Lucas evaded carefully.

"You thought I wouldn't understand," Tim interpreted.

"I guess," Lucas admitted. "Do you?" he challenged defensively.

Tim thought for several moments, wanting to give Lucas an honest answer. "No," he finally replied. "Let me explain," he continued quickly. "I was raised not to believe in suicide, Lucas, and I don't. It's not something that I could personally choose. But that doesn't mean that I think you're a terrible person because you tried it. Maybe it's because I've never had anything really bad happen to me," he added. "I've never to face anything that made dying seem like the only option."

"I'm glad," Lucas responded simply. He was grateful that Tim had never experienced anything like that in his life. He wouldn't want his friend to have that kind of pain.

"Lucas, I don't condemn you for the choices you made. I know that you did not do it recklessly. I just hope, now, you see other options in your life," Tim told him. "Because I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to die anymore, Tim," Lucas promised him, pleasantly shocked that Tim still accepted him. He had worried that, when Tim had time to reflect on the information, the lieutenant would realize he could not be his friend.

"Good. And you know that, Ford and I, we won't say anything back on seaQuest. It's just your business," Tim assured him.

"I know." Lucas did know that neither one would share his personal life with the others.

"If you ever need to talk, I'll still listen. I may not fully understand everything, but I still care." Tim wanted to make sure that Lucas had no doubts about his friendship. He had been horrified by everything Bridger had told them that afternoon, but his concern for Lucas had never wavered.

"Thank you."

Tim saw the relief in Lucas' eyes and was glad he had not waited to talk to the teenager. He hoped that, some day, Lucas had enough faith in his friends to know that they would not walk out on him. Tim planned on sticking around long enough to prove it to him. "I'll let you get some sleep," he offered, catching Lucas' yawn.

"Just don't tell Ice or the captain; they'll hold it against me," Lucas mumbled, yawning again.

"I won't," Tim agreed. He gave Lucas a quick hug and said goodnight.

*****

Lucas was already in bed when Rodriguez arrived, fifteen minutes later. "That's the last time I get taken hostage with you, Slick," Rodriguez griped, getting ready for bed.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem is that my CO and the team doctor seem to feel that I'm going to collapse if one of them doesn't tell me when to go to bed. You'd think I was five-years-old from the way they act."

"That old?" Lucas teased.

"Cute, Slick. Real cute."

"Do you act any different when it's someone else on the team that's injured?"

"I wasn't injured," Rodriguez corrected, wanting to avoid the trap he knew Lucas was setting for him.

"I'm fine now."

"Sure you are. You look tired, Ghost," Lucas pointed out.

"The entire team looks tired," Rodriguez countered. "And why are you giving me a hard time? It's not like you were exactly turning cartwheels over going to bed yourself."

"We're not talking about me," Lucas interjected quickly.

"We are now," Rodriguez informed him, flashing him a quick smile, so Lucas would know he was still teasing. "I mean, you have not been going along quietly with their suggestions for your well-being."

"Maybe I'm following your example."

Rodriguez glared at him. "Make sure you tell them that one."

"Okay. Want me to do it now or in the morning?"

"Morning. Einstein will blame me if you get up now."

"I think it's a good thing you are going to bed early," Lucas remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You seem a little cranky."

"Are you ready for lights out?" Rodriguez asked.

"I'm not the one whining about going to bed," Lucas noted.

"You're in fine form, aren't you, Slick?"

"You asked a question, I answered," Lucas defended.

"It was more of a rhetorical question," Rodriguez mumbled, turning off the light.

"Then don't ask next time," Lucas advised. "What time are we getting up?"

"Early," Rodriguez muttered. "If Ice would let us get up at a decent hour, then we wouldn't have to go to bed so early."

"Ghost, you like to complain, don't you?"

"Why do say that, Slick?"

"Just an observation."

"Thank you for sharing," Rodriguez said, rolling over.

"Any time, Ghost."

"I'll keep that in mind. You ready to go to sleep?"

"I think so," Lucas responded, hesitantly.

Rodriguez nodded his head, even though he knew Lucas could not see him. He was certainly improving his people reading skills working with the teenager. "You want to talk some more?" he asked.

"About?"

"I don't know, your choice," Rodriguez offered. He did not expect that Lucas wanted to have a serious conversation.

"What do your initials stand for?" Lucas queried, surprising Rodriguez.

"That's a closely guarded secret, Slick," Rodriguez answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you," Rodriguez teased.

"You said I could pick the subject."

"Why would you want to know my name?"

"Just curious. I don't know why you won't tell me; I can find it out," Lucas threatened.

"Go ahead."

"What?"

"You'll have more fun hacking to find it than you would if I just tell you," Rodriguez pointed out. "But if you tell anyone, I will not be a happy camper."

"Doesn't the team know?"

"No. I have plans to keep it that way too," Rodriguez notified him.

"Ice doesn't know?"

"Yes, she does. Don't bother asking her; she won't tell."

"Anyone else know?"

"Not outside the family."

"Doesn't Einstein know?"

"No. It's only on one or two official records and my medical file is not one of them. Why are you obsessed with my name?"

"Because you won't tell me what it is. It makes me curious. If you had just answered my question…"

"So this is my fault?"

"Of course."

"Why me?" Rodriguez muttered. "Let me know when you find it."

"I will."

Rodriguez had no doubt that that Lucas would find out his name; he figured the boy would, indeed, enjoy it more if he located it on his own.

"Are you named after anyone?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Does everyone call you by your initials?"

"If they value their lives, yes."

"Even your family?"

"Especially my family. Elena is also not too happy my name."

"Why not?"

"Because my parents decided that, since we're twins, we should have the same initials. She's not entranced by her middle name."

"Oh. Is your family nice?"

"Yes. They'd like you," Rodriguez responded, wishing he could see Lucas' face. "Why?"

"Because you're a nice person. And you give me a hard time, which my sisters insist is always a good quality They basically like anyone that is willing to pick on me, besides them."

"I think I'm ready to go to sleep now, Ghost."

"Good night, Slick."

part 29

Four hours later, Rodriguez sat up abruptly as there was a light knock, followed by the door opening and McKinnon entering the room. "Do you know what time it is?" he hissed at her, wondering why she was waking him up at this hour.

"I need Slick to check his e-mail," McKinnon explained.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Go back to sleep. I just need Slick. I only knocked because I knew you were likely to shoot me if I just walked in."

"Ice, you cannot come in at this hour in the morning, tell me you want Slick to check his mail and not offer a good reason."

McKinnon just gave him a look. "You want to wake him up?"

"Ice? Ghost? What's going on?" Lucas questioned sleepily, deciding the matter on his own.

"I need you to check your mail for me," McKinnon informed him

"Okay," Lucas replied automatically.

"Ice…" Rodriguez started.

"Go back to sleep," McKinnon instructed. "I'll wait for you in the hall," she told Lucas.

"Just give me a minute," Lucas mumbled.

"I cannot believe her. The woman actually thinks I'm just going to go back to sleep," Rodriguez grumbled, once McKinnon had stepped outside. "Sure, Ice, no problem. Wake me up in the middle of the night, offer no explanation and I'll just right back to sleep," he continued, as he got out of bed.

Lucas was waking up enough to realize that it was an odd request. "She must have a reason," he said.

"I'm sure she does. She's just in one of her cryptic moods."

"Maybe you should stay here," Lucas recommended.

"No way, Slick. I want to know why she felt the need to send me to bed early and then wake me."

******

"I told you to go back to sleep," McKinnon commented when Rodriguez emerged behind Lucas.

"Yeah, dream on, Ice," Rodriguez retorted. "You can't wake me up and expect me to roll back over and go to sleep just because you say so."

"You'll just be cranky about it later," McKinnon observed.

"There would be a difference from his usual personality?" Lucas inquired, earning a smile from McKinnon and a dark look from Rodriguez.

"Let's go to the work room. I don't want to wake up Bridger."

"Why is he so special?" Rodriguez queried.

"Ghost…"

Sensing that his commander was reaching the edge of her patience, Rodriguez fell silent. He just found it irritating when she got like this, mainly because he worried about what it meant. Every time McKinnon acted like this, something bad happened, usually to her. Out of the entire unit, McKinnon had received the most injuries, usually because she had the habit of putting herself in danger in order to protect the team. The fact that, as commanding officer, she was supposed to delegate certain tasks never entered her mind. They all tried to remind her of the need to stay safe; however, when she set her mind to it, McKinnon just ignored them.

McKinnon waited for Lucas to check his mail, wondering if, perhaps, she should have waited until morning. She knew Rodriguez was worried and Lucas did not look calm either.

"I have something," Lucas told; her, he hesitated when he saw the name on the note.

Rodriguez saw the tension and looked over his shoulder. "Who's Ian Hamilton?" he asked.

"Someone I once knew," Lucas replied stiffly, hoping no one questioned him any further.

Rodriguez was surprised when McKinnon shook her head at him. He wondered why she did not want to pursue the topic, but found his attention completely captured by the message that appeared on screen before he could ponder the issue any more. "What's going on, Ice?" he inquired.

"I received a similar one," McKinnon answered. "Check yours," she ordered Rodriguez . "I'm just curious to see if you have one as well."

"Nothing," Rodriguez reported. "What did yours say?"

"We're going to have to start putting this puzzle together. Time is running out," she added, changing screens so that they could read the note she had received.

"They certainly know how to get our attention," Rodriguez commented. "And what buttons to push."

"Yes."

"You want to explain why you were up checking your mail at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep," McKinnon responded.

"What now?" Lucas questioned.

"We'll start digging in the…."

"Don't even suggest that we all go quietly back to bed," Rodriguez directed her. "I know you won't; I can't and I don't see Slick doing it either. Besides, we need to settle what we're going to do about this," Rodriguez continued, pointing at the screen, "before we tell the others."

"We have to follow the directions," Lucas stated. "You both know that."

"That's why we have to decide what we're going to do," McKinnon remarked, "because I can guarantee they're going to argue with us."

"Long and loud," Rodriguez agreed.

"And you're going to let that stop you?" Lucas queried.

"Probably not, but we're going to have to be prepared to show how we can pull it off," Rodriguez informed him.

"First, we have to make sure there's no other way," McKinnon said, thinking.

"I don't see how there could be; we're still not sure who's behind all of it," Lucas pointed out. "We think it's Ramsey, but we have no proof."

"I know. But I'm not real keen on either one of you…"

"Like it puts you in a better position," Rodriguez interjected.

"I think you two have had enough adventure for one mission."

Lucas listened as the two went back and forth for several minutes, sensing this was some kind of ritual they had to complete before they could get to work. "Okay, we've established that none of us are really crazy about the messages, but what else can we do?" he interrupted, getting tired of hearing the same arguments.

McKinnon shook her head at him. "I can't ask you…"

"Why not? You're not asking me; he is," Lucas shot back, nodding at the computer. "You didn't suck me into this, Ice. Whoever's sending the threats took care of that. I'm involved, whether you like it or not. You can't protect me; he's made sure of that."

"Nice work, Ice. Now you've riled him up," Rodriguez observed.

"Don't start with me, Ghost," Lucas responded heatedly.

"Okay, I think we've resolved that we're going to go through with it," McKinnon conceded. "I suggest we get to work and see what we can come up with before the others wake up."

"What do you want to do first?" Rodriguez asked.

"We need to get maps of the area first, see what we can make work to our advantage. We have to make sure that they can't trace the fact we're accessing the information."

"Not a problem," Lucas assured her.

"Once we have that, you and I," she said to Rodriguez, "will see what we can figure out. Slick, I want you to go through the information we have gathered, see if there are any loose ends you can track down. Maybe we can get closer to an answer. In a little while, we'll pool our information and muster our arguments."

"Ice, I do hope you're going to explain this to Einstein," Rodriguez remarked, referring to the fact that they were up and working.

"We'll worry about that later," McKinnon told him.

"It'll take a little bit to get your maps, since I have to cover my tracks."

"Good. I'll make some coffee," Rodriguez remarked. "Then Ice and I will start reviewing the information while we wait. It will save you some time when you take over."

"Just remember, not all of us like the coffee as strong as you do," McKinnon reminded him.

"You wake me up at this hour and you have to drink what I make," Rodriguez retorted.

"I told you to go back to sleep."

Rodriguez gave her a look and shook his head. "Yeah, right," he muttered. "Slick? Do you drink coffee?"

"Not really. Bridger seems to think caffeine has an adverse effect my behavior."

"I'm sure he has good reason."

******

"It's going to be hard to provide coverage," McKinnon remarked, as she and Rodriguez studied the maps.

"No kidding," Rodriguez agreed. "Put someone here," he murmured, pointing to a spot. "One over there. A couple on the ground."

"We need a back up. I don't like the fact that he's given us advance warning. Even assuming that you're not with us, he has to know that we'll be prepared on my end," McKinnon mumbled.

"What are you thinking?"

"That there could be a last minute change in plans," McKinnon responded.

"Something else is bothering you, isn't it?" Rodriguez questioned.

"It's fairly obvious someone else is involved," McKinnon commented.

"And?"

"I'm concerned about the identity of the unknown individual."

"You don't think it's Inouye."

"No. If it was Inouye, you should have a note too."

"What are you driving at?"

"That this setup is personally motivated."

"And?" Rodriguez prompted.

"I think you're just an innocent bystander. Someone wants me and someone wants Slick. Assuming that Ramsey is the one after me, we have no idea who's after Slick."

"That presents a problem."

"I know."

******

Lucas read through the file and tried to make sense of it. It was like they were just missing the complete picture by a few pieces. He jumped when Rodriguez touched him on the shoulder. "Ghost!"

"Sorry," Rodriguez apologized. "Ice is insisting that we take a break."

"Okay," Lucas agreed. "What?" he asked, when Rodriguez stood staring at him.

"That's the most agreeable I've ever heard you be about taking a break. I was just momentarily stunned."

"Very funny, Ghost."

"I was being serious."

"Einstein's going to kill me," McKinnon remarked, when they joined her at the table. The doctor was not going to be pleased that she had woken up his patients, no matter what the reason, particularly if he stopped to question exactly how long they had been awake.

"It's distinctly possible," Rodriguez agreed.

"Think we could convince we haven't been up all that long?" Lucas inquired.

"I don't see it working," McKinnon replied. "As much as I would like for it to."

"Well, on the bright side, it will take some of the heat off of us," Rodriguez observed, meaning himself and Lucas.

"You just like seeing me in the line of fire."

"Especially if it's Einstein," Rodriguez confirmed. "It beats having him bug me."

"You could have a bit more sympathy."

"I have a feeling Einstein is going to be the least of our worries, after we unveil this news."

"You've got that right. So, you guys want to review the information now or take showers first?" McKinnon questioned. "We still have a couple of hours before anyone is due awake."

"I'd like to shower," Rodriguez answered. He looked at McKinnon closely. "One question, Ice,"

"Yes?"

"Have you been to bed yet?"

"Of course."

"Have you been to sleep?" Lucas interjected, being familiar with that particular response. He had used it on Bridger several times in the past, until the captain had caught on.

"You're good," Rodriguez commented, as McKinnon gave the teenager a dark look. "I think you might have caught her."

"I'm going to go shower if the interrogation is over," McKinnon muttered, still not answering the question.

"Yep, I'd say you got her."

"I'll see you two back here in about fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Slick," Rodriguez said to Lucas, as they followed behind her.

"What for?"

"Because I've never seen anyone get her like that before. Usually none of us are thinking fast enough to listen to her words and realize that she's not really answering the question."

"I had an advantage. I've used that answer on the captain before," Lucas confessed.

"Really?"

"He didn't catch it the first couple of times."

"Then he nailed you?"

"Pretty much."

"Sounds very interesting."

"Not really. I'm going to go shower," Lucas added.

"You learned that lesson really fast," Rodriguez remarked.

"What lesson?"

"I was referring to your way of avoiding my question."

"You didn't ask a question, Ghost. You made a comment."

"Okay. What did your captain do when he realized you were not being entirely truthful?"

"Gave me a long lecture about lying by omission."

"I imagine he did more than that."

"Yeah, well, you can keep imagining," Lucas informed him, walking out the door.

******

"So, what have we got?" McKinnon asked, when the trio returned to the work room.

"Not much," Rodriguez sighed.

"Well, it's better than nothing."

"Doing your impersonation of Sunshine now, Ice?"

"You better schedule him for a nap later on," Lucas observed. "He already sounds cranky."

"Yeah, well, you'll be going with me," Rodriguez pointed out.

"We still don't know who is sending the notes, but we're guessing it was Ramsey," McKinnon interrupted, not wanting to give them a chance to get started. "It seems the most logical."

"I'll go with that hypothesis. He would have access to the way we conduct our investigations and, in particular, the Tarsinian file," Rodriguez agreed.

"How could he be sure that sending us the notes would get you guys involved?" Lucas queried.

"Anyone who spends any time at all with the Outriggers knows we're extremely loyal to the organization and to our individual units," McKinnon explained.

"Plus, Ice has a reputation for feeling very protective about her team," Rodriguez added. "Ramsey knew that you were considered one of us and that Ice would not let it slide."

"There was no guarantee you would ever find out about it."

"I'm sure there was some kind of back up plan to cover that contingency," McKinnon responded. "When you didn't react to the notes he sent you alone, he started sending them to Indy as well. My guess is that he counted on Indy to report the notes."

"Why?"

"Indy's record indicates he's a very sensible man."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that, following that train of thought, it was logical to assume Indy would inform Bridger of the notes," Rodriguez elaborated. "As that's what most people would do."

"Is this another one of you veiled comments about us keeping quiet?" Lucas inquired.

"No. It was one my obvious comments," Rodriguez corrected. "One of you could have gotten seriously injured before anyone knew what was going on."

"Ghost, we've had the lecture. And it's safe to say that we're going to hear it again when we return to seaQuest," Lucas told him.

"Good. You need to hear it more than one time, maybe it will sink in."

"While I agree with Ghost on this one, we do need to move on," McKinnon interrupted. "Before you edited your file, Slick, how accessible was the information on you?"

"Some of it was in the file," Lucas answered. "About the suicide attempts and some of the initial counseling. The stay in the hospital was sealed."

"Sealed?" McKinnon prompted.

"Yeah. My father didn't want everyone to know I was mentally unstable," Lucas admitted. "You could find it if you went looking," he added.

Rodriguez nodded, understanding why Lucas had altered his file. It was not so much the counseling or the suicide attempts, it was the hospitalization. Bridger cared too much about Lucas to accept the contents of the file; he would have gone looking. He felt his anger flare briefly at the idea of Lucas being labeled "mentally unstable" by his own father.

"Ramsey would have the clout to access the information," McKinnon muttered.

"You don't think he did?" Lucas questioned, hearing the doubt in her voice.

"I'm just not sure he had it in him to coordinate all of this on his own," McKinnon clarified. "It makes me think that someone else is connected to all of this. Someone with access to your medical history."

"Like who?"

"I wish I knew, Slick," McKinnon told him. She could tell that the topic bothered him and wished she could take away some of the fear for him. Unfortunately, Lucas had to work that out for himself, not that he had to do it alone, but no one could fix the problem for him.

"What about the Tarsinian connection?" Lucas queried. "Is that still considered a possibility?"

"It is. However, we already know that Ramsey had connections there; the rest could be a setup to focus our attention away from the investigation."

"Then again, maybe we're making all of this more complicated than it needs to be," Rodriguez pointed out.

"You could be right," McKinnon agreed. "For now, we need to focus on how we're going to convince everyone that this is a good idea, as well as how we're going to improvise a back up plan if necessary."

"What do you mean?" Lucas quizzed.

"Ice thinks we need to consider the possibility that the location will get changed at the last minute in order to catch us off guard. Standard procedure for any operation of this type would be to gather as much information as possible," Rodriguez explained.

"You agree with her?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes," Rodriguez verified. "The important thing now is that we're going to have nine people to persuade that this is the only way to do it."

"Technically only eight," McKinnon corrected.

"I'll let you explain to Bridger why you're not interested in his opinion," Rodriguez informed her, "because I can guarantee the man is not going to be concerned about the fact that he is here only by invitation."

"At least you didn't invite Doctor Westphalen," Lucas interrupted.

"That's not even mildly amusing, Slick," McKinnon noted.

******

Karneering showed up first, not really surprised to find Lucas, McKinnon and Rodriguez already inside the work room, sitting at the end of the table. As the highest in rank, McKinnon and Rodriguez tried to be prompt for everything, although Rodriguez looked unusually alert for someone who had not been up too long. Normally it took several cups of coffee for the man to start functioning, unless they were on an active field assignment. Then, like the rest of the team, Rodriguez was constantly aware of everything around him. "Morning," Karneering greeted them.

The trio mumbled something in return, hoping that it would take Karneering a while to figure out they had not just arrived.

"Who's on breakfast detail?" Karneering inquired.

"Brook, Casanova and Irish," McKinnon responded.

Ryan entered while McKinnon was answering. "They're waiting on Irish. They should be on their way shortly," she interjected. "Who made the coffee?" she asked, pouring some.

"Ghost."

Ryan swallowed it and set her cup down on the table. "How long ago was it made?" she inquired, her eyes narrowing.

"Why do you ask?" Rodriguez countered, not wanting to answer the query.

"It's strong."

"Ghost always makes strong coffee," Karneering observed.

"Yes, he does. But this is strong, old coffee," Ryan told him. "You know, like it's been sitting around for a long time."

"I think I'd like to hear the answer to Sunshine's question," Karneering said, looking at the other
three.

"Well, you know, Einstein, we don't always get what we want," Rodriguez pointed out. "Life's just that way sometimes."

"Ice?" Karneering prompted.

"Yes, Einstein?"

"Perhaps you'd care to shed some light on how long the three of you have been up?" Ryan suggested, already knowing they were not going to like the answer.

"Not really," McKinnon responded.

"Ice…" Karneering began, only to be cut off by his commander.

McKinnon gave both a cool look. "Don't make me pull rank. We will discuss this after breakfast."

Ryan and Karneering looked at one another, but did not say any more. Usually, when McKinnon brought rank into the conversation, it was a good time to make a hasty retreat. "I'll make some fresh coffee," Ryan mumbled.

"Good idea," Karneering agreed.

"That went well," Rodriguez remarked.

"I don't want to explain it more than once," McKinnon commented. "If you two get tired later on, take a break," she instructed.

"Same goes for you, Ice," Rodriguez retorted. "I mean, we actually went to sleep last night."

"Let's try not to announce that fact to the rest of the team, please," McKinnon requested. The last thing she needed was Karneering lecturing her about her sleeping habits. She already knew they were going to get a lecture; she did not want to make it worse.

"Only if you're good."

"You're a lot of help, Ghost," McKinnon informed him.

"I try."

******

"How are you this morning?" Bridger asked Lucas, sitting down next to him. He noted that the teenager looked a little tired. "You sleep all right?"

"I'm fine and I slept all right," Lucas replied. He spared a brief thought as to whether or not the
captain would file this one under a lie of omission and hoped he would be too concerned about other issues to notice.

Bridger had noticed that Ryan and Karneering kept shooting looks down to the end of the table and wondered at the cause. He was particularly curious since McKinnon and Rodriguez seemed to be making a concerted effort to ignore the glances. "What are you working on today?" he asked McKinnon.

"We're going to hold a meeting before we get started. You're welcome to sit in," McKinnon responded, kicking Rodriguez under the table when he snickered.

Bridger sensed that it was, indeed, just an invitation to sit in and not to participate. The way that Lucas and Rodriguez both developed a sudden interest in the tabletop intrigued him. "I'd like that."

Rodriguez wondered how McKinnon planned on keeping Bridger silent once she made her announcement.

******

"Are we ready?" McKinnon asked Lucas and Rodriguez, while the rest of the team headed over to work table. "Are we sure about this?"

"We're not sure, but our options are limited," Rodriguez replied. "It is the only way we're going to
get to the bottom of this."

"Slick?"

"I'm with you. We're not sure of what's going on; at least this will enable us to find out who is doing it."

"Then let's do it."

McKinnon took her place at the head of the table, while Lucas and Rodriguez took seats at the end.

Tim glanced at his friend with some concern; Lucas seemed a bit tense at the moment. It was like he knew what McKinnon was going to say, which worried him even more.

"There's been some progress in our investigation," McKinnon told the assembled group.

"What kind of progress?" Ryan asked.

"I received a note from the threat sender earlier this morning," she elaborated, moving quickly so no one pressed for precise details on how much earlier, "or that is the working assumption. The e-mail itself had Jordan O'Rourke's name on it."

"Why O'Rourke's name?" Karneering questioned.

McKinnon shrugged her shoulders. "Probably because he wanted to get my attention. Jordan's my half-sister." The silence in the room was absolute as everyone stared at McKinnon in stunned amazement.

"You might have mentioned that detail a bit sooner, Ice," Ryan observed.

"It wasn't relevant to the current investigation," McKinnon pointed out.

"What did the message say?" Ford interrupted. He was just as interested in this new development as everyone else, but he sensed the content of the message was more important.

"It was an offer to hand over Ghost and Slick in exchange for me," McKinnon stated. "There were other remarks in the note, most notably one that confirmed Benny did kill himself. You can all read it later," she continued.

"But Ghost and Slick are with us," Dawson commented.

"Yes, they are," McKinnon agreed.

"What's the rest?" Karneering inquired, knowing there had to be more.

"Slick?" McKinnon prompted, wanting to let Lucas speak for himself.

"At Ice's request, I checked my mail and found a message as well. This one said that, if Ghost and I showed up at the appointed place and time, we could save the rest of the team from being harmed," Lucas said, keeping his voice steady.

"They're trying to draw us out," Hallowell remarked.

"They are drawing us out," McKinnon told him.

"You're not seriously considering…" Ryan started.

"Yes, we are," McKinnon answered. "Our options are running out and we are no closer to answers than we were when we started. This could be our only chance to see who is behind all of this. Plus, both notes indicate that there will be consequences if we don't show."

"It's too dangerous," Ford interjected. "For all three of you," he elaborated, wanting to make it clear it was not only Lucas' safety that concerned him.

"We can minimize the risks," Rodriguez interrupted.

"You can't eliminate them," Adamsen countered.

"I don't like it," Bridger offered his opinion. The thought of Lucas being in this kind of danger
terrified him.

"If we don't show, they'll try something else," Lucas argued. "We have to put a stop to it. This trade is the best lead we've had."

"There's no way we can provide enough protection," Chandler cut in.

"Not only that, Ghost and Slick would have to go in unarmed," Ryan pointed out. "If they've supposedly been on the run all this time, they'd have no supplies. That means you two would be stuck with the gear you had when you were first grabbed."

"We know," Rodriguez informed her. "It's an acceptable risk."

"You also know that these people aren't likely going to trade?" Karneering challenged. "They will likely try to kill all of you."

"That's what you're supposed to prevent," Rodriguez observed calmly.

"Eventually, the inspectors will win and we will be forced to turn the three of them over for police
questioning," McKinnon noted. "And, once that happens, we lose all control over this investigation
and it is unlikely that we will be able to get to the bottom of it. Right now, all we have are assumptions. The three of us see this as the only available option."

"Even if our names are cleared without conclusive proof that it was a setup, it's going to taint us for the rest of our careers," Rodriguez commented. "Personally, I want to know who is behind all of this mess."

"So do I," Lucas added.

Tim looked at Lucas and recalled some of the conversations they had held about their last
assignment with the Outriggers. Lucas had been vehement in his assertions that he had no regrets
about assisting the unit. The teenager had explained to Tim that, even knowing how it turned out, he still would have cooperated, because they had saved the medical team: the innocent bystanders. Tim could tell that Lucas wanted to do this for the same reasons. Plus, the lieutenant had to admit, placed in the same position, he would feel the same way. If the mastermind of all of this had wanted him, he would be willing to go to end it before someone else got hurt. Tim saw the same conviction in McKinnon and Rodriguez and knew that no amount of arguing would talk the three of them into changing their minds. "I don't think they're requesting our permission," Tim said softly, getting everyone's attention.

"Indy, you can't think this is a good idea," Chandler protested.

"Good idea, bad idea, it doesn't really matter. They're going to do it, whether we approve or not."

"Someone's finally catching on," Rodriguez remarked.

After a few more minutes, the arguing ceased. Once they had established that they were going to go ahead with the meeting, McKinnon called for a break. She knew that they had only thirty-six hours to come up with a firm plan of action, but she also understood that there were some other issues to be settled. Plus, everyone needed time to digest the recent news.

******

"Thank you," Lucas whispered to Tim.

"Just don't make me regret it," Tim told him. "I think the captain will probably want a word with you," he commented. Tim didn't know if speaking up had been the right decision, but he knew they had been headed for this conclusion whether he had spoken up or not.

"I'm sure he will," Lucas sighed, looking over where Bridger was talking to McKinnon. Since the captain kept looking over at him, he was positive he was next.

"When did you get these notes?" Tim inquired, curious.

"Early this morning."

"You've been up since then?"

"We weren't exactly sleepy after we read them."

"No wonder Einstein looks peeved."

"I'm glad he's Ice's problem."

"He's probably going to be our problem, after he's done with Ice," Rodriguez remarked.

"Well, Bridger is summoning me, so maybe I'll get a reprieve," Lucas said hopefully.

"Don't hold your breath Slick," Rodriguez instructed. "I do appreciate your vote of confidence, Indy," he added once Lucas had started walking over to the captain.

"Just keep him safe, Ghost."

"I will."

******

"I'd like to talk to you about this," Bridger told Lucas quietly.

"Okay," Lucas agreed, knowing he could not argue about it.

Bridger waited until they were in his room to speak. He had already expressed his doubts to McKinnon. Her response had been to tell him that, if Lucas did not want to participate, she would pull him from the assignment, otherwise the teenager stayed. Since she had invited him to call any admiral of his choice, Bridger knew she had the power to force the issue. "Lucas, I don't think this is such a good idea," Bridger started.

"Why not?"

"You're going to be in a dangerous position: all three of you. Whoever is behind this has set you and Tim and Rodriguez up for crimes you did not commit. They know what they're doing. This is just a ploy on their part to get all three of you." Bridger figured he should consider himself lucky that McKinnon had received the note instead of Tim, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Lucas looked at him and wondered how he could explain this. "I want to do this. If we don't show up, it's not just going to stop. The note sent to McKinnon basically acknowledged that Benny was somehow involved and threatened that there would be further casualties. The one I received practically admitted that the fire at the federal building was started to draw us out and that, the next time they struck, there would be people inside. I'm not going to sit and wait for someone to
get hurt."

"Lucas, you can't save the world," Bridger told him.

"If it was Tim or Commander Ford would you have a problem, or is it just because I'm a kid?" Lucas challenged.

Bridger studied the teenager for a few minutes, wanting to answer the question honestly. "The answer to both of those is yes," Bridger answered. "It's a dangerous situation and I don't want to see any of you in it. However, they are trained officers and there are certain inherent risks in being in their positions. Those are not dangers you have to accept."

"Why not? I'm the one that's been getting the threats and the one that got kidnapped. Someone wants me involved and I can't let anyone else get hurt because I might get injured!" Lucas insisted. "I've been in danger on seaQuest," he pointed out.

"I know," Bridger agreed, unwilling to say the rest of his thoughts. Those times, he had been directly involved in protecting Lucas. Even if he had not been there for him physically, he had been a participant. The thought of Lucas endangering himself while he was an observer scared him. He knew it was irrational to think that he, alone, could keep the teenager safe, but he couldn't help himself. "This is different."

"Is it because I'm crazy?" Lucas asked softly, refusing to look at Bridger.

Bridger sighed. He should have anticipated this response. Lucas had spent the last several years
fearing how people would react to his past. It was going to take more than telling him one time that it didn't matter for the teenager to really start believing him. Standing up, he crossed over and knelt in front of the boy, who still would not look at him. "Lucas?" Taking the young man's chin in his hand, Bridger tilted Lucas' face so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "You are not crazy, mentally unstable, insane or emotionally disturbed," Bridger told him firmly, realizing suddenly that Lucas had never explained why he had tried to commit suicide. However, now was not the time to pursue that particular topic. "I wish I understood how you ended up where you did, but you did not deserve to be there. My reservations to this plan are simply because you are very important to me and I don't want to see you get hurt." Bridger hoped that Lucas would see the
sincerity in his eyes and suspected he would be repeating his words again as Lucas learned to accept that what had happened was not his fault.

"I want to do this, " Lucas responded, not acknowledging the captain's words. He found them
comforting and he almost believed them.

Bridger nodded with great reluctance. Part of him understood why Lucas wanted to do this. The other part wanted to lock him in his room and keep him safe. Unfortunately, he could not protect him forever. "If anything happens to you, you're explaining it to Westphalen."

******

"What?" Tim said to Ford, who had been staring at him for five minutes.

"I can't believe you defended them going through with this," Ford told him.

"They were going to do it, no matter what we said," Tim responded. "I was just trying to speed things up."

"They're setting themselves up as bait."

"I think they're aware of that. If there was another way, they would be going for it. But there isn't. We have a bunch of pieces with nothing holding them together. This is a chance to get to the bottom of everything," Tim explained. "Every time we find out one thing, something else comes along that changes the picture."

"Yes, but Lucas…" Ford began. He did not like the idea of the boy being in danger.

"Wants to do this," Tim finished for him. "I don't like it any better than you do, or anyone else in this room, for that matter. That's why we're better off accepting it and coming up with the best plan possible. You have to look past his age and accept that he is a member of this team."

"I know, but…"

"If it were you, would you do anything different?" Tim countered. "I wouldn't either," he continued when Ford shook his head. "Lucas' decision deserves to be respected just as much as if it were one of us who had made it."

******

McKinnon stared at Karneering, who was glaring at her. "Go ahead. Get it off your chest, Einstein," she invited, knowing they were not going to get anywhere until he did.

Karneering did not know where to start: the fact she had obviously gotten little, if any, sleep, or the notion of carrying through with this plan. Finally, he began with something else. "You know that those two need to be getting plenty of rest."

McKinnon stifled a sigh; she should have realized he would start with that issue first. The commander did not bother to respond, knowing it would not matter what she said. Karneering wanted to vent and he was going to do so; she did not need to give him any more fuel.

"What were you thinking?!" McKinnon continued to stare at him, assuming it was a purely rhetorical question. "Don't you think they've been through enough?"

"Don't cross the line, Doctor," McKinnon ordered. She was not going to tolerate accusations that she had no concern for their welfare.

"And I bet you've barely had any sleep," Karneering continued. He knew he had gone a little too far, but he did not like this plan.

"I'm fine."

"Of course you are," Karneering remarked. "Are you going to at least try to sleep a little bit later?"

"I'll consider it."

"And what about this idea of carrying through…"

"We reviewed our options, Einstein. This one is it."

"How are we going to protect all three of you?" Ryan interrupted, deciding she wanted to participate in this conversation as well.

"We can pull this off. Besides, your primary focus will be Ghost and Slick."

"Like they're just going to agree to that."

"They will be going in unarmed. I'll be expected to be a bit more prepared, although I'm sure they'll take my weapon."

"Ice, this has to be one of the more dangerous…" Ryan began.

"If it was one of you, what would you do?" McKinnon asked. "That's what I thought," she stated, when the silence continued for several minutes. "Accept it and let's move on to formulating a plan."

"Ice…"

"This conversation is over."

Karneering let out a long sigh and went to corner Rodriguez.

"Don't start, Einstein," Rodriguez instructed, noting the look in his eyes. "I don't want to hear it."

"Tough. You're going to," Karneering informed him, sitting down. "You will get some more sleep today, even if I have to put you in bed myself. Your body is…."

"Just fine, Einstein. I'm a big boy; I'm allowed to work some extra hours," Rodriguez remarked.

"Ghost…"

"If I get tired, I'll go to sleep. I don't need you to tell me when to go to bed," Rodriguez hissed. "As
far as Slick is concerned, I'll make sure he doesn't wear himself out. I'm sure his captain will be more than willing to help if necessary."

Karneering shook his head. "You are too stubborn for your own good, Ghost."

"Thank you. It's going to work out fine, Einstein."

"I hope you're right."

******

"That went well," McKinnon commented to Rodriguez, five minutes later.

"Oh, most definitely. Better than I expected," Rodriguez agreed, giving her a wry smile.

"Keep your eye on Slick…"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure he gets a nap later," Rodriguez promised. "Just don't tell him I said that. I want it to be a surprise."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Probably not."

"We'd better get everyone back to work. We don't want to give them any more time to plot," McKinnon finally said.

"What did you tell Bridger?" Rodriguez asked, delaying her momentarily.

"I'd only pull Slick from active at his request."

"I bet he liked that."

"Not really. Kincaid will back me."

"I know. I think Slick will too."

"If I thought there was any way to convince him otherwise, I would try it. But it's against his
nature to back down, especially when there are other people who could harmed."

"I agree. However, it doesn't make it any easier to accept. You would really hate this idea if it didn't involve you and you would prefer it if you could do it alone," Rodriguez pointed out.

"You think you know everything about me, don't you?" McKinnon retorted.

"Not everything, but I'm working on it."

******

"Okay, Ghost, Sunshine, Casanova, Scout and I will examine the tactical arrangements of this meeting. Slick and Indy, I want you two to see if we can't locate, once and for all, how Keller got connected to this. Einstein and Brook, see if you can't trace wherever it is Inouye wound up: see if we can't get a fix on whether or not he was involved. Irish and Columbus, finish checking out Stanton's ex-partner and determine whether he's involved or not. Right now, we need to eliminate as many variables as we can," McKinnon ordered.

"What can I do?" Bridger inquired, as everyone began moving around the room.

"You're welcome to help with the tactical if you want or work with Slick and Indy. And, if you think Slick needs a break, feel free to inform him of that fact."

"I think I'd like to see what you're planning first."

"That's fine."

******

"You okay with this?" Tim asked Lucas, as they started working. He wondered why McKinnon had opted to assign them this task. It seemed like it might be more difficult for Lucas to handle this one, rather than one of the other assignments.

"I'm fine," Lucas reassured him.

"Where do you want to start?"

"I guess we should start looking at her associates and see if anything turns up."

"Listen, if you get tired, will you promise to take a break?" Tim requested.

"Okay."

"Promise?" Tim persisted. He knew Lucas well enough to want a concrete guarantee. If Lucas promised to do something, the teenager carried through.

"Promise," Lucas agreed. "I'm really fine. I'm not going to keel over or anything."

"Friends worry about each other," Tim pointed out. "If it were anyone else, you would be the same way."

"Yeah, that's diff…"

"How is it different?" Tim countered.

"It just is," Lucas mumbled.

"No, it's not," Tim told him, refusing to give ground on the issue. "If you're allowed to be concerned for your friends, you have to learn to accept it in return. And you'd better not let anything happen to you, because I'm sure the commander will be all too willing to tell Westphalen I defended the idea. I don't want her yelling at me," he added, only partially joking.

"It'll be fine. I mean, Ghost and Ice are going to be with me."

(6G)

Bridger listened to the discussions going on among the group studying the map as McKinnon, Rodriguez, Ryan, Dawson and Ford conversed about possibilities. He was starting to understand where they got their reputation for being unorthodox. After discussing the conventional methods of handling the situation, they had progressed into alternatives.

"What about air surveillance?" Ryan proposed. "Is it clear enough to allow for aerial protection?"

"Hard to say," McKinnon replied. "It looks pretty congested from the information we have. I suppose it might be possible to put one or two of you in the air."

"We'll have to try to get some ground coverage. If we take positions in the building, we're going to be too far away," Dawson noted. "In disguise, we could probably manage to stay close enough."

"They'll be expecting that," Rodriguez pointed out. "The disguise would have to be pretty good," he commented.

"We've pulled it off before," Ryan observed, "although I'm not sure anyone wants the return of Nora and Sally," she remarked.

Dawson flushed a little. "I was thinking of something a little more conservative," he mumbled.

"I thought Nora was kind of prissy myself," Rodriguez said.

"What I don't understand is why they gave you all this time to make plans?" Ford interrupted. "It seems odd."

"First, this guy thinks Ghost and Slick are out in the great unknown without us," McKinnon answered. "He doesn't expect to get caught. Plus, there is the possibility that he will shift the location at the last possible moment to catch us by surprise. Still, there are only so many places where such a meeting can take place. We're going to have to be prepared to improvise," McKinnon responded.

"It is our team motto," Ryan reminded her. "You want us to check out this place in person or are we considering it too risky?"

"I may have you and Casanova go in the afternoon."

******

"This is interesting," Lucas mumbled.

"What?" Tim queried.

"I need to check something," Lucas told him automatically.

Tim sighed; he recognized the look on the teenager's face. It meant that Lucas was no longer focused on anything but the computer. Everything else would be tuned out until he had found what he wanted. He turned as Bridger walked over. "How are they doing?"

"I haven't figured it out yet," Bridger remarked. "What's going on here?"

"He's in his computer trance," Tim responded. "I think it means he's found something, but I have no idea what it might be."

Bridger looked at Lucas and saw that the teenager did, indeed, have a look of intense concentration on his face. "I'm sure he will emerge soon," he commented.

"I hope so, because I feel kind of useless."

"You've been doing a lot from what I've seen."

"Right now, I'm just watching him."

"Sometimes that can be an extremely difficult task," Bridger remarked with a hint of a smile.

"True. What's up, Ghost?" Tim asked Rodriguez , who had just joined them.

"We're taking a short break from planning, so I thought I would see what you guys were doing. Did you notice that his eyes are glazed over?" he inquired. "Maybe he's sleeping with his eyes open."

"No, he just talked a few minutes ago," Tim assured him.

"And you take that as a sign he's awake?"

"Ghost, don't you have anything better to do?" Lucas questioned.

"No, not really."

"I sure wish you'd find something."

"I know, but this is so much more fun," Rodriguez informed him. "What are you doing?"

"Working."

"On what?"

"Are we playing twenty questions now?"

"No. I don't like to limit the number of questions I can ask."

"In other words, you're just going to bug me until I answer?" Lucas translated.

"I'd say that sums it up," Rodriguez agreed. "Tell me, Captain, is he like this on seaQuest or are we just special?" he inquired.

"It's pretty much universal behavior," Bridger replied.

"It must be extremely frustrating at times."

"It can be."

"Do you mind?" Lucas demanded. "I am still here."

"I've already answered that particular question for you before, Slick. And I'm just making conversation until you're ready to tell us what you've found," Rodriguez responded. "Don't listen if the topic offends you."

"Ghost…"

"Yes, Slick?" Rodriguez queried, an innocent expression on his face.

Lucas turned and glared at him and returned his attention to the computer. "You want to do something useful?"

"Probably not," Tim interjected.

"Thanks, Indy."

"What was the name of the person who wrote Benny's check? I can't remember it."

"Are you feeling all right?" Rodriguez asked. "I didn't think you forgot anything."

"I'll look it up," Tim interrupted.

"Thank you," Lucas responded, giving Rodriguez a dark look.

"I really think he might need a nap," Rodriguez remarked to Bridger. "He's getting kind of cranky."

Bridger smiled at the description, particularly since it was obvious the two had held this conversation before. Plus, he had thought it one or two times about the boy in the past.

"I am not cranky," Lucas hissed at him.

"Yep, I'd say that's a clear sign."

"Lionel Nyland," Tim told Lucas, finally finding the information.

"Nice to see someone being helpful," Lucas muttered under his breath.

Bridger had to admit he enjoyed seeing someone else give Lucas a hard time about his working habits and his tendency to get short-tempered. Mainly, he liked hearing the affection behind Rodriguez's comments.

"You going to share with the rest of the class?" Rodriguez questioned.

"Why don't you invite Ice to come join us," Lucas requested.

"You mean, you won't tell unless she's present?"

"You're very quick."

"He never lets me have any fun," Rodriguez grumbled. "I'll go get her," he continued, already headed in McKinnon's direction.

******

"You want something?" McKinnon inquired.

"Slick has something he wants you to see," Rodriguez told her. "Are we going to break for lunch soon?" he asked.

"Probably. Why?"

"Because I think it might be time to put Slick down for a nap."

"When you suggest it to him, make sure you phrase it just like that. I'm sure he'll come quietly then," McKinnon advised, envisioning the response it would evoke.

"Excellent idea, Ice. I knew I could count on you. You should try to get some sleep yourself," Rodriguez recommended.

"I probably will," McKinnon admitted.

******

"You get lost?" Lucas queried Rodriguez with a quick grin.

"No. I didn't realize that we were in a hurry," Rodriguez retorted.

"Boys, am I going to have to separate you two?" McKinnon inquired. "What have you got?"

"I think I found Keller's connection in all of this," Lucas responded.

"What is it?"

"It's kind of complicated," Lucas explained. "It looks like, about two years ago, Keller managed to
save the son-in-law of Lionel Nyland."

"Is he the one married to the daughter at Nicholson?"

"No. Lionel has three daughters. This particular son-in-law and daughter returned to Tarsinia shortly afterwards and Lionel Nyland must have been extremely grateful. He made a sizeable donation to Keller's bank account."

"Why would a man involved in a movement that expresses a desire to isolate his country from world affairs have so many contacts with the outside world?" Tim asked. "It makes no sense."

"It does, if you're using the movement for personal goals," Bridger commented. "He would not be the first man to join an organization for political expediency."

"He's right," McKinnon agreed. "If the Nationalists are strong, it might be a way to gain political power by pretending to assume their ideals. He could easily explain it all away by saying that it is his son-in-law who has the contacts to the outside world. We've seen it before."

Lucas had shut everyone out again, having noticed something that he wanted to investigate. He wanted to get as much done as possible, since he didn't need anyone to tell him that, eventually, someone was going to make him take a break. Lucas also knew that it would do no good to argue, so he had to make the most of the time he had.

"We've lost him again," Rodriguez remarked, finally noticing that Lucas was typing furiously on his
keyboard. When he did not respond to Rodriguez's comment, everyone knew the teenager was preoccupied. "Maybe I should unplug him," Rodriguez suggested.

"I don't think I want to see how he would react to that," McKinnon informed him.

"It's not a pretty sight," Bridger confirmed.

"Now, that sounds interesting," Tim noted, sensing a story he had missed. In the past, Bridger had come up with some creative methods for dealing with Lucas' tendency to block things out when he was on the computer.

"It was."

"What did you find?" McKinnon inquired, looking over Lucas' shoulder and trying to read the screen. She shook her head as she realized what the screen said. "Nice work, Slick," she acknowledged. "This is starting to get interesting, although we should have caught it sooner."

"What?" Rodriguez demanded.

"Nyland's wife is a cousin of Inouye," McKinnon replied.

"This is starting to look like a family affair," Rodriguez commented.

"It is. It might be wise to look at Ramsey's family tree and see what turns up," McKinnon responded. "We'll do it after we eat though. I think it's time for a break."

Lucas stifled a groan, knowing, from the looks he was receiving from the quartet, he was going to be taking a longer one than planned.

"Who's getting lunch?" Rodriguez asked.

"Brook and Einstein. They seem to manage to do it in the least amount of time. Let me get them on their way and then I have to talk to Sunshine. Any preferences?" McKinnon questioned

"Whatever everyone else wants," Tim answered, which Lucas echoed.

"You know better than to ask them, Ice," Rodriguez teased. "Indy's only requirement is that they have something vegetarian and Slick would eat cardboard if you told him that's what the team decided."

"True. Are they this easy to please normally?" McKinnon asked Bridger.

"In matters of food," Bridger responded.

"All right, I'll see what the others want."

"What? My vote doesn't count?" Rodriguez complained.

"Ghost, you're not exactly picky when it comes to food."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you want it to. Go sit down and relax a bit," she advised.

******

After getting Karneering and Adamsen off to buy lunch, McKinnon pulled Ryan aside. "After we eat, I want you to check in with the inspectors. Find out if there are any new developments. Put Scout and Indy back to looking at Nicholson. Have them see if there are any other connections between the company and Tarsinia or Ramsey that we may have missed," McKinnon ordered.

"What about tactical?" Ryan inquired.

"We'll get back to that. After lunch, I'm going to make Einstein happy and get some sleep. Ghost and Slick will also be taking a break."

"Do they know this yet?"

"I imagine they suspect."

"All right. I think we can manage without you guys for a little while."

"I imagine you can."

"Especially since I know you won't be gone more than ninety minutes," Ryan added dryly. "And that's if you take a long nap."

"Behave, Sunshine. You're starting to sound like Ghost."

"Gee, you don't have to be mean about it."

******

Bridger was glad when McKinnon told Lucas and Rodriguez that, after they ate, they were to try to get some sleep. He had been wondering how to suggest it himself. He was surprised when neither one offered any protests.

Chandler caught his surprised look and smiled. "When Ice has that look on, you're better off just saying 'yes, Commander' and not arguing. Even Ghost knows that," he explained. "Ice tolerates most things, but there is a point at which it's best not to push your luck."

"I think we're familiar with that," Tim muttered under his breath. The same thing could be said about Bridger.

"Something you wanted to add, Lieutenant?" Bridger inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Sir. I'm just enjoying my salad," Tim answered, suddenly finding his lunch very interesting. He wished he understood why his personality took this turn when he got around the Outriggers; he had a feeling it could get him in trouble.

"Careful, or you'll find yourself undergoing deprogramming from Doctor Westphalen when we return," Bridger pointed out. He found the changes in the lieutenant somewhat amusing and fascinating to watch. Kristin had made it abundantly clear she did not care for the behavior that the Outriggers seemed to provoke from Tim.

"I'm hoping to avoid that," Tim assured him.

"That's probably wise."

******

"Einstein certainly looked pleased," Lucas commented, watching as Rodriguez turned out the light.

"Of course. He's been wanting the three of us in bed since he realized we had been up for several hours longer than the rest. He lives to worry about the team," Rodriguez grumbled. "This is a victory for him."

"Does he win often?"

"Not usually with Ice."

"I can see that. Does anyone ever win with Ice?"

"Only when it's to her advantage," Rodriguez responded dryly.

"Yes, but it's why you like her," Lucas pointed out, rolling over on his back.

"You could be right about that, Slick. Now, go to sleep," Rodriguez ordered.

******

"Why would he send notes offering a trade?" Ford questioned Ryan, who had stopped by him and Tim to see how things were progressing. "I mean, the logical assumption would be that they would have at least contacted us, especially if they are checking their mail," he observed.

"True. However, look at the people involved. Ice's reputation for putting the team first is well known. Everyone who's ever worked with her knows that she would be willing to do it just to be on the safe side. Ghost is the same way. In fact, if you look at his record, he's done some crazier things than Ice has," Ryan explained. "As for Slick, he's not exactly the type of person that's going to let someone get hurt because of him. While his reputation is not as well established, you look at the way he handled himself in Tarsinia and it isn't hard to figure he's likely to go along with the idea."

"Plus, the person doing this is banking on our curiosity in finding out who's behind all of this,"
Tim interjected. "We're not likely to pass up an opportunity to find out who set us up."

"I'm not crazy about following through with this either, Scout," Ryan said. "However, they made the call and all we can do is keep them safe."

"I just worry that it's coming too easily."

"We all do. But we have to go with what we have. This is the best lead we've had. All we can do is try to make it work for us."

******

Lucas woke up to find Rodriguez staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Rodriguez responded.

"Why are you watching me?"

"Just trying to imagine you with your bear," Rodriguez teased him. He did not think he should admit that he had been trying to stay quiet so Lucas would sleep longer. Rodriguez figured Lucas would not appreciate the gesture.

"I really wish you'd find something else to fixate on," Lucas informed him.

"I know. Why do you think I keep bringing it up?"

"How long were we sleeping?"

"About two and a half hours. That should please Einstein."

"I certainly hope so."

"You look a little more awake now," Rodriguez commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas challenged.

"Is this what sleeping in the day does to you? Make you prickly?"

"No. It's being around you that has that effect."

"If I thought you were serious, my feelings would be hurt," Rodriguez noted. "We better get going and see what they have planned for us. You do realize that, some time tomorrow, they're going to have to take us and dump us somewhere?"

"I had figured out that part. And what a way with words you have, Ghost."

"Thank you. I've been practicing."

"It shows."

******

"I suppose you only slept about an hour," Rodriguez remarked to McKinnon, as he and Lucas approached her.

"Actually I made it almost two, which was very distressing for Einstein," McKinnon replied with a
smile. "He had me down for an hour and a half."

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, it's a little attempt at team humor," Rodriguez explained. "Whenever Ice sleeps in the middle of the day, the team likes to get a little betting pool going. Who won?"

"Indy."

"It figures. The rookie would win," Rodriguez remarked.

"That's okay. They ran one for the two of you as well," McKinnon notified him.

"Great."

"Both of us?" Lucas repeated.

"Yes. It was decided that, as roommates, you were likely to appear at the same time, so they just did one pool," McKinnon elaborated.

"How nice."

"Who won?"

"I'm not real sure," McKinnon answered. "I believe Scout is the official timekeeper for yours."

"You got the commander involved?" Lucas questioned, surprised.

"Apparently so," McKinnon told him. "I believe that even your captain participated."

"I didn't really need to know that," Lucas muttered, as Ford approached.

"You have the results?" McKinnon inquired.

"Yes. You won," Ford responded. "It was close. Tim almost won again."

"I guess it's the advantage of getting in at the end," McKinnon commented. "Okay, I want to the two of you to check out Ramsey and see what the connections are between him and Tarsinia, as we discussed earlier," McKinnon directed Lucas and Rodriguez, turning her attention back to business. "After dinner, we're going to take another look at tactical," she added.

"All right," Rodriguez agreed. "Let's get to work."

"Yeah, like you're going to do anything other than bug me," Lucas complained.

"You put them together on purpose, don't you?" Ford guessed.

"Yes," McKinnon confirmed. "They both need the stress release. Besides, they work well together. Ghost tends to relax more around Slick."

Ford raised an eyebrow, thinking Rodriguez seemed pretty relaxed most of the time.

"You'd be surprised. He can get very intense when we're in the field."

******

"What are you doing?" Rodriguez asked Lucas.

"Working. What are you doing?"

"What I do best."

"Being a nuisance?"

"I'd say that about sums it up," Tim remarked, passing by.

"Thanks, Indy. Do you two have something to add?" Rodriguez asked Hallowell and Dawson, who had just walked up.

"No. In fact, we'd just like to take a moment to say that we've always admired your leadership skills, work ethic and sound judgement," Dawson informed him. "Please stop snickering, Slick. We're being serious."

"Uh huh. What do you want?" Rodriguez inquired.

"Sunshine keeps bringing up the idea of resurrecting Sally and Nora," Hallowell explained. "Ice seems to be entertaining the idea. We were hoping for some help in derailing it."

Rodriguez smiled. "I don't know,… it might be useful," he teased.

"Ghost."

"Who are Sally and Nora?" Lucas questioned, curious.

"Well, Slick, it's a long story," Rodriguez told him, smiling at Hallowell and Dawson. "But, about a year ago, we had an undercover assignment that required some special disguises," he explained.

"Sally and Nora?" Lucas guessed.

"That's right. That's Sally," Rodriguez responded, pointing at Hallowell, "and that's Nora," he finished with a nod at Dawson. "Two finer ladies you cannot meet."

"Laugh and you're a dead man, Slick," Dawson threatened.

"How did you two get elected?" Lucas inquired, trying to restrain his laughter, since neither one look amused.

"They looked the best in dresses," Rodriguez answered, "and make up and heels…"

"Ghost, are you going to help us?" Hallowell pleaded.

"I'll take care of it," Rodriguez assured them. "Besides, I have a feeling that Sunshine is just
having fun pulling your leg."

"Why did you two have to go as women?" Lucas asked.

The three men looked at each other, wondering precisely how to answer his question. "We needed to make sure that no one got identified," Rodriguez replied, glaring at Hallowell and Dawson when they both laughed. "It seemed like the best way to insure it."

Lucas had the feeling that he had missed out on something, but decided it was something he did not really want to know about. "Oh."

"Thank you, Ghost," Dawson interjected quickly.

"No problem," Rodriguez reassured him. He understood why they did not want to reprise their roles.

"That must have been traumatic for Casanova," Lucas remarked.

"Well, he didn't have better dating success as a woman, that's for sure," Rodriguez agreed. "Don't
ask," he ordered.

"All right. Maybe you should go talk to Ice about it now?" Lucas suggested.

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"It's not like you're doing anything," Lucas grumbled.

"If you're nice, I'll show you their pictures."

"You took pictures?"

"Of course. We had to have something to humiliate them with later," Rodriguez explained.

"I'm glad it wasn't me."

"I don't know; I think you'd look cute in a dress," Rodriguez joked.

Giving him a dark look, Lucas returned his attention to the computer.

Realizing that Lucas intended to ignore him, Rodriguez sat down at the terminal next to the teenager and started working, quickly becoming engrossed in his own search.

******

"Slick, can you take a look at this?" Rodriguez requested, an hour later.

"How'd you find that?" Lucas inquired, reading over his shoulder.

"I am not without resources. The team does manage to function without your expertise," Rodriguez pointed out.

"I never said you couldn't…" Lucas protested.

"Just kidding, Slick," Rodriguez assured him, afraid from Lucas' tone that he might have offended the teenager. "What do you think?"

"I think we're caught in the middle of a very bad melodrama," Lucas replied, shaking his head.

"It's starting to look that way," Rodriguez agreed. "But it's the first thing we have that starts
connecting Ramsey."

"It's not even a direct connection," Lucas pointed out.

"It's better than nothing."

"There's no evidence they ever met though."

"I agree. However, it is something."

"I just can't believe it's working out like this," Lucas admitted. "I mean, it just doesn't seem
possible."

"I know," Rodriguez told him.

"You better let Ice know."

"I'm going to do that right now. Stay out of trouble," Rodriguez instructed.

"I only get in trouble when I'm with you."

"Slick, didn't anyone ever tell you not to lie?" Rodriguez inquired.

"What are you trying to say?" Lucas asked him.

"You're the genius; I'm sure you can figure it out."

******

"That is interesting," McKinnon commented, after Rodriguez finished relaying the latest information to her. "If I've got it right, then Ramsey's dead wife's uncle used to do business with Nyland's wife's uncle?"

"Yes."

"Hard to imagine that's possible."

"I know, but it's true. It makes a certain kind of sense. Keep it in the family, even if it is distant
relations," Rodriguez remarked. He looked at McKinnon and wondered what she was thinking. The commander did not seem to have her full attention on their current discussion.

"I think it's time to break for dinner," McKinnon told Rodriguez .

"All right."

******

"How's it going?" Bridger questioned Lucas, sitting down next to him.

"All right. We've found a few more pieces to the puzzle. Just not the ones that will let us see the
whole picture," Lucas responded, frustration in his voice.

"Everyone's working hard," Bridger reassured him. "They'll get to the bottom of it."

"When?"

"I don't know. It takes time and patience," Bridger pointed out. "You know more than you did before you left for the conference."

"I know."

"How was the conference?" Bridger asked, deciding it couldn't hurt to take the teenager's mind off of the investigation for a little while.

Tim shook his head as he took a seat, having heard the question. "I've gone through some absurd things for the UEO, but I think that one ranks at the top," he answered before Lucas could think of an appropriate response.

"Really?"

"Yes. It's amazing that no one got hurt."

"That was the idea. We were supposed to trust our group not to hurt us," Karneering interjected.
"However, I have to agree. It has to be one of the biggest wastes of time. The frightening thing being that someone allocated a lot of money to pay for it."

"No," Rodriguez corrected, "what's frightening is that someone spent time creating the program. Just think what they could have been doing with that time."

"And we didn't even get to see the whole week," Lucas noted. "We missed the grand finale."

"It probably involved blindfolding the entire group for a trust walk."

"Trust walk?" Bridger repeated.

"Yes, Sir," Ford replied, shaking his head at the memory.

"I think the commander is still recovering from having to spend that first time with you two," Tim informed Lucas and Rodriguez .

"I was not aware of their unique relationship prior to the activity," Ford explained to Bridger.

"I don't see why everyone thinks working with us is so difficult," Rodriguez commented to Lucas.

"Probably because of the fact that you can't spend more than sixty seconds together without one of you uttering an insult," Adamsen interrupted. "By the way, Ghost, Sunshine said you nixed the idea of using Sally and Nora again."

"It didn't seem like a good idea," Rodriguez responded. "They might need to move fast."

"Yes, but if we brought back Sally and Nora, we could have also reincarnated Esmerelda," Chandler reminded him.

"Esmerelda is dead, Irish," Rodriguez stated shortly.

"I don't think we want to know any more," Tim interjected, before anything else could be said.

Lucas gave Rodriguez a curious look and decided this was definitely a subject to pursue later.

Rodriguez caught the expression on the teenager's face and almost groaned out loud. He knew he would be explaining this conversation later. Noticing the smug look on Chandler's face, Rodriguez realized the other man had done it on purpose.

(6I)

Dinner was a hurried affair; Ryan, Dawson and Hallowell were going to check out the meeting site afterwards and wanted to get going. "Slick, I'd like to talk to you," McKinnon told Lucas, as he stood up from the table.

"Okay," Lucas agreed, nervously.

"Ghost!" McKinnon called out, stopping Rodriguez before he had walked too far away.

"Yes, Ice?" he inquired, turning.

McKinnon waved him back over and waited to speak. "Go ahead and get started back on tactical with Scout. Pair Indy and Brook; tell them to keep on Nicholson. I think we're missing something there. Have Einstein and Irish start pulling together supplies," she directed.

Rodriguez shot her a questioning look. "And what will you be doing?"

"I need to talk to Slick."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Rodriguez looked at McKinnon and saw that she had no intention of explaining herself. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. "You're the boss."

"Thank you for remembering that point. Have Bridger help you with tactical, if he wants."

"All right."

******

"Something wrong?" Lucas queried, following McKinnon out of the room. The fact she was leaving the main area worried him. He hoped she was not planning on pulling him from the investigation.

"We just need to review some items and I don't necessarily want the entire group to hear our
conversation," McKinnon explained, opening the door to her room.

"Okay." Lucas did not find her answer very reassuring. In fact, it made him anxious.

"Relax, I'm not pulling you," McKinnon said quietly, reading his mind. "Not that I haven't considered it," she added.

"But…"

"Slick, my job is to consider all the options and what's best for the team," McKinnon reminded him. "Part of that, is looking at what's best for the individuals as well as the team as a whole. And, let's face it, my record where you're concerned is not real good right now."

"It's not your fault."

"I'm a CO, Slick. I think everything's my fault. It comes with the position. However, I trust in your
ability to perform as required. Just be careful; I don't want to be explaining anything else to your
captain."

"Then what did you want to discuss?"

"The investigation and some of the possibilities we have to consider for tomorrow."

"Why are we doing this privately?"

"Because I think you and I, for whatever reasons, are the primary targets. I think Ghost is simply excess baggage. If they think you're on the run with him, they know you won't be able to dump him easily, so he was included. However, I think, when they make a move, and it's safe to say that they will, it's going to be on one of us. I also think you're the likely target."

"Why?"

"It comes back to what started all of it: weakest link. You're a teenager; you make one good bargaining chip," McKinnon clarified. "From their point of view, you are a perfect choice. The chances of anyone putting up much resistance if you're in a precarious position is small, at least operating under normal conditions. We need to be prepared for that. We're going in close range with these people. They've risked considerable danger to get to this point. They will want to control the situation."

Lucas swallowed nervously. "So what do we do?"

"Try to counter any possible moves they might make."

"I'm still confused as to why we're discussing this privately," Lucas told her, genuinely puzzled.

"Because sometimes the element of surprise is all we have going for us, Slick," McKinnon answered. "There are some details I don't want the others to know."

"Is this common?" Lucas inquired.

"It depends on the situation," McKinnon replied.

"Is this something that would upset Ghost if he knew about it?"

"Probably. Ghost would prefer to take the risks for both of us. In certain situations, I even let him.
This is not one of them. They're only going to go after Ghost if they think it's going to get at one of
us and make us do what we want."

"If Inouye is involved, why doesn't he want Ghost too?"

"I think it has to do with expectations," McKinnon said. "Inouye may not have known we were Outriggers and, if he did, he may not have known what that meant. However, he expected Ghost to act as he did. Standing firm under any kind of interrogation is drilled into any military personnel."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, in his eyes, you're just a kid. You were supposed to crack at the first sign of trouble. I
don't think Inouye ever really expected Ghost to talk. He expected you to, though. In underestimating you, he feels he lost face. He could easily feel the need to get that back."

"That makes no sense."

"Not to us. To him, it's all perfectly logical. Of course, we could be wrong; the people we see as being involved may not be. I think there is another person we should consider as part of the equation."

"Who?" Lucas paled when McKinnon answered his question and then nodded his head in resignation. Unfortunately, it made sense. "What do we do?"

"I want you to conduct some discreet inquiries when we go back. I'll keep Ghost from bugging you," McKinnon promised. "As for all the rest, that's what we're going to talk about now," she added.

"That sounds simple enough," Lucas commented, after McKinnon had explained her ideas. "I think I can handle that," he told her.

"I'm sure you can," McKinnon assured him. "There is one other thing I need to tell you."

"What else could there be?" Lucas questioned, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Ian Hamilton."

"What about him?" Lucas inquired, getting defensive.

"I know who he was, Slick. Was he a friend of yours?" McKinnon queried.

"How did you find out?" Lucas countered, not planning to give her an answer.

"It's a matter of public record, Slick. I got curious and I went looking. I like to know what's going on with my team, especially when something is upsetting them."

"Oh. Yeah, I knew him."

McKinnon nodded, realizing that he was not going to give her any more. "This one's just between us."

"Thank you."

"Now, I'll warn you, Ghost is going to be bugging the hell out of you to find out what we discussed."

"I think I can manage to keep him guessing," Lucas remarked.

"I didn't figure it would be a problem."

******

Rodriguez glanced up, as Lucas returned with McKinnon, and tried to figure out what they had been talking about. Obviously, McKinnon felt they needed privacy, which only made him more curious.

McKinnon ignored Rodriguez as she took a place next to Ford and caught up on what they had been discussing. She knew her second-in-command was dying of curiosity, but she had no plans to enlighten him.

******

Lucas sat down at the computer and started working, hoping not to find anything, but fearing that he would. He was glad McKinnon had decided not to pair him with anyone for this search. He did not want anyone watching him, trying to gauge his reaction. He already felt like he was on display. It was not so much anything that been said; Lucas always felt that way after someone learned the truth. Not that he had ever told anyone, but it had not kept it from getting out. There were always people willing to pry in his records and find it. Most of them said they were only trying to help, but, once one found out, it never stayed a secret long. Already an outcast because of his intelligence, he had found it a difficult burden to bear. He had not wanted to experience it on
seaQuest. No matter what Bridger said to him, Lucas knew it would change things. Just because the captain, Tim and even Ford, were willing to overlook the past, the boy knew that others would not be so kind.

"What are you working on?" Tim queried, walking over.

"Ice has me running some background checks again," Lucas evaded, changing his screen. "What's up?"

"We're supposed to be taking a break," Tim explained. "Then I guess we're going to get together and discuss what we've learned and hopefully how we're going to turn all of this into a happy ending."

"That should be fun," Lucas said with a trace of sarcasm.

"It certainly sounds like it," Tim agreed. "Why does Ghost keep staring at you?"

"Probably has nothing better to do with his time," Lucas guessed.

Tim shook his head. "I think the world is a much safer place when the two of you are not working
together."

"Gee, thanks a lot, Tim," Lucas grumbled.

"Well, it's true," Tim insisted. "How goes the planning?" Tim questioned Ford and Bridger.

"It's an interesting process," Bridger commented, not sure how else to respond.

Recalling some of the planning sessions involved with their previous assignment, Lucas and Tim nodded their understanding.

"By the way, Tim, why did Chandler suggest that you drive to the meeting site?" Bridger inquired.

"I drove earlier," Tim evaded, "to the fire."

"Really?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I hope Sunshine sees something that we can use to our advantage," Ford interjected, deciding to rescue Tim. He did not want to get into any explanations regarding their nicknames. He kept having terrible visions of the captain deciding to call him "Scout" on the bridge one day. He wanted to do anything he could to help Bridger forget the nicknames.

"That would be good," Lucas agreed, picking up on the diversion. "It's likely. They're pretty inventive."

"I think we had noticed that," Ford remarked.

******

Lucas found himself sitting next to Rodriguez during the meeting. "Stop it," he hissed.

"What?" Rodriguez asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Stop staring at me."

"Paranoia isn't a good thing, Slick. I'm watching McKinnon. She likes it when we pay attention at these meetings."

"She's not in your field of vision."

"Yes, she is," Rodriguez corrected. "I can see her just fine. Now, hush. We're going to get in
trouble."

McKinnon shot Rodriguez a glare from the head of the table; she could tell he was being intentionally aggravating. "Ghost, do you have anything to add?" she questioned.

"No, Commander," Rodriguez responded. "I think you summed it up nicely."

"Nice recovery," Lucas muttered under his breath.

"Behave," Rodriguez ordered.

"Anything new on Nicholson?" McKinnon asked.

"We did find out that Nicholson was talking to the Tarsinian government about some kind of joint venture project about ten years ago," Adamsen replied.

"Nothing came of it though," Tim added. "It was dropped because Nicholson felt it would not see enough profit for the cost of the investment."

"Any idea who negotiated with them?"

"We're checking into that," Adamsen answered.

"Who wants to bet that Lionel Nyland is somehow involved?" Ryan queried.

"Inouye could be the connection," Dawson commented.

"I'm sure one of the two names will turn up," Rodriguez interjected.

"Hopefully it won't take too long to figure it out now that we've found this," McKinnon commented. "Now tomorrow, several hours prior to the meeting, we're going to take Ghost and Slick somewhere, as they're going to have to make it to the meeting on their own. There's no point in letting them know we've been together all this time. We have yet to determine the exact spot. We're trying to decide what would be the most logical location. Operating under that theory
also means that they will be going in unarmed and unprotected," McKinnon continued. "There's not much we can do to get around that fact. If they weren't with us, access to supplies would be limited."

"Which means Slick and I would appreciate the chance to hit the ground before any shooting starts," Rodriguez cut in, "which is the basic plan, should that occur. Ice will wear full gear, although it is likely they will take her weapon when she arrives."

"Then we better not have you carrying live ammunition," Ryan advised.

"As for the exact plan, we are still working on the best way to provide maximum coverage."

"We're going to have to run most of it from the ground and we're going to have to be very careful," Ryan explained. "Most of the buildings are office buildings. A majority of them are empty. The rest don't look like they see a lot of traffic. That means, if we're moving about freely, we could stick out. The actual meeting site is a warehouse, as we suspected. It is completely abandoned, as are the two buildings next to it and the one across from it. I'd say it's an effort to keep us back from the building. We'll be able to put one person, maybe two in the building across the street and the one next to it. I'm sure there is some kind of minimal activity. However, we'll have to set that up early enough to avoid detection going in. I'm sure they'll have watchers."

"Probably," McKinnon concurred. "We're going to have to anticipate that."

"We're not going to be able to anticipate everything," Chandler observed.

"We have to do the best we can," McKinnon told him. "This is our best chance to end this.

"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Hallowell inquired.

"If anyone has a better solution that will work, now would be a good time to present it," McKinnon
challenged.

There was silence as everyone tried in vain to come up with another possibility. None of them wanted to admit McKinnon was right.

"We've been in worse situations," Rodriguez reminded the group. "This is what we do for a living, gang. I'm not saying that there isn't danger involved; I know there is. We're relying on you and each other to minimize the risks and make the outcome end up in our favor."

"This means you won't reconsider?" Karneering asked.

"That's right."

"It was worth a shot," Karneering said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Now that we've settled that question again," McKinnon cut in, before anyone else could speak, "we'll work until twenty hundred, then shut down for the night. Indy and Brook continue looking into the Nicholson connection. Sunshine and Casanova you can join those of us on tactical," McKinnon directed.

"Where do you want me?" Hallowell queried.

"Finish the trace on Stanton's ex-partner; let's get him nailed down one way or the other."

"What are you working on?" Rodriguez asked Lucas, as the group started moving back to work. They had about an hour left and everyone wanted to make it count.

"The Keller connection," Lucas responded.

"Still?"

"Ice has a few points she wanted cleared up," Lucas hedged.

"Come on, Ghost," Sunshine interrupted. "Ice is looking irritable," she commented, tugging on
Rodriguez's arm to get him moving. "You can harass Slick after we finish working."

"But I'd rather do it now," Rodriguez complained.

"Yeah, well, I still think it can wait."

"You never let me have any fun, Sunshine."

"You're an Outrigger, Ghost; you're not supposed to have fun."

(6J)

Lucas scanned through the files he had been searching for and sighed softly. Part of him had been hoping not to find any of this; the other part had known he would. Not sure what to do with the information, he saved it and protected it with a password, so that McKinnon could review it later. Given a choice, he would not show it to her; however, he knew she needed
the data.

"Tired?" Bridger queried, walking up behind him.

"Maybe a little," Lucas confessed. It was easier to admit to being tired than get into the multitude of other emotions he was currently experiencing.

"Then don't get up in the middle of the night and start working," Bridger admonished him gently. The captain sensed that Lucas did not want to get into any deep discussions at the moment.

"How are things with the planning?"

"Going fairly well or so it seems."

"So is Westphalen going to be upset that you haven't been in touch with seaQuest since you left?"

"I have a feeling that's going to be the least of her concerns when she starts hearing about everything else," Bridger observed dryly. "She is not going to be happy with either one of you when she hears about the threats."

"I know."

"I'm still not pleased with it myself."

"It won't happen again."

"It better not."

Lucas stifled a sigh. He could tell he and Tim were going to be hearing about this for a long time. If pressed, Lucas was even willing to admit that they probably deserved it, but that didn't make it any easier to listen to.

"I'll be nice and not mention that you two have known about the possibility of being recalled for duty with the Outriggers," Bridger continued.

"We'd both appreciate that," Lucas told him. The teenager suspected that Kristin would be more upset at learning about that than the threats.

"I am starting to see why you and Tim liked working with them," Bridger admitted. "Although I think I'm glad I don't have to work with the lieutenant's new personality often."

"It's the atmosphere the Outriggers create."

"I still don't want to see it on the bridge."

"What don't you want to see, Sir?" Tim inquired, joining them.

"Your new and improved personality," Lucas answered.

"For some reason, it only comes out when I'm with the Outriggers. I haven't figured it out. I'm not sure I want to."

"Well, as long as it stays with the Outriggers, there should be no trouble," Ford commented.

"Why should we have all the fun?" Rodriguez asked.

"Ghost!" Lucas shouted, having jumped.

"Sorry," Rodriguez apologized, not sounding sincere.

"Why didn't you warn me he was back there?" Lucas demanded of the others, who were trying hard not to laugh.

"Because there's more entertainment value in watching you jump three feet in the air," Tim informed him.

Lucas glared at him. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Not really. Ice said it's time to shut down," Rodriguez responded. "She's not saying we have to go to bed, just have to stop."

"I'm surprised Einstein isn't insisting on tucking us in," Lucas grumbled.

"That's a good idea, Slick," Karneering noted, having overheard the comment.

"Gee, that was a good move," Rodriguez pointed out.

"I'm just curious; do the two of you behave like this when you're being held hostage?" Chandler questioned.

"Why do you want to know, Irish?" Rodriguez countered.

"I don't know. It just occurred to me."

"Well, I think that's something we'll keep just between us," Rodriguez told him.

"Too bad you don't feel that way about the rest of it," Ford muttered under his breath.

"Not you too, Scout," Rodriguez groaned. "Indy, stop snickering. It's not nice."

"He's an Outrigger; who said he had to be nice?" Karneering quizzed.

Rodriguez turned to speak to Lucas and realized that the teenager had slipped away and was talking to McKinnon. "Great, he leaves me alone here to defend our honor."

"What honor, Ghost?" Hallowell questioned.

******

"Ghost is staring at us," McKinnon remarked to Lucas.

"He's going to bug me as soon as we get to our room."

"I'd say that was certain."

"Don't worry."

"I won't. You're a master of evasion," McKinnon assured him. "I mean that in the nicest possible way," she added, when Lucas looked at her. "Really. Most Outriggers take pride if they're skilled at avoiding the truth without telling an outright lying."

"I wish Captain Bridger appreciated the skill more."

"Still upset about the threats or is it Section Ninety-nine?"

"Yes."

"I tried to warn you…"

"I know, I know. I think we've got the picture."

"It's just a sign that people worry about you two."

"Can't you worry quietly?" Lucas asked.

McKinnon shook her head at him. "Tell me, if you and Indy found out that someone else on your boat, say Lieutenant Krieg," McKinnon started, remembering Ben from the Hawaii visit, "was receiving threats, would you react calmly that he hadn't reported it?" she challenged. "Please recall that I can detect an evasion with great ease. I've had lots of practice."

"Probably not."

"Then take the lectures like a big boy, Slick. I'd say the two of you earned them."

"No wonder they call you Ice," Lucas grumbled, smiling so she would know he was teasing.

"It's one of the many reasons, so don't forget it. Now, I think we've raised Ghost's curiosity to a whole new level," McKinnon remarked.

"Gee, thanks."

"It's the least I could do for you."

"And just how do you think he's going to react if he finds out any of this?" Lucas queried.

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there."

"That good?"

"Relax. I'm actually going to give him an overview of some of the high points tomorrow morning," McKinnon explained.

"Why am I not comforted by that?"

"I have no idea."

******

"So what did Ice want with you?" Rodriguez asked Lucas, thirty minutes later.

Lucas almost groaned out loud. They were barely inside their room and he was already starting. "She had some more questions about Keller," he replied, which was true.

"And?" Rodriguez prompted, watching as Lucas rummaged through his bag. He had the impression it was more for something to do than a real need for any of the contents.

"To make sure that I was really okay with the plan to go through with the meeting. She wanted to make sure I felt safe with it."

"This is something she had to discuss privately?" Rodriguez pursued.

"She thought I might not answer honestly if the rest of you were around," Lucas explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Uh huh. And when you disappeared in the midst of the conversation at the end?"

"She asked me to verify some information on O'Rourke," Lucas responded.

"You talked to her for a long time."

"She also felt the need to deliver the hundred and third lecture on not reporting the threats
originally," Lucas complained. "I really wish Tim had to listen to more of these. Why am I always the one that gets caught by people feeling the need to rehash this issue?"

"Because you provoke that kind of reaction, Slick," Rodriguez answered, not fully thinking as he did.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas demanded.

Now it was Rodriguez's turn to stifle a groan as he realized he should have been more careful. "You have to face facts, Slick," Rodriguez told him. "You're a kid. Let me finish before you bite my head off," he ordered as Lucas opened his mouth to speak. "As much as you don't think your age should matter, sometimes it does. Right or wrong, it makes people worry more.
Indy's an officer; he's expected to weather more. Being in the military is not always a popular choice and you learn how to deal with that. These are things you're not supposed to be facing."

"That's just plain stupid."

"Slick, in case you hadn't noticed, people do not always act or think logically," Rodriguez pointed out. "So like it or not, it's more disturbing to find out that you've been threatened than Indy. I know it's not really fair to either one of you. It doesn't mean you're less capable of handling it or we care any less about Indy. It's just the way it is. Plus, you have to factor in the hurt element of all of this."

"What?"

"You don't think it hasn't given everyone pause that neither one of you trusted any of us enough to tell us about it?"

"It wasn't like that…"

"It's that whole logic issue again, Slick. How you meant it is not necessarily how we perceive it
sometimes. And I bet your captain and Scout feel a little guilty that they didn't see that something was going on with the two of you."

"It's not like we advertised it," Lucas mumbled, wishing he had chosen a different diversionary topic.

"True. But then it seems to them that it only reinforces your distrust."

"We weren't trying to hurt anyone," Lucas muttered.

"I know that, Slick. We all know that. Everyone just wants to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

"So is lecture one-oh-four over? I'd like to get some sleep."

Rodriguez tossed his pillow at him. "Very funny, Slick."

"Any time, Ghost. And I wanted an extra pillow," Lucas informed him.

"Don't make me take it from you," Rodriguez threatened.

"All right, all right," Lucas muttered, when Rodriguez approached. He threw the pillow back over to Rodriguez's bed. He did not feel up to wrestling with Rodriguez, especially since he suspected the man wouldn't play fair. "Good night, Ghost."

"Night, Slick." After he turned the lights out and got into bed, Rodriguez realized he had not found out what McKinnon had wanted with Lucas. He mentally cursed himself for allowing Lucas to distract him like that; he should have known better.

On his side of the room, Lucas grew exasperated with himself when he remembered he had forgotten to ask Rodriguez about Esmerelda. He made a mental note to question him about it the following day. They were going to have some time with nothing to do. It seemed like a good way to spend it, even if Rodriguez didn't agree.

******

"Are you awake?" Lucas asked Rodriguez the next morning.

"I'm getting there," Rodriguez grumbled, taking a swallow of coffee.

"Good. I'd kind of like you to be alert today."

"I'll do my best," Rodriguez promised him, glad the teenager seemed to have a good attitude about the impending day. "Well, I can see that I'm getting my summons from our esteemed leader."

"I wouldn't let Ice hear you say that," Tim remarked.

"That's why I kept my voice down, Indy. No need for you to repeat the comment either."

"Kind of grouchy this morning, isn't he?"

"Indy, that's the way he is every morning," Karneering reminded him. "This one is no different."

"True," Tim agreed.

******

"So, are you going to tell me what you and Slick were up to yesterday?" Rodriguez demanded of McKinnon.

"We weren't up to anything," McKinnon informed him. "We just had some conversations about what's going to be happening today. I wanted to make sure he felt comfortable acting as bait."

"And that's why you had to leave the room?"

"I didn't think he was likely to tell me if he wasn't happy with it where everyone else could hear it."

Hearing words almost identical to the ones Lucas had used the night before, Rodriguez wondered if the two had planned their defense. "I'm not buying it, Ice."

"That's your problem. However, if it'll set your mind at ease, I just reviewed some safety procedures with him should anything go wrong. We have to face facts, Ghost. If they get scared or nervous, they're going to strike at Slick first."

"I know."

"Well, I wanted to go over the possibilities in greater detail with him and provide some options.
I'll give you the high points, if you're interested."

"No. I'd much rather go into this blind."

"Sarcasm does not become you, Ghost."

"You're feeling a little uptight today, aren't you?"

"Ghost, this is not a real good time for you to push your luck."

"Well, Irish is the one with the luck in this group. However, I'll try to behave now," Rodriguez said, recognizing the look McKinnon was sending him.

"That would be a wise move on your part."

Rodriguez wisely decided to refrain from making any further comments and gave McKinnon his full attention while she reviewed some of the points she had discussed with Lucas. After they finished their conversation, Rodriguez realized he had not questioned McKinnon on why she had asked Lucas to run further checks on O'Rourke.

******

"Why do I have to be in charge?" Ryan asked McKinnon an hour later, while the commander was going over the final details with her. "I mean, Scout outranks me."

"You will be the highest ranking member on the team. Scout isn't even a reserve member."

"I'm sure the captain would be glad to take control."

"Ghost!" McKinnon called Rodriguez over from where he was reviewing the plan with Lucas, Tim and Bridger.

"Yes?" Rodriguez responded, hurrying over, since McKinnon looked like she was losing patience.

"Sunshine and I are going to take a walk. Try not to incite the natives while we're gone."

Rodriguez glanced at Ryan and wondered what was going on. Usually she did not earn herself the privilege of a private chat with McKinnon. "I'll do my best."

"I would appreciate it."

******

"Everything all right?" Bridger inquired, watching McKinnon and Ryan leaving the room.

"Of course," Rodriguez reassured him. "All right, Indy, we're going to have you drive," he started, which was where he had left off before McKinnon's interruption.

Tim hoped he was not blushing. He did not want to explain this to the captain. Although not as bad as some of the others on seaQuest finding out, Tim could think of other details he would rather have the captain knowing about him. "Where are we going to wait?" he questioned.

"There's a lot on the next block over. Not the best location, but fairly close. You'll be waiting there with Captain Bridger."

Bridger looked up in surprise; he had expected them to leave Ford behind as well.

"We'll be using Scout in the building across the street with Einstein," Rodriguez explained. "Columbus will be in the building next door. The visual in that building isn't as good, so we're only going to go with one in there. Brook and Irish will be on the street, playing vagrants."

"Sunshine and Casanova?" Tim queried.

"Will be checking around to make sure there are no watchers," Rodriguez answered. "You'll be monitoring communications in the van. We'll put a wire on McKinnon, but we don't expect it to stay in place. She will have her tracker on. Casanova will give you an overview of the basics."

******

"Sunshine, this is not Tarsinia," McKinnon told Ryan firmly. "You are the most experience field officer I have that is not going to be tied up in this thing. If all goes well, you won't have to be in charge for long. I can't be in command and act as bait. It won't work. I need to stay focused on my part and the safety of Ghost and Slick. I need to know someone else is watching out for the team."

"Last time I lost them."

"You didn't lose anyone, Sunshine. It was not your fault. These things happen. Every time we go into the field, we run that risk. You did not reach the rank you're at because you're not capable."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"Then we'll deal with it," McKinnon stated firmly. "Don't let the fact that Scout and the captain outrank you intimidate you. Scout will follow your orders and the captain is with Indy. He's not going to interfere. As much as he'd like to be involved, he's going to trust us to know what we're doing. Now you have to trust yourself. You are not perfect. No one on this team is. We are human and sometimes events get beyond our control."

"I'm sorry. I know all that. How do you do it?" Ryan questioned suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Take responsibility for the entire team and anyone else involved in a mission?"

"I've had a lot of practice. And I have learned the hard way that I can protect everyone all the time. Once you accept that you're human and that bad things happen to good people, it gets easier."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Everything is going to work out just fine."

******

"Well, they seem to have everything worked out," Ford commented to Tim.

"They like to be well prepared whenever possible."

"They also seem to have some unique ideas."

"I think it comes with being an Outrigger, Sir," Tim pointed out. "They're not known for their
conventional methods."

"I can't imagine operating in this chaos all the time," Ford commented. Ford liked the structure that the rules afforded life in the navy. While he was learning that there were times when one needed to abandon the regulations, he still preferred the stability they provided.

"It's controlled chaos," Tim observed. "And I can't see any of them surviving in the routine of an
assignment like seaQuest."

"You're probably right," Ford agreed. He found himself unable to imagine any member of the unit serving in a situation that operated primarily by the book.

"This is what they do best. Someone has to do it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Karneering inquired. "You look serious."

"Nothing much," Tim answered. "Just trying to figure out how we ended up with you guys."

"Just lucky, I guess," Karneering responded cheerfully.

"I'm not sure 'luck' is the word I would use," Tim retorted. "Well, bad luck maybe."

"You've been hanging around Ghost too long," Karneering informed him. "You're starting to sound like him."

"That's not nice, Einstein," Tim noted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rodriguez challenged.

"That you're a lot grumpier than he is," Lucas explained.

"You are always ready with a comment, aren't you?"

"I'm a genius, it's expected."

"Sorry, I think that section of my handbook was missing."

"I'll get you another copy," Lucas assured him. "I'll even mark the relevant pages for you."

"I would appreciate it. Make sure it's in words of two syllables or less; I don't want to overtax
myself."

"There's no danger of that."

"I thought I told you not to rile anyone?" McKinnon interrupted, speaking to Rodriguez.

"He started it," Rodriguez protested, pointing to Tim.

"Ghost, do I need to review the lecture on 'personal responsibility' again?" McKinnon questioned.

"No. I have the finer points memorized," Rodriguez reassured her, "although if you'd like to go over it for those two, be my guest."

"That won't be necessary," Tim told him.

"I think we're familiar with the general concept," Lucas commented.

"I bet you are," Rodriguez agreed.

"Now, who's being insulting?"

"I was just making an observation based on what I know about you. I was not being insulting."

Lucas glared at him.

"If you boys can't play nice, I'm going to give you a timeout," McKinnon remarked.

"There isn't enough time in the world for it to do any good, Ice," Tim observed.

"You could be right about that. It's time to eat and then Sunshine and Scout are going to take Ghost and Slick to the site we picked out for them."

"I suppose it's another dive. Probably like the last place you picked for me," Rodriguez grumbled.

"Yes, but there are no strip bars in the neighborhood," Ryan informed him. "It is a step up."

"Thanks, Sunshine."

"Any time, Ghost. At least we didn't make you sleep overnight in the area."

"That's a real comfort."

(6K)

Bridger pulled Lucas aside, wanting to talk to him privately. "Are you still okay with this plan?"

"Yes, Sir," Lucas replied. "If there was another way, I'd agree to it, but all three of us have to be
there."

"I know." Bridger understood all the reasons for going through with it. He even respected the plan
that the Outriggers had produced for protecting all three. He just worried about Lucas' safety. He knew he was just going over ground already covered, but he needed the reassurance.

"It'll be fine. Ice and Ghost will do whatever they can to make sure it turns out all right."

"I'm sure they will."

"And the commander will be close by," Lucas added, hoping that Ford's presence nearby would help ease some of the captain's anxiety.

"Just be careful. I don't want to be calling seaQuest with news about you getting hurt," Bridger told him, trying to lighten the mood a little, but also serious.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid," Lucas assured him.

"I'm glad to hear that. We better go eat."

******

Lunch was fairly quiet; everyone's mind was on the upcoming events. Afterwards, McKinnon took Lucas and Rodriguez to her room to talk to them one more time. "Just follow the plan. If we have to deviate, just stick with Ghost," McKinnon instructed Lucas. "And do me a huge favor: don't get hurt."

"I'm not planning on it," Lucas replied.

"Let's keep it that way then. I don't want to be explaining any injuries or abductions to your
friends."

"I don't want to explain it either."

"As for you," McKinnon said to Rodriguez, "don't do anything reckless."

"Who me?"

"Yes, you. I don't want your sister screaming at me long distance again."

"That sounds interesting," Lucas commented.

"Olivia is very protective."

"She's the oldest?" Lucas recalled.

"You were paying attention," Rodriguez commented. "Very good. Sorry, Ice," he apologized, as McKinnon glared at him.

"Okay, you two had better get changed and get ready to go. I'll see you at the building."

"Don't worry, Ice. Everything is going to work out fine," Rodriguez said, hoping he sounded confident. "And stay out of trouble until the meeting," McKinnon admonished them.

"I think we can manage to do that."

"I sincerely hope so. Watch him," McKinnon told Lucas. "He doesn't behave well in public."

"I will," Lucas assured her, smiling.

"Gee, thanks for your confidence, Ice."

******

"Be careful," Tim told Lucas, watching as Dawson put the tracker on the teenager.

"I will," Lucas promised.

"Good."

"Okay, you're on line," Dawson reported. "We'll lose you for a while, as you'll be too far away, but we'll pick you up when we get to the meeting site. I'll make sure Indy knows what's going on before I leave him alone."

"All right. Anything else?"

"No. That's it. Don't do anything crazy," Dawson instructed. "We want you back in one piece."

"I'm planning on letting Ghost do all the crazy stuff."

"Good. That's what he's there for."

"Nice to know you care," Rodriguez complained, from where he was letting Hallowell get his tracker situated.

"We do care. We just don't want to see Slick get hurt," Hallowell commented.

"Are you trying to say you like seeing me get hurt, Columbus?"

"No. We don't want anyone to get hurt."

"But, given a choice, we'd rather it be you, because we're petrified of how that doctor will respond," Karneering interjected. "Something tells me she would not have any kind words for us if he was harmed while in our presence again."

"It really would not do much for our image," Hallowell pointed out.

"I see your point," Rodriguez agreed. "I'm not so worried about the doctor. It's Lieutenant Krieg that has me concerned."

"Ben wouldn't hurt anyone," Lucas protested.

"If you say so, Slick," Rodriguez muttered, giving him a disbelieving look. "You were unconscious when he first saw you."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He knew Ben had been upset, but he didn't think the supply officer would do anything more than yell a little.

"You two almost ready?" Ryan questioned.

"Just about," Rodriguez confirmed. "Slick, I imagine your captain would like to impart some last minute advice and I need to check in with Ice one final time."

"Be careful you two," Adamsen interrupted. "We don't want any trouble on this one."

"We don't either, Brook," Rodriguez assured her. "That's why we're counting on you guys."

"We'll do our part. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid," Chandler ordered him.

"Define stupid?"

"Anything that endangers your life."

"That certainly narrows it down. Don't worry; I'm not going to take any chances. Come on, Slick; we'd better get going."

******

"Don't worry, Ice; I'll take care of him," Rodriguez promised McKinnon.

"I know that," McKinnon told him. "Just don't be surprised if he doesn't let you," she warned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Slick has a mind of his own. He's not going to let you shield him."

"I'm not going to be obvious about it. This is going to work out okay. You be careful yourself."

"I will. Have Slick check his mail one more time before you leave. I don't trust these guys not to
change the location."

"Will do. It's going to be fine, Ice. We've been in rougher spots before."

"If you say it often enough, you might start to believe yourself," McKinnon commented, hearing the uncertain note in his voice.

"Well, unfortunately, my record at protecting him is not real good," Rodriguez reminded her, finally
voicing the concern that had been on his mind since this had started.

"You've always done the best you could. That counts for a lot, Ghost. This time will be no different."

"I hope you're right."

******

"Try to stay safe. Listen to what they tell you," Bridger instructed Lucas. "They know what they're doing."

"I will, Sir. It's going to be fine. I'll be with Ghost the entire time."

"I know." Bridger knew that Rodriguez would do everything in his power to make sure Lucas stayed safe. He just couldn't silence all his worries.

"I'll see you soon," Lucas promised.

"Okay. Just take care of yourself," Bridger repeated, giving him a quick hug.

"You too. We have to go."

******

"I didn't think we were going to make it out of there," Lucas commented to Ford, who was sitting next to him.

"Well, everyone's worried," Ford responded. He had his own concerns. Like the rest, he did not like the fact that they would not be able to be really close to the three while they were inside the building initially. Anything could happen in the time it took for the Outriggers to secure the building. McKinnon would go in armed, but likely have her weapon taken from her. Lucas and Rodriguez would have nothing.

"I know."

"You would be to if it was someone else in your place."

"Yeah, I guess."

Ford looked at him. "You guess?" he repeated, knowing Lucas better than that. The teenager would not like being kept out of the action: having to wait while one of his friends risked their life.

"I understand why everyone's nervous, but we have to do this."

"They just want you to know we're going to do our jobs to make things work out."

******

"Don't worry, Sunshine. You've led the team before," Rodriguez told Ryan, who was driving. "Ice wouldn't let you do it if she didn't trust you."

"You practicing your mind reading again?" Ryan inquired, giving him a quick look.

"It doesn't take a psychic to know what's on your mind, Sunshine. For all your chipper optimism, you always worry about your own performance. It's going to work out just fine."

"You better be right. Because I'm going to kill you if anything gets messed up."

"Why me?"

"It stands to reason if there's trouble, you'll be involved, Ghost."

"This is the thanks I get for trying to give you a little pep talk? You tell me I cause trouble."

"I didn't say you caused it. I just said you would be mixed up in it," Ryan corrected.

"The things I put up with for this team," Rodriguez grumbled. "This is a lovely area you've picked out," he observed, looking out the window.

"Hey, you wouldn't be hanging out in the best areas if you were trying to lay low for a while," Ryan pointed out. "Keep your eyes open," she reminded him. "We don't want there to be trouble before you get to the meeting."

******

"You have your radio?" Ford asked Lucas.

Lucas nodded. "You're only the fifth person to ask that," he commented.

"It doesn't hurt to check. You can't be too prepared," Ford told him. "And it's working?"

"Yes, Sir," Lucas answered, realizing that Ford was going to run through the entire check list with him, despite the fact that McKinnon, Dawson, Chandler and Tim had already done so. Lucas suspected the only reason the others hadn't gotten involved was that they had been reviewing Rodriguez's equipment. They were not carrying very much. Both had radios, which they would have destroy before they went to the meeting, since explaining their presence would be difficult.
Their trackers they would keep, as they were easily concealed. Ryan had verified there was a library nearby where Lucas would be able to check his mail one more time. She had made both memorize the directions of how to get there.

"You don't have your ID with you?"

"No. I left it in our room."

"You remember your story?" Ford quizzed.

"Yes. We haven't contacted the team because we didn't think it was safe for them or us," Lucas recited.

Ford recognized that Lucas was getting exasperated, but he needed to reassure himself that the young man was ready. It was the only way Ford knew how to let Lucas know that he cared. He did not have the same kind of relationship with Lucas that the teenager had with the captain or Tim. Coming out and saying the actual words would only embarrass both of them. "You were able to access mail how?"

"Public buildings, like the library, museums: places where they have easy access. We've been hanging out in the seedier areas to avoid detection."

"Good. I think you've got the high points. Casanova check your transmitter before you left?"

"Yes. But we won't be able to check it once you guys drop us off. You'll be too far away until we meet up again."

"Let's just hope it keeps working."

"I'm sure it will. Ghost has one too."

******

Ryan pulled into the parking lot and looked around. "This looks like the best place. No one's likely to notice you guys getting out here," she said. "It puts you a reasonable distance from the meeting place."

"That's good. Since we're not supposed to have access to a lot of money," Rodriguez pointed out, "not since we're trying to avoid detection."

"Okay. We'll see you guys later," Ryan commented.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine," Rodriguez assured her. He looked at Ford. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

"We're counting on it," Ford told him. "And try not to attract too much attention by having one of your arguments," he added.

"Us? Argue?" Lucas questioned.

"Nice try, but we've heard you," Ryan informed him. "We better go, before someone notices. Be careful."

"You guys too," Lucas responded.

"Don't worry about us," Rodriguez repeated again. "Slick and I will be fine. We'll see you later. And we'll be expecting a nice dinner when this is all over."

"It's a deal," Ryan agreed.

"We're out of here. Get going before Ice thinks you got lost," Rodriguez ordered, tugging on Lucas' arm and pulling him away.

******

"Well, that was fun," Ryan muttered, watching as Lucas and Rodriguez made their way out of the parking lot. "Ghost will watch out for Slick."

"I'm sure he will," Ford agreed. "At least as much as Lucas will let him."

"He is an independent fellow, isn't he?" Ryan noted. "When they first met, you never would have guessed that Ghost would take to him like that."

"Really?"

"Yes. Rodriguez felt he was a little young for the job. And Slick was not overly impressed by his
attitude."