My friend Rhonda has sent me the second part of her Tim and Tina trilogy, and it's a real good one, folks. Not just because my name appears in it either. *G* It's a bit long, so I'm putting it up in two parts. As before, I will pass any comments on to the author Lori Until Death By Rhonda Eudaly e1/2000 Author's Note: What started out as a one time deal has now turned into a trilogy. A friend asked for a "What Happened Next" story and even suggested a when. I took up the challenge. However, as often happens, the characters took over. Now, to get where I want to be, there has to be a story in the middle. It also means I have to fudge the 2nd and 3rd season time lines a bit - like about 6 months. Though, if you hold to the published time lines, I already have in the first story, "Better Words Not Spoken," to accommodate O'Neill's 30th birthday. Please don't hurt me. Until Death So far, Lieutenant (j.g.) Tim O'Neill was enjoying being 30 years old. He whistled as he packed hurriedly in his cabin. The seaQuest was only going to be in dock at New Cape Quest for a few days before beginning their mapping expedition of some trench or other. There were some political rumblings over the area. McGath wanted to make sure the UEO's position was well defined both topographically and militarily. Not that Tim cared. Tina was in New Cape Quest and had managed a few days off before starting her next series of assignments. Bridger knew the score and had granted him a three day pass. Commander Jonathan Ford was finishing up a briefing with an engineering crew as Tim sprinted through the Launch Bay. He smiled as he glanced across the room. Lieutenant Lonnie Henderson glanced up from the panel she was working on to smile back. She'd seen Tim's hasty departure also. Both knew what it meant, and understood. Tim couldn't get to the Plaza Hotel fast enough. He stood in the lobby punching the elevator button impatiently, as if it would help. The car made four stops on the way to the upper floors. The communications officer couldn't help fidgeting, eliciting indulgent smiles from the car's other occupants. He kept himself from pushing the floor button more than what seemed excessive. This eliciting even more indulgent smiles. Finally, the doors opened on his floor. He bolted through the door and down the hallway. He'd barely knocked when the door was flung open on its hinges. A blur of blue silk flew into Tim O'Neill's arms, knocking him a step back. He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around the blue silk bundle ravishing his face with passionate kisses. He did the only thing he could do, Tim tried to capture the errant lips with his own. "Hey! Hey! Tina! Let's go inside, we're causing a spectacle," he finally managed to gasp out. "I don't really care," she said around the kisses. "I've been wanting to do this for the last six weeks. The vidlink is nothing like real skin." "Don't forget the tabloids," Tim managed to say. Tina broke off the kissing inventory of Tim's face. She drew back in mock seriousness. "Geez, O'Neill, you sure know how to kill a mood. Come on, you might as well come on in." She pivoted in a whisper of silk and went into the hotel suite. Tim straightened his glasses from where they'd gone askew, picked up his bag and followed, kicking the door shut behind him. Tim stopped short a few feet inside the door. His bag fell from nerveless fingers as he stared around him. "Wow! Would you look at this place? It's incredible." "The room you notice, but me...?" Tim knew Tina was only teasing. "You haven't stood still long enough to let me look at you. Besides, who attacked whom in the hallway?" Tina collapsed on the overstuffed sofa in a way only those paid handsomely to make it look good could. She grinned wickedly at him. "Well..." she drawled. "There was that." "Excuse me, ma'am, but are you trying to seduce me?" She sat up, dramatically put hand to breast, and fluttered her eye lashes. Then, in her best Vivian Leigh accent, she said, "Why, sir, what kind of girl do you think I am? How could you think that of me?" "Are you saying I'm wrong?" "Not at all. I just asked how you could think that of me." "When we only have a couple of days together, you want me to think something else?" "Good point," she said, coming fully upright. "But answer me one more question." "What's that?" Tim wanted to know. "Why are you still clear across the room?" Tim didn't need any further urging. He'd been on a submarine way too long. And even though submarines these days had women on board, Tim wasn't that kind of guy. He was a one woman kind of guy, and as far as he was concerned, Tina was that one woman. He planned to make full use of the time he had available to him. Just as he got her to stop giggling, the vidlink chimed in. Tim groaned and rolled to the far end of the sofa. "It's for you." Tina straightened her clothes. "How do you know? It could be the seaQuest," she said sounding unconvinced. "No. The seaQuest doesn't know I'm here," Tim answered, pawing in his bag. "Besides, they would've called on this." Tim held up his PAL. "I'm sorry, I had to bring it." "Yeah, well, we made it, what? Six whole minutes? Could be worse." Tina got to her feet and went to the vidlink. With a sigh, she answered it. "This had better be good." A young, attractive, blond woman was on the other end of the call. She was Lori Brenna, Tina's personal assistant. Tim had first seen her briefly at his birthday party when she had reminded Tina of a something. He'd finally met her during the first few days of their courtship. Lori was Tina's right hand woman, working tirelessly on Tina's behalf. Tina trusted her with her life, and so did Tim. Lori was one of the few people who had known the true nature of their relationship from the beginning. Therefore, when Tim saw her troubled expression, he went immediately on guard. Something was wrong. "You know I wouldn't have called if it weren't important, Tina." "Has something happened?" Tina asked, also alerted by the expression on Lori's face. "What's wrong?" Lori swallowed hard. "There been another...oh, Tim, hi. You're there already." Tim moved closer to Tina. "Yeah, Lori, hi. I'm here. There's been another what?" Lori looked from Tim to Tina, fear and uncertainty clouding her expression. "Tina? How...? I'm sorry, but I'm glad Tim's there with you. Maybe it's nothing after all..." "What? What's nothing?" Tim wanted to know. "Tina?" Tina thought for a second. "He needs to know...no rephrase that. I want him to know, but not now. Not on the vidlink. Where are you? The office?" "Yes, I was just finishing up some business before..." Tina cut her off. "We'll be right there. Wait for us." The connection was cut. Tim swung Tina around to look him in the eye. He kept hold of her arm. His brown eyes probed her hazel ones. "Tina, what's going on?" Tina didn't blink. "Let me change. I'll tell you on the way. I promise." Tim studied her face and let go of her arm. "Okay." He watched Tina go into the suite's bedroom and close the door. While she was changing, Tim slipped the PAL into his pocket. He had a bad feeling about all of this, and he wasn't going to be caught unprepared. Or at least, less prepared. Tina came out a few minutes later looking less like a supermodel and more like a co-ed than any 30 year old woman had a right to. Gone was the blue silk thing she'd greeted him in. In its place were a pair of faded jeans, an oversized (for her) Annapolis t-shirt - his Annapolis t-shirt - and white sneakers. Her luxurious light brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail with a jaunty holder. His brain did a little back step. His Annapolis t-shirt? When...how...had she gotten one of his shirts? "Where'd you get that?" Tim asked, indicating the shirt. "You remember when we were in your cabin, and I thought this relationship wasn't going to work? I...well, I...You...you don't mind too much do you?" She seemed almost afraid of his answer. Tim laughed and shook his head. "No, I don't mind. Too much. Besides, it looks better on you than it ever did on me." "Don't count on it," Tina warned. "But..." Tim went on wagging a finger under her nose. "Next time you want any of my clothing ask me first." "Ooh, I wish we had the time to see if you really meant that," Tina purred, causing a brief blush to creep into Tim's face. "But we don't. Besides, some times it's more fun to steal 'em." "Why do I get the feeling I should count my socks when I get back?" Tim asked, grateful for the lightened tone. "Socks weren't what I had in mind," Tina said, grabbing the room key, her purse and opening the door. "You know, I always thought if you weren't a model, you'd make one heck of a thief or a con artist," Tim said, following her out of the room. "Oh, honey," Tina said as they headed toward the elevator, "All models are con artists, didn't you know?" "I do now." They fell silent in the elevator. Tina added a pair of sunglasses to her transfiguration. Tim did the same, though his were for the brightness, rather than as a disguise. He knew Tina was trying to distract him. The attempt was feeble; they both knew it, but if Tina was that worried, he'd play along. She'd tell him what was going on in due course, but he wasn't going to push this one. They breezed through the lobby, ignoring everyone and everything around them, hoping to go unnoticed. They were wrong. Their going went noticed, and not by a concierge who was just very, very good at his job. If Tim had noticed their being noticed, his growing concern would have blossomed into full blown worry. A cab was just outside the front doors, ready to whisk them off. Tina gave an address in the heart of the city. Fifteen minutes later, they were paying off the cab driver from the curb of a fashionable high rise. Moments later they were exiting a posh elevator and entering an office complex. Tina Randolf, supermodel, was big business. She employed somewhere around 20 people, besides Lori. Tim was suitably impressed. They headed straight back toward an executive office where lights were burning. The rest of the place was eerily quiet. "You should be here during regular business hours," Tina told him. "This place is a zoo." "If you say so," Tim muttered. He was impressed by the computer and graphics set up. If seaQuest hadn't had one of the most sophisticated computer systems ever built, he would have felt a pang of professional jealousy. "Nice place you've got here." "Thanks. I wish I could say I spend a decent amount of time here, but I don't. But my people take great pains to take care of me, the least I can do is give them a nice place to work." Before Tim could answer, Tina swept into the office. Lori was sitting behind a large executive desk, papers strewn everywhere. She came to her feet as they entered. She looked even more worried. "We got the five one today, Tina. I think it's time to take this seriously. He's back." Tim didn't like the way Tina went white. He stepped closer to her and put an arm around her for support. He let her weasel out of saying anything in the cab, but now he wanted answers. He looked between the two women. "Who? Who's back? What's going on?" "No. He...he can't be. It's got to be something...someone else," Tina choked out. "He's gone. Dead. Jail. Mental hospital. Not out walking the streets. Not after four years!" "Not anymore," Lori answered. "I'm sorry." "How?" "I don't know, Tina. I wish I did. He must've escaped or been released..." "Released! No!" Tina exclaimed, pulling away from Tim and pacing like a caged, wild animal. "No! I was promised! Promised! He was supposed to be gone forever!" "It gets worse," Lori said quietly. "How? How worse?" "He knows where you are. This time he sent pictures." "I have a restraining order." "Not anymore. After he was sent away, we had it nullified." Tina stopped and stared at her friend. Suddenly the room started spinning, tunneling inward until there was just blackness. Then the ground pitched out from under her feet. She couldn't even feel Tim's tightening grip on her as she fell. When Tim saw her sway, he couldn't do much to stop that, but at least he was there to keep her from falling when she went limp. He moved quickly to scoop her up into his arms and carried her over to a leather sofa and put her gently down. "Tina?" Lori asked, frightened. She looked at Tim. "Is she all right?" "She just fainted. She should be all right in a minute," Tim said, a little distracted in looking at the unconscious form of the woman he loved, and brushing errant strands of hair out of her face. "I'm...I'm sorry, Tim, I didn't know she'd react like that," Lori managed to say. "We won't get into that right now," Tim answered. He looked at Lori. "Get me some cold water and a washcloth, if you can, please. We'll bring her around, then we'll all talk about this." Lori didn't even think about questioning Tim. The look he gave her and the tone of his voice sent her scurrying. He hadn't raised his voice, or even accused, but there was no mistaking the emotional power behind his words. Tim looked back into Tina's face. The burning ember of anger was ignited in the pit of his stomach. He was being called to action, and by God, this time, he was going to answer it. Lori came back with a glass of water and a damp wash cloth. She handed them wordlessly to Tim. He put the wash cloth first on Tina's forehead and then on her neck. He held her hand and a moment later, her eyelids began to flutter. He tried to smile gamely at her as she came to, but it was hollow. "Here, drink this," he said as she struggled to sit up. He helped her get upright then guided her hand with the glass to her lips. Tina slipped the water obediently, but her eyes never left his. She finally pushed the glass away. "I'm all right now." "Are you sure?" Tim and Lori chorused. "Yes, Mom. Yes, Dad. It was a momentary thing." To try to prove her point, she swung her legs over the edge of the sofa. She swayed a bit unsteadily. Tim immediately had a hand out to steady her. He hadn't moved onto the sofa. He knelt on the floor in front of her. "I'm all right." "Then why did you faint?" Tim asked. "It's time you told me the whole story, don't you think?" Tina reached out to touch his face gently. "I don't know if I can, Tim." "I'm an awfully good listener. Or so I've been told." That got a small smile. She sobered quickly and twisted her hands in her lap. "It's not that, Tim. It's just that it took me six months of intensive therapy to get over all of this before, four years ago. The nightmares alone...If it weren't for Lori, I don't know if I would've survived it at all. Now it's coming back..." "Yes, but it's different this time," Tim told her gently, covering her hands with one of his. "How?" she whispered, not looking at him. He raised her chin so she'd see his eyes when he said, "You have me now. And I won't let anyone or anything happen to you." "You and what army?" Tina asked with just enough venom to make Tim draw back a little and wince. She immediately regretted it. She pulled one of her hands free and pulled her face to hers. She leaned her forehead against his. "Oh, Tim, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't. You're the sweetest, bravest man. But you don't know what you're getting into here. I don't want anything to happen to you." "It's been a long time since I've been shoved into a locker, Tina," Tim said quietly, gently. He fingered the hem of his shirt she was wearing. "And I learned a lot more at the Naval Academy than just how to come up with an untraceable, secure vidlink channel. They don't make you an officer just for being good looking. Though, in my case, I think it helped." She looked up at him at that. He had such a boyish, goofy grin on his face, her only logical response was to burst out laughing. Tim laughed, too. He could even hear and feel Lori relaxing behind them. "See, it's not so scary now. Can you guys tell me the story now? I can't help if I don't know what's going on. I'm more than just a pretty face, y'know." Tina managed a smile. "I think that's supposed to be my line." "Nah, too obvious. So, let's talk." Tina looked past him to Lori. "Great, my first date in months, and all he wants to do is talk." "And the sense of humor is back." Lori threw up her hands. "Don't look at me, I'm not here. In fact, I'm going down to the snack room for soft drinks, and I'm taking my time. See ya." She beat a hasty retreat. It had been a while since she'd felt like a third wheel. Part of her was going to miss it being just the two of them, but part of her was really thrilled Tina had finally found someone like Tim. He seemed like a really nice guy. Maybe he had a friend? Lori shook her head and headed down the hall to the snack room. Tim finally eased up on the sofa next to Tina and stretched out his aching knees. He put his arm around her. She rested her head in the hollow between his collar and shoulder socket. She felt safe there. "I'm kind of glad you're sitting up here now," she said. "With you on your knees like that, I kept thinking you were going to propose." "Nope. Too soon in the relationship. Maybe next week." She couldn't tell if he was serious or not. She twisted around to see his face. It didn't tell her anything either. "Really?" she finally asked. Tim finally grinned. "See, there are some things scarier than what you've been through. Now, spill. I want to see some guts, and I want them now." "Okay, you asked for it. It all started a little over four years ago. I was just hitting my stride in this crazy business. I had everything going for me. Then these letters started coming in. Simple fan letters at first, then they got weirder and weirder and scarier and scarier." "A stalker," Tim supplied. "In the extreme," Tina added, successfully shutting Tim up. "He found out where I lived. He went through my garbage, peeped into windows, that sort of thing. I got a restraining order. He ignored it. Cards, letters, and gifts - scary gifts. He wouldn't go away. I thought I was going mad. I couldn't go out. I couldn't even open the curtains. He was always there." Tim felt her shudder and pulled her closer into the protective circle of his arm. He wrapped his other arm around her. "There's more, isn't there?" Tina nodded into his shoulder. "He got my number. Each time I changed the number, or Lori changed it for me, he had it in less than a day. I couldn't answer it. I wouldn't let anyone else either. He left awful messages, but nothing quite actionable. The police couldn't catch him or hold him. Until..." she broke off, couldn't go on. Tim stroked her hair. "Until what, Tina. You have to tell it all. He did something to you, didn't he." He tried to tone down the savage note coming into his voice. Tina was oblivious, reliving it in a second. "He apparently got tired of waiting for me to come out. He came in. Ranting about God knows what, I was too panicked to hear. The only think I remember being grateful for was the silent alarm. I think we both tripped it." "What happened?" Tim prodded gently, quashing the desire to rend sofa cushions with his bare hands. Without saying a word, Tina pushed her hair away from the back of her neck. Holding the pony tail out, she bent her neck for him to see a ragged edged scar on her neck. "He had a knife." Tim had to move away from her physically. He didn't want to remove his support, but every impulse in his body screamed in protest. His jaws and fist clenched in counterpoint. Tina barely noticed, she was in her memory. "There were other, more visible, wounds, but I had a really good plastic surgeon. The police and the security guards got there in time." "What happened?" Tim asked in a half strangled tone. "I'm not sure. He pled guilty and went away. I had nightmares for almost a year. Therapy. Lots of therapy. And Lori. She went through it with me. She'd only been with me a month or so before it all started. I'm surprised she didn't quit right then. She's one tough cookie. She kept me sane. I can't ask her to do it all again." "She won't have to. I'm here now. We'll get through this together. I don't scare that easily." He came back to hold her, tucking her head under his chin. "What is his name?" "Darren Michael Jacobsen," Tim said into his PAL a half hour later. He was in the office doorway speaking quietly and watching Lori and Tina talking. "Are you sure?" asked the voice of Lucas Wolenczak. "Believe me, Lucas, I'm not likely to forget that name anytime soon. Dig as deep as you can. I want to know everything there is to know about this guy." "Sure, Tim, but why not..." "Do it myself? I don't want Tina upset by this anymore than she is. This guy's a psycho of the first order." "Then are you sure..." "Lucas, please, just do it!" Tim interrupted, pleading. "Okay, when do you need it?" "Yesterday." "Understood. Call me in an hour." Tim turned back to the office, slipping the PAL back into his pocket. He clapped his hands, getting the women's attention. "Okay, ladies..." Back on seaQuest, Lucas looked worried as he dug his way into the UEO computers, and those which talk to them. He was in his quarters, working away when Sonar Chief Miguel Ortiz and Seaman Tony Piccolo entered, fresh from a workout. "Hey, Lucas, whatcha doin'?" Piccolo drawled. "You haven't moved in almost an hour." Lucas grunted an incomprehensible reply and kept going. Ortiz studied the young man a moment. "This has something to do with the transmission from O'Neill, doesn't it?" "How'd you...?" Lucas sputtered. "We've shown each other a few tricks," Ortiz answered a little vaguely. "Then you know it's important, and you should let me get this finished before he calls back," Lucas replied testily. "Now what," Piccolo began looking over Lucas' shoulder. "Could be so important he'd take the time from a weekend with Tina Randolf to talk to you. Hey! I've seen that guy before!" Lucas whirled on him. "When? Where?" "Oh, not recently, and not in person. It was on the news links. Isn't that the guy who went to jail for attacking Tina Randolf? What? Three? Four years ago? Why are you looking into him?" Lucas' vidlink chirped insistently. He turned it on. He wasn't surprised to see Tim's face. "Don't worry, we're secure," Tim said without preamble. "What did you find?" "Tim, hey, what's going on?" Piccolo asked before Lucas could get a chance. "Tony?" Tim asked surprised. "Lucas? Who else knows?" "We don't know anything, Tim," Ortiz answered. "Miguel?" "Yeah, Tim, we're just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Are you in some kind of trouble?" "Not me. I can't talk about it now," Tim looked to Lucas. "Lucas?" "I'm sending it now, Tim, but just let me say, if you're about to tangle with this guy, I think you're in over your head." "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lucas. Got the file. Thanks." The connection went dead. Piccolo looked at Ortiz and Lucas. "Did that seem right to you? That didn't look right to me." "But what can we do?" Lucas asked. "We don't know what's going on, and he hasn't asked for help." "You have to read between the lines sometimes, Lucas, my boy," Piccolo said, throwing an arm around his roommate's shoulders. "Besides, didn't you ever think that maybe, just maybe, Tina Randolf might just have friends?" "Friends? Sure, I suppose," Lucas said slowly, then looked at Piccolo in dawning comprehension. "Oh, right, friends! Yes, I see. Grateful friends if we can help out." "I knew you were a smart kid." "Only one problem, guys," Ortiz reminded them. "I hate to be a wet blanket, but we're still on duty. We don't have a way off the boat." "Do you really think Captain Bridger is going to leave O'Neill out to hang?" Piccolo asked, then he looked at Lucas. "Especially if we ask the right way." Lucas thought about that a moment, then a slow grin spread across his seventeen year old face. "We should make sure Tim's all right, shouldn't we? After all, he is our friend." Tim took the sheaf of carefully preserved, plastic covered pages Lori handed him. He was sure they'd kept them for the police. Lori had been hesitant, but had finally handed them over. "I suppose you should see these," she'd admitted. "Because of my relationship with Tina." "Because he knows about you," Lori answered. Tim's head shot up in surprise. He hadn't gotten very far in his reading. "What?!" "I'm sorry, I should have said something sooner. The letters started showing up again right after you two started seeing each other." "Let me guess, about the time the tabloid came out." "Yes." Tim muttered an expletive under his breath. He looked at Lori. "Why hasn't she said anything before now?" "She doesn't know." "What?!" Tim exclaimed, and just managed to lower his voice to a harsh whisper. "What do you mean she doesn't know?" They both looked guiltily to the bedroom door. The three of them had come back to the hotel shortly after Tim had called Lucas. Lori had driven them and let them out at the back entrance. She'd parked the car and joined them in the suite. They had persuaded Tina to take a nap to counter the emotional shock of the afternoon. She was still sleeping. "She knew about the letters, of course, but George and I managed to keep her from actually reading them. Especially when we realized they were from Jacobsen. We told her as little as possible. You saw her reaction! I was trying to avoid that for as long as possible. I don't like seeing her hurt. Or even all that upset. She's been through enough." "What do you know," Tim muttered. "A reverse Xena and Gabrielle." "A reverse who?" Lori asked. "Nobody. It was a television show in the late 1990's, early 2000's. Tony really liked it. He's made me watch a few episodes. He thinks I look like the comic relief character. I don't see it though." Lori let it go. Tim settled down to read the notes. They made his skin crawl. He looked up, a determined look in his eyes. "What have the police said about these?" "Nothing." "Pardon me?" Tim asked. "What do you mean they've said nothing?" "We haven't brought the police in on this yet," Lori answered. "What? Why not?" "Because George and I have been through this once before. There's nothing the police can do. Not yet, anyway." "Nothing they can do?" Tim demanded, then changed tracks. "Who's George?" "George Murdock. He's my manager," Tina said from the bedroom doorway. Tim and Lori whirled around. She smiled sleepily at them, running a hand through sleep tousled hair. "Have I been asleep long?" "About an hour. How do you feel?" Lori asked the question, but Tim was the one who went to her. She smiled gamely for their benefit. "A little groggy, but okay. Actually, I'm a little hungry." Lori bolted to her feet. "That's my cue to leave. I've stayed too long. Tim didn't get time away from his boat to have me here. I'll call you, Tina, if anything important comes up. Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She was gone before either one could say anything. Once the surprise wore off they had to laugh. Tim drew Tina to him. "I thought she'd never leave." After they'd kissed for several minutes, she pulled back. "Tim, honey, I really am hungry. I don't remember when I last ate." They ordered room service and found a movie to watch. Tina curled up in a tight ball next to Tim, her head against his shoulder. Tim didn't want her to be anywhere else. She sighed a deep, contented sigh. Tim smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. She looked up and smiled at him. His heart almost skipped a beat at the loving, trusting look in her eyes. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. No matter what. Later that night, Tim slept lightly in the adjoining bedroom of the two bedroom suite. Deep in the early morning hours a noise made him sit bolt upright in bed. It was coming from Tina's room. He was out of bed and yanking open the door between breaths. He could barely see the tossing form in the king size bed in the dark. Tina was in the throes of a nightmare. He went to her, calling her name softly, trying to hold her still as he gently woke her from the dream. "Tina?" He called her name gently, over and over. Suddenly she emerged from the dream with a strangled cry. She came straight into his arms, sobbing, holding him like a drowning swimmer holds on to a life preserver. Tim murmured soothing sounds and stroked her hair. Eventually, the sobs diminished to minor shakes and sniffling. Finally, she pulled away from him and looked around for a tissue. Tim got to the box first and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. He handed her a trash can. She smiled weakly at him as she threw away her used tissue. "You want to talk about it?" Tim asked. "Not particularly," Tina said. "It's a nightmare I've had before." "Let me guess, about four years ago." Tina nodded miserably. "It's all come back, Tim. Every last bit of it. I thought it was gone. That I dealt with it all. I guess not, huh?" Tim smiled gently. "The mind has a strange way of working. You can't get rid of stuff like you can off a computer. But the fact you can talk about it means you can deal with it." Tina studied him a moment. "Where'd that come from?" Tim grinned. "I read a lot, and I route a lot of communiqués. You pick stuff up." "I'm glad you're here, Tim," Tina said in a small voice. "Me, too. You think you can sleep now?" "I can try." Tina slithered down under the covers. Tim tucked her in and turned to go. Tina reached out to grab his arm. "Don't go." Tim hesitated. His mind and body warred. His mind told him to get the heck out of the bedroom. To stay would be to take advantage of a fragile situation. His body wanted to stay and show her how much he loved her and would never leave her alone. "Please," she all but pleaded. "I'm frightened. I don't want to be alone." Suddenly Tim's inner war was over. He knew his only path. "Scoot over." Tina did as she was bidden. The blankets moved. Tim tried to ignore the rustle of silk and flashes of bare skin and lace he hadn't noticed before in dealing with the nightmare. He felt extremely lower class in his t-shirt and boxers. At least they weren't his old, ratty boxers, that would just be embarrassing. Tina snuggled down next to him and curled up against him. Tim stayed on top of the covers. That was the compromise with himself. The only way to stay with her and not take advantage. "Tim?" "Yes?" he asked, making sure she was comfortable. "Do you still sing?" "Excuse me?" "When we were kids, I remember you had a nice singing voice. Your mom always made you try out for the musicals and choirs. You always got in." "You remember that?" Tim asked incredulously. "I also remember you dancing rings around everyone, too," she said around a yawn. "Sing to me, Tim, please?" "Sure, and maybe tomorrow we'll go dancing." "Mmmm," she said. "By the way, nice legs. He was grateful she couldn't see his flush. A song popped into his mind, and he softly began to sing. An obscure lullaby his mother knew suddenly popped into his mind. It was from the 1990's by a duo his mother had liked and few people had heard of, Trout Fishing in America. He could hear the tune in his head. "Close your eyes, and I'll sing you a song. Lullaby, sleep till morning comes. The crickets' serenade echoes softly in through the night. The stars are on the lake. And the moon is shining bright. Don't worry, I'll leave the light on in the hall, Just go to sleep now close your eyes." By the time he'd finished the first verse, Tina's breathing was slow and even. She'd gone to sleep. He guessed the song worked. He just sat there for what seemed like forever, just watching her sleep. At one point, her brow furrowed and she twitched, jerking him out of the light doze he'd fallen into. She continued to twitch. He smoothed her hair and whispered in her ear. The dream ended and her sleeping quieted. Once he thought about getting up and going back to his own room and bed. As he eased Tina over onto the pillow, she whimpered and reached out for him. He was right there. She sighed in her sleep. He reached for the spare blanket at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over his bare legs. He made himself as comfortable as possible and tried to sleep as best as he could. He must've slept deeper than he thought. He wasn't aware of anything else until someone was shaking his shoulder and calling his name. He slowly opened his eyes, fully expecting to see...Lori standing over him? Lori? He sat bolt upright. "Where's Tina?" they asked each other at the same time. "Isn't she in the suite?" Tim asked, noticing the room was empty. "No. I looked everywhere for her," Lori said with a note of panic in her voice. "She's not here." "Maybe she went down to the gym or something," Tim suggested with a sinking feeling. "Without waking you?" Lori asked desperately. "Besides, I've already checked. She's not there." "How'd you get in?" Tim asked, a little slow on some things this morning. "She gave me the spare key. Habit, I guess," Lori answered automatically. She was looking around frantically. "She's not here, Tim. Her things are still here! Where is she?" Tim climbed to his feet. He grabbed Lori by the upper arms to get her full attention. "Lori, listen to me. Listen to me! We'll find her. She probably just stepped out. It's going to be all right. It's going to be all right." Lori settled down a bit and really looked at him. "You don't believe that any more than I do." "I have to," Tim said, letting her go. "Or I'll spontaneously combust. Now, let me shower and get dressed, then we'll see what's what." Lori nodded and left the room. Tim returned to his room for clean clothes, grateful Lori hadn't asked any questions about him being in Tina's room. His shower ended up being unsatisfactory. Usually hot water helped clear his head, allowing him to think clearly. This time, it merely compounded the questions. Where was Tina? How had she gotten out without his knowing? What was going on? Was Tina all right? What would he do if she wasn't? He was just finishing putting on his shoes when there was a scream and a crash. Tim bolted for the outer room. Lori was holding a piece of paper in one hand. The other was covering her mouth. A broken coffee mug lay at her feet in a growing stain of coffee. "What? What is it?" Tim demanded, feeling he already knew the answer. "He's got her. Tim, he's got her, and he's going to kill her." Lori turned to him, terrified eyes wide. "It's a note. It came with those." She pointed to a flower box. "What are we going to do?" "Put down the letter, carefully, and step away from it all. Then we'll call the police." "The police..." "We have to! This is a police matter. But I'm also going to call the cavalry." "The what?" "The cavalry. The seaQuest. We'll get her back. I'll get her back. Safe and sound." "But...but...what if she's...?" "She's not dead!" Tim interrupted viciously. "Don't say it! Don't even think it! She's alive, and we'll find her." "O...okay. What do you want me to do?" Lori asked. "Call the police. Report it. Try to keep it out of the press. I'm going to get outside help. I'll be back." Without a backward glance, Tim marched out of the suite. "I should have told him the rest of it," Lori said, heading for the vidlink. "I thought you were on shore leave, Mr. O'Neill," Captain Nathan Bridger said, coming into MedBay followed by Ford and Lucas. "I was. I am. Something's happened," Tim said, looking at Dr. Wendy Smith. She flashed him a tight smile as she pulled the needle out of his elbow. He winced slightly at the sting. "Thanks, Doctor." "No problem, Tim. Are we hoping we do or don't find something?" "Do. I can't believe I'd sleep through that. Not without help." "Gottcha." Wendy turned away with the blood sample. Bridger was mystified. "What's going on, O'Neill?" "Tina Randolf was kidnapped last night, Captain," Tim said, applying pressure to his vein. He looked up into shocked and stunned expressions. "Excuse me?" Bridger asked. "Tina? Your girlfriend?" Ford asked. That got a slight smile from Tim. "She's more than just my girlfriend, Commander. A lot more." "It was that Jacobsen guy, wasn't it?" Lucas demanded excitedly. Ford and Bridger stared at Lucas and then back to O'Neill waiting for an explanation. Tim quickly filled them in on the events of the day before. At least he told them the relevant parts. He ended with his request to Lucas for information on Jacobsen, to explain how Lucas already knew part of what was going on. "I need help, Captain," Tim concluded. "Lori, Tina's personal assistant, is dealing with the police right now, but I'm afraid the police won't be able to do enough fast enough." "What do you want us to do, Tim?" Bridger's tone was halfway between offering and sarcastic. He was, however, genuinely interested in hearing Tim's answer. "I need more time here, Captain. I can't leave. Not now. She needs me, and I need to be here for her. I've got to find her," Tim's tone was non-negotiable, then softened. "And I need access to Lucas and the labs." Lucas perked up at that. At Bridger and Ford's surprised looks, Tim continued. "I know the seaQuest has a mission. I can't ask for that to be postponed, but the police should have their tests done by the end of the day, tomorrow at the latest. I'm going to get everything back from them, and can have it all here before the seaQuest ships out. I'd like to run it all through the boat's resources. And I need Lucas to help me dig for answers." There was a moment of silence after Tim stopped speaking. Bridger and Ford were trying to assimilate. Tim looked afraid. He put one last plea on the end of his statement. "Please, Captain, she'll die if I...we don't help her. Jacobsen's a psychopath. He will kill her. I've got to get to him before he manages to do that. I can't let her die." "You love her that much?" Ford asked quietly, watching him with new found respect. "Yes, I do," Tim answered. "And, Captain, I'm asking now. I'd rather not go AWOL." "Wow," Lucas breathed. He turned to Bridger. "He's right about Jacobsen, Captain. He's tried to kill her before. Odds are that he'll succeed this time. Bridger and Ford exchanged glances. Ford nodded slightly. Bridger turned to Tim, face set and determined. Tim had the fleeting feeling his resolve was about to be tested - would he really have the courage to disobey his commanding officer to his face? Yes, he would. Right now, Tina was his priority. His career and even the possibility of a court martial were all secondary. Bridger watched his communication's officer's eyes as those thoughts passed through them. The captain hesitated long enough to see the resolve settle once more before he spoke. "All right, Mr. O'Neill. You've got your time and your help, but there are a couple of conditions." Tim went almost boneless with relief. He didn't care what the conditions were at this point. He'd agree to almost anything. "What conditions?" "You take you PAL and a G.P.S. locator with you at all times. I want you to check in regularly." "Yes, sir!" Tim readily agreed. "Thank you, sir." "There's more, Mr. O'Neill," Bridger continued. Tim felt his heart sink. "Sir?" "Lucas stays on board." "Oh, man..." the teenager complained. Bridger shot his charge a sympathizing look, but stood firm. "Anything you need from him, you've got. It'll be his first priority, but he stays on board. He's too likely to go off half cocked trying to help you. I can't put him in that kind of danger." "Oh, man..." "Understood, sir, thank you, sir." Tim replied. "There's more." "More, sir?" Tim asked puzzled. What else was there? "Love does strange things to normally rational and intelligent men. I don't want you out there on your own. I want you to have some back up." "Sir?" Tim was surprised, really surprised. "Officers with your gifts are quite rare, Mr. O'Neill. I'd be hard put to find another communication's officer of your caliber," Bridger said. He turned to Ford. "Jonathan, you and Brody pick two men to go with Mr. O'Neill. Side arms only. No pulse rifles this trip." "Yes, sir." Wendy returned just then with a printout in her hand. She looked thoughtful. All three men turned to her expectantly. "Good news or bad news?" she asked. "Bad news," Tim answered automatically. Wendy grinned. "Going the way you're going, and what the blood test say, you should out live us all except maybe Dagwood and Darwin." "That's the bad news?" Ford asked. "What's the good news, then?" "I found a high level of Halothane in Tim's blood stream." "Which is?" Ford prompted. "A little used anesthesia. It's an inhalant used both in human and veterinary medicine. My best guess is that it was introduced through the air conditioning system. Probably after you were already asleep. A truck could've hit you, and you wouldn't have woken up." "I think one did. No wonder it was so hard to wake up," Tim muttered, then changed the subject. "Do you mind if I take a copy of that? I'm sure the police will want to know we were drugged." "Oh, sure, in fact, take this one. I've already put a copy in your file." "Thanks, Doc," Tim said. He turned back to Bridger. "Is there more, Captain? I really need to be getting back." "I'll have people waiting at the Launch Bay," Ford spoke up. "Go get some clean clothes, Lieutenant. You'll need them, and pick up a G.P.S. locator on your way out." "Yes, sir, thank you, sir." "I'll try to track down where Jacobsen might be and have it for you as soon as I can," Lucas piped up. Tim grinned at the young man and resisted ruffling his hair. "Thanks, Lucas." ------------------------------------ {[ONElist Sponsor]} Please click above to support our sponsor ------------------------------------ To: , X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 Mailing-List: list sqfanfic@onelist.com; contact sqfanfic-owner@onelist.com Delivered-To: mailing list sqfanfic@onelist.com List-Unsubscribe: Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 21:21:24 -0500 From: "Lori Bush" Reply-to: sqfanfic@onelist.com Subject: [sqfanfic] Sequel to "Better Words Not Spoken" 2/2 Part two In less than an hour, Tim was racing through the Launch Bay. The sense of urgency and Impending Doom made him move faster and faster. But Ford was not going to be caught napping. However fast Tim was, Ford was faster. He was waiting in the Launch Bay with Lonnie, Ortiz, and Piccolo when Tim slid to a halt in front of them. "I was just giving some last minute instructions to Ortiz and Piccolo. They're going with you," Ford answered Tim's unasked questions. He turned a stern eye on Piccolo. "Don't make me regret sending you along on this." "Hey, you can count on me, Commander. I promised Tina Randolf I'd keep him in one piece. It's time to live up to that promise." Ford and Tim both looked at him in utter surprise. There was a stony determination and fierce sincerity in the seaman's voice and bearing. Tim shrugged it off first and turned to Lonnie. "What about you? Why are you here?" Lonnie looked him square in the eyes. "I was trying to talk the commander here into letting me come along..." "The captain said two people," Ford interrupted. He'd had this conversation. "Ortiz and Piccolo can handle it. I need you here on the boat." Lonnie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Yeah, right." She turned back to Tim. "But since I can't go, I wanted to wish you luck." She surprised them all by giving Tim a fierce hug. While she held him she whispered. "You'll find her, Tim, I know it. You've got the heart to get through this, just don't lose your head. Tina's real lucky to have you." Tim didn't know what to say as she let him go. Something glittered in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what. It didn't look much like tears. Then the moment was gone. Tim hefted his hastily packed duffle and headed out. Piccolo and Ortiz moved to follow, but Ortiz stopped him and merely said, "Here." Tim looked down at the sidearm Ortiz pressed into his hand. He looked up into his friend's face. He nodded once, and they continued on. The police were still at the hotel when they arrived. They had the whole floor cordoned off. Tim had to do some serious talking to get them all past the cordon. Fortunately, Lori somehow either saw or heard him and called out to him. The detective in charge was with her and waved them through. "Do you know it's a serious offence to leave the scene of a crime, Mr. O'Neill?" the detective asked without introductions and without identifying himself. He even poked O'Neill in the chest with his pen. It made Tim feel like an eight year old being sent to the principal's office. Which, in turn, just made him mad. The very long fuse of Tim's temper finally reached the dynamite. Tim snatched the pen out of the detective's hand. And even though the detective had a few inches and almost thirty pounds on him, Tim didn't seem to notice. It even took the detective by surprise. "I don't know who you are!" Tim began slowly, dangerously, turning the pen on the detective. "But it's Lieutenant O'Neill, from the UEO and the seaQuest. Yes, I know that I left the scene, but it's because I had to return to my boat. Here is the blood test results showing I was drugged, and so was Tina Randolf. That's how she was taken out of here without my knowledge. "That," he went on, pointing to Ortiz. "Is Sensor Chief Miguel Ortiz, also of the seaQuest. Now, if you were smart, you'd let both of us have a look at the hotel security tapes. If anyone can pick out something important, it's us." "Are you through?" the detective asked pointedly, holding out his hand for his pen. Tim met his gaze steadily as he slipped the pen into the detective's hand. Tim had found his backbone, and it was made of titanium alloy. "For now." "Good, now if I may, Lieutenant," the detective drawled. "I am Detective Sergeant Allen Potter, New Cape Quest Police. I thank you for your offer of help, but the police department has it's own experts. Now, if you'll come with me, I need to ask you a few questions." Potter led Tim across the room, leaving Lori with Ortiz and Piccolo. All three of them looked distinctly uncomfortable at the moment. Until Piccolo couldn't stand it anymore. He stuck out his hand. "Hi, there, we haven't met. I'm Tony Piccolo. You can call me Tony. I'm a friend of Tim's. Have you seen him? I don't know who that guy was." Lori looked torn between laughter and wanting to bite his head off. It wasn't a good time for humor, which made it all the more necessary. Suddenly, some of the tension left Lori like air from a punctured balloon. She shook Tony's hand first, then Ortiz's. "Hi, I'm Lori Brenna. I'm Tina's personal assistant. Thank you for coming." "Miguel Ortiz," Ortiz introduced. "What can we do to help?" "I wish I knew," Lori said, feeling defeated. "There hasn't been any further contact with Jacobsen. The police have been swarming around ever since I called them. I don't know which end is up at the moment." "Why don't you come over here," Ortiz said gently. "Have a seat away from all of this. When was the last time you had something to eat?" "I don't remember," Lori admitted. "Sometime yesterday?" "Tony, could you see if the police will let room service send something up?" Ortiz asked, starting to lead Lori away. Tony hesitated and shuffled his feet. Ortiz looked at him. "What?" Piccolo pulled Ortiz away," I...I don't think..." "Oh, man, Tony, don't tell me you're thinking about putting a move on that girl now, are you?" Ortiz demanded in disgust. "It's not that," Tony defended himself quickly. "It's that me and my family...well, you know, we don't have, you know, the best...relationship...with the police. Remember how I ended up on the boat to begin with?" "Oh, please!" Ortiz groaned. "All right, I'll go ask. Just get her out of the main traffic patterns." "That I can do." Piccolo led Lori to a moderately quiet corner while Ortiz left the suite. Piccolo would've surprised everyone who knew him. He sat close to Lori, but far enough away to be comfortable. He didn't try to do anything, not even talk. Lori set there a while, in silence, staring at her hands. "What do you do, Tony?" Lori asked. Piccolo looked up in surprise. "Huh?" "You must do more than be Tim's friend," Lori said. "I'm...it's...nothing important," Tony stammered. "Not compared to all of this." "Please, Tony, give me something else to think about for awhile." "Oh, okay," Tony said, "I'm a seaman. I do a little bit of everything. Mostly I try to hide from kitchen duty." That got a slight laugh and smile from Lori. They chatted softly a while until Ortiz came back from meeting the room service cart into the room. Just as Lori was gaining some interest in the food, the vidlink chimed. Silence fell like wet burlap. Police, UEO, and civilian alike turned to stare at the console. Lori came to her feet, looking like a stricken deer. She looked for Tim. He was halfway to his feet. "Answer it." Potter's voice all but exploded in the silence. Tim went to Lori. They went together to the vidlink. She activated it. It was audio only, no video. No surprise there. "Hel...hello?" Lori asked hesitantly. "Oh, it's you, Lori," the creepy, sibilant voice hissed. Tim felt his skin crawl. He could tell by the glimpse he got that this was Jacobsen. Before anyone could stop him, Tim was on the console trying his best to figure out some way to not only record, but trace the signal with the unsophisticated hotel equipment. "Yes, where's Tina?" Lori demanded. "I figured it would be the boyfriend. After all he was there when I came by. He didn't seem to have much to say the last time I saw him." "I'm here," Tim said through gritted teeth, working feverishly. "Where's Tina?" "With me, where she belongs." "Alive?" "For now. She's not the only piece to this puzzle, or didn't our little Lori tell you that?" Tim stored that bit of information away, but wouldn't be deterred. "I want to know she's okay." There was a noise, and then the frightened voice of Tina. "I'm scared, Tim. Not even that time in the sophomore musical..." "I think you've got the picture...Tim," Jacobsen told him. "You won't have enough time to have traced this transmission. I'm sure the police are still there. Hello, Detective Potter, we haven't met yet, but we will. And let the games begin." The connection was broken then. Tim's fingers flew over the console. The room fell silent once more. Everyone watched Tim. "Damn!" Tim exclaimed, hitting the console with his fist. "Not enough! Not with this equipment! Not enough time! I could've had it!" Ortiz came toward him, hand out to warn Tim of his approach. "Tim?" "Don't!" Tim hissed. "Don't touch me." "Come on, Tim," Ortiz tried again. "We'll get him. We will. Tina will be all right." Tim turned to his friend. The devastated look on his face went past his eyes, straight into his anguished soul. Ortiz took a step back. "Or die trying," Tim finished. Ortiz knew he meant it, too. Tim turned to Lori. "What did he mean? What haven't you told me?" "I...I...I" Lori stuttered, more frightened by Tim than by the call at this moment. Tim took the two steps to her, grabbed her by her arms and shook her. It was so unlike him, no one could move to stop him. "Tell me! You may have protected her, but you don't have to protect me. It might mean her life. Tell me what he meant!" Ortiz inserted himself between Tim and Lori, breaking Tim's grip on one arm. "Let her go, Tim," he said quietly. "You're not yourself. Step back and take a deep breath." Tim and Ortiz locked gazes for a moment then Tim shook his head. He let his hands and eyes drop. He took the step back. "I'm sorry, Lori. I...it was inexcusable." "It's all right, Tim," Lori said in a small voice. "There was something I failed to tell you. You didn't read the note that came this morning. He's not just after Tina. He's after you, too." "Me?" Tim asked puzzled. Potter slipped up to hear the rest of the exchange. An officer tried to approach, but he waved him off. "What are you talking about?" Lori bit her lip. "I told you he knew about you, Tim. He didn't know your name until today, but he knew about you. He took Tina first because of the effect on you, but he's coming after you, too. I think this time, you're the primary target." "An interesting theory, Miss Brenna," Potter interrupted. "What makes you say that?" "You didn't work the case the first time Jacobsen came after Tina, Sergeant," Lori answered, knowing Tim hung on her every word. "He never does anything directly. He likes to play mind games. He tortured Tina for months the first time before he came after her with that knife. If she were his ultimate goal, she'd be here now, not Tim." "If he wants to come after me, let him," Tim said stonily. "I'm not running from this guy. If it leads me back to Tina, I'll go with him willingly." "Then he'll kill you both," Lori told him. Tim's PAL chirped, breaking the heavy tension. He pulled it out of his pocket. "O'Neill." "It's Lucas. I have some information. It's not much, but it's a place to start." Potter listened as intently as everyone else. He shook his head. "We've had that address. He won't go back there." "Like Lucas said, it's a place to start," Tim answered. "Oh, and Lucas, I need your help on one more thing." Tim quickly outlined what he was thinking for the vidlink. When he was finished, there was a thoughtful silence on Lucas' end of the PAL link. "Lucas?" Tim prompted. "No, I'm here. I was just passing on the list. It'll be ready in an hour. Do you want it sent or pick it up?" "Send it. Someone will be here." Tim gave him the hotel information. "You got it. Good luck." Tim disconnected the PAL. He turned to Potter. "I'm going to that address. You can either come with me..." Ortiz cleared his throat. "...Us, or you can stay here. I don't really care." "Hey, Lieutenant!" Potter said, getting his pen out to make his point. "This is a police matter!" "This is the life of the woman I love," Tim spit back. "I will do everything it takes to get her back." He looked at Lori. "If that means dying to save her life, then that's what it takes!" Tim headed for the suite door. Piccolo looked at Ortiz. "Man, he's gone off one major deep end." Ortiz started after Tim. "Shut up, Tony." Piccolo shrugged and followed. Lori and Potter looked at each other. "If anyone's going to find Tina, Detective, it's him," Lori said. "No one's got more at stake than he does." "That's where you're wrong, Miss Brenna. Mr. O'Neill doesn't have nearly as much to lose as Jacobsen does. Stay here. I'll leave a couple of men here with you." The next thing Lori knew she was left all alone in the hotel suite. She had no idea what to do next. Tim didn't know what he was doing either. He just knew he needed to be doing something. When Lucas had called, he finally had a direction. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, and barely to himself, Potter was right. There wouldn't be anything at the address they were going to. But Tim had to go, on that one chance in a billion something might turn up. He had to turn over all the stones. The address was a house in horrible shape. It was an obviously abandoned shack. They left the car at the curb. Potter had had two men follow them. Ortiz and Piccolo pulled their sidearms. Potter looked concerned, until Ortiz reassured the sergeant the weapons were merely on stun. Just as a precaution, of course. The other two police officers went around back to protect the perimeter. "Okay," Potter finally decided it was time to lay down some law. "I've let you have your way, so far, Mr. O'Neill, but this is my turf, my responsibility. I go in first." No one argued. They let Potter knock on the door and announce himself. They paused, half poised for a gunshot or explosion. When none came, they all relaxed a bit. Potter tried the door. It opened with one good shove. The frame was more rotten than the lock could hold. The place was dark except where the light streamed in from cracks and holes in the blinds. Dust kicked up as they moved through the shack. It felt eerily empty. "It doesn't seem like anyone's been here for years," Tony muttered. "Looks can be awfully deceiving, Tony," Tim answered. They spread out after that dust filled front room. There were three doors. Piccolo and Ortiz took one each. Tim and Potter took the third. The door opened onto the kitchen. Tim's nose wrinkled in disgust. It hadn't been cleaned in who knew how long. A thick layer of dust covered the grime. A broken plate and chipped cup sat shrouded in dust and cobwebs in the sink. They prowled through every cobweb filled cupboard and drawer. Skittering, crawly things ran from the sudden and unexpected presence of light. Tim didn't want to think about what they might be. "Hey, guys! In here!" Tony's voice came from the front of the house. Tim and Potter exchanged a look and bolted from the kitchen. Ortiz came out of what must've been the bathroom. They all headed into Tony's room. He stood just inside the room like a statue. The other three crowded in around him and also stood transfixed. "Did you know about this?" Tim managed to ask Potter. "No." It was an awe filled syllable. The room was papered, literally, floor to ceiling with pictures of Tina. Not just the published ones from news outlets, magazines, or the InterNex. There were candid shots of her, probably taken before the last run in with this psychopath. The men started moving after the words were spoken. There was a lot to see. Besides some ramshackle furniture and the photos, there was every piece of Tina Randolf's merchandise set up like a shrine. "Wow, and I thought I was a fan," Tony breathed. "This isn't a fan, Tony, this is sick!" Tim responded, finding a photograph of Tina a bathrobe looking far away and pensive. It must've been taken just before she learned to shut the curtains of her life. "He's got to be stopped!" "He's been here recently," Potter said. "How do you know?" Tim asked. "There's no dust in here. No grime. He keeps this part of the house up. Probably comes here regularly." "Oh, man," Ortiz moaned. "Tim?" All three went over to the table Ortiz was checking out. "What?" Tim asked. "I think this was meant for you," Ortiz stepped back so Tim could have an unimpeded view. Tim's unimpeded view made him want to scream or vomit. He took an involuntary step back. "I'm sorry, Tim," Ortiz said very, very quietly, being there to support his best friend. The table was set up to best display a specific set of photographs. Photos of Tina bound and gagged. In several photos bruises were rising on her face. Her clothes were torn and dirty when they could be seen around a coarse blanket. There was an envelope on the table. In fat, block letters was the inscription, "To The Boyfriend." Tim reached out for it, then hesitated. He looked to Potter. The police detective fished a pair of latex gloves out of his jacket pocket and handed them over. He nodded as Tim put on the gloves. Tim took the envelope carefully and hesitated a moment before opening it. He took out the cheap piece of paper and a couple of photographs. He dropped them on the table and bolted from the room. Ortiz immediately went after Tim. Piccolo went for the letter. Potter stopped him. He didn't want anything touching the note or photos that wasn't latex. Potter had long since put on his own gloves. Piccolo read over the detective's shoulder, and Potter let him. The letter was part of Jacobsen's mind game. He knew Tim would come to this place, and he knew how Tim would react to the contents of the envelope. The letter was a challenge to find him before Tina could no longer make a living with her looks, if she was even able to make a living after Jacobsen was done with her. Piccolo understood Tim's reaction. One of the photos was a well-worn copy of the tabloid photograph. The others were pictures of Tina bruised, naked, with marks on her arms and legs. "I've always wondered what she looked like naked," Tony muttered. "But I sure didn't want to see it like that." Potter cleared his throat. "I'm going to bag this up for evidence. Why don't you go check on your friends?" "Yeah, right." Tim had staggered outside the house and thrown up in the bushes. He stood nearby, hands on his knees, taking deep breaths. Ortiz had a hand on his back and was speaking quietly to him. Piccolo joined them. "How's he doing?" Tony asked Ortiz. "He'll be all right, physically. What was in there?" Ortiz asked. "You don't want to know. I saw them," he replied. "And it's a good thing I have a strong stomach, or I'd be joining our friend there." Tony went to Tim. "Don't worry, Tim, we'll get this bastard. And God help him when we do." Potter came out of the house with the letter and photos in plastic evidence bags. Even he looked grim. "The forensics guys will be here shortly. I'll leave my men here to secure the scene. We should get back to the hotel. He'll probably be in contact soon with the next step of the game." "Sergeant Potter, would you please let me send the evidence gathered so far to the seaQuest? Captain Bridger's letting me have access to the labs. There may be something they can find that might otherwise be missed. Something that might help," Tim asked politely and contritely. This was not a time for demands. He wasn't up to a physical confrontation so soon after leaving the remains of his last three meals in the shrubbery. "Sure," Potter agreed. He knew they were running out of time. Any option was a viable option. "I'll put in the orders on the way back to the hotel. And once we get back, you might want to consider getting some rest. "I'm fine," Tim said. The raw edge of his voice belied his words. But he followed the others to the car and climbed in. The hotel was quiet when they returned. The equipment Tim had requested from the seaQuest had arrived. Lonnie and Lieutenant Jim Brody were waiting when they returned. "What are you doing here?" Tim asked. "We were given instructions to report on your condition," Brody told them. "You okay, O'Neill?" "Yeah, fine. Fine." Tim went to the pile of equipment and pulled a panel off the console. He began working like a man possessed. Brody and Lonnie looked at Ortiz and Piccolo. They looked worried but didn't say anything. "Where's Lori?" Tony finally asked. "Asleep," Lonnie answered. "I convinced her she should while she could. What about him?" "Good luck. He's not listening to anyone," Tony snorted. "What about food?" "Now that you mention it, I'm starved." "Not you!" Lonnie said with a note of disgust. "Him!" "I haven't seen him eat anything since the boat." "I'm going to see if he'll let me help," Ortiz said with a sigh. Lonnie grabbed Tony's arm. "Come on, Tony, let's go get some food. I'm not going back until he eats something." Brody looked around. He seemed as lost as Potter. The two finally found they had plenty in common, a security officer being similar to a police officer. They started talking. Ortiz watched Tim work for a moment. He nodded to himself. "I think I see what you're trying to do here, Tim. Can I help? It'll go faster if two sets of hands are working on it." Tim looked like he was going to snap at Ortiz, but caught himself in time. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." "You know," Ortiz began carefully, "If we route this sensor through the power relay, here, and the vidlink input channel at that point there, I might be able to turn this thing into a kind of WHSKR. Maybe be able to track his signal back even after he's signed off." Tim nodded grimly. "Good idea." The two friends continued in silence. Ortiz worked steadily and never took his eyes off the panel or what he was doing. "You want to talk about it, Tim?" "No." "Come on, Tim, just tell me about her. I don't know her. We've only met a couple of times, but she seems nice," Ortiz did his best to keep his tone light and in the present tense. "She's beautiful," Tim replied. "Well, sure, she's very pretty," Ortiz agreed. "No, Miguel, you don't understand. She's not just pretty. She's not just nice. She's all around beautiful. She developed all those internal beauty traits long before her body caught up." "She sounds perfect." "Well, no. No one's perfect, Miguel," Tim answered with a shadow of a smile. "She drinks straight from the carton and puts it back in the refrigerator. She squeezes the toothpaste from the middle of the tube. She leaves her socks on the floor at night." "And how do you know where she leaves her socks at night?" Ortiz asked putting the finishing touches on his jury rig, "There, that's done. Well? Socks?" "None of your business, Miguel," Tim finished his patching. "Let's hope this works." Tim got to his feet and began to pace. There was nothing left to do but wait for Jacobsen's next call. Lonnie and Tony came back with bags of take out deli items and began setting them out on the table. The others gravitated toward the food naturally. Everyone except Tim. Lonnie noticed and went over to him. "Come on, Tim. You've got to eat," she said. "I'm not hungry." "Tim, listen to me," Lonnie persisted. "You're not going to do Tina any good if you don't take care of yourself. You've got to be ready to move on a moment's notice. That means you need to eat and rest. Right now you need to eat." Tim didn't resist when Lonnie pushed him to the table. A plate was put in front of him. Tim didn't even look to see what it was. He ate mechanically, tasting nothing. It was a very quiet meal. Everyone was waiting for the vidlink to interrupt them. The waiting nearly grew unbearable. Tim resumed his pacing. Brody and Lonnie left to return to the seaQuest. Piccolo and Ortiz cleaned up the food. Potter hovered just beyond the circle of friends, watching and waiting. Lori came out of the bedroom, groggy from her nap. "Any news?" Tim shook his head. "No. It's been hours! Why hasn't he called? Why are we just sitting around here waiting? We should be doing something!" "Whoa! Tim! Hold on there, buddy," Tony said, putting up his hands. "Don't go postal on us now. You were holding it together so good before. Try to hang in there a little longer." Tim whirled on Piccolo with murderous intent. Piccolo drew back. He'd never been afraid of Tim before. No one was afraid of Tim. Until now. Piccolo put space between them. "Save it for Jacobsen, Mr. O'Neill," Potter said in the growing tension. "This is part of the game. He wants you so rattled you can't see straight. If you can't think, you can't function, you can't win, and we all lose." Tim heard him, and listened. He visibly relaxed. "I'm sorry, Tony." "It's cool, man," Tony said in relief. "It's cool." Tim's PAL chirped. Everyone jumped. Tim picked it up from the sideboard. "O'Neill." "Tim, it's Wendy. We found something." Tim's knees almost went limp with relief. "What? What have you found?" Wendy Smith quickly outlined what the various lab tests had uncovered. The paper was coated in a layer of sea salt that had probably come from air born salinity, suggesting it had been near the coastline. Tim objected, saying all of New Cape Quest was a coastal town everything was covered in salt. "Not in these concentrations, Tim. Salinity disperses rather quickly over land." "There's still an awful lot of coastline to deal with," Ortiz protested. "How can we narrow it down?" "I'd say to look for someplace that looks abandoned, but still has power going to it. All the letters were printed on the same printer. They all have the same toner imperfections. And if he's got vidlink connections, it's only logical." Potter was on line with his people issuing instructions. "Can you have Lucas do a run down for us?" Tim asked. "He's already on it, Tim. How're you doing? Are you okay?" Tim rolled his eyes. Why'd everyone keep asking him that? "Yes, Doctor, I'm fine. I've eaten. I've snapped at my best friend and almost killed Tony. Sound normal to you?" "Absolutely. Be careful. Smith out." Tim disconnected his PAL link and turned to his friends. "Well?" Potter finished his call. "I've got my people looking into it as well. They've just come up with the same general assessment as your people. We're closing in on them, Mr. O'Neill. We'll get Miss Randolf out." Before anyone could respond, the vidlink chimed. The whole room froze. Lori broke the impasse and started forward. Tim stopped her. "No," he said coldly. "I've got this one. If it's me he wants, then it's me he gets." As Tim headed for the vidlink he looked at Ortiz. "Miguel?" "You got it, Tim. Let's get this guy." Ortiz took up a position amid the jury-rigged equipment under the vidlink. Tim took his position in front of it. At Ortiz's nod, Tim activated the link. There was no visual once more. Tim sighed. "I'm here Jacobsen. What do you want?" "Getting testy, are we, Timmy?" "Now we know who we are, why not cut the cheesy cloak and dagger stuff and do a visual. I want to see who I'm up against." There was a short pause, as if Jacobsen were thinking it over. "All right. Just remember, you asked for it." The vidlink shuddered and came back to life. Tim reached out to the back of a nearby chair. His knuckles went instantly white. Lori gasped, and tried to move forward, but Piccolo stopped her. Potter growled. Jacobsen made sure there was more to see than just him, which made them take very little notice of him. Tina was not far behind him and in the frame, bound to a chair, heading hanging limp against her chest. There was no visible movement and way too many visible marks. "Is this what you wanted to see?" Jacobsen taunted. Tim swallowed hard. "You've made your point. You've proven you can get to us. You've humiliated Tina. You've got my attention. Let's end this." "Big words for a UEO weenie." Tim gritted his teeth and forced himself to say. "If that's what you think, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Should you?" Jacobsen's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to, little man?" "I'm just trying to get Tina back. That's all I want." Tina finally stirred. "Tim?" "Yeah, Tina, it's me. I'm going to bring you home soon, honey." "No..." she moaned. "Kill you..." "Hmm. That's an interesting idea..." Jacobsen mused. "Let me get back to you." The vidlink went dead. Tim started forward, a cry cut off in his throat. He stopped and took a deep breath. He looked at Ortiz. "Tell me you got something, Miguel. Please?" "Give me a minute," Ortiz urged, working frantically. "I almost..." Ortiz let out a muttered explicative. "I don't have a specific location. This guy is good. He's got this signal routed seven ways to Sunday. I almost had it." "How close did you get?" Tim asked. Ortiz looked at his friend with the faintest glimmer of hope in his eyes. "A section of coastline. Interior, though, here in New Cape Quest, on the Intracoastal Waterway." "Show me!" Potter commanded, suddenly coming back into play. Ortiz made some adjustments and a map came up on the vidlink screen. A pulsing yellow dot grew out of a section of coastline. "Can you blow that up?" Potter asked. I want to see just the highlighted area." Ortiz worked quickly on the vidlink console. "There, I think that's got it." "The map zeroed in on the section of coastline encompassed by the yellow dot. Potter studied it intently. "That's almost a square mile of warehouses and industrial complexes. There's countless places in there he could be hiding." "Then we'll look in them all," Tim said, heading for the door. "Whoa, cowboy!" Potter protested, stopping Tim in mid stride. "What?" "You go charging down there like a bull in a china shop, Jacobsen will dump your lady friend in any one of a hundred deep, dark holes. No one will ever find her then. Let's be smart. We can do a systematic search of the area. We can do it quietly, give us a chance to catch him off guard." Tim paused and thought. "How long?" "It's going to take some time," Potter warned. "It's an awfully big area." "We don't have much time!" Tim protested. "You all saw her! She's almost had it. She won't last indefinitely!" "All the more reason to be smart about this, O'Neill! If we go about this the right way, we can get to her before Jacobsen can do something with her!" "He's got a point, Tim," Tony said quietly. "We need to be careful." Tim looked about to protest, but the vidlink chimed once more. Tim answered it almost automatically. "O'Neill. Yeah, what?" "Well, well, Lieutenant O'Neill, getting a bit testy, are we?" Came the voice of Jacobsen. It got everyone's attention. Ortiz scrambled to get to work. "What do you want, Jacobsen?" Tim asked tiredly. "And where's Tina?" "Safe." There was something in his tone that made his skin crawl. Jacobsen's eyes narrowed. "If you can trust me. I thought about what you said. You're right. It's time to end this." "Just let me know when and where," Tim hissed. "I'll be there. Just make sure Tina's there, and like you said, safe." "We'll see. Be at the south end of the Intracoastal Waterway, Dock 93, in one hour. Come alone. No buddies. No police backup or you'll never see Tina Randolf alive or in one piece ever again. Do we understand each other?" "Perfectly." Tim cut the connection before Jacobsen could. This time he felt a little more in control of the situation. He turned to his friends. They looked stubborn. "I have to do this," he told them. "You're not going alone." Ortiz made it a firm decision. He had his orders. "Yes, I am," Tim began, holding up his hand to stop the imminent protests. "Hear me out. Hear me out!" The muttering stopped. Tim had their full attention. I will go and meet him like he said...demanded. Alone. But, I'm not stupid enough to think I can trust him. He'll have Tina stashed someplace close by. He won't bring her with him. I need you guys to find her. If I know she's safe, then I can do what I have to do." "You're not thinking of going vigilante on me are you, Mr. O'Neill?" Potter asked. "This guy has to be stopped, Sergeant. He can't be allowed to torture Tina or anyone else again." "I understand, and I totally agree, Mr. O'Neill, just do it by the book. I don' think you have it in you to be a cold blooded killer, but don't let him turn you into something you're not." Potter and Tim locked eyes for a moment. Tim nodded once. "All right, then, let's go. Tony, you and Miguel have scanners, right? We'll start with the area of the Intracoastal around the dock and work our way out." "I've got a half a dozen men in the area already," Potter put in. "They'll be of help." "Good." Tim went to his duffle and pulled out the sidearm Ortiz had given him. He checked the charge and stuck it in the waistband of his pants. "Let's go." "What about me?" Lori demanded. The men looked at her blankly. "You're not leaving me behind this time." "It's going to be dangerous. Who knows what we'll find, or what could happen," Tony heard himself say. "It's no place..." "For a woman?" Lori finished. "That's exactly the reason I should go. I saw what he did to her. I'm her best friend. She's going to need me there when you find her." Piccolo looked at the others and shrugged. "I gave it my best shot." Tim looked at Lori and the determination shining in her eyes matched his own. "Okay. Stay with Tony and Miguel, though." Lori nodded once. "Hold on. I'll be right back." Lori hurried into the bedroom and came out a moment later stuffing clothing into a shoulder bag. "Spare clothes for Tina. She'll need them" Tim waited around Dock 93. It was a fairly open place on the docks. Not too many places to hide, but enough cover to make things interesting. It was deserted, but the sounds of typical dock work could be heard. Sound was deceiving though. Those people could be around the corner or up to a quarter mile away. No help or hindrance there. Tim paced and waited. He wondered when Jacobsen was going to show up. He worried about his friends even now scouring the buildings for Tina. Lucas had found three which were likely. The police were concentrating on two. Ortiz, Piccolo and Lori took the third and most likely. Piccolo had given one of the seaQuest''s scanners to the police to help their search. This was the only time in recent history, if at all, he wished he were telepathic. Now he wished he'd listened more to Wendy Smith's talk about latent PSI abilities. But usually when she spoke of such things, they were regarding Piccolo, and Tim tuned them out. Now, if he had the ability, he could project his mind into Piccolo's and be there when the door opened and they found her. She would look up, hope, relief, and disbelief warring in her eyes. The vague feeling of threat... "Lost in thought, Timmy boy?" A sharp voice brought him quickly to reality. Jacobsen had come out of the shadows without Tim noticing his approach. Tim mentally kicked himself for letting his mind wander like that. But for a very brief moment, Tim thought he'd actually been there with Piccolo and Ortiz. He was here, now, and he had business to attend to. "I see the UEO teaches its officers to follow directions," Jacobsen sneered. "You came alone?" Tim spread his arms. "What you see is what you get." "Somehow I doubt that," Jacobsen said, waxing philosophical, and insane gleam in his beady eyes. "You seem to be more than the sum of your parts, or Tina wouldn't have chosen you." "That's because I know there's more to her than the hype and the press releases," Tim answered cautiously. "Where is she?" "Nearby," "Safe?" "For now. You love her?" "Yes." "Enough to die for her?" Jacobsen asked as they started circling each other, looking for weaknesses. "If I have to." "Enough to kill for her?" "If I have to." "Then you'll never find her," Jacobsen told him. "At least not alive. My little insurance policy." Tim watched his every move. He said nothing about his own insurance policy, and prayed like he never prayed before that Ortiz and Piccolo found Tina in time. He was not surprised to see Jacobsen's hand go to his belt. By the time he drew his knife, Tim's gun was targeted on Jacobsen's chest. "Impasse." "I think I have a slight advantage," Tim answered. Jacobsen's grip shifted on the knife. He was poised to throw. "I've always wondered which was faster. Shall we see?" Tim didn't move or flinch. "Ah, I see. I propose a solution. I can see in your eyes there's nothing you would like more than to rip me apart with your bare hands. And I must admit the proposition of doing the same to you has its appeal." "I'm listening." "Let's go to it mano y mano. I put down the knife. You put down the gun. Winner takes all. Tim studied his competition. Jacobsen was a few inches shorter than he, but was bulkier. Tim had reach but not weight, but he had a few surprises of his own. "All right," he said, relaxing his gun arm a fraction. "I'm in." Jacobsen grinned an evil grin, as if he knew something Tim didn't. The knife hand dropped, even though they never broke eye contact. They lowered their weapons simultaneously and put them on the ground. They circled in earnest now. The weapons were kicked away, and neither seemed to notice. Then Jacobsen moved. He dove into Tim, driving him backward. Tim recovered and tossed Jacobsen over his shoulder. Jacobsen got to his feet warily. He blocked Tim's uppercut, but missed the leg sweep. They both went down. Jacobsen pounced like an enraged animal, hissing and clawing. Tim fought for survival at first, then slowly began to get the upper hand, until Jacobsen sucker punched him and followed up with a kick to the ribs. Tim thought he heard something snap. Pain hit like a tidal wave. Tim worked his way through the pain. There was nothing wrong with his legs. Tim used them and little used but much practiced martial arts skills to the best of his abilities. The roundhouse kicks made his chest burn. But there was incredible satisfaction in knocking Jacobsen totally for a loop by wrapping his feet around his neck and giving it a deft twist. Jacobsen landed flat on his back, gasping for breath. Tim bounded to his feet, breathing heavily, his pain momentarily dulled by endorphins and adrenalin. He planted his foot on Jacobsen's throat and slowly applied pressure. A gleam of madness appeared in his eyes. Jacobsen grinned evilly once more as he struggled for breath, face turning red and slowly purple. "Now...you know...what it's like...to be...me!" "Tim?" Tim was frozen, both by Jacobsen's words and by the simple use of his name. Both men turned to look. Tina was on the edge of the area with Piccolo, Lori, and Ortiz. She pulled away from her friends and headed toward Tim. She was wearing loose pants and his Annapolis t-shirt now, and even battered and bruised, she still took Tim's breath away. Tears sprang into his eyes. "Tina?" "Tim, don't. It's not worth it. He's not worth it." Tim gave Jacobsen one final contempt filled glance and stepped down one last time, but not hard enough to cause permanent damage. He turned away and lurched toward Tina. She was in equally bad shape, but they clung to each other despite the pain. Suddenly there was an anguished roar. They turned to see Jacobsen coming toward them with Tim's forgotten sidearm. He howled maniacally. The only thing Tim could do was push Tina behind him and wait for the inevitable pulse he expected and knew was set to kill. He closed his eyes. He could face death, but didn't need to see the muzzle flash. He heard the sound of a gun discharge, but for some reason felt no impact. He opened his eyes slowly. Less than a meter away laid Jacobsen. His body twitched once then lay still. Tim looked past the body to Ortiz, Piccolo and Potter. All three had guns drawn. There was no way of knowing who had fired the killing shot, or whether the combined force of three stuns had felled the madman. The sound of sirens suddenly cut the air, but all Tim could hear was the sound of Tina quietly sobbing. He turned back to her and raised her eyes to meet his. "It's over, Tina. It's all over. He won't be able to bother you any more." He pulled her into a tight embrace, oblivious to the searing pain of his ribs. Her sobs lessened as he held her. Her trembling finally stopped. "Tim?" she asked in a very small voice. "Yes?" "This really hurts." Tim let her go reluctantly, and tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. The others gave them their moment alone, and now came toward them. Tim held out a hand to keep them from touching him. "Ribs." "Broken?" Ortiz asked. "Maybe. Definitely cracked. I heard something pop. Right side." "The ambulance is on the way, Mr. O'Neill," Potter said quietly. "To take you and Miss Randolf to the hospital. You did the right thing. It's over now, and I'm glad it happened the way it did." "You and me both." The hospital had been convinced to let Tim and Tina share a hospital room. It had taken some string pulling, and promises to not do anything to aggravate their conditions, but they'd given in. Not that Tim had needed to stay any longer than overnight for observation. He wouldn't leave Tina alone for a moment. Fortunately all her injuries were contusions and abrasions, with a mild concussion. Jacobsen hadn't assaulted her in any other way, but the doctors wanted to make sure she was healing properly before they released her. Tina awoke early in the first day from a medication induced nap to see Tim nearby, eyes closed muttering "Thank you," over and over again over folded hands. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm thanking God you're still with me." She smiled, touched his face, and drifted back off to sleep. "You need a shave..." Two weeks later, they walked hand in hand through a city park. The physical evidence of their ordeal was now easily covered with commercial makeup. Though, occasionally, Tim saw a brief haunted look in her eyes, and she still had to deal with nightmares. In fact, so did he, but they were fewer and farther between, thanks to counseling. They passed a flower vendor in an open-air market. Tim bought a bunch of brightly colored blooms for Tina. As she was admiring them, he took a daisy from the bunch and began plucking the petals, saying, "She loves me. She loves me not..." He got to the last petal. Tina intercepted his hand and looked deep into his eyes. "She loves you." Tim's heart leapt for joy as they kissed over the flowers. Tim led her to a park bench and sat her down. He suddenly looked nervous. His hand fumbled in his pocket. He brought out a small box. "I know this is about a week late, but..." he opened the box. Light sparkled on the contents. He knelt on one knee as Tina gasped. "Will you marry me?" "Oh, Tim..." Fearing rejection, Tim forged ahead. "Look, the vows say, 'For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.' Well, we've been through the worse, it only has to get better. I know you. Money doesn't matter. We've done the health thing. And we've even faced death and beat it. "When I saw what that man did to you...I knew I couldn't go on if you didn't survive. I wanted to die in your place. Now that everything is okay, the only thing I can think is how do I live without you? I can't imagine a future without you. So, please?" Tina looked into the face of the man she loved, so full of fear and hope and pleading. So much like a little boy, and so fiercely a man. She reached out to touch his face. Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Please?" he asked again. Tina smiled and Tim's face transformed like the sky after a hard thunderstorm when the sun comes out. "Yes, Tim. Yes." ------------------------------------ {[ONElist Sponsor]} Please click above to support our sponsor ------------------------------------