Chapter 2

Col. Freeman sat back in Straker’s leather chair and picked up his whiskey.  Lovely Lt. Anderson had just brought him the proposed shift schedules for the next fortnight, and he supposed he’d best look them over.  He would have preferred to look her over, but he knew he made her nervous.  He wouldn’t have minded that so much, since what good was all his charm if he couldn’t fluster a girl?  But he was aware that in this instance, it wasn’t his smile that concerned her.  It was his drink.  Her father had been a mean drunk, and because of that she tended to shy away from anyone who smelled of booze.  Which was probably a good policy, he thought as he considered what most drunks were like.

Lucky for him, he had a cast iron stomach and had learned to handle his booze at an early age.

He glanced at the drink dispenser in the corner of the office and gave a deep sigh.  Ed, the teetotaler, had set it up for him years ago when the office was built.  Despite Alec’s objections.  Despite the colonel’s concern that morale would slip if the staff thought their commander secretly imbibed.  But then, Ed knew that his old friend worked best with a few drinks under his belt.  So he’d ignored all Alec’s expostulations and put the cabinet in anyway.  God bless him!  He saluted the drink dispenser (and his absent friend) with his whiskey tumbler and grinned before gulping it down.  He set the empty glass onto the desktop and reached for the schedules.

A ring of the phone snagged his attention midway through the first page, and he absently lifted it to his ear.  “Freeman,” he said.

“Colonel,” answered Lt. Anderson, her husky voice unusually tense.  “The car alarm for Commander Straker’s car has just gone off!”

He froze for one horrified instant.  Then he barked, “I’ll be right there!”  Tossing down the phone, he raced out of the office and over to the communications console where she sat.  “Where is he?  Have you tried calling him?”

Col. Foster pointed to a topographical map he’d laid out over a computer terminal.  “He’s on the road between here and his house.  There are some dense woods along this strip, so if he’s in trouble, he’ll have the chance to hide.”

Alec’s heart was in his throat, but he said, “Did you try calling him?  It might have been a pile-up or something.  We’ve had no activity since the UFOs that were destroyed this morning.”

Lt. Anderson spoke up.  “He’s not answering his phone.”

Freeman’s eyes met Foster’s.  “Get out there, Paul.  Take a team and find him!”

“I’m on it!” the colonel declared as he ran for the exit.

* * *

The car was easy enough to find even in the dark.  Of course, the enormous pothole in the middle of the road was a dead giveaway that something terrible had happened here, but the sleek bronze car smashed into a tree several yards off the road set the seal on it. 

Paul leapt from the mobile before the driver even had a chance to come to a stop and ran to the car.  “Straker?” he called, heedless of the danger of possible attack from the surrounding trees.  “Commander?”

He bent down and looked into the car from the open doorway.  Dark puddles stained the seat and floor of the driver’s side.  More of it was splattered against the broken windshield, and when he touched one of the puddles, he could tell it was blood.  Lots of blood.  He had to bite his cheek to keep his gag reflex in line.  This was his commander’s blood.  He swiftly turned from the doorway to signal the mobile driver. 

“Contact HQ.  I need to speak to Alec.”

* * *
“What do you mean, he isn’t there?” Col. Freeman barked into the microphone at the communications console.  “Surely they didn’t have enough time . . . !”

“There’s something else, sir,” Foster continued, knowing he was piling up the bad news on Freeman’s head.  “There’s blood in the car.  Lots of it.”

Dead silence rang through the connection for several moments.  And also through the Control room.  Hideous scenarios threw themselves in front of Alec’s eyes, and he viciously fought them all back so that he could think.  Ed was alive.  He refused to accept any other fact than that one.  And they’d find him – before the aliens did.

“Listen, Paul!  Get the team searching the area.”

“They already are.  But it’s pretty dark.  He won’t be easy to find if he’s trying to stay hidden from the aliens.”  He didn’t add that the commander might not be in any condition to help them find him either.  If he was passed out or in shock from blood loss, they could walk right by him and not even know it.

“I’m sending out a second team to help you look.  Your first priority is to find Commander Straker.  Put the second team to work finding the aliens and taking care of them.  You find Ed!  Do you hear?”

Col. Foster glanced back at the wrecked car, seeing in his mind the pools of blood staining the interior.  He bit back a sensation of hopelessness.  “Yes, sir.”

* * *
“Get Sky 2 in the air!” added Col. Freeman to the lieutenant as he headed back to the office.  “We might need it.”

“Oh, Alec!” said Col. Lake with dismay.  She had come into the Control room in time to hear Paul’s findings concerning Straker’s car.  She followed him into Straker’s office and closed the door before saying, “Surely you don’t think that will be necessary?”

He threw himself into the commander’s chair and growled, “It doesn’t matter what I think!  We’ve got to be ready for anything, and you know it!”

“But – Ed!”

He cut her off.  “Damn it, Ginny!  Ed’s the one who’s drilled it into my head how he wants any such scenario handled!  We’ve discussed this a million times.  Anything’s better than letting them get him to their planet!  You know what would happen then.”

There was silence in the office for a moment as they both considered what would in all probability occur once the aliens had the commander in their power.  Virginia shuddered once before getting her thoughts under control.  She sat on the chair in front of the desk and met his worried gaze.

“I know, Alec.  I know what they’d do to him.”  She thought of Craig – and how horrifying it had been to realize what had been done to him by their enemy.  Lobotomised and put under mind control and sent back to destroy the very base he’d helped build from scratch.  Not Ed, she thought, blinking back tears.  Not him! 

It simply couldn’t be allowed to happen to the commander.

* * * 
“What have you got, Paul?”

Col. Foster radioed back.  “We found one of the aliens.”

“Alive?” Alec asked.

“No, sir.  There was an exchange of gunfire.  He’s dead.  No sign of the commander yet.”

Freeman met Ginny’s worried eyes as she stood near the communications console.  “Keep looking!” he demanded.

“Right.”

“Col. Freeman?” said Lt. Anderson, listening to her headphones.

“Yeah?” barked Alec, wishing he were out there right now.  He’d find Ed soon enough.  Damned if he wouldn’t!

“It’s Sky 2, sir,” she answered.  “Capt. Waterman.”

“Put him on.”  After she toggled the button, he said into the mike, “What’s the situation, Lew?”

“The UFO has lifted off, Colonel,” the captain said.  “I’ve got it on radar.  Do you want me to intercept?”

Alec’s heart stopped, and he knew exactly what Lew was asking him.  Are you giving the order to kill the commander?  His tortured eyes met Ginny’s once more.  Suddenly he remembered Ed as he’d looked just that evening in his office, grinning while he teased Alec about fairies.  Could he do it?  All talk aside, could he give the actual order to kill his best friend?  And more than that; could he kill the only man keeping the planet safe from attack in an effort to keep that same planet safe from future attack? 

“Do it, Lew!” he croaked.

“Yes, sir!”

Col. Lake’s eyes filled, but she did not break eye contact as they awaited the outcome.  Her hand went to her throat and remained, pressing slightly as if she was fighting an obstruction there.  But her eyes remained locked with Alec’s.

After endless minutes, the captain radioed HQ.  “Detonation positive, Colonel.  UFO destroyed.  Returning to base.”

Col. Freeman’s eyes closed, shutting out the rest of Lew’s report, shutting out Ginny’s white face, shutting out the gasps of the stunned night staff – shutting it all out as he accepted the awful truth.  Ed was dead.  That was hard enough to swallow.  But much worse was knowing that he had been the one to do it.  He’d done the unthinkable.  He’d killed his best friend. 

Ed! he screamed in his mind.  Forgive me!

“Contact Paul,” he told Virginia dully.  “Have his teams return to HQ.”  Then he left the Control room, every step a painful one.

Chapter 4

“Forget it, Ginny!  I’m not packing it in until we find him!”

Col. Foster’s voice over the radio was furious, and Virginia couldn’t blame him.  No one wanted to believe that the commander was dead, after all – least of all the man sent to rescue him.  “Paul . . .”

The colonel glared at the trees all around him, but reined in his anger enough to say over the radio, “The rest of the team isn’t ready to return either.  We’ll keep up the search until morning.  Maybe with a little more light, we’ll be able to get a better idea where he went.”

She really couldn’t argue with that, so she reluctantly agreed, promising to send out a fresh crew at daylight to take over for them in the search.  But she knew they wouldn’t find anything.  They all knew that the UFO wouldn’t have taken off without what it had come for.  Paul was deluding himself by thinking they still had a hope of finding the commander alive.

But in his place, she wouldn’t want to quit searching either.

Outwardly calm, she sipped her coffee and signed reports in the Control room.  But inside she was weary beyond measure with the struggle to keep the staff from losing all trace of professionalism in the wake of the destruction of the UFO.  And she’d been left to handle the aftermath alone, since Alec had retreated to the commander’s office to bury his grief in whiskey.  Damn him!  But she couldn’t really be all that angry with him, since she wished she could take the same route.  But someone had to stay alert and keep the morale at HQ from crumbling to dust.  Someone had to treat the crisis as if it was just another incident for the records, instead of possibly signaling the end of the war.

God!  What were they going to do without the commander?

* * *
Virginia finally went into the office to update the colonel and let him know that Paul was continuing the search.

“What good will it do?  It’s a waste of time!  Order them back,” the colonel said bitterly, scowling at her as he drained his glass.

Col. Lake held her ground.  “You know as well as I do that we can’t simply accept the way things are, Alec.  We have to keep trying, even if there’s the slightest chance that the commander might still be out there somewhere – injured, but alive and needing our help.”

“You know he’s gone. You know it!”  His eyes dropped to his empty glass.  “We’re only fooling ourselves by continuing this charade.”

“Possibly.”  She firmed lips that wanted to tremble in despair.  “But it will keep morale higher if we keep searching until Security calls it off.  Let the staff hate Gen. Henderson for giving up on the commander.  Not us, Alec.  The blame shouldn’t fall on those who loved him most.”

“But it is, Ginny,” he said dispiritedly.  “We are to blame.  I am.  I’m to blame.  I ordered that UFO shot down.  There’s no getting out of that.  I ordered Ed killed!”

She sighed.  It was so hard to get through his pain to make him see how necessary it was to keep their heads.  “It was standard procedure to shoot down that UFO.  No one will hold that against you, Alec.  Especially since we don’t have solid proof that the commander was aboard.  But if we call back the teams now, especially when they want to go on, it will look like we wanted Commander Straker dead.  Let Paul’s team keep searching.”

“Fine!”  He waved a hand at her, letting her have her way.  None of it mattered anyway.  They wouldn’t find Ed.  But if it kept Henderson off their backs, he was willing to go along with it for now.  He got up and poured himself another whiskey and took it back to Ed’s desk, sitting and laying his head back wearily against the headrest.

Ginny watched him, looking as hopeless as he felt.   After a moment, she said, “You did the right thing, Alec.”

He ignored her, staring at the ceiling, his hand gripping his glass tightly.

She came closer to the desk.  “You did what he wanted.  What was best for him.  What was best for all of us.”

He slammed the glass down on the desk, slopping some of it onto his hand.  “What was best would have been for him to have increased his security!  What was best would have been for him not to have been alone out there!  If he’d just accepted the security detail I wanted to give him months ago, he’d be alright now.  He’d be fine.  He’d be safe!”  His voice rose as he flung out a hand to emphasize his anger.  “But did he?  Did he listen to me?  Did he ever for one minute listen to me?”  His face crumpled at these words, and he began to weep – harsh broken sobs that came from deep within.  He buried his face in his hands and let it come.

Ginny sank onto the chair in front of the desk, saying nothing, just waiting patiently for his grief to pass.  There was much that had to be done now.  SHADO needed to be able to continue even with the loss of their commander.  Sooner or later, the general would get wind that Straker was missing.  They had to act as though there was still a chance to locate him.  If they didn’t, Henderson would step right in and have him replaced.  And that, on top of everything else she was trying to handle, would be just too much.  Her own grief was such a tight fist around her heart that it was difficult to breathe.  But she was pretty sure that Alec, even as devastated as he was, would not take any change in leadership in stride.  In fact, she was fairly certain that any attempt to alter HQ’s setup in any way would be met with unusual resistance from Col. Freeman.  Even if – especially if – Henderson gave Straker’s job to him. 

With the end result that he’d probably land in the brig.  She sighed.  Somehow, she had to find a way to keep that from happening.

* * *
When Straker woke, he had no idea how much time had passed.  The sun was still high in the sky, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t been out for a while.  Since he was pretty sure it was still night on the other side of that cave, he figured that he wasn’t going to be able to guess time here by the slant of the sun.  It felt blissfully cool under the tree, with the shurring of the maple leaves in the fragrant breeze a constant hum in his ears.  He became aware of two things simultaneously.  One was that his head was no longer on the grass, but was pillowed on a lap while gentle fingers stroked through his hair and down his side.  It felt at once so foreign for him to be held, yet so indescribably lovely, that he didn’t fight it. 

The second thing was that Nyt, who was obviously the one cradling him on her lap, was having an argument with someone else – another fairy at a guess.  He tried not to be distracted by the warmth of her touch as he listened to their conversation.

“You had no right to bring him here!” demanded the other fairy in a melodious voice not made for anger.

“He needed to be safe, Seriptamina,” answered Nyt calmly as she continued to stroke him.  “We cannot afford to allow any harm to come to him.  He is necessary to Gaia.”

“Fine!  But I’m sure there were countless other safe places you could have taken him than here.  Sacred meadows are for keepers – not for humans!”

“His home was too far away for us to reach,” Nyt explained.  “And he was too badly injured to attempt it.  As it was, his enemies nearly caught us several times.  I had no choice but to bring him here.  I needed to get him to safety before he died from his wounds.”

He stirred at that, remembrance of pain and nausea coming back to him like a fading echo.  She soothed him with her touch, and he quieted, her warmth seeping into his body and easing every ache.

“Even so,” continued Seriptamina as if all this was of no consequence whatsoever.  “He doesn’t belong here.  You’ve set up a dangerous precedent, Arianythra, by bringing a human here.  I hope you are willing to deal with the consequences of your impulsive actions!”

“I am quite willing to account to the Council for my actions,” answered Nyt quietly.  “If and when I am asked to do so.  Until then, perhaps you will give us some peace so that he may heal.”

The other fairy made a sound very like a rabbit might if enraged, and by the silence that settled over them he assumed that she was gone even though he hadn’t heard her leave.  Then he remembered that keepers had wings and decided that she must have flown away.

Nyt gave a soft sigh and spoke.  “How do you feel, Commander?”

He opened his eyes and looked into her grey ones above him.  “Much better than I have any right to feel, Nyt,” he said with a wry smile.  “Thank you.  Have I gotten you into trouble?”

Her smile bloomed.  “Not in the least.  Seriptamina simply likes to fuss.”

“Did I thank you for saving my life?”

Unexpectedly she blushed.  “Yes, Commander.  You did.”

“Good.”  He considered her flushed cheeks for a moment, then asked, “How bad off am I?”

She met his eyes once more.  “Oh, you’re not nearly as hurt as you were!  Don’t you feel any better?”

“Much,” he said.  “But I figured it was mostly because you’re holding me.”

Her blush deepened as she looked out over the meadow.  After a moment, she said somewhat stiffly, “It is necessary for you to heal.”

His smile widened, his blue eyes starting to twinkle.  “I’m not complaining, you understand.”

She looked swiftly at him, then grinned in relief when she saw his smile.  “I did not want you to think I was taking liberties with your person,” she said.  “Humans have odd ideas about such things.”

“I suppose we do,” he murmured.  “So.  How long before I’m well again?”

“Not much longer,” she assured him.  “Your concussion is already much better, your ribs are healed, and your internal injuries are coming along nicely.  Your leg is being difficult, but perhaps when the rest of you is well again, it will decide to cooperate.”

He hadn’t realized just how wounded he’d been.  He’d known it was bad, but to hear her calmly reciting his catalog of injuries was a bit daunting.  Thank God he was improving quickly!  “I’m sorry to be such a burden to you.”

She shook her head, her long curls sliding over her arms as she moved.  “You are not, Commander.  Instead, we keepers are honored to be of service to you.”

He looked out over the wildflowers, barely able to make out in the distance the dark-haired fairy who had spoken to Nyt.  “Apparently not all of you.”

She shrugged.  “Seriptamina understands your value to Gaia.  She just likes to complain.”

“And here I was thinking that all keepers were as perfect as you.”

Her blush returned, but she bravely met his eyes.  “I’m not!  You surely know that I’m not.  I was so harsh to you when you were in such pain, making you go on when you only wished to rest!”

He laid his hand over her restless one.  “You saved my life when I was ready to give up.  I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that, you know.”

She suppressed a quick shudder as she recalled how dire his situation had been, but he felt it nonetheless.  She did not meet his eyes when she said softly, “It was the least we could do for you, Commander.”

“Won’t you call me Ed?” he asked.

She shook her head sadly and kept her gaze on the meadow.  “It would not be . . .”  She swallowed once, then finished.  “Wise.”

He could not fail to understand her.  And although his heart gave a great bound to know that he meant something more than just the salvation of Gaia to her, he was quite aware of the impossibility of their different situations in life.  He was mortal; she was timeless.  And they both had one overriding job to do: to save the planet.  Nothing and no one could ever be allowed to get in the way of that goal.  For either of them.

In silence he watched the flowers sway in the breeze, soothed by the quiet touch of her healing hands until he fell asleep once more.

* * *
When he woke, it was still sunny.  And he was still laying with his head on Nyt’s lap.  He sat up, concerned that he’d kept her chained to one spot for so long.  But his head didn’t appreciate his sudden movement and began reeling.  He gasped, reaching out a hand to steady himself.

“It’s alright, Commander,” she said, taking his arm.  “Take it slow.”

Straker took a deep breath and tried to focus on her face.  After a moment or two he was able to see her clearly as the dizziness passed.  “How long was I out?”

“Not long.”

He searched her features.  “Are you okay?”

Her lips twitched, and her brow raised.  She wasn’t the one who’d been injured, after all. “Shouldn’t I be?”

He grimaced.  “I’m sorry.  You must be stiff from sitting still for so long.”

She shook her head at him.  “Not at all, Commander.  I’m fine.”

Hearing his own standard answer on her lips angered him for some reason.  His expression darkened.  “You’re obviously not fine!  You’re pale, and you look exhausted.  You can’t keep giving me all your energy!” 

She smiled softly at him.  “It is mine to give.”

“Damn it, Nyt!” Suddenly he noticed that they were no longer alone under the tree.  He glanced over and saw another fairy sitting near his feet, her delicate hands tracing over his injured leg.

She looked up at his glance and smiled.  “Hello, Commander,” she said.  “I am Elisaria.  It is an honor to serve you.”

She had a wide smile, short spiky black hair, vivid wings the color of eggplant, and looked about ten, he thought.  If ten year olds had the figure of a goddess.  He turned back to Nyt with a glare.

She was leaning against the trunk of the maple tree, her hands flat against its bark as if drawing strength from it.  Which, perhaps, she was.  She smiled knowingly at his discomfort.  “Gaia is happy to assist you, Commander.  We are aware of your importance to our world, even if you are not.”

As if in response to that statement, another fairy came up to him, offering him a large leaf full of berries.  “You must be hungry by now, Commander,” she said in her melodious voice, smiling sweetly.  “Please, eat.”

He took the leaf from her hands and ate a berry of two while she watched, but once she left, he glared at Nyt again.

She chuckled.  “I know, Commander,” she said.  “You’d be much happier if we left you to fend for yourself.  But even you must realize when it is prudent to allow others to help you.”

He grunted, but she was aware that it wasn’t in agreement.  However, he stopped glaring at her and finished off the berries in silence.  When he set the leaf aside, he met her eyes once more.  “Is it still night out there?” he asked with a gesture toward the granite hillside.

“Nearly dawn now,” she answered.  “Are you in such a hurry to leave?”

He sighed, fairly sure that his leg wouldn’t carry him very far.  If his head would even allow him to stand up long enough to check it out.  “I need to get word to Alec that I’m alright.  They’ll be searching for me.  They may even think I’m dead.”

She frowned.  “You did bleed a lot.  I hadn’t realized that they might be concerned by that.”  She looked at him closely, no doubt seeing everywhere he still wasn’t healed.  “I don’t think you’re ready to strike out on your own just yet.”  She glanced at Elisaria, who was still working with his leg, and they shared a moment of unspoken communication that he had no trouble interpreting.  He sighed again.  Obviously his leg wasn’t improved enough to walk on, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Is there some way I can get him a message?” he asked, doing his best to keep his irritation at his helplessness out of his voice.  He was pretty sure they didn’t have phones here.  Or email.

She thought for a moment.  “Would he be able to accept my presence?”

He met her eyes in surprise.  “I didn’t mean for you to go to him directly.  You’re worn out.”

She lifted her arms in a stretch, then got to her feet.  “I’m fine now.”  And he could see that she was.  In fact, she looked as fresh as he was used to seeing her.  Not at all as if she had spent the night caring for an injured man.  He was amazed that she had recovered so swiftly.

She smiled in understanding.  “Gaia heals itself,” she explained.

And he nodded, a bitter taste in his mouth.  “Of course.  And I’m not from Gaia, so it’s harder.”

“Yes,” she said gently.  “But you are healing.”

“If you help me back through the cave, I might be able to contact them,” he said somewhat stiffly, trying not to be offended.  “They can get me to a hospital.”

She laid a hand on his arm.  “Commander.  That is not necessary.  I know how much you hate hospitals.  Please know that Gaia is honored to do this service for you.  We wish it were possible to do more.”

He could not hold out against her entreating gaze.  It wasn’t her fault, after all, that it infuriated him to know that he was an alien on his own world.  She wasn’t his enemy.  She’d proved that over and over, and it was time his pride accepted that humans weren’t in charge of this planet.  “Very well.  How do I let Alec know I’m alright?”

“You’ve spoken to him about me,” she said.  “Will he accept my presence?”

It was what she had asked him before.  “I’m not sure,” he said, thinking about it.  “He’s actually a lot more flexible than he gives himself credit for being.  I suppose it really just depends on how upset he is over my disappearance.”

“Alright,” she said.  “What message shall I give him?”

Chapter 6

Somehow Straker had assumed that, having survived going through the cave once, the second time would be easier.  But it wasn’t.  In fact, in many ways it was worse, since his mind was more alert this time and fully aware of his terror.  He shuddered once as they entered, then closed his eyes, clung to Nyt’s hand, and tried to ignore the cold sweat that broke out all over him.

He felt wrung out by the time they reached the other entrance, and had to stand for a moment leaning against the rock face to regain his composure before moving on.  Then he straightened his ruined jacket, ran a hand through his hair to smooth it somewhat, and gave her a brisk nod. 

“Let’s go.”  He started off, then turned to her as she moved to follow.  “Um – perhaps you should lead.”

She grinned, understanding completely.  He was used to being in charge, but in this instance he was at a disadvantage, since he didn’t know which way they had come.  “Of course, Commander,” Nyt said and led the way through the underbrush.

* * *
After they had walked for some time, he stopped her with a hand on her arm.  “Nyt?”

She turned and looked at him in the soft green light of early morning as it filtered through the thick canopy of trees overhead. “Yes, Commander?”

He frowned back at the path that they had taken so far, a path that was nothing more than a winding break between dense trees and overgrown bushes.  Then he met her pale eyes in the soft light.  “I don’t think I fully appreciated your efforts in my behalf, Nyt.”

Her brow raised in inquiry.  “Please explain.”

He gestured to the forest crowding them.  “I wasn’t very coherent on my first trip through these woods, so I didn’t realize how far you had to take me to get me to safety.  I should have died.  I should never have made it anywhere at all.  I know how bad off I was.”

She searched his face, trying to understand.  “You wished for me not to have saved you?” 

“No, of course not.  I merely find myself even more grateful than I would have thought possible that you were willing to go to such lengths to protect Gaia.”

Unexpectedly, she blushed.  Without a word she turned and continued walking through the trees.  But after a long while, she stopped once more and turned to meet his eyes.  He was surprised to see that her color was still high.  “Commander . . .”

She paused, as if searching for the right words to say.  Then she said, “Protecting Gaia is my primary responsibility.”

“I know that, Nyt,” he said quietly.  “And you do an incredible job.”

“Thank you.”  She almost left it at that, but found that her heart would not allow it.  She blurted, “But even if Gaia had not been at stake, I would have saved you!”

Straker watched her blush deepen and felt humbled.  He lightly traced his fingers down her flushed cheek before dropping his hand to his side once more.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

She nodded, but did not try to say anything further, her entire being thrown off balance by his touch.  It was as though every cell in her body was suddenly focused on that one point of contact, which made no sense at all.  But since it was not a sensation she had ever had to deal with before – and indeed, had no idea how to handle – she merely turned away in confusion and continued leading him through the woods.

* * *
Straker was surprised when she eventually stopped walking, because they were still not in sight of the road.  But when she turned to him, she explained, “One of your men is just beyond those bushes.  He should be able to lead you the rest of the way back.”

Although he couldn’t see anyone nearby – the forest was too dense for good visibility – he had no doubt that she was telling the truth.  And suddenly he was tongue-tied once more – wanting to say so much, but unable to even begin.

“Nyt, I . . .”

She laid a slender hand reassuringly on his arm.  “Thank you for allowing Gaia to assist you.”

“Will I see you again?”

She smiled softly.  “Do you wish it?”

“Very much.”

Her smile widened.  “Then you shall,” she murmured, lowering her eyes before he could make out their expression.

There was a sudden movement among the underbrush, and he heard an indrawn breath.  Then –

“Commander?  Commander Straker?”

“Here!” he called, then turned back to say good-bye to Nyt.  But she was gone, only a vague twinkling visible in the soft green light filtering through the trees surrounding him.

Foster tore through the bushes and gasped at the sight of him.  “Commander!  Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Paul,” he replied automatically, thrusting aside all regrets over returning to his own portion of reality.  He had a job to do, after all.

Col. Foster didn’t look convinced as he took in Straker’s blood-soaked clothing and disheveled appearance.  He stepped closer and asked quietly, “Do you need a gurney, sir?”

The commander laid a hand on his shoulder, his lips quirked wryly.  “It looks a lot worse than it is, Paul.  Do you by any chance know the way out of here?”

Foster grinned in relief.  “Right this way!”  Thrusting his way back through the bushes, the colonel led him toward the road, calling in the search team on his radio as he did so.

* * *
The ride back to HQ was accomplished with speed and efficiency, and Straker was pleased to note that the new upgrades on the mobiles made the vehicles run much more smoothly than before.  He hadn’t looked forward to being bounced from head to toe in the back of a mobile for miles on end.  He spent most of the trip with his eyes closed and his head laid back against the headrest, trying to figure out how to handle this situation in a way that wouldn’t necessitate him remaining in the Medical Centre for the next three months under quarantine.  When he did finally open his eyes, he noticed the colonel watching him closely – and almost sighed. 

Glancing down at himself, he could well understand Foster’s concern.  The state of his clothes made him look like he’d been thoroughly beaten up and left for dead.  He assumed that blood still clung to his hair in places, as well.  Then he noticed the silk still wrapped around his right leg.  He reached down and peeled it off, not entirely surprised when it easily removed itself from the dried crustiness of the surrounding pant leg.  It hadn’t failed to catch his attention once he woke in the meadow that Nyt’s gown showed no signs of ever having been ripped.  He ran the silk through his hand, marveling at how it remained supple in spite of its stains.  However, as remarkable as the silk was, it was a poignant reminder of her at a time when he could not afford to reminisce.  He had to keep a clear head. 

“What is it?” Col. Foster asked, eying the cloth warily.

Straker’s hand clenched on the fabric momentarily.  Then he met the colonel’s eyes squarely.  “Nothing important.  The bleeding stopped some time ago.”  He casually balled the silk and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.

“Sir?” the colonel asked hesitantly.

“Yes, Paul?”

“How – ?”  He swallowed and began again.  “We searched all night and never found a trace of you.  To tell you the truth, the most we expected to find once it got light enough to see was your dead body.”

“I’m sorry, Paul,” Straker said quietly.  “I wasn’t trying to be hard to find.  Not by a friendly, anyway.  I’d found a cave that provided some shelter and hid out there until morning.  I knew I’d never find my way back to the car in the dark.  It was worse than a maze in those woods.”

Foster grimaced.  “Yeah, it wasn’t easy going for us either.”

“Thank you.”

The colonel’s eyes suddenly filled and he looked away, saying gruffly, “Well, at least we found you alive.”

* * *
When Commander Straker entered the Control room, applause broke out among the operatives.  He checked at the sound, embarrassed, and his eyes flew to where his second-in-command stood leaning against a pole, grinning broadly.  Straker did his best to ignore his cheering staff as he approached the colonel.

“Well, Alec,” he said when he reached him.  “It’s really good to see you.”

“Likewise, I’m sure!” Freeman replied, whose grin widened further as he slapped his friend on the back.  “Let’s get you to the Medical Centre, shall we?”

“Commander, would you like a wheelchair?”

Straker looked in surprise at Col. Lake, who stood nearby, concern written all over her face.  He sighed and shared a look with Alec before answering.  “Thank you, Colonel.  But I think I can get there under my own steam.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, relieved that he wasn’t angry with her suggestion.  But she hadn’t been able to keep from asking.  He looked like he’d been through a siege.

She glanced at Alec, who stood, still grinning, as the commander walked off toward the Medical Centre.  Freeman winked at her, and she chuckled in spite of herself.  Trust the commander to come through such a harrowing adventure in one piece!  Well – relatively speaking, of course.

Alec turned to Foster, who had come up to them and was smiling after the retreating form of their commander.  “Good work, Paul!”

The colonel grinned, then slid his eyes to Col. Lake.  “Told you I’d find him,” he said.