Blood of The Lamb

Not meant to infringe on copyright of Carlton International which owns the rights to UFO, just a non-profit fan story for fans

Dedicated to the men and women that lost their lives in the terrorist attack on 11 September. And to the courage of the men and women who came to offer assistance.

Special thanks to James Killian and Carly Ward for helping with some details in the story.

Writer Dominick Dunne makes an appearance in this story, I hope he doesn't sue me, I simply put him in here, because I enjoy his writing, and his thirst for justice, and I admire his name dropping. We sort of write in a similar way :- ) Adult language and content Note to readers I've used poetic license with several details for dramatic effect.

Not to be used without author's permission.

E mail author

"That makes the ninth time you've said shit today, Claire." Yetunde announced with great amusement, as Claire's young patient shrieked when the hypo went in. Claire didn't usually swear much.

"I hate giving kids shots! That's all, now , honey, all over, all better. Yetunde, are we out of the lollies and stickers? Yeow!" Claire screamed.

"What?" Yetunde cried in alarm. Claire was working in the casuality unit, as part of her residency, and because staff was short handed that day, Yetunde, who was supposed to be off duty, had generously come to help her out.

"The little darling bit me. No worry, I know this straggler, he comes in here more often then the chief of the casuality unit does. I've had tetanus and everything else, and his blood is fine." Claire stared at the little boy who stuck his tongue out at her despite his tears. She tweaked his ear playfully in revenge and he stared at her. She picked him up off the table, pushed back the curtain that surrounded the area and let him go running to his poor overworked mother, who was minding a baby and two other boys.

"Let me see it anyway, and dress it." Yetunde insisted, and Claire changed the paper cover on the exam table, and hopped up on it with relief, wincing at the bitten finger. She watched the mother hug the boy with sudden sadness.

"Yetunde?"

"Hmmm?" Yetunde flushed the finger with antiseptic soap and water, then with a powerful antiseptic, finally bandaged it.

"I had my last full medical exam a couple of days ago. I wanted to confirm something I was suspicious of."

"Oh my sister, what is it? Do not tell me you are ill? It has been a month since Edward had his crisis, and now you? Ah ah ah!"

"Nothing major. I guess." Claire bit her lip, broke into tears.

"You weep! And this, you say, is not major?"

"I'm just stu-stu-stupid. I had this silly fantasy, Yetunde. That I could be a surrogate mother, give Edward a child he could raise. But I've stopped menstruating. I'm in menopause. My hormonal workup confirmed it. I'm barren."

"Oh my sister." Yetunde sighed. " Now you must not start to think the world has ended."

"Ryan does. He has to cope with both my mood swings when I get off work, and that Kessler fellow training him." Claire managed to smile. Yetunde giggled.

"Mr. Kessler is such a perfectionist, that I am afraid he will work poor Ryan to death! But then perhaps he and Lieutenant Ford will be close friends and slink off to moan about how terrible Edward and Eric are!"

"I like Lieutenant Ford, he came in here complaining of stomach pain, and thinking it was ulcers, but I assured him it was just mild heartburn. He seemed very disappointed, I think he was hoping that I'd chart him as unable to return to work." Claire giggled back. "Is he treated as badly by Edward as gossip says he is?"

"He is professionally tortured by Edward. " laughed Yetunde.

"How is Edward? I keep wishing he'd get a paper cut or something, so I could see him. I haven't had any excuse to go into Control, and I don't particularly want to transfer to medical centre. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of leaving Mayland, and opening a book shop, or something."

"You must complete your residency before you go running off again!" Yetunde complained.

"Why? What have I made of my life, Yetunde? I was my father's daughter and my mother's daughter and my brother's little sister. I was never me. Not until I met Ryan and Tom, and Edward, and you, and Alec. And all my dreams, well, they were just dreams. "

"Dreams are more important than you-" Yetunde's sentence was cut off by her mobile phone ring tones.

"Yetunde. Hi Alec! Yes, I-WHAT? WHY? Alec Freeman, you and I have ballet - Edward again? Ah ah ah! Damn! Just tell him no. I do not care that he will pound you into small fragments. What does he want now? Alec, how many times have I told you that he is the executive of the studio, and he has to stop shoving you up on stage to get awards just because he hates the press? I will tell him myself! I will- He wants us to go instead? I keep telling you-" Yetunde stared down at Claire, who was listening wistfully. Then Yetunde just smiled like a lioness who has just spotted an elk and intends to ask for fries with that prey. To go.

"Yetunde? What? Why are you looking at me like, like that?"

"Alec, my lover? You are about to get sick. Very, very, very, very sick. And then you are going to lie and say nobody else can go but Edward, and that you already got the two passes for the award dinner, Edward must go, and that Claire has generously offered to go with him." Yetunde said over the phone. "And then you and I will go sneak to the ballet, like you have been promising me for days now."

Claire gasped. She opened her mouth and Yetunde clasped her hand over Claire's lips before she could protest.

"Yes, my lover, I promise I will bury you in Australian soil when Edward finds out you weren't really sick and you went to the ballet with me instead. Now when did you say that dinner starts? 8:30 pm? All right, I have to go, I don't have much time to make Dr. Spencer into the belle of the ball. Kiss kiss. Go make the call to Edward now." Yetunde pushed the antennae down and smiled at Claire, who looked like she'd been in Spain for the running of the bulls, and had been trampled. Repeatedly.

* * *

Shado HQ Straker's office

"Ford, is something wrong with your hearing? I asked you a half hour ago to get me the report on the Interceptor response times! Now where is it?"

"Sir, it's right there on your desk, I brought it." Ford meekly pointed to it. Yes, there's something wrong with my hearing, you've been yelling at me so long I finally went deaf, and why? Because Alec Freeman goes and tells ME to tell you that he's ill and can't make it to the award dinner in London tonight, and so what happens? I get yelled at! Ford thought in misery as he watched Straker flip open the folder, take in the contents in one glance and then, unexpectedly, slam it on the desk to underscore every other sentence he uttered.

"Well don't just SIT there. Get back to your station! (slam) Has everyone forgotten why we're here? And have them bring my car around, and make sure Alec has the messenger bring those tickets to my flat at eight sharp.(slam, slam) I have that damnable award dinner to attend. (slam ) And ring and tell Dr. Spencer that if she is one minute late, I leave without her. Is that clear, Ford?" (slam, slam, slam slam!)

"Sir." Ford turned around and went out, hyperventilating and praying for the aliens to come rip his brain out. Maybe their telephone number was in the directory, maybe there was hope yet.

Ed Straker flipped through the folder again, and try as he could, he couldn't find anything wrong with the response times. It made it difficult on a Commander when his people didn't give him a reason to yell at them. How dare they? Christ, he would have to actually put on the penguin suit and actually go to that award dinner fiasco. Best film of the year : Harlington Straker Film Studios' Hour with the Devil. For God's sake! Best film my eye! It could have been made with a empty film camera and a flashlight by a deaf man with one blind eye. Best film? Were they all mad? Had the critics all gone dotty? And Alec! SICK? Alec never got sick when he WAS sick! Ed shoved the folder down, initialed it, threw it into the out basket, barked at an Buddha-like, composed Miss Ealand on his desk phone that he was leaving for the rest of the day, grabbed his Nehru jacket and did so.

Control all rose to their feet and applauded wildly in their imaginations. For if there was any doubt that Edward Straker, who all day,(no make it all month), had been making Hitler look as sweet as a Easter rabbit, was completely well, it was now forever and completely dissolved. The evil nemesis in the cream Nehru suit had returned.

* * *

Yetunde grinned at the smiling black youth. He was smiling because he was one of Yetunde's personal favourites at the boutique, and he was going to make a whopper of a commission on this sale, and because of the awed way the strange brunette woman was staring at herself in the three way glass. It reminded him of the way he used to play dress-up with his sister, and she'd stand there, giggling at her image in Mum's oversized frock, and he in his Dad's best suit. Besides, he wouldn't throw her out of his bed, white or not.

"You do look tres sensationale, mon cherie," he said, kissing Claire Spencer's hand. She broke out in a wide grin at him. Yetunde made a face.

"Marvin, I have already tipped you more than generously, don't press your luck."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Madame," he grinned at Yetunde. Claire giggled at him. "But can she turn just one more time like she's on some Paris catwalk, you little ebony fashionista, you?"

Yetunde gave him a haughty look of disapproval that was as genuine as his French accent. She nodded. Claire got into the spirit of things, and made a credible 360 degree turn in the black lace-bodiced evening gown, extending her arm in the air like a ballerina en pointe with one hand and flaring the full length white chiffon skirt with the other.

"Tres magnifique!" he exclaimed.

"Oh enough, Marvin, you were born in shy town, on an L- train, not in some Parisian salon." Yetunde chuckled.

"Be quiet, Yetunde, I liked it!" laughed Claire merrily.

"He is worthless. All right. She will take it. "

"Yetunde, the cost-" Claire said worriedly, looking at the tag with its endless row of zeroes.

"You can owe me. Edward is a superb dresser when he chooses to be at these events and your gown must be comparable to his tuxedo. Nathaniel is guarding him, and he will make sure Ed looks well."

* * *

Nathaniel Zouri drove the company limo, and watched Ed Straker mutter to himself, and he wondered if the person he most needed to guard tonight wasn't Straker, but Claire, who would be going with them tonight.

"You look really great tonight, Commander."

"Shut up Zouri." Ed said. drumming his fingers on his lap and looking moodily out the smoked one way glass at the streets of London.

"Yes, sir." Zouri said obediently, casting looks at the perfectly groomed Straker in the Armani tuxedo with its cobalt cummerbund and matching bow tie. Claire Spencer was going to be a lucky girl tonight.

If the commander didn't kill her first.

* * *

"You understand what you have to do?"

"Hey, for the amount of money you're paying me, I'd understand anything. But how do you know I'll get away with this?"

"Just do it. I will pay you the rest when its done."

"What have you got against this Straker anyway?"

"That's none of your business. Just do it."

* * *

"Edward, what is it? Am I late? Oh I tried so hard not to be late."

Ed looked at Claire in the doorway of her flat, ignoring Ryan, who had jumped to his feet when he'd seen who was at the door. He hadn't believed Claire's insisting that Straker was her date for the night. Ryan waved at Nate and Nate grinned at him. Ryan was barefooted and wearing a shabby terry cloth bathrobe.

"You aren't late. You look..well, you look wonderful. Come on." Ed said quietly. Claire looked in astonishment at him as she followed him into the limo, wondering if Yetunde had put him up to saying that to her, and then was ashamed at herself for thinking it was anything but genuine. Ed wasn't the kind to hand out empty compliments.

"She is stylin'," Nate agreed.

"Shut up, Zouri."

"Yes, Commander."

"Has Ed been giving you a hard time about this dinner tonight?" Claire laughed.

Ed made a sour face at her, which she ignored.

"All night," Nate assured her from his position at the wheel.

"Shut up and drive. I want to get this thing over with." Ed reached inside the tuxedo jacket and retrieved his aviator sunglasses and put them on.

"You going incognito tonight, Edward?" Claire smiled.

"Not a chance, but this helps with the damn flashbulbs going off in your face when you get out of the car. Once we're inside, we're relatively safe. I use that word loosely. Directors, starlets with breasts bigger than their I.Q.'s, producers, drunken actors, and that idiot I always get seated with, every time I see him, tells me he wants me to play some role in a movie in Italy. I must have told him five million times that I am not an actor, but he persists."

"Its the way you look, Ed. You look like an actor. Especially tonight."

"Hell, Claire, I'm 53." Ed shrugged. "I have more creases than a Shar-Pei."

"I'm 50, Edward. I could always give you a jar of my face creme, but trust me, you don't need it." chuckled Claire.

Ed shot her a look.

"You're 50? I don't believe it."

"Didn't you read my report that day? The day you scared the hell out of Ryan and I?"

"I was too busy trying to remember what Yetunde and Alec coached me to say. You don't look like you're 50."

"Nate?" Claire said.

"What?"

"Put up the screen, would you? I want to talk to Ed privately."

"Leave me to my lonesome, huh? Okay. I'll turn on the stereo system for company." Nate winked at her in the driving glass, but Ed impatiently hit the screen switch from his side, shutting Nate out, and Claire giggled at Ed.

"You're terrible to the hired help."

"What was it you wanted to say?"

"Ed, Yetunde and Alec had told me all about Margaret, and the baby, and you losing the little boy Devon."

"They have big mouths." Ed said angrily.

"I wanted to be a surrogate mother for you, and give you a child. But now I can't. I recently learned I'm in menopause. I'm sorry."

"You wanted to-" Ed stammered. He looked at the small bar built into the limousine wistfully. There were times he wished he drank to excess and this was one of them. This woman had followed him to England and now she had decided to give him a baby? "Did you think of asking me if that was what I wanted?"

"I didn't have to. You might have turned me down, in fact you probably would, but not without seriously thinking about it." she smiled at him.

"This one of your insights into my nature?"

"Maybe. I bet I'm right, too."

"Claire?"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

Claire chuckled at him, and there was a trace of a smile on his face.

* * *

"That was so exciting!" Claire announced as they got into the limo after the dinner. Ed looked at her as if he thought her sanity was obviously in question.

"Exciting? That fellow was seated at my table again, and he said he'd call me and have me do an audition for him. Asked me if I could sing, and I said like a bird. That got him off my back for a while. My steak was the size of a postage stamp, and they served me champagne even though I said repeatedly I don't drink. The damn applause when I finally took this ugly knick-knack was deafening, but I think it was mostly because they were tired of seeing Alec's face on stage every year the studio wins something. I don't know about you, but I'm still hungry, and I want something to eat. I know a place that makes good coffee and better food, want to go?"

"Sounds great, and you may have hated it, but I thought it was elegant and exciting and oh, Ed, the evening was wonderful I don't want it to end. I'd love to come with you! Can I hold it?"

Ed handed her the strange looking statue.

"You can keep it. Use it as a doorstop." Ed grinned. She laughed at him, and took it gingerly.

"You had the shortest acceptance speech in history." Nate remarked.

"Shut up, Nathaniel." Ed warned him. Claire noticed he had gone from Zouri to Nathaniel as Ed's mood had improved.

"Thanks." Claire giggled. "That was truly memorable, Edward. I think you took the band by surprise, they stared at one another, they couldn't believe that was all you said. Took them a whole minute to start your walk off stage music."

"I wanted to get out of there." Ed finally grinned. "Besides, that was the most terrible movie we ever made."

"I thought Hour with the Devil was a hot flick." Nate informed them. He knew everywhere Ed liked to go and eat, so he didn't have to ask.

"That's because that black actress you like has a brief nude scene in it."

"Commander, you have no regard for my taste in the arts!" Nate frowned.

"Nathaniel, that's because you have none. Anyone who looks at the way you dressed tonight can tell that. The colour of the outfit you have on looks like meat when it goes bad." Nate had been wearing a teal green tuxedo with a frilly shirt.

Claire wildly giggled at Ed's deadpan statement.

"Claire, don't encourage him," Nate said, pretending to be deeply hurt.

"Edward, stop picking on Nate," she said formally.

"You're not suggesting I treat him with respect, are you?" Ed feigned shock.

"No I wouldn't go that far," Claire teased.

Ed stared at her, and then he laughed sharply. Nate moaned and Claire dissolved in giggles.

* * *

They came into the small restaurant and Ed started to request a private booth, but he stopped in mid-sentence when a all too familiar voice reached his ear. Claire bit her lip and Ed turned to Nate and said something. Nate gulped, but went out the door, and came back with something he gave to Ed. Ed spoke to the restaurant owner and passed him a considerable amount of money. The owner grinned and nodded at Ed. Claire looked at him nervously.

"Two hours! For two hours I had to sit there and watch all those women tiptoe around. They all look the same. For those prices they should have taken off their tutus or something. " Alec Freeman gulped his bourbon as Yetunde watched him.

"Ah ah ah! You are hopeless. That was Swan Lake and I cried through the entire thing, it was so sad!"

"Sad? That's why you were sad? I thought you were crying at how much the ticket prices cost me!"

"Alec, I am not going home with you. You are a boor."

"You love me anyway." Alec leaned over and kissed Yetunde. Yetunde's eyes widened in sheer horror. Alec looked at her, puzzled. Then it occured to him she was looking at something behind him. He turned in his chair. That was when it happened.

Ed Straker struck him on the back of the head with the award, and he half fell out of his chair. Claire gasped. Yetunde started to laugh, knowing Ed hadn't put all his strength behind the blow.

"Why, Alec. You really were sick," Ed said calmly, watching Alec shakily try to get to his feet.

"Why you son-of-a- ED!"

"So you were sick, huh? You don't know what sick is yet. You will when I get through with you." Ed stared down at Alec, pushed him back into the chair. Yetunde covered her mouth, trying not to laugh again at the cross-eyed Australian.

"Come on, Ed, give me a break."

"I didn't break anything yet? Damn. I should have hit you harder. I can remedy that," Ed said. Nate cackled at his boss.

"Edward, do not kill Alec. Sit down and have some dinner and coffee. Claire, you look absolutely marvelous, did you enjoy yourself?" Yetunde signaled to the waiter to bring more chairs, as the restaurant owner pocketed his money for looking in the opposite direction when one customer cracked the other over the head with a silver plated statuette. He had known Ed for a while, and such hijinks between Straker and Freeman were not a surprise to him.

"I can't remember when I've had such a terrific time," Claire said delightedly as the waiter seated her.

"You overwork this poor woman at that hospital if she thinks that was a terrific time," Ed told Yetunde, putting the napkin in his lap. " Incidentally, Claire, did you know that Alec was less than as sick as he made himself out to be?"

"He probably has a concussion now, but yes, I did. How else would I get to go with you? I missed you Edward. Seeing you always brightens my day."

"Don't try to compliment your way out of being in trouble with me, Claire Spencer," Ed told her, but his eyes sparkled.

"Can I have a last meal before you fire me, Edward?" she asked, turning mournful brown eyes on him.

"I suppose so. The Italian food in here is great, if you're an Italian food fan."

"I love it!"

Yetunde looked at Alec, and grinned.

"I think I will take my poor concussed lover home, and allow Claire to have her last meal in peace."

"Will I still have a job when I get back to the studio?" Alec asked Ed.

"Why sure, Alec." smiled Ed. Yetunde and Alec got up, and the waiter came over with their bill. Alec gave him his credit card, tipped him and they started to head out.

"Someone has to dump out the office rubbish bins, after all," Ed said loudly enough for Alec to hear. Alec gulped, and Yetunde started to laugh. Claire giggled, and shook her head at a smug looking Ed Straker as Nate guffawed.

* * *

Claire watched Ed pay for the meal with sadness and a bulging tummy. The evening was going to end. She sighed. Ed signed his name on the credit receipt, looked over at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I just don't want the night to stop. I really did miss you, Edward. I kept trying to come up with some excuse to come over and see how you were."

Ed looked at her silently for a long while, thoughtful.

"You were a bookkeeper-accountant for a while, weren't you?"

Claire was genuinely surprised at the question which really wasn't a question.

"I did that for a while, that's what my mother was before she met Dad. It was kind of interesting. Kept me busy during the summers. Why?"

"Will you come to my flat tonight and look at something for me briefly? I'll make us some coffee, or we can have some tea."

"I'd like that, Edward." Claire smiled warmly.

Ed opened the door of the restaurant for her, and she and Nate stepped through.

Afterwards, Claire reflected that it was like everything had slowed down, as though she was in a slow motion movie.

Unexpectedly, someone had dashed up to Ed in a split second of activity, Nate Zouri, who had been a few paces behind Ed and Claire, ran up and pulled out his gun, Ed Straker reached up under his own jacket for his Glock, but squeezed his eyes shut and threw up his arms to cover his face as the person threw something at him, drenched him with some dark liquid. Ed fell to the pavement on his side, Claire screamed, partially spattered with it, and jumped down and over the Commander protectively, still screaming. Nate shot the person twice in the stomach, and the person's eyes bulged and he toppled over. Nate saw that the corpse was that of a kid. He couldn't have been much over seventeen. Nate couldn't care less. Then he turned to see how Ed was, cursing himself for not doing his job, ignoring the few terrified bystanders.

Ed was completely covered with blood. Claire's once pristine gown was spattered with it.

* * *

"Well, what is it now?" Ed turned the coffee cup around in his hand in his HQ office when Alec entered, watching the colours on his mural. He had turned around toward Alec when the doors hissed open announcing that Alec had come. Ed had been expecting him.

Alec was frowning. He'd been frowning from the moment a blood drenched Commander had come to his and Yetunde's two-story house, interrupting their lovemaking, and Ed had waved Alec away dismissively, and Claire had been shaking badly, and Zouri had looked grim faced. Ed had torn everything he had on off, and had plunged into the shower, and had been in there for at least an hour while Yetunde tried to console Claire, and look after her downstairs in the guest bathroom. If Ed had wanted the pounding cold water to cleanse away the ugliness of the evening, it clearly had not worked. Ed still seemed haunted, and Alec wondered what old nightmare the blood bath had dredged up again for the Commander. It was dormant in Ed's eyes, even now.

"Package came for you like you expected, we had it completely checked out, it's in the laboratory along with everything else we got on that assailant."

"Assailant, Alec? That boy was a ignorant amateur someone used for their own pleasure, probably knowing full well what would happen to him. He still had the money on him, car keys, house keys, along with his personal I.D. and his damn university card, and pictures of his girlfriend and his parents and his dog, for the love of God! Assailant? He was just a stupid fool, and now he's dead, because the person who was supposed to be my best bodyguard was so enraged , he decided to shoot him through the gut instead of simply stop him. That boy threw away his life for an extra few hundred quid without even attempting to hide his identity from us. And now his mother and father are grieving because their son is in the morgue instead of being in gaol, where he should have been after what he did. I just spent hours listening to them tell me between sobs what a really good lad he was, and how he couldn't have possibly done this." Ed dropped his head into his hands, exhausted.

"Ed, what happened wasn't your fault." Alec said firmly, worried out of his head for his suffering friend.

"That's not a judgement you're free to make, Alec." Ed snapped, looking up again. "I'm Shado commander. I bear all responsibility. You know that as well as I do."

"Goddammit, Ed, that could have been acid he threw at you!" Alec pounded Ed's desk in frustration.

"It was animal blood, we know that now. We're dealing with some psychotic that wants to frighten me, not kill me, and doesn't care who or what they use to achieve that goal."

"Ed, things have changed, the message in the package came with a Polaroid of you taken outside the exhibition hall where the dinner took place."

"Yes, I expected that I would have to have been watched carefully and followed by car in order for that boy to get so close to me. He must have been waiting outside the restaurant all that time. We probably went right past him. I imagine within hours we'll find his car parked somewhere, and we might have more to go on."

Alec silently handed Ed a zerox copy of the typical message made by pasting letters snipped from a magazine. Ed accepted it and read it.

STRAKER in time your body will lie in an abbattoir of your own blood, and justice will be done, but for now, welcome to hell.

"Suitably dramatic." Ed sighed. "Justice will be done. The queue forms to the right of people that think I've wronged them in some way. That at least gives us a lead and a motive. So what do we have so far on the evidence?"

"The animal blood was that of sheep, three breeds as a matter of fact. Your suit and Claire's gown had more than enough with DNA to narrow it down. Chevoit, Cotwolds and Leicesters."

"I trust our people are questioning everyone in the UK that own those breeds of sheep? How long will that take, Alec? A month? A year? And the rest of the evidence? What is our psychological department offering us on the profile of this madman? I'm sure Jackson is thrilled about this." Ed spat sarcastically.

"Jackson's out of town for some convention, so Mela and Constantine and some others from New Scotland Yard are working on it. We also found mud and straw on the boy's sneakers, and we're attempting to identify where in England it may have come from. We'll recreate his last 24 hours one way or another."

"Jackson's not in this? Thank God I don't have to work with Jackson. That's one blessing in all of this mess." Ed rubbed the bridge of his nose. Any migraine would just have to wait. He could still see the parents' faces in his mind. The father, holding bravely onto his broken hearted, sobbing, disbelieving wife, and trying not to show how heart broken he was. Thanking Ed quietly for caring enough to come bring the news directly to him. Telling him how sorry he was for Ed's and Claire's experience. These were the innocents that he'd sworn to protect from the scourge of aliens they didn't even know existed. But now he had been indirectly responsible for their loss. Ed sighed. Alec guessed what he was thinking. He'd been against Ed going to see the parents, but there was no stopping the Shado commander.

"Ed, Nathaniel Zouri is offering you his personal resignation."

"As if that would solve everything. Where is he?"

"Still making out his second report on the case."

"I have his damn report on the case here in front of me. And Claire's. Tell Zouri I want to see him immediately, Alec. Alec?"

"Yes Ed?"

"How's Dr. Spencer?" Ed said softly.

"She's holding up. Yetunde managed to get her report and make her take a few weeks off, she's staying with Yetunde and I at our place. Ryan McKay and Eric Kessler have volunteered to be on your guard detail at home. They're going over it now with the others, as soon as we get the all clear that it's safe, you need to go home and get a couple of hours of sleep."

"Maybe, Alec. I can't remember ever being this tired. First, I want to talk sense into Nathaniel Zouri. Send him in. And Alec, thanks for looking after Dr. Spencer."

"She's fond of you, Ed." Alec smiled.

"She'll get over it. Last night was her baptism of fire. I went from being an film executive to someone that is in a dirty, thankless business. A target for a madman. The rose coloured glasses she sees me through shattered last night. I could have gotten her killed as well. She'll get over it. That's all, Alec."

Alec didn't even bother to try talking sense into him, just sighed and went out. Ed waited until the doors slid closed and dug out the bottle of migraine pain capsules and swallowed two with the last of his now cold coffee.

* * *

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Go ahead." Ed said wearily.

"You know what I did was the right thing, Commandah. I knew he attacked you in some way, and I saw you go down. If I waited everytime to see if I should use deadly force, you would have been dead a long time ago. Yeah, I was pissed because I didn't do my job as well as I should have, mon, but I did it, even if I did it in a way you don't like. And you make this kid look like an innocent. He wasn't, no matter how much his mama and papa might think so. He didn't care what the stuff he was throwing at you was, Commandah, or what it would do to you and Miss Claire. He was there to make money at the misery of someone else. You. He was as bent as whoever paid him to do it."

Ed Straker looked hard at Nathaniel Zouri, and then he nodded faintly.

"The Jamaican is creeping back in your voice, Nathaniel, hasn't been there for years. For God's sake, don't stand at brace. You and I have known each other too long for that. I don't relish being wrong, Nate. And I've been wrong far too many times. This is one of them. Sit down. Help yourself to a drink."

"Unless you have Red Stripe I'm not interested, Commander." Nate smiled. "Now if you want my resignation, you have it. But I'd like to keep doing my job. And, Commander, I'm not done There's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you long ago."

"I already told you. You're on my payroll, not Shado's. I don't want your resignation. What now?"

"It's about Margaret, Sir."

Ed's eyes narrowed. He waited.

"It won't be pretty."

"Damn it, Nathaniel. What is, in this world we live in? Just tell me."

"The baby she was a-having, Sir. It wasn't yours."

Ed Straker rose to his feet angrily, looking close to striking Nathaniel. When he spoke, his voice was barely audible.

"You're dismissed, Mr. Zouri."

"Commander, we all knew you were having problems in the marriage. It was starting to go downhill after Adam Fielding died."

Alec Freeman chose to come in at that time.

"What's going on?" Alec said, catching Ed's body language.

"I'm telling the Commander a hard truth about his Maggie. A hard truth even you don't know, Alec."

"Get out of here, Zouri." Each word from Ed's lips was a gun being fired.

"Ed, sit down," Alec said softly. "I want to hear this."

"So I'm supposed to sit down, and smile and listen while he speaks ill of a dead woman who happens to have been my wife?" snapped Ed.

"The baby she was having wasn't Ed's. It was Patrick Russell's."

"Russell? That fellow in Mayland security who works with Eric?"

"She flirted with a lot of us. We didn't think anything of it. She had that kind of a nature. She was beautiful and she liked for men to know it."

"Goddamn you, Nathaniel! Am I supposed to just swallow this foul profanity because you tell me to? How dare you lie like that about my wife!"

"Ed," Alec said quietly. Ed shot Alec a look, then his face drained of blood and he fell into his chair.

"No," Ed muttered weakly. "I don't want to hear it, Alec."

"I'm sorry, Ed. We didn't know how to tell you what she'd been up to. I suspected it might be Russell, but there was no proof. Maggie and Patrick did a good job of keeping it covered up."

Ed sighed.

"No. No, they didn't," Ed said firmly, with bitterness.

Alec and Nate looked at the Commander. Ed met Alec's eyes. He actually smiled at their surprise without mirth. Ed reached for his jacket and put it on.

"You underestimate me, Alec. I'm Shado commander. Nothing goes on in this organization that I don't know about. Especially when it involves my wife. I knew. Caroline Constantine had told me about it a long time ago. Right after Maggie was killed in the accident. She couldn't come to me before, because of doctor- patient confidentiality. I told her that since she and Maggie worked for Shado, I was her superior, and my need to know overrode any confidentiality. But I suspected something long before then. I didn't come home a lot of nights, because I was working here, and Maggie was sick of it. So she went looking for a way to strike back at me. She found it. She started making vague excuses and explanations about where she had been. And then, when she started missing periods, she must have flew into a panic, knowing I hadn't fathered it, since we hadn't been together for so long. I knew. I knew all right. She lied to me about why she couldn't have children. She even had had one abortion from a fling when she'd still been in college. It was all in Constantine's case file on her. Constantine did the ultrasounds on her secretly. She broke up with Russell, started to have guilt, knew she'd made a terrible mistake. On the night she died, we'd had a row, and she left. That was how it happened."

"Ed. For God's sake, there was no need to carry something like that alone." Alec said gently. "I'm so sorry."

Ed smoothed down his jacket, with no trace of the pain that must have been tormenting him showing in the finely boned face.

"I'm clearing you of all charges of questionable performance while on duty, Nathaniel. You work for me, not Shado. I understand my flat has been searched for unpleasant little things like trap wires and bombs? Good. I'm going to go home and get some sleep. Oh and Alec, Russell hasn't done anything against Shado rules and regulations. But you might want to have a little talk with him. I would, but then I'm biased in the matter, and I might snap his neck in half as a means of getting acquainted. Nate, I'd appreciate it if you drove one tired Commander home?"

"It would be my pleasure, Sir."

* * *

"Sheep urine," Claire said, reading a lab report from Shado eagerly.

"Yes, sheep urine," Yetunde acknowledged. Claire had a lot of booklets and reports and reference books all over Yetunde's kitchen table, and was sitting there, with a large tumbler of grape soda, pouring over them.

"Traces of sheep urine on the straw that they scraped off that poor kid's shoes. Shado's forensic department is amazing. And they found his car. I just know they will find out who wants Edward dead, Yetunde. I just feel a little sorry for that poor mixed up kid."

"He is not so poor. He would have gladly killed Edward for money. But Alec just called me and said that Ed finally understands that better. Alec is on his way home, and Nate is taking Edward home to sleep a while. I would prefer if Edward check into a hotel, but you know Edward. He will not allow this person to disrupt his life any further." Yetunde looked at Claire's profile, wondering if she should tell her what else Alec had said. Ah ah ah! Patrick Russell and Margaret! For the first time in her life, Yetunde was glad Maggie was dead. To do that to Edward! May she be cursed forever! And now Alec says Edward is trying to push his affection for Claire away, to protect her. It will not work, Edward. I assure you as long as my name is Yetunde Folsade, it will not work.

"Yetunde, I'm so glad that Nate and Eric and even Ryan will be with Ed tonight. It makes me feel like Edward is safer. I just wish I could do more. But this really seems to point in the direction of this person being on some farm, or zoo, or sheep exhibit, or-" Claire yawned. "Sorry. I can't remember when I slept last."

"That is because you haven't," Yetunde said. "Now, put all that away, my little Sherlock Holmes. You can crack Edward's case tomorrow."

Claire chuckled at Yetunde.

"It's about time I went home to Ryan anyway. You both were so kind to allow me to stay here after that night. I was so scared. I've seen blood all my professional life, but to see it thrown like that, all over Edward, it was a nightmare. And Alec said Ed was scrubbing his skin with soap so frantically in that shower until he was sure Ed would hit bone. My God, Yetunde, we've just gotten Ed through one awful experience, and now this. All that blood! Like a -" Claire blinked. "Yetunde, a slaughterhouse. A butcher. Where are sheep killed for meat and wool in England? We should add slaughterhouses to the list of possible places! Didn't the note even say abbattoir? God, how stupid can I get? Yetunde, where's the phone! I have to call Ed's lab!"

Yetunde stared, whooped and then reached for the phone on the wall. It rang before she could get to it, and that made both women jump.

"Yetunde. Edward! Are you all right? Well of course you are tired. Did you eat anything? What? Yes, she is here. She is single handedly chasing down the bad guy for you. Of course. Hold on!" Yetunde covered the speaker end with a hand.

"It is Edward. He wishes to speak to you!"

Claire sprung like a horse over a gate out of her chair and practically wrestled the phone away from Yetunde.Yetunde grinned at her.

"Edward! You need to tell your forensics and investigationary teams that we might be dealing with someone from a slaughterhouse! "

"Why, good evening to you too, Dr. Spencer. Might a fellow actually have time to say hello when he calls someone up? I just got home. My place looks like a tornado hit it, so I trust my security detail did a good job looking for things that tick. Slow down now. Tell me why you're saying, wait a minute. Abbattoir. It was the exact word on the note. Pretty obvious, almost too obvious, but then this person isn't a killer doing this in a slow, careful way. This person is wanting me to suffer. I was just flipping through the psychological profile staff worked up on them. All right. We'll add that to the salad ingredients. Hang on a moment." Claire heard a click, as Ed used his mobile phone to call HQ. Claire waited and then Ed came back on the line again.

"They say its something that looks promising, and it was in the report, thank you, Claire. I should have caught it right away, but then this has been a difficult time for me. What I wanted to ask you is if you were still interested in looking over some paperwork for me. When Maggie's father killed himself, she was his only legal heir, but its been one big financial mess. She and her late half-brother were supposed to inherit it, but it's taking too much time, and after she died I just never bothered with it. I'm getting bills left and right for equipment, and fees, and God knows what else, and have been for two years, and haven't cared whether they were legitimate or not, I just signed cheques and paid them. My accountant did tell me Adam Fielding's people were apparently cheating him on a regular basis. There may be a decent horseracing business left under all this bureaucratic nightmare, but I don't know, handing it to my Shado accountants to handle wouldn't be ethical, and I don't want to burden my personal accountant any longer. I wondered if you might make some sense of it. That is, if you still want to do it?"

"It sounds right up my alley, Ed, you know I'll do anything to help you out. You have enough stress as it is, worrying about this bastard who wants you dead. Did you have time to have some dinner tonight? You need to keep your strength up, you know."

"I will thaw out something, and I just poured my first cup of coffee. I promise to be a good boy. Claire?"

"What is it, Edward?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm shaky, just like you are, but I'm using all my energy to try and help. We keep running into dead ends, but we just have to keep on going. We'll find this person, Edward. I know we will." Claire heard Alec turn his key in the door, and Yotunde scampered away to kiss him. Claire sighed a little. Oh Edward. I wish you and I, but that's a stupid wish. "Alec just got home. Did you want to say anything to him?"

"Damn." Ed chuckled.

"What's the matter Edward?"

"Coffee tastes bitter. I must not have cleaned out the filter or something." She heard him start to cough, then retch. "Oh my God, Claire. Claire, poiso-"

Claire heard the sound of glass breaking and Ed collapsing, and screamed.

* * *

"Good afternoon to you. Terrible thing that poisoning, wasn't it? Wonder what all the fuss is about?" one reporter said to the other.

"Not a clue, I'm afraid. I can tell you this, a press conference of this size from Harlington-Straker Studios is rare. Must have something to do with Straker in one way or another. My people tell me he's gotten a death threat and this might be related. Ah here comes the Aussie bloke."

Alec Freeman went up to the microphones, grim-faced, and began to read a prepared statement.

"First, the studio would like to express its deepest sympathies for the families and individuals that lost relatives and friends in this act of supreme callous cruelty. As you know by now, New Scotland Yard has confirmed that an individual or individual poisoned the water system in the village of Greatham, here in Southern England. Other than that, they have extremely little to go on. We are cooperating with them in every way possible. So we are offering one million pounds to whoever can supply information that leads to the capture of this murdering individual. We will be giving a phone number and Internet address later in the day for the public to contact us at. Also we are establishing a trust fund in memory of the thirty-two victims who lost their lives after drinking the tainted water, and we are paying all the medical expenses of the seven people who remain in critical condition, and continue to be treated. We understand now that the water was poisoned with a experimental derivative of a drug compound made from sheep dip. New Scotland Yard is investigating to find its origin.

However, I have the sad duty of confirming for you that all this indeed came about because of a threat to Mr. Straker's life. Because of his visible position as head of the studio, Mr. Straker often had to deal with such things, and usually took them in his stride. The security detail assigned to Mr. Straker carefully searched his home for anything that would threaten his well being, and pronounced it safe. They could not predict that some madman would inject the poison into the entire village's water system. As a result, Mr. Straker himself consumed the poisoned water after drinking coffee made with it, and although immediately he was rushed to hospital, as a result of the poisoning, his major organs ceased to function, and he passed away early this morning while still in coma. The news came as a terrible shock to his employees, and close friends. Edward Straker was a tireless worker for charities, particularly those which pertained to children, he established a pediatric ward in Mayland Hospital in the memory of his son, and had recently been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Vietnam War, while he was still an active member of the United States Air Force. I will cherish my memories of him, both as my employer, and as my friend. There was no finer man than Edward Straker, and it is indeed a terrible loss for England. We will be having a funeral service for him at a time and date yet to be determined, it will be open to the public. For the time being, I will be acting CEO of the studio. We will not be taking any questions from the press at this time. "

Alec picked up his sheaf of papers and got back into the car, and went home. Yetunde was there and smiled weakly at him, her eyes reddened.

"Good news, my love. More of the victims have come out of their comas, and are responding to medication. The doctors think they will live."

"That is great news. I hope this works. I want whoever did this to suffer for what they did. Yetunde, I need to see Ed."

"I don't think that is such a good idea, Alec," Yetunde said sadly.

"I know. I just need to see him."

Yetunde nodded a little. She got up and prepared to go straight back to Mayland.

* * *

Nathaniel Zouri stood steadfast outside the door of the private room so that his Commander's peace would not be disturbed. He stared straight ahead, like a guard at Buckingham Palace. He only moved when he saw Alec and Yetunde turn the corner and approach.

"How is Claire," Yetunde asked, "Is she still in there?"

"There was no way I could get her out, Yetunde. I know how she feels. I think she finally fell asleep at the foot of his bed." Nate opened the door for Alec and Yetunde.

"Shh. She's asleep. You nearly had me in tears, Alec, I woke up and listened just now to a replay of the conference on BBC News."

"How do you feel?"

"Fairly decent for a dead man." Commander Edward Straker said. He looked tired, drawn and deeply troubled. "I keep thinking about those people that lost their lives to that maniac, particularly those two babies that died from the poisoned water in their baby formula. Died because of me."

"They died because of the person that put poison in the water, Edward." Claire Spencer said, opening her eyes and sitting half upright on the edge of Ed's bed. Ed was still connected to the ICU telemetry monitors, but he was stable, she noted with relief. It had been an awful, uphill battle to get his kidneys and heart working again when they'd brought him to the casualty unit the previous night, but whatever was in his system as a result of the alien bacteria had kicked in, and began to restore function, strengthening his immune system. Claire had been amazed to find live bacteria in his blood, which had then died off when the antibodies had formed. Apparently the bacteria they'd injected him with had been not dead but dormant in his system until the antibodies had formed again as a result of the poisoning, killing them, she mused in awe. When the poison had entered his body, his organs started to fail, the bacteria had become active, and he'd been dying, until his body functions had all but ceased in coma, and the antibodies had again formed, attacking the poison in his system. He'd come out of the coma, and began to show improvement to the point they were able to take him off the kidney machines and respirator and the other machines keeping him alive. There was no guarantee of how long this would preserve Ed's life, but thank God, this time it had. He was smiling a little at her. The worse of the experience for him had been having to be told he wasn't the only victim.

"I thought you were asleep. Playing possum?"

"Resting my eyes. Besides, I'll go back to sleep when you do, Commander. That wasn't much of a nap you took. And when you stop being guilt stricken for something you had no control over." Claire stretched wearily. "Use that energy you're wasting on needless guilt to get well." Ed watched her for a moment.

"You do remember you're on my payroll, Dr. Spencer? That I'm supposed to be giving the orders, not you?"

Yetunde and Alec grinned at Ed.

"You're far too weak to pull rank on me, so just forget it, Commander Straker. This is going to work, Ed. Dr. Constantine and Dr. Mela both agree that this madman never intended to kill you this early in the game. Otherwise he would have put a lot more poison than he did in the water system, knowing sooner or later you'd turn on the tap and drink it, or use ice cubes made from it. You're so lucky that you didn't even drink all that much of the coffee. Thank God you noticed the bitterness right away. Some people weren't so lucky, but that isn't your fault, Edward. Anyway they think this will infuriate the killer, draw them out when they find out about this. That conference will go out on television and radio and on the Internet and the major news organizations. They'll hear it one way or another."

"The killer had to have access to my records at one time or another. My address wasn't exactly made public. The killer may be Shado. I find it hard to believe, because you'd think that if they had some grievance against me, it would have come up by now. I don't fire people, we give them the amnesia shot and an early pension."

"It doesn't make sense, ah ah ah." Yetunde said. Ed's cell phone rang, startling the others and he gingerly took it from beneath his pillow.

"That's your idea of rest?" Claire said sourly. "I guess Nate snuck it in to you?" Ed gave her a look of complete innocence.

"Straker. Yes. Yes, thank you, Miss Ealand, no, you didn't disturb me, I knew I could count on you. What? WHEN? Yes. Thank God you remembered. Remind me to raise- You did? Good, good, great! WHAT? My God. Yes. Yes I will. Thank you Miss Ealand!" Ed hung up. They stared at him.

"An elderly woman came into the studio reception area about five minutes ago asking about me and was directed to Miss Ealand. She expressed shock and dismay at my being dead, said she didn't believe it, and tried to find out where my funeral services would be. Miss Ealand gave her the usual brushoff line, but as she told me just now, there was something familar about her. She took down a name. Mrs. Gloria Turner. The name was what brought everything back to Miss Ealand. Gloria Turner. Her son had died on one of the studio lots in a shooting accident. She apparently came to Miss Ealand years ago, frequently demanding to see me, claiming I was personally responsible. When she was paid the insurance money in a lump sum, she never bothered us again. Miss Ealand tried to keep her there longer, but soon as she left, she had her followed closely. She was followed without her knowledge to her farm, which she used the money to buy. Where she has quite a lot of sheep. Owns Chevoit, Cotwolds and Leicesters, as a matter of fact. Lieutenant Kessler had her on his long list of people to investigate."

"Jesus! A woman!" Alec said.

"Not just any woman, Alec. Gloria Turner. The mother of Ken Turner, Radar Operator, Class One, Shado traitor. Whom I killed years ago an UFO incident . You were on holiday in Australia at the time. We codenamed it Timelash."

* * *

Ryan McKay sat in his car concealed in trees a couple of feet away from the farm and swore at his Gameboy. One of these days he would get Mario to do what he wanted him to. Besides, he was scared, thrilled and proud all at the same time. He hadn't quite completed his Shado training, but Kessler trusted him enough to be in on this case. They'd gone from strict use of rank to calling each other by first names. His two way car radio crackled into activity, and he tossed the Gameboy aside.

"McKay here. Hi Eric. Nothing so far. The woman's still in there. "

"Nothing back here either. I have a hunch this is it, though. I'm been getting reports about her from my team in town. She's respected here, but not liked. They say she always had a creepy aspect about her, and once she even said to some neighbour she got a kick out of severing the arteries on her sheep, and watching all the blood drain out just before she took them to market. And we know her son was a traitor to Shado, responsible for injuring the Commander and Colonel Lake several years ago."

"Shit. How weird can you get. Hey, Eric, you ever play any video games?"

Ryan heard Eric chuckle on the other end of the line.

"You still playing with that thing? When do you plan to grow up, Ryan?"

"Adulthood is for wimps, Er-ERIC! Someone just drove up to the farmhouse. Got him in the camera lens now, taking pictures. Middle aged fat guy, suit type. Grey hair. I'll radio them back as soon as I can to HQ."

"Good work, Ryan."

* * *

"It was y-you."

"What are you talking about, Jerrod?" Gloria Turner snapped.

"You know what I'm talking about. You said you were going to use the drug I developed on the sheep. But you murdered people! Murdered them! To get to that fellow that was the boss of your son."

"And what are you going to do, Jerrod? Go to the police? What will they do to you when they find out you accepted money from me to provide me with a drug you weren't even supposed to have, let alone release to the public?"

"No! I didn't know! You said you were going to-"

"Shut up you imbecile! You said that drug wouldn't kill anyone in small doses, and especially diluted in water. I asked you, remember? I said I wanted to know in case anyone accidentally got ahold of it! You bastard! I didn't want Straker to die that easily! I wanted to cut his arteries one by one and make him pay for what he did to my son! He thought all these years that he had bought my silence with his money! But I waited, Jerrod! I waited for the right time and the right place. I loved my son! I wanted everything for us. And then when my Kenny finally comes to me and tells me that something wonderful happened to him, that he was going to be much bigger than Straker ever was, I find out he was shot repeatedly in an accident on the set. It wasn't any accident, I know that murdering bastard Straker did it! Kenny hated him! So I waited and I plotted. And you've spoiled it all, you little freak! You killed Straker! You've ruined it all!" She picked up a rifle she had in a corner of the sitting room. Jerrod screamed and frantically tried to open the door, but she'd bolted it and Jerrod struggled to get it open.

He finally did. She shot him in the back at close range.

Ryan McKay sent the last print through to HQ with a feeling of accomplishment, and then three loud burst of gunfire made him jump with terror in his seat. Frantic, he thumbed the car radio.

"GUNFIRE! I'm going in! Send reinforcements! Move in! Move in!"

"Ryan, no! Ryan! Listen to me! Wait for us to get there! RYAN!" Eric Kessler swore repeatedly, but he gave orders for his team to move in with deadly force.

Ryan reached for the gun he was still pretty unfamiliar with using. It was a Russian made gun that fired wide bursts. It was practically impossible to miss whatever you were shooting at, or so the Shado weapons expert had told him.

But what about when what you were shooting at was a madwoman who had already killed several people?

"Wish me luck, Clairey." Ryan said fervently, using his dead lover's pet name for Claire. "This is for that guy Straker of yours. This is for us."

Ryan rushed toward the house. Jerrod stumbled out backwards, and then collapsed. The woman came out, rifle still in hand and Ryan screamed at her.

"DROP IT! OR I'LL-"

She raised it and fired at him, and he jumped and rolled out of range, but something burned him and he aimed the gun in her direction and fired repeatedly. One shot knocked her backwards, another knocked the rifle out of her hand and she vanished into the house again.

"Fuck, she shot me. Fuck. I'm hit. I'm hit, I'm hit." Ryan said to Eric, who came running up, his own rifle drawn and ready.

"Ryan, take it easy, it doesn't look bad, got it twice in the leg. Ambulance chopper on the way. Lie still. My team is swarming all over the place. She won't get far." Eric signaled to the Shado security team to start moving in and they spread out like ants taking over a picnic table. Then he bent and checked Ryan's leg again, tore a piece of his jacket and bound the wounds. Ryan screamed, then he gritted his teeth and settled down.

"I shot her, Eric. FUCK, it hurts. Shit. I thought being a hero would be easier than this. Don't tell Clairey, I don't want her to worry about me. But I shot her, Eric." Ryan said proudly.

"You watch too many action movies. You did pretty good for an American guy who plays with toys, Ryan."

"Screw you." Ryan said, wincing against the pain.

"Screw me what?"

"Screw you, Sir." Ryan said, then he grinned and passed out. Eric patted his forehead with affection. A little while later, Alec Freeman called Ed on his secure line to Ed's private hospital room. Ed was watching the events unfold in New York on television and his laptop computer, disturbed and awed and saddened. The ring of the telephone was a welcome break from it. The pain he had complained about in his hip was beginning to gnaw at him, and he clenched his teeth.

* * *

"Hiding in the farmhouse? Well, we know where she is now, and unless she's got a tunnel in the basement, she isn't getting out of there without us knowing about it. And you say you've got the blueprints, but it seems she changed the place, Alec?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way there, the team has got a thermal imager running, but no joy yet, and Kessler says they aren't seeing areas that they should be. He remarked she's not much of a housekeeper, either. He even found an old room, apparently she transferred all Turner's things after he died there, as if he were still living. The room is like the proverbial shrine for her dead son. Eerie, if you ask me." commented the Australian.

"We had that much in common," Ed said softly, thinking about his own loss.

"Ed, I didn't catch that last remark, what did you say?"

"Nothing of importance. You tell Lieutenant Kessler that he is to see me at once when this is over. Oh, and Alec, we have a slight problem. I released a statement to the press stating that I had survived, and that the announcement of my death was a ruse designed to catch the killer. I also told them that it had worked. It generally went well, and New Scotland Yard backed me up."

"So what's the problem?" Alec said.

"Some enterprising woman reporter has written in a tabloid that I merely used the poisoning incident as a means of free publicity, and that I really wasn't among those who were poisoned. Miss Ealand has been getting a lot of calls asking for my reaction to that accusation. So far I have said nothing. I personally believe this Leona Gate reporter woman merely wants a little publicity for herself. Handle her for me when you get back, will you? I'm anxious to get out of this bed, but Yetunde and her newest accomplice Claire won't let me yet. I'm waiting for test results on this damn artificial hip of mine, and Yetunde won't discuss anything with me yet."

"Sounds like my honeybun." Alec laughed.

"Honeybun isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe her right now. She keeps ordering blood tests and ultrasounds on me. Well, I better go. Your friend Gloria Turner there was dangerous, a fact which I now have to tell one Ryan McKay, who disobeyed orders, rushed in where angels feared to tread and nearly became one because of it." Ed groaned. Alec chuckled.

"Don't worry, Ed, I'm wearing a protective suit and so are the team and the Yard boys and girls. Don't be too hard on little McKay there. You were once that young."

"I hope I wasn't also that stupid. Alec, I assume you've been listening to your radio, like half the hospital is?"

"The terrorist attacks? That's practically all that is on the car radio now. I caught a little of it as I drove over. Why?"

"Laurence Malone's name is on the list of confirmed dead as a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, one of the planes that hit the building."

"Someone you knew?" Alec asked.

"Family lawyer. The one who sent me the telegram informing me my mother had died on the day I first met you in Thailand. Laurence and I were friends, I'd been talking to him on the telephone about the whole Fielding mess before Maggie died."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ed. I didn't recognise his name."

"Don't worry about it, Alec, and be careful, you're dealing with an insane woman who killed before and wouldn't hesitate to kill again. Straker out."

Ed went back to watching the coverage of the carnage of the terrorist attack, when Claire and Nathaniel came into the room. Their expressions spelled trouble.

"Edward, I don't want to alarm you, but Yetunde fainted. She's-Edward, no you can't-"

"Don't order me around, Spencer. I've had enough of this sitting around and watching the world go to hell while my arse is in bed. Either help me, or get out of my way. If Yetunde has passed out, then something is seriously wrong with her, I've never known her to get sick. What room is she in?" Ed asked, reaching for his cane.

"Here, here, you should be resting in bed, let me get your IVs fixed on the wheelchair, and I'll take you to her."

"No wheelchair." Ed said in a deadly tone.

"Wheelchair, or so help me, I'll order you sedated. I mean it."

"Goddamn you to the deepest hell, Spencer. All right, all right." Ed allowed the brunette to help him into the wheelchair, and she hid her relief. Why did her heart always have to spin like a top when she was this close to him? He smelled faintly of soap and some cologne Yetunde had given him as a get well gift. If only I had the guts to tell you how I feel about you, Edward Straker, Claire sighed, pushing him out the door in his wheelchair.

* * *

The shots took Alec Freeman totally by surprise, and he thanked both God and Kessler for the protective vest he was wearing. It was slow going, moving through the damn bleating sheep. God, he hated sheep. And now they had scattered terrified by the several gunshots, and several of them rammed into him, if that was the appropriate non-intentional pun to use, and he was knocked off his feet by the onslaught of bodies and the overpowering smell of lanolin, and dropped his pistol as he went down. God he hated the things. Now he smelled like one. God he hated sheep. He was about to call for Kessler when an image came into his mind.

Ed, covered in blood, horrified, desperately washing it off his drenched body. Ed, covered by the blood of the lamb, Ed, a innocent lamb himself, stuck in a hospital bed after being poisoned. Ed, a victim, just as much as those people that had lost their lives to terrorists. All lambs killed by madmen that demanded blood.

Forget backup. I want to kill her myself.

Alec searched until he located his pistol in the mud, blessing the instinct that had made him put a piece of tape over the muzzle, as he often did when hunting game, to keep it clear of obstructions. Alec's grip tightened on his pistol. The game might be different, but it was time to shed a little more blood to even the score.

"TURNER! You hear me? Ed is still alive!"

"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU FILTHY LIAR!" she shrieked from a location in front of him. He heard her try to fire her gun, and then a thump. She must have run out of ammunition. Close by, Alec thought. Had to be close by. Carefully he made an estimation of where she might be, and he fired. He heard the sound of her moving, and he made his way toward it. There was a silo nearby, and he saw a ladder leading to the top of it. His mobile rang and he cursed it. Technology was sometimes like making love to a beautiful woman. It was nice, but often the preliminaries were more trouble than it was worth, he thought with amusement, knowing Yetunde wouldn't appreciate his simile.

"Alec. Situation?" Ed's voice, all business- like.

Alec pitched his voice low.

"I have a good idea of where she's hiding, headed there now with the team." Alec lied smoothly.

"When its over, get back immediately to Mayland." Ed said tersely.

"UFO crisis?" Alec asked. Ed was disturbingly silent. "Christ, is it Yetunde?" Alec asked, heart suddenly pounding.

"She fainted in the X ray room. They're doing a series of tests now. We have some of the best people in the world here, Alec. She's in good hands. I am calling from outside her room, and I'll be here when you get back. I know this is disturbing, Alec, but you have to stay focused. No need to pull you out of there, she's stable. Soon as I get the results on her tests, I'll call you. Straker out."

* * *

Alec took a deep breath, and started slowly up the ladder. The fact that there were a few spots of blood on one of the rungs hadn't escaped him. He willed Yetunde to be all right as he climbed up.

* * *

Yetunde sat in the ward nervously, holding onto Ed Straker's hand. Ed stroked hers gently. Nathaniel sat with them, flipping through the pages of a magazine without reading it. They had been waiting for about fifteen minutes when Claire walked in.

"I have the results of the tests."

"For the love of Olorun, what is wrong with me?" Yetunde blurted out.

"Nothing." Claire smiled. Ed scowled angrily at her.

"What in blazes does that mean?" Ed snapped. "And what is there to smile about, Spencer?"

"The fact that in a matter of months, there will be a little Yetunde or a little Alec."

"WHAT?" Yetunde gasped. The tension finally left Ed and he chuckled softly while Nate broke out in a big grin.

"You've got a bun cooking in the oven, Doctor." Ed told Yetunde, squeezing her hand and smiling at her.

"AAAaaiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Yetunde yelled, making them all jump.

Ed looked at Claire calmly.

"Is AAAaaiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeeeee good or bad?"

Claire laughed at Ed.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Commander."

"Idiots all three of you! Where is Alec, where is my wonderful Alec? Edward, how could you possibly send a father-to-be into the field? What is the matter with you? Idiot! Moron! "

"Think when she comes to her senses, she'll realise she's insulting her boss?" Nate asked Ed.

"Possibly, but coming to her senses might take forty weeks , probably less. Do we know yet how far she is into the pregnancy?" Ed smiled at Claire.

"All we know right now is that she was positive for HCG , which is the hormone chorionic gonadotropin being released by her placenta, so she may be anything from six to eight weeks along, we will do more extensive tests, and see." Claire said. "Should we call Alec and tell him?"

"He's already upset enough about her passing out. We'll wait until he gets back. I told him to come straight here. Incidentally, how is Mr. McKay?"

"You told Alec that I passed out? I told you not to tell him!" Yetunde scolded Ed, but she beamed happily at him. Ed wondered vaguely what number cloud above nine she was on. Eleventh? Eighteenth? He grinned to himself.

"Ryan's wounds weren't serious, did you still want to see him?"

"I can see him and Kessler together when they get back." Ed said.

"Actually he told me he wanted to talk to you about something." Claire informed Ed. "He didn't say what it was."

"I'll see him now then. Get some rest Yetunde."

"I will stay in bed until the tests are complete, and not one second later," announced Yetunde. "I do not plan to be a fragile flower and waste away in bed just because I am carrying a daughter."

"Daughter, is it?" Ed smiled.

"I come from a long line of women who have girl babies, Edward. I will have her at home, my little girl, my precious Ayomide." Yetunde chanted blissfully.

"Ayomide? You've named her already?" chuckled Ed. "I thought the naming ceremony didn't happen until a week after the baby is born."

"You say her name as prettily as you do mine, Edward. You learned way too much about my country but you still do not learn that you are human, and must rest. Edward, I managed to look at the ultrasound of your hip. Bone is growing where it should not be, and pressing against a nerve. My guess is it is a result of the bacteria. It will require surgery on your hip again."

"For God's sake, Yetunde, I haven't been at Shado for even two months and now you're saying I have still another surgery that will keep me in this damn hospital? No. I don't intend to stay here. I'm signing myself out soon as Alec gets back."

"Edward, please be reasonable. It isn't only the hip that is making things difficult. You were very, very sick. Your body chemistry isn't yet normal, you're still weak and we have to keep a close watch on your major organs for a while." Claire cautioned him.

"Edward she is right." Yetunde said, patting his hand. Ed pulled it away, and she frowned.

"You told me that bloody bacteria had saved me from the poison. Now you're saying I still have reason to be worried? Zouri, go get Mckay and have him wait for me in my room."

"Right, Commander." Nate got up and left. Even irritated as he was, Ed noticed Zouri had dropped most of the island of Jamaica from his pronunciation and choice of words.

"It's just a precaution. And we can bring your work to you, since I know being away from Shado is making things even more difficult for you. It can't be easy, watching the horror in New York and Washington, and not being able to do anything about it. We won't keep you from your work, Ed. I know it's a refuge for you. But you're to have rest, or you get sedated. A compromise. How does that sound?" Claire asked, searching his eyes.

Ed sighed. Nate came back into the room and nodded at Ed.

"All right, all right, a compromise. If I'm not doing work, General Henderson is going to have carte blanche to put Paul Foster in my seat. And I may be in some pain and a little tired, and I may be along in years, but damned if I am going to hand my organisation over to some impudent bastard who isn't ready for it yet. Foster hasn't shown me anything but an ability to backstab me when I wasn't looking. Thanks to Constantine, I still have a job. All right, Spencer. Wheel me home. And when Alec gets here, I want to talk to him, and get things set up in my room."

"Commander, there's something else that occurred to Alec and the rest of us when you finally recovered." Nate said tentatively. Ed glowered at him.

"What now?"

"When New Scotland Yard and the other investigators were swarming all over Greatham, after Turner poisoned the water, the press and television was covering the story." Nate reminded him. "They were right on your front porch."

"And?" Ed asked impatiently, sensing trouble. Nate, who wasn't afraid of anything except the loas his mother told him about as a kid, bit his lip and looked at Claire for support. The blow to the Commander might be softer coming from her. Maybe the Commander hadn't noticed it yet, but everyone else had. Dr. Spencer was sweet on him.

"And, half of England now knows where the chief executive of Harlington-Straker film studios lives. Your personal safety was blown to pieces as badly as the World Trade towers were, Edward. You'll have to be moved. To a much more secure place. If a crazy person can pilot an high-jacked airplane into somewhere as secure as the Pentagon and a madwoman can fairly easily poison your drinking water, well, we don't have to tell you what else might happen to you." Claire said softly, her heart falling at the mere thought of it. "And your safety is vital not only because you've been protecting the world for more than twenty years from alien terrorists, but because there are people who genuinely care about what happens to you, Edward. You have to do this not only for Shado, but for them. Do it for us, Edward. Do it for us. That's all we ask."

Ed dropped his head into his hands momentarily, stunned.

My whole world is falling apart. Now I have to give up the place where I was happiest, even if it was only for a year. Maggie and I, in my flat, fooling myself into being happy, not knowing the sadness and deceit that was coming. Maggie, sleeping with another man, because she didn't understand my need for my job. Always wishing I was someone else, never understanding me, not really. Shado took away Mary, John, Lily, little Flora, Maggie. Now Shado has even taken away the place where I lay my head down to sleep, and escape this damn burden for a few hours. Christ, I feel violated. People who care about me, Claire says. What good is that when I hate myself? I could have saved my marriage. I could have told her about the nightmares, made her understand. Instead I just drove her away. Ed didn't say anything for a long time. Finally he looked up, sighed. Then his expression closed tightly, became that of the Commander of Shado. No, she wouldn't have understood, even then. I can't lie to myself about it. I married the wrong person. I let myself need, so I was trapped. It won't happen again. I'm meant to be alone. Paul thinks this job is a blessing, when its a curse. And something in me won't allow me to walk off and have a life. Before it's too late. God help me. The way Claire looks at me, sometimes I just try and imagine what it would be like to let myself be held again, to have her mouth pressing on mine, to live again. I can't. I can't let myself need. Ever. I can't. I can't.

"Arrange it. Take me to my room, Dr. Spencer, I have to have a word with Ryan McKay about not following orders." Ed said briskly.

"Yes, Edward." Claire said, fighting the impulse to take him into her arms, seeing the terrible agony in his eyes, watching how he was barely keeping himself together.

No matter how alien the bacteria was that was dormant in his body, it still had its limitations to cure him, she thought, as she slowly wheeled Ed to his room, Nathaniel walking beside her somberly.

Bacteria couldn't heal Edward's broken heart.

* * *

"Straker's alive, Mrs. Turner. You didn't kill him. Do you hear me, you bitch? You killed all those people for nothing."

Alec yelled. All around him was hay, some in bales, some loose. He moved cautiously to the edge of the level he was on to look for her. Below was a tractor which had some sort of ugly looking attachment on it. He moved away from the edge, puzzled. Where the hell could she be? It was then he saw the blood . She was there, all right. Hidden somewhere in one of the stacks of hay. But which one? His radio crackled into activity. He stepped back a little from the edge, pretending not to have seen anything.

"Colonel Freeman, are you reading me?" Eric Kessler's voice asked on the speaker. Alec ignored it.

"Turn on the radio if you don't believe me. Straker made a statement to the press. You've been duped, Mrs. Turner. Straker's death was a ruse to lure you out, and it worked. You're as stupid as your son-of-a-bitch son."

"FUCKER! FUCKER!!!" she shrieked behind him, and burst out of the hay, and came running straight at his back with maddening speed.

With a large knife in her hand. The one she used to slice sheep open with.

* * *

"Would you like to explain to me why you deliberately defied Lieutenant Kessler's orders, and went after the target by yourself? "

"Uh, I, look, I--"

"Am I right or am I wrong in assuming your training hasn't come anywhere remotely near being finished? And that somehow, you decided you were going to play hero, and single-handedly go in there and take out the target yourself?"

"Ed, I uh-"

"Straker. You will address me as Commander Straker. This is not a game we are playing here. You nearly managed to get yourself killed. I've been sitting in this damn bed, watching what is going on, watching body after body be pulled out of rubble, watching my fellow citizens wander around begging people to stop and look at the photographs they carry of their missing family and friends, clinging to hope when there is no hope to cling to. I'm watching an American president call for an war which seems to have no limits and no end, knowing that such an act is inviting even more bodies to be pulled from rubble, only the rubble this time won't only be on our shores. I'm seeing a nightmare unfold, and I'm not asleep, as a matter of fact I may never be able to sleep again. Human beings, McKay. Human beings are dead, and injured, and more soon will be dying. I don't need for any of my people to suddenly play cowboys and indians without any idea of how to fire a gun or shoot a arrow. Consider yourself lucky, McKay. Normally I would throw you the hell out of my organisation, but right now we need everyone we can get. And because I frankly don't trust you to not go out there and play games without knowing the rules, you're being assigned to me. Hear this, McKay. If you as much think about going east when I give the order to go west, I will assign you so fast to cleaning out septic systems it will make your head spin. Now get the hell out of here, go home and wait there until you'll called for. Go." Ed Straker snapped.

Ryan McKay looked down at the floor, then at the wall and then back at Ed. He didn't appear to be going, Ed noticed.

"Permission to speak freely, Commander?"

I've hired an idiot, Ed thought. What in the blazes is this about? But there was something in the young man's attitude that reminded Ed vaguely of the way Alec behaved when he was about to let Ed have it. So Ed snarled, but he nodded, too.

"Eric told me a lot about you. He says you do stupid things too. He says sometimes he thinks you have more guts then sense, and that you rush into things too, and that Alec complains you're going to put him into an early grave, and he says he and Alec hold you in esteem somewhere above God, and that if anything happens to you, the organisation can bend over, and kiss its ass goodbye, cause you are the cog that turns the wheel. And well, see, Eric and me are buddies, and I haven't looked up to anyone since my parents threw me out of the house just because I was gay. I didn't change, Commander. I didn't suddenly become someone else. I was still their son, who worked my ass off through school and got A's and B's and played basketball, and screwed around with computers, and played video games and dreamed about maybe having my own video game company someday. But then one day they saw me with Tim and I stopped being their Ryan, the son they were proud of. And it, well, it kinda ate at me and ate at me, and one day I thought okay, I couldn't handle it anymore, so I figured okay, I'll go have sex with some woman and marry her and she'll have kids and then I'll be Ryan again. That's how I met Clairey, Tim used to call her Clairey, I saw her at a party and we went off together, and we talked, and we talked some more, and she said she was a virgin and she was going to just sleep with the first guy who asked, just to not be a virgin, and I said I was going find a wife and we laughed, and well, she said I had to be who I was, and she had to be who she was. I didn't know a woman could be like that. I never had a kid sister. I never knew anyone who was more screwed up than me, but Claire was, really, her father and brother were the stars of the show, and her family was loaded rich, and soon as her mom found Claire, Tim and me, well, Clairey suddenly didn't have a family either. And you know, I thought I knew her, I thought I knew Clairey, but then she ran into you and things changed. And it was like suddenly we were being taken for who we were, instead of what we did. I mean, I almost shit myself when I found out Eric was gay, and that you knew and nothing was different. That you picked up his pieces when the aliens had slaughtered his whole family, except for him. He says it's a privilege just to be in the same room with you. He says Alec feels the same way. And well, that bitch killed all those people and if you had died, Clairey would have just gone to pieces too. So I wanted to do something important, I wanted to pay you back, I wanted to make everything right. So yeah you can scream and yell at me, Straker, cause I screwed it all up."

Ed looked into Ryan's eyes.

"Sit down, McKay."

Ryan looked a little surprised, but he dropped obediently into a chair beside Ed's bed, trying not to look at the IV's that Ed still had in his arm.

"You made an mistake. You've lived to make others, which no doubt, you'll do. You're human." Ed was quite aware that his facade of the angry Commander had dropped. He'd gone from irritation, to sadness, to quiet admiration, to irritation and then to quiet acceptance. "You might be a diamond in the rough, McKay, but you've got to live long enough for the jeweler to find out. You don't have to continually prove yourself to me. I'm a reasonably intelligent man, even at my advanced age." Ed allowed himself a small smile. "I don't have the ignorance that somehow clouded your parents' minds into throwing away a son's love merely because he didn't live up to their expectations of what love and sexuality should be like. Lieutenant Kessler is one of my most trusted, and capable operatives. If he saw something in you that made him bring you into the operation before you were ready, I stand behind his judgment. That I am putting you temporarily on the sidelines doesn't mean you're out of the game. I'm told by my advisors that I have to move somewhere more secure. Nathaniel Zouri is the chief man on my personal security team. From now on, you are assigned to him. Get used to my face, McKay. You'll be seeing it a lot."

"So I'm kinda working personally for you like he does?"

"Something like that, yes."

"There's something else I gotta tell you, then."

"I'm well aware that you're falling in love with Eric Kessler, Mr. McKay. It isn't any of my business. Be advised that when Lieutenant Kessler came to me, and said he was worried that he might be showing you special favoritism for the same reason, I told him pretty much the same thing. I take it that comes as something of a relief to you?" Ed watched the wide, wonderful grin the size of an Interceptor come over the young man's face.

"He said THAT?"

"I believe I just said so." Ed responded calmly. After all the horror he had witnessed on the television, it was good to sit and watch a few moments of sheer unadulterated happiness. Sheer happiness that he himself would never be on the receiving end of, he thought. Suddenly he wanted to break down and cry, but he could not permit himself to do that in front of this young man.

"That's all, Mr. McKay. Go and find Lieutenant Zouri. I believe he is outside."

"But, well, there's something else, too."

"You have me at a disadvantage, then. I can't imagine what else you need to say to me. Make it brief, will you? I'm told that not only do I have to be moved into a secure location, I also am facing surgery. Again. Plus I need to-"

"How do you feel about Clairey?"

"Excuse me?"

"Clairey. You know. Claire."

"She didn't disobey orders, why would I-"

"No, no, no, I don't mean I thought she was in trouble. I mean, well, it's this way. I owe her a lot. I love her a lot. And she's in love with you. She told me so. "

"Mr. McKay, I think you should go. I really think its time that you-"

"Somebody like you shouldn't be alone. After losing your wife and everything, and being sick, man, you were really really sick, you know. Claire stayed with you. She's got the hots for you. And you just said to me that, well, something like you weren't dumb and you shouldn't throw away love just because you have different expectations of what love and sex should be like. It's like you hand out candy to everyone else but you never taste it yourself. That's what I heard Dr. Folsade say that night, the night you almost died. She told Claire you look after everyone, but yourself. She was worried that because your wife hurt you, that you'd never open yourself up to be loved again."

"You can leave anytime now, Mr. McKay." Ed responded quietly.

"Guess I shot my mouth off when I shouldn't have." Ryan said, sighing. He got up, grabbed the crutch he was using, and hobbled out.

Ed Straker shut his eyes tightly, but the tears still ran down his face and dropped in an orderly fashion on his hospital gown. He dropped back against his pillow. He didn't see Claire Spencer come in, but her shoes squeaked and he wearily opened them and looked at her. In his present state, General Henderson would have been a more suitable intruder. Henderson he could fight blind with one hand tied behind his back, IV still in place. The open caring in this woman's warm brown eyes was another thing completely. He wanted her the hell away from him, he thought.

He wanted to lose himself in her arms. The enormous control of his personal emotions which he prided himself on was slipping, tied with a mere thread.

A thread that was fraying. A thread that would snap. Sooner rather than later.

"What now?" he snapped.

"I hope you weren't too hard on Ryan."

"Dr. Spencer, quite frankly I do not discuss my disciplinary-"

"My God, you've been crying! What did he say? Oh pins and needles, I swear if he upset you somehow, let me get you-"

"CLAIRE." Ed bellowed.

"Commander?"

"Shut up. I haven't heard from Colonel Freeman yet, and I'm worried. Also I want to know what the prognosis is on this damn pain is. I want to know what the UFO status is. God knows that this horrible terrorist attack is just what the aliens need to sneak in and finish off what's left of New York, or Washington, or right here in England. I want all bases kept on alert. Get Zouri in here. I want all personnel to work on half shifts. Nobody is going to be operating at full capacity at a time like this, and expecting them to is asking for trouble. Is Colonel Ellis still commanding Moonbase, and Colonel Lake filling in for Alec? Why in the hell hasn't-"

"Commander-" Claire sat in the chair Ryan had vacated, and watched the medical monitors indicators Ed was attached to bounce around like they were one of the video games Ryan was addicted to. It's useless, she thought. Even if I had him sedated, that would only do him harm emotionally. He feels helpless, a team of wild horses couldn't pull him away from that damn television, and he'll never rest while he doesn't know what's happening to Alec. He knows Gay and Virginia are on top of things, and doesn't need to worry, but he hates being stuck here, and he's afraid of what's going on in his body, and the only thing he has left is Shado. Oh Edward.

"Anybody told me what's going on in Shado? Didn't anyone notice I didn't expire on that damn operating table? I'm not ready to be buried yet. Where the hell is Zouri?"

"Commander, you keep up this pace and you'll pop an artery. Your pulse and blood pressure are above normal. Now try to calm down, and lie back and rest a lit-."

Ed had been exhausted, lying down on his pillow. He suddenly sat bolt upright.

"Calm down? Are you blind, Dr. Spencer? Terrorists have att-"

"EDWARD!" Claire said at the top of her voice.

That did it. He actually stopped, and looked stunned, like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Those beautiful blue eyes widened at her. I've just yelled at the Commander of Shado. Alec Freeman would have me drawn and quartered and served up as dinner.Or he just might give me a damn medal, she thought with amusement. Come on, Alec. The only chance I have at getting him to rest is if you show up. You're a father now, you can't let anything happen to you.

She slipped her hand into Ed's.

"LIE DOWN!"

The supreme Commander of Shado shot her a sour look, but he obeyed. Claire noted it was like trying to bring down Godzilla with a pea shooter, but she knew that pretending to be tough as skillfully as he always did would bring a result.

"Make a squeak and I won't tell you anything. Cooperate and I'll make sure that what you want done is carried out as soon as possible. Do we understand one another?"

"Dr. Spencer," Ed said.

Claire couldn't hide her grin. She had heard that quiet little tone before. It was very strange, the way he could convey his dignity and prestige and power and absolute authority, as if he was standing at brace in his uniform, with every medal hanging from his chest, when he was actually pale and wan, and with needles sticking out of him, and wearing what passed for pajamas in Mayland Hospital, silver hair sticking up at all angles, cheeks stained with tears. He'd nearly died, he was exhausted, he was undoubtedly in pain, he was mourning for his country, he felt terrible guilt for the people Turner had killed, he was both at once enraged and grieving, he was worried out of his head for his friend Alec, and yet somehow he could turn on a switch and be Commander Edward Straker. It was an incredible slight of hand to watch. He was suddenly frightening.

He was also gorgeous, and gentle, and caring, this man she loved.

"Commander?" she said in the most innocent tone she could muster up.

"If you ever do that to me again, I will personally have you shot. Now for the time being, because I choose to, I'll do as you say. If you ever raise your voice at me again, you'll be cleaning toilets for the rest of your life with Mr. McKay. Do we understand one another?"

"Before I am shot, can we go back to that restaurant you like, so I can have my last Italian meal?"

"Are you sure you want to go back there?"

"Unless you know somewhere else that makes good Italian food," she said calmly.

"Ryan McKay informed me that you have the hots for me," Ed said casually. Without giving her time to breathe, he added, "He also informed me that you're a virgin, and that you told him you're in love with me. Now, mind you, the way you look at me sometimes when you're not performing your duty did give me some indication that this might be possible. Is this possible, Dr. Spencer?"

"I-I-I-" she stammered.

"Perhaps Mr. McKay was incorrect," Ed said. "At any rate, such feelings for me from an operative are out of line and aren't to be discussed ever again. Now tell Mr. Zouri I'm assigning Mr. McKay to him for now, and tell him to go down and offer Colonel Freeman some assis-"

"Edward, damn you, I do love you."

Ed looked at her. She was shaking.

"I don't know how I feel about that, Doctor. I don't know if I'm ready to take that in." Let her hand go, Straker. Why are you holding her hand when what you're trying to do is let go of it.

And her.

"I'm not asking you for anything, Edward. I'm not asking for you to love me back. I'm just hoping you'll let me love you."

"Maybe the best thing would be to have you assigned to someone else."

Oh God, the misery in her face. I have to do this. I can't let this go anywhere. Love just isn't in the cards for me. Oh God. I have to hurt her, there's just no way else to protect her. Her grip on him tightened and tears filled her eyes.

"Send me away, and you might as well really have me shot, Edward."

"That `s quite enough dramatics, Dr. Spencer. I think you should go now." He deliberately put a knife edge in his voice. Even though she wasn't the only one that was going to wind up bleeding, Ed thought.

She pulled her hand out of his, got up and walked to the door. She stopped. He found he was shaking now. Her back was to him. Without turning around, she softly spoke.

"No," she said.

* * *

Alec Freeman had been ready for her. With no effort at all, he turned as she thrust, caught her arm, kept turning so that he set himself up for what his old RAF judo instructor would call an flawless ippon seoinage and hurled her over his shoulder screaming over the edge of the loft. The scream abruptly stopped as the blades on the tractor attachment penetrated her body like a skewer going through a piece of meat in preparation to be barbequed. He'd aimed well. Alec Freeman looked down at her corpse in quiet satisfaction as Kessler came running up, out of breath, his men and women not far behind him. At least one lamb was avenged.

"Dead centre. That isn't fair, Alec," Kessler said when he looked. "I wanted my shot at her, but you had to go and spoil all my fun." Alec grinned wickedly, knowing what the younger man meant. "And Straker's not going to like that you didn't call for backup, he's already probably got Ryan's head on a stick."

"Sometimes even we seat warmers have to have our fun, Eric. Besides, I wanted this one for myself. For Ed, and for all those people the bitch killed." Suddenly the triumph went out of Alec's face. "I have to get back to Yetunde, and you better drive." He tossed his car keys at Kessler, Kessler caught them, nodded and started down the ladder after Alec, giving his team the all clear.

* * *

"I told you to leave," Ed Straker said, watching her come up and sit on the edge of his bed.

"I know what you told me, Edward. But it isn't what you want. You're afraid to let yourself love after what happened to you with Margaret."

"My dead wife is of no concern of yours," Ed said listlessly. "Now get out."

"Stop it Edward, pretending to be tough with me isn't working. I know you need someone, and I'm telling you I want to be that someone. I didn't understand, Edward. I didn't understand what my purpose in life was. I didn't feel wanted, I didn't feel attractive and I certainly didn't think I would ever fall in love. But I have. I came after you, and you're not going to run me off so easily. You're never going to be alone again. I'm not like Margaret, Edward. I'm not going to try and change you. Your sense of responsibility and duty is a part of you, why would anyone want to change it? You're always going to wind up in here, Edward. Your whole life, you've been an accident waiting to happen. Someday, maybe you won't be so lucky. Someday maybe I'll lose you. But for now, I'm here. I won't let you send me away because you think it isn't right to need at a time when other people are suffering. You aren't going to run me off. " Claire smiled at him. "Maybe someday you'll even love me as well as need me. Sometimes, just like you said, the way you look at me when you're not performing your duty tells me that might be possible. Like the moment you finally woke up out of the coma in the intensive care unit, and we removed your oxygen mask, and you said hello to us weakly like nothing was wrong, and we all broke down in tears and I hated having to tell you what had happened. For once, you looked at me as though you wanted me there, Edward. You held my hand so tight. And then I told you the others had been killed, and the light had gone out of your face, and you shut all the doors again. Oh Edward. I do love you. As you are. I swear to you I will never deliberately hurt you. Edward, I'm a doctor, and over the years I've seen people die many, many times. I've seen them suffer, I've seen them die, I've seen their friends and their family grieve and try to understand. And they ask why. Why, why, why. Edward, my sweet Edward, even if I had an answer, it wouldn't make the truth of their loss any easier for them to bear. Because there is no answer. And the best way we honor and remember the dead is with our life. You have to and you need to live, Edward. You and I don't have all that much time. Let me be a part of your life. Let me make your terrible burden a little less heavy. Let me love you, Edward."

Claire gently pulled Ed against her, mindful of the IV's in his body.

Ed Straker didn't speak or move for a long while. Nor did he resist. The steady beep of his heart monitor was the only thing telling her he was still alive, that and the warmth of his flesh (God! How thin he was! So thin! So horribly thin! ) After what seemed a string of eternities to her, he started to tremble, he gave a heartrending cry of anguish and then he sobbed. He sobbed and he sobbed without end, until she thought her heart would break. She knew instinctively that he cried not only for his own loneliness and betrayal by Margaret and loss and fear, but for all of them. The victims of the poisoning. The victims of the terrorist attacks. The families. The friends. And then as abruptly as it had started, it stopped. And he cried out her name softly, gently, simply. With no hesitation, she pulled back his covers and got in bed with him and held him until he slept from sheer exhaustion. After a while, she felt eyes on her and she defiantly made herself look. Then she sagged with relief.

Yetunde Folsade stood there, tears pouring from her, but she smiled, pointed to the video camera and she left, and as she closed the door, Claire could hear her yelling in African, and caught the words Nathaniel and Ryan, and Claire suddenly understood they were behind Yetunde, unsuccessfully trying to see what was going on. Satisfied that Yetunde would make sure Edward's orders would be carried out and their privacy would be guarded, she followed Ed into a much needed, restful sleep.

* * *

"You want to name it what?" Alec Freeman said, sitting in Yetunde's room. He'd reviewed the video tape of Ed and Claire from the observation camera in Ed's room, and had done everything Ed had asked for. Yetunde looked up at him from where she was snuggled in his arms.

"Ayomide."

"That sounds like something you take for heartburn! Can't we name it something normal?"

"Alec, that is not amusing."

"What if we have a boy?"

"It is a girl, my love."

"Ayomide Freeman. The poor thing will need psychiatric care after growing up with a name like that."

"What do you mean Freeman? We are not married," Yetunde grumbled.

"We aren't married yet. We'll go down and register as soon as possible and get married at a registry office."

"I am not having a British wedding." Yetunde drew away from him.

"Darling, you are pregnant, the baby needs a father."

"The baby has one. Why suddenly are you wanting to marry me now, Alec?"

"We have to get married right away for the sake of the child."

"You have not proposed to me formally."

"Okay, guess I didn't. Yetunde Folsade, will you marry me?"

"You have not said you love me."

"You already know I love you," Alec complained. Yetunde stared at him.

"I have not heard it. You propose to me in a hospital ward, and you do not say you love me. You are a boor. You are not suitable for a husband. You wish to marry me only to legitimize your daughter."

"Stop being silly."

"Oh, am I being silly? You think I am being silly, Colonel Freeman? Ah ah ah! Watch this. You will no doubt say this is silly too." Yetunde rose up and got out of bed, grabbed her robe. Alec sputtered.

"What on earth are you doing? You shouldn't be walking around like that!"

"I am not a fragile flower. And I will never be a Freeman! I will raise my baby by myself!"

With that, Yetunde vanished. Alec stared after her for a moment and then jumped up and searched the hospital hallway for her. No pregnant cardiologist in sight. Alec ambled toward Ed's room, forgetting that the Commander was still asleep. Nate, who never seemed to need that elusive thing called sleep, tried to grab him, but Alec bounded in. Inside, a sleepy Ed and Claire tried to figure out why Yetunde had come in, sobbing. Ed particularly stared, as he never had seen her cry. He handed her some coffee, which was his substitute for chicken soup as a cure-all. She gulped it down between sobbing. Alec glanced at Yetunde, and Yetunde stopped like someone had removed her battery, and ran out. Ed gave Claire an instructional look, (go look after her) and Claire excused herself, went past a uneasy Alec and Nate, and left. She soon found Yetunde in Yetunde's office. Ed looked up at Alec. Then he looked at Nate.

"Make yourself scarce, Zouri," Ed stated. Nate grumbled and left.

Ed started a conversation with Alec. Claire started a conversation with Yetunde.

* * *

"What in blazes did you say to her?"

"What did he say to you, Yetunde?"

"I didn't say anything to her!"

"He is terrible, he does not love me!"

"You must have said something that upset her, Alec."

"Did he really say that? Alec? Yetunde, he adores you, I know he does."

"She thinks I don't love her, Ed. And now she doesn't want to be a Freeman."

"He does not love me, I tell you! I hate him! I will have my Ayomide alone."

"What do you mean? Are you saying she doesn't want to get married now? "

"I do not need any silly man anyway! He does not really want to marry me! He only is doing it because of the baby I am carrying!"

"Ed, she's gone nuts, she's been wanting me to marry her for at least a year now."

"Oh Yetunde, that can't be true. Go back and talk to him."

"Yetunde hasn't gone nuts. She's probably just a little more sensitive now after the news about the baby. Go find her and talk to her, Alec."

"I am never talking to that man again!"

"Oh what's the use, she probably will never want to talk to me again."

"Don't be silly, Yetunde."

"Don't be silly, Alec."

"Ed, what am I going to do? I want this child so badly."

"I am not being silly. He probably doesn't even want my poor Ayomide."

"You're going to go back there and work things out. After all the death and destruction, the birth of a baby will be just what we need. Alec, everything will turn out all right."

"You're going to go back there and work things out. After what happened to Edward, you and Alec having this baby is going to be wonderful. Things will turn out all right, you'll see."

"But what if she doesn't love me, Ed?"

"But what if he doesn't love me, Claire?"

"Don't be foolish. Now go and find her."

"Don't say such things. Now go and find him."

"I hope you're right about this, Ed."

"I hope you are not wrong, Claire. Ah ah ah. Very well, I will go talk to him."

"I know you and I know Yetunde. Trust me."

"Good. I got to know the both of you very well, so I know I am right. Just trust me."

"God, Ed, she's going to name the poor kid Ayomide."

"Claire, I do not know, he was making fun of my daughter's name."

"Have you asked her what it means? If memory serves me, it means 'I have received my joy'."

"Well I'm sure it sounds strange to him, why don't you tell him what it means?"

"Well, that is lovely, I know she is very much into her heritage. I have to admit its one thing I always liked about her."

"He is not interested in my love of my ancestry, Claire, he will not care one way or another."

"Have you ever told her that?"

"Yetunde, I am sure you are wrong about that. Now go and find him. I need to speak with Ed and schedule the surgery before he changes his mind." Claire chuckled.

"Will you be okay?"

"No, I guess not."

"Ah ah ah I had forgotten about Edward's surgery. You are right. I will be fine."

"Then go tell her. I'm doomed to be scheduled for surgery on this damn hip of mine. Besides I have to make some arrangements in Shado before I do. Alec, will you be all right? Feel any better now?"

Yetunde's cell phone rang.

Ed's cell phone rang.

* * *

Yetunde began cheerfully talking into her cell phone in her language, while Ed spoke to Miss Ealand briefly, waited for her to have the call sent to his bedside telephone, spoke again briefly, hung up, and looked at Alec. Alec wasn't successful at reading his expression. That wasn't good.

"Alec, ask Dr. Spencer and Nate to come and see me."

"What's going on?"

"I have to make a trip. To Boston."

"Ed, I don't need to remind you you're due for surgery on your hip, right?"

"I'm aware of it, Alec. Alec, ask Colonel Ellis to come and see me right away. Go on, go on, get Spencer." Alec went to the door and then turned around.

"Ed, what's going on between you and Spencer?"

"What does that mean?" Ed growled, pulling himself up and dropping into his wheelchair.

"Yetunde dropped the bomb on me about the baby, and then suggested I watch a tape. Of you and Spencer."

"Are you saying that damn camera is still connected? God damn you, Alec! I have no intention of-"

"Yetunde seems to think she's right for you."

"Yetunde thought the same thing about Margaret. Yetunde is a hopeless romantic. The last thing I need is her playing matchmaking games."

"I think the girl is sincere, Ed. Sort of a head in the clouds type, feet not exactly firm on the ground, but I think she's for real. Investigating the possibilities wouldn't hurt."

"Opinion noted and filed away. Go get the girl, and Colonel Ellis. Alec, for heaven's sake handle the problem between you and Yetunde. I need all my senior people right now to have clear heads."

Alec grumbled to himself, and all that the Commander could catch was the word women. Then he went out. Ed looked at the door for a moment, smiled warmly. The smile vanished when Claire came in.

"Yetunde settled down?"

"She was chatting happily in Yoruba, I think probably to relatives, boasting about the pregnancy. What did you want to see me about? Alec practically herded me in here like I was a water buffalo. And what's this about going to Boston? Edward-"

"Spencer, you have a choice. Take my IV's out, or I do. Now, my personal preference is that you do it, but I'm quite capable of doing it myself if I have to."

"Yes, you have quite a history of being a stubborn jackass, Straker." Claire scowled.

"You're walking on an awfully thin edge, Spencer." Ed stared at her. She ignored him, turned off the IV drip and carefully removed them from his hand. "Thank you."

"Can you at least tell me why you have to run off to Boston right now?"

"My late mother's lawyer died in that terrorist attack. He was aboard the United Airlines flight from Los Angeles that hit the tower. His wife Martine just called me, she wants me to come to the reading of his will. Apparently Lawrence had told her my name was among those of the people he intended to leave a part of his estate to. He had an substantial estate, and my plan is to establish a trust fund for the victims' families with it. I also intend to look after the families of the poisoning victims." Ed sighed. "I understand there were only four survivors, including me, is that right? For God's sake, Claire, stop fussing over me with that damn stethoscope of yours."

"Shut up Edward, I have to watch you go get stressed when you're supposed to be having surgery. The least I can do is make sure your heart rhythm is all right. The last tests on you indicated your body chemistry is back to normal, but new bone growth is pressing against a nerve. We don't know what's going on with that bacteria. It seems dormant again, but that doesn't explain the new growth of bone. It's going to cause you a lot of pain."

Ed stared at her as she listened until she was satisfied.

"You're telling me. I'll need to take something for it, and don't give me a Claire Spencer version of the usual Yetunde Folsade lecture on abusing pain killers."

"Fine, fine, fine, I won't say a word. Anything else?"

Nate came in with Gay Ellis before Ed could respond. Gay smiled at Ed.

"Glad to see you looking so well, Sir. You're missed in Control. I understand you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, yes, I have a business trip ahead of me, and then it appears I'll need some surgery. I'm leaving you in command of Shado, relieving Colonel Freeman."

"Me? But Commander, wouldn't you feel-"

"Colonel Freeman, it appears, has a personal matter to take care of. I'm leaving the organisation in your hands. Is there a problem?" Ed smiled slightly. With everyone else over the many years of service to Shado, she had aged. That hadn't changed the fact she still had the body and face of an avenging angel.

"No Sir, no problem." Gay took a deep breath.

"That's all, Lieut-I mean Colonel Ellis."

"Yes, Sir." Gay smiled, and went out.

"Commander, why don't you ever leave me in command of Shado?" Nate asked. Claire chuckled at Nate.

"The mere thought of you in the responsibility seat is terrifying, Zouri. Have my personal jet-" Ed paused, clearly something had occurred to him.

"What is it, Edward?" Claire asked.

"I think an example needs to be set at a time like this. Book me on the Concorde to New York this evening, and then arrange for me to transfer to a first class flight to Boston from New York via United Airlines. I won't need a hotel room, I'll be staying with Mrs. Malone at her house in Martha's Vineyard."

"Are you nuts? Flying commercial NOW? Why don't you just paint a target on yourself saying terrorist shoot me?" Nathaniel whined.

"You'll be going with me, Zouri. I'm counting on you to look after me properly," Ed replied, hiding his amusement.

"Oh whoopie, I'm dead meat, people will think I'm a Muslim and shoot holes in me."

"Nate, you don't look even remotely Muslim with those dreadlocks of yours, don't worry," Claire grinned at him. She looked wistfully at Ed.

"Go make the arrangements, Zouri," Ed said, trying not to notice her tender expression, and failing miserably.

"We is not to ask why, we is to do it and die." Nate said mockingly, saluted and went out. Ed winced.

"Nathaniel should be shot by a firing squad for abusing Tennyson," Ed declared.

Claire laughed. "Who needs a Light Brigade when Ed Straker is around. Are you fond of Lord Tennyson, Edward?" Claire smiled at him. Ed looked off in the distance for a moment.

"Though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Ed recited. "His words are inspiring still, Claire, especially with what faces us now."

"I know it's particularily difficult for you right now," she nodded.

"It's difficult for all of us. Claire, about last night-"

"Edward, whatever you're going to say, please don't say it."

"I had no right to break down like that. I have a responsibility to my people, to be strong."

"Edward, trying to be strong right now isn't going to accomplish anything. They aren't looking to you to be strong. I think they are just looking to you for hope. They know you're strong. You've proved it again and again. They just want you to be you. You said it yourself just now. That which we are, we are. Nothing more, but nothing less, Edward, I wonder-"

"Hold that thought while I shower and dress," Ed protested.

"And eat a late breakfast," Claire insisted.

"Yes, yes. Breakfast." Ed removed his robe, picked up his walking stick.

"Edward."

"Claire, I need to get started. Whatever's on your mind can wait."

"I don't suppose you'd take me with you?" she pleaded. Ed pressed his lips together firmly, thinking fast.

"Yetunde needs you to look after her. I'm counting on you to keep her from killing Alec," Ed allowed himself a smile.

"There's nothing that will prevent me from booking a flight on the Concorde when you do."

"Claire, Claire, Claire. NO. I'm strictly forbidding you from following me around again."

"I've never ever gotten to see Boston."

"I believe I said NO," Ed snapped at her.

"Go take your shower," Claire said happily. "I'll have Nate get your luggage, and pack for you."

"Spencer, when is it going to dawn on you that I am the Commander of Shado and you are-"

She drew close to him and kissed him with great tenderness on the mouth, then was shocked at her own impulse. For a moment he stared at her. He looked extremely angry. She bit her lip and started to look uncomfortable. She tried to apologize but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Move aside," Ed said in a frozen tone of voice. Claire did so in silence, looking steadily at the carpet. Without a word, he turned his back on her and went past her into the bathroom and locked the door. She took a deep breath.

Damn. How stupid. Boy that was really brilliant, and just when you promised yourself you wouldn't push him into anything. Now you've upset him. She sighed.

Inside the bathroom, Ed stripped, turned on the shower taps. He watched the water for a moment. Then slowly he put two fingers up to his lips, and closed his eyes in memory. How long had it been since he'd known the sweetness of a kiss, Ed wondered. Suddenly the image of Maggie forcing mouth and tongue on his neck the night of her death flashed into his mind. His eyes opened, and his expression hardened, and without hesitation he entered the ice-cold water.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Eric Kessler asked Nathaniel. Both men were at Straker's flat, as all of Ed's belongings were being carefully packed away in preparation for his move.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm packing some clothes for the boss. He's going somewhere. He's dragging me with him. Boy, look at this wardrobe. Everything's neat. How does he do it? Eric, which of his ties shall I pack?"

"You flunk valet school, Zouri?" Eric grinned.

"I wouldn't be making jokes. Sooner or later the boss is going to remember that you were supposed to come see him, and instead you parked your yellow ass here. His plane to New York isn't due until later at Heathrow, he has plenty of time to beat you up."

"Why Zouri, you lost the Jamaican accent. Where'd you order it from anyway? Marks and Spencer?"

"Shut up Kraut. Speaking of Spencer, that gal has it bad for the boss."

"Yeah, that's what I hear. I like her, despite the fact she threw me on my kiester with that old lift the skirt trick. It was so hokey."

"Oh right, Eric, like you knew it was coming. Let's face it, she flipped your ass without even trying like you were an egg." Nate showed a set of perfect white teeth, and Eric grinned at him, snatched a tie out of his hand and substituted another. Nate grimaced, but accepted the substitute and packed it carefully in Ed's battered Vuitton suitcase.

"Ryan told me a lot about her. Says she's a decent human being."

"Well I hope she lives up to her press. Mags sure didn't," sighed Nate, awkwardly folding a pair of Ed's trousers. Eric rolled his eyes at the Jamaican, took them and folded them perfectly and lay them in the suitcase. "So I can't pack a suitcase. I leave that woman's work to you wussy, wrist flopping homos." Nate grinned.

"Ordinarily I'd tear your dreadlocks out of your misshapen head so that only the roots remained for saying that, but I know you don't mean it, darkie. Nate, what was she like? I don't usually pay attention to such crap but rumours had it- what?"

"You know that Russell guy assigned to Mayland?"

"Pat? Sure. I helped train him. Why?"

"You hear that Mags was carrying a baby when the lorry hit her car?"

"I thought she couldn't have one."

Nate shut Straker's suitcase and locked it. He sighed.

"It was Russell's kid. Her and him were having an affair behind Straker's back. Hell, she even made a pass at me one night. I didn't think anything of it. I knew she liked to be looked at."

"Damn it, Nate, she's dead, you don't speak ill of the dead!"

"The boss knew, Eric. Constantine told him what he'd already suspected. Mags and the boss grew distant because he was having all those nightmares about being in a POW camp. You know how he is. He buried himself in work. They weren't having, well, I don't have to spell it out for you. So she went looking for it somewhere else."

Eric took a deep breath, was silent for a moment.

"What has Ed done about it?"

"Alec was supposed to handle it, but Yetunde's news sort of got in the way."

Eric smiled.

"Hard to imagine that old Aussie battleaxe as a daddy. So is Pat getting the axe?"

"The boss didn't exactly tell us to fire him. Just told Alec to have a word with him."

The two men were silent for a moment.

"I always carry out the Commander's wishes, Kraut. How about you?"

"Lead on, darkie." Eric said. At that moment, Ryan McKay came limping up, looking for Eric.

"There you are. Where are you two headed?"

"To hand out a little justice, Zouri style," Nate snarled. Ryan beamed.

"I'm in. Hey, is that real Louis Vuitton luggage?" Ryan watched as Nate picked up Ed's two pieces of luggage.

"Of course it is, video game head. How's your leg?"

"It was only a flesh wound. Hey, Eric?"

"What? And I'm not sure I want to bring an amateur like you into a man's missio-"

Ryan reached over, pulled the German security guard's face to him and kissed him firmly on the mouth. Eric hesitated a split second and then returned the kiss with great fervor. Nathaniel's considerably sized jaw dropped, and his mouth formed an O.

"Guess you figured it out?"

"Straker told me." Ryan smiled.

"EeeeeeeUUUuuuuuu. Spray me with disenfectant NOW." Nate pulled away dramatically.

Ryan looked at Nate with anger but Eric laughed heartily, and finally Ryan understood Nate was kidding.

"I'd punch you, but you're carrying Ed Straker's Louis Vuitton luggage and I don't want it scuffed. " Eric said airily.

"Where are we going anyway?" Ryan wanted to know.

"To kill Patrick Russell," they said simultaneously.

* * *

"You see? I am carrying your baby and what is the first thing on your mind? Edward! Edward this! Edward that! Always Edward!" Yetunde picked up the first object that was nearby. It happened to be Ed Straker's coffee cup, which was sitting next to his tray of food. She hurled it across at Alec, who ducked in time, and it smashed against the wall, and dripped in an appealing artistic pattern.

Ed Straker came out of the bathroom, perfectly groomed and dressed in a grey chalk striped Armani suit, white shirt and beige and blue tie, glanced at it, and then momentarily at Claire, who ducked her head like a dog that had temporarily forgotten that it was housebroken. Then he looked at Yetunde.

"That wall was crying out for a abstract painting, but in coffee? That was my breakfas-" Ed glanced at his wristwatch, "Make that luncheon coffee, Yetunde."

"I have told Alec that you left Gay in charge and now he has insisted on going with you to Boston. It does not matter that I am pregnant with Ayomide! He will leave me alone!"

"Why suddenly does it seem that I'm seven years old and can't travel by myself? Listen carefully, Alec. I am going to Boston with Nathaniel. I'll be there about three days, probably less. Then I will come home and have the surgery, go through the damn physical therapy, and return to Shado. Do I make myself clear?"

"Are you sure its wise to be traveling on the Concorde now? Why can't you just-"

"I need to set an example. Besides, the last thing I need is for that damn tabloid reporter to be claiming that I'm some kind of coward. She seems determined to do a hatchet job on me. Reminds me of someone I had a run in with several years ago."

Alec's eyes widened.

"You think it's Jo Frasier?"

Claire wondered who Jo Frasier was as she watched Ed make a stern looking line of his perfectly shaped mouth. Claire was close enough to him to smell his faint citrus cologne. She vaguely wondered how it was affecting her blood pressure. She wondered if she could hide in the luggage compartment of the supersonic jet. Maybe in the overhead compartment? Be sensible, Claire. You blew it. You screwed up.

"She went underground after our less than gracious business relationship, and Ford couldn't locate her, I asked him to keep an eye on her just in case. We didn't exactly part as friends. With a little surgery, and some skillfully placed makeup, yes, it had occurred to me. Who else in the press would hate my guts enough to want to plant the thought in the public's heads that I faked my poisoning?"

"She might have done it to lure you out, Edward," Claire squeaked. Shut up, why don't you, Spencer? Haven't you said enough already? You're hanging by the neck until dead already. God, his eyes are blue. Shit, Claire, he's staring at you. Now you've done it. Try and say something intelligent.

"Lure me out? Care to elaborate, Doctor?"

God. Each word is dropping one decree lower beneath zero. Okay, keep going, Claire. Courage, Claire. God, his eyes are blue-

"You don't give many interviews or permit yourself to be photographed, or even seek publicity unless you absolutely have to. She might be playing a game to get you to come out, and get an exclusive that way. Edward Straker, secretive CEO of Harlington-Straker Studios, comes out of seclusion, denies rumor that he faked being near death as a PR stunt. She may have counted on you to be so pissed that you would give her a statement. She already has her name in the rags for even concocting this story up. Nobody seriously bought the lie, but it was selling papers before the Twin Tower and Pentagon attack and crash in Philadelphia blew it off the front pages."

Ed stared at Claire.

"Maybe. You may have something there. I'll deal with it later. Where the blazes is Nate? He should have been here already." Ed's phone rang, and he reached for it. Claire realized she wasn't breathing. In out. In out. I actually contributed something. Maybe he won't kill me now.

"Straker. Oh, its you, Gay. Hmmm? Oh, did he? Well you handle it. I'm leaving you in- Hmm? Absolutely. While I am breathing, I am Commander of Shado. General Henderson can go take a flying leap and Foster can accompany him. Hmm? Yes. Yes. Oh and Gay, if Colonel Freeman and Dr. Yetunde can't conduct themselves like grown adults, throw them in solitary confinement. Consider that an order. Yes, they're still arguing. All right, Gay. Goodbye."

Alec grinned at Yetunde, and Yetunde finally offered him a small smile, but kept her arms folded. Claire thought to herself there was a cease fire between them, but the war wasn't over. And from the way Ed was now ignoring her, she herself was persona non grata. Albeit with a broken heart. Well, you hang around Edward Straker long enough, you learn to hide your feelings, she thought. She looked away from Ed and watched the coffee continue to drip onto the carpet. Very Salvador Dali, she decided. Melted watches.

"What was that all about, Ed?" Alec asked.

"Seems my friend Paul Foster has some objection to my choosing Colonel Ellis to be in charge, and made a beeline to his new best friend, Henderson. Gay has it under control, she just wanted to keep me informed. I have no time to finish my lunch, I want to get going. Where IS Nate?"

* * *

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be assigned to the big move Straker operation," Patrick Russell said. Roughly three seconds after he said it, Patrick Russell was on the unpleasant end of a right cross. Not surprisingly, some of his friends seated around the basement conference room for a casual meeting during lunch all took one look at Eric Kessler and vanished like ladies undies at a sale at Victoria Secret. Ryan sneered at them. He actually managed to look mean while he did it. He looked over the plate of sandwiches that they had abandoned, and sniffed one, then began to eat it. Meanwhile Nathaniel Zouri was ever so helpfully assisting Patrick Russell to his feet. The unfortunate fellow didn't stay on his feet too long, as Nate picked him bodily like a salt shaker and sent him flying into the blackboard.

"Almost dead centre," Eric remarked.

"Shut your face, Kraut. Your turn."

Ryan munched contentedly on an egg and olive sandwich. After several minutes of Eric and Nate basically shredding Patrick Russell like a secret document, Alec came walking in, having been talking to one of Russell's friends who feared for his life.

"What the hell are you two-oh. Okay. Do it quieter, will you? This is a hospital, in case you forgot. Good sandwich, McKay? " Ryan nodded, mouth full. Alec reached over, and picked one up and took a decent bite from it. Russell seemed to be yelling something. Since Kessler had his hand over Russell's nose and face, it was garbled. "Give him some air, Eric." Alec said casually.

"THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ME!" Russell yelled, backing away, and falling on a chair while he sucked in air.

Alec put the sandwich down.

"No, they're just beating the shit out of you. If they were trying to kill you, I'd be attending your memorial service right now instead of eating lunch. By the way, Russell, do you have any idea why my friends here don't seem to like you?"

"Damn it, Straker's broad was all over me, what was I supposed to do? Tell her to go home? Throw her out of my bed? She was just a piece of ass to me, and if the old man wasn't making her happy in the sack-"

"Oh boy," Ryan said. "That wasn't a wise thing to say. I like Straker. I don't like you." Ryan went over and ruined a perfectly good egg sandwich by grabbing Russell by the hair and then squishing the sandwich right into Russell's already splendidly bruised face. Ryan then punched him in the stomach. Nate looked at Eric and Eric looked at Nate.

"Boy has potential," Nate said.

"Naturally. I trained him," Eric said.

"RYAN. Let him go," Alec said, not pleased. Ryan made a sour face, and then dropped Russell. Alec held out a hand to Russell. "Move away from the door," Alec told Eric and Nate. They did. "Get up." Russell did, with relief, taking Alec's offered hand.

"I'm reporting you. All of you," Russell vowed.

Alec suddenly sailed Russell in a balletic fashion through what had been a perfectly decent door. It now had a Russell shaped hole in it.

"Dead centre," Eric said. "Never been able to match that trajectory," he added thoughtfully.

"WOW," Ryan said.

"Sure was. Damn, Alec. How are you going to explain that broken door to the Commander?" Nate asked, impressed. Yetunde, who pushed a wheelchair and now stepped into sight through the door, casually bent over and took Russell's pulse. He didn't seem to mind. He didn't seem to know. He didn't seem to move, either.

"Edward is busy. We will not bother him about a broken door. His heart is still beating. He is not dead. How disappointing. Ah ah ah. You are slipping, Alec," Yetunde scolded. Alec shrugged.

"Take the bastard somewhere and wake him up. And then give him something to not remember us by." Alec said.

Yetunde showed them a hypodermic filled with amnesia drug with glee. Eric, who unfortunately had had more shots than he cared to remember, noticed the needle size seemed more suited to bring down a rhinocerous in full charge. Ryan looked the other way. Nate grinned.

"You can take the woman out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of the woman, " Alec said as Yetunde less than gently threw Russell into the wheelchair. He'd noticed the gauge of the needle too.

"I would shut my boorish mouth if I was you. You will be next, Freeman."

The Australian gulped but grinned at Yetunde.

"Nate, Ed wants you. Do you have the tickets?" he asked.

"Yeah, I packed all his luggage, and we're all ready for a ride."

Eric caught the `I' and frowned.

* * *

Ed Straker snapped his harness on, and watched the passengers board with great interest as Nate, already strapped in for takeoff, flipped through some magazines. Nate wasn't in a great mood. He and Ed had been delayed for two hours while their security cards and weapons had been examined. Nate had been muttering something about fifty terrorists just walked through customs while we get stopped, and we've got A class security passes. Ed quietly had waited while they searched his carry- on, including the box containing the diamond necklace he had purchased as a gift for Lawrence Malone's widow. He had asked Nate to stop the car at Garrard's before they went to Heathrow, and had chosen it himself. Finally he had been cleared, and Nate after him. Both of them were permitted to carry their weapons aboard after a few well placed phone calls.

"Where's Dr. Spencer? The plane is no more than a third full, I'm sure she could have gotten a ticket. Yetunde would have lent her the money. " Ed said in irritation. Nate glanced at him as Ed craned his neck to look around.

"Uh, Sir, you told her not to come with you, I thought."

"And how do you know that, since I spoke to her privately about it?" snapped Ed.

"Uh she told me. I rang her up and asked her if she wanted to come with us anyway, and she said you said no, and she had to do what you said."

"I see," Ed said icily and picked up a magazine an