Final Obsession

By Winnie

Disclaimer----- I own no rights to VTTBOTS, but I do enjoy playing around in this sandbox. No money was made in the writing of this story.

Comments-----Well, it has been a long time since I wrote in this fandom and I have missed it. I hope people enjoy this story. It is the final installment in the Obsession series and I would like to dedicate it to the woman who encouraged me to write my very first story. Thanks, Linda Delaney, we have not spoken in a while, but I’ve always held on to the gift of encouragement you gave me.

Lee Crane stood on the dock admiring the sleek submarine as he waited for Harriman Nelson and Chip Morton to join him. They would be spending several days in this port and although he hated aristocrats and delegations he knew there was no choice. Nelson had agreed to attend the royal gala and he’d insisted that Lee and Chip accompany him. Seaview would return for them in four days and Lee knew the time would pass slowly because he was not known for his patience.

“Lee, are you ready?” Nelson called from the dock.

“No, not really,” Crane said and frowned as a shiver ran down his spine. He quickly glanced around, but wasn’t surprised to find nothing out of the ordinary. His instincts had been screaming at him ever since Seaview had docked at the island fortress and yet he could not find an answer to his unease.

“What’s wrong, Son?” Nelson asked worriedly.

“You know Lee, Admiral, he just doesn’t like these fancy parties,” Morton said as he joined the duo.

“Can’t say I like them much myself,” Nelson said with a slight smile. Somehow he knew there was more to this than jitters and his worry for Lee Crane intensified as he looked around the dock. There were several limousines waiting in the car park and he knew there was also a motorcade ready to escort them to the Governor’s mansion set high in the mountains. He knew the man was expecting them and that tonight’s festivities were to honor the American representatives.

“You’d think I’d be used to these things by now,” Crane said.

“Lee, I’m still not used to the damn things, but I’ve resigned myself to having to attend them when formally requested,” Nelson explained as the three men turned away from Seaview and made their way toward the waiting limousine.

“Any chance we could claim we were ill?” Morton asked.

“Not at this point in the game,” Nelson said with a wry grin. “Looks like this is our ride.”

“Admiral Nelson, welcome to our humble island. I am First Minister Milic Kasparkova and I have been asked to escort you to the Governor’s mansion. He would have been here to meet you himself, but I’m afraid his fiancé was not feeling very well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Minister Kasparkova, I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“No…just a bad case of wedding day jitters if you ask me,” Kasparkova explained as an aide opened the door of the extended limousine.

“Minister Kasparkova, I would like you to meet Seaview’s Captain, Lee Crane and her Executive Officer, Chip Morton.”

“It is a pleasure to meet such renowned officers,” Kasparkova said while shaking their hands.

“How long has Governor Belohlavek known his fiancé?” Nelson asked.

“He met her last year while visiting his mother’s homeland. It seems that she was in love with an American who did not reciprocate her feelings, but alas I should not speak of Jarek’s intended in such a manner.”

“You don’t like her?” Crane asked as the door closed and they settled in for the drive into the mountains.

“I would not say that, Captain, it’s just that she seems to have our Governor wrapped around her fingers.”

“Love tends to do that to some men,” Morton explained with a smile.

“Yes, well, Governor Belohlavek certainly seems to be in love,” Kasparkova said as he glanced at the three men. Of the three, the dark haired captain seemed quiet and withdrawn and he suddenly felt sorry for him.

Lee Crane stared at the mountains as they stretched high overhead toward the dark clouds that moved quickly toward them. Something about the majestic beauty chilled him, but he turned away from the fearsome images as Nelson called his name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She smiled as she stood on the patio looking down over the terrain she now called home. It had been three years since the explosion that had scarred her body and mind, but it had done nothing to keep her from loving one man. She went by another name now, but Julie Parsons-Radcliff would always love the dark haired captain. Lee Crane was being brought to her even now, but he would not recognize her since the plastic surgery to repair her damaged body had also changed her looks. It had taken her a long time to find what she needed to bring her captain back to her. Now she was on the brink of putting those plans to work, but there were many variables that could put a damper on her reunion. Time and money were at her command and Jarek Belohlavek would be a casualty, one she would regret, but she would not let that stop what should be her final triumph.

“Sylvania, my love, I do hope you’re being out here means you are feeling much better.”

“I needed some air, Jarek.”

“Our honored guests from NIMR should be arriving shortly. Admiral Nelson is something of an enigma and his submarine is far beyond our capabilities. It is an honor to have him and his senior officers join us in our celebration.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is, Jarek, but I do wish you would reconsider such an extravagant ceremony.”

“I want to show you off, Sylvania,” Belohlavek said and pulled her tight against him. He wanted her so badly, his body yearning for the sight of her lying in their marriage bed and yet she had refused his advances so far. “I cannot wait until the blessed event takes place and we can dispense with formalities, my love.”

“Jarek, you make me feel like a silly school girl, but I do hope you understand why I cannot share your bed until after we are wed.”

“Of course I understand, Sylvania, but it is hard for a man such as I to curb his appetite.”

“I have told you I will not stand in the way of you being with another woman,” Julie told him and felt his arms encircle her waist. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend it was Lee Crane holding her, but the scent was wrong and she knew she could never be content in anyone else’s arms. She wanted, craved, and would have the dark haired captain as her lover.

“I want only to be with you, My Love…to hold you as a man should hold his most valuable treasure,” Belohlavek whispered, his voice husky with desire.

“Then you shall have me, Jarek, but not until we are wed,” Julie told him and spotted the motorcade as it took the first of a series of twisting turns that would lead it into the governor’s enclosure. She could feel her body responding as each turn of the wheel brought her beloved closer.

“Sylvania, you are killing me…”

‘Not yet…but soon,’ she thought a smile gracing her features as her intended turned her to face him. She allowed him to touch her breasts and kiss her, but felt only a vile resentment at his attention. “Our guests are almost here, Jarek.”

“They can wait…let the servants take care of them,” Belohlavek said and pulled her tighter against his body, allowing her to feel his manhood hardening between them.

“That would not sit well with your ministers, Jarek…you know Milic has already spoken of his dislike for me,” Julie told him.

“Milic has to learn that he has no say as to who I marry…who I choose to bare my children. You are the most desirable woman I have ever laid eyes on and he is simply jealous that you chose to marry me,” the governor told her and led her inside the room. “I have something for you…”

“You are too good to me,” Julie said, eyes widening as he placed a black velvet box in her hands. She lifted the lid and found a gold locket dangling from a gold serpentine chain. She opened the locket and found a picture of Jarek and herself taken the week before while they were dining at a restaurant in the nearby village. “Oh, Jarek, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Of course I do,” Julie told him, her mind flipping through the images engrained on her mind and searching for the one she would place inside the locket once Jarek was taken care of.

“May I put it on for you?”

“Of course,” Julie said, shuddering when his hands touched her bare flesh.

“I’m sorry…are my hands cold?”

“No, Jarek, it’s just me…you know I have always had a low tolerance of people touching me since…since…”

“I know, My Dear, and I’m sorry. I do hope that we can find a way to get you past those fears,” Belohlavek told her, looking up as a knock sounded on the door. “Enter.”

“The guard at the gatehouse said your guests will be here in a few minutes, Governor.”

“Thank you, Bertik, we will be right down. Please show them to the living room and serve drinks,” Belohlavek ordered. “Are you ready, Sylvania?”

“Yes, Jarek, but let me freshen up first,” Julie said and moved into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She could feel the excitement twisting knots in her stomach and smiled into the mirror. Her eyes were now a different shade than when Lee Crane had last seen her, but she wondered if he would be able to tell who she was. ‘Soon, My Love, very soon we will be together forever,’ she thought and began to hum softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee listened to the admiral and Morton talking, but didn’t really hear what they were saying. The drive up the winding roads had been filled with beautiful scenery and fantastic views of the gorge that ran along the eastern side of the mountain. Yet, Lee could not help feeling as if something was wrong and this trip would not turn out as planned. He looked up at the Governor’s mansion, set high on the mountain and shuddered at the thought of being inside the walls.

“Lee, I know you never liked social functions, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so tense,” Morton observed softly, watching his friend closely while Nelson and Milic seemed engrossed in a conversation about the scientific exploration off the southern end of the island.

“It’s nothing, Chip,” Crane assured him, but knew his friend didn’t quite believe him when the sandy eyebrows shot up. “You know how I feel about having to attend these things.”

“Yes, I do, and I sympathize with you, but sometimes it’s good to just relax and take things as they come. It won’t be long before we’re back onboard Seaview and this will be just another memory,” Morton said as the limo pulled to a stop outside the gatehouse.

“Lee, Milic has offered to take us on a short cruise of the bay at the south end of the island tomorrow. He says there are several sunken ships that might be of interest to us,” Nelson said.

“Sounds good, Admiral,” Crane told him, and tried to shake off the sense of unease that threatened to overwhelm him as the car entered through the gates and they closed behind him.

“Captain, Admiral Nelson tells me you’re quite an accomplished diver…perhaps I could interest you in a trip down to one of the ships,” Milic offered.

“It sounds interesting,” Crane told him, excited at the prospect of spending the day exploring shipwrecks.

“Very well, I will arrange for all of you to accompany me,” Milic said.

“Will the governor and his fiancé be okay with the change in plans?” Nelson asked.

“Actually, your days are pretty free, but I’m afraid the evenings are booked solid with celebratory dinners and meetings,” the first minister explained, smiling as the limo pulled to a stop outside the front doors. The chauffeur came around to the back door and opened it for them to exit.

Lee stepped outside and breathed deeply of the fresh mountain air, and caught the scent of the ocean as a soft breeze blew across the well manicured lawn. He looked around, vaguely impressed at the view of the city far below and walked slowly toward the edge of the clearing. A three foot brick wall ran along the circumference of the mansion’s impressive grounds and ended at the main gate.

The mansion itself stood against the mountain that seemed to encompass much of the background view. The highest peaks still held snow and ice, adding to the majestic aura of the land. Lee felt someone watching him and looked up at the second floor, unable to keep his eyes off the beautiful spectre standing on the balcony. She disappeared inside and he wondered who she was and why she’d taken his breath away.

“Lee…Lee…”

“Sorry, Admiral, I was just admiring the view,” Crane admitted.

“It is beautiful here,” Milic offered, unaware of the hint of a smile that passed between the three men.

“It certainly is…”

“Milic, why are you keeping our guests out here when there are refreshments waiting inside?”

“I am sorry, Jarek,” Milic said and made the formal introductions.

Governor Jarek Belohlavek shook hands with each man and motioned for them to follow him inside. The mansion had been renovated and the marble floors cleaned to perfection. There were Queen Anne chairs along the wall inside the foyer and a long closet for the guest’s jackets and boots. A butler stood ready to take their belongings and several servants would take their bags up to their rooms.

Jarek led them along a wide corridor and soon entered a lower room with a wide sweeping staircase that led to the second floor. There were rooms along both sides, some with doors closed while others were open and soft piano music reached them from the furthest room. Haunting strains so beautiful it had them all pausing to listen.

“My fiancé loves the piano, but is unable to play. I bought the organ as a present and had it programmed to play certain melodies at different intervals,” Jarek explained.

“It’s beautiful,” Lee Crane said, his heart jumping when he looked up at the figure gliding along the upper floor.’

“Jarek, you should have told me our guests had arrived,” the seductress chastised lightly, lifting her gown as she made her way down the stairs. Her heart seemed to beat faster as she descended toward the men waiting below.

“Ah, Sylvania, My Love, come meet out distinguished guests,” Jarek told her and took his intended’s arm as she reached them. “Admiral Harriman Nelson, Captain Lee Crane, and Commander Chip Morton, allow me to introduce the woman who has stolen my heart and given me hers in return…Sylvania Marchand.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Marchand,” Nelson said and kissed her hand as Milic had told him was appropriate.

“Thank you, Admiral,” Julie told him and moved to greet Chip Morton. He was as charming as ever in his blue suit, but she would not allow him or Admiral Nelson to ruin her plans. She knew the time was at hand and moved to the third man while keeping a tight reign on her emotions. “Captain Crane, Jarek has told me many stories about you and your submarine.”

Lee stared into her eyes and tried to figure out why the alarms were going off in his mind. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. He felt lost as he stared into the dark depths until a familiar voice brought him back to the present.

“Lee, you’re staring,” Morton lightly teased.

“Sorry, but it is not often a man looks upon someone so lovely,” Crane said and turned to the governor with a slight smile on his face. “You are a lucky man.”

“Yes, I am, Captain, and do I need to remind you that she is betrothed to me?” Belohlavek said, slightly irritated at the way Crane had stared at his fiancé.

“Come, Jarek, I’m sure Captain Crane did not mean to stare…perhaps he even has an excuse when you think of those long voyages on a submarine with no female companionship,” Julie told him and kissed him softly.

“I apologise, Governor, Miss Marchand, I did not intend to offend either of you,” Crane said.

“Apology accepted,” Jarek said and led them into a room near the right side of the staircase. The music continued and as he motioned for his guests to have a seat and had one of the servants bring refreshments.

Lee Crane knew he should stay away from the woman, but there was something about her. He felt drawn to her, but there was a dangerous intensity to the feelings raging inside him. He accepted a cup of coffee and moved to the balcony as the others talked about the treaty that had been agreed upon by their governments exactly one year ago. He stood looking down at the ocean and wondered at the foundation of the mansion that kept it from sliding down into the gorge. He knew it must have taken someone with expertise in both landscape and architecture to find the right balance.

“Captain Crane, it seems your Admiral Nelson and Commander Morton and my fiancé have found several points of interest in discussing the issue of exploring the oceans,” Julie whispered seductively.

“I should…”

“Isn’t the view breathtaking? I could stand here and be happy for the rest of my life…there’s nothing as peaceful as the nights here…just watching the stars and listening to the birds singing in the trees. It has to be one of the most romantic settings in the world wouldn’t you agree?”

“That’s something you should discuss with your fiancé, Miss Marchand,” Crane said and tried to brush past her, but she countered his move, essentially cutting off his escape route while keeping her body in close proximity to his. “If you’ll excuse me, Miss Marchand, I need to get a refill.”

Julie moved aside and allowed him to pass, disappointed that he had not recognized her, yet excited that she was able to pull of this ruse. It would not take much for her to remove the contact lenses and let him see the real color of her eyes, but this was neither the time nor the place. She knew Crane would not come to her easily, but if everything went as planned she would have him with her before she was to exchange vows with Jarek Belohlavek. With a slight smile on her face, Julie Parsons-Radcliff turned and rejoined the men who seemed engrossed in governmental policies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Crane stood on the balcony overlooking the gorge as birds twittered in the nearby trees. This place was even more beautiful at night with just the sounds of nature to remind him he wasn’t onboard the Seaview. He was looking forward to the next day, and the chance to explore one of the sunken ships made it next to impossible to sleep. He’d always enjoyed being underwater, whether it was in scuba gear or on the Seaview. Either way it often reminded him that he was living most boys’ dreams.

Lee went back into his room, pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of wine in the ice bucket and knew he would have to thank his hosts for their thoughtfulness. Normally he would enjoy the bottle, but he didn’t like to drink the night before a dive. He reached for the pitcher of ice water and filled up a glass before making his way back outside.

“This place is beautiful,” Chip said and smiled as Crane turned toward him. “I see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep.”

“It is beautiful, but it’s not the Seaview,” Crane answered and knew his friend understood what he meant.

“True, but if I had to choose a place to live then it would be something along these lines,” Morton said.

“You always did love the mountains.”

“What’s not to love? Well, we’d better get some sleep if we’re going to be in any shape for that dive team tomorrow,” Morton observed.

“Guess so. Goodnight, Chip.”

“Goodnight, Lee.”

Crane stayed where he was long after Chip had gone into his room and found his mind wandering back to his first sight of Sylvania Marchand. What was it about her that was both beautiful and deadly at the same time? Why did he want to leave this place and not look back? There was something about her that set his nerves on edge, but he could not grasp exactly what it was.

With a heavy sigh he walked back into his room and removed the rest of his clothing. He stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes as the haunting music seemed to come from the walls. He felt sleep beckoning to him, and was soon lost in dreams he thought he’d forgotten.

“No…I don’t want you…never wanted you…go...go away…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, Admiral Nelson, I trust you slept well,” Julie said as Nelson walked toward the table set up on the main patio.

“I did, Miss Marchand, thank you for asking.”

“You’re welcome, Admiral. Would you like coffee?”

“I would love coffee…thank you,” Nelson said as a young woman dressed in a black and white maid’s outfit served him.

“We’re having crepes and fresh fruit for breakfast. I trust Commander Morton and Captain Crane will be joining us before they go diving with Milic,” Julie observed.

“Good morning, My Love,” Jarek Belohlavek said and kissed his wife before sitting at the head of the table. Good morning, Admiral Nelson.”

“Good morning, Governor…”

“Please, Admiral, let’s dispense with such formalities while we are alone. Call me Jarek.”

“Very well, Jarek, but only if you agree to call me Harry,” Nelson said as Chip Morton and Lee Crane joined them. Chip looked well rested, but Lee looked like he hadn’t closed his eyes. “Lee, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Admiral,” Crane answered and frowned when he saw the smile on Sylvania Marchand’s face.

“Perhaps the wine did not agree with you, Captain Crane,” Julie said.

“I’d agree with you, except I didn’t drink the wine,” Crane told her and smiled at the woman who poured coffee into his cup. He didn’t see the flash of anger in the other woman’s eyes as he reached for the cup and took a sip of the strong brew.

“Carmella, please serve breakfast,” Belohlavek ordered and smiled at his future wife. “Crepes and Eggs Benedict are my fiancé’s favorite and Stefan is a master at both.”

“Just coffee and toast for me,” Crane said.

“But, Captain, should you not have a good breakfast before a dive?” Julie asked.

“Lee isn’t much of an eater,” Morton observed and smiled at his friend. “On the other hand, I do enjoy a good breakfast and this smells wonderful.”

“Admiral, perhaps Sylvania and I could give you a tour of the grounds while your men are busy exploring sunken ships,” Belohlavek offered.

“The vineyards on the eastern slopes are wonderful. I believe you would enjoy seeing how we manage to grow things in spite of the terrain,” Julie told him.

“I’d like that,” Nelson agreed, relieved to see some of the tension leave Crane as the woman seemed to focus on him. What was it about Sylvania Marchand that affected his friend? Whatever it was, he hoped it would not interfere with the reason they were here in the first place.

“Milic will be here around nine. He is an experienced diver and he will make sure you both have the right equipment, Captain,” Belohlavek said.

“Do you dive, Governor?” Morton asked.

“Not for several years. I had an accident and some people would say I lost my nerve…”

“Those people don’t know you as well as I do, Jarek,” Julie said and kissed him.

“Thank you, My Love, you always know the right thing to say. Perhaps there will come a day when I get my adventurous spirit back, but until then I will happily enjoy spending time with you,” Belohlavek told her.

“How did you two meet?” Crane asked.

“I was on a diplomatic mission in my mother’s homeland. She is from the Czechoslovakia…”

“I heard rumors that Czechoslovakia would soon be divided into two sovereign states,” Nelson supplied.

“Yes, there is much talk of that and my mother is trying to rally people for just the occasion, but that is another story,” Belohlavek began and looked at his intended. “I do enjoy social functions, but I was not ready for the beautiful creature who stepped into my life and captured my heart. I was talking with several delegates from other countries when she smiled in my direction and I knew I would have her. We spent many hours together while I was there and she agreed to be my wife and came home with me that very day. The rest as they say is history.”

“Sounds like you were destined to meet,” Crane observed and frowned when he saw something hauntingly familiar in the woman’s features.

“Yes, Captain Crane, it was destiny,” Jarek said and squeezed his fiancé’s hand. “Fate and destiny conspired to bring us together and I will do everything I can to make her happy.”

“You already have, Jarek,” Julie whispered and kissed his cheek. She listened to the conversation, but kept glancing at Lee Crane. The man had not changed in the three years since the explosion, but he was still the man who had captured her heart. He’d brought this on himself by being so virile and she would make sure he understood that when the time came.

“Sylvania, My Dear, you did not touch your breakfast,” Belohlavek observed.

“I am not hungry, Jarek, but it seems Milic is here for Captain Crane and Commander Morton,” Julie said and smiled as she stood up to meet the newcomer. She knew Kasparkova did not like her, but it didn’t matter because she would get rid of him if he got in her way.

“Governor, Miss Marchand, I hope I am not intruding,” the man said.

“No, Milic, you are not intruding. Would you like some coffee?” Belohlavek asked.

“Thank you, Governor, but I had breakfast with my wife and daughter,” Kasparkova answered and turned to Lee and Chip. “Captain…Commander, are you ready to check out the sunken ships?”

“Admiral, are you sure you won’t come along?” Crane asked.

“I’m sure…I’d like to see the vineyards,” Nelson said.

“Milic, don’t keep them underwater too long or they will miss this evening’s festivities,” Julie said.

“I will have them back in plenty of time, Miss Marchand,” Kasparkova said. “I have a chopper waiting for us on the helipad.”

“Captain…Commander, enjoy your swim,” Julie said and watched them walk away. She fought to keep her anger and disgust inside as Jarek placed his hand on her arm.

“Perhaps you should change into something more suited to touring the vineyards, My Dear.”

“Jarek, would you mind if I bowed out on the tour.”

“Are you all right?”

“It is nothing to be concerned about…just a headache.”

“Should I call the doctor?”

“No, it isn’t bad…nothing a little sleep won’t cure. You go ahead with Admiral Nelson and I will make sure lunch is prepared when you get back,” Julie said and watched them leave before making her way into the house. She hurried up to her room and onto the balcony in time to see Lee Crane boarding the helicopter. She wanted to feel his hands on her body, wanted to have him in her bed, but she would have to wait until the time was right.

She had people in the village below who would help her when the time was right, and several men amongst Jarek’s council who would do anything she asked. She was well versed in reading people and she knew how to manipulate men to do as she asked. There was only one man who had ever denied her and he would soon learn that she owned him no matter how hard he tried to deny her affection.

Julie watched as the Chopper lifted off the ground and circled the palace before heading down to the helipad at the south end of the island. If she had her way, Lee Crane would never do anything more dangerous than tend her every whim, but for now all she could do was worry about her beloved. Once the helicopter disappeared, she went back inside and stretched out on her bed as memories of her past encounters with Lee Crane made her body tingle with excitement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Captain…”

“Call me Lee,” Crane told the man seated across from him.

“Then you must call me Milic…and you as well com…”

“Chip will do, Milic,” Morton told him.

“Very well. It does make things easier when we dismiss formalities. You are both well versed in the proper use of scuba gear?’

“We are,” Crane said and listened as Morton explained about some of the dives they’d been on.

“Very well, but I would be remiss in my duties if I did not go over the regulations,” Kasparkova told them. “When we reach the rendezvous with the boat you will be asked to check the equipment…”

“As a diver that’s something that comes naturally,” Crane told him.

“You know the rules and regulations.”

“We do…they’re the same around the world,” Morton said as the chopper lander and they exited.

“Our boat is over there,” Kasparkova said and pointed to a yacht moored at a long well-kept dock.

“Yours?” Morton asked.

“I bought it several years ago and have since modified some of the equipment so that it is one of the best dive boats in the country…some would say in the hemisphere,” the older man answered.

“I’d love to hear more,” Crane said.

“She is called the Island Princess…I was a fan of The Love Boat television show,” Kasparkova said with a grin. She has both inboard and outboard capabilities and is forty meters bow to stern. She can sleep six and is quite capable of making a long journey should the need arise.”

“What year was she built?” Morton asked.

“1979,” Kasparkova answered. “I make sure she’s up to date and checked out every six months. My wife says I pay more attention to the yacht than I do to her.”

“Is she right?” Morton asked with a grin.

“Probably, but I make it up to her. She is far more beautiful than any yacht and a boat does not keep a man warm or offer a chance to agree or disagree with a point. The yacht may be The Island Princess, but Hannah is my princess,” Kasparkova said as they strode toward the dock. He spotted his friend at the top of the gangplank and quickly shook his hand. “Dalibor, these are the men I told you about…Captain Lee Crane and Commander Chip Morton.”

“A pleasure I’m sure,” Dalibor Farkas said and shook their hands before motioning them onboard the yacht. “So, Milic tells me you work on a nuclear submarine. I would do anything to see such a vessel.”

“Perhaps we could arrange a tour when Seaview returns,” Crane said as two men released the lines that kept the yacht moored to the dock.

“I would also be interested in such a tour,” Kasparkova observed.

“I’ll speak with Admiral Nelson when we get back,” Crane assured him. “How long will it take to reach the wrecks?”

“Approximately 20 minutes,” Dalibor answered.

“That gives us enough time to check the equipment,” Crane said.

“Follow me,” Kasparkova told them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriman Nelson watched as several workers checked the grapes on the nearby vines. There were rows of ripening fruit and he wondered when the harvest would begin as his host spoke with a large, gruff looking man near the small building at the gate.

“Admiral, this is my wine aficionado Alexandr Flor.”

“Admiral, I have heard many stories of your submarine and I am honored to meet such a distinguished man as yourself,” Flor told him.

“Thank you…”

“Please, call me Alexandr,” Flor said and motioned to the field of grape vines. “As you can see we are having a wonderful growing season and the grapes are perfect. We should begin picking by hand in two weeks.”

“You don’t use mechanical pickers?” Nelson asked curiously.

“No, every grape is picked by hand and transported to our winery in the village. We do everything in the old ways of my mother’s homeland,” Belohlavek explained. “My father and mother used this type of grape and I would not change how they did things because we would lose the very thing that makes our wine so sweet. When you leave I will give you a case with several bottles we have made in the last four years.”

“What species of grape do you use?” Nelson asked.

“St. Laurent…as I said it is a family tradition and makes some of the best wines in the world,” Belohlavek explained as Flor took a bottle from the rack in the small building and handed it to him. “Would you like to try this one?”

“I would,” Nelson said as Alexandr reached for two glasses and poured a small amount into both before handing them to the two men. Nelson swished the wine around in the glass and smelled the bouquet before taking a sip of the red liquid. It was surprisingly mellow, with just a hint of sweetness and none of the vinegar that was sometimes associated with privately owned and operated vineyards…especially when those vineyards seemed to be a hobby for the owners.

“Well, Harry, how is it?”

“Very good,” Nelson answered and finished what was in his glass. “How long have you been developing this one?”

“Alexandr and I have been working on this one for three years. It has a strong bouquet and has won several ribbons at the wine show in the UK and New Zealand.”

“There are some very good wines debuted at those shows. New Zealand is one of the best wine making countries in the world, but they don’t get enough credit as far as I am concerned.”

“I agree,” Belohlavek said and placed the glass on the table as Flor led them toward the rows of ripened grapes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee and Chip finished checking the equipment and were pleasantly surprised t find it in excellent condition. They spent the half hour going through everything they’d learned and were satisfied that it measured up to their standards.

“We are directly over the first wreck. There are six in total and they are all within swimming distance of each other. It is said that the vessels were caught in a freak storm and sank before help could arrive. There were no survivors and it is said that the souls of the dead inhabit the remains of the ships. Do you believe in the unknown?”

“I believe everything has some truth to it. Perhaps the rumors were started by someone who saw a shadow or maybe they really did see something that could not be explained. Either way I don’t believe in judging anyone’s story until I know where they are coming from,” Crane answered.

“I take it you’ve seen some strange things,” Kasparkova observed.

“You could say that,” Morton answered.

“Then nothing you see down there should come as a surprise to you,” Dalibor offered. “Are you going down as well, Milic?”

“That’s why I was checking my equipment, Dalibor,” the man answered with a grin and watched as the other man dropped anchor. “We have about 90 minutes to explore the wrecks or we’ll be late getting back to the palace. Jarek is planning a big celebration tonight and I promised him you would be there. It’s a black tie affair so I hope you gentlemen brought the right apparel or we’ll need to stop by…”

“We brought tuxedos as well as our dress blues,” Morton told him.

“Wonderful, then let’s get suited up and get down there,” Kasparkova told them.

It took 15 minutes for the three men to get into gear and drop over the side of the yacht. Kasparkova knew where they were headed and took the lead, with Lee on his right and Chip on his left. They swam toward the first of the wrecks and made sure the equipment was still running properly.

Lee swam over the top of the first vessel and watched as several brightly colored fish darted away from him. He loved being underwater, whether onboard the submarine or scuba diving abandoned wrecks. He ran his hand along the railing and looked into the lower cabin, aware that Chip and Milic were now beside him. He signaled that he wanted to check out the interior and was relieved when Milic nodded that it was safe.

Crane swam through the opening, the light on his gear brightening the interior and illuminating the remnants of a long dead life. Whether the owners were amongst the dead or not was unknown since there was no evidence of a body. He spotted something in the far corner and picked it up before showing the broken pocket watch to his two companions.

Chip pointed to a second opening and shone his light inside, revealing what was once the sleeping quarters. The vessel wasn’t very large probably big enough for six or eight. He wanted to ask Milic about the people who owned the boat, but it would have to wait until they were topside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie Parson-Radcliff sat on the edge of her bed and looked at the items she’d spread across the top. She knew she would have to hide them soon or risk being seen by Jarek when he returned. She’d brought the items with her, hidden inside a compartment of her carry-on luggage.

Julie picked up a picture of Lee Crane wearing a black tuxedo and staring straight ahead as if he was seeing only her. His eyes were so intense, as if he was seeing right into her heart and she knew she could lose herself in the deep hazel pools. She knew he belonged to her, but there were so many people who had lied to him and made him turn away from their shared destiny.

Julie placed the picture over her heart and felt tears in her eyes when she lifted it to her lips and kissed his mouth. “Oh, Lee, what will it take to make you see we are destined to be together no matter what other people say or do to tear us apart. We are stronger when we are together and we will be together forever no matter what it takes.”

Julie heard voices from below and knew she had to hide her treasure before she was discovered. She quickly placed them back in the black velvet box and hid it inside her closet before straightening her dress and leaving the room. She walked to the stairs and made her way down just as her future husband and Admiral Nelson made their way into the family room.

“Sylvania, I hope your headache is better,” Belohlavek said and walked over to take here hands.

“It is better, Jarek, thank you for understanding,” Julie told him.

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes, please,” Julie answered and watched as her intended went behind the bar and poured three glasses of red wine before handing them out. “How are the grapes?”

“They are ready for harvesting and I believe this year is what is called a bumper crop,” Belohlavek told her. “Why don’t we take this outside?”

“I would enjoy hat and perhaps lunch could be served on the patio as well,” Julie said.

“I’ll let the kitchen know,” Belohlavek offered and left the duo alone.

“Tell me about your submarine, Admiral.”

“Seaview is a nuclear sub,” Nelson answered vaguely.

“I heard stories about the glass windows. Were they your design?”

“They are, but they are not made of regular glass since they have to stand up to the pressures of deep sea diving.”

“It must be expensive to maintain something like that.”

“It is, but we have investors who help with the costs and the benefits outweigh the costs.”

“I understand you’ve been able to go under the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic? Doesn’t that put your employees at risk?”

“No more than any of the other subs. Actually Seaview is probably safer than any other submarine in use. The design is something that was tested and retested until we were sure it would be a worthwhile project.”

“I would love to see the interior. Do you give guided tours?”

“I’m sure it could be arranged, but I thought your wedding took precedence right now.”

“It does…I was thinking of a future visit,” Julie lied. There was no way she would ever set foot on the Seaview or any other submarine. Once she had what she wanted she would make sure Lee Crane did nothing that could put his life in jeopardy. Their love would be enough of an adventure and they would always be in each other’s arms. The problem was, it would take several months before that could happen and that meant she would have to live with Lee being a prisoner. Not of love, but of necessity so that she could have the time she needed to make sure Nelson and Morton were never allowed to visit this country again.

“Lunch will be served on the patio, My Dear,” Belohlavek said and took her by the arm. “Your men will be back in time for lunch, Harry.”

“They’re finished with the wrecks?”

“For today, but I have a feeling they’ll want to do some more exploring after Sylvania and I are wed.”

“I don’t think they’ll have time for that, Jarek…Seaview is needed in the Behring Sea in two weeks,” Nelson told him.

“What are you looking for there, Admiral?” Julie asked once they were seated on the patio.

“We’re not looking for anything. We’ll be taking a group of scientist there to check on the sea life. Several species seem to have died out in the last year and we’re going to research the reasons behind it.”

“Perhaps it’s simply nature’s way of getting rid of the weaker species so the stronger ones have a better chance of survival,” Julie told him.

“You can’t mean that, Sylvania,” Belohlavek said, surprised at her words. “How could we live with ourselves if we did not help…not just our fellow man, but the weaker creatures of this world?”

“Of course I didn’t mean it, Jarek,” Julie said with a hint of a smile.

Harriman Nelson felt a chill race through him when he saw the change in the woman. Something about her demeanor spoke of a cruelty lying just beneath the surface. Warning bells went off at the smile, but he did not understand why. Something about Sylvania Marchand felt wrong to him, but until he had more, there was no way he could speak with the Governor without arousing suspicion.

“Sylvania has a strange sense of humor, Harry, but believe me when I say she would never hurt a fly…she even cried when we watched the original movie the other night…”

“The male lead had an uncanny resemblance to your captain. Was he an actor before you hired him?” Julie asked.

“No, he wasn’t,” Nelson said. He knew the movie they were talking about, but he had never seen the original or the remake and had no intention of seeing either of them in the near future.

“Admiral, would you like a refill?” Julie asked.

“I believe Harry prefers a good single malt scotch,” Belohlavek said and produced a bottle of Glenfiddich.

“I believe you’re right,” Nelson said and missed the anger that flashed across the woman’s face as he turned his back on her.

“This was a gift from my cousin in Germany. It is twelve years old and I have been keeping it for a special occasion. My wedding is tomorrow and I would like to take this time to toast my future wife and the new friendships we forge,” Belohlavek told him and poured two shots as he smiled at his bride to be. “I know you do not like strong liquors, My Dear, but would you like more wine?”

“No, thank you, Jarek, I’m fine,” Julie assured him and watched as a helicopter circled high overhead before flying toward the private helipad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee looked toward the house as the helicopter landed Chip jumped out. He could not explain the reason he detested the idea of going inside. The thought of seeing Sylvania Marchand sent a chill down his spine, but he had no valid reason for not staying at the home and attending the ceremonies. Diplomacy was not one of his strong points, but somehow he would get through the next few days.

“Lee, are you coming?”

“Yes, sorry, Chip, guess I was daydreaming,” Crane answered and walked toward the pathway leading up to the main house.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine…just tired,” Crane answered.

“Maybe you should catch some shuteye before the festivities.”

“Actually, I was just thinking the same thing,” Seaview’s captain observed.

“I can tell the Admiral and Governor Belohlavek and his fiancé you’ll see them this evening.”

“Sounds good…thanks, Chip.” Crane entered the house and bypassed the main rooms as he headed for the stairs. He felt like a coward as he entered his room and closed the door behind him. He walked toward the bathroom and knew exactly what he needed. There were plenty of towels folded on a brass shelving unit set against the back wall.

Lee started the water and adjusted it to the right temperature before removing his clothes and folding them neatly. It was something ingrained in him, just like breathing as he placed the pile of clothing on the vanity. His kit was already in place and he knew everything he needed was inside it. He stepped into the shower ad felt the hot water run down his body, easing the tension from his mind.

Crane put his hands against the porcelain wall and stayed where he was for several minutes before reaching for the shampoo and pouring a small amount into his hands. He lathered it in his hair and enjoyed the thought of taking a shower at his own pace. When on a Submarine or any other ship for a long time, showers were timed in an effort to conserve water. Today he could take his time and enjoy the way it felt as it dropped from his hair onto his upper body.

Next, he used a cloth and soap to wash his body and then rinsed off before shutting off the water and stepping onto the thick bath mat already in place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie knew she should leave, but she wanted to be with him so badly. When Chip had joined them and explained that Lee would not be joining them, she’d quickly made an excuse and left the three men alone. She knew he way around the house and took the back stairs to the second floor. Once there she knew she could get to Lee’s room by cutting through a secondary hallway.

When she’d helped Jarek with the room assignments, she’d made sure Lee was given this one. Not because it was smaller than the others, but because it had a bathroom that had been built when the palace was first designed. It also had a small opening in the bedroom closet, one she’d used to enter the room.

Julie fought the urge to push the door open as she listened to the sound of the water running inside the bathroom. God, how she craved the feel of his body against her own. Why couldn’t he see how much she loved him? Why did he allow men like Nelson and Morton to interfere in their lives?

“Soon, Lee, very soon…”

“Is someone there?”

Julie jumped at the sound of his voice and realized the water had stopped running. She quickly made her way into the closet and through the narrow opening, closing and securing it behind her even as she heard him moving around his room. She made her way to her room and sighed with relief when no one came to check on her.

Julie lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, letting the excitement of having him so close wash over her. It wouldn’t be long now, and he would be hers for all eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Crane frowned as he wrapped the thick terry cloth towel around his waist and exited the bathroom. He could have sworn he heard a woman’s voice, but there was no sign that anyone had been there. He opened the bedroom door, but the hallway was deserted and nothing moved except the curtain covering the window at the end of the hallway.

Lee closed the door and walked back to the bed and sat down. He really did feel tired, but had never been comfortable in strange beds. Truth was he sometimes found it hard to sleep anywhere, but onboard Seaview. It was something he wouldn’t be able to explain, but it was very real.

Crane looked at the bookshelf across the room and decided to check the titles, surprised to find a wide variety of authors, including one of his favorite. Tom Clancy’s newest novel was at the top of his must read list and he took the book back to the bed and lay down with a smile as he opened the book and read the title page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The music played softly as Nelson, Crane, and Morton made their way down the stairs and into the large room that doubled as a conference room and a party room. The windows were wide open to allow the gentle breeze to cool the room slightly as dignitaries from around the world waited for the happy couple to enter. Their names were announced by the man in charge of the music and several people vied for their attention.

“Lee, don’t look now, but there’s a young lady watching you over her fan,” Morton said once they were served drinks.

“She’s probably looking at every man in here,” Crane said.

“Maybe, but she seems to have fixated on you. Why don’t you go over and strike up a conversation?” Morton said and smiled as a dark haired beauty wearing a sea green dress stepped in front of him.

“Would you like to sign my dance card?”

“I’d be delighted to, Miss…”

“Donatello…Maria Donatello,” the woman said coyly. “If you like you can fill in each space.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to the other men if I did such a thing,” Morton told her.

“I wouldn’t mind, but perhaps Captain Crane or Admiral Nelson would like to sign my dance card as well,” the woman said flirtatiously.

“Maria, are you bothering these gentlemen?”

“No, Papa, I was letting them sign my dance card,” the woman answered

“Admiral Nelson, it is a pleasure seeing you again,” Marcos Donatello said and offered his hand.

“We met at the UN last year didn’t we?” Nelson asked.

“That’s correct…I am honored that you remember me. Did my suggestions help you?”

“Yes, they did and I hope we get the chance to go over some of my findings before we leave,” Nelson said and introduced Lee and Chip to the scientist.

“Your Admiral is a smart man,” Donatello told them.

“Yes, he is,” Crane said.

“Ladies and Gentlemen….distinguished guests…please welcome Governor Jarek Belohlavek and his fiancé Miss Sylvania Marchand.” All eyes turned to the wide staircase as the couple descended toward the group waiting to meet them.

Lee watched as the woman clung to Jarek’s arm, but something about the way she held her body seemed wrong. If she truly loved the man, then did she seem to keep a larger than necessary distance between them? Maybe she was just nervous, but something told him, Belohlavek wasn’t getting the woman he thought he was.

“Some women like to make an entrance,” Maria said with a hint of disdain in her voice.

“Now, Maria, you know when your big day comes you will do the same thing,” Marcos told his daughter as the newly arrived couple made their way toward them.

Maria turned to Chip Morton and took his arm as the music began to play. “Why don’t we make the first dance ours?”

“Sounds like a plan. Excuse me everyone, but the lady has requested this dance,” Morton said and led her onto the dance floor.

“Admiral, it seems we have several things to discuss with Dr. Donatello before we can dance…perhaps your captain wouldn’t mind dancing with Sylvania while we dispense with formalities,” Belohlavek suggested.

“Jarek, you shouldn’t put Captain Crane on the spot like that,” Julie said, her heart trip-hammering at the thought of being in his arms.

“It’s all right, Miss Marchand,” Crane said and smiled as she took his arm.

“Are you sure, Captain?”

“I’m sure,” Crane answered and was soon waltzing with the woman.

“You dance very well, Captain.”

“Thank you,” Crane said and suddenly wished the music would stop as she stumbled into him.

“I’m so sorry…I’m clumsy sometimes,” Julie told him and looked into his eyes. “Have you ever been in love, Captain?”

“Well…”

“I’m sorry, I was just curious why a man like you isn’t married,” Julie said and felt as if butterflies had taken flight in her stomach.

“I guess I never met the right woman,” Crane answered.

“Do you think you’ll ever find her?”

“If I do I’m sure I’ll know it, but for now I am simply enjoying the company,” Crane said as the music stopped and he pulled away from her.

“Jarek and Admiral Nelson are in his office…why don’t you and I get something to drink?”

“Captain, I believe you promised me this dance,” Maria Donatello said as Chip released his hold on her. She quickly clasped Lee’s right arm and led him to the dance floor, unaware of the angry glare sent in her direction.

“Would you like to dance, Miss Marchand?” Morton asked and frowned when he saw her staring at his friend. “Miss Marchand, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Commander, but some people are just rude,” Julie told him and smiled in spite of the anger raging through her. “Would you like to dance?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Morton said and took her by the hands as they joined the other dancers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jarek, you are a lucky man,” Marcos Donatello said when they rejoined the gathering.

“Yes, I am,” Belohlavek agreed and wrapped his arms around his wife.

“Thank you,” Julie said and spotted Lee Crane heading for the balcony. She knew she would be wed to Jarek the next day, but it would not last long…not even long enough for the ink to dry on the marriage license. She had called the two men who would arrange for Jarek’s death, and they would also make sure Captain Lee Crane was implicated in his death. It would be up to her to make it look realistic and that was something she could do.

“Are you enjoying yourself, My Dear,” Belohlavek asked.

“Yes, Jarek, it is wonderful meeting your friends and colleagues,” Julie told him.

“Will your family be attending the ceremony tomorrow, Miss Marchand?” Marcos asked.

“I have no family,” Julie answered. I was the only child of an only child. My father and mother died when I was very young and sent me to live with my elderly aunt. She died two years ago and I have been alone ever since…until I met Jarek. He was wonderful and showed me many of the things I didn’t think I would ever see or do.”

“A beautiful woman deserves beautiful things and so,” Belohlavek said and reached inside his jacket for the velvet box he’d placed there. “A bride is supposed to have something old on her wedding day…some would say that tradition could be filled by simply telling my age, but I think Sylvania would prefer this.”

“What is it?” Julie asked.

“Open it and see,” Belohlavek said when she took the box from his hand.

Julie opened the box and gasped at the cameo broach that was nestled inside. She gently touched the intricate design before looking at her future husband. “Oh, Jarek, it is lovely.”

“Not as lovely as you…it belonged to my great, great aunt and was given to her by Queen Elizabeth during a Royal visit many years ago,” Belohlavek explained. “I wish to see you wear it tomorrow as a token of my love.”

“What if it gets lost?”

“It won’t, but if it does then so be it. The broach is yours now and it is something old for you to wear tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Jarek, I will wear it for you,” Julie vowed.

“Governor, dinner is ready if you and Miss Marchand would like to be seated,” the head of the palace’s kitchen staff told him.

“Thank you, Pierre, give me two minutes and we will be in,” Jarek said and waited for the announcement to be made before walking toward the formal dining room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Crane heard the announcement, but wasn’t sure he wanted to go inside. The uneasy feeling he’d had since arriving on the island had intensified, but he could not lay a finger on what was causing it. What he did know was that every time he was near Sylvania Marchand, it felt like he was biting on tinfoil or walking on the edge of a knife…a sharp one.

Lee sipped the beer in his glass, enjoying the stout ale as the soft breeze cooled his skin. He blinked several times as his vision blurred, and shook off the strange feeling coursing through his mind and body.

“Lee, dinner’s about to be served…are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Chip,” Crane lied and brushed past his friend. “I guess we should take our seats.”

“We’re seated at the governor’s table with the admiral,” Morton told him.

“Damn…”

“You really do hate this stuff don’t you?”

“Don’t you?” Crane asked.

“Yes, but there are several ladies who make this one a little more enjoyable than some of the other stiff-necked cotillions we’ve attended,” Morton answered.

“Better watch yourself, Chip, these young ladies are probably here with their dignitary parents,” Crane advised.

“I know…I’ve been dodging Miss Donatello since our first dance.”

“She did want you to take them all,” Seaview’s captain observed as they made their way inside and were shown to the main dining room. Lee was surprised to find his seat was beside Sylvania Marchand, but he hid his surprise as chi sat next to the admiral.

“Admiral, how long can your submarine stay underwater?” an older woman seated with Marcos and his daughter asked.

Crane listened as the Admiral explained about the nuclear submarine and what she could or couldn’t do. He frowned when he felt something touch his leg and was surprised to see Sylvania’s hand on his right thigh. It moved as soon as he noticed it, but there was something about the move that grated on his nerves.

“Captain Crane, do you regret leaving the Navy for private work?” the woman asked.

“No, my job as captain of Seaview is something I never dreamed of and when Admiral Nelson offered me the job I jumped at the chance,” Crane answered.

“He scared the crew on his very first day by sneaking onboard and making security look like fools,” Morton said.

“That’s not why I did it, Chip.”

“I know…you did it to see if you could,” Morton said. “Don’t get me wrong, Lee, I’m glad you did it because it gave us a chance to find the weak points and shore them up.”

“Captain Crane, is it true that you sometimes work for agencies outside your job as captain of the world’s first nuclear submarine?” Marcos asked.

“I f they need me and Seaview is in dry-dock I’ll work for other agencies, but my main concern is for Seaview and Admiral Nelson won’t let me forget that,” Crane said.

“Commander Morton, what the strangest thing you’ve ever seen?” Maria asked.

“He lives on a submarine, Maria, he sees plenty of strange things and not all of them are real but hallucinations cause by gas bubbles in the blood,” the older woman said and smiled at Nelson when the Admiral reached for the bottle of white wine.

“Captain, do you ever allow women onboard your submarine?” Julie asked.

“Yes, we do. The Admiral has had several colleagues who wanted to do some scientific exploration.”

“Would you allow them to serve?”

“We have a full crew right now, but if a woman is qualified for a position that does become available then she would get equal consideration. We are beyond the old myths about bad luck and such,” Nelson explained.

“I am pleased to hear this, Admiral. My daughter has shown some interest in submarines and I was not sure whether I should encourage or discourage her,” a dignitary at the other end of the table observed.

“Encourage her…no one should ever be discouraged from following his or her dream,” Nelson said.

“I agree with you, Admiral,” Julie said and knew she would do anything to make her dream come true. She wouldn’t make the same mistakes as the last time she had Lee Crane. This time he would be in prison and there was nothing Nelson or Morton could do to help him. They would be forced to leave the country once Belohlavek was dead and all evidence pointed to Lee Crane.

“I would love to see your submarine, Admiral,” Maria Marcos said.

“Perhaps when it returns it could be arranged,” Nelson told her.

“Would Chip be allowed to be my tour guide?”

“Maria, you should not put these gentlemen on the spot,” Marcos scolded and made sure she understood where she was and that he expected more from her.

Julie hid her smile as the man scolded his daughter in front of others. She was angry with Maria Donatello for taking Lee Crane from her, but it seemed she had nothing to worry about. Maria was more interested in Chip Morton, but her father wasn’t about to let her do anything in front of the distinguished guests in attendance. She turned to her future husband as he stood up and lifted his glass of wine.

“Sylvania, tradition says I should not look upon your beautiful face after midnight tonight, but I want you to know it will be the hardest thing I have ever done. Tomorrow will not come soon enough, because you are the air I breathe and I cannot live without you.”

“Thank you, Jarek, I promise tomorrow will bring us both everything we have ever dreamed of,” Julie said and smiled as she lifted her glass and looked around the room, stopping on the face of her beloved. ‘Tomorrow, Lee, you and I will be together forever and I will have the time I need to remind you of the love we share.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was after midnight when Lee Crane made his way to his bedroom. Nelson was in a meeting with several dignitaries and working his magic to get new investors. Lee knew when this trip was over they’d probably have new people on NIMR’s mailing list. It wasn’t just a mailing list; it was a list of people who invested both time and money into a worthwhile enterprise. Exploring the oceans was only part of what they did, and Lee knew many people would be surprised if they knew half of what he’d seen since taking the post as Seaview’s captain.

Lee reached his room and had to lean on the wall as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He stayed where he was, waiting for it to pass before moving inside his room and sitting on the edge of the bed. He lay back and closed his eyes as the room seemed to shift in and out of focus and licked at dry lips.

“Guess I shouldn’t have had that last drink,” he whispered as darkness reached out to claim him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie had seen Lee Crane leave the party and made her way to the back stairway so she would not be seen. She’d said goodnight to the last of the guests and forced herself to hug Jarek Belohlavek before reminding him of the tradition he’d spoken of earlier. She’d squirmed when he told her it would be the last night they would have separate beds, but not because she was looking forward to it. It was the opposite, in fact, she knew they would never truly consummate their marriage, but she would use her people to make everything go her way.

Julie heard him enter the bedroom and knew the drug she’d slipped into his last drink would put him out for the night. She gave him two minutes before pushing the small door aside and entering his room through the closet.

The moonlight shone through the open drapes, bathing the bed in a white light and lending an air of mystery to the sleeping man. God, she wanted him so badly that her body hurt as she moved closer to the bed. She sat down and leaned closer, pressing her lips against his mouth and tasting the wine he’d drank earlier. This was what she wanted, this was the man she was destined to spend her life with and one way or the other they would be together.

“Oh, Lee, if you only knew what I sacrificed for you. I need to know you love me, but I can be patient until you agree to be mine. Until then there are drugs that will help you realize how wrong you were about me. I love you, Lee Crane, and I will spend every day of our lives proving there is no one else for you. Sleep well, My Love, for tomorrow night everything will change for us…our destiny waits.”

“Destiny…”

She smiled when she heard the softly whispered word and knew she was doing the right thing for both of them. He would never leave her side once they were allowed the time they needed to let their feelings grow.

“Yes, Lee, our destiny…no one can interfere in that,” Julie whispered and reluctantly stood up. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest and fought the urge to remove his clothing. He would sleep through the night, but if she was found here, then all her plans, her hard work would be for nothing. She could not bear that, not when her dreams were within reach.

Julie left the same way she’d came and was soon naked beneath her blankets as visions of the past haunted her mind………

Julie moved surreptitiously around the cell that she had Lee chained in. She ran her hands on his body, beginning to slowly, methodically remove his clothing. He shivered in his sleep, the sleep being a restless, haunted one…He was being haunted by his reality and his nightmares blending into one horrific experience. She kissed his forehead, his cheeks, and his neck. She did not want to undo his chains, so she tore at the t-shirt, and then tossed it aside.

‘I can’t believe we’re together, my darling. You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do this!

Looking at him, lying there, she smiled to herself…she ran her hands over his lean torso, stopping at the jeans. She pulled at the waist and began to ease the jeans down his legs. She had had Brent’s men discard his briefs, so that when she removed the jeans, he lay there naked. She replaced the leg irons, when she was finished.

Removing her own clothes, she lay down next to him. She was surprised at the warmth of his body. “Lee, can you hear me?”

………She knew she’d been dreaming, but it was not really a dream…more of a memory of the last time she was with her beloved. They’d interfered then, but she would not allow them to do that again. This time she would be the victor and Lee would be hers in spite of Nelson and Morton. Sleep was a long time coming, but her fingers played across the fading scars as she thought about the fire he ignited inside her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the wedding dawned with the promise of a beautiful day as the caterers and other hired staff worked to get the palace courtyard ready for the wedding. There were several vans already present as people brought in chairs, tables, and linen. There would be flower deliveries, china, and everything needed for a full service bar.

Julie stood on her balcony and watched as a white van was allowed access through the main gate. She knew this was her doing and that the people inside were not just there to help her get ready, but they were to be her witnesses when the time came. Witnesses who would tell a story, for that’s exactly what it would be…a story fabricated by her to make sure things went according to plan.

“I know I cannot come inside, My Love, but I wanted to say good morning.”

“Good morning, Jarek, it appears that someone asked for a glorious day for our union,” Julie said.

“I believe your assistants have arrived and will be up shortly. Is there anything I can get you?”

“No, thank you, Jarek, you are all I will ever need,” Julie said and fought to keep her rebellious stomach from churning.

“Very well…I will see you soon…”

“Not soon enough for me, Jarek,” Julie whispered and knew she’d said exactly what he wanted to hear. She heard him move away and went back to the balcony to watch the people mulling about below. She knew she should feel something, but Jarek was simply a man, and not the one she was meant to be with.

“I will teach you to love me, Lee Crane,” she whispered and hurried back to the door when she heard someone knock. She opened it and smiled at the three people standing there. “Come in Katerina,” she said and held the door for the newcomers to come inside. Once in, she closed the door and embraced the trio.

“Julie, you…”

“You must not call me that. Not yet,” Julie warned. “For now you must call me Miss Marchand as your station suggests. Once this day is over and you have done your part we will have much to celebrate.”

“How long do you plan on staying on this island?” Katerina Elias asked.

“I was thinking we would live here, but I am not so sure now. Admiral Nelson has a lot of power and no matter what the evidence he will not believe Lee did anything you say. He will want a public trial and he will take Lee off the island no matter what the people think. Perhaps we could take him to your villa in Greece?”

“If that is what you want…it can easily be arranged,” Katerina told her. She had a yacht moored at the village docks and it would be a simple matter to get Lee Crane from the palace if they created some kind of disturbance that kept everyone’s attention elsewhere.

“You would not mind us staying with you until other arrangements could be made?”

“Of course not. You are like the daughter I wished for and you are not afraid to go after what you want. That is a rare trait these days and I will help you achieve the greatness you deserve. Alexi, you and Nana get everything ready. We must make you the most beautiful bride for your short–lived husband. When do I get to meet the man you love?”

“I do not love Jarek…”

“I was not speaking of him.”

“Oh, Lee will be at the wedding and since you are my maid of honor you will meet him at the ceremony,” Julie told her.

“From what I’ve seen you’re a lucky woman. Lee Crane is a good looking man.”

“Yes, he is…”

“Admiral Nelson is easy on the eyes as well.”

“If you were a free woman we could take him as well, but I do not think Alexi would be willing to share your bed with another man,” Julie declared.

“Ah, but Alexi does not have a say in who warms my bed, yet I have no desire to be with another man as long as he knows how to make me happy,” Katerina said and kissed her husband as Nana opened the bag of supplies they’d brought with them. It was easy enough to hide what she needed from prying eyes, but the search had not been as invasive as she had thought.

“Come, let’s get you ready for your day,” Alexi told her and led her toward the bathroom. “Shower and use this shampoo on your hair. It will make it easier to style once we are ready.”

“Thank you…thank you all for helping me,” Julie said and stepped into the bathroom with Nana right behind her. The woman could not speak, but she listened well and would help Julie with her bath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Lee Crane licked at dry lips and tried to figure out where he was. There seemed to be an incessant knocking that drummed against his skull, yet he could do nothing to stop it.

“Lee, are you in there? Lee, it’s Chip…time to rise and shine, Buddy.”

“Chip,” Crane whispered and realized the knocking wasn’t just in his head, but at the door as well. He forced himself to sit up as the door opened and was shocked to see he was still in the tuxedo from the night before.

“Damn, Lee, you look like hell,” Morton said and sat next to his friend. “I thought you left the party early?”

“I did…must have passed out before I could get undressed.”

“How much did you drink?”

“Not enough to make me feel like this,” Crane answered and rubbed at his temples.

“I have some Tylenol with me…how many do you need?”

“Depends on how big the bottle is,” Seaview’s captain answered.

“That bad?”

“Worse.”

“I’ll go get the Tylenol,” Morton said.

“I’ve got some in my kit,” Crane told him and waited for his friend to retrieve the bottle. He seldom took anything, but with the day stretched out before him, he knew he needed something. He took two of the white pills and looked longingly toward the bathroom.

“Go get your shower. I’ll bring you some toast and coffee,” Morton said sympathetically.

“Thanks, Chip,” Crane said and stumbled toward the bathroom.

Chip walked out of the bedroom as Nelson exited his room. “Lee’s taking a shower.”

“Is he all right?”

“Think so…just had a little too much to drink last night.”

“He didn’t look like he was drinking very much,” Nelson observed.

“That’s what I thought,” Morton said as several maids began moving through the upper hallway. “I told him I’d bring his breakfast up for him.”

“Tell him to get some sleep if he doesn’t feel well,” Nelson ordered.

“Yes, Sir,” Morton said as they started down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at how she looked in the white gown that was tailor made for her. Her long hair was swept up in a loose bun with two strands hanging down on either side of her face. Alexi had done a wonderful job, and Katerina added a spray of baby’s breath as a finishing touch.

“I have only seen one other bride as lovely as you,” Alexi said and smiled at his wife.

“Thank you, Alexi, but I did not have you to work your magic. She is lovely,” Katerina said and took her by the hands. “I know this is not the wedding day you hoped for, but that day will come soon enough.”

“I hope so, Katerina, I have been patient far too long and wish to spend my life with him. Why doesn’t he see me for who I am? Why can’t he understand that no one should be allowed to interfere with our destiny?”

“Sometime we men need a kick in the behind, but when we open our eyes we see what we have been trying so hard to ignore. Today you marry a man you do not love so that you can send the rest of your life with the man you do. Do not lose sight of the future, My Dear, because it grows brighter with each passing minute,” Alexi told her.

“We do not have much time,” Katerina said and hugged her as Alexi finished dressing. He would be standing in as her father figure and giving her away, but not to the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

“Are you ready, Ju…Sylvania?”

“I guess so,” Julie answered sadly.

“Don’t be sad, Julie, you will have your lover before you know it,” Katerina vowed as Nana fixed the long train attached to the back of the gown.

“Were you able to get the drugs into his coffee?”

“Yes, Nana saw to it while I was fixing your hair. His friend Morton was there to bring the tray upstairs and since the kitchen staff was so busy they were more than happy to let her help,” Alexi told her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee finished the coffee, toast and fresh strawberries before getting dressed and glanced at his watch. By special request they were wearing their dress blues, and he straightened his tie before putting on his jacket. His headache had eased, but it was still enough to make him uncomfortable and he wished there was some way he could bow out of this.

“Lee, are you ready?” Morton asked from the open doorway.

“I think so,” Crane answered.

“Head still bothering you?”

“A little.”

“Why don’t you stay here and I’ll tell the others you’re not feeling very well?”

“That would really go over well wouldn’t it? Lee Crane, captain of Admiral Nelson’s nuclear submarine bows out of wedding because he’s hung over.”

“No one needs to know you’re hung over,” Morton said.

“Maybe not, but that’s what the papers will say. I won’t do that to the admiral,” Crane said and put on his shoes. “Let’s go, Chip, wouldn’t want to miss the bride’s big entrance.”

“Is it me or is there something familiar about Sylvania Marchand?” Morton asked.

“Familiar?”

“I swear I’ve met her before, but for the life of me I don’t know when or where,” Seaview’s exec observed.

“We’ve been all over the world, Chip, so it’s normal not to remember every woman we’ve met,” Crane said as they exited the room. He stopped when a door across the hallway opened and he caught sight of Sylvania Marchand. Their eyes met and she smiled, but there was something cold and calculating about the way she stared at him.

“Miss Marchand, Governor Belohlavek is a lucky man,” Morton said and took off his cap as he bowed slightly at the waist.

“Thank you, Commander, perhaps you and Captain Crane should get to your seats,” Julie said.

“That’s where we are headed,” Crane told her and walked past the door. They reached the top of the stairs and started down as several more guests arrived and were taken to their seats in the courtyard.

“Lee, you and Chip are with me on the groom’s side,” Nelson told them as they exited the house. “Lee, I hope you’re feeling better.”

“I’m fine, Admiral,” Lee said and took the seat he’d been assigned. They were in the third row behind the groom’s family and Lee guessed there was seating for well over 500 people. Most of the guests were already seated as soft strains of music began to play.

“The ceremony should begin soon,” Nelson said and watched as Lee rubbed at his temples. “Lee, you look as white as a ghost.”

“I’m just tired, Admiral,” Crane lied.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please rise,” the MC said as the music announcing the bride’s arrival began to play.

Lee blinked his eyes several times in an effort to clear them, but his vision blurred and he would have fallen if Nelson had not grabbed his arm.

“Lee…”

“I’m okay, Admiral,” Crane lied, and managed to stand up as the bridesmaids began walking down the aisle between the rows of chairs. His legs were weak, but he stayed upright until the bride was standing with her future husband, and sat when the other guests did.

“Lee, maybe you should go inside,” Nelson observed.

“I’m…”

“Pale as a ghost,” Nelson repeated. “I’ll make your excuses, but you really shouldn’t be here. Chip, get him inside and see that he lies down.”

“Come on, Lee, you heard the admiral,” Morton advised and tried to help his friend to his feet. He could feel people watching them, but he really didn’t give a damn about what they thought. There was definitely something wrong with his friend, and he didn’t need to be in a crowd with the hot sun beating down on him.

Chip helped Lee into the house and spotted the elderly woman who’d helped him earlier. He knew she couldn’t speak, but she had understood what he wanted that morning.

“Nana, would you bring something cold…water or juice up to Captain Crane’s room?” Morton asked and maneuvered his body so that he took most of his friend’s weight on his shoulders as the woman nodded and hurried toward the kitchen.

Once upstairs, Chip eased Crane down on the bed and loosened his tie before removing it completely. Next he opened Crane’s jacket and smiled when the man grumbled that he could do it himself.

“You know, Lee, I’m sure the admiral would have excused you from attending if he’d known it would make you physically ill,” Morton said.

“Chip, go back to the ceremony before you make my head explode!” Crane griped.

“There’s gratitude or is it attitude?”

“Both…go,” Crane said and sighed in relief as a woman walked into the room with a pitcher of water and a glass. He smiled as she filled it and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

“You okay now?”

“I’m good,” Crane said as the woman left. He downed the liquid and refilled the glass. “Chip, I’m really okay…the headache is going away and I’m just going to close my eyes for a while. There’s no reason you should miss the party and disappoint Miss Donatello.”

“Hell, maybe I should stay here.”

“Go, besides her father will protect you from her clutches,” Crane said and finished the second glass of water before lying back on the bed.

“I’ll check back on you in an hour,” Morton said.

“Sounds good,” Crane told him and closed his eyes. He slept, but his dreams were filled with images he’d hoped were long forgotten, but Julie Parsons-Radcliff would never really be gone and followed him into his nightmares.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katerina Elias watched as Chip Morton helped Lee Crane from the courtyard and knew the drug Nana had slipped into his coffee was having the desired effect. The man would be in no shape to fight them and it would make it easy for them to complete their plans. She knew Julie was unaware of what was happening behind her, but she would fill her in after the ceremony.

Katerina listened as the Priest began speaking of marriage and the vows that went with it. She smiled at Alexi who was seated in the front row and knew he would do anything she asked of him. He’d proven that many times since they’d exchanged their vows in a private ceremony nearly 20 years ago. They had no children if their own, but when Julie Parsons-Radcliff woke up in the hospital they volunteered at, she knew she’d found the daughter of her heart.

Katerina knew Nana was in the kitchen and would be able to add the drug to whatever was sent to Lee Crane’s room. It would continue to make the man dizzy and appear as if he’d been drinking. That would work perfectly with the scene they had planned for later in the evening. For now, she would make sure everything ran smoothly for her ‘daughter’.

She looked around at the people seated in the courtyard as the ceremony continued and spotted three familiar figures at the end of the eighth row. The men were part of the private police employed by Belohlavek, but like most private police, they jumped at the chance to make more money than they would ever see in their lifetime. They were here at her request and would help her with Crane’s people. They were bought and paid for weeks ago when this plan first came to fruition.

Katerina watched as Julie and Jarek exchange rings, and admired how well groomed the governor was. If it wasn’t for the fact that Julie loved another man, she would have encouraged her to make the best of such a perfect union.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and welcome Governor Jarek Belohlavek and Mrs. Sylvania Marchand-Belohlavek,” the MC said once the ceremony and ended and the priest introduced them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip stood in the receiving line with the admiral as people waited to meet the wedding party and the bride and groom. He glanced at his watch and hoped Lee was still sleeping. There was something strange about the way he’d been acting, and Chip wanted to get to the bottom of it.

“Admiral, as soon as we’re through I’m going to check on Lee,” Morton advised.

“I wish Jamie was here,” Nelson said.

“I don’t think he’s sick, Admiral, but something strange is going on. Last night he passed out fully dressed and woke up this morning with a headache. I swear he was suffering from a hangover, but he didn’t drink much last night,” Morton observed.

“He could just be tired. He’s had a busy few weeks with the repairs to Seaview and working with Naval Intelligence,” Nelson said as they moved forward.

“Admiral Harriman Nelson and Commander Chip Morton,” the MC announced when they reached the happy couple.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Admiral Nelson,” Katerina Elias said once he was standing in front of her.

“I assure you the pleasure is mine,” Nelson said and kissed her hand before moving along the line. He wished Jarek and his new wife much happiness and waited until Chip finished speaking with them before moving away from the receiving line.

“I’ll go see if Lee’s feeling any better,” Morton said.

“If he’s sleeping then leave him there,” Nelson said and was soon involved with a group of scientists who wanted his opinion on several items including Global Warning.

Chip hurried away, relieved he didn’t have to stand around and pretend he was interested in anything they were talking about. He knew from experience it would deal with more of the scientific jargon and he really wasn’t interested in that right now. He knew it was best to leave such discussions in the admiral’s capable hands.

Morton hurried inside and took the stairs two at a time until he reached the second floor. He frowned when he saw someone exit Crane’s room, but relaxed when she turned and smiled at him. She held the tray with the empty pitcher and water glass as she closed the door and placed her finger against her lips.

“Is he still sleeping?” Morton asked and saw her nod several times before she hurried past him. What was it about this woman that made him think of his elderly grandmother? Maybe it was just that maternal instinct she seemed to have where Crane was concerned.

He watched her as she reached the top of the stairs and couldn’t help but return her smile when she looked at him. He hurried to Crane’s room and opened the door to find him lying on his right side with his left hand above his head. He looked vulnerable, but Chip knew that was not the case. Lee Crane was one of the strongest men he’d ever met.

“Lee,” he whispered and wasn’t surprised when Crane sat up and looked at him with sleep drenched eyes. “How’s the headache?”

“Better,” Crane answered. “Is the wedding over?”

“Yes, you even missed the receiving line…lucky man,” Morton teased. “Feel like joining the party or would you rather get some more rest?”

“I think I’d better put in an appearance for the Admiral’s sake,” Crane told him and made his way into the bathroom, ignoring the way the room seemed to shift in and out of focus. “I’ll be down as soon as I throw some water on my face.”

“All right,” Morton said and left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie watched as Lee Crane danced with one of the visiting dignitaries and fought the urge to slap the woman for touching her man. She felt Jarek at her side, but there was none of the excitement that should come from his touch. All she wanted was to spend the rest of her life in Lee’s arms.

“Sylvania, I’d like you to meet His Highness Prince Ali Sharif and his lovely wife Nila,” Belohlavek told his wife.

“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Julie said and forced herself to look away from her beloved as he danced across the floor.

“Jarek, you are a lucky man. Never have I seen such beauty,” Sharif said and kissed her hand. “A woman such as you deserves the finest things a man can by. If he does not do so for you then there is always room in my harem.”

“Thank you, but I am a one man woman,” Julie told him and felt sorry for the obnoxious man’s wife. The woman’s face was nearly completely covered, but Julie could see the fear in the deep green eyes. “Nila, it is a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, does your husband love you as a man should love a woman?”

“She is well cared for,” Sharif said, anger evident in his voice.

“Please, Highness, Sylvania does not understand the ways of your country and did not mean to insult you,” Belohlavek said and watched as the man grabbed his wife’s arm and led her away without a word.

“I am sorry, Jarek, but he was rude,” Julie said.

“I know, but he is an ally and we must not turn them away. His position gives him the right to do as he wishes and there is little we can do about it. Come, why don’t we get a glass of wine and speak with Admiral Nelson. We have come a long way toward investing in NIMR.”

“Do you think he would let us see the inside of his submarine?”

“I believe it could be arranged,” Belohlavek said when they reached Nelson’s table.

“Sylvania, Admiral Nelson was telling us about his research into marine life,” Katerina told her. “I have invited him to visit my home in Greece once his schedule has cleared.”

“Katerina has a beautiful home on the beach. I have been there on several occasions,” Julie told her as Crane and Morton joined them. “Captain Crane, would you like to dance?”

“Governor?”

“Go ahead, Captain, Sylvania is a wonderful dancer, but I’m afraid I have two left feet,” Jarek said.

Julie smiled as Lee led her onto the dance floor and knew it was time to set things in motion. She would flirt with him, but not to the point that others would think she was taking the lead. She needed people to believe he was the one that initiated the flirtation. She felt him take her right hand and then placed his left hand on her waist as they waltzed across the floor.

“You really are a wonderful dancer, Captain,” Julie told him coyly.

“Thank you,” Crane managed well aware of how her body was pressed tight against his.

“Captain, you don’t have to hold me so close…goodness, I can barely breathe,” she said and made sure the people nearby could hear her.

“I apologise, Miss…”

“I am no longer single, Captain, so Mrs. Belohlavek is more suited when you speak with me.”

“Again, my apologies, Mrs. Belohlavek,” Crane said with a hint of a smile as they waltzed across the dance floor.

“Have you ever thought of getting marries, Captain?”

“I did, but all the beautiful women are either spoken for or married,” Crane answered softly and tried to shake off the dizzy sensation clouding his mind.

“Captain, I am sorry, but I’m sure there are plenty of women who would be happy to be with you, but I am not one of them. I love Jarek and nothing you can say or do will change that!” Julie snapped and pushed away from her.

“I didn’t…”

“I believe you’ve had too much to drink, Captain Crane or I would have Jarek throw you out of our home!”

“Is something wrong, My Dear?” Belohlavek asked as he hurried toward his new bride.

“No, it’s fine, Jarek. Captain Crane has simply had too much to drink and forgot his place.”

“Is this true, Captain? We’re you…”

“No, I didn’t do anything…”

“He was saying things a man shouldn’t say to a newly married woman,” Alexi Elias said. He was dancing with his wife and made sure they were close enough to add some nails to Crane’s coffin.

“Captain Crane, you, Admiral Nelson, and Commander Morton are honored guests in my home, but if you continue to insult or make advances to my wife then I must insist you leave…”

“I didn’t say anything…” Crane blinked rapidly as the room swam in and out of focus.

“Lee, come on…maybe we should leave,” Morton said. He’d been dancing with Maria Donatello when the commotion started and excused himself before the woman could latch onto him.

“Chip, I didn’t…”

“I know, but right now we should leave,” Morton said as Nelson joined them.

“Chip, Take Lee to his room,” Nelson ordered and knew what he was about to do went against everything he believed in as he looked at Jarek and his new bride. “I apologise if Captain Crane said or did anything to make you uncomfortable, Mrs. Belohlavek.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” Julie said and made a show of standing slightly behind her new husband as if she was afraid of the man who was stumbling from the room. She knew Nana’s drugs would keep Lee Crane dizzy and off-balance and that was just what she was hoping for. It would work perfectly once it was time to complete her plans.

“Are you sure you’re all right, My Dear?” Belohlavek asked.

“I think so, Jarek, but I would like something to drink,” Julie answered.

“Jarek, I will take care of her while you finish your business,” Katerina told him.

“Thank you,” Belohlavek said and kissed his wife before rejoining the other businessmen.

Katerina and Alexi stood on either side of Julie and walked toward the tables set up near the pool. They sat at a table shaded by the branches of several trees and didn’t say a word as a woman served them wine and snacks before leaving them alone.

“That went very well,” Katerina observed.

“Yes, it did,” Julie agreed and pretended to dab at her eyes as if she was still upset by what happened. “Is everything else in place?”

“It is. Nana was able to hide the gun in your husband’s room…”

“I hate that…Lee Crane should be my husband…not Jarek!”

“I know that, but it will not be this way much longer. Once Jarek is dead and Lee is in jail we will be able to move faster and get you both out of here. You will have access to your husband’s money…not that you need it, but it helps keep your identity a secret,” Katerina told her.

“How will you get Lee to my room before I am forced to get into bed with Jarek?”

“Alexi and I will take care of that after all the guests have gone home and everyone is in their room. Admiral Nelson and Commander Morton could cause problems, but we will take care of them if we have to. Nana can always slip something into the water in their rooms.”

“Don’t worry, Little One, everything will work out as we have planned,” Alexi told her.

“Thank you…booth of you. I don’t know what I would do without you,” Julie told them and hugged them both before picking up the glass of wine.

“This will all be over soon, Julie, and when it is you’ll have everything your heart desires,” Katerina vowed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip knew there was something going on with his friend, but he didn’t know what it was. Lee had leaned heavily on him until they reached his room and he sat on the edge of the bed. Crane’s face was washed out white, as if there was no blood in his body and Chip wished Jamie was there. Seaview would not return for another two days,

“Lee, why don’t you lien down?”

“Chip, what the hell is going on? I didn’t do or say anything to her,” Crane said, unaware of how slurred his words were.

“I know you didn’t, Lee. It was just a misunderstanding and after everyone calms down they’ll see that. For now you look like hell, My Friend, and it’s probably best if you stay here. I’ll bring you something to eat…why don’t you go grab a shower?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Crane said and lay back. “Think I’ll get some sleep first.”

“Want me to stick around?”

“No, go…your lady friend is probably holding her dance card hostage until you get back,” Crane said and grinned at the other man before closing his eyes. God, he really did feel so damn tired, but he wasn’t sure why his head ached when he really hadn’t drunk very much.

“Lee, if you need anything…”

“Go, Chip, I’m fine,” Crane ordered and turned on his side. He drifted toward sleep, but images and voices taunted him. Sylvania’s face was replaced by the dark features he’d come to associate with his worst nightmare. Her voice, although rougher now reminded him of another woman who resided in hell where she belonged.

Chip watched his friend for several minutes before leaving the room and heading back outside. He would check on Lee throughout the day, but he would also try to find out what was going on with his friend. Lee wasn’t a heavy drinker, and yet he seemed to be slurring his words and stumbling like someone on a week-long binge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nana watched until she was sure the blond haired man was gone before making her way into Lee Crane’s room. She carried a tray with water and fruit in case anyone saw her and told anyone she was in his room. The water held the same drug she’d been giving him and would make him complacent and easier to handle when the time came.

Nana placed the tray on the bedside table and smiled as she looked at the sleeping man. His features were relaxed and she instinctively wanted to protect him, but to do so now would simply mean death because Katerina would see to it. The woman bought loyalty with the treat of death and expected to be paid in full if that loyalty was betrayed.

She had never been able to speak, but she could hear and she could feel and she knew in her heart what she was doing was wrong. Someday, she would find a way out of Katerina’s clutches, but for now she had no choice in the matter.

‘I am sorry, Captain Crane, but I have no choice in this and neither do you,’ she thought before leaving the room and making her way toward the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Admiral Harriman Nelson was worried when Chip returned from checking on Lee. Three hours had passed since Crane’s so-called indiscretion, and still the man slept. Lee wasn’t a drinker and this didn’t feel right, but without Will Jamison there was nothing they could do.

“Admiral, can we contact Seaview and get Jamie here on the Flying Sub?” Morton asked.

“I’ve tried, but we knew when Seaview left we’d be out of contact for several days. Hopefully they’ll finish exploring the reef and come back early,” Nelson said and smiled as two dignitaries from Romania came over to speak with him.

“Admiral, I have admired your work for many years…”

Chip tuned them out as he looked around at the people still celebrating the wedding and taking advantage of the free food and alcohol. He wasn’t drinking anything stronger than tonic water and could hear several slurred voices arguing nearby. He spotted Sylvania Belohlavek speaking with a couple from England and frowned when she glanced in his direction. Something about her just felt wrong, but he could not put his finger on what it was.

“Commander, why do you look at her when she is no longer available?” Maria Donatello asked sweetly.

“Sorry, Miss Donatello…”

“Please, Maria is so much better, Commander. Why don’t we get something to drink and take a stroll? I have not been able to get away from the stuffed shirts my father speaks with,” she said and took him by the arm.

“Won’t your father be worried if you disappear?”

“No, he is busy talking with Governor Belohlavek and his minister. Boring stuff don’t you think?”

“I guess it depends on what they are talking about,” Morton said and walked toward the pathway leading toward the gardens.

“Do you have a special lady back home, Commander?”

“No, not unless you count Seaview.”

“Your submarine? She will not keep you warm on cold nights…only a real woman can do that.”

“Maybe, but right now Seaview has my undivided attention.”

“You mean when you’re onboard…for now I am the recipient of your undivided attention…right?”

“Hmm…”

“Commander, you’re not even here with me are you?” Maria asked and stopped when she turned to face him. “Where is your mind right now, Commander?”

“I’m sorry, Maria, I’m worried…”

“About Captain Crane?”

“That obvious?”

“Yes, it is. You and he…you’re not…I mean he’s not the reason you don’t find me attractive…”

“I never said I didn’t find you attractive, but no, Lee and I are friends,” Morton answered and couldn’t help but wonder what it was about this woman that made him smile. She was beautiful, smart, and outspoken and could have any man she wanted; he just wasn’t ready to settle down just yet.

“You find me attractive?”

“Any man would be foolish not to, Maria, but right now…”

“Your friend needs you. I understand, Commander…Chip, but that doesn’t mean I won’t forget you or give up on us,” Maria said as they walked back toward the house.

“I look forward to it,” Morton said.

“Very well…perhaps your admiral will see fit to visit Italy in the future and I could show you around my home.”

“If not, perhaps I’ll spend my vacation in Italy,” Morton said.

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep, Chip,” she whispered and kissed him deeply. “I am a woman who knows what I want and goes after it. Be warned, Chip, I don’t give up easily.”

“Looking forward to it,” Morton said and took a deep breath as she composed herself. Yes, this woman was definitely worth going after, but for now he had other things on his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Crane opened his eyes and tried to make sense of where he was. It didn’t take long for his memory to return and he sat up and automatically reached for the pitcher of water and filled the glass. He downed half of it and rubbed at tired eyes. He could hear music as if from a distance and realized the party was still in full swing.

Crane made his way out on the balcony and breathed deeply of the fresh air. The scent of the ocean helped clear his mind as he looked up at the night sky. The moon seemed to lie on her belly as a million stars twinkled in nearby perfection. He took another drink from the glass and wondered whether he should join Nelson and Morton, but he really wasn’t sure he wanted to do that.

“Lee, are you in here?”

“On the balcony, Admiral,” Crane answered and turned to see the older man join him.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m okay, what happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“I remember dancing with Sylvania Marchand and being accused of something,” Crane answered with a frown.

“She said you made inappropriate comments and advances to her.”

“Admiral…I don’t remember saying anything like that.”

“I believe you, Lee, but…”

“But?”

“But there were some witnesses who say you did just that,” Nelson said.

“You don’t believe them do you, Sir?”

“No, Lee, I don’t and neither does Chip. Look, I have to go back to meet with a couple of dignitaries, but why don’t you stay here and I’ll have dinner sent up?”

“That sounds like a good idea, Admiral,” Crane said and finished the water in his glass.

“Lee, are you feeling all right?”

“I think so,” Crane answered honestly.

“When we get back onboard Seaview I want you to report to Jamie for a full medical,” Nelson told him, surprised Crane didn’t even put up a token resistance to something they all disliked.

“Admiral, do you ever feel like you know someone or done something when it’s not possible?”

“You mean like Déjà vu?”

“I guess.”

“I think we’ve all had something like that happen in our lives. Why?”

“There’s something about Sylvania Marchand.”

“Lee, tell me you’re not attracted to her?”

“No, Sir, the opposite…there’s something about her that’s chillingly familiar,” Crane answered.

“Do you think you met her before?”

“Sometimes, but I know it’s not possible,” Crane told him. “I can’t explain it, but she reminds me of someone.”

“Who?”

“Julie…but it’s not possible…she’s dead and in hell where she belongs,” Crane observed.

“Lee, maybe I can contact Seaview and get them back early,” Nelson said.

“I thought they were on radio silence until they completed their mission,” Crane said.

“They are,” Nelson said, but there was always a way in an emergency and he had set up a code with Sparks. Maybe Chip was right and they should get Seaview back here, but the truth was even if he did send the message it would be 2 days before they got back here anyway. The flying Sub might get there sooner, but not much.

“I’m okay, Admiral, I’ll just stay out of her path until Seaview gets back,” Crane vowed. “Maybe I’ll ask Milic if he can give me a ride down to the village.”

“Lee…”

“Stop worrying, Admiral, I’m really okay,” Crane told him. “Go ahead and finish your meetings…I know how important it is to stay on good terms with the visiting dignitaries and it’s hard to get this many in one place.”

“All right, Lee,” Nelson agreed. “I’ll send someone up with dinner.”

“Thanks, Admiral,” Crane said and watched him leave; unaware that Alexi Elias had been standing below the balcony and overheard the conversation.

Lee went back inside and took a quick shower, surprised to find a dinner tray on the table when he stepped out of the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and lifted the cover, surprised to find the food was still hot and made his stomach rumble in anticipation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jarek smiled as he walked toward his bedroom with his arms wrapped around his new bride. They had stayed until the last of the guests left and those that remained at the palace had bid them goodnight. He’d spoken with Nelson and was pleased that Lee Crane would be leaving in the morning to stay with Milic Kasparkova. He pushed the door open and lifted his new bride into his arms before entering the room they would share for the rest of their lives.

Jarek was proud of what he had arranged. The room was filled with scented candles, a bottle of the finest champagne was on ice, and a bowl of fresh strawberries was accompanied by a chocolate fountain to dip them in. White and red rose petals adorned the pillows and soft music played in the back ground.

“Oh, Jarek, this is beautiful.”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you are, Sylvania. I promise to spend the rest of my life spoiling you as you deserve,” Jarek said and sat on the edge of the bed so that she was seated on his lap. “I want you so badly.”

“I want you too, but first I want to change into something more comfortable.”

“You do not need to wear anything, My Love.”

“Oh, Jarek, I put a lot of thought into what I would wear for you and I do not want you to see me until I am wearing it. Can you be patient just a little longer?”

“I will do my best,” Jarek said and released his hold on her so she could go into the large bathroom. He stood up and began to disrobe, but frowned when he heard a sound in the closet. He made his way across the room and opened the mirrored doors, eyes going wide when he saw the man standing there. He backed away, eyes growing wide as he heard the main door open and recognized the man being helped inside. “You should not be here!”

Lee tried to make sense of what was happening, but his body shook with the effort it took to stay on his feet. Someone had dragged him from his bed and supported him as he staggered out of the room. He had no idea where they were going, but his mouth was so dry he couldn’t find the moisture needed to form words.

“I’m sorry, Jarek, but you were never meant to survive past our wedding,” Julie said and smiled as Katerina pulled the trigger on the gun.

“Julie…”

“Who…” Belohlavek whispered.

Lee jerked at the sound as his body remained upright and something was pressed into his hand. He looked down at the gun and then at the man who lay on his back with his hands pressed against the blossoming red stain on his white shirt. Someone screamed and he tilted his head to the side at the sound of running feet.

“He shot Jarek! Oh my God he shot Jarek!” Julie cried and knelt at the man’s side. “Someone get a doctor! He’s bleeding…there’s so much blood!”

“Come, Sylvania, you shouldn’t be here,” Katerina said as several of Belohlavek’s personal guards came into the room.

“What happened in here?” Jakub Berk asked.

“He shot my husband!” Julie answered as two of Berk’s men grabbed Crane and fought to get the gun from his hand.

“I didn’t…” Crane tried and frowned as he tried to bring everything into focus. “Where’s the ad…admiral?”

“Captain Crane, you are under arrest for attempted murder!” Berk said as he touched his fingers to Belohlavek’s throat. “Get Dr. Tibor in here now and grab some clean towels!”

“He isn’t dead?” Julie asked and hid her surprise as she knelt beside her husband and pretended she was happy. “Oh, Jarek, just hold on….help is on the way, My Love.”

“What has happened?” Milic Kasparkova asked upon entering the room to find two guards holding Lee Crane and another kneeling beside Belohlavek.

“Captain Crane shot my husband. I tried to tell Jarek that he was jealous. Alexi and Katerina overheard him at the celebration. If we’d only made him leave then none of this would have happened and Jarek would not be bleeding on the floor.”

“Where is Dr. Tibor?” Kasparkova asked.

“I have sent for him,” Berk answered and grabbed the towels Katerina Elias handed him. He ripped open the shirt and pressed the towel against the wound as Belohlavek tried to speak. “Do not try to talk, Governor, you’re bleeding and I need to keep pressure on the wound until the doctor gets here. Captain Crane is under arrest and will be taken to the old jail until we find out what happened here.”

“I told you what happened,” Julie told them. “I was in the bathroom changing into my wedding…I was getting ready to share my husbands bed when I heard the shot. I found Captain Crane standing over my husband with that gun.”

“Captain, why did you shoot Governor Belohlavek?” Berk asked.

“I didn’t,” Crane said and tried to pull free of the guards.

“Lock him in the jail. I will question him as soon as we know whether the governor is going to make it or not,” Berk said as the doctor hurried into the room and went to work on the injured man.

Jakub Berk looked at Alexi Elias as he passed him and knew he’d played his part to perfection. Arresting Crane for attempted murder would put him in good standing with Sylvania Marchand and Katerina Elias. It would also give him the right to question Crane at length and make sure no one saw him unless he gave the all clear.

“Mrs. Belohlavek, would you hold this against the wound?” Tibor ordered as several people blocked the doorway.

“You will all need to move back while we move the prisoner,” Berk ordered.

“What happened?”

“Is the governor dead?”

“Did Captain Crane shoot him?”

“Where is Mrs. Belohlavek?”

Lee heard the questions, but couldn’t make sense of them as he was dragged from the bedroom and toward the back entrance. More and more guests had arrived on the scene, but there were two men conspicuously absent. Where were Admiral Nelson and Chip Morton? How the hell had he gotten into the governor’s bedroom? Did he really shoot Belohlavek? God, his head felt like it was filled with cotton and he couldn’t think clearly.

“Get Nelson…”

“Shut up, Crane! You’ll have your chance to ask questions once you’re locked in the cell!” Berk ordered and jabbed his fist into Crane’s lower back.

Lee grunted and blinked several times as they hurried down the stairs and outside. He forced himself to put one foot in front of the other or they would have dragged him across the back yard. He had no idea where they were taking him, but once he was locked away, he had a feeling all would be lost. He needed help now and that help would only come from one source.

“Keep moving, Crane!” Berk snarled.

Lee stumbled as the man pushed him, but stayed on his feet as the two guards kept their grip on his arms. He hoped Admiral Nelson and Chip Morton were all right, but the fact that they were not here had him worried. He cried out as something struck his lower back and he fell to the ground as the guards released him.

“Clumsy drunk!” one guard sneered and laughter rang out form the other two.

Lee rolled onto his back and blinked up at the starry sky as he heard a door being pulled open. He ignored the pain that erupted in his back as he climbed unsteadily to his feet and faced his captors.

“No one will come to your rescue, Captain Crane! You are charged with attempted murder and even your powerful admiral can’t help you now!” Berk snapped and grunted as the prisoner lunged forward, connecting solidly with enough momentum to send him flying backward.

Lee knew he had to act quickly before he lost the element of surprise and raced toward the edge of the small building he now knew was the jail. He realized his mistake too late as something struck him in the back, low and to the right. He’d been shot before and recognized the burning sensation of a bullet as he landed hard on the ground.

“You idiot! She’ll kill you if he dies!” Berk snarled.

“He was getting away!”

“Where do you think he would have gone? This is an island! Help me get him inside before someone comes to investigate the shot!” Berk ordered.

Lee gritted his teeth as they dragged him inside the jail and through him on the hard ground. There seemed to be very little pain, but he knew that would not last long as the shock wore off and pain synapses fired.

“You two stay outside and don’t let anyone except me or Katerina Elias!” Berk said and cursed as they left the jail.

Lee breathed through tightly clenched teeth as he tried to get up, but the pain sent him back to the ground. He used his hand to search the darkness and touched what he thought was a cot. He climbed to his feet and sat on the edge as he used his right hand to search for the wound. The blood was warm as it soaked through his clothing, and he knew he needed to do something to stop it or he’d bleed out before help came.

Crane ignored the pain as he tore a strip from his shirt and used it as a pad to stop the flow of blood. It was a stop gap measure, but for now it was all he had. Darkness reached for him and he lay on his left side, breathing rapidly as he tried to ignore the pain spreading with the blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mrs. Belohlavek, the bullet is out, but he has lost a lot of blood. We should move him to the hospital,” Dr. Anton Tibor told her.

“But you said he should not be moved,” Julie said.

“I know, and he should not, but there are things he needs that he can only get at the hospital. I have no idea what kind of damage the bullet caused and he should have x-rays to make sure there are no internal problems.”

“No, he will be fine…I can care for him and you can stay in the guest room until he is recovered,” Julie said.

“I have duties at the hospital and other patients who need my attention,” Tibor told her.

“You have a duty to my husband and you will stay here…”

“I cannot stay, Mrs. Belohlavek, but I will return as soon as I make my rounds at the hospital. I also need to get more supplies to keep Governor Belohlavek comfortable. If something happens before I return you should send the helicopter for me.”

“Minister Kasparkova, please make him stay,” Julie begged.

“I’m sorry, but he is doing his job,” Kasparkova said and looked at the unconscious man on the bed. The doctor had taken out the bullet and started an IV with the supplies already on hand. He knew he had to check on Crane, and still needed to find out where Nelson and Morton were. They didn’t seem the type to ignore the commotion, but he hadn’t been able to check on them yet.

“But he is Jarek’s physician…”

“Yes, he is, but he has other patients as well, Mrs. Belohlavek. We can check with the guests and see if there is a nurse or doctor who can stay with the governor until Dr. Tibor returns,” Kasparkova told her.

“We are supposed to be celebrating our wedding night…”

“I know you are, Sylvania, and you will once your husband has recovered,” Katerina told her and wondered how she had missed the kill zone. The man was a lucky bastard, but he would not survive the night if that was what Julie decided. If she was smart, they would grab Crane and take him away before Nelson and Morton aroused from their drug induced slumber.

“I will return,” Tibor told her, relieved that most of the guests had gone back to their rooms.

“You’ll come back?” Julie asked, her voice soft as she let tears flow from her eyes.

“I will,” the doctor told her. “Milic, will you accompany me to my car. There are some things I want to explain.”

“Sylvania, I will be back, but I need to check on a few things first,” Kasparkova said as he followed the doctor out of the room.

“Julie, perhaps now would be a good time to leave,” Katerina whispered.

“How did you miss?” Julie asked.

“I do not know, but perhaps your new husband has angels we know nothing about,” Katerina told her.

“Where is your yacht?”

“It’s moored at the main dock. If we leave now we can take Crane and be gone before sunrise. To stay now would be tempting fate and that is not advisable.”

Julie looked at her husband and took a deep breath as a dark haired woman knocked on the door and entered the room. “Who are you?”

“My name is Janet Sullivan; my husband is Senator Patrick Sullivan. I’m a nurse at Boston General and was a guest at your wedding. Dr. Tibor and Minister Kasparkova asked if anyone had medical experience and I told them I would gladly help as much as I can,” the woman answered.

“Sylvania, let the nurse stay with him. You’re exhausted and you need to rest,” Katerina said.

“I should be here…”

“Mrs. Belohlavek, your friend is right. You won’t do your husband any good if you collapse. Dr. Tibor said he is resting comfortably and I promise I will send for you if he wakes up and asks for you.”

“You’ll send for me?”

“Yes, I will,” Janet said and reached for the stethoscope on the table. There was a fully equipped medical kit and she knew how to use every instrument. Dr. Tibor had also given her instruction in case the governor needed pain relief before he returned.

“You go to the jail while I get Alexi and Nana. If Berk is there tell him we need Crane ready to move,” Katerina told her as they hurried toward the stairs. Most people had retired to their rooms as the excitement and news that the governor was shot, but had survived the removal of the bullet reached them.

Julie walked through the back of the house and out through the kitchen entrance. Now that the plans were in motion she was excited and energetic. It wasn’t what they had planned, but Katerina would make sure Alexi took her simple bag with all the gifts Jarek had given her, plus a few extra she’d taken. Money would never be a problem for her because she had learned how to diversify a long time ago. If money bought loyalty, then she had nothing to worry about.

Julie knew where the jail was and raced across the sculpted back lawn until she reached it. She recognized the two men standing there and ordered them to open the door.

“Berk told us not to open it unless it was him or Katerina Elias,” one man said.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, Mrs. Belohlavek…”

“Then you know I am the one who pays you and…”

“Open it,” a man said from behind her and she turned to face Jakub Berk. “I am sorry…I told them not to open it for anyone but me or Katerina Elias. I had no idea you would come down here so soon.”

“It does not matter now. You are here and we need to get him ready to move. Katerina did not get a clean kill and there are too many people to try again.”

“Mrs. Elias told me to get him ready while she brings her van around the back, but Captain Crane tried to escape…he was injured.”

“Injured! How bad?” Julie snarled.

“He has a bullet in his back…I brought a first aid kit with me, but we should get him ready first and fix his wound while we travel!”

“We will talk about your stupidity later. Get him out of there now,” Julie ordered and waited until the men did as she told them. She silently cursed them for hurting her beloved, but a part of her felt the tingle of excitement because she would be the one to nurse him back to health.

Julie knew it was time to say goodbye to the Sylvania Marchand-Belohlavek persona and take back her past. It was time to be the woman she was, the lover who would go anywhere and do anything to keep what rightfully belonged to her. She heard the sound of an approaching vehicle and spotted the headlights as it drove toward the back parking lot.

“Carry him!” Julie ordered and heard Crane grunt as Berk lifted him in a fireman’s carry and raced toward the van as it pulled to a stop as close to the jail as possible. The back door opened and she smiled as Katerina and Nana reached out to help with the injured man.

“We have to come with you!” Berk said and climbed inside, his two men jumping in right behind him.

“Alexi, get us out of here,” Katerina ordered, relieved when her husband drove toward the main gates. “Berk, go sit in the front and make sure Alexi has no trouble getting through the gate.”

Nana felt sorry for the man who lay on the floor of the van. She could not see him clearly, but there was no mistaking the rapid breathing that signalled he was in pain. There was nothing she could do for him until they reached Katerina’s yacht, and then she would be able to take care of his injuries.

“Oh, Lee, now everything is as it should be,” Julie said and kissed his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Milic Kasparkova knew something was wrong as he hurried to the room assigned to Admiral Harriman Nelson. The fact that neither Nelson or Morton had investigate the shot felt wrong and he was angry he hadn’t been able to get away from the other delegates and dignitaries before now.

Milic reached Nelson’s door and knocked several times, but received no answer. He rapped louder and called to the man inside. “Admiral Nelson, it’s Milic Kasparkova. I need to speak with you.”

Kasparkova looked around as a couple of doors opened, but there was still nothing form inside the room. He reached for the handle and pushed, relieved that it wasn’t locked. “Admiral, are you in here?”

Milic could tell by the shape that there was someone in the bed and he moved quickly across the room. He reached out and tapped the man’s shoulder and heard a soft moan as Nelson turned onto his back. “Admiral, you need to wake up…Lee’s in trouble.”

“Wha…what?” Nelson mumbled and fought the dizzying pain in his skull.

“Lee’s in trouble. The governor’s been shot and it looks like Lee did it.”

“Lee shot?”

“No, Lee’s in jail…the governor was shot.”

Nelson shook his head, but it did nothing to help chase away the cobwebs as he tried to focus on the man’s face. He rubbed at his throbbing head and tried to wonder what the hell had happened and why he couldn’t make sense of what the man was saying. He watched as Kasparkova went into the bathroom and returned with a cold washcloth.

“Admiral, how much did you drink last night?”

“Not enough to make me feel like this,” Nelson answered and used the cloth to wash his face. “Where are Chip and Lee?”

“Chip must be still in his room, but Lee’s been arrested.”

“Lee arrested? For what?” Nelson snapped and stood up, dropping back to the bed as his vision blurred.

“Admiral, something tells me you didn’t drink as much as it appears. I wish we had a way to test your blood for drugs, but right now we don’t. It has been several hours since Governor Belohlavek was shot and Lee was arrested.”

“Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“I could not get away, but we must find a way to prove Lee didn’t shoot the governor.”

“Where’s Chip?” Nelson asked and reached for his clothes.

“He must be still in his room. I’ll check…”

“I’m coming….is the governor dead?”

“No, Dr. Tibor was able to remove the bullet, but he’s lost a lot of blood. He has yet to regain consciousness, but I expect when he does he will exonerate Lee,” Kasparkova explained.

“We can’t wait for that to happen,” Nelson said and finished dressing. “Let’s go.”

Kasparkova followed the man out of the room and along the hallway until they reached Morton’s room. Nelson knocked several times before opening the door and hurrying over to the bed as Morton sat up with a moan.

“Easy, Chip, don’t try to get up too fast,” Nelson ordered.

“Admiral? What’s wrong?”

“Someone shot the governor…”

“What? When? Is he all right?”

“He’s alive,” Kasparkova answered.

“Do they know who shot him…where’s Lee?”

“Lee’s accused of shooting him,” Nelson answered and saw the disbelief in Morton’s eyes.

“No way, Admiral, Lee wouldn’t have shot him!” Morton snapped and reached for his clothes as a wave of dizziness threatened to send him to the floor.

“Sit down for a minute,” Nelson ordered. “Do you remember how much you drank last night?”

“A couple of beers, but I was worried about Lee so I didn’t want to drink too much, but I feel like I did when Lee and I went to celebrate his birthday last year,” Morton answered.

“We may have been drugged,” Nelson said and turned to Kasparkova. “I want to see Lee and find out what happened. Where is the jail?”

“It’s at the back, behind the palatial gardens. I’ll take you,” Kasparkova answered as Morton pulled on his rumpled clothes. He was pretty sure both men had been drugged and hoped whatever was used had worn off as they headed down the stairs and out the back entrance.

“What about the governor’s new wife? Does she know who shot him?” Nelson asked once they were outside.

“She’s the one that said Lee shot him,” Kasparkova answered.

“She actually said she saw Lee do it?” Morton asked.

“I’m afraid so. She was there and so were Alexi and Katerina Elias,” Kasparkova told them.

“There’s something strange about all of this,” Nelson observed. “Where did you say he met Sylvania?”

“His mother’s homeland…I believe it was France. Why do you ask?”

“The Elias’ are not from there so how do they know Sylvania Marchand?” Nelson asked.

“I don’t know. I never met them before yesterday. They came in a yacht,” Kasparkova answered, frowning when he saw the jail ahead. “Something’s wrong! There should be guards and the door should be locked!”

Nelson and Morton raced to the jail and stepped inside. It took them a few seconds to let their eyes adjust to the light, but there was no sign of Lee Crane as Kasparkova flipped the switch beside the door.

“Admiral, there’s blood on the blanket,” Morton said and lifted the object from the cot.

“Was Lee hurt” Nelson asked.

“Not that I know of,” Kasparkova answered. “Look, Admiral, we need to check the main gates and see if anyone left through the night.”

“Chip, go with him. I’m going back to the house and see if Sylvania will answer some questions,” Nelson said and took a deep breath to clear his aching head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

“Alexi, see that we get underway at once!” Katerina ordered once they were on the large yacht.

“Of course, My Love,” the man said and kissed her before going to speak with the yacht’s captain. There was a full crew with a female chef and two young men who waited on them hand and foot.

Katerina stepped inside the main cabin where they’d settled Lee Crane and smiled as Julie Parsons-Radcliff looked at her. “Try not to worry, Julie, he’s strong.”

“I know he is, and Nana knows how to remove the bullet,” Julie said with a smile. “And Lee will have his own private nurse. I do love the idea of taking care of him.”

“I’m sure you do, Julie, but first we must let Nana work her magic.”

“I can help her…I can hold him.”

“Are you sure you want to do that? We do not have anything to put him out and the pain will be quite bad until she is finished,” Katerina observed.

“Then I shall soothe his pain with a kiss and show him how much I love him while she works,” Julie told her and smiled as she climbed onto the bed and lifted Crane’s head so that it rest on her legs. She ran her fingers through his dark hair and smiled when his eyes opened and knew he was looking at her. “It’s okay, Lee, we’re going to get the bullet out and then I can take care of you.”

“Will you be okay for a few minutes, Julie…”

“Ju…Julie,” Crane whispered the name as he stared at the woman whose name should have been Sylvania. There was something familiar about the way she looked at him, but only one woman had ever looked at him with such hunger, and she was dead.

“Yes, My Love, it is me. I know you thought I was dead because of your friends, but I am very much alive and now we can finally be together as it was meant to be. Our love is stronger than your friends and now they will never be able to interfere again.”

“I need…” Crane tried to pull away, but the movement sent dagger-like pain through his lower back.

“Be still now…”

“Julie, I’ll go get Nana,” Katerina said as the yacht began to move. She knew once they were on the way, there were very few boats in the area that could catch up with The Alluring Queen. She had bought the yacht because of its size and the powerful motor; it was something she needed in her profession because it often meant the difference between life and death.

“Thank you, Katerina,” Julie said and fingered the dark strands of hair as she stared into his pain glazed hazel eyes. She lifted his right arm and pressed her right cheek against his hand. “God, Lee, I have missed touching you so much…but that’s over now. We have the rest of our lives to make up for lost time.”

“N…no,” Crane snarled. There was no mistaking his anger, and yet she simply laughed and continued to hold him as he tried to pull away.

“No is not a word to use with me, Lee. From now on you have no choice, but to love me. Your friends will have no way of finding you and there will be no way for you to escape once we arrive at Katerina’s home. It will be our home too, Lee. We will be happy there and no one will keep us apart. We will be together as we are meant to be.”

Lee swallowed several times as bitter bile rose in his throat. The woman holding him was dead…she’d died in an explosion, her body burned beyond recognition…beyond recognition. Those words should have been a warning, because deep down he’d always felt she was out there…watching and waiting like a cat stalking its prey.

“Nana will remove the bullet, Lee, and then I’ll help you…I’ll take care of you and make sure you make a complete recovery. It is only fitting since we love each other…”

“Ne…never love y…you,” Crane cried out as she pressed against his abdomen, sending pain along the nerves of his lower back.

“Don’t you say that, Lee Crane! Not after everything I’ve gone through to prove to you we are destined to be together! I love you so much and I bear the scars to prove it. I swear I will not allow anyone to tear us apart again or I will kill them and that includes your precious Admiral Nelson and Commander Morton! They will not be allowed to get near you and if you are as smart as I think you are you will forget about them! You will write to them and tell them to stop looking for you because you are where you belong! If you don’t do as I say then I will have Katerina send out an assassin to take care of them and it will be your fault, Lee. Do you understand what I am telling you?”

“Yes,” Crane whispered as two women came into the cabin.

“Captain Crane…”

“From now on he is simply Lee Crane, Katerina. He will forget he was ever in the navy or captain of that ugly submarine! From now on he will act as my husband and once we are married he will take my name as his own,” Julie vowed.

“Lee, Nana is qualified to remove the bullet from your back and she has the drugs she needs to keep you comfortable, although Julie may not want you to have them if you persist in being rude to her,” Katerina told him and turned as her husband came into the cabin with Jakub Berk. The latter would be taken care of as soon as they were finished the operation.

“What do you need us to do?” Alexi asked.

“You will remove his clothing and turn him on his stomach. Then you will hold him down while Nana removes the bullet. Be sure he is unable to escape or hurt himself,” Katerina warned and touched Nana’s hand. “We will be ready in a few minutes.”

Lee tried to pull away from the woman holding him, but each move aggravated his wound and made it hard to breathe. He closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He felt hands on his body fought to keep them from removing his shirt and cried out when they turned him onto his stomach. Before he could try anything his arms were grabbed and tied to the edges of the bed.

Julie watched as Nana prepared the items she would use in removing the bullet and felt a rush of excitement at the thought of seeing this strong man bleed because of her. It was a fitting revenge for what he’d put her through and the scar he would have would serve as a reminder. It would bind them together…almost a blood oath…but that could come later.

“All right, Julie, Nana is ready to begin,” Katerina told her once her husband and Berk tied his ankle to the end of the bed. “Why don’t we go have some lunch until she is finished?”

“No, I’ll stay with him…I want him to know that I can soothe his pain or cause it and the choice is his by way of his actions,” Julie told them and listened as Lee Crane breathed through his nose. She knew he was in pain, but that was something she was familiar with and learned to live with. “Go ahead, Nana.”

Lee felt cold hands on his bare skin and tried to escape their touch as Julie spoke softly to him. God, he couldn’t stand her voice, couldn’t take her touch, but as something washed over his lower back he grabbed at the sheets and knew hell had returned. He grunted and tried to pull away as a probe of some kind was pressed into his back. His body arched slightly and he gritted his teeth as nerve endings fired and pain became his world. He felt someone take his hand and he didn’t give a damn whose hand it was as he squeezed tightly and tried to ignore what was being done to his back.

“Sh, Lee, Nana will be done soon and then you can rest. I’ll hold you, My Love…”

The voice, so close to his right ear did nothing to soothe the pain as the probe was pressed deeper into his back. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before, yet it kept him from feeling her hated touch. He felt the darkness rise up and welcomed the escape from her touch.

“Lee! What have you done, Nana?”

“It’s okay, Julie, he’s just lost consciousness,” Katerina assured the younger woman who breathed a sigh of relief as she looked into her eyes and smiled. “Nana knows what she’s doing; just hold onto him until she’s through.”

“I want to hold onto him forever…I love him so much,” Julie vowed and watched as Nana pulled the bullet from Lee Crane’s back. There was so much blood and the woman’s hands worked quickly to press clean pads of gauze against it. She watched, fascinated by the bruising that surrounded the ragged hole and reached down to touch the pearl of blood than ran down his back when Nana removed the gauze. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Yes, he has, but he is strong and Nana will make sure he survives. Then it is up to you to keep him at your side or in your bed or both,” Katerina told her as Nana stitched the jagged wound before taping a bandage in place.

“Will he get an infection?” Julie asked softly.

“Probably, but she is going to start an IV…we have always kept supplies on the yacht for this kind of situation, Julie. Alexi was once shot in the leg and without Nana and her medicines he would not be walking now. She knows what she’s doing…”

“I know how to start an IV.”

“I know you do, Julie, but right now you need to hold him and make sure he doesn’t move around too much. That bullet is…was pretty close to his spine and we can only hope it didn’t do any damage to his spine,” Katerina told her.

“You don’t think it crippled him, do you?”

“It is possible,” Katerina answered as she turned to Berk. “You can leave now. I will speak with you and your men when we are done here. Alexi, see that they are taken care of.”

“I want whoever shot Lee dead,” Julie told her once Alexi escorted them out of the cabin and closed the door.

“I will see to it once we’re further out,” Katerina vowed as Nana finished securing an IV in Crane’s right hand.

“Should we turn him on his side?”

“No…unless you want to cuddle him,” Katerina observed.

“I do,” Julie said.

“We will have to make sure he is unable to hurt you. Perhaps Alexi can fix a new hook into the wall behind you.”

“He would not hurt me…we love each other.”

“Julie, he does not realize how much he loves you yet and until he recognizes those feelings then he is a danger to you. We must make sure he cannot hurt you. For now, that means restraints…”

“What about sedatives? They would also work and make him easier for me to handle. I have used them and other drugs on him before.”

“I remember you telling me that, but it did not work out very well for either of you. We can use sedatives, but for now we should not use any other dangerous drugs until his wound has healed.”

“What about pain? Aren’t they dangerous drugs?”

“Not when used properly, Julie, and he will need them for a few days,” Katerina explained as she watched Nana setting the rate of the fluids. “Nana knows what she is doing, Julie, so we bow to her for now. You need to eat something and Nana will stay with him while we get some air.”

“What if he wakes up and needs me?”

“You won’t be far away…Nana will come get us if he does,” Katerina said and looked at the unconscious man. The man was quite handsome and she could see why Julie was so obsessed with him. He reminded her of a much younger Alexi, but only because of the dark hair and hazel eyes.

“Nana, take care of him for me,” Julie ordered and stood up. She leaned down and gently kissed his right cheek before following Katerina outside. It was a beautiful day and the sky was dotted with puffy white clouds while the sun shone down on them. A soft breeze teased her long hair and she smiled at the thought of dying her hair back to normal and removing the contacts so that Lee Crane could see her and know he was back where he belonged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Admiral Harriman Nelson had never been so frustrated in his life. The people he’d spoken to had no idea where Sylvania Belohlavek was. No one had seen her since her husband was shot and yet, no one had bothered to search the house and grounds for the woman.

Nelson made his way up the stairs and looked into the room where Jarek Belohlavek lay silent and still on the bed. He recognized the woman as Janet Sullivan and knew she was married to a US senator, one he had a great deal of respect for.

“Admiral Nelson, it is so good to see you again,” the woman said, smiling as he came into the room. There was a guard standing just inside the door and there was no doubt the man would stop him if he perceived him as a threat. “It’s good to see you as well, Mrs. Sullivan; I just wish it was under different circumstances.”

“So do I, Admiral. I don’t believe Captain Crane shot the governor.” The nurse observed and glared at the guard as if angered by his presence.

“I know he didn’t, but have you seen Mrs. Belohlavek?”

“Not since she left with that woman…that was several hours ago,” Janet told him.

“What woman? Did she say where she was going?”

“The older woman who was her matron of honor,” Sullivan answered.

“Did they say where they were going?”

“No, the woman just said that Mrs. Belohlavek needed to rest. Maybe she’s in her room,” the nurse suggested.

“Admiral!”

“I’ll be back,” Nelson said when he heard Morton calling him. He hurried out of the room and over to the stairs as Morton and Kasparkova returned. |Chip, what did you find out?”

“Several people left during the night, admiral,” Morton explained as they raced up the stairs. “The guard at the gatehouse showed us the names. It seems Katerina and Alexi Elias left in a van about 90 minutes after the governor was shot.”

“Were they alone?” Nelson asked when the two men reached him.

“Unknown, the guard didn’t search because a lot of people checked out after the celebration,” Kasparkova answered as they walked toward Belohlavek’s room. “Have you spoken with Sylvania?”

“She’s not here and no one has seen her,” Nelson told him. “Mrs. Sullivan said her friend told her she needed rest.”

“Admiral, something’s wrong here. Why would Katerina Elias leave the woman she stood with when her husband’s been shot?” Morton asked.

“Unless…”

“What are you thinking about, Admiral?” Kasparkova asked.

“Lee said there was something familiar about Sylvania Marchand. Are you sure that was her name?”

“As far as I know,” Kasparkova said when they reached the governor’s bedroom. “As I said Jarek met her when he was on vacation and brought her home with him. He would not allow anyone to say anything about her and he never wanted her investigated.”

“But she was marrying your country’s leader,” Morton observed. “Surely you ran a background check on her?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Kasparkova told him.

“Admiral, why would they leave and what happened to Lee?” Morton asked.

“I don’t know, but we need to have the palace and grounds searched. Milic, can you arrange that?”

“Of course,” Kasparkova said.” I’ll go speak with Jakub Berk. Will you be here when I am done?”

“I’ll stay with the governor in case he wakes up,” Nelson said.

“I’ll help with the search,” Morton offered and saw the worry in Nelson’s eyes. “We’ll find him, Admiral.”

“I hope so,” Nelson said and again wished the Seaview was closer. He would send a message, but it would still take 10 hours for the sub to reach them, by then Lee Crane could be anywhere.

“Admiral, are you going to contact Seaview?” Morton asked. He knew the admiral had a way to contact Seaview in an emergency like this and hoped the man would do so.

“I’m going to send the code, Chip, but it will be hours before they get here even at top speed,” Nelson said.

“Admiral, I’ve sent word to the police chief to check the docks for the Elias Yacht,” Kasparkova told him before leaving with Morton.

Nelson knew there was nothing more he could do as he entered Belohlavek’s room to find the nurse checking the man’s pulse. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out the satellite phone. It was smaller than most cell phones and he knew within a couple of years it would be sold as the new toy of not just the American people, but people worldwide. The connection itself was something most people only saw in Sci-Fi movies and swore would never be available to the ordinary people.

Nelson moved outside on the balcony to make the call that would bring Seaview to the Island, but would it be in time to find her captain. God, he hoped so, but whoever was behind the governor’s shooting had placed the blame on Lee Crane. There was only on man who could exonerate him, and that was governor Belohlavek himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nana took a deep breath as she stood up and looked at the captive. God, help her, but she wanted so badly to help him, yet there was nothing she could do except keep him alive. Katerina and Alexi were her family, the only one she had now and without them she would be living on the streets with no food and no money.

Nana touched her fingers to his forehead and knew the fever she felt there would just get higher until the shock of being shot and the blood loss was a thing of the past. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed a cold cloth on his forehead.

Nana thought about Julie Parsons-Radcliff and the days following her discovery by Katerina and Alexi. The woman had been burned and barely breathing when they found her outside their vacation cottage in the states and they’d brought her home with them. She knew very little about her or why Katerina seemed so taken with her.

Katerina had simply said the young woman reminded her of herself and she could not bear the thought of leaving her alone. She had arranged for treatment during the long trip, and had even had a doctor tend to her once they reached the villa in Greece. Once she was strong enough to speak, she’d told a story of betrayal and spoke of a love that would be destroyed if she did not get the help she needed. From that point and elaborate plan had hatched and taken this long to put in motion.

‘I am sorry, Captain Crane, but I have to do as they tell me,’ she thought as he moaned softly. She injected the dosage of pain medication into his IV line and hoped she could keep him comfortable during the long voyage home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriman Nelson walked back into the room once he finished his call and knew Seaview would be on the way as soon as they dropped off the scientists that were still onboard. He could almost hear Sharkey’s frustration at being unable to do anything to help. He’d reminded the man that they were doing what needed to be done and he could not turn his back on the scientists until they were safe.

“Admiral I think he’s waking up,” Janet Sullivan said and moved so the man could speak with the injured man.

“Jarek, can you hear me? It’s Harriman Nelson,” the Admiral said and watched as the man’s eyes slowly opened and a moan escaped as he tried to move. “Jarek, you’ve been shot so you should not try to move. Can you tell me who did this?”

“Lee…shot…”

“What?” Nelson asked as Morton and Kasparkova came into the room.

“Did he say Lee shot him?” Morton asked incredulously and grew quiet when Nelson shook his head and raised his hand for silence.

“Jarek, Lee wouldn’t shoot you…”

“Didn’t…Lee didn’t sh…shoot me…”

“Can you tell us who did shoot you, Jarek?” Kasparkova asked.

“Woman…her friend…called her Julie…”

“The woman…”

“Sylvania…not…name is Ju…” the governor tried, but lost consciousness before he could finish what he wanted to say.

“Admiral, did he say Julie?” Morton asked and saw the look of horror on Nelson’s face.

“Who is Julie?” Kasparkova asked.

“A woman from Lee’s past, but she’s dead…at least we thought she was dead,” Nelson said.

“Lee was involved with Sylvania’s Matron of Honor? Isn’t she a little old for him?”

“No, I think Jarek was saying Sylvania and Julie are the same person,” Nelson answered.

“Now I’m confused,” Belohlavek said.

“Why don’t we go get some coffee and I’ll explain it as best I can,” Nelson said and followed the man downstairs. He heard him explain what he wanted to the kitchen staff before they walked out to the patio and sat at the table.

“Okay, Admiral, tell me what’s going on,” Kasparkova ordered.

“Lee met Julie Parsons when they were both in high school. She was his first real crush, but she went on to marry someone else. They lost touch until a couple of years ago when Julie showed up on Lee’s doorstep. She told him she’d divorced her husband and that she had finally realized she would always love him.”

“I take it Lee wasn’t interested in her anymore?”

“No, and he told her so,” Morton answered. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer and when she found out Lee was on a date with someone else she killed her. She kidnapped Lee and when we finally found them he was in bad shape.”

“Is that when she died?”

“No, she was placed in a mental institution, but she escaped from there. It was unknown how she did it, but she came after Lee again and we nearly lost him because of the drugs and injuries. We traced her to this abandoned building that was slated for demolition and managed to get Lee out. Seaview’s crew helped the police search for him and it was Stu Riley who found him. He said he saw the building come down on Julie, and we did find a body…it was unrecognizable.”

“Didn’t they do an autopsy?”

“No, we just wanted to forget it happened. Now, it appears that was a mistake on our part,” Nelson admitted.

“Admiral, if Sylvania really is Julie then we need to get the others here and start searching for Lee,” Morton observed.

“I know and Seaview is on the way,” Nelson told him.

“What makes you think it’s the same woman?” Kasparkova asked.

“Governor Belohlavek said it was Julie,” Nelson said. “With her missing and Lee accused of shooting your governor the chances are we’re talking about the same woman. Have you heard anything from the chief of police?”

“Nothing yet,” Kasparkova told him. “I’ll check with him after you finish your story.”

“Julie was buried and we thought that was the end of it,” Nelson told him. “If it is Julie, then she’s going to take him somewhere that she thinks we won’t be able to find him.”

“Thinks being the operative word…right, Admiral?” Morton asked worriedly as the palace staff brought a tray of sandwiches, fresh fruit, and coffee for them.

“Right,” Nelson said as Kasparkova made the call to the police chief. He listened to the one-sided conversation and silently cursed when the minister of foreign affairs told them the yacht was no longer moored at the main docks.

“I’m sorry, Admiral, but according to the people at the docks they left several hours ago without filing a plan,” Kasparkova told them. “Admiral, can you get your submarine to track them?”

“If we knew what heading they were taking,” Nelson said. “Do we have any idea where the Elias’ are from?”

“No, I’m sorry…I know they are from Greece, but whether they are headed there I don’t know. There are plenty of places they could stop at.”

“If they use credit cards we can track them,” Morton observed.

“Yes,” Nelson agreed and reached for a sandwich as his stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since the wedding dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Chief Francis Sharkey knew there was no way they could go any faster, but there had to be something they could do to help search for Seaview’s captain. He’d spoken with several people and they’d agreed to help in any way they could. When Nelson had left him in charge of Seaview and the Scientists, he’d reluctantly taken control. Now he wished he’d insisted on going with Nelson, Morton, and Crane.

“Chief, why can’t we take the flying sub?” Kowalski asked.

“Because it wouldn’t get us there any faster and we’ve been having problems with it. When Patterson dropped the scientist off he said there was a problem with the buoyancy,” Sharkey said, not at all sure those were the right words.

“Chief, there’s a message coming through from the Admiral,” Sparks called and waited for Sharkey to join him. He handed the paper to the other man and waited for him to read it.

“What is it, Chief?” Kowalski asked when he saw the anger on the man’s face.

“The captain’s worst nightmare is all!” Sharkey snapped. “It looks like he’s been kidnapped…”

“Do they know who took him?” Patterson asked.

“They think it was Julie Parsons,” Sparks answered.

“Can’t be…she’s dead,” Kowalski observed.

“Apparently not…according to the Admiral she may have been the bride at the wedding they attended,” Sharkey explained. “Sparks, let the admiral know we’re on our way at full speed.”

“Yes, Chief,” Sparks said and turned back to his station as the others continued to talk about Crane’s disappearance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie stood at the foot of the bed and watched Lee Crane sleep. She’d eaten a light lunch and drank two glasses of wine before excusing herself and making her way back to the cabin. Katerina and Alexi would take care of Berk and his men as soon as the drug they’d slipped into their wine took effect. The three men would be thrown overboard, but not before Alexi cut their wrists so the blood would attract the sharks.

Julie knew people would think it strange that she was just standing here, watching over the man she loved, but she didn’t care what others thought. Lee belonged to her and from this moment on she would do everything she could to keep him in her bed. She smiled as he shifted slightly, but didn’t wake and wondered if he was dreaming about her.

Julie walked over to the bed and sat down as she looked at the slow rise and fall of his chest. Nana had given him something to ease the pain and let him rest easy, but soon the drugs would stop and she would be the one he turned to if he wanted some relief from the agony. She reached out and ran her fingers down his bare back and stopped when he fingers came up against the bandage that covered the wound.

“Oh, Lee, those bastards should soon be swimming with the fish for what they did to you. I won’t allow anyone to hurt you ever again, but I warn you that I won’t condone you’re trying to escape again. I have so much to tell you about and then I’ll listen to what you want to talk about. I know you’re going to be upset about losing the Seaview, but it is for the best because no Gray Lady will ever come between us again,” Julie said and removed her clothing. She pulled back the blanket and lay down so that she could lift his head and place it on her arm.

“I have dreamed of this moment for so long, My Love, and now it has come true. I love you more than you can ever imagine and I swear no one will ever come between us again. You and I were always meant to be together…I know you will come to believe that if you just give us the time we need to let it happen,” the deranged woman said and pressed her hand against his wound, smiling when he moaned softly.

“I know it hurts, Lee, but it will get better and when it does you and I will make love…we won’t have any children, Lee, because I don’t want to share you with anyone and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way about me. Our love is all that matters and we don’t need children getting in the way of our feelings.” A knock on the door startled her, but she told whoever it was to come back later.

“Julie, Nana wants to check Lee’s vitals. We need to make sure he isn’t running too high a fever,” Katerina said and opened the door when the younger woman told her to enter. “You two do make a lovely couple, My Dear.”

“Thank you,” Julie said as Nana began listening to Crane’s chest. “What about Berk and his men?”

“Alexi and I took care of them a few minutes ago,” Katerina assured her. “The sharks will take care of them before long.”

“Good riddance,” Julie said and waited impatiently for Nana to finish what she was doing.

“Julie, his temperature is up, but it’s not too high right now. Nana is going to give him some IV antibiotics and we need to get him to swallow a couple of Tylenol to help with the fever.”

“Okay,” the younger woman agreed as Nana opened the kit and took out a small bag of medication. It wasn’t long before she had it set up and then opened a packet containing Tylenol.

“Lee, I need you to take some medicine,” Julie said and tapped his cheeks until his eyelids slowly opened. “Hello, My Love, I know you’re not feeling very well, but we need you to take some medicine. Don’t worry…it’s only Tylenol.”

Lee tried to make sense of why he felt like hell and why he couldn’t move, but there seemed to be someone talking to him. He didn’t understand what she was saying, but the voice was hauntingly familiar and reminded him of someone from his past. He shook his head when she placed something in front of his mouth and cried out when someone pressed down on his back.

“Don’t be stupid, Lee, the pills are just Tylenol and will help bring down your fever,” Julie ordered.

“G…go…hell,” Crane managed and cried out when she repeatedly pushed on his wound.

“Julie, stop,” Katerina ordered sharply. “We can do it another way. Nana has suppositories.”

“Would you rather we do it that way, Lee? It is so disgusting, but if you won’t take them by mouth then I will be the one to insert them. Make your choice now, Lee, or I make it for you!”

Crane knew there was no choice in the matter and reluctantly opened his mouth. He swallowed the pills with water and sighed tiredly as he tried to pull away from the hated woman holding him.

“Sleep now, Lee, that’s the best thing for you and I’ll be here to take care of you,” Julie told him and smiled when he sighed, mistaking it for contentment as her mind worked to confirm that her feelings were reciprocated.

“Julie, Nana will be back to check on him again in a couple of hours, but if you need her just let me know,” Katerina ordered.

“I will…thank you for helping me, Katerina.”

“You’re welcome…we want you to be happy,” the older woman said and left the room with Nana.

Julie knew if she died right this minute, she would die a happy woman. She’d dreamed of this ever since she’d come to realize that Lee Crane was her soul mate. Joseph Radcliff had never deserved her and he died knowing she had never loved him. Their child was living with his parents and she really didn’t think about the baby often. When she did it was with anger, because she had never wanted children, but Joey would not allow her to abort their child.

Joey and her own parents were dead now and she had the last laugh because she had everything she ever wanted. She had Lee Crane and she would not allow anyone to come between them. Lee would come to terms with his new life, it was just a matter of time and they had plenty of that. He would see that she would do anything for him and that her love was the only thing he needed.

“Oh, Lee, once we reach Katerina’s home you will never have to put your life in danger again. You will simply need to show me how much you love me and I promise we will be happy together,” she whispered and relaxed as she felt his breath on her shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriman Nelson knew there was nothing they could do until Seaview arrived. With the advances in DNA research and fingerprint technology, he hoped they would soon find out if Sylvania’s fingerprints matched those belonging to Julie Parson-Radcliff. Deep down he knew they were the same woman, but he needed to make sure if he was going to start searching for her and her friends.

Milic Kasparkova had driven down to the village and was checking in with the chief of police. He would call when they had anything to report, but five hours had passed since they’d discovered Lee was missing. There were several boats out, but no one had seen The Alluring Queen. They’d checked several ports within sailing distance, again without result.

Nelson stood at the window and looked out over the yard. People were still cleaning up after the ceremony and party from the night before. Everything had gone to hell in such a short time and now Lee was missing and they’d discovered blood in the jail.

“Admiral, is there any change?” Morton asked as he passed the older man a cup of coffee.

“No, he’s still unconscious,” Nelson said. “Did any of the guests see anything?”

“No, the ones we spoke to said they stayed in their rooms after Lee was accused of shooting the governor. None of them saw anything before that either, but there is something strange.”

“What?”

“It seems three guards are missing including the man in charge…Jakub Berk. They haven’t been seen since they took Lee to the jail,” Morton answered.

“Have you searched the grounds for them?”

“Yes, Sir. Before he left, Milic told the palace guard to cooperate with us,” Morton said and turned to the bed when he thought he heard someone speak.

“Admiral…”

“Governor, how do you feel?” Janet Sullivan asked as the two men joined her at the bed.

“I don’t know. What happened?”

“What do you remember, Jarek?” Nelson asked.

“I remember Sylvania and I saying goodnight to everyone…then we came up here. There was….she was waiting when we came in,” Belohlavek answered softly.

“Who was waiting?” Morton asked.

“Katerina Elias…she was here…shot me. Where is Sylvania? She…”

“She’s not here,” Nelson answered.

“She called her Julie,” Belohlavek told them. “She’s not who I thought she was.”

“No, she’s not,” Nelson agreed.

“You know who she is?”

“We think her real name is Julie Parsons-Radcliff and if she is then Lee’s in grave danger,” Nelson told him.

“Where is she?”

“We can’t find her or Katerina Elias. We believe the left on the Elias yacht and they took Lee with them. We’ve been searching for them in the nearest ports and your minister has sent out word that they are to be detained if they show up there. Three of your palace guards are also missing.”

“Governor, you should be resting,” Janet said when she noted the lines of pain on the man’s face. She quickly administered the prescribed medication and watched as the man’s features slowly relaxed. “I’m sorry, Admiral, but he really does need to rest. You can come back after he’s had some sleep.”

“Thank you,” Nelson said and knew Seaview would not arrive for at least six hours, and that left them to figure out where Katerina Elias would have taken the yacht.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was something familiar in the rocking of the boat, but he knew it wasn’t Seaview. The feel was right and even the bed felt wrong. He could have lived with that, but for the fact that he was cradled in someone’s arms and he didn’t feel like it was a good thing.

Lee tried to move, but his body felt weighed down and whoever was holding him seemed intent to keep him helpless in her arms. He shifted as best he could and set off a wave of pain through his lower back. He forced heavy lids open and looked into the eyes he thought he’d never see again.

“Hello, My Love, I hope you’re feeling better now that we’re together,” Julie said and smiled as she touched her finger against his cheek.

“You’re dead,” Crane whispered.

“No, Lee, they may have told you that, but I’m very much alive and now we can live our lives the way we were meant to. I know this is hard on you right now, but I believe in us…I believe in the love we share, and I believe we can overcome everything they tried to do to us,” Julie told him.

“I don’t l…love you…”

“Don’t you say that!” Julie snarled and struck his lower back, eliciting the cry of pain she craved. “You love me and always have, but your friends have brainwashed you. I promise to stay by your side and give you the time you need to come to your senses, but don’t take too long, Lee, because I have never been a patient woman and I know where you friends are. I can have them taken care of any time I want to…or I can bring them here to keep you in line.”

“Do…don’t,” Crane managed once he regained control of the pain.

“Then you need to stop denying your feelings and accept that we are and always have been soul mates. It will be so much better for us when you see that, Lee. We’ll have a wonderful life and you’ll never have to worry about anything except making me happy. Oh, Lee, don’t you see how good we are for each other? Can’t you understand that love means we can take care of each other and no one will be able to hurt either of us?”

Lee closed his eyes and tried to ignore her hands on his body. They were cold and he trembled, but he knew she took his trembling as a sign that he was enjoying her attention. The complete opposite was true, but he was beginning to realize he was better off not saying anything that would set off her temper. The time would come when he would see a means of escape, and to do that he needed to be in better shape than he was right now.

“You see, Lee, you may tell me you don’t love me, but your body knows better. Do you understand what this means? Do you know how much time we have to love each other?”

Crane kept his breathing even and hoped he fooled her into thinking he was sleeping. He could hear her humming something, a haunting tune that reminded him of an old horror story. It seemed fitting since that was exactly what was happening…this was his own private horror story, but as long as he kept his wits about him he would survive and see this particular monster put away for good. Sleep beckoned to him and he gave in to the siren song sweeping through his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Admiral, Jarek is awake and wishes to speak with you before you leave,” Milic Kasparkova said. He knew Nelson’s submarine was offshore and the two men would be leaving as soon as the Flying Sub arrived. A car was waiting to take them down to the village, but Belohlavek had requested their presence before they left.

“How is he?” Nelson asked as they walked up the stairs.

“Dr. Tibor is with him and he is surprised at how well Jarek is doing. The governor is fighting to get out of bed, but right now he’s too weak to do that,” Kasparkova answered.

“It sounds like Dr. Tibor is going to have his hands full.”

“Not if Nurse Sullivan has anything to say about it. She’s a real spitfire and has threatened to sit on Jarek if she needs to. Are all American women so outspoken?”

“Most of them,” Nelson answered. “Believe me it makes life interesting to say the least.”

“My wife speaks her mind and she has saved me from embarrassment more times than I care to admit. A woman like that is to be respected, loved, and cared for because she deserves to be treated as an equal. Not because it is a law, but because it is the simple truth. Men and women are equal in everything they say or do.”

“Not everyone feels that way,” Nelson observed. He’d seen discrimination of all kinds and it bothered him no matter who it involved.

“What about your submarine, Admiral? Do you or would you allow a woman to serve on her?”

“I would if she was qualified,” Nelson said. The truth was he was watching a young woman who was in the Naval Academy and hoped she would consider serving on board Seaview. She worked hard and proved time and again that she was as good as anyone else attending the Academy.

“Admiral, come in,” Janet Sullivan said when she saw the men in the doorway.

“Admiral, did you find Captain Crane?” Belohlavek asked and tried to sit up, but the woman was having nothing to do with it. “Leave me alone!”

“I’ll do no such thing, Governor, and you need to realize right now I am stronger than you. Dr. Tibor left me some really useful meds if I need them so don’t tempt me,” the nurse warned and smiled as she moved away from the bed and picked up the cup of coffee she’d been drinking.

“No, Jarek, we haven’t,” Nelson answered. The man was in a semi-sitting position and looked paler than the sheets he lay on, but there was a hint of red to his cheeks that spoke of fever.

“I am a fool.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a man who fell in love with a beautiful woman,” Kasparkova told him.

“I should have listened to you from the start, Milic, but it is too late for regrets now. Harry, was I dreaming or do you know the woman?”

“We think we know her. You told us you heard someone call her Julie,” Nelson offered.

“Yes, Katerina called her Julie,” Belohlavek answered and listened to the story as Nelson and Morton filled him in on Julie Parsons-Radcliff. “I am a bigger fool than I thought. Harry, I will do everything I can to help you find this woman and I pray that Lee Crane is not hurt because of my foolishness. I should have known when she insisted that I invite not only you, but Captain Crane and Commander Morton.”

“She knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants, Jarek…”

“And she wants Lee Crane,” Belohlavek observed.

“Yes, she does. I’m sorry, Jarek, I know you loved her, but she’s twisted and deranged and she is capable of killing anyone she thinks is getting in the way. She’s killed several people and injured others. Chip and I were almost killed the last time she kidnapped him,” Nelson explained.

“Milic, make sure you give them everything we have on Katerina and Alexi Elias…and Sylvania Marchand,” Belohlavek ordered.

“Thank you, Jarek,” Nelson said and shook the man’s hand.

“I hope you find her, Admiral, and I hope when you do you tell her a man can’t always choose who he loves, but he can choose who he despises. Make her pay and make sure she goes to prison this time.”

“We will do everything we can to see she’s put away for the rest of her life,” Nelson agreed as Janet Sullivan injected something in the man’s IV line.

“What was that?” Belohlavek snapped.

“Just something that will give me some peace and quiet for a couple of hours. Now, say goodnight, Governor,” Sullivan said and smiled as she adjusted the blankets as the others left the room.

Harriman Nelson smiled as he heard the woman’s answer and wondered what she would think of Will Jamison. There was something to be said about the way they treated their patients because neither one of them would give an inch.

“Harry, I’ll send you everything we have,” Kasparkova assured the man when they reached the lower floor and spotted the two men standing at attention.

“At ease,” Nelson said and held up his hands when Sharkey fired several questions in quick succession. “Slow down, Chief.”

“Admiral, Seaview is a mile offshore, but the flying sub is in the harbor,” Sharkey told him.

“Is there any news about the Captain, Sir?” Kowalski asked.

“Nothing yet,” Nelson said and shook hands with Kasparkova. “Thank you, Milic.”

“You’re welcome, Harry, let us know if there’s anything else we can do…and we’d also like you to send word when you find Lee.”

“We will,” Nelson said and walked out of the palace. A car waited near the front door, the driver someone he didn’t recognize as they hurriedly got inside.

“Admiral, we’ve been in touch with Interpol, but there’s not much on Katerina and Alexi Elias,” Sharkey told him once they were in the car.

“Have you been monitoring signals from any vessels that may have left this port in the last 24 hours?” Morton asked.

“Yes, Sir…Sparks says there are several, and we’re trying for satellite images, but there seems to be some kind of atmospheric interference,” Kowalski answered.

“Those scientists we dropped off were talking about it and said it would last at least another day or two and then there were solar flares to worry about,” Sharkey told them.

“We need to find out where Sylvania Marchand first appeared and who helped her,” Nelson said.

“We’re already doing that too, Admiral, but so far we’ve got nothing,” Sharkey said. “I even called in a couple of favors, but even they have nothing that will give us the skipper’s location.”

“We’ll find him, Chief,” Nelson vowed and looked out the window. Lee Crane was more than an employee; he was the son he’d always wanted. The fact that everyone on board Seaview respected her officers was well known throughout NIMR and the office of Naval Intelligence. Time and again Lee went out of his way to help crewmembers with problems, both on the boat and in their family life.

“Admiral, do you really think it’s her?” Kowalski asked softly.

“Yes, I do, and that means we don’t have much time. We need to use every resource we have to find him and make damn sure she can’t hurt him anymore.”

“As long as she’s alive she’s a threat to the skipper,” Kowalski observed and knew he’d voiced what they’d all been thinking as they grew silent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexi knew the three men he’d dumped into the water wouldn’t last long. The blood would attract the sharks and they would make quick work of Berk and his two guards. He made the sign of the cross and whispered a prayer for their souls, and wondered if God would even listen to him. He’d done a lot of things that would get him sent to hell, but as long as she loved him he would die a happy man.

Alexi turned when he heard movement behind him and smiled as his wife of nearly 25 years walked toward him carrying two glasses of wine. He took one and sipped it, enjoying the sweet taste even as he pulled her into his arms.

“Did you take care of them?” Katerina asked.

“They are swimming with the fishies,” he answered with a grin. “How are our two love birds?”

“Crane is sleeping and Julie’s content to hold him. She loves him, Alexi, if only he could see that then they would be as happy as we are.”

“Give him time and he’ll come around.”

“Like you did, My Love?”

“Hopefully he won’t prove as stubborn as I did,” Alexi told her.

“Oh, you were stubborn, Alexi, but that is part of your charm. If you had just given in I may have lost interest. Even now you keep our life exciting and I do love you for keeping the romance in our marriage.”

“If there was no excitement there would be no love….we need love to keep us young.”

“We’re lucky…you and I. We learned from each other and we now have the chance to teach Julie and Lee how to make their life together much more fulfilling,” Katerina told him.

“Do you miss the days when I fought you at every turn?”

“Sometimes, but we still play the games and that means you are under my spell.”

“And I always will be,” Alexi said and hugged her. “More wine?”

“Yes, and perhaps a little fun time for us while Julie takes care of her beau,” Katerina said as Nana came toward them. “How is he?”

Nana used her hands to sign the answer and knew the other woman understood how worried she was about Lee Crane. She could do nothing except try to keep his fever from going any higher, but he needed more medication than she had on hand. She knew Alexi had connections at several villages and hoped they could pull into a port and get the antibiotics and pain meds she would need.

“Alexi, are we able to stop at one of your special places?” Katerina asked.

“There is a small village, but it will add at least five hours to our voyage home.”

“Nana, are you sure he needs this?” Katerina asked the older woman who nodded emphatically. “I guess we’ll be making a stop. Why don’t we take inventory and see if there is anything else we should stock up on for the voyage home?”

“We could use a few bottle of wine,” Alexi told her. “I’ll speak with Antoine and tell him to change course.”

“Thank you, My Love, and I have not forgotten our plans for once we finish our inventory.” Katerina smiled at her husband and motioned for Nana to follow her inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson and Morton had never been so glad to be home, for that’s what Seaview was to them and the crew was their family. Right now a member of the family was missing and they needed to find him and bring him back. They were greeted by the on duty crew, and Nelson wasn’t surprised to find Dr. Will Jamison waiting for him.

“Admiral, are you two all right?” Seaview’s CMO asked.

“We’re fine…we’re not the ones you have to worry about, Jamie,” Nelson assured him as they walked toward the windows and relaxed as the sub began to sink below the surface.

“I know, but I also know how hard this is on you two, and I have a feeling you didn’t just sleep through the shooting and kidnapping because you were tired. It’s too late to test for drugs now, but if either of you experience any problems I want to see you in sickbay. Understood?”

“Understood, Jamie,” Nelson agreed.

“Good…do we know if Lee was hurt?” Jamison asked.

“We think so,” Morton answered and sat down at the table as Nelson and Jamison helped themselves to coffee. “We found blood in the jail where they were supposed to be holding Lee.”

“Damn it, how much of a head start do they have on us?”

“Twenty hours or more,” Morton answered.

“Then they could be anywhere,” Jamison observed.

“They could be, but we’ve got connections and we’re going to call in every favor we’re owed. We’re going to find Lee and make sure Julie can’t hurt him ever again,” Nelson said.

“Admiral, Sparks has several messages from Interpol, but none of them give us anything we can really use,” Sharkey said and handed Nelson the missives. He waited for the other man to check them, and knew he’d been right about the news they contained. “Should I send back a message?”

“Let them know we’re looking for anything they can find on The Alluring Queen. It’s a yacht owned by the Elias’,” Nelson answered.

“Yes, Sir,” Sharkey said and hurried away.

“Admiral, you and Chip look like hell and should get some rest,” Jamison suggested.

“We will,” Nelson told him and looked at the man seated across from him. With Lee missing, he was next in line to command the Seaview, but right now Jamison was right, they needed to get some sleep before they keeled over.

“Admiral, I need…”

“Chip, the only thing we need right now is sleep. Jamie is right and there’s nothing more we can do until we get a lead on Lee. We won’t do him any good if we can’t think straight.”

“Yes, Sir,” Morton reluctantly agreed.

“Have you had anything to eat?” Jamison asked.

“We ate before we left the palace,” Nelson answered honestly.

“How is the governor?”

“He’s weak, but he’ll be okay,” Nelson answered and knew he needed to get some sleep. He stood up, and watched as Morton did the same on the other side. They both stared out the window as Seaview sank deeper and felt a slight shudder as if the Sub knew an integral part of her crew was missing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Crane woke to find himself face down in an unfamiliar bed. He lifted his head, setting off an explosion of pain along his lower back. He gritted his teeth and held his breath until it eased, and breathed a sigh of relief as it finally subsided enough for him to move.

Lee knew he wasn’t on board Seaview, but for the life of him he couldn’t make sense of where he was or why he was tied face down on a bed. He relaxed onto the mattress and let his mind wander over the last memories he had. God, help him, but if this was real…if she was alive…then hell had come to claim him.

Crane had never been a coward, and there were very few people he feared. So few he could count them on one hand. Three of those were men; the other was a woman he thought was dead. Something told him the nightmares he’d been having were real and not something brought on by whatever was feeding into his body via an IV line.

Lee knew the last time he’d woke up, there was someone in his bed and he dreaded the idea that she was going to return. He needed to escape before her unique brand of love killed him, but that meant he’d need to find a way out of the restraints. He struggled to pull free, but with no success and lay breathlessly on the bed as pain caused spasms in his lower back.

Crane knew there was no escape until she removed the bonds, but how could he convince her to do that? The one thing he’d learned during their last meeting was that she was smart. Whatever he did, he would have to make it believable or face her wrath. Right now he didn’t think he would survive that.

Lee thought about the wound in his lower back, painfully aware of how close it was to his spine. He’d seen people with injuries like this before, and understood how it could lead to paralysis. If he could convince her he couldn’t move, maybe he could get her to release him long enough to make his escape.

Could he really fool her and pretend he was helpless? If he did, could he pretend to be content to let her take care of his every need? Could he let her touch him, feed him, bathe him? If he wanted to live, he would have to learn to do just that or find himself the victim of her wrath again.

Lee closed his eyes and felt the change in the way the boat moved as he realized they were now docked somewhere. How long had he been out? Had they reached their final destination? He knew, no matter what the answers to those questions were, he was in hell and had to find his way out of it before the fires burned his soul and left him at the mercy of his own private demon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Julie?” Katerina asked when the yacht was docked at the birth assigned to them.

“No, I want to be here when he wakes up. I don’t want him here alone,” Julie answered. She’d left the cabin once she knew Lee was sleeping, but she would return to him once Alexi and Katerina left the boat. Nana would accompany them and make sure they got the right medications for Lee. With Nana gone, his care would be left to her and that was something she looked forward to.

“All right, My Dear, but be careful with him. He almost killed you the last time,” Katerina warned.

“I can handle him.”

“Just don’t release him no matter what he says,” Alexi told her. He knew of Lee Crane’s background and was impressed by what he’d read there. Crane was in the Navy and had black belts in several different martial arts. He was also pretty adept when it came to infiltrating terrorist groups and if the file was right had assassinated at least one member of a Romanian Family who had been selling items that could have been used to make dirty bombs. The man would have been a hero to many people, if they had been told about his activities. The problem was, men like Lee Crane were the unsung heroes who did things because he thought they were right, and not because he wanted people to worship him.

“I won’t, Alexi. How long do you think you’ll be gone?” Julie asked.

“A couple of hours…my contact said he needed to get the items we need from his people. We will be back as soon as we have them. Is there anything you want us to pick up for you?”

“Just what’s on the lists,” Julie said and then smiled as she thought of something. “When Lee and I were in high school we used to go to this little donut shop. They made a cake there that Lee loved.”

“What was it?” Katerina asked.

“Carrot cake with cream cheese icing and walnuts,” Julie answered.

“We’ll stop at the bakery and see if they have it,” Alexi told her and hugged her before proceeding down the gangplank.

“Be careful, Julie,” Katerina told her and followed her husband off the yacht.

Julie took a deep breath and turned to see Antoine watching her. The man was quite handsome, but she was not taken with him. He had once asked her to go out with him, but Alexi had made sure he understood she was spoken for. She smiled as she walked toward the door leading into the main living area, and knew the man would not do anything to bring Alexi’s wrath down on his head.

Julie went into the yacht’s kitchen and opened the fridge as her stomach rumbled and reminded her she had slept through lunch. She reached for the ham and cheese as well as butter and mayonnaise and placed them on the table. The door to the cabin where Lee slept was open and she could hear the soft sound of snoring that told her he was still sleeping.

Julie began to hum as she made her sandwich and put everything back in the fridge before pouring a cup of coffee and making her way into the cabin. She put the plate and cup on the table and stood watching Lee Crane sleep. The blankets had rolled back and she could see the stark white bandage covering the wound there. She cursed the men who had shot him, and knew they would never hurt him again.

She moved to the bed and ran her fingers along his spine, smiling when he moaned softly. He may not realize it, but even drugged he enjoyed here touching him. She thought about turning him over, but that would require releasing him, that was something she could not do until Alexi and Katerina returned.

“Oh, Lee, we’ve lost so much time, but we have a wonderful future ahead of us. Katerina has graciously agreed to let us live with them, and believe me when I say it is a wondrous place. We can walk along the beach and swim in the ocean and at night we can watch the moon and stars overhead. We will be happy and you will never have to put your life in danger again. All you have to do is make me happy…is that too much to ask?”

Julie heard him moan as her fingers brushed against the bandage and pressed a little harder, smiling when blood seeped through the gauze and soiled her fingertips. She lifted her hand to her lips and knew she held his life in her hands. God, she loved him so much and now that they were together, she would kill to keep him at her side.

Julie returned to the table and picked up the sandwich. She ate without tasting it; the memory of his blood on her lips overshadowed the savoury ham. She watched his face, and wondered if he was dreaming about her and the future that now lay before them. It was something she hoped he would come to accept, if not then she would simple keep him addicted to whatever drug was handy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee knew when she came into the cabin and remained still, fighting to keep his breathing under control in spite of her cold touch. He’d managed to keep from crying out when she pressed against his wound, but wanted to scream when he heard her speak. How the hell was he going to fight when he had no idea where they were going?

It didn’t matter how, what mattered was that he was going to do it, because anything else would be worse than a death sentence. Her words were bad enough, but the last part…the question was enough to make his skin crawl. He would never be able to make her happy, because he would never be able to love her.

Crane kept his eyes closed and listened as she ate her sandwich and drank whatever was in the cup. He managed to keep his breathing at an even tone and hoped she would not touch him again. Even Kruger’s cold touch inside his mind and body didn’t compare to the frigidity of Julie’s hands against his skin.

“Lee, you know there will come a day when these restraints will not be needed and when that day comes we will truly belong to each other. For now I will love enough for both of us, but don’t make me wait too long, Lee Crane, or I will have Nana give you something to help you see the right path.”

Lee knew this woman would make good on her threat and vowed not to give her that kind of power over him. It would be much simpler to pretend to love her once he convinced her he could no longer move his legs. It would take the performance of a lifetime to do that, but right now it seemed to be his only option.

“Lee, are you pretending to be asleep or is it the pain medication Nana gave you before she left? If I find out it’s the former then I promise things will not go easy for you/”

Crane moaned softly, relieved that his ruse was working as she sat down on the edge of the bed. He knew he had to convince her he’d been asleep and forced his eyes lids to open slowly as she stroked his left cheek. He frowned and sighed as her touch seemed gentler than before and hoped that was a good sign.

“Were you truly sleeping, Lee?”

“Ju…Julie…help…”

“What’s wrong, Lee?” she asked, alarmed at the way he was looking at her.

“I can’t…I can’t move my legs,” Crane told her.

“They have probably just fallen asleep because we are using restraints. Don’t worry…I can rub the feeling back into the,” Julie vowed and pulled back the blanket.

Lee ignored the touch and concentrated on convincing the woman that he wasn’t lying. He felt her run her hands along his inner thigh and hoped she would not touch his genitals. He wasn’t sure he could keep up the ruse if she did that. He closed his eyes and pretended he was onboard Seaview.

“Does that feel better, Lee?”

“I don’t know, don’t feel anything,” Crane answered and looked over his shoulder at her. “I can’t feel your hands, Julie.”

“Oh, Lee, I’m sorry. They were not supposed to hurt you, and they’ve paid for that mistake with their lives. I’ll have Nana take a look at you when she gets back, but for now there is nothing more I can do. Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich or some soup?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You need to eat to keep up your strength, My Love, especially if the time comes that you will need physiotherapy. It can be very hard on someone who is not at full strength…I know this from experience and I know the toll it takes on a body and mind. There were times when I wanted to give up, but Katerina wouldn’t let me. I owe her so much, Lee, and you will soon see how much they care about me and what I want for us.”

“So…soup,” Crane managed. Had he heard her right? Did she have the palace guards killed because of what they’d done to him? God, did that mean he was responsible for their deaths?

“Very well…I will be back as soon as I warm it up. I hope you like minestrone,” Julie said and hurried from the room.

Lee breathed through tightly clenched teeth as he thought about life with this woman. No matter what happened, he would find a way out of this and he knew Nelson, Morton, and the rest of Seaview’s crew was already looking for him. He just had to stay alive…and sane…long enough for them to find him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson knew he hadn’t slept very long, but he also understood that he wasn’t going to get any more shuteye. He stood up, showered quickly, and dressed in fresh clothing before sitting at his desk. There were several files spread out on top, files he’d glanced at before lying down.

Harry put them in the top drawer and knew he would have to take a look at the scientist’s reports, but right now Lee Crane was more important to him. The contents of the files would not change if he didn’t look at them right away. He leaned back and closed his eyes, visualizing his first meeting with Seaview’s captain.

It was raining and he’d used his briefcase while running to catch a taxi. The problem was so did a dark haired younger man who got in on the opposite side. It was by mutual agreement that they would share the cab and Nelson had stared at Crane when he told the driver where he could drop him off. What followed was an actual interview, in the back of a cab, with the man who was supposed to meet him at NIMR.

Nelson’s first impression was that Crane was arrogant, but that had quickly changed when he realized Lee wasn’t putting on a show for him. Lee really was as good as or better than his superiors thought him to be. He served in the Navy and had done covert ops for ONI and there was a file that spoke of the torture the man had endured during several missions to help his country.

Harry unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out the file nestled there. It was simply labelled Lee Crane, and most of what was inside had to do with things that happened on the submarine. It was his own private documents, written by his hand and spoke of things Lee had done while serving onboard Seaview.

Krueger’s name was listed at the top of the strange creatures and beings they’d run into. The file would never be seen outside the submarine, because most people would think they were crazy. Krueger had forced him to shoot his friend and then taken over Lee’s body. He would never forget the look on Crane’s face when the bullet impacted with his body. It was the worst feeling he’d ever had and they’d nearly lost Lee if not for Lani, Krueger really did love the woman and he almost felt sorry for the man, almost. There were other beings including a puppet master, but Krueger had to be the top of the list, until now. Julie Parsons-Radcliff deserved that spot now and he hoped they would find her before she killed Lee Crane with her strange brand of ‘love’.

A knock at the door made him return the file to his desk before speaking. “Come in.”

“Admiral, Sparks just got a message from ONI,” Morton said and handed the message to Nelson who read it quickly. If this was correct then they were headed north. Alexi and Katerina Elias could easily pass for Greek and that could give them an advantage if they could find out if the couple had a home in Greece.

“Are they sure it was Alexi and Katerina Elias?”

“Yes, Sir, the couple made contact with one of ONI’s ‘snitches’ and bought several drugs from him.”

“What kind of drugs?” Nelson asked worriedly.

“According to the report they bought antibiotics, pain medication, and IV fluids.”

“Is that all?”

“I wish it was, but they also bought sedatives and hallucinogenics,” Morton answered.

“If I had any doubts about Julie being behind this I don’t anymore. She’ll kill him if she has to, Chip. Tell Sharkey to get us underway.”

“I already did,” Morton told him. It would take several hours to reach the port, but at least they had some idea what direction The Alluring Queen was headed. He could see Nelson was thinking about something and waited for the man to speak.

“Chip, have Sparks get me a secure channel,” Nelson ordered and knew who he needed to contact. Halina Palamara was a friend he’d met while on vacation in Greece with Lee Crane. The woman worked for the government, mainly internal affairs, but she had contacts that might be able to help them find Lee.

“Yes, Sir,” Morton said and left Nelson’s office.

Harry leaned back and thought about the woman he was about to contact. She was beautiful, with the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. Her blonde hair was cut shoulder length and framed an oval face. She’d invited Lee out to dinner and they’d hit it off, so much so that Crane had spent the night at her home.

“Admiral, you have a secure channel,” Sparks told him a few minutes later.

“I don’t want to be interrupted unless it’s news about Captain Crane,” Nelson told him and quickly accessed the number written in his private book. It took several minutes before her face appeared on the screen and he couldn’t help, but smile at her.

“Admiral, it is good to hear from you. How is Lee? Is he there with you?”

“No, he’s not, Halina, that’s why I’m calling. I need your help. Lee was kidnapped and we believe the couple that took him are from your beautiful country.”

“Tell me their names and I’ll see what I can find out for you.”

“Alexi and Katerina Elias,” Nelson said and watched as she wrote the names down.

“I have not met them, but the names sound familiar. I will contact Yuri and let you know what I find out.”

“Thank you, Halina.”

“No thanks needed, Admiral. You have done much for me. Do you know why this couple kidnapped Lee?”

“We believe there is another woman involved.”

“Is she from my country as well?”

“No, she’s American. Her name is Julie Parsons-Radcliff.”

“Lee spoke of her…he thought she was dead.”

“We all did, but it appears she is very much alive.”

“Then we must find him before she tests his love. He told me what she did during their last meeting.”

“She nearly killed him.”

“Then we must not allow that to happen. I will get back to you when I have something on the Elias couple.”

“Thank you, Halina,” Nelson said as the screen went black. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the people and contacts he’d made in his lifetime. Halina Palamara was not just a beautiful woman, but she was smart and intelligent and believed in doing what was right. If there was anything to be found out about the Alexi and Katerina Elias, she was the person to turn to.

Nelson stood up, walked out of his cabin and headed straight for Seaview’s nose. It was there that he did his best thinking and right now he needed to relax and embrace the feeling of being surrounded by his ‘family’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie watched as Nana examined Lee Crane and hoped the woman had good news, but she shook her head before setting up a new bag with some kind of fluid inside it. She knew it was simply IV solution and wondered how long he would need it. He’d finished the bowl of soup before falling asleep again and remained that way even after the others got back and they were underway again.

“Don’t worry, Julie, it’s probably because of the swelling from the bullet wound,” Katerina told her.

“I know, but what if he never walks again?”

“Will that make a difference in how you feel about him? Or will it simply mean he is in need of your nursing skills?”

“I will be the best nurse he’s ever had,” Julie vowed as Nana added something to the IV line. “What was that?”

“Something to ease his pain,” Katerina said when Nana signed her answer.

“If he doesn’t feel anything then why would he need something for pain?” Julie asked.

“Just because he can’t move his legs doesn’t mean he can’t feel the pain from the wound, Julie,” Alexi observed.

“Julie, we were able to get something that would send him on some wild trips if he fights you. It is up to you whether or not you use it,” Katerina told her.

“We shall see how he behaves after we reach your home,” Julie said.

“Our home, Julie, this is where you and Lee can live happily without outside interference,” Alexi vowed and hugged her. “We brought steaks for dinner and since your beau will be sleeping for a while you might as well join us.”

“I want to stay with him.”

“I know you do, but you need some sunshine before your skin is as pale as his. Nana will come get you if he wakes up while we’re gone,” Katerina told her. “Alexi will grill the steaks and I will make salad while you bask in the sunshine.”

“I guess you’re right,” Julie said and kissed his lips before following the older couple out of the cabin.

Nana looked at the man sleeping on the bed and knew she would be punished if they found out she lied about his condition. She’d seen his legs move ever so slightly and hoped, if he was going to keep up this ruse that he would be able to keep still. She could easily explain a small movement as twitching that was normal at this point.

Nana looked at the pale features, saddened that such a man had garnered the attention of an obsessive woman. She owed her loyalty to Alexi and Katerina Elias, but she did not owe such loyalty to Julie Parsons-Radcliff. The woman had cold eyes…like a shark’s eyes and would kill anyone who got in the way of what she wanted.

‘I cannot help you, Captain, but I will tell her you are lying about moving your legs,’ she thought and covered him with the blanket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katerina watched as Julie stood at the railing and looked out over the water. What was it about her that reminded her of herself? Perhaps it was the strength she exuded or that she saw what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it…or in this case…him.

“More wine, My Love?”

“Thank you, Alexi,” Katerina said and held out her glass for him to refill. The steak and salad had been delicious, but Julie had eaten very little.

“You are worried about her?”

“Yes, she is quiet and that is not a good sign.”

“You are like that when you are worried.”

“I know and sometimes I wonder if we truly are sisters.”

“Perhaps in another life,” Alexi told her.

“As long as in that life I had you as my husband,” Katerina told him.

“Always, My Love,” Alexi told her as Nana stepped out of the cabin and motioned to them. “I believe Crane is awake.”

“Julie, Lee is awake,” Katerina said and watched the woman’s face light up. “Perhaps we should bring the carrot cake?”

“Thank you, Katerina, I think he would like that,” Julie said and hurried inside. She’d enjoyed basking in the sunshine and was thinking about finding a way to bring Lee outside. The sun would do him good and he would be able to breathe the fresh air. “Katerina, would it be possible to bring Lee outside?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea with his back problems and bullet wound?” Alexi asked.

“He cannot feel his legs so what difference does it make. Nana can give him something for pain control and we can help him outside. The sunshine and fresh air will do him good,” Julie answered.

“If that is what you wish then we will see to it,” Katerina told her.

“It is,” Julie said and turned to the other woman. “Nana, did you give him something for pain when he woke up?”

Nana shook her head and nodded when she was told to give her patient the required medication. She walked back inside with the others close on her heels.

“Lee,” Julie spoke his name as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Katerina and Alexi brought back something special for you and since it is a beautiful evening I thought you would enjoy some fresh air. Alexi and Antoine are going to carry you on deck and we will make sure you are comfortable.”

“Julie, I’ll put some blankets on the chaise lounge for him,” Katerina offered and went back outside to get Antoine to help her husband.

“How does that sound, Lee?” Julie asked once Nana finished injecting the medication.

“Sounds good,” Crane answered and knew if he was given the chance he’d gladly go overboard, but something told him he wouldn’t get anywhere near the railing of the boat.

“It will hurt, My Love, but I think it will do you a world of good,” Julie told him and smiled when his eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. “I will always give you what you want, Lee…as long as you do as I say.”

“Is he ready?” Alexi asked.

“I think so,” Julie said and pulled back the blankets, smiling when Lee stared at her. “Perhaps it is best if I let you keep the sheet.”

“Thank you,” Crane said and swallowed several times as she moved away. Right now he needed to put on the act of a lifetime if he had any hopes of completing this ruse. He closed his eyes and held his breath as the two men eased his legs over the edge of the bed. There was pain, but it was manageable until they stood him up. He swallowed convulsively as what felt like shards of glass exploded in his lower back, but still managed not to move his legs.

“Julie, perhaps we should put him back in bed,” Katerina suggested.

“No…no, I’m o…okay,” Crane managed between hitching breaths.

“Are you sure, Lee?” Julie asked.

“Think so,” Crane told her and held his breath when they started forward. He relaxed and let his legs drag behind him as the two men took his weight on their shoulders. He kept his eyes closed as the nauseating pain continued and grunt when he felt them lower him onto something soft.

“Easy, Lee, the pain will pass in a few minutes,” Julie vowed and helped lift his legs onto the lounge. She watched his face, and felt the excitement at seeing his pain. She wanted to hold him and soothe it away, but she also wanted to see it because it meant she needed him.

“Julie, here is some water,” Katerina said and handed the glass to the younger woman.

“Thank you, Katerina,” Julie said and held it to his lips. “Drink, Lee, just a little. That’s it.”

“Thank you,” Crane said once he got his breathing under control and could look at her. God, he wanted to hit here, but right now that would simply get him more trouble than he could handle. He was better off just letting her think he was grateful for her help.

“Would you like something to eat?” Katerina asked him. “There is some steak and salad left.”

“Just water,” Crane told her.

“Lee, you need to regain your strength and water won’t help you with that. How about just a little steak…and for dessert we can have some carrot cake. Katerina and Alexi brought it back with them. I told them how much you love it.”

“Carrot cake was always our favorite,” Crane said and got the smile he hoped for.

“Yes, it was. I am so glad you remember that,” Julie said and turned to Katerina. “Would you bring Lee a small piece of steak and maybe some vegetables?”

“Of course,” Katerina said.

“How do you feel, Lee?” Julie asked.

“I’m tired, but the sun feels good. Thank you for bringing me out here.”

“You’re welcome, My Love, but please, don’t make me regret the decision. How are your legs? Can you move them at all?”

“No…no I can’t,” Crane said, pleased that he was able to add a slight tremble to his voice as he looked into her eyes.

“It’s okay, Lee, it just means that I will have to take care of you…unless…”

“What?” Crane asked.

“Unless I find out you are lying to us…to me. If that happens I swear I will make you wish you really were paralyzed and unable to feel anything. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Crane answered as Katerina returned with the food.

“Since you have an IV in your hand I am going to feed you. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good,” Seaview’s captain told her. He ate a small amount of the steak and vegetables, before shaking his head when she offered him more.

“I guess it’s time for coffee and cake,” Julie told him as Katerina took the plate and utensils. She smiled at Lee Crane as he leaned his head back and soaked up the sun’s rays. It would soon sink below the horizon, but for now it still kept them comfortable.

“Julie, would you like a piece of cake as well?” Katerina asked as she handed the plate to the younger woman.

“No, I think this is big enough for Lee and I to share,” Julie said and used the fork to cut into the moist cake. She held it in front of his mouth and smiled when he took the offering.

Lee knew he had to relax and pretend to enjoy her touch, but God help him he wanted to wrap his hands around her scrawny throat and choke the life from her. For now, he needed to bide his time and make here believe he was adjusting to his fate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriman Nelson sat at the table as Seaview continued north along the course that would bring them closer to Greece. They would reach the Strait of Gibraltar in just under seven hours, and that gave Halina time to search for Alexi and Katerina Elias. So far the couple had kept their assets hidden, but it would not take Halina long to find them, if that was where they were headed.

“Admiral, it’s late…”

“I know it is, Jamie,” Nelson said as Seaview’s doctor sat across from him and placed a bottle of Glen Livet in the center of the table.

“I figure you could use a night cap instead of a sleeping pill,” Will Jamison offered and produced two glasses. “And since a man should never drink alone I’ll join you.”

“Thanks, Jamie,” Nelson said and closed the file on Julie Parsons-Radcliff.

“We’ll find them, Harry,” Jamison said, purposely using the man’s first name. Normally he didn’t do that unless they were on shore leave, but he needed Nelson to know he was here as a friend, not just as Seaview’s CMO.

“I know we will…I just hope we’re not too late. Remember how he was the last time she had him.”

“I remember…I also remember how hard it was on you, chip, and the rest of us,” Jamison said.

“We need to find him before she uses those damn drugs on him,” Nelson observed as he stood up and walked over to the windows. Seaview was a unique design and one he was proud of, but the sub itself needed a unique captain, and that was where Lee Crane came in. He sipped the whiskey and hoped Lee would soon be back where he belonged.

“I had to pull my CMO card on Chip…do I have to do it with you?” Jamison asked once the other man finished his drink and sat back down at the table.

“No, I’ll finish this up and get some sleep,” Nelson assured him.

“Why don’t I wait for you and walk you to your quarters,” Jamison suggested.

“I haven’t needed an escort in a lot of years,” Nelson said.

“Humor me,” Jamison said and smiled when the other man stood up.

“No point in arguing is there?”

“None at all,” the CMO told him with a hint of a smile as they headed for the sleeping quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Lee, would you like to go back to bed?” Julie asked. It was getting dark and the stars were starting to dot the sky overhead. She’d been watching his eyes as he lay on the lounge and knew this was something he enjoyed. The lounge was large enough for her to stretch out beside him, and Alexi was near enough to stop him if he tried anything at all.

“Can we stay like this a little longer?” Crane asked. He needed to fight to keep from showing his distaste at her body snuggled up against him.

“Are you sure? Nana said you would need more antibiotics before long.”

“I’m sure. My back isn’t hurting and the breeze feels good.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Julie said and rested her head against his shoulder. “I’ve dreamed about this day, Lee. I’ve dreamed of having you at my side…of loving you and spending the rest of my life with you. When we reach our new home I will asked Katerina to speak with someone about performing a marriage ceremony for us. You’d like that wouldn’t you, My Love?”

“I would,” Crane lied and forced himself to remain calm as she kissed him. Whatever pain medication Nana was giving him was keeping him comfortable and relatively pain free.

“I know you’re lying, Lee, but that’s all right because you will come around when you realize we are meant to be together. Alexi is watching us and I am happy you did not try anything stupid because I don’t think you would survive his chosen punishment.”

“I’m not stupid, Julie.”

“I know you’re not, but sometimes a man in your position does foolish things. Please don’t do anything foolish, Lee.”

“I’ll try not to,” Crane told her, disgusted at the lust he saw in her eyes. He knew there would come a time when she would demand they make love, but he didn’t plan to be around long enough for that. Nelson and Morton had to be back onboard Seaview by now, and that meant they were searching for him. He just hoped Julie and the others had left enough breadcrumbs for them to find.

“What are you thinking about, Lee?”

“Just thinking what life would be like if I can’t walk,” Crane lied.

“Really? Do you think that would make you less of a man?”

“No…I hope not. I don’t know, Julie. I’ve never been faced with something like this and I don’t know what it means not to be able to walk. I don’t want to be a burden to you…”

“Oh, Lee, you could never be a burden to me,” she whispered and used her right hand to force him to look at her. “If you are crippled then it simply means I will have to take care of you. Do you realize that is not something that disgusts me? If anything it means I have more time to take care of the man I love and I promise I will do that.”

“I know you will,” Crane said and swallowed the bile that rose up in his throat. Just the thought of spending the rest of his life with this woman made him sick, but he would have to calm his rattled nerves if he wanted to survive long enough to escape or be rescued. Either way, it meant he would need to placate the woman and her friends, that alone seemed a daunting task, but one he would have to complete or die trying. Something told him, dying would not be part of the equation if Julie had anything to say in the matter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip tossed and turned, but he’d finally slept for a little while. Not long enough, but he had functioned on less sleep before. He quickly showered and dressed and headed for the bridge, not at all surprised to find Nelson chatting to someone via the video-phone.

“Admiral, I’ve been asking around about the Alexi and Katerina Elias, but they either don’t exist or they use an alias while in my country.”

“Thank you for checking, Halina,” Nelson said.

“I am not giving up so easily, Admiral. Lee would not give up if I was missing and at the mercy of a crazy obsessed stalker. I have several other contacts and sources to check with, but I wanted to update on what we have…or what we don’t have.”

“I know he would,” Nelson said.

“I know you’re worried about him, Admiral, but if I remember correctly, Lee knows how to handle himself. He told me a little about Julie when we met in Rome last year, and I believe he will try to placate her and make her believe he loves her.”

“I know, and he’s a good actor, but she’s not easily fooled and she’ll make him pay if she thinks he’s making a fool of her.”

“Then we have to hope he’s putting on the act of a lifetime. I’m sorry, Admiral, but I have to go. How long before you get here?”

“At least six hours if we move at full speed,” Nelson told her.

“Contact me when you get here and I’ll arrange to have you picked up and brought here. Perhaps you’ll recognize something we missed.”

“I will, Halina, and I’ll make sure Lee knows how much you’ve helped us when we find him.”

“Find him we will…hold on to that.”

“You too,” Nelson said and leaned back in his chair as the screen went blank. Seaview was an amazing vessel and had top of the line technology, including the video-phone system. It was something he’d insisted on when designing and finalizing the schematics. Several times he’d been offered an exorbitant sum to sell Seaview, but she was his baby, and he felt at home when surrounded by the grey walls.

Harry stood up and looked at the men who had witnessed his conversation with Halina Palamara. He could see the concern on each face and wished there was something he could say to ease their minds. The problem was, right now he couldn’t even do that for himself.

“Admiral, there’s a message for you from Admiral Stark,” Sparks told him and handed the message to the man who walked away as he read it.

Jiggs Stark was a good friend, but there were times when the man grated on his nerves. Lee Crane had come under the gun a couple of times, but in recent months Stark had come to realize Seaview’s captain was damn good at his job. The respect had grown between the two men, and Jiggs message was proof of that. The man was offering to assist in any way, shape, or form he could in the search for Lee Crane.

“Is everything all right, Admiral?” Morton asked as he tapped the pen on the table displaying their relative location.

“Everything’s fine. Jiggs wanted to let me know he’s available if we need anything from his office. He’s also got ONI keeping an eye out for anything that could point to Lee’s whereabouts,” Nelson answered.

“The more people we have looking for him the better our chances are,” Sharkey observed.

“Yes, Chief, that’s true,” Nelson agreed. “Now we just need a break.”

“Admiral, there’s fresh coffee,” Morton said when the man looked longingly toward the nose. “I’ll have Cookie bring you something to eat…the stew is hot and thick…”

“And just what your friendly neighborhood doctor ordered,” Jamison said with a grin. He’d stopped by the mess on the way to the bridge and convinced Cookie to give a tray for Nelson.

“Go ahead, Admiral, I’ll come get you if we hear anything,” Morton told him and saw the man nod once before he headed for Seaview’s unique nose.

“The admiral is really taking this hard, Mr. Morton,” Patterson observed.

“He’s not the only one,” Sharkey offered.

“We’ll find him, Gentlemen, so don’t go giving up on the captain just yet,” Morton ordered and returned his attention to plotting the course they were on. He knew he’d already checked it over, but he needed to keep his mind occupied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee knew there was no point in trying to move…she would simply move closer and he’d end up falling off the chaise lounge. Dawn was just spreading her glorious cloak across the still dark sky, and still he lay awake. Nana had checked his IV and given him something for pain, but he’d been unable to sleep with Julie so damn close.

Alexi and Katerina had disappeared inside their cabin around midnight, but had told Julie they would help her if she wanted to move him back to his bed. So far he’d managed to keep his legs still in spite of the pain in his lower back.

“What are you thinking about, Lee?”

“I love this time…when it’s no longer night, but morning is still an hour or so away. Look at the colors of the sunset? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I have,” Crane said and smiled when she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “I’m looking at her.”

“Oh, Lee, I have waited so long to hear you say that. I wish I could believe you really felt that way, but for now I can live with the fact that you said it. I know it is too early for you to love me the way I love you, but that time will come and when it does we will be happy to spend the rest of our lives in each other’s arms. Just like this.”

“I’d like that…”

“Would you really?”

“Yes, there’s nothing else for me now…I’m no good to Nelson or ONI. Not when I can\t move my legs.”

“Is that the only reason you want to be here? Because you don’t think you’re any good to anyone else? I am not going to be your second choice in any of this, Lee! I want you to love me because you do…not because you don’t think you’re any good to anyone else!”

“That’s not what I meant, Julie…”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I meant…what does it matter…you got what you want and it doesn’t matter what I think!”

“Yes, I did, but I won’t be your second choice, Lee Crane!” Julie raged as she pushed off the lounge and stared at him with a dark rage that marred her features. “If I gave you a choice, Lee, what would you choose?”

“What choice?” Crane asked and knew he had to be careful.

“Your grey lady or one made of flesh and blood? Don’t lie to me, Lee…I don’t like to be lied to and if you say something just to placate me then I will ask for proof.”

“What kind of proof?”

“Love, Lee…I will want you to make love to me and that is not something to take lightly. So, Lee, are you ready to make such a commitment?”

“Not yet,” Crane answered and saw the eyes narrow in anger. He knew he’d said the wrong thing as she grabbed the heavy crystal pitcher and struck him in the head with enough force that it unbalanced the chaise lounge. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop her when she struck him a second time and he landed on the deck of the yacht. He cried out as spasms of pain raced along nerve endings.

“I have done so much for us…for you! I endured so much pain because you did not protect me from those bastards you call friends! Can you see the scars I bear and refuse to have removed? I keep them as a reminder of what we mean to each other, Lee! Damn you for being such a fool, but you will see that I am right! You will tell them to go to hell because our love…my love is strong enough for both of us!”

Lee tried to pull away, but she had walked around the overturned lounge and kicked at his ribs. His world no longer revolved around his back as shards of agony twisted through his skull. He thought he heard someone screaming, but the words were unclear as what little he’d eaten erupted from his mouth.

“Julie, you’ll kill him!” Katerina warned as she helped Alexi pull the woman away from the injured man.

“I don’t care! Did you hear him! The bastard won’t even commit to me after everything I’ve done for him! I kept these scars to remind him of how much I love him and he doesn’t give a damn!”

“Julie, calm down before you do something you’ll regret,” Katerina observed.

“Something I’ll regret! What? Like throw him overboard and let the sharks feed off his body! Maybe that’s what I should do! Tie a rope around his legs and throw him over the back like they used to do in the old pirate movies!”

“Julie, I’ll do as you say, but not until you calm down. If you still feel that way in 15 minutes then Alexi will do as you say. For now, Nana needs to take care of his wounds and we need to get him back inside,” Katerina warned and felt some of the tension leave the younger woman’s body.

“Nana, check Crane,” Alexi ordered when the older woman joined them. There was no mistaking the worry in the woman’s eyes as she knelt beside the writhing man. “Be still, Crane, she’s trying to help you!”

Nana hid her anger as she knelt beside Lee Crane. It amazed her how violent people could be when someone was already beaten and unable to defend themselves. There was fresh blood seeping through the bandage on his back and the IV had been dislodged. There was no mistaking the fact that he was in agony, but she could not treat him here. He needed to be put back to bed so she could treat him properly and she quickly signed what she needed for Katerina and Alexi.

“Julie, what do you want to do?” Katerina asked as she released the younger woman.

“Oh, God, Katerina, look what he made me do!” Julie said and sobbed as she pushed Nana away and took her place. “Why do you do this, Lee? Why do you fight what is right? Can’t you see we are soul mates and we belong together? I won’t let you ruin our gift, Lee1 I swear I’ll use whatever sedatives and drugs are necessary to help you see how much I love you!”

“Julie, Nana needs to take care of his wound,” Katerina said and took the woman’s hands to help her stand. “You look tired, so why don’t I get you something to help you sleep while we take care of him for you?”

“I am so tired, Katerina. I can’t help him if he won’t let me.”

“I know, but it takes time, and once we reach the island you’ll have all the time in the world.”

“But what about Nelson and Morton? They won’t give up looking for him.”

“They will if they believe he’s dead. I will contact a friend of mine and arrange for Lee Crane’s body to show up somewhere far away from the island.”

“Won’t they do tests to make sure it’s Lee?”

“Yes, I’m afraid it will mean pulling one of his teeth and taking some of his blood. If we can make it look like an explosion and that’s all that remains it should be enough to make them believe they found the remnants of his body,” Katerina told her and turned her toward the cabin. “Don’t worry, My Dear, we’ll take care of the details.”

“Thank you,” Julie said and glanced over her shoulder as Alexi and Antoine lifted Lee and carried him past them. “Why does he make me hurt him, Katerina?”

“He doesn’t understand how you feel, Julie. He does not see the gift of unconditional love you offer him; instead he fears what you represent and until he sees it for the love it is, then he will continue to fight you. Alexi took more than a year before he realized I only wanted what was best for him. Come, we need to get you more comfortable.”

“I should help Nana…”

“Alexi will help her with him. He is hurting right now and I don’t think he will try anything. Nana will restart his IV and I will have her give him a sedative to help him sleep. Do you want something for pain, Julie?”

“I…yes,” Julie said and lay back on the single bed. There were times when the pain from the burns was bad enough that she needed something to help her. The outrage and anger had made her violent and that had aggravated her scars. The doctors had told her there would be residual pain, and sometimes it was so bad she cried herself to sleep. She thought for sure once Lee was with her, that pain would fade because of their love.

“Here, Julie, take these,” Katerina ordered and sat on the edge of the bed. She handed her the two pills and a glass of water and watched as Julie put the pills in her mouth and drank the water. “Go ahead and sleep, Julie, I’ll take care of you and make sure Lee doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Thank you, Katerina, you are too good to me,” Julie said and sighed tiredly.

Katerina stayed where she was until there was no mistaking the sound of soft snoring that signaled she was sleeping. She gently covered her with the blanket before leaving the cabin and heading across the hallway to the room where Nana was treating Lee Crane.

“How is she?” Alexi asked.

“She’s worn out. She loves him so, Alexi.”

“I know, but she needs to control her temper or that love is going to kill him. Nana says he’s got a couple of broken ribs on the right side and will need to be kept on his left side to ease the pain. The cut above his left eye took four stitches and she thinks he might have a concussion. We have to help her control her anger, Katerina.”

“We will do what we can, but Lee must learn that love can sometimes be painful,” Katerina said and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked into the pain glazed hazel eyes. “Lee, you really must learn to control your temper and realize she really does love you.”

“Her ki…kind of love will kill me.”

“Not if you tell her what she wants to hear. She is a beautiful woman, Lee, and most men would enjoy being with her. She is offering you the chance to live your life in luxury without worrying about someone taking a shot at you.”

“I don’t ne…need her doing th…that.”

“Perhaps not, but for your own health and well-being you need to let her think you’ve come around to her way of thinking. You will find life much easier if you tell her you love her.”

“It would st…still be a lie,” Crane managed as darkness reached up for him and he embraced the welcome reprieve from pain.

“Oh, Lee, you really need to accept your new lot in life,” Katerina told him and felt her husband’s hand on her shoulder. She placed her own over his and smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

“He’ll come around…just like I did,” Alexi vowed and led his wife outside. They walked to the rail and watched as the water gurgle up behind the boat. No matter what happened, they would see that Julie wasn’t hurt by the man she loved. They knew how to make that happen, and it was beginning to look as if they would have to step in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson glanced at his watch and realized Lee Crane had been missing for nearly 48 hours. His contacts were doing everything they could to verify where the Elias’ made their home, but so far they’d come up blank. The fact that their names spoke of a Greek back ground, and that the last contact they had showed them headed north, were the only reasons he had for heading north toward Greece.

They would reach the Strait of Gibraltar in less than two hours and then they would head for Athens, Greece. Once they were near enough to the Strait of Gibraltar he would take the Flying Sub and travel to Athens to meet Halina Palamara. He knew there would be no shortage of volunteers to go with him if he asked, but he would only take two men until they had more information.

“Admiral, have you decided who you’re taking with you?” Morton asked. God, he wanted to go along with Nelson, but he also knew he was needed onboard Seaview in case they received new information.

“I think Kowalski and Chief Sharkey,” Nelson answered. “I know you want to help search for Lee, Chip, but I need to know Seaview is in good hands. Sharkey is a good man and I trust him, but he doesn’t know Seaview like you do. I need you here in case something happens.”

“Just find him, Admiral…because if it is Julie she’ll kill him with her love,” Morton observed.

“I know,” Nelson said. “I wish we had more definitive information on the Elias’.”

“So do I, but they could be spooks,” Morton observed. Every high powered country in the world had their own version of Spooks. They were specialized agents who could get in and out of a foreign country without being seen. Hell, some of the crew thought Lee was a Spook because of his work with the ONI.

“If they are half as good as Lee then we may never fins them,” Nelson said.

“I doubt there’s anyone out here who’s half as good as Lee, but that’s just me. I’ve seen him work undercover and I’ve heard a lot of higher ups say they’d hate to be the person Lee Crane was after.”

“He does have one hell of a reputation and not just with ONI,” Nelson agreed. “I know he did something for the president, but he wouldn’t even talk to me about what it was.”

“For the president…our president?” Morton asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Nelson answered. “I’ve been checking into Julie’s background and she’s…”

“Crazy as a loon,” Morton offered. “I know that’s an insult to a loon, but it fits her.”

“Yes, it does, unfortunately she’s smart and she’s a survivor and she’s obsessed with Lee,” Nelson said.

“Lee told me he dated her in high school, but he’d never really felt anything for her. She told him her father wouldn’t let her date him, but after Lee came home from his first stint in the Navy, her father ran into him at the supermarket. He told Lee how disappointed he was that she didn’t wait for Lee. He liked his son-in-law, but they’d never really had much in common.”

“It’s a good thing her child was with her husband’s parents or she might have killed the child too. What was it that made her fixate on Lee?”

“You’re kidding right?” Morton asked. “Women can’t resist a man in uniform and make him a hero and it makes him doubly attractive.”

“Are you talking from experience, Chip?” Nelson asked with a grin.

“Well…I’ve had my share of women who are attracted to the uniform,” Morton said. “I think we all have.”

“You’re probably right,” Nelson told him and rubbed his eyes. He knew he needed some sleep, but right now all he wanted to do was keep busy and find Lee Crane.

“Why don’t you grab some sleep…I’ll wake you when we reach the strait,” Morton suggested.

“That sounds like an idea,” Nelson said and stood up. He glanced out the windows as several large fish swam past before heading toward his quarters.

Chip stood up and walked over to the windows. He watched as fish swam by and took a deep breath before he turned and walked back to the table. He knew Kowalski and Sharkey were good men, but he was hurt and angry that he wasn’t going to be part of the search team trying to find Lee.

“Where are you, Lee?” he whispered and poured himself a cup of black coffee as he struggled with being left behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie woke to darkness and sat up with a start. How long had she been asleep? Were they at Katerina’s island home yet? Once they arrived there they would be safe because the island was like a fortress and Katerina would not allow visitors. She stood up, grabbed her robe and pulled it on before opening the door and stepping outside.

“Katerina!”

“I’m here, Julie,” the older woman called from the deck.

“Where are we? How long was I asleep? Is Lee okay?”

“We’ll be docking at the island in about 45 minutes. You’ve been asleep around 11 hours and Lee is fine. He’s been sleeping since his accident,” Katerina explained.

“Did I hurt him?”

“Yes, but he brought it on himself, so don’t feel guilty about what happened. Lee must learn that this is his life now and no matter what happens you belong together. It is a hard lesson to learn, but if my Alexi can learn it then so can Lee Crane. It is something a strong woman knows and you are a strong woman, Julie.”

“Thank you, Katerina; I want to see him now.”

“Not until you eat something. Come, Alexi outdone himself and made a casserole from the fish he caught this morning.”

“I want…”

“You don’t want to disappoint Alexi do you? He knows how much you love fresh fish and he worked hard to make this for you.”

“Okay,” Julie said and followed her to the table, smiling as Alexi pulled the chair out for her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, My Dear. You look well rested.”

“I am,” Julie told him and reached for the glass of wine. She sipped it and smiled appreciatively.

“That is good news. Did Katerina tell you we’ll be home in less than an hour?”

“Yes, she did. How will we transport Lee to the house?”

“Kaia and Mikolas will meet us at the dock with a stretcher and we will carry him to the house. I had them fix the guest room on the first floor for you. It would be much easier than having to bring everything upstairs. It also has a large bathroom and it was originally used as quarters for slaves by my ancestors,” Katerina told her.

“I remember you showing it to me. Isn’t it the room where you trained Alexi?”

“Yes, it is,” the man answered with a grin. “I was stubborn, but looking back those lessons were easier as I allowed myself to relax and enjoy Katerina’s touch. Lee will come around and when he does he will appreciate you that much more.”

Julie smiled as he served the casserole and put the plate in front of her. It smelled delicious and her stomach rumbled appreciatively as Alexi sat next to his wife. She enjoyed the meal, but he was anxious to see the man who’d captured her heart.

“Go see your man, Julie, Alexi and I will clean up and make sure everything is ready for our arrival.”

“Thank you, Katerina,” Julie said and stood up when Alexi pulled out her chair. She felt like a giddy school girl getting ready for her first date with a real man. She wanted to feel his hands on her body and craved the sound of his voice. The doctors had told her she was obsessed, but wasn’t that exactly what love was? When you loved someone with all your heart then it meant you were obsessed with spending every waking moment with them.

Julie hurried toward the cabin where Lee was sleeping and pushed the door open in time to see Nana inject something into his IV. She knew the woman would not do anything to hurt Lee Crane and smiled when Nana looked at her and signed that she had given him something to keep him comfortable during the move to the house.

“Thank you, Nana, I’m going to stay with him now so you might as well go get something to eat,” Julie told her and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She heard the change in the motors and knew they were on the last leg of their voyage home. She reached out and took his left hand in her own and ran her fingers along the lines of his palm.

“Oh, Lee, we’ll soon be home and when we are you’ll see that everything I’ve done is for us. I want us to be happy and once you accept that then we’ll be able to move on with our lives. Katerina has a friend who can marry us when the time is right and maybe we’ll both change our names. How does Lee and Julie Elias sound? I think it’s wonderful and a fitting tribute to the woman who opened her home to us.”

Julie lifted his hand and rubbed it against her cheeks, relishing in the feel of his skin touching hers. This was how it was meant to be. This was everything she’d dreamed of from the moment she laid eyes on this man. How could it be wrong? How could people call her obsessed when it was love that she felt for him? She turned when she heard footsteps outside the cabin.

“Julie, we are about to dock,” Katerina told her.

“Did you hear that, Lee? We’re home and you’ll be safe now. No one will ever interfere in our lives again,” Julie whispered and felt tears slide down her cheeks at the thought of the life that lay before them.

“Why don’t you come up and deck and let Nana get him ready for transport?”

“I can help.”

“Of course you can, but the cabin is small and we would only be in the way. Kaia and Mikolas will need room to put him on the stretcher. Just think of how much better you will feel when we have him in your bed. You will share the bed with him won’t you?”

“Oh, yes,” Julie said with a smile. She kissed his hand and placed it back on the bed before leaving the cabin with her friend.

Lee had no idea how he managed to remain still when she’d pressed her cold lips against the back of his hand. There was no warmth from the touch and his stomach churned at the thought of having her body pressed up against his. He wasn’t a vindictive man, but, God, help him, but he would much rather wrap his fingers around her scrawny throat and choke the life from her.

Julie Parsons-Radcliff was a demon seed, one that had latched onto him and seemed to have spawned something as evil as she was. The Elias’ not only helped her, but seemed to think she was right in what she was doing. One way or another he would find a way out of this and when he did he would make damn sure they didn’t hurt anyone else.

Lee took the time to move his legs slightly, relieved that he could still do it. For a few minutes he thought he’d really lost feeling in his lower extremities, but something told him it was probably the drugs they were using that made him feel so disoriented.

Crane knew there was one person who showed some sympathy for his plight and he prayed she would help him when the time came. He’d seen the anger on the woman’s face after Julie’s latest attack and was glad she seemed to dislike what was being done to him. He knew it would be hard to communicate with her, but he would do his best to find out if she really was an ally. God alone knew how badly he needed someone on his side right now.

Lee made sure he returned his legs to the same position they’d been in when the others left and waited for the inevitable. He’d felt the boat hit the docks and could hear several new voices. He swallowed convulsively in an effort to calm his churning stomach, but he knew he was helpless to stop them from taking him off the yacht.

“This way, Kaia, and bring the stretcher. It will be tight, but we must carry him off the yacht.”

Lee closed his eyes before Katerina and the newcomer entered the cabin. He could hear them talking and opened his eyes to half- mast as something was placed on the bed behind him.

“We need to be careful…he has a wound to his lower back and broken ribs. He is unable to move his legs,” Alexi told the woman as they positioned themselves to make the move easier.

“Is he awake?” Kaia asked.

“I don’t know, but he’s going to wish he was once we start to move him,” Alexi answered.

“Then we must be careful when we move him. I want you to do exactly as I say,” Kaia ordered and explained how they would use the log roll maneuver to get the injured man onto the stretcher.

Lee cried out when they turned him slightly and gritted his teeth as pain raged along nerve endings. Hands touched his upper body, legs, and head as he fought to remain still. He had no idea how long it took them to move him, but it felt like a lifetime in hell.

“How long has it been since Nana gave him something for pain?”

“About half an hour,” Alexi answered as he helped strap Crane to the stretcher.

“Captain…”

“No, Kaia, don’t call him that anymore,” Alexi warned. “Julie wants him to forget ever being in the Navy or captain of a submarine. From this day on he is simply known as Lee Parsons and once we’re settled Katerina will have her friend come to the island and perform the ceremony.”

Lee kept his eyes closed and swore there was no way in hell he would ever forget his life outside this living hell. He grabbed the edge of the stretcher as the two men lifted him and started out of the cabin. Every move they made sent shockwaves through his lower back and he fought to control his churning stomach.

“Be careful,” Kaia said as they made it through the door and on to the deck. She watched the man’s face and knew he wasn’t doing very well. The faster they got him into the house and in bed, the better, but she wondered what they were dealing with when it came to the back wound.

Lee heard something in the woman’s voice that gave him hope that she too, would be someone he could ask for help. God only knew he needed all the help he could get right now. Somehow he had to find a way to get word to Nelson, but something told him that was not going to happen overnight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Julie sipped at the glass of wine and watched as the men carried Lee Crane toward the house. The bed was ready for him, and she was pleased with the arrangement. Her lover would be restrained and she would be able to spend her nights in his bed without worrying about his anger.

She knew it would take time for him to come around, but there would come a time when he would realize this was where he belonged. When that time came, they would be able to take long walks in the sand, sail around the islands, and even go for a midnight swim in the private lagoon.

This wasn’t her home, but Katerina had told her she could live here as long as she wanted. There was a smaller house at the back of the property and eventually that was where she would live with Lee. It was beautiful and would afford them the privacy she wanted, but Alexi and Mikolas would be close if she needed their help.

“They are almost here,” Julie whispered.

“Yes, they are,” Katerina told her. “Are you happy, Julie?”

“Yes, Katerina, I have never been so happy in my life. I have loved him for so long and I never thought this day would come. I want him to be as happy as I am…”

“Julie, you know…”

“I know it will not happen overnight, but it will happen, Katerina. If the time comes and we have to call in your friend then so be it, but I will give him some time to come to his senses. If he doesn’t, then Jacob will simply have to come here.”

“Jacob won’t be available for a few weeks…he’s helping a young woman in Russia,” Katerina told her as Alexi and the others reached the house. The doors were wide open and the men had no trouble carrying Lee Crane into the house. There was a clear path to the room where nana waited for them.

“Maybe Lee will not need his help,” Julie said and followed them into the room. She watched as they transferred her lover to the bed and moved to hold his hand. “Oh, Lee, I know that hurt, but now you’re safe…”

“Not…not safe…not with y…you…”

“No, Julie,” Katerina warned and grabbed her arm before she could strike him. “If you hit him again you could kill him. Give him time to rest and adjust to his new lot in life. I told you how long it took Alexi to adjust, and now our life is wonderful and we love each other. We have everything we want and the same will happen to you and Lee.”

“It just hurts me so much when he talks like this,” Julie pouted, but relaxed as Kaia moved to the other side of the bed.

“Julie, if you want him to heal, then you will have to learn to control your temper. His injuries are dangerous and he’s lost a lot of blood. Now I know Nana has done everything she can for him, but if he is unable to move his legs then there was damage done to his spine. If that’s the case then he might never walk again and that’s something you’ll have to live with. Can you do that?” Kaia asked.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with him…it doesn’t matter if he walks or not,” Julie answered and sat down on the edge of the bed. She knew Kaia was a doctor and would want to make a full examination of Lee Crane, and that Nana would help her, but that didn’t mean she would leave, if anything she would stay and help calm him while they checked him over. “Go ahead and sleep, Lee, I’ll stay with you and make sure you don’t hurt yourself again.”

Lee knew there was no point in arguing as she took his right hand in her own. Right now there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop what they were doing, but there would come a time when he would make his escape, when that time came, he’d make damn sure Julie Parsons-Radcliff could never hurt anyone again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halina Palamara smiled at the three men hurrying toward them. She recognized Nelson and Kowalski, but she didn’t know the shorter man. She embraced Nelson and nodded to the other men as the admiral introduced Chief Francis Sharkey.

“It is wonderful to meet you, Chief,” Halina said.

“Me too…just wish it was under better circumstances,” Sharkey told her.

“As do I,” Halina agreed and led them toward the waiting limo. “I wish I had better news for you, Admiral, but so far we have come up blank. If Yuri finds anything he will let me know right away.”

“I thought you recognized the names?” Nelson asked as they all got into the back of the vehicle.

“I thought I did, but there is nothing in the database that shows they own property in Greece. The problem is a lot of the older documents were lost in a fire several years ago. If they bought property under another name or if it was inherited from one of the old family names, then we have no way of checking them out. There are several privately owned islands they could be using, but the people who own them come from old families and have always lived by the code that they do not need to live by the laws the way the rest of us do. Do you have that kind of problem in your country, Admiral?”

“As a matter of fact we do, but lately things are changing and even the privileged are not allowed to hide their holdings,” Nelson offered.

“They have to pay taxes like the rest of us,” Sharkey observed.

“It sounds like you’ve had a run in with your tax people, Chief?” Halina said.

“I did…and they put me through the damn ringer,” Sharkey told her. “That’s not why we’re here though…we need to find Captain Crane.”

“Admiral, I took the liberty of putting you up in the hotel you and Lee stayed in the last time. It’s close to my headquarters and I can find you if we find out anything,” Halina said.

“Thank you, Halina, we appreciate everything you’ve done,” Nelson said.

“Admiral, we’re not just going to sit in the hotel are we?” Kowalski asked.

“No, Ski, we’re going to meet with a couple of old friends,” Nelson said.

“Do I want to even ask?” Halina asked.

“Probably not,” Nelson observed as they pulled out into traffic. “Look, Halina, there are some people I know that can help in the search, but honestly, you’re government probably don’t even know they’re here.”

“I’d rather not know, but do me a favor and stay out of trouble.”

“We’ll do our best. I’ll try to contact you if we find Lee, but I’m not making any promises.”

“Understood, but as a member of my country’s, shall we say ‘secret police’, I have to tell you I can’t condone what you’re doing…”

“But…”

“But, as a friend I hope you find them and will do everything I can to help you do just that,” Halina vowed.

“Thank you,” Nelson said as the vehicle continued along the darkened street toward the hotel. He knew they would simply check in, drop off what little luggage they had, and then head for his contact’s home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie stretched out beside Lee and relaxed as she listened to his breathing. He was turned on his left side and she had maneuvered herself so that his head rested on her arm. She ran her finger along his jaw and smiled when he seemed to enjoy her touch. She kissed his forehead and realized it had been some time since he had a shower.

“Tomorrow morning we’ll see about getting you a sponge bath, My Love. I’ll have Kaia and Katerina help me, but I’ll be the one washing you. We’ll make sure you’re comfortable…Kaia is a wonderful doctor and she has the proper pain medication to help you,” Julie whispered.

Julie breathed deeply, not caring that he smelled of antiseptic and sweat, and enjoying the fact that she had him right where she wanted him. It was a dream come true and there was nothing anyone could do to take him away from her. Katerina would see to that and she would live in the cottage out back with this man.

“Oh, Lee, I know you’re not happy right now, but there will come a time when you will understand how much I love you and what I will do to make sure you don’t leave me. In time you’ll see that I only want what’s best for you and that includes loving you as it should have been. I don’t want children, Lee…not because I don’t like them, but because that would mean having to share you with someone else and I refuse to let that happen. That’s why I left my child behind…it would have gotten in the way.”

Julie ran her hand down his side and across his back. Her fingers touched against the bandage covering his wound, and she pressed lightly, enjoying the grimace of pain it brought to his face. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she was doing, because he deserved it for what he was putting her through.

“You better not be pretending you can’t feel your legs, Lee, because I swear I will make sure it’s true if I find you are trying to deceive me. I’ll have Alexi hold you while I sever your Achilles tendons if that’s what it takes, My Love. I don’t want to do that, Lee, but I don’t like to be lied to and don’t want to start our lives together with a lie.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee fought to keep from reacting to her touch and the things she was saying. It was hard not to move or push her away, and even harder not to tell her to get away from him. God, her touch was so damn cold it made him think of a bloodless corpse, of his time with Krueger controlling him. He thought he’d never feel that cold again, but this was worse because it was a living, breathing body and not some long dead ghost.

Lee felt her hands on his body as she ran them down his side and then across his back. It took every ounce of strength he had to allow her touch, but when she pressed against the wound he couldn’t stop the grimace of pain, but at least she didn’t keep pressure there. Although, when she pressed her lips against his, he wished she’d return her attention to his back. At least that was simple pain, and not the disgust he now felt. Her words, the threat she spoke so softly told him she was far crazier than anyone thought, and he knew if she found out he was lying to her, she would follow through on the threat.

God, it took everything to pretend he was sleeping and he continued to ignore what she was whispering into his ear. If he thought she had a sane side, he was wrong, because only a crazy woman was this obsessed. If things continued on this path, he would probably be her final obsession because she would kill him. He had to find a way out of this before that happened.

“When the time comes you and I will spend the rest of our lives as husband and wife and no one will ever take that away from us. My parents thought they could force me to stay with Joey, but he didn’t deserve me, Lee. He never understood me like you do, but we don’t have to worry about them ever again. They’re dead, Lee, and we’re alive…alive and in love…”

‘I’ll never love you,’ Crane thought as Julie began to hum softly in his ear. The tune was an old one, and somehow it spoke of the craziness that surrounded Julie Parsons-Radcliff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip Morton marked the course on the chart and listened to the men talking quietly behind him. He knew the crew was worried about their missing captain, and wished there was some way to reassure them. The problem was, he couldn’t even reassure himself. He’d spent several hours researching Julie’s past and knew the woman was certifiable.

The police reports on the deaths of her parents and her husband confirmed they were murdered. All the evidence pointed to her, but they’d stopped searching for her when she’d been reported dead on the scene of the explosion where they found Lee the last time she’d entered his life.

The woman had latched onto Lee at an early age and amongst the things found at her parent’s home was a box hidden under the floorboards of her bedroom. Inside the box were letters she’d written to Lee, poems, a lock of dark hair in a baggie with his name written on it and hearts drawn in red. There were also pictures of Lee in Navy dress blues, and some with pictures of him and the women he’d dated through the years. A large red X was drawn through each woman’s face while a heart framed Lee’s face. There were other items that were even more personal, and it was those that really creeped him out.

“Mr. Morton,” Patterson stood on his right holding cup of strong black coffee.

“Thanks, Patterson,” Morton said.

“They’ll find him, Sir. The captain knows how to survive and with the admiral, Ski, and Chief Sharkey searching for him they’ll find him. Remember when he was lost in Venice. They found him then and they won’t stop until they find him again,” Patterson told him.

“I know,” Morton said and placed the cup on the chart table. “We need to be careful…it’s tight through here.”

“Yes, Sir,” Patterson said and listened as the sonar pinged. They were as deep as they could go in this section and should be through the opening in less than 20 minutes, but they needed to be careful of the rocky ledges and hidden protuberances.

Morton could feel the others watching him, but he wanted the silence right now as his thoughts returned to the missing man and the woman whose obsession could kill him.

‘Hold on, Lee,’ he thought as Seaview continued toward their destination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katerina looked at the woman seated across from her and smiled. They’d been friends and lovers far longer than they cared to admit and would do anything for each other. Kaia had been the person to show her how to go after what she wanted and make sure she kept it. If it hadn’t been for this woman, she never would have had the guts to go after Alexi Elias.

The island they lived on was in Kaia’s maiden name and would not be tied to her, even though it did belong to her. Kaia had seen Mikolas Theodori at a party held in Athens and had fallen in love or in lust with him. It didn’t really matter, because once she set her sights on him, his fate was sealed. It didn’t matter that he was engaged to another woman; Kaia wanted him, and he now belonged to her.

“Are you sure this is the right thing, Katerina. Lee is not like Alexi and Mikolas.”

“Julie is a lot like us, Kaia, and she loves him. She has proven that she would do anything to get him…she’s even kept her scars as a reminder. Perhaps once they are married and he accepts his new role in her life, she will have them removed,” Katerina told her.

“I just hope she can refrain from hurting him because too much damage will simply weaken him if the time comes to begin reprogramming his psyche,” Kaia observed.

“I will speak to her about that, but she has been through so much because of him. She nearly died the last time they met and she spent some time in an institution because of her love for him. People just don’t understand what it means to truly love someone as we do.”

“Most women are not as strong as we are. Do you believe she is strong enough for this?”

“Yes, I see so much of myself in her. I remember being devastated when Alexi refused my advances, but I had you.”

“You still do, just because we married men does not mean our love for each other ceased to exist.”

“Perhaps Julie would also enjoy some ‘sisterly’ love, but for now she is not strong enough to understand those feelings,” Katerina told her as a young man dressed in black pushed a breakfast trolley onto the patio.

“She is quite beautiful, even with those scars,” Kaia observed and reached for a warm muffin.

“Yes, she is,” Katerina agreed as their husbands came out onto the patio and kissed them both before sitting across from them.

“Did you sleep well, Mikolas?” Kaia asked.

“I did…thanks to someone’s acrobatic endeavors in our bedroom last night. I hope we did not keep you awake,” Mikolas said and poured coffee into his cup.

“No, I believe we were otherwise engaged,” Katerina vowed with a smile as her husband reached out and kissed the top of her hand.

“It looks to be another beautiful day,” Mikolas observed.

“It certainly does,” Alexi agreed. “What are the plans for today?”

“I believe we are just going to relax…perhaps we will go for a swim,” Katerina answered.

“Skinny dipping in the lagoon?” Alexi asked hopefully.

“Perhaps and a picnic lunch, but it would mean giving Crane something to make him sleep while we are gone,” Kaia said.

“Do it,” Katerina ordered and quickly told the servant what she wanted prepared for lunch. They would not bring it with them; instead this man would bring the hot lunch to the lagoon when it was ready. It was something she thoroughly enjoyed and there was no modesty amongst them, and skinny dipping in the lagoon was nothing new for any of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Admiral Nelson had not slept well, and was up at the crack of dawn while Kowalski and Sharkey slept in the outer room. The hotel suite had one bedroom and a pull out couch in the main room. He sat at the table on the balcony with a cup of black coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit as he went over the file Halina had dropped off to him at midnight.

His contact had called at the last minute to postpone their meeting until 10 this morning. It was still early and he would allow the other men to sleep for a while longer. He looked at the files and rubbed at tired eyes as he tried to make sense of the names, some were simple, while others were hard to pronounce.

“Admiral, did you get any sleep?” Sharkey asked from the doorway.

“A couple of hours,” Nelson answered. “Is Kowalski awake?”

“Yes, Sir, he’s grabbing a shower. I ordered breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee,” the chief told him.

“That’s good, Chief.”

“Did you hear from Mr. Morton?”

“Yes, they will be here by late this afternoon, but we’ll have to keep the men on board or risk stepping on some toes.”

“That never stopped us before.”

“No, it didn’t but this time we’re going to need Halina and her people and we’re already on shaky ground with her government for not going through proper channels,” Nelson explained.

“Do they always go through proper channels with our government?”

“No, and that’s the nature of the beast. We know our people are in trouble and we figure we’re the only ones who know how to find them. Sometimes it might be better to let them finish the search before we step in.”

“But not this time…right, Admiral?”

“Right,” Nelson agreed and leaned back in his chair as the sun shone off the windows of the building across the street.

“What’s all this?” Sharkey asked of the files on the table.

“Halina dropped them off while you and Kowalski were sleeping. There are several islands that are owned and used by several business corporations, but there are also some that are privately home by families and used for vacation spots. I’ve been trying to find anyone associated with the name Elias, but so far there’s no mention of them living on or owning an island.”

“I’m not good with papers, Admiral, but I can try. What do you want me to do?”

Nelson was about to answer, but there was a knock at the door and he smiled at the man seated across from him. “How about answering the door?”

“Yes, Sir,” Sharkey said with a grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Julie, did you sleep at all?” Katerina asked when she entered the room the younger woman shared with Crane.

“A little, but I was too excited to sleep very long. It was so good to sleep next to him…oh, Katerina, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for what you’ve done for us.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Julie, but I need to speak with you for a minute.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, My Dear, nothing’s wrong. Kaia will check on Lee shortly, but I wanted to let you know we’ll be at the lagoon for a while and it is not safe to leave you alone with Lee.”

“I won’t do anything to hurt him,” Julie vowed.

“That’s not what worries me. Lee is a strong man and if he tried anything while we’re gone he might escape. Kaia is going to give him something to make him sleep for several hours.”

“I don’t want him sleeping all the time, Katerina.”

“I know that, Julie, but we just got home and I would like to spend some time with Alexi. I won’t be able to relax if I leave you here with him. He’s smart and he could be pretending he’s unable to move his legs.”

“I warned him what would happen if I find out he is lying about his legs,” Julie said and stared at the sleeping man.

“I know you did, and that’s why I want you to let Kaia put him to sleep…”

“What if she just gave him a heavy sedative? That way I can still take care of him,” Julie asked as Kaia and Nana came into the room.

“What do you think, Kaia?” Katerina asked.

“I can give him a sedative and Nana can repeat the dosage if we’re not back in four hours,” Kaia vowed.

“Thank you,” Julie said and ran her fingers through his hair. “Katerina, can you have the servants bring me the things I need to give him a sponge bath?”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to handle him?” Kaia asked with a frown.

“He will be sedated, and right now he does need a bath. Nana will be here to help me,” Julie said.

“I’ll have them bring all the hot water you need, but do not release him under any circumstances!” Katerina warned.

“I won’t,” the younger woman vowed.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes with the medication,” Kaia told them and left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee had heard everything that was said and knew there was nothing he could do to stop what they had planned. Right now he was restrained and injured, and it would be better if he just went with it. The problem was he really didn’t think he could handle her giving him a sponge bath, even if he was sedated for it. Just the thought of it made his hut clench

How the hell could he keep her from touching him? Why the hell couldn’t these people leave him alone? What was he supposed to do once the woman sedated him? The answer, as harsh as it was, was nothing. Right now there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop what they planned.

He felt her running her fingers through his hair and heard her humming the same damn tune that had followed him into his dreams. Whatever happened, he was going to find a way to shut her up and rid himself of her memory. He needed to be strong and ignore what he couldn’t stop. He could do that as long as he remembered there would come a time when he had the upper hand. He had to hold onto that for his own sanity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Nana,” Kaia said upon returning to the room and reaching for the IV line in Crane’s left hand. “This can be repeated at four hour intervals. I have already measured the doses into three syringes in case we are late getting back. Make sure you give this to him at the right time.”

Nana nodded and wished there was something she could do for Lee Crane, but as with Alexi and Mikolas, she was helpless to stop what was happening. She looked at Julie, surprised to see the blank look on her face and shuddered at what that could mean.

“Nana, you are to help Julie give him a sponge bath and make sure she rests and gets something to eat while we are gone,” Katerina ordered and saw the old woman’s head nod. “Julie, we’ll be at the lagoon if you need us for anything.”

“Thank you, Katerina,” Julie said and moved to the window as the others left. She knew the women were right and that Lee could be a danger to her if he knew they were gone, but she had wanted him to know she was caring for him. She wanted to see his reaction when she eased the cloth over his body.

“Julie, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Katerina, I thought you’d left.”

“I did, but I know something is bothering you. What is it?”

“I wanted him to know I was bathing him.”

“He will, not today, but just think of the future and a time when you can join him in the Jacuzzi. Look forward to that day, because it will be here before you know it,” Katerina told her.

“I know, but I have never been patient.”

“Neither have I, but some things are worth waiting for don’t you think?”

“Yes,” Julie told her and returned to the bed. “He is worth waiting for. You can go, Katerina, I’m going to bathe him and…”

“Get something to eat and then rest,” Katerina ordered and hugged her before leaving the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee swallowed convulsively as whatever was in the shot took effect. It made him feel as if his mind and body were not quite connected as he opened his eyes. The room seemed to go in and out of focus, but there was no mistaking the woman seated on the bed and holding his hand.

“I wish you would understand how I feel, Lee. You and I were always meant to be together and when you accept that our lives will be so much better. We’ll be able to do so many things together…oh, can you imagine going for a swim in the lagoon…just the two of us with nothing between us. No clothes…no insecurities…no one to tell us what we’re doing is wrong. That’s how much I love you, Lee Crane! I’m willing to do anything to prove I’m right…”

“No…” Crane whispered, relieved that she seemed not to have heard him.

“Miss Parsons, where would you like me to put this?”

“Bring it here and put it on the nightstand,” Julie ordered as another young woman brought in towels, shampoo and soap.

“Is there anything else I can bring you?”

“Some coffee and juice. I’ll need more hot water for his body,” Julie told him and pulled back the blanket.

“Yes, Miss,” the man said and left the room.

“Oh, Lee, Nana is going to help me, but I’m going to wash your hair and your body. Maybe it’s a good thing she gave you a sedative…after all I am a woman and you are a man and we both know how much my touch affects you…”

“…c…cold…” Crane said and licked at dry lips.

“I know, but I need the blankets off so I can wash your body,” Julie said and reached for the soft cloth. She dipped it into the water and reached for the bar of soap. “Nana, would you lift his left arm so I can wash him properly? Be careful of his IV.”

Lee tried to make sense of what was happening, but whatever they’d given him was making it hard to think. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted, needed to get away from the woman touching him. He knew that wasn’t going to happen, and as she ran the cloth down his chest toward his navel, Lee embraced the darkness reaching out for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson, Sharkey, and Kowalski made their way along the street that led toward the seedier parts of the city. They passed several groups of men and women who stared at them as if they would kill them if the price was right. Something told Sharkey the price for such a killing wouldn’t be very much.

“Admiral, are you sure he said to meet him here?” Sharkey asked once they reached a building that had seen better days.

“Reynaldo needs to keep his identity a secret, Chief. He’d be no good to the intelligence agency otherwise,” Nelson said.

“This place looks like it would fall down in a weak breeze,” Kowalski observed.

“From the outside, maybe,” Nelson told them and knocked three times, waited a couple of seconds and repeated the sound.

“That’s the signal?” Sharkey scoffed.

“Sometimes simple is more effective and it makes it easier to remember,” Nelson said as he moved to stare into a small circle to the left of the dilapidated door.

“Don’t tell me…retina identification?” Sharkey asked sceptically.

“Appearances can be deceiving, Chief,” Nelson offered and moved back as the sound of clicks and beeps came from the other side of the door. It opened and a woman motioned for them to come inside.

Kowalski was shocked at the difference once they were inside the structure. The outer door was closed and locked before an inner, solid iron door slid into place. The inner room was strewn with debris, but there was very little dust as they walked toward a secondary door.

“Right this way, Admiral. Reynaldo and Jocelyn are expecting you,” the balding, heavy set man explained as he pulled out a brick and pressed several buttons before a heavy door slid open.

“This place is something else,” Sharkey said when they made their way down the stairs and into a large room with several people working at computers and correlating data.

“Harry, welcome…it has been a long time!” Reynaldo Esposito told him and shook hands.

“Thank you, Reynaldo, I just wish it was under better circumstances. Your man, he has been missing for 48 hours now?”

“Close to it,” Nelson said and moved to the table that held several top of the line laptops.

“I’m not sure how much help we can be, but I’ve been checking into the islands for anything that would give us an idea where they took him. Whoever they are…they know how to hide their identities,” Esposito told him.

“What about the yacht. It’s big and should be easy to track?” Nelson asked.

“What did you say the name was?”

“The Alluring Queen,” Nelson answered.

“If she docked at a public one we can find her, but as you know there are a lot of private places she could be,” Reynaldo observed.

“Reynaldo, I’ll need the exact spelling of the yacht’s name and the names of the people involved in the kidnapping. So far we’ve come up blank, but you know me…I don’t give up easily,” Jocelyn told them.

“Harry, why don’t you work with Jocelyn while I see if I can free up more people to help search for your man,” Reynaldo told him.

“Thank you, My Friend.”

“Anytime…and I still owe you many times over.”

“Admiral, what exactly did you do for him?” Kowalski asked.

“If he told you I’d have to shoot you,” Reynaldo said with just a hint of a wry smile as he turned away.

“Sorry, Ski, but some things are way above our pay grades,” Sharkey offered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nana finished her lunch and made her way back to the room to find both her charges sleeping. Katerina had warned her that she was not just responsible for Lee Crane, but also for the woman. She had been with the Elias’ far longer than she cared to think about, but she’d never met anyone so cold and calculating as Julie Parsons-Radcliff.

If she was being honest to herself, then she’d be the first to admit that the woman creeped her out. There was no warmth in her eyes or in her voice when she was with Lee Crane; that alone set off alarm bells with her. If she truly loved him, where was the emotion that went with such declarations?

Love was supposed to be good, not a weapon used by women like Katerina, Kaia, and Julie. If she could do something about it, she would, but right now she was as helpless as the man in the bed. There was no way she could chance betraying Katerina, not if she wanted to live to see the next day.

Nana thought about the two men who accompanied Crane to the wedding, and wondered if they were looking for their friend. Would they keep searching or would they give up once the trail grew cold. She hoped not, and did not believe the men would give up on finding their friend. If the time came and they were discovered, she would do what she could to protect the injured man, but for now, she would simply help care for him.

Julie had insisted on making it a complete sponge bath that included washing his hair and his intimate regions, and she was glad the man slept through her touch. She’d watched him while he slept, and hoped he could continue to pretend he could not move his legs. If not, there was no doubt that Julie would go through with whatever punishment she thought he deserved.

Nana turned to walk away, but remembered he reason she’d come into the room. It was time to give him the sedative, and there was not a damn thing she could do not to go through with it. She walked over to the tray that held the syringes and reached for one, silently cursing what she was about to do. She walked to the bed, uncapped the syringe and reached for the IV line, surprised when glazed eyes opened and looked at her.

“Pl…please do…don’t…” Crane whispered and saw the sorrow in her eyes as she injected the medication. He knew it wouldn’t be long before it took effect and wished he could push Julie away from him. His eyelids grew heavy as the elderly woman looked at him with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen.

‘I am so sorry,’ Nana thought when his eyes closed and his breathing evened out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Harry, as you can see there are a lot of yachts in the area, and unless they are registered there is very little we can do to find them,” Reynaldo said.

“Why do I feel like you already have found it?” Nelson asked when the man turned to look around the room.

“I have, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Tell me,” Nelson ordered and took the glass of whiskey from his friend.

“Jocelyn found several references to the Alluring Queen and her owner. Katerina Elias is well known for taking what she wants and she’s made a lot of friends in the governments. Not just in Greece, but England, Italy, France, and several others. She has a reputation of going after what she wants and taking it no matter what the cost. Her husband…Alexi Elias comes from old money and was slated to be the head of his family until he disappeared around 20 years ago. Since that time he’s managed to drain his family’s bank account and they’ve been searching for him ever since. I believe we’ve found him, but if it’s him then the island they are one is like a fortress…think of your own Fort Knox,” Reynaldo explained.

“Where is the island?” Nelson asked as Kowalski and Sharkey joined them.

“I can show you on the chart, but I want your word that you won’t try to infiltrate the island until I send a couple of boats to search the outer rim. There are more than a dozen islands in the area and the Elias’ have friends who watch out for them. There are rumors that another couple joined them there in the last few days.”

“Who are they?” Sharkey asked impatiently.

“Let’s just say the woman is not exactly good news. She is a licensed doctor, but she no longer works out of a hospital. Her name is Kaia Theodori and her husband’s name is…”

“Mikolas Theodori,” Nelson finished.

“I take it you know the name?” Reynaldo asked.

I heard the story. He was engaged to marry some delegate’s daughter and this was their engagement party. From what I heard he broke it off the next day and disappeared.”

“Yes, he did. The young woman was devastated, but she had her family’s support and she’s since married a man who loves her as much as she loves him.”

“I’m glad she had a happy ending,” Sharkey observed.

“Everyone is. She is a lovely young woman and yes, I’ve met her on several occasions,” Reynaldo told them. “We’ve got reconnaissance photos that show they are on the island along with an elderly woman who’s only known as Nana.”

“She was with the Elias’ at the wedding,” Nelson observed.

“That’s not unusual. Katerina Elias seldom goes anywhere without her.”

“How soon can you send someone to check out the island?” Nelson asked.

“I already sent three, but I haven’t heard back from them,” Reynaldo answered worriedly. “They’re good men and they keep their check in times unless something’s happened to them.”

“Admiral, me and Chief Sharkey could take the flying sub and check for ourselves,” Kowalski suggested.

“Give my people a couple of more hours,” Reynaldo told them.

“The skipper might not have a couple of hours,” Sharkey observed.

“If this Julie woman is as obsessed as you believe she won’t kill him. Kaia’s specialty is not really medicine…it’s more like brainwashing techniques. The reports seem to point to her doing that to Mikolas Theodori.”

“We can’t let her do that to the skipper, Admiral,” Sharkey snapped.

“We won’t Chief, but we need to do this right. We need all the help we can get and right now Reynaldo is better equipped to deal with a search of this magnitude,” Nelson said and turned back to Reynaldo. “Do you know how many men protect the island and whether they are mercenaries?”

“We know there are at least two dozen men and they are well armed. Katerina Elias knows her business well and she’s got contacts…many of them helped her find the best of the best and that’s how she’s able to keep people away from her home.”

“Until now,” Kowalski said softly.

“I have not met your Captain Crane, Harry, but it sure sounds like he has the loyalty of his crew,” Reynaldo observed.

“He does,” Nelson agreed. “Seaview should be here in a couple of hours and we’ll have plenty of men to go after him.”

“I guess I’ll be tagging along just so I can meet the man who has so many people ready to do anything to find him,” Reynaldo said and took the papers Jocelyn handed him. “Well, it looks like the Alluring Queen where I thought it was and my people are trying to find out whether Crane and the woman are there.”

“How long before we can go after the skipper, Admiral?” Kowalski asked.

“We wait for Seaview…”

“But, Sir…”

“Easy, Chief, I said we wait for Seaview, but that doesn’t mean we sit around and do nothing. We work with Reynaldo and his people and come up with a plan that doesn’t get anyone…especially Lee Crane killed,” Nelson said.

“Come on…I’ve got a couple of people who can help with the island fortress. She knows the history of the islands better than anyone else I know,” Reynaldo told them and led the way toward a separate room near the back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charles Baker knew his job and he was damn good at it. He’d jumped at the chance to work with Reynaldo Esposito, especially when it meant he could get close to his sister Jocelyn. The woman was beautiful, and deadly and that meant she was the female version of him. God, that excited him more than anything, but right now he needed to pay attention to the task at hand.

The small boat he was using looked like a fisherman’s boat and it gave him an excuse to be so close to the islands. He lit a thin cigar and lifted his binoculars to his eyes. He knew two of his men were in closer to the shore and trusted them to stay out of sight and not give anyone a reason to become suspicious.

Baker spotted the yacht moored at the dock where several smaller vessels, including a speedboat rolled with the waves. He used a long range camera with a zoom lens to snap several pictures of the armed men who walked the perimeter. There were at six that he’d seen, and he knew there were more walking the grounds.

The house was an impressive two story structure with a verandah that ran the length of the two walls he could see. Since finally being able to contact Reynaldo, he’d seen two women step onto the verandah that ran along the south east wall. One woman looked much older than the other, and they didn’t stay out there very long.

Charles knew he needed to move the boat before the people on the dock decided he was getting too close to the property they were paid to keep secure. He started the motor and headed in a large circular pattern that brought him close enough to actually see the name on the yacht and what kind of weapon the man on the deck pointed in his direction. He quickly turned the boat away from the island and made sure he put enough distance between himself and the mercs for hire before contacting Reynaldo Esposito.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katerina lay back on the blanket and watched as her husband swam across the lagoon. Even now, she found herself drawn to him, wanted to feel his hands on her body, but it was getting late. It was time to go back to the house and check on Julie and her ‘lover’. She smiled as Kaia came and sat down beside her.

“We are lucky…you and I,” Kaia told her.

“Yes, we are,” Katerina agreed.

“You are fortunate that you have such a fortress to hide your secrets.”

“I am…we are, Kaia. You know you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish. This may be my home, but I would never turn my back on a friend.”

“Is that why you are so willing to help Julie with Lee Crane?”

“Yes, she is like us, but she does not know how to fix the mistakes she made in the past. We have a duty to show her the proper way to go after what you want and keep him. Lee will learn to bow his stiff neck just as Alexi and Mikolas did.”

“We nearly broke Mikolas’ stiff neck…and he is not as strong will as Crane,” Kaia observed.

“True, but now that we know how to proceed we can do it properly.”

“This means a lot to you doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. Julie reminds me of myself at that age. I knew what I wanted and I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me from getting it. I know you don’t see it, but believe me when I say I was psychotic as a young woman and even spent several weeks in a private hospital until I figured out how to manipulate Dr. Okari...he told my parents I was fine…poor man died a few weeks later. It was so tragic,” Katerina observed with a grin.

“I’m sure it was only tragic for his family.” Kaia said.

“Exactly,” Katerina said and watched as Mikolas and Alexi swam toward them. “Have you ever seen two more perfect specimens?”

“No, but before long there will be a third,” Kaia said as she thought about Crane. She had examined him and taken care of his wound, and admired the well-honed body. Julie Parsons-Radcliff certainly had good taste.

“We should get back,” Katerina said.

“Mikolas…it’s time to go,” Kaia called.

“Come, Alexi, we should get back and check on Julie and Lee,” Katerina said.

“Are you sure, My Love? We could simply spend the night here and celebrate our nudity,” Alexi said and exited the water. He knew his wife enjoyed watching him and felt her eyes raking over his body.

“It is quite tempting, Alexi, but right now we have guests and he is not as cooperative as you and Mikolas,” Katerina said and stood up. She picked up her blanket and shook it out as her husband dried his hair and upper body.

“How long before he is ready for you to train?” Alexi asked.

“We will start as soon as we get back. The sedative should be helping him rest and the added ingredient will make him susceptible to nightmarish images. Do you remember those, Mikolas?” Kaia asked sweetly.

“How could I forget…it is a good thing you were there to rescue me,” Mikolas said with a smile as he took her into his arms.

“Yes, it was,” Kaia agreed and kissed him before pulling away. “Katerina, why don’t we leave them to get dressed and clean this up while we check on Julie and Lee?’

“Sounds good,” Katerina said and kissed her husband goodbye as she walked alongside her friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Admiral, me and Ski could take a look around,” Sharkey repeated what he’d said earlier as Nelson and Reynaldo continued to go over the information they now had.

“Not yet, Chief,” Nelson ordered. “So Baker thinks she’s heightened the amount of guards?”

“Yes, and according to his latest Intel they’ve also ramped up the arsenal,” Reynaldo answered. “Baker’s got a man on the island as we speak and he’s going to get as close to the house as he can.”

“I appreciate everything your people are doing for us, Reynaldo. I know how dangerous Julie is and if Katerina and the other woman are part of this then I’m going to have to ask you for even more. Seaview will be here soon and there will be plenty of volunteers to go after Lee, but they don’t know the islands as well as your people…”

“You don’t have to say another word, Harry, but your people need to give me at least 24 hours to come up with a plan that can get us on the island without it becoming a bloodbath. I know you’re worried about Crane, but I’ve got to think of my people and what we’ve got here.”

“Admiral, the skipper might not have 24 hours. The last time we found him he nearly died!” Sharkey snapped.

“Easy, Chief, we all know what happened the last time, but this is a little different. We know where he is and if Reynaldo’s people get us the Intel we need then we’re in a better position to rescue him. Right now we’re not even sure Lee’s on the island,” Nelson said.

“The Flying Sub is equipped with specialized equipment,” Kowalski offered. “If we go in we could find out one way or the other.”

“Right now we’re going to stick with Reynaldo’s plan, but if we need more information we’ll take the Flying Sub in for a closer look,” Nelson said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie hummed softly s she ran her fingers along Lee Crane’s jawline. There was so much strength in him, but she was far stronger than he was. Hadn’t she proven that by what she’d done? Someday he would see what he meant to her, but for now her love would have to be enough to hold them.

“I know this is hard for you, My Love, but there will come a time when you will see I am right. You will come to realize that without me you are nothing and we are far stronger when we are together. I know Kaia can give you things to make you see what is right before your eyes and I will help you through the pain it may cause you. I will be your nurse and I will love you enough for both of us.”

Lee could hear her speaking, but his mind seemed disconnected from his body as he fought to open his eyes. He knew he had to do something, but what that was he didn’t know. It was hard to make sense of anything right now, especially with the explosive headache building in his skull. He felt someone touching his face and knew he should push the hands away, but he didn’t seem to have the strength to do that.

“Don’t…”

“Did you say something, Lee?” Julie asked, amazed that he was feeling her touch.

“Do…don’t to…touch me,” Crane managed and heard someone else speaking to them.

“Julie, I think it’s time to start his reprogramming,” Katerina told her.

“What about his back?”

“The wound will heal on its own,” Kaia explained. “I am going to give him a series of shots right now and they will continue until we’re broken down his mind enough to make him see how much he loves you. This is not going to be easy because everything I’ve read about him tells me he’s been conditioned to fight torture and drug therapy.”

“But you’ll be able to fix him?” Julie asked.

“I can fix him, but you must remember we have to be careful or we run the risk of killing him or leaving him a vegetable and unable to do anything for himself,| Kaia told her.

“If that happens then I will take care of his every need and he will know that I am the only one who really loves him. Are you ready to face our future, Lee?”

“No…don’t,” Crane tried as Julie caressed his right cheek. “I don’t wa…want this…”

“Do you really think that matters, Lee?” Katerina asked. “You were born with a handsome face and you have a great body. It is only fitting that a strong woman is attracted to you. If you’d been just another pretty face none of this would be happening, but Julie is like a sister to us and we will help her teach you. Alexi and Mikolas were once like you, but they are happy with their new lives and you will be as well. It will take time and energy, but I assure you we have perfected the system and you will love Julie as she loves you.”

“Go to he…hell!” Crane snarled, amazed at the strength behind his words. He struggled to pull away as Kaia swabbed an area on the right side of his neck.

“I could easily put this into your IV, Lee, but since you are stubborn and fighting this will be a much better alternative. I’m afraid pain is part of the reprogramming process and should warn you that the more you fight this, the harder it will be on you,” Kaia told him.

Lee gritted his teeth and clenched his hand as the needle was pressed against his neck. He swallowed several times as the liquid she injected burned into his vein. Heat flooded his system as synapses fired and pain exploded along his nerves. He convulsed on the bed, his body arching upward as he fought the effects of the drug before dropping back on the bed and breathing heavily through tightly clenched teeth. He shivered and tried to curl into a ball, but the bonds securing him to the bed made it impossible.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Julie, the first few days of this therapy will affect him like this because his body has to get used to the new drug in his body. The harder he fights the harder it will be on him, but it will also make it easier to retrain his mind. If we do this right then he will be yours in a month,” Kaia explained.

“That seems so long,” Julie whispered as she watched Lee Crane struggle to breathe.

“Not so long, but just think of it as a precursor to what’s to come. You’ll be able to take care of him and hold him while we change his psyche and make him into the man you want. Just remember this, Julie, you may not like who he becomes once the programming is complete,” Katerina warned.

“What do you mean?”

“You fell in love with Lee Crane a long time ago and unlike Kaia and I, you know him well and you’ve tried to change him yourself. I love Alexi, but I really didn’t know him before Kaia helped me change him. Mikolas caught Kaia’s attention at his engagement party and knew he belonged to her so she didn’t know what he was like before that first meeting. You’ve known Lee and you’ve tried to make him yours on your own, but you were unsuccessful. With our help you’ll have Lee Crane, but you need to understand he will not be exactly like the man you’ve known.”

“As long as he is by my side and not trying to get himself killed I can live with that,” Julie vowed.

“Very well,” Kaia said as she injected a second drug that would enhance the effects of the first one. “This will make him feel sweaty and sick and don’t be surprised if he throws up.”

“I will be here with him,” Julie said as she reached for the basin of water beside the bed. She wrung out the cloth and used it to wipe the tiny beads of sweat from his face. “You brought this all on yourself, Lee, but there will come a time when you and I will be in this bed and we won’t need to resort to restraints and drugs.”

“Julie, I need your voice to be the one he hears whenever I give him the antidote to the first two. I want him to think of you as a safe haven…the person responsible for taking away his pain. It will take some time for him to hone in on your voice, but once he does then we can start the second phase. I won’t let this go on very long for the first couple of times, but he must learn that you control whether or not he is in pain.”

“The second phase?”

“This is done in five stages, Julie. This first one involves drugs to help enhance the pain and it will take at least a week before we move to the second stage. I promise I will keep you informed about everything we are doing,” Kaia assured her.

“Just think, My Dear, when this is all said and done you two will be sharing that bed without the restraints. Isn’t that something to look forward to?”

“Yes, it is,” Julie said and dipped the cloth in the water before easing it over his face once more. She felt him tremble beneath her touch and looked into hazel eyes that were full of pain and fear and knew this was just the beginning of their life together.

“Julie, I just gave him the antidote so we will leave you two alone. Remember what I said and talk to him,” Kaia said.

“I will…thank you, Kaia,” Julie said with tears in her eyes as she lifted his hand and touched it against her cheek. “I’m here, Lee, and I can take the pain away if you let me. I know it hurts right now, but it won’t be this way forever. We are meant to be at each other’s side…to love, honor, and forgive as long as we both live. I know you can’t see it now, but there will come a when the pain is going to be a thing of the past and a gentle reminder of what I had to go through to prove how much I love you.”

Lee had no idea how long the pain lasted, but the voice so close to his right ear anchored him to reality and diminished the agony that was like a thousand knives stabbing at him. There was a fire in his veins that eased as he felt her touch and he knew he should fight this, but he was tired and allowed her touch to soothe away the pain before sleep took him away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charles Baker smiled when he spotted Jocelyn Esposito seated at the computer. God, if he only had the guts to ask her out, but as always his nerves of steel melted whenever he got close to her. He bypassed her without looking in her direction and headed for the small table where Reynaldo was speaking with three men.

“Charles, I’d like you to meet, Admiral Harriman Nelson, Chief Francis Sharkey, and…all I know is this guy’s name is Kowalski,” Reynaldo said and watched as the four men shook hands.

“Admiral, I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, NIMR and that Nuclear Submarine of yours. I’d love to get a look inside her,” Baker said.

“You help us find her captain and I’ll give you a tour myself,” Nelson vowed.

“That’s a deal,” Baker said and took out the pictures he’d developed before coming to the secure area few people knew about. Even fewer had ever seen.

“Perro was able to get on the island undetected and he got pretty close to the house. He used the long range camera and got some pretty good pictures of the people inside. I recognized Katerina Elias and Kaia Theodori, and I think the old lady is Nana…her last name eludes me, but the younger one…I don’t know her,” Baker told them and was slightly taken aback when Nelson grabbed the picture from his hand.

“That’s her. That’s Julie,” Nelson said and looked at the men. “If she’s there, then so is Lee.”

“Admiral, we have to act on this,” Sharkey said, tired of standing around while Lee Crane was in trouble.

“We will, Chief,” Nelson vowed.

“Admiral, we need to do this right or we risk getting your man killed,” Baker observed. “I’ve gone over all the pictures and I know there are several weak points, but we need this to be a coordinated effort or we end up losing your man and pissing off the locals.”

“He’s right, Admiral. I know you’re worried about Crane, but we need to take everything into consideration. How long before Seaview arrives?”

“An hour…maybe an hour and a half,” Nelson answered.

“Give us that hour to come up with a way to get men on the island without detection. That way we’ll have your men and we can clear it through my agency. They’ll clear it through the government and make sure we don’t end up making an enemy of Greece. I’d rather not start a political incident when we can circumvent that problem and get their permission to act on the info we have,” Reynaldo stated and spread out the pictures to compare them to the satellite images they already had.

“Reynaldo, there’s a blind spot on the north end of the island,” Baker said and pointed out the pictures one of his men had taken while on the island itself. If we get in close enough we can swim the rest of the way and go in under the cover of darkness,” Baker explained.

“There’s a storm coming in tomorrow night and that just might give us the edge we need,” Reynaldo told them and looked at Nelson. “If your submarine arrives in time we could use her to get our people close enough to go in under cover of the storm. I doubt Katerina will be expecting anything this soon.”

“Admiral, I want to be part of the team you send in to rescue the skipper,” Kowalski said.

“And me,” Sharkey offered anxiously.

“We’ll figure out what teams go in when Seaview gets here. Reynaldo, how would you like to join me onboard?”

“It would be an honor, Harry,” Reynaldo said and wasn’t surprised when Baker asked to join them.

“I’d like to be onboard too, Admiral. If Seaview is going to be the boat we use to get close enough to send our people in then I should be there. I’ll be taking a team in and want to meet the people you intend to send so we don’t accidentally shoot each other,” Baker explained.

“Glad to have you…and your sister is welcome to come as well, Reynaldo,” Nelson offered.

“She could be a big help with identifying weak points…what do you say, Jocelyn? Want to see a nuclear submarine?” Reynaldo asked.

“I do,” the woman said without turning away from her computer.

Then it’s done. I’ll contact Chip and let him know what’s happening,” Nelson said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Commander, I’ve got Admiral Nelson,” Sparks said.

“Patch him through,” Morton said and moved to stand in front of the video monitor. It wasn’t long before the image cleared and he could see Nelson with Sharkey and Kowalski standing behind him. “Admiral, did you find Lee?”

“We’re pretty sure he’s on one of the privately owned Islands. Reynaldo and his team sent people in and they took several pictures. There’s no doubt that one of the women is Julie,” Nelson answered and showed Morton the picture that left no doubt as to her identity.

“Give us the coordinates and we’ll head for the island.”

“Not so fast, Chip. We need to do this right. The island isn’t called a fortress for nothing. There are a lot of armed guard there and we need to get Lee out with as little gunfire as possible. When you arrive we’ll take the flying sub out to meet you and go over the plans. I’m bringing Reynaldo and a couple of his people with me. Right now we’re looking at going in tomorrow night under the cover of darkness and the storm that’s brewing to the south of us.””

“Yes, Sir,” Morton said, unable to hide the disappointment he felt at not being able to act quickly.

“We’ll get him out, Chip, but we have to do it right. The less people who get hurt, the better,” Nelson told him. “Chip, I know you’re worried…we all are, but this is what we do and we do it well. Lee is part of our family and we are going to do everything in our power to get him back.”

“I hear you, Sir.”

“Good, now Jocelyn is going to send you what we have on the island we’re going to and I want you to work out the best course to bring us around the north side. It is shallow in places and we need to be careful.”

“Understood, Sir, I’ll get on it right away,” Morton said and heard several people talking behind Nelson.

“Chip, I need to go…contact me as soon as you reach the coordinates we agreed on.”

“I will, Admiral,” Morton vowed as the screen went dark. No matter what happened, when the time came, he was going to be amongst the people going to the island. He owed Lee his life more times than he cared to think about and, although it went both ways, he wanted to be part of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Lee Crane there were only two sensations…pain and relief. When it came the pain was anything from fire to ice and nothing in between. Nothing could calm the synapses that fired with electrifying precision and made him scream so loud he was hoarse. He had no idea how many times he’d been jabbed, but the only thing that quelled the fire was her voice.

A voice that meant something, but he could no longer remember what it was. All he knew was that when the fire started, hers was the only thing that grounded him and doused the flames burning through his veins. He knew what was about to happen as something cold was swiped across his neck and he swallowed without opening his eyes.

He remembered voices the first couple of times, but now as impossible as it seemed, all he heard was the rushing of the liquid entering his veins. It was worse than standing under Niagara Falls, but it held none of the beauty of that natural phenomenon.

“GOD!” he screamed as his body burned like a fire nothing could put out and he struggled against the restraints holding him down. He could not fight this, could not take it, but he would or he would be at her mercy…her mercy? Who was she? Why was she letting someone do this to him?”

“Ju…Julie,” Crane whispered through tightly clenched teeth. He managed to open his eyes, but could see nothing in the dim light surrounding him as a second needle pierced the skin of his neck and wreaked havoc with his system. His mind no longer thought in terms of taking one breath, but instead it latched on to the moment when the voice would speak and the pain would ease.

“I’m here, Lee, just hold on. It’s almost over, My Love, and then you can rest. I’ll hold you and show you we’re are safe. Listen to my voice…mine is the only one that can save you from the pain. Sh, I’m right here…let me hold you until it goes away, Darling.”

“Can’t…GOD!” Crane cried out as the burning sensations intensified.

“Follow my voice, Lee. Give me your hand and I will make it stop.”

Crane fought against her voice, but his hand slowly inched toward hers as if his body no longer obeyed his mind. The voice he heard represented two things, good and evil, but that should not be. How could he fear and crave her voice, when there was so much pain, both past and present. He pulled his hand back as if scalded and screamed as the darkness burned through him.

“What happened?” Julie asked when he went still.

“Julie, I warned you he is strong and his mind is trained to deal with torture and drugs. It will take time and patience to get him to the point where he will reach for you. He must be able to trust that your voice is the one that represents a reprieve from the pain. It could take several days for him to see that, but during that time you must not speak during the first injections,” Kaia warned.

“When will you give him the next injection?” Julie asked tiredly as she glanced at the clock that stroked the hour of midnight.

“We will continue to give him the first shot every two hours, but the other injections will wait until you get some rest. We want Lee worn down and exhausted so that he is susceptible to your voice. That won’t happen if you pass out because you neglected your own health.”

“Kaia is right, Julie. Come with me and you can sleep in my room. Alexi will use the guest bedroom while Nana stays here with Lee,” Katerina ordered.

“What if he needs me?”

“He will always need you, Julie, but you have to know when to be there for him. Right now it is better for you both if you rest so that you can be strong when Kaia begins the next phase. This is really just the beginning and you must pace yourself. Patience is something you will need, but as I said…look at what or should I say who your reward is.”

Julie felt Katerina pull her to her feet and wrap her arms around her. She knew the woman was right as her legs threatened to give out. She was tired, but it wasn’t the bone deep tiredness that signaled fatigue. It was more of a mental weariness at seeing a future so close, yet so far out of reach.

Katerina nodded to Kaia as she led Julie from the room. She knew the younger woman needed sleep, but first she needed to eat and maybe soak in a bath to relax the tension in her body. Once in her room, she told Alexi to fill the tub and have the night staff bring something light for them to eat.

“Julie, why don’t you take off your clothes and get into the tub,” Katerina suggested and watched as the younger woman did as she told her. It wasn’t long before she discarded her clothing, revealing the burn scars that had been swollen and raw when they first met. Now, with the passage of time they were still prevalent over much of her abdomen and right side.

“Katerina, I am so grateful for everything you’ve done for me. No one else believed in me the way you do,” Julie whispered tiredly.

“We are like sisters, Julie, and in time you will meet others like us. There are less than a dozen of us, but we are strong because we help each other.”

“Why did you decide to help me?”

“I saw myself in you and knew the raw pain in your eyes wasn’t from the burns. I could tell you were a woman who loved so deeply she would do anything to make him hers.”

“You and Kaia are like that?”

“Yes, we are, and you can trust her to do for you what we have done for others. Lee will be yours just as Mikolas is Kaia’s and Alexi is mine. We are united as women should be when we are as strong as or stronger than the men of this world,” Katerina told her.

“Katerina, I brought crackers and cheese and some fruit. Where would you like it?”

“In here, Alexi,” Katerina answered and smiled as he brought in the tray and placed it on the table beside the bath. “Julie, you need to eat.”

“Thank you,” the weary woman said and reached for a piece of cheese and two crackers. She made a sandwich and accepted a glass of wine from Alexi.

“Julie, I’ll be in the other room if you need me,” Katerina told her and linked her arm through her husbands.

“Will she be okay?” Alexi asked.

“She will, but she has so many scars…inside and out,” Katerina told him and sat on the edge of her bed. “Has there been any word on Admiral Nelson and his people?”

“Nothing so far. It looks like they lost track of us,” Alexi answered.

“Maybe, but Nelson doesn’t seem the type to give up easily. Make sure the guards are doubled until further notice,” Katerina ordered.

“Already done,” Alexi said and kissed her before saying goodnight and leaving the room.

Katerina drank a glass of wine and walked into the bath to find Julie nibbling as a piece of cheese. She hadn’t seen her, and Katerina was reminded of a meek mouse, yet she knew that was far from the truth. Julie Parsons-Radcliff was part of a sisterhood. “Are you ready to get some sleep?”

“I think so,” Julie said and climbed out of the tub. She reached for the soft bath sheet and wrapped it around her body before walking into the bedroom. “Where is Alexi?”

“He is sleeping in the guest room. You and I will share this bed for tonight,” Katerina said and eased the woman onto the bed. She made her turn onto her back and gently massaged her shoulders and upper body until she fell asleep. That was a good thing, because the coming weeks would be as hard on Julie as they were on Lee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Admiral, this is a prototype isn’t it?” Jocelyn asked when they reached the flying sub.

“Yes, it is,” Nelson told her as they entered through the opening and looked around.

“Do you mind me asking you how much this baby cost?” Baker asked and whistled when Nelson answered. “I guess I need to ask for a major raise.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to save up that much,” Jocelyn observed and smiled. “Not if you ever intend to ask me out.”

“Huh…what?”

“She said you should ask her out!” Reynaldo answered with a grin.

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“Hey, Jocelyn’s a big girl…it’s up to her who she goes out with, but you hurt her and you’ll deal with me,” Reynaldo vowed.

“Charles, why don’t we catch a movie after this is over?” Jocelyn asked as they took their seats and Kowalski got into the co-pilot’s seat as Nelson took the controls.

“Movie and dinner…my treat.”

“Not a chance. I asked…I treat,” Jocelyn told him.

“Don’t argue with her…you’ll lose my friend,” Reynaldo warned as the flying sub took off. They were astonished at how smooth the takeoff was and then the entry into the water. “This is amazing.”

“That it is,” Baker said. “How long will it take to reach Seaview?”

“We should dock with Seaview in about fifteen minutes,” Nelson answered.

“Admiral, if Seaview is as impressive as your flying sub then I want to come play in your sandbox,” Jocelyn told him.

“Seaview is top of the line and a prototype as well,” Sharkey said proudly. He beamed as he listened to the passengers ask questions about specs and speed and chimed in with several answers as the Flying Sub continued toward Seaview. He wasn’t surprised when all three sat forward as Seaview came into view.

“Is that…Seaview?” Jocelyn asked incredulously.

“That’s her,” Kowalski answered.

“That’s some ship,” Baker observed.

“Boat…a submarine is a boat not a ship,” Sharkey corrected.

“FS1 to Seaview,” Nelson said.

“Seaview here, Admiral, you’re cleared…”

Nelson smiled as he listened to the trio asking Sharkey why they preferred to call such a magnificent vessel a boat rather than a ship. They grew quiet, eyes wide when the bay doors opened and he gently brought FS1 inside.

“Harry, this is…amazing,” Reynaldo offered.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Sharkey told him as they stood up and started out of the smaller vessel. He was proud of Seaview and wanted them to see the boat the way he did. He remembered taking over the role of chief when Chief Jones passed away and how hard it was for the crew to accept his presence at first. Now, they understood who he was and respected him for his ability to, not only be the chief, but to bring a sense of humor along with it.

Chip Morton met them as they entered Seaview’s bridge and was quickly introduced to their guest. He updated Nelson on what they had and joined the Admiral and the newcomers in the noose.

“Admiral, we’ve plotted the best course, but it’s going to be a rough ride,” Morton told him and spread out the charts on the table. “There’s a ledge here and a narrow channel leading toward the north side of the island. Seaview can make it, but it’s going to be a tight squeeze.”

“We’ve been in tighter ones,” Nelson said and knew Morton was right as he looked at the charts they had.

“This ship….boat,” Jocelyn corrected herself, “is state of the art isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Morton answered.

“I’m guessing you’ve got top of the line radar and sonar and anything else that’s available?”

“Yes, we do,” Nelson assured her.

“Then I don’t see this being much of a problem,” Jocelyn said and smiled as she pointed out several small discrepancies in the plotted course. “There’s been some changes here…the channel opening is slight larger than this chart shows.”

“Yes, it is, and there’s a newly formed ledge here,” Reynaldo explained and pointed to the area halfway through the course. “I don’t know Seaview’s specs, but you might want to rework the course and go in slightly further north. That way you avoid this ledge altogether.”

“Chip, work with Jocelyn and plot a new course,” Nelson ordered.

“Yes, Sir,” Morton said. “This way.”

“Thank you, Mr. Morton.”

“Please, call me Chip,” the exec told her and brought her to the chart table. She was a beautiful woman and he saw several crewmembers smile appreciatively.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nana watched as Lee Crane’s body arched up on the bed as the effects of what Kaia gave him took effect. She knew this was not good, and that it would put pressure on his wound, but there was no point in arguing over what was being done. She took the basin of dirty water into the bathroom emptied it as she tried to ignore the cries of pain from the outer room.

Nana felt every bit of her age as she filled the basin with water and made her way out of the bathroom. She cringed when she looked at the bed and noticed the corded neck muscles and lines of pain on his face. She needed to do something, but there didn’t seem to be anything she could do to help him.

How many years had she stood by while Katerina and Kaia did this to good men? Why did Lee Crane seem to tug at the heartstrings she thought had grown cold years ago? Could she do anything to help him? Could she save him, or was it already too late for him? Was there too much damage to his mind and body?

“Nana, what are you doing? Bring the water here and help me give him the second injection before Julie and Katerina get here,” Kaia ordered.

Nana placed the basin on the table next to the bed and used her body to hold him down as tears filled her eyes. She refused to let them fall as she watched the other woman inject another drug into Crane’s neck. She knew this was the one that would cause the most damage, and wished she could stop the torture as Julie and Katerina came into the room. She felt Kaia’s hand on her shoulder and was forced to leave the bed as Julie sat on the edge and reached out to the injured man.

“I’m here, Lee, just hold on to my voice and you’ll be fine. That’s it, My Love,” Julie said as the antidote was given and Crane turned to look at her. “There, isn’t that better? I’ll always be here when the pain gets bad, Lee.”

“Ju…Julie…help…hurts…”

“I know it does, Lee, but it will get better,” she whispered and kissed him as he sighed tiredly. “I’ll always be here when it gets bad, My Love. All you have to do is call my name.”

“No…you…you’re not…I can’t…”

“You can’t what, Lee?”

“Ca…can’t do this,” Crane whispered and struggled to get away from her as his mind cleared slightly.

“Yes, you can, Lee. We can…I love you…I have always loved you and we are meant to be together.”

“No…I don’t…don’t love you…ne…never love you…”

“Don’t you say…”

“Easy, Julie, remember yours is the voice he needs to associate with taking away the pain,” Kaia warned and succeeded in stopping the younger woman from lashing out.

“But he makes me so angry.”

“I know he does, but just remember yours will be the voice he turns to for help,” Katerina told her. “Have patience and he will come to your bed willingly.”

“I know you’re right, but it is so hard when he says things like that,” Julie said as Crane continued to tremble and his eyes closed.

“You have to remember the goal, Julie, and that is to have him where you want him, but you must also realize he will not be the same man you fell in love with. This process does change him,” Kaia explained.

“I know, but I want him to love me.”

“He will, just keep talking to him when the pain gets bad,” Katerina said.

Nana had seen the sorrow in Crane’s eyes just before they closed and sighed as she handed Julie the cloth. She thought Crane was sleeping, but he shied away from Julie’s touch and cringed when she stood up and pressed her lips against his. She heard Julie humming, a hauntingly beautiful tune that seemed cold in spite of its beauty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson stood at the windows as they made their way toward the opening to the channel that would take them to the island fortress where Crane was imprisoned. They’d finally received clearance from the country’s government to go in, and were even offered extra manpower. He’d refused, not because he didn’t trust them, but because he wanted to keep things as simple as possible.

There would be four team of three going in, and Chip Morton would be in charge of dispersal. Morton had looked like he was ready to go ballistic until he’d told him he would be leading the teams.

It was closing in on 10 PM and would take them another hour to get close enough to utilize the scuba gear. They’d gone over the plans until they knew exactly what was expected of each person. Chip’s team, along with Baker’s would be the ones to enter the house and search for the missing man.

Nelson took a sip of the strong black coffee and knew he’d chosen the best people for the rescue effort. If anyone could get Lee out, it was the crew that respected and admired him. This time he’d done something he’d never done before and that was to tell them to do everything they had to do to get Lee away from the mad woman.

“Admiral…Harry, come sit down and eat something,” Will Jamison ordered.

“I’m not hungry…”

“That’s okay…eat anyway. It’ll help pass the time,” Seaview’s doctor told him.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Nelson said and sat at the table. The sandwich looked good and he took a tentative bite before realizing he was hungrier than he thought.

“Do you trust the men you chose to go after Lee?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then hold on to that because they’re the ones who will bring him home,” Jamison vowed.

“I know,” Nelson said. “I wish we could have sent you in there.”

“Once they’ve secured the island we can go in with the Flying Sub,” Jamison told him, relieved to see the older man eating. He knew Lee Crane was like a son to Nelson and that meant the man bled when Crane was hurt or in trouble.

“I hope we don’t need your skills, Jamie, but…”

“It’s Julie…he’ll need help even if he’s not physically injured.”

“I know…I can’t help thinking about the last time we found him. For someone who claims to love him she has a strange way of showing it.”

“He’s strong.”

“I know…that’s one of the reasons I offered him Seaview’s captaincy,” Nelson admitted. “That, and the fact that he was the best man for the job.”

“And he’s stubborn enough to call you on something if he thinks you’re wrong,” Jamison offered.

“I’m not sure if that was a good thing or not,” Nelson admitted.

“It was…he was just what you needed to keep you honest and vice versa. You and Lee are like opposite sides of the coin, but instead of always butting heads you find out ways to turn the tails,” Jamison said and grinned when Nelson chuckled at his choice of words.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Nelson said and grew quiet as he contemplated what would happen if they screwed up this mission. He knew he shouldn’t go there, and reached for the confidence Seaview’s crew exuded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee Crane had no idea what was causing the pain, but each time it eased there was one voice that reached out to tell him she would take it away. That voice was a mixture of calming and chilling at the same time. He shifted slightly, listening to the voices speaking nearby, but could not quite make out what they were saying.

“Lee, I need you to drink this.”

“Wha…what is it?” Crane managed as she lifted his head.

“It’s water…you need to drink it for me, My Love,” Julie said and smiled as he took the cold water and seemed to rub his cheek against her. She took the cup away as he choked and rubbed her hands against his shoulders. “It’s okay, Lee, I’m right here and I will take the pain away if you want me to.”

“You…no, can’t…can’t trust you.”

“Yes, you can, Lee. Didn’t I take the pain away for you?”

“Cause pain…”

“No, My Love, I didn’t cause the pain, but I will stop it if you want me to,” Julie whispered and moved back as Kaia injected something new into his IV. She knew what was about to happen and smiled inwardly at the thought of what it would do to him. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced at Katerina as Crane’s body arched up on the bed.

“It will not last long,” Katerina told her.

“It is fitting that he is in pain. He should not talk to me like that,” Julie whispered as Kaia continued to speak so that Crane heard her voice. The effect was perfect as he tried to shift away, but she would not allow him to do so. The blankets slipped back, revealing the bandage that covered the bullet wound and she knew they would have to change it after this ‘treatment’ was finished.

“The more pain he feels the easier it will be to train him to turn to you. Right now it may not seem that way, Julie, but Kaia has perfected her techniques and believe me Lee may be amongst the strongest males she’s ever treated, but that just means he will be all the more susceptible to your love.”

“I know…I am looking forward to the time when he is more like Alexi and Mikolas,” Julie said and rested her head on Katerina’s chest as Crane continued to fight the drugs in his system. She saw Nana watching and wondered at the sorrow she saw in the old woman’s eyes and knew she should bring it to Katerina’s attention, but Kaia gestured her to come back to the bed.

Lee struggled against the agonizing fire that burned through his veins. There was no escaping the convulsive tremble that coursed through his body as he fought against the knives that prickled his skin. His fists clenched tightly and he breathed through chattering teeth until someone told him the pain would ease if he allowed her to end it.

“I can stop it, Lee, just hold on to me and we will ride it out together. That’s it…take my hand and hold on…there, that’s right. Just breathe now and it will get easier.”

Lee knew he should fight those words, but he was beyond tired, fatigue and pain wearing on his mind and body. He struggled to make sense of why this woman seemed to be both his tormentor and his savior at the same time. He knew he needed to fight what she was saying and closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he fought for control.

“Don’t turn away from me, Lee. I can make this stop and I want to, but if you fight then the pain comes back and I cannot stop it. Please, My Love, I want to help you…I want to keep the pain away.”

“No…you don’t…you would st…stop it if you re…really wanted to,” Crane said as another voice sounded next to his ear.

“She is trying, Lee, but she is not as strong as I am…feel the pain I can cause.”

Crane swallowed convulsively as the familiar burning started at the sight of the injection and he screamed as his body twisted in unnatural angles. He felt as if his veins were on fire and cried out as something cold was pressed against his chest. There was no escaping the agony as he fought for every breath.

Her voice was there and this time he grasped for her touch, searched for her voice and nodded when she asked if he wanted the pain to go away. He didn’t want to say yes, but there was so much pain now, it was as if every breath was a wave of volcanic lava through his body and he needed a lifeline.

“I’m right here, Lee,” Julie said and smiled as he didn’t fight her. This was what she wanted, but she knew it was only the beginning and once the pain eased he would see her as the enemy again. Kaia and Katerina had told her it would take a long time before he was truly hers, but she enjoyed this breakthrough as she stroked his sweat soaked forehead.

“Tired…”

“You can sleep for a while, My Love,” she said when Kaia signaled that they were done for the day. “I won’t let the pain return as long as you rest.”

“…k…” Crane managed as the agony left him worn and seating. He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him away from the cruelty he saw in the women’s faces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Admiral, we’ve arrived at the coordinates,” Patterson said and knew the teams that were going in could handle themselves. He wanted to go in with them, but he’d bruised his ribs and Jamison refused to sign his paperwork. He was stuck on the sub and would have to settle for helping with radio contact between the teams.

“Thank you, Patterson,” Nelson said as he stood up and looked at Jamison. He knew Reynaldo was in touch with his people on the small boats and that five other teams would be going at the same time as the three from Seaview.

“They’ll find him, Admiral…with Mr. Morton and Ski there’s no other outcome,” Sharkey said.

“I know, Chief, is everything in place?”

“Yes, Sir, the teams are in the water,” Sharkey answered.

“Sir, we’re picking up signals from the boats,” Sparks told him.

“Make sure they don’t break radio silence once they’re close to the island,” Jocelyn warned and nodded when Nelson agreed with her. The plan was to go in dark and keep to the plan they’d come up with. Morton’s team, along with Baker’s would head straight for the main house while Reynaldo’s teams would take out the mercs and secure the perimeter.

“Now we wait,” Nelson said and knew he would have to calm his own nerves as they waited for word from Morton.

“Cookie’s got more coffee ready, Admiral,” Stu Reilly said and handed cups to every one present. It was going to be a long night, but they were all confident that Chip Morton would find and rescue Lee Crane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip Morton swam slightly ahead of Kowalski and Lewis and knew they would have to be careful once they reached shore. Baker and his team would land maybe half a mile from where they did and would meet up with them half a mile from the house. It had been decided to land separately in case of trouble, and Chip surfaced a hundred yards offshore.

Morton glanced at the shoreline, and spotted something flicker as someone lit a cigarette. He knew Kowalski and Lewis had seen the same thing and motioned for them to remain silent until they were sure it was just the lone figure. The sound of the waves hitting the shore told them they would have some cover as they swam slightly south, away from the merc.

Chip swam silently until they were fifty yards south of the man’s position and exited the water as Kowalski and Lewis did the same further down. He waited until the merc took another drag of his cigarette before moving quickly across the sand and into the trees. He waited for Kowalski and Lewis to reach him and hid their gear before glancing toward the area where the merc still sucked back on his cigarette.

“Ski,” Morton whispered. “See if you can get in behind him…be careful he doesn’t get a shot off.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kowalski said and started to work his way along the edge of the treeline. He could smell the strong tobacco and heard the man whistling softly as he got closer.

Kowalski knew what he had to do as he spotted the man sitting on a down tree. The smell of the smoke reached him and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He’d never smoked and had never understood people’s need to ruin their lungs and body. He’d seen his grandfather die of lung disease and had known the cause at an early age. He’d promised the dying man that he would never pick up a cigarette and never had.

Kowalski moved closer, standing behind the man who still seemed oblivious of his presence. He took out his knife and moved forward as the wind picked up and rustled the branches of the trees. He stayed low when the man stood up and looked around before finally sitting back down and resumed his humming.

Kowalski knew the last few feet would leave him exposed and shot forward as the man stood up. He grabbed him around the throat and felt the merc struggle for his weapon even as he slit his throat. It was a technique he’d learned from Lee Crane and he held onto the man until his movement stopped. He pulled him into the trees and made sure his body would not be detected if there were men making the rounds.

“Good work, Ski,” Morton said when they reached his position. The path that would take them to the main house was fifty yards south and he took the lead once more. It took less than fifteen minutes for them to reach the meeting point, but Baker and his team hadn’t arrived yet.

“Where are they?” Lewis asked impatiently.

“Calm down, Robert, they’ll be here,” Morton said and smiled when Baker and his men joined them. Baker had gone in alone and met with the members of his team who’d been manning the boats since they’d discovered the island fortress.

“Any problems?” Baker asked.

“One merc…Ski took care of him,” Morton answered.

“Same here,” Baker said. “The house is about a mile southwest. There are probably several sentries along the way so we need to be careful.”

“Do we have any idea how many there are at the house?” Kowalski asked.

“At least a dozen, possibly more,” John Rossi answered.

“Reynaldo will join us at the house once they’ve secured the docks,” Baker told them and glanced at his watch. “We need to get moving if we want to reach the house before Reynaldo’s team hits the docks.”

“Ski, you got our six,” Morton ordered as he took point with Baker. They started down the path, keeping to the trees as the bright moon shone down on them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reynaldo Esposito trusted his people and he knew they understood how important it was to take out the sentries without giving away their presence. He swam slightly to the right of his team mates and made his way under the dock to wait for the second team to reach their position.

“I counted three men in the boathouse,” Bartholomew Connors whispered.

“There are two more walking the perimeter,” Miguel Ortiz told observed.

“We need to be ready to move as soon as Dante and his team are in position,” Reynaldo said softly as he heard a slight change in the water. He turned to see three dark figures huddled at the edge of the trees opposite his position.

“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Connors told them.

“You know what to do,” Reynaldo observed and knew his job was to take out one of the mercs on the dock above them. Connors would take out the other one while Ortiz joined Dante and took care of the guards at the boathouse. “Miguel, get moving or you’ll miss the fun.”

“Fun the man says,” Ortiz said and smiled as he moved away from the two men.

Reynaldo took up position as Connors did the same on the opposite side of the narrow dock. He listened for footsteps above him and heard the two men walk toward the end of the dock. They had to time this perfectly if they were going to stop the mercs from giving away their presence. If the Intel they had was correct, then the men walking the perimeter would be at the far end of the shore and wouldn’t hear anything.

Reynaldo heard he guard approaching and nodded to his partner that he was ready. As soon as the footsteps sounded above them, he moved, latching onto the man’s legs and dragging him over the edge. He didn’t take the time to see if Connors had done the same as he fought for supremacy against a man who was as well trained as he was. The difference was, he had the element of surprise and quickly dispatched his mark by slicing his throat with the sharp blade in his hand. He dropped the body and turned to find Connors grinning at him.

“Two down,” Connors said as Reynaldo signaled that they should move out. The mission for them now, was to back up Dante’s team until the dock, boathouse, and shoreline was secure. Then they would leave two men to guard the area while the rest of them moved toward the house and helped Morton and Baker secure the house and find the missing man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelson looked at the monitors and could see where Morton and the rest of Seaview’s people were. Reynaldo had also been given a tracker and it appeared that they had also made it to shore. They had been equipped with tracking beacons and so far it appeared that they were moving toward their destination. The problem with the devices was that there was no way of telling if the men ran into trouble. So far they were still moving, and that was a good sign that no one had been injured…at least not badly enough to take them out of the mission.

“Admiral, Chip’s team is closing in on the house,” Jocelyn Esposito told him. She’d brought up the chart of the island itself and was able to correlate the data they had so far.

“Admiral, Commander Morton’s team has reached the house,” Sparks explained as he relayed the message he’d received from Seaview’s exec.

“Thank you, Sparks,” Nelson said and kept watching the beacons of hope on the main screen. Seaview was state of the art and when there was new equipment, he went after it no matter what the cost, especially when those new items could help save his crew.

“Admiral, you don’t spare any expense do you?” Jocelyn asked and saw the smile on his face.

“Did you just ready my mind,” Nelson asked. “I believe in taking care of my people because they are family.”

“That’s a good way to keep your people in place. Now I know why I see admiration on so many of your crew’s faces,” Jocelyn observed.

“This crew would do anything for each other,” Nelson said and realized just how true those words were as he looked at Sharkey, Riley, and Patterson.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dante glanced at the two men as they followed him toward the boathouse. He’d seen Ortiz slip away from the docks and motioned for his to take care of the man closest to his position. There were a total of four men they needed to take care of and he signaled to his men to move forward.

Dante made his way to the boathouse and glanced inside. This was a do or die situation, and he was damn sure he wasn’t going to be the one to die. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the gun and made sure it was equipped with the silencer before taking off the safety. His men would take care of the guards on the outside, while he dispatched these two.

Dante glanced around the edge of the doorway and ducked back once he had their positions in his mind. One man was standing near the window facing the house, while the other one was seated at the table playing some kind of card game.

“Maurice, you sure I can’t interest you in a game of cards?”

“You still owe me from the last game, Jerome.”

“Double or nothing…”

“You know you’re going to lose.”

“Not if I can help it…”

Dante took a second glance and saw that both men were seated at the table. With a deep breath he dove into the room and fired two rounds. He knew both bullets struck home as the first man stood up clutching his chest and the other one slid bonelessly from his chair with a third eye at the center of his forehead. He was dead before he hit the ground and Dante put a second bullet into the other man.

Dante moved into the boathouse and checked both men, finding exactly what he’d expected before checking to make sure there was no one lurking in the darker recesses of the structure. Once he was sure his job was done he made his way back to the door and glanced outside as Reynaldo hurried toward him.

“How many?” Reynaldo asked as he spotted Ortiz and Connors hurrying to join them.

“Two in here…you get the two on the dock?”

“We got them,” Reynaldo answered. “We need to get to the house, but it looks like Intel was slightly off with their numbers. I counted at least half a dozen near the front of the house.”

“When is Intel ever right?” Dante asked.

“I need to check in with Baker and see if they are in position,” Reynaldo told him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie knew she should get some rest, but she refused to leave Lee even after the last of the ‘treatments’ were finished for the day. Katerina had warned her that she might undo some of the programming if she stayed, but this was where she belonged.

Julie stretched out beside the injured man and made sure his head was resting on her left shoulder as she listened to him breathing softly. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the dominance she had over him. No matter what it took, he would be hers, now and forever. It didn’t matter that he fought her every step of the way, because the prize she won was worth it.

“Oh, Lee, I know this is hard on you, but it is worth it. Soon this will all be behind us and our future will be a bright beacon on a dark horizon. No one will ever take you away from me and I will be the happiest woman in the world. I will give you everything you want and together we will be unstoppable. You will understand why I am doing this and why it is important that I make sure Nelson and Morton and everyone else understand there is no going back.”

Julie smiled when she heard a soft moan, but she didn’t see it for what it was. Instead she interpreted it as a sign that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She kissed his forehead and enjoyed the feel of his hot skin beneath her touch. It never occurred to her that the heat should have been a warning that something was wrong as she snuggled close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip Morton glanced across the small garden as Kowalski and Lewis joined him. Baker and his men were waiting for his signal that they were ready to proceed, but he couldn’t give that until they knew Reynaldo and his people were in position. There was a well-lit path leading to the house, with two men stationed near the back deck. Each man held a weapon, but it was slung over their shoulder as if they didn’t expect any trouble. That was their mistake, because trouble was about to rain down on them.

Chip saw Baker signal that he was ready, and nodded that they could make the next move. He stayed to the shadows, away from the lights that illuminated the main section of the pathway, but did not quite reach the trees that lined it. He hoped Dante and Reynaldo were moving and knew once they reached the house it had to be a simultaneous attack to take out the guards at each side.

Once they took care of the mercs, Baker would move to the right side of the house, while he, Kowalski, and Lewis secured the back. So far there didn’t seem to be any problems and the silence from the front of the house signaled that everything was going as planned.

Morton nodded to Kowalski and Lewis that it was time to move. They were still a couple of hundred yards from the house when one of the men turned toward them. They froze, holding their breaths as the man shone a flashlight toward them. He said something to the second man before stepping off the deck and starting down the path.

Chip heard Lewis shifting from foot to foot and shook his head for silence. Lewis was a bit of a hardhead and Morton hadn’t wanted to bring him along, but with Patterson out of commission, he had no choice. The merc continued toward them as Lewis broke from cover and dove at the man.

“Dammit!” Morton said as the second man hurried off the deck and shouted a warning. Kowalski took a knife and threw it, catching the man in the chest even as gunfire sounded from the right side of the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie’s eyes shot open at the sharp sounds from outside the house. She sat up and grabbed her robe as Katerina hurried into the room. “What’s wrong?”

“We have visitors,” Katerina told her.

“Who are they?”

“We’re not sure, but it might not have anything to do with you and Lee Crane, Julie, so I want you to stay here. Alexi and Mikolas are outside and as soon as they know who it is they’ll come tell us,” Katerina answered as Nana and Kaia came into the room.

“They are attacking from all sides,’ Kaia snapped and hurried to the doors leading outside. She had a gun in her hand and knew how to handle it.

“Do we know how many?” Katerina asked.

“No, Mikolas will update us when he can,” Kaia answered and tossed her the two-way radio.

“I want them all dead,” Julie said when she noticed Crane’s eyes were open. “I know who they are and I will not allow them to take him away from me.”

“Julie, we don’t know who…”

“I do and so does Lee. Tell Alexi and Mikolas if Morton or Nelson is with them then I want them brought to me…alive. I want to prove to Lee that I am stronger than they are and I am the only one who can protect him,” Julie said.

“Mikolas, tell Alexi if Nelson or Morton are amongst the attackers then bring them to me…preferably alive,” Katerina said into the radio.

Julie sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at the man lying there. She knew the drugs were still in his system and there was no mistaking the pain so easily seen on his face as she ran her fingers across his right cheek. She felt him cringe away from her touch, but gripped his chin between her thumb and fingers so that he could not look away.

“I will kill them this time; Lee…then you and I are free of outside interference. Our love for each other is the only thing that’s important.”

“Never…never love you…”

“Yes, you will…it may not be tonight or tomorrow or even next week, but you will love me. Just think of it this way, Lee…either love me or I will kill everyone you ever professed to love until you realize what you mean to me,” Julie told him as gunfire sounded outside the doors.

Crane knew he would never love this woman, but understood that she was serious about killing the people he cared about. Could he pretend to love her until there was a chance, no matter how small, that he could escape? If he had to, he could do it, but he would never be the same man he was before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reynaldo raced across the front lawn as the first shot rang out from behind the house. He could see Connors and Ortiz zigzagging toward the house as a bullet kicked up the grass in front of him. He fired at a flash to the left of the main door and heard the man go down as Ortiz cursed and fell, but climbed back to his knees with a shake of his head.

Reynaldo saw Connors reach the deck and knew the man had a bead on the one nearest to him. There were two more near the garden shed on his right and he quickly fired as he rolled on the ground and came up in time to take out a third man. He stayed low, and changed the clip as Ortiz and Connors continued to fire at the people protecting the house.

“Reynaldo, drop!” Connors shouted and fired at the man who’d been closing in on his friend. There was no time for thanks as two more men exited the house and fired on them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baker knew the instant he heard the first shot that there was no point in trying to stay to the shadows. Their presence was now known and speed would have to be their new friend. His team would have to secure the guest house and let the others take care of the main building. He nodded to his men and signaled that they should follow him as half a dozen men raced from the guest house.

Baker shot the one closest to him and heard secondary gunfire from behind him as the newcomers finally realized how close they were. He fired a second shot and felt something burn across his right shoulder, but didn’t take the time to acknowledge the wound. He dove behind the bushes on his left as someone cried out and went down on the opposite side.

“Baker, on your right!”

Baker came up fast and returned fire as two men aimed their weapons in his direction. His first shot took out the one furthest from him, but the other man held a knife and kicked the gun from his hand. He reacted on instinct and grabbed the hand with the knife as the man slashed it toward him.

They grappled for supremacy as gunfire continued around them, but Baker kept his full attention on the blade. The light flickered off the surface several times as he kept pressing forward until they were standing toe-to-toe. He bent the man’s wrist back, grunting as the struggle took every ounce of strength he possessed.

“Bas…bastard…”

Baker smiled at the man’s mistake, but didn’t say a word. It took all his concentration just to stay on top of the fight as he pressed the knife toward the other man’s chest. He thought he heard bones snap as the man stumbled backward with the knife buried to the hilt in his chest. He didn’t take the time to gloat, but grabbed his secondary weapon as Johansson put down the last of the men form the guest house.

“Check the house and secure it,” Baker ordered and hurried toward the main house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip reached the main doors and nodded to Kowalski who knelt beside Robert Lewis. The man had gone down sometime during the attack, but this was the first time he had the chance to check the unmoving figure.

Kowalski touched his fingers to the man’s neck and shook his head. Lewis had taken three shots to the chest and his eyes were open and unseeing. Ski didn’t take the time to close the man’s eyes, as they needed to concentrate on the living. He joined Morton at the doors and hoped they would find the skipper inside.

“What’s the plan?” Kowalski asked as one of Baker’s men joined them.

“We hit them fast and hard!” Morton answered.

“Shoot first…questions later if they can talk…I like that,” Howard told them with a smile.

“On three!” Morton told them and quietly counted off before sliding the doors back. Kowalski went in first and moved right as Howard entered and went left. Chip ducked low and went inside to find the room in darkness and no sign of Crane or Julie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexi knew they had underestimated whoever was attacking the house. Gunfire continued all around him, and he knew he’d taken out at least one man, but not before that man had killed three of the guards. He’d lost track of Mikolas after the call from Katerina and wondered if the man was still alive.

A flash of light from the right side of the house made him push the front door open and go back inside. He would go to Katerina and tell her what was happening, but he knew she would be angry with the news. He held the gun in his left hand as he crept across the foyer toward the open room at the base of the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.

Alexi knew they were losing, and understood what Katerina would say when he got to the room. She would be angry and blame him for the attack. It was something that had happened before and he’d made amends, but this time he knew they were losing.

There was movement to his right and he looked in that direction, realizing too late that he’d made a fatal mistake as pain flared in his chest. He looked down in disbelief as blood stained the ruffles on the white shirt he wore. The gun dropped to the floor and he toppled forward, breathing a sigh of relief that, in death, he was finally free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mikolas knew he had to get to Kaia and tell them whoever was attacking had taken control of the dock, boathouse, guest house, and most of the grounds. He raced across the short distance between the brush and the room where Crane was and called out to them.

“Kaia, open the door,” Mikolas said, relieved when the doors slid open and the woman allowed him to enter.

“Where is Alexi?” Katerina asked.

“I have not seen him since we spoke, but he was at the front of the house,” Mikolas answered.

“How many attackers?” Katerina asked.

“At least a dozen…maybe twice that. They were on us before we had a chance to react,” Mikolas answered.

“We need to leave,” Kaia observed.

“Not without Lee,” Julie told her.

“Julie…”

“No, I will not leave im. Mikolas can carry him,” Julie told them and reached out to release his restraints. “We are leaving, Lee.”

Crane didn’t react as she released his wrists and then moved to his legs. He was weak, and the world around him remained slightly out of focus as the people in the room argued about what to do with him. He cried out as she pulled his legs over the edge of the bed and sat him up.

“Julie, Mikolas can’t carry him on his own,” Katerina told her and knew the woman would never leave Lee Crane. “We have to go.”

“No! I won’t leave him!”

“We don’t have a choice!” Kaia said as a gunshot sounded in the main area of the house. “We need to go before they come in here.”

“Then go…I will stay here. Kaia, leave me your gun,” Julie ordered and held out her hand.

“Give it to her,” Katerina said and hugged the younger woman. “Are you sure this is what you want, Julie?”

“Yes…thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” Julie whispered and watched as Nana shook her head, surprised that the elderly woman chose to stay with her instead of escaping with the others. She turned back to Lee Crane and knew she would have to take care of both of them if the attackers took over the island.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Admiral, we’re getting word that the attack is in full swing,” Sparks offered as Nelson stood with Jocelyn. Jamison had gone to sickbay to get the things he’d need once they found Lee. The Flying Sub was ready for launch, but not until the island was secure.

“If the trackers are working properly then two of your men are inside the building,” Jocelyn told them and knew they’d all seen the third device had stopped moving. It amazed her how well prepared these men were, and the technical equipment they had. Everything about Seaview was top of the line and that could even be said for the crew Nelson hired to sail her.

“Admiral, Doc says he’s ready as soon as you get word from Mr. Morton,” Sharkey told him.

“Tell him we’re not there yet,” Nelson ordered and looked at the chart. God, this was always the worst part of any mission. Waiting had never been one of his better qualities, and it was even worse when it involved the people he cared about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morton reacted on instinct when he shot the man hiding in the shadows and held his finger to his lips as they listened for movement elsewhere in the house. So far the dead man had been the only one they encountered, but that didn’t mean he was alone. He pointed toward a hallway and motioned for the others to search the area as he moved deeper into the house.

Chip thought he heard voices from further down and made his way toward the closed doorway, checking the other rooms as he passed them. Nothing moved in the first two, but as he neared the last one he heard voices raised as if in anger. He thought he recognized the one voice and anger drove him forward as a gunshot rang out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie watched as Katerina, Kaia, and Mikolas made it out the door and Nana closed and locked it behind them. She knew what she had to do, and turned back to find Lee Crane struggling to stand. He was weak, and his face was paler than the sheets he lay on, but she knew he was stronger than he let on. She held the gun in front of her and smiled as she spoke softly.

“Nana is going to put the restraints back in place, Lee. Once she is through she can leave…I will make sure no one will ever come between us again.”

Crane glanced from one woman to the other, ignoring the pain that flared in his lower back as Nana moved to stand between him and Julie.

“Nana, I will shoot you, but I prefer to let you leave.”

Crane heard her words and saw Nana shake her head vigorously in denial. He knew the elderly woman was no match for Julie, but he wasn’t in any shape to tackle her himself. That wouldn’t stop him, not when another person’s life was involved. He made it to his feet as Julie fired a shot and Nana landed backward against him.

“I warned her, Lee…this was her own fault. Now lie down and we will take our final journey together!” Julie said.

“Go to hell!” Crane cursed as the door burst open. He reacted on instinct as Julie’s attention was slightly diverted and dove at her. The force of the impact sent them both flying backward and he saw the anger in her eyes as the gun was pressed between them.

“No!” Julie screamed and fought to control the weapon between their bodies. Her finger was on the trigger and she knew all she had to do was press it. The shot would kill one of them and if she was still alive, she would take her own life. Their blood would mingle and tie them together for the rest of their lives and beyond.

“I love you, Lee Crane!” Julie said and pressed down on the trigger.

“No!” Morton shouted when the shot rang out and Lee grew still. He raced across the short distance and knelt beside his friend. “Dammit, Lee, you better not die on me now!”

“N…not,” Crane managed as Morton turned him over and held him. “Julie?”

“She’s dead,” Kowalski observed as he looked at the woman who had been obsessed with Seaview’s captain and then turned his attention to the woman who was struggling to get up off the floor.

“Good riddance,” Morton said as Baker came into the room through the sliding doors.

“Nana,” Crane said and smiled. “Leave her, Ski…helped me.”

“Is that Crane?” Baker asked.

“It is…Ski contact Seaview and tell them we need doc here ASAP,” Morton ordered.

“Aye, Sir,” Kowalski said and moved to use the radio and send the message he knew the crew was waiting for.

“Three people were trying to get to the boats, but we caught them. Two women are dead and I doubt the man will survive until your doc gets here,” Baker advised as Reynaldo and Connors came into the room.

“House and grounds are secure,” Reynaldo told them.

“FS1 is on the way!” Kowalski said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~`

As soon as word came from Chip Morton, Harriman Nelson took control of FS1. Will Jamison hadn’t been surprised when he showed up, and knew Nelson was worried about Seaview’s captain. For that matter, they all were…Lee Crane had certainly garnered the respect and friendship of this crew.

“Did Chip say how bad things are?” Jamison asked as Nelson expertly maneuvered FS1 out of the bay doors and took off toward the island.

“He said Lee was shot in the back, head injury, probably some broken ribs and they said he’s been given some unknown drugs,” Nelson explained worriedly.

“He really needs to find a woman who…”

“Isn’t psychotic,” Nelson finished for him.

“Exactly,” Jamison said and knew it wouldn’t take long for them to reach the island. He just hoped things weren’t as bad as it sounded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She says she can show you what they used on him,” Reynaldo explained as he watched Nana use her hands to sign what she wanted them to understand.

“I don’t know if we can trust her,” Morton said and felt Crane’s hand on his arm.

“Trust…she helped,” Crane told him.

“Are you sure, Lee?” Morton asked.

“I’m sure,” Crane said as Morton shifted slightly and allowed the woman to get close, but not too close.

“We should get him on the bed before Jamie gets here,” Morton said, relieved that Julie’s body was covered. He wasn’t sorry that she was dead, but he didn’t think Lee needed the reminder of her presence.

Nana watched as the men lifted Lee Crane and placed him on the bed. She knew the move hurt him, but she could not give him anything for pain, not after everything Kaia had put in his veins. She felt sorry for the injured man, but was relieved that a real doctor was on the way. She turned to the man who seemed to understand sign language and quickly related her message.

“What’s she saying?” Morton asked.

“She knows where Kaia kept her drugs and wants to get them so the doctor can see what he’s been given,” Reynaldo answered and nodded for the woman that she could do what she said.

“Lee, Jamie should be here soon,” Morton said and looked worriedly toward Kowalski. He could feel the fever emanating from Lee Crane and worried that it could lead to convulsions.

“FS1 is here, Mr. Morton,” Kowalski said from the patio. He’d seen the familiar outline as it landed near the dock.

“Jamie’s on his way, Lee,” Morton said and saw just a slight tilt of his friend’s head.

“…sick…” Crane whispered and cried out as Morton turned him slightly on his side. He tried to control his breathing as again and again he gagged and sent dagger like pain through damaged ribs.

“Lee, listen to me, I need you to relax and try to breathe slowly. You’ve probably got a couple of broken ribs and I don’t want you puncturing a lung right now…”

“Ja…Jamie,” Crane managed when he recognized the new voice and lay back against the pillows.

“Lee, if you really didn’t want to go to that party you should have said something,” Jamison teased and was glad to see a hint of a smile on Crane’s face.

“Ne…next time,” Crane said as Nana returned.

“She says the drugs Kaia used are in here,” Reynaldo said of the case the woman showed them.

“Does she know which ones?” Jamison asked worriedly and watched as the woman signed something to the other man.

“She can show you,” Reynaldo said.

“Lee, I’ll be right back,” Jamison said as Nelson took his place.

“Sorry, Admiral,” Crane whispered.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Lee, unless you fight me on my next orders,” Nelson assured him. “We’re going to get you back to Seaview and you’re going to spend some time in sickbay. No arguments or I’ll help Jamie put you in restraints…understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Crane said and closed his eyes as nausea churned through his gut.

“Easy, Son…Jamie,” Nelson called.

“I’m here,” Jamison said and sat on the edge of the bed. “Lee, there are several vials of drugs she used…but I won’t know exactly what they are until we run some tests. They are labeled, but I don’t want to treat anything until I’m sure. How is the pain right now?”

“It’ o…okay,” Crane lied.

“You tell a good story, and it’s a good thing no one here believes you,” Nelson said as Jamison checked the injured man’s lungs, BP, and breathing.

“Lee, I really don’t like giving you anything for pain because we really don’t know what we’re dealing with when it comes to the drugs, but if it gets to be too much then I’ll give you a shot. Right now I want to get you…Admiral, what about the hospital here? Can we take him there for treatment?”

“I have several contacts,” Nelson assured him.

“As do I,” Reynaldo said. “The best hospital is in Athens…I can have a medevac chopper here in less than twenty minutes.”

“Call them,” Nelson said as he watched Crane’s face. He knew he had plenty of connections in Greece and Lee would be in no danger, especially with Will Jamison on hand.

Lee closed his eyes and tried to hide just how lousy he was feeling as plans were made to move him from the island to a hospital. He swallowed several times as bitter bile rose in his throat as a hand was placed on his chest. He opened his eyes and forced a smile when he recognized Chip Morton.

“Thanks, Chip…”

“What for?”

“Finding me and coming in…we lose anyone?” Crane asked and saw something in Morton’s eyes. “Who?”

“Lewis,” Morton answered softly.

“What happened?” Crane asked sadly.

“Lee, he made a mistake, and it cost him, but you shouldn’t blame yourself…he volunteered just like everyone else and he wanted to be here,” Morton told his friend as Jamison spoke with someone Nelson contacted via the phone.

“Medevac chopped should be here inside of fifteen minutes,” Reynaldo told them.

“Lee, I know Nana and the other woman took care of your back, but I want to take a look at it,” Jamison said and had Morton and Nelson turn Crane on his left side. The bandage showed signs of fresh bleeding and he looked up as Nana handed him fresh bandages. “Thank you.”

Nelson and Morton felt the heat from Crane’s body and knew the instant the injured man passed out as Jamison removed the soiled bandage. The wound looked raw and a mixture of bloodied pus seeped from it.

Jamison cleaned the wound and wished he could do more, but for now all he could do was redress the wound and hope the chopper got here soon. He would travel to the hospital in Athens with Crane, while Nelson and Morton joined them once everything was cleared up with the government.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Will Jamison had never been so glad to touch down as he was when the chopper landed near the hospital. Lee Crane’s condition had deteriorated during the flight and he feared whatever drugs he’d been given were wreaking havoc with his system. He had no idea what was in the IV and had removed it before the chopper arrived.

Will knew the doctor who was meeting them by reputation and although he disliked being in foreign hospitals, he knew there was no choice in the matter. The woman who would be meeting him and helping him knew how to speak English, and for that he was grateful as the door opened.

“Dr. Jamison, I’m Iva Linard,” the petite dark haired woman said as she helped get the injured man from the chopper to the gurney. “Everything is ready for him…I assure you we are a state of the art hospital.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Jamison said. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

“Please, Dr. Jamison, call me Iva,” the woman said as they rushed the patient inside.

“Jamie, call me Jamie,” Seaview’s doctor told him as they rushed into the ER doors and Crane was taken into a treatment room.

“You said we’re dealing with drugs on top of the injuries…do you have any idea what they are?” Linard asked as a nurse started an IV in Crane’s left hand.

“No, but I do have the drugs in a case and was hoping your people could identify them for us,” Jamison said, grateful for the help as the woman hooked up monitoring equipment and it began giving them readouts on Crane’s temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and pulse.

“His blood pressure is low…do we know how long ago he was shot and how much blood he lost?”

“A couple of days since he was shot and according to the woman at the house he lost a lot of blood when she removed the bullet,” Jamison answered as a second nurse took two vials of blood and hurried from the room.

“His oxygen level is low so I’m going to have Khloe set up a mask while I put in a call for a CT scan and x-rays,” Linard told him.

“Thank you,” Jamison said. “He has no allergies and I should warn you now that he is stubborn,” Jamison said and smiled as Crane opened his eyes. “I rest my case.”

“Jamie…where…”

“Rest, Lee, you’re safe now,” Seaview’s doctor told him.

“Where are we?”

“I see what you mean about stubborn,” Linard said and smiled when the man’s head turned toward her. “I’m Dr. Iva Linard and I’m going to help Jamie treat you. He has already told me you’re stubborn and I see he’s right, but I should warn you my parents told me I wrote the book on stubborn. Now, Jamie and I have some work to do with you so relax and as soon as we get some results we’ll know exactly what needs to be done.”

“O…kay,” Crane told her and closed his eyes as a mask was placed over his mouth and nose. The pain was back, and he felt the nausea churning again as Jamison turned him slightly and the bitter bile rose up in his throat. He lost track of time as again and again he gagged before a cloth was washed over his face and he lost consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harriman Nelson and Chip Morton pushed through the ER doors in time to find Jamison and a woman talking near the main desk. They hurried over to the duo and were quickly introduced to the petite doctor.

“How is he?” Nelson asked.

“Why don’t you come with me and we’ll get some coffee while he has his scan done?” Linard ordered and led the trio toward the doctor’s lounge. Once inside she poured four cups of the freshly brewed coffee and motioned for them to sit at the table.

“Jamie, what’s going on?” Nelson asked.

“Lee was conscious for a few minutes, and that’s good news. Iva put a rush on his blood work and also told them the drug identification was a priority,” Jamison explained.

“I believe the tests will show that he needs a blood transfusion before we take him to the OR to clean up his wound,” Linard told them.

“Lee and I have the same blood type,” Morton announced.

“I know you do, Chip, and Iva is going to show you where to donate blood,” Jamison told him. “Harry, the tests could take some time so you might as well get something to eat.”

“I’d like to see Lee first,” Nelson told them.

“It will be at least half an hour before the scan and x-rays are done, Admiral Nelson, so eat first,” Linard ordered.

“I…”

“Admiral, this is my hospital, and believe me I can have you removed if I want to. Don’t make me do that,” Linard told him.

“She’s good isn’t she,” Jamison observed and smiled at the look on the admiral’s face.

“Believe me, Admiral, this is not a threat,” Linard continued. “I’ll take Commander Morton to the lab and while he’s gone you and Jamie can go to the cafeteria and get something to eat.”

“Come on, Jamie,” Nelson said and turned to Morton. “What do you want to eat?”

“I’m not…”

“Get him something sweet and maybe some juice,” Linard interrupted and stood up. “Now that we all know what we have to do I’ll take Commander Morton to the lab and see you in one hour.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Admiral Harriman Nelson stood at the window and watched as several people walked along the flower lined path behind the hospital. He’d spent the last four hours with several key members of the Greek government and managed to smooth some feathers. It was a skill he’d owned since creating NIMR and he respected the officials who’d agreed to see him. They’d quickly agreed he’d done the right thing where his man was concerned, and acted accordingly once they heard from the US president.

Harry turned away from the window as the door opened and knew they were bringing Lee Crane down from recovery. Jamison and Linard had both come to tell him what room Lee would be in and he knew Chip was sleeping in a lounge across the hallway. He stayed back as the gurney was moved inside and the medical staff quickly transferred Crane to the more comfortable bed.

“How is he, Jamie?” Nelson asked as Seaview’s doctor joined him at the window and the staff left the room.

“Surgery went well and they cleaned up the wound. Now it’s a matter of keeping an eye on his numbers,” Jamison answered.

“Have they identified any of the drugs yet?”

“A couple and it’s not good news. We’re going to need to start him on several things to help him, but it’s going to take time. Most of the drugs they used were to cause pain and a couple are no longer used because of the effects they have on the human mind. It’s going to take some time to get him back to normal,” Jamison told him as Nelson moved to the bed.

“How do you think he’s doing, Jamie?” Nelson asked.

“Honestly, he’s better than I thought at this point. I won’t go over his injuries again, but it’s the damn drugs that have everyone worried. Once we’ve identified all of them it’ll be easier to treat the effects.”

“I wish we were home.”

“So do I, but not because of the treatment. This hospital is as good as any of the ones we have back home and Iva is certainly on top of her game. Hell, we’d be lucky to have her at NIMR,” Jamison said of the feisty woman in charge of this hospital.

“Think she’d be interested?”

“Maybe…if you made her the right offer,” Jamison said and looked at his friend. “You should get some rest, Admiral.”

“You should take a dose of your own prescription, Doctor,” Nelson said with a grin.

“I’m going to and that’s why I’m here. Iva told me there’s a room on the third floor for doctor’s on call. There’s a shower and a bed and I’m going to take advantage of it. Iva also arranged to have a chair brought in for you. It folds out into a bed and she said to tell you to use it or she’ll make good on her threat to have you removed,” Jamison told him.

“She reminds me of someone else I know,” Nelson stated and went back to the window.

“Admiral, he’s going to sleep for some time and you need to do the same,” Jamison ordered as the chair was brought inside by an orderly.

“I will…thanks, Jamie,” Nelson said and nodded when the other man left. He waited for the orderly to open up the chair and then moved to lie down. He covered himself with the blanket and was grateful someone decided he needed a pillow as well. He listened to the monitoring equipment and the sounds that told him Crane was still with them as he drifted toward sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chip groaned as he opened his eyes and tried to make sense of why he was lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar room. It took less than a minute for everything to clear and he stood up, rubbing the kinks from his lower back before making his way to the room across the hallway. He nodded to a nurse who was wheeling a cart and knew she was bringing medications to her patients as he pushed open the door to Lee’s hospital room.

Morton walked softly inside and closed the door gently as he spotted Nelson sleeping on the chair-bed. He wondered how long ago they’d brought Lee from the recovery room, but was relieved that his friend seemed to be doing okay. He glanced at the monitors, wondering if what he was seeing was good news or bad as he walked over to the window.

Chip knew it would be dark soon and realized they’d been at the hospital for at least ten to twelve hours. Greece was a beautiful country, but he wouldn’t get to see much of it. That was okay with him as long as Lee recovered and returned to his position as Seaview’s captain. Maybe it was time they gave up going to any diplomatic events like the wedding that ended with Lee fighting for his life.

Morton thought about the woman, the one who was so deadly obsessed with Lee Crane. Julie Parsons-Radcliff was really dead this time, but she’d nearly taken Lee with her. He took a deep breath and turned to look at the injured man. Crane’s head was turned toward him, but his eyes were closed. The cut above his left eye had been cleaned and covered with a bandage, but he could still see the bruise that had spread out from the injury.

“What time is it?” Nelson asked and sat up.

“It’s nearly seven,” Morton answered.

“Is he awake?”

“No,” Morton said as a nurse came into the room. She smiled at them both, but she didn’t speak as she went about her business. He thanked her before she left and sighed tiredly as Nelson joined him.

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Probably more than you did, Admiral,” Morton answered as Jamison came into the room carrying a tray of coffee and sandwiches.

“I figured you two would be awake now,” Jamison said and motioned for both men to eat. “Admiral, I updated Seaview on what’s happening here.”

“Thank you, Jamie,” Nelson said and took a bite of the roast beef sandwich. “Is there anything new on the blood work?”

“They’ve identified another one of the drugs and they are working on an antidote. The drugs were used to cause pain, and Lee was already wounded. Julie…”

“Is dead and can’t hurt him anymore,” Morton observed.

“Thank God, but until the drugs are out of his system we need to keep a close eye on his vital signs,” Jamison explained.

“How long do you think that’ll take?” Morton asked worriedly.

“It depends on a lot of things, Chip, but Iva has ordered the blood work repeated and the last ones show that his kidneys are working overtime to rid his body of the drugs,” Seaview’s doctor explained.

“Jamie, what are his chances?” Nelson asked seriously.

“Honestly, Admiral, if it was anyone else I’d say things were as bad as they could get, but this is Lee and he’s proven how stubborn he can be. I think he’ll be fine especially after the blood transfusion and the fluids he’s getting,” Jamison assured them and saw the smile on Morton’s face. “God, help us, Admiral, but with Chip’s blood flowing in his veins along with his own we could be in trouble.”

“God help us is right,” Nelson said when he noticed Crane’s eyes were open. “How do you feel, Son?”

“Numb,” Crane answered honestly.

“Any pain?” Jamison asked.

“Not really.”

“Not really, as in you’re channeling your stubborn pride with Chip’s blood making itself known,” Jamison told him.

“Does that mean we’re blood brother’s Lee?” Morton asked, relieved to see his friend awake.

“Lord help us,” Jamison said and shook his head. “I think your insurance just went through the roof, Admiral.”

“It already has,” Nelson offered. “Seriously, Lee, how do you feel?”

“I’m okay as long as I don’t…”

“Breathe, talk, move or do anything else that makes you human,” Jamison said. “Look, Lee, we’ve identified most of the drugs she used and some of them are already out of your system. I’m going to let the nurse know you need something for pain and then I want you sleeping. It’s the best thing for you right now.”

“Thanks, Jamie,” Crane said and watched the man leave. He knew he wasn’t fooling anyone, but it was as much a part of him as breathing. He hated admitting he was in pain, especially when there were others in the room. He turned as Jamison came back with the nurse and she injected something into his IV. “Thank you.”

“I think the word is wel…come,” the woman said in broken English.

“Yes,” Crane said and smiled at her before she left. He licked at dry lips and was grateful when Nelson handed him a glass of water with a straw in it.

“Just take it slow, Lee,” Jamison warned and watched as Seaview’s captain took a small sip of the water. It wasn’t long before the medication took over and Crane’s eyes closed.

“That’s a good sign, right, Jamie?” Morton asked.

“Yes, it is, but he’s still got a fever and we need to keep an eye on his numbers,” Jamison answered honestly. “We’ll know more after the next set of blood tests.”

“You guys just gave him a refill and now you keep taking it back,” Morton observed.

“We need to be sure of what’s going on, Chip,” Seaview’s doctor answered and knew Morton wasn’t angry with him.

“I know, Jamie,” Morton told the weary man as they settled in to wait for the blood work and other tests.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee opened his eyes and frowned when he looked at the woman standing beside his bed. He’d been awake off and on, but had no idea how long he’d been in the hospital. He’d heard the woman speaking with someone, but the language wasn’t one he understood as he shifted on the bed.

“Hello, Captain Crane, I know you probably don’t remember me, but we met…”

“Dr. Linard,” Crane whispered.

“Yes, I am happy to know you have a good memory,” Linard said as Jamie joined her at the bed. “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” Crane answered honestly. “How long?”

“You’ve been here for three days,” Jamison answered.

“Three days,” Seaview’s captain asked incredulously.

“Most of the time you were in and out of consciousness, Lee, but that’s to be expected after everything you’ve been through. Dr. Linard and I are happy to say the drugs are just about out of your system, but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to release you just yet,” Jamison observed.

“At least a couple of days,” Linard agreed with Jamison before the patient could say anything.

“Lee, are you hungry?” Jamison asked.

“A little,” Crane answered.

“Jamie, I’ll speak with the staff and have a tray brought up,” Linard said and left the room.

“Jamie…Julie?”

“She’s dead, Lee.”

“We thought that before,” Crane said, aware of the fact that he’d probably asked that question before.

“I know, but this time there’s no doubt. She’s dead, Lee, and she won’t be able to hurt anyone ever again,” Jamie vowed.

“What about the others?” Crane asked as Nelson and Morton came into the room.

“What others?” Morton asked.

“Katerina and Kaia…Nana?” the injured man answered.

“Nana is in custody…”

“No, Admiral, she helped me,” Crane said and tried to sit up.

“Easy, Lee, we know that, but the authorities want to make sure she isn’t wanted anywhere,” Nelson explained and saw the dark head nod slightly as the hazel eyes closed for a few seconds.

“What about the others?” Crane asked without opening his eyes.

“Katerina and Alexi Elias are dead…so is Kaia Theodori. We believe Mikolas Theodori is also dead, but they haven’t identified his body yet,” Nelson answered.

“There are probably more like them,” Crane observed.

“What do you mean?” Morton asked.

“I overheard Katerina and Kaia talking,” the injured man answered and went on to explain what he’d heard the two women talking about and how Julie was to be part of it once they finished treating him. “Alexi and Mikolas were innocent in this, but there was no way of getting them out until you dealt with Katerina and Kaia. It’s too late for them now.”

“Yes, it is, but you can’t blame yourself for what happened to them, Lee,” Nelson offered.

“I know, but it seems like such a waste,” Crane observed.

“It is, but there’s nothing we could have done to help them. They were lost a long time ago and I doubt we’d have been able to undo what Katerina and Kaia did to change who they were,” Jamison told him and was relieved when Crane nodded that he knew he was right.

“Thanks for finding me before they did that to me,” the injure man said and knew they understood what he was saying. He sat up and thanked Jamison when he fixed the pillow behind him. “How’s Seaview?”

“Seaview’s fine and will be there once Jamie and Dr. Linard decide to release you, but I’m warning you right now that you’re not to report for duty until Jamie gives you a clean bill of health,” Nelson warned.

“I hear you, Admiral,” Crane said.

“Good, then I won’t have to repeat myself,” Nelson said with a hint of a smile as a nurse came into the room with a dinner tray. He pulled the table across the bed and nodded when she placed it there and removed the lid. There were several items including a bowl of soup with small vegetables and noodles.

“Lee, go easy,” Jamison warned as Crane lifted the glass of juice and took several sips before eyeing the cup of coffee.

Crane placed the glass on the tray and reached for the coffee, but found it taken away before he could pick it up.

“Eat first, then you can have the coffee,” Seaview’s doctor ordered and placed the coffee cup just out of reach.

Lee knew there was no point in arguing and used the spoon to eat the soup, surprised that it wasn’t bland and actually had a savory flavor that he enjoyed. He finished the soup and then turned his attention to the Jell-O and made quick work of that before finishing the juice and motioning for the coffee.

“You sure you want this?” Jamison asked.

“I’m sure,” Crane answered and took a tentative sip before smiling at the trio beside the bed. “It’s good…why don’t you guys go get some rest…you look worse than I feel.”

“There’s gratitude for you,” Morton said.

“He’s right,” Linard said from the doorway. “He’s turned the corner and his recent blood work looks good so why don’t you three find a hotel room and get some sleep. Come back tomorrow and bring him a good cup of coffee from the Bistro down the street…bring me one while you’re at it.”

“Lee…”

“Go, Admiral, I’m good and I’m just going to go back to sleep,” Crane answered and lowered the bed slightly before closing his eyes. He knew the nurse would be in shortly with his medications and once she gave them to him he’d sleep for several hours. He heard the others leave and felt relief wash over him. Tomorrow was a new day and he was determined to be back on board Seaview before the three days the docs gave him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee knew Jamison and Linard were as determined as he was, and quickly lost the argument about leaving the hospital. Jamie was used to his stubborn pride, but Linard wasn’t and she quickly showed just how strong will she was. She’d told them that she could and would use restraints and sedatives if she thought they were going to help her patient escape. Jamison was on her side and so was Nelson, leaving only Chip to stand beside him. They were no match for the trio who would have nothing to do with Crane leaving the hospital a minute before the medical staff agreed to sign his discharge papers.

Linard would not release him until four days later and insisted that he do exactly as Jamie said or he’d wind up relapsing. Seaview was waiting offshore and he smiled as the boat drew closer. FS1 had several problems that needed to be fixed and was unavailable to pick them up. Chip was already onboard Seaview, but Nelson and Jamison were with him. Reynaldo was steering the small boat and had updated them on everything that was happening with the island and Nana.

The elderly woman had come to visit him and with Reynaldo’s help he’d told her he appreciated everything she’d tried to do for him. She had hugged him and then Reynaldo had told him that she had a grand daughter who wanted her to come live with her in England. Lee had never been so happy for anyone in his life and promised to write her and let her know how he was doing as long as she did the same.

Nelson had spoken with Milik Kasparkova and was assured the governor was making a full recovery and did not blame them for what happened. The man was grateful that he’d found out what the woman was really like. They had invited Nelson, Morton and Crane for another visit, but without a gala event. For now, though, he just wanted to be home, and that meant his beloved submarine.

The boat pulled up close to Seaview and it wasn’t long before Lee Crane knew he was back where he belonged. He smiled as he was piped aboard and the crew rallied around him. He knew he’d promised Jamison and Linard he’d rest, but he needed to feel the submarine around him. He headed for the nose, slightly surprised when Jamie didn’t stop him.

“Lee, I know you need this, and I’ll give you an hour, after that I want you in your cabin and asleep or I’ll have you escorted to sickbay…understood?”

“Understood,” Crane answered and moved to sit at the table. Nelson and Morton joined him and he smiled as Seaview sank below the water and he knew this was better than any of the medications he’d been given. He was home, surrounded by his family and sighed as he felt the sub slice through the waters on the way to the next adventure.

The End!