Right Mind

By Chris B.

 

The one thing that fascinated Lee Crane most, captain of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research submarine SSRN Seaview was that everything seemed to proceed in slow motion despite the actual high rate of speed at which things were occurring.  He was captivated by the fact that he was watching events unfold as though they were advancing one frame at a time giving him the opportunity to catalog and capture every detail about the horrific scene rapidly unfolding before him.  He watched as the blue late model ¾ ton Ford pickup strayed across the center line of the two lane mountain road and made a beeline directly for him.  He noted the driver, a young man in his early 20s, short blond hair, moustache and a dark heart-shaped mole on his left cheek, wearing a blue chambray shirt over a black t-shirt and a small gold cross suspended from a chain around his neck was either asleep or passed out from too much alcohol, made no moves to return the truck to its correct side of the road.  He noticed the two ladybugs that had been cavorting on the dashboard of his SUV crash into the inside of the windshield as he romped on the brakes and the artistic splatter pattern on the center console as the contents of his cup of coffee dashed against it.  He watched as the cars both behind and ahead of him slammed on their brakes and skidded and skewed across the road trying desperately to avoid being caught up in the head on collision that was happening before their eyes.

Lee also noted that he had absolutely nowhere to go as the opposite side of the road was a granite cliff face and his side of the road beyond the guardrail was a 200 foot drop to the braided river below.  He marveled at how each of his appendages moved in synchronicity trying to control his borrowed SUV to keep from taking out other cars and in some small way limit how terribly he was going to be hit when the truck finally slammed into him.   He actually mentally snickered at the irony of being taken out while on an ordered leave by his Chief Medical Officer to relax and stay out of trouble.

As the two vehicles met he watched in amazement the deployment of the airbags and the intricate folding and crumpling of plastic, glass and metal twisting into new forms never envisioned by the vehicle’s designers. He also marveled at how everything seemed to go silent as he didn’t seem to hear the screeching of the tires, the grating of his bumper against the guardrail on his right or the sound of metal and plastic tearing, bending and shattering as the oncoming truck plowed into him.  He felt the pain as the side panel jammed into his left side and as his head slammed into the side window shattering it and meeting up with the grill of the errant truck.  At that point it all faded to black as it felt as though his skull caved in on his brain and a blinding white flash preceded the night.

?????

“Get him into Trauma Room 1 stat!  He’s on the edge and we’re about to lose him!” called out the emergency room doctor as the gurney was unloaded from the Flight for Life helicopter on the hospital roof.  A large procession of medical personnel escorted the gurney into the elevator and down to the emergency room all the while continuing efforts to save the man sliding precariously close to death.

“Get him typed and cross matched for whole blood transfusion, he’s bleeding internally.  Get x-rays of his head, chest and left side.  Notify the ER surgeon we have a case for him and get him prepped for immediate surgery.”

The ER staff quickly stripped the man of his blood soaked clothing revealing a massive array of bruises, cuts, and scrapes.  The doctor grimaced at the obvious trauma sustained in the crash and worked frantically to stabilize the man’s condition so he could be taken in for emergency surgery.

As the rush of activities needed to prep him for surgery came to a halt the doctor let loose a huge sigh of relief as his patient’s condition began to settle and stabilize as the drugs and fluids started to work reversing some of the effects of the accident on his body.  “What the hell happened to him?” he asked the EMT that had accompanied him in from the accident site.

“Drunk driver nailed him head-on.  Bastard walked away with a couple of scratches and a hell of a hangover,” the EMT nearly spat.  “According to the witnesses this guy did an incredible job controlling his car to keep from taking out anyone else.”

“Well you and your partner did a fantastic job with the on-site treatment so he at least stands a chance.  He took quite a blow to the head if he comes out whole I’ll be surprised.  So do we have an ID on him?”

“Not that the State Troopers could find.  There was no wallet on him but they’re running the plates on the SUV to find out who owns it,” the EMT answered.

The doctor returned to his patient perused the readouts from the monitoring equipment and let go a small smile.  “Looks like he’s ready for the surgery; let’s get him transferred up to the OR now.”

?????

One week earlier…

“I mean it Lee; you haven’t taken more than a day off in the last 8 months.  You will take off the next three weeks and get away from NIMR and work, to include ONI, or I will declare you medically unfit and prohibit you from sailing on the next mission,” Will Jamieson said as he glared at his commanding officer pacing furiously across his boss’ office.

“Three weeks?!  Oh come on Jamie I can’t be away that long.  We’ve got a major refit starting in three days and I’m needed here to help oversee it.” Lee replied.

“Believe it or not Captain, there are other officers and men on this boat and employed at NIMR that are equally well qualified to watch over and direct those activities, isn’t that right Admiral Nelson,” Jamieson responded.

“Yes Doctor you are correct as usual,” Harriman Nelson, founder of NIMR, replied evenly trying desperately to choke back a smile.  He knew his captain and surrogate son was a workaholic who lived and breathed his boat and any time he was forced away from her for more than a couple of days seemed like pure torture.

“Admiral, come on three weeks!  That’s not fair,” Lee whined.  Even to his ears he sounded like a five year old having his favorite toy taken away for some misdeed.  “I mean to Chip and Sharkey.  You know how much work goes on during a refit and the long days required, it’s not fair to dump that all on their shoulders,” he quickly amended in hopes of salvaging his argument. 

“Oh I think they can manage,” Nelson answered.  “As the good doctor has already pointed out there are numerous people qualified to carry out these activities plus it gives them much needed experience in directing such projects.  My god Lee, you’re not being punished.  You’ve earned the time off and need to take it to refresh your batteries and clear your mind.”

Lee folded his arms and glowered at both men.  “Fine, be that way,” Lee sulked more than a little unhappy at not getting his way. 

“Lee this refit is going to run well over six weeks, you’ll still get your opportunity to see what’s going on and how everything is coming together.” Harri said as he patted his captain on the shoulder in an attempt to assuage the sting of being forced to take time off and relax.

“Did it ever occur to you that I find this relaxing?” Lee offered.

“No.  You put in longer days than anyone else and unless the refit involves upgrades to the officer’s quarters you more often than not start sleeping on the boat so you’re immediately available should something come up.  In my book Captain that is not relaxation.  Based on previous experience you’re more wiped out by a refit than you are from most ONI missions that don’t go well,” Jamie fired back growing tired of Lee’s stonewalling.  “Geez Lee what is so difficult about cutting the umbilical cord between you and Seaview for a little time off? There are mothers that suffer less post-partum separation anxiety than you. I’m pretty sure the Admiral is not going to snatch her away from you; the crew would mutiny.”

“Jamie’s right Lee, you need the break.  I’ll even be taking time off to go visit Edith and a few friends back in Boston during that time.”

Seeing a snowball’s chance in hell of getting what he wanted Lee finally let loose a huge sigh in resignation.  “Okay, it’s quite obvious I’m not going to win.  I’ll go clear off my desk and then I’m out of here.”

“Thank you.” Jamieson replied sincerely.  “You need the break Lee for all our sakes.”

?????

“Wow three weeks, that’s sweet Lee,” Chip replied as he uncapped his bottle of beer then plopped down on the lounge chair on Lee’s deck.

Lee glared at him a moment then finally relented and smiled.  “Not my idea, believe me.  What the hell am I going to do with myself for three weeks?”

“Damn bro, you’re that unimaginative that you can’t come up with some way to spend three weeks with no responsibilities other than to have fun?  No wonder Jamie is insisting you take this break; you are way out of practice.  I could draw up a list of suggested activities for you if it really is beyond your capabilities,” Chip sniped back with a chuckle.

“Thanks anyway Chip; I just don’t find computer camp exciting.”

Chip scowled then spurted a stream of beer at Lee hitting him in the ear.  They both started laughing as Lee wiped dry the side of his face.

“Oh real mature Morton.”

“So really have you come up with any ideas for your time off?”

“I’m thinking about heading up to Alaska to do a little backcountry backpacking and some fishing.  Remember Jack Winter, we were on the same boat in Norfolk?  He just transferred up there and sent me an invite to come up for a visit.”

“Yes I remember Jack, you two are dangerous together.  I don’t think Jamie or the admiral would approve of that,” Chip replied with a smirk.

“That was years ago, we’ve both settled down quite a bit since then,” Lee said with a laugh.

“Yeah right, you two look enough alike to be brothers and have the same affinity for finding trouble in the most innocuous of places,” Chip snorted in response.  “So what’s he doing up in Alaska?”

“He resigned from the Navy and is working with a security company that monitors the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and protects it from threats, foreign and domestic,” Lee replied smiling as he parroted Jack’s description.

“That sounds right up his alley.  So where’s he living?”

“He’s out of Valdez, where TAPS terminates.  I think I’ll fly in there hook up with him for a few days then head out to the backcountry.”

“Sounds like a good deal, you better not come back without a few hundred pounds of salmon and halibut.  If I have to stay here and slave over a refit I expect to be well fed when you get back,” Chip said with a wink.

Lee just rolled his eyes shook his head and laughed.  “You got it gutter gut.”

?????

As Lee entered the small airplane terminal in Valdez he was immediately greeted by his friend.  “Hey Lee!  Great to see you bro, you’re looking good.” Jack said as they shook hands then drew Lee into a huge bear hug.

Chip was right they could have passed as brothers; both were tall, slender, well-muscled, dark curly hair, olive complexion and devastating smiles that generally could get them whatever they wanted.  Their exploits during the two years they ran together as LTs in Norfolk were nearly legendary or infamous depending on one’s point of view.

“Great to see you Jack, looks like Alaska agrees with you.  Man this place is incredible, I can’t believe how scenic it is.  I don’t know which way to look first,” Lee replied with a laugh.

“You’ve lucked out, as usual, the weather just broke and the skies are clear.  We’ve been weathered in for the last few days,” Jack answered.

“I can deal with that.  So how’s life up here in the Last Frontier?”

“I’m not complaining, great work, super people and all kinds of things to do.  You’ll have to come back in the winter and we’ll do some backcountry skiing; it is truly world class around here.  Come on let’s grab your bags and head back to the house.”

They quickly picked up Lee’s luggage, tossed it in the back of Jack’s SUV and drove the 20 miles to his secluded mountain home.

“Wow some cabin Jack,” Lee said in appreciation as he caught sight of the house.

“Yeah not too bad is it.  I just happened to hit town at the right time; it came on the market the day I arrived and I fell in love with it at first sight.  Made an offer the first day I was here.  Come on I’ll show you your room then give you a quick tour.”

The ‘cabin’ was a huge A-frame log structure with soaring 20 foot ceilings, huge windows displaying a panoramic view of the mountains and surrounding forest, large slate fireplace, solid wood floors, gourmet kitchen, an immense master bedroom suite and four well-appointed guest rooms.  Outside the windows was a large wrap-around deck that was currently bathed in the warm afternoon sunlight.  The only sounds were the birds, the wind in the trees and a small stream flowing somewhere in the distance.

“I can see why you grabbed it up,” Lee said after getting the grand tour.  

“Yeah, I totally love it up here.  At night I can lie in bed and hear the wolves and foxes howling off in the distance and I’ve lost count of the number of bear, moose and sheep I’ve seen just sitting out on the deck.  It’s like my own private animal park,” Jack replied with a laugh.  “So what are your plans Lee?”

“I’m very flexible.  I’d like to do some hiking and camping with a little fishing thrown in.  What’s your schedule like, can you come out and play for a few days?”

“Definitely, but it won’t be for another week or so.  I told you we’d been weathered in for a while, well I have to go out and conduct some security site visits that I missed while we were grounded.  That should take 10 days max.  How about I give you my rig and let you head back into the mountains to do your hiking and camping then come on in and we’ll get a charter and go fishing for some ‘but.”

“Sounds like a great plan, I just don’t want to outstay my welcome.  Chip made me promise to bring back some halibut or else.  If I get like rotten fish, just let me know when I need to push on.”

“No problem.  We’ll spend the next couple of days doing the Valdez thing and get you oriented.  I’ll point out some of the areas you might want to consider for your jump off point and then I’ll release you into the wild,” Jack offered with a chuckle and Lee nodded in agreement.  “Now that that’s settled come lend me a hand with dinner.  I’ve got some great moose steaks just waiting for the grill and some excellent local brews to help wash it down.”

?????

Orientation to Valdez took about an hour and the rest of the next two days was spent scouting out trailheads for Lee’s backpacking.  On Monday morning Lee got up early to drive Jack down to the airport so he could catch his helicopter and begin the security visits along the TAPS corridor.  After he dropped him off, he stopped at one of the local coffee shacks and picked up a coffee and a couple of fresh pastries then returned to Jack’s place to finish packing his gear, load up the car and then head out for a week of hiking and camping.

Jack had given him a backpack to use and he carefully sorted through his luggage pulling out all the items he needed for his backcountry activities.  He threw in a couple of changes of underwear, shirts, shorts, jeans, lots of socks, bug dope, satellite phone, GPS, food, cooking pot, water, sleeping bag, small tent and his gun and ammo.  He vacillated back and forth between stowing his wallet with his gear and keeping it in his back pocket. Finally deciding to decide when he was ready to go he placed it on the sofa next to his pack.

Done with packing he brewed up a pot of coffee then went out on the deck to enjoy the morning and eat the goodies he had purchased earlier.  Being mid-summer the sun was already up despite the early hour and he relaxed and watched the forest around him come alive as the warmth of the day increased.  After a leisurely breakfast he cleaned up the kitchen, grabbed his backpack, car keys and headed out the door to start his adventure.  As he shut and locked the door, his forgotten wallet slid off the couch and hit the cabin floor.  

?????

Pain, excruciating, unrelenting pain was the first sensation that crushed down upon him.  It felt as though his head was going to explode accompanied by an equally pervasive pain in his side.  He moaned quietly trying his best to bite back the sound.  The next thing to invade his consciousness was the sound of machines quietly counting his heartbeat followed by a medicinal smell that he always associated with doctors and hospitals.

Finding it dark, he finally realized his eyes were closed and he tried with everything he had to crack them open.  The influx of light sent a lightning bolt of pain pinging through his head and this time he was unable to squelch his groan.  He snapped his eyes shut and tried desperately to regulate his breathing and the pain lancing through his body.

A moment later someone touched him lightly on the shoulder and spoke to him.  He assumed they were trying to coax him awake but he couldn’t understand a word they were saying.  He cautiously pried open his eyes once again and observed a fuzzy form in front of his face that finally resolved into a young woman looking down at him expectantly.  She spoke again but he had no idea what she was saying.

“Welcome back, how are you feeling Jack?”

All he heard was blah, blah, blah.  He didn’t understand whatever language she was speaking.  He tried to speak but it felt as though his tongue had been permanently glued to the roof of his mouth and something had died there.  He smacked his lips trying to get the saliva to flow but he was so thirsty.  The woman walked away and then returned with a glass of water with a straw.  She moved the straw to his lips and he sucked in the cooling fluid gratefully.  Once he’d had his fill he nodded and eased his head back to the pillow.

“Where am I?” he asked.

“What was that?” the nurse replied.

“Where am I? Who are you?” he repeated.

The nurse moved to the phone and dialed a couple of numbers.  “Doctor he’s awake, but he’s speaking in a language I don’t understand…Yes, he seems alert and drank some water when I offered it…Not that I can tell, he hasn’t said a name… See you shortly.”

He eyed her warily.  Somewhere in his confused mind he somehow thought that they were enemies but he couldn’t remember why.  She moved back to his side and gently picked up his left wrist took his pulse and recorded her findings on the clipboard at the end of the bed.  A few minutes later the door to his room swung open and a man in a green shirt and pants entered.

“Good morning, I’m Doctor McGraw.  It’s good to see you awake; you’ve had us wondering if you would make it back.  Do you know your name? Do you recall what happened? ”

He looked at him and focused hard trying desperately to understand what he was saying.  He shook his head slightly hoping to clear the cobwebs he felt littering his brain.  That wasn’t the greatest of ideas as the movement shot another spike of pain through his head.  He closed his eyes and grimaced fighting hard to swallow the sound.

“My guess is you’ve got quite a headache if that grimace is any indication.”  He moved over to the cabinet and pulled out a vial and syringe then drew off an amount and injected it into his IV line.  “That should ease the pain a bit.”

He felt the pain begin to abate and sighed in relief as it became a more manageable dull throb.  “Thank you” he said.

The doctor looked at him for a moment trying to figure out what language he had used.  He pointed to himself, “Eric McGraw.”  He next pointed to the man in the bed.

Even he got the point; they wanted to know his name.  Leon Borodin1, he replied pointing to himself.

“Good well that’s a start Leon. Apparently you haven’t a clue what I’m saying and we need to change that.  Margo, please stay with Leon and make sure he is comfortable and relaxed, I’m going to see if I can find someone who can translate for us.”

“Yes Doctor.  Do you have any idea what language he’s speaking?” she asked.

“I’m not certain but it sounds like Republicese.  I’ve got a couple of friends at the Coast Guard station that might be able to help us out.”

“You think he’s from the People’s Republic?  What in the world is he doing here?” Margo asked.

“There’s no telling.  There are multiple opportunities for espionage or other types of mischief the PR could get involved in in this area.  I’ll alert security to post a guard until we get this sorted out.”

 ?????

Leon closed his eyes feeling suddenly tired.  His side hurt, his head hurt and he had no clue as to what had happened or why he was being held here.  They didn’t seem as though they wanted to hurt him or desired any information from him yet he still felt extremely ill at ease.

The next time he opened his eyes was when he heard the door to his room open and McGraw and another man dressed in a uniform entered.  He slowly focused on them and stared intently at the pair.  They spoke briefly with each other and he heard them mention his name.  Finally the man in the uniform advanced and began to speak.

Good afternoon Mr. Borodin, my name is Commander Thomas Adkin of the United States Coast Guard.  Do you understand me?” Adkin said in Repulicese

Leon nodded.  “Good afternoon Commander Adkin, yes I understand you.  Could you please tell me where I am and what happened to me?”

“Mr. Borodin you were involved in a car accident about 40 miles north of Valdez, Alaska.  Can you tell me what you were doing there?”

“I have no recollection of that or how I even got there.  I am a merchant seaman from Cordessa, People’s Republic.  The last thing I remember was being on a freighter heading for Mexico.”

Cordessa is quite a distance from here, Leon; may I call you Leon?  How do you explain your presence here?”

“As I said I have no idea how I came to be here.  I vaguely remember being adrift in the ocean and climbing in a raft.  I wish I could tell you more but that’s all I can recall,” Leon answered honestly.

“Tom, please ask him how he feels?  I need to check on his physical and mental condition given the extreme nature of his accident,” Eric asked.

“The doctor wants to know how you feel,” Adkin relayed.

“My head hurts and I feel kind of sick to my stomach.  My side hurts as well.  Can you tell me what happened please?”

“You were involved in an auto accident as you were driving up a mountain pass.  You sustained a serious head injury, some cracked ribs and internal injuries.  You have been here in the hospital unconscious for the past three days.”

“Three…days…,” Leon replied shocked at being out so long.

“He said his head hurts, he’s sick to his stomach and his side hurts.  He also said he has no recollection of what happened and says he’s just a merchant seaman from Cordessa, PR. The last he remembers was climbing into a life raft in the ocean.” Adkin relayed to McGraw.

“Well I can’t say I’m all that surprised he’s confused. He took quite a shot to the head and sustained a major concussion in his meeting with the pickup accompanied by significant swelling of the brain.  Would you let him know we’ll give him something for the nausea and the pain?  Also let him know that I would like for him to get some rest now and that I’ll be giving him a mild sedative to help him sleep,” the doctor replied.

While Adkin explained what the doctor had said, McGraw had moved to the medicine cabinet and was collecting the appropriate painkillers and sedatives for his patient.  He turned around quickly when he heard Leon’s raised voice quite obviously refusing what was being offered.

“What’s wrong?” McGraw asked.

“He says he doesn’t want the pain killer or the sedative, he says ‘he’s fine’ and not in need of your potions,” Adkin relayed.  “His words, not mine.”

“Tell him this is non-negotiable; he needs the rest and this is the best way for him to get it.”

As Adkin relayed the message Leon became quite agitated and began pushing his way out of bed.  There was something in the back of his mind that he must not be detained here or drugged, he had to get out.  Adkin and McGraw both pushed him back down and the doctor injected the medicine into his IV.  They held him firmly in place until the sedative began to take effect.  After a few minutes Leon finally fell asleep.

“That should keep him down for about 8 hours.  Are you going to post a guard outside his room?” Eric said.

“Yes.  There haven’t been any reported boats in distress or reports of missing crewmen so I don’t see how he could have come to be in this part of the world.  If he had turned up somewhere in the Aleutians that would be more plausible but here in Valdez, no way. I’ll see about having him transferred to the base hospital in Anchorage where they can keep better tabs on him there.  So do you have any inkling as to who he is?” Adkin asked.

“According to the State Troopers he was driving a car registered to a Jack Winter.  He matches the general description but there was no other ID on him.  His car was full of backpacking and camping gear.  I guess I should probably alert the Troopers so they can verify his identity and if he’s not Winter they can start looking for him.”

“I’ll see about getting a team out from the FBI to get prints to try and track down his identity too.  Well I’m going to head back to my office and give Anchorage a call and set things in motion.  If anything comes up give me a call.”

?????

He began rising towards consciousness like a deep diver coming to the surface.  As he came closer to the top the darkness gave way to the light and he slowly cracked his eyes.  The lights were subdued but still stabbed at his eyes and made his head ring in pain.  There was a deep throbbing ache in his left side and as he moved his hand down he found his middle swathed in bandages.  He thought furiously trying to remember how he came to be here and found himself to be at a total loss.

He shifted slightly in bed and that movement sent a wave of pain through his side and pinged up into his head.  He moaned loudly drawing the attention of the nurse who was completing her rounds. 

“So you’re back with us Leon,” she said.

He stared at the nurse oddly for a moment. “Why are you calling me Leon?  My name is Lee Glenn2.

The nurse looked at him somewhat startled.  “So you do speak English,” she said with a smile.

Lee looked at her oddly again.  “Of course I speak English; I’m from Boston, Mass.  Why would you think I don’t speak English?”  He quickly looked around the room not recognizing anything.  “Where am I?  How did I get here?  Who are you?”

“Well this is interesting.  My name is Margo Watson and I’m a nurse here at the Valdez Medical Center in Valdez, Alaska.”

“Alaska?!  What the hell am I doing in Alaska?  How did I get here?  Last thing I remember I was looking for work in the Greek Islands,” Lee replied trying desperately to get a grip on the situation.

“Just lie back and relax Lee, let me get the doctor and hopefully he can answer your questions,” Margo answered.  She walked across the room and picked up the phone. “Dr. McGraw, the patient in 210 is awake.  He’s now saying his name is Lee Glenn and he’s speaking English…Okay, I’ll stay here until you arrive.”

“Please, can you tell me what is going on, why am I here?” Lee pleaded.

A moment later Dr. McGraw entered the room followed closely by the guard who had been stationed at the door.  He spoke quickly with the nurse then walked over to his patient.

“Good morning, I’m Dr. Eric McGraw.  How are you feeling today?”

“I’ve felt better.  My head hurts and my body feels like I’ve been run over by a herd of elephants.  What happened, why am I here?” Lee asked.

“Do you know your name?” McGraw asked.

“Yeah I know my name.  I’m Lee Glenn.  She says we’re in Alaska, how the hell did I get in Alaska?” Lee answered.

“Lee Glenn?  What’s the last thing you remember Mr. Glenn?”

Lee stared at him a moment then closed his eyes and tried to recollect where he was and what he had been doing.  After a moment he looked at the doctor, guard and nurse.  “I had just jumped off a freighter when it made port at a small Greek island and was looking for work.  I’m a deep sea salvage diver and had heard there were jobs out there for someone really good at depth.  I had checked into the local hotel, room 25 to be exact and then had gone out diving to get a feel for the neighborhood.  There was this girl who nearly harpooned me with her spear gun and when we got back top side we found her father drowned on the beach.  After that I got a job offer from a local archeologist recovering relics on the sea floor and that’s the last I remember.”

The doctor stared at Lee quizzically along with the other two people in the room.

“What’s wrong?  What happened, how did I get here?  I answered your questions, why don’t you answer some of mine,” Lee asked as he read their baffled expressions.

“You were involved in a car accident four days ago, Lee.  You’ve been unconscious for three of those days.  When they brought you in you had no ID, you were driving a car registered to a Jack Winter and the first time you woke up you in Republicese, identified yourself as Leon Borodin, a merchant seaman from Cordessa, PR.  Do you remember any of that?”

Lee stared at McGraw like he was some alien from Mars.  “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.  I’ve never been to the PR and have no desire to ever go.  I’m Lee Glen I grew up in Boston, Mass.  When I graduated high school I did a hitch in the Navy and learned to be a deep water salvage diver.  I got out after one tour and have been kicking around the world wherever the jobs lead me.  As far as speaking some other language, I can order drinks and find the restroom in 5 or 6 but that’s the extent of that and Republicese ain’t one of those six.”

“Well I’ll have to differ with you there Lee as you and CDR Adkin held a long conversation in Republicese the first time you came around.  How do you suppose you can explain that?” McGraw replied.

“I have no explanation for that, I’m just telling you what I know right now.  I quite honestly think you’re trying to set me up for something.”

“Why would we want to do that?  What else can you remember about your life in Boston?  Do you have family?  Is there someone we can call?”

“No, I grew up an orphan living in foster homes and on the street.  I was more than ready to get the hell out of there once I was old enough to join the Navy.  I got no ties back there or anywhere really other than a sometimes partner Harriman Jones.  Last I knew he was in Athens but I had kind of skipped out on him because I owed him money.”

“Is he American?”

“Yeah, he’s from Boston too.  He was a Master Chief in the Navy when I met him.  He retired about the same time I got out and we started up a deep water salvage business,” Lee continued.

As he spoke the USCG petty officer posted as guard quietly wrote down the names and locations Lee listed.  He’d give the Commander a call when he got a chance and update him on the recent turn of events.

“Okay Lee you’ve given us something to go with and hopefully we can get this all cleared up.  I want you to just lie back and relax.  You sustained a number of injuries in the accident and you need to give your body a chance to heal.  I’m going to give you something for the pain and a light sedative to just relax you,” said McGraw.

“I’m fine, I don’t need any of your stuff; it messes with my mind,” Lee replied defensively.

Eric regarded Lee for a moment reading his body language and gauging just how much pain the man was actually experiencing.  “Okay I’ll forgo giving you anything right now if you’ll promise to rest and try and get some sleep.”

“Fine, I’ll give it a shot.  Could I get something to drink though?”

“Sure, Margo would you get Lee a glass of orange juice?  Also, have some lunch sent up.”

“I’m not that hungry, I’ll pass on that.”

“Non-negotiable Lee, you need to rebuild your strength.  Eat what you can, okay.” McGraw answered.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes Lee with your drink and a nice lunch.  The food here is actually pretty good for a hospital,” Margo said with a chuckle as she exited the room.

Lee nodded then laid his head back on the pillows as McGraw and the petty officer exited the room.  He reached over grabbed the TV remote and turned on the set.  He began flipping through the various channels trying to find something to watch.  He suddenly stopped his surfing when he came across a program on The Discovery Channel about the Nelson Institute of Marine Research and their magnificent submarine Seaview.

He became transfixed as the host interviewed the NIMR founder Harriman Nelson about NIMR’s purpose, the types of research they did and his submarine.  Lee somehow felt he should know the man; he was very familiar though he couldn’t for the life of him ever remember meeting him.  He kind of reminded him of Harriman Jones. The images of the vessel and the men working on the boat all seemed eerily familiar and the longer he watched the more his head began to hurt.  As the image shifted from Nelson to the captain of the Seaview, the shock was too much and Lee cried out in pain and passed out dropping the remote which changed the channel when it hit the floor.

?????

A faint voice could be heard in the distance, but he had no memory of who it was or what it was saying to him.  The only thing he seemed to remember was that pain always greeted him of late when he rejoined the conscious world and it was growing quite tiresome.  Giving it all he had he forced open his eyes to find a man who looked like a doctor, another dressed in a uniform and a woman staring down at him anxiously.

“Lee, blah, blah, blah,” the man in green said to him.

He looked up at them confused by what was going on and how he came to find himself in this hospital room in so much pain.  “Where am I?  What happened?” he said in response to their words. 

The looks of surprise on their faces confounded him as they regarded him incredulously.  They spoke amongst themselves for a moment then turned their attention back on him.

“What’s he speaking now?” asked Margo.

“Sounds Arabic if I were to hazard a guess,” McGraw replied after a moment. Turning his attention to the man in bed he placed his hand on his chest and spoke.  “Eric McGraw.” He then motioned to the other apparently asking for a name.

He nodded indicating he understood.  I am Lateef Chutani,” he replied in Pashto.  “Please can you tell me where I am and how I came to be here?”  He regarded their confused expressions then decided to try another tack.  Parlez vous Francais?”  He had spent a number of years in France studying nuclear physics so he was equally fluent in that language in addition to his native tongue.

McGraw just shook his head in amusement.  “Geez this guy is a virtual UN all by himself.  Yes I speak French.  My name is Eric McGraw I am a physician here at the Valdez Medical Center in Valdez, Alaska.  Do you know your name; do you know who you are?”

Lateef nodded and gave them a small smile.  Yes I’m Lateef Chutani and I’m from Turbat, Pakistan.  I’ve been studying abroad in France until I was called home to take care of a family emergency.  How did I come to be here in Alaska, you say?”

Eric was becoming more than a little tired with this game having explained the man’s situation twice already.  You were involved in a serious car accident 5 days ago.  You have been awake two times and both times you have given us a different name and spoken in Republicese and English.  The last time you were awake you cried out in pain and when we came back into the room you were unconscious.  Do you have any memory of that?”

“No I have no idea what you are talking about.  The last thing I remember was working with friends and family in the hills near Turbat.”  As he finished that statement a recollection of working on some sort of explosive device flashed into his mind.  He now realized these were no friends but most likely American officials sent to interrogate him to gain any information he might have about the Red Jihad and the rumors they had gotten their hands on weapons grade plutonium3.  He knew he had to get out of there now before they forced him to divulge his secrets.

McGraw regarded Lateef for a moment trying to decide if he actually suffered from a multiple personality disorder or if this was some type of ruse to try and hide who he really was.  After he had passed out earlier, the State Troopers and FBI had arrived and taken his fingerprints in hopes of finding out the man’s true identity.  They were waiting for the results now before they took further actions.

Lateef, how are you feeling? Are you in pain?” Eric asked.

I have a headache but other than that I’m fine,” Lateef replied.  In actuality his side and head were killing him but he didn’t need them to know that.  If he disclosed how pain he was really feeling they would no doubt try and medicate him, which he could not allow.  I’m just very tired at the moment and could use some sleep, I think.”

The doctor scrutinized him more closely trying to tell if he was being honest.  He knew he had to be in some discomfort but he didn’t want to stress the man more than he already was by forcing anything on him.  “All right, if you say so.  If the pain returns or you have trouble sleeping just press this button and I’ll bring you something to help you relax.”

Thank you Doctor, I’m fine for now.” He responded then settled back into the bed and closed his eyes hoping they would get the message and leave him alone to plot his escape.

?????

It was the Friday afternoon senior staff meeting between Nelson and his department heads used to wrap up items from the week related to the refit and plan for events the following week.  As the meeting drew to an end Angie opened the door to the Admiral’s office and entered.

“Excuse me Admiral, but there is an urgent call from Admiral Hardy at ONI.  I told him you were in a meeting but he said this was an emergency.”

Looks of concern quickly crossed the faces of everyone in the room, an urgent call from ONI could only mean one of two things and neither was particularly good.  “Fine Angie, put the call through,” Harri replied as he tried desperately to lower his heartbeat.

“Nelson here.”

“Harri, Tom here.  We just received notification of an inquiry on a John Doe in Valdez, Alaska.  The fingerprints that the FBI sent in belong to Crane.  I’ve tried getting in touch with him but his phone goes to voice mail and he hasn’t responded to any of my emails.  Is he there with you or elsewhere?”

“No Lee’s not here, he’s on leave up in Alaska.  Why is the FBI trying to identify him from fingerprints?  What’s happened Tom?” Harri answered as he felt his stomach knot in dread.

“Well that explains their search, that’s a bit of a relief.  Apparently he was involved in a head-on collision 5 days ago and was unconscious for three.  He had no ID on him but matched the description of the owner of the car so no one immediately followed up.  When he finally came to he started speaking in Republicese and identified himself as Leon Borodin, a merchant seaman from the PR; that was a cover he used two years ago when he went in to gather some intel.  The doctor told the agent that Leon didn’t understand English and they had to bring in an interpreter from the Coast Guard station. When they tried to administer some painkillers he became agitated and they had to sedate him to settle him down.  When he next woke up he was speaking English and identified himself as Lee Glenn, a deep water salvage diver working in the Greek Islands.  Wasn’t that the cover he used to try and discover the reason for a spate of vessel attacks related to a hidden subsea city?”

“Yes that was the cover he used for that impromptu mission.  How badly is Lee injured? Was it an accident or something more sinister?”  At that question the other men in the room immediately sat up in their chairs.

“According to the FBI agent he sustained a severe concussion, cracked ribs and internal injuries.  He is apparently on the mend physically aside from having no idea who he really is.  The guy that hit him blew a .2 on the breathalyzer which is more than twice the legal limit for alcohol intoxication; the bastard just walked away with a few scratches. The agent I talked to told me that prior to them collecting his fingerprints he was watching TV then suddenly cried out in pain and when they rushed into his room he had passed out.  Best as I know he’s still unconscious.  I needed to confirm Lee’s status before I got back to them to verify his ID and to mobilize intelligence personnel to his location to ensure he doesn’t divulge classified information.”

“Well that’s nice to know,” Harri replied sarcastically.  “Tom we’re on our way up there now.”

“Hold on a minute Harri, I’ve got a call from the FBI coming in.  Sit tight and let me find out how he’s doing.”

“All right Tom, I’ll hold.”  Harri replied.  He looked up and was met with a sea of concerned faces staring at him looking for details having heard only half of the conversation.

“What’s wrong with Lee, sir?” Chip inquired.  The other men in the room nodded their heads indicating they had the same question.

“Lee was involved in a head-on collision and was badly injured.  Tom said he sustained a severe concussion, cracked ribs and internal injuries.  He said the doctors have treated those injuries but the biggest problem is that every time Lee wakes up he’s somebody else.  I’m guessing because of the head injury his mind is grasping onto ONI and Seaview cover stories for identities.  When he first woke up he was a merchant seaman from the PR, spoke in Republicese and couldn’t understand English.  The next time he came around he was Lee Glenn, a deep water salvage diver.  He used that cover when we found that underwater city in Greece,” Harri explained.

“Damn, I had a feeling all those head injuries would eventually catch up with him,” Jamie fumed.  “So what’s his status now?”

“Tom received a call from the FBI in Alaska and is talking with them now; he’ll give me an update when he’s finished.”  After five minutes Harri heard Tom come back on the line.

“Harri, you there?”

“Yes Tom I’m here,” Harri answered. “I’m going to put you on speaker so I won’t have to repeat everything you tell me.  I’ve got Morton, Jamieson, Fox, and Sharkey here in the room. What’s the current situation?”

“Not good. Lee came to and is now currently Lateef Chutani and was first conversing in Pashto then switched to French when he realized they didn’t understand him.”

Chip and Sharkey immediately paled, scowled and damn near spat on the floor at the sound of that name.  Lee had assumed that identity while on Seaview as he prepared to go undercover to infiltrate a Red Jihad terror cell to get his hands on the plutonium they had managed to obtain.  He had so totally morphed into his cover Chip and the crew were both ready to throw him off the boat.  Harri grimaced as well knowing exactly how reprehensible that individual had been.  Jamie and Darren Fox, head of NIMR security, knew the name but hadn’t dealt with Lee once he transformed into that person.

“Oh god, please not that identity.  That one cost us all too much and I’d hoped never to think of that mission again,” Harri responded.

“I’m with you on that one Harri.  The FBI has placed a guard on Lee’s room just to be on the safe side since he doesn’t seem to know his own mind.  They were quite naturally relieved to find out he’s one of ours and don’t have to worry about a terrorist plot there in Alaska.”

“Thanks for the information Tom.  I’ve got my staff mobilized and we’ll be on our way to Alaska shortly via FS-1.  Hopefully once he sees us his memory will return.”

“Okay Harri.  I’ve got a man mobilized as well just so we have double coverage on this.  Give me a call once you get there and let me know how things are going,” Hardy added.

“Will do Tom, be talking to you soon.  Nelson out.”  Harri disconnected the phone and looked around the table at the expectant faces.  “Jamie, Chip, grab your gear we’re heading for Alaska.  Sharkey contact Seaview and have them prep FS-1 for immediate departure.”  The men acknowledged Nelson’s orders and moved immediately to carry them out as quickly as they could.

?????

Lateef feigned sleep as he monitored how often the doctor and nurse returned to the room to check up on him.  They came in every 15 minutes for the first hour and then it dropped off to once an hour after that.  Having noted that cycle for the last 4 hours he felt somewhat secure that he could begin making plans to escape his room.

Ten minutes after the last bed check, he eased himself out of bed biting back the groan of pain that threatened to escape as he strained his healing injuries.  He eased his way over to the door, looked through the small window and noticed a guard seated in a chair just outside.  That definitely confirmed in his mind that he was their prisoner and he needed to get out.  He next conducted a complete inventory of his room and found that in the closet was a pair of boots and a backpack with clothes and other gear.  He rifled through the bag and pulled out a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and socks.

He donned the clothing then dug through the pack and came up with a length of rope and a knife.  Next he moved to the window and looked out.  He was pleased to see that he was only on the second floor located on the backside of the building; that would make it much easier to go out the window and get away hopefully undetected.

Lateef quietly slid open the window then slit the screen with his knife.  He peered outside and didn’t see any security personnel patrolling the grounds or security cameras pointing in his direction.  He smiled at their lax security and returned to the closet to collect the pack and his rope.  He tossed the pack out the window and waited for a couple of minutes for any security alarms; all remained quiet.

He then looped the rope around the heat register below the window and gently eased himself up into the window.  He shot a quick look at the clock across the room; he had approximately 23 minutes in which to complete his escape before the next bed check was due.  As he carefully worked his way out of the window, he nearly passed out from pain as his arms now supported his full body weight stressing his ribs and incision as he hung onto the rope dangling above the ground.  He bit back the cry of agony and quickly schooled his breathing so he wouldn’t hyperventilate and pass out.

He repelled slowly and cautiously from the second floor window to the ground below.  As his feet touched down he crumpled into a heap overcome by the exertion and pain.  After what seemed forever he found the strength to push up to his feet, coil and stow the rope, pick up his backpack and walk slowly into the nearby forest behind the hospital.  He was free, but where did he need to go now?  

?????

“What the hell do you mean he’s gone?!” Nelson shouted as he was informed that his captain was now nowhere to be found.  “I thought there was a guard on his room? Who did the FBI assign a daycare provider?”

Admiral Hardy was holding the phone a considerable distance from his ear as Harri went off after he let him know Lee had managed to escape his room.  He had debated waiting for Harri to arrive in Valdez but felt he needed that information now so they could come up with some plan to track the incredibly elusive Crane down once they landed. “Come on Harri don’t you think that’s a little unfair?”

“No I don’t think that’s even the slightest bit unfair.  This is the FBI for god sake not some small town sheriff.  What part of covert operative didn’t they understand?  They’re charged with ensuring that highly trained operatives don’t just walk away. Where the hell was the guard, chatting up some nurse?”

“He was at his post outside the door and didn’t hear a thing,” Hardy replied.  Of course he didn’t Tom thought to himself.  “He had checked on Lee when the nurse went in for the hourly vitals check and when they went in for the next check he was gone.  He had gone out the second story window and was nowhere to be found.  At most he had a 30 minute head start on them but they couldn’t find any sign as to which direction he went.”

“Were they at least bright enough to put up a roadblock to check vehicles leaving town and put someone on the port?” Harri inquired derisively.

“Yes they’ve got one set up at the city limits and then one at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 4.  They’ve also got patrols on the docks and they’re conducting overflights with helicopters and sensors to see if they can spot him on the ground.  Look Harri Lee’s in bad shape and won’t be able to move very fast.”

“Oh I think you know Lee better than that, that’s why you constantly try to obtain his services.  If he went out the window in his condition he is at the very least tapping into all that training you’ve pumped him full of over the years.  You know how resourceful he can be especially when his back is against the wall.  I can’t even hazard a guess as to where he’d go or what he’d do if he’s still Chutani.  Well at least he should stick out in his hospital garb.” Harri replied.  He sat listening for Hardy’s concurrence with that observation and when it didn’t come he groaned aloud.  “He did just escape in his hospital jammies didn’t he?”

“Apparently after the State Troopers had gone through his backpack to see if they could identify him, they brought it to the hospital as part of his personal effects and it was placed in the closet in his room along with his boots.”

“Well now we have a fully equipped covert operative running around the wilds of Alaska with no clue as to his true identity.  Does that pretty much sum up the situation or are there any other items of interest I’ve left out?”  Harri snarled.

“Well at least he isn’t armed,” Hardy added lamely.  “The Troopers confiscated the gun from his pack because weapons aren’t allowed in the hospital. What’s your ETA for Valdez?  I’ll have someone down there to meet you.”

Harri looked over quickly at Chip who was piloting FS-1 and got an estimate.  “We should touch down in approximately 45 minutes.  Has anyone tracked down Lee’s friend Jack Winter?”

“Yes, Alyeska had him return to Valdez when they were initially alerted by the Coast Guard that a person from the PR had been found at the local hospital.  They increased their security level at the marine terminal as a matter of course. I’ll see to it that he’s there with your ride when you reach the dock.”

“Good.  Hopefully he can give us some idea which direction Lee might go since he was probably the last person to talk to him.  I’ll let you know what we find out.” Harri answered.

“Thanks Harri.  I’ll pass on any information I get as well.  Hardy out.”

The men exchanged worried glances after Harri signed off.  “So we’ve gone from a difficult situation to damn near impossible.” Chip said with a disgusted sigh.  “With a full backcountry pack Lee could stay holed up in the mountains indefinitely.  By now he’s probably fashioned a bow and arrow, stone axe and gone to ground.”

The other men just rolled their eyes at him.  Unfortunately they all had to admit Chip was probably closer to the truth than they wanted to admit.   If Lee thought he was being pursued by an enemy he would be almost impossible to find without an incredible stroke of luck.

“I think the only thing in our favor at this point in time is that Lee is recovering from some serious injuries.  That’s going to slow him down quite a bit.  I just hope he doesn’t injure himself further in his effort to get away.  I checked with the doctor who is managing his case and he said Lee went through emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding, and is sporting a severe concussion, cracked ribs and significant bruising,” Jamie added. “If he tears open any of that handiwork he could bleed to death before we can find him.”

Harri dropped his head and tiredly rubbed at his eyes.  “Why does everything have to be so damn complicated with him?” he asked rhetorically.  “We send the man off to get some much needed rest and relaxation and this happens.  I think I’m starting to come round to your way of thinking Chip, we do need to hire the man a keeper.”  They all snorted in amusement at the thought of Lee Crane accomplished submarine captain and super-agent running around with a sitter in tow.

?????

Lateef made his was cautiously along the edge of the woods hoping not to draw any unwanted attention.  He needed to find transportation out of this town quickly before they noticed he was gone and blocked the roads.  As he skirted the edge of the woods he came upon an apartment complex with a number of cars parked in front.  Looking over the vehicles in the lot he spotted an older Jeep Wrangler that had no doors and a soft top roof.  It looked like the perfect vehicle to get him out of town with the least amount of scrutiny.

He moved quietly into the lot and casually strolled up to the car as though it belonged to him.  Although it was nearly 0300 it was still light enough to easily see the area around him and no one seemed to be up to spot him as he began his work with the wires.  After a couple of minutes the car came to life and he threw his pack in the back jumped in and drove out of the lot to where he didn’t know.

He drove conservatively down what looked like the main drag until he spotted a road sign pointing the way to Glennallen.  Taking that as the way out, he headed down the road and onto Highway 4.  He drove for about 30 miles until he spotted a secluded dirt road off to the side and pulled over so he could look for a map in the glove box to hopefully get his bearings and make a plan to complete his escape.

In his search of the vehicle, he found an old Milepost Travel Guidebook that provided mile by mile descriptions of the highways in Alaska and northern Canada in the center console.  He quickly flipped through it trying to find Valdez.  Finally locating it in the book he was somewhat dismayed to find there was only one road in which meant it would be all too easy for them to catch him if he stayed in the car. In addition to the maps he also found a .357 revolver and a box of bullets which he quickly shoved into his pack.

As he continued to look at the map something keyed in his mind, a road he somehow remembered being pointed out to him another 20 miles up the highway.  Tried as he might he couldn’t recall who had told him about this road but given his inability to explain how he came to be in Alaska he figured it was probably an extraction point.  Without a passport he didn’t stand much chance getting across the Canadian border and if he kept heading north the American authorities would no doubt capture him quickly.  Given his limited options, Lateef threw the book in the backseat turned the Jeep around and headed up the road to find the next side road.

He easily found the dirt road he wanted then turned off the main highway and headed back along the tree covered route until he ran out of road.  There was an area set up for parking and he quickly scanned the surrounding woods for any indication that anyone else was there.  Not finding anyone around, he moved the car under a large spruce tree and killed the engine and lights. 

Lateef sighed tiredly feeling exhausted from all the activity he’d engaged in thus far but there was no time to rest since he still needed to put significant distance between him and this parking lot fast.  After resting a moment to catch his breath he eased his way out of the Jeep and gingerly pulled his backpack towards the tailgate then dug through it until he found his flashlight.  He sat down on the edge of the back bumper and gently placed the straps over his shoulders.  Steeling his resolve he pulled the pack forward and groaned in pain as he stood up and shouldered the load.  He adjusted the straps centering the load more on his lower back and hips then flipped on his light and started up the trail to hopefully find out why he was drawn to this place.

?????

FS-1 touched down lightly on the ocean surface just outside the breakwater for the small boat harbor in Valdez just around 0500.  Chip deftly steered the little craft into the marina and located the slip Hardy had told them was set aside for their use.  As he snugged up to the dock the two men waiting for their arrival quickly moved to secure the sub.

Harri was the first to unbuckle and push to his feet, followed by Jamieson who set to opening the aft hatch so they could all exit the boat.  Chip quickly powered down the little sub and joined the others gathering up their gear.  They began tossing their bags to the waiting hands then exited FS-1 onto the dock.

“Chip, good to see you,” Jack said as he extended his hand.

Nelson and Jamieson did a double take as they regarded the man that welcomed them to Valdez.  At first looks he was nearly identical to Lee and it gave them all a bit of a start.

“Jack, good to see you too, but I wish the circumstances were different.  Jack I’d like to introduce Admiral Harriman Nelson and Dr. Will Jamieson.  Gentlemen this is Jack Winter, Lee’s friend here in Valdez.”

Nelson stepped forward and offered his hand.  “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Winter.”

“The pleasure is all mine Admiral, please call me Jack.  Doctor, welcome to Valdez.  Uh… this is Agent Mark Fineman from the FBI.”

 “Agent Fineman,” Nelson said shaking his hand and mentally dismissing him.  He then turned back to Jack. “Chip wasn’t kidding when he said you and Lee could pass for brothers.  I must admit I had to do a double take when I first saw you.”

Jack chuckled.  “Yeah that’s pretty much how Lee and I became acquainted.  We were always being called by each other’s name when we both first arrived at Norfolk.  You can imagine our surprise when we found out we were assigned to the same sub.  Our skipper, Captain Gibbs was less than thrilled at first claiming he didn’t know which one of us he was yelling at.”

“They have the same ability to get into trouble too sir,” Chip added.  “I believe the city of Norfolk breathed a sigh of relief when they both rotated out.”

Jack ducked his head and smiled sheepishly at the jab.  “Well we were much younger in those days.”

“What’s the situation Jack,” Nelson interjected turning the topic to business.

“Well sir roadblocks have been established on the highway leaving town and at the junction of highways 1 and 4.  There are roving patrols keeping an eye on the docks and the city streets.  The police did receive a report of a stolen vehicle shortly after Lee had escaped from the hospital so we are assuming that he grabbed the Jeep and headed up into the mountains.  The Coast Guard is flying over the area with their infrared radar looking for signs of the vehicle or Lee but nothing has turned up as yet,” Jack reported  succinctly.  “I’ve also been reactivated by the Navy and have been read into the situation by Admiral Hardy.  Knowing Lee as I do and getting a brief on the three personas he’s shown so far I think we’ve got our work cut out for us especially if he holds onto Chutani for any length of time.”

“So where do we go from here?” Chip inquired.

“We’ve established a command post at the Coast Guard station and will coordinate our search efforts from there.  If you’ll come with me, I’ll escort you over there now,” Jack answered.

“Very well,” Nelson acknowledged.  “Please lead the way…uh?”

“Lt. Commander if you wish to use rank sir,” Jack answered.

“Jack works for me, I was just curious for more formal interactions since you said you’re back in uniform,” Nelson replied.

They collected their bags and walked quickly down the dock to the waiting van.  They tossed in their bags climbed aboard and headed for the Coast Guard station. 

?????

“Must keep going,” Lateef repeated over and over again as a means to force himself further along the trail.  His head and chest were screaming at him to stop and the incision in his torso felt as though it was about to come apart at the seams. His legs were likewise crying out for relief, although not broken he had deep bruises on both and they complained bitterly at having to work so hard in their current condition. He had no idea how far he’d come but it no doubt wasn’t far enough.

Finally forced to listen to his failing body he moved off the trail a fair distance and leaned tiredly against a large tree.  As he regained his breath he listened intently for any sounds that he was being followed or that there was someone out there that would rescue him from this hell.  His clothing was saturated with sweat and as he stood under the cover of the trees he began to shiver violently.  He knew he was going to crash soon so he had to find somewhere to hole up until he could regain some of his strength.

He scanned as much of the area as he could through the dense trees and spotted and large outcrop of rock and boulders; it would have to do.  It was a good distance from the trail, would afford decent cover from aerial detection and the rocks would adequately mask any heat signature his body or small fire would give off.  He quickly scanned his track from the trail and was satisfied that he hadn’t left any sign of his passage.  Pulling together the last of his resolve he pushed away from the tree and moved carefully towards the rocks and rest.

In reality the outcrop was a little over a quarter mile from where he had stopped but it felt closer to 10 as he scrambled over and under  rocks, downed logs, devil’s club and any number of bushes and brush.  Each obstacle felt like a major hurdle as he worked his way towards his goal.  As he reached the rocks he was rewarded beyond his wildest dreams as he found the boulders on the far side formed a good sized cave where he could bed down and recharge for a while.

Lateef cautiously crawled into the cave hoping to find that none of the local animals called this place home.  The area inside was relatively spacious and he found that he could easily standup without having to stoop.  It was obvious that nothing had claimed the little cavern and apparently humans had likewise not discovered this place. 

He quickly discarded his backpack to the ground and sighed in relief as the loss of the load eliminated the strain on his injuries.  As he lowered himself to the floor his legs finally gave out and he landed with a rude plop on the rocky ground.  He groaned loudly at the sudden jolt and keeled over on his side cradling his ribs and stitched up torso. He laid there panting in pain until it began to fade as his body relaxed.

Once on the ground he began shivering again so he quickly pulled his pack over removed and unfurled the sleeping bag.  With considerable effort he doffed his boots unzipped the bag and crawled inside.  After a few minutes the chill wore off and he dropped off to sleep as exhaustion claimed him.

?????

Entering the command post Jack led the NIMR crew over to the USCG Station commanding officer Commander Clemens and made the necessary introductions.  Clemens immediately provided them an updated brief on what had occurred to date and unfortunately thus far no one had spotted the missing man.

“Thank you Commander, it sounds like you’ve got everything set in motion,” said Nelson following the brief.  “What’s on tap next?”

“Well Admiral I was thinking that teams on foot should head out to the trailheads Jack identified to your man and begin a search in earnest there.  Given the information I’ve been provided on Commander Crane if he headed into the backcountry the only way we’ll find him is on foot.”

Jack nodded in agreement.  “That sounds like a good plan.  I showed him four trailheads located between 30 and 75 miles from Valdez, but there were two trailheads I heavily suggested to him.  I would recommend that we send out teams to all those sites and that one of us he knows be on each team so there’s a familiar face he hopefully can key on to regain his memory. ”

“I think that would be a wise approach, Admiral,” Jamie added.  “That may just be the nudge he needs to make all the pieces fit.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Clemens agreed.  “We can send out four teams, if you wish to be part of the search Admiral and would suggest that you and Commander Morton be the on the teams that hit the two trailheads Jack identified as the ones he most recommended to Crane.  I’ll pair each of you with one of my Search and Rescue team so you have some backup if you come across him.”

“Agreed Commander and yes I would very much like to be involved in the search,” Harri replied.

“Very well sir.  Lt Pearson, please escort the Admiral and his party over to supply and get them outfitted with gear.  Also contact the Quarterdeck and have them alert the SAR team and get four people to accompany the NIMR team into the field and make sure they dress in civvies, we don’t want to alarm Commander Crane in his current state.” Clemens ordered.  “Admiral I want to arm the teams as well, I think it a prudent course of action given the nature of Commander Crane’s potential personas.”

Harri stared at Clemens and quickly considered his request.  Given the fact that Lee was now Lateef Chatuni, a vicious and dangerous RJ terrorist, and if he was totally under the control of that personality he could be a lethal threat to whoever came across him.  To protect the searchers, wounding Lee might be the only way they could take him if he somehow managed to arm himself.  He looked at his men and read their concern.

“I’m inclined to agree with you Commander.  We’re all fully aware of Lee’s capabilities and if somehow he’s been completely consumed by his cover we may need to protect ourselves.”

Clemens nodded.  “Pearson, have the armory standby to issue each team member a side arm as well.”

“Aye sir,” Pearson replied. “If you will follow me sirs, I’ll take you over to supply and get you started there while I start the paperwork for the side arms.”  Nelson indicated the LT should lead on and they followed him out of the room.

“Guns Harri, do you really think those are necessary?” Jamie asked worried that Lee could end up more injured than he already was.

“Jamie you never dealt with Chutani.  When Lee went undercover he completely changed adopting that outlook and hatred to get him through the mission.  It scared the hell out of us and I know at one point there were some private questions as to whether he had switched sides.  The man is a brutal killer and I don’t want to take a chance with innocent lives that he’s completely been consumed by that character.  Also there are other things in the woods that will be deterred by a gun like bears,” Nelson answered.

Jamie nodded at the rationale though not really approving of the idea.  He shot a quick look at Chip and could tell he too remembered Lee’s transformation and had no love for that man.  “All right, I’ll concede the point I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

?????

He rolled over and was immediately brought awake by the sharp rock making contact with one of his damaged ribs.  Lateef groaned in pain and slowly sat up momentarily disoriented as he looked about the dark cave surrounding him.  After a moment it dawned on him where he was though he had no idea how long he’d been holed up in his small hideout.  He reached over and pulled his pack over and dug for the water bottle in one of the side pockets.  Finding it he quickly drained most of it as he hungrily gulped down the cool fluid.

For once in recent memory he felt almost human as the headache he seemed to always wake up with had been reduced to a nagging twinge and he actually felt rested.  He unzipped the bag and slowly eased his way out then crawled cautiously towards the entrance to check for company in the area.  Seeing no one immediately evident he exited his den and moved behind the rocks to relieve himself.  Having taken care of that he scanned the area for any signs that anyone was on his trail and finding none he crawled back inside.

He moved back over to his pack and rooted through it a few minutes until he found some packets of dehydrated food and pulled them out.  Unable to read the directions on the packets he just ripped them open and added a little water to rehydrate the contents a bit.  Not willing to chance a fire he ate them cold.  His body seemed thrilled with the introduction of food and he warmed up considerably once he finished eating.

He secured his trash in a small Ziploc bag and stowed it in his pack; didn’t want to leave any indication he had been there in case there were people on his trail.  He then rolled his sleeping bag back up, secured it to the pack and pushed it out the cave entrance then crawled out as well.  He stood up slowly and once more scanned the area for visitors.  Finding none he eased the pack up off the ground and pulled it carefully onto his back.  His body’s reaction was immediate as muscles cramped and balked at being asked to work again.

Lateef bit back the groan breathing rapidly through his clenched teeth as he tried to get his body back under control.  He wanted so badly to crawl back into his safe little cave but somewhere in the back of his mind knew he needed to get moving to find his contact and be extracted from this situation.  Finally acclimated to the load once again he pushed off the rock and began plodding towards the trail and back up the mountain.  

He knew that the trail wasn’t the safest place to walk but given his current physical condition it was the only way he could realistically make headway.  The trek back to the trail nearly wore him out and he knew any prolonged forays through the trees and brush would leave him spent and useless in no time flat. Finally making it to the trail be began trudging his way forward mentally urging his body to keep going.

He had been walking for nearly three hours by his estimate and the only way he seemed to make any headway was to instruct his body how to do that.  He quietly chanted, “Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot…” As he prepared to take on a steep section of the trail he suddenly froze now aware of voices coming up behind him.  He panicked momentarily as he spun around rapidly looking for some place to hide from the approaching men.  As the sudden jolt of adrenaline began to wear off he succeeded in calming himself down and finally spotted a number of fallen trees about 50 yards off the trail where he could hide.

He made his way towards the logs as quickly as he could.  He had no idea who these people were and whether they were looking for him or not.  He crouched down behind the logs in hopes that they wouldn’t notice him or the subtle signs of his passage through the brush to his hiding place.  Much to his horror the men stopped just in front of his position and dropped their packs as they took a break from their hike.

?????

Chip and Lt Paul Marks pulled off the highway and proceeded down the single lane dirt road towards the trailhead Jack had identified.  As they reached the end they readily spotted an old Jeep parked under a large spruce on the far end of the parking area.  A quick look at the license plate showed that it was the vehicle reported stolen from Valdez. Chip looked at Paul and smiled.

“Bingo!  I think we’ve just found where Lee jumped off.” Chip said.  He quickly pulled out his cell phone and called the command center to alert them that they had found the Jeep reported stolen.

“Commander Clemens this is Morton.  We’ve just arrived at the trailhead and have located the stolen Jeep and it’s clearly parked to prevent detection from the air.  I’m taking this as a good sign that Lee was the thief and he is somewhere in the general vicinity.”

“Well that’s a good start Commander.  Is there any sign which way he went?” Clemens asked.

“No but I’m assuming he started out on the main trail given his physical condition.  The trees and brush in the area would make for difficult passage and if he wanted to make any decent time he would avoid going off trail until he absolutely had to.  We’re going to head on up now and will keep you informed.”

“Copy that Commander. Check back in with the command post in three hours if you haven’t encountered him by then,” Clemens replied. Chip acknowledged the instructions and ended the call.  Clemens immediately updated the rest of the team and ordered the helicopter team to concentrate their search in that area until further notice.

Chip next called the admiral to update him.  “Admiral, its Chip.  Sir we found the Jeep reported stolen and I think Lee was most likely the thief.  The car was parked to avoid detection from above which screams of a certain ONI agent I know.  We’re heading up the trail now to see if we can spot him or any sign he passed that way.”

“That’s good to hear Chip.  There’s no sign of anyone being here recently but we’ll head up the trail a ways as well just to make sure he didn’t hitch a ride with someone and then jumped off here.  Have you contacted the other teams yet?” Harri asked.

“I called in to the command post and updated Commander Clemens.  He’s going to have the chopper relocate to this area and concentrate their search here as well.  You’re the only other person I’ve talked to sir.”

“Gotcha Chip.  You keep going and I’ll call the other teams and let them know what you’ve found.  Be careful Chip we have no idea who Lee is at the moment.”

“That’s a given sir.  The last person in the world I want to meet is Lateef Chutani.  I’m just hoping Lee’s himself or has become someone else less dangerous.  Be talking to you soon, sir.  Chip out.”

“Come on Paul let’s get going up the trail.  I think the best thing we can do is act as though we’re just locals out for a hike.  Don’t mention Lee Crane or Lateef Chutani.  If he doesn’t think we’re a threat he may just come out and talk to us.”

“That sounds like a good plan, Commander.”

“Call me Chip, the last thing we want to happen is to be overheard using rank or any other titles.”

“I see your point sier Chip,” Paul said stumbling over the title.

Chip laughed and clapped him on the back.  “Just relax; we’re two buddies out for a nice hike.” 

?????

Lateef sighed quietly in frustration.  Why the hell did they have to stop here?  His head and side were in constant pain as they throbbed and radiated the ache with each heartbeat through the rest of his body.  He desperately needed to find some place to crash again as his body rebelled at the notion it had to go further.  He watched the two men intently as they drank from their water bottles and conversed quietly. 

The one thing he did notice was they both seemed to constantly scan the trail and surrounding woods as though they were looking for someone or something.  It could be something like a bear or moose but Lateef somehow knew they were looking for him.  He focused on the tall blond; there was something very familiar about him, he had met him somewhere before.  His mind scrambled in every possible direction trying to match the face with a place and then suddenly it hit.  It was on some sort of military vessel and he was an officer of significant position.  He knew the man didn’t like him and although he couldn’t recall how, he had somehow escaped from that vessel before he could come after him.

As he started to piece the puzzle together a tortuous spike of pain sliced through his mind and he was unable to bite back the groan as he sank to his knees behind the logs.  The men suddenly became very still as they heard the moan.  They both listened intently for another sound and tried to identify where the first one had come from.  Seeing them scrutinize the area near him, Lateef knew he was in trouble and pulled the revolver from his pack as he prepared for their investigation of the area around the trail.

?????

“Did you hear that,” Chip whispered quietly to Paul.

“Yeah, sounded like someone in pain.  I think it came from over there by that bunch of downed trees.”

“I think you’re right.  Come on let’s head up the trail a bit then double back and see if we can find out who made the sound.”

Paul nodded and bent down to retrieve his pack as did Chip.  They both quickly shouldered their packs and began hiking up the trail.  Once they knew they were well out of sight of the logs they quietly eased their way into the woods and started working their way back to the trees.  Chip swung out about 100 yards from Paul so that he could possibly catch Lee if he decided to go deeper into the forest.

They knew he was there, Lateef was certain of that and he knew that they would try to come in behind him to catch him off guard.  He quickly dumped his pack and moved back to the main trail so he could hopefully come in behind them and take them out one at a time.  The younger man with the light brown hair was extremely easy to track as he crashed his way through the undergrowth.  The blond was not immediately apparent and he figured he had swung out wider to cut off his retreat back into the woods.

He was able to ease his way in behind the younger man and with one swift blow he knocked him out.  He quickly pulled off the man’s pack and dug through it looking for material he could use to bind him.  He found a coil of nylon parachute cord which he used to bind his hands and feet then gagged him with a pair of socks and a bandana.  He also found the 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the pocket of his jacket along with multiple loaded clips and two full water bottles; he shoved the gun into the back of his waistband, the clips into his pockets along with the two water bottles.  He patted down the unconscious man and discovered a cell phone which he immediately destroyed.  He had no problem leaving the man alive but he wasn’t going to make it easy for him to escape or alert any others following. Lateef grabbed downed branches, twigs and other forest floor debris and completely covered the man hiding him from sight.

As he completed all that he had to sit back regain his breath and try to push the pain down to a more manageable level.  His reserves were about gone and he needed to disable the other man before he ran out of steam.  He quietly rose to his feet and began creeping through the woods back towards his first cover.  Listening intently as he moved he could hear the slight rustle of something in the bushes off to his left, it had to be the other man.  Lateef tracked him as he made his way towards the downed trees.

After a moment he heard what sounded like someone cursing quietly; the man must have found his pack.  Lateef silently stalked closer to the blond until he saw him on his knees digging through the pack.  He quietly crept up behind him and as he drew near, the blond stood up turned around and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

?????

“Lee!” the blond said.  A wide smile spread across his face as he slowly raised his hands.  “Lee it’s me Chip.  Come on buddy you remember me don’t you?”  Chip was both thrilled to find his friend yet exceedingly concerned at Lee’s appearance.  He was deathly pale, signs of extreme pain clearly marked his face, he was sweating profusely and exhaustion screamed from his thin and quivering frame.

Chip’s words all came out as blah, blah, blah to Lateef.  He scowled at the blond now certain he knew him from the vessel and also knew with certainty that he was in no way his friend.  Shut up!” Lateef yelled in French at the blond.

Chip hadn’t spoken French since the Academy and his mind raced frantically to recall the words so he could try and reason with his friend.  Lee, come on buddy it’s me Chip.  We were roommates at school and best friends since then.  Please put down the gun and let’s talk,” he managed to get out with difficulty.

“I said shut up or I’m going to shoot you in the face.  My name is Lateef not Lee,” Lateef replied as he placed the heel of his left hand on his temple and rubbed it rapidly trying desperately to quell the pain ricocheting through his brain.  “Why are you following me?”

It took a moment for him to work through the words but Chip finally got the gist of what Lee had said.  “Lee I’m here to take you home bro, to take you back to NIMR and your gray lady Seaview.”

He stared intently at the blond, each of his words seemed like icy needles shooting through his brain.  He had no idea what he was talking about but it echoed endlessly in his head especially the words NIMR and Seaview.  He finally had to squeeze his eyes shut to block out the pain.  As his eyes closed he heard the man start to move towards him.  He immediately reopened his eyes and cocked the hammer on the gun.  “Stay where you are, in fact turn around.  Do it now!” he nearly screamed.

Chip realized that his best friend wasn’t anywhere to be found in the man with the cocked gun pointed directly at his head.  Reluctantly he slowly turned his back to him, his hands still above his head.  He now feared for the life of his companion Lt Marks.  He should have shown up by now drawn by their loud conversation.  The fact that Lee had been able to noiselessly get the drop on him did not bode well for the young LT.

Where’s my hiking partner?” Chip asked urgently.

“You need not worry about him, he won’t be joining us.” Lateef responded cryptically, leaving his prisoner to draw his own conclusions.

Chip closed his eyes in despair thinking only of the worst possible meaning.  Lee had all the skills to silently terminate someone if he so desired and apparently Lateef was dialed in to those skills as well.  Please tell me you didn’t kill him Lee,” Chip asked pleadingly. “Oh god, Lee, please say he’s all right.”  The longer Lateef remained silent the more certain Chip became that he had in fact dispatched the young man.

Lateef continued to squint at the man’s back, his eyelids barely cracked open as the light and his words rattled everything inside his head.  The pain was growing more intense with each second making it hard to concentrate and even harder to remain on his feet.  He had to get moving or he would collapse where he stood.  He raised the gun higher and stretched out his arm as he prepared to fire. 

The seconds passed by silently and he found he couldn’t pull the trigger.  There was something in the back of his mind fighting desperately to get out that kept his finger stilled.  A kaleidoscope of images raced through his mind, images of him and this man laughing, working, crying, playing together and the one image of him slamming Lateef into the wall on the boat; it all didn’t make sense. As the images and emotions warred inside his head he knew he couldn’t pull the trigger with that much doubt.  He also knew there was no way he could just walk away and leave him here unrestrained.  He stepped forward and quickly delivered a powerful blow to the back of the man’s head dropping him limply to the ground.  He too dropped to the ground cradling his head in his hands feeling as though his mind was being cleaved in half.  

As the pain receded and he brought his breathing under control, he rifled through the man’s pack and found yet another coil of nylon line.  He trussed the blond up as quickly as he could then patted him down finding another gun, ammo, cell phone, satellite phone and more water.  He smashed the phones and then stumbled to his feet to repack his backpack with the guns, ammunition and water.  He moved around the area gathering downed brush and limbs and placed them over the motionless figure on the ground. With difficulty he shouldered his pack and resumed working his way further up the trail before someone else showed up.

?????

Chip’s check in time came and went and the men at the command post started to become concerned.  Repeated attempts to contact the two men had resulted in nothing with their cell phones going immediately to voice mail and the satellite phone just ringing unanswered.  Those two facts confirmed in Commander Clemens’ mind that they most likely had found Crane and he apparently had gotten the jump on them.

“Get me Admiral Nelson,” Clemens said to his aide.

“Yes sir.”  The JG quickly dialed Nelson’s cell number and as he answered he passed the phone to Clemens.

“Admiral, this is Clemens.  Sir we’ve lost contact with Morton and Marks.  They’ve missed their scheduled check in and attempts to reach them on their cells and sat phone have come up empty.  I think it’s safe to assume they’ve found your man.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you there Commander and the fact you’re not getting a response has me worried.  If Lee is still Chutani, that could be a very bad thing.  We’re almost back to the trailhead so we’ll head down to where Morton and Marks jumped off and see if we can find them and hopefully Lee,” Nelson replied.

“I’ve had the helicopter over the area for the last hour but they haven’t found anything yet.  They need to break off and refuel but will return as quickly as possible.  I’ll contact the other teams and have them head to that location as well.”

“Understood.  I’ll give you a call once we arrive at the trailhead that should be in 30 minutes or less.”

“Copy that Admiral,” Clemens replied and terminated the call.

“Okay Robert let’s head on back to the car and down to the trailhead Morton and Marks took.”

“Yes sir,” LT Deacon replied.  “I take it they’ve found something sir.”

“They’ve lost contact with the team and that most likely means Crane found them.  I just hope to hell he didn’t do anything too extreme when he met up with them.”

“Is that a possibility sir?” Deacon asked.

“Given the identity Lee has assumed it’s more a certainty.  The last thing I want is those men injured or killed and then Lee having to live with that for the rest of his life.”

?????

As he staggered up the trail, he suddenly became aware of the low pulsing thrum of a helicopter in the distance.  He looked up and immediately spotted a large helicopter sporting red and orange colors with black lettering heading in his general direction.  Lateef scrambled as best he could for an outcrop of rocks off the trail trying to remain unseen by the people in the aircraft.

He dove under the rocks and cried out in pain as his ribs and side objected stridently to the unwanted strain.  He curled into a fetal ball, breathing in and out rapidly through clenched teeth trying desperately to keep from passing out. 

The chopper seemed to hover over his position then after a couple of minutes moved off and departed quickly towards the south.  Lateef breathed a deep sigh of relief.  He was uncertain whether he’d been spotted or not but knew he needed to move further up the trail hopefully to be found by his contact and rescued from this purgatory.

Garnering what was left of his strength he pushed himself out from beneath his improvised cover and stood shakily with the aid of the rocks.  He scanned the horizon and stared down the trail watching for any indication that pursuit was on its way.  Feeling relieved that no one was immediately on his tail he pushed ahead slowly up the trail all the while cajoling his battered body to take just one more step.

?????

Harri pulled his sat phone out of the side pocket of his cargo pants at the sound of the insistent ring.  “Nelson.”

“Admiral, this is Clemens.  Sir the helicopter pilot flying over Commander Morton’s trail just called in reporting that he spotted a dark haired man darting for cover as they flew along the trail.  They were low on fuel and had to depart before they could investigate further.  Looks like we have the correct trail, sir.”

“How far up the trail did he spot him?  Did he see any sign of your man or Commander Morton?” Harri inquired anxiously.

“Lt. Nixon estimated they were 7 miles from the trailhead.  He and his crew didn’t see anyone else in the area.”

“Damn it!” swore Harri. 

“Something wrong, sir?” Clemens inquired.

“If they didn’t see Chip or Marks then Lee has made a move against them.  I just hope they’re still alive and in decent shape,” Harri replied.  “Commander once your chopper is refueled and back on site have them start looking for our search team members.  I would suggest they use infrared and look for heat signatures.  Knowing Lee as I do, if he didn’t kill them they are bound and camouflaged somewhere off trail.  If he did kill them they should still be able to detect their bodies in the surrounding brush.  Also check on Dr. Jamieson’s location along with the other team and make sure they high tail it to this trailhead.”

“Yes Admiral,” Clemens replied.  “Sir we’ve had offers of assistance from JBER4 to assist in the hunt.   Do you think that would be of help?”

“Not at this stage Commander.  Commander Crane has had extensive training in covert operations along with completing Navy Seal training.  He’s not going to willingly give anything up at this point.  I would have them stand by if this drags on beyond tomorrow.  We could have them deploy at the summit and work their way back towards the trailhead but I’m somewhat hesitant to bring more people into the hunt that Lee is unfamiliar with.”

“Yes sir.  I’ll pass that on and have them standing by just in case.  Admiral, I just got an ETA on the return of the helicopter to your area.  They should be back on site in 90 minutes.”

“Okay, thank you.  We’re at the trailhead now and will start making our way up the trail.  Nelson out,” Harri said as he ended the call.  “Commander Clemens said that the chopper crew spotted someone about 7 miles ahead trying to get out of sight.  I think that’s Crane.  The two people they didn’t see were Marks or Morton and that probably means Lee got the drop on them.  Let’s get going and see if we can find all our men.  Keep your eyes and ears open.”

“Yes sir,” Deacon replied as he pulled his pack on and started out towards the trail.

?????

The pain was getting worse and there was no way he could go any further.  Lateef scanned the surrounding woods looking for some place to hole up and rest before he collapsed in the middle of the trail.  If the helicopter had spotted him then he’d need some place that would hide his body heat and as he perused the area those options were slim.  He still hadn’t spotted any sign that his contact was in the area and that worried him as well.

Limping onward he moved off of the trail and finally spotted a number of downed trees resting against an outcrop of rocks near the edge of an avalanche chute, it would have to do.  He slowly started making his way towards the snarl trying very hard not to leave any sign of his passage.  As he made his way to his selected shelter his mind kept flashing back to the face of the blond.  He acted as though he knew him and the look of relief on his face at finding him was readily apparent.  He also had to wonder why people kept calling him Lee. 

As he climbed over the rocks and tree trunks his foot slipped and he twisted awkwardly straining his injured side.  He gasped in pain as he felt something tear and as he looked down he found a red stain blossoming across his middle.  Damn!” he swore aloud and pressed his hand over the torn sutures to stem the flow of blood.

Nearing his chosen hideaway he scanned the sky around him and was relieved to find nothing hovering about.  He dropped his pack then gently eased his sweat soaked shirt off and regarded the now bloody bandage swaddling his middle.  He twisted the shirt in his hand into a rope and tied it tightly around the injury to apply pressure and hopefully stop the bleeding.  Next he opened the pack and rifled through it until he found another shirt.  It was a light colored button down, not the most ideal piece of clothing for someone trying to avoid detection but he needed something on to protect his skin from the branches of the downed trees when he crawled beneath them to hide.

He gingerly donned the shirt then dropped to his knees and began pulling out the brush and debris from under the trees making a small den to rest and hide in.  He pushed his backpack into the space he had created then followed it in pulling branches and brush in behind him to hide his refuge.  There was barely enough room for him and his pack and he struggled to get comfortable.  He pulled a water bottle, a couple of Power bars and his sleeping bag from the pack.  He wolfed down the food and water then pulled off his boots, unfurled his bag and slipped inside.  As he laid down exhaustion and pain quickly claimed him as he passed out.

?????

Nelson and Deacon quickly made their way up the trail continuously scanning for any sign of Lee or the two missing men.  By the time they heard the Coast Guard helicopter overhead they had covered over four miles.  Harri grabbed his sat phone called the command center and requested he be patched through to the helo overhead.

“Lt. Nixon here sir,” the pilot hailed.

“Have you seen anything yet Lieutenant?” Nelson inquired.

“Not yet sir, we’ve just gone active with our thermal imager and are scanning now.  Doesn’t look like there are even moose in the neighborhood at the moment.”

Harri sighed in frustration.  “Well keep your eyes peeled.  My guess is that the missing team will be quite a ways off the trail and obscured by cover if the commander got his hands on them.”

“Yes sir.  I have a dedicated operator on the system.  I’m initiating a search pattern now; we’ll find them all Admiral,” Nixon replied.

“I hope so Lieutenant.  Let me know the instant you find anything.  Nelson out.”

Harri stowed his phone and they continued their progress up the trail.  When they hit the six mile mark they stopped to take a drink and rest for a moment.  Having eaten a Power bar and quenched his thirst, Harri looked down and spotted what looked like fresh tracks.  Both sets of footprints headed off into the brush on the right side of trail.  “Chip,” Harri said quietly.

“What’s that sir?” Deacon asked.

Harri pointed to the footprints in the soft soil heading into the woods.  “They must have spotted something and went into the trees to investigate.”  Looking further off-trail he noticed a number of small broken branches and scuffs in the forest loam.  Harri pulled out his phone called the command post and was once more put through to the helo.

“Lieutenant we’ve found some fresh tracks, I need you to return to our location and conduct a scan of the area around us.  I think we’re in the vicinity of our missing team.”

“Yes sir we’ll be there in less than 5.”

Minutes later the helicopter was overhead and scanning the area near Nelson and Deacon.  The pilot slowly began working his way out from the trail over the dense forest.  “Sir!  We’ve detected a heat signature approximately 50 yards from your position.  I’ll hover over the spot until you can arrive.”

“Copy that, we’re on our way,” Harri replied.  “Come on, they’ve found something.”

The two men moved as quickly as they could toward the hovering craft and visually scoured the area for signs of Morton or Marks.  Their attention was drawn to a snarl of limbs and brush that seemed somewhat out of place and ran over to investigate.  They began pulling off the cover and were relieved to find the body of Lt. Marks at the bottom of the pile.  Nelson knelt down and placed his hand on the neck of the motionless man and let out a relieved sigh as he detected a strong pulse.

“He’s alive,” Harri said with a smile.  “Let’s get him untied and checked for injuries.”

Deacon quickly cut the cords and freed his buddy’s hands and feet as Harri removed the gag.  As they conducted their assessment of his condition they noticed a nice sized lump on the back of his head where he’d been hit.

“Nixon, we’ve found Marks.  He’s alive and seems to be okay for the most part.  I think the forest is too dense for you to safely lower a basket to extract him.  Check with the command post and find out where Jamieson is.”

“That’s good to hear sir.  We could lower a basket to the main trail then carry him back to the trail for extraction,” Nixon offered.  “According to the command post Commander Jamieson is about a mile from your position.”

“Good idea.  Go ahead and lower a crewman and basket at the main trail.  I’ll send Deacon back to meet him then resume your search for the other man,” Harri ordered.

“Aye sir, we’re moving back to the trail now.”

Deacon was already on his way back to the trail as Harri maintained watch over the downed man.  Fifteen minutes later he heard the two men making their way through the brush back towards Nelson.  The EMT conducted a quick exam of the still unconscious man and confirmed that other than the blow to the head he was otherwise unharmed.  As they finished placing Marks in the stretcher and securing him Harri’s phone rang.

“Nelson.”

“Nixon here, sir we’ve found another heat signature about 300 yards from your position, we’re hovering overhead.”

“Excellent, I’m on my way,” Harri replied. “They’ve found another heat signature.  Robert you two take Marks back to the trail and then join me when you can.”

“Yes sir.”

Harri took off through the woods as fast as he could towards the hovering copter.  As he neared the scene he surveyed the area and quickly spotted the telltale pile of brush hopefully marking Chip’s location.  He hurriedly began flinging branches and brush in all directions until he found the prize at the bottom of the pile. 

“Chip!” Nelson cried out.  He knelt down and placed his fingers on Chip’s neck and was rewarded with another strong heartbeat.   Apparently Lee’s aversion to taking life was carrying through to Lateef and Harri sighed in relief.  He pulled out his pocket knife and slit Chip’s bonds then removed the gag from his mouth.  He conducted a quick exam and found a lump on the back of his head similar to Marks. Nelson gently rolled Chip over and lightly tapped the sides of his face trying to bring him around.  Chip moaned quietly as he struggled to regain consciousness.

“Come on Chip wake up for me.  You can do it lad,” Nelson said softly.

After a few moments Chip cracked open his eyes and moaned in pain.  He scanned the area around him momentarily confused by the view greeting his return to the conscious world.  He was aware of a hand on his shoulder and followed the hand up the arm to the very concerned face of his boss.  “Admiral?  What happened?”

“Easy lad, just relax.  How do you feel beside the doozy of a headache I know you’re sporting?”

“Uh fine I guess…  Lee!” Chip cried out as everything came into focus.  “Where’s Lee?  We found him here in the woods but there was absolutely no recognition in his eyes.  He’s still Lateef and was speaking French.”

“We’ve yet to find him.  We needed to find you and Marks first and make sure you were okay before we start looking for him again.”

“Marks, is he okay?  I asked Lee what he had done to him but he wouldn’t tell me.”

“He’s in much the same condition as you.  We found him about 30 minutes ago trussed up like you with a good sized knot on the back of his head.  The EMT is taking care of him now.” Nelson replied.

“That’s good to hear.  I was really concerned that Lee had killed him given how he responded to my question,” said Chip.  He slowly pushed himself up to a seated position and groaned in pain as his head let him know it didn’t like the change in location.

“Take it easy lad just stay still.”

They both heard a crashing through the woods followed by a familiar and welcome voice.

“Admiral it’s Will, have you found Chip yet?”

“Over here Will.  Yes I’ve found Chip and he’s okay for the most part,” Harri answered.

Will, his hiking partner Lt. Jacobs and Deacon made their way through the brush to Harri’s location.  Will made a beeline for Chip and began checking him over for damage.  As this went on Nelson’s phone began to ring.  “Nelson.”

“Admiral did you find Commander Morton,” Nixon asked.

“We’ve got him thanks to you and your crew Lieutenant.   He was tied up and knocked out like Marks but he’s come around since I’ve been here.  How’s Marks doing?”

“He’s going to be fine,” Jamie answered.  Harri nodded and gave him a small smile.

“I’ve heard he’s going to be okay,” repeated Nixon.  “Sir we’re going to recover him in the basket and fly him back to the hospital.  Do you want us to take Commander Morton back to the hospital with us?”

Chip was shaking his head no indicating there was no way he was going to leave before they recovered Lee.  Harri sent an inquisitive look over to Jamie for his read on Chip’s condition.

“He’s got one hell of a headache but it doesn’t look like he has a concussion.  I would rather send him in but my guess is he’s not going to let that happen,” Jamie responded as Chip nodded his head emphatically confirming the assessment.

“No Lieutenant, Commander Morton is going to stay with us.  Take care of Lt. Marks and return as quickly as you can.”

“Yes sir.  We’ll drop Marks off, refuel and be back ASAP.  Nixon out.”

“You really up to this Chip?” Harri asked.

“Yes sir.  Lee didn’t look good and we need to find him quickly.  He definitely looked like he was in pain and was nearly exhausted.  As best I could tell he wasn’t bleeding anywhere but who knows what he’s done inside.”

Jamie frowned at Chip’s assessment of Lee’s condition.  “That’s definitely not good.  Was there any indication that he recognized you Chip?”

“Not that I could tell Jamie although before he made me turn around it looked as though he was fighting to remember something.  There was an odd look of confusion and uncertainty in his eyes.  Oh and one other thing he’s armed,” Chip replied.  All the men frowned at that bit of added information especially Nelson and Jamieson.

“Well then let’s get back to it.  The pilot said they had spotted someone moving for cover about a mile ahead.  Given his condition hopefully he hasn’t gone much further along the trail than that.”

?????

As they made it back to the trail they ran into Jack and Ensign Baxter.  Harri gave them a quick rundown on the situation and the last place Crane had been seen.  Once updated and refreshed from the hike up from the parking area Harri and crew started back up the trail in search of their missing friend.  They covered an additional six miles past where Chip and Marks had been found finding zero indication that Lee had passed that way.  The helicopter had returned from taking Marks to the hospital and in the intervening three hours had likewise found neither hide nor hair of the missing commander.  As they neared the summit of the mountain they had been climbing the men stopped to take a breather and survey the land.

“Admiral, based on what Chip told us, I don’t think Lee would have been physically capable of making it this far.  My guess is he went to ground somewhere off the trail behind us,” Jamie said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.  Chip nodded in agreement.

“So you think we should head back down and fan out?” Nelson replied. “The helo hasn’t spotted anything, where should we start?”

“My best guess would be around the area where they first spotted him sir,” Chip answered.  “Lee looked like death warmed over and was hard pressed to stay on his feet when he found me.  These last few miles haven’t been an easy climb so I have to agree with Jamie that it’s unlikely he made it this far.”

Nelson nodded in agreement as he considered their words.  “You’re probably both right.  Given all that he’s done he’s tapping into his ONI training so I’m not surprised he’s managed to get out of sight.  All right let’s head on back down.  We’ll breakup into teams and move off the trail on opposite sides to look for any signs he’s passed by.”

The men paired off and fanned out on either side of the trail.  Jamie paired up with Harri and they moved deeper into the brush on the downhill side.  They started moving slowly through the devil’s club and alders as they worked their way down listening and looking intently for any indication Lee was around.  It was tough going as the willowy branches and tightly packed bushes grabbed at their feet and packs.

“I’m worried,” Jamie said quietly to Harri as they walked.  “He’s been out here too long and engaged in too much activity.  Odds are he’s already torn his sutures and is probably bleeding internally.  There’s no telling what has happened with the concussion as well.”

“I’m worried too Jamie.  I send the man off for a little R&R and through no fault of his own he still manages to find himself injured and in need of rescue.  I say next time we stick him in the biosphere where he can’t get out and can’t cause trouble.”

Jamie smiled and chuckled at Harri’s words.  “Lee and trouble are inextricably tied together; one can’t exist without the other.”  Harri rolled his eyes and nodded in complete agreement.

They continued their search as the long summer day drew to a close.  They had been at this since early that morning and were nearly exhausted given everything they’d been through.  As they traipsed through the woods they were tripping more and more over unseen obstacles and had fallen a number of times tearing up their clothing and hands.

As Jamie rose from his latest tumble and brushed himself off he looked over at Harri.  “We need to get some rest Harri; it’s time to head back to grab some food and sleep.  In our current condition we could probably trip over Lee and not even recognize it.”

Harri glowered momentarily unwilling to break off their search for his captain and son but as he considered Jamie’s words the truth in them hit home.  He sighed deeply in concurrence and momentary defeat.  “As much as I hate to agree with you, you’re right.  I’m beat but I really don’t want to break off for fear that we may be just on the verge of finding Lee.”

“I know but if we keep going on like we are we’re going to miss something because we’re so tired or run the risk of becoming injured ourselves as we trip and fall over things.  I think it best we head in, rest up and come back in few hours.”

Harri nodded and pulled his sat phone out of his pocket.  He quickly keyed in Chip’s number and initiated the call.  After a brief moment Chip answered.

“Morton.”

“Chip after talking with Jamie, we’ve decided it’s time to head back to Valdez to eat and rest up a bit.  I can barely see where I’m going and we’re constantly tripping over things running the risk of getting hurt ourselves.  How is your team doing?”

Chip’s reaction was very similar to Nelson’s when Jamie first made the suggestion.  “I can keep going sir,” he replied.

“Come on Chip, its past midnight and we’re all beat especially you after being attacked.  We’re more likely to miss some important clue because we aren’t alert enough to recognize it for what it is.  We need some food and a little rest then we’ll resume the search once the sun’s up.”

Chip gave serious consideration to arguing with the Admiral until he looked into the faces of Deacon and Jacobs.  They were beat; they’d all been struggling through the dense brush and undergrowth and bore numerous cuts and scrapes for their efforts.  “Aye, sir,” Chip finally replied.  “We’ll mark our spot and start making our way back to the trail.”

“Good lad, Chip.  I’ll contact the other team and get them started back as well.  See you soon.”  Harri called the other three teams and got them all heading back to the trail and down to the parking area so they could return to Valdez to rest, regroup and return in the morning.

 ?????

It was 0800 and the men reassembled in the command post to prepare to return to their search for Lee.  Those who knew him best got little rest as their worry for their friend kept them from getting much sleep.  At breakfast they all consumed cup after cup of coffee trying to kick start their energy and awareness levels to the highest point possible given their lack of restorative rest.

The morning brief provided no new information which was of little surprise to those from NIMR.  The Coast Guard helicopter had completed an early morning survey of the area and had come up empty with no sign of any activity beyond a bear sow and her cub and a couple of moose moving around the general area.  With the brief completed they all grabbed their packs and headed out to the waiting vehicles to return to the trailhead and another day tromping through the unforgiving trees and brush.

The ride back to the trail was made in complete silence as they each stared out the windows lost in their own thoughts.  As they arrived they found the road to the trail secured by the Troopers to prevent unwanted hikers from entering the area and possibly being attacked by Chutani.  Once parked at the trailhead they quickly bailed out, grabbed their packs and headed up the trail to resume their search.

The sense of urgency was high as they all recognized the longer Lee remained on the loose the greater the possibility he could die from his injuries.  It had been almost two days since he had ‘escaped’ from the hospital and by now his condition was probably critical.

As they reached the area where Morton and Marks had been attacked Nelson drew the crew to a halt.  “I think this is probably the best point to start from today.  Let’s stay with the teams we had last night, fan out and begin working your way back down the mountain from where you left off yesterday.  Keep your eyes open for any areas where Lee could possibly dig in and rest.  Since the helicopter isn’t finding any sign of anything other than animals moving through the woods it’s probably a safe assumption he’s down somewhere that can mask his body heat.  Check in with the command center hourly and if you find anything call out using the radio.  Any questions?”

Getting no response Nelson nodded. “Okay, let’s get going and stay sharp.”

?????

He became aware of a gnawing pain eating away at his insides and with the subtle move of his head he felt as if it were ready to explode.  He raised his hand to his head and then slowly cracked open his eyes.  As the area around him came into focus he was completely at a loss to explain where he was.  Looking overhead he saw a snarl of branches, rocks and logs.  As he tried to sit up he noticed that he was for some reason in a sleeping bag and began to panic feeling suddenly claustrophobic.

He sat up rapidly and bashed his head on the log above him and nearly passed out from the pain that radiated from his head down to his toes.  When he finally got his breathing under control he slowly extricated himself from the bag and pulled on the pair of boots he found at the foot of the bag.  He then pushed tentatively against the brush and branches and sighed in relief when they readily moved out of the way. 

As the light from outside streamed in he had to close his eyes against the harsh glare.  He eased his way out of the hollow and slowly rose to his feet.  Nothing in this place seemed right.  He was surrounded by trees and brush and couldn’t for the life of him remember how the hell he got there.  Standing there he was once again reminded of the ache in his side and slid his hand down his torso to find a t-shirt and bandages tightly wrapped around his middle and a damp blood stain on his shirt.  He groaned in pain as his hand passed over the incision that had somehow broken open.  Fear was the next thing to grip him as he fought to recollect who and where he was.

Trying to tamp down the panic he slowly sat down next to the rock wall that composed one side of his shelter and tried to piece together how he got there.  As he tried to recall what had happened he caught snatches of being in the back of box van and it rolling over and over down a hill.  He remembered seeing a young man with a broken neck lying next to him and being very, very cold.  The next thing to come to mind was waking up in some kind of hospital where the people were rude and unkind.  He must have been a janitor there as he recalled pushing a broom, mopping floors and emptying waste baskets.

As the memories came his head began to ache and throb with each new revelation.  He remembered lots of people being hurt and having to remove their bodies when they were killed by the people from the hospital.  He saw uniforms and heard screams of agony and terror.  He crammed his eyes shut and clasped his hands over his ears trying desperately to shut those memories out.  The overwhelming feeling that radiated within him was the need to escape, to get away from that place and those people.  He wasn’t like them, he didn’t want to hurt anyone and he wanted it all just to stop.

The images flew fast and furious past him and he cringed as the treatment the people in cells received grew more severe over time.  Suddenly he locked on a single man.  They had just brought him into the facility but he somehow knew him.  He was older in his late 40’s, azure blue eyes, red hair, stocky build.  There was something painfully familiar about him.  He remembered he had to get him out before they could torture him; he could not let that happen.

He saw himself preparing, setting things up so he could rescue this man, he saw himself throw a knife killing the man who took so much pleasure in hurting all those people.  He ran down the hall with the red haired man over his shoulder and made his way to a van.  He got the man in the van and they drove out of the gate just as the facility exploded.  He grasped at his head once more as the explosion seemed to reverberate through his skull.

He got the man out, but who was he?  Why was he so important to him, what made him so special?  The man was hurt and he treated his injuries making sure he was as comfortable as possible.  He remembered driving then being stopped by police and asked who he was and where he was going.  The answer was there, it was just on the verge of coming to him as he concentrated with all his will.  Suddenly it came rushing back, his name was Peter Broje and the man was…his father. 

Peter’s eyes flew open as all the pieces fell into place.  He was taking his father Yuri home to Cordessa after he had been injured at the facility.  He sighed in momentary relief as his identity came to him but his relief quickly shifted to panic once again as he looked all around him trying to find his father.  A spike of pain shot through his head and he curled up in a ball.  Where was his father?  Why was he alone here in this place?

The obvious answer was that the men from the facility had found them and taken him away.  Peter knew he had to locate his father and rescue him from the evil men.  They must have hurt him when they took Yuri away which explained the injury to his head and his side.  It was obvious what he was doing here now, he was tracking them down trying to find his father to get him back.  He would have to work his way down the mountain pick up their trail and recover his father before he could be subjected to any more torture by those monsters from the hospital.

Knowing now what he needed to do; Peter returned to his makeshift lair and pulled out the pack inside.  He grabbed the sleeping bag rolled it up tightly and tied it to the pack.  He unzipped the pack and looked inside finding a bottle of water, an energy bar and guns.  He pulled out the water, food and one of the 9mm guns.  He quickly ate the bar and slaked his thirst.  With that done he shoved the empty containers back into the pack, zipped it shut, shoved the gun in the back of his waistband and stood shakily readying himself to pull the load onto his back.

As he lifted the pack his side rebelled sending out a sharp shooting pain that nearly dropped him back down to his knees.  He wrapped his right arm around his middle and slowly pulled the pack over his left shoulder.  Fighting with all his might he let loose his right arm and eased it back through the right strap and nestled the pack firmly on his back.  His head swam and his side radiated pain in displeasure at the weight but after a few moments he was able to stand up, secure the pack and start moving forward to find his father.

?????

Harri and Jamie had headed up the trail a half mile before they veered off into the brush and trees towards the area where they ended their search the evening before.  Although it was easier to see the obstacles it was still a difficult task making their way through the snarls and snags at their feet.  As best he could figure they were a little less than a mile off the trail.  The terrain was rugged and the area they were approaching had a rather steep slope as evidenced by the avalanche chute that had been scoured clear of any large trees and brush by fast moving snow and ice.  The area ahead was composed of large boulders and granite outcrops jutting out here and there.

As they reached where they ended their search previously Harri stopped dropped his pack and leaned against a large boulder as he waited for Jamie to catch up with him.  “Let’s take a quick breather before we start looking in earnest,” he said as he pulled a water bottle from his pack.

Jamie nodded and eased his pack off his back, retrieved a bottle of water and dropped the pack to the ground next to him.   He surveyed the area around him as he drank.  “Leave it to Lee to pick a difficult place to hide out in.”

Harri rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.  “Jamie what are the chances he’s still alive?”

“This is Lee Crane you’re talking about.  I don’t think the man has an off button.  He may be a bit too cavalier about his own health and well-being for my tastes but he does do his best to take care of any injuries he gets so he can get the mission completed.  I’m still optimistic he’s alive.”

They slipped into an easy silence as they sipped on their water and scanned the surrounding countryside.  Harri suddenly pushed off the rock and focused on an area off to the left near the bottom.  “Did you see that?!”

“What, what did you see?  I didn’t see anything.”

“It was a flash of white passing through the trees I’d say about 100 yards near the bottom of the chute,” Harri replied as he pointed out the area.

“Was it Lee?” Jamie asked.

“I couldn’t tell.  I suppose it could have been a goat or sheep but I doubt they would be this far down into the brush.  You wait here; I’m going to see if I can spot it again.”

“Okay, be careful and don’t break anything.”

Harri moved as quickly as he could through the scraggly alders and other scrub brush that clung to the mountain side into the chute area.  As he neared the section of exposed granite they had seen from the trail he slowed trying not to alert anyone to his presence.  He moved cautiously out onto the outcrop and surveyed the area below.  After a moment he saw the flash of white again and quickly determined it was a man though he couldn’t quite make out his features.

He fumbled for his binoculars in the side pocket of his pants to get a better view. Finally getting them out and sighting in on the object of his attention he realized it was Lee.  He was leaning against a large rock, his pack down on the ground by his feet, his face marked by a grimace of pain. A tidal wave of relief washed over him finding the young man alive.  The relief was quickly replaced by concern as he noted the large red stain across the lower part of his shirt.

Harri called out and waved to him.  “Lee! Lee!  Up here, up here son.”  Harri turned quickly towards where he’d left Jamie almost jumping with joy.  “Jamie I see him, he’s down there.”

Hearing Harri’s excited cries Jamie started running as best he could towards Harri’s position.  As he closed in he was shocked to hear gunshots and to find the ground in front of him kicked up by the impact of a number of bullets.  He froze instantly and stared at Harri then down the hill at Lee standing at the bottom of the chute aiming the pistol at him.

Both men stared at each other confused by this current turn of events.  “Jamie stay where you are, don’t move!” Harri yelled at him.  “I think something has changed.  He must be someone new if he’s only shooting at you or maybe he’s back to Lee and letting you know what he thinks of your order to go on vacation.”

Jamie glowered at him for a moment though mentally appreciated Nelson’s attempt to ease the tension.  “I think you’re right about the change in identity.  See if you can get him to put the gun down and sit down; even from here I can tell he’s ready to collapse.”

?????

Hearing the voice from somewhere above him Peter froze and scanned the rock escarpment above for its source.  He quickly locked onto the lone figure standing on the edge waving frantically at him.  He quickly dug through his pack and pulled out the small binoculars and focused in on a man.  As he stared at him his features became more defined and he recognized him as his father.  A smile slowly formed across his face as a sense of relief filled him. 

He watched as Yuri turned quickly and yelled at someone off to the side.  His focus quickly shifted in the direction his father had turned and he spotted another man running towards him.  He couldn’t let him take Yuri prisoner or injure him, not again.  He pushed to his feet pulled the gun from his waistband aimed and fired several warning shots at the other man’s feet.

The other man immediately froze and looked down the hill at him.  He raised the gun once more and aimed letting him know that any move he made against his father would be stopped before he could complete it.  He watched as his father and the man talked excitedly.  He couldn’t hear what they were saying but he guessed it was Yuri warning the man off.

While maintaining his aim on the second man Peter moved slowly away from the boulder towards the center of the avalanche chute.  He watched as Yuri turned back towards him and seemed to be yelling something at him.  Hard as he tried he couldn’t understand a word he was saying.  He couldn’t tell if it was because of the distance between them or what.  All he was getting was blah, blah, blah.

Father I can’t make out what you’re saying,” Peter said in Republicese.  Can you make it down the hill?  I’ll keep the man covered until you’re safely down.”

Apparently his father couldn’t hear him either as he didn’t respond.  Much to Peter’s horror, the outcrop that Yuri was standing on suddenly collapsed sending his father sliding down the steep chute on a granite sled.  His surprised and terrified gaze was riveted on his father’s rapid and uncontrolled decent down the chute. He watched as amazingly he managed to stay on the slab as it bounced and pinged off of obstacles in its path.  As the slab jerked to a stop near the bottom Yuri was catapulted forward into the scree and uprooted brush skidding to an abrupt stop on his side just a few yards from Peter.

Peter moved as quickly as he could to his father’s side and cautiously checked on the man.  He was scraped, bleeding and currently unconscious.   Peter placed his hand shakily on the man’s throat and sighed in relief when he detected a strong pulse.  He quickly ran his hands down Yuri’s back feeling for any overt signs of injuries and was once again relieved to find none.  He carefully rolled him onto his back and checked the rest of his body.

He found lots of cuts and scrapes; he had a wicked case of road rash, but felt no indications that his father had broken any bones in his precipitous descent to the bottom of the chute.  He needed to treat the cuts and try to bring him around so they could get out of sight before anyone else showed up.  As he prepared to go get his pack he looked back up the hill and quickly spied the man his father had been talking to making his way slowly down the edge of the chute.  Peter picked up his gun and fired another couple of warning shots that drove the man back into the heavy brush for cover.

?????

As the shots rang out across the mountain the other search teams froze trying to determine from which direction the noise had come.  Chip waited momentarily for a report over the radio from whichever team had drawn fire.  Hearing no report he grabbed his radio.  “Morton to search teams, report your status.”  Every team but Nelson’s reported back. 

“Nelson this is Morton do you read me?”  After waiting a minute and no response Chip repeated the call which was again greeted with silence.  “Damn!” he swore as all the implications of that silence paraded through his thoughts.

“Morton to all teams, return to the main trail and meet up at the six mile mark.  Confirm receipt of transmission.”

The other search teams quickly confirmed they had received the message and were on their way to the rally point to begin the search for Nelson and Jamieson.  As they made their way back to the trail they again heard two shots echoing across the area.  Each team radioed in to verify their position and quickened their pace towards the trail.  As Chip and Jacobs made their way through the brush his cell phone began to ring. 

“Morton,” he answered tersely.

“Chip its Jamie,” a winded voice said on the other end.

“Jamie, are you and the admiral all right?  What were those shots? Why didn’t you radio in?”

“I’m fine Chip, but the admiral is not. The radio is toast and I just now was able to get a cell phone signal.  We finally spotted Lee at the bottom of an avalanche chute about a mile in from the trail and by my guess around the six mile mark where we all jumped off.”

“Oh god, please tell me Lee didn’t shoot him,” Chip inquired fearfully.

“No, Lee didn’t shoot him.  The admiral had spotted something down below us and had moved out into the chute onto a rock outcrop to get a better look.  He discovered it was Lee and began calling to him hoping he could get him to respond.  Well he responded all right by firing a number of rounds at me trying to drive me away from Harri.  We think Lee has taken on another persona which somehow recognizes the admiral but views me or probably anyone else as a threat to him,” Jamie explained.

“Anyway as the admiral was preparing to make his way down the hillside towards Lee the outcrop he was standing on gave way and he went hurtling down the chute.  When he reached the bottom Lee moved to him and was checking him for injuries.  I started making my way down the slope to come to his aid when Lee looked up and fired a couple more shots at me forcing me back into the trees.  I have no idea what condition the admiral’s in but from what I could see, he seemed to be unconscious.  Lee didn’t look good either and it was apparent even from a distance he was barely holding it together.”

“Okay, thanks for the update Jamie I’ve already recalled the search teams and have them moving to the jump off point.  We’ll work our way in that direction and hopefully find them,” Chip replied.

“That’s good to hear Chip, but be very carefully approaching Lee.  I’d say by this point he’s probably pretty desperate now that he feels he has to care for and protect the admiral from whomever he thinks is after them.  I’m working my way down the hill trying to keep out of sight so I should be there shortly.”

“Copy that Jamie.  Be careful and we’ll see you soon,” Chip acknowledged then ended the call.

“What’s up sir?” Lt. Jacobs asked.

“That was Dr. Jamieson.  He said they spotted Lee at the bottom of an avalanche chute about a mile in from the trail. He fired on Jamie and they think that he’s now someone other than Chutani, which I think is a good thing.  Anyway the admiral had moved out into the chute to try and talk to Lee when the rock he was standing on gave way and he went sliding down to the bottom.  Jamie says he’s unconscious and as he was working his way down to help Lee fired a couple more shots at him to drive him away,” Chip explained.  “Come on let’s pick up the pace, meet up with the other teams and hopefully bring this to a happy ending.”

?????

Peter staggered back over to his backpack, unzipped it and grabbed the first aid kit and water bottle.  As he pushed back up to his feet he swayed suddenly as his head pounded, his chest complained and his vision lost focus as the darkness tried to work its way in.  He clamped his eyes shut and breathed as deeply as he could to gain control over the pain and exhaustion.  He couldn’t let it win now that he had located his father, he had to take care of him and get him off the mountain to safety before anyone else showed up.

After a moment he walked carefully back to his father and began treating his wounds.  His was so focused on his task of cleansing wounds, applying bandages and talking to his father trying to draw him back to consciousness he missed the approach of the men behind him.  Having applied the final bit of tape he turned around to grab the water bottle and was startled to find a number of men closing in on his position.  Peter’s hand moved unerringly for the gun in his waistband and he quickly had it aimed at the apparent leader of the group, a tall man with blond hair.

Stop right where you are or I’ll shoot!” he called out.  The group pulled to a halt but made no move to draw the weapons holstered on their hips.  “Turn around leave and no one will get hurt!”

“Lee it’s me Chip.  Don’t you remember me?” Chip replied noting that Lee was speaking in what sounded like Republicese and unfortunately he had no idea what he was saying.  “Come on Lee put down the gun we only want to help you and the admiral.”

Peter fired a shot at Chip’s feet making him take a couple of steps back.  “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.  Back away!”

Jack slowly moved forward to stand beside Chip.  “Lee it’s me Jack, please put the gun down we only want to help you.”

Peter stared at the two men intently; there was something there in the back of his mind trying to tell him who they were.  He clamped his eyes shut and rubbed the side of his head as a wave of pain ricocheted through his skull.  After a moment he opened his eyes to find the men had moved closer towards him.  He immediately raised his gun and warned them back even as he swayed from a sudden bout of dizziness.

Chip too stared at Jack surprised to hear him speaking fluent Republicese.  Jack shot him a quick grin, shrugged and mouthed “O N I”.  Chip nodded and rolled his eyes; no wonder he and Lee got along so well.

“My name is Peter, not Lee and I don’t believe you.  If you take one more step towards us I will shoot you both.  Do you understand me?”

“Peter?  I don’t remember a Peter, do you Jack?” Chip asked after Jack had translated what Lee had said.

“No that’s a new one on me,” he answered.

Sorry Peter, you look just like a very good friend of mine named Lee.  Peter you need to let us help you and the admiral; you’re both badly injured and all we want to do is take care of you,” Jack replied after a moment.

You are mistaken, this man is my father Yuri Broje not an admiral. We are fishermen on the trawler Sawfish.  I’ll give you one more chance to back off before I start shooting people.  All I want to do is take my father home to Cordessa so my mother can care for him,” Peter answered all the while gently rubbing his left temple trying to dispel the mounting pain.

Jack stared quizzically at Lee for a moment then looked over to Chip.  “He says that the admiral is his father Yuri Broje and all he wants to do is take him home to Cordessa so his mother can take care of him.  Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

Chip pondered the question for a moment then suddenly it all fell into place.  “A year or so ago Lee returned from a mission in the PR after having to find his own way home following a botched retrieval.  He said that he had rescued an old man who had been trapped by a tree his was cutting down and he turned out to be the father of a young man who had rescued Lee some years earlier.  I think his name was Peter Broje.  Anyway Peter was killed when the vehicle they were riding in was involved in a rollover accident and Lee assumed his identity to avoid being interrogated and tortured by the PR as an American spy5.  I think he said the old man’s name was Yuri Broje.”

As the confrontation went on Jamie had finally made his way down the slope and joined the group.  He arrived in time to overhear the conversation between Jack and Chip.  “That’s right, I remember him telling us about it after the Christmas party,” Jamie offered quietly.

“Nice of you to join us Jamie,” Chip said with a wink.

“You trying coming down through that crap at any decent rate of speed without breaking an ankle,” Jamie replied with a scowl.

“So what do we do now?” Chip asked.  “It looks like he’s ready to drop from the pain and exhaustion.  Do we keep playing at this Mexican standoff until he does or take more direct action?  He’s already shot at us once do we take the chance he’ll back off if we force the issue?”

“Try reasoning with him one more time and if we can’t get through to him then we need to act before he or the admiral dies from their injuries,” Jamie offered.  “I don’t think he really wants to shoot anyone since all he’s done is fire off warning shots so hopefully that will slow his hand and we can get to him before he hurts someone.”

“Okay Jack, give it another shot.  Tell him his mother sent us to find them and to bring him and Yuri back home so she can take care of them.  Tell him she’s very worried about them both.  Do you remember her name Jamie?”

“Uh I think it was…uh… Natasha. Yes I’m sure of it, it was Natasha,” Jamie whispered.

“That sounds right.  Go ahead Jack see if that gets us anything.”

Jack slowly took a step forward very conscious of the gun in Lee’s hand.  “Peter, please you need to let us help you and your father.  Your mother Natasha sent us to come find you and Yuri and bring you back home to Cordessa so she can take care of you both.  She is very worried about you.”

Peter rubbed furiously at his left temple, this was all too confusing.  He had no idea whether he should trust these men or not.  There was no way he would let them take his father or him back to that compound and if push came to shove he would shoot them both before he let that happen.

I won’t let you take us back to the compound.  I will shoot us both before I let you do that.  Please just go away,” Peter finally responded tiredly.

As the standoff had worn on Harri regained consciousness and had listened attentively to the last couple of exchanges between Lee and Jack.  He needed to get engaged now before Lee did anything that he would regret.  Slowly he painfully pushed himself up to a seated position and raised a finger to his lips to keep the others quiet.

Peter… Peter…son,” Harri said quietly.  “Please put down the gun, these men are our friends and only want to help.”

Peter spun around his eyes wide with relief and concern.  “Papa, are you all right?” he said as he sank to his knees in front of Harri.

More or less Peter but I’m hurt and so are you so there’s no way we can get off this mountain without their help.  Please son you have to let them help us, your mother is expecting us home and you don’t want to disappoint her now, do you.”  

Peter shook his head acknowledging the last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint his mother.  He shot a quick look over his shoulder to check on the men behind him and caught them once again advancing on them.  He immediately spun and raised his gun stopping them in their tracks. “I don’t trust them Papa, they want to take you back to that cell and hurt you again.”

Harri reached out and gently placed his hand on Lee’s shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.  Put down the gun Peter.  You can trust me son, these men are our friends.  You’ve been away from home for quite some time so you haven’t had a chance to meet them yet, but they are only here to help us, I promise.”

Peter sat motionless for a moment digesting his father’s words.  He so badly wanted to trust what he was hearing but if they were lying to him he wouldn’t be able to save Yuri again.  He was so tired and all he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep.  After a moment he felt a gentle tug on his shoulder as his father pulled him backwards into his arms.  As Yuri slowly encompassed him in a warm and protective embrace Peter finally surrendered dropping the gun and relinquishing his hold on consciousness as he sank into the safety of his father’s arms.

?????

It had been two days since the Coast Guard helicopter air lifted Lee and Harri off the mountainside and transported them to the hospital in Valdez.  It had been a tight race as Jamie and the ER surgeon worked desperately to repair the damage Lee had done to himself in his escapade across the Alaska countryside.  He was only now slowly surfacing from the heavy sedation he had been given to keep him immobile so he could get the rest he desperately needed and to give his body a chance to heal.

Nelson too had been the recipient of some intense first aid to sew up some of the deeper cuts he’d received on his slide down the mountain and to immobilize his banged up knee and ankle to prevent further damage.  Usually one to try and avoid a hospital stay at all costs, he insisted that he be placed in the same room with Lee until he came to and they could determine who he was now.

Soft moans and deep sighs from the other bed quickly drew Harri’s attention as he watched his surrogate son work his way towards the light.  He immediately hit the call button so that Jamie and Chip would be alerted and could be there when Lee awoke hopefully as himself and not another persona from his ONI past.

Both men quickly responded to the call and entered the room.  Jamie moved to Lee’s side and began talking his vitals.  “Lee, can you hear me?  Come on Skipper it’s time to wake up.  Open your eyes for me please,” Jamie said gently.

There was that damn headache again he thought as he was drawn towards a voice in the distance.  Somehow this time it didn’t seem quite as bad although the pain in his side felt as if there were some kind of animal gnawing its way out.  He groaned out loud as he moved his head and slowly cracked open his eyes.  The sudden flash of light was painful and he quickly snapped his eyelids closed.

“Come on Lee open your eyes for me please,” the voice called out to him again.

Giving it his all he once more cracked his eyes open and found things a little more tolerable.  He quickly scanned the room and a profound sense of confusion beset him.  Where the hell was he?  He had no recollection of this room or why was he in so much pain.  How did he get here?  As things came more into focus he spied the worried face of an older man looking down at him.  There was another man, a blond with an equally worried expression staring at him from the foot of the bed and a red headed man staring at him from the bed across the room. 

“Lee son, how do you feel?” inquired the familiar voice from the man in the next bed.

He blinked a couple of times and stared at each man in the room trying to figure out where they had come from as his mind finally actively engaged.  “Admiral?  Chip? Jamie? What are you doing here?” he finally croaked out.  He was startled by the huge smiles that spread across their faces and the joyous laughter that answered his questions.

“Can you tell me who you are?” Jamie asked after a moment.

Lee blinked his eyes for a moment then nodded.  “Lee Benjamin Crane.”

“Welcome back bro,” Chip said as he laid his hand on Lee’s shoulder and gave it a hearty squeeze.

“Back?  Did I go somewhere?” Lee asked still confused by their reactions.

The men in the room burst out in laughter, almost giddy with relief that their friend was quite apparently himself.  “Further than you can ever imagine lad,” Nelson replied.

“Huh?  I don’t understand.  Where are we and how did I get here?”

“What’s the last thing you remember, Lee?” Jamie inquired.

Lee laid back and closed his eyes trying to recall the last thing he did clearly remember.  “I vaguely remember driving up a mountain road; I was going hiking and camping.  I think I might have been involved in an accident, I seem to recall a blue pickup crossing the center line, but that’s about it.  What happened?  How did I get here, how did you all get here?”  The fact the admiral was also in a bed finally dawned on Lee.  “Are you okay Admiral?” he asked anxiously.

“Well at least some of your memory is intact,” Jamie answered.  “In answer to your question, yes you were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver as you were heading out to do your hiking and camping.  After that things get really strange.”

“Huh?”

“Do you remember anything else, Lee?” Chip asked.

“I think I was having some really intense and bizarre dreams.  They all seemed so real.  I felt like I kept waking up as someone else.  I was being chased by someone and had to find my way home,” Lee answered.

“When you came to three days after your accident you started taking on identities from your ONI missions.  You’ve been Leon Borodin, PR merchant marine, Lee Glenn, deep water salvage diver, Lateef Chutani, RJ terrorist and finally Peter Broje, PR fisherman.  You didn’t recognize anyone and could only understand the languages your current identity spoke.  It made for one hell of a time trying to get through to you,” Chip answered.

Lee stared at them all for a minute not really sure if they were telling the truth or pulling his leg.  “Admiral what happened to you?”

Harri smiled again thrilled to have his captain and son back to normal.  “This happened while we were out searching for you on a remote mountainside.  I thought I had spied you at the bottom of an avalanche chute so I hiked out and climbed on top of a rock outcrop to get a better look.  Turns out I had spotted you and as I was telling Jamie what I had seen, the outcrop collapsed and I went hurtling down the chute on a granite slab.  I was doing just fine until the thing hit a bigger rock and stopped suddenly catapulting me through the air to land roughly in the scree and brush below.  I got tore up a bit, tweaked my ankle and knee and knocked unconscious but surprisingly didn’t suffer any significant damage.”

“Oh god sir, I’m so sorry.” Lee replied embarrassed to have caused his friends so much worry and pain.

“It wasn’t your fault Lee.  You’d been banged up pretty badly in the accident and received a severe concussion.  Your mind didn’t properly reset, so to speak, when you regained consciousness.” Harri replied trying to assuage Lee’s guilt.

As Lee digested this new information the door opened and Jack entered.  He looked quickly at Lee then at the smiling faces of the other men.  “I take it you’re Lee again given all the relieved faces I see in this room.”

“Hey Jack,” Lee replied with a smile.  “Based on what I’m being told the true owner returned from vacation so the lights are on and somebody is definitely home.”  They all laughed thrilled to have Lee back amongst them again.

“So Jamie, when can I get out of here?” Lee asked a mischievous glint in his eye.

Jamie shot him a withering glare that would have turned lesser men to dust.  You will stay put until I feel you’re good and ready to leave.  That will be at least another three days.  You’ve managed to age all of us a decade and have accounted for a lot less hair on my head.”

“Three days?!  Oh come on,” Lee complained.

“Want to shoot for a week?” Jamie answered as he folded his arms emphatically.

“Geez Jamie you’re cutting into my vacation time and as I recall it was your order that I take off in the first place.  The way I see it, this all your fault anyway.”  Lee bantered back playfully.

Jamie glared at him and shot him an exasperated harrumph as the other men in the room dissolved into laughter.  It was so good having things back to normal, at least by NIMR standards.

“Don’t worry Jamie, I think I’ll stay right here until you say he’s up to leaving that way he’ll have to behave himself with me as a roommate,” Harri remarked.  There was another roll of laughter as Lee grimaced theatrically and a smug smile spread across Jamie’s face.

“Tell you what,” Jack cut in as he reined in his laughter.  “Why don’t you all come out to my place and stay with me until Lee’s ready to head back home.  I’ve got plenty of room and we can all kick back and relax while he and the admiral heal up a bit.  Lee and I planned on getting a fishing charter and going after some halibut and salmon so when Captain America here is released we can go spend a couple of days on the water tormenting fish or vice versa.”

“That sounds like an exceptional plan Jack, if you don’t mind the company.  This will give O’Brien and Sharkey an excellent opportunity to manage the refit until we get back.” Chip replied.

“That would fill my prescription,” added Jamie.  “Plus I’ll be able to keep a weathered eye on my most difficult patients and ensure they arrive home in one piece.”

“I guess it’s settled then,” Harri said nodding in agreement.  “Thanks Jack we accept.”

“Fantastic.  Come on Chip let’s go make a run to the store so we can get all provisioned up.  We’ll be back in a bit.  You two just kick back and relax.”  Jack said as he and Chip made their way out the door.

“Okay Lee you just lay back and rest.   I’m going to get your pain medication and a mild sedative to help you sleep.” Jamie ordered as he watched Lee’s face begin to cloud ready to refuse Jamie’s drugs.  “No argument.  The faster you regain your strength and stamina, the faster you’re out of here; got it!”

“Yes Jamie,” Lee replied meekly as Harri chuckled quietly from the other bed.  Jamie winked at Harri and exited the room.

Harri looked over at Lee and gave him another relieved smile.  “It is so good having you back to normal lad.  You had us all very worried and we had no idea how to help when you were out of your mind.”

Lee laughed quietly at Harri’s choice of words. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you all coming up to rescue me.  I’m so sorry you were injured in the process.”

“Don’t worry about it Lee, I’d go to the ends of the earth to bring you back son.  I hope you know that.”

“Yes sir and I hope you know I’d do the same for you and the others.” Lee replied blushing slightly giving voice to emotions he usually kept safely buried.

“Well let’s just hope we don’t have to do this again.  After this experience, I’m giving serious thought to Chip’s suggestion that we start sending a keeper with you on your next vacation.”

“Oh he did, did he?” Lee snarled then smiled.  “Well I’ll just have to come up with something to teach Chip to keep his suggestions to himself.  According to Jamie I have at least three days that I can concentrate solely on developing that lesson.” 

They both laughed as Harri shook his head knowing things were going to get very interesting once they returned home.  He counted himself extremely lucky to have his captain and son back in the fold and in his right mind.

The End.

 

 

 

1  Merry Fubar

2 Season One Episode: The City Beneath the Sea

3 Metamorphosis

4 JBER – Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson

5 The Turn of a Friendly Card