This story takes place late in the 1^st Season.

White Knight

by Lynn

Alina sat huddled in her cell with a scratchy wool blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was dirty and frightened, but she had long since shed her tears in the early days of her capture. It had been two weeks since that day when her entire world had been turned upside down. The military coup had been a quiet one thanks to her abduction. Now her father was nothing more than a puppet being extorted as her well-being was held over his head. He had cooperated fully, and no one knew that it was General Kovac who was making the not-so-subtle and distinctive changes in her country's foreign and domestic policies.

She wrapped her blanket tighter around her shoulders as another poor soul was dragged into the prison. She never even knew that a place like this existed in her country; dark, dirty, lonely and full of despair. She watched as the man was deposited on the cot in his cell. Like all the newcomers to the prison, he had been beaten and was unconscious as they slammed the cell door shut.

Her eyes diverted from his cell as she sank further into her little corner. The guards had left her alone, but they intimidated her often with their leers and lewd remarks. She thought that she was safe as long as her father cooperated, but even that distressed her. Her father was sacrificing everything he believed in to keep her safe. She knew it was selfish of her, but she was grateful that he had cooperated.

The guard walked by her cell, and as expected sent her a leer that spoke of his evil intent if he could have his way. Still, he feared his superiors and kept his distance and continued down the hall. She had begun to daydream...maybe daydream wasn't the right word for it. Fantasize. She began to fantasize about what a rescue would look like. With General Kovac in control of the military, she didn't think her prison would be stormed by elite army commandos to free her. No, it would be something like a small team, or a single man. He would infiltrate the prison and find her.

She had little else to do but think, and she had decided that her rescuer would be tall, dark headed as most men in her country were, and very handsome. He would sweep her off her feet and carry her out of this hell-hole to freedom and to her family. He would take out the evil men along the way, and protect her as they made their way to safety. She rather thought her rescuer would be like the knights of old, and she was the damsel in distress, hidden in the tower by the Black Knight.

It was silly to be thinking like this at her age, twenty-four, but it was keeping her going and more importantly, keeping her sane. She needed something to think about that transcended the hopeless world she now found herself in. She wondered if there were any knights in shining armor left, or had her entire country been defeated by the evil of the General.

Her attention shifted to the man in the cell as he moaned. He had black and blue bruises on his face and dried blood ran down the corner of his mouth. He held his ribs protectively, even in his unconscious state. Who knows? At one time he could have been a very brave man, but now...now he was just like her, a prisoner without hope. She closed her eyes wondering if heroes still existed, and prayed for her White Knight to come and rescue her.

* * * * *

Lee Crane sat in the jet flying at 35,000 feet with his head leaning against the bulkhead. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep. He was concentrating on the jump he was about to make, High Altitude High Opening. He'd jump at 35,000 feet and free fall to 10,000 feet and then deploy his parachute. The HAHO jump was preferred over the HALO* to prevent detection at the sound of his parachute opening at 4,500 feet. This sound was loud enough to ruin a stealth entrance, and this mission depended heavily on his ability to be inserted into the landlocked country without detection.

He had checked his gear over at least ten times, and was satisfied that he was set. This time of concentration was part of his final preparations of readiness. His altimeter was at hand, and he had breathed his prescribed 30 minutes of pure oxygen to help prevent decompression sickness. His pressure suit was ready and his 50lb pack sat ready for the corporal to help him don as they approached his coordinates. After his free fall, he would “fly” nearly 40 miles to the insertion point and the Air Force jet deploying him would be totally undetected. There was still the chance of being spotted in the longer fall once his parachute deployed, but the black chute against the dark night would lessen that possibility as well.

As he concentrated he “practiced” the jump, looking for his landmarks and using his GPS, the latest in secret military gadgets for determining position. He knew the exact point he should deploy his parachute and thought through all the contingencies that he might have to deal with to make his pin point landing. Though he was deep in concentration he was fully aware of his surroundings and wasn't startled at all when the young corporal addressed him.

“Commander,” he said in a low tone, respecting Lee's concentration, “we're approaching the drop zone,” he finished with professional ease.

Lee nodded and stood as the corporal helped him with his heavy pack that he wore attached on his chest where it wouldn't hinder his parachute. Nothing on his pressure suit indicated his country of origin as was the case with his entire gear. Once he made the drop he would change and dispose of his gear traveling light to his objective. He wasn't carrying papers of any kind for identity, those he would get when he met his contact, but he did carry a suitable amount of the local currency. The map was entirely memorized in his head; he needed to look like a local not a lost American tourist.

Lee proceeded to the jump door as he adjusted his oxygen mask under his helmet and readied for the signal from the pilot. He stood at the door looking at 35,000 feet of dark sky with an occasional white cloud and psyched himself for the jump. He felt the double pat on his shoulder and jumped free falling, as his only link to America flew undetected into the dark night.

He checked his watch and his altimeter, 30,000 feet. He wouldn't deploy until 10,000 feet. The actual feel of the free fall was exhilarating but he kept himself in total focus counting off the ticks of his watch and checking his altimeter. He knew exactly how far he should fall per second, nothing was left to chance. Even with his special pressure suit the air around him was extremely cold at -50 degrees Fahrenheit, but he had come prepared wearing polypropylene knit undergarments and full head gear under his helmet to prevent frost bite. Still, he enjoyed the slight change in temperature as he hit 20,000 feet. He checked his watch and altimeter again, another 5,000 feet to go. He positioned his hand over his rip cord and studied his altimeter...10,000 feet. He pulled the cord and felt a jolt as the parachute grabbed the air, and then began lowering him in a gentle descent.

Now he needed to “fly” his chute to his planned drop zone. It was dark with the new moon just a day away, they had waited three days to make this jump to give him the best chance of an undetected insertion. He looked for land marks using his night vision goggles. He saw everything through a green hue and made his course corrections until he landed precisely where his GPS Coordinates had led him. His landing was a smooth “soft” one as he landed on his two feet and steadied himself in the small meadow. He turned immediately and began pulling in his parachute listening for any sounds that would indicate he had been exposed.

The night air was dark and cool, and happily he noted that he had inserted cleanly and undetected. Still, he needed to dispose of his gear and start looking “local” real fast. He shed his pressure suit, and packed any equipment that didn't fit his “local” persona, leaving the altimeter and GPS with the parachute and his jump gear. He checked over his small backpack, satisfied that he had shed everything that would blow his cover. Then he took the large gear pack that was heavy with his parachute and oxygen equipment and swung it around in a 360 degree circle until he had enough momentum to let go and sent it flying out a good distance into the lake that he had landed next to. Now all evidence of his covert insertion was sitting at the bottom of the lake.

Lee watched the ripples where his pack had landed and recovered from the exertion of the throw, then picked up his small backpack and began making his way to meet his contact.

* * * * *

One Week Earlier

Captain Lee Crane was marking off the next course correction at the chart table as Seaview made her way through the depths of the sea. She was traveling at 15 fathoms, 90 feet and the ease of the current mission had been welcomed after the last mission. Battling the giant manta ray had been a little easier than dealing with the driven and obsessed Captain Wayne Adams**!

He noted the course correction in the log book and looked up to scan the Control Room. The efficiency of the crew was evident as each rating manned their crew stations with complete confidence and expertise. As he scanned the stations he noted Chip's arrival through the forward companion way having just left the observation lounge on the deck below. A row of junior officers followed and dispersed among duty stations and out the aft hatch.

“Meeting go okay?” Lee asked as he plotted the next course change.

“Fine.” Chip answered in a relaxed moment, as he scanned the Control Room and then turned his attention to the chart table in front of him. “Ready to hit the wardroom?”

“Sounds good. Mr. O'Brien, you have the Con.” Lee transferred control of the boat over to the junior officer with ease and the two headed toward the aft hatch. Chip and he had settled into a formal but relaxed command structure that was working well for them. Chip was finally starting to loosen up in front of the crew and had begun using his first name from time to time. But mostly, he addressed him as Captain or Skipper. They had just made it past the INS, Inertia Navigation System when Sparks called him from the radio shack.

“Captain Crane, I have a coded message for you. Captain's Eyes Only.”

Lee corrected his forward motion and took the final steps to the radio shack with Chip following closely behind.

“Thanks Sparks,” he said as he reached for the message. He looked over the coded message as his eyebrows sharpened recognizing the code, and then looked back up to his radio operator.

“Very well,” he delivered with a small squeeze to Sparks' shoulder and turned to head out the aft hatch.

“I'll decode this in my cabin and meet you in the wardroom Chip,” Lee said casually.

“Aye Sir,” Chip replied with full Naval decorum, but the upraised eyebrow on his forehead revealed his concern for the message. It wasn't unusual for the Captain to receive these types of messages, but it usually meant either a secret mission for Seaview or an ONI mission for Lee. He knew that Lee was a good Operative, and that the Navy had made his transfer to the Reserves contingent upon him continuing to accept missions. Lee hadn't seemed to mind, and easily made the adjustment from Captain of the world's most advanced nuclear submarine to ONI spy extraordinaire. Chip smiled inwardly, but kept his face schooled as he followed Lee out the aft hatch and headed toward the wardroom.

* * * * *

Lee sat at his desk reading the message he had just decoded. He was being called up to make a high level civilian extraction. Johnson hadn't given him any details, only that he had been chosen because of his language skills and his ability to melt with the locals. The final two letters at the end of the message caused him to sit back and breathe deeply. It was a code that basically meant that he'd be on his own if anything went wrong. He leaned forward depressing the intercom on his desk and hailed the Admiral.

“Admiral this is Crane,”

“Yes, Lee,” Harry answered, obviously still engrossed in whatever he was doing.

“Sir, I need to speak with you about an urgent matter,” Lee spoke evenly and without emotion.

“Very well Lee, come to my cabin now.”

Lee took the message and headed for the door, he'd have to let Chip know later. Right now, he needed to let the Admiral know that he was about to leave on a dangerous mission, without backup, and with the real chance of being disavowed if things went bad.

* * * * *

Seaview surfaced and Lee stood at the sail watching the horizon for the helicopter that had been dispatched to pick him up. He would be transported to the aircraft carrier and then sent by fighter jet to Washington DC for his mission briefing. It must be something big, the briefing would be delivered by Admiral Johnson himself. He was wearing his black jeans and long sleeve button up shirt and a backpack sat at his feet waiting for his ride. Both Harry and Chip stood beside him, trying unsuccessfully to keep their concern under wraps. Lee had been accepting missions for about ten years now, and although neither didn't necessarily like it, they knew it was part of who Lee was.

Lee spotted the Seahawk as it flew in low over the horizon and handed the binoculars back to Chip.

“Well, I'm off. I'll see you back at the Institute in a week or so,” Lee smiled as he delivered his optimistic appraisal of the mission length.

Chip nodded, “You just come back in one piece.”

Lee shook his hand and Chip added an extra squeeze as their eyes met saying everything they wouldn't say out loud.

Next, Lee turned to Harry. He wasn't sure how it happened, but Harry had become more than a friend or even a brother. After all the years of his father being gone, he was surprised to discover that there had been a void in his life and that Harriman Nelson had stepped into that void, almost like a father. They had no conversations on the matter, but he knew that Harry's feelings had turned quite paternal, never overbearing or pushy, just quiet and personal.

“Take care Lee,” Harry said with strength in his eyes and sincerity that said just as much as Chip's eyes had a moment ago.

“I will Sir,” Lee replied, and then broke the handshake and headed down the ladder to meet the helicopter about ready to land on Seaview's deck.

Harry and Chip stood on the Bridge watching as Lee boarded the Seahawk, he gave them one final wave and then disappeared inside as the helicopter took off leaving a wave of wind behind that left both Harry and Chip holding their covers on their heads.

* * * * *

Lee arrived in Washington and produced his identity card as the receptionist sitting behind bullet proof glass ran it through the scanner. The card would be left behind once he was on his way. She returned the card and smiled, as she buzzed him into the secure portion of the office building. Lee proceeded to Admiral Johnson's office, his face reflective of the mission he was about to embark on.

“Commander Crane to see Admiral Johnson,” he said politely to the receptionist. She smiled and pressed her intercom button.

“Commander Crane is here now, Sir.”

“Send him in,” was delivered short and with an edge he had come to expect from the Admiral.

Lee nodded, offering a small smile to the receptionist and entered in to see the Head of the Office of Naval Intelligence. He crossed the floor and stood at attention delivering a crisp salute. He waited until the Admiral raised his head and acknowledged him with a short salute.

“At ease Commander. Have a seat,” he said as he handed a folder across the desk to Lee.

“You're aware of the Extraction Code assigned to this mission?” Johnson said referring to the Disavowment Disclaimer.

Lee nodded his affirmative, “Yes Sir, I'm aware of the DD.”

“Very well. Let's get started.”

Lee leaned closer as Admiral Johnson began his briefing.

“Last week, the President of Hrvatska*** began making inflammatory remarks about the United States and her allies. Certain domestic policies also began to manifest themselves, including a curfew and martial law. The region is highly unstable, and this change in Hrvatska's policies may be a catalyst for some dangerous anti-American activity. The events that unfolded came out of nowhere and do not reflect the normal behavior of President Knezevic. Yesterday, we received word from our local source in Hrvatska that the President's daughter had been kidnapped and is being held prisoner. General Kovac, the head of the country's armed forces has arranged a quiet coup using Knezevic's daughter as leverage. We have been assured that as soon as Knezevic's daughter and family are safe, that the President will speak publicly and call for his people to help him retake the country. A team has been sent for the First Family, you are being sent for Knezevic's daughter.”

Lee nodded his understanding, “Do we know where she's being kept Sir?”

“At Zatvor, a little known prison with roots back to the dark ages. Apparently it's been in use without President Knezevic's knowledge. We have intel for you to look over on the facility,” Johnson nodded, making reference to the folder Lee was now holding.

Lee began thumbing through the folder, “And the daughter?” He asked, honing in on his retrieval target.

“Alina Knezevic, 24 years old, single, only child of President Knezevic,” Johnson replied.

Lee nodded, having found her profile in the folder.

“How's your Greek?” Johnson asked matter of factly.

“A little rusty Sir,” he replied honestly.

“That's okay, the language of Hrvatska is similar to Greek with variances. I'm sure you'll do fine once we put you through the speed language course.”

“Aye, Sir.” Lee had been through plenty of the courses and had always been able to pick up on the European languages and accents with ease. He reasoned it was a large part of why he had been chosen for the mission. That, and the fact that his complexion and hair coloring fit well with the region.

“That's all for now Commander, we'll start you on your language course now. You can read the dossier later this evening. You'll be incommunicado from this point on. We're shooting for insertion in five days.”

Lee's eyebrows narrowed in question, “Five days? Is there a reason for the delay Sir? I'm sure I won't need that long in the language course.”

“I agree, two days to bring your language up to par and briefings max, but we're also waiting for the darkest night of the month preceding the new moon to aid your stealth entry into the country.” Johnson rose from his chair and stood at his desk, a clear signal that the briefing had ended.

“Aye Sir.”

Lee also stood waiting to be dismissed, but Admiral Johnson took a sigh and added, “This is a very dangerous assignment Commander, I appreciate your willingness to take the DD without question. It's a one shot deal. If you fail, General Kovac will not hesitate to eliminate the girl and her entire family. At no time, will you disclose your nationality other than your cover story dictates. There's no backup beyond your contacts within the country. Are you still willing to take the assignment?”

Lee studied Johnson's eyes and saw confidence there. He couldn't say no, and then live with another operative's death on his head if things didn't go well. He had been chosen because he was the best fit for the job.

“Yes Sir, I'll take the assignment.”

Johnson squared his shoulders, “Very Well, Commander. I'll be involved in several of your briefings. Dismissed.”

“Aye Sir,” Lee answered and left Johnson's office. To someone else it may have seemed like a cold exchange between the two officers, but Lee could see the concern in Johnson's eyes. He also noted the satisfaction that Johnson displayed as he agreed to take the assignment with the Disavowment Disclosure intact. They had a strange relationship, formal yet direct, but most importantly, Lee trusted Admiral Johnson. Lee continued down the hall and began his preparations to extract President Knezevic's daughter from a high security dungeon masquerading as a prison.

* * * * *

Lee spent the next three days in preparations and traveled on the fourth day to an Air Base in Germany. He rested the next day and checked and rechecked his gear, map and anything else he could think of. He made the high altitude precision jump and had landed right where he wanted to be. He disposed of his gear in the nearby lake and began hiking to the small village five kilometers away. He needed papers before he went too far and his contact would have everything he needed to fill his cover story.

Everything Lee had on him was local to the area, even down to his boots. He did however, carry several items that might be of use concealed in his local attire. He had even let his beard grow to a dark stubble over the last six days to lessen his appearance as a well groomed naval officer into something a bit more casual. He made his way into the village and spotted the tavern that was his landmark. His contact point was several buildings down as he walked along trying to look disinterested in his surroundings.

He nonchalantly looked around and then entered the old office building. It was late and there wasn't anyone out, but Lee proceeded cautiously just the same. The lights in the building were turned off, except for a single light filtering from under the door of a room up ahead. Lee opened the door and greeted the occupant sitting at a desk with a single desk lamp burning.

“Filipe?” Lee asked cautiously.

The man nodded, and Lee continued, “I lost my ride, I'm here to buy a horse.”

“It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

Lee nodded as he acknowledged the counter sign to his nonsense statement, and stepped closer to the desk.

“You have papers for me?” He asked in the local language. His accent was perfect as Filipe reached into the desk pulling papers out of the middle drawer and sliding the papers folded in thirds and tied with a string towards Lee.

“You are Markos Kahil,” Filipe said as Lee reached for the papers, and lowered himself into a chair sitting across from Filipe. Lee looked over the papers and nodded at their completeness.

“I have an auto, we will travel during the day. The curfew is in place and our movement at night would be noticeable. You are perhaps hungry and tired?” He asked, offering hospitality to Lee, now that he was sure of his identity.

Lee nodded and added a small smile, “Yes, a little on both accounts.”

“Come with me Markos, I have a cot in the back room and something for you to eat.”

“Thank you Filipe,” Lee offered with sincerity, and followed his host to the back room. He found the cot as promised and a plate sitting over a pot with simmering water on a hot pad. It effectively kept the dinner warm and Lee took the hot meal in gratefully. He never ate much before a skydive, and the moussaka**** was excellent.

“I will leave you to rest, I won't open your door unless there is trouble,” Filipe said, alerting Lee that if someone came through the door, he should be cautious.

“Thank you Filipe, this is perfect,” Lee said gratefully. He had operated on less sleep before, and was no stranger to an empty stomach, but he could really go for some rest after the mental strain of the precision jump and the hike into the village. He finished his moussaka, and sank into the cot, pulling the blanket over him. It was a clean insertion, he hadn't run into any troops enforcing the curfew, and so far the mission was going as planned. So Lee allowed himself the rest he needed, tomorrow would be a big day.

* * * * *

When Filipe returned in the morning he found Lee sitting up tying his boots. The dawn was barely breaking and they had about 90 kilometers to travel.

“Good Morning Markos,” he said as he handed Lee a small loaf of bread and cheese for his backpack.

“Good Morning Filipe.”

They proceeded to the car sitting out back; a small car by American standards and Lee had to fold his legs to fit in the passenger seat even with the seat pulled back, but the transportation was welcome just the same. Once they were inside the car, Lee felt more comfortable talking about the mission plans.

“I will take you to the nearest village to Zatvor. The prison is located in the woods and is impenetrable.”

Lee nodded, he had already seen the diagrams of the prison. It meant that he would have to get into the prison by more “conventional” means. Not only did he need to do something worth being thrown in prison for, he needed to really tick someone off to warrant being put in the same high security block that Alina was being kept in.

“I will remain on business in the village to aid you once you have successfully retrieved the girl.”

Lee passed a small smile Filipe's way, “Sounds good.” Lee appreciated Filipe's confidence that the mission would be successful.

They traveled 90 kilometers, about 55 miles, to the edge of the village as Filipe pulled off the main road onto an unpaved, little used path. Lee had probed him along the way for anything he could think of to aid in the success of the retrieval. Likewise, Filipe had drilled Lee on his cover story. Now there wasn't anything to do but tick off someone important and get sent to prison.

“Thanks for everything Filipe. We'll meet at the agreed upon rendezvous point, I wish I could tell you when,” Lee offered sincerely.

“It matters not, I'll be there. Be careful my friend.” Filipe offered true sincerity and gratefulness in his eyes for the American Operative who was risking his life for the good of someone else's country.

“You too, I'm looking forward to more of your wife's moussaka,” Lee offered with a smile, and then he left with his backpack as Filipe drove back onto the main road to attend to his “business” in the village.

* * * * *

Lee watched Filipe drive off. So far, so good. He took a perpendicular route from the main road and traveled for about a mile and then looked around for a suitable hiding place and found some dense brush. He took his backpack and stashed it inside the brush, then backtracked to the road and headed into the village on foot.

He still hadn't decided how he was going to “earn” a visit to the prison, but from what he had heard, he didn't think it was going to be hard now that martial law had been instituted.

* * * * *

Alina sat huddled in her little corner. The cells were completely barred, with only one solid wall so there wasn't any privacy. She had to rig her only blanket to offer privacy for even the necessities of using the toilet. It wasn't polite dinner conversation, thinking of her predicament, but she had managed to survive and she had hoped, to keep her dignity as well.

Not for the first time she wondered if someone, somewhere was planning a rescue for her, or was this prison her destiny until General Kovac decided he no longer had any use for her? She didn't think she could bear that thought. What she needed was a hero, and sat back into her corner thinking about what he looked like and how he would save her.

* * * * *

Lee entered the village and wasn't surprised at all to see the military presence on nearly every street corner. Power is a strange thing. There were some men in the military naively caught up in their duty as soldiers and had no idea what was at stake and followed their orders like good soldiers do. But there were always others who looked for the opportunity for corruption to transpire and used it as their means of terrorizing others. As Lee scanned the streets ahead of him, he could pretty much pick out the ones who had found their recent power and were using it against the defenseless citizens of the country. All he needed to do was to single out one of these guys and pick a fight. He was pretty sure he'd end up in prison, and he was equally sure it wasn't going to be pleasant. But he was willing to take the chance that they would know when to stop “teaching him a lesson” and still leave him able to function.

He walked the streets looking for the highest ranking jerk he could find, sure enough, he wasn't hard to spot. A major had stopped a woman with several small children and was harassing her. He was crude and suggestive and Lee was pleased that his incarceration was going to be worth splitting this guy's lip over.

He walked by and purposely slammed his shoulder into the major in an obvious feigned accident. The major was immediately distracted and turned from the young mother calling after him.

“You!” He yelled with authority. Lee turned around with a defiant stance and the young mother saw her chance to hurry with her three children away from the impending confrontation.

“Your papers,” he demanded.

Lee stared him down and then took a step toward him, reaching for his identity papers. He pulled them out of his worn leather jacket and held them out to the major. The major reached for the papers and Lee dropped them purposefully just before the major could take hold of them. The major stood back sizing up the defiant peasant who was getting some attention from the village residents just now.

“I suggest you pick up your papers and try again,” the major said with all the voice inflection of the power hungry jerk that Lee had sized him up to be.

Lee seemed to rethink his attitude and started to bend down to pick up the papers, as the major's face cracked a power hungry smile at his victory over the peasant. But just as Lee bent down he shifted and delivered a powerful upper cut into the major's jaw. The major was caught off balance and fell backwards as Lee advanced on him pulling him to his feet and delivering another blow. That's all he had time for because soon he was surrounded by soldiers pulling him off the major and holding him in place as others helped the shocked officer to a standing position.

The major's face sported a nice bruise on the jaw and blood ran from his nose as he tried to compose himself. His cap had fallen off his head and his ruffled hair spoke of the battle as well. He breathed deeply as his anger welled from the deepest parts of his being and shook the helpful hands of his soldiers off him.

“Hold him!” He ordered his men, and Lee prepared himself for the inevitable beating that he knew was coming.

The major swung back and delivered blow after blow to Lee's face whipping his head back and forth as his arms were effectively held by soldiers. He wasn't satisfied with the bruises forming on Lee's face and moved to deliver blows to Lee's midsection. The major outweighed Lee by fifty pounds and each blow was expertly delivered to cause pain. Lee knew the major was making an example out of his defiance and as he expected the beating continued until he passed out.

The major stepped back looking over the peasant hanging in between the soldiers and spoke loud enough for the villagers to hear.

“Take him to Zatvor, I'll want to interrogate him later,” and with that he stepped back and composed himself, replacing his cap back over his head. Major Radic looked around and was satisfied at both the condition of the defiant peasant and the fear his beating had instilled into the villagers. The fear had been accentuated with the sentence of prison and the promise of an interrogation. He smiled a small tight cruel smile and motioned for his jeep to pick him up.

* * * * *

Lee was still unconscious as he was dragged into the prison cell and deposited onto a cot. Even in his unconscious state he moaned at their rough handling as his arms instinctively wrapped tightly around his mid-section.

The guards closed his cell door shut and then walked a surveying pattern down the halls checking on their prisoners. One of the guards stopped and looked into the cell that held the President's daughter. He smiled at her vulnerability, as he ran his tongue over his lips. His intentions were not missed by the young frightened woman as she sank deeper into her corner. He enjoyed seeing her fear and would have liked to capitalize on it, but he wasn't a fool. General Kovac wasn't a man to be reckoned with, neither was his crony Major Radic. No, he'd just take satisfaction in seeing the fear in her eyes, and walked along continuing his sweep of the prison cells.

* * * * *

Lee moaned as he began to wake and his awareness returned to him. The major had pushed the envelope and had nearly caused him more damage than he could handle, but as Lee began to do a physical assessment he realized that though he felt a couple of broken ribs they had remained in place. He opened his eyes to view his cell. One solid wall of stone behind him, three walls of bars. He was lying on his side still holding his rib cage and decided to try and sit up, hopefully he hadn't suffered a concussion. He cautiously sat up and leaned his head back against the cool stone wall that his cot sat against. Slowly he surveyed the cells around him and as his head turned, he was happy to note that he wasn't dizzy. Good. No concussion, just a dandy of a headache. He continued his sweep of the cells until he spotted the one he had prayed to find.

In the corner of her cell sat Alina wrapped in her blanket as if it could shield her from the dangers of the prison. Their eyes met for just a moment, and then she diverted her's away. Lee could see the fear in her eyes, but he was also impressed with her composure. She had found a way to survive here, and he was sure that he saw enough strength in her eyes to handle the escape.

His pain spiked and he closed his eyes for a moment breathing past the pain of broken ribs and a face that felt like he had been hammered with a meat tenderizer. He looked down at his wrist and was relieved to see that he still had his watch. It was just before noon and he would have to wait for night fall to make their escape. He had studied the prison layout back in Washington DC and knew the route he would take, but it would have to be late tonight. He was hoping that the major would wait until tomorrow for any interrogation that he was sure was coming; another reason to high tail it out tonight. He looked back over and caught Alina's eyes once more, he smiled a gentle smile and then closed his eyes. He didn't want to reveal who he was yet, not until it was time. He had a small window of opportunity and he couldn't take the chance of it being blown.

He laid back down and turned toward the wall. He needed to rest, and the broken ribs were causing him to grimace. He wanted Alina to have confidence in him, so that she wouldn't be too frightened to follow him out of the prison, so he hid his discomfort and tried to sleep.

* * * * *

Alina watched as the new arrival began to stir. Even through his bruises and the blood on his face, she could tell that he was a handsome man. What was her country coming to? When law abiding citizens were treated worse than criminals? She wasn't sure how she knew he was innocent. Maybe it was the gentleness she spotted in his eyes when they had locked for a few seconds. She tore her gaze away when she realized that they had connected, but in that short moment she saw a brave man. She rethought her previous assessment of the new comer. She realized that he was still brave and saw strength in his eyes. He didn't have despair, but hope. Somehow she knew that he wasn't a defeated man and hoped it would last beyond his first day here. She had seen the prisoners come and go in the two weeks that she had been here, and though they may have come in with fire in their eyes, they all left empty and full of despair. She sighed to herself. The poor soul, he doesn't have the protection of the President hanging over him like she did, sooner or later the cruelty of the guards would take that fire out of his eyes too.

She leaned her head back and retreated into her fantasy of the White Knight coming to take her away.

* * * * *

Lee lay facing the cell wall, but was fully aware of his surroundings. He had been timing the guard's passes through their cell block. A sentry passed every 30 minutes. That was his window, that's what he had to work with. Fortunately, the major had so far left his interrogation till tomorrow, and being that it was now 1800 hours, he thought it was possible that he would get to bypass that unpleasant meeting all together. It was good for more than selfish reasons. He needed to be strong and able to function if he was to get Alina out safely.

The guard that had just passed left the cell block, and Lee decided to sit up and look over the situation again. He had slept for several hours and woke with every break and bruise feeling nice and ripe, but he still felt better than before the nap and knew he could work through the “slight” handicap. He still didn't want to tip off his intentions of rescuing Alina, so he was careful to look over the cell and the hall with just the curiousness of a new prisoner.

The guards had deposited a mushy looking meal through the food opening of the cell bars near the bottom of the floor, but he opted to ignore it. He couldn't take the chance of the food being tainted with either poison or bacteria from poor cleanliness. He was thirsty, but ignored that as well. If he had to spend any more time here than one night he'd have to take a chance and eat and drink, but not now when so much was riding on the escape.

He looked down the hall and checked his watch, a sentry should be passing in a few minutes. He went back to his cot and sat down and waited to see if he was right. As expected, the guard made his rounds as Lee leaned back satisfied that he knew what his escape window would be.

* * * * *

It was just after midnight, and Lee had continued to monitor the guards sentry walks through the cell block. They were like clockwork, right on time all evening long. A guard had just passed, now it was time to make a break for freedom. He quietly and quickly retrieved two small metal pieces from the heel of his boot and headed for the cell door. Quietly he picked his lock. The older tumblers posed no problem as he heard the click and pushed the door open gently. He wished he could open the cell door of everyone here, but he didn't have time. He'd have to settle for the fact that after President Knezevic was back in power this place would be shut down. That was the best he could do for these poor souls right now.

Lee hurried to Alina's cell. She was asleep with her blanket wrapped tightly around her. He made quick work of her cell door and opened it sliding in quietly and making his way over to her cot. He held his hand over her mouth, as he was sure his presence would startle her. As expected she woke in terror with her eyes growing wide instantly as Lee used his other hand to signal a “shh” without the sound.

He nodded toward the open cell door and removed his hand from her mouth, still keeping his finger in the “shh” position. She studied him for just a second, when understanding seemed to dawn on her face and she nodded. He headed for the open door as she followed behind him. Once in the hall, he took her hand and led her through to the opposite door the sentries entered during their passes. They would need to be quiet; Prisoners begging for their release could ruin the whole thing. As they entered the next cell block he took her to a wall and reached up to a rock crevice that was just within his reach as he stood on the tips of his toes. He found the latch and pulled it as a small opening was revealed in the wall. The door opened inward, and Lee guided her through the opening into the pitch black passage way.

Once inside, Lee reached back and felt the wall for the latch alongside the doorway and closed the passage door behind them. Then he reached into the lining of his boot and pulled out a small pen size light and turned it on. The light was small, but the passage walls seemed to reflect the light back as he motioned again to stay quiet and took her hand leading her through the secret passage that had been placed in the prison centuries earlier. The builders had placed it here in the event that they should ever be incarcerated themselves, and thanks to their contacts, Lee had known about it from the beginning.

Now, he could only hope that the centuries of erosion had not taken its toll on the passageway as they winded their way lower and lower down steep narrow steps. They hadn't spoken a word since the rescue began. He couldn't take the chance of their conversations being heard from the other side of the wall and he was grateful that Alina seemed to understand this. As they moved deeper down the staircase the temperature dropped, and Lee realized that they were now underground. He noticed Alina shiver and stopped to remove his worn leather jacket placing it on first one arm and then the other. It hung off her small frame but she nodded in gratefulness for the warmth it provided.

They continued on and then back up a small grouping of stairs until they reached a seemingly dead end. Lee took the pen light and searched the wall for the catch that he knew was there. He found it, but pulled his hand back quickly as the rat that had been nesting in the spot made a hasty and squeaky departure. No matter how many times he had been in rat infested places, they still startled him. He smiled at Alina and turned back to pull the release. A small opening appeared, and they had to squat down to exit the passageway. It opened up to a thick forest as Lee turned and pushed the access door closed. It moved with ease as if the door was spring loaded and closed with a slight thud. Intel had revealed there wasn't a way to access the passageway from the outside. Too bad, it could have saved him a couple of broken ribs!

He turned off his pen light; they would travel by the small light that the sliver of the new moon provided and headed to his rendezvous point with Filipe.

When they had traveled about two miles from the prison passageway, Lee stopped to give Alina a rest. She was shivering, but he thought it was from the adrenalin wearing off. For the first time they spoke, but still kept their voices in a whisper.

“My name is Markos,” he said gently, “are you okay?”

She nodded, and then the tears began to flow as her raw emotions were too much for her. Lee took her in his arms and held her tightly as she shed silent tears. She shook in his arms and though her sobs were uncontrollable, she still held her faculties enough to stay silent. After a long while, she composed herself and pulled away from his now wet shirt where her tears had fallen as her face laid buried in his chest.

He smiled at her, and she saw no condemnation for her emotional outburst.

“You think you can make it further now?” He asked gently.

“Yes, and thank you Markos. Thank you,” she repeated, willing her tears not to make a second appearance.

He took her by the hand, and they moved further away from the hell-hole that had defined her life for the last two weeks.

* * * * *

Alina followed behind Markos as he led her by the hand through the forest. He stopped from time to time when there was a suitable clearing and looked up at the stars getting his bearings and then would continue again. She could hear his breathing and noted they were shallower than when they had started, and occasionally he would hold onto his side. She knew he had been beaten before being thrown into the cell, and yet he made no sound other than his labored breathing.

They continued to travel silently until Markos stopped to check the stars again and then began looking around for something. He found a dense clump of bushes and reached in producing a backpack. Then he moved to a tree that lay across the forest floor and sat down with his back leaning against it as he reached into the backpack.

He pulled out the bread and cheese and a flask of water and offered them to Alina as she sat next to him. Her mouth watered at the fresh food and tore a chunk of each off and then drank some water. Markos waited until she had finished and then took a small drink as well.

“What time is it?” She whispered.

“Nearly four in the morning,” he answered, careful not to slide into military time.

“How much further?” she asked curious about her rescue. She trusted Markos completely, he had everything planned out and she was sure that he knew what he was doing.

“Just a couple miles more, we need to put more distance between us and the village,” his answer was precise and to the point, but Alina could hear his labored breaths.

He looked down at his watch and then back up to the dark sky. “We'll rest for just a moment more, then we need to get going. I want us hunkered down and waiting for our ride before the sun rises.”

She noticed that although he answered matter of factly, he had added a smile to soften his answer. His hand laid across his side, but he made no reference to what she knew was probably broken ribs. She had seen the men who had come and gone in the prison cell and heard their moans. She was sure his treatment hadn't been any less. Even with the darkness and the bruises on his face, she could see that he was a very handsome man. He wore his dark beard thin and trimmed and it accentuated the green in his eyes. She had caught sight of his eyes in the passageway and even with the fear of being caught, she had noticed his pleasing features. It elicited a small smile from her as she realized that her hero had indeed turned out to be tall, dark and handsome.

Markos checked his watch again, and then moved to stand as he held onto his side.

“Ready?” he asked gently.

Alina nodded, and once again he took her by the hand and moved forward. They only traveled for about another hour when Markos stopped at the slow moving river ahead of him.

“It's a little cold, but we need to be on the other side. Are you up for a little swim?” He had a gentle humor that showed through and Alina didn't mind at all the opportunity to wash away the remains of the prison.

“I'm actually looking forward to it,” she replied as he entered first and then held her hand as she stepped down the bank into the water.

The water was cold, but Alina didn't mind. She dunked to allow her long hair to be soaked and reveled in the feeling. She had only been allowed to bathe twice in the two weeks she had been in the prison, and never once had they offered her a change of clothes. They moved to the other side and left the water. Markos had held his leather jacket above the water as he swam one handed and immediately placed it back over her shoulders. He held his hands on her shoulders for a few seconds and then looked away.

“Come on, this way,” he said taking her by the hand again and moving forward. About thirty minutes later they stopped and squatted down below some bushes as Markos surveyed a small cabin up ahead. Alina was shivering, but the swim had been worth it.

“Stay here,” he said softly and Alina held her breath as Markos moved stealthily toward the cabin. He circled it and then listened by the door until he opened it slowly and peered around the corner. He stepped in and came out a few seconds later motioning her to come. Alina moved forward and entered the old cabin grateful for some shelter out of the chilly morning air.

Markos rummaged under the dilapidated cot and pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. He pulled the string and unwrapped the package to find several changes of clothes. They sorted through them and Alina was happy to be able to change out of the wet clothes she was wearing.

“You change in here, I'll take outside,” he said quietly.

Alina nodded and was grateful for the privacy that was given her, but after everything she had been through she didn't want Markos to go far. He seemed to recognize this and gave her a soft reassuring smile.

“I'll be right outside, just unlatch the door when you're done.”

She returned his smile as he left the cabin and began shedding her dirty wet clothes. It felt wonderful to have the clean clothes against her skin. They fit perfectly, and guessed that it was no accident that they knew her size. She piled her rejected clothes and then unlatched the door. Markos was standing at the door with his clothes in hand. Immediately, he gathered her pile and started folding the clothes. Alina realized that he intended to put them back into the package and slipped to her knees to help him. Together they wrapped the clothes back in the brown paper and retied the package shut.

“We'll take them with us and hide them in the forest,” he explained.

“Aren't we going to stay here?” she asked.

“I'm afraid not,” he said gently, “the shelter of a cabin would be the first place they would look. We just needed to change our clothes and look a little less like prisoners,” he said with a smile.

She returned his smile. The change of clothes helped, but unfortunately the bruises on Markos' face gave away his recent treatment, somehow she was sure he knew it too.

They left the cabin and traveled back through the woods where Markos hid the clothes, burying it under a thorny bush. All the while they moved she noticed how sleek and purposeful his movements were.

Her White Knight had come to rescue her. She realized that his capture was part of the plan to get to her, and the beating he sustained a casualty of that plan. He risked his life for her, just like heroes do. All those hours sitting and thinking about her rescue, never once did she imagine a fellow prisoner picking both of their locks and then leading her out a secret passageway. It was like something out of a medieval story.

The sun was starting to rise and Markos found a place for them to sit as he watched the woods around them. Their resting spot was in view of a rough dirt road, and she remembered him saying that they had a ride coming. It would feel good to ride after their long walk. She sat down next to Markos and pulled her knees up to her chest resting her head on her arms that were folded over her raised knees.

“Markos?”

“Yes,” he answered softly.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Out of the country. As long as you're here, you're in danger.”

Alina did the math and realized that they still had some traveling to make it that far. All the hope and confidence she had accumulated over the last hours seemed to deflate as she realized that they weren't safe yet. Her head sank further into her arms, and then she felt him move closer and wrap his arm around her. Instinctively, she leaned over and rested in the crook of his arm as she felt the transfer of his strength to her.

“We'll make it Alina. Trust me.” The whisper of his voice offered confidence and strength. Alina sighed and let loose her fear and allowed herself the comfort of Markos' strong arm and soon found herself sleeping there.

* * * * *

Lee and Alina sat leaning against a dirt bank. They had good cover, but he could still see the dirt road ahead. He had his arm wrapped around Alina and she had settled in next to him comfortably. He was impressed with her inner strength; everything she had gone through and yet she still held her composure. He found himself admiring her and was glad to have been able to offer some comfort for the fear that had crept in. He didn't see it as a weakness, anyone who was brave knew what fear was. The essence of bravery was not letting fear stop a person, that's what he saw in Alina.

He was tired, but couldn't risk sleeping. He needed to watch for unfriendlies, and for Filipe. When they were safe in their neighboring country, then he would rest. He looked down at his watch, 0700. He could expect Filipe at any time now, and listened intently for the sound of a car on the dirt road.

Another two hours passed, and then Lee thought he heard a sound in the distance.

“Alina,” he whispered, urging her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open as he unwrapped his arm from around her.

“Someone's coming. I need to make sure it's safe. You stay here, if there's any trouble you run away from the road back towards the river. I'll find you there.”

Her eyes registered the danger that he was taking and nodded her head with her concern evident.

Lee rose being careful to keep the coverage that the trees and bushes around him offered and moved towards the road. He squatted down as he watched for the vehicle to close the distance and saw a flash of green. He looked through the trees just a moment more and realized that it was an army truck. He backed off and ran back toward Alina keeping a low profile as he did.

“Come on, it's not our ride,” he said urgently, pulling her up and then moving her in the direction he wanted to go. He moved her ahead of him and pointed the direction he wanted them to run. He needed to get as much distance between them and the patrol as possible. Back behind him he heard the rat-a-tat sound of an automatic weapon. They were firing in another direction and sweeping towards them. He realized that they were firing indiscriminately through the forest and the arc of the gun fire was headed their way. They were still in range of a stray bullet so Lee pushed Alina down on the ground and followed her down to cover her with his own body. But he wasn't fast enough, as he felt a bullet hit him in the lower back and slice out of his side.

He laid over her for a few minutes until he heard the truck start back up again and make a three point turn. It headed back off toward the main road as the soldiers left feeling that they had done their duty in checking the old dirt trail out, their attempt to flush out their targets with gunfire proof of their diligence. Slowly Lee rolled off Alina and laid on his back with his right hand splayed against the red blossom of color on his side. It took a moment for Alina to realize that he had been shot, but she jumped into motion as soon as she registered the blood and his breathing.

“Markos!” She said, using a loud whisper.

Lee took several long breaths and then answered, “It's okay. It's not bad. We can still make it to the alternate pick-up point.”

“You can't go anywhere like this,” she said in a disbelieving voice as she rummaged through the backpack looking for something to stop the bleeding. She found a handkerchief and applied it on his side as he took a silent gasp at the pressure.

“Just give me minute, and I'll be ready to move. We can't stay here. If they checked the road once, they might check it again. We need to keep moving.” His voice was pained, but he still held the confidence that Alina had come to expect from him and continued to apply pressure until he spoke again.

“Okay. Can you help me up?”

Alina put her arms under his shoulders and helped him to rise first to a sitting position, then to stand. He was steady on his feet and after breathing deeply he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

“Don't worry,” he said. “I always have a backup plan,” and smiled as if to offer her hope again. She moved under his arm opposite the side that had been shot as he held the handkerchief in place and moved into the direction he indicated.

They traveled another hour and a half without a rest when he indicated they should stop as Alina lowered Lee down on the ground. Lee sat up against a large oak tree with his head leaning back watching the road in front of him. They were still in cover, but he knew that if unfriendlies showed up he'd be in no condition to run away. He only hoped that the sound he heard in the distance was Filipe. He wasn't completely done in yet, but he decided that the best course of action was to stay put and stay low. If it were soldiers, there was no reason to believe they would fan out into the woods without having a target to chase.

“When the vehicle comes, don't move or make a sound. If they're soldiers they may just pass by and probably never see us. If it's our ride, I'll know,” he said with confidence and Alina nodded her head.

They waited for the sound of the vehicle and Lee was relieved to see the dark blue compact car that Filipe had drove him into town with the day before. Had it only been a day? As Lee sat there holding his side, he felt like it had been much longer.

Lee cautiously held Alina's hand keeping her in place until the car stopped and he could verify who was driving. He was relieved to see Filipe get out of the car and stand as he scanned the forest. Alina must have registered his relief and moved to help him stand. Filipe caught the movement and headed their way to help move Lee into the car.

“My friend, you are shot?” he asked with concern.

“It's a straight through, not bad,” he offered as Filipe guided him toward the back seat.

“You two will have to hunker down in the back. They are everywhere looking for you.” Filipe caught Lee's eyes as he added, “I knew you would do it Markos.”

Lee nodded his appreciation of Felipe's kind words and grimaced as he laid back on the car seat with his legs folded to fit. Alina slid in and placed his head on her lap. Once out on the main road she would lean over and conceal herself. She looked down into his hazel green eyes as he offered a small smile and took in the comfort of Alina's soft hand over his applying pressure to his side, the other hand brushing his hair from his forehead.

“I will drive us toward the border. Rest up my friend, you'll have to cross the border by foot. I'll meet you on the other side at the safe house.”

Lee's eyes were heavy, but he managed a reply, “Okay. How long?”

“We'll drive for another two hours, then I'll let you off a good distance from the border check. You'll have to walk about three miles. Can you do it?”

Lee smiled as his eyes closed, “Yeah. I can do it,” he said with confidence and fell asleep.

* * * * *

Lee's internal clock woke him up as he felt the car begin to slow and pull off the main road. He fluttered his eyes open to see Alina looking down at him. She was a pretty sight to wake up to, even without any of the cosmetics that her pictures had shown she usually wore. She was sitting upright, not hunkered down so he figured it was safe for him to do the same. He applied pressure to his side and moved to sit up as Alina helped him with hands under his shoulders.

He looked down at his side and was happy to see that the bleeding had stopped. He had lost enough blood to feel tired, but he felt better after the long rest.

“We're here Markos.”

Lee looked ahead as Filipe pointed out the landmarks.

“Just over that hill,” he finished.

Lee nodded. “Will you be okay going through the check point? Maybe you should come with us.”

“My business brings me here from time to time, the border guards will recognize me. I don't expect any problems in passing. My wife is already there,” he added with a smile. “She told me that she is preparing you a large portion of moussaka, so don't be late.”

Lee smiled, “We'll be there.” His smiled morphed back to reflect the seriousness of the situation, “You be careful Filipe.”

“I will. You just worry about getting Miss Alina to safety.”

And with that, Lee and Alina stepped back from the car as Filipe maneuvered back out onto the main road.

Lee walked along cautiously, leading Alina on toward safety, beyond the borders of Hrvatska. It took an hour and a half, and Lee was disappointed at the 30 minute miles he had made walking but at least he hadn't fallen and started bleeding again. There was no fanfare or even a fence to cross this far out in the country as they climbed the small hill and looked down into the valley of an inviting village. Alina had moved once again under his arm and had given him back his leather jacket to hide the blood stains as they moved to enter the village.

They were out of General Kovac's reach, but Lee wouldn't feel secure until they had made it to the safe house. They moved along until they found a country road and Lee recognized the landmarks. He knew right where they needed to go.

He walked unaided holding Alina's hand, his jacket covering the two blood stained holes in his back and side. They reached the edge of the village and Lee guided them to the one he knew was the safe house. He knocked on the door and a woman answered.

“I was told you had a room to let out,” Lee said. It sounded innocent, something anyone might say, but the test would come in her reply.

“Yes, I hope you don't mind that the loons are noisy this time of year.”

Lee smiled, “We'll take it,” and motioned Alina inside as the sign and counter sign were both given.

As soon as they were safe inside Filipe appeared out of nowhere and guided Lee back to a bedroom to lie on a bed. Alina helped him to sit, but he wasn't ready to give up and sleep yet.

“You're safe now Alina. Filipe will make contact with your father's people. Once they're here, my part of the mission is over. They'll take care of you and reunite you with your family.” He gave her a smile, even though his body was ready for some real sleep.

“Will I ever see you again Markos?”

Lee's eyes diverted away as he answered, “No.” His eyes returned to hers as he continued, “You've been very brave, and I'm glad to have known you even for a short time.”

Her eyes registered the “good-bye” as she searched his eyes for something that would say he would come back some day, but found no false pretense or promise of return.

“What's your full name?” She asked, wanting to know everything she could about her rescuer, the one who had weathered a beating and took a bullet to bring her to safety.

Lee looked into her eyes, remembering his duty of not divulging his identity at any time and answered, “Marcos Kahil.” He offered a smile and started to lie back as he realized that he was in real danger of passing out now that they were safe.

Filipe came in carrying supplies as his wife began unbuttoning his shirt to attend to the bullet wound. Alina stood back watching her rescuer, her hero, her knight in shining armor as his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep.

* * * * *

“Marcos?”

Lee's eyes fluttered open. He was lying on the bed without his shirt with bandages wrapped around his middle. A blanket was pulled up to his chest and he was surprised that he had completely slept through his care. He turned his head to see Alina sitting on the bed alongside of him. It was obvious that she had been afforded the opportunity to bathe and change. Her beautiful long jet black hair hung past her shoulders and softly graced the front of her blouse. Her coffee brown eyes were expressive as he moved to sit up, but she gently pushed his shoulders back down.

“No, don't move. We don't want the stitches to tear.”

Lee relented and leaned back taking in the quiet pleasure of her natural beauty.

“I came to say good-bye. My Father has sent for me,” her eyes dropped to her hands sitting in her lap.

“I don't know how to thank you for taking me from that place, and I understand that you must go away. But I want you to know that I'll never forget what you did.” She thought back to her question, “Do heroes still exist?” and was happy to answer if only to herself, “Yes, they do.”

“We wouldn't have made it if you hadn't been so strong Alina,” Lee smiled. “Have a good life Alina,” he offered with sincerity and was glad to see the strength in her eyes return. She was young and impressionable, but Lee could see that she understood that though they were connected by the events they had both been party to, their paths led in different directions.

“I will Marcos. Good bye.” Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He received the innocent kiss with a smile and offered his, “Good bye,” as she turned and left.

His mission was over. Alina was safe. Her family had been retrieved and now President Knezevic could begin the process of retaking his country. Only a handful of people knew that America had been involved in the rescue and everyone would go back to their lives; Filipe and his wife to their's, Alina and her family to their's, and Lee to his.

Recognition is a funny thing. Most people won't recognize a person out of the original element from which they had met, and so Lee didn't think that she would ever connect his “day” job of Captain of Seaview to his sometimes “night” job of ONI Operative, especially once he shaved the dark week old beard from his face.

He heard the door open as Filipe entered with his wife following behind carrying a tray. The aroma of the moussaka filled the room and Lee's smile widened as he sat up in bed to enjoy the rich dish and the satisfying thought of a successful mission.

* * * * *

Alina's reunion with her family was everything she had imagined it to be and her joy was full and complete. She thought about her fantasy of being the damsel in distress with the White Knight coming to rescue her from the evil Black Knight's tower. The thought made her giggle, as she finished her fantasy story's ending.

...And the White Knight rode off into the sunset ready to slay other dragons and to rescue the next damsel in distress. And now that she was safe with her family she realized that her fantasy had the perfect storybook ending...

...And they lived happily ever after.

The End

White Knight

* HALO – High Altitude Low Opening, provides quick insertions with less hang time in the air since the chutes are not deployed until 4,500 feet, however they are not necessarily stealth as the sound of a chute opening is noticeable even at that altitude.

**See First Season Episode, The Creature

***Hrvatska is a fictional landlocked European-Mediterranean country. Any resemblance to a real country is purely coincidental.

****moussaka – a Greek casserole made with egg plants, onion, garlic, and ground beef covered by a rich cheese sauce

Author's Notes: If you recognized elements of this story as being inspired from the 1984 hit song sung by Bonnie Tyler, “I'm Holding Out for a Hero” you're right! Check out her music video for a little fun and you'll understand why I thought of this particular hero. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVtaVrUAPK0

I also like the version used for the TV show “Cover Up”, here's the address for the opening titles on YouTube, enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXgIIp29RJ8

Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and her main characters belong to Irwin Allen