The Red Menace

By

Lee Lee Robinson

NOTE: This story is a sequel to “Shadows of the Past.” In that story, Lee received a late invite to a ONI friend’s unexpected wedding. Lee ended up helping another ONI friend — the female best man — escape charges of murdering the bride at the altar. More difficult was helping her deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following her terrifying experiences as a POW in the Gulf War. Despite working in different cities and both having jobs with erratic hours, she as an NCIS agent in L.A., their relationship has continued and become a committed one, not in small part thanks to the support of Admiral Nelson. Just as Lee is on the verge of having a family of his own, will it all go wrong?

Chapter 1 - Missing in Action

“I’m sorry to interrupt you while sailing, Lee, but Angie insisted on putting me through.”

“No trouble, Saul. We’re just eighteen hours from home. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to get the phone number of your surrogate.”

“Why not just ask Rachael?”

“She’s out of pocket. I didn’t want to wait until we caught up and I figured Angie probably had it at her fingertips.”

“Why would Rachael be out of pocket now with all that’s coming in the next couple of weeks?”

“How long have you been at sea?”

“Four weeks.”

“Just before the first victim of our latest serial killer was found.”

“Why NCIS?”

“Each of the three victims was in the Navy, either active or reserves. Even though I’ve tried to give her time off, Rachael is on this one like a dog with a bone.”

“Sounds like her.”

“With the wedding and the baby coming in the next few weeks, it’s too much for her.”

“Let me know how that argument works out for you.”

“I swear I worry more about your fiancée than you do.”

“I count on it. So why do you need to get hold of our surrogate?”

“How about if you just float me some credit on this one and give me her number? If there’s anything you need to know, I’ll let you know right away, I promise.”

“I’ll tell Angie to call you right back with it.”

“Thanks. Be seeing you soon.”

Lee put down the receiver and called Angie back. He felt uneasy. That said, Saul was a good friend to Rachael and Lee, in addition to being Rachael’s boss at NCIS. He’d always been straight with Lee, well mostly. He certainly had always looked out for Rachael’s best interests. “Angie, call Saul back with Rosalia’s number, then I want you to get right back to me with information about the serial killings in L.A.”

“Sure, Lee. Call you back in just a minute.”

Angie was efficient as promised. “There have been three dead women, former or current naval officers, found every Thursday of the last three weeks, each body located after the police received an anonymous tip. The news isn’t reporting much detail, but scuttlebutt is that each had been raped and tortured before being killed.”

“How horrible. Rachael’s working on the case.”

“I wondered. It must be awfully hard for her . . . well, you know . . . given her past.”

“It would only fuel her determination to find the creep more.”

“I’m just glad she’s okay. When Saul called, I was a little worried. That’s why I put him through instead of giving him Rosalia’s number.”

“What were you worried about?”

“Well, it kind of seems silly to say it aloud now, but I figured why would he call you for information he could get from Rachael and then my imagination got the worst of me.”

“How so?”

“It’s such a terrible thought, Lee. I wondered if Rachael was missing or something. Lee, the other thing the victims had in common was they were all redheads. The newspapers are calling the creep ‘the Red Menace.’”

“I think Saul would have let me know if he was worried about something on the order of that magnitude, Angie.”

“I’m sure you are right, Lee.”

“Thanks, Angie. I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter 2 - Digging for Answers

“Are you certain you don’t want me to come with you, Lee?” Admiral Harriman Nelson asked.

“No, I appreciate your loan of the flying sub for a personal matter, Admiral, but it’s silly to involve you in this wild hair.”

“Humph. Wild hair, that would describe Rachael, all right! I’m confident she’s fine, Lee.”

“I hope so, sir.”

“You’ll let us know the minute you know anything, promise?”

“Yes, sir.”

Several hours later, Lee docked FS1 in the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. He hitched a ride to a car rental office and then headed directly for Rachael’s home. Lee started worrying for real when he pulled up and saw no lights from the outside. While it was possible that Rachael could have gone out with Roberto, it seemed unlikely as it was past his soon to be adopted son’s bedtime. Lee wondered if this worrying was what he should expect from impending fatherhood. Not only was he adopting Roberto, but he and Rachael were expecting their biological child born via surrogate in three weeks. Then there was the wedding before all of those things. Lee’s leave was going to be a busy time full of wonderful things he’d waited so long for if only things didn’t go off the rails. His gut had that disturbing feeling.

Lee pulled into the driveway and unlocked the door. He turned a light on and quickly ascertained no one was home. A note on the refrigerator written in Spanish answered one question.

Translated, it read “Had to get home on time and had no word from you. Took Roberto with me. I can keep him overnight, but please call when you get home so we don’t worry. Carolina.”

Looking around, Lee didn’t think Rachael had been home yet. The answering machine flashed insistently. “It’s Saul. Carolina called the office looking for you. She couldn’t wait for you to get home. Call and let me know everything is okay.” The next call was from the surrogate. “It’s Rosalia. I’ve got my bag packed but I’m really feeling fine so I am going to class tonight to take my final exam. I hate not to finish up after all this time. I should be home by 10:30. If you want me at your house, you can get me anytime tomorrow.” A message from Carolina. “Call before Roberto’s bedtime if you can.” Another call from Saul. “Check in a.s.a.p., MacAdam.”

Lee spun around as the door jiggled open. Lee was staring at the barrel of a Sig Sauer. His shock dissipated quickly into anger. “Want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

Saul Jackson, head of NCIS Los Angeles, lowered the weapon. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m here.”

“How about explaining what you do know?”

“Rachael left work early afternoon to take Rosalia to a doctor’s appointment. I haven’t heard from her since.”

“And that worries you because?”

“I got a call from Carolina that she hadn’t called or come home. It’s not that it never happens, but it’s rare.”

“There was a message on the machine from Rosalia about Rachael not picking her up tonight, but tomorrow instead if she wants Rosalia to stay here. I don’t know what that’s about. Where do you think Rachael is?”

“She had been planning to interview a potential lead in a case after she took Rosalia for her doctor’s appointment. I caught Rosalia before she went to class. She said they ran late, so Rachael may have fallen behind too.”

“Without calling Carolina at all?”

“I didn’t care for that part either. I put out an APB on Rachael’s car and then came here when I left the office.”

“And?”

“I’m waiting to hear.” Saul pointed to the clunky phone on his belt.

“No satellite phone for Rachael yet?”

“In next year’s budget, not this year’s.”

“I should have just gotten one for her.”

“How were you going to force her to carry it?”

“I’ve got a wealth of experience with stubborn redheads. What else did Rosalia tell you?”

“Her blood pressure is a little elevated. Nothing to panic about, but Rachael wanted her to come stay at the house so she could rest as much as possible.”

“Why didn’t Rachael just wait for her to pack and bring her home?”

“Apparently Rachael was running late to relieve Carolina and needed gas. Rosalia said Rachael dropped her off, went to get gas and to call Carolina, and then would call to let her know if she was coming right back or a couple of hours later with Roberto.”

“She didn’t.”

“I know.”

“Damn. Angie told me about this serial killer you’ve been hunting.”

“Lee, I’ve thought about the worst case scenario but I don’t have any reason to think Rachael’s in danger from that maniac.”

“I can’t even believe you have Rachael on a case where someone is killing women with her profile! Were you trying to paint a bull’s eye on her?”

“No, Lee. Believe me, no one was more concerned about avoiding that than I was. I tried to send her up to Santa Barbara on leave, but she wasn’t having any of it. I didn’t let her come to the press conference and I haven’t even let the FBI or locals in on the fact that she’s part of the task force either. My worst nightmare scenario was her appearing live in color on t.v. and the killer targeting her.”

“Then where the hell is she?”

Saul’s satellite phone rang as if on cue. His face turned sour as he listened. “No one is to touch the car without gloves. I want the lab to go over it with a fine tooth comb. I’ll be at the office in twenty minutes.” Saul held up his hand to stave off Lee’s interruption. “Yes, do it. My office.” Saul took a deep breath. “Rachael’s car was just chased down the freeway by CHP. Three juvenile Latinos ran from the scene. One has been apprehended. Let’s go.”

“Were you getting close to the serial killer?”

“Unfortunately, no, not particularly.”

“What if Rachael working on the case made her a target despite your best efforts?”

“Lee, I really think you are jumping the gun here.”

“Do you know who she planned to interview?”

“We were just taking shots in the dark. Adam Kramer is checking her notes at the office in hopes of figuring out who she planned to talk to, but as I said, I don’t see any real connection to the case yet.”

“I don’t want to, but it’s hard to ignore.”

“I’ve been doing this job too long to jump to conclusions. Let’s go see what our young hoodlums have to say and see where it leads.”

Chapter 3 - That Sinking Feeling

“Okay, Mr. Diego, let’s go over your statement again. You saw a pelliroja, a red-head, exit the Mustang convertible at the gas station on South Atlantic Boulevard. She first went to the phone booth. You and one of your friends cased the car and saw the keys in it. Then she went to the side of the station, presumably to the restroom, and you stole the car. You then proceeded to pick up another friend and cruised around until a CHP officer approached at which point you entered the freeway to flee. Then you ran out of gas. Your amigos Ramon Juarez and Juan Diaz successfully fled while you did not. Correct?”

“Yeah, man.”

“How about a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

“Yes.”

“Describe for me in as much detail as you can the woman who you saw get out of the car.”

“As I said, a pelliroja.”

“Tall, short, skinny, fat, wearing what?”

“Medium height. Wearing a scarf on her head, big sunglasses, tan pants and a dark top.”

“Did you see her face?”

“Not really.”

“She had red hair, but what kind? Straight, curly?”

“Couldn’t say, man. It was pulled back by the scarf, but it wasn’t straight down, so must’ve been curly or wavy.”

“What about body shape?”

“Nothing special.”

“Fat, thin?”

“Neither. Just average.”

“You didn’t notice if her body was curvy or straight, large or small chested?”

“Honest man, I was checking out the car more than her. She wasn’t anything that would distract me from that car.”

“How about skin color?”

“She wasn’t black, that’s all I could say.”

“How about her shoes?”

“Definitely never noticed them.”

“Light or dark?”

“I don’t know. Who cares about her shoes?”

“Did she notice you pulling out in her car?”

“Not that we saw.”

“Where can I find the friend who was with you at the gas station?”

“I gave you names. You figure the rest out.”

“You want to do extra jail time for obstructing justice?”

“I’m still a juvie.”

“You’ll go straight from juvie into jail if I have anything to say about it.”

“I don’t know the address, but I can show you.”

“Jacobs, take this kid where he shows you. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Come on, Lee. Something about this is really off. If Rachael was at the gas station with access to a phone when her car was stolen, she’d have called the police to report it. There was no such report. Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the phone didn’t work and she had to find another? I don’t like the idea of her stranded in the barrio.”

“Me either. Forensics found her gun in the glove compartment. Luckily those kids didn’t find it.”

“Maybe his whole story is bullshit? Maybe they carjacked her elsewhere in the barrio?”

“I’ll send someone to the gas station to ask questions and have forensics check for prints.”

“I’m guessing that since you haven’t said anything to the contrary, Rachael was wearing tan pants and a dark shirt today?”

“Yes.”

“She always wears her hair back if the roof is down because untangling those curls after driving in the wind is a nightmare.”

“So I hear.”

“Trust me. I’ve been called upon to help after.”

“Maybe Mr. Diego’s friend will have been more observant.”

“I doubt it.”

Fifteen minutes later, Juan Diaz — out of breath with his ear being held in a vise grip by his furious mother — answered similar questions. “Kind of disappointing looking for driving that car.”

“In what way?” Lee interrupted defensively.

“Flat chested. Not much of a bottom either. Just kind of straight.”

“Any thing else you noticed?”

“I remember seeing her get out of the car. She had gloves on. I thought that was odd.”

“Why?”

“They weren’t those special leather driving gloves. They looked more like hospital gloves. In fact, now that I think about it, she had on shoes like Mama wears at work.”

“Describe them.”

“I will get them for you to look at,” the mother answered.

Mrs. Diaz returned with white, rubber soled nursing shoes. Lee and Saul exchanged puzzled looks. “I’m going to let CHP deal with your son further, Mrs. Diaz. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Anything else you want to know, Juan will tell you, I promise.”

“Thank you, Señora.”

The moment that Lee and Saul stepped outside, the words escaped Lee’s mouth. “What the hell is going on?”

“Unless these kids are hiding something, this sounds like a set up of some kind. A decoy maneuver to hide whatever happened to Rachael between dropping off Rosalia and the gas station.”

“But why?”

“Lee, how well do you know Rosalia?”

“Rachael knows her best, but I’ve met with her numerous times over the past year. We wouldn’t have gone forward if we didn’t feel she was honest and trustworthy, not given all the legal issues. Do you have any reason to know differently?”

“No, but I don’t like the other possible directions this might go, and as a trained investigator, I believe in eliminating the obvious before seeking the remote.”

“I agree we should talk to her, but her blood pressure is elevated. We should consult with the doctor before we question her. I don’t want to put the baby at risk. Rachael wouldn’t want that.”

“Tell you what, since we are near Rosalia’s house, why don’t you call the doctor and see what she thinks.”

“I would if I had her number handy.”

“Here’s my phone. Call my wife. Speed dial 2. It’s her doctor too.”

“I thought so.”

A few minutes later, they sat parked across from the street from the house in which Rosalia lived with another family. They waited for the doctor’s service to relay Lee’s call. Teens and adults hung out on the stoops of several houses, smoking and talking. “I’m going to nose around a little while we wait,” Saul said. “Signal me when you hear anything.”

A minute later, Saul returned to the car. “Okay, let’s swap. Your language skills are needed.”

“What exactly am I asking them about?”

“About seeing Rachael, her car, or someone who looked like Rachael in her car, what time, et cetera. Anything we can use to see if what Rosalia says matches up.”

Lee shrugged and went to do it. He came back in ten minutes not very enlightened. “Nobody said anything that confirmed Juan’s description or that challenged it either. A couple of folks noticed the car and her scarf, nothing else. The time was just past six.”

“The doctor saw them at three, on time. They were out by four. The doctor confirmed mild hypertension. If it gets worse, Rosalia will go on bed rest or might be induced early. As of right now, the doctor says there’s no crisis, just caution.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Lee, it’s only twenty minutes from the doctor’s office to here. Why was Rachael here around six?”

“I guess we’ll have to ask Rosalia.”

Chapter 4 - Backtracking

“What do you mean she didn’t come home?” Lee asked the owner of the house.

“What I said. She left for class and hasn’t come back yet.”

“Did you see her before she left? Was she carrying anything?”

“Yes, I saw her. She kept tying up my phone with her calls. She had a backpack.”

“Who was she calling?”

“That woman she’s giving the baby to.”

“Her name is Rachael and she’s the one who’s been giving you cash for rent.”

“Sorry, I’m not good with names.”

Saul took over. “Have you noticed anything strange going on with Rosalia over the last week or two?”

“Strange? The girl is about to give birth to someone else’s baby implanted in her. Hard to get stranger than that.”

“Nevertheless, has there been anything out of the ordinary?”

“I don’t know. I guess she has seemed kind of nervous and tired, but who wouldn’t be with final exams and being about to give birth? Plus the girl is large as an orca.”

“Lee, do you know where she goes to school?”

“I feel like an idiot, but no, a nursing school with L.A. in the title.”

“Señora Gonzales, do you know the name of the school?”

“No.”

“Do you know how Rosalia gets to class?”

“She drives her Mercedes like everyone else in the barrio. What do you think? The bus.”

“Which bus?”

“How should I know?”

“Have you ever seen her waiting for a bus?”

“She goes in the evening when I am here.”

“May we see her room?”


“What do I care? He pays the rent, sí?”

Lee and Saul followed her through the small house full of run down furniture and an abundance of crucifixes until they arrived at a small room at the back of the house. Lee and Saul barely fit in together.

“Bridal magazines addressed to Rachael?”

“Roger sent them to her as a joke. I guess she passed them on to Rosalia.”

“Rosalia certainly dogged-eared and ripped out lots of pages. So many girls want to be Cinderella, don’t they?”

“Not Rachael.”

“No, not Rachael. Here, why don’t you see what Rachael won’t be wearing since there isn’t room for both of us to move?” Saul handed over the pile to Lee. Lee promptly dropped the pile on the bed from a height. Loose papers flew about on the bed.

“Oh boy. This is a little disturbing.”

“Got it. L.A. County School of Nursing.” Saul turned to Lee. “You find something?” Saul looked down at the newspaper and magazine clippings that had fluttered across the bed. “Oh. Well, I don’t know that we should read too much into it. Kind of natural if you think about it. She is carrying your baby after all.”

“There are little hearts drawn above my head.”

“So Rosalia has a bit of a crush on you. It’s hardly surprising. Lee, you do have a lot going for you: looks, the uniform, good job, still single. You might be scared if you knew just how many women have done the same thing with your picture!”

“One picture maybe, but a collection?”

“Lee, you know the girl better than I do. Does Rosalia strike you as naive enough to think she could push Rachael out of the way and have an actual life with you?”

“No, but I wouldn’t have imagined her doing this either.”

“When we catch up with her, we’ll delve deeper then. Let’s track down her teacher and see if she really was at class tonight. Maybe then we can figure out where she is now.”

“She should be here by now according to her phone message to Rachael.”

“So now we have two missing women. You really are a hard luck case with the ladies, my friend.” Saul playfully punched Lee in the arm.

“Saul, I know what you are trying to do, but something feels really wrong to me.”

“We’ll find her, we’ll find both of them. Let’s go back to the office. Time to take a closer look into Rosalia’s life.”

Chapter 5 - Clues

The last of the school’s classes had ended for the night, so Saul tracked down the president of the school and called him at home. He called back in fifteen minutes with Mrs. Teasdale’s number. Saul took lead on the call over the speaker phone but didn’t identify Lee by name.

“We are sorry to bother you late, Mrs. Teasdale, but this is urgent police business. Was Rosalia Sanchez in class tonight?”

“Yes, she took the final and nearly passed out on the floor at the end of it. The girl really should have asked to put it off until later. I’m not an ogre. I’d have tested her after she gave birth. I know how hard she’s worked for this degree.”

“That’s kind of you. Can you tell us what happened to her at class?”

“Oh yes, it was a very memorable evening! Can you imagine a better final exam than a nearly full term pregnant girl getting woozy during a test? I instructed the girls to set down their papers and assess her. It seemed she had insufficient food and drink before class and her blood pressure was also elevated. We gave her some juice and snack food, but her blood pressure remained too high for me to allow her to leave by herself. I told the girls that they could finish their exams, but if one of them with a vehicle would be so kind as to transport her to the hospital for further care, I would only grade her paper through the last question answered. That got lots of response!”

“Do you know who took her?”

“Yes, it was Miss George, who had already finished her exam anyway. She had been chummy with Rosalia throughout the semester. That girl may have a funny accent, but she’s quality through and through.”

“Do you know how to contact Miss George?”

“No, I don’t. The Registrar, Miss Carla Fontaine, could track that down for you, although I don’t have her number handy. The girl’s name is Antoinette George. She’s from Australia. Her brother is a soap actor that the girls seem very keen on.”

Lee and Saul both shrugged, not knowing to whom she referred. “Thank you so much for your help, Mrs. Teasdale.”

“Yes, well do let me know if there is anything I can do to help Rosalia. As I said, I do appreciate the hard work she has put in to elevate her circumstances.”

“Mrs. Teasdale, one more question, did you have any sense that Rosalia desired to keep the baby?” Saul asked.

“Oh, no. We have had several at length discussions in class about her circumstances, the surrogacy and its legal ramifications. She very much liked the parents to be. True, she may have harbored a bit of a childish crush on the father, but honestly, when she told the story to the class and showed an article about the father to them, I think all the girls understood why. He’s quite easy on the eyes too.”

“Uh, thank you for your help Mrs. Teasdale,” Lee blushed as he hung up his handset.

“I never knew captaining a submarine carried so much sex appeal,” Saul cracked after he too hung up.

“If you ever did the job, you would know just the opposite is true.”

“Well, how about if you call the Registrar and see if your sex appeal is enough to get her to return to school and look through her files tonight. Offer to drive if she wants.”

Lee called information and then dialed Miss Fontaine.

“Good god, who died?”

“Excuse me?” Lee said.

“Well, obviously someone did or why would you be calling me at this hour?”

“Mrs. Teasdale told us to call you. To our knowledge no one has died, but this is a police matter.”

“Then call me back at a decent hour.” The receiver clicked.

Lee rolled his eyes at Saul. “This is why I prefer captaining a sub. No one hangs up on the captain, ever. Well, except the Admiral.” He redialed.

“Miss Fontaine, I am most apologetic, but I really do need a few minutes of your time. We are trying to track down information on one of the school’s students, a phone number or address.”

“Honestly, do you think I keep that information in my bed?”

“No, of course not, but we have two missing woman and there is some urgency involved.”

“I can hardly catch a bus at this time of night.”

“We would be happy to pick you up and drive you to the school.”

“Who is the girl who is missing?”

“We are actually looking for the girl who saw her last, Antoinette George.”

“Oh, for god’s sake, you mean to tell me that you can’t track down the sister of the most popular daytime actor in L.A. without waking me in the middle of the night?”

“I’m afraid so. I don’t even know his first name.”

“Scott. He pays her tuition and has a house on Wilshire, so you damn well can find him from that if you are the police. Good night.” The receiver clicked again.

“Again?” Lee asked Saul.

“No, I think we can find out faster and more pleasantly now.” Saul dialed a number and explained the situation before hanging up. “We should hear back shortly.”

Five minutes later, the phone rang. “I’m calling for Agent Jackson. This is Scott George.”

“Yes, Mr. George, thanks for getting back to us so fast. Can you help us track down your sister?”

“She’s here with me now. Tony, this is Agent Jackson with the nicks.”

“Actually that’s NCIS.”

“Nicks sounds better, mate. I’d think about changing it.”

“Hi, this is Tony.”

“Tony, we are sorry to disturb you so late, but we are trying to find Rosalia Sanchez.”

“I took her to Cedars hours ago. I wanted to stay with her, but I have an early call on set tomorrow and she insisted I leave.”

“Do you know if she was admitted?”

“I wish I did. I suspect so. I know it’s the hospital where she planned to deliver, and her doctor has privileges there. That’s why I took her there instead of a closer hospital.”

“That’s all we needed to know, thank you.”

“Wait a minute, is she all right? Is this about her ex-boyfriend calling and harassing her?”

“At the moment, we are just trying to locate her, but if you don’t mind, I’d like some numbers where to reach you in case we do need to talk further.”

“Certainly. This is our home number and Scott can give you the studio number, right?”

“Only if they agree to storm it in the middle of one of our scenes tomorrow, love! What a cracking good show that would be, Tony. Think of the publicity for you!”

“Ignore him! He’s insane!” Tony shouted in the background as Scott gave the number and the call ended.

“I think I get his popularity now,” Lee said.

“Do you know anything about an ex-boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Lee, what kind of background check did you two do on Rosalia?”

“Hello, have you met my bride-to-be? She ran a full check, interviewed friends, family and doctors. She probably can tell you what she ate for lunch in fourth grade.”

“How far back do you know she went?”

“She said Rosalia moved out here from New York three years ago. Like everyone else, she hoped to get into show business.”

“No ex-boyfriend of concern?”

“Not that Red chose to mention to me.”

“Would she?”

“If it worried her, she’d have told me.”

“I think it’s time to break into her personal drawer if you don’t mind.”

“You don’t need my permission in your own office. How about if I call the hospital to see if Rosalia’s still there while you break and enter?”

Saul nodded and headed to Rachael’s cubby.

Lee made several calls. The hospital verified Rosalia’s presence and gave him visiting hours, subject to the doctor’s permission. Next, Lee remotely checked the messages on Rachael’s machine.

“Rachael, it’s Dr. Ostroff. Rosalia’s been admitted to Cedars with preeclampsia. Nothing to panic about, but she’s going on enforced bed rest until delivery and we may choose to do that early if either Rosalia or the babies are in danger. Call me after nine a.m. and we’ll talk more. You can go see her anytime after ten a.m. I did leave a message on the number you gave me for Lee as well, not exactly an identical one, but well, he’ll know soon enough.”

Lee ran out to his car to retrieve his satellite phone to check for messages from either the Admiral or Chip. The battery had died yet again. Someday, they’d make these work better. What did the doctor mean? And had he really heard “babies” instead of “baby”? He headed to Rachael’s cubby and Saul.

“Find anything?”

“Not so far. Grab some files and help.”

“Saul, I just got a message from the doctor about Rosalia. Is Rachael keeping a secret from me?”

“Don’t all women?”

“Are you in on it?”

“Depends what ‘it’ is?”

“One baby or more?”

“Oh, that secret.”

“More than one?”

“Twins.”

“You dog. Why?”

“She asked. Why not? It’s worth the look on your face now, I can tell you.”

“Damn. From zero to father of three in a month. You know any more secrets?”

“Maybe. You want to know?”

“Right now I just want to find Rachael.”

“Bingo, found the background check. Not a lot here, although there is reference to an abusive boyfriend in New York.”

“Here, give me something to read through. God, no, I can’t read that chicken scratch.”

“I’m used to ‘Rachelese,’ Lee. ‘Raul Olivera, ten years Elmira, assault with deadly weapon, robbery and rape. Parole eligible after 7 served.’ From the date next to it, it looks like she re-verified the information just before the surrogacy implant.”

“That’s a wild card I don’t care for, especially given that Tony George just mentioned him to us.”

“Agreed. I’m going to follow up on that now. More importantly, it’s time to talk to Rosalia.”

“I’ll have to call Doctor Ostroff back and see if she will let us do it before visiting hours.”

“Is she badly off?”

“No, but I think the stress of being interrogated might not be welcomed.”

“I’ll call the doctor. She knows me.”

“Thanks. I should probably leave the Admiral a message. I’m sure there are a few calls I missed on the satellite phone. Another dead battery,” Lee said as he dialed into NIMR for a radio call connection to Harry. “If by some chance he’s up, Sparks, otherwise, it can wait.”

“Not if I want to keep my job, sir. Anyway, he’s skulking about on third watch. He’s been concerned.”

“Yes, lad. Have you found her yet?”

“No, and honestly, I don’t feel any closer to it than when I got here.”

“How can I help?”

“Forgive me for not charging the satellite phone and calling you earlier.”

“Not a problem. I am not the priority. We’ll be in port in about two hours, so if you need anything, I will have all of the Institute’s and my personal resources at your disposal.”

“Pushed her to full, did you? I appreciate the gesture. I’ll keep you posted. There’s a call I should take now.”

“Lab for Agent Jackson.”

“Commander Crane, here, I can take it for him.”

“What we have so far are a lot of fingerprints, smudges from latex gloves and a whole bunch of red hair, and fake red hair, apparently from a wig. We’ve also got a lot of discarded receipts and papers from the floor in the back, but we really couldn’t say if there was anything there helpful. The papers should be there soon. We’ll get back to you if we find anything else.”

“Damn.”

“What is it, Lee? I’m holding on NY Correctional.”

“The woman who drove the car to gas station definitely wasn’t Rachael. The lab verified red wig fibers and latex glove smudges.”

“Leaving us with the question of what happened to Rachael between leaving Dr. Ostroff’s office and the gas station?”

“Dr. Ostroff has agreed to meet us at the hospital at seven a.m., but she made it clear that she may cut off questioning if she perceives danger to Rosalia or the babies. Excuse me, sorry, I was talking to someone else. He was? When? Shit. . . . Why? . . . I need the most recent pictures and data on him available. Thank you.” Saul slammed the phone down. “Raul Olivera is out on parole due to massive overcrowding of the prison. We’ll have his rap sheet, his discharge picture and data here in the next ten minutes. I’m going to call the New York office and see if they can track him after his release.”

“Why would he go after Rachael?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if he has. I don’t know if he could have dressed up as a redhead and taken her car. I know nothing and I assume nothing. What time is it?”

“Four thirty a.m.”

“Let’s get a bite to eat, then go to Hollywood.”

“Huh?”

“To talk to Tony George. She knows something about the boyfriend and she may be more forthcoming than Rosalia at this point.”

Chapter 6 - Suspicions Confirmed

Lee managed to swallow a few bites of a stale donut with his coffee, as Saul consumed a healthy platter of eggs and bacon at the all night diner.

“I don’t know how you run without fuel, Lee.”

“Neither does my crew. Drives Chip and the doctor crazy. Saul, why would the ex-boyfriend take Rachael? What would be in it for him?”

“I don’t know enough to say yet. I’m more concerned about who this fake Rachael is. It seems like she planned for the car to be stolen at the gas station by leaving the keys behind before she dawdled on a pay phone and went to the restroom. There’s no call to report the car stolen. It seems like a set up to keep Rosalia out of it by establishing that Rachael left the house and went to the gas station, then poof! I don’t like it.”

“The serial killer, how far in advance did he take his victims before he revealed them?”

“I don’t want to go down this alley.”

“Because the information isn’t reassuring?”

“In all three cases, the women were taken without any kind of elaborate deception like this.”

“He kept them for several days, didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Doing what to them?”

“Please Lee, I can’t.”

“Because you don’t want to scare the pants of me?”

“Well, if you put it that way, yes, but also it’s classified information.”

“Fear of copycats?”

“Improbable.”

“That horrid?”

“Yes.”

“No wonder you are so anxious to find another explanation for Rachael’s disappearance.”

“I hope my objectivity isn’t so easily compromised.”

“You think mine would be?”

“Let’s exhaust the Rosalia avenue of inquiry first, please.”

“Then lead on, McDuff,” Lee said as they headed to Saul’s car. Lee dumped the dregs of his coffee onto the ground before getting in the car.

Antoinette and Scott George were together in make up at 6:05 when Lee and Saul arrived. Both were cheerful given the hour.

“What can you tell us about Rosalia, especially lately?”

“She’s a regular battler, that one.”

“Huh?”

“Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, her life, you know.”

“Okay, how?”

“Coming here with nothing a few years ago leaving that bounce of a boyfriend, working days and studying at night, then finding a nice couple and doing a good deed for the right reasons.”

“Thanks,” Lee said. “I’m the father.”

“I can see why she was so fond of you,” Tony winked.

“Do you think she had an unhealthy interest in Commander Crane?”

“Ooh, that does sound high and mighty, but no. I think she was just having a little daytime fantasy.”

“What about the ex-boyfriend, the bounce as you called him?”

“Last week she said she heard from him for the first time in three years. Got sprung from the boob unexpectedly.”

“That’s Aussie for jail, mates,” Scott chimed in.

“Did he threaten her?”

“She didn’t say that, but it upset her that he was out and calling her. She said she told him that she didn’t want anything to do with him and was building herself a nice life out here.”

“Anything else?”

“She told him that she couldn’t afford to get all, how did she say it, ‘hot and bothered’ about him right now. She seemed kind of shaken by the whole thing.”

“Do you know if she told Rachael, my fiancée, about it?”

“No, I don’t. I did tell her if she wanted to get away for a few days, I could help her out. She thought about it, but didn’t take me up on it in the end. She wanted to finish the course work for her degree. Can’t say I blame her. It’s good to be done at last. Y’know in case the movies don’t work out!”

“So after she told you, did you notice anything else about her?”

“No, only that as the week went on, she seemed to be feeling worse and worse. Must’ve been the blood pressure creeping up. Then the final exam night, well, you know about that part already. I hope she’s okay.”

“We’re going to see her shortly and we’ll let her know you asked,” Lee said.

“You don’t think Rosalia’s done anything wrong, do you?”

“I don’t know. My fiancée is missing and the last person to see her was Rosalia. We’re just trying to cover our bases.”

“I hope I helped some.”

“Yes, you did, and if you remember anything else, please give me a call.” Saul handed over his card.

“None from you, spunk?”

Lee answered with a smile, but no card as they got up to leave.

The early morning trip to the hospital was fast, traffic not yet at its peak.

“First the ground rules, gentlemen. I understand the circumstances as you’ve explained them fully. I cannot and will not risk my patient’s or the babies’ health, however. So if I say the session is terminated, you leave immediately. Agreed?”

Lee and Saul nodded.

“Señor Lee!” Rosalia exclaimed with an anxious smile. “I have been so worried about Señora Rachael. Is she here too?”

“No, she’s been missing since she took you to the doctor yesterday afternoon. We are hoping you can help us figure out where she might have gotten to.”

“I feel so badly. She was running so late, she needed to get home to Roberto and had work on a big case to do, and silly little me was taking up her time with my stupid blood pressure. I can’t believe she hasn’t called anyone yet.”

“Me either. If she could, I know she would.”

“Oh, Señor Lee, do you think something bad has happened to her?”

“I don’t know. I hope not.”

“I feel so selfish, but what will happen to me if something happens to her?”

“You’ll be fine, Rosalia.”

“And the bambino?”

“You mean the bambinos?”

“You know?”

“Yes, I will take care of them, no worries.”

“You know I would help you with them always. . . . Not that you would need it. I know she will be home soon and be fine.”

“How do you know, Rosalia?”

Dr. Ostroff shot a worried look at Saul as Rosalia’s blood pressure spiked.

“I trust in god, Señor Lee. All will be well. Maybe I could be the nanny if it is too much for Caroline, tres bambinos.”

“Rosalia, what did you and Rachael do after the doctor’s appointment was over? You didn’t get home until much later.”

“No. We stopped for some ice cream and then drove around talking. Señora Rachael was very reassuring. She wanted me to come back to the house with her right then, but I wanted some time to think if it was the right thing to do. I had my last exam that night. She went to get gas while I decided and packed for then or later that night, and that was the last we talked. I am so worried for her.”

“Me too. Any thoughts?”

“I was upset that she was working on the Red Menace case. I think it is a loco thing to do when you fit the description of the other victims.”

“I agree, but our Señora Rachael, she can be a little loca at times,” Lee smiled reassuringly.

“But now she is missing!”

“Rosalia, I need you to relax and breathe calmly or the gentlemen will have to leave now.”

“Sí, doctor. I want to help any way I can.”

“Tell me about your ex-boyfriend, Raul.”

“Ay, he is the reason I am here, I am certain. Talk about loco.”

“Rosalia, you must stay calm and breathe deeply.”

“When talking about Raul, it is hard. He is a stinker that one.”

“Do you think he could be here in L.A.?”

“It is possible, I suppose. He says he still wants to be with me, but I told him ‘no’ when he called. I was very firm.”

“Have you heard from him again?”

“He has tried to talk to me more, but I refused.”

“You will let us know if you hear from him again?”

“Of course.”

“So after driving around, you say that Rachael dropped you at the front door, correct?” Saul asked.

“Yes, why would you doubt that? People in the neighborhood saw us, I am certain they did.”

“That’s all gentlemen,” Dr. Ostroff announced suddenly.

With a deep sigh, Saul led Lee out of the room.

“What do you think?” Lee said.

“She’s telling a raft of lies and half-truths, and not particularly well.”

“I think she’s scared of the boyfriend.”

“Maybe, maybe she’s just scared.”

“What now?”

“Back to the trenches at the office. Follow up on forensics and the boyfriend. I’ve also got to switch gears a little. Thursday is creeping up a little too fast for comfort.”

“Will you tell the task force about Rachael being missing?”

“Yes, even though I still don’t think it has anything to do with that. The more eyes looking for her, the better, at least I think so.”

Chapter 7 - A Hand from the Admiral

“Admiral, good to see you again.” Nelson sat in Rachael’s cubby outside Saul’s office.

“You too, Saul, although not under these circumstances.”

“How did you get here so fast, sir?” Lee asked.

“We docked and I had the Institute chopper bring me out nearly straight away.”

“Sir, I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t really think it was necessary.”

“It most certainly was, Lee. Your office, Saul?”

“Right now it’s feeling more like yours, Admiral.”

“Lee, this was waiting for you at the Institute. Hand delivered this morning to a guard at the gate and then brought straight away to Angie.”

“Time?” Saul asked.

“Coffee was ready at 0600. Letter was in hand at 6:10.”

“Is this how it came?”

“No, the outer envelope is mine. As soon as I saw it, I put on lab gloves to handle it. The envelope will contain Angie and the guard’s prints. Angie will send copies of those over so they can be quickly filtered.”

“What’s inside, sir?”

“A ransom demand for Rachael. Are you hoarding Institute funds somewhere, Lee, because where the devil someone thinks you are going to raise $1,000,000 in a single day is tough to comprehend!”

Saul donned gloves and opened up the exterior envelope. Block writing on the envelope identified “Lee Crane, NIMR”. Inside was a brief note and a polaroid. Lee’s eyes went right to the picture. Rachael was restrained in a dark, wooded room. She wasn’t wearing what she was when she disappeared. Her eyes looked glassy, but there were no obvious signs of injuries to her.

“Assemble $1,000,000 in unmarked $20 bills in a briefcase by five o’clock. Await further instructions at her house. No cops if you want her back alive.”

“I guess the good news is that this isn’t the serial killer,” Lee said. “If you could call this good news?”

Saul threw open his door.

“Everyone, drop what you are doing. Rachael has been kidnapped.

Our focus is on a recent parolee from New York named Raul Olivera. His info is here. Copy it, share it. There is at least one accomplice, possibly a female but not necessarily, medium height, medium build, flat-chested and last seen wearing Rachael’s clothes, a green shirt and tan slacks, but wearing white crepe soled shoes like a nurse. I’m certain he or she will have ditched those by now.

Munson, see if New York can link Olivera to a woman who visited him in prison or to whom he wrote. Have them check with Rosalia’s family in New York to see if they have heard from Olivera. Tell them it’s one of our own so they lean extra hard.

Fredericks, get a wiretap on Rachael’s home phone as of five minutes ago. I also want a second line up and running as soon as possible for an expected ransom call later this afternoon.

Ortega, I want phone records from the house that Rosalia Muñoz was living in and a record of any calls to or from her at the hospital. I’d like a tap on both those phones as well. Santiago, work with the D.A. to get those if necessary, but move fast. I also want forensics at that house, look for prints search for envelopes or stationary that match the ransom note. Print the homeowners too, check their backgrounds, sit on them for any sliver of information they may have.”

“Saul, isn’t there some risk doing that. If the Gonzaleses are involved, and you go blazing in there, they will know the police are involved. We can’t take that risk.”

“Lee, be objective. I know what the note says, just like in every kidnapping movie or t.v. show ever, but the kidnappers know Rachael is a cop. They know we will be involved no matter what they say. That’s why the time frame for the money is so short, to cut into investigative time.”

“Saul’s right, Lee. If this is a convicted felon, even if he said no cops he’d know better. However, it is clear that he is a moron at spatial relations. I have arranged to have the money assembled and ready by 3:00 pm, but it would never fit in a briefcase. It will take two large suitcases, and they will be damn heavy when full, about 110 pounds of bills.”

“Looks like the Admiral has answered the question of where a lowly sub jockey could come up with money like that quickly.”

“Admiral, I don’t know what to say. Thank you. I could never pull that together that fast, if at all.”

“Once this mess is over, it goes right into a college fund for your new baby.”

“Turns out it’s twins.”

“Even better, lad! Now let’s find these bastards. I’d love to see the look on their faces when you explain the bulk of the ransom they demanded. They could have made things easier on themselves if only they’d asked for $100 bills.”

“Admiral, it’s far too difficult for lowly ex-cons to spend $100 bills without attracting notice. And as for finding the bastards, I’d appreciate it if you’d stick to taking care of assembling the money and the suitcases,” Saul said.

“In other words, keep my nose out of the investigation?”

“If you please. One of you is enough. Lee, we’ll arrange for an unmarked car for you for the drop. Obviously you’ll need one, although our kidnapper may not be astute enough to know that. Be prepared to negotiate the drop with him on that basis. In the meantime, look through the stuff they took out of Rachael’s car and see if any of it seems relevant. You can hold on to her gun for now, just in case. I need an hour or so to confab with the serial killer task force, but obviously my first priority is Rachael.”

Lee weeded through the detritus of Rachael’s backseat. She had a habit of using her car as an office waste can, crumpling up papers, notes, receipts and tossing them on the floor of the backseat to be cleaned out once a month before her expense report was due and she took the Mustang to the hand car wash. Lee reported one finding to Saul when he returned.

“Rachael put ten dollars worth of gas in the car off Route 1 near Pacific Palisades at 4:30 p.m. the day she disappeared. Saul, It’s not like her to not fill the tank.”

“That puts more holes in Rosalia’s story. The doctor’s office isn’t anywhere close to there. You’d hardly cruise there late afternoon in search of ice cream and trying to calm anyone, because you’d have to get on the freeway at rush hour to get back to the barrio by six p.m. You’d avoid that route like the plague. I think we should bring Rosalia in for questioning.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Lee, she knows more than she’s told us. She might even know where Rachael is being held. It won’t take much to rattle it out of her.”

“Dr. Ostroff isn’t going to allow it.”

“We’ll get a court order.”

“I will not put those babies at risk. Rachael would never forgive me, or you, if anything happened to them. You saw how her b.p. spiked this morning with gentle questioning.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I. It just is what it is.”

Chapter 8 - A Bad Ransom Drop

At five p.m., the ransom drop call came.

The voice was male with a light hispanic accent. “Take the 35 bus to the phone booth at Venice & Southwestern with the briefcase. Wait for my call.”

“Hold on a minute.”

“Why, so the police can trace this call?”

“It’s about the money. I can’t bring it on the bus and run around with it.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because it weighs over 110 pounds and takes up two pretty large suitcases!”

“I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

Saul listened in on an open second line. “Rattled him good, Lee, but be careful not to push him too hard. Next call, try to insist on proof that Rachael’s still alive.”

Five minutes later, the next call came. “All right. You can drive. Leave the suitcases in the trunk when you go to the phone.”

“Okay, but I want proof that she’s still alive first.”

“There’s a picture of her from earlier today waiting at the phone booth.”

“No, I want proof she’s alive at this moment.”

“You have my best offer already. Be there in twenty minutes.”

“In rush hour traffic in Los Angeles?”

“I don’t care how you do it, just do it.”

“Go Lee, but don’t do anything crazy. We’ll do our best to clear a path, but he’ll wait if you are a few minutes late. It might even be good to make him wait a little.”

“I don’t want to risk her life playing games.”

“Until he has the money, so long as he believes he is going to get it, the risk to her doesn’t change.”

“I’m out the door now.”

Lee groaned as he picked up a suitcase in each hand. Honestly, he’d never considered what $1 million in twenties looked like before and had accepted the movie briefcase version himself.

He hoisted them one by one into the trunk, wondering exactly how the kidnapper planned to retrieve them before the police were on him. A briefcase full of money was so much more appealing in terms of size, but not value. Lee was surprised how fast he zipped along until the last two miles when his police leads went invisible. It was nearly time for the call and he was still several minutes away.

Lee ditched the car a block out and ran to the phone to beat traffic. He was panting as he got there. He checked his watch. Five minutes late. The phone was silent for nearly a minute.

“You’re late.”

“I did my best. It’s rush hour in L.A. I’m not a miracle worker.”

“Go to the phone booth at the Esso at Arlington and West Washington. Wait for my call.”

“How long?”

“What do you mean?”

“How long should I wait?”

“Until it comes, asshole.”

“That didn’t go so well,” Lee muttered into the wire he wore. He started to walk back to the car. “The picture! I didn’t see one.” He ran back to the booth and saw something on top of the phone unit.

“What is it, Lee?” Saul’s voice spoke in his ear piece.

“She looks out of it.”

“Meaning what?”

“I don’t know. Dazed. I don’t see anything obviously wrong with her. Her eyes are open but something’s not right.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they drugged her. If they knew anything about her, which they probably do, it would be the smart course to reduce resistance.”

“I hope you don’t think I find that reassuring.”

“Get cracking on the next booth then.”

Lee hoofed it to the car asking directions of Saul as he ran. “You could probably run it faster than drive this time of day.”

“What if I’m supposed to leave the suitcases there?”

“Improbable. It’s too in the open. He’s tiring you out, leading you to someplace remote where he hopes to see us clearly or knows we can’t come close because he will see us. I think we’ve thrown him a monkey wrench with the weight of his ransom and he’s still working on a final spot. I also think it’s evident he doesn’t know L.A. all that well, which may give us some advantage.”

Lee listened to Saul and ran the whole way, forgetting that no sleep, lots of coffee and half a donut were not working in his favor. His legs began to cramp along the route and he was forced to walk for a bit. The phone was ringing as he arrived.

“Not so much fun to wait, is it buddy?”

“No,” Lee answered as he tried to catch his breath.

“Next stop, Santa Monica Pier, the phone on the pier.”

“That could take an hour.”

“I’m sure your friends will help you get here faster, but if I see one of them come inside the park, she’s dead. Maybe you too.”

Lee hoofed it back to the car. “Do you know where he is yet?”

“He’s moving around the city, using different phone booths so briefly that he’s gone before we can finish a trace.”

“Do you think the next stop is the last one?”

“It’s possible. That’s not far from where Rachael’s car was gassed up the other day.”

“What should I do next?”

“Just keep following his instructions.”

The drive took forty-five minutes. Lee looked around for Raul Olivera as he exited his car in the lot and walked to the pier. The pier was a seedy place, badly in need of renovations. Lee was somewhat surprised at the choice of spot. Obviously the exchange couldn’t happen at the pier itself. As he walked down the pier, he had the first inkling of trouble. “You Crane?” someone said as they bumped hard into Lee nearly pushing him off the pier. Then it happened again, a different guy doing the pushing as Lee neared the payphone. “Something’s fishy,” Lee said into his earpiece. “Hey buddy, you’re the fishy one, soon to be at least!” The first guy barreled into Lee’s blindside and down he went into the drink, his shoulder glancing a boulder by a footing. Men started to cast their lines in his direction, laughing. He dove under the water to escape their lines before swimming back toward shore. By the time he arrived on the beach, the wire and earpiece were dead. He’d lost contact with Saul.

When he got out of the water, two men nearby dropped their rods to offer him a hand. “We’ve got your back, Commander. Rest a minute.”

Lee stood a moment to catch his breath. He heard the sound of squealing tires followed thirty seconds later by an enormous crashing sound. Lee sank to the ground. He knew something very bad had just happened.

Chapter 9 - Tanking Hopes

The two undercover officers escorted Lee to an unmarked car. “Sorry for the lack of a towel, Commander.”

“I don’t care about that. What about the phone call I never got to?”

“I doubt there was one. After you began walking on the pier, a spotter reported someone breaking into your car, hot wiring it and ripping out of here.”

“So I was just a diversion?”

“It almost worked. Scully and I fell for it. Luckily the guy posted in the camper near your car stayed on task.”

“I want to talk to Saul Jackson now.”

“Sure thing.”

Scully — the quiet one — handed his earpiece to Lee. “What the hell’s going on, Saul?”

“We anticipated a move like that, Lee. We were just watching and waiting.”

“Now what?”

“Now we hope that the crash we heard isn’t as bad as it sounded.”

“You guys chased him?”

“Lord, Lee, no. Were we set up to follow him? Yes. Did we chase him as he sped out of here? No. We had cars set up along Route 1 in both directions. Did we think he’d pretend he was driving an Indy car and broadside a tractor trailer three blocks away? Hell, no. Have Scully and Vincent bring you out this way and let’s hope we have a perp left to interrogate.”

Lee knew as soon as he got to the scene that there would be no answers. The only part of the rental car that survived was the trunk. Two large suitcases containing a million dollars still sat inside the popped trunk.

“I want to see the bastard,” Lee said.

“There’s nothing worth seeing.”

“How will we find her now?” Lee’s body slumped with his spirit.

“Vincent and Scully will take you back to H.Q. We’ll get some answers, off his dead body if we have to. We will find her. He wasn’t in this alone, after all.”

“Rosalia,” Lee said forlornly. “Maybe now that the ex-boyfriend is dead, she won’t be afraid to talk. It is him, isn’t it?”

“We can’t confirm it absolutely yet, but yes, all signs are that it is him. Go on back. You’ve got to eat something if you want to keep going.”

Admiral Nelson was waiting back at headquarters. His warm embrace was as welcomed along with some hot coffee. Not so much the cookie that the Admiral forced him to eat by reminding him to take a bite every thirty seconds.

“Crane, there’s a girl on Jackson’s line who said she’d talk to you since Saul’s still in the field.”

“I’ll take it in his office.”

Nelson followed Lee into the office and closed the door. Lee put the call on speaker. “Lee Crane here.”

“Howdy, spunk. It’s Tony, Tony George.”

“Right, Rosalia’s nursing school mate.”

“Blimey, you pick right up on the accent!”

“I enjoy a good idiom in any language.”

“Well, look, I was thinking about our conversation the other day and I couldn’t remember exactly what I told you about offering Rosalia a place to stay. It’s probably not important, but well, Scott said I ought to tell you anything and everything because it’s not my place to judge when someone else’s life is on the rails.”

“Your brother’s a smart cookie.”

“Who knew playing a boy in blue on a soap opera would actually teach him something useful?”

“So what didn’t you tell us earlier?”

“I did say I offered Scott’s place in the hills, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but you said Rosalia said no.”

“Right, but that was a couple of days after I’d given her the directions and a key. She returned the key to me on exam night. I’d forgotten about it with all the other excitement.”

“Can you hold a second?”

“Lee, the gas station Rachael stopped at off Route 1 is perfectly situated for driving into or out of the hills. Ask her where it is.”

“But she gave back the key?”

“Keys are easily copied.”

Lee nodded. “I’m back. Where in the hills is Scott’s place?”

“Not far off Topanga Canyon Road.”

“Can you give me an address?”

“Yes, but honestly, it wouldn’t help that much the way it’s hidden from the street. That’s why I gave Rosalia a map with the key.”

“Hold on for another second if you would, Tony. . . . Admiral, the last drop point was convenient for a run up to Topanga Canyon. Do you suppose?”

“I say we go there right away and check it out.”

“Tony, is there any chance that Scott could help us find it in the dark? I don’t think we can get there before sundown.”

“Either he or I could.”

“No offense, but we may be walking into something dangerous. I think I’d prefer it if it were Scott.”

“He’s right here. I’ll put him on.”

“Nothing I’d like to do more, mate.”

“Scott, this Admiral Nelson of the USS Seaview.”

“Awesome.”

“Scott, are you anywhere near an airport now?”

“I’m at Universal’s lot. I can be at Bob Hope in ten minutes probably.”

“We’ll meet you just outside the gate shortly.”

“Admiral, we can’t just fly a chopper into the canyon and land at a house in the woods in the dark.”

“No, but we can save a substantial amount of drive time if we fly to the ranger station and they take us into the canyon. Now let’s go find your Red!”

Lee advised Scully where they were heading and why, running out as he did so. He asked them to call ahead to alert the ranger station. The chopper was conveniently located nearby. They picked Scott George up and were in the canyon in under a half hour, a speed they could not have matched on the road. Two rangers waited as they landed, impressed by the passengers inside and anxious to help.

“Just get us as close as possible without making road noise. I don’t want to spook whoever is inside. This isn’t a stormtrooper operation, just the Admiral and I go in. Mr. George is a civilian. Help the troops when they do make it up here. I expect them to be no more than twenty minutes behind us.”

The rangers dropped Crane and Nelson at the front of the gravel road that led to the cabin a quarter mile deep in the woods. Any vehicle approaching more closely would be heard. They were equipped with flashlights and a tool kit. Scott also handed them a key. “Works both the front and back door, mates. Good luck. We’ll be here rooting for you.”

Lee and Harry approached the cabin without attracting attention. Lee opted for a back door entry because they could see into an empty kitchen and then clear down the hall. After they removed their shoes to minimize noise on the hardwood floors, Lee slipped the key in the lock. He turned it slowly and carefully, gently pushing the door while praying it was well greased. Silence. Finally something was going right. He and Nelson split up in the hallway where one wing went right and the other left. The place was eerily quiet at first. Lee began to think it was a dead end. Only as he approached a closed door did he know better. He heard the sounds of a scuffle and a scream.

Chapter 10 - An Imaginary Crane

During the time that Lee was making the ransom drop, Rachael was locked in a sturdy walk-in closet.

When she and Rosalia first arrived at the house, Rachael had misgivings. She understood why Rosalia didn’t want to come to her house. Rosalia was right that Rachael did fit the profile of the serial killer’s victims, and while Rachael didn’t view it as a serious threat, she couldn’t easily discount the fears of a late-term pregnant woman threatened with preeclampsia. After the doctor’s visit, Rosalia admitted to Rachael that her ex-boyfriend being released from jail was the source of much of her tension. She was concerned about him coming to Los Angeles. Rosalia called him a bully, but she clearly still had feelings for him. She had even defended him against the rape charge, saying the girl who claimed it was a slut who wanted revenge when Raul ditched her to go back to Rosalia after one of their fiery break-ups.

A nursing school friend of Rosalia had offered her a place to stay for a few days, actually two places, and Rosalia thought it might be a good idea to take her up on it. Of the choices, she opted for the brother’s “weekend” house in the hills because it “sounded dreamy” — like the friend’s actor brother — and “Raul would never in a million years track her down if he did come looking.” Rachael objected to the remoteness of it, but Rosalia had her mind set. There was a phone and the doctor said bed rest should suffice until her next appointment if Rosalia stayed calm. Rosalia would only stay calm if she got what she wanted, Rachael realized, so she caved. They stopped to pick up a couple of days’ worth of prepared foods, with Rachael planning to come check on her as soon as she could get away.

Right after they entered the house, an interior door burst open. A man and woman both in stocking masks aiming guns stormed toward them. The woman grabbed Rosalia around the neck and waved the gun around wildly. The man’s aim at Rachael was much steadier and more threatening. Rachael was ordered to face the wood planked wall and spread out. With the muzzle of the gun planted hard in Rachael’s back, the man roughly patted her down. He stopped at her waist, leaving Rachael with some hope for eventually getting to the throwaway derringer above her ankle.

Rachael felt the man’s gun slip off her back as he went to cuff her right arm in the air. Rachael decided to try a move. She didn’t perceive the woman as a real threat to fire her gun, and if she did, she was unlikely to hit her target, which had been Rachael not Rosalia. Had the gun been trained on Rosalia, Rachael would have hesitated. As the man gripped Rachael’s right arm high in the air, Rachael whipped to the right, driving her left fist into the man’s right kidney. Although the man grunted a little, his abdomen was taut and he took the punch well, a bad thing for Rachael. He immediately drove his whole body forward into Rachael slamming her into the wall. Rachael’s left shoulder took the brunt of the force, but her head also bounced off the wood planked wall. She sank down to the floor dizzy from the blow.

The man walked back to Rosalia and held the gun to her belly. “Try anything else again and she dies.” Rosalia looked much more scared at that moment than she had when the whole episode began, Rachael thought. The man dragged a shaking Rosalia toward Rachael all the while pressing the gun firmly into Rosalia’s belly. The man ordered Rosalia to finish cuffing Rachael’s left arm behind her back. As soon as she did so, the man pistol whipped Rachael on the back of the skull knocking her out.

Rachael woke up in a large well constructed cedar walk-in closet devoid of clothes. She was lying on the floor wearing a short nylon pajama set, although her undergarments were still on her. Rachael’s ankles were connected by two pairs of connected handcuffs that dug uncomfortably into her flesh. Rachael remembered what happened to the point of her arms being cuffed, but was unclear about what had happened afterward as well as where Rosalia was. Her mind was sluggish and her body more tired than she could explain. A concussion was a definite possibility, but Rachael also briefly wondered why the front of her top was wet and sticky. She drifted in and out of consciousness until a knock startled her. The woman spoke.

“You need a potty break?”

No matter how woozy she felt, Rachael wasn’t about to let a chance to exit the closet or to push the soft target of the two hostage takers pass. “Yes.”

“If you try anything, my friend will kill Rosalia. Understood?”

“I would like to talk to Rosalia so I know she is all right.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because my friend says so. Don’t mess with him. He’ll hurt her if you do.”

“You sound scared of him?”

“I’m not.”

“Lying to yourself?”

Rachael left the closet and was hobbling in the direction the woman pointed with the gun. The woman was definitely an amateur. If not for worrying about Rosalia, the next part might have proven amusing.

“How am I supposed to get the pants down?”

Even through the stocking mask, Rachael could see the look of concern in the woman’s mouth and eyes.

“I could call in my friend to help with that, but I don’t think you would like that. He might.” That thought seemed to bother the woman. She walked up to Rachael and shoved the gun hard in Rachael’s gut. With one strong yank of her free hand she pulled down Rachael’s shorts and underpants. If only Rachael’s hands hadn’t been cuffed behind her back, the time would have been ideal to wrest the gun from the woman’s control.

“I can manage the rest without help, thank you.”

“I’ll stay here just in case you get ideas.”

“It’s not like I can get to the window trussed up like this.”

“No more talking.”

Rachael finished her business. “Now what?”

“Back to the closet.”

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

“I want to see Rosalia.”

“No, back to the closet.”

“How did you get her to go along with this?”

“The same way as you, with a gun. She’s in another room, lying down. She said it was doctor’s orders.”

“If you want me to cooperate, I want to see her.”

The woman walked her to the door of the master bedroom they must be inside. Rachael heard the t.v. blaring from a nearby room. “Do you think my friend is watching a telenovela? She’s out there. Now, back to your closet.”

Rachael complied. If and until she could get the cuffs in front of her, she couldn’t visualize a clean escape scenario. She needed to silence the woman as well as wrest the gun from her if she had any hope to get at the man holding Rosalia. She had barely started working on the cuff issue when another knock on the door issued. The door swung slowly open. “Something for you to drink.”

The woman set down a lidded cup with a straw, just perfect for handcuffs behind the back. Rachael decided to hold off on what she figured from the light in the bathroom window must be breakfast. It was time to see if she was still limber enough to get the cuffs to the front. She would admit that she was not at her physical peak. The last few weeks of working crazy hours, missing workouts and eating poorly hadn’t helped. She could stand a little reserve duty soon. She imagined Lee laughing at her. “Going soft, Red.” She became more determined then and managed to clear her butt with the cuffs. She rested before finishing the job a few minutes later. She was weary and incredibly thirsty when she finished. She made mental flip flops deciding between working to pull up her underwear and pants with her cuffed hands, which she knew would be exhausting, or to take a drink.

Rachael’s head pounded as she tried to retrieve her bottoms. The cheap nylon shorts were hopelessly snagged in the cuffs, at least to hands bound by handcuffs. She pulled and wrangled as hard as she could. Her vision dimmed. She heard Lee’s voice coaching her. “You need to calm down. Take stock of the situation. They are still wearing masks, which means they may not intend to kill you. As far as you know, the babies are safe.”

The babies, Rachael thought. They matter more than me. Lee will manage without me.

“I don’t want to. Fight for this, Red, fight for us.”

Rachael wanted to, but what was there to fight right then? She lay down on her back, brought her legs back and pounded them against the wall. Just my luck. A fucking cedar closet built like a fortress. Rachael’s mind began going to a dangerous place: the hut in which she’d been brutalized in Kuwait.

“This isn’t Kuwait. I will find you, I promise.”

I can’t do this again, Lee. You don’t understand. Rachael struck at the walls harder until her legs ached.

“You’ve got to calm down, Red. Breathe. Take a drink.”

It might be drugged. Then I will lose control. Right, control of the inside of a closet. Rachael once again began to whale at the walls and continued until she had no energy left to thrust. The closet was becoming the hut. Rachael was nearing the crazy place. The drink. She began to hope it was drugged. Maybe drugged would be better.

Lee’s voice was there. The captain’s voice, calm and in control: “Drink, Red. It’s better than hurting yourself. I’ll find you, I promise.”

Rachael was drinking before she realized it, sucking down most of the large cup quickly. Then she was drifting. She wasn’t sure she cared at first, then the crazy place was close. She was half naked and trapped in a room. Then she was in the hut in that village on the border of Iraq and Kuwait. Not again! She struck out against the door with her feet, but the cedar door held firm sending waves of pain up her legs. She struck it again in frustration with the same result.

Her anger turned inward. She’d put herself in this situation. She knew about Rosalia’s ex, knew there was a slight risk. She thought she’d taken adequate measures to control the risk. Not enough, clearly. Plus she’d never told Lee or Saul about the ex. She didn’t want him to worry. Damn it. Whose bright idea got her into this whole mess anyway? Harriman Nelson. He had started it. The two redheads in Lee’s life sipped neat scotches and talked one evening while Lee was outside grilling hamburgers. “Lee loves Roberto, but I know he wants more children. It would mean a lot to him to have a child of his own to continue his family tree. He’s the last of the Cranes. There are ways you two could do it now, Rachael. I can help. Imagine the hair, the eyes.” Damn you, Nelson. You were right, but so what? Look what it has come to. Rachael fell asleep in a sea of self-recriminations.

Rachael didn’t know how long she had slept when she awoke to the door opening. It was the man. His gun was trained on her. Rachael prepared to shake off the grogginess and risk trying to take him down when she got a chance. This time, she’d have her arms at her disposal, except as she began to right herself, she realized that was no longer true. Her arms were cuffed behind her again. Her whole body was cramped and sore, especially her legs from all that whacking at solid walls.

Cuffed as she was, she couldn’t get up before the man was standing over her.

He gazed down at her still naked crotch. “Roja. Muy bonita. I like roja. I like my women fiery.”

Rachael was scooting backwards in the closet without conscious thought. Maybe the instinct to flee was right for once, she reminded herself. Don’t challenge him. It didn’t work out well the first time. Wait and see.

The man advanced. He reached his hand out toward her crotch. Rachael fought every instinct to kick at him as if doing so with cuffed legs would be effective. Maybe, if he got closer, just maybe she could get her knees to his groin, but not yet.

He briefly stroked her pubic hair before he suddenly reached out and snatched at her curly red head hair. It hurt to the roots. Was it all going to happen again? She didn’t expect this play. She thought it was about ransom money. This had to be the ex-boyfriend Raul. How could she forget that one of his convictions was for rape? Damn it.

Lee’s voice was there again. “He’d have to let go of the gun at some point. You could take him then.”

Handcuffed like this? Are you crazy?

“No, you are, Red. If he does try, then it’s time to let loose with the crazy. Got it?”

Rachael stayed stock still as he gripped her hair and glared, as if deciding what he wanted to do next. Then he let her go and backed up to the door.

“Don’t cause any trouble or you will not like the consequences. Hope that your man does not double cross me. I will take it out on you later if he does. Do everything she says or I will keep my promise.”

The woman stepped in behind him with her gun and another drink. “Drink every drop now.”

Rachael would have drunk it and more had it been offered. She’d been awake for all those months of abuse. To sleep through it would have been better.

When Rachael next stirred, the woman was present like clockwork with another drink. “If you are lucky, this will be the last.”

“As in before you kill me?”

“I do not want to kill you. If your man pays, soon we will all go our separate ways.”

“He has you believing that, that I’m not going to be killed?”

“We will be away where you cannot find us. We have no reason to kill you unless you give us one.”

Rachael shut up abruptly. Maybe they meant it. If she revealed she knew who the man was or figured out who the woman probably was, what chance was there? Still, she was shocked at her passivity in the face of these captors. The kind ones, they only hurt you worse in the end, she remembered with a shudder. She heard Lee’s voice, though.

“This isn’t there. We’ll find you. Don’t give up.”

But a part of Rachael was shockingly ready to give up. Lee would take care of Roberto and the babies no matter what.

Rachael’s next arousal was entirely different. She heard screams, horrible screams. At first she wondered if they were hers under the influence of the drugs they’d been feeding her. She was groggy and out of it still. The drugs hadn’t yet worn off, but the screams were so terrible they’d sliced into the fog. Nausea overtook her and she puked dry heaves. Dorothy Parker’s line rang out. “What fresh hell can this be?”

The screams continued for some time, then tapered off. Rachael had no idea of time. Her watch had been taken at the beginning, along with her throwaway gun and anything that could be used for a weapon or escape. With the screams, a panic ensued. Escape suddenly seemed essential. What could she use? She managed to get the cuffs in front again, but it nearly took every bit of energy she had. She lay on the floor staring around desperately looking for something with which to attempt to pick the cuffs. All of the damn hangers were wooden. Joan Crawford would be happy with this closet. Why didn’t they make the door open outward? She might have one chance with momentum. At least, that’s what she thought when she attempted a full body slam into the door. She swooned to the floor, passing out again.

The next time she stirred, there were no screams. The closet door opened very slowly. Rachael’s eyes were only half open when she saw the face of a man she knew was not her captor. “Over?” she whispered.

“Over? Well, I suppose you could say that.” He extended his hand toward Rachael.

“I don’t think I can get up yet.”

“Pity. I’ve run out of things to do while waiting for you to wake up. They pumped you full of Seconal. You are lucky you didn’t die of an overdose.”

“Who are you? You look familiar.”

“We have never met before.”

“You aren’t here to help me, are you?”

“In a way, yes. In another way, no. I find myself acting as an opportunist just now.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Come see then.”

He pulled Rachael up by the cuffs, but she could barely stand on her own. He wrapped an arm around her and heaved her in a fireman’s hold. He dumped her on a king-sized bed.

A body lay to her left on ghastly bloodied sheets, a body flayed of much of its skin.

Rachael dry heaved further. The game, already bad, just got much worse. She could tell from his face that he liked her terror and panic. Breathe, Rachael, breathe. Crazy versus crazy isn’t going to help here. Calm, detached professionalism was the best course. It might have been the hardest thing she’d ever done. A vision of Lee’s face floated behind the man, coaching her to breathe more deeply. “You can do this. Just buy some time.”

After a few more breaths, Rachael managed to detach her mind from the gruesome sight next to her. She’d seen it all before and lived.

“She doesn’t fit in with your other victims.”

“No,” he said as he raised the dead woman’s arm to show Rachael. “That’s why she’s 3 1/2 instead of 4.”

“Why kill her?”

“Boredom waiting for you or that idiot partner of hers to return. I thought he might have to be 3 3/4 if you didn’t rouse soon, but then again I was concerned he’d bring a posse with him. So thank you for waking up before he arrives, if he ever does. I have my doubts.”

“Who are you?”

“Surely you know by now.”

“I meant your name.”

“Let’s see if you can guess. You called my mother and planned to interview her last night.”

“Richard Champlain?”

“I rather prefer the moniker the papers have given me.”

“I had nothing on you. It was a shot in the dark.”

“And I had nothing against you. I quibbled quite a bit with myself over whether you should be next even before you contacted my mother. Then it was sealed.”

“How did you know about me? I was kept out of the public eye.”

“True, but I saw you going into the building on some random footage the news played of NCIS’s office. I lurked around the building until I found out your name. Really, law enforcement does not expect serial killers to hang out by the building. Later, I remembered you from last year’s newspapers: the wedding murder.”

“Lucky me.”

“I do sympathize with you somewhat. You have had more than your fair share of hardships.”

“How did you end up here?”

“Well, I wasn’t stupid enough to follow a professional up a canyon road if that makes you feel better. I had been watching the pregnant one. After she left the house with you and came back with an imposter dressed like you, I was intrigued beyond reason. I followed the imposter. She left your lovely car running with the keys in it in the middle of the barrio. I assume it was stolen within a minute, but I didn’t wait to see. I followed her as she boarded a bus, then picked up a car in a shopping center lot. She never noticed me follow her here. I listened from outside until I got the gist of the situation. When the man left, I came in. Since then, well, as you see, I bided my time.”

“Why redheads in the Navy?”

“Oh, I suppose there is no harm in explaining since you still aren’t fully awake enough to appreciate what I have in store for you. The first one, she was responsible for my discharge from the Navy.”

“She didn’t have a number carved on her like the next two.”

“No, to be honest, I didn’t have a larger plan at the time. But I loved the reaction of the papers and I . . . I enjoyed the process. I wanted to do it again and again.”

“Why limit yourself to redheads connected to the Navy?”

“No reason, really. It just seemed more sporting to have a theme. More exciting.”

“For you.”

“I think you are beginning to rally, Commander. Good news for me, not so good for you.” Richard Champlain reached into his pocket and withdrew a bloodied scalpel. “Number 4,” he taunted as he cut the number in the air to threaten her.

“What’s the exact order of business?”

“You should know as well as anyone. I’ve been quite consistent.”

“The coroner couldn’t determine conclusively if you did the numbers first or last or somewhere in between. And you did switch from the left arm on Margaret O’Connor to the right on Amanda Prather and Kelly Van.”

“Because Margaret was left-handed and the others were right-handed. I felt damaging the dominant arm early was important. Not so much harm that they couldn’t still protest a little to make a game of it, but enough so they were unlikely to succeed. It was a bit of a bother on Margaret, as I am left-handed.”

“Does the number come first?”

“You know better.”

“Near asphyxiation to subdue the subject’s resistance first.”

“Correct, then the number.”

“Followed by just enough damage to the both arms to keep your victim from effectively protesting with them.”

“Yes, then the breasts.”

“Why?”

“Because it excites me for the next part. Slowly slicing the skin back, lapping up the delicious juices.”

“Then you rape your victim.”

“I share my joy.”

“Followed by watching your victim bleed to death?”

“I find that since the first one, I lose interest quickly in the end. There is so little reaction left. Instead, I start to fantasize about the next one. Like you. And as pleasant as it has been to chat with you, I’m finding it distinctly unsatisfying now. Time to play the game.”

“Do you prefer I sit up so you can sit as well, or do you prefer to work from above?”

“You are surprising me, Commander. Did your experiences as a POW really dull your responses to torture that much? I doubt it.”

“The same thing over and over again becomes pretty tedious. Rape, beatings. I expect flaying will be the same.”

“Our friend here suffered loudly for quite a long time. I rather suspect you will too.”

Chapter 11 - Reign of Terror

As Lee was entering the house, Champlain was bringing the scalpel closer to Rachael. With his right hand, he pinned her neck against the headboard, his thumb digging deeply into her windpipe. He held his thumb there until she struggled to breathe. Rachael fought against panic, not Champlain, not just yet. She had a plan. Whether she would have the breath to execute it was the question.

He positioned the scalpel high up her arm, ready to carve the number “4”. He touched the scalpel to her arm and slowly began a downward cut. “I’m impressed at your resolve, Commander, but I assure you that you won’t be able to keep it up when I get to the real work of flaying you.”

Rachael watched passively as he next carved the small horizontal bar for the four, squelching the desire to cry out at the shallow cutting. Champlain turned his knife vertical to begin the long downward stroke of the back of the number. As soon as the scalpel broke skin, Rachael committed.

She’d come up with two options. She could bring the cuffed arms up towards her right in an attempt to dislodge the scalpel. However, Champlain’s hand at her throat might effectively block her arms and even if she got the hit in, the scalpel might not dislodge from his hand. Taking the scalpel out of his hands was the only way she’d survive. It was that with which he killed. The second option stood a better chance of success. It had one major flaw. It was going to hurt a lot.

Rachael used every bit of energy she had to thrust her head and torso into Champlain, leaning slightly to the right to maximize contact. Her forehead bounced off his, sending her head into a reel, at the same time the scalpel plunged deeply into her upper right arm and stuck. She let out a scream.

Taking advantage of Champlain’s momentary surprise and loss of weapon, and before the adrenalin wore off, she brought her cuffed arms rapidly up into his chin. Champlain fell backwards several feet. Rachael swung off the bed and hobbled toward the door, with both her downed pants and the cuffs fighting her efforts. In moments, Champlain was pulling at her from the back, trying to turn her to get at the scalpel. All Rachael could do was to come at him again using her head and upper torso. Whatever she did, it was essential she keep the scalpel out of his reach. She flung her upper body and head sideways into him, knocking him back a little again, but she was in trouble. Dizziness was overtaking her. She couldn’t keep up the fight much longer.

Lee heard the scream just as he reached the bedroom door. He had his gun ready to fire as soon as he kicked open the door. The first thing he saw was his fiancée’s naked bottom. A trail of blood streamed down the side of her right arm. Opposite Rachael, preparing to lunge at her — clearly not for the first time — was not Raul Olivera, but a man he didn’t recognize. Lee’s heart sank thinking of what had happened to Rachael, consoled only by the fact she was still fighting. He would finish it for her now.

“Move away from her now!”

Rachael imagined that beneath the pounding of her skull she heard Lee’s voice as Richard Champlain thrust towards her. If only it was real and not what she wanted to be real, she thought. Blood loss, a head wound, and lack of breath made everything hazy. “Please don’t let me pass out now!” she cried.

“I won’t, Red.”

Rachael heard a gunshot and then saw blood blossom out of Champlain’s upper chest as he fell to the floor in front of her. She spun around quickly, too quickly, tripping over her cuffed legs. “Or hallucinate either,” she added seeing Lee’s lanky body hovering over her.

Lee kneeled down over her and caressed her face reassuringly. “I’m the real deal, Red. You’re a mess.”

“Not as bad as it looks.”

“A bloody forehead, a knife stuck in your arm?”

“Kind of self-inflicted. Only way I could get it away from him.”

“And what about your pants?”

“I was drugged a lot. You know I hate to sleep in pants.”

“Well, I certainly didn’t know that, Commander. Lee, get down!”

Harriman Nelson fired three shots barely above Lee’s head as Lee tucked protectively over Rachael. Richard Champlain was preparing to tackle them.

“Jesus,” Nelson said when he caught sight of the body on the bed. He turned away and vomited.

Lee rose up and for the first time saw the body on the bed. He turned back to Rachael quickly. “Admiral, could you give us a couple of minutes? Maybe find a first aid kit and a blanket for her?”

Nelson, shielding his gaze away from the bed, grabbed a stack of towels from the bathroom. “That’s all I could find. I’ll run and see what kind of help we can get from the rangers. Rachael, it would be best not to pull the scalpel out.”

“Sure, bring me another giant hit of Seconal and it’ll be a piece of cake.” Rachael was already reaching for it. Lee’s arm held her left hand away.

“Admiral, maybe you can find something to pop the cuffs too?”

“I’ll, uh, look into all those things. Son, maybe you should move her elsewhere?”

“Not before you pull up my pants.”

“They’re all tangled with the cuffs. I can’t get them to budge.”

“Come on, you dope, I’ve seen you take the pants off a dead man.”

“I’m not the one who got kidnapped, so don’t call me a dope. And what’s with the Scooby Doo pajamas? That’s so not your style.”

“Why do you reek like stale fish?”

“Oh, like you smell minty fresh and clean.”

Lee placed a bath towel around Rachael’s torso and tucked it gently beneath her.

“You choose to get fresh now, Curly?”

“Rach, enough with the jokes. What the hell’s going on here? We were pretty certain that Rosalia’s ex-boyfriend took you, but this guy, who the hell is he?”

“If you hadn’t shown up, I was about to become victim number four of Richard Champlain aka the Red Menace. No, that’s wrong. Victim four who fit the pattern. My female kidnapper was his real fourth, but he etched her as 3 1/2. She should be indignant about that.”

“That’s not funny, Red. This is horrific.”

“You’re telling me? I was here first and if I need to resort to some goddamn gallows humor to cope, you can cut me a break maybe?”

“Sorry, I should have realized.”

“I mean, I could have, I was inches from that other crazy place. I could go there, you know, any minute.” Rachael’s eyes had begun to tear up in release.

“You’ll be getting professional help promptly, I assure you.”

“Lee, be honest with me. Is Rosalia still here? Are our babies okay?”

“She’s in the hospital. She wasn’t hurt, it’s just the preeclampsia. She was holding stable last I heard. Dr. Ostroff has guarded her like a momma bear, but she’s definitely going to have to answer some serious questions soon. You too, for not telling me it’s twins.”

“I thought you’d appreciate the surprise and worry less. Look, I know the male kidnapper was her ex. I don’t know if she was forced or persuaded to collude, but I don’t believe she ever intended for me to be hurt.”

“Nice of you to defend her given your current state. Can you tell me how this went from a kidnapping to . . . to this?”

“Double bad luck.”

“You specialize in that. I take it that you don’t want to tell me the details now.”

“I’d rather see some paramedics with a large needle full of morphine.”

“Soon.”

“Okay, my turn for a question?”

“As long as it isn’t what took me so long to find you?”

“I’ll save that one for Saul. No, it’s an easy one. What was I worth?”

“Worth? Incalculable.”

“Good answer. But what was my ransom?”

“One million dollars. In twenties.”

“Did you pay?”

“Nelson did. I have assets that might approach that, but not cash, and not ones that I could turn liquid that fast.”

“Damn, I should marry him for his money.”

“Hey, I carried it. Do you know what a million in twenties weighs?”

“Less than me.”

“Should I interpret that as a request to repair to a different room?”

“Yes, the accommodations here are beginning to be tiring. I’d like something a little more . . .”

“Sterile would be a good choice. The hospital, perhaps?”

“I’m thinking, maybe if you don’t mind, I’d like to wake up there.” Rachael’s eyes closed as she finished the sentence.

Lee carried her out to a sofa in the living room. He wrapped a clean towel around the arm wound and clamped down on her wrist with his left hand, while reaching across her body with his right hand to hold down her left arm. Sooner or later she would attempt to pull that blade out.

“I see that I’m late to the party,” Saul said. “How is she besides the obvious?”

“In remarkably good spirits.”

“That’s worrisome.”

“No, I think it’s just relief that the worst didn’t happen, at least not to her.”

“Did she tell you much before she went out?”

“Enough. You have keys that will open these?”

“Try these. One is certain to do the trick.”

“Tell me what she told you.”

“I have a better idea. Why don’t you go down that way, and open the first door on the left? I think you’ll ascertain the situation quickly.”

“Okay, I’ll take the bait. A paramedic should be right behind me.”

Lee muttered under his breath. “Good, because you might need one in about ten seconds. Thanks for hanging her out there like a red flag!” Oh, that was bad, Lee thought, a very bad pun indeed. Lee felt a little guilty too. Saul cared for Rachael just as much as Lee, if differently. Then again, a little puking couldn’t hurt him that much.

“May we, sir?”

“This is the only major wound, maybe a mild concussion too,” Lee said.

“Are you certain, sir?” The paramedic’s glance at her lower body covered by a towel with the pants down by the cuffs gave away his thoughts.

“Yes, if that had happened, we’d have found a different woman.”

“I don’t understand, sir.”

“Be glad you don’t. How about you stabilize that wound and we get her out of this hellhole as quickly as possible, if you please?”

Chapter 12 - Endings and Beginnings

Lee paced outside the ER at Cedars. Rachael had come to briefly in the chopper and, as Lee expected would happen when she’d received intravenous fluids, she made a grab for the scalpel. It took both Lee and one of the paramedics to stop her from disturbing it and a hefty dose of morphine to keep her still afterward. The wound continued to ooze blood, leading the paramedics to theorize that the subclavian vein had been nicked.

Harry had yet to arrive. The local police insisted he stay behind for questioning. Saul promised to deliver him to the hospital as soon as they could break away. Tense and yet bored at the same time, Lee took to the phone. He checked in with Dr. Ostroff on Rosalia’s condition.

“We are going to deliver the babies tomorrow via C-section.”

“Is that safe for the babies?”

“It is best for all of them.”

“But it’s so early.”

“Three weeks early is not that premature. I think their size is good and I don’t anticipate any major medical issues for them.”

“Rachael and I wanted to be there for the birth.”

“That’s not a problem so long as Rosalia hasn’t changed her mind. She’ll be sedated anyway because of the preeclampsia.”

“It’s a problem because Rachael is in the emergency room right now. She was kidnapped by Rosalia’s ex-boyfriend who was released from state prison in New York a week ago. Rosalia was in cahoots with him.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Lee. Is Rachael badly hurt?”

“When we brought her in, she had a scalpel stuck in her upper arm with plenty of bleeding. They haven’t told me anything yet, but I’m certain she’s undergoing some surgery.”

“Lee, you and the police must wait until after the birth and until Rosalia is stabilized to question her. Her life is at stake, not just the babies.”

“I understand.”

“I wish I did. She’s really very fond of you and Rachael. I’m beyond shocked at allegations she was involved with kidnapping Rachael. If she was, perhaps her sudden decline in health was a direct result of it?”

“Once we dig deeper, I suspect we may find extenuating circumstances. Look, right now, all I care about is keeping everyone alive and well. I’m certain Rachael feels the same. We can behave, I mean, if Rachael is able to be there.”

“You’ll keep me updated on her condition, please?”

“I’ll leave word.”

“Mr. Crane?” a doctor called out.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Miss MacAdam is in Recovery. We repaired a nick to the subclavian vein and, with some time for the muscle damage to repair and physical therapy, she should recover well.”

“How long will it take?”

“Several months in all. She’ll have limited strength mobility and strength in that arm for some time.”

“That’s going to drive her crazy.”

“It will be important to her recovery that she follows instructions.”

“I’ll do my best. We’re expecting twins tomorrow.”

“Pardon me?”

“Through a surrogate.”

“Didn’t think I could miss something that big! I understand you two are engaged to be married soon.”

“In two weeks was the plan, before the babies came. They’re coming early.”

“I realize this may seem prying, but why a surrogate, may I ask?”

“Rachael can’t have kids. She suffered some traumatic injuries when she was a POW in the Gulf War.”

“Sorry to hear that. Was she told it was physically impossible to have children?”

“Something like that, although I honestly couldn’t say. I wasn’t there when she received the news.”

“Do you know who her physician is?”

“No, someone at the VA most likely, although she might be seeing Dr. Ostroff too now. She’s our surrogate’s o.b. Doc, is something wrong down there? She said nothing happened . . . even though she was half naked when we found her.”

“We were told there were no injuries down there so only a cursory check was done while we focussed on the bleeder. There were no exterior signs of trauma, but I suppose we might check her further.”

“If anything had happened, there’d be signs. She’d have fought like the devil.”

“Good to know, but we’ll make sure to look more closely. If you should remember the name of her physician, let us know. I’ll call Dr. Ostroff myself.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Nothing to seriously worry about. We just noticed some hormonal irregularities in her blood work. Her prior injuries may be responsible.”

“Can I see her now?”

“Give her about an hour. She should be coming out of anesthesia by then. You can be there when she does.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

Lee next called Chip. He was disappointed to get an answering machine. “Hey good buddy. Rachael is back safe, a little dinged in the wing, but she’ll be fine. Also the babies are going to be delivered tomorrow. Would it be too much to ask you to swing by my place and put together a care package of clothes to send me? I’ll be staying put for a while. I have enough stuff at Rachael’s to last a couple of days, so regular shipping should be fine.”

Lee found a pot of stale coffee, which was better than no coffee and continued to pace. Harry and Saul showed up ten minutes later with food and fresh coffee.

“She’ll be fine, really. She’s in recovery. I can go see her soon.”

“I need to ask her some questions, Lee.”

“Everyone involved is dead. They can wait a few hours.”

“Not true. Your surrogate is up to her eyeballs in this.”

“She’s off limits until after the babies come.”

“There is no way my superiors, the FBI or the local cops are going to wait that long.”

“It won’t be long. They are doing a C-section tomorrow morning. I got the impression from the doctor that the recovery for Rosalia won’t take long after the babies are delivered.”

“Okay, I can hold them off then. I’ve got a press conference to get to on the Red Menace in an hour anyway. Since I haven’t had a chance to interview Rachael personally, even though I saw that girl’s body, I need to know from you how certain she was that the guy at the house was our perp.”

“A hundred percent.”

“Poor Rachael. I hope this doesn’t mess up her head too badly. Maybe we should call in that psychiatrist from last year for a consult?”

“I think we should watch and wait a little first.”

“The department will require psychiatric clearance before she returns to work.”

“That’s going to be down the road a bit. Doctor said she won’t be fit for field work for several months plus she’s taking maternity leave.”

“Fair enough. At this point, she could probably fake her way through a psychiatric check up anyway.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be checking my own way.”

“Tell her I’ll be by tomorrow for a visit.”

“Will do.”

“Eat Lee,” Harry ordered.

“It’s hard to focus.”

“Try. Everything will get sorted out in due course.”

“We are going to have two babies tomorrow and we haven’t bought a thing for them yet, not that I know when they will be able to come home. Or Rachael either.”

“Lee, eat. Your friends will take care of anything you need.”

“But they have jobs to do.”

“You know, Captain, sometimes you have to give up control.”

Lee gazed at the Admiral for a moment. “But, sir, do you know how long it took me to finally get it from you?”

Harriman Nelson let out a hardy laugh. “I can assure you that the men wouldn’t tolerate me pushing you around the way I did at the beginning ever again.” He finished more softly, “Or that you would ever let me.”

Lee finished another bite of a tuna fish sandwich. “True enough, not that you don’t occasionally try.”

“Mr. Crane, you may see Miss MacAdam now.”

“Go on, Lee. Give me your keys to Rachael’s and let Uncle Harry take care of everything.”

“Please don’t make me regret this,” Lee smiled as he tossed the keys to the Admiral.

Rachael was awake but groggy. Lee conveyed regards from everyone and the news about the babies.

“I’m not missing it, Curly. No more morphine tonight, no matter how much I want it!”

“How about if I want it for you?”

“Promise me.”

“Deal, unless you beg for it. Look, before you conk out — and I can see it coming soon — I did want to run one thing by you. Do you have any idea who the female kidnapper was?”

“I have a suspicion.”

“Me too.”

“You tell me yours.”

“I’ve been struggling to understand how Rosalia got messed up in this. Maybe it’s just that I want to think I am a good judge of character, but things don’t add up. Rosalia has always seemed genuinely fond of both of us, me more than you but that’s easily explained.”

“Excuse me, but what does that mean?”

“Hey, she was crushing on me a little: collecting photos, news articles, telling the girlfriends at school about me.”

“I’m not finding you that irresistible at the moment. You still smell like dead fish.”

“Then hold your nose. Anyway, I was wondering if our second kidnapper, the woman, might have been Rosalia’s motivation?”

“Go on. I was on the same track.”

“Well, if it was just the ex-boyfriend, she could have just told you or the cops, and had reasonable protection. Rosalia has younger sisters who would have known Raul. What if he lassoed one of them into his crazy world?”

“I think that’s the case, although I hope not, not given what happened to the girl. I can’t imagine the guilt Rosalia would feel. Lee, for what it’s worth, the girl seemed pretty genuine about not intending to kill me. That said, I think she was naive to think Raul wouldn’t.”

“I agree. I’ll let Saul know to check back with the NYPD and see if any of her sisters are missing.”

“Lee, you won’t tell Rosalia, promise, not until we know for certain and after the babies are born in any event.”

“Agreed. I wish, if it is true, that we would never have to tell her. There’ll be no hiding how she died once the newspapers are on it.”

“Saul won’t let out that kind of information until there is a positive i.d. and even then, with Champlain dead, he might never release the details to the public.”

“The family might want the body for burial.”

“We’ll do our best to dissuade them.”

“Pretty gracious of you under the circumstances.”

“It’s your influence undoubtedly.”

“True, you were never that gracious before.”

Rachael glared.

“Time for you to sleep, Red. Tomorrow will be an interesting day.”

* * *

When Lee arrived at Rachael’s room with a bag of clothes at 7 a.m., it was empty. The duty nurse said she should be back from testing shortly.

“What kind of test?” Lee asked. An alert going off down the hall forestalled his receipt of an answer. Lee waited impatiently in Rachael’s room. The C-section was scheduled for 7:30 and Dr. Ostroff said they could show up at 8:00. Lee knew enough about hospitals to arrive early to ensure Rachael’s discharge papers were signed in time. Now he fretted about time, what kind of test Rachael was undergoing, and the health of the arriving twins. Fortunately, Rachael arrived ten minutes later.

“You look and smell better, Curly.”

“You too, Red.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“What was the test they sent you for?”

“Honestly, I’m not certain. I slept right through it. An ultrasound, I think. The doctor last night asked me a lot about my Gulf injuries. He said it was nothing to worry about, and obviously I didn’t since I snoozed right through it.”

“Right now I’m more worried about your discharge papers. We won’t get you in the delivery room without them. I was warned.”

“You would let a little thing like that stop us?”

“Why don’t we get you dressed, so you’ll be ready when the doctor does show up?”

“We?”

“That arm is on very limited duty for a while.”

“Lee, how the hell am I going to manage two babies and Roberto with a lame arm?”

“First of all, it’s we, not just you. Harry’s insisted I take three months of leave.”

“And you agreed?”

“Hey, last time I had that much time off was after I’d been brainwashed by the People’s Republic. This should be a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, inhale deeply if you want these pants zipped. Apparently you’ve been on the serial killer hunting diet, junk food round the clock.”

“You’d think that a couple days of nothing to eat but Seconal and orange soda would have corrected that. Guess it’s the missed workouts.”

“We’ll have a nonstop workout regimen in a couple of hours.”

“If that damn doctor gets here to release me.”

“I’d be that damn doctor, Dr. McGill.”

“Sorry, doc. We’re in a hurry to get over to the maternity wing. Our surrogate is scheduled for a C-section minutes from now and we don’t want to miss the delivery.”

“Let me a quick look at the surgical site. You sure I can’t convince you to stay another day just out of caution?”

“No way.”

“All right. Here are your instructions for the surgical site. You have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon in one week. He will give you a referral for physical therapy at the appropriate time. Any questions?”

“No, we’re old hands at puncture wounds. I’ll keep her in line.”

“He’ll try.”

“Exciting life you two must lead, too exciting perhaps.”

“Hey doc, do you know anything about the test she was sent for this morning?”

“No, but I can check if you like. The chart said that results would be sent to your personal physician and that discharge was not dependent on it.”

“Good, then let’s check out of here.”

Several minutes later, dressed in scrubs, Lee and Rachael were admitted to the delivery room. Dr. Ostroff positioned them behind a sedated Rosalia. Ten minutes later, Lee held a healthy 4 3/4 pound dark haired hazel-eyed girl while Rachael, left-handedly, held a 4 1/4 pound red headed boy with green eyes. Moments later, the babies were whisked off for examination, but the pediatrician on hand thought they looked quite well and anticipated no problems. They should be ready to go home very soon.

“You two head out. You can visit them in the nursery shortly,” Dr. Ostroff said. “I’ll need another half hour to finish up here, then I’d like to talk to both of you.”

Lee and Rachael, a little overwhelmed by their new family, nodded and left.

“We should call Roberto and Carolina.”

“And the Admiral, and Chip, and Saul and my mother and . . .”

“And we need to buy things for the nursery.”

“If I know the Admiral, we may need to return things.”

“Harry is outfitting the nursery?”

“It seemed like a good idea last night.”

“If there’s a mural of a giant squid on my walls, I’ll . . .”

“You’ll what?”

“Laugh and paint over it later. Lee, can we manage this? Two babies, a toddler, your job, my job?”

“No.”

“Did you need to be that honest?”

“I thought you liked that about me.”

“Usually, just not now.”

“We’ll muddle through the first few months, with Carolina’s help, but I am definitely thinking we’ll need more help. Maybe a nanny?”

“This time you do the background check.”

“Speaking of which, Saul called me early this morning. The girl was Rosalia’s youngest sister, Sofia.”

“Damn.”

“Saul wants to know how we want to handle it.”

“Lee, I know we have to talk to her about what she did or knew, but I can’t imagine any worse punishment than has already happened.”

“I was pretty certain you would feel that way, as was Saul.”

“Lee, I think I need to sit down.”

Lee braced Rachael by the arm and took her to a nearby chair.

“Feeling a bit overwhelmed?”

“Hungry too. I missed breakfast this morning. I can’t honestly remember eating anything since a couple of days ago.”

“Stay put. I mean it.”

Lee returned with a sleeve of cheese crackers and a bottle of apple juice. “High cuisine just like at the office.”

“Pretty much. Thanks.”

“Okay, so here’s the plan. You eat those and drink that. I’ll make a couple of calls. We go to the nursery. Then we take you home. I’ll ask Carolina to come in today with Roberto unless you need the rest.”

“I want to see Roberto.”

“Me too. We can tell him about the babies together. Now, eat, drink and let me take care of things.”

“Aye aye Captain.”

“I expect to hear a lot of that in the next few months!” Lee left before Rachael could make the inevitable comeback.

Chapter 13 - Aftershocks

Dr. Ostroff caught up with Lee and Rachael in the nursery. “I know you’d like to stay and ogle them, but I’d like to talk to you in private.”

They followed her to the elevator and then to the top floor inside an office.

“Is Rosalia going to be all right?” Rachael asked.

“Physically, there should be no aftereffects from the preeclampsia. What I wanted to know from you two is about other matters that will affect her health.”

Lee spoke. “She was involved to some degree with Rachael’s kidnapping. Her youngest sister was the second kidnapper. Both she and the ex-boyfriend are dead.”

“Oh, how sad. So she’s facing prosecution when she is well?”

“No, we won’t permit it.”

“That’s kind-hearted of you.”

“We don’t believe she or the sister wanted or believed Rachael to be at true risk. They were wrong about that, but still, Rosalia has done so much for us and when she learns about what happened to her sister, it will be difficult enough for her.”

“Did the ex-boyfriend do that to your arm, Rachael?”

“No, the serial killer Rachael’s been hunting down interrupted Rachael’s kidnapping.”

“Oh, god. I have no words. Rachael, I’m so sorry. Are you really all right?”

Rachael shrugged. “I survived. Her sister didn’t.”

“I can’t even imagine.”

“Don’t,” Rachael warned.

“Is there anything else, Dr. Ostroff? I’d like to get Rachael home to rest a little bit before the babies are ready to come home. The pediatrician said it would be soon.”

“Yes, tomorrow probably, but I need to speak to you both about something else.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“No. I. . . uh . . . for some reason, the emergency room doctor ordered extensive blood work on Rachael last night.”

“I’m guessing it’s because the kidnappers kept her quiet with large doses of Seconal.”

“I see. Now it makes sense.”

“Is there a problem?”

“The surgeon said something to me about hormonal irregularities last night, Red. He said it wasn’t anything worrisome, that it probably related to your prior injuries, right, doc?”

“Yes, to the hormonal irregularities, no to the prior injuries. Rachael, have you been experiencing any unusual fatigue or nausea in the last few months?”

“No, not until the last few weeks when the Red Menace struck. Since then, it’s been round the clock fatigue.”

“I think the two of you better brace yourself for a surprise. Against miles long odds, Rachael, you’re pregnant.”

“It’s not possible, the doctors in Germany said so.”

“It was so improbable that yes, they might have used that word.”

“Well, that would explain the trouble zipping your pants.” Both Lee and Rachael look gobsmacked.

“I want you to come to the office for a full exam this week. Start taking these prenatal vitamins daily and given your last few weeks, pack in the leafy green vegetables and protein.”

“Rachael, don’t you want to ask any questions?”

“I . . . I . . . was told I would never.”

“It was likely true.”

“Will I be able to carry to term?”

“An ultrasound was performed this morning that suggests you are already at three months which puts the biggest risk of miscarriage behind you. Your injuries made it unlikely that conception and attachment to the uterus would ever occur. Once that happened, however, your pregnancy became otherwise normal.”

“Hey, Red, you did something normal for a change. Keep up the good work. Geez, pregnant.”

“When it is time to deliver, we will do a C-section. Because of Rachael’s prior injuries, delivering naturally would be dangerous for both Rachael and the babies.”

“Excuse me, doc, did I hear you right?”

“Yes, the ultrasound indicated twins.”

“From one to five in a year, holy moly! What do you think, Rach? We’ll have enough for our own volleyball team!”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Sure enough, partially digested orange cheese crackers hit the desk.

“It’s certainly a lot to handle, I know. You’ll figure it out. Lee, get her home, baby her while you can and we’ll talk further next week.”

Peace and quiet was not likely to be found at Rachael’s house, however. In addition to Roberto needing attention to make up for several days of missing his mother, there was a constant stream of deliveries. Packaging was strewn everywhere. Nelson and Chip were hammering away in the nursery. The phone was ringing nonstop. Saul showed up minutes after Lee coerced Rachael to lie down and begged Roberto to stop bouncing on the bed.

“How is she?”

“In shock.”

“Have you called the psychiatrist yet?”

“He’s not going to be able to help on this one.”

“Why not?”

“Because we just found out this morning that Rachael is pregnant. With twins.”

Saul burst out laughing. “You’re joking?”

“No.”

“I, uh, I guess congratulations are in order.”

“That and sympathies, I think.”

“Wow. You’re going to need to find a bigger place.”

“I think we already need it. Either that or the Admiral got carried away shopping.”

“I wondered about that. Lee, I can’t wait any longer. I need to get Rachael’s statement on record.”

“She’s supposed to be resting.”

“In this?”

“Tell me about it.”

“It’d be best to get it over with, trust me.”

“Okay. But please, don’t drag it out.”

“You don’t want to come in for it?”

“It might be easier for her to tell you everything without me there.”

“Who are you kidding? She’s not going to tell me anything more than necessary.”

“That’s what worries me.”

“We’d all do the same.”

“Señor Lee, there’s a call from the judge’s office.”

“Damn. I’ll be right there, Carolina.”

Lee took the call. He ended up spending a half hour on the phone with the judge’s clerk. Admiral Nelson was by his side as he hung up.

“Welcome home, Lee. Everything all right?”

“Yes, there’s just a little too much of everything right now.”

“How’s Rachael?”

“Exhausted, without use of her dominant arm for three months with twins coming home tomorrow, and as fate would have it, she’s three months pregnant with twins.”

“I thought it wasn’t possible?”

Lee shook his head. “Apparently extremely improbable would have been a better description.”

“Oh my.”

“Wait, it gets better. The judge’s office just called. The adoption is to be finalized Friday, for all three kids.”

“The new babies too?”

“Yes, the lawyers felt it was a wise thing to do even though they are biologically ours. It’s such new legal territory. We didn’t expect the adoption process for them to be finalized for at least four weeks. I don’t know how the judge even knew about the babies so fast, but he wants to consolidate their adoption with Roberto’s to save time and paperwork.”

“Is it a problem?”

“We had planned to be married first to save a few steps and a lot of paperwork.”

“You could do the civil ceremony this week and keep the party as planned?”

“Yes, I talked to the clerk about it. Now I just have to break it all to Rachael.”

“Are you concerned she’s not well enough yet?”

“It’s just a lot going on at once.”

“Lee, is there something you aren’t telling me? Was it worse than she said?”

“Undoubtedly. Truth is I’ve only gotten the abbreviated version of what happened, or more like what didn’t happen. I’m certain more will slip out over time.”

“Señor Lee, we need groceries.”

“Uh, sure, Carolina. Go ahead and take care of that.”

“I need money and a ride.”

Chip yelled out from the nursery, “I need a hand in here.”

Saul stuck his head into the hallway. “Lee, Rachael says she won’t finish unless someone gets her a white pizza with spinach and anchovies. . . . . And a vanilla milkshake. That’s disgusting, Rachael.”

Lee sank down on the couch.

“How can I help, Lee?” Nelson asked.

“Start bailing. I think the boat is beginning to sink.”

Nelson gave out a loud whistle then bellowed. “Attention, all hands on deck, all hands on deck.”

Everyone in the house came out to see what it was about. “Delivery folks, drop anything you haven’t brought in yet outside and leave it there. Carolina, here is money for groceries. Chip, drop Carolina at the store, then get lunch for Rachael and the rest of us. White pizza with anchovies & spinach and a vanilla milkshake for Rachael. Deliver it, then go back for Carolina. Roberto, you go with Uncle Chip and Carolina. Saul, you have five minutes to finish with Rachael and leave.”

“Sorry, Nelson. I’m not in the Navy anymore.”

“You’re still in the reserves and I outrank you. You’ll do as I say, son. You’re down to four and a half minutes now.”

“I’d follow orders if I were you,” Lee winked.

“Just one question before I go, Admiral, how are you going to order the phone to stop ringing?” Chip laughed.

The Admiral walked over to the answering machine, pressed a few buttons. Quiet at last. “Ringer off, answering machine on. Next?”

“I’m out of here. Is Daddy Warbucks going to give me cash too?”

“That’s question number two, Mr. Morton. Get out of here, now.”

“Uh, yeah, see you later.”

“That leaves only one little piggy left to deal with,” Nelson smiled. “I suppose it’s too early for a scotch, Lee?”

“A little.”

“All right, let’s go through the list quickly. Wedding and adoption this week require what?”

“Just our presence for a civil ceremony. A witness, but anyone in the courthouse can do it.”

“I’ll be there. Check. Next, when will the babies be home?”

“Tomorrow.”

“What time?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“We are supposed to be on set with Scott and Tony George at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow.”

“We are?”

“I guess you don’t remember. We agreed to a cameo appearance on the soap as a thank you for their help.”

“So soon?”

“I’ll defer that until later. As to the babies, I’ve taken care of furniture, but what else will we need?”

“Diapers, clothes, formula, lots of bottles. I don’t know. I can’t think.”

“Saul and his wife have kids, don’t they?”

“Just one, a year old.”

“Matter covered and done, then. You’ll also need a night helper for a while as Rachael heals, possibly a driver to help during the daytime since Carolina doesn’t drive and a nanny or two down the road. I’ll call some services and get that process underway.”

“We also need to get a new car yesterday.”

“Right, you both drive those silly roadsters neither of which will hold all of you at present, let alone two more.”

“Is there a car that holds seven people?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Is there a garage that holds a car that big? This one won’t.”

“I don’t think the garage here will be the big problem when the other twins are born.”

“At least we have six months to deal with that.”

“I wouldn’t count on all of that time. Witness your surrogate, three weeks early.”

“Right. I guess I better start house hunting soon too.”

“Lee, maybe it isn’t the right time to bring this up, but I don’t see how you and Rachael can go forward living in two different cities working the jobs you do. Even with you out at sea less as you have been this past year, with five small children, I can’t see how that will work. Not well.”

“Maybe we should do the soap cameo tomorrow? Never know where that might lead.”

“Right, you’d give up the Institute to act on a soap opera?”

“A man has to do what a man’s got to do. We’d both be in L.A.”

“I’ve been mulling around an idea, a much better idea.”

“Going for the hard sell before pitching the actual idea, sir?”

“We bring Rachael on board at the Institute.”

“She doesn’t know a giant squid from an octopus.”

“Lee, how many times through the years have we brought aboard visitors or employees who turned out to be enemies, saboteurs or to have hidden agendas?”

“Far too many times.”

“What if we hire Rachael as head of security? Not the physical security of the Institute, Ryan’s got that covered, but boat personnel and mission based security. We could put her in charge of background investigations of any employees with access to or working on the boat as well as visitors we take aboard. And by this I mean detailed, continuing investigations to avoid some of the hot water we’ve found ourselves in previously. With her contacts at ONI and NCIS, she could also keep an ear to the ground on threats to Seaview when we’re out at sea. I’ve never liked that we have to rely so much on official channels when neither of us are on land. Those channels have screwed us over more than a few times.”

“I hate to admit it, but you may have a winner there. You want me to pitch it to Rachael?”

“No, let me do it later. Give her a little time to recover and process first.”

“If she agrees, Saul’s not going to like it.”

“But Uncle Harry sure will.”

“Which leads to another thing on the list. Rachael and I have talked about it, but we didn’t have a chance to talk to you about it yet. We were thinking more like godfather Harry?”

“I’ll happily take on both roles, Lee. That’s the one big regret of my life, that I didn’t ever marry and have children. I’m glad you are not repeating my mistake. For a long time, I thought you might.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got a weakness for stubborn redheads a mile wide apparently.”

“Good, because in thirty seconds, Saul Jackson is leaving that bedroom. You will put everything we’ve discussed out of your mind knowing that I’ve got your back. You will go in with your wife-to-be, stay with her, comfort her, relax with her and do nothing else of substance today. Understood?”

“Admiral, I wish I could, but there’s just too much to do.”

“Captain Crane, unless you want to get busted down to Lieutenant — which you cannot afford to do with a family of seven — you will follow orders.” The Admiral put a warning finger up as Lee started to argue. “Time is up, Captain. Bedroom, now. Go.” Nelson raised his voice. “Jackson, out, NOW!”

Lee, weary, rose up off the couch. “I need a minute with Saul first.”

“One minute.” The Admiral looked at his watch as they spoke.

Lee and Saul whispered in the hall out of hearing of everyone. “She tell you anything I should know?”

“She was pretty fucking terrified, but handled it impressively thanks to you.”

“Huh?”

“She said she heard your voice. You coached her through it.”

“She actually heard my voice?”

“Heard or imagined. Look, she told me this off the record, Lee, but I don’t think it was the crazy place. I think between the Seconal, the exhaustion and fear, she summoned you up for advice and support. Then you showed up just in time. I think she’s going to be all right. Eventually.”

“I don’t know. What if I can’t live up to the imaginary me?”

“Try harder,” Saul smiled.

“We’ll talk more later. I don’t want to piss off the boss.”

“Aye aye,” Saul winked. Nelson called Saul over as Lee went into the bedroom and pulled the door closed behind him.

“Hi.”

“Hi, you too. How did it go with Saul?”

“Fine.”

“And you’re just fine, right?”

Rachael shook her head. “No, not right now.”

“Then you are fine!”

“Huh?”

“If you said you were fine, I’d know you were screwed up bad.”

“With logic like that, they let you command a nuclear submarine?”

“Right now I’m not even in command of my own home.”

“Who is?”

“Harry.”

“I’m strangely okay with that.”

“Then I am too.”

Lee held her in his arms, stroked her hair and comforted her. Himself too.

The End