Chapter One - Tuesday

Watching the semi-truck driving away down the street, Bobby apologized on his cell phone to his sister Francis about being late. "I'm locking the house and leaving right now," he told her as he looked at the clock. "How long do you think it will take me to get there, and what's the best route? I don't want to just trust the GPS."

It had taken the movers from Florida longer than expected to arrive at his new rental in Leon Valley, a suburb enclosed within the city of San Antonio, Texas and then unload the semi containing his furniture and the Corvair. Bobby was once again relieved that he had decided to bring all of his boxed possessions with him in the back of his pick-up truck. He was able to unpack all his dishes, linens, and clothes while waiting for the heavy stuff to arrive.

Francis said, "We have to leave shortly for Joey's baseball practice. Jason just got home and we're almost out the door. Why don't you meet us at the practice and you can follow us home from there?"

She gave him directions that seemed pretty simple to follow and said, "Think of the I-410 loop as the face of a clock. Right now you're at approximately ten o'clock. Just take the loop around until you get to a little past three o'clock and then jump onto US 87 south. You'll know you're heading the right way if a Doobie Brothers song pops into your head."

Bobby asked, "Any particular song?"

Francis told him, "You'll know it when you see it. Anyway, once you cross over into Wilson County you'll go about five more miles until you reach La Vernia. It's not a big town, and the signs for the park are pretty easy to follow. That's where we'll be."

"I'm on my way," said Bobby as he ended the call.

After locking up his house, Bobby stepped off his front porch and made a quick decision. His 2010 Dodge Ram was sitting in his drive, but he hadn't cleaned all the fast food cups and wrappers out of it since his drive from Florida. His bright red 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible was sitting along the curb in front of his house where the movers had off-loaded it. It was a no-brainer for Bobby as he trotted out to the Corvair and proceeded to lower the convertible top. He would need to stop and get some gas real soon, but he had seen several gas stations between his new rental house and the freeway entrance he would need to take.

Bobby pulled into a Valero station along Bandera Road that he thought would be the easiest to get in and out of, and keep him pointed in the right direction. As he began pumping gas into the tank, he thought back to the first time he had put gas in this car...

Bobby had grown up in Cypress, California playing little league, hanging with friends at the beach, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and other local attractions when they weren't in school. When he got older, Bobby took up surfing, but he never got enough opportunities to ride the waves because of baseball, school, and work. He worked part time at a local electronics shop -- first disassembling items that required repair, and then eventually he did the troubleshooting and repairs entirely.

From the time Bobby realized that his 16^th birthday meant he would be able to get a driver's license, he wanted his own car. However, like everything else in his life, his father wanted him to earn it himself. With this philosophy of life in mind, his father surprised Bobby on his sixteenth birthday when he presented him with a beat up old 1965 Corvair Monza convertible. The engine and drive train were in great condition and the car had less than 50,000 miles on the odometer, but it had sat basically abandoned alongside a house in the high desert for several years. As a result, the convertible rag top, upholstery, and most of the interior were deteriorated from exposure to the elements, the paint was oxidized beyond belief, the tires were rotted, and the body needed some TLC.

His father intended for the restoration of the car to be the price Bobby had to pay in order to earn the right to drive it. His father felt that the sweat and time that Bobby would put into the restoration of the car would give him a level of appreciation that would foster a more responsible attitude towards the car and his time behind the wheel of it. The summer between his sophomore and junior year of high school Bobby sacrificed time with his friends at the beach so that he could work the mornings at the electronics shop, and then be home to work on his car by the time his father got off work to help him. Every cent that Bobby earned went into his car.

The day before Bobby was supposed to start his junior year of high school, he handed his father a one hundred dollar bill and said, "Thanks dad for adding me to your insurance. Here's my portion of the premium. I really appreciate you helping me get insured before school starts."

Bobby's father folded the bill and placed it into his shirt pocket as he said, "You earned a break Bobby. I hope you're as proud of that car as I am of you. How are you fixed for gas money? Now that you're clear to drive it, can you feed it?"

Bobby smiled as he replied, "I have five dollars set aside for that very purpose. Plus, I get paid on Wednesday, so I should be set. If it's okay with you, I'd like to go get some gas tonight so I won't have to rush on the way to school in the morning."

His dad squeezed Bobby's shoulder, took his wallet out of his pocket and handed Bobby a credit card. "First fill-up's on me and your mom," he said. "Drive safe."

Bobby hugged his dad and said, "Always. Thanks dad."

The memory of sliding his dad's credit card into the pump on that warm Southern California evening never failed to bring a smile to Bobby's face. Hidden between pages of the owner's manual in the glove box was another reminder of his dad's generosity and love. The very same hundred dollar bill that Bobby had handed his father that night was presented to Bobby on the day he left for the Air Force Academy, along with a savings account passbook showing a balance of more than $2,000. His parents had paid his insurance all through high school and banked his contributions without him knowing. Even though Bobby knew his car too well to ever need to reference the owner's manual, he opened it frequently just to see the reminder of his father's love.

Replacing the cap on his tank and returning the hose to the pump, Bobby thought briefly of hopping into the driver's seat without opening the door. The thought of how he used to do that dredged up other memories. Memories that took the smile from his face and sent him down a melancholy road he had traveled for the past ten years.

Bobby lived far enough from his high school that he was on one of the bus routes, but he always chose to walk rather than ride the bus. It meant he had to leave a little earlier each day, but that all changed once he was allowed to drive his own car. Driving to school the first day of his junior year, Bobby did allow himself a little extra time. He knew that he would have to park in the visitor's lot until he went to the office and obtained a permit that would allow him to park in the student lot. On the first day of school, the visitor lot, as well as the office, was likely to be crowded, so he wanted to get there early. As he suspected, he was lucky to find one open spot in the visitor lot. He quickly took it, grabbed his vehicle registration, and headed to the office.

The office was busy, but most of the activity was at the counter for Attendance issues. Bobby headed to the counter for the school cashier and found himself the only one in line. He quickly completed the application for the parking permit and allowed the secretary to make a copy of his registration and student ID card. When she handed them back to Bobby, they were accompanied by a blue and white parking permit sticker. Bobby thanked her and started out of the office to return to his car.

As he was opening the door to exit, someone on the outside was pulling it trying to come in. Their joint "push-pull" efforts had Bobby lurching forward and the other person stumbling backwards. Bobby stopped his motion and the momentum of the other person's pulling allowed the door to swing open. Bobby finally caught sight of the other person, but it wasn't anyone he recognized. She had maintained her balance, but was standing in an awkward pose, still holding onto the door for support. As she straightened up, Bobby spoke to her, "I'm sorry. They really should put windows in these doors so we can see if someone is on the other side."

The girl looked up at him and smiled when she said, "But that would make too much sense, so I doubt it will happen. Right?"

"What amazing eyes!" Bobby thought. Sure, the ice blue color was unique, but there was something else there as well. Before he could ponder it further, someone behind him said, "Excuse me", and he realized he was blocking the door.

Bobby smiled back and said, "Right. See ya." Bobby stepped around her and headed for HIS car.

While he drove around the school to get to the student lot, he considered the parking sticker. The instructions were that it was supposed to be placed either on the rear bumper, or the rear window. Bobby was not thrilled about either option.

Since he was still relatively early, he stopped to speak with the guard at the student lot entrance and asked him, "Good morning Rick, can I ask you something about the placement of the parking permit stickers?"

"Sure," the guard replied. All the students knew the name of the guard because every student who didn't ride the busses had to pass by his post coming or going, even if they walked to school.

Bobby said, "I just picked my sticker up and wondered if it could be placed somewhere other than the locations on the instructions. I would prefer not to have the glue on either my bumper or my window."

Rick told him, "Since I'm the one that monitors them, as long as you place it somewhere visible and give me a heads-up, you will be okay."

"Great," said Bobby. "I'm going to stick it to some clear Mylar and hang it from my rear-view mirror. Are you okay with that?"

Rick replied, "Works fine for me while it's parked, but make sure that you don't obstruct your vision with anything hanging from your mirror or you're likely to get a ticket from the cops."

"Understood," said Bobby. "Thanks Rick."

Bobby had been scoping out the student parking lot since he first got his car. Even though he couldn't drive it yet, he knew that he would one day, so he started imagining where the best places would be to park it when the day finally came. Now that the day was here, Bobby knew exactly the spot he wanted. The last parallel parking spot along the fence between the school and the neighborhood houses was his destination. Since the majority of the spaces were angled parking, and most students hated trying to parallel park, the spot would usually be available to him. During the afterschool rush, while everyone else was trying to back out of their spaces with other students driving behind them, being able to just pull out into the flow would also be an advantage. The final feature of this spot was that for almost the entire school year, the shade from a large Sycamore tree fell right over this very parking spot for most of the afternoon. When Bobby restored the convertible rag top he had chosen to go with the black rather than the white. He thought it looked better with the red body color, but knew that the solar gain would be something he would have to deal with occasionally. While he put the top up after parking, he was glad his choice of parking space had considered this.

Bobby had been in accelerated learning classes his entire life. In grade school it was referred to as "Gifted and Talented Education", or GATE, and in high school it was called "Advanced Placement", or AP. His schedule for this year was heavy on core requirements, with only one elective and PE as any kind of academic respite. Walking to his first class, he was joined by a few friends and they started comparing schedules and teachers. Most of Bobby's friends were kids that he had grown up with since Kindergarten or played baseball with through his years in little league. He seldom had classes with any of his friends, which usually left him on his own where school projects or studying were concerned.

Still running ahead of schedule, Bobby entered his first class of the day two or three minutes before the first passing period bell rang. AP Biology was sought after by any of the kids who envisioned a career in medicine, but it was tough to maintain the overall grades that would qualify them for this particular class. Bobby had requested the class solely due to his interest in the subject, and completing it in his junior year would free him to take AP chemistry during his senior year.

The room was used for various science classes during the day, so it was arranged accordingly. The teacher's desk was at the front of the room, with three rows of six lab tables, each of which sat two students. The tops of the lab tables each had a small sink with a faucet located along the back center, and locked drawers and cabinets all around the base. Depending upon the science discipline being taught, students would retrieve the necessary equipment from below their tables during each class, and then return them at the end of class.

Bobby selected a seat at a table in the row closest to the door, three back from the front. He placed his backpack on the floor, took a seat on his stool, and watched the other students as they started to arrive.

Bobby knew most of the other students in the class by name. They had shared dozens of classes over the years. As people passed, he would greet them warmly and share a few words, but no one wanted to get into an involved conversation right before the start of class.

"Is this seat taken?"

Bobby was surprised that someone had spoken to him from the inside aisle because most people were walking up the outside aisles, and he thought he had noticed everyone enter the room. He turned to the girl who had spoken and recognized her from the door at the office. "No. Please sit down."

She smiled, placed her backpack on the floor next to his and took her seat.

"Smallville"... Bobby thought. "What made me think of that TV show?" he wondered. As the girl turned to introduce herself, he knew why.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Patty Harper".

"No you're not, your Kristen Kruek with ice blue eyes," thought Bobby. While Patty Harper, at about five foot eight inches was taller than the actress, and of course her eyes were that amazing color of blue, there was a wholesome beauty, athletic grace, and a full-body smile that reminded Bobby of the effect that Lana Lane always had on the "Boy of Steel".

"Hi Patty, I'm Bobby Brandt".

Even if he wasn't naturally a confident person, his being raised with three older sisters would have made Bobby much less intimidated by the opposite sex than a lot of other teen age boys. Bobby had never had a problem talking to girls, dated several on a casual basis, and knew how to show all girls the respect they deserved.

"Pleased to meet you... again," she chuckled.

"Yeah you too," Bobby said.

When the next passing period bell rang, Bobby turned to Patty and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you Patty. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Patty smiled and said, "If not sooner. Bye."

Bobby followed her out the door and started for his next class. He noticed Patty reviewing her printed schedule and looking around at the room numbers. "Where are you headed?" asked Bobby.

Patty looked at her schedule again, "AP English. Room 36".

"Then you're with me," Bobby said. "Come on and I'll show you. This is apparently your first day here. Where are you from?"

"My mom took over a realty office in Cypress in July and we moved down from the San Fernando Valley so she wouldn't have to commute." Patty reviewed the paper in her hand again and said. "I never thought my records would arrive to this school in time for me to get the right classes, but so far everything on my schedule seems right."

It turned out that Bobby and Patty shared all their AP classes, and didn't go their separate ways until lunch time. After lunch Bobby had his one elective class, which this semester was Keyboarding, and then since Bobby was on the baseball team, his last period class was always PE, even when it wasn't baseball season.

As school ended, Bobby almost forgot to go to the parking lot because he was so used to walking home. When he had put the top down and was preparing to leave the parking lot, he congratulated himself on his choice of spaces. He was able to get into the flow of cars exiting and out of the lot within two minutes. He saw Patty Harper walking along the sidewalk and was going to ask her if she wanted a ride, but he was in the left lane with no opportunity to change before he would be too far past her. It was probably just as well, since he had to go directly to work and he didn't know if offering her a ride home would have taken him out of his way or not.

The next morning, Bobby left his house at a more leisurely time. He still wanted to get to school at least fifteen minutes before first bell, but he didn't have to be there as early as he did yesterday. He was planning on trying a different route this morning. He wanted to experiment with the multiple options he had in case road construction or something else ever came up on one of them.

While stopped at a traffic light, Bobby thought he recognized Patty Harper walking down the sidewalk ahead of him. Once again he was in the left lane, but this time he would have a chance to get to the right before he reached her. As the light turned green, Bobby adjusted his speed to allow him to merge into the right lane between two other cars in plenty of time to pull to the curb alongside Patty.

"Hi Patty," said Bobby. "Would you like a ride to school?"

Patty stopped walking and looked to see who had spoken to her. When she recognized Bobby she smiled and replied, "Didn't you get enough of me yesterday?"

"Is that a 'no'?" asked Bobby with his own smile back at her.

"No, it's not a 'no'," giggled Patty as she opened the door and climbed into his car. As she placed her backpack at her feet and settled into her seat she said, "This is a firm seat. It almost feels brand new."

"You know," Bobby said with a contemplative look on his face, "Now that you mention it, you are the first person to sit in that seat. All the seats were replaced this summer as part of the restoration, and no one has ridden shotgun until now."

"I'm very honored sir," Patty said as she turned to Bobby.

As he looked into her eyes, he saw genuine affection, almost like he was reading her feelings through those beautiful ice blue eyes. He liked what he saw, but had to turn away to check traffic before pulling back on the road. Patty chatted animatedly all the way to school, asking about Bobby's car and what he had done to restore it to its current condition.

At the parking lot, Patty asked, "Why are you passing up so many good parking spaces?"

Bobby replied, "Let me park, and then I'll explain my logic to you. It's always nice to start the day with a laugh."

Bobby asked Patty to sit and wait for him to open her door for her, and she said, "What a gentleman." Bobby chuckled and said, "Well, kinda sorta."

Bobby's real reason was that when he had selected this parking spot, he hadn't considered having a passenger with him. In order to fit into the space properly, there was only about 20 inches of clearance on the passenger side for the door to open. He didn't want the paint on the door damaged by hitting the cinder block wall right next to it.

He opened the door for Patty, and realized that she had plenty of room to get out of the car, so unless she carelessly just threw the door open, it shouldn't hit the wall. On the other hand, Bobby was enjoying himself as he took her hand and helped her out of the car. She bent to retrieve her backpack and stood looking at Bobby.

He said, "If you give me a minute to get the top up and secured, I'll walk with you to class. If you want to go ahead without me that would be okay too."

Patty made a fake pout, "I'm new here and might get lost between your car and the class. I would feel better waiting for you to show me the way."

Bobby chuckled, "I am honored to be your guide."

From that morning on, Bobby was hooked. After school that second day he drove Patty home, which allowed him to know where she lived. He met her parents and heard her called by her full name 'Patricia Kathryn' as well as her nickname "PattyKat" for the first time.

They made arrangements for him to pick her up at her house rather than along the side of some road. On the third day of school, they started eating lunch together, usually discussing class assignments and homework, but Bobby was amazed at how her eyes seemed to burn right into him. He sometimes felt like she was communicating with him through her eyes alone, and all he had to do was translate this new foreign language in order to unlock all the mysteries of life.

Bobby and Patty had become lab partners in Biology and sat next to each other in every other class that they shared, so naturally Bobby went to her house a few times to study or work on class projects together. From the first time he met her, Bobby was more comfortable around Patty than anyone else in his life, and while he sensed she felt the same about him, they hadn't discussed it.

When baseball wasn't in season, Bobby tried to work at the electronics store three evenings each week, usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. Even though he didn't play football in high school, Bobby enjoyed going to the games and cheering for his school, unfortunately his work schedule frequently made that impossible.

During lunch with Patty one day, he asked, "Have you been to any football games since you came here?"

She gave him a questioning look, "Not yet. Why?"

"More curious than anything," Bobby said. "I don't even know if you like football."

Patty smiled, "I always enjoyed the atmosphere much more than the game on the field. Of course that may have been influenced by going to a school that NEVER won a single game," she laughed. "I'm anxiously waiting for baseball season though so I can watch you play. I'm going to be your biggest fan. What about you? Do you get to many football games?"

Bobby confessed, "So far all the home games this year have been on Friday nights, and I'm scheduled to work. So no, I haven't been to any games yet this year. However, the game this week is on Thursday night because it's Homecoming, so I could probably make that one."

"That's nice," said Patty.

"Those eyes!" thought Bobby. "What did they just tell me?" Bobby gazed into Patty's eyes with more focus, and then he knew.

"Patty, if you're not doing anything Thursday night, would you like to go to the Homecoming game with me?"

"Bobby I would be so honored," she said as she smiled glowingly at him, but it was what he saw in her eyes that told him he had read them correctly.

From the Homecoming game onward, every night that Bobby wasn't working, he and Patty were together, and on nights he worked, he called her when he got home. There were not a lot of 'dates', but they combined their studying with activities that real couples would do. Rather than reading in the library, they would sit under a tree at a park to read, often with one or the other lying with their head on the lap of the other. They would hold hands between classes on occasion, but when they were in his car, Patty's left hand was always in Bobby's right, or it was on his arm or shoulder. She was steadfast in maintaining a physical connection to him, and he welcomed her efforts. Their kisses were quick, infrequent, and reserved, but they could both sense a passion growing each time their lips met. It became common knowledge around the school that Bobby and Patty were exclusive, though neither of them had ever acknowledged it themselves.

During the Christmas break, Bobby and Patty became even more inseparable. Bobby always considered their first "real" kiss to be the one they shared under the mistletoe at his house on Christmas Eve.

Bobby's parents had left to spend the evening with their daughter Lindi's family in Corona before driving to Ontario Airport to pick up his sister Franc who was flying from school in Texas for Christmas. Patty's mom was holding a Christmas Eve party at her house for some close friends and work associates.

Bobby and Patty knew that they each would be expected to spend Christmas day with their own families, so they had planned to get together on Christmas Eve to exchange presents with each other.

Bobby picked Patty up from her house and took her to an early dinner at a restaurant along Pacific Coast Highway with a window view of the decorated boats in Newport Harbor. After dinner they went to his house to exchange gifts. All night Patty's eyes had been radiating her feelings for Bobby, and he reveled in what they told him. While they sat cross-legged, facing each other in front of the Christmas tree, Bobby handed Patty a wrapped package.

She smiled across at him as she unwrapped the box. It contained a complete pastel art set, including sketch pad. Tears came to her eyes as she leaned over, pecked Bobby on the lips and said, "I love it. Thank you. Now I just need some inspiration for my first masterpiece..."

"I actually thought about that, and have the perfect model for you," as he handed her another wrapped package.

"Two gifts?" she asked.

Bobby grinned and said, "I wish there could be more."

Patty pecked him on the lips again as she tore the paper off. This present brought a tear to her eyes as she squealed with delight, "Oh Thank you Bobby! This is perfect in so many ways! I'll cherish it always." Then she brought the framed photograph of Bobby's Corvair to her lips and kissed it. His car had been the constant in their relationship. It was shared only by them, and it was the one place where they were free to express themselves to each other in relative privacy, even with the top down.

"Ready for your gift?" she asked as she stood and pulled Bobby to his feet.

"Okay," Bobby chuckled as he let her lead him. Patty reached into her purse and removed a small wrapped present and handed it to Bobby.

"I sure hope you like it," she whispered as he opened her present.

"Wait!" she said. "You'll need more light." She quickly pulled him over towards the doorway that led to the kitchen so that the light from the fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling would shine down on them. Bobby finished removing the paper, and then opened the small box to reveal a key chain fob.

As he examined it, the Chevrolet Corvair Monza emblem was very prominent on one side, and there appeared to be something engraved on the other side. He angled the fob so the light would hit it better, then he silently read, "To Bobby with all my love. PattyKat."

Bobby was at a loss for his own words because of the words Patty had written. Looking into her eyes left him no doubt that the words were true, and now he had to let her know that he felt the same.

When Bobby motioned with his head for Patty to look up, she noticed for the first time that there was a sprig of mistletoe taped to the top of the doorway they were standing under. Bobby pulled her into his arms, smiled and while looking into her eyes, tried to beam to her the same feelings that her eyes showed him.

To make sure she got his message, he whispered, "I Love you PattyKat", and then he kissed her. He kissed her the way he had wanted to kiss her for months, with his lips, his tongue, his hands, arms, and whole body, and she met him point for point.

"Cute," Bobby thought as he realized Francis' reference to a Doobie Brothers song. "Now I'm going to have that damned song in my head for hours... "

"When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town

Down around San Antone

And the folks are risin' for another day 'round about their homes.

The people of the town are strange

And they're proud of where they came.

Well, you're talkin' 'bout China Grove, wo, oh, oh,

Oh, China Grove."

"Well," he thought, "at least I know I'm on the right road." Bobby tapped his fingers against his key fob to the beat of the song but his mind soon lost the rhythm...

Bobby remembered getting tickets to the Rose Parade, so on New Year's Eve, he and Patty drove to Pasadena to spend the night along the parade route. Bobby didn't tell their parents that he had actually paid for reserved grandstand seats, so there was no need for them to spend the night on the parade route, but Patty knew.

Bobby packed a couple of sleeping bags into the trunk of the Corvair, and since the temperature was a bit on the cool side, he left the top up for the drive. They arrived in Pasadena by 9 p.m. and found a place to park that was close enough to the port-a-potties should they need them, but far enough away where they wouldn't have people walking past them all night.

Bobby retrieved the sleeping bags and handed one to Patty.

"Top or bottom?" she asked. Bobby looked at her quizzically.

She smiled and said. "We are going to zip the two sleeping bags together silly and cuddle up together to stay warm. One bag will be the top and one will be the bottom. Do you care which is which?"

Bobby grinned, "Since you seem to have a plan already, I'll defer to your judgment on the matter."

"Good answer," she giggled.

They zipped the bottom of the two bags together and then positioned them in the backseat of the car. Once they had both crawled in and gotten themselves situated inside the bags, they each pulled the zipper closed on their respective side, and then snuggled against each other to wait for the New Year.

Just minutes before midnight, Bobby turned to Patty and said, "I want to start this year, and every year to come with you Patty."

He slid his class ring off his finger and said, "I hope you'll accept this ring as the first of many I have planned for you PattyKat. Will you go steady with me?"

Bobby's only regret was that it was too dark to clearly see Patty's eyes as tears flowed.

Between her sobs, Patty whispered, "Now and forever Bobby". They fell asleep still kissing.

When Bobby arrived at the park and practice fields, his California license plates were immediately noticed by U.S. Marshal Kirby Wallace.

Kirby had been with the Marshall Service for a little over two years after transferring from the Secret Service so he could take a job that would allow him to move to San Antonio. His fiancée at the time had transferred from Walter Reed Hospital to Brooke Army Medical Center, and Kirby had sought a position that would allow him to relocate with her. The relationship ended when she began an illicit affair with a female doctor, but by then, Kirby was established in his current role, and decided to stick around the area.

While he didn't attend every practice, Wallace did make a habit of keeping an eye on JR's practices on a regular basis from a discrete viewing spot across the street from the practice field. Kirby observed the stranger just sitting in his car as he watched the practice, and then saw him meet and receive a hug from one of the other parents watching the practice. The apparent familiarity with one of the Reids was somewhat comforting, but Kirby was still suspicious. He called for backup and kept a closer eye on the stranger in case he tried anything with JR.

As the practice came to an end, Jason Reid noticed his wife Francis chatting with her brother. He rounded up Joey and his friend JR since he would be riding home with them today, and then headed over to join his wife.

"I see that Francis didn't get you lost with her directions," Jason said as he walks up to Bobby.

Bobby shook Jason's hand, smiled and said, "The directions were spot-on. That darn song being stuck in my head has me considering an alternate route in the future though."

Jason and Francis both laughed and Jason says, "You're telling me!"

Francis called one of the boys over and said, "Bobby, I am pleased to introduce your nephew Joey. Joey, this is your Uncle Bobby."

Bobby saw almost equal parts of his sister and Jason in the features of his nephew, and thought how lucky the boy was to have such visible indications of who both of his parents were.

Joey shook Bobby's hand and introduced his friend JR.

Continuing to watch from across the street, Kirby tensed momentarily as JR shook hands with the stranger, but then he relaxed slightly as the group started moving towards the parking lot.

Bobby veered off towards his car to follow Jason and Francis back to their house when Joey noticed the Corvair for the first time.

Joey's eyes grew wide as he nudged JR and said, "JR, that looks just like your Dad's car!"

JR agreed and the two boys approached Bobby's car to examine it closer.

Bobby looked down at JR. "Does your Dad have a Corvair?"

JR looked up at Bobby, "I don't know what kind of car it is. I've only seen pictures of it that my mom keeps."

As the boys walked around the car, Joey asked, "What does the license plate mean?"

Bobby sought an explanation they would understand and then told them, "You probably know that boats are often named in honor of ladies, so in the same tradition, I named this car after a special girl in my life, hence the license plate that reads "PATTYKAT".

Francis walked over and told the boys that they could talk more about the car when they got home since Bobby will be following them, so they left Bobby to get in his car and they headed to their SUV for him to follow.

The backup that Kirby Wallace requested hadn't arrived by the time that the practice ended. When he saw the stranger in the convertible pull out and start to follow the Reid family with JR in their vehicle, he began tailing them as well.

It took less than half a mile for Bobby to realize that he was being followed. There weren't a lot of through roads in this semi-rural area, and the black Suburban didn't appear to be doing anything other than traveling in the same direction as them, so Bobby just kept an eye on it as they drove to his sister's house.

When Jason pulled their SUV into the drive of their home, Bobby pulled his Corvair along the side of the road in front. The black Suburban continued past and Bobby watched it as it went around a curve down the dead end road. As Jason, Francis and the boys piled out of their car, Bobby was already walking towards them.

Bobby heard thunder in the distance and looked to the sky. There were storm clouds off to the north that looked like they would pass by, but he yelled to the group, "I'm going to go ahead and put a cover over the car rather than put the convertible top up."

Joey and JR both asked if they could help Bobby, but Francis said, "Joey you need to help us unload our own car, but if JR wants to help Bobby that would be fine."

When Joey didn't object to this JR trotted the few feet to Bobby, and then they walked together back to the Corvair. JR headed to the back of the car expecting Bobby to keep the cover in the trunk.

Bobby saw this and then he smiled and asked, "JR do you know anything about a Corvair?"

JR shook his head as he said, "I've only seen the pictures that my mom has."

Bobby told him, "Come up front with me".

Bobby opened the trunk compartment and JR's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, "Where's the motor?"

Bobby then took JR to the back of the car and opened the engine compartment.

"The Corvair was the only production version of a rear-engine car ever manufactured in the United States," said Bobby.

"You mean this isn't a foreign car?" asked JR.

Bobby shook his head, "Nope, built right here in America."

Bobby closed the hood and led JR back to the front of the car where he removed the cover he had folded in there.

As he removed it, JR noticed a baseball glove on the floor of the trunk and asked, "Is that your glove?"

"I forgot that was in there!" said Bobby. "Yeah it's my old glove."

"Do you play baseball," JR asked.

"I played third base in little league, three years in high school, and then four more years in college," replied Bobby.

JR said, "I play third base on our team. Joey and his dad usually play catch for a while after supper. Do you want to play catch with me if they do?"

"Well, I'll pull it out now in case we get the chance, but no promises." Bobby pulled out the glove and tossed it onto the road in front of the car, closed the hood, and then started unfolding the cover over the car.

JR went around to the other side and tried to help unfold and position the cover, following the actions that Bobby was taking on his side.

"Do you think you could take me for a ride in your car sometime, Bobby?"

Looking at the boy, Bobby thought how he reminded him of himself at that age. The similar hair and eye color aside, JR exuded a confidence that allowed him to ask for what he wanted and, Bobby expected, the strength to accept not always having his desires fulfilled.

Bobby smiled at him, "JR, I never make promises I can't keep. Whether I can take you for a ride will depend on things outside of my control."

"Like what?" asked JR.

"I cannot take you for a ride unless your parents say it's okay for you to ride with me. You'll need them to give me their permission."

"Both parents?" asked JR.

"Is that a problem?" responded Bobby.

"I only have a mom," said JR. "I mean I have a dad, but I've never met him."

"I'm sorry," Bobby said. "I thought that when you and Joey said this car looked like his that..."

"I don't know anything about him other than the pictures of his car. Mom says that she will tell me about him someday," JR says. "I think she may tell me soon because she doesn't cry as much anymore when I ask her about him."

"So you've only seen a picture of a car and she told you it was your dad's?"

JR told him, "I've seen lots of pictures of the car. There's a new one each year."

"So your dad sends her new pictures each year? That means he must still be around somewhere."

"No," JR replied. "Mom paints the pictures herself from her memory. She frames a new one each year on Easter Sunday. As far as I know, we never hear from my dad."

The thought of someone else holding a special memory of Easters past brought tightness to Bobby's throat. He stifled it and finished covering the car, showing JR how to secure the spring clips around the bumpers and wheel wells.

Bobby retrieved his glove from the road, and he and JR returned to join the others on the back deck of the house.

Bobby went into the house for a tour by his sister Franc, and then joined Jason at the barbeque where he was preparing it for the burgers they would be grilling for dinner. JR went into the house to wash his hands and help Joey with his chores, which consisted mainly of feeding his fish and the family dog.

Bobby looked around their lot, which were actually two 3-acre lots combined. While they fenced the lots as one, they never joined the deeds and built and landscaped only one of them. They retained the second lot as a buffer from their neighbors, and in the hopes that someday in the future, Joey may want to build his own home on that lot. They had landscaped the front yard of their lot with grass and a few flower beds, but the back yard had seen considerably more effort in the form of an expansive wooden deck that led down to the in-ground swimming pool with adjacent hot tub. All of the new-growth trees evident on other lots had been removed, and only about a half dozen mature live oaks remained to shade the beautiful St. Augustine turf covering the rest of the lot. It looked better than virtually any city park that Bobby had seen in his travels.

Bobby accepted a beer from Jason and leaned against the deck railing, "How's the team this year, coach?"

Jason replied, "Good kids needing to learn the fundamentals. Problem I have is that almost every kid on the team has parents -- in particular fathers -- who commute to San Antonio for work. In most cases the drives take less than an hour, but it makes it hard for any of them to commit to assisting with the team. When I have a case that I'm assigned, my schedule isn't as flexible, and we end up cancelling a lot of practices during the week, which really impacts the games on Saturdays. We only have one game left this season though, next Saturday. It's really not fair to the kids, but Francis keeps telling me that "a little is better than none", and I guess she's right to some extent."

Francis brought a platter of burgers out and Jason started putting them on the grill. Francis returned to the house, leaving Jason and Bobby to continue their conversation.

"So Joey seems pretty tight with JR," said Bobby. "How does he know him, besides the team of course?"

Jason said, "JR is one of the Freemans from that huge house at the end of the cul-de-sac."

"I haven't seen the house, so I'll take your word for its size. So it's a family and not just JR and a single mom?" Bobby asked?

"Katie -- JR's mom -- and him live there with her parents," said Jason. "They were the first family to build here when the sub-division opened, so I guess they've been here about 9 years now. Nice folks, good neighbors. The parents aren't that old, but they are both currently in a nursing home in San Antonio for different medical reasons, and that's why we have JR here until his mom gets back from her daily visit to them. She should be joining us pretty soon. Her and Francis have become very close friends."

***

As Katie drove towards her house, she noticed something on the side of the road where she normally parked when visiting the Reids or picking up JR. When she pulled in behind it, she saw a relatively small car under a canvas cover. Obvious from the shape, it was a convertible, but not much else was identifiable about the make or model.

She then remembered that Francis had mentioned her brother had recently relocated to the area, and would be visiting them, but didn't remember if that was supposed to be today. While Katie knew that JR and Joey were friends, and the Reids were always genuine in their willingness to have JR at their home, she hated to impose on them as much as she had lately. Now it appears, she and her son were intruding on Francis' reunion with her brother, and Katie felt really bad about that. She would pick up JR and they would leave the Reids to their own family gathering.

Katie walked to the front door and rang the bell. JR answered and greeted his mom with a yell, "Mom, you're here!", and a warm hug. Francis hollered for Katie to join her in the kitchen, so she separated herself from JR and they walked through the house together.

When Katie entered the kitchen, she began to apologize to Francis about forgetting the visit from her brother, and that she and JR would leave them alone for their reunion.

Francis frowned, "Katie, you and JR are like family, so unless you want to be disowned immediately, you'll knock that nonsense off. I knew Bobby was coming today and if I didn't want you here, I would have told you so. So there!"

Katie's expression changed just for an instant, but Francis noticed it. "Is something else wrong? How are your parents?" she asked.

Katie replied, "They're improving, in fact Dad could probably leave and come home at any time, but he won't leave Mom there while she is still having the physical therapy sessions. Your brother's name is 'Bobby'?"

"Yeah," Francis said. "He's the baby of the family, but he and I were always the closest. While my older siblings were both girls, they came first and had already paired up by the time I was born. So, even though he was a boy, Bobby and I always were paired together. His work has kept us apart, but we talk on the phone more than Jason and I do. I am so glad he has moved close by so Joey can get to know him as well. This is the first time they have met."

Katie was getting some strange intuitive feelings starting to rise from foggy memories trying to push themselves to the surface of her mind, and she tried to ignore them.

Francis interrupted Katie's thoughts when she said, "Come on, grab that tray of condiments and follow me. I'll introduce you to my baby brother."

With increasing trepidation that she couldn't understand, Katie took the tray and followed Francis out onto the back deck where Jason and Bobby were discussing little league baseball.

Bobby noticed the back door open and watched Francis coming towards them with a plate of corn on the cob and buns for the burgers. She paused to yell for Joey and JR to come out for dinner, and then continued towards Jason at the barbeque.

Francis was followed out of the door by a relatively tall woman that Bobby assumed was JR's mom. She had the same blonde hair, and even behind the stylish glasses that she wore, Bobby could see that her eyes were the same green-hazel color as her son's.

She was looking down to watch the slight step down as she exited the door, but as soon as she cleared the screen door and it swung closed, she raised her eyes and immediately found Bobby's looking back at her.

It was almost like a cartoon or movie special effects to watch the color drain from her face -- literally from the top of her forehead and then down her face, neck, and arms -- as she turned ghostly white. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she collapsed to the deck just as JR and Joey were coming out the door.

The tray of condiments dropped, with jars and bottles rolling in every direction. Bobby was first to her, but Francis yelled at him not to move Katie as she dropped her load onto the table and rushed over to her friend.

JR hollered, "Mom!" and knelt down beside her asking what was wrong.

Francis told Jason to get the first aid kit out of the kitchen and he was back within seconds. By this time another man had appeared beside JR and put his hand on his shoulder.

JR looked up, "Something's wrong with Mom, Uncle Kirby."

Kirby Wallace patted JR's shoulder and said, "I think everyone should stand back and let Francis check Katie out."

While he said this to the crowd in general, his eyes never left Bobby's when he spoke the words. Bobby, Jason, and Joey all moved back to give Francis space, while Kirby pulled JR back with him in the opposite direction from everyone else.

Over Kirby's shoulder, Bobby could see another man, positioned almost as if he was covering his partner with a weapon still concealed, but readily available.

After quickly assessing Katie for neck or head injuries, and seeing no other open wounds or injuries evident, Francis removed some smelling salts from the first aid kit, cracked the vial beneath Katie's nose and waved it briefly. Katie recovered rather quickly, but it took her a second or two before where she was and what had happened reached her consciousness.

With the help of Francis, Katie sat up and looked around.

Kirby spoke to Katie, "I'm here to take you and JR home as soon as you're ready."

Francis told Kirby that she wanted Katie to recover for at least half an hour so that she could further assess her condition and why she may have fainted. Francis asked Katie if she thought she could walk, and when Katie nodded, Francis helped her to her feet and led her into the house.

Francis directed Katie to the downstairs guest room and had her lie on the bed while she went to get a cool rag to place on her forehead. When Francis returned with the rag and placed it on Katie's head, she then sat down on the bed beside her and started asking questions.

The first were standard, "Do you know where you are? Do you know what day it is?" et cetera.

The next question made Katie gasp, "Is it possible that you might be pregnant?" Francis asked.

Katie didn't know why she answered as she did, but it must have been the recent shock of seeing Bobby that started her down that path.

"You may not believe this Francis, but I haven't had sex since JR was conceived. When I had to unexpectedly desert his father, and the love of my life, I took a vow of celibacy as my penance for the pain in my heart, and I'm sure in his as well. He has no idea why I disappeared, where I am, or even that he has a son. While I can't change that, I can honor the love we had by remaining forever true to him."

Francis was stunned. Not only by Katie's confession, but also by the similarities to the ordeal that her brother had been through with that Patty girl he was dating in high school.

In all the time that Patty and Bobby had been together, she had met every immediate member of his family except the youngest sister, Francis -- or "Franc" as Bobby called her. When Patty and Bobby first met, Francis had just finished high school and was on a youth tour of Europe with her church group. Immediately after that year-long tour, she had gone off to college here in San Antonio. Fate would have it that every time Francis came home for a visit, Patty was previously committed to some event with her family and they just never actually met.

Francis told Katie, "Katie, I'm so sorry for you. I have no first-hand experience with a love loss such as yours, but I spent years trying to bring Bobby out of his funk when a girl he loved just disappeared. He never has gotten over her and continues looking for her to this day. I think that he could move on if he ever understood why she had left, and if she was okay. He's never really had closure to what happened."

Francis looked closely at Katie, "How this related to you fainting as you walked out onto the deck a few minutes ago."

Katie said, "Please close and lock the door to the room."

Once Francis did, she turned back to return beside Katie on the bed.

"Not one word of what I tell you can leave this room," Katie began. "The safety of mine and your families depends on that. Are you okay with keeping my secret, Francis?"

Francis saw the fear in Katie's face and readily agreed.

Katie took Franc's hand. Katie had tears in her eyes as she said, "Bobby's lucky to have you, Franc. I wish you and I would have met years ago."

"What did you call me?" asked Francis.

Katie said, "Franc, did you ever wonder what "JR" stood for?"

Francis told her, "Joey has mentioned that it stood for 'Junior'."

Katie said, "Well that's only part of the meaning. While he is named after his father, and he is a "junior", they are also his initials. His name is James Robert Brandt, Jr. Bobby is his father."

"Oh my God!" whispered Francis, and now she felt like she was about to faint.

Katie scooted over and let Francis lie beside her on the bed before she could fall to the floor. Lying on her back, Francis turned to Katie and said, "You're Patty?"

"I was Patty," said Katie.

"What happened?" asked Francis.

"I can't get into it all right now because Kirby is sure to be freaking out and I better let him get me and JR home before he goes nuclear."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Francis.

"Don't let anyone know what I have told you. I doubt that Bobby recognized me because my appearance is quite different than when we were together. If we can keep things as they are for a little while longer, the need for secrecy will be over and I should be able to tell Bobby everything. You can help me to keep Bobby in mine and JR's lives, even if it is only by seeing him here for barbeques or at baseball games. However, we must not let Kirby know or suspect that any of us have a history."

"JR is my nephew... he's Joey's cousin," moaned Franc. "Alright Katie, let's work together and we'll be a secret family for now."

As Jason, Bobby and Joey scurried around picking up the condiments that dropped when Katie fainted, Kirby kept his hand on JR's shoulder a safe distance away from the others.

When Bobby had picked up the last mustard bottle and placed it on the table with the rest, he approached Kirby extended his hand and said, "We haven't been introduced. I'm Francis' brother Bobby".

Kirby shook his hand and replied, "Kirby Wallace". Kirby turned to the man waiting behind him and nodded. The man abruptly turned and returned to the black Suburban that Bobby had seen earlier.

Jason walked over and shook Kirby's hand, "I never know when to expect you to drop by Kirby. Care to join us?"

"I think it would be better if I got Katie and JR home and take a rain check on the barbeque," said Kirby.

"Oh Uncle Kirby, can't we stay if mom says it's okay?" asked JR.

"No," was the only response from Kirby, but he was looking directly into Bobby's eyes as he said it.

Jason said, "Well, I better go check on Francis and Katie to see how things are going and if they need anything. Keep an eye on the burgers, will you Bobby?" then he walked into the house.

Bobby headed over to the barbeque and checked the burgers. Not knowing how everyone wanted theirs cooked, he decided to try for medium and he could adjust from there if needed.

Jason and Francis came out of the house after a minute and then were followed shortly by JR's mom.

Francis took Bobby's hand and led him over to where Katie was now standing beside JR and Kirby, and then said, "Katie Freeman, I would like to introduce my baby brother Bobby. Bobby recently relocated to the San Antonio area, so we hope to see him around here on a VERY regular basis."

She wouldn't meet his eyes, but Bobby took Katie's hand to shake it and he could actually feel his heart skip several beats and his mouth instantly went dry. Based upon the look on her face, Bobby sensed that Katie had a similar reaction to his touch, but he couldn't understand the cause.

Simply saying the four words, "Pleased to meet you" took more effort than Bobby would have ever imagined possible.

Katie simply nodded and smiled shyly. Once their hands separated, Katie seemed to recover her voice and while looking down, apologized for disrupting their family reunion. She agreed with Kirby that it might be best if her and JR went home now, but offered to have everyone over to her house after the game on Saturday.

Bobby couldn't understand the disappointment he felt as both Katie and JR left with Kirby. He hadn't been interested in or affected by any woman since he lost Patty, and knowing the intensity of the flame that still burned within him for Patty, he had resigned himself to a life alone unless he could finally find some answers to what had happened.

Katie's presence to him seemed unworldly, spiritual or at the very least strongly familiar, but Bobby couldn't put a finger on why that would be. Other than looking into her eyes and the brief touch of her hand, he had had very little sensory input from their meeting. He hadn't seen much of her movements or mannerisms, he hadn't heard much of her voice, and he didn't recognize anything particular about her smell. Then what was it that made him sense that there was more to this woman?

Bobby returned to the table to help Francis getting everything setup as Jason finished the burgers. After they sat down to eat and had the plates prepared, Bobby asked Jason, "What's the deal with Kirby Wallace and his back-up?"

Jason finished the bite he was chewing and replied, "I don't know all the details of the relationship, but Wallace is some sort of family friend or something. He showed up about a couple of years ago and keeps a pretty close watch on Katie and JR. He often has another guy with him, but Kirby is the only one that ever seems to hang out with Katie and JR directly. The others are always in the background somewhat."

"What does Katie and/or her parents do for a living?" asked Bobby.

Since Jason was working on another bite of his burger, Francis said, "Katie's parents apparently won a large lottery several years back, and that's when they decided to move here and build their home. As one of the first families here, her mom worked to establish the homeowners association, helped draft the covenants, conditions, and restrictions for the association, and headed the architectural control committee until recently. Her father got real involved in helping to establish the local volunteer fire department, helping to raise funds and so on, but he was never actually part of the department due to his age. Katie finished her art degree and now has her own commercial art company, doing things like artist renderings of buildings being proposed by architects... that sort of thing.

Bobby asked, "What about JR's dad?"

Francis kept her focus on the corn she was eating, praying that Jason would field that question before Bobby saw her panicked expression.

Jason jumped in, "No one knows. JR was born right before the Freemans moved into the house and there has never been any man obvious in Katie's life, except Kirby Wallace."

"So Uncle Kirby and Katie are an item?" asked Bobby.

"Not really," said Jason. "Katie has never shown any interest in Wallace other than as someone who looks out for her and JR. He helps with shuttling JR to school or practice if Katie is tied up... things like that. I've never even seen them touch each other, intimately or otherwise. JR calls him Uncle Kirby, and I guess he is more like a big brother to Katie than anything else."

"What kind of work does Kirby do?" asked Bobby.

"Have no clue," said Jason.

Well, Bobby decided that he might just try to find out.

***

Kirby was of a very similar mindset as he left Katie and JR at their front door and returned to his Suburban. He had requested information on the owner of the red Corvair as soon as he saw the California vanity plates, and he was frustrated that it was taking so long to get a response.

As he drove to his office he called in to check on his request and got even more frustrated with the wall he had just run into. The vehicle had a valid registration, but details on the owner were not available through the normal channels. Kirby would need to file a special request through the Department of Homeland Security and wait for review of his 'need to know' before the information would be released to him.

Kirby was astounded. Never before in his capacity as a U.S. Marshal working for the witness protection program had his request for details on any individual been denied. Who was this guy?

Well, there is more than one way to skin a cat, he thought. If Bobby was really the brother of Francis Reid, then getting a complete background on her would likely provide some details he could use to get around the vehicle registration roadblock.

Kirby phoned in his instructions for a background and profile report to be put together on Francis Reid, and that he wanted it on his desk by the time he arrived in his office. Forty-five minutes later, Kirby was sitting at his desk reviewing the report.

Francis Reid married Jason Reid ten years ago, but her maiden name was redacted in the report. She had received her nursing degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, but once again, her maiden name on all of her school records was redacted out, as was any information on her history prior to starting college.

"What the hell!" Kirby thought as he picked up his phone.

"Why is this report censored?" screamed Kirby into the phone.

"All the records in the State of Texas Vital Records department related to Francis Reid, as well as those at UTSA have been classified secret for purposes of national security," he was told. "The same is true with the IRS and every other database we have queried. We're trying to find out the reason and who authorized it, but it will take a day or two at least."

"I don't like the feeling of this," said Kirby as he hung up the phone.

He picked up another phone and gave a pre-arranged and clearly understood command, "Tighten up on the Freemans."

***

Bobby was just saying his goodbyes to Francis and Jason when his cell phone vibrated and gave off a single tone. He glanced at the screen and noticed the icon indicating that there was a Wi-Fi network available was blinking. This was a surprise, because not only were there no wireless networks in the immediate area -- including Francis and Jason's house -- but the flashing icon combined with the particular tone indicated something much more interesting.

Someone was looking for him through one or more government databases and he had just received notice that he was on somebody's radar.

"Look, it's only Tuesday and I have some more settling in to do before I have to start instructing next week. Can you use some help with the practices, Jason?" asked Bobby.

"Oh man, that would be a great help. Even if I can make it to all of them without work getting in the way, having you to help would allow us to give more attention to the boys and maybe make up for some of the fundamentals they need to get caught up on before the last game. If you can be at the field by 3PM, then count on dinner here afterwards. Okay?"

"Count on it," Bobby said as he finished folding the car cover and placing it into his trunk.

"Do me a favor and grab my glove and bring it with you for tomorrow. I left it on the coffee table in the living room."

"You've got it," Jason said. "I'll throw it into the SUV tonight so that if I don't make it to practice, Joey or Francis can give it to you."

Jason and Bobby shook hands and Francis gave her little brother a passionate hug, whispering in his ear, "You don't know what you being here today meant to me."

Bobby has a puzzled look on his face as she released him, and upon seeing his expression, she playfully slapped his arm and told him to drive safely.

As Jason and Francis walked back to their house, Bobby started the Corvair and headed up the road to the cul-de-sac to turn around rather than using one of the neighbors' driveways. He wanted to see the rest of the houses, but in particular the house where the Freemans lived.

As he reached the cul-de-sac, Bobby noticed a different black Suburban positioned across the gated driveway to the Freeman's house with the driver watching him, and there were at least two men visibly patrolling the perimeter of the house itself.

Bobby completed his turn without slowing any further and proceeded back to the highway and the return trip to his rental house.

Since driving with the convertible top down, especially at highway speeds made talking on his cell phone challenging due to the noise, Bobby waited until he got home to start his own inquiries. He did however send an e-mail to the person who signed his checks informing him of his plans.

His vehicle registration request on the license number for Kirby Wallace's Suburban, as well as the one he saw blocking the driveway at the Freeman house hit some initial roadblocks, but the authorization level of his contacts within the Department of Homeland Security quickly overcame these.

He learned almost immediately that the vehicles were registered to a shell corporation based in Boise, Idaho, and it took only a few minutes more to determine that the ruse of the shell corporation was there to protect the identity of federal government vehicles, usually for undercover law enforcement activities.

Now that he could assume that Kirby Wallace was a federal government employee, his next inquiry focused on determining which agency he worked for. Within the hour Bobby had learned that Kirby Wallace was not only a Deputy United States Marshal, but also that it was Kirby Wallace who had initiated the inquiries into Bobby which had tripped the alert he had received.

So, Katie and JR were obviously being protected by the U.S. Marshals, but why? It appears that Jason wasn't aware of the reason, which meant it likely wasn't due to anything local to the area where they now lived.

How long had they been under protection? Jason had mentioned Wallace showing up a couple of years ago, but is that when the protection started, or was he just a more recent addition to the team already in place? Did this have anything to do with what happened to JR's father? Bobby had no idea, and this was all a mostly pointless exercise.

Bobby had found out who was researching him, and now that he knew it was a U.S. Marshal, it made some degree of sense that a stranger showing up in close proximity to someone they were protecting would trigger them wanting to find out something about him, even as a mere precaution.

Bobby also knew that the inquiries would reveal little or nothing about him, and he would probably have to deal with the questions that THIS would raise, but if the questioning got too intrusive, he had mechanisms that could put an end to them real quick.

Bobby knew that he could initiate an inquiry into Katie Freeman and her parents, but while he would definitely be able to gain access to everything that existed, it would freak out the Justice Department and the U.S. Marshals for what appeared to be no good reason right now.

Bobby decided to let the matter drop for the time being and set about unpacking linens to make his bed for the night. He'd focus on the rest of his unpacking tomorrow, so he could draft his report tonight.

***

Kirby Wallace had left Katie and JR on their driveway. He had asked Katie if she knew what had caused her to faint and she had told him that her ears had been feeling clogged lately and now she was wondering if she may have an ear infection. She said she would get them checked while in San Antonio tomorrow visiting her parents.

Kirby left them standing on the drive of their home and didn't push the issue further.

Katie made grill cheese sandwiches for JR, realizing these were a poor substitute for him having to leave the barbeque early, but this was his favorite sandwich, and allowing him to have chocolate milk for dinner further pacified him.

After dinner, JR asked his mom to show him the pictures of his dad's car again. For some reason, Katie wasn't surprised by this request.

As she brought JR into her bedroom where the 10 watercolor paintings and one photograph of a 1965 red Corvair Monza convertible were hung on the wall, JR took her hand and looked at them with her. For ten years she had used the single photo that she had of Bobby's car to add to her collection. Each painting showed the car in a different pose and in a different setting.

She vividly remembered sitting on a bench across from the Alamo, using her pastels to capture the beauty of the building in the afternoon light. She then used that drawing to paint the first watercolor of Bobby's car sitting proudly in front of a building it had never actually been to. Subsequent years had her painting the car against different backdrops and inserting different props which were symbolic of some event that had occurred that year. JR's baby bottle sitting on the hood of the car while it was parked on the old bridge spanning Cibilo Creek was the second year. There was an easel sitting next to the car with an unfinished painting of a red Corvair obvious on it that she had painted the year she had graduated from Art School. Each painting told a story -- stories she longed to share with Bobby someday.

"Did you know that the engine is in the back and the trunk is in the front?" JR asked her.

"Yes I do know that, JR. How do you know that?"

"Bobby has a car that looks almost just like this, and he showed me."

"Oh, is that the car that was under the cover along the street at Joey's house?" Katie asked,

"Yep, and I helped Bobby put the cover on it in case it rained."

JR then stepped closer to the pictures and studied them more closely. "These look almost the same as Bobby's car, except for the name."

"What do you mean by the name? The car is a Chevrolet Corvair Monza, which is what these pictures have on them as well. See the emblem and the name along the front?" Katie was proud of the detail that she had brought to each of these paintings.

JR studied the paintings again and said, "Bobby's car has another name that is on his license plates. The cars in the painting don't have that."

"What name is on Bobby's car that is different from these?" Katie asked her son.

JR looked up at her and explained what Bobby had told her, "Just like boats are named after women, Bobby named his car after a special girl. His car is named "PattyKat".

Katie's legs almost gave way as she gasped. She had to sit down on the edge of her bed to keep from falling to the floor. JR looked concerned and asked her if she was alright. She assured him that she was just a little dizzy, but she was fine.

"Go take your shower and get ready for bed now," she told him. "I'll be in to kiss you good night in a few minutes."

JR quietly complied, looking over his shoulder at his mom as he left her room. He had noticed that she hadn't cried, but then realized that he really hadn't brought up the subject of his dad, just the paintings of the cars. Maybe the cars made her feel better about his dad, and that thought gave him an idea.

Katie absentmindedly played with Bobby's class ring on the chain around her neck and she continued to stare at the pictures while she listened to JR in his bathroom.

When had Bobby named his car after her?

God how she had loved being in that car with him. Whether they were parked in the high school parking lot, driving along the 405 freeway, or cruising down PCH -- she was so proud to be in HIS car, to be HIS girl, to share HIS life. She thought back to the day they had met...

Patty had never changed schools before. From the time she started Kindergarten, she had attended the local public schools with her friends from the same neighborhood. Sure there were new schools as she progressed from elementary to junior high, and then high school. But she had made these transitions with the same kids she had grown up with, so it never seemed really like a change.

As she approached the office of this new school, she was apprehensive, but committed to making the best of the situation for the benefit of her parents. They knew what moving away from her friends had cost Patty. From a social perspective she was now a non-entity. While she had been on a few dates, Patty hadn't ever had a boyfriend per se, but at least the boys knew who she was. Now she was a nobody in the truest sense of the word.

She positioned herself to pull the office door open just as someone on the inside decided to push. Stumbling back with the momentum of the door, she avoided falling down, but her legs got twisted and she had to keep her hand on the door knob in order to maintain her balance. The boy on the other side spoke to her, and he was so genuine. That's the first impression Patty had of Bobby Brandt, even though she didn't yet know his name, it was that he was REAL. He was a little over six feet, and had a very appealing athletic build that was as natural as the rest of him. Her quick glimpse into his green-hazel eyes made her think that she wanted to know him better.

After Patty was given a printed copy of her new schedule, she began the search for her first class. She found the room and squeezed around some big guy standing in the doorway and scooted around a few other people to find herself almost in the middle of the room.

Looking around for a place to sit, she saw him. He was sitting alone at one of the tables, pleasantly greeting other students as they came up to him. He didn't seek others out, or ignore anyone who spoke with him. He was friendly without demanding attention for being so.

Just like every other girl in the room, Patty was drawn to him, so she approached him and asked, "Is this seat taken?" With the other girls, he had been polite and friendly, but at the same time dismissive. She was elated when he welcomed HER.

That turned out to be the first of four classes that she shared with Bobby that semester. When he offered her a ride to school in his car the next day, Patty sensed that she was already falling for this boy. He was not "popular" by any stretch of the imagination, but everyone seemed to know him. More than that, Patty saw very quickly that everyone honestly respected Bobby Brandt. Patty knew that popularity came and went in high school, but it was really rare for someone to be respected by so many different groups and individuals at a single school. Bobby was one of the smartest kids in school, yet he wasn't considered a 'nerd' or 'geek'. He had been the captain and starting third baseman on the varsity baseball team since he was a sophomore, but he wasn't considered a 'jock'.

She remembered when at lunch the week after they had met, Bobby saw some bullies harassing a younger student. Bobby excused himself from their table, walked up to the younger student and put his arm around his shoulder. The bullies immediately turned and walked away. Bobby spoke to the boy for a while and then returned to the table and finished his lunch.

During her PE class later that day, Patty had mentioned the event to another girl.

"That sounds just like Bobby," she had said

"But why would the bullies just back down? Bobby didn't say a thing to them," replied Patty.

"You may be new here, but anyone who has been here for a month knows that you don't mess with Bobby Brandt."

"Is he a tough fighter?" asked Patty.

"I don't know anyone who has ever seen him fight," said the girl. "It's just known. Kinda like you know the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Everyone just seems to know that messing with Bobby Brandt would not be a good idea."

Bobby was very cute, but he was comfortable with himself and confident enough not to worry about whether he was constantly 'spit shined and polished'. He had wavy blonde hair that touched his collar, and other than when he dressed in the morning or after he showered in PE, his fingers were his only comb. Bobby smiled generously, laughed heartily and willing bestowed his positive attitude on anyone around him. Bobby worked hard at everything he did, and tried to never disappoint anyone. Patty was always so proud of him, proud to be seen with him, but especially proud to be loved by him. Patty also loved that everyone else recognized Bobby's devotion to her and assigned 'couple' status to them months before they acknowledged it themselves.

What drew Patty to Bobby more than anything else was the way he could get inside her. Almost from the very first time they spoke, Patty sensed that Bobby knew her better than she knew herself. He knew her like he knew he had to breathe. As they started dating, then becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, and then finally lovers, Patty came to cherish the safety and security that came from Bobby always being there for her. Spiritually, physically, and emotionally... Bobby fulfilled her every need.

And then there was his beautiful, wonderful, magical car. THEIR car.

She had loved him so much that even though she had to leave so many mementoes of their times together behind, the absence of material items only seemed to strengthen her mental memories of what they shared.

Having JR was the icing on the cake. He had Bobby's blonde hair and green-hazel eyes. After JR was born, when prompted to change her appearance, the decision was easy for Katie, she would get contact lenses that matched the color of Bobby's eyes and bleach her hair blonde. This would provide the appearance that their son took after her side of the family rather than the father he had never known.

When Katie went into JR's room to kiss him good night, he said, "Mom, Bobby said he would take me for a ride in his car sometime if my parents gave permission. I told him that I didn't know where my dad was and he said your permission would be good enough. Can I mom? Maybe Bobby would take you for a ride with us too if I asked him. Please mom!"

Katie fought back her tears as she told him, "I think it would be wonderful for you to get a chance to ride in his car. Please don't ask him to invite me, however. If he invites me on his own, I'll consider it, but it would be rude for you to ask him to. Understand?"

"Yes mom," JR said. "Thanks."

"Good night JR."

"Good night mom. I hope you feel better tomorrow."

Chapter Two - Wednesday

Bobby chose a different route to get to the baseball practice the next day. Avoiding the chance of getting that song into his mind again was one reason; trying to avoid the trip down memory lane that started yesterday was another. He needn't have worried about the song - other thoughts distracted him.

Other than singular events like baseball practice or work, Bobby couldn't remember having, or even wanting an individual identity once he had met Patty. Everything that mattered to him was centered on "Us"; being the two of them together, usually in his car..

Bobby remembered how the remainder of their junior year, he and Patty grew as a couple. Their combined studies resulted in them being the top two students in their class, with Patty edging Bobby by a fraction of a percentage in their GPA because she got an A+ in her elective, Choir, and he only got an A in Keyboarding.

Bobby taught Patty how to drive in his car. When Patty was ready to get her driver's license, she asked Bobby to take her to the DMV. When she returned to the lot after the driving test with a beaming smile on her face, Bobby walked around to the passenger seat to join her. Patty was aghast, and screamed before Bobby could even open the door, "Don't you dare!"

Bobby froze in his tracks and just stared at her. He said, "You passed didn't you? I thought you would like to drive us home now that you're legal." He handed her the spare key that he had made as a reward for getting her license.

Patty said, "Bobby, I love that you trust me to drive your car. If I ever need to borrow it, I would have no reservations about asking you to let me use it. That being said, I will only drive this car if you are not in it. If you are in it, then you will be driving, and I will be sitting happily in my seat beside you. That is the only place I want to be when you and I are in this car together."

Bobby nodded, walked around to the driver's door, opened it and held his hand out for Patty. "In that case, please allow me to escort you to your seat, PattyKat."

As she rose from the car, she moved into his arms and kissed him. "You're the best, Bobby. I love you with all my heart."

Bobby never had any qualms about sharing his car with Patty. She treasured having her own key to the car. During the summer, he would pick her up each morning that he worked. She would ride with him to the electronics shop, and then take the car until it was time for him to get off work. God, how he loved seeing her sitting on the hood (trunk) when he came out to the parking lot. She would usually be wearing a bright summer dress that Bobby knew was being worn over a bikini that she would tease him with.

They both loved to tease the other, especially physically. Neither had any experience with sex, and they seem to instinctively know that they were exploring limits and physical stimulations that they didn't want to ignore in order to rush things too fast.

For both Bobby and Patty, their senior year was a cake walk from an academic perspective. They only had two AP classes together, and then the rest were electives. They weren't concerned about having more classes together because their lives were so intertwined in all other respects.

Around the middle of March in their senior year, Bobby's older sister Terri and her husband had to fly to Pennsylvania because her husband's father had had a stroke. Terri and her husband didn't have any kids and lived in a beautiful condominium in Irvine. Terri asked Bobby if he would agree to water her plants and take in the mail while she and her husband were away. Bobby was happy to help out in any way he could, and told Terri so.

Bobby would schedule his visits to Terri's condo on the days when he didn't have to work, and of course that meant that Patty was always with him. Together the two of them would make short work of watering the plants, and if there wasn't anything else going on, they would put on swim suits and spend some time in the hot tub on Terri's patio.

On those occasions, the teasing seemed to continue escalating, but Bobby and Patty were always able to know each other's limits and never exceeded them. They had talked about going all the way, and each knew that they wanted the other to be their first -- and only lover. They didn't want to 'plan' anything, but to just trust each other to know when the time was right for both of them.

Spring break was the week before Easter and Bobby and Patty found themselves at Terri's condo every day. They had come to enjoy the privacy that they had there, and the little bit of 'playing house' that they got to share as well. They would stop at a grocery store on the way to shop, holding hands and deciding on their purchases almost like a married couple would do. One time Bobby would make lunch for them and Patty would make dinner, and then the next day they would trade. The intimacy that they felt on these days made them more committed to each other than they were before, if that was possible.

The school choir, of which Patty was a member, was invited to perform at an Easter Sunrise service. Many of the girls in the choir had planned on a slumber party on Easter Eve. Since the choir had to be at the service so early, it was expected that the girls would just stay up all night partying and then sleep on Easter.

When Patty mentioned the slumber party to Bobby, he said, "We should have our own slumber party."

"You're reading my mind again."

"Will your parents have any objections to you spending the night somewhere?" Bobby asked.

"I'll tell them so they don't worry, but since I'm 18, they won't object. What about your parents?"

Bobby chuckled, "You know my parents. After three daughters, they are pretty much accepting of anything I do as long as it isn't illegal, and since we're both 18, that won't be an issue."

"Okay, let's start planning our party. What would you like for drinks..."

Besides the menu, the only other planning involved which movies they would rent, and those were a waste of money.

As always, Bobby seemed to know what Patty was feeling before she knew it herself. Once they had arrived at the condo and put away the few groceries they had picked up on the way, Bobby asked Patty, "Would you like to join me in the hot tub?"

Patty bit her lip and said, "Sure, just let me get changed."

While Patty used Terri's bedroom to change, Bobby used the spare bathroom to put on his swim suit.

They met on the enclosed patio, and Bobby turned on the jets to get the water nice and bubbling. Bobby climbed up the steps and entered the hot tub. He turned and held his hand out for Patty to help her in next to him.

They stood facing each other, the water bubbling at their waists.

"I love you PattyKat"

"I love you Bobby".

They held each other like their lives depended on it. Finally, Bobby eased himself down on the sitting ledge, pulling Patty onto his lap as they settled.

Their shoulders and heads were the only parts of their bodies above the bubbling surface of the water, and Bobby just knew that this was what Patty needed. As he gazed into her eyes, once again hoping that he was communicating his love to her with his look, he slowly reached up and released the bikini tie at the back of Patty's neck. Her top may have shifted slightly, but her breasts remained covered under the water. Focusing on her eyes, both to show his love, but to also read her's, Bobby slowly untied the other strap across her back holding Patty's bikini top in place.

With no further effort on either's part, Patty's top started to slowly float away from her body. It snagged momentarily on the chain around Patty's neck that held Bobby's class ring. Never breaking her gaze into Bobby's eyes, Patty seemed to sense the instant that the fabric had vacated the space between her and Bobby, and she pressed her bare breasts against his chest for the first time as she brought her lips to his.

As they broke their kiss, Patty moaned into Bobby's ear, "I am always amazed how you know exactly what I need. How you can think for me, act for me. How did you know? How do you do it?"

Bobby held her tight and said, "PattyKat, it's 'US' I sense, not just you. When I'm with you, and especially when I can look into your eyes, there is a feeling of unity that seems bigger than just my or your feelings alone. I don't want to dismiss what you feel or what you need as not being my concern, they are and always will be, but there's more. It's almost like your desires are mixed with my desires in some ethereal cauldron, and then presented to me to act upon."

"Whatever it is, and however you do it, just promise me you will never, never ever stop doing it. And if you could ever find a way to teach me how to do it, I would love you even more than I do right now. No, that's not a promise I can make, because I can't imagine any way that I could love you more than I do right now."

They sat together, with Patty straddling Bobby's lap with her nipples being stimulated by the hairs on Bobby's chest as the bubbles gave them momentum. Patty continued to sigh as Bobby kissed her cheek. After a few minutes, Bobby felt Patty starting to move on his lap. It was subtle, and Bobby was convinced that it was involuntary, but the affect was the same regardless.

As Bobby rose to stand, Patty slid off his lap and stood before him. Her naked breasts were still below the surface of the water, but Bobby didn't need to see them in order for his hands to find their destination. Bobby had felt Patty's breast before, but only through her clothes. He cupped one in each hand, and Patty gasped at the contact.

Bobby saw a look in Patty's eyes that was new, but he recognized it as one he wanted to see frequently, and for the rest of his life. As he stroked her nipples, the look continued to grow more intense. Patty brought her hands up to Bobby's and gently squeezed them around her breasts, moaning as she did so.

Patty removed her hands from Bobby's and reached for the waistband of his bathing suit. She untied the knot and started lowering the suit down his thighs. Once the waistband was half way down his thighs, Patty gently pushed Bobby back, forcing him to once again sit down in the hot tub. She then proceeded to pull his suit off his legs, over his feet, finally bringing it to the surface of the water before tossing it over the edge of the hot tub.

There was no smile on her face, but the intensity of her stare showed her elation. "Your turn," she said, as she turned around in front of Bobby.

Bobby only hesitated a second before he reached down and ran his hands from the back of Patty's knees, along the outside of her thighs, and up her hips until he reached the top of her bikini bottom. Snagging the top under his thumbs, his hands then began their retreat, pulling the bottom of her bikini with them. When the bikini had reached her knees, Bobby pulled Patty back to once again sit on his lap, only this time she had her back to him. As she settled onto his lap, his erection was nestled in her crack, and Patty moaned louder than Bobby had ever heard before.

Bobby continued to remove Patty's bikini bottom from her feet, and then tossed it over the edge to join his suit. He then wrapped his arms around Patty and pulled her back against his chest and whispered into her ear, "Is it what you expected?" he asked.

"Oh, so much better," she sighed. "And it's getting better all the time. God I love you."

Bobby put his hands on Patty's waist, lifted her, and sat her down beside him.

"Oh pooh!"

"Don't give me that," Bobby said with a chuckle. "You want to explore and be explored, and you can't tell me otherwise. The bubbles will ease your modesty, as you have already discovered, but we'll turn into prunes if we stay in here too long. We have all night, just not all night in the hot tub."

He leaned over and gave her a kiss with just enough tongue to get her interested.

"I do want to explore," Patty admitted with a giggle as she started running her fingers down his chest to his stomach, and then lower...

Patty's modesty had abandoned her by the time they got out of the hot tub. She stepped out casually and wrapped a towel around her to dry off rather than to cover up. Bobby did the same, and after they retrieved their bathing suits, they went back into the condo. With the towel wrapped around her, Patty toured the condo to insure that all the blinds were completely closed, and then she dropped the towel and didn't cover up again until they were under the covers of Terri's bed.

They continued their exploration of each other on dry land, finally making actual love a few minutes after midnight. They were both virgins, but there was no awkward stumbling, bumbling or guessing to be found. If Bobby touched someplace on Patty with his fingers and noted a positive response, he would naturally then try the same location with his lips and tongue. Patty would do the same.

By the time they left for the Easter service, they were excitedly discussing the different things they had done, and contemplating what new things they wanted to try together.

Terri and her husband remained out of town for two more weeks, during which time Bobby and Patty would share Terri's bed, continue their sexual education, and plan for the prom they would never have.

Bobby made the practice just as Jason was pulling up with Joey and JR. He was introduced to the rest of the players as they arrived, and after retrieving his glove from Joey, he headed to the outfield to take over fundamentals on catching fly balls while Jason worked with infielders on how to handle grounders. The kids enjoyed the increased attention that having a second coach brought to their practice and paid better attention to instructions than Bobby had seen on a lot of high school teams.

When Jason called the team into the dugout, he had everyone split up for base running/base coverage practice. Once everyone had an opportunity to practice both roles, he began batting practice. Bobby just hung out in the outfield retrieving any balls that happened to be hit that far, and there weren't many.

As practice was ending, Jason reminded Bobby that Francis was expecting him to come by the house for dinner, and Bobby assured him he would head right there. JR ran up to Bobby and told him that his mom had given him permission to ride in his car and asked if he could ride with him back to Joey's house.

"JR, I'm glad you asked your mom, but I'll need to get the permission directly from her." Bobby told him.

Plus, as he looked across the street at the black Suburban he said, "I think I'm going to have to make a detour before heading over to Joey's house, so why don't you ride with Joey and his dad today as originally planned and you and I will take our ride some other time."

JR looked dejected, but he recovered and ran over to jump into Jason's SUV without another word in protest.

As Jason and the rest of the parents pulled out of the lot, Bobby remained leaning against his Corvair waiting for the inevitable. No sooner had the last car left the lot when Kirby Wallace pulled behind Bobby's car blocking his exit. Kirby got out of the Suburban.

As Kirby walked around the front of his Suburban, Bobby took out his wallet and removed one of his business cards.

Kirby approached but remained approximately six feet away as he said, "I need to know who you are."

Glad that he had sent his report and set the stage for what was to come Bobby handed Kirby his card.

Kirby looked at it confused, "I'm afraid I'll need a little bit more substantial identification than a business card can provide."

Bobby told him, "Call the duty officer at the U.S.Marshal's headquarters in DC and read the phone number on that card to them in reverse order, then come back to me."

Kirby scowled, "Why don't I just arrest you and then use your finger prints to ID who you are?"

"I'll wait right here," Bobby said. "Make the call and if you still want to arrest me, I'll go quietly."

It suddenly dawned on Wallace that this guy seemed to know he was a U.S. Marshal. "What the hell?" he thought, and then he went back to the other side of the Suburban and made the call. He kept his eyes on Bobby as he made the connection and then glanced down at the card to read the phone number in reverse order. His eyes snapped back to Bobby, only now they were much wider and showed obvious confusion.

Wallace disconnected the call and headed back to Bobby. As he approached, he handed the business card back to Bobby, but Bobby said, "Keep it. Want to talk now?"

Kirby said, "I was told I am not authorized to talk to you."

"You're probably not, but I was more concerned with you knowing that you weren't authorized to arrest me. If the AC is still running in your Suburban, let's talk there."

Without waiting, Bobby walked over to the passenger side of the Suburban and waited for Kirby to unlock the door. When the lock clicked, Bobby climbed up and smiled over at Kirby as he took his seat behind the wheel.

Bobby started, "If you haven't figured out yet that you and I are in totally different leagues, you should know that I was alerted to your inquiries on me about 20 seconds after you initiated them."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Kirby.

"Because I understand why you did it, I respect your position, and I want to make your job as easy as possible" said Bobby. He continued, "I know that you are protecting the Freeman family, and while I could easily find out the circumstances behind the need for protection, it really doesn't concern me.

You won't be able to determine this any other way, so trust me when I tell you that Francis Reid really is my older sister. I actually have two other sisters, but I protect their privacy as diligently as I do my own, that of Francis, and of course my parents. That will be a dead end road that for the sake of your career, you don't want to go down. That leaves you with a virtual stranger in frequent close proximity to someone you are assigned to protect, and I can imagine how I would feel if the shoe was on the other foot. So, I'm offering to talk with you here, off the record to try and alleviate your concerns about me. Fair enough?"

Kirby asked, "Do you work for the U.S. Government?"

"Not directly. Now change the subject."

"Where are your from originally?"

"Irrelevant. Move on."

"Why are you in the San Antonio area?"

"Work," is all that Bobby said.

"So it is a total coincidence that James Bond, or whoever you are suddenly shows up around a federally protected witness family?"

"That about sums it up. I didn't get to pick the neighborhood where my sister and her family built their home, and I'm sorry if my visits with them caused you any angst relative to your duties. I'm trying to help you out here, but I'm not going away and any further inquiries into either mine or my family's background would not be in your interest.

If it makes you feel any better, having my sister living close by your protectees could have side benefits for you should you ever need them. For example, how long would it take for you to have a recon satellite positioned over the Freeman's property? My sister's house could be covered within 30 minutes with one phone call from me. It would be easy to expand the view from the satellite to cover the Freeman property as well. Now, you can "untighten" up around the Freemans where I am concerned, or not. That's your choice. Is there anything else I can answer for you Marshal Wallace?"

"Yeah, one last thing," Kirby said. "Why did Katie Freeman faint as soon as she saw you?"

Bobby chuckled, "You noticed that huh? Never seems to happen to James Bond, but maybe it's just the effect I have on women and explains why I'm still single."

"Nice try, but there's more to it than that," said Kirby "I've never seen anyone react like that at the sight of another person. The way her color immediately drained and her eyes rolled into her head. Jeezus, I thought she had seen a ghost or something. Are you sure you two have never met?"

Bobby's smile had disappeared at Kirby's words. "I'll be honest with you Marshal, there was something familiar about Katie Freeman, not so much her appearance as other things about her. I've been pondering it since yesterday and haven't been able to figure out what exactly it is, but there was definitely something. As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know. Deal?"

Kirby looked across at Bobby, "Well, I obviously don't have the authority to run you off, and I could never get approval for another relocation of the Freeman family based upon any threat assessment involving you, so I guess I have to accept."

"Thanks, and just to keep you in the loop, in addition to the Corvair over there, I also own a white Dodge Ram pickup. You won't get anything off those plates either, but I wanted you be aware of it in case you see it in the neighborhood sometime."

"I appreciate the heads-up."

Bobby got out of the Suburban and Kirby drove away. Bobby got in his car and headed to his sister's house for dinner.

Bobby parked along the side of the road once again, but with the clear skies without a cloud in sight, he chose to forego the cover. He had just reached the walkway to the back deck when Katie Freeman's car pulled in behind his Corvair. He stood out of sight and watched as she walked to the front of her car and stared at his Corvair.

He saw her bring her hand to her mouth and stifle an obvious sob as she walked completely around his car. As she return to the back, He saw her wipe a tear from her cheek as she smiled, obviously reading the license plate.

Based upon JR's description of the pictures she kept, his car obviously brought back emotions related to JR's father, and now Bobby wished that he had covered the car like yesterday in order to spare her any pain.

As Katie turned to resume her walk to the house, Bobby quickly headed for the deck where Jason was relaxing and watching JR and Joey play in the pool.

"So what did Mr. Wallace have to say?" asked Jason as Bobby sat down beside him.

Bobby huffed, "You neglected to mention that our Mr. Wallace is U.S. Marshall Kirby Wallace."

Jason almost choked on the drink of beer he had just taken, "What did you say?" he asked. He continued, "I had no idea, and I definitely know that there is no knowledge of him within the department. How did you find out?"

"He made inquiries that triggered some alarms and I was notified. Jason, you know I do some sensitive work for the government, so when someone starts checking me out, it gets noticed real quick."

"So what happened at the practice field lot after we left?" asked Jason.

Bobby told him about handing Kirby his business card and about the call he needed to make.

"He was told that he wasn't even authorized to talk to you?" Jason asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah, but I took things off the record and tried to alleviate his concerns. Otherwise the poor guy would be digging his own career grave and likely impacting the situation concerning the Freemans in the long term."

"So what exactly is the situation with the Freemans?"

"I'm not sure," said Bobby. "They are obviously under some degree of protection from the Department of Justice, but the reasons are none of my business, so I decided not to inquire further. I also insist, Jason, that you do not make any inquires as well. My queries would outrank the Justice Department; SAPD inquires won't. All you'll do is make matters very complicated for everyone. If you have legitimate concerns and need to know something, run it through me. Okay?"

"No problem," said Jason as he saw Francis and Katie coming out to join them and dropped the subject.

Francis took the seat on the left of Jason, which left the seat on the right of Bobby as the only one available for Katie.

"Hi," Bobby said as she approached. "Would you like me to move the chair over to the other side so you can sit next to Franc...? I mean Francis. Sorry." He said as he gave his sister an apologetic grin.

"That's okay, Bobby. You're the only one that calls me Franc anymore."

Jason said, "You'll never hear me call her that. I don't want people thinking I'm married to a guy."

"So is Bobby the one who gave you the nickname 'Franc'," asked Katie, although she remembered the story from years before.

"No, it was my Dad. My oldest sister was named Theresa, but he called her 'Terri', my next sister was Linda, but my dad called her 'Lindi'. After three girls and no boys, I guess he had enough, so while my name is Francis, he immediately started calling me 'Franc'. My mom said he wouldn't let me wear hand-me-down clothes from my sisters because he didn't want me in pink. Greens and yellows were okay, but he wanted at least the illusion of having a boy even if it wasn't a reality until Bobby was born three years later. I'm convinced that if Bobby hadn't been born, I never would have owned a dress."

Everyone chuckled at Francis' recollection as Katie settled down in the seat next to Bobby.

Her movements as she sat down triggered something in Bobby's mind, but it was still like a fog that he couldn't see through. As Katie leaned over to position the chair facing the others, something fell out of her blouse hanging from a chain. She quickly grabbed it and pushed it back under her blouse as she sat down. What was it?

"How was your first practice coach Bobby?" asked Francis.

"Good," Bobby said.

"I gave JR permission to ride in your car," said Katie.

Bobby turned to her and said, "What did you say?"

"I said that I gave permission for JR to ride in your car. He said you wouldn't allow him unless I said it was okay."

Bobby now felt like he was going to faint sitting down. He just stared at Katie as everything clicked. It was her eyes. It was her voice. He now knew, and he also knew that she had realized the same truth yesterday. He stared at her until a concerned expression from her over his silence brought him back into focus.

He then smiled at her and said, "Hello PattyKat".

Francis heard Bobby and gasped. Jason turned to her and said, "Huh?"

Katie broke into uncontrollable sobs crying, "Hi Bobby".

Without saying anything else, Katie ran into the house. Francis jumped up and chased Katie into the house as Jason and Bobby just stared at each other.

"What the hell was that all about?" asked Jason.

Bobby shrugged his shoulders and suddenly had another revelation. He turned to see the two boys in the pool, got up and approached JR where he sat on the steps as Joey dove for coins on the bottom.

"Hey JR, how's the water?" asked Bobby.

"Great," JR said, "You should come in and join us."

"Maybe later. So I've been meaning to ask you what JR stood for"

JR replied, "Two things"

"What are those?"

"Well, because I am named after my father, the JR can stand for 'junior', but those are also the initials of my first and middle names, James Robert."

"Looks like going by JR has all the bases covered for you then doesn't it," said Bobby. "Enjoy your swim and I'll catch you later."

Then Bobby returned to sit next to Jason. "I'll be a son of a bitch," Bobby said as he sat down. Jason was more confused than ever.

As Francis entered the kitchen, she saw Katie standing at the kitchen sink watching Bobby talk to JR at the pool.

"He was always so perceptive of me," said Katie as Francis came to stand beside her.

Katie continued, "I assumed the change in my appearance would fool him indefinitely, but I should have remembered how he always knew me so well. He knew my feelings better than I did. He sensed my emotions before I felt them. Changing my eye color could not disguise my love from showing through to him. Trying to speak with an accent could not hide my feelings from his ears."

Katie turned to Francis, "Now he knows about JR as well. I can't delay explanations any longer. Franc, can you watch JR for the night?"

"Of course. We'll get him and Joey to school tomorrow and wait to hear from you on what else you may need from us."

"Thank you," Katie said as she hugged Franc and headed back outside.

Katie walked out to the pool and stooped to speak with JR.

"JR, you're going to spend the night with Joey and go to school with him in the morning. Bobby is going to take me for a ride in his car for a while, so be good and here's your good night kiss a little bit early."

She bent down, kissed him, and quickly walked up to Bobby where he sat next to Jason. His gaze hadn't left her since she had come out of the house, and as he focused on her approach, he concentrated on her eyes. The color had changed, but they remained his window to her, and it was wide open and beckoning to him.

As she stepped beside him, she looked down and simply said, "Get your keys and let's go."

As Bobby rose, Katie took his hand and led him out to his Corvair. Bobby opened the door for her and she quickly slid into the seat that she had always known as hers. As Bobby climbed in behind the wheel, he reached over and opened the glove compartment. He reached in and pulled out a red "scrunchie" for Katie's hair that matched the color of his car exactly. Katie smiled, and as she had always done, she kissed his hand as she took the scrunchie and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"Where to?" asked Bobby.

"Your place," replied Katie, and Bobby needed no further direction. He knew that talking could wait. All urgency in his life had vanished.

As they drove, Bobby took his sunglasses from the visor and put them on, amazed at how bright the world had become in just a few minutes. Katie kept her left hand on his right as he drove, never taking her eyes off his face, yet she didn't say anything until they were exiting the I-410 loop at Bandera Road.

Katie noticed an HEB supermarket along the frontage road and asked Bobby to stop there. After they parked in the lot, Katie tugged on Bobby's hand and said, "I just need to pick up something real quick, but I don't want to be away from you. Will you come with me?"

Bobby jumped out of the car without opening his door -- something he hadn't done for over 10 years- and hurried around to open Katie's door for her. They held hands as they walked into the store, where Katie made quick work of locating what she wanted and then directing them to the self-checkout lanes. She paid using her debit card and they were back to the Corvair within 5 minutes.

The store was convenient to Bobby's rental house, and they were able to get to it after just a few turns off the same frontage road. Bobby pulled into the driveway behind his white Dodge Ram pickup and turned off the car. Katie continued just to smile at him as he led her from the car and through the front door of the house.

Bobby was certain that she wouldn't be able to retrace the route they had taken to get to his house, the name of the store they had just been to, or be able to describe the exterior of his house. Her eyes had been on him the whole time. Even now, as they stood in the entry of the house, she was obviously looking without seeing -- everything except Bobby. Bobby she saw clearly. Her eyes not only pulled him into her consciousness, but they also pushed her into his.

Gazing down at her, Bobby instinctively led her down the hall to the master bedroom. Katie acknowledged his destination with a squeeze of his hand. Once in the room, Bobby simply indicated the door to the bathroom, sensing again that Katie would be interested in knowing. Katie turned to face him and slowly pushed him to the edge of the bed, encouraging him to sit.

She set her purse on the dresser and took her store purchase into the bathroom and closed the door. Without being told, Bobby knew what Katie expected and he began getting undressed. By the time the bathroom door opened just a few minutes later, Bobby was naked in the bed under a single sheet. Katie had disrobed while in the bathroom.

As beautiful as she was, Bobby's eyes were immediately drawn to hers. The ice blue eyes he had longed to see again in his life had returned. The contacts that hid them were now sitting in solution on the bathroom counter. He didn't know or care where the glasses were. Katie knew that Bobby wasn't focused on the sight of her body as she hurried to join him in the bed. She knew -- as he knew about her -- that the feel of their bodies together was what they both craved.

Bobby pulled her to him as Katie climbed under the sheet and held her facing him, both on their sides. He played with the chain holding his class ring between her breasts. For what seemed like hours, they just held each other and breathed. Breathed for the first time in 10 years.

"They lied to me Bobby," was the first statement that Katie made. She had her head snuggled against his chest as he held her. Bobby didn't respond, sensing that this was her story to be told at her pace and she just needed him to hear it.

After a few minutes, Katie continued, "After we spoke on the morning of the prom, I walked to the store to buy some shampoo. My dad was supposed to bring some home on Friday night, but he got stuck in some late meeting and forgot. In fact, it wasn't until later that I learned he hadn't come home at all Friday night. My mom was off showing a house to someone, and it was hours before you were supposed to pick me up, so I thought a trip to the store would kill some time.

When I was walking through the parking lot to the store, a big SUV pulled beside me. The windows were tinted and I started moving as far from it as I could. Then the back window on the driver's side came down and my mom called to me from the back seat. There were two men in the front seat, but they didn't look at me. I walked over and my mom urged me to quickly get in. I could tell from the look on her face that she was upset, so I did as she asked.

Once in the SUV, the window rolled back up and we immediately started moving. I was focused on my mom, so I didn't pay much attention to where we were headed. My mom told me that my dad needed us, and that the men in front were U.S. Marshals. She said that was all she could tell me until we met up with my dad.

We drove for about an hour, heading towards Riverside. We finally arrived at some air force base and passed through a guarded gate. Once on the base we were taken to one of the buildings and led into an office where my dad and two other men waited for us. My dad hugged my mom and me, and then introduced us to the other men.

One was another U.S. Marshal named Michaelson, and seemed to be the leader of the ones who had brought mom and me there. The other man was a federal prosecutor named 'Alexander'. I don't remember his first name. Mr. Alexander apologized for surprising me and my mom, and explained that it was for our own protection. He went on to explain that in the course of my dad's business, he had inadvertently stumbled upon some criminal activity by one of his clients.

My dad tried to report what he had learned anonymously through a tip hotline, but once his information was investigated, it was determined that the situation was much more serious than anyone had expected, because it identified a major organized crime operation insinuating itself into the local pornography industry through drugs, prostitution, extortion, money laundering, and bribing of local politicians.

Obviously the anonymous tip wasn't really anonymous, so my dad was contacted and asked to work with the Department of Justice to help them build their case and break up the criminal operations. My dad had been secretly gathering more information, including names of individuals and their roles in the organization.

Mr. Alexander said that indictments were currently being prepared and several arrests were expected on Sunday. He further explained that due to my dad's cooperation with the case, there would likely be some attempt by these criminals to prevent him from testifying against them. Mr. Alexander then asked U.S. Marshal Michaelson to explain his plans for our protection.

We were told that we had been approved for the federal witness protection program and would receive round-the-clock protection from the U.S. Marshal Service until any risk associated with these cases was over. He implied that once my dad had testified that the threat against us would go away.

My mom asked how long it would take before the cases all came to trial and Mr. Alexander told her that the indictments were being expedited, and if they were able to get some of the people involved to take plea bargains and also testify against others, things should move very quickly. He anticipated just a couple of months.

My mom then asked Marshal Michaelson when we would start into the witness protection program, and he told her that we already were in it. He explained that we would not be returning to our house, and in fact, we would be leaving in about 30 minutes on a flight to a new location.

While my mom and dad seemed to accept this, I went ballistic. I said I had a prom to go to that night, I had graduation in a couple of weeks, and I had to let you know what was going on.

Marshal Michaelson apologized and said that we had to start now or we risked someone finding out about our participation on the program and compromising not only our relocation, but our new identities as well.

I screamed that I was 18, an adult, and would not agree to just disappear. My mom said that she wouldn't go without me, and my dad said that he wouldn't testify unless my mom and I were protected.

Marshals Michaelson and Mr. Alexander talked quietly amongst themselves for a few minutes, and then Marshal Michaelson told us to make a list of any personal items we wanted from our house and they would have someone sneak in tonight and get them for us. He said that photos that had identifiable faces, whether ours or someone who could be tied to us would not be permitted. He also said that clothes would be provided, so we should not ask for any of those.

Then he looked at me and said that he really was sorry about my prom, but he would make sure that you were told what was going on. While I probably would not be able to attend my graduation, that was just a ceremonial formality he said, and I had already earned the grades required for the diploma.

I raised my hand and counted on my fingers to them all; "One, we hide for no more than six months. Two, Bobby is immediately informed of why I am going away and kept informed of when I will be able to return. Three, there is only one thing I demand to have from our house, and that is a framed picture of Bobby's red Corvair from next to my bed. Agree to these and I'll go. Otherwise, no deal."

Mr. Alexander and Marshal Michaelson agreed, but as we both now know, they only kept one of their promises. JR has told you about the picture.

We were put on a small Air Force plane and flown directly from that base to Randolph Air Force Base here in San Antonio. We were placed in a house on the base and provided all the necessities we had left behind.

About two weeks after arriving, I realized that my period hadn't come. At first I suspected the stress of being basically kidnapped by our government was the cause, but after a couple more weeks passed, I knew that wasn't the case. I talked to my mom about my suspicions, and she immediately went to the base commissary to get a home pregnancy test. Once that indicated positive, she arranged for me to see one of the doctors on the base. Well, it was a certainty after that. I was pregnant with your baby.

When I insisted that the Marshals get word to you about my pregnancy is when I learned that they had never told you anything about why I had disappeared. The Marshals had to physically restrain me to keep me from leaving the base right then. I was livid and verbally lashed out at anyone around me. I felt betrayed by my parents when they wouldn't support my need to let you know, I was incensed when they asked me to consider having an abortion, and I was frustrated with myself for trusting any of them.

We didn't have a phone, computer or any other means of contacting anyone off the base. I wrote you letters and tried to get some of the airmen on the base to mail them for me, but the Marshals were always able to circumvent my plans.

Then something happened that changed my attitude completely. You probably remember meeting my best friend Keri the time you drove me to her birthday party in Van Nuys? She and I were closer than sisters, and I felt almost as bad about her being in the dark about my disappearance as I did about you.

One day Marshall Michaelson came to see us, and we could tell by his expression that something was wrong. He asked all of us if we knew a family named "Gordon", and of course we all nodded. He went on to tell us that the Gordon family was discovered in their home yesterday, and that there was clear evidence that they were killed to send a message. He asked again if we had tried to contact anyone since we entered the program, and we told him that other than my attempts to contact you -- which were all unsuccessful - we hadn't.

That's when it dawned on me that Keri and her family were killed simply because they knew us. What would happen if the criminals knew about you and me? Would they try to come after you and your family like they had the Gordons? I couldn't take that chance, so I accepted the reality of you not knowing anything about what had happened to me as the best way to keep you safe.

After six months the original indictments were a mess. Several of the people involved that the prosecutors hoped to make deals with started turning up dead. The continuing investigations by the FBI found a more complex criminal organization than originally thought, and now included definitive evidence of Russian mob influence stretching all the way to Moscow and Odessa.

We had also learned of two other families that my parent knew who had been killed. It was becoming obvious that our need for protection was going to go on indefinitely. The Marshals started coaching us on what the future held in store, with new identities, changes to our appearance, and so on. I was only a couple of months from delivering our baby, so I asked if I could wait on trying to change my appearance until after the baby was born. The concept of mother and child having as many physical traits in common as possible made sense to the Marshals as long as it allowed my own appearance to be changed enough to fool a casual acquaintance from my past.

Are you hungry?"

Bobby chuckled, "I could eat. What would you like to have?"

Katie kissed his nose, "A Double-Double with cheese."

Bobby kissed her nose back, "When was the last time you had one of those?"

"The Sunday before I left, when you took me to the In-N-Out Burger on 19^th Street in Costa Mesa and then we went to the Newport Pier to watch the dolphins playing."

"That was my last time too. It's one of the many things that felt too painful to do after you left. Getting away from all the memories that haunted me wherever I went in Orange County is the only thing that allowed me to function. But anyway, since there aren't any Double-Doubles within 300 miles of us, would you settle for a steak and baked potato?"

"There's an In-N-Out within 300 miles and you want me to settle for steak? Okay, but you should be darn glad I love you buster."

Bobby leaned over and began to kiss her nose again when he changed direction. He knew that they had both been avoiding a real kiss because of what it would stir inside each of them, and they had so much that needed to be discussed first.

Bobby thought that a simple, brief kiss on her lips would be manageable, but oh how wrong he was. As always, Katie sensed Bobby's actions, and eagerly brought her lips to his. If they had both had their hands tied behind their backs and their legs shackled to the bedframe, a simple kiss may have been possible, but Bobby doubted it.

The instant their lips met their bodies and limbs went into autopilot; melting together into the form-fitting entity that was their physical love for each other. Together they existed in a singular world that knew nothing except their passion for each other. While both had changed to some degree physically, the changes in each were obviously complimentary to the other because they fit together now as they had 10 years ago.

As Bobby entered Katie, there was no urgency, no need for movement. They had accomplished their objective of being as physically connected as a man a woman could be. They lay joined for several minutes before either moved, and then it was simultaneous. As Bobby entangled his fingers into Katie's hair, she brought her hand up and lightly caressed his face as they stared into each other's eyes. As he held her tight, Katie pulled Bobby fully on top of her body and wrapped her legs around his thighs, pulling him as closely as she could. Bobby allowed Katie to position them so that her desires were met, and continued to not only respond, but to preemptively meet her needs before she even realized they existed. Neither lasted long before achieving their mutual orgasms, but there were no regrets. They had found each other again.

Bobby didn't want to use the barbeque outside because he didn't want to leave Katie in the house for a minute, and she should not go outside without her glasses and contacts. He turned on the oven broiler to allow it to heat up as he took two Rib Eye steaks out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts and Katie had commandeered his terry cloth bathrobe.

She asked him where he kept the potatoes, and he pointed to a pantry door across the kitchen. Katie selected a couple of medium sized potatoes, cleaned them in the sink and prepared them for the microwave.

As Bobby was placing the steaks into the broiler, Katie started the microwave.

"Do you want a salad or anything else?" asked Bobby.

"Meat and potatoes are fine for me tonight, unless you want something more."

"I would like to keep it as quick and simple as possible so that we can get back to more important matters than food."

"My thoughts exactly," Katie said as she walked over and put her arms around his waist.

"Do you want to continue your story?" Bobby asked her.

"I need to"

Then she continued, "The next major confrontation between me and the Marshals occurred when they started working on our new identities and cover stories. I could accept them giving me a new identity to match those of my parents, but I was adamant that my baby would carry your name and the birth certificate would reflect you as the father. We argued over this for more than a month before someone high up in the Department of Justice conceded to my demands.

Once JR was born and it was obvious that he had your eyes and blonde hair, I was able to start working on changing my appearance. The Marshals provided cosmetic contact lenses that matched JR's eye color; I bleached and colored my hair to get close to his, and started wearing non-corrective glasses. My mom and dad could then try to bring their new appearances in-line with mine and JR's so we would more closely resemble a genetic family.

Almost a year to the day from when we entered the program, we were moved to our new house where we have lived since then. The place may look somewhat rustic, but it is a virtual fortress. Of course you can see the ten-foot wall that surrounds the entire five acres, but what you can't see are all the cameras, sensors, alarms and even traps that also exist.

The house itself is almost like a maximum security prison with some of the features the Marshals have installed. Any door in the house can be electronically opened, closed, and sealed tight from the Marshal's remote monitoring station here in San Antonio. The house was built with fireproof materials and the additional suppression systems would quickly extinguish any fire that did occur inside or outside the house. There are four separate panic rooms, and each one has an escape tunnel routed out of the complex."

The microwave timer sounded and Katie asked, "How are the steaks coming?"

Bobby turned the steaks and said, "Just a few more minutes."

Katie wrapped the potatoes in Aluminum foil to allow them to continue cooking while waiting for the steaks. "Which cupboard has your plates?" she asked.

"I'll get them. Why don't you get some silverware from that last drawer over there? What would you like to drink?"

"Do you have any iced tea?"

"One of the first things I did when I unpacked the kitchen was to make a jar of sun tea. Do you still take it unsweetened?"

"Yes," she said, "Thanks for remembering."

Bobby winked at her and they smiled at each other as he poured her a glass.

While Katie set places at the table for them, she continued her story, "Dad started having problems with his circulation a few months ago, mostly concern over blood clots, and then about the same time, mom had a mild stroke. They both ended up in a skilled nursing home here in San Antonio to make it easier for the Marshals. As long as they can receive the needed treatments and therapies there, it eliminates the problems associated with transporting them all the way from the house. We expect that they'll both be able to come home sometime next week."

"That about brings us up-to-date," Katie said.

"Not quite," said Bobby. "You haven't told me anything about you and what you have been doing."

He pulled the broiler pan from the oven, put a steak on a plate for each of them and handed one to Katie. They each stood at the counter and prepared their potato before sitting down at the table.

They had been eating silently for several minutes when Katie set her fork down. After chewing her last bite of the steak and nodding her approval to Bobby and said, "Once JR was born my initial focus was on raising him. When he no longer needed breast feeding, and the Marshals felt it was safe to venture into San Antonio, I started looking for classes I could take. San Antonio has some great art schools, and while they tend to have a very Hispanic culture influenced approach to their programs, the watercolor techniques they teach easily transfer into other areas. After completing every program I could find related to watercolor or pastels, I then looked for programs related to commercial art. Combining watercolors and commercial art is a natural, and is very popular for presenting design concepts in architecture.

One of my instructors introduced me to some local designers and architects, and I was soon in business on my own. I still like to paint on my own, doing mostly landscapes of the local area."

"And the occasional car from what I understand," said Bobby.

Katie's eyes grew wide with surprise as she looked at Bobby.

He smiled at her and said, "JR mentioned that a new picture of a car that looks just like mine appears every year on Easter Sunday."

"Not exactly like yours I've learned," said Katie with a mock pout. "My paintings didn't include the personalized license plates according to JR. When did those come about?"

"They were my prom night present to you," Bobby told her. "I picked them up from the DMV on Friday and put them on right before going to your house to pick you up.

Tears sprang to Katie's eyes as she ran around the table and crawled into Bobby's lap. "I have never stopped loving you Bobby," she cried. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Franc" she said.

"Wait, Franc knows who you are?"

Katie wiped her tears and said, "My fainting at the sight of you kind of made her curious..." Katie giggled.

"Franc was asking questions trying to figure out what caused me to faint, and when she asked if I might be pregnant, I assured her it wasn't possible. I told her that I hadn't had sex since JR was conceived and had taken a self-imposed vow of celibacy as penance for the pain I felt and for breaking the heart of my one true love. When I told her how I had just disappeared out of the life of the boy who loved me, she saw the similarities to what you went through, so I confessed that I was the girl that you had lost and seeing you is what made me faint. Franc knows that she has to keep my secret for the safety of all our families. By the way, when did you figure it out?"

"It was a gradual process," said Bobby. "The change in your appearance was good but I sensed a familiarity about you. Others seemed to sense it too. When we shook hands and I felt your touch, I guess that was the first unexpected sign. Then today, as you moved to sit down in the chair next to me, the way you did it caused another tumbler to click in my mind. The clincher though was watching and hearing you speak. Your voice isn't exactly the same...there is some Texas 'twang' evident, and I don't know if that is purposeful or simply a result of where you have been living. Even with the slight difference in your voice, I still recognized it as you. I may be the only person who would hear the love in every word you ever spoke to me, and that's what I heard today. You had also been avoiding my eyes, which now I understand why. You could make the color of your eyes pea-green purple and that would never disguise the love I see in them when you look at me. I hope you see the same in mine now that I know who you are."

Katie kissed Bobby and said, "The love appeared in your eyes right before you said "Hello PattyKat", and hasn't left them since. If you're done with your dinner, could I talk you into getting more comfortable with me again? I'll do your dishes for you tomorrow after I cook you breakfast."

Bobby rose from his chair with Katie in his arms and carried her back to bed. She threw off the robe and waited for him to join her under the sheet. Propping some pillows against the headboard, Bobby leaned back and Katie snuggled into his chest.

"Now it's your turn," she said as she played with the hair on his chest.

"Well," Bobby said "I know now that you understand how terrified I was when I arrived at your house to take you to the prom and no one was there. I sat in front of your house until Sunday afternoon, leaving my car only when I saw one of your neighbors so I could ask if they knew where you and your family were. I finally went home and told my dad what had happened and he returned to your house with me. We walked around the outside trying to see if anything was amiss, but we didn't see anything.

My dad finally called to police and they sent a patrol car to your house to take a report and talk to us. After that we went home and I tried to remember all I could about any other friends or relatives you had mentioned to me that might know where you were. Keri Gordon was the only friend I could think of, and since I didn't have a number for her, I took off school on Monday and drove to her house in Van Nuys.

She was in school when I got there, so I waited for her to get home that afternoon. She was surprised to see me and even more surprised and very concerned about you and your family disappearing. She thought that she might have names of some of your parent's friends and agreed to contact them to see if they had any information. I headed back home and by the time I got there, Keri had called to report that she had had no luck with anybody knowing where you were.

I didn't return to school until graduation. Up until the day I had to leave to start the Air Force Academy, I just spent my time working at the shop or sitting at the beach thinking about you and trying to figure out what to do to find you. I threw myself into the academy routine as an escape from my constant fear that I would never see you again.

You had mentioned that you thought you had broken my heart, and I don't know if that is an accurate description. If you had purposely left me, I'm sure a broken heart would have been the result. I wasn't convinced that you had left ME, but always just felt that you were gone against your will, and I guess that belief is what left me with what I can only describe as an unfulfilled love. The love was inside me, bursting to get out, and without you, I had no release. Do you understand that?"

Katie raised up and touched the tip of her nose to his, "Wow Bobby, you have described exactly the way I was feeling. Even once JR was born and I had the love for him I could express all the time, just like you, I was unfulfilled by having to keep my love for you contained rather than releasing it on you. Please go on."

When Katie returned to her spot on his chest, Bobby continued, "I graduated top in my class from the Academy and then I was assigned to Eglin Air Force base in Florida. I completed some additional training there and then bounced around the world doing things that I am not at liberty to discuss.

I left the Air Force a few years back at the rank of Captain. I now have my own business contracting with the government in various capacities, which is what brought me here to San Antonio. I am contracted to do some training in my specialty at Lackland."

"Can you tell me what your 'specialty' is?" asked Katie.

Bobby reached under her chin with his finger and raised her head so he could look into her eyes. "Shock and awe," he said. "Shock and awe."

Chapter Three - Thursday

Bobby and Katie made love again before falling asleep in each other's arms. They awoke the next morning still embraced. It didn't appear to either of them that they had moved an inch during the night.

Katie untangled herself from Bobby and headed to the bathroom. On this trip, Bobby definitely focused on the sight of her body, largely due to the fact that she was walking away from him and her eyes weren't visible to distract him.

While she used the master bath, Bobby went down the hall to the spare bathroom and took care of his own morning needs. Bobby then detoured to his office to check his e-mail and update his client on his status. They met in the kitchen and functioned like a couple who had shared a kitchen for years as they efficiently teamed up to get coffee started, the dinner dishes washed, and breakfast on the table.

The synergies of their actions were not lost of either of them as they frequently stopped to hug, kiss, or caress each other. Once they were both done with their breakfast and had refills on their coffee, Bobby started things off, "Now for the fun part."

He wasn't smiling and Katie understood the meaning. "We need to keep secret Bobby," she said.

"Unacceptable for any long period of time. Losing you for 10 years is bad enough, but there's also JR to consider."

"I know, but the risk is still too high if mine or my parents' true identities were known. While most of the court cases have been completed, there are still several key figures who haven't been indicted yet. Even if they had no fear of my father testifying against them, there are still too many people -- very bad people -- who might want revenge for what has already occurred. The risk migrates to anyone who knows who we are, which now puts you and your family in greater risk than ever."

"Okay," Bobby said. "I can understand the short-term benefit of keeping our past history secret, but how about starting out new in the eyes of everyone else? As far as anyone other than Francis knows, you and I just met. What would be suspicious about you and me starting to date and having a relationship?"

"As soon as you and I are seen together, the Marshals will run a background check on you. Once they see where you grew up and then discover that you knew Patty Harper, our history would be known."

"Kirby Wallace already ran into that brick wall," Bobby grinned. "It was not a very pleasant experience for him."

Katie gasped, "What do you mean? Kirby has checked you out?"

"He tried to check out me and Franc. When he didn't get what he expected, he stopped me at the practice field lot yesterday."

Katie's hand shot to her mouth, "What happened?" she asked.

"I handed him my business card and gave him some simple instructions to call his headquarters in DC and to read the phone number on my card in reverse order. I told him I would wait by my car for him."

"What was the phone call about?"

"I can't go into details on most of what I do, or even what my role is relative to the government. Suffice it to say that Marshal Wallace learned that I am not someone he has to worry about where his assignment to protect you and your family is concerned. He placed the call originally to verify that he had the authority to arrest me..."

"Why would he want to arrest you?" gasped Katie.

"Because his background inquiries on me resulted in denials of access due to national security. His inquiries into Franc produced reports that were so censored that he was lucky to see who she was married to. When he made the call, he was informed that he not only didn't have the authority to arrest me, he didn't even have the authority to talk to me."

Katie snickered, "I bet that went over real well."

"It could have been worse," Bobby told her.

"What did you tell him?"

"Essentially, I told him I respected his position and tried to put his mind at ease about having some stranger show up near you and your family that he was helpless to identify to his satisfaction. I will remain an enigma to him, but I think he understands that we're on the same side. So, to address your concern about our past being discovered through me, that isn't going to be possible."

"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Katie giggled.

Bobby smiled and went on, "I see our biggest challenge to a "new" relationship being two things. First, I know I will have a hard time calling you 'Katie'. It's just not something I'm used to. If I slip and call you Patty, that could be a problem. 'PattyKat' would be even worse. I think I'll need to stick with calling you endearing little names like 'Sweety', 'Babe', 'Honey'... What do you think?"

Katie frowned ,"I'm not thrilled with any of your suggestions, but the idea sounds good in principle. Let me think on it some and I'll get back to you. What's the second thing?"

Bobby nodded and continued, "Your parents. They will definitely know of our past history, and while I always thought your parents liked me, that was a different time and under very different circumstances. How do you think we should handle them?"

Katie thought for a minute before responding, "My parents worshipped you Bobby. They know better than anyone besides you and me the sacrifice that was made when I was forced to join them in disappearing. They both see you in JR, and have commented several times when he wasn't around how much they want him to have the chance to know you. I have to believe my parents would want me... want us to be happy, and would keep our history secret in order to provide that for us. In fact, I am so certain of it, I want you to come with me right now to go visit them. They're only a few miles from here, and then we can go pick up JR from school and spend some time with him after practice. Are you game?"

Bobby had his reservations, but he stifled them and simply said, "You know I could never say no to you. Lead on my lady."

The skilled nursing home was affiliated with one of the large hospitals situated in the Medical Center district of San Antonio, and was located only a few blocks from the heart of the district, next to a professional building for doctors of every persuasion.

Bobby and Katie made the quick trip from his home and were parking outside the facility after only a ten minute drive. Katie asked Bobby to wait in the lobby while she went to see if her parents were in their room, or having a treatment somewhere else.

Bobby stood by the front door gazing out into the parking lot while he waited. He spotted the two men sitting in the car watching the front of the facility, and then headed towards them. He kept his hands away from his body and tried to maintain eye contact with at least one of the men as he approached. He noticed that the passenger was talking on a cell phone, but the driver kept his attention on Bobby as he stopped about 3 feet from the front of their car and simply nodded to them.

The driver stepped out of the car and identified himself as a U.S. Marshal.

Bobby said, "I know who you are. That's why I came over to introduce myself."

Bobby extended his hand but the driver made no move to accept it. The passenger finished his call and also stepped out of the car to face Bobby. He said, "Sir, could you please identify yourself and tell us your business here?"

Bobby replied, "I could certainly do that, but if you were to call Kirby Wallace and ask him, it might serve your purposes better. I'll wait right here while you call him. Be certain to mention the car I am driving so Marshal Wallace knows who you're speaking about."

The passenger deputy looked at the driver, then climbed back into the car and started dialing his cell phone again. It was a short conversation before the passenger deputy once again slid out of the car.

He said, "Thank you sir, speaking with Marshal Wallace was definitely advantageous in understanding who you are. However, we still have the unanswered question of what your business might be at this particular facility."

Bobby nodded, "I assume that you saw me arrive?"

The two Marshals both nodded. Bobby continued, "Then I assume you saw that I had a passenger. Said passenger is one of your protectees and asked me to drive her to this facility to visit her parents who are patients inside. Any other questions?"

The passenger deputy said, "Once again, thank you sir. From my conversation with Marshal Wallace, I believe you understand our role as it relates to your passenger and her parents. With that role in mind, please understand that when your passenger is "off the grid" so to speak with no one on our team knowing her whereabouts for more than 12 hours, things can start becoming tense."

Bobby nodded once more, "I can definitely understand if in fact the passenger was actually "off the grid" as you say, and if she was, then the U.S. Marshal Service needs to re-examine your resources and technology. I know that the passenger had her cell phone with her and turned on from the time I picked her up yesterday, and it is still on and in her possession. I also know that no calls were made to the cell phone from anyone, least of all strapping U.S. Marshals who might have been concerned for her welfare. Then there is the matter of the GPS chip in her cell phone and your ability to track it. You do have that capability, don't you?"

The passenger deputy replied, "Yes sir, your points are valid. We should have attempted to contact the lady or at least tracked her location through her cell phone. I didn't mean to imply that you were the cause or in any way contributed to our situation."

Bobby said, "Great to hear. Well if there is nothing further, I am going to rejoin my friend and hopefully meet her parents. If it helps you plan your day, when we leave here, we will be picking up her son from school and returning to their home. Nice meeting you."

Bobby turned and re-entered the lobby just as Katie was coming back to collect him. She had a glowing smile when she saw him. As she reached up and kissed his cheek she said, "They both just finished the hydrotherapy and the staff is helping them dress for lunch. Let's start heading towards their room and they should be ready by the time we get there."

Bobby smiled and nodded his agreement as she took his hand and led him down the hall.

Mr. and Mrs. Freeman shared a two-bed room with a northern exposure. Besides the two beds, the room had a circular table with four chairs and two rocking chairs facing the television mounted on the wall. When Katie led Bobby into their room her parents were just sitting down at the table to play some cards prior to lunch being served.

Katie made a point of pushing the door to their room closed as she and Bobby passed through. As the door clicked closed, both of her parents looked up at their guests. Naturally, their eyes settled on Katie first, and they smiled warmly. Bobby watched as their looks shifted towards his face, and noticed confused recognition on both of their faces.

Before they could say anything, Katie rushed to them and said, "Please keep your voices down and I'll explain."

Bobby thought that was funny because it didn't look like either her mother or father currently had the power of speech. Katie pulled Bobby over to one of the chairs and then she sat in the other. Once all four of them were seated, Katie smiled and asked her parents to close their mouths so that flies wouldn't get in.

That didn't seem to affect them, so Katie then said, "Mom, Dad, you remember Bobby don't you?"

"Bobby Brandt?" her mother whispered.

"Yes Mam," Bobby said. "It's great to see you both again."

Mr. Freeman found his voice, "How? Do the Marshals know?"

Katie took one of each her parents' hands and said, "Your second question first dad because it's the most important. The answer is 'no', the Marshals don't know and we need your help to make certain that they don't find out. Let me explain..."

She glanced at Bobby and said, "Please help me fill in anything I miss." Bobby nodded and Katie continued. "You both know our neighbors, Jason and Francis Reid and of course their son Joey."

"Certainly," her mom said.

"He's a detective and she's a nurse," her father added.

Katie nodded and went on, "What you don't know, and what I didn't know until a couple of days ago is that Francis is Bobby's older sister."

Her mother gasped while her father just grinned and mumbled, "Damn small world... damn small."

Mrs. Freeman then voiced her realization, "That makes the Reids relatives! JR is her nephew and Joey is yours."

"I know," Katie said. "But the story is just beginning, so bear with me. Bobby just moved to the San Antonio area for his work, which we'll get into later, and drove out to visit with his sister and her family. He met them originally at the boys' baseball practice where Joey noticed that Bobby's car resembled the pictures I have, and he brought that to JR's attention."

Mr. Freeman chuckled, "You still have that Corvair, son?"

"Yes sir," Bobby replied.

Katie resumed, "Bobby followed the Reids back to their home and parked along the side of the road. Because there were thunder clouds in the distance, Bobby decided to put a canvas cover over his car in case it rained, and JR helped him."

"How precious," said Mrs. Freeman.

Katie smiled and said, "I know, right! So anyway, when I pull up a few minutes later, all I see is a canvas covered car and have no idea what is beneath the cover, so I just blindly walk into the Reid's home totally unprepared for what I was going to see. As soon as I saw

Bobby's face I fainted dead away. I mean comatose, no blood in my head, body failed me fainted. Francis revived me with some smelling salts and helped me to their guest room. It wasn't until then that it dawned on me that Francis was actually Bobby's sister Franc, whom I had never met when we were dating.

I confessed everything to Francis and begged her to keep my secret. She happily agreed, and then shortly later, Kirby took JR and I home."

Mr. Freeman interrupted, "My God, does Kirby know?"

Katie said, "I already told you dad that the Marshals do not know, so hang with me here. That night, JR came to me and wanted to see all the pictures of his dad's car to compare it to Bobby's. He was pretty quick to pick up on a difference that I didn't learn about until yesterday."

She kissed Bobby on the cheek and continued, "JR also said that Bobby had agreed to give him a ride in his car if I gave my permission, which of course I did. So the next day Bobby returns to the baseball field to help Jason run the practice and then he once again goes over to his sister's house for dinner. When I arrive this time, the cover is off Bobby's car and I can see the difference that JR had mentioned, and it almost made me cry."

"Well, what was it?" asked her mother.

Katie smiled and said, "Vanity plates that read 'PATTYKAT'. Anyway, I composed myself and met Francis in the house. Bobby and Jason were on the deck watching JR and Joey play in the pool. I followed Francis out to join them. Francis sat down next to Jason, leaving the only spare seat the one next to Bobby. Francis asked how the practice went, and as Bobby was replying, I started to sit down next to him. My movements apparently caught his attention, exactly why, you'll have to ask him..." she squeezed his hand as she said this.

"Regardless, he is now paying more attention to me, looking me in the eyes for the first time in 10 years. I said to him, 'I gave JR permission to ride in your car'. Bobby's expression suddenly changed and he asked me to repeat what I had said. Mom, Dad, I don't know that I'll ever be able to describe what happened next. Everything around me turned gray, but there was this very clear circle with Bobby's eyes in the center. The love displayed in them was instant and truer than anything I have ever seen. It seemed like an eternity, but it must have been only a second or two before he smiled at me and said 'Hello PattyKat'."

Mrs. Freeman was openly and freely crying, and Mr. Freeman had tears running down his own cheeks.

"What do you need from us?" her father asked, and her mother nodded.

Katie turned to Bobby and he took over for her, "Patty... oh crap, see what I mean?" he said smiling at Katie. "I mean Katie and I want to appear to be just a man and a woman in a brand new relationship without letting our past be known. Basically we just need you both to go along with that premise."

"It won't work," said her father. "The Marshals are sure to check out any man that Katie dates, and when they find out who you are and where you were raised, they'll do everything they can to prevent it -- up to and including relocating us all again."

"Dad," Katie interrupted, "Please let Bobby finish".

"Sure honey," her dad said, so Bobby went on, "Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, I can't go into the details, but I sometimes do some very sensitive and secretive work for the government. As Marshal Kirby Wallace learned when he inquired into my background, he -- and all Marshals -- do not have the authorization level required to get anywhere near mine or my family's background data. In reality folks, if you can play along with Katie and I having just met, there is nothing that the Marshals can access that would tell them otherwise.

"Consider it done!" said her father.

"With pleasure," agreed her mom.

Katie burst into tears and went around the table to hug both her parents. "Oh I want you two to come home so we can all be together," she cried.

"Well this is definitely a motivation to finish off the therapy if I ever saw one," said her dad.

Her mom was trying to stem the flow of her tears as she said, "What about JR?".

"Well he already knows Bobby as Joey's uncle, and thinks the world of him," said Katie.

"That's not what I'm concerned about," said her mom.

When Katie and Bobby looked at her questioningly, she continued, "What about his name? Bobby and he have the same name for crying out loud. How are you going to hide that indefinitely?"

"Hmmm," Bobby said. "Very good point. We're going to have to think on that one Katie."

"Let's discuss it on our way to pick him up. Mom, Dad... thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to be together. I love you both so much."

Her mom replied, "We're just glad that the opportunity finally presented itself for you Katie. You'll never know how much we shared your pain over all these years, and wished we could find a way to ease it for you. We'll do whatever we can to make this all work out for the three of you. Now go love on my grandson for me."

The same two Marshals were still holding vigil in their car outside the nursing home as Bobby and Katie returned to his car. Bobby gave a mock salute, which was returned with a wave from the driver.

Katie asked, "Do you know those men?"

Bobby told her, "We sort of met earlier when you were looking for your parents. It appears that someone took issue with you not being home last night."

"Oh crap!" she said. "I would have been courteous of me to inform them, but I kind of got caught up in the moment."

"I wouldn't sweat it," Bobby said. "They didn't expend too much effort trying to find you so it can't be that big of a deal for them."

"True," she said as she pulled out her scrunchie and got her hair pulled back.

"So navigate me to our next stop," Bobby said and he headed for the highway back to Wilson County.

They still had enough time to stop for lunch at a Red Lobster near Walzem Road before they had to pick up JR. A quick bowl of New England clam chowder and a salad was the perfect meal to hold them until dinner.

Bobby held Katie's hand as they stood along the pick-up lane at JR's school. Katie had called Franc to let her know that they would be picking JR up and asked her if she would like them to pick up Joey as well. Franc said that it wasn't necessary, but if they were driving the Corvair, Joey would probably love to ride home in it instead her car. Katie told her that they would be happy to drop Joey off, and also give him a ride to baseball practice if she wanted. Franc thanked her and accepted the offer, more for Joey's thrill of riding in the Corvair again than anything else.

JR and Joey came out together, looking for Francis' car but pleasantly surprised to see Katie there with Bobby. JR ran up and gave his mom a hug, and then turned and shook Bobby's hand.

"Hey JR, Joey," said Bobby. "I heard that you guys might like to ride in my car, so JR's mom and I thought we would pick you up today, take you home to change, and then drive you to practice. Are you up for that?"

"Yeah!" said JR.

"Cool!" replied Joey.

If the boys noticed Bobby and Katie holding hands as they walked back to the car, they didn't say anything.

"Does the front seat fold forward so we can get into the back?" asked JR.

"It sure does," said Bobby as he opened the door for Katie. "But I always thought it was more fun to just crawl over."

Bobby then ran around to the driver's side and hopped over the side of the car and settled into his seat. JR and Joey started laughing as they too clambered over the sides of the car and fell into the back seat.

Once both boys had their seatbelts fastened, Bobby hit the road. Katie hadn't said a word, but simply smiled and squeezed Bobby's hand tighter and tighter.

Katie had forgotten that she had left her car on the road in front of Jason and Franc's home, but as Bobby parked in front of her car, there was no denying it.

Joey and JR whooped and jumped out of the back seat of Bobby's Corvair almost as soon as he had brought it to a stop.

"Awesome!!!!" yelled the two boys as they ran into the house to get changed for baseball practice.

Katie turned and smiled at Bobby. She couldn't remember when she had smiled so much.

"I probably should get my car off the street. Can you pick me up at my house once the boys are ready?" she asked.

Bobby returned her smile and said, "If you haven't figured out by now that I would follow you to the ends of the Earth, then our GPA scores were obviously rigged and you're nowhere near as smart as you look. Not to say that you still aren't beautiful..."

Katie giggled and said, "I'll be waiting for you, and missing you every minute."

Bobby jumped out of the car without opening his door and ran around to open the door for Katie. She was laughing so hard it took her a minute before she could take his hand and let him help her out of the car.

The first words that popped into her mouth as she looked into Bobby's eyes were, "I am alive!"

She gave Bobby a quick hug and walked to her car. As she drove down the road to her house, her mood couldn't have been brighter.

***

The black Suburban parked across her driveway didn't surprise Katie. What did surprise her is that it didn't move as she approached in her car. As she stopped at the end of her drive, Kirby Wallace stepped out of the Suburban and walked over to her car. When Katie rolled down the window, he said, "We need to talk."

Katie looked up at Kirby and said, "Certainly. Move your beast mobile so I can pull into my driveway, and then you can join me in the house."

Kirby returned to his vehicle, backed it out onto the street, and then followed Katie up the driveway. Katie was exiting her car by the time Kirby parked beside her.

"I don't have a lot of time," Katie said. "I need to change before I go to JR's baseball practice." She started walking towards the house and Kirby followed her. She entered the house through the side door into the kitchen and placed her purse on the island in the middle of the room.

"So what's up Marshal Wallace?" Katie asked.

"I have some concerns," Kirby answered.

"Concerns about what?" asked Katie.

"Your sudden 'behavior' changes," Kirby said.

Katie looked at Kirby and couldn't read his emotions at all. He seemed so 'cold', or just blank.

"What behavior changes in particular might be of concern to the U.S. Marshals, pray tell?"

"Behaviors that are uncharacteristic of the profile for a protectee built upon ten years of documented observation and analysis." He continued, "For ten years you have led a solitary and from all appearances a celibate life. Now, we're not complaining because your desire not to date anyone or enter into any type of relationship has definitely made our lives much easier."

"I wasn't aware that my dating habits were being monitored so closely or I might have done something to spice things up for you perverts," snapped Katie.

Katie saw only a brief blanch in the expression of Kirby Wallace before he continued, "Please understand that when a person has displayed no romantic interests for ten years, and then one day faints at the sight of a man... a man who by all accounts is a total stranger, and then the very next day this person spends the night with this same man and subsequently introduces him to her parents... Well, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't at least inquire."

Katie didn't like the way this conversation was heading. She needed to shut it down until she could get her responses worked out. "Bobby is Francis Reid's brother and Francis and I are friends. He is new to the area, so I offered to show him around some. It was more convenient to stay in San Antonio than drive back last night, and Bobby offered to put me up. I took the opportunity to visit my parents while I was in town, and Bobby was nice enough to accompany me. Since he would obviously be meeting them once they returned to the house -- after all, our family and the Reids have socialized for years, I thought it would be nice if they met him sooner rather than later."

Kirby actually smiled at Katie's response. "Come on Katie, I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night. Anyone with a heartbeat can see there is something between the two of you. It's palpable... you can hear it in your words, you can see it in the way you move... hell, you can almost smell it. So the question is, Why now, and why him?"

Katie couldn't meet his eyes. Her love for Bobby had always been obvious to her, and thank God to him, but she never considered how obvious it might be to others.

"I need to change now, so if there is nothing else," she said.

Kirby turned for the door and then stopped. "Be careful Katie. That's all I'm going to say right now. I'm here when you're ready to talk."

Katie watched him leave the kitchen and close the door. As she headed upstairs to change, she pondered what the conversation with Kirby meant to her and Bobby being able to start over. She wanted to keep everybody safe, but she knew beyond doubt that she could never give up Bobby again.

Suddenly she realized that she had Bobby back in her life. She was safe. She was secure. Bobby would know what to do, and she would trust him until her dying breath. She had no doubt.

JR was calling for her from the kitchen by the time she finished tying her tennis shoes. "I'm coming!" she yelled down to him." She ran down stairs and kissed JR's forehead before ushering him out the door and into Bobby's car.

Bobby was waiting to open her door for her as JR clambered over the side to sit in the back next to Joey. Katie grabbed Bobby's face in both her hands and planted a noisy kiss on his lips.

"I missed you," she said as she slid into HER seat.

"The feeling was very mutual," Bobby said as Joey and JR still had their eyes covered from Katie's kiss. He jumped over into his seat and backed out of the driveway.

"You boys be sure to hold onto your caps," Bobby said. "I don't want the wind to blow then off your pointed little heads."

Katie laughed and said, "You can also just turn them around so that the bills are in the back. That way the wind won't catch them and pull them off your cute little noggins."

Bobby laughed as he saw each of the boys firmly place a hand on top of the caps -- with the bills facing forwards. Katie turned to Bobby and stuck her tongue out at him, which made him laugh even harder. It was always easier to laugh with her hand on his.

Katie sat in the bleachers with Francis watching the practice.

"You know you can tell Jason, right?" Katie said as she watched her son and his father playing catch in the outfield.

"I'm glad you don't mind because I really couldn't hide things after yesterday."

"I guess my...our actions did create some questions."

"You think?" snorted Francis with a grin.

"I'm sorry Franc," said Katie. "I really thought I had some time to work this out, but I can't say I'm sorry that Bobby knows."

"So what's the plan?"

Katie couldn't hide the smile on her face or the excitement in her voice, "Bobby thinks we can play like we just met and are starting from ground zero to develop a new relationship. From what he has told me, our past history is virtually impossible for the Marshals to access."

Francis interrupted with a laugh, "Jason told me what Kirby encountered and how Bobby dealt with him. Have I ever told you how proud I am of my baby brother?"

Katie grinned, "Franc, you never mentioned you had a brother until you told me he was coming to visit you."

Francis nodded sheepishly and admitted, "Bobby has been a phenomenal success professionally, and that is apparent by the level of influence he has -- as you may now just be learning. Obviously I don't know the details of his career, but Jason has done some checking, and found that our entire family -- I'm talking parents, sisters, nieces and nephews -- everyone, are protected at so many levels, you would think we were royalty or something. Jason said that only someone with the highest level of influence could have arranged that."

Katie nodded and said, "Now you have some idea of how I have felt around Bobby since I first met him. He has always made me feel safe, secure, protected, but most of all, loved more than anything in the world."

When the practice was complete, Jason and Bobby walked over to the stands to wait for the boys to say goodbye to their friends and join them.

Before the boys joined them, Bobby offered, "I would like to treat everyone to dinner and dessert at the Dairy Queen down the street. Any takers?

"You don't have to do that," said Francis. "Everyone can eat at our place."

"You have hosted us every night since I returned. Unless you want to drive into San Antonio and go to Chuck E. Cheese, you should accept my offer."

Jason visibly cringed at the mention of Chuck E. Cheese and said, "I'm in".

Francis frowned, but then smiled as she nodded.

Katie said, "It's not In-N-Out Burger, but as long as you're there, I'll survive." She took Bobby's hand and went to retrieve their son.

Jason, Francis and Joey left as soon as the Blizzards were done. Bobby and Katie sat next to each other while JR was still nursing the last dredges of his dessert.

"Well?" said Katie.

"It's your call, Mom" replied Bobby.

Katie turned to JR and said, "Do you mind that Bobby and I like each other, JR?"

JR looked at his mom like she had just sprouted a pig snout, "I guess not. If I can't have my real dad, I can have a guy with a car at least as cool, and if he makes you happy, even better."

Katie gasped at her son's comments, but Bobby refused to stifle his laugh.

Katie tried to refocus the conversation, "JR, are you okay with Bobby and I having sleepovers like last night?"

JR looked up at her, and then glanced over at Bobby, "Well, I didn't know you had a sleepover last night."

"Your mom stayed over at my house last night JR so we could talk. Then we went to visit your grandparents together this morning. I live closer to where they are staying, so it was more convenient."

"Okay," said JR, "So since Joey and his parents have already left, are we all going to have a sleepover at Bobby's house tonight?"

Katie replied, "Not tonight sweetie, but maybe Bobby could come over to our house tonight for a sleep over. Would that be okay?"

Bobby knew what was coming and bit the inside of his mouth in preparation.

"Sure Mom," agreed JR. "The sheets on my trundle bed are clean, but I don't think any of my pajamas would fit Bobby."

Katie saw Bobby's stifled outburst and pinched his arm.

She smiled at JR and said, "How would you feel about Bobby sleeping in my room instead of yours?"

"But you only have one bed," JR countered.

"I would be willing to share it with Bobby," said Katie.

JR considered this and said, "I don't think your pajamas would fit Bobby either."

Now Bobby was in pain from the combination of trying to suppress his laughter and from the pinches that Katie was inflicting on him.

With a straight face, Katie said, "Well if pajamas weren't an issue, how would you feel about Bobby and I sharing my bed?"

JR just shrugged and said, "No biggie."

"Well then," Bobby said. "I need to run by my place to pick up a few things. I can drop you two at your house and then come back, or you can ride to and from my place with me. "

"With the exception of pajamas, I think I can accommodate you for one night. I know there is a brand new toothbrush just dying to have your name on it," Katie said as she stroked his arm.

Bobby patted her hand and returned her smile, "There are a few things that we are going to need which I know you won't have. I wouldn't make the trip unless I thought it was necessary. The other option is that we stop by your house and pick up things for you and JR to spend the night at my place. The problem with that is getting JR to school tomorrow."

JR piped up, "I don't have school tomorrow. It's a teacher workday so all students get it off."

Katie said, "He's right, I forgot. Looks like you just talked yourself into a couple of house guests for the night."

"Then it looks like the plan for tonight is settled. Who's ready to roll?" asked Bobby.

Bobby insisted on staying outside while Katie and JR packed a few things they would need for a night at Bobby's house. Katie didn't want to be away from him, but she relented and ushered JR into the house.

"You know which backpack to use, right JR?" Katie asked as she sent him to his room while she turned into hers.

JR replied over his shoulder, "I was going to use the same one I use when I sleep over at Joey's.

"That's' the one," Katie confirmed. "I'll come in and check what you have packed in a minute. It won't take me long to get my stuff together."

"Okay Mom," said JR as they both headed to their rooms.

Katie just needed to select a change of clothes for the morning, and upon reflection, she decided to take her robe. She could borrow Bobby's again, but he might want, or need it, with JR in his house. When she had finished throwing her few things into a small tote bag, she went to check on JR.

JR had over-packed, not knowing what type of clothes he would need for tomorrow. Katie told him that she would like him to wear something nice, but not dressy so that Bobby would be embarrassed to take them anywhere, and so he would look nice when they visited his grandparents.

She helped him pick out an outfit, and then asked him, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

JR smiled at her and said, "I guess I'm Okay".

Katie hugged him, turned out the lights, and headed downstairs. She locked the doors and beamed at Bobby when she saw him leaning against the side of his car.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Katie and JR replied in unison.

"Then let's go!" yelled Bobby

Bobby had learned that it was easier to get from Francis' house to his by taking US 181. There were fewer traffic lights than on US 87, and after merging with I-37, it dropped him into the I-410 loop much closer to his house.

As they were passing by Calaveras Lake, JR spoke for the first time since they had left his house.

"Have you always owned this car?" JR asked

Bobby glanced at him in the rearview mirror and said, "My dad gave me this car for my sixteenth birthday and I've owned it since then."

JR countered, "No, I mean are you the only person to have owned this car."

Nodding his head in understanding Bobby answered, "No, JR. Someone else owned this car before me. They left it sitting in the dessert for many years and when my dad gave it to me, it needed a lot of work. It took me almost nine months to restore everything, but that was by doing a little bit at a time. My dad and I worked on it together, and those were some of the best times he and I ever shared."

Katie smiled at the memory of how fondly Bobby always spoke of the time that he and his father had spent together working on his car. She prayed that now Bobby and JR would have an opportunity to have the same sort of bond.

JR asked, "How much stuff did you have to do to fix the car?"

Bobby seemed to be getting into the conversation as he replied, "Fortunately, the motor and drive train were in good shape and only needed a little maintenance work and a couple of seals replaced. I had to sand the paint down to the bare metal and have the entire car repainted, some of the tail lights and one of the headlights needed to be replaced, but the major work was on the interior and the convertible top. The car had been sitting in the sun for years, and that did a lot of damage. The seats had to be rebuilt onto the original frames, and then recovered. That is the only change I made from the original car, because I chose to use real leather as the cover rather than vinyl."

"Why?" asked JR

"Yeah, why?" asked Katie. She had never heard this.

Bobby smiled at her, glanced back at JR in the mirror and continued, "I figured that since leather comes from cows, and cows live outside where the sun shines on them all day without them getting damaged, then that's the same stuff I wanted for my car."

Katie and JR both laughed, and then JR asked, "How fast does your car go?"

"Good question," said Bobby. "I always just loved driving the car and never confused driving fast with having fun. Although there was one time when PattyKat and I drove out to the desert, and on a lonely straight road in the middle of nowhere, I got the speedometer a little over a hundred miles per hour. The Corvair isn't really a sports car or muscle car like the Camaro or Ford Mustang. It only has a flat six cylinder engine that is rated at 140 horsepower. There are a lot of cars more powerful."

"This car is so cool," said JR. "Why don't we see more of them around like some of the other older cars?"

Bobby nodded, "There are probably two main reasons. The first one is that most Corvairs got re-purposed. In a lot of cases, the body of the car was removed and a dune buggy body was put on in its place, usually made out of fiberglass. The engine is air cooled and doesn't need water, so it suits desert driving conditions real well. Plus the suspension on the Corvair was exceptional. Each wheel had an independent suspension rather than two wheels sharing one. That was another feature that made the car popular for off-road enthusiasts. The other popular thing to do with Corvairs was to just take the engine out and use it in an airplane. Again, the horsepower to weight ratio combined with it being air cooled, made the Corvair engine very attractive for use in an airplane. The second reason is that the car received a lot of bad publicity in a book and some magazine articles a couple of years before this particular car was built. Even though the claims made about the car being unsafe were eventually proven to be incorrect, sales of the car declined to the point where Chevrolet decided to stop making it.

JR asked, "Do you ever let anyone else drive your car?"

Bobby looked at Katie, "Only PattyKat".

"That sounds like a funny name for a girl...PattyKat" said JR

"She might say the same thing about the name JR for a boy," Bobby said

"But JR is not my name, it's just a nickname," he retorted.

"And PattyKat was her nickname," Bobby told him

"You must have really liked her," said JR.

"I told you she was special," said Bobby. "In fact, that gives me an idea."

"What?" asked JR

"Do you know any girls named Nina or Maria?" Bobby asked JR.

JR thought for a minute and then said, "I had Nina Taylor in my class in second grade, and one of the ladies who works in the cafeteria is named Maria."

"Good," said Bobby "Now have you ever studied about Christopher Columbus and what his ships were named?"

"Of course, they were The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria," said JR.

"That's right," said Bobby. "Now do you remember me telling you how boats are often named after special girls or ladies?"

"Yeah," said JR. Katie was getting interested in this too.

"So do you think that Christopher Columbus' ships were named after Nina Taylor or the Maria in your cafeteria?" Bobby asked with a grin.

JR laughed and said, "I doubt it. They weren't born yet."

Bobby nodded in agreement with JR's conclusion, and then offered, "Maybe they were named after the ships?"

"Maybe," agreed JR.

Bobby continued his plan, "Maybe I can nickname someone after my car the way that Nina and Maria were named after Christopher Columbus' ships? What do you think?"

JR fell right into place with his reply, "If girls can be named after ships named after girls, then a girl could be named after a car named after a girl."

"Excellent point," said Bobby. "And I can think of no one that I would more want to name after my car, than Katie Freeman." Smiling at Katie he saluted and said, "You are now PattyKat".

JR yelled, "Cool mom. You've got a nickname too!"

Katie sobbed as she squeezed Bobby's hand.

"So does this mean that my mom gets to drive your car now?" asked JR

Bobby glanced over at Katie as he said, "Anytime she wants, JR. Anytime she wants."

JR had quieted and Bobby thought he might have fallen asleep. As they pulled into the driveway of his house, JR started his questions again.

"Is this your house, Bobby?"

"It belongs to a friend. He is in the Air Force and has to spend a couple of years someplace else, so he is renting it to me while he is gone."

"Cool," JR said.

JR had crawled over the side of the car before Bobby could get around to open Katie's door. He helped her out, took her tote, and then led her and JR into his house. Bobby gave JR a quick tour, and then helped Katie get everything needed for JR to take a bath. Once they had JR started on that task, Katie pulled Bobby to her for a hug.

"I need to fill you in on something," she said.

Bobby led her to the couch and pulled her down beside him then said, "Fill me in."

"Kirby Wallace is suspicious about us," she started. "He cornered me when I went home to change before practice."

"Suspicious in what way?" asked Bobby.

"He said that my behavior with you raises concerns. They know that I haven't dated or even seen another man the entire time we have been in the program, so my sudden interest in you had raise some flags for them. Why now? Why you? Understand?"

"I understand completely," said Bobby with a smile. "If they knew of my monk like existence for the past ten years, they would be even more suspicious."

Katie kissed his cheek and asked, "So what are we going to do?"

"I'll have another talk with Marshal Wallace and convince him that love at first sight can't be denied... or some similar logic. Don't worry about it."

"I won't," Katie said. "I know you will always take care of us, and I love you so much for that."

JR finished his bath and Bobby showed him to the guest bedroom. The bed hadn't been made yet, so JR was given the choice of having it made, or sleeping in a sleeping bag. Naturally, he chose the sleeping bag.

As Bobby rolled it out for him, JR asked, "Is this your sleeping bag Bobby?"

Bobby smiled at Katie as he told JR, "It's one of a pair that I have had for years. Good night."

Bobby left Katie to get JR situated, and then went into the room setup as his office to put a few things together and send a few e-mails.

JR asked, "Mom, I like Bobby, but what happens if my dad comes back?"

"Bobby will never take the place of your dad JR, in my heart or yours," she told him.

"But if you and Bobby are together, you won't be getting back together with my dad, and I thought you still loved him," JR said.

Katie understood her son's concern, "JR, I love your dad more today than I ever have, and I love Bobby just as much. I'm going to ask you to trust me when I tell you that someday your dad and I will be together for you again, and that Bobby being here now will help that to happen."

JR just nodded and accepted his mom's explanation.

Katie helped JR into the sleeping bag, kissed him goodnight, and then went in search of Bobby. She found him sorting through some boxes in his office.

"What are you looking for at this time of night with an amorous girl waiting for your charms?" she asked.

"I was just killing time until said amorous girl was done with her motherly duties," he replied. "What would be your pleasure?" he asked as he approached her.

"My pleasure would involve your naked body next to mine, and the sooner the better," she said as she took his hand and led him to his room.

"Would you be interested in a bit more exploring and experimentation?" he asked.

Katie trembled with anticipation as she gave her answer with her kiss.

Bobby started the shower and was just stepping under the water as Katie pushed the curtain aside and joined him. He had always respected her modesty, and knew that letting her set her own pace would award him more than rushing her.

Katie had taken the time to remove not only her clothes, but also her contacts. She had put her hair up in an attempt to keep it out of the water. Bobby was glad to see that not all of her hair had changed color, and this made him smile as he pulled her under the water with him.

"I didn't get much of a chance yesterday to enjoy how beautiful you look," he told her. "The need to feel you overpowered the need to see you."

Katie pressed her head against his chest and said, "God, don't I know it. I still don't want to sacrifice touching you just for the chance of looking at you." Then she stepped back and said, "Not that looking at you isn't a wonderful thing."

Bobby said, "I agree, which is why I suggested the shower. Washing each other seemed like the perfect compromise."

"I can't believe I am smarter than you," Katie said. "At least on paper." Then she giggled.

"Are you warm enough?" Bobby asked her. "You're not under the water much."

"I'm fine," she said. As she positioned Bobby under the water so it ran down over his head, she kissed him and said, "Thanks for asking."

"Please pass me your shampoo," she implored as she pulled him back towards her.

He handed her the bottle as he stared into her eyes. He was not disappointed with the lustful love he saw. Katie put shampoo in her hands and rubbed the two together.

"I am going to really enjoy making you squeaky clean," she sighed. Bobby didn't doubt her for a minute. He could read her needs in her eyes.

Without speaking, Bobby took Katie's shoulders and spun them both around so that the water was running down her back. He bent his knees slightly to place his head at a more convenient level for her. Their eyes were locked together as Katie began to spread the shampoo over Bobby's scalp.

His hair was much shorter than when they were in high school... almost a crew cut. It didn't matter to Katie how long Bobby's hair was. What mattered was that it was HIS hair. As she massaged the shampoo into his scalp, she brought her lips to his. Bobby placed his hands on her waist as her hands explored his head and their mouths rediscovered each other.

Katie's hair had begun to fall from the clip as their kiss intensified. She didn't notice, and wouldn't have cared if she did. Her world at that moment was centered around her lips on Bobby, her hands in his hair, and his hands on her waist. Bobby pulled back and broke the kiss.

"We don't have unlimited hot water," Bobby said. "And I have my own agenda for this shower."

"Alright," pouted Katie. "Go ahead and rinse."

Bobby slid around Katie into the water and with his back to her, began to rinse the shampoo from his hair.

"BOBBY!" screamed Katie. Bobby was so startled that he got shampoo in his eyes as he turned to her.

Bobby said, "What's wrong PattyKat?" as he tried to wipe the shampoo from his stinging eyes.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'?" she gasped. "What happened to your back?" It was then that Bobby realized that she must have seen the scar.

"Oh that," he said with a grin trying to sooth her. "It looks worse than it was."

"I hope so," she said, "Because to me it looks horrible. What happened?"

Bobby took Katie into his arms and told her, "The scar is actually two different injuries. The first one was a piece of metal from my airplane that exploded below me as I ejected from the cockpit. The second one is a bullet wound I received while evading capture by enemy soldiers. They were nice enough to shoot me where I had already been injured so I could have only the one scar."

"That is not funny!" she shouted. "You could have been killed -- twice. Oh my god Bobby what were you doing?"

Bobby finished rinsing the shampoo off his face and pulled Katie under the water with him. He said, "PattyKat, if you think you and your parents being forced to disappear was bad, you have no idea what would happen to me if I told anyone what I was doing when I was injured. You'll need to trust me when I tell you that it was legal, it was sanctioned, I was operating under orders, and it was necessary. Can you trust me on that?"

She hugged him as tight as she could and said, "Of course I trust you Bobby. Just tell me that you don't do that kind of thing anymore. I couldn't stand to lose you."

"I'm pretty much a desk jockey nowadays," he told her. "You shouldn't have anything to worry about anymore. Now you look very much in need of cleaning young lady."

"But I'm not done with you," she pouted.

"Okay," Bobby said. "I have a solution." And with that he grabbed the soap, lathered up her breasts, and then rubbed his chest against her soapy body.

"Ohhh I like your solution," she moaned as she took the soap from Bobby and work lower down their bodies.

They ended up rinsing under ice cold water, but neither of them would have traded the experience for anything in the world. Katie's hair had managed to stay mostly dry, and Bobby's hair was short enough that it could be towel dried quickly. This afforded both of them the opportunity to concentrate their towels onto the other's body as they dried each other off.

"So were you a pilot?" Katie asked after she had recovered from their lovemaking. She was lying on her back next to Bobby with her head resting on his shoulder.

Bobby turned to kiss the top of her head and said, "I was lots of things, but to answer your question, I am certified on seven different fixed wing aircraft and two different rotary wing aircraft within the US Military arsenal. There are few countries in the world where I would not be able to find something that I could fly."

"Have you killed people?" Katie whispered.

Bobby considered her question for a moment and then answered, "Only when it couldn't be avoided. I was a member of the United States Armed Forces, PattyKat. It was my duty to follow orders and defend our country. I have no regrets."

Katie rolled over and snuggled into his chest as she said, "I am so proud of you Bobby."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Bobby said as he put his arm around her, pulled her tight against him, and quickly found his slumber.

***

"Wallace," is all Kirby said as he answered his cell phone.

"Kirby this is Michaelson," the caller stated. "How fast can you get to your office or onto a secure phone line?"

"I'm just walking into the building now Sir. Want me to call you back in a couple of minutes?" Kirby asked. Lance Michaelson was the Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal for this district, which made him the head honcho. No one higher in the Marshal Service existed outside of DC.

"Pronto," is all Michaelson said as he ended the call.

Within five minutes Kirby was dialing Michaelson back on his secure office phone. Michaelson didn't wait for niceties...

"They got to Alexander," he told Kirby as soon as he had identified him as the caller. "His body was found last night, but the medical examiner hasn't nailed down the time of death. From the photos I have seen, it wasn't quick or painless."

"Christ," said Kirby. "You're inferring torture, and in doing so you're also inferring that Alexander may have been broken. What's our exposure?"

"We have to proceed on the assumption that Alexander was made to reveal information," confirmed Michaelson. "Exactly what information will be the question the FBI will focus on. Our direct exposure is limited to the witnesses under our protection, and where Alexander's concerned, that is only one family -- the Harpers. Update me on their status."

Kirby only hesitated a second before beginning his report,

"Their identities have been solid for the last 10 years. They go by 'Freeman' as you know. Their current location is a level three secure house which was built new for them 9 years ago, and could be isolated further with as little as five men. The parents are currently in a skilled nursing home, but I understand that they are due to be released early next week. Once the entire family is together, our resources won't be taxed too much if we need to lock them down. The boy is nine years old and attends a local public school, so we could make arrangements to have his assignments sent for home schooling as long as necessary."

"Good," said Michaelson. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been observed, I take it?"

Kirby replied, "Actually, Sir I was just preparing a report on a recent development, that while not specifically a security threat, it is definitely out of the ordinary."

Michaelson said, "Brief me now", so Kirby continued.

"This past Tuesday, a strange man appeared at the Freeman son's baseball practice. I took notice of him due to the car he was driving had California license plates. I observed him greet a couple who live down the street from the Freemans and are parents of the Freeman son's best friend. They have been cleared since they moved to the neighborhood. The husband, Jason Reid is a San Antonio homicide detective and the wife, Francis Reid is a nurse. They appeared to know the man, so I just continued to observe. When the Reid family left the practice with the Freeman boy in their car, the stranger followed them to their house. I ran the plates on the stranger's car as I maintain a visual on him."

"Shortly thereafter, Katie Freeman, the mother of the boy drove up to the Reid residence and went inside. The Freeman boy frequently spent time at the Reid house, and his mother often picked him up on her way home, so this was not unusual. The stranger was on the back deck with Jason Reid, so I took up a surveillance position that would allow me to continue observing the activity until I had a reply to my inquiries. After approximately five minutes, Francis Reid came out of her house, followed almost immediately by Katie Freeman. The stranger turned to see who had come out of the house and when Katie Freeman saw him, she immediately collapsed."

"What was the cause?" interrupted Michaelson.

"I have no idea Sir. I didn't hear a shot or see the stranger make any aggressive moves, but I ran up to Katie Freeman's side immediately. I pulled her son to my side as Francis Reid examined Katie Freeman for any signs of trauma or injury. Finding none, she proceeded to revive Katie Freeman with smelling salts, and then helped her into the house. Approximately a half hour later, I was allowed to take Katie Freeman and her son back to their house."

"Did you ever determine the cause of her fainting?"

"No Sir, but here's where things get real interesting... My inquiry on the license plates came back only as a valid and current registration with no wants or warrants. Details on the registered owner had restricted access. Due to national security no less"

"What?" said Michaelson.

Kirby continued, "Oh, it gets better. I thought that if this guy was actually Francis Reid's brother, as he was introduced, then I could probably find out who he was by running another check on her."

Michaelson once again jumped in, "Did that work?"

"Not by a longshot," replied Kirby.

"Do you want me to try from my end?" asked Michaelson.

"I don't think it would do any good. When I approached him the next day and asked him to identify himself, he told me to call our headquarters in DC and read the duty officer the telephone number on his business card in reverse order; he would wait right there for me. Almost as soon as the last number was off my lips the duty officer was practically screaming 'Back Off! Break contact immediately'. I said I needed to find out who this guy was, and I would arrest him if necessary to determine his identity. The duty officer raised his voice higher and said, 'Deputy, you do not have the authority to arrest this person. You do not even have the authority to speak to this person. You will break contact now on my orders.'"

Michaelson stuttered as he said, "I've never heard of such a thing. I assume since you are still on duty that you broke off the contact."

"I tried," said Kirby. "But the guy wanted to talk to me off the record. He offered to sit in my car and enlighten me, so I agreed."

"So we know nothing about this guy, but he apparently is very well connected and he doesn't appear to be a threat to our protectees. Correct?"

Kirby thought for a minute and said, "We know he goes by 'Bobby', he drives a restored 1965 Chevy Corvair convertible, and the relationship with Francis Reid appears genuine. However, there is another development that ties in here somehow."

"What's that"

Kirby pondered before continuing, "From what I have determined in reviewing the history on the Harpers, the daughter, who we now know as Katie Freeman was pregnant when she entered the program. Her son was born almost eight months after we accepted them. In the 10 years that she has been in the program, Katie Freeman has not dated, been in a relationship, or from what we can tell, ever corresponded with a man. She has led a solitary and apparently celibate life for 10 years until this week."

"How is that relevant?"

"Because," said Kirby, "After ten years of being a nun, Katie Freeman faints at the sight of a strange man on one day, and then the very next day she spends the night with him at his house, and the next day she introduces him to her parents. Is this all out of the ordinary enough yet?"

"If not yet, it's getting close," said Michaelson. "So have you spoken to Katie Freeman about this?"

"I tried, but she dismissed me."

Michaelson went on, "Send me a copy of your written report when it is ready, and keep me posted on new developments. In the meantime, see what can be done to get the Freeman parents moved back to the house sooner rather than later. We need to circle the wagons until the FBI gets back to us on what Alexander might have leaked."

"Understood, I'll get on it immediately. Do we want to notify the locals yet?"

Michaelson considered this and said, "You know the terrain better than me. I'll leave that decision up to you. Anything else?"

"No sir, thank you," Kirby said, and the call was ended.

Chapter Four - Friday

A tapping at the bedroom door woke Bobby. Katie was beside him and apparently was able to remain asleep. Bobby was feeling mischievous, so he said "Come in" in a voice loud enough for JR to hear him through the door.

Katie opened her eyes just as JR stepped into the room. She was still curled up next to Bobby with her head on his chest, and it took her a minute to register the situation. When she did, she promptly reached under the covers and pinched Bobby in a spot that he would remember for a while. She then made sure the sheet covered her entirely as she rolled onto her back and smiled at her son.

"Good morning sweetheart. How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Really good" JR said. "The sleeping bag was real comfy. Thanks Bobby."

"I've always like that sleeping bag too" Bobby told him, as he reached under the covers and pinched Katie back. She jerked away and smiled at JR.

"Did you need something JR?" she asked him.

"Not really" he said. "I guess I just wanted you to know I was up."

"Thanks JR." she said "Why don't you go put on your slippers and we'll come out and have breakfast in a few minutes."

"Okay mom" JR said as he left the room and closed the door.

"You are going to give our son a complex if you don't watch yourself buster" Katie giggled as she rolled on top of Bobby.

Bobby had JR eating a toaster strudel and a banana by the time that Katie joined them in the kitchen. She had already dressed and put her hair in a ponytail as she eyed what JR was eating.

"Do you want some cereal or anything else" she asked JR. "I know that neither you nor Bobby will eat eggs."

Bobby raised an eyebrow at this statement. He had never liked eggs, but found it curious that his son seemed to share his aversion.

"No thanks mom" JR answered. "Four of these toaster strudels and a banana filled me up.

"Four?" she asked looking at Bobby with confusion.

"I try to avoid keeping opened packages, so JR was nice enough to help me finish off the entire thing" Bobby told her.

"How many are in a package?" She directed her question to JR.

"Six" JR replied. "Bobby could only handle two of them, so I had to eat the rest."

Katie just smacked her forehead and laughed.

"Mom?"

Katie turned to him and said "Yes JR?"

"How do you make your eyes change color?"

Bobby cocked an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

"How do you mean?" she asked, stalling for time to come up with an answer.

JR stared at her eyes and said, "When I woke you up your eyes were a different color, and I was wondering if everyone's eyes changed color when they sleep, or if you do something to make it happen."

"Wait here a second" Katie told him, as she got up from the table and left the kitchen.

She returned within a couple of minutes holding a hand mirror, her contact lens solution, and her lens container. She set them all on the table and told JR to watch her. She squeezed some solution into one of the lens receptacles and then took off her glasses. She picked up the mirror and used it to guide the removal of the contact lens from her left eye. Once she had placed it into the solution, she turned and looked at JR.

"Wow" JR said. "You have great eyes Mom. Why do you change their color?"

She smiled at JR and told him "Your eyes are the same color as you father's, JR. I wanted you to have the same joy of looking into those color eyes that I had with him, and continue to have with you."

Katie replaced the contact and put her glasses back on.

"I would like to be able to see your regular eyes" JR said.

Katie offered, "I'll tell you what, JR... I will stop wearing the contact lenses when we are home, but I will continue to wear them when we leave the house. Other people who have come to recognize my eyes with the contacts would get confused and ask too many questions. Is that okay?"

"That would be nice" said JR. "I can see my dad's eyes and my mom's eyes."

Bobby interrupted them with his question, "So PattyKat, do you want anything for breakfast?"

JR looked confused, and then smiled and said, "Oh yeah, that's you mom. You're PattyKat"

Katie giggled and said, "Well I did have my heart set on a toaster strudel, but..."

Bobby pulled a plate from behind his back with two frosted toaster strudels and a banana on it.

JR broke out laughing, "Fooled you!"

Katie laughed along with Bobby and JR, but she was in no way surprised that Bobby had known what she would want, and fulfill her request without her having to ask. She silently hoped that her son would inherit his father's skills, and that he would find a girl that appreciated them as much as Katie did.

Bobby went with JR to help him roll up the sleeping bag as Katie finished her breakfast. They were back in the kitchen shortly with JR carrying his backpack and Bobby also carrying one of his own.

"I guess everyone is just waiting for me" Katie said.

Bobby bent down and kissed Katie's forehead then said, "Take your time. You're well worth waiting for. JR and I will start loading stuff into the car."

JR followed Bobby outside to the car. As Bobby opened the hood (trunk) for them to stow the backpacks, JR asked, "Who was PattyKat?"

Bobby patted JR's shoulder and said, "She is a girl I love with all my heart."

"How long ago?" asked JR

Bobby considered the question and replied, "It started long ago, but it never ended. I still love her as much today as I ever did, maybe even more."

JR had a look of dread on his face when he said, "But what about my mom?"

Bobby understood JR's question, so he said, "JR, what did I say I was naming your mom last night?

JR was ready for this and he said, "You said you would call her PattyKat, but that's just a nickname."

Bobby knelt down and put both hands on JR's shoulders. "JR, I told you I would never make a promise I couldn't keep. Do you remember that?"

JR nodded, and then Bobby continued, "I promise you JR, that I love your mom as much as I ever loved PattyKat, and that's why I am able to call her by that name. Someday you will know how that is possible, but for now, you'll just need to trust me and your mom. Okay?"

"My mom doesn't miss my dad when she is around you, and that scares me." Said JR "I'm afraid she won't ever tell me about him."

"What do you want to know about your dad, JR" asked Bobby

"Lots of things" JR replied "But mostly why he left me and mom."

"What makes you think he left you?" asked Bobby

"Because he's never come to see us" moaned JR. "If he wanted to see us, he would have come."

Bobby sat on the ground and pulled JR onto his lap. He placed his hands on the sides of JR's face and moved his head until JR was looking straight into his eyes.

"JR, I can assure you that if your dad knew that he had you as his son, he would move heaven and earth to be with you. If he hasn't come yet there has to be a very good reason that has kept him away."

JR shook Bobby's hands from his face and said, "But if my mom likes you, then where does that leave my dad?"

Bobby was almost at a loss, but he tried anyway when he said, "JR, neither your mom nor I will ever do anything that would keep you from meeting your dad. Remember how your mom changed her eye color so you would recognize your dad's when you saw him? Does that sound like someone who would do anything to deny you the opportunity to know your dad?"

JR thought about that and said, "I guess not. But Bobby, your eyes are the same color as mine and my mom's when she has her contacts in. How will I know my dad's eyes when I see them?"

Bobby knew the answer to that, so he told JR, "You'll know it by what the eyes tell you. Look beyond the color and you will see what the person is feeling. The eyes are the window once you learn how to look through them."

JR didn't fully understand, but he was mollified for the time being. Katie came out and asked what was up.

"Just guy stuff" said Bobby as he lifted JR off his lap. "So what's the plan?"

Katie walked over and gave her hand to Bobby then pulled him to his feet. "Why don't we take JR to see my parents and then play things by ear?"

"Works for me" Bobby said.

JR yelled "SHOTGUN" and started for the front passenger seat. Katie was on him like a missile and wrapped her arms around him. "No you don't buster, that's PattyKat's seat." Katie looked to Bobby for confirmation.

Bobby smiled and said, "She's right JR. Since I have owned this car, no one -- and I mean NO ONE other than PattyKat has ever sat in that seat. It is permanently reserved for the girl I love."

JR hollered, "Ewww, cootie seat!!" as he jumped over into the back seat and Katie settled into HER seat. Bobby went to lock up the house, and then they drove to the nursing home.

Bobby parked his car in the same visitor's spot he had used yesterday. As he did so, he noticed that the same car that the Marshals had been in was sitting in its same space, but this morning it was empty.

The sky had a smattering of clouds, so not knowing how long they would be visiting with Katie's parents, Bobby decided to put the rag top up before going into the nursing home. JR had already jumped out of the car before Bobby came around to open the door for Katie.

As he helped her out of the car, he looked down at JR and said, "Since you did such a good job helping me put the cover on the other day JR, do you want to help me put the top up today?"

Katie offered, "You go around to your side Bobby. I'll show JR on this side."

Bobby went to the driver's side and he and Katie performed a ritual they had shared each day for almost two years so long ago. Katie explained every step to JR, and once the rag top was in place, showed him how to secure it to the top of the windshield frame.

"Now for the hard part" she said. "Bobby's car doesn't have power windows, so someone needs to crawl into the back seat and roll those up by hand. Why don't you do the back windows JR while Bobby and I do the front ones?"

Without argument, JR folded back the front passenger seatback, climbed into the back seat, and quickly rolled both windows fully up. By the time he had crawled back out of the car, Bobby and Katie had completed their windows and were standing beside each other waiting for him.

All of his mother's pictures showed the car with the convertible down, so JR had no idea what the Corvair would look like with its top up. He asked Bobby, "It's made of cloth, so how does it keep water from getting into the car when it rains?"

Bobby took Katie's hand and put his other hand on JR's shoulder as he steered them towards the entrance to the nursing home. "A couple of tricks were used, JR. First, the material used is a heavy duty canvas-like fabric that has a very tight weave. Then, it is soaked with various chemicals to make it repel water, and those chemicals get re-applied when I notice any spots where the water isn't beading up. Finally, the top is actually several layers, with one of those being a thin film of plastic sheeting. Water gets in around the windows and seals on occasion, but it generally has to be aimed directly at the area for that to happen."

Katie agreed, "I remember one time in your dad's car when a big truck passed on my side and splashed a bunch of water against my side window. I didn't get soaked, but I definitely got some water on me."

She smiled at Bobby knowing he remembered the event as well as she did. Bobby acknowledged her with a nod and a smile of his own.

Katie asked Bobby and JR to wait while she checked with the reception desk to see where her parents might be. She returned to them and said, "They're in their room packing. Let's go see what's up."

Katie took JR's hand in her right and Bobby's in her left as she led them through the halls to her parent's room. The two Marshals from the parking lot were waiting outside the room and approached Katie. They ignored Bobby and the driver from yesterday addressed Katie directly.

"We're glad you're here Ms. Freeman. This makes things much easier."

Katie looked at Bobby and then responded to the Marshal who had spoken to her, "What happened? Are my parents okay?"

The Marshal replied, "They're fine mam. As soon as suitable transport arrives we'll be taking them back to your house. We have been ordered to return you and your son to the house as well, so you being here now will allow us to transport all of you together."

Bobby said, "You worry about her parents and I'll get Katie and JR home."

The Marshall looked at Bobby for the first time and said, "I'm sorry sir, but I have my orders."

Katie started to say something but the squeeze of Bobby's hand silenced her. He then released her hand and walked over to the Marshal who had been the passenger yesterday. Keeping his voice low so that Katie and JR couldn't hear him, he asked, "Why the security escalation? What has happened?"

The Marshal started his reply, "I'm sorry si...", but Bobby raised his hand to stop him.

With a look that almost had the Marshal contemplating that he should pull his weapon, Bobby softly said, "Call your duty officer in DC and hand me the phone."

Katie, JR and the other Marshal looked on as the Marshal Bobby had been speaking to pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number, and then handed the phone to Bobby. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman were also watching from the door of their room.

Bobby stepped a bit further down the hall, motioning for the Marshal to follow him to distance them from the others. When the phone was answered on the other end, Bobby quietly said, "Listen up. 'Protocol Pioneer'." He recited his personal identifier code and continued, "You have 30 seconds to acknowledge. Let me know when you're ready."

The duty officer was acknowledging within 10 seconds.

"You have my authorization? Please confirm." Said Bobby.

"Authorization confirmed" came the reply.

"Then your instructions are as follows" Bobby continued while staring into the eyes of a very surprised U.S. Marshal, and occasionally glancing at Katie to reassure her. "Contact Deputy Marshall Kirby Wallace and inform him that he is ordered to be at the main gate of Lackland Air Force Base at exactly thirteen hundred hours today. He will identify himself at the gate and be given further instructions at that time. Please repeat your instructions back to me."

His instructions were repeated back without delay. Bobby then ended the call and handed the phone back to the Marshal. Bobby addressed both Marshals when he said. "Your Duty Officer can explain things to you if necessary. I will need a few minutes alone with the Freeman family in their room. You can wait outside, go check on the status of their transportation, or get some coffee. I don't care."

Without waiting for a response, Bobby took Katie's hand and led her and JR into her parent's room. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman stepped aside to let them in. Bobby closed the door and made sure it was latched before speaking, addressing Katie's parent first.

"Did the Marshals give you any indication why they wanted to return you to your house today?" he asked them.

"No, they just showed up after our doctors visited us this morning and said we had been released and were going home." Mr. Freeman said, with his wife nodding her agreement. Then Mr. Freeman continued, "Who were you talking to on that Marshal's phone?"

"It's not important..." Bobby said.

"Not important?" said Katie. "The Marshal standing next to you looked like he was going to cry, and I'm pretty sure the one next to me soiled his pants."

"I'll try to explain later" Bobby said. "We need to discuss other things right now. First of all, Katie, I would like you and JR to return to your house with your parents." He pulled something out of his wallet and handed her what looked like a Visa credit card.

"You sending me on a shopping spree?" she teased.

Bobby was glad to see her mood lightening, and he didn't want to stop that, but he needed to continue; "Maybe later. For now I want you to find a place on your person to hold that card whenever I am not with you. Inside a shoe, in a pocket, or anyplace else you feel comfortable with. Just don't put it in your purse... keep it on your person. Understand?"

"Perfectly" she said without question.

"Good." Bobby kissed her forehead and continued. "I don't know what's changed, but I am going to find out. My concern is that I not lose contact with any of you, so stay close to Katie as much as possible. I should be able to join you at your house by late afternoon. Katie, let's exchange cell phone numbers, but don't enter a name in your directory for mine. Let me know when you're ready."

Katie pulled out her cell phone and said "Ready". Bobby read his number to her and she entered it as he did so.

"Now call me" he said. She hit the dial icon and Bobby's cell phone rang a couple of seconds later. He answered and disconnected the call, then saved the number into the phone's memory.

"That's done" Bobby said as he put his cell phone back into his pocket.

"I'll wait with you until your transportation has arrived and I know the Marshals have you safely on your way home. Excuse me a minute while I go inform them that you're ready to go."

Without waiting for a response, Bobby left the room, closing the door once again behind him.

***

"Michaelson", was the curt reply as the phone was answered.

"Sir, Wallace here." Kirby began, "I had a message to call you."

"Right. Thanks for being prompt." Michaelson's tone was anything but appreciative. "We have received the preliminary report on Alexander from the medical examiner. That combined with a systems access review by the FBI has heightened our concerns.

Kirby suspected that was the reason Michaelson wanted to talk to him, so he let him continue uninterrupted.

"The ME has tentatively placed the time of death at approximately 0900 Wednesday morning. The FBI has confirmed that Alexander was last seen when he left his house on Monday morning. His wife stated that he left at 0730 as he always did. Assuming he was abducted while on his way to his office, it would appear that he was tortured for almost 48 hours before they killed him."

Michaelson continued, "The estimated time of death is telling. The FBI had determined that at approximately 1700 hours on Tuesday, Alexander's user name and password for the Justice Department servers were used to access the system. The user activity recovered has shown significant searching of files related to Alexander's cases, and several megabytes of data were downloaded. The FBI is trying to backtrack the destination of the downloads, but has hit a stone wall so far. At approximately 2100 hours the same day, Alexander's user name and password were used to access our secure servers as well. The user name and password were different than his Justice Department credentials, so it appears that once they knew he had been truthful with the first set, they went back and pried the second set out of him as well. The time online within our system was relatively short, so they must have also been told where to look for what they wanted. The only download that our systems people have been able to identify as being initiated under Alexander's credentials during that login session were for the Harpers.

"Just wonderful" fumed Kirby. "So we have definitely been compromised."

"We need to operate under that assumption" agreed Michaelson. "What are your plans?"

"That depends" said Kirby. "Does 'Protocol Pioneer' mean anything to you?"

Michaelson thought for a minute and then said, "Give me a second to look that one up." Kirby heard the clicking of a keyboard over the phone.

Michaelson was back within seconds, "Wallace, have you been given orders under Protocol Pioneer?

"Yes sir" Kirby responded. "About five minutes before I called you. Do you know the significance of those orders sir?"

Michaelson considered his response before answering, "Wallace, since 9/11 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, there have been several 'Protocols' created that basically dictate the type and scope of inter-agency cooperation and command structures that would best serve the country during various scenarios, usually related to terrorism or other attacks against our country. Protocol Pioneer essentially places select federal law enforcement agencies under the direct command of the Secretary of Homeland Security's office. I can't ask you what your orders are, but I can tell you that they must be followed. Do you know yet how this will impact your assignment with the Harpers?

"Not yet sir" said Kirby. "I hope to know more this afternoon, and if allowed to do so, I will update you then. In the meantime, the family is being returned to their house and the teams are in place to sequester them until further orders are available. I'll pass along the fact that the location and their identity might have been compromised. No one likes surprises."

"Yet they keep coming" said Michaelson as he hung up.

"Yes they do" thought Kirby as he considered his orders. He had a couple of hours yet to ponder them further.

***

Katie's mom was the first to speak after the door had closed. "Pretty assertive young man, if I do say so myself." she said. "He sure instills confidence in me though."

Mr. Freeman chuckled, "Those Marshals sure didn't seem too confident around Bobby. They were both shocked and awed at the same time."

"It's funny you say that Dad" replied Katie with a giggle. "When I asked Bobby what his specialty was at his work, he told me 'Shock and Awe'. Although, I don't imagine there's much money to be made intimidating U.S. Marshals, but I might be wrong.

Mrs. Freeman said, "Well, I'm just glad he's on our side." Katie couldn't agree more.

Bobby returned with the two Marshals after about five minutes. "Transport is here. Everybody ready?"

Katie took JR's hand and led him into the hallway where Bobby took her other hand. Each of the Marshals took one of her parent's suitcases and followed Mr. and Mrs. Freeman out of the room. Bobby, Katie and JR led the group to the lobby and out into the parking lot where a black Suburban was parked in the loading zone just outside the door.

There were two additional men standing beside the vehicle, but before Bobby would allow Katie or JR to approach, he stopped and said, "Identify yourselves."

They both looked past the Freemans to the two Marshals carrying the suitcases. When they nodded to them, the new Marshals presented their credentials for Bobby's inspection. Satisfied, Bobby helped JR and then Katie into the rear most seat in the Suburban. Katie gave him a hug and quick kiss before climbing in next to her son. Bobby then assisted Mrs. Freeman into the back seat while her husband went around and got in on the other side. The suitcases were stowed in the back, the doors were closed, and the two Marshals took their positions in the front seat. Bobby retrieved Patty and JR's bags from the Corvair and handed them to one of the two original Marshals, who placed them in the back of the Suburban as well.

Bobby motioned for Mrs. Freeman to roll her window down so he could talk to all of them. "I'll take care of a few errands and be at your house as soon as possible. Would you like me to pick up a pizza or anything when I come?"

The Marshal in the passenger seat turned to Bobby and said, "I'm sorry sir, but the Freeman home will be under restricted access. You will not be granted entry if you show up there today or in the foreseeable future."

Bobby virtually snarled his response, "Wanna bet?" Then he turned back to the Freemans and said, "Think about it. If there's anything you want me to bring you, Katie has my number. Travel safe and I'll see you shortly."

***

Bobby wasn't scheduled to begin his assignment at Lackland until the following week, but his office had been ready for almost a month. While technically a contractor, Bobby had access to the same staff of support personnel as the upper echelon of the military intelligence command stationed there permanently.

While he waited for Kirby Wallace to arrive, Bobby initiated information requests through various restricted databases. He could not delegate these inquiries to any of the support staff personnel since they would never have been allowed access. There were other areas of his research that he could pass off, but he still did so reluctantly.

Five minutes prior to Kirby Wallace's scheduled arrival, Bobby placed the final file folder onto the stack he had been building on his desk. His phone rang two minutes early notifying him that he had a visitor at the gate. Bobby made a call to notify the escort he had previously arranged.

Kirby Wallace was given a vehicle pass and told to park in a designated space just inside the gate and await his escort. He had barely pulled into the spot when there was a tap on the passenger door window. Kirby disengaged the door lock and a uniformed Air Force captain jumped into the seat beside him.

"Deputy Marshal Wallace?" the officer asked.

"Yes, would you like to see my ID?" Kirby replied.

The captain shook his head and said, "Not necessary sir. The guard checked it at the gate or your vehicle wouldn't be here. I have been asked to escort you to your meeting. Please proceed up this road to the stop sign and then turn left."

Kirby followed those directions as well as few additional ones before reaching their destination on the far southeastern edge of the base. Kirby thought they might actually now be on what used to be part of Kelly Field, but he wasn't sure. He was told to park in front of a nondescript building that was identifiable only by a building number. The captain got out of the Suburban and indicated that Kirby should follow him.

"What's this building?" Kirby inquired.

The captain considered the question, and then replied, "Classrooms".

Inside the doors was a small lobby that had no chairs or other furniture. There was a single door with a numeric keypad next to it. The captain entered a code and the door lock released, allowing them to enter. Kirby followed his escort down a wide hallway lined with unmarked doors. When they reached a cross hallway, they turned left and went about halfway down it before the captain knocked on one of the doors.

"Come" said a voice from behind the door.

The captain opened the door, snapped off a crisp salute and while standing at attention said. "U.S. Deputy Marshall Wallace, as ordered sir."

Bobby returned the salute and said, "Thank you captain, you are dismissed." The captain turned and departed, leaving Kirby standing in the doorway.

"Thanks for meeting with me again Marshall Wallace" said Bobby. "Please come in and close the door. Have a seat."

Bobby was sitting behind his desk dressed in the uniform of a full bird colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Kirby now understood the deferential treatment that the captain had displayed towards him.

"So you're a colonel in the Air Force" said Kirby as he took the chair in front of the desk.

Bobby grinned and replied, "Don't let appearances fool you. I am no longer in the Air Force, but sometimes it's better to walk like a duck and talk like a duck in order to get others to accept you as something other than a goose. I could be a second lieutenant in the Marine Corp and still outrank you."

Kirby was no longer surprised that this man knew that he had left the Marines at the rank of Gunnery Sargent. "I figured that out a couple of days ago." He said. "So what's the agenda for this meeting?"

"We're going to help each other" Bobby said "But let's get a few things out of the way first. To start with, I am going to be providing you with information that is imperative for you to make some decisions I will be requesting of you, so I have made arrangements to have your security level raised accordingly.

Kirby just nodded.

Bobby picked up the phone on his desk and said, "Major, please bring the document into my office." In less than a minute an attractive female officer entered Bobby's office and crisply saluted. Bobby returned the salute and said, "At ease. Major Lewis, please explain the document to Marshal Wallace."

She handed the paper to Kirby and said, "Your increase in security level brings with it some rather harsh consequences for you should you share anything with unauthorized individuals. If you have doubts about what information you can share with someone, check with either myself or the Colonel and we will guide you. Understood?"

Kirby just nodded once more.

"Please sign the document where indicated", she said.

Kirby did so. Major Lewis retrieved the document from the desk, saluted Bobby once more, and exited his office.

Bobby continued, "Excellent. Now the next thing is for us to get better acquainted." Bobby stood and extended his hand to Kirby. "My full name is James Robert Brandt, but my friends and family call me Bobby." Kirby stood, took the proffered hand and shook it. Bobby returned to his seat and Kirby sat back into his.

Bobby pointed to the stack of files on the desk and said, "Marshal Wallace... Can I call you Kirby?" Kirby nodded.

"Okay Kirby" continued Bobby again pointing at the files, "If you pick up that top folder, you will see it is a partial personnel record on me. I can't allow you access to everything, and of course nothing in it can leave this room, but I wanted to offer what I could to you in hopes that we can come to trust each other. Take your time looking through it."

Kirby opened the file across the desk and started with the first page. The record began with Bobby entering the Air Force Academy, followed his career through the Air Force without a great deal of detail, but what there was showed a career on the fast track. Various pilot and other certifications were listed, as were several medals, including a Purple Heart, but without explanation for why they were awarded. The record ended when Bobby was honorably discharged from the Air Force two years ago. The fact that he was no longer in the Air Force but was accepted here at the rank of a Colonel was significant in Kirby's mind, but he didn't know why.

"Can I ask a question?" Kirby asked. Bobby just nodded.

"How did you get someone to implement Protocol Pioneer, and what do the Freemans have to do with national security? I assume they're what this is all about since you asked for me" Kirby said.

Bobby gazed at Kirby and said, "This is where the trust starts Kirby. This isn't about the Freemans, it's about the Harpers. I am the one who implemented Protocol Patriot, and with the approval of the Secretary of Homeland Security I am designating the situation with the Harpers as vital to our national security. Believe me, I have the authority to do it, and I'll explain the reasons later. You can pick up the second folder in the stack..."

Kirby tried to keep his reaction to the use of the Harper's name hidden, but he was sure he had failed. He opened the second file on the stack and knew instantly that he probably would not have to go any further with it. He had it committed to heart. Or did he? He leafed through the pages until he came to the document he was searching for and then said, "I'll be a son of a bitch."

Bobby knew by Kirby's expression that he had found the document he had wanted him to find. When he had first seen it himself, he almost cancelled the meeting to drive over to Katie's house. All the words and explanations over the past few days didn't drive home the reality for him as much as that one piece of paper. His son's birth certificate.

Bobby smiled at Kirby and said, "I promised you I would tell you when I figured out what was so familiar about Katie Freeman, and I always keep my promises. Do you want the long version or the short?"

Kirby was grinning back when he said, "Start with the long version Bobby, and we'll go from there. This is going to be good."

Bobby grinned back and began, "First of all, you guys did a great job making the Harpers disappear. Great job. No one had any idea what had happened or where they went. Patty Harper and I dated through most of high school, and I was actually the one that found that they had vanished when I went to their house to pick her up for our senior prom. We filed the standard police reports, and contacted anyone that knew them, but as you know, it was pointless. I never knew that Patty was pregnant when she disappeared."

Kirby nodded to acknowledge the compliment, and then Bobby continued.

"Fast forward to this past Tuesday. Now it's important to know that Patty Harper had met every member of my immediate family while we were dating, with one notable exception. Her and my sister Francis always just seemed to miss each other whenever Franc came home from school to visit. I think you'd agree how ironic it is that unbeknownst to anyone, JR and Joey Reid became friends when they are actually cousins. Anyway, as you and I discussed the other day, there was something familiar to me about Katie Freeman when I met her. Her fainting and quick departure on Tuesday left me with more questions than answers. After you and I had our talk at the baseball field on Wednesday, I went to my sister's and Katie Freeman again showed up. I started paying closer attention to her movements and mannerisms'; trying to identify what was so familiar about her. As she sat down on a chair next to me on the deck, I sensed something in her movements. Then she said something to me that made me turn to look in her eyes, and I asked her to repeat it. As soon as she did, I knew. All the pieces fell into place, and I knew, and she knew I knew. She started crying and ran into the house. I saw JR playing in the pool, and just had to confirm my suspicions about him. I was back in my chair by the time Katie came out and informed me that we were leaving, just her and I."

Kirby shook his head and said, "So this is just the mother of all coincidents? Unbelievable."

Bobby nodded and continued, "Katie and I spent the night at my place talking. She explained what had happened and why. We, or I should say I, thought that we could make everyone, especially you Marshals, believe that her and I had just met and were starting a new relationship."

Bobby made sure that he had eye contact with Kirby before he said anything further. When Kirby's eyes met his, he said, "I genuinely respected your position Kirby. I knew that if my past history with Patty Harper, slash Katie Freeman was known, you would consider their cover compromised. I was never a threat, but I didn't want to put you in the position of having to deal with it. I apologize."

"You did the right thing" Kirby said. "No harm done."

"Thanks" said Bobby. "I think I have pieced together what has caused the sudden increase in security for the Freemans, but I want your perspective on the situation and then we can discuss strategies."

Kirby nodded and explained, "If you guessed the murder of Federal prosecutor Alexander, then you were right. Alexander was obviously tortured prior to his death, and we have learned that he apparently was forced to divulge his system access credentials, both to the Justice Department servers as well as the U.S. Marshals Service WITSEC database. Based upon an analysis of the files viewed using his credentials during the time we know he was being tortured, we are convinced that the identity and the location of the Harpers has been compromised."

"Explain your contingency plans for this type of situation" Bobby said.

Kirby reviewed the plans in his head before offering, "The first thing is to immediately tighten the security perimeter, which has already been done. Next we begin development of new identities and determine another suitable relocation spot. While that process is underway, we continue to evaluate the risk factors through monitoring of any friends, family, or neighbors that could be potential targets to draw the Harpers out of hiding. We have the option of immediately placing the Harpers on a restricted access military installation like we did last time, but that is still under review at this time."

Bobby sat back in his chair, looked at Kirby and said, "Together, we can do better. I could make arrangements to accomplish what I am proposing, but I think we would both appreciate you having an opportunity to accept things willingly."

"What would I be accepting?" asked Kirby.

"I want you to come to work for me" Bobby replied. "Kirby, I told you that I respected your position the first time we spoke. That respect was built on what I recognized in you and your keen perception of situations. I can assure you that the resources I can provide you will make the task of protecting the Harpers much easier, but I believe your experience has a bigger role to play in our national security framework, and I want you on my team."

"What team?" Kirby asked.

Bobby smiled and said "Meet me at the Freeman's house at 5 p.m. today and I'll try to fill everyone in on how this situation is going to be handled. In the meantime, you may want to let the Deputies at the house know that Major Lewis is on her way there with documents similar to the one you signed to present to Katie. Unless they want to be steam rolled, they will simply verify her ID and grant her access. I will also be asking my sister, her husband and their son to join us. Make sure they are on the approved access list as well."

"What about you?" Kirby asked. "Do you want me to make sure you're not denied access?"

"Not necessary" said Bobby, "but thanks for thinking of me. One last thing... the cameras and sensors installed at the house will experience some anomalies whenever I am in the house. Let your techs know not to panic."

Kirby nodded, stood and shook Bobby's hand, and the said "See you there." When he opened the door to the hallway his escort was waiting for him.

Bobby changed out of the uniform and left immediately after Kirby had been escorted from his office. He was pulling up to the curb in front of his house twenty minutes later. He left his car on the street while he backed his truck out and also parked it along the curb. He then pulled the Corvair all the way under the carport, lowered the top down, and then put the canvas cover on and secured it in place. Finally, Bobby backed the truck back into the drive, and then went to work in it.

Bobby quickly cleaned the trash left over from his move into a plastic grocery bad, and then threw this into the trashcan along the side of his house. He wasn't too concerned about the mess, but he wanted to use the activity as a chance to reconnoiter his surroundings to make sure no neighbors or other visitors might interrupt his next task.

The crossbed toolbox in the back of his extended cab pickup looked standard, but like many things Bobby owned, he had personally customized it, with security being the major upgrade feature. It had electronic locks that allowed the re-enforced metal lid to be opened only when the right series of buttons were pressed on the truck's key fob remote, or the hidden release button inside the truck was used.

Reasonably confident that he would not be surprised by any visitors, Bobby pressed the toolbox release inside the truck and then proceeded to inspect its contents. He quickly determined what items he would need to supplement the inventory of the toolbox, then closed it and went into his house.

Opening the cupboard under the kitchen sink, Bobby saw what anyone else would expect to see in all the different cleaning supplies stored there. Bobby selected a plastic gallon container labeled as "Environmentally Safe Carpet Cleaning Concentrate". He then went to the entry closet and pulled a box off a stack of games on the top shelf. The white box had generic print that simply said "One Dozen Refillable Bingo Daubers". As Bobby had used them several times in the past, he knew these 2-oz. bottles were definitely refillable, and included a removable sponge-tip applicator and twist cap.

Bobby took the box of empty Bingo daubers to the kitchen sink, pulled on a pair of heavy-duty rubber gloves, and proceeded to fill each one with the contents from the gallon container he had selected earlier. He then replaced the gallon container under the kitchen sink, packed the twelve smaller bottles to their box, closed the top of the box, and then set it by the front door.

Grabbing a medium-sized duffle bag, Bobby proceeded to pack enough clothes to get him through work Monday morning. He added a few toiletry items, and then carried the duffel bag into his office. Looking through boxes which he hadn't yet fully unpacked, it took Bobby a few minutes to locate the one he sought. Finding it, he removed two photo albums and a manila envelope and put these in the duffle as well. He then set the duffle bag next to the front door and returned to his office.

He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and sorted through the devices on display. He found what looked like a standard two-way digital pager. He checked the battery charge level, and then clipped it on his belt.

Retrieving the duffle bag and the box of Bingo daubers, Bobby locked his front door and walked to his truck. Using the key fob remote to both unlock the doors of the truck, and then to unlock the toolbox, Bobby put the box into the toolbox and closed it before tossing the duffle bag onto the back seat and climbing into the driver's seat. Acting on one last thought, Bobby went to his Corvair, released the cover on the front of the car enough to allow him to open the hood, grabbed his baseball glove, and then replaced the cover.

Starting the truck, Bobby paired the built in Bluetooth hands free feature with his cell phone. Once the connection was confirmed, he began his trip and his first of many calls along the way.

***

Katie had just finished starting a load of laundry when she heard a knock on the front door. She knew her parents were still resting after getting settled into their home again, and she had given JR permission to play a video game in his room, so answering the door would fall on her.

The "peep hole" for her front door was not the typical "fish eye" in the wood seen at most homes. While the semblance of the standard peep hole existed for anyone standing on the front porch, their presence was actually viewed through a periscope-like viewer that had the occupant of the house around the corner and behind a wall from the front door itself. The visitor would see the peep hole in the door darken as the occupant studied them, but any attempts to shoot the occupant as they did so would fail.

Katie looked through the peep hole and saw one of the U.S. Marshals standing on her porch alongside what appeared to be a female Air Force officer. She went to the door and opened it.

"Sorry to disturb you Ms. Freeman" said the Marshall. I have been instructed to escort Major Lewis to see you." The Marshal then turned and walked away leaving Katie and Major Lewis alone.

"Please come in" Katie said as she stepped aside to allow the Major to enter her home.

Major Lewis entered the foyer and then stopped and waited for Katie to close the door. "Is there someplace where we can have some privacy?" she asked Katie.

Katie didn't question the request. She somehow knew that Bobby was behind this. He had told her that he had been in the Air Force after all.

"Sure" Katie said, follow me, and she led Major Lewis into her studio office and closed the door.

As soon as the door closed, Major Lewis addressed Katie, "I am with the Air Force Judge Advocate General's office, but I am here today representing the Department of Homeland Security. You will soon be provided with sensitive information related to our national security, and need to be made aware of the consequences of said knowledge. "

The first thing that came to her mind was vocalized, "Who is he?" asked Katie.

Major Lewis remained stoical and impersonal as she replied, "Mam, I am not at the liberty to divulge sensitive information to you. I am only here to insure that you are made aware of the consequences should you share that information with anyone not authorized to hear it. I have a document that details the level of security access that has been approved for you, and the penalties for any breaches of the trust bestowed upon you by your country. Please read this document, and if you agree to the terms, sign it where indicated."

She handed Katie a piece of paper that she had pulled from her bag. She started reading, "At the request of the Director of Operations, Department of Homeland Security, Patricia Kathryn Harper (AKA Katie Carolyn Freeman) is approved for Yankee White clearance ...". She continued reading to the end.

"How will I know who I am authorized to talk to?" Katie asked as she finished reading.

Major Lewis replied, "You can speak to the President of the United States and other personnel as determined by the Director of Operations, Department of Homeland Security, the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. You should not risk speaking with anyone else concerning the information you will be provided access to. Any other questions?"

"You mean I can't speak to Bobby? I won't agree to that." Katie began to hand the paper back to Major Lewis.

"James Robert Brandt is cleared for you to talk to. I'm sorry; I should have mentioned him by name." Major Lewis said.

Katie retracted the paper, looked it over one last time, then took a pen from her desk and signed it. Before she could hand it back to Major Lewis, she quickly grabbed it and folded it back into her bag. She stood there silently waiting...

"Oh, sorry" said Katie, "let me show you out."

She led Major Lewis to the front door without either of them speaking, opened the door and Major Lewis simply walked out and towards her car in the driveway. She was beginning to feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. She hoped that Bobby got there soon. Just then, she heard her cell phone start ringing. It was in her purse in the kitchen and she got to it before it went to voicemail.

"Hello PattyKat, I'm on my way" said Bobby. Did you or your parents want me to stop and pick anything up?

Katie sighed, "Oh Bobby, I don't want to do anything to delay you getting here, but we really could use some milk. Could you get that quickly and without going out of you way?"

"No problem at all" said Bobby. "I have invited Jason, Franc and Joey to join us for dinner, so I was going to stop and pick up the beer he drinks anyway. Franc said she would bring chicken for us to barbeque. Is that all okay with you?"

Katie thought for a minute and said, "It may not be a good idea for Jason and Franc to be here tonight. I was just visited by an Air Force officer, who informed me that I was going to be given access to some sensitive information, so..."

Bobby interrupted her, "Major Lewis visited Franc and Jason before she visited you. I'll explain everything later. What I would like you to do is find things to keep the boys and your parents occupied while the rest of us talk. Okay?"

Katie giggled, "Well in that case, see if you can find a DVD rental of any Harry Potter movie. My parents are nuts over Dumbledore and the boys like the magic. I love you Bobby, hurry back to me."

***

Konstantin Ivankov stood barely in the surf along Malibu Beach. He faced the crashing waves as he spoke to the man beside him. The background noise from the sea, combined with his speaking towards the ocean rather than the shore had foiled all attempts by the FBI and rivals to eavesdrop on his conversations for years.

Alex Ginzburg was accustomed to these beachside conversations. As the main enforcer for Ivankov's west coast operations, he had frequently received his orders with sand between his toes.

"You did well with the prosecutor" said Ivankov to his lieutenant. "Have you verified that the information on Harper is still current?"

"It was current as of the time that our source for the information ceased to contribute anything further" replied Ginzburg. "That was only two days ago and it is unlikely that there has been an opportunity to move the family yet. I have a team on their way to the location now and they should be in place to verify the location by Saturday morning."

Ivankov reflected on the irritation he had been forced to endure for the past ten years. The car wash had been an attractive business for laundering the illegal money his multiple ventures provided, but it had been owned by a drunken fool who couldn't keep his dick in his pants. When the cheated wife began divorce proceedings and her lawyer obtained a court order for a full financial audit of the car wash, Ivankov's people did not react fast enough to protect their involvement. When William Harper had been assigned the task of conducting the audit, they found themselves under the scrutiny of a financial expert who left no stone unturned. Ginzburg's predecessor, Uri Simchuk then made matters worse by bribing Harper while he was secretly wired by the FBI to record the conversation. Believing Harper to be in their pocket, Simchuk continued to expose him to more of the organization's business and opened the flood gates for him to collect enough nails for all of their coffins.

According to Ivankov's lawyers, the government appeared to have a strong case against him and his organization even without the testimony of Harper. His lawyers had spent the last ten years challenging every bit of evidence and obtaining delays and continuances in hopes that something would turn up to discredit the charges or witness such as Harper would be eliminated. Before coming to this meeting at the beach, Ivankov was informed by his lawyers that the death of the prosecutor Alexander would not delay the case because the government had more prosecutors than Russia had potato farmers. Their time was running out.

Even though the conversations at the beach had never been recorded, it was never wise to mention details that could be used to incriminate either man or their organization.

Ivankov thought of how to phrase his next comments, "We have been a disappointment to Mother. For ten years a lack of respect and trust from other families has impacted business. It was our own carelessness that created the scrutiny that has been hanging over us and our other family members, and our inability to clean up our mess will not be tolerated much longer."

"I am confident that we will make Mother proud of us by the end of the weekend" said Ginzburg.

***

At four forty five PM, Kirby Wallace turned his Suburban off FM775 into the subdivision where the Freemans lived. He had to stop for a survey crew in front of one of the lots that was awaiting the home to be built. Several of the lots along this street were either empty and being cleared of brush by their owners, or at some preliminary stage of home construction. Seemingly overnight, five or six large construction waste containers had been dropped in front of the lots. Most of these had been poorly placed by the company delivering them, which turned the normal two lane road into a narrow slalom course that required any car driving down the street to navigate the obstacle at five miles per hours or less. As he approached the spot where the survey crew was in the road, the foreman approached Kirby's window with a clipboard in his hands. He looked at Kirby, glanced at his clipboard, and then motioned for Kirby to roll his window down.

"Give me a second Marshal Kirby and I'll get the equipment out of your way. Mr. Brandt is waiting for you past the last container." He said.

Kirby just nodded as he saw the foreman give a signal and watched two men remove the survey laser mounted on a tripod and several construction cones out of the middle of the road so he could pass. "Quite an inconspicuous roadblock" thought Kirby as he continued to navigate the apparently innocuous path to his destination.

He spotted Bobby pulling some items out of a toolbox in the back of a truck that matched the description he had given Kirby earlier for his own vehicle. As Kirby pulled up alongside Bobby, he rolled down the passenger side window.

Bobby didn't turn, but simply told Kirby, "Give me a second to close the toolbox and we can ride up to the house together in your vehicle. I'll come back for mine later."

Kirby watched Bobby take three small plastic bottles and carried them over to the survey foreman. He spoke with him briefly, and then walked back and jumped into the passenger seat of Kirby's Suburban.

"Hey Kirby" Bobby said as he extended his hand to Kirby.

Kirby shook the offered hand and replied, "Hey. Looks like you've been busy".

Bobby chuckled and said, "I have my days." Then he slapped his forehead and said, "Hold on a second."

Bobby jumped out and walked back over to his truck. He unlocked the doors, opened the driver's side and pulled a couple of grocery bags from the back seat. He jumped back into the Suburban and said "Now we're good to go."

Kirby continued down the entry road to the subdivision, and then turned right onto the cul-de-sac where the Freeman house sat at the end.

Bobby asked him, "Have you made any decision on my offer?"

"I'm in" said Kirby as he pulled into the drive of the Freeman house and waited for one of his team to open the gate.

What Kirby saw instead was a masked man in a black military assault outfit pointing a silenced rifle at him through the windshield. After a brief second, the gun was lowered and the gate swung open. As Kirby pulled through the gate, the man walked up to Bobby's side of the vehicle.

Bobby rolled his window down and said, "SOP Parker?

"Piece of cake" replied the man. "Our guests are waiting for you and Mr. Wallace at their vehicles, sir."

Bobby nodded and indicated for Kirby to continue driving. When they reached the end of the drive, the five U.S. Marshals assigned to guard the house were leaning against one of their Suburbans looking none too pleased with the two masked men who had them disarmed and covered with their weapons. When Bobby stepped out of the vehicle, the masked men relaxed their weapons and sought positions elsewhere on the property. Within seconds, they had disappeared from sight.

The five Marshals all turned to Kirby looking for his support, and of course an explanation. Bobby never gave him a chance.

"Gentlemen, if it hasn't been explained to you yet, this property and the occupants of the house that sits on it are now under protection by the Department of Homeland Security under authority of the National Response Framework core document and annexes. It has been determined that the circumstances that led to the Harper family being placed under your protective custody have now escalated to the point where it is a matter of national security and no longer merely a legal matter."

When the Marshals looked once more to Kirby, he merely nodded and said. "As many of you know, Mr. Brandt has been spending time with the Harper slash Freeman family recently, but what you do not know, is that Mr. Brandt, and by extension the Department of Homeland Security have taken an interest in this matter, and are legally authorized to assume control of the situation."

Bobby said, "Thank you Mr. Wallace. Now what Mr. Wallace did not mention is that he, while retaining his position with the Marshals Service, has agreed to join the task group my company has been contracted to create in order to respond to this threat. If any of you would like to also join our team, just let Mr. Wallace know and the appropriate arrangements will be made to transfer you to us. If you do decide to join us, you will be working with the elite of the elite. Men such as those that forcefully introduced themselves to you today. The men that you have seen and the several more that you have not seen. You encountered the best available to us from the Air Force Special Forces Command, 41st Rescue Squadron of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia; there are a couple of instructors from the FBI Hostage Rescue Team out of Quantico, Virginia; and correct me if I'm wrong Captain Valdez, but weren't you a squad leader with Delta Force before joining us?"

The Marshals looked around to see who Bobby was talking to, and were all startled when the voice from a tree above them said. "Yes sir." Even in the bright afternoon sun and knowing that someone was there, the figure of the sniper above them was barely discernible to their eyes.

Bobby continued, "I am putting together a response organization that will have two separate and distinct components. I am hoping that Mr. Wallace will accept the leadership of the component that you would be part of, but I am not going to commit him to it until he and I have had a chance to discuss it in detail. My suggestion to you is that you consider yourselves off duty this evening, and that you take the time to consider whether you are interested in joining us. Give Kirby a call tomorrow with your answers and we'll all move forward from there. You are free to leave now."

Bobby walked towards the house and Kirby followed behind him before any of the other Marshals had an opportunity to speak or ask questions. Keys to the Suburban that they had been standing next to flew out of some bushes and landed at the feet of one of the Marshals. He picked them up, handed them to another, and then all five climbed into the vehicle and started backing it down the drive. The gate opened as they approached and closed as soon as they were clear. The Suburban drove down the road and out of the subdivision. It passed the Reid SUV as it headed towards the Freeman house with Jason, Francis and JR inside. The gate opened as it approached and Jason barely had to slow before he was able to pull into the drive and park next to Kirby's Suburban.

Katie was waiting on the porch as Bobby and Kirby approached. Seeing Kirby made her apprehensive, but Bobby kissed her on the lips, handed her the grocery bags, and said, "It's okay. Kirby works for me now."

Kirby smiled at Katie's surprise, took the grocery bag with the beer out of her hand and said, "I've always been on your side."

He then walked past her to put the beers in the refrigerator and to give her and Bobby a moment alone. Katie took Bobby's hand, and then noticing the arrival of the Reids, said "Come on in. This should be interesting."

Katie heard a vibrating buzz and noticed that Bobby had what appeared to be a digital pager clipped onto his belt. Bobby was ignoring it, so Katie decided to do so as well. Katie and Bobby joined Kirby at the refrigerator, and they were soon joined by Jason and Francis. Joey had already run up to JR's room to challenge him with video games, taking the DVD's that Bobby had rented along with them.

Katie put the milk in the refrigerator, as well as the chicken that Francis had brought for them to barbeque and then offered drinks to everyone. Jason and Kirby selected beers, while Francis, Bobby and Katie poured glasses of sun tea.

They all stood around the island in the kitchen sipping their drinks. Francis finally broke the silence with her best Ricky Ricardo impersonation when she looked at Bobby and said, "Lucy...you got some splaining to do..."

Jason paused in drinking his beer and told Bobby, "Remember that she's cooking your dinner. I speak from experience." Francis slapped Jason on the arm and then hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"I owe everyone some information" said Bobby. "Let's find a spot where we won't be interrupted and I'll explain everything I can."

Katie led them into her studio office where the couches and chairs accommodated everyone, especially when she selected her seat on Bobby's lap.

Bobby got right to the point. "Please hold your questions until I am through. Otherwise we'll probably never eat." He continued, "As I mentioned to Katie the other day, I left the Air Force two years ago at the rank of Captain. Kirby can confirm that this is what my service records indicate."

Kirby nodded, but didn't interrupt Bobby.

"What the records don't indicate is my subsequent work and related promotions. To make a long story short, I am technically a civilian prime contractor for the Department of Homeland Security."

He went on...

"The National Response Plan in 2004 followed by the National Response Framework in 2007 presented the guiding principles enabling all levels of domestic response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies. The strategic problem with both the Plan and the Framework were that they dealt only with how we "responded" to threats and ignored how we prevented them, and that's basically where I come in. When the Department of Homeland Security was created after 9/11, it became a cabinet level position. The Secretary of Homeland Security and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security are appointed by the President. The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer, and assumes the role of the Secretary of Homeland Security should a vacancy in that role exist. For all practical matters, through my company's contracts I function as the Director of Operations for the Department of Homeland Security, but we do not appear on any organization chart or government payroll record. In practical and operational terms, through my contracts with the Department of Homeland Security, I have the authority on the level of a Major General, and probably a little more due to the Posse Comitatus Act which prohibits the use of the U.S. military personnel for domestic law enforcement purposes. As a civilian contractor, me and the personnel that I sub-contract with are exempt from the Act so I am not limited by its provisions."

Bobby squeezed Katie and asked her, "Do you remember my response when you asked what my specialty was?"

"Of course" she said. "I repeated it to my dad and mom earlier today. 'Shock and awe', which is what you did to those Marshals at the nursing home."

"And to me", said Kirby with a grin.

"Shock and awe is only one facet of my job. I am also specialized in non-lethal combat tactics and their use in the field." Bobby said. "My primary contracted objective is to identify enemies of this country, and then take whatever steps are necessary to demoralize, destabilize, misinform, and to shock them into ceasing any attacks against America or its citizens. Essentially, it is planned and proactive psychological warfare to protect the homeland. I think you can see why the existence of this doctrine as a means of defense would not be one that the administration would want to be known."

Bobby looked to make sure that he hadn't lost his audience before continuing, "The event that really brought me to the attention of the people I now work for occurred when I got my scar."

"What scar?" asked Francis.

Katie replied to her, "Oh it looks awful. It's on his back."

Bobby pinched Katie playfully, "Can I go on?" She swatted him but nodded.

"While assigned to as an intelligence officer with the Air Force Special Operations command, I was flying a C-26 reconnaissance aircraft near the Iraq-Iran border. I could have used reconnaissance satellite images, but I felt that first hand perspectives were more valuable. There was no question that I was solidly within Iraqi airspace when the plane experienced electrical failure and I was forced to eject. The plane had a self-destruct feature that worked perfectly, but due to a sudden updraft, the plane was too close to me when it exploded and a piece of metal cut into my back. I maintained control of my chute and landed without additional injuries about 20 miles away from the border with Iran. A pararescue team was on its way to me immediately, but it took them about two hours to get to my location. Just as they were preparing me for extraction by helicopter, a squad of Iranian border guards opened fire on us. The helicopter evaded because the zone was too hot for extraction until the hostile forces could be neutralized. The two parajumpers were hit by enemy fire, and I had a bullet glance off the injury that I had already received ejecting from my plane. The field dressing that the parajumpers had applied apparently was thick enough to save me. I crawled behind a rock and drug my pack away from the parajumper who was holding it. I pulled out the dazzler I had in it and used it against the Iranians, disabling all six remaining enemy combatants. The parajumpers were alive and helping each other treating their wounds and requesting assistance over their radio."

Francis couldn't container herself, so she asked, "What's a dazzler?"

Bobby said, "A dazzler is a directed-energy weapon intended to temporarily blind or disorient its target with intense directed radiation. Basically it is a weapon that uses light to temporarily disable the enemy without killing them. Anyway, I recognized an opportunity to send a message to the Iranian military and their leaders, so I took things a little further in order to demoralize them and to shock them into ceasing further cross-border attacks against Americans. I applied a neurotoxin I had developed while at the Air Force Academy to their foreheads, which had virtually instant paralytic effects that resembled curare. While conscious, the Iranians were now totally helpless. All American soldiers kept several of those little American flags on wooden sticks that you have seen being handed out by the VFW or at parades and rallies, so I was reasonably confident the parajumpers had some. I went back to the parajumpers and collected six give-away American flags from the two of them and then returned to the Iranians. I knew I was going to leave them alive, but I wanted to make certain that none of these six ever presented a threat to another American soldier. Other than killing a man, the next most effective way of rendering him unsuitable for combat is to take his vision. A well placed poke to each eye with my knife accomplished that, and thankfully without too much blood."

Francis and Katie both gasped. Bobby noticed, but continued...

"I unzipped each man's pants and proceeded to provide them with a very effective erection by shoving the stick holding a small American flag into their penises. Metal rock climbing stakes from the parajumpers' gear were driven through each man's genitals, with a few misdirected strokes from my hammer to insure that all their testicles were crushed in the process. As a final insult to their Islamic faith, I divided our rations of Vienna sausages and filled each man's mouth with as many as I could stuff in each. Then duct tape was placed across their mouths to prevent them from spitting the pork sausages out. They were discovered alive by their countrymen a few hours later and returned to Iran. Subsequent intelligence from sources in Iran, as well as communication intercepts from other Middle Eastern countries indicated that the physical condition of the six Iranian soldiers was achieving legendary status within the radical Muslim factions in several sectors. Cross-border incursions ceased, and the military postings within Iran closest to the border with Iraq were suddenly filled entirely with conscripts. No one else would volunteer for patrolling that area of their country."

Bobby checked the time and saw that he still had plenty. He continued, "So you should realize that I have certain skills that the leaders of our country feel need to be brought to bear against our enemies. At the same time, it would not seem politically correct for these actions to become public knowledge. It's one thing to defend ourselves; it's another thing to proactively take steps to stop someone from attacking us in the first place. While I serve at the pleasure of the President, on the record I am merely the owner of a private consulting firm that contracts with the Department of Homeland Security for "instruction and strategic planning". Kirby, as well as all the men currently securing you and this house are employees of my consulting firm."

He handed each of them one of his business cards, and let them look at it.

Jason said, "So your cover is that you're a contract instructor?"

Bobby chuckled when he replied, "That title was actually the President's idea. Like most politicians, he loves to play word games with people. Instructors are 'teachers'; 'teachers' give 'assignments'; I am tasked with giving 'assignments', so I must therefore also be an 'instructor'."

Bobby directed them back to the business card they each held. "I believe Kirby can verify for you that the information on the card is accurate though, right Kirby?"

Kirby nodded and said, "I couldn't access the records until this afternoon, but the LLC listed is legitimate. The license of incorporation is filed in all fifty states listing James Robert Brandt as one of two partners of the corporation. The other partner is unidentified in any records I could access."

"So as this relates to the point at hand, I am organizing two separate teams. The first team will be led by me, and it will be responsible for destabilizing, demoralizing, and shocking the enemy into ceasing all attacks against any American citizen. I will be discussing the second teams' objectives with Kirby, and my hope is that he will accept the role of leading that team, since I cannot do so myself. The role of protecting all of you is predominantly reactive, and Kirby is better trained in that role than I am, and I trust him."

Bobby addressed the entire room, but he was looking only at Katie when he said, "Now, before Francis cooks us all dinner, does anyone except Kirby have any questions?"

He looked at Kirby and said, "You and I will talk privately in a few minutes." Kirby nodded and remained silent.

Jason spoke up, "You're Francis' younger brother, so you can't be much older than your late twenties."

"Twenty-eight" answered Katie before either Bobby or Francis could respond.

"That pretty young for you to have advanced this far," said Jason.

Bobby nodded, "As I said, some of my skills came to the attention of higher ups, and I have been asked to play a specific role in protecting our country. I just have the ear and the trust of some influential and powerful people within our government."

Katie turned in Bobby's lap and asked, "So are we still in the Witness Protection Program?"

"Technically, yes. At least until a more thorough threat assessment is completed." replied Bobby. "But your protection assignment has been contracted to my company. Kirby will be able to provide further details on that situation within the next day or two."

"Why are we here?" asked Jason, indicating Francis and himself.

Bobby understood the reason for the question. Jason and Francis were being "read-in" on national security secrets that they had no obvious reason to have knowledge of.

"Do you want to tackle that one Kirby?" Bobby asked. Even though they hadn't discussed it, Bobby wanted to test if his confidence in Kirby's perceptive reasoning skills met with his expectations.

Kirby didn't disappoint him, "Based upon our history with the criminal element that we have been protecting Katie and her family from, these people will not hesitate to go after friends or family members to try and draw out their targets. Once the identity and location of the Freeman family was compromised, both the relationships you have developed with them and your proximity to their house placed you all at risk. Your protection was also assigned to Bobby's company."

"So do we have Ninjas guarding our house?" asked Francis.

"Not yet" said Bobby. "A reconnaissance satellite has been repositioned and a team of specialists are monitoring all ground movements with five miles of this subdivision. Additional resources are being staged as we speak, but their deployment will be predicated upon the defensive strategy that I hope Kirby decides to implement. For right now, as long as you are all in this house, you are safe. Again, if he accepts the role I have for him, Kirby will be in charge of the defensive components, and he'll be able to brief you better directly."

"The boys and Katie's parents are probably getting hungry, so if you ladies would like to put Jason to work barbequing chicken, I'll ask Kirby to drive me back to pick up my truck while he and I discuss a few more things. We'll both be back in about half an hour."

Katie hugged him and kissed his lips before whispering in his ear, "I saved my questions for later", and then she slid off his lap.

Francis and Jason followed Katie as they headed towards the kitchen, while Bobby and Kirby left through the front door and walked to his Suburban. Both the Suburban and the Reid's SUV had been moved to allow an impressive RV to be parked at the very end of the driveway.

"Ninja-mobile?" asked Kirby as he and Bobby climbed into his Suburban.

"Gives the team a place to eat and rest in shifts without bothering the family" said Bobby.

Kirby nodded and headed for the gate. It opened before he arrived and he was able to drive through again, barely having to slow. He drove to the tee intersection and parked nose to nose with Bobby's pick up. He waited for Bobby to speak.

"This is where you may bail on the program Kirby, so if that's your choice, I'll understand."

Kirby nodded and Bobby continued, "A play on the classic adage; 'The best offense is a good defense' has never been truer than with what we face here. In order for me to be successful implementing an offensive strategy against the Russian mafia elements we are facing, I need to know that the defensive strategy supports my offensive strategy. I'm going to tell you what I expect, and if you feel that you can't do any of the things I tell you, you're free to go and I'll find someone else. Okay"

"Understood" agreed Kirby.

"Good. The first thing is naturally that the defensive strategy must be iron tight in protecting the Harpers and the Reids. Nothing trumps that singular objective, and I think everyone involved recognizes that fundamental point. Secondly, I will provide personnel, equipment and any resources required to promote the non-lethal capture of anyone that attempts action against your defenses. I need them alive in order to use them to our benefit. Once captured, they will be handed over to others and your involvement with them will cease. There will be no arrests, no trials, and no appeals, so you need to be certain of hostile intent on the part of someone before making the call."

"I'm not concerned with my conscience bothering me Bobby, but thanks for your consideration. What else?

"You know about the satellite, so we can check that off the list. The waste containers can remain in position indefinitely, but we should augment them with some additional measures. I will arrange for explosive sensors be installed on some of them that should warn of any vehicles passing with a bomb hidden."

Kirby cut in, "We can't keep the survey crew in place all the time, and even dummy construction crews would have to be pulled at night to avoid suspicion from the neighbors. The local delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS should be told to identify the drivers assigned to this area and those ID's shared with our team and the local Sherriff deputies who patrol this county. All service and delivery vehicles entering this subdivision will need to be stopped and their business purpose verified with both the company they work for and the resident they are visiting. The Freeman house is secure, so I would suggest that the Reids move in there, at least for the time being. I see our biggest immediate threat being one or more of the family members being abducted in order to draw out the rest of them. The longer we can keep everyone secured together in the house, the longer we will counter any attempts to abduct any of them."

Bobby replied, "I don't know if keeping everyone prisoner in the house is feasible, practical, or logical. I will provide resources to you that will make them venturing out of the house more manageable for your team, but not much can be here before Monday. The same logistical challenges we face in massing resources over the next couple of days will also be faced by the opposition. Saturday is JR and Joey's last baseball game, and I think we have the resources to protect everyone if we keep them together and don't have to split our resources, but that's your call."

"I'll check into the options for the game" said Kirby.

Bobby opened his door and said "Follow me" as he stepped out of the Suburban. Kirby followed Bobby to his pick-up where Bobby was opening the toolbox in back.

"Some of your team already has dazzlers, but here are three more for you to keep or distribute as you see fit. Sargent Parker back at the house can demonstrate their use to you if you need instruction. I'll also leave you the rest of these" Bobby said as he handed the box of Bingo daubers to Kirby.

"Bingo daubers?" asked Kirby.

"Field-Ready Neurotoxin Application Device or FRNAD" said Bobby.

"You're kidding me right?"

Bobby chuckled. "Only kidding you about the name. These are standard, refillable Bingo daubers. They just happen to be ideal for the purpose of applying the right dosage of neurotoxin to a person in the field. Make sure that you're wearing gloves, then just remove the cap and wipe the tip of the bottle across the person's forehead or the back of their neck. The effects are almost instant and will last for approximately two hours. Additional doses can be applied if necessary. There are no long term effects from the application, at least not from the neurotoxin itself. Let me know how many more you need for your team."

Bobby walked back to Kirby's Suburban with him as he placed the dazzlers and the box of Bingo daubers in the rear.

"We better get back for dinner, and then you'll probably want to spend some time with Parker and the rest of your team getting briefed on tactics that are currently in place so you can adjust them as you see fit."

Kirby nodded "See you back at the house."

Bobby walked back to his truck and closed the toolbox lid as Kirby turned his vehicle around and started back down the road to the house. Bobby drove his truck in the gate right behind Kirby, and then they both parked and went into the house to join the family.

Katie once again met them at the door. She laced her fingers through Bobby's and then led him and Kirby out to the back deck where Jason was taking the last piece of chicken off the grill. It seemed that the pager on Bobby's belt was vibrating every few seconds as they walked through the house and she wondered how he could not notice it.

Mr. and Mrs. Harper were sitting on chairs around one of the tables on the deck playing cards. JR and Joey had their baseball gloves on and were playing catch while Jason coached them on both their throwing and catching techniques.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" asked Katie.

Kirby said he would wait for dinner, but Bobby said "Are you sure? I am going to go get myself a beer and I wouldn't mind bringing you back one too."

"You talked me into it" Kirby said.

As Bobby walked with Katie back towards the house, she said "I would be more than happy to bring a beer to you..."

"I have no doubt, but that would mean that you weren't with me, and that has happened far too much today already."

Katie turned and put her arms around his neck. "Maybe I should ask Franc if she's aware of some surgical procedure that would bind our bodies together like Siamese twins. What part of your body would you want to permanently join with mine?"

"Do you really want to have this conversation right before dinner?" Bobby said with a grin. He then pulled Katie to his body so that she would feel the non-verbal answer to her question. He then leaned down and nibbled on her ear, and received the moan he was anticipating as her response.

"Excuse me Bobby" said Kirby as he walked to him from across the deck. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure, just let me grab the beers and I'll be with you in a second."

Bobby and Katie went into the kitchen where Bobby retrieved two beers from the refrigerator, kissed Katie, hugged Francis, and then sought out Kirby in the back yard.

"What's up?" Bobby asked as he handed one of the beers to Kirby.

"Thanks. I just wanted to follow up on something you mentioned during our meeting in your office this afternoon. You had told me to alert the technical team that there might be some anomalies with the cameras and sensors so I wanted to make sure that what their reporting is what you expected."

"What are they reporting?" asked Bobby

"Roving outages that occur only when you are in the house. Their description seems to track with your movements as I remember them since we arrived.

"Then those would be the anomalies I was expecting" replied Bobby. "Tell them not to worry about those. Let's join the others for dinner"

They walked back to the deck just as Katie and Francis brought the last of the side dishes to the table. Everyone began to serve themselves and find seats around one of the tables. Kirby joined Mr. and Mrs. Harper and alleviated their concerns about the Marshal Service causing any problems for Bobby and Katie. He then asked them to update him on their medical situation and any follow-ups or therapies that they might need to attend in the next week or two.

JR and Joey joined the other adults and the conversation turned to the game on Saturday. Both boys wanted to know how late they could stay up tonight since their last game didn't start until 11AM. Apparently, when Bobby was explaining the situation in Katie's office study, the boys had spent the time playing video games and Katie's parents had been reading in their room. The boys still wanted to watch the DVD's that Bobby had rented for them, and said that Katie's parents wanted to watch them too.

"What movie did you rent?" asked Jason.

"Parts one and two of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'," said Bobby.

Francis spoke for her husband when she said to the boys "You can watch them only if you let me and your dad watch them with you. We've only seen the final movies once, and they're always better the second time."

By 7 p.m., dinner was complete. Bobbie and Katie insisted on cleaning everything up and putting away the left-overs so that everyone else could get started on the movies before it got any later. Kirby excused himself and walked to the RV in the driveway to meet with some of his team one-on-one.

Katie made quick work of putting the food away as Bobby rinsed dishes and put them in the dishwasher. There were surprising few dishes since they had used paper plates and the serving bowls now had lids on them and were stashed in the refrigerator.

Bobby followed Katie into the walk-in pantry where she was putting away the unused paper plates. As he hugged her from behind Katie heard the pager vibrating again.

"Someone seems anxious to get in touch with you. That pager has been going off since you got here and you keep ignoring it. Is it one of your girlfriends that you're afraid to answer while you're with me?" She teased.

Bobby gave her a loving smack on her behind and said, "It's not a pager, it's a localized jamming device. When you told me about how secure your house was I assumed the technology installed would include various sensors, microphones and cameras. I am too private a person to want my actions - whether professional or personal -- to be monitored. This gadget prevents that from happening. The vibrations you have been hearing are indications that the device has detected a transmitter and is jamming it."

"There are cameras installed in the house?" gasped Katie.

Bobby recognized her concern and reassured her, "Only in key locations like monitoring the outside entries, bedroom doors from the hall, etc. Bedrooms, bathrooms, your office study, and other individual rooms only have sensors that indicate how many people are present at any given time."

They went back out to the kitchen and Bobby led Katie to one of the stools at the counter. He pulled out his wallet and the keys to his Corvair and set them out in front of them. Katie watched as he opened his wallet, took out a picture and handed it to her. It was her senior picture from high school.

Bobby watched her staring at it and said, "When you joked about some other girlfriend paging me, it hit me that you may not know the whole story."

Katie looked up at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. She waited for him to continue.

"I can almost laugh about it now, but my career in the Air Force could have taken a much different path, or ended prematurely were it not for the picture in your hand, and your Christmas present to me." He held out the key ring fob to her.

"At the Academy, I never dated. I would tag along with other classmates from time to time when they went to strip clubs in Denver or to bars once we were old enough to drink. While the other guys would be buying lap dances or hooking up with girls for one-night stands, I just kept to myself. I know that some of the guys were suspicious that I might be gay. The people who knew me like my roommates and a few other friends were always defending me and telling anyone who questioned my sexual orientation that they only needed to see the picture of my girlfriend in my wallet or read the inscription on my key chain fob. As one of my roommates described it, 'She is like a news crawler on the bottom of the TV as his life plays out on the main screen'. Showing these mollified most people, but there was one other thing that always made the skeptical believe I was totally devoted to one girl - in love with one girl at the exclusion of all others."

"What was that?" whispered Katie.

"I would show them this..." and Bobby pulled the small ring box out of his pocket, then said, "It's the Poesy ring I was going to give you at the prom."

Katie gasped as Bobby opened the top of the box to reveal a white gold ring with an inlaid Emerald-cut Red Garnet stone. As Katie took the ring from the box, she noticed that there was an inscription along the inside that read, 'Pour toute ma vie, de tout mon coeur'.

"What does it say?"

Bobby took the ring from her hand, and as he slipped it onto her finger he said, "'For my whole life, all of my heart'. As I told JR, I never make a promise that I can't keep. I had made this promise to you in my heart ten years ago, and I've never been happier to keep a promise as I am tonight with you."

Katie was too stunned to say anything. She just stared at Bobby and then to the ring he had given her, then back at him -- tears building until they burst from her eyes. She crawled into his lap, put her arms around him, buried her face in his chest and sobbed. When she pulled her face away five minutes later, it looked like a water balloon had burst on the front of Bobby's shirt.

Katie looked up into his eyes and said, "I love you. I want to be Patty again. I mean, I know you love me and will do so regardless, but I want to be me. I want my hair, my eyes, my man, and I don't want to hide anything anymore."

"Actually," Bobby said, "It might be a good idea if Katie Freeman now went into hiding. What better way than to bring back Patty Harper? Let me run it by Kirby, but I think he'll see the logic in it."

Setting her on her feet he stood beside her and said, "Follow me. I want to show you something else."

Bobby led her to the foyer where he retrieved his duffle bag, and he then led Katie to her office and closed the door behind them. They sat together on the couch as Bobby placed the bag at his feet and pulled out a large manila envelope and a photo album. He opened the envelope and handed the pictures inside to Katie.

Katie looked at the top picture, then kissed Bobby and said, "You're going to dehydrate me tonight if you keep this up. Do you know how much this is going to make me cry?"

The picture was of her and Bobby kissing as they stood in front of his Corvair with the Pacific Ocean in the background. The envelope contained Bobby's copies of all their pictures together with the car... the same pictures that Patty had been forced to leave behind.

"You don't have to look at them now" Bobby told her. "I just wanted you to have them again."

She slid them back into the envelope, hugged him and said, "Thank you. Maybe if I see them in small doses I won't cry too much. What's in the album?"

Bobby handed it to her and said, "These are all the other pictures I had of you and me. I thought you should have them as well, but look at them when you feel comfortable doing so. There is no hurry. They're yours as well as mine."

Bobby reached into his bag and pulled out one more photo album.

"What's in that one? Katie asked.

"This one is just pictures of me. My mom put this together from old family pictures. I thought you might want to keep it for JR..."

Katie grabbed the album and immediately started looking at the pictures. "I knew it!" she squealed. "JR looked just like you as a baby."

She continued turning pages and staring at the pictures, giggling when one reminded her of her son.

"Oh my god" she said. "This is like watching JR grow up. Hold on."

She went to her desk and took a framed photo from it. She then returned to the couch and flipped through the album until she found the page she was looking for. When she found it, she laid the photo from her desk next to a picture in the album, and then spun them around so that Bobby could see what she saw.

Bobby smiled at her and said, "I've already seen it. Except for the team name on the uniform and the length of the hair, JR's baseball team picture would be almost the same as mine. If JR sees that, I don't think we'll need to tell him who his father is."

"Can we?" asked Katie. "I mean, are you ready for JR to learn the truth about you?"

"How about tomorrow night? Let's wait until his game is over so he's not distracted."

"Good idea" Katie said as she closed the album and set the photo from her desk onto the table beside the couch.

Katie snuggled up against Bobby, holding her hand up to gaze at her new ring. "Thank you for everything."

Bobby squeezed her and kissed the top of her head as he said, "Don't get too hooked on that ring, at least not on the finger where it currently is. I'm hoping to turn a promise into reality as soon as possible."

Katie pulled Bobby's class ring from inside her blouse and said, "I will always treasure every ring you give me Bobby, but not nearly as much as I will always treasure you."

"How late do you think the movies will keep the boys and your parents up?" asked Bobby.

"Oh I imagine that Jason and Francis will be watching the movie alone after 10 o'clock with the others crashed out and asleep around them. Although, my dad's snoring might make the end of the movie hard for them to hear. I was thinking of making some popcorn and taking it in for everyone and I could give you a better idea after that."

Bobby's cell phone started playing "Hail to the Chief".

"Excuse me," he said. "I need to take this."

He answered the phone put it on speaker and was greeted by a professional female voice saying, "Good evening Mr. Brandt, this is the White House operator. Please hold for the President."

Katie almost fell off Bobby's lap as they waited for the call to be connected.

"You there Bobby?" asked the President of the United States.

"Yes sir," replied Bobby.

"I understand that you have a situation that you are acting upon for us. I have read your reports, and while a little advanced warning would have been nice, I recognize that you sometimes need to take the initiative on your own. I trust your judgment on this and have instructed my staff and the Attorney General to begin working on the spin from our side."

"Thank you Mr. President," said Bobby. "Sometimes forgiveness is easier to ask for than permission, but I'll try not to make a habit of it."

The President chuckled and said, "Is there anything else you need?"

Bobby thought for a moment and then said, "I believe everything is either in place or in the works Mr. President. If something is needed, I should be able to make arrangements without bothering you."

"Bobby, you will never be a bother to me. I owe you and I always will," said the President. "On that note, Kyle sends his best and promises to get in touch with you shortly to see if he can be of any help, now or in the future."

Bobby replied, "Thank you Mr. President. I'm sure I can find some use for Kyle and I look forward to hearing from him."

"Be safe Bobby," added the President, as he ended the call.

Bobby said, "Let me grab my laptop and I'll sit in the kitchen with you while you pop the corn.

"Oh you're funny buster," Katie said as she pushed Bobby until he was lying on the couch and she was straddling him. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what that call was all about. For example, why does the President of the United States owe you and who is 'Kyle'?"

Bobby pulled her down so that she was lying on top of him when he said, "Kyle Mason was one of the parajumpers that were injured trying to rescue me. He is a nephew of our current President, who gives me too much credit for saving the day."

Katie rose off him and helped Bobby off the couch, "I guess you weren't kidding when you said that you had some influential people behind you."

Bobby took her hand as they walked towards the kitchen, "The only person I need behind me is you. The rest are just window dressing. Maybe you can let Francis know that you and I will be going to bed so that she can get the boys settled after the movie?"

"You tired?"

"Looks like I'm going to have to corrupt you all over again, PattyKat. Going to bed does not imply going to sleep."

"Hey, I'm right there with you. However, further corruptive influences from you would always be welcomed. In fact, I may try to do a little corrupting of my own. I've never had an opportunity to buy sexy lingerie, or the need for that matter. Maybe I should get on the Victoria's Secret mailing list? What do you think?"

Bobby smiled at her and said, "You knew the answer before you asked the question, so don't play coy with me."

Reluctantly, Katie pulled away from Bobby and headed for the kitchen. Bobby grabbed his laptop and followed close behind her.

Bobby logged onto the internet and visited a classic car parts exchange site where owners and others would post announcements for parts they either wanted or had available for sale. He found the post he was anticipating and its presence confirmed his instructions were being followed.

The offensive team was taking shape and about to enter the game.

The most challenging aspect had been finding a local base of operations. Most of the military facilities in the San Antonio area were too exposed for his purposes. Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley were ancillary sites just northwest of the city that were used primarily for multi-service training, and it had been relatively easy for Bobby's company to lease a private section of each to allow more secluded operations than they would have had at one of the in town bases.

Katie finished the third bag of microwave popcorn and added it to the large bowl containing the first two. Bobby turned off his laptop and put it back in his bag. Katie carried the bowl and he followed her upstairs to the great room.

"Can you grab the photo albums and bring them with you on the way up?" Katie asked Bobby.

He had to grab his duffle bag out of her office anyway, so he gathered the envelope, the photo albums and his bag and was back beside Katie before she reached her destination.

The boys and Katie's parents were so enthralled in the movie that they didn't notice anyone entering the room. Francis saw them enter and paused the DVD. Katie passed around smaller bowls so everyone could help themselves and sit where they wanted while they watched the movie and ate their popcorn.

Everyone thanked Katie, filled their bowls and were settled back urging Francis to restart the movie within seconds. Katie whispered into Francis' ear and then turned, took Bobby's hand and led him from the room. They were alone in her room down the hall before the DVD had started again.

Katie kept hold of Bobby's hand and led him to the chair in her bedroom and prodded him to sit. She bent down and kissed him and then placed her finger against his lips and whispered, "Shhh".

She knelt before him and took off each of his shoes, followed by his socks. She then rose up and pulled his polo shirt over his head and off his arms. Standing and pulling him to his feet, she unfastened his belt, released the snap on his pants and pushed them over his waist and down his thighs. She followed this with his underwear before pushing him back into a sitting position in the chair. Once again kneeling before him, she pulled his pants and underwear the rest of the way off his body.

Leaving Bobby sitting naked in the chair, Katie proceeded to pick up each article of his clothing, neatly folded them and set them on a table next to the chair.

Returning to stand in front of Bobby, Katie smiled down at him and said, "You're not the only one who can make promises Bobby Brandt."

Katie unbuttoned the top button on her blouse as she said, "I promise that I will never take you for granted."

Moving down to the next button, "I promise that I will always seek to please you."

Then to the next, "I promise that I will strive to grow our physical as well as our emotional love."

She pulled the shirt off her shoulders, folded it, and added to the stack of his clothes. Standing in front of him again, she moved her hands to the waist of her jeans. As she undid the snap, she said, "I promise to always trust your desires."

Then the zipper, "I promise to always share my desires."

She pushed her pants over her hips, down her legs, and pulled them off. As she folded them she continued, "I promise to always tease you and to welcome being teased by you."

Reaching to the front of her bra for the clasp, she added, "I promise to try anything with you and do anything for you."

The bra slid down her arms to her hands, where she grabbed it, folded it and placed it with the rest of their clothes. Walking to stand between Bobby's legs, she took his hands and placed one on each side of her hips and lowered them until they rested at the top of her panties. She placed the thumb of each of his hands under her waistband, and then took her hands from his.

"I promise you a Charlie Rich marriage, starting right now."

It took Bobby a second to snap out of the spell he was under to comprehend what Katie had just said. His hands remained on her hips as he asked her, "What's a Charlie Rich marriage?"

She smiled at him, returned her hands to his and coaxed him to finish the job. Once his hands started pushing her panties down her hips, she answered him.

"Charlie Rich was a country singer" she said as her panties found the top of her thighs.

"I know that" said Bobby. "He was known for his yodeling too. Are you going to yodel to me?"

Katie giggled and said, "No silly, it refers to his most famous song."

Bobby had her panties to her knees when he said, "Why do all the women in my life insist of playing 'Guess That Tune'?"

Katie stepped out of her panties, picked them up and tossed them onto the stack unfolded. She pulled Bobby to his feet and while leading him to the bathroom by his erection said, "No one knows what goes on behind closed doors."

As Katie stood in front of the bathroom mirror, she removed her contacts and clipped her hair up. Bobbie stood there, unable to breathe. Everything about her was absolutely perfect. Her breasts sat high and proud on her chest, not huge but perfectly proportionate to her frame. There was not an ounce of fat on her; instead, her abdominal muscles were well developed and inevitably drew his eyes down to her Mound of Venus, and her legs seemed to stretch on forever, strong and perfectly formed.

"Bath or shower sir?" Katie asked his reflection in the mirror.

"Depends on how much hot water you have."

"Enough for us, but then anyone else who wanted some would be out of luck."

"Then let's just rinse off in the shower and find someplace else to hold you to your promises."

"Maybe I should rinse off alone and then give you a sponge bath," teased Katie.

Bobby opened the shower door and adjusted the water temperature, replying to Katie, "Then we'd both just end up dirty again. Come join me PattyKat."

She joined him for a quick shower, and then they dried each other off and headed for the bed. Bobby laid out a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt at the foot of the bed in case he needed to put something on in the middle of the night. Katie was already under the covers when Bobby joined her. Bobby propped a couple of pillows behind his head, pulled Katie to him so that she was on her back with her head resting on his shoulder. He then pulled out the photo album of their old pictures so that they could go through it together.

"I thought you wanted to hold me to my promises," Katie whispered.

"I am," said Bobby. "You promised to share your desires with me, and I have known since I handed you this album that your greatest desire was to go through it with me. You need to gain some control of who you are going to be, and you need to regain what was lost when circumstances stole who you were... who WE were. Sharing these pictures with you again will be as intimate as any physical love we might have had tonight, but I can see in your eyes that you need these more and I want to give that to you."

"I feel selfish," said Katie.

"You would be selfish if you denied me the opportunity to fulfill your desires. This isn't a sacrifice... by any stretch of the imagination. I believe that when we are finished looking through these pictures, I will see more love and adoration than hours of sex would ever provide me. If not, then prepare to be ravaged."

"You mean I could have both?"

Bobby chuckled, "Now you're being greedy. Come on, prop yourself up here and let's get started."

Katie leaned back against Bobby and they began going through the pictures of their lives together during high school. She had forgotten how many pictures there were. One of Bobby's friends had been a photographer for the school yearbook, so their days in class and around the different school events together were captured almost on a daily basis. While not every picture of them together made it into the yearbooks, Bobby had been provided prints by his friend as each photo was developed.

She saw their relationship developing through the pictures. Initially she and Bobby were pictured just walking, standing or sitting together. This transitioned into them smiling at each other, and Katie could recognize the change in both of their eyes. Then they were captured on film holding hands while walking through the halls, briefly kissing in the parking lot, followed by more intimate shots of them holding each other as their closeness grew and they felt more confident in public displays of their affection.

Watching the evolution of their relationship through these pictures, Katie realized that Bobby once again had known what she needed before she understood it herself. There was no way that she could have viewed these photos without some form of emotional release. They were too close to her heart for her not to have some reaction. If she had looked at them while alone, the only emotional release she would have had available to her would have been crying. Viewing them with Bobby with her provided so many more options for her to express her feelings -- to show him her love. Kissing his face and chest, stroking his arm, smiling into his eyes... all were physical expressions of her emotions that kept her eyes dry and her heart elated.

It took them almost three hours to finish going through the album. They had stopped many times to reminisce about one photo or another, and Katie was dozing against Bobby by the time he closed the book and set it on the table next to the bed. He turned off the light, scooted down into the bed, and pulled Katie beside him without waking her.

***

"You have confirmed the location of the piece of land we were looking for?" asked Ginzburg. He was speaking to his advance team leader in Texas. Cell phones conversations are among the easiest to monitor, but if they kept the conversation brief and ambiguous, but more importantly spoke only in English, there was little chance of drawing attention to their plans.

On the other end of the conversation, Vitaly Romanof understood the game, "Without a doubt. I got into town on Thursday and made an appointment with a realtor to tour the area on Friday. The parcel we are interested in will require some work, but there is another piece of land just down the street that would allow us to stage our crews close by, and then liquidate that parcel once we are ready to move to the larger one."

Ginzburg understood the message loud and clear. Romanof had played the role of someone interested in purchasing a lot in the same sub-division where the Harpers were hiding out and used a tour of available lots by a local realtor to reconnoiter their objective. He was also being told that the neighbors of the Harpers that the reports said were friends of theirs would be targeted first so that their house could be used to plan and initiate the assault against the Harper estate.

Ginzburg asked, "How soon can we close on either property?"

"I am arranging for some engineers and designers to visit the location with me Saturday morning. If everything goes as planned, we should be able to present an offer by early afternoon."

Ginzburg looked at his watch and calculated the time difference between California and Texas. "Okay, it's getting late for you there. Good work, get some rest, and call me as soon as we have a deal in place."

Romanof acknowledged the order and ended the call. He didn't expect to get much sleep that night because he needed to confirm the arrival of each member of his team that was due to check in with him that evening. Some had flown into airports as far away as Houston and had to drive to the hotel. He expected them to be the latest arrivals, but even those flying into San Antonio and Austin could face flight delays or miss their connections. He himself had been delayed in Dallas while connecting to his flight into Austin. In the end, he could have rented a car at D/FW Airport and made the drive to their hotel in New Braunfels in less time than the four hour delay in his flights took him.

His organization did not have many contacts in Texas, but through a network of associates he had been easily able to arrange for their weapons needs and make arrangements for suitable vehicles. Taking action on the weekend presented some complications, because it limited their choice of ruses that they could employ. Most delivery and service companies didn't normally make residential calls on the weekends, and he would need a sizeable delivery van to get his crew into the area without raising suspicion.

The weapons and vehicles were ready. All he needed was for the entire crew to arrive in time to get enough sleep and go over the plans one last time before tomorrow morning.
Chapter Five - Saturday

Katie awoke and knew she was alone. She rolled over and felt the indentation in Bobby's pillow where he had laid his head, and smiled as she remembered the romantic events of last night and how soundly she had slept in his arms. She missed him.

Sliding out of bed, she put on a pair of cotton pajama bottoms and then chose Bobby's polo shirt from yesterday instead of the top that matched her bottoms. It was far too large for her, but it would be under her robe anyway, and she just wanted to feel him next to her in some fashion this morning.

She found Bobby in the kitchen fixing French toast, hash browns, and bacon while JR hovered around and assisted with whatever Bobby requested of him. Bobby was wearing the gym shorts and t-shirt he had set out last night, and Katie noticed the "pager" clipped to his waistband.

"Is everyone else still asleep?" she asked as she melted into Bobby's back, hugging him from behind.

JR answered before Bobby, "Yep. Bobby and I decided to start breakfast so everyone else wouldn't feel rushed once they finally wake up."

Katie turned and hugged JR, "I'm proud of you, JR. Your courtesy for your guests reflects well on you as a host. Although recruiting one of your guests to actually cook the breakfast may take points away."

JR looked puzzled. "I'm sorry Bobby; I guess I never considered you a guest. You just seem to belong like part of the family."

Bobby patted JR on the shoulder and said, "That's just the way I would want you to think of me JR."

"I like thinking of Bobby that way too, JR, so you're off the hook on recruiting him," said Katie. "Now while I jump in and help Bobby, would you please go upstairs and collect all the popcorn bowls and any other dishes from the great room?"

"Sure mom."

After JR left the kitchen, Katie took the spatula out of Bobby's hand, turned him to face her, threw her arms around his shoulders and said, "You have one very frustrated girlfriend buster. I had plans for you this morning."

Bobby kissed her forehead and patted her bottom. "Maybe you shouldn't have slept so late then."

She moved her hand between their bodies and found her objective in his gym shorts. "If I knew I was sleeping with Farmer Ted, who woke with the roosters, I would have set an alarm."

Bobby countered her by placing his hands on her breasts and squeezing gently. "Well, you can always go ahead and start on your breakfast before the others get down, so that you are suitably nourished for any frustration relief that may be due you. Not saying that any is due you, but I'm offering you the opportunity to prepare just in case."

She nibbled on his earlobe as she whispered, "My promise for this morning is that I am going to ball your brains out whether you like it or not."

Bobby chuckled and was preparing to reply when they heard Jason, Francis and Joey following JR back downstairs. When the group entered the kitchen, Katie was just getting a plate out of the cupboard and preparing to serve herself some of the breakfast Bobby had prepared. Francis insisted on taking over for Bobby so he could eat with Katie and JR.

JR and Joey prepared plates for themselves and joined Katie at the table. Before Bobby could start serving himself, Kirby knocked on the window of the kitchen door to get Bobby's attention, and then motioned for him to come outside. Bobby left his plate on the counter and went to see what Kirby had to say.

"Morning Kirby, join us for breakfast?"

Kirby shook his head and said, "No thanks, the guys were nice enough to share their grub with me. Made me feel like I was back in the Corp." he said with a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that the contacts you set in motion have been calling me all morning asking what we needed from them. I have already asked the NSA to reposition the satellite to cover the park and ball fields starting one hour prior to the game. The exposure in coverage for the house is being addressed through increased ground surveillance with the help of the local DEA task force and some ATF agents in town for a seminar."

"Do you need anything further from me this morning?" asked Bobby.

"No. As I understand it, everyone except Mr. and Mrs. Harper will be going to the game, so we'll keep a suitable presence at the house, but the major deployment will be focused on transporting everyone else to the game and securing the area around the park. I don't foresee any issues, and if they do come up, we have enough in reserve to respond accordingly."

"Good, then I'm going to go finish my breakfast. Holler if you need anything."

Kirby nodded, "Enjoy."

Katie saw Bobby heading back into the kitchen and had a plate filled for him before he closed the back door. She handed it to him, kissed him on the lips and whispered, "Don't dawdle." She then turned and walked out of the kitchen towards the stairs.

Jason and Francis had been joined at the table by Katie's parents. Bobby took a seat at the table but didn't join in their conversation. He focused on eating, and had cleaned his plate within minutes. As he rose to take his dishes into the kitchen Mrs. Harper said, "Leave that Bobby. I'll handle the cleanup this morning so that you all can get ready for the baseball game."

Bobby set the dishes back on the table and said "Thanks Mrs. Harper." He then proceeded up the stairs to Katie's bedroom.

When Bobby entered the bedroom, Katie had just finished spreading the comforter from the bed onto the floor. Bobby closed and locked the door, then turned to her and asked, "Something wrong with the bed?"

Katie was taking off her robe as she answered, "For what I have planned for you, I thought the bed might be too noisy. We don't want to scare our guests do we?" She pulled Bobby's polo shirt off and quickly dropped her pajama bottoms and kicked them aside.

Bobby pulled his t-shirt off as he walked towards Katie's prodding finger coaxing him closer. When he stepped onto the comforter, Katie knelt down and pulled his gym shorts to the floor in one motion. Before Bobby had completely stepped out of them, she had captured his semi-erection in her mouth.

When Katie was satisfied with the results of her handiwork, She pulled her mouth off Bobby, turned around onto her hands and knees, gazed back at Bobby over her shoulder and said, "You. In me. Now."

Bobby knelt behind her and as he moved into position, Katie reached between them and guided him inside her. She was pushing back against him immediately, and then began her own motions at the pace that would quickly build her desires, and his.

"Give me your thumb" she said in a panting voice.

Bobby reached forward and allowed her to suck his thumb into her mouth. She lavished his digit with her tongue and lips for several minutes as she continued to move against him. His finger was soaked with her saliva when she released it from her mouth. She grabbed his hand and directed it to her lower abdomen, trying to position his thumb where she wanted it. Bobby understood her objective and needed no further directions. He used her saliva to lubricate his downward stroke, and then proceeding further between her legs, he used her own juices to lubricate his upward stroke. He replaced his thumb with two of his other fingers and used them to lightly trap and squeeze her little man in the boat on each subsequent trip. Katie had grabbed the comforter in front of her and pulled it into her mouth to stifle her screams of pleasure.

Katie exploded beneath him. Her body shook and trembled around Bobby as the most powerful orgasm of her life tore through her. Bobby remained inside her, but halted his own movements as Katie's body sought the release it craved. After what seemed like several minutes, Katie regained conscious thought and some semblance of bodily control. She once again started moving back and forth against Bobby inside her.

Panting she said to Bobby, "I don't want you to finish inside of me." When Bobby stopped moving she giggled to herself and thought "Maybe his ability to read my needs isn't as omnipotent as I thought."

"Bobby I want to taste you. Please" she pleaded. Bobby stroked her back and continued moving as his acknowledgement of her request.

As they both sensed his impending climax, Bobby withdrew from Katie and she instantly spun around and captured him once again in her mouth. She looked up at Bobby as her tongue caressed him and her hands stroked him to completion. She didn't swallow until he was deflating in her mouth and she had released him from her lips. Bobby could see her tongue moving inside her closed lips as she continued to stare into his eyes, and then she swallowed twice.

Smacking her lips she said, "That was rather pleasurable. What did you think?"

"I think you kept your promise and now I am no longer capable of salient thoughts."

She giggled and pulled him down onto the comforter on top of her. "I always thought you were too smart for your britches. Now I know how to level the intellectual playing field between us."

They kissed with wanton passion for several minutes before Katie broke it off and led him to the shower. When they finished washing each other, they rinsed and dried before setting out to get their own clothes on. While Katie finished with her hair, Bobby made the bed and replaced the comforter. He was sitting in the chair tying his shoes when she came out of the bathroom. She didn't have her contacts in or her glasses on.

"I want to dye my hair back to its original color this afternoon, before we have our talk with JR."

"I don't have any problem with that." Bobby said. "What do you need to accomplish it?"

"I can pick up what I need while we are in La Vernia after the game. I'm sure my mom will insist on helping me when we get home."

Bobby stood and kissed her before saying, "Then it sounds like a plan. Let's go."

They went downstairs where Jason, Francis, Joey and JR were all waiting for them.

"So what are the transportation plans?" asked Katie.

"Francis and I have to stop by the house on the way, so if you guys want to take the boys with you, we can meet you there." said Jason.

Bobby said, "Okay, we'll take my truck and see you there. Come on team, let's go win one."

The boys hooped and hollered as they ran out to Bobby's truck. Bobby opened the door and helped Katie into the front passenger seat before opening the back quad cab doors for JR and Joey. He stowed their baseball gear in the bed of the truck, and then climbed in behind the wheel.

Fifteen uneventful minutes later, they had reached the baseball field and the boys were tossing balls around with other members of their team while waiting for the game to begin. Katie was seated in the bleachers wearing sunglasses, so none of the other parents she spoke with recognized the change in her eye color. Bobby was chatting with the coach from the team they would be playing and the game umpire when Jason walked up and joined them.

"Looks like the whole team showed up for the last game. I shouldn't be surprised because they all want the trophy that gets handed out afterwards." Jason lamented. "Maybe I should give a trophy for attending practices and see if that motivates more of them to show up on a regular basis."

Once the game started, Katie split her time between watching her son on the field, Bobby helping Jason coach in the dugout, and chatting with other parents in the bleachers. It wasn't until the second inning before she realized that she hadn't seen Francis. She looked around the bleachers to see if she may have taken a seat someplace else, but didn't see her. Katie wondered what would have kept her from the game. A woman and what Katie assumed was her husband took seats on the bleachers beside Katie. She didn't know them so she thought they might be there to support the other team.

***

Romanof drove the van at the posted speed limit. He had heard of the notorious Texas speed traps, and from what he could see with all the marked police cars out on the roads, the rumors were true.

In the rear of the van he had his planned compliment of five men. They had sound suppressed weapons at the ready, and the restraints that they were anticipating to need stored in two duffle bags.

He turned the van onto the entrance street for the subdivision and saw that the waste containers from yesterday were still blocking large portions of the street. There was also a large cement pumper truck blocking the road a bit farther down as it prepared to pour concrete for a new driveway. When he brought the van to a stop one of the men at the pumper truck walked up to his driver side window. Romanof rolled the window down.

"Sorry to hold you up. We're trying to find a position for the concrete pumper that doesn't block the road but still allows us to get the crap where we need it." said the concrete guy.

"Can't you pull onto the property itself?" asked Romanof

"Naw, we've tried that before and the sandy soil is too soft. Truck gets stuck and we need a tow truck to pull it back onto the street. I assume you have a flower delivery in the neighborhood?"

Romanof was driving a florist delivery truck, so this was a reasonable assumption for the man to make. "Yes, and several others to make after this one. How much longer do you think you'll have the road blocked?"

"Hard to tell, but it could be a half hour or more at this rate. What is the address you're delivering to? It might be faster for you to park here and walk your delivery in."

Romanof looked at the printed map on the seat next to him, though he knew the address by heart. "128 Forest Meadow. Looks to be about a half mile down the first street on the right..."

"That address sounds familiar... 128...128. Hey is that the Reid house? We poured the concrete for their culvert right after their house was built. I drove by it again this morning and was really admiring the landscaping job they have done on their yard. Best looking in the neighborhood if you ask me."

Romanof looked at his papers as if checking them for the name, "That's the one. Delivery for Francis Reid."

"Oh man, I sure hope the flowers are not in condolence or sympathy for something. The Reids are nice folks."

"Order says they are from her husband for their anniversary," Romanof added. He didn't notice the large dump truck that had rounded the corner behind him and was now effectively blocking any possible retreat.

The concrete guy looked to be in thought for a minute and then said, "Hey, let me see if any of the guys who have parked beyond the pumper might be able to give you a ride down to the Reid's house." He started walking away, speaking into his walkie talkie before Romanof could decline his suggestion.

***

Bobby was sitting in the dugout coaching JR on the opposing team's pitcher when his cell phone rang. He patted JR on his cap, and then walked out of the dugout to take the call from Kirby.

"Bobby, are you near Jason right now?" Kirby asked as soon as the call was answered.

"He's close by," Bobby said.

"I need you to verify our profile data on him and Francis. Can you get him to confirm that their wedding anniversary is February 14^th?"

"I don't need Jason for that. I was at their wedding. I can confirm that their anniversary is Valentine's Day," Bobby said as he glanced around the bleachers for his sister.

Kirby said "Okay. Have the Reids stay put after the game until they hear from me..."

Bobby interrupted him, "Hold on..." Bobby walked back to the dugout and approached Jason.

"Jason, where is Franc?"

Jason broke his concentration away from the game, "When we stopped by the house she had a message that they needed her to work at the hospital today, so she was going to throw in a load of laundry and then drive her own car here. She'll need to head to the hospital right after the game."

Bobby returned to Kirby on his phone, "Francis is on her own, most likely at her house. Get someone on her now."

"Crap" moaned Kirby. "I need to run..." and he ended the call with Bobby and immediately called on his radio. "Parker, get someone to the Reid house immediately and secure Francis Reid." Kirby knew that her car had not left the neighborhood because they had the only entry or exit route currently blocked.

He then addressed his road block team lead. "Looks like we have a bogie. Let's light 'em up."

***

Francis was just moving the last of her load of laundry from the washer to the dryer when she felt herself being lifted and carried out of her house over someone's shoulder.

"We've been ordered to evacuate you Mrs. Reid" said the man carrying her. Before she could form a question, she was placed into the back seat of a Suburban and the vehicle was immediately speeding down the street back to the Freeman Estate.

Kirby received the report on Francis and then gave his road block assault team the 'GO' command. The man who had been conversing with the driver of the van walked back towards the front of the vehicle, but rather than coming directly to the side window, he paused at the front left quarter panel and held up what Romanof thought was a camera. Romanof never had a chance to react before the dazzler left him blinded and disoriented. He felt like he had been clubbed over the head, yet nothing had touched him.

The men hidden in the back of the van were shielded from the effects of the dazzler through the front windshield, but they could not escape the same fate as Romanof when the side door was thrown open and the sun seemed to explode inside the van.

Kirby received the 'Clear' acknowledgements from his team, and then he called Bobby back on his cell phone.

"Francis is secure and we have six gift wrapped packages awaiting your shipping instructions," he reported to Bobby.

"Thanks Kirby. Expect a call from someone named Rick Acosta in a few minutes to coordinate the delivery of your presents. I have a few things to handle here, so call me if anything else comes up."

Bobby disconnected the call, walked out of the dugout and looked up to Katie in the stands. He blew her a kiss, and then tapped his right ear with two fingers. Katie clearly understood the blown kiss, but the ear tap confused her.

The two teams were changing positions on the field when Katie heard the lady on her right as she put her hand to her own ear and said to her husband, "We're on." At first Katie thought the words were in reference to the baseball game, but she noticed a lot of sudden movement around her. Another husband and wife couple who had been sitting a few rows behind her decided to move down to sit on the bench directly behind her. At the same time, two other couples moved up the bleachers from where they had been sitting below Katie. One couple sat on her left side, and the other couple sat on the bench in front of her.

"Hi Miss Harper." Katie's heart almost jumped into her throat. The lady on her right seemed to know who she was. Katie turned to her in obvious surprise.

"My name is Gail Bennet, and this is my husband Sam. We are former Secret Service agents now assigned to you and your son's protective detail, as are the other couples currently surrounding you. I don't want to alarm you, but we have received word that there is an ongoing event close to your home, that while currently under control, may require your evacuation at some point. We didn't want to startle you further if we needed to suddenly wisk you someplace safe."

"Is everyone okay? Are my parents safe? Oh god!" Katie suddenly realized, "Where's Francis?"

"Everyone is safe and they're going to stay that way. Trust me. I was just asked by Mr. Brandt to introduce my team to you and give you an update."

"Thanks," Katie said. "You mentioned that you were protecting me and JR, but you meant me, JR and Bobby, right?"

Gail smiled at her and said, "Our assignments are you and your son. Mr. Brandt is not included in our orders."

Katie gasped and said, "Bobby can't be left unprotected. He's in as much danger as anyone else over this."

Gail Bennet's response was a surprise to Katie, but upon reflection, she knew it shouldn't have been.

"Everyone knows that you don't mess with Bobby Brandt."

***

Bobby placed another call on his cell phone from the dugout.

"Acosta," was the greeting when the call was answered.

"Get in touch with Kirby Wallace to coordinate the delivery to your team of six new guests. Let me know when you have them in place and prepared." Bobby then ended the call.

He stepped back out of the dugout and looked to Katie in the bleachers. She was surrounded by her protective detail and chatting with Gail Bennet. She turned and saw Bobby watching her, smiled at him and waved. She then blew him a kiss and went back to her conversation with Gail.

Bobby turned and scanned the western horizon. He saw the two Air Force Special Forces helicopters circling at a distance and was reassured that reinforcements were seconds away if they should become necessary.

***

JR and Joey's team won their final game by a score of 2-0. After the trophies were handed out to each of the players and one final team photo was taken, all the boys started finding their parents for the trips to their respective homes.

Bobby asked Joey to go with JR and Katie while he spoke to his dad. Pulling Jason back into the dugout, Bobby started to fill him in on what had happened.

"I don't want this to sound like a lecture or anything Jason, but you and Francis need to take the current situation much more seriously."

At these words, Jason finally realized that Francis had never made it to the game. "Good point. I better call Francis and see what's keeping her."

Bobby put his hand on Jason's arm to stop him raising his cell phone. "She was forcibly evacuated from your home by Parker more than an hour ago. She's fine and waiting for you and Joey at the Harper house."

Jason moved to get past Bobby to head to his SUV. Bobby stopped him. "Let me explain what happened first so you can help explain it to her when you see her."

Jason stopped and listened to Bobby relating the details, "At approximately 11AM a flower delivery van entered the subdivision with what appeared to be a lone male driver. Kirby had positioned a concrete pumper truck across the road to prevent any unauthorized vehicles from getting near yours or the Harper's houses. During a conversation with what the driver thought was one of the concrete work crew; he revealed that he was supposed to deliver flowers to Francis from you for your anniversary. This set off warning flags with Kirby and he had his team assault the van where they captured a total of six heavily armed men. No one was injured, and the six men are currently being dealt with by my other team to see what intelligence we might be able to get out of them, but initial indications are that they intended to commandeer your house and to use it as a staging point for a subsequent attack against the Harper estate."

Jason had turned white. "Is Kirby certain that he got the entire group... that there weren't more than six, maybe in another vehicle?"

"No one is sure of anything right now, which is why these six are going to be valuable to us in the short-term. Now, Katie and the boys are waiting for us, so let's head back to the Harper's. I suggest that you explain what happened to Francis and I encourage all of you to move into the Harper house until things settle down. Can JR ride with you? I promised Katie we would stop at the drug store before heading back."

"Of course," said Jason.

Gail Bennet and her husband led the procession that included another security couple directly behind her, followed by Jason's SUV, and then two more couples in separate cars bringing up the rear. The escort would break off when they reached the entry to the sub-division, but no other vehicle would get close to their charges along the way.

Bobby opened the door to his pick-up and helped Katie climb into her seat. He then went to his seat and turned to ask her, "Will the Rexall in town have what you want for your hair?"

"They should. Thanks for remembering."

They drove the few short blocks and pulled into the parking lot for the drug store. Bobby opened Katie's door for her and they walked into the store holding hands. While they walked the aisles looking for the hair coloring section, Katie said, "I should call the house to see if my parents or Francis want me to pick up anything for them while we're here."

"Good idea. Let me know if you want help once you find out."

While Katie spoke with her mom and Francis, Bobby wandered the aisle they were already on. He noticed a rack of condoms and wondered if he should discuss the need for birth control with Katie. She saw him standing in front of the display, and without interrupting her phone conversation, she simply smiled at him and shook her head, mouthing the word, "No". Bobby then spotted a bottle of warming massage oil and held it up for Katie to see. This time her smile was accompanied by an enthusiastic nod of her head, so he kept hold of it.

Katie ended her call and walked over to Bobby. As she took the bottle from him to examine it, she said, "I like the way you think buster. We better get a basket or cart because I have a list of other things to pick up."

"I'll be right back" said Bobby as he walked to the front of the store to get a basket.

When he returned, he found Katie examining different brands and shades of hair coloring. She selected one, put it in the basket, and then took Bobby's hand and led him to the next aisle.

"So why did you say 'no' to the condoms?" asked Bobby.

Katie stopped them in the middle of the aisle, put her arms around his neck, brushed her lips against his and replied, "Because in case you haven't noticed buster, you're in possession of some prime breeding stock..." she rubbed the front of her body against his and continued "... and I intend to make sure that you get your money's worth."

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm being put out to stud? I feel so used," he chuckled.

"The first time you complain, I'll consider lessening my demands on you. Mind you, I said I would 'consider'. No promises in that regard." Sliding her hand into the back pocket of his pants, they continued their shopping.

When they were back in Bobby's truck and heading towards her house he asked, "Have you given any thought to how you wanted to approach things with JR?"

"Yes I have, but I'd like your thoughts on it too. I'm inclined to dye my hair back to its original color, and then sit him down with the photo albums you gave me. I think he'll figure it out on his own who his father is, and then look to us for answers as to what happened, and of course what the future brings. I can cover the past, but he'll need both of us to discuss the future."

"I think you're right that he'll figure it out, but are you concerned about how he'll react?"

"Not really. I know he'll be confused about why you haven't been in his life, but I think we can satisfy him with the truthful explanation. He gets his smarts from my side of the family after all."

"Ouch," said Bobby, but he didn't disagree with her.

He went on, "You haven't asked about what happened today."

"I trust you to tell me what you can when you can. If there was still an issue, I'm sure you would have made me aware."

"I would, but just so you know, Jason and Franc screwed up today and it could have been real ugly if Kirby hadn't been on his toes. They're likely to feel bad about what they did, so I wanted you to be prepared."

"So tell me what happened"

"The roadblock team intercepted a flower delivery truck headed to the Reid's house. There were six heavily armed men prepared to capture Francis and whoever else was at the house and then use their home as a staging point to attack your house. Francis was evacuated when the threat was identified and we learned that she had not gone to the game as everyone expected, so she was never in any real danger, but their lack of communication when they changed their plans could have been disastrous."

"Francis must feel horrible."

"That's why I wanted you to know."

Turning into the sub-division, they saw Kirby talking with a half-dozen construction workers who were standing around a flower delivery van. When Bobby slowed his truck next to them, Kirby approached Katie's' window and she rolled it down.

Bobby leaned over towards Katie's window and laughed as he told Kirby, "I need to get a picture of all those construction workers hanging around a flower delivery truck. I'm sure I could make a mint selling it to FTD or 1-800Flowers for them to use in their advertising."

Katie and Kirby both laughed.

Bobby took a more serious tone, "Good job Kirby. Have you gotten Gail Bennet and her team settled someplace?"

Kirby nodded. "Yep, I was waiting to run the plan by you..."

Bobby interrupted him, "You don't need my approval Kirby. You're in complete command of the defensive component of our operation."

"Thanks Bobby, but it wasn't operational approval I was looking for. I wanted to make sure you were onboard with my plan because of the family involvement."

"Go on," said Bobby.

"Francis and Jason have three spare bedrooms; one on the ground floor and two more upstairs. They have offered to have three of the protective couples as their guests. This would allow them to return to their home, keep the protective detail closer than the nearest motel in Floresville, and allow the Reids to feel they are contributing something to the operation. We can leave the fourth couple in the motel to act as liaisons with the locals, who are all operating out of the Wilson County Justice Center across the street from the motel."

Bobby understood Kirby's reluctance to involve his sister's family in the operation without at least giving her brother a chance to be informed of the plan. "I like it. Is Francis still planning on going into work today?"

Kirby shook his head, "No, she called and told them that a family emergency came up."

Katie entered the conversation, "Good, then she can help me with my hair instead of my mom. It'll give her and me a chance to talk alone."

Bobby detected a mischievous tone in Katie's word, but decided to ignore it for now. Looking back at Kirby, he said, "Is Acosta on the way?"

Kirby looked at his watch and said, "He called just before you pulled up and said his transport team was about 15 minutes out. He should be pulling up anytime now."

Bobby nodded, "Ask him to call me with an ETA for his destination before he begins his return. I need to get Katie home so she can dive into her interrogation of my sister."

Katie winked at Bobby, and then leaned out her window and kissed Kirby on his cheek. "Thanks for everything Kirby." Kirby was still blushing as Bobby pulled away and rounded the corner.

As they walked into the house, they found Jason and Francis sitting at the counter in the kitchen. Katie ran over to Francis and gave her a hug. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Francis returned the hug and assured Katie, "I'm fine. I'm just embarrassed by all the trouble I caused by not letting Kirby know of the change in my plans. He must be pretty ticked at me, and I don't blame him."

Katie stepped back and started taking items from the pharmacy out of the bags and setting them on the counter. She smiled at Francis, "That's not the impression I got when he was telling Bobby of the plan to get your family back into your own house. He seemed proud of the way you and Jason are stepping up and offering to help get the protective detail closer."

Francis returned Katie's smile, "Once I found out that there was a team assigned to protect us all if we needed to leave the house, such as if I needed to go to work, then it only made sense to get them closer to us. I'm glad there's something we can do instead of merely letting circumstances control us."

Bobby looked at Jason, "What your feelings on the subject?"

"I feel impotent," Jason said. "I want to get into the game."

Bobby changed the subject, "Where are the boys and Katie's parents?"

Francis was the first to answer "They're watching the DVD's you rented again. I think they slept through the ending, so they all wanted to start over with both of them."

Bobby walked over to Katie and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl. He whispered in her ear, "If you could distract Francis for a couple of hours, I could give Jason back his testicles."

Katie giggled and replied in her own whisper, "Just bring me back yours".

Bobby nibbled on her ear one more time, and then said, "Come on Jason, I need you to help me switch cars."

Jason accompanied Bobby out to his truck and climbed into the passenger seat. Once Bobby had passed the gate and was on the road, he asked, "Is this where I get the pep talk?"

"This is where you get the job offer" said Bobby.

"I have a job."

"Yes you do" said Bobby. "Unfortunately, your current job leaves you on the outside looking in. Your family and I need you on the inside. There are some details I need from the men that tried to attack your house today, and I believe your interrogation skills, as well as your personal interest in the event, will help me get them."

"I would love to get those bastards into a room and question them" said Jason.

"I'm sure you would" said Bobby. "However, we need a more strategic approach to the questioning. Let me give you some background..."

"Katie's father has been testifying against the Russian mafia. Louis Freeh, former director of the FBI, had once said the Russian mafia posed the greatest threat to U.S. national security in the mid-1990s.

The Brothers' Circle is a collective of different factions of the Russian mafia. It is headed by Temuri Mirzoyev. This multi-ethnic transnational group is composed of leaders and senior members of several Eurasian criminal groups largely based in countries of the former Soviet Union but operating in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the United States. In 2011, the President and his administration named it one of four transnational organized crime groups that posed the greatest threat to US national security, sanctioned certain key members and froze their assets. A year later, he extended the national emergency against them for another year. This is what gives me the authority to respond to the threat against Katie, her family, and of course you, Francis and Joey.

Although not a singular criminal organization, most of the individual groups, share similar goals and organizational structures that define them as part of the loose overall association. They are also referred to as Bratva, which roughly translates into 'the Brotherhood' in Russian. The Odessa Mafia is the most prominent and dominant Russian criminal group operating in the US. Its headquarters is in Brighton Beach, New York, but it basically leads the brotherhood within the borders of the United States.

My objective is to make the brotherhood accept the fact that operating in the US is not in their best interest.

I want to make certain that you understand Jason, that as a private company contracting with the US Government, I, nor my subcontractors are not bound to the same constitutional law issues that you might face in the performance of your normal law enforcement duties. The men who were planning to attack your home and capture your family have not been arrested. They will not face trial. They have already been convicted by their actions and will face judgment and punishment accordingly. If you have an issue with that, then our conversation on the subject ends here and we'll discuss little league baseball."

Jason didn't hesitate. "If I interrogate these men as an employee or subcontractor of your company, all their constitutional rights are out the window. Right?"

"Exactly" said Bobby.

"Then you can count me in. What do you need to know from them?"

Bobby knew that Jason would jump at the opportunity. Now he needed to mold him into the right frame of mind. "I am waiting for confirmation that our guests have settled into their new accommodations. While we wait, I am going to go by my rental in Leon Springs and pick up my Corvair. I'd like you to drive my truck when we visit our guests, and then you can use it to get back home when you are done talking to them."

Before Jason could respond, Bobby's cell phone rang. He used the hands free Bluetooth in the truck to answer the call.

"Hey Rick, what's the latest?"

"Sorry Bobby. Kirby told me you wanted an ETA when I left, but I got caught up in keeping the doses as level as possible during the transport and forgot. We're about fifteen minutes out from the holding location and will have our guests settled within half an hour."

"No problem," said Bobby. "I needed to run another errand in the meantime anyway. I am bringing an interrogator to assist you, and we should be there within an hour."

"We'll be ready for you," said Acosta. The call terminated.

"Where are you holding them?" asked Jason.

"A remote area of Camp Bullis. We'll pick up the Corvair and then you can follow me. It shouldn't take us long to get there from my house. Right now we need to focus on what I need you to get out of these guys. I will set the stage for you, and with luck, your biggest challenge will be keeping them all from talking over each other. That plus the fact that we are operating on a very tight schedule, so you will only have about three hours to get what you can out of all of them. We have three initial 'Brotherhood' targets that I would like intel on from these guys, but my guess is that they only have in-depth knowledge of one of these."

"What's the rush?"

"They have flights to catch before midnight and one of those will be over 1500 miles away where we will lose an hour due to time zone changes. For the first step in our offensive to be effective, they must all be in their new locations by 6 a.m. Sunday morning. Teams are already in place to take the hand-off and get them positioned accordingly, so we can't hold things up from here."

"Then let's get it done," agreed Jason.

Bobby handed Jason a piece of paper with three names and a list of specific questions written on it. "Study this," is all he said, and the rest of the drive to his house was in silence.

When Bobby pulled to the curb in front of his rental house, he jumped out and Jason came around and took his place behind the wheel of the truck. Jason waited while Bobby removed the cover off the Corvair and stowed it away. Bobby started his car and backed it out of the driveway in front of Jason. As he headed down the street, Jason dutifully followed.

They took the I-410 loop across the north side until they reached US-281. Bobby led them north past the outer loop of 1604 and after a few more miles, they turned left onto Borgfeld Drive. They continued west until they reached Blanco Road, and then they turned right. After a few more miles, they entered Camp Bullis through an obscure and seldom used entrance near its northeast border. Following several winding roads within the Camp, they finally arrived at a small cluster of buildings set off by themselves and very isolated from the rest of the facility.

Once they had parked, Bobby walked back to the truck and asked Jason for the keys. He used the key fob to unlock the toolbox in the back of the truck and then returned the keys to Jason. Bobby pulled two ski masked from the tool box, and then closed it again. He handed one of the masks to Jason and said, "Put this on and follow me" as he pulled the other mask over his own face.

Walking in the door of the building in front of them, Jason saw what looked like a ranch hand bunkhouse with a long table in the middle of the room and six high-back wooden chairs with arms. Secured in each chair was a man. There was one other man in the room also wearing a ski mask watching the six, and he nodded to Bobby as they entered.

"Are the doses on schedule?" Bobby asked.

"They are," replied Acosta.

Bobby stood where all six men would be able to see him without moving their eyes. This was necessary because none of them could move their eyes.

"I want to explain a few things to you, but first you must know one thing. I will never lie to you. You have been administered a neurotoxin that I created myself. In fact, I tested it on myself so I know exactly what effects you are experiencing. You can breathe normally, you can see, hear, taste, smell and feel. What you cannot do is talk or move. The effects of the neurotoxin will be wearing off in about fifteen minutes, and while the restrains on your arms and legs will still prevent you from moving, you will be able to talk. That last part is important because it will be the last time any of you will ever have the ability talk again for as long as you live.

I told you I would never lie to you. In fact, I am going to brutally honest with all of you right now. You will leave this room tonight alive, but you will wish you were dead. The man or men who sent you here have sentenced you to the life you will now lead, and this is your only chance to gain retribution for what they have done to you. Nothing you say will change what happens to you. All it will do is help much worse to be done to those who have caused you to be brought to me. I will now explain what will be done to you in exactly three hours. That's one hundred and eighty minutes after you have regained to ability to talk.

The very first thing that will happen once you have been administered another dose of the neurotoxin, is that you will receive a concentrated injection of ammonia into each of your eyes. Within a very few minutes your vision will be permanently destroyed. Next, the index finger on both your right and left hand will be severed. The two fingers from each of you will then be inserted into your own asses. Finally, your tongues will be cut out and surgically stitched over your assholes to keep the fingers in place.

These things will happen to you. You can answer all the questions asked of you, or answer none of them. It will make no difference to the eventual outcome. Think about how you want to use the last words you will ever speak."

Bobby turned and motioned for Jason to follow him out of the building. Once they reached where their vehicles were parked, Bobby pulled off his ski mask. He looked into Jason's eyes and saw confusion.

"Acosta and his team will handle everything once you're done questioning them. You don't have to help or even be in the room."

"You mean you were serious?" asked Jason.

"I take no pleasure from it Jason, but the message needs to be sent if we ever want to end this. There is no question what those men would have done to your family if we hadn't stopped them. There is no question of their guilt, and there is no question of their punishment. Sending them back to their organization in the state they will be in will be a clear warning for others contemplating similar actions. The message will be reinforced and expanded upon tomorrow morning, but I'll handle that."

"I guess it's no different from watching some killer getting a lethal injection at Huntsville" said Jason. "It's all about deterrents, right?"

"That's the hope," said Bobby. "We could just make all these men and those that sent them disappear, but they would simply be replaced by others. Our objective is to have what happens to these men and their bosses serve as a deterrent to anyone taking their place. Acosta will be recording everything so you won't need to write down any responses to your questions or report them to me. Remember that you only have a couple of hours before they have to be taken to their flights. You, Francis and Joey should be able to sleep in your own beds tonight. If you want to park my truck at your house, I can come and get it tomorrow."

"I think that we're all supposed to be at the Harper's tonight for a barbeque, so I'll just head there when I'm done here."

"That's right" Bobby said. "I should call and see if they need me to pick anything up on the way back. So you're good to go?"

Jason shook Bobby's hand and said, "I am. Thanks for letting me in the game coach."

Bobby laughed, then climbed into his Corvair and drove away.

***

Patty was just coming downstairs after finishing her hair when she heard her cell phone ringing. She retrieved it from her purse and saw Bobby's number on the screen.

"Hi buster. Are you on your way home?"

"Hi PattyKat. I'm on the 1604 loop heading your way. Do you need me to stop and pick up anything on the way?"

"I don't know Bobby. What goes good with massage oil?"

Bobby laughed, "I don't know PattyKat. That's something you and I will have to find out together, isn't it?"

"Oh I plan on it" she sighed into the phone.

"Massage oil aside, is there anything else that you might need for dinner"?

"You bought milk yesterday, so we should be good on everything. Just hurry back to me."

"It appears that your interrogation of my sister didn't ruin things for us."

Patty giggled, "I didn't interrogate her, she interrogated me. She saw the ring to start with, and then she had to know what our plans were, when we were going to tell JR, and so on."

"Are we still on to talk with JR tonight after dinner?"

"Actually, if you get home soon enough, I think I would like to talk to him before dinner, if you don't mind."

"I'm as anxious as you. I'll be there as quick as I can. I love you PattyKat."

"I love you Bobby. Bye."

Bobby pulled through the gate and parked 30 minutes later. Before he could get out of his car his cell phone rang.

"What's up Jason?" he asked once he saw who was calling.

"There's another assault team in the area. We have all six guys providing details and everything is consistent..."

Bobby interrupted him, "Hang on a second. Let me find Kirby so you won't have to repeat yourself." Bobby went to the RV and entered without knocking. Kirby was sitting at the table reviewing something on his laptop. Without hesitating, Bobby took a seat beside him and put his cell phone on speaker mode.

"Okay Jason, I have Kirby here and you're on speaker."

"Good," replied Jason. "Let me put mine on speaker too so Acosta can hear. Now, can everyone hear me?"

"Fine on this end," said Bobby. "Start at the beginning."

Jason repeated his earlier comments to Bobby, "We have consistent statements from all six 'guests' that there is another assault team on the ground in the area. They were scheduled to meet with the initial assault team on Monday morning to attempt penetration of the Harper estate. They were to use a medical supply delivery truck as their transportation. The information we have is that they are waiting for an update from the first team that my house was secured, and there is some question as to what they will do if they don't hear anything by Monday morning. Rick has some ideas that I think we should consider."

Acosta jumped in without waiting for an acknowledgement, "The location of the second assault team has been consistently reported as being a motel in Seguin. I have a team on a helicopter heading there now to verify the information and monitor movements of anyone matching the descriptions we have been provided. Once verified, I recommend that we take them tonight rather than waiting for them to either bug out or attempt their planned assault on their own."

"Whatever works best to keep their capture covert." said Bobby. "We need these guys as additional messengers, but we can't afford alerting any of the local authorities of our operations. Are your first six 'guests' providing anything else of interest?"

Jason replied, "You set the stage perfectly. They're all talking freely, but unfortunately as you guessed, they have limited knowledge of the organization they work for, which is the West Coast group, and no knowledge of others around the country. The driver of the van was the team leader, and he provided the name of his immediate boss as well as his role in the organization. I'll fill you in further when I see you."

"Fine" Bobby said. "Finish up so that Rick can get them prepared for travel. What time do you expect to be back here?"

"I should be there between 6:30 and 7." Jason replied.

Bobby looked at Kirby, "Do you have any questions for Jason or Rick?"

Kirby shook his head, "Not right now. I'd like to be kept posted on when the other team is secured."

"I'll keep you informed of the progress" said Acosta. "As soon as I hear from my advance team, I'll call you."

"Thanks" said Kirby, then Bobby addressed Acosta, "Rick, don't forget to call Simpson at the NSA to start the monitoring of cell phone calls. I think we're still good with targeting the keyword filters just to 'Suka' for now unless you have other ideas."

"Already done, and I agree with your limited keyword focus. After all, it is a Saturday night and filtering on the keyword 'bitch' would be overbearing on the system and the analysts."

When the laughter died down, Bobby said "Okay, I'll let you guys finish up there and hopefully get ready for six new guests for tomorrow. Call if you need anything."

Bobby ended the call and spoke to Kirby, "Have you reviewed the additional resources I got for you?"

"I was just putting the finishing touches on their integration into the existing defensive operations. The unoccupied lots surrounding both this house and the Reid's, coupled with the bridle path and other common areas of the subdivision make penetration by a team on foot much easier than I would like. The infrared capabilities of the satellite will help, but getting those canine units from the training center at Lackland really helps to plug the holes. Gail Bennet and two other couples from her team are settled in at the Reid's, and their communication links are fully operational."

"I am planning to take Patty and JR out tomorrow. I have already arranged for any protection that might be required, so Gail and her team can rest up and focus on the Reids. I need to get into the house. Do you need anything from me?"

"No, I'm good."

"See ya then."

As Bobby walked around the back of the RV towards the house, he saw Patty standing by his Corvair. He stopped and just stared at her, and she stared right back at him. The transformation was amazing! She had not just colored her hair, but she had styled it the same way she had worn it through most of their high school years, parted slightly right of center, with the strands on each side of her head being held behind her ears and cascading smoothly over her shoulders. With her eyes exposed in their natural ice blue color, and her hair style and color restored, she didn't appear to have changed at all in the last ten years.

"Hello PattyKat", he said as he finally found his way to walk up to her.

"I was wondering where you were. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine" he said as he smiled down at her and put his hands on her waist. "I just needed to chat with Kirby for a minute."

He brought his hands to each side of her face, kissed her nose and said, "I've missed my PattyKat so much."

She threw her arms around his neck and whispered, "I've missed PattyKat too. She's back now and will be yours for as long as you'll have her."

He pulled her into his arms and held her for several minutes.

"Are you ready to show our son what his mother and father look like?" he asked her.

"When I saw your car in the driveway I had my parents take him into my office. They're all waiting for us so we can talk."

"Then let's not keep them waiting." Bobby put his arm around her waist and she placed her's in his back pocket as they walked towards the house.

When Patty and Bobby walked into her office study and closed the door, her parents and JR looked up from the board game they had been playing. Patty's mom gasped when she saw Patty's appearance, and JR just stared and said, "Wow!"

Patty smiled at the reactions, and then led Bobby to the couch and sat down beside him. The photo albums were on the coffee table in front of them.

She looked at her son and said, "JR, Bobby and I have something we need to discuss with you..."

"If it's about the ring mom, I already saw it. I think it's nice."

"The ring is only part of it, JR, but thanks for noticing." She turned to Bobby, "Do you want to start?"

Bobby scooted over to create some space on the couch between him and Patty. "JR, why don't you come over here and sit between your mom and me?"

JR did as requested, and then Bobby continued, "I want to tell you a story. You already know some of it, but it's time that you learned the rest of it."

"Twelve years ago, on the first day of my junior year of high school, I drove my car to school for the first time. I met a girl the very same day that changed my life forever. Her name was Patricia Kathryn Harper, and as you probably guessed, her nickname was 'PattyKat'. I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me. I gave her my class ring on New Year's Eve, and she always wore it around her neck on a chain."

JR looked over at his mom and saw her playing with the ring on the chain around her neck, but he let Bobby continue without comment.

"PattyKat and I were planning to go to our senior prom together. As a surprise for her, I bought the license plates you saw on my car and a Poesy ring, or what is commonly referred to as a Promise ring. I had planned to name my car after her, and promise her that we would get engaged, but I never got the chance. When I went to PattyKat's house to pick her up, she was gone. Her and her parents had simply disappeared without warning. We reported it to the police, called everyone we could think of, and waited for some answer to what had happened..."

"Did she die?" asked JR.

"No. I would have felt it if she had died. You see, PattyKat was part of me. It's hard to describe, and probably even harder for you to understand, but when two people love each other as much as PattyKat and I do, there is a connection that exists even when the two people aren't together. I knew PattyKat was out there somewhere, and I promised I would never stop looking for her. Would you like to see a picture of her?"

"Okay" said JR.

Rather than opening one of the photo albums, Bobby pulled out his wallet and removed a picture from it.

"This is the last school picture taken of PattyKat. It is what she looked like the last time I saw her before she disappeared."

Bobby handed the picture to JR, who studied it with confused recognition. Bobby nodded to Patty, who picked up with her version of the story.

"JR, my parents and I had moved the summer before I started my junior year of high school, so I had to start new as a stranger in a strange place. I was scared, but the first day in the new school, during my first class I met the boy who would become the love of my life, and your father. His name was James Robert Brandt. For two years we were together, and more in love than I ever thought possible. Then our worlds were torn apart..."

Mr. and Mrs. Harper had tears on their faces as they sat holding hands and listening to the stories being told to their grandson.

"One day my father, your grandpa, became aware of some people he knew from his work doing some very bad things. He reported what he knew and the authorities started investigating these people. These people were very dangerous, and had already hurt or killed other people who had told on them. There was concern that if they found out about grandpa telling on them, then they would also try and hurt him, grandma, or me. To prevent this, we were secretly hidden away and protected. No one knew why we disappeared or where we were taken. I didn't know at the time that I was pregnant with you, so JR it's important for you to know that your father never knew about you before I disappeared from his life. Do you understand that your dad didn't know he had a son?"

"I understand"

Patty hugged JR and said "I'm glad. Would you like to see a picture of your dad?"

"Yeah"

Patty picked up the photo album of Bobby's childhood pictures and placed it in JR's lap.

"This album has pictures of your father from the time he was a baby, and all through his school years. You will be able to see him growing up right before your eyes. Go ahead" she prodded.

JR opened the album to the first page and started flipping through the photos slowly, glancing up at Bobby more and more frequently as he progressed.

By the time JR had finished the last page, Bobby had pulled his driver's license from his wallet. JR closed the album and just looked into Bobby's eyes without saying anything.

Bobby smiled back at JR and said, "We've had a few conversations about nicknames, but I never told you that Bobby was my nickname." He handed JR his driver's license.

JR didn't need to read the name; he knew that Bobby was his dad when he finally recognized in Bobby's eyes the same love he had always seen in his mother's. He simply put the photo album on the coffee table and dove into his father's arms for the first time.

Bobby pulled JR into his lap and returned the hug as Patty moved over and threw her arms around both of them. Every eye in the room was flooded with tears, but no words were spoken.

With his face pressed against Bobby's chest, JR asked, "We won't have to hide from you anymore will we?"

Bobby pulled JR back so he could look him in the eyes. "I never make a promise I can't keep JR. Do you remember me telling you that?"

JR just nodded.

"Then believe me when I promise you that you will never be out of my life again. You are part of me, just as your mom is. I will never let either of you go."

"You promised to get engaged to my mom. Does that mean you'll marry her?"

Patty raised an eyebrow at Bobby and waited for his reply.

Bobby turned to Mr. Harper and said, "Sir, I would like to request your permission to marry your daughter."

With a chuckle, Mr. Harper said, "It's about time. I thought I was going to have to get a shotgun after you."

"Thank you sir. Now JR, I have every intention of marrying your mom, but she does have a say in the matter. Maybe you can help me convince her?"

"Well I might as well surrender now and agree," giggled Patty. "With the two of you ganged up against me, there is no way I could say no."

"Excellent," said Bobby. "That plays right into my plans for tomorrow. I'm going to take both of you to lunch, and then we will all go together to pick out PattyKat's engagement ring."

"Cool!" said JR. "Can I go tell Joey that I found my dad?"

Patty smiled at Bobby then looked at JR and said, "As long as you also tell him that you also found his cousin. Since Francis is your dad's sister that makes her your aunt, Jason your uncle, and Joey your cousin."

JR laughed, "Joey's going to freak!" He hugged his mom and his dad and then left to find Joey.

Bobby pulled Patty into his lap and asked, "Did that go as well as you had hoped?"

"The marriage proposal was a surprise, but I think JR needs to be confident in us having a future together so I couldn't be happier with the way things went."

Patty turned to her mom and asked, "Mom, will you help me plan my wedding?"

Patty's mom broke into full blown tears again so it took her a moment to respond, "Of course PattyKat, just as soon as you set a date we'll get right on it."

Bobby set Patty onto the couch next to him and stood up. "Well, why don't you all start throwing around some dates that interest you, but Mr. and Mrs. Harper, I want you to know that I will be paying for the wedding. If you feel a need to contribute, we can discuss the reception, but the wedding of PattyKat is mine."

He pulled Patty to her feet and kissed her before continuing, "Any date is fine with me, and anyplace in the world will be perfect. I promise to give the wedding of her dreams to the girl of my dreams."

Bobby hugged Patty and then left her with her parents to go in search of his son.

Francis was in the kitchen finishing the salad she had been working on for dinner as JR and Joey chattered excitedly around her about them being cousins. She saw Bobby walk in and ran to give him a hug.

"I am so happy for you Bobby! So what's the plan?"

"Why don't you go join Patty and her parents in her office? You can get into the planning from the beginning that way."

Francis hugged him again and then ran to join the conversation between Patty and her parents. As soon as Francis released him, Bobby felt JR wrap his arms around him and say, "I'm so glad you're my dad."

"Me too JR. Why don't we go out and get the barbeque started?"

The boys followed Bobby out onto the deck. Bobby started the barbeque and then turned to Joey.

"Hey Joey, you need to fill JR in on his other grandparents."

"That's right!" Joey said. "They're your grandparents too. They live in Southern California where mom and Uncle Bobby grew up. I've been to visit them lots, and they always have the coolest stuff planned for when I am there. They've taken me to Disneyland a couple of times, plus we go to the beach and other places. But, Grandpa Brandt is the best. He was like a scientist or something and he's super smart. He can fix anything, and has the coolest workshop where he lets you tear stuff apart and put it back together."

JR turned to Bobby, "Can we go see them Dad?"

"When does school get out for the summer?"

"In a couple of weeks, near the middle of May."

"Then as long as your mom doesn't have other plans, we'll drive out there as soon as school is out. We can stop and see a bunch of things along the way, like Carlsbad Caverns, the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon, and maybe I'll even take you to Las Vegas to see if you're good luck for me or not. On second thought, maybe we should skip Las Vegas until after your mom and I get married..."

"That sounds like a great plan to me," JR said.

Bobby was sitting in a chair looking out into the backyard. "There are some nice big trees out there. How come you two have never picked one of them to build a tree house?"

The two boys looked at each other in amazed excitement.

"We can do that?" asked JR.

"Well technically, this isn't my house and you would need to get your grandparents' permission, but if it were up to me, I'd start drafting plans and collecting wood."

"Would you help us Dad? I mean if grandma and grandpa said it was okay."

"Of course I would. I bet Joey's dad would love to help as well. It would be fun."

"Then I'm going to go ask. Come on Joey."

The two boys ran into the house and shortly thereafter, Patty joined Bobby and sat in his lap.

"I missed you," she said.

Bobby hugged her and asked, "So what's been decided so far?"

"The date is up in the air because of the current threat situation. I told my parents that my ideal wedding would be at the end of Newport Pier on a clear warm summer day at sunset. That presented them with some challenges because it is a public pier and they can't see how we would be allowed to commandeer it for a private wedding. Plus the costs would be extravagant..."

"I thought I told you that my dream girl would have her dream wedding. I meant it."

"But Bobby, you're not rich..."

"Says who?"

Patty pulled back and looked at him. "Is there something that you haven't told me?"

"There are probably lots of things I haven't told you. Do you have questions for me?"

She smacked his arm and said, "Okay, I'll play your game. Bobby are you rich?"

"Define 'rich'."

"Why don't you tell me your net worth and I'll decide for myself?"

"Okay. As of the close of business Friday our net worth was a little over $243 million dollars."

Patty was too stunned to gasp. She just stared at him trying to gauge if he was serious or teasing her. She saw that he was serious.

"How... when... what?" She couldn't help babbling.

"Brandt Consulting is actually the second company I started. My first was Brandt Biotech, which I sold shortly before I left the Air Force and started the consulting company in order to shield my involvement with Homeland Security. Brandt Consulting retains most of the patents I had owned and the licensing of them."

"What did Brandt Biotech do?" she asked.

"Our first product was the neurotoxin that I mentioned I used against the Iranian soldiers. It has a multitude of applications beyond the obvious military ones I discussed, including integration into self-defense sprays, and numerous medical applications. The dosage variants and lack of side effects made it a very marketable product. There were also several electronic components that I designed which found their way into mass produced products such as cell phones. If you have a GPS chip in your phone, then it is almost a certainty that the technology embedded in your phone is of my design. Think of how many cell phones are sold each year, then figure that I get a licensing fee of at least a dollar per device, and you'll see how things start to add up."

"Well Mr. Moneybags, just don't you go expecting me to simply be some trophy wife for you." She paused to consider what Bobby had said, and then continued, "You said 'our'. Do you have a partner or partners that you're including in your net worth?"

"I do have a partner. Up until now it has been a silent partnership, but her name has always been listed as an equal partner in all corporate documents and all patent applications."

"Me?" she asked, but she already knew the answer.

"Patricia Kathryn Harper is entitled to half of everything, whether she marries me or not. But if she does marry me, she better not be expecting a trophy husband."

"And let me guess... no one knows about your wealth. Right?"

"Our wealth" he replied. "But you're right, no one knows except my lawyer and accountant."

"Bobby, I'll accept it because I love you and I know it's important for you to share with me. I just hope you understand how unworthy I will always feel. I never thought I deserved you, and now this."

"You don't deserve me, and I don't deserve you, but we both deserve the collective "Us" that our non-deserving selves bring together. We deserve Us."

"I'll buy that" she said. Then she giggled and said, "and I could buy a lot of other stuff too, couldn't I?"

"Anything your heart desires."

"No buster, you're wrong there, all the money in the world couldn't buy what my heart desires, but I am forever grateful that you provided me that free of charge."

Patty looked over his shoulder to make certain that they weren't being watched from the house, and then she took his hand and placed it over her breast as she bent down and kissed him.

Dinner was delayed until Jason returned, but no one seemed to mind. The excitement of JR learning that Bobby was his dad, combined with Patty, her mom and Francis talking about wedding plans kept everyone occupied and not concerned with eating.

After dinner, the Reids returned to their home. Patty's parents retired to the great room with JR to watch another movie, leaving Patty and Bobby alone in her room.

Once the door was closed, Bobby took both of Patty's hands into his and gazed into her eyes. "You are my eternal love PattyKat."

Patty returned his gaze, "And you are mine Bobby." She led him to the chair and sat in his lap.

"Other than being some top secret head of a clandestine government contractor, on a first name basis with the President, and oh by the way also being filthy rich, is there anything else you're not telling me?"

Bobby put his hands on the sides of her face and looked directly into her eyes. "I'm not hiding anything from you PattyKat. I guess I just have priorities in what information I need you to know before other things. Number one on my list was the certainty that you know how much I love you. Next, I needed you to know that I could, and would protect you and JR. I needed you to know about the money because I didn't want you concerned about our wedding or our future. You can always ask me anything -- I'm an open book to you."

Patty kissed the palms of his hands and then hugged him. "I trust you Bobby, and I was just teasing about you having secrets. In the last few days all the love and pride I have always felt for you has been gushing out of me, and just when I think I have things under control, I learn something new that makes me love you more and makes me prouder than any girl deserves to be of her man. I can't help it, you just keep getting better and better."

Bobby smiled at her, "Look who's talking. When I think of the life that you have made for yourself and JR while under the shadow of the secrecy that dominated your life, I am in awe. I can't say that I ever gave much thought to you being a mother when we were in high school. I did think about it in later years when I would wonder where you were, if you were married and had a family. As sad as the thought of you being with someone else was, the thought of you as a mother always made me proud of you. Then you got your art degree and started your own business, while at the same time raising the most wonderful son in the world. You just keep getting better and better yourself."

"Well, if I'm so good, then when are you going to make a commitment to me and our son?"

"What do you mean? I thought marriage was the commitment we all wanted from each other."

"That's the future. I'm talking about now. When are you going to move in here with me and JR?"

Bobby laughed, "Would next weekend be too soon? I can leave my furniture and stuff at the house in Leon Valley. I'll need to keep paying on the lease anyway so why pay for storage someplace else. Would you and JR want to come over and help me move?"

"Not good enough. I want you committed to being under one roof with me and JR from this day forward. I don't care if you leave everything you own at your house and I have to buy you new clothes or anything else you need."

"I'm sure we can compromise. I already have enough with me to last through Monday. If I can find some wench to do my laundry for me here, then I might only need to pick up a few more items from the house, but I will be under your roof every night. Okay?"

"Wench?"

"Should I have said 'servant girl'?" Bobby teased her.

"Servant girl?"

"Okay, I'll put out an ad to hire a cute little French maid. Will that make you happy?"

"I'll French maid you buster. You don't get a 'wench', you don't get a 'servant girl', and you most definitely don't get a 'French maid'. What you do get is a loving, devoted and caring fiancée to do your laundry, darn your socks, fix your meals, and satisfy your every physical desire."

"Hmmm, I'm going to have to think about that. I was just starting to like the French maid option..."

Standing from Bobby's lap Patty said, "You hold onto that fantasy and I'll see what we can do for you sometime. And, on the subject of fantasies, go find your massage oil. I forgot something downstairs."

Patty hurried out of the room and headed downstairs. Bobby didn't need to find the massage oil because he knew exactly where he'd put it in the nightstand drawer. He opened the drawer and set the bottle on top of the nightstand. Patty was back before Bobby had finished taking off his shoes.

She was out of breath as she closed and locked the bedroom door.

"Someone is anxious," Bobby noted with a grin.

"So sue me", she giggled. "While preparing dinner I came across something that I thought would go very well with warming massage oil."

She held up a can of whipped cream and gave Bobby a lascivious grin such as he had never seen from her before.

"I hope you have a spare set of sheets for the bed," he said, "because I think we're going to need them."

"Oui oui monsieur" Patty squealed as she jumped into his arms.
Chapter Six - Sunday

The ringing of the phone awoke Borisovich Mikhailov, but he couldn't really be awake. When he was awake he could move his body, but since he couldn't move a muscle, he convinced himself that he must be dreaming. When the ringing stopped, the noise was replaced with moans from the other side of his bed. The sound was not familiar to him -- not because he hadn't occasionally elicited a moan from his wife, but this moan was too deep sounding, and was definitely not a moan of pleasure, regardless of its source.

Mikhailov had no choice but to lie perfectly still and absorb the sensory inputs available to him. Besides hearing the moans, he could smell a stench of body odor mixed with urine. He could see pre-dawn shadows on his ceiling, and he could just start to taste fear in his mouth. Eventually, he noticed that his eyes had regained some range of movement, but not enough for him to see what lay beside him in his bed, or to see the time on the clock to the other side. The return of slight eye movement was gradually followed by other capabilities. Once he was able to turn his head, he looked to his left and saw the source of the moans and smells he had been experiencing.

There were two strange naked men, lying face to face on top of each other. Mikhailov decided to test his voice and was surprised to find that he had the ability to speak, so he screamed for his bodyguards. No one responded, so Mikhailov tried to sit up in the bed. He had just swung his legs over the side of the bed when his phone rang again. He reached over and answered it, preparing to bark orders to one of his underlings.

"Good morning Comrade Mikhailov."

"Who is this?" croaked Mikhailov, frustrated that his voice did not yet have the strength he wanted to present to the caller.

"You can call me 'Prem'yer- suka'," said the caller.

"Alpha Bitch? I will call you dead!" growled Mikhailov

"Comrade that simply is not something you can hope to accomplish. We entered your home last night, left you some of the garbage that your brother Konstantin Ivankov recklessly dispatched on a fool's errand, disabled then abducted all your guards, took your wife and children, and then left you totally helpless in your bed."

"What do you mean you took my wife and children? Where are they?"

"Slow down Comrade. Take a minute to analyze your situation. Start with an examination of the two men next to you. I will wait."

Mikhailov set the phone down and turned to look more closely at the men in his bed. He rolled the one on top off so that both were lying face up on their backs. Their eyes were clouded orbs, obviously sightless, blood coated their parted lips and the emptiness where their tongues used to be was ghastly. He noticed that both were missing the index fingers on each of their hands, and they had the word 'SUKA' carved into their foreheads.

He returned to the phone. "Who did you send their tongues and fingers to?"

"You certainly are not very observant," said the caller. "Both men have all their body parts with them. I trust that you'll find everything soon enough."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Simple. The Brotherhood has shown disrespect to the Suka, and now we will be exacting our revenge. In one hour, your brother Aleksey Butorin will awaken in the same condition as you found yourself this morning. Two hours after that Konstantin Ivankov will face the same reality. I will trust you to make our message clear to the others; we have your closest family members in our possession, we can come and go in your lives as we choose, you cannot stop us, you cannot find us, and our demands must be met without delay to avoid your total and complete destruction."

"What is it that you want?"

"Short-term, we want the heads of Konstantin Ivankov and Alex Ginzburg to be delivered to the office of the United States Attorney in Los Angeles by 9AM Monday morning. Whether they are attached to their bodies is of no concern to us. Long-term, we expect the cessation of all activity by the Brotherhood of the Circle or any other Russian criminal organization within the borders of the United States. These demands are not negotiable. If you cannot deliver, then we will make the delivery for you. However, the price for us doing your dirty work will be your own head."

"You don't know what you're asking..." sputtered Mikhailov.

"We're not asking anything Comrade. We're telling you what is going to happen. The men beside you were told exactly what was going to happen to them, and given the chance to unburden their souls with confession. This made no difference in their punishment, but they felt compelled to share all they knew about those who had sentenced them to their fate. Your bodyguards and those of your Brothers will be afforded the same opportunities. Now, I am simply telling you what is going to happen to you. Whether you chose to believe it is your business, but it will happen. The Russian Mafia will cease to operate within the borders of the United States. Your only choice is whether it does so with you alive or dead. Good bye."

Mikhailov stared briefly at the disconnected phone in his hand. He then stood and walked to the door of his bedroom and opened it. The house was silent as he searched for signs of the bodyguards who should have been on duty protecting him and his family. He searched the room of his sons and his daughter and found them empty. He retrieved his cell phone and called his assistant Vitaly Kazan.

"Dah" was the response when the call was answered.

"Get here now!" screamed Mikhailov, then he disconnected the call.

***

Bobby placed the secure cell phone back into his bag, left Patty's office and returned to her sleeping body in her bed. Since he had left the bed to make his call, she had rolled over onto her back. Her face was partially covered by her hair and she looked absolutely angelic, yet unbelievably sexy at the same time. Her breasts were exposed and her left leg was bent at the knee. Sliding under the sheet, Bobby was careful not to wake her as he crawled between her feet and moved his face up between her legs. The position she was in afforded him perfect access to his destination. Her body responded to the stimulation subconsciously, with her legs spreading further and her hips moving involuntarily to meet his touch.

Bobby wanted nothing more than to pleasure Patty. While she could undoubtedly stimulate him to arousal, he was still happily sated from the previous night and desired only the enjoyment of her pleasures.

Bobby took his time, trying purposely to keep her unaware of the source of her arousal as she lingered in the twilight area between sleep and wakefulness. He was slow and gentle in his ministrations with his tongue, and only his tongue. His pressure on her was so light that she would question the true existence and continue in her dreamlike state, assuming it was merely fantasy.

Asleep or awake, her body eventually reacted the same way. Bobby began to taste the tell-tale signs of her growing arousal. The sweet taste of her juices rewarded his continued gentle prodding with his tongue even as her body began to seek greater pleasure by striving to meet the source of this pleasure. As the flow of her juices intensified, Bobby found himself capturing more and more as it trickled down over her anal rosebud. The stimulation of his tongue on this part of her body caused reactions that Bobby made note of. It was only when her body finally succumbed to the inevitable orgasm that Patty realized she had not been dreaming.

Patty lay with her eyes open but unfocused as she tried to make sense of what had just happened to her. Her body was still recovering as she finally sensed Bobby's presence between her legs.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Just a little early morning exploring and adventure," Bobby replied.

"Well you need to repeat that exploration sometime when I'm awake. If anything like in my dreams, you've got a sex slave for life."

Bobby crawled up beside her and kissed her, allowing her to taste herself on his lips.

"Anytime, anyplace," he said.

They cuddled for a few more minutes before she asked, "What time do we have to leave?"

"We should probably be on the road by 10 or 10:30"

"That sounds early for lunch."

Bobby ran his fingers through her hair and said, "There's a method to my madness."

"I'm sure there is, and I can't wait to see what it is. But in the meantime, can I interest you in some more exploring? Your tongue had a chance to go places it has never gone before, and I want the chance to do the same with you."

They left the house at exactly 10:15. Bobby took FM775 to US181 and headed north towards San Antonio. The traffic was Sunday morning light and they all enjoyed the clear warm spring day as they drove.

Shortly after passing under the bridge for Loop 1604, Bobby saw a San Antonio police cruiser parked in the center median up ahead. He knew he wasn't speeding, but he checked his speedometer regardless. He watched his rearview mirror and saw the patrol car pull onto the highway behind him and accelerate. Bobby handed Patty his phone and told her, "Punch in 911 and wait to hit 'dial'." He then raised his right arm above his head and made a circular motion before returning it to the steering wheel.

As they passed Foster Road, the police car turned on its lights, indicating that it wanted Bobby to pull over.

"Hit dial now and hand me the phone," he told Patty. She did as instructed and handed him the phone.

"911, what is your emergency?" was the nasally answer.

"This is NSA10003. Patch me through to an SAPD communications supervisor immediately."

There was only a slight delay before Bobby heard, "Communications. Captain Meyers."

"This is NSA10003. Verify that you have a unit northbound on US181 at Foster Road initiating a traffic stop."

"Hold on" Bobby heard muddled conversation in the background. "I can verify that Z21 has initiated a traffic stop at that location on a red Chevrolet convertible with California plates."

"Inform your officer that the vehicle will pull over in the next parking lot, but he is not to exit his vehicle until instructed to do so. Confirm those instructions."

"Vehicle will pull over in the next parking lot but officer is to remain in vehicle until instructed otherwise."

Bobby saw a closed auto repair shop ahead on the right and pulled into the parking lot. He instructed JR to lie down across the back seat and asked Patty to scoot as low in her seat as possible. Before the police car could come to a stop behind him, an Air Force Special Forces helicopter was hovering over the highway directly beside them. The side door was open and a manned 50mm machine gun was aimed at the police car.

Bobby returned to the cell phone, "Tell your officer to step out of his vehicle with his hands in clear view."

"Officer states that he is under siege by military personnel in a helicopter."

"He is not under siege, he is being monitored. If he does as instructed, he will be fine. Now tell him to step out of his vehicle with his hands in clear view."

Bobby watched in his side mirror as the door to the patrol car opened and the police office stepped out.

"Tell the officer to pull out his identification and hold it in his right hand."

Bobby again watched in his side mirror as his instructions were followed.

"The officer may approach the subject vehicle to present his ID. If he makes any moves that could be construed as aggressive or hostile, especially where his holstered weapon is concerned, he won't like the consequences. Make sure he understands that before he proceeds."

Bobby watched the officer communicating through the microphone clipped to his shoulder. He kept his hands away from his body as he approached Bobby's car. The helicopter maintained its vigilant observation of events.

When the officer reached the driver's door of the Corvair, Bobby turned to him and said, "Hand me you ID and step back from the vehicle."

The officer complied. Bobby took the identification and spoke into the cell phone, "Captain Meyers, please verify for me the name of the officer currently assigned to car Z21."

"Car Z21 is currently assigned to Corporal Jenkins" was the reply

"Thank you Captain. I appreciate your assistance."

He ended the call and spoke to Patty and JR, "You two can sit normally again. Everything's fine."

Bobby opened his door and stepped out of the car. He handed the identification back to Officer Jenkins and extended him his right hand, while at the same time giving an 'okay' signal to the helicopter. It rose about 50 feet into the air but continued its observation.

"Sorry for the theatrics Officer Jenkins, but you stumbled onto a very delicate situation that mandated extreme security measures to insure that you were not an imposter. He shook hands with the officer and said, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well sir, can we start with you showing me your license and proof of insurance?"

Bobby chuckled, "Of course. Here's my license and I'll get the insurance card out of the glove box for you. Hang tight." Bobby handed him his driver's license and by the time he turned around, Patty had retrieved his insurance card from the glove box and was handing it to him.

"Thanks," he told her. She smiled in response.

Bobby handed the document to Officer Jenkins and waited.

"Mr. Brandt, I'm very sorry to inconvenience you, but when you passed me on the highway I noticed that you had a passenger that appeared to be under the age of sixteen riding unrestrained in your vehicle. That is in violation of Texas law requiring the use of seatbelts by passengers under the age of sixteen."

"Ah," said Bobby. "Please look closer officer."

Officer Jenkins approached the car and looked at JR sitting in the backseat. His seat belt was secured across his lap.

"This vehicle was manufactured in 1965. Pursuant to Texas Transportation Code - Section 547.601, the lap belt being worn by the passenger under 16 years of age is adequate and meets the requirements under the law. I can appreciate your inability to see the proper use of the seat belt because it is below your field of vision while you are seated in your car, but I can assure you I would never put my own son's life at risk by allowing him to ride in any car without a seat belt."

"Thank you for your understanding Mr. Brandt. Do you mind if I ask you if there is any relation between yourself and a Francis Brandt?"

"I don't mind at all. She is my older sister. Do you know her?"

"She introduced me to my wife. They went to nursing school together. I was at her wedding when she married Jason Reid."

"I was there too. We probably met and didn't recognize each other. Let me introduce you to my family."

Bobby brought Officer Jenkins over to the side of the car and introduced him to Patty and JR as a friend of Francis and Jason. Patty reached over to shake his hand, followed by JR doing the same.

"I have to be honest Mr. Brandt, the seat belt stop was borderline, but I really wanted to get a closer look at your car. This is a real classic and not something I get to see that often. I'm sorry to have caused you any concern or problem."

"Don't sweat it. I just moved to the area, so you'll probably get a lot more chances to see it. We're on our way to an appointment or I'd give you a tour now."

"I'd like to take a close look sometime, but I won't keep you any longer." He handed Bobby back his license and insurance card. "Have a good day."

Bobby returned to his car and signaled the helicopter away. By the time he was back on the road, Officer Jenkins had made a U-turn and was heading back to his spot in the center median.

"That was interesting," said Patty. JR laughed.

"Was that helicopter following us Dad?"

"Yes it was JR, and it will always be close enough to have us in its sights."

"Is that so no one will mess with you?"

Patty squeezed Bobby's hand and then turned to their son and said, "It's so no one messes with you and me JR. Everyone already knows not to mess with Bobby Brandt."

Bobby gave her a puzzled look but remained silent.

Bobby continued north on US181 until it transitioned into I-37. He then took I-410 westbound. As they approached Southton Road, he asked, "Have either of you ever visited the ghost tracks of San Antonio? They're supposed to be right off the Southton Road exit."

"Not me" said Patty

"What are ghost tracks?" asked JR.

"Okay, we're going to have to go sometime" said Bobby. "Legend has it that this particular railroad crossing is haunted by the ghosts of several children who died there years ago when their school bus was struck by a train. As the story goes, if you pull your car onto the tracks and take it out of gear, the ghosts of the children will push your car off the tracks. People have even put flour or other powder on their rear bumpers and say that they can see little hand prints from the children who pushed the car."

"Cool!" said JR. "We definitely have to go there."

"Count me out" said Patty with a forced shutter.

Bobby laughed at both of them as he took the Roosevelt exit and followed the signs to Stinson Field. He found the Fixed Base Operations (FBO) building and parked the car. After helping Patty out of her seat, Bobby and JR put the top up on the car.

Bobby led them into the building and found them seats while he went to the counter and conducted his business. Once done, he came back and proceeded to lead them out a door and towards a small corporate jet parked on the tarmac.

"Are we flying somewhere?" asked JR

"We certainly are," replied Bobby

He led Patty and JR up the stairs, followed them into the body of the plane, and then retracted the stairs and closed the door.

"Where's the pilot?" asked JR.

"You're looking at him," said Bobby. "Who is going to be my co-pilot?"

JR and Patty looked at each other, and then yelled at the same time "ME!"

Bobby laughed and said. "You'll need to take turns. How about if PattyKat is my co-pilot on the way and JR can be my co-pilot on the way back? The cockpit doesn't have a door, so if one of you sits in the front seat here, you'll be able to see everything anyway."

"Okay," said JR, while Patty just glowed at Bobby.

Bobby got JR settled, and then led Patty to the cockpit and got her in her seat. He then took the pilot's seat and began the pre-flight checks. JR and Patty just watched Bobby in silent admiration as he completed his checks, started the jet, and taxied them out to the runway.

As Bobby awaited clearance to take off, JR asked him, "Is this your plane Dad?"

"Partly," said Bobby. "I own a fractional interest in a plane very similar to this, and that allows me to use an equivalent plane pretty much anytime I need to. I have a one-third interest so that has always been more than enough time in the air to meet my needs."

"Are you rich Dad?"

Bobby smiled over at Patty and said, "No richer than your mom, JR." Patty winked at him but kept silent.

After takeoff, Bobby spent time showing Patty and JR the different instruments and explaining the purpose of each. They both appeared more interested in the workings of the plane than they were in the sights outside, but what they really craved was Bobby sharing his knowledge and his time with them.

It seemed like they had only been in the air for a short period of time when Bobby told them that it was time to get ready for their landing.

"Where are we landing?" asked JR

"Naval Air Station Fort Worth" said Bobby

"What's there?"

"Our ride."

Bobby taxied as directed and parked the jet. Before he finished opening the door and lowering the stairs, a Navy staff car was outside waiting for them. The ensign driving escorted them to the exit gate where a limousine awaited them. The driver held the door open as they all three climbed in the back.

"Wow!" said JR, "There's a TV in here."

Bobby laughed at his son, "You can turn it on, but you won't have much time to watch it before we get to lunch."

They exited using the White Settlement Road exit, and then traveled east about 4 miles. The car turned right on University Drive, went south to 7th Street and the east for two blocks. Patty squealed when she realized their destination.

"In-N-Out! Bobby I love you!"

JR was confused, but he didn't want to question his mother's obvious excitement. The limo found a spot to park and the driver opened the door for them. Bobby helped Patty out of the car and practically had to restrain her from running to the order window. Patty started jumping up and down, stopping only to hug and kiss Bobby before starting over again.

Finally, Patty regained enough of her senses to bestow an explanation upon their son.

"JR, while I firmly believe that In-N-Out makes the best hamburger in the world, the food is second in my heart to the memories I have of your dad taking me to In-N-Out when we were in school. There are a lot of other places that I would be just as sentimental about, like the beach, or El Dorado Park, but this is here, and your dad brought us here because he knew how I would love it.

Now, JR, just like me, you get to have your first In-N-Out experience because the wonderful man who is your dad has gone out of his way to make it possible. I hope your memories mean as much to you someday."

"Okay mom. Can we eat something now?"

Bobby laughed and let Patty have the pleasure of ordering for all of them. When the food was ready, they sat around one of the outside tables and Bobby watched Patty as she searched for affirmation from JR that this was as memorable for him as it was for her. JR didn't disappoint her. From his first bite of his Double-Double with cheese through to his last french fry, the fact that he was an In-N-Out junkie was evident.

Bobby led them back to the car and provided the driver with an address for their next destination. In a surprising short time, they were pulling up to the Berry Street location of Kubes Jewelers.

Bobby escorted Patty and JR into the store and waited for someone to assist them. When they were approached by an employee, Bobby recognized the name Kelly as the person he had spoken with on the phone.

"Hi Kelly, I'm Bobby Brandt. We spoke yesterday about selecting an engagement ring."

"Of course! So nice to meet you. I see you brought the selection committee with you as promised." Kelly introduced herself to Patty and JR.

Kelly continued, "I remember from my conversation with Bobby that I am supposed to move heaven and Earth to make certain that PattyKat gets just the ring she wants." She smiled at Patty.

"Do you have any starting preferences, such as yellow gold, white gold, platinum...?"

Patty said, "Actually, this may seem strange, but I would rather start with wedding rings and then later find an engagement ring that compliments those."

Kelly looked at Patty in obvious and blatant admiration. "Wonderful idea."

She led them over to a selection of wedding bands. Patty pulled Bobby next to her and said, "You're involved in this choice buster."

Bobby squeezed her hand, "What do you need to know?"

"Well, you don't wear a watch, so we don't have to worry about matching your ring to that, but do you have any other preference about the metal choice?"

"I'm conflicted. I think that white gold and platinum are cleaner and even somewhat classier than yellow gold, but they can also be mistaken for silver or other lower grade materials and I wouldn't want you to ever be viewed as having an inferior ring."

"I think that's where the stone really comes into play. What do you think Kelly?"

Kelly was surprised to be included in the conversation at this point, but jumped right in, "To the untrained eye, 10 carat yellow gold would look the same as 24 carat, so to a large extent Patty is right. The quality of the ring design for the wedding band, coupled with the stone in the engagement ring will be what the lay person judges the rings by."

Bobby considered this and then said, "Then let's look at the designs in Platinum."

Patty found a wedding set of Platinum bands with intricate scroll patterns that met with both Bobby's and JR's approval. Kelly then showed her a selection of Platinum engagement rings with a variety of settings. Patty was having difficulty deciding before JR pointed out a trillium cut setting in yellow gold that caught his eye. Bobby asked Kelly if the same setting could be made on a Platinum band, and she assured him that it could. Patty examined the setting, and really had to admire her son's taste in rings. She could envision what the ring would look like in Platinum, but more importantly sitting on her finger beside the wedding band that was her ultimate desire, and she couldn't have been more pleased.

"Thank you JR," she said as she kissed his cheek.

Kelly smiled and said, "Now all we need to do is decide on a stone."

Bobby jokingly said, "Oh just toss the cheapest cubic zirconium you have onto it and let's get going."

Kelly gasped, but Patty just nibbled on Bobby's ear lobe and said, "Let's not go to extremes in either direction, okay?"

Using various other gemstones and diamonds as a guide, they decided on a 3 carat as the appropriate size for the setting. Kelly located several high quality stones in New York and made arrangements to have them sent to Fort Worth for evaluation. Patty told Kelly she trusted her judgment on the perfect stone and Bobby concurred. They were told that the rings should be sized and ready by the middle of the next week and that Kelly would call to confirm their completion.

Kelly went to a computer and created a composite image of what the finished rings would look like and printed out colored copies for Patty. Bobby paid for the wedding bands and a put a sizeable deposit on the engagement ring.

When they returned to the car Bobby asked them, "Do either of you have any place you need to be for the rest of the day?"

Patty smiled and said, "My schedule is totally clear. JR?"

"I'm okay," he said.

Bobby gave the driver instructions before turning back to Patty and JR, "Then let's go ride some roller coasters."

***

Earlier that morning, it had taken Mikhailov three attempts to reach Aleksey Butorin before he answered his phone.

"What took you so long?" screamed Mikhailov when his call was finally answered.

A weak Butorin replied, "I am just now able to move to pick up my phone. I awoke totally paralyzed and have only begun to gain movement again."

Mikhailov heard a gasp from the phone, and then there were several screams as Butorin tried to summon his own body guards, but like Mikhailov earlier, he would receive no reply. It took several minutes before Butorin returned to the phone.

"Boris, I need to go find someone. There are two strange men in my bed where my wife should be ...."

"Shut up," shouted Mikhailov. "That is why I am calling you."

"You did this? Why Boris?"

"I did not do this you fool! I woke up to the same situation as you over an hour ago, only my phone call was from the person who is claiming responsibility. If you will listen, I will tell you what I was told to communicate to you and Konstantin Ivankov."

"Ivankov too?"

"That is what I was told," said Mikhailov, "but he will not be able to confirm this for another two hours. He will be paralyzed like you and I were until that time."

"Please start with telling me where my wife is," said Butorin.

"If your situation is the same as mine, your wife and children have been abducted, along with all your body guards. My man, Vitaly Kazan has come over and reviewed the security camera data and there is nothing. All the camera feeds were jammed somehow during the night and when they came back on, they showed nothing of what happened. Once I confirm that Ivankov has also been visited, I need to explain to each of you the demands being made by the Suka."

"The Suka did this?"

Mikhailov replied, "The Bitch Wars have started again, and I'm afraid we may not survive this time Comrade."

Exactly two hours later, Mikhailov had a similar conversation with Konstantin Ivankov. He made arrangements for the three Brothers to chat on a conference call that evening.

Ivankov was not sitting idly by and waiting. He wanted answers. Waking next to two men that he recognized as being part of the assault team sent to deal with the Harpers, and knowing that the operation he had initiated likely triggered what had happened, he summoned Ginzburg to the beach.

"What in the hell happened?" It took all of Ivankov's strength to moderate the words he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs.

"I can only tell you what I know for certain Comrade," said Ginzburg. "The primary assault team last reported that they were in route to the neighbor's house. This was around 8 a.m. our time yesterday. They were never heard from again. The second team reported that they were holding position at their hotel until they had the go ahead from the first team. They have failed to respond and we have had no further reports from them. Our sources within both the local Texas law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals service report no arrests, or in fact any contact or sighting of either team."

Ivankov nodded, "The condition of the men returned to us would tend to eliminate the involvement of the authorities in this. They are all now less than men and are probably better off dead."

Ginzburg could not argue this. He had seen the men in Ivankov's bed and heard that the Brothers in New York and Chicago had received men in similar condition. "We have learned one interesting fact..."

"Go on," said Ivankov.

"The Harpers are no longer under the protection of the U.S. Marshals Service. The assignment has been transferred to the Department of Homeland Security."

"That makes no sense," said Ivankov.

"It is unprecedented, but perfectly legal under the right federal declarations."

Ivankov was confused, "What are you talking about?"

"If someone in the Administration -- and we're talking at the President's level or his Cabinet level at a minimum -- has deemed something involving the Harpers as being a threat to national security, then Comrade, we are no better than terrorists in their eyes."

"Can we find out who is behind this authorization?"

"We might be able to, but that will not necessarily tell us who has your family and who is attacking us."

"Maybe, maybe not, but at least we'll know who we are dealing with. If they want to treat us as terrorists, maybe we should act like terrorists. Get me as much information as you can by 5 p.m. I'll be talking to the Brothers then and we need to come to the table strong."

"Dah" said Ginzburg as he turned and walked through the sand to the parking lot.

***

Bobby treated Patty and JR to a four hour VIP escorted trip to the Six Flags over Texas amusement park in Arlington. They had been whisked to the front of every line by their park escort, and Bobby reveled in the excitement both Patty and JR displayed as they rode the most thrilling and popular attractions.

"Who's ready for dinner?" Bobby asked as the climbed back into the limousine.

JR hugged his dad and said, "Thanks dad. I'm glad my first time was with you."

"Me too," said Patty as she joined her son in hugging his father.

"You're both very welcome. Now, are you ready for some down-home Texas vittles?"

"When in Rome..." laughed Patty.

Within minutes, they were at the Arlington location for Bone Daddy's House of Smoke. There were a few groups of people standing outside the door, indicating that they could expect a wait for a table.

"Ummm, it sure smells good," said Patty.

After entering the restaurant, Bobby leaned down and spoke to his son, "JR, would you please go over and tell the hostess that we would like a table for three. If she offers you a booth, tell her that we would prefer to wait for a table. Can you handle that while your mom and I wait over here out of the way?"

"Sure," said JR, and he walked to the waitress with a proud smile on his face.

Patty squeezed Bobby's hand and said, "Keep it up buster and that kid is going to worship you almost as much as I do."

"I learned from the best... my Dad."

"Yes you did. I'm going to go powder my nose while we wait. Stay away from that Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who's moonlighting as a hostess. Be right back."

She kissed Bobby on the cheek and walked down a hall following the signs to the restrooms.

JR was back beside Bobby within a few minutes with a big grin on his face. "She'll call my name when our table is ready. It should only be about five minutes she said. Where's mom?"

"She went to the restroom," and as Bobby said this, he turned his head in the direction that Patty had walked to indicate for JR where she was. His blood cooled, and then instantly started to heat as he saw three men surrounding Patty just across from the ladies' restroom. She had her back against the wall with a man standing directly in front of her, leaning against the wall by bracing his hands on either side of her head. There was a man on either side of her preventing her from getting around the man in front of her as he had is face inches from hers. All three of the men easily had three or four inches and at least fifty pounds on Bobby. The first impression that came to Bobby's mind was that these were oil field workers out for a little hell-raising on their night off.

"JR, you better come with me" and he put his hand on JR's shoulder and started leading him towards his mother. As they approached the men's' restroom, Bobby opened the door and said to JR, "Wait for me in here. Do not come out until I come and get you. Okay?"

"Sure dad."

Bobby let the restroom door close before continuing towards Patty and the men harassing her. He walked up behind the man in the center of the group and Bobby could smell the alcohol on him already.

He reached around the man, took Patty's hand and said, "Let's go Patty our table will be ready soon."

"Screw you ass wipe, she's my date for tonight. Ain't that right cutie?" The other two men laughed.

Patty just turned her head to try and avoid smelling the stench of the man's breath on her face.

Bobby let go of Patty's hand, and there was a brief look of confusion in her eyes.

"Sorry, but she's my date for eternity. Move aside and let her pass."

Looking over his shoulder at Bobby, the man said, "Hell, you're not man enough for someone like her. Now get lost before you get hurt." He started to run a finger down Patty's cheek.

Bobby thought back to his martial arts instructor at the Air Force Academy. The general rules of non-lethal combat had been drilled into all students, and then Bobby's later advanced studies drove the rules home further...

If a man can't see, he can't fight

If a man can't stand, he can't fight

If a man can't breathe, he can't fight

With the center man's back to Bobby, he started with the one to the right of Patty. A forearm blow to the Brachial plexus rendered him unconscious. As the man in front of Patty turned, a blow to his jugular notch left him gasping for air in a heap. The third man tried to pull a hand gun, which Bobby forced him to drop with thumb pressure on the Large Intestine point 4 while squeezing the outside of the hand with his fingers. Bobby then moved him into a wrist lock, hyperextended his elbow, and then dislocated the man's shoulder for good measure. While the man was not without the ability to still fight, Bobby felt that there was no longer any threat from him, and left him moaning on the floor.

Patty couldn't see exactly what happened, but within seconds Bobby took her hand and helped her step over the unconscious or disabled bodies of the three men. Bobby reached down and picked up the hand gun from the floor.

Before Bobby could open the restroom door to retrieve JR, Patty whispered in his ear, "What planet are you from?" Then she teased him further by displaying mock shame and holding her arms over her breasts, saying "You don't have x-ray vision do you"?

Bobby laughed as he opened the door to the men's room and called for JR to join them. JR came out and noticed the three men on the floor, but just looked at his dad and shrugged.

Bobby approached the hostess and handed her the gun, "I found this on the floor outside the restroom. You may want to give it to the police so they can try and find the rightful owner."

The hostess took the gun and examined it. "Nice piece. Maybe if no one claims it, they'll let me have it. I've wanted an automatic and this looks almost brand new." She slid it inside the podium she was standing at and smiled at JR. "I was just getting ready to call you JR. Your table is ready."

"Only in Texas," Bobby thought.

The hostess addressed another girl, who Patty was convinced was destined for Playmate of the Month and said, "Nikki, would you please show JR and his party to their table." Nikki escorted them to a table for four, placed menus for each of them on the table and said, "Your server tonight is Carrie, and she'll be with you shortly."

Bobby held a chair out for Patty, JR sat across from her and Bobby sat between the two of them. They had barely picked up their menus when a waitress, who they all assumed was Carrie, greeted them. "Hi JR, I'm Carrie. I have been told to take special care of you and your guests tonight, so can I start you all off with something to drink?"

JR was momentarily speechless. Patty took mercy on her son and said, "I would like unsweetened ice tea please." Bobby selected the same, and JR was finally able to squeak out "Lemonade please."

If the two hostesses were beautiful, Carrie made them both look like yesterday's old news. She was absolutely stunning, and as Patty looked around the restaurant, she noticed that all the servers were young and very attractive; dressed in tight zippered shirts that came to their midriff, and short shorts that accentuated their perfectly toned bodies.

"A girl could get a serious inferiority complex coming here," as she stroked Bobby's arm. "This place makes Hooters look like a convent full of cloistered nuns."

Bobby was able to keep a straight face as he replied, "Really? I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it. What do you think JR?"

"They're okay."

Patty laughed at both men in her life and then turned her attention to the menu. "What would you recommend?"

Bobby made sure he had JR's attention too when he said, "The barbeque is legendary, but I'm going to get the Chicken Fried Chicken. I'm hoping to buy the recipe and give it to PattyKat so that she knows how to make it at home. Whatever you get, the portions are large, so don't worry about finishing everything. We can take the leftovers home."

"Can I have ribs?" asked JR.

"Of course," said Patty, "but why don't you get the full rack and I'll split them with you. If your dad won't mind sharing his Chicken Fried Chicken with me as well, I'll just order a side salad and sample what my guys are having."

"Sounds good to me," said Bobby, and JR agreed.

Bobby looked at his cell phone and noticed that it was nearing 7 p.m.

"PattyKat, could you please order for me. I need to make a quick phone call, so I'm going to step outside for a minute."

"Of course. Hurry back"

***

Mikhailov made certain that both Butorin and Ivankov had joined his conference call before he began.

"Comrades, have either of you heard anything from this Alpha Bitch since you woke up this morning?"

"Not yet" said Butorin.

"Nor I," said Ivankov. "I wish he would call me. I'd tell this eunuch what I will do to him when..."

"Please tell me, Comrade Ivankov. And while you're at it, tell me how you will do these things with your head detached from your body and sitting in the United States Attorney's office."

"Who is that," screamed Ivankov.

"You should know who this is Comrade. Don't waste my time."

"Listen you piece of shit, you caught us all by surprise last night, but you won't be as lucky next ... What the hell?"

"What..." was the similar reaction from Mikhailov and Butorin as the lights went out on them.

"Do you think that you cowards could hide from us?" The lights came back on for all of them. "We know exactly where each of you has run and hidden, and we will always know where you are. Quit playing games and focus on our demands."

"What demands?" asked Butorin. Mikhailov hadn't had a chance to convey those to them yet.

"As I mentioned to Comrade Mikhailov this morning, the short-term demand is that the heads of Konstantin Ivankov and Alex Ginzburg to be delivered to the office of the United States Attorney in Los Angeles by 9 a.m. Monday morning. That is tomorrow morning.

They are the cowards who have been frightening and killing innocent American citizens in an attempt to clean up their own mistakes. You other two, have sat by for the last ten years and watched this idiot continue his foolishness, and done nothing to stop him, so you are as guilty as he and Ginzburg are."

Ivankov was hysterical, "You expect me to sacrifice myself to appease you? You are the one who is an idiot."

"First of all, I have no expectations, only truths. Your head will be at the U.S. Attorney's office tomorrow morning, either figuratively or literally. Let me remind all of you that we had you totally helpless and under our control last night. If simply killing you was our objective, you would all be dead by now. Can any of you argue that point?"

Silence. "I didn't think so. Therefore, speaking to the demand related to Comrade Ivankov and his flunky Ginzburg, they can walk into the U.S. Attorney's office tomorrow morning by 9 a.m., confess all of their transgressions against the American people, and plead guilty when charges are brought, or their severed heads, as well as those of Comrades Butorin and Mikhailov, will be delivered on your behalf the very next day.

Now Comrade Ivankov, regarding your threat to act like terrorists if you were going to be treated like terrorists... that's right Comrade, your little surfside conversations are known to us, as are all your other conversations... let me assure you that your cowardly actions give terrorists a bad name. You have no cause, you have no beliefs, and you have no loyalty. You are only concerned with your own power and greed, and use cruelty to achieve those objectives alone. We will treat you as terrorists with respect to denying you due process under the Constitution; we will not bother ourselves with trials or even arrests. We will treat you as enemy combatants and eliminate the threat. It's that simple, and you can do nothing to stop us. So what's it going to be Comrades? One Brother's head or three?"

Butorin answered first, "If we give you Ivankov and Ginzburg, what of Mikhailov and me?"

Ivankov shouted, "Butorin, I'll kill you myself..."

"As I told Comrade Mikhailov this morning, once Ivankov and Ginzburg are neutralized, you will both be allowed to cease your operations within the borders of the United States, and to return to Russia. Your families will meet you there. Rest assured that your activities will be monitored, and any future existence of Russian mafia elements within the United States will result in your deaths."

Ivankov tried again, "We know that the U.S. Government is behind this. All we need to do is leak to the press that due process and Constitutional rights are being denied and..."

"You know nothing you pig, and you could prove even less. I am tired of this. The option of you and Ginzburg surrendering is now off the table. Tonight your heads will be removed from your bodies and delivered as instructed. Comrades Butorin and Mikhailov, will you facilitate this or should I. Remember that if I do it, yours also will be included in the deal."

"It will be done," said Mikhailov.

"Agreed," replied Butorin.

Ivankov screamed, "I'll kill you both first!"

Bobby disconnected and returned to his family.

***

Their meals were delivered soon after Bobby returned to the table. Carrie had brought extra plates for Patty to allow her to sample as much as she wanted from the meals of Bobby and JR. Carrie also tied a plastic shirt protector/bib around JR's neck to keep the barbeque sauce on the ribs from staining his shirt. JR looked like he was going to faint as the very attractive waitress kissed his cheek when she finished tying the knot.

Patty portioned out servings for herself from the other's plates and then they all dug into the food before them. As they ate, Bobby began a conversation with Patty.

"I am going to ask my attorney, as well as a legal representative from the Department of Homeland Security to come and meet with you tomorrow. You should probably have your parents participate in some of the meetings as well."

Patty licked barbeque sauce off her fingers and asked, "Why do you want me to meet with the lawyers?"

"A couple of reasons. First, your identity is a mess, and the HSA attorney can help in getting most of that straightened out. Secondly, once you can legally act as Patricia Harper again, you will face business responsibilities that you need to be made aware of."

"Dad?" interrupted JR.

"Yes JR?"

"I really love that you treat me like a person and not just a kid, but is it alright if I ask questions sometimes?"

"JR, I respect you as a person and love you as my son, but I promise that I won't forget that you may not always understand everything you are exposed to, and it is my job as your father to help you when you need explanations or advice. However, your mom and I also need to trust that you respect family conversations and don't discuss our private matters with others. Okay?"

"Of course."

"So what's your question?"

"Can you explain what mom's identity mess is?"

"All of the issues are very complicated, but I can give you some explanation that I think will help you understand. Your mom was born as Patricia Harper, and that is who she wants to be again. She has even changed her look back to what Patty Harper looked like before she was forced into hiding. You follow me so far?"

"I love my mom as PattyKat, and I know you both do too."

"You're right. Now, she has lived the last ten years as Katie Freeman. That is the name on her driver's license, all of her credit cards, and most important to this conversation, it is the name of your mother on your birth certificate. If Katie Freeman was to just go away and be replaced by Patty Harper, you would have no mother of legal record. That's why we need to get Patty Harper to take the place of Katie Freeman on credit reports, birth certificates, and other legal documents so that your mom can get her identity back without losing anything in the process. Is there anything that you want to add PattyKat?"

Patty laughed, "Actually, your explanation helped me understand the situation better. Thanks dad."

"I almost forgot," said JR. "Mom, can we go to California when school lets out for the summer? Joey was telling me about my other grandparents and dad said we could drive out to visit them if it was okay with you."

"I think that would be wonderful, JR. I'll make sure my calendar is clear for as long as you and your dad want for the trip and visiting."

"So JR," said Bobby. "Did you spot our dessert on the menu when you were looking at it earlier?"

"I'm so stuffed I don't know if I can eat dessert," said JR.

"That wasn't the question. Did you notice what our dessert was going to be?"

"No," admitted JR, and Patty was just as ignorant.

Bobby caught Carrie's eye and she hurried over to their table. "Ready for dessert?" she asked.

Bobby couldn't hide his smile as he said, "Carrie, we would like to share a piece of 'Patty Cake'."

JR and Patty burst out laughing. "That's not on the menu!" Patty said.

"Yes it is," said Carrie. "And it is the best chocolate cake you've ever had."

Carrie was right. The three of them took turns digging into the cake with their own forks until the plate was spotless.

Bobby took a credit card out of his wallet and handed it to JR.

"Son, would you please take care of the bill when it comes?"

"What am I supposed to do?" asked JR.

Patty couldn't stop herself. She pushed her chair back and crawled into Bobby's lap.

Bobby put his arm around her and explained to his son, "When Carrie brings the bill you need to review it to make certain that we are being charged only for what we ordered. However, you also need to make certain that Carrie didn't miss anything that we should be charged for. Then, you need to determine what amount the gratuity, or tip, Carrie deserves for how well she took care of us. You may want to ask your mom and me what we thought of her service, or you can base it strictly on your own perception of her services. It is generally appropriate to pay no less than ten percent of the bill as a tip, but you can go as high as you want if you feel the service provided was worthy of recognition. When you have determined the final total, I will accept your decision and sign the credit card receipt"

"But what if I'm wrong?" asked JR.

"If you want your mom or me to help you, we're right here. I don't want you to feel that you are responsible for something that you're not comfortable with. Do your best and we'll support you. You made the request for our table. Did it meet your expectations? Carrie obviously recognized you as being in charge, so did she treat your guests to your satisfaction? Was the food to the liking of you and your guests? Did Carrie do everything possible to make the meal pleasurable? Those are things that you need to consider."

Just then, Carrie approached the table, and she instinctively knew to present the bill to JR. "Thank you JR for allowing me to serve you and your guests"

JR rose to the occasion and said, "Carrie, the only thing better than the food was the service. Thank you."

Bobby was proud to see that JR gave Carrie a 25% tip. While somewhat excessive, he signed the credit card receipt and led his family to the waiting limousine. As they drove back to their plane, Bobby asked JR and Patty a question.

"Do either of you like word puzzles?"

"You know I do," said Patty.

"Most of the time," said JR.

"Okay, then try this one... Tell me how you can speak in comprehensible English for one minute without using a word containing the letter 'A'."

"Oh, that's a good one," said Patty. "Let's think about this together JR."

Patty and JR discussed solutions until Bobby had led them back onto the plane, closed the door, and told them that it was time to take their seats. They still hadn't arrived at an answer when Patty took the forward most passenger seat, and Bobby helped JR get situated in the co-pilot seat as promised.

After Bobby had taken off and reached his assigned altitude, he was able to stop talking on the radio and devote some attention to JR sitting next to him.

"Have you figured out what everything does yet?"

"No way!" laughed JR. "How do you know where you're flying to in the dark?"

"It's not that much different than playing some of the more complex video games."

Bobby pointed to the compass on the instrument panel first. "This compass tells me the direction we're flying. I typically don't need to use it because there are radio transmitters on the ground that provide what are called 'way-points' that the navigation computer can follow. I can either follow the direction myself, or turn on the auto pilot and let it make the course adjustments."

Bobby then pointed to another instrument. "This is the artificial horizon. Basically it tells me whether the aircraft is level, turning, ascending or descending."

"And this..." Bobby indicated another instrument for JR "is the altimeter. It tells me how high we are. That's important because there are often several other aircraft in the sky, and we are each assigned a different altitude by the air traffic controllers to help us avoid bumping into one another. There are a lot of other instruments as you can see, but most of those deal with the condition of the aircraft itself, such as fuel level, and not as much with the flying of it."

"Can you teach me how to fly?"

"Me too!" added Patty. She had been eagerly following Bobby's explanation of the instruments to JR.

Bobby chuckled at both of them and shook his head. "I am not a certified flight instructor, so while I can teach you some things, I couldn't legally teach you how to fly. I can arrange for you both to take flying lessons, but JR wouldn't be allowed to fly by himself until he was 16, and he couldn't actually get his pilot's certificate until he was 17."

"But I could take lessons now?" asked JR in amazement.

"You certainly could. However, before we run out and sign you and your mom up for flying lessons, I think we need to decide as a family where we want to live in the future."

Bobby saw confusion on both of their faces, so he continued, "I'm not saying we have to move, but it is now an option. We could live anywhere we wanted, so you should both at least think about whether or not you would want to stay in the San Antonio area," he looked at Patty, "or moved back to Southern California for example. We could live in Hawaii or Alaska if you wanted. We could even move to Australia and start raising sheep."

"I guess we have a lot of options now that we didn't have before JR," Patty told her son. "Since your dad has found us, we really can start to think about things differently."

Patty and JR turned their attention back to Bobby as he began preparations for their landing. JR was mesmerized; trying to watch his dad's actions, the changes in the instruments in front of him, and by the lights on the ground getting closer as they approached the airport. Patty had an easier time, since she saw only Bobby and her son together.

After taxiing to the FBO, parking the jet where indicated and shutting everything down, Bobby helped Patty and JR collect their doggy bags from dinner and then led them all into the building. Patty suggested that JR and her use the restroom while Bobby finished up his business of returning the plane, and by the time they were back, Bobby was ready to go.

"Anyone have plans for next Wednesday", Bobby asked as they walked to the car.

Patty only thought for a minute, "I have a meeting in the morning with one of my clients, but my afternoon is free. JR has school, but nothing afterwards since baseball is done for the season."

Bobby opened the door for Patty. She reached up and released the latches for the top, and then JR helped Bobby lower it down. JR then climbed over the side of the car into the back seat as Bobby climbed behind the wheel.

"If Kelly calls on Monday or Tuesday confirming that the rings are ready, how would you both like to fly back on Wednesday to pick them up? I found out that the Rangers are playing the Angels Wednesday evening, so we could also ask Jason, Franc and Joey to come with us so we could all go to the game afterwards. It would make for a late school night for the boys, but if they were able to sleep on the flight back, it might not affect them too badly the next day."

"I'll call Franc in the morning and see what she thinks" said Patty, "but it sounds like fun to me. How about you, JR?"

"Can we have In-N-Out for dinner?"

"Count on it!" Bobby laughed as Patty squeezed his hand.

A few minutes later Patty asked JR, "I can't figure it out JR, can you?"

It took JR a minute to remember the word puzzle, and then he admitted, "I can't either. What's the answer dad?"

Bobby grinned and answered his son, "If you want to speak in comprehensible English for one minute without using a word containing the letter 'A' all you need to do is start counting. You won't get to the first number containing the letter 'A' until you reach one thousand."

Bobby could see the calculators working inside both Patty and JR as they tried to prove or disprove his answer.

"That's a good one," said Patty.

JR agreed, "I'm going to use that one on my teacher tomorrow!"

JR was asleep and lying across the back seat when they arrived home. Patty took the doggy bags as Bobby carried JR into the house and up to his room. He helped Patty get JR undressed and under the covers of his bed.

"I'll wake him a little early so he can shower before school" she said. Taking Bobby's hand, she led him from the room and down to the kitchen.

While Patty put the left overs away, Bobby logged onto his laptop.

"Are you going to be long?" Patty asked as she kissed Bobby on the cheek.

"This should only take a few minutes... thirty at the most."

"I'm going to go start a bath. If you're done before the water cools you know where to find me."

Bobby pulled her to him and kissed her, nibbling slightly on her lip as they parted. "I'll be quick."

Patty stroked his cheek. "I'll be missing you."

Bobby visited the classic car part websites and quickly found the messages hidden within the various items wanted / items for sale postings. He then walked out onto the back deck and called Acosta on his cell phone.

"Evening Bobby," was Acosta's greeting when he answered his own phone.

"Hi Rick. It appears that everything is on schedule. Any problems to report?"

"Butorin and Mikhailov both have teams on the ground in Southern California searching for Ivankov and Ginzburg. Intercepted conversations reflect a growing frustration over them not being able to locate their targets. We expect Butorin and Mikhailov to really begin to panic after midnight west coast time, so we're prepared to grab their teams before they start taking more drastic and possibly violent action trying to persuade people to divulge the locations of Ivankov and Ginzburg."

"Do you have enough holding area for the number of people anticipated there?"

"The fishing trawler has a hold more than large enough, but our guests may never want to eat seafood again once they come out of it."

Bobby chuckled, and then got more serious. "Any update on the families?"

"They have all arrived at Izmir Air Station and are awaiting transportation to the port tomorrow after dark. Their expected travel time to Odessa is three days. I will meet with Temuri Mirzoyev next Friday to explain his sudden influx of house guests from America."

Temuri Mirzoyev was the head of the Brothers Circle and needed to be dissuaded from trying to re-establish any new operations in the United States. Rick Acosta would make certain that the cost of business would not be one Mirzoyev would want to pay.

"Send me nice clear pictures of them all standing on the Potemkin Stairs. I want their husbands and fathers to have the image of their families being safe as the last thing they ever see."

"Not a problem. Is the AG still onboard with everything for in the morning?" asked Acosta.

"He will hold a press conference at noon Eastern time that has been scripted for him by the President. I will have a conference call with the Assistant U.S. Attorneys General for New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles one hour later to brief them on the future strategy they will be expected to support."

"Okay," said Acosta. "Unless something critical comes up, I won't bother you until tomorrow morning with a status update."

"Thanks Rick."

Bobby ended the call, went back to the kitchen to put away his laptop, and then went in search of some warm bath water.

What Bobby found was Patty warming herself in the tub. She had her head back, her eyes closed and her hands caressing her breasts and between her legs. She sensed Bobby entering the bathroom.

"I'm glad you're here," was her throaty greeting.

Bobby leaned against the counter and smiled down at her as she gazed up at him. Her hands continued their exploration as her eyes locked onto his.

"Watch me. I want to watch you watch me," was her plea.

"It would be my pleasure," he whispered as he moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub.

"I love the freedom that you give me by being in my life. I could never allow myself to explore my sexuality without you, and you've reawakened so much desire inside me that I had repressed for years."

"The feeling is mutual, believe me."

Patty gasped as her fingers found a sensitive spot. "What do you want to explore Bobby?"

"I think we're both in a similar situation in that we don't know what we don't know where sex is concerned. We've obviously been able to please each other, and the fundamentals have always seemed to come naturally..."

Bobby saw that he was losing Patty's focus as she began her orgasm, so he paused to let her recover.

Opening her eyes and smiling at him, "Why don't you jump in the shower and rinse off while I dry myself. We'll continue our discussion in my conference room."

"Conference room?"

"Just hurry up and I'll show you."

She started the water draining from the tub and stood up. Bobby reached to the rack and retrieved her towel for her without taking his eyes off her.

Smiling back at him, "You're not cooperating buster. Get in the shower or else."

"You resorting to threats now?"

"Heavens no," she replied as she wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the tub. "I just don't want you to be disappointed by missing anything because you were too slow. I have a head start on you and patience is a virtue I cannot wait to get."

As he pulled off his shirt, Bobby grinned at her, "I seem to remember someone who liked to be teased."

As he unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his legs, Patty gasped. "You weren't wearing underwear all day and you didn't tell me?"

"I considered it." He kicked his jeans aside and started the shower. "Then thought discretion was called for since JR was with us and I knew you couldn't be trusted with the carnal knowledge." Bobby stepped into the shower.

Patty smacked his behind before he could close the door. "We'll never know now, will we?"

Bobby rinsed quickly and then dried himself off. When he entered the bedroom, he was surprised that Patty wasn't there. Before he could ponder her disappearance further, she came back into the room carrying her laptop computer.

Tossing off her robe, she crawled into the bed. "Come into our conference room and let's get this meeting started."

Bobby crawled in beside her, "Am I going to need to take notes?"

Patty was logging onto the internet as Bobby positioned pillows behind them so they could lean back and see the computer screen together. He watched Patty's obvious determination as she entered a website she was searching for.

"Literotica dot com?" Bobby asked.

"Franc told me about it yesterday when she was helping me with my hair. She suggested that we check it out together."

Bobby couldn't hold back a laugh, "My big sister recommending porn sites. Why am I not surprised?"

Patty poked him and settled back against the pillows. "Be nice and pay attention. You said that we don't know what we don't know, and I agree. In days of old, we could have read anatomy text books or found some assorted 'how-to' books in some sleazy adult book store, but today, we have technology to help us expand our imaginations."

Studying the home page of the website, Bobby said "This site appears to be targeted more towards erotica than pornography in the traditional sense. It also seems to focus on couples. Have you been on it before?"

"First time," Patty replied as she scrolled down the page. "It looks like a mix of fiction and non-fiction too. A lot of the categories listed don't jump out at me of being something we would be interested in, but we're in this together, so where would you like to start?"

Pointing to one of the listed categories Bobby said, "The 'How-To' category might be a safe place to start."

Patty clicked on the link and they started reviewing story titles. "Is there anything you want to learn to do, or that you want me to learn to do for you?" she asked.

"Keep scrolling and let's see if anything looks interesting," he said.

They laughed at some of the more humorous titles, such as "A Dummies Guide to Lactation," and opened a few 'guides' on different sex acts that were disappointing to both of them. Patty exited out of that category and selected the "Erotic Couplings" category next. They found several titles that intrigued them, but found that the screen on the laptop made it inconvenient for them both to try reading at the same time. As a solution, Patty would read a story aloud, and then Bobby would pick the next one and he would read it aloud to her.

They soon discovered that many of the stories were arousing to one or both of them, so they began to tease each other. While Patty would read, Bobby would use his fingers, hands and mouth to try and distract her, or at least get her voice to change pitch while she read. When it was Bobby's turn to read, Patty returned the torturous teasing with increasing fervor.

Patty had finally had enough. "Bookmark this site and then make love to me."

Bobby was way ahead of her.

Chapter Seven - Monday

Bobby awoke to a surprise. He wasn't surprised that he found himself spooning with Patty, but he was surprised when he rolled away from her to get out of bed, his right hand was tied to hers with the belt from her robe.

Her groggy voice greeted him, "You're not getting away from me this morning buster." She rolled over on top of him and buried her face against his neck.

"If I promise to come back after using the bathroom will you untie me?" he laughed.

"No, but I'll untie my side. Let the belt around your wrist remind you of your promise to return."

She released the knot from her own wrist and rolled back to her side of the bed.

When Bobby returned she pulled him on top of her and whispered in his ear, "Let's make a baby."

She loved his immediate and enthusiastic compliance to her request.

When Patty eventually rolled off Bobby, she captured the belt still tethered to his wrist, and pulled on it until he was once again spooning against her.

"I could get used to keeping you on a short leash, especially when in our bedroom," she sighed.

Bobby nuzzled the back of her neck, "It would eliminate the need for the physical attachment surgery you were contemplating on Friday."

"Oh I haven't given up on that idea yet," she cooed.

Patty rolled over to face Bobby. "Based upon some of the stories we read last night I learned something new about you."

"What did you learn about me, or should I ask?"

She reached down between their bodies and let her hand indicate the subject matter of her recent education. "You buster are obviously better endowed than the average man."

Enjoying her touch, Bobby reminded her, "The same stories often had all the women with 36DDD breasts, so you need to take the perception of 'average' with a grain of salt."

Patty smiled, "Well, I have no real-life experience to compare you too, but the average man was almost always described as being around seven inches long. You've got that beat by quite a bit. I'm just glad that you're mine."

Leaning down and capturing one of her nipples with his lips, Bobby was still able to voice his response, "I'm glad you're mine too PattyKat."

"Okay, we need to stop now," she said as she started untying the belt from Bobby's wrist. "JR needs to get in the shower before school and I need to feed my men a hearty breakfast."

"I need to limit myself to coffee this morning," Bobby told her. "I have a session scheduled with one of the Physical Training instructors at the base and you definitely want an empty stomach when you have Air Force PT."

Patty replaced the belt on her robe and finished tying it. "Okay, you go ahead and start your shower while I get JR up and coffee going. Be back in a minute."

Bobby admired her movements as she left the bedroom before he pulled himself out of bed and headed to the shower.

Patty's parents were already in the kitchen drinking coffee when she led JR's sleepy body in to join them.

"What would you like for breakfast JR?" asked his grandma.

"Sleep," moaned JR.

Patty mussed his hair, "You'll survive. You're only waking up fifteen minutes earlier than normal for a school day, and the shower you'll take after breakfast will make you feel much better. Why don't you have some cereal and fruit? That will be quick and easy."

JR went to the pantry to get cereal. "Where's dad? He doesn't get to sleep in does he?"

Patty poured a cup of coffee for Bobby. "No, he's already taking his shower, but after the wonderful day he showed both of us yesterday, would you really begrudge him if he did decide to sleep in this morning?"

A look of embarrassment came over JR's face, "I'm sorry, of course not. I just miss him."

Patty picked up the coffee she had poured and started back towards the stairs. "I miss him to. I'll take some coffee to him and hurry him along. Don't wait for him though. Go ahead and finish your breakfast and then head for your own shower. You'll see your dad before he leaves. I promise."

JR prepared his breakfast as Patty left the kitchen. When he sat down with his grandparents he remembered that he had something to ask them. "Grandpa, grandma, would it be okay if Joey and I built a tree house out back? Dad said he would help us, and Uncle Jason would probably help too."

His grandpa chuckled, "Tell you what. After school, why don't you and Joey come get me and we'll scope out some trees that might be good for a tree house. As long as we pick one that isn't diseased or too weak to support your construction, I think we can say yes."

Bobby was out of the shower and shaving when Patty brought him his coffee.

She kissed the back of his neck. "JR is playing at being sleep deprived this morning, but he's eating his breakfast right now."

Bobby smiled at her in the mirror. "Threaten him with having to take a nap later and see if he changes his tune."

She giggled, "Have you been reading "Dad for Dummies" or some other how-to book for fathers?"

Rinsing his razor, Bobby told her, "Just because you didn't know me when I was nine doesn't mean I wasn't that age once myself. I also had the best dad in the world to emulate."

Taking her robe off and turning on the shower, "Well dad, your son is already claiming to be missing you and wondering where you were, so why don't you go hustle him through breakfast and into the shower while I get ready myself?"

After cleaning the remaining shaving cream from his face, Bobby told her, "I'm on it. Once I get him in the shower I'll come back. We have a few things to talk about for today and I'm going to have to head out pretty soon."

Patty had her head under the water and simply nodded in response.

Bobby finished getting dressed and went to find JR in the kitchen. JR had just finished putting his cereal bowl into the dishwasher when Bobby came up behind him and squeezed his shoulder. "Good morning JR. How'd you sleep?"

Turning to hug his father, JR said, "I was really tired, but it was the best tired I ever felt. Dad, grandpa says he'll help me and Joey find a good tree for a tree house."

"Excellent," said Bobby. "Once you have the tree selected, then we can start drawing up plans. In the meantime, let me get your mom some coffee and then I'll escort you to your shower so you don't get lost along the way."

"Taking separate showers might be more productive, but it sure isn't as much fun," Bobby said as he walked up behind Patty and put her cup of coffee on the bathroom counter.

Turning her to face him, he saw that she hadn't retied her robe. He put his arms inside the robe as he pulled her body to his and kissed her lips.

Breaking the kiss but keeping contact between their lips she moaned, "You're preaching to the choir. I almost don't feel 'clean' unless I can get 'dirty' with you in the process."

After a squeeze of her behind, Bobby released her and took a seat on the edge of the tub, "Do you still have the credit card that I gave you on Friday?"

"Okay," she said as she turned back to the mirror and began drying her hair. "One change of subject on wheat coming right up. Yes, it is inside one of my tennis shoes in the bedroom. Why?"

Speaking up to be heard over the blow dryer, Bobby said, "I doubt that you'll need it now with Gail Bennet and her team watching you, but why don't you go ahead and keep it with the rest of your credit cards for a few more days at least."

Catching his eyes in the mirror she replied, "So it is some sort of tracking device as I suspected?"

Bobby nodded, "Yes. I wanted you to have something when you left the nursing home with your parents in case the Marshals tried to hide you from me before I had made other arrangements to prevent that from happening."

He continued, "I will need to be in my office today until at least early afternoon, then I can swing by the rental house in Leon Valley, pick up some more clothes and stuff, and then be back here by around 4 p.m. Will your schedule for the day allow for you to meet with the lawyers this afternoon here at the house? Probably around 3 p.m."

Patty turned to face him as she continued drying her hair, "Sure. After taking JR to school I only have a little shopping planned for this morning, and then one or two telephone calls with clients to firm up appointments later in the week. I may have to drop some proofs off to one of them, but even then I should be home by 2:30 p.m. at the latest."

"Is there anything I can do for you while I am in town that would make things easier for you?" Bobby asked.

She gave him a lascivious grin and just shook her head "No."

Bobby cocked an eyebrow at her, but let her flirtation pass as he said, "With the lawyers, please focus on the personal aspects of your identity before worrying about the financial. Regardless of the name you go by, all of your assets are securely yours. I want JR to see that we are taking steps to make sure that everyone knows he belongs to you and me."

Nodding she said, "I agree with you, and I had already planned on stopping into the school office with JR when I take him so he could hear and see me getting you added to his records as his father, with full authorization as his legal parent. Plus, I have no doubt that OUR assets are secure."

"That brings up another subject that my lawyer is going to broach during your discussions," he said as he watched to gauge her attention to him. "A pre-nuptial agreement."

"I have no problem with that," said Patty.

"My lawyer is the one who has the problem," replied Bobby. "He may try to get you to take his side in convincing me to not have one."

Her expression of puzzlement made her response redundant, "I don't understand."

Bobby stood, turned off the blow dryer and then took both of her hands into his as he looked into her eyes, "Since I applied for and was granted my first patent almost nine years ago, I have shared everything I own with you. While it has been in name only to this point, it has always been my belief that I am only half of the whole without you, thus I only deserved half of my success if I couldn't share it with you. From the beginning, my lawyer would tell me that there existed a very real possibility that I would someday make another man's wife very wealthy. I didn't care."

Patty squeezed his hands in hers, but let him continue uninterrupted.

"Community property laws in many States might not respect my desire to insure you receive half of everything I owned prior to us getting married, so the pre-nuptial agreement I want will guarantee that. It will be unconditional and binding in all fifty States. You can exclude anything of yours that you want, but please respect my wishes to share with you everything that would have been yours naturally if circumstances hadn't gotten in our way."

Smiling up at him with misty eyes that radiated her love for him Patty sighed, "Bobby, my promise to fulfill all your desires isn't limited to the physical. Anything that you desire, and which is mine to give will always be done so willingly and without reservation or regret. Now my business on the other hand is another matter."

Now it was Bobby's turn to share a puzzled look at her, "In what way?"

Patty placed her hands on his face and smiled up at him as she said, "I don't want it. I only do it to justify my professional existence as an artist, but things you brought up on our flight home gave me a chance to consider 'options'. We obviously won't need the money from my few business clients, and I would rather devote my time and energy to something I am much more passionate about."

"What would that be?" he asked.

"My husband and my son," she whispered. "I would like your opinion on home schooling JR. You and I could do at least as good a job as the local public schools, plus it would afford us the opportunity to travel with him and open the world up as his classroom."

Bobby pulled her into his arms and said, "I would support that. I could stand to delegate much more of my work to others, and I like the idea of spending more time with you and JR. We have a lot of catching up to do."

He released her so she could resume drying her hair, and then added, "One more thing to consider with the lawyers is where your parents are concerned. In all likelihood, the threats that necessitated you all entering the witness protection program will cease to exist later this morning. I'm not sure how this will impact the continued support of your parents and their ability to remain in this house. While the deed is registered in their names, it technically belongs to the U.S. Marshall Service, and they may want to retain it. I'm sure there will be some financial compensation offered to you and your parents, but make sure that they understand that their future plans are not limited by what the government offers them. They do have a very wealthy daughter after all."

"Are all the men from your planet as wonderful as you?" she giggled at his reflection in the mirror.

He patted her behind and said, "Nope, only those exposed to the rare Earth element 'PattyKat'. I need to run. I'm going to drive the truck so that I can fit more from the house in a single trip. Do you want me to leave you my keys to the Corvair?"

Patty smiled, shut off the blow dryer and walked into the bedroom. Bobby watched her go to her jewelry box and search for something.

She turned to him holding her quest for him to see and said, "No need. I have my own key."

Chuckling, Bobby gave her a hug and a kiss as he said, "Have a good day and call me if you need anything. Make sure that Kirby knows your plans so that Gail Bennet and her team are positioned accordingly."

She kissed him back and said, "I will. Why don't you call me before you head back from San Antonio in case I think of something that you could pick up at the store on the way home?"

"I'll do that," he said as he walked out into the hallway. Instead of going downstairs he turned and headed for JR's room to see how he was progressing.

JR had just finished making his bed when Bobby stuck his head in the door of his bedroom.

"Hey JR, I'm heading into work and wanted to wish you a good day at school," he said. "Do me a favor, okay?"

JR went to his dad and hugged him, "Anything dad."

Bobby hugged his son back and said, "Your mom will probably drive you to school in the Corvair this morning. Please don't give her a hard time about sitting in the backseat instead of her seat up front. Okay?"

JR looked up at his dad, smiling as he said, "I have my own seat dad. The backseat is JR's and I'll make sure everybody knows it."

"You're the best." Bobby knelt down in front of JR and continued, "I am so proud to have you as my son."

"And I'm proud to have you as my dad. I can't wait to tell the kids at school about you," JR grinned.

Rising, Bobby squeezed JR's shoulder and said, "Just be careful. Don't be boastful or insensitive. There may be kids who either don't have dads, or they don't live with them. Think about how you used to feel when you were in their shoes."

JR got a contemplative look on his face and said, "Thanks dad, I hadn't thought of that. I sure wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I'll be careful."

Bobby patted JR's shoulder as he was leaving the room saying, "I'm sure you will. I trust you. See you this afternoon."

As he was walking towards the stairs, Patty opened her bedroom door and pulled him back inside.

"No so fast buster, I need to check something." She pushed her hand down the back of his jeans as she smiled up at him. Upon confirming her suspicions she said, "I'm sure your mom told you to make sure you wear clean underwear, not that you shouldn't wear any underwear. Am I going to have to start dressing you?"

"Men from my planet require greater ventilation than mere mortals," Bobby tried to say with a straight face.

"Men from your planet just like to tease us defenseless Earth women," she giggled as she kissed him and let him go.

Bobby searched out Kirby in the RV on his way to his truck. Finding him at the table in the RV, Bobby sat down and joined him.

"Good morning Kirby," began Bobby. "Any concerns for today?"

Kirby took a sip of his coffee and replied, "None so far. I spoke with Acosta about an hour ago and he seems to have all identified potential risks wrapped up and in transit to one place or another."

Bobby nodded and said, "The Attorney General will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. our time. I would like for you to watch it. I then would like you to listen in on a conference call that I am going to have an hour later. I'll text you the details."

"Not a problem," said Kirby. "See you this evening?"

As he stood to leave, Bobby answered, "Definitely. I think we'll have a lot to discuss about the current situation as well as your future."

Kirby nodded. "I'll be waiting. Have a good day."

Bobby paired his cell phone with the hands free Bluetooth in his truck and made his first call before he had driven through the gate to the house.

"Acosta," was the clipped response when the call was answered.

"Good morning Rick," Bobby replied. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Hey Bobby. I got enough to hold me. You want an update on anything in particular, or just generalities?"

Bobby thought for a minute before responding, "Specifics on the 'Circle of Brothers', generalities on everything else."

Acosta began, "Ginzburg thought he would be clever and get himself arrested for DUI as a means of insuring he was safely out of reach. When he used the moist paper towel to wipe the finger print ink from his hands during his booking, the neurotoxin was applied. It was quick work from that point to get him transferred to our custody for medical treatment and then transported to the trawler. Ivankov tried hiding out in a lead-lined Cold War era bomb shelter beneath a bungalow on Catalina Island. Our team got him, along with four more of his guards. They are all on the trawler as well. The guards are 'messenger' material, but Ivankov and Ginzburg are awaiting your directions. Butorin and Mikhailov were confident that their assault teams would find and deal with Ivankov and Ginzburg, so they took no extraordinary precautions and were easy pickings. Both are in transit to Guantanamo and should be arriving by the time of the AG's press conference."

"Good work," Bobby told him. "How many 'messengers' do we have in total?"

"Fifteen," said Acosta.

"I'll e-mail you delivery details for them in about an hour. Are Ivankov and Ginzburg ready to play their roles?"

"They are physically ready right now. I have a few more incentives left to provide them to insure that they are mentally prepared," Acosta replied.

"Good," Bobby said. "Let me know when you're ready with them. Is everything still on schedule for Odessa?"

"Everything is still a go."

Bobby tried to think if there was anything else he needed to know right then. "Okay Rick, I guess that's it for now. Check back with me after the press conference if you can. Bye."

***

Ivankov and Ginzburg were lying on the deck of a ship, each on opposite sides of an open hatch. They had been placed there, on their stomachs while paralyzed and forced to watch the scenes below them as men they knew and didn't know were systematically tortured and disfigured. What they saw was merely a heap of moaning bodies.

Their paralysis had subsided hours ago, but they were bound to the deck in a manner that left them just as immobile as if they were still drugged. All their captures wore ski masks, and the ones working on the men below wore heavy rubber-coated aprons to keep the blood off their clothes.

They heard men approaching on the deck, but could not turn their heads to watch. As their bonds to the deck were released, each was dragged to his feet and led down steps into the body of the ship. They were led into a room with two wooden chairs and what appeared to be an operating table. As each was secured to one of the wooden chairs, they noticed a chainsaw sitting on the floor next to the door they had entered through. Two of the men left, but another man entered and took their place. There were now three men in the room besides Ivankov and Ginzburg. Once the door was closed and latched, the latest man spoke.

"How are my two favorite cowards this morning?" he asked.

Ivankov and Ginzburg just stared.

The new man looked to the other two guards and asked, "They still have their tongues don't they?"

Both of the other men just laughed in response.

"So," he continued to address his prisoners, "Since you still have the ability to speak, I will assume you still have the ability to hear."

He bent, picked up the chainsaw and placed it onto the operating table. "The question of whether you want to live or die is not one either of you can answer. It has already been decided for you, as you were informed yesterday. What each of you can decide is whether you want your wives and children to experience what you watched your colleagues experience all evening."

Pictures were placed in front of each bound man and positioned so that they could not help but see what they portrayed.

"Your families are currently on another ship, very similar to this one. As you can see, they are sitting in a hold just like the one your colleagues are in on this ship. Now, I need a simple yes or no response from each of you to the following question; do you want your family members to be permanently blinded, tortured and disfigured?"

He approached Ginzburg first, "Well Comrade Ginzburg, what is your answer?"

"No," croaked Ginzburg's hoarse voice.

He stepped in front of Ivankov and asked the same question.

"No," was the repeated response from a voice no less shaky than Ginzburg's.

"Excellent," Acosta said from beneath his mask. "Now the next question is what price you would be willing to pay to prevent your families from experiencing the same fate as the men on this ship."

Remaining in front of Ivankov he said, "I need to be certain that you both understand your situation. While you will be delivered to the Attorney General's office in Los Angeles this morning, you are not under arrest. You will not face civil criminal charges, and you will not be afforded legal counsel. You have both been declared enemy combatants against the United States of America and are therefore not entitled to any Constitutional protections under civilian law. The Assistant Attorney General will detail the expectations for your cooperation, and you will continue to meet those expectations or your families will suffer the consequences. You should know that our objectives are the total elimination of any Russian mafia operations within the borders of the United States."

Making certain that Ivankov had eye contact with him, Acosta asked, "Do you understand what I have told you Comrade Ivankov?"

"Yes."

Moving back to Ginzburg, "Do you understand what I have told you Comrade Ginzburg?"

"Yes."

"Fine," said Acosta. "You will be transported via helicopter to the Federal Building within the hour. There, the expectations I mentioned will be explained to you. You will then be transported directly to the Guantanamo Naval Base prison, where you will remain until either a military tribunal is convened, or your usefulness to our objective has ceased. The longer you cooperate, the longer you will live. Your families will be deported to Russia, but they will all be implanted with tracking devices that will enable us to find them should your actions at any time in the future be viewed as a threat to the United States."

***

Patty was somewhat surprised when she told JR to take his backpack out to the car and he immediately ran and jumped into the backseat of Bobby's Corvair.

"Did you and your dad discuss your ride to school this morning," she asked as she climbed behind into the driver's seat.

"Maybe," JR replied with a giggle.

Patty adjusted the seat and mirrors, and then looked back at her son. "Thank you JR."

Patty drove down the street to the Reid's house and waited until she saw Gail Bennet and her husband signal her to proceed. Patty followed Gail and her husband down the street, with Francis and Joey in the car behind them. Francis was followed by another couple from Gail's team.

"Mom," JR said to get Patty's attention.

Looking at him in the rear view mirror she responded, "Yes JR?"

"Now that dad's back, are you guys going to have any more kids?"

Patty smiled and told him, "We're not doing anything to prevent it. Why, do you want a brother or sister?"

JR nodded and said, "I would prefer a sister I think."

"Why is that? You're always complaining about the girls at school," she said.

JR explained his thinking by saying, "Joey is almost the same as a brother, and I think that a big brother taking care of a little sister sounds kinda cool."

Patty beamed with her pride for her son, "We'll see what we can do JR."

The remaining trip to the boys' school was uneventful. Francis dropped Joey off at the curb and headed to work at the hospital followed by one of the couples while Patty parked and walked into the office with JR. Gail and her husband waited for her in the parking lot. Patty went to the counter and asked for a new signature card for JR's records. Bobby had always been listed as JR's father in the records, but his signature would need to be on file for comparison if he ever needed to sign him out or write him a note. JR mouthed the words, "Thank you" to his mom, and headed off to his class. After JR left, Patty asked to speak with someone who could provide details and requirements for home schooling.

Since the shopping she wanted to do involved stores at the mall that wouldn't open until 10 a.m., Patty decided to head back home to brief her parents on the pending meeting with the lawyers that afternoon. She spent almost an hour explaining what Bobby had told her about the threats against them being eliminated and what this could mean to their future residence. She also made sure they understood that her and Bobby's financial situation provided them almost unlimited options on where they could live. She wanted them to have a few hours to digest things and prepare questions while the lawyers were there, and they seemed to appreciate that consideration.

At 9:30 a.m., she got back into the Corvair, picked up her escort at the Reid's house, and drove straight to Northstar mall. That was the location of the closest Victoria's Secret store she could find.

***

Bobby watched on the television as the Attorney General of the United States approached the podium in the White House Press Room.

As the reporters quieted, the AG began his prepared statement, "I have a brief statement and then I will take your questions. Under current US law, domestic terrorism is defined as acts that are dangerous to human life and which are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. As of this morning, there is a Presidential Finding which states that organized crime activity conducted by foreign nationals either within the borders of the United States or targeting our citizens meets the definition of domestic terrorism..."

Bobby didn't need to hear the rest of the prepared statement, but he was interested in the questions that the reporters would ask afterwards. These were what he knew he would need to be prepared to address on his call at the top of the hour.

***

Patty's cell phone rang as she was returning to her car at the mall. The number didn't have a caller ID associated with it, but she recognized it because Bobby had asked her not to enter his name in her directory.

"Hi! I love hearing from you during the day," she said as she answered.

"Right back at you PattyKat. I have the appointment for you with the lawyers confirmed for this afternoon at 3 p.m. Is that still good for you?"

Patty looked at her watch. It wasn't even noon yet. "Sure, I only have a couple of more stops to make and then I'll be home. What would you like for dinner?"

"You probably won't believe this," Bobby said, "but I've been craving your tuna casserole for more than 10 years. Do you still know how to make that?"

"Excellent choice," she said. "JR has been asking for that lately too. Consider it done."

"By the way," she continued, "JR has placed his request for us to provide him with a baby sister. Do your super powers include selective gender determination of your offspring?"

Bobby laughed, "Sorry, but I flunked sex chromosome manipulation in super power school."

"Bobby, you never failed at a thing in your life, so I have complete confidence that you will give both me and your son the girl that we want," she chided.

"I'll give it my best," he promised. "I need to get on a conference call so that I can get out of here and by the rental house to pick up some things. I'll try to be home before the lawyers leave. I love you PattyKat."

"You just made my day," she said.

"How did I do that," he asked.

"First by telling me you love me, and secondly by calling it 'home'. Not my house, or my parent's house, but 'home'. I love you Bobby. See you when you get home. Bye."

***

"So messengers have been delivered or are in route to Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, as well as the Russian Embassy in DC?" Bobby asked.

Acosta reviewed the list Bobby had provided and said, "Affirmative. We identified locales frequented or owned by Bratva members. The messengers should not be in place too long at any location before they are discovered."

"What did you think of the press conference," Bobby asked.

Acosta chuckled, "It's about time is all I can say."

***

"Ding, ding, ding, ding."

Bobby heard the four participants of his conference call being connected. "Good day everyone. I would like to start with a quick roll call if you don't mind."

Reviewing his notes, Bobby read off the names, "Jackson Powers, U.S. Attorney in New York."

"Good afternoon," was the response.

Bobby continued, "Steve Parker, U.S. Attorney in Chicago."

"Here," Parker said.

"Jessica Rogers, U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles," Bobby added.

"Hello," replied a voice that fore told dissention.

"And finally, Kirby Wallace, Deputy U.S. Marshall," finished Bobby.

"At your service," said Kirby.

Bobby got right to business, "Great. You were all asked to join this call to review the information provided in the Attorney General's press conference and to discuss how this affects your current and future roles in combating organized crime in the United States."

"Can I ask a question before we begin," interrupted Jessica Rogers. Bobby had been expecting this.

"Of course," he replied.

"Why are we having this discussion with you instead of with the Deputy Attorney General or the Associate Attorney General?" Rogers asked.

"There may be several factors involved in that decision," said Bobby, "but the only one that concerns me, and should be the only one that concerns you, is that the President said so. As we dive deeper into the scope of the Presidential Finding, his reasoning may become clearer. Can I go on?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," said Bobby. "Now at it essence, the Presidential Finding states that organized criminal activity conducted on American soil or against American citizens by foreign nationals is no longer considered a law enforcement issue, but a national security issue."

"That can't be constitutional," interrupted Rogers again.

"Ms. Rogers," replied Bobby, "Let me present you with a couple of scenarios for your constitutional review. In the first instance, you witness a ship entering Los Angeles harbor loaded with dozens of armed men. The ship is flying the American flag and you identify most of the men as being members of local street gangs. Would you consider that a law enforcement or national security issue?"

"Law enforcement, of course," she replied.

"Okay," Bobby continued, "Now in the second instance, you witness a ship entering Los Angeles harbor loaded with dozens of armed men, only this time the ship is flying the flag of North Korea. Would you consider that a law enforcement or national security issue?"

"National security," she agreed.

"So the only difference in the two scenarios is what?" asked Bobby.

Jessica Rogers didn't hesitate, "In the first scenario we were dealing with American citizens and in the second scenario we were dealing with foreign nationals."

"Exactly," said Bobby, "and that's precisely what the Presidential finding addresses. If Vladimir Stalin, or Sergy Poshokov want to obtain their U.S. citizenship and then commit crimes in this country, you and your fellow U.S. Attorneys will be expected to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law while protecting their constitutional rights in the process. If they commit the same crimes as citizens of another country, then they will be treated as enemy combatants under the Patriot Act."

"That still provides them with protections under the Hague and Geneva Conventions doesn't it?" asked Parker in Chicago.

"Not necessarily," said Bobby. "The UN and World Court haven't made a definitive ruling on whether the protections you mentioned apply to individuals or organizations that are not acting on behalf of a sovereign country who is a participant in the Conventions. Just as Al Qaeda was ruled to be a terrorist organization not affiliated with any country, even though its members all hold citizenship in one country or another, the expectation is that unless Russia or some other country wants to claim that these criminals are acting on behalf of their countries, then they fall into the same category as Al Qaeda."

Parker spoke again, "So explain what your understanding is of how the U.S. Attorneys fit into the plans under this Presidential Finding."

"Your primary responsibility, along with the FBI will be the initial investigation of alleged criminal activities. If these investigations determine that the suspects are foreign nationals, then you will inform your liaison with the Department of Homeland Security and your involvement will typically cease at that time. Depending upon the suspects involved and the nature of their activities, there are multiple options available to deal with them, such as deportation or imprisonment in a detention center administered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ICE Detention and Removal Operations Program already has protocols and facilities in place to address this requirement. If further investigations determine that the crimes warrant more severe punishment, a military tribunal will be convened and your preliminary investigation would likely play a role in those proceedings."

"Has a liaison been assigned yet by the Department of Homeland Security?" asked Jackson Powers.

Bobby responded, "My company has been awarded the contract to act in that regard. For the time being, Kirby Wallace will be the direct contact for each of your offices, but if the case volume gets too heavy, we may assign each of you your own single point of contact. Kirby will be in touch with each of you later today to exchange contact information and schedule more in-depth discussion with you on existing investigations that may fall within the framework of the Presidential Finding. I encourage each of you to spend some time this afternoon reviewing all relevant sections of the Patriot Act, with particular emphasis on Title One, Title Four, and Title Eight. Kirby is there anything that you want to add?"

"Not at this time," said Kirby.

"Anyone else have anything before we end this call?" Bobby asked.

"I have a question," said Jessica Rogers. "What happened to the two men who were delivered to my office this morning?"

"Did you meet them?" asked Bobby.

"No, I was in other meetings and didn't know they had been delivered until after they had already been taken away again," Jessica said.

"Sorry you didn't have more time to spend with them, but the exercise was more symbolic than of any real practical use at this time," said Bobby. "As you know, these men are part of existing cases that your office has been working for more than ten years, and they are directly responsible for the torture and death of U.S. Attorney Alexander last week. It has already been identified that they are foreign nationals and further determined that their activities warrant harsh confinement and possible punishment once they have provided us with as much intelligence as we can extract from them. Your office's involvement will be to take the intelligence gathered from these men and use it to effectively shut down the remaining pieces of their organization. Some of this may result in new cases that your team will be responsible for prosecuting, but it is more likely that you and Mr. Wallace will be speaking quite frequently over the next several weeks. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Parker, counterparts to the gentlemen Ms. Rogers mentioned from your Districts are also being detained, and similar intelligence will be forthcoming from them that will impact your current and future caseloads as well. Anything else?"

Silence again.

"Fine," Bobby said. "I want to thank everyone for their time. Good day."

Bobby disconnected the call, turned off his computer, and left his office. He was at his rental house within twenty minutes. He packed a duffel bag with almost all of his clothes, and then packed the rest of his toiletries. He looked through unpacked boxes to see if there might be anything he would need before he returned to move the rest of his things next weekend, and then stopped to consider that plan. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding where Patty and her parents would want to live after today and it didn't make much sense to move a bunch of his stuff until some things were decided. He'd worry about the clothes and toiletries for now, and maybe by this weekend, their future would be clearer.

As Bobby was loading the duffel bag into his truck, his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the caller.

"Hello," he answered.

"Bobby?" asked the female voice, but without waiting for a response added, "This is Kelly from Kubes Jewelers. I wanted to let you know that the courier arrived with your diamonds a few minutes ago. I think I found the perfect one among the stones sent for review, so with your permission, I can go ahead and have it set by tomorrow morning for you."

"That was quick," said Bobby.

"Our request for the stones was processed on Sunday and a courier took the first flight out of New York this morning," Kelly informed him.

"That's great Kelly. Patty and I trust your judgment on the stone, so go ahead with getting it set. We would probably like to pick everything up on Wednesday afternoon if that is convenient for you."

"That would be perfect," she said. "I'll confirm with you tomorrow when everything is all done. Bye."

"Bye," Bobby said into a disconnected call.

On his way to the freeway, Bobby spotted a 'Half-Price Book Store' and decided to stop. He found the book he was looking for and bought two copies. Once on the road again, he placed a call to Kirby.

"I hope I didn't blindside you too much today," Bobby said once Kirby had answered.

Laughing, Kirby said, "I'm getting used to it. You haven't steered me wrong yet, so that makes the surprises much easier to take. So what's new?"

Laughing as well, Bobby said, "A couple of things. First, I'd like you to review the latest intelligence that the FBI has on the Brotherhood of the Circle and let me know if you agree with their assessment that the threats against the Harpers have been completely eliminated. Next, I'd like you to join me at Lackland tomorrow morning to get your access permission setup. I think you'll be able to make use of office space and resources there shortly, at least until you decide where else you might want to live. You're not tied to San Antonio anymore. We also need to discuss what your other requirements might be relative to transportation, housing, etc. once you join my company full-time and leave the Marshal Service."

"I assumed after the conference call today that we would be having further discussions about my future," said Kirby, "but they can wait until tomorrow morning. As far as the threats to the Harpers are concerned, I believe I already have the latest after talking further with Jessica Rogers. With Ivankov and Ginzburg off the table, the U.S. Attorney's office has dropped all charges and the legal cases against them are closed. Since no testimony will be required from Mr. Harper, he is no longer a threat to what remains of the organization and most of them have already started to flee on their own out of fear from the Suka. Apparently several of their colleagues have started turning up around the country in a condition that no one else wants to experience."

"That was my assessment as well, but as always, I value your opinion. I've been meaning to ask you if you ever thought about learning how to fly," Bobby said. "Patty and JR want to start taking lessons and if you're interested, maybe I can get us a group rate."

Kirby was surprised, but then realized that's what Bobby was hoping for, "I always questioned the value of having a pilot's license without being able to afford a plane."

"We'll discuss it more tomorrow, but taking the cost out of the equation, give it some thought," said Bobby. "When are you planning on shutting down some of your defenses?"

"I was going to keep Gail and her team on until at least the end of the week, but the RV and most of the house detail are heading out now," Kirby told him.

"Okay," said Bobby. "If I don't talk to you beforehand, I'll see you in the morning. Bye."

Bobby next called Jason on his cell phone.

Jason answered on the second ring, "Reid."

"Hey Jason, it's Bobby. Got a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I just wanted to check in with you to see if you saw the AG's press conference this morning," Bobby said.

"Yeah," Jason said. "I watched it in the squad room. It left us locals with more questions than answers."

"I imagine it did," said Bobby, "which is one of the reasons for my call. I want you to consider joining my team on a permanent basis. I think I have Kirby locked in, and Acosta is a definite. Among other things, we could really use your help to interface with local authorities and help maintain the level of cooperation that the President is expecting. I am going to be meeting with Kirby at Lackland tomorrow morning, and I'd like you to join us if you can."

Jason didn't hesitate, "I liked being in the game Bobby, and I wouldn't mind staying in under the right circumstances. What time were you thinking of tomorrow?"

Around 10 a.m. is what I was going to setup with Kirby," said Bobby. Does that work for you?"

"I'll make it work," said Jason.

"Good, and Jason I don't know if Patty has mentioned anything to Francis yet, but we wanted to invite you, her, and Joey to fly up to Fort Worth with us Wednesday afternoon to take in the game between the Rangers and the Angels. I have a private jet reserved at Stinson, so if you can meet us there around 3:30 p.m., we could fly up, take care of a small errand that Patty and I have to run and have dinner before heading to the game. By the way, have you ever considered getting your pilot's license?"

Jason laughed, "Yes to the game, no to the pilot's license. I can barely keep my driver's license, if you know what I mean."

Bobby laughed for a full minute before he was able to respond, "Fair enough. What time do you expect to be home?"

"Now that baseball practices are over, I need to make up to the guys who had been covering for me, so I'll probably be late," Jason admitted.

"No problem," said Bobby. "I just think that Joey will be anxious to see you when you get home."

"Why's that," asked Jason.

"I got him a present that I'm sure he'll want to share with you,' said Bobby with a grin. "Bye Jason."

Bobby looked at his watch. It was almost 3 p.m. He called Patty.

"I could get used to this," she said as she answered.

"I feel the same way," Bobby said. "Have the lawyers shown up yet?"

"Not yet, but we expect them any minute. Are you on your way home?"

"I have a couple of stops to make but I should be there between 4 and 4:30. Do you need me to pick up anything?" he asked.

"No," Patty said, "I stopped at HEB and picked up everything that I needed to make the casserole, so unless there's anything particular that you want, we should be all set."

"What time will JR be home," he asked.

"Francis is picking him and Joey up from school and taking them to her house so they can swim. I told her I would call her when we were done with the lawyers."

"I could stop by on the way home and pick him up," said Bobby. "I have a present for him and Joey anyway, so I could give them at the same time. By the way, Kelly called and the rings should be ready tomorrow. I already mentioned the game on Wednesday to Jason and he said they were in."

"Efficiency is not a super power buster," she giggled. "Are you still my favorite 'commando'?"

"I am still going 'commando', but I would never presume to be your favorite," he teased.

Patty sighed, "Then I guess I'll just have to remove any doubt from your mind as to who my favorite is monsieur."

"I can't wait," said Bobby. "I love you PattyKat."

"I love you too Bobby. Hurry home to me."

Two quick stops and forty miles later, Bobby pulled up in front of Francis and Jason's house. He grabbed the presents he had for the boys and walked towards the house. He heard the boys in the backyard, so he bypassed the front door and went around the house to the deck. JR and Joey were in the pool with Francis sitting in a chair on the deck watching them.

"Hey Franc," said Bobby as he bent down to hug his sister.

Francis kissed his cheek and said, "Hi Bobby. Jason is going to be late tonight. He's trying to get caught up at work."

Bobby took the chair beside her and said, "I know, I spoke with him earlier. Did he mention the plans for Wednesday?"

Francis beamed at him, "Yes he did, and Joey is almost as excited as I am. I haven't been to an Angel's game in years and this will be Joey's first."

Bobby grinned at his sister, "What Jason didn't tell you, because I didn't tell him, is that I have already promised Patty and JR dinner at In-N-Out Burger before the game."

Francis squealed so loud that the boys turned to look at her from the pool, "You're kidding me! There's an In-N-Out Burger in Texas, and we can go there before the game?"

"If you don't believe me, ask JR. He had his first Double-Double with cheese for lunch on Sunday," said Bobby.

Francis hugged him and said, "If you weren't my brother, I would divorce Jason and marry you. I can't wait. Jason and Joey have both had In-N-Out before when we go to visit mom and dad, but I know they'll be just as thrilled."

Bobby opened the bag he was carrying, "I hope you and Jason don't mind, but I got Joey a book today. I got one for JR and thought they should each have their own copy." He handed one of the books to Francis for her inspection.

"The Dangerous Book for Boys," she read the cover. "It sure sounds ominous. What's it about?"

"It's kind of an instruction manual on being a boy," said Bobby. "When they got so excited about building a tree house, it made me think that there are probably a lot of other projects that they would enjoy, and I had heard that this book is great for expanding a boy's experiences while growing up."

Francis was browsing the table of contents, "This does look like fun. Now all I have to do is keep it out of Jason's hands."

Bobby laughed, "Well I'm looking forward to a lot of father-son bonding through this book, and I'll bet Jason would feel the same way. How much longer are the boys going to be in the pool?"

"It's about time for them to get out," she said. Would you mind walking out and telling them?"

"It would be my pleasure," he said as he stood and started towards the pool.

As he approached the boys they were both sitting on the steps watching a bug on the surface of the water. "Hi guys," he said. "If you get out of the pool now I'll make it worth your while."

Joey and JR said, "Okay" in unison and climbed out of the water. They grabbed their towels and followed Bobby back to the deck.

"I'm impressed," Francis said as Bobby returned to his seat. "Not a single argument from them."

Bobby grinned and spoke to the boys, "If you get your hands good and dry, I'll give you each the book I bought for you today."

"I'm ready," said Joey with water still dripping off his head onto his body.

Francis laughed at her son, "Your hands won't stay dry with everything on your body above them dripping. Dry your hair, face and upper body first."

JR saw his dad looking at him with a raised eyebrow and proceeded to follow Francis' directions on his own. When the boys were no longer dripping, Bobby handed each of them one of the books.

"This is cool," said Joey. "Trevor has this book and talks about it all the time. Right JR?"

JR agreed, "Right. He's always talking about the really cool and fun stuff he found to do in the book. Look Joey, there's a section on building a tree house."

The two boys took their books to the table and sat down to start going through them together.

"Are Patty and her parents still meeting with the lawyers," asked Francis.

"I would assume so," said Bobby.

"What aren't you there with them?"

Bobby thought of his response for a minute and then said, "I thought it was important for the Harpers to regain some control over their own lives. The lawyers I sent will help them, but I believe Patty and her parents will be prouder and more confident in their futures if they made certain decisions on their own. I wouldn't mind listening, but if I was there, I'm pretty sure that they would all be deferring a lot of the choices to me, and that's not what they need."

Francis nodded, "You do tend to become the rock upon which everyone depends on for security. I think you're right in leaving them to deal with the lawyers on their own. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," said Bobby. "I guess some of your common sense wore off and onto me somewhere along the way. Although, you may not think so after tomorrow."

"Why?" Francis asked. "What's happening tomorrow?"

Bobby glanced over at the boys and then continued, "I'm going to recruit Jason to come to work for me full time. He'll be safer, earn a lot more money, and be doing very important work, but I'm not sure if he'll be happy not being a cop. What do you think?"

Francis looked contemplative. She was facing the pool when she answered, "With Jason, it has never been about the job, but about what he was able to accomplish. If he is convinced that working for you will benefit others, especially on a larger and more permanent scale, he won't have any regrets about not being a cop. Now, how much is 'a lot more money'?"

Laughing Bobby said, "Let's just say that it would probably be possible for you to quit work and home school Joey if you wanted to. Patty has already decided that is what she wants to do with JR."

"I don't know if I would want to quit work, but the idea of home schooling Joey does have merits that I'll need to consider. It would be nice to be able to pay off the mortgage sooner," she said.

Bobby whispered to her, "Don't tell Jason because you'll spoil my whole recruitment pitch if you do, but I planned to entice him by offering a signing bonus that would pay your mortgage off entirely."

While Francis was staring at him in stunned silence, Bobby's cell phone rang.

"Hello PattyKat," he answered.

"Hi Bobby, are you almost home," she asked.

"I just got JR out of the pool at Franc's house and was sitting here talking to her while the boys dried off. Have the lawyers left?"

"They just drove away. I'm going to put the casserole into the oven so we'll be ready to eat in about forty-five minutes. If you want, we can fill you in before dinner," Patty offered.

"Sounds good," said Bobby. "JR and I will be there in a few minutes."

"Good," Patty said. "I miss the men in my life." Then she ended the call.

Turning back to Francis, "JR and I are being summoned. Thanks for picking him up from school and watching him for us, Franc."

Bobby rose to stand. Francis took his hand and pulled him down into another hug.

"Thanks for being my brother Bobby."

Bobby kissed her cheek, "The pleasure has always been mine Franc. Come on JR, get your stuff so we can get home for dinner."

Bobby helped JR gather his backpack and clothes so that he could carry his book out to the truck. Bobby helped JR get settled into the front seat of the truck.

"Shotgun?" asked JR.

Bobby grinned, "In the truck, your mom hasn't staked an exclusive claim to that seat, so when she's not here, it's all yours."

JR seemed to sit up straighter as he said, "Cool."

When Bobby and JR entered the house through the side door, Patty was on the phone in the kitchen with her eyes wide, just listening. Bobby sent JR up to his room to change out of his swimsuit, kissed Patty on her forehead, and then went back out to the truck to get his duffle bag and his other packages. Setting the duffle bag on the floor and champagne on the counter, he handed the bouquet of roses to Patty.

Patty gasped at the sight of the roses and said into the phone, "I'm sorry Franc, you'll need to continue your lecture later. I have a man here that I need to pay immediate and significant attention too." Without waiting for a response, she hung up the phone and threw her arms around Bobby's neck.

"What was Francis lecturing you about?" he asked with a grin.

Brushing her lips against his Patty replied, "Oh she's trying to set me up with her brother. She keeps raving about how wonderful he is and how he and I are perfect for each other. I have to tell you, she makes him sound pretty good and she may be starting to wear down my resistance..."

Bobby laughed, "I probably wouldn't stand a chance against the guy."

Waving the roses under his nose she replied, "Don't count yourself short buster. I've seen how you can handle yourself in all kinds of tough situations." She rubbed him through the front of his jeans. "So what's with the flowers and champagne?" she asked.

"The flowers are for you -- just because, and the champagne is to celebrate you and your parents' return to a normal life," he told her. "Are you all ready to tell me how the meeting with the lawyers went?"

"I think my parents are in the great room," Patty said. "Do you think we should include JR?"

Bobby took the flowers from her hand, "Do you have a vase to put these in?"

Patty went to a cupboard and took out a vase. She took the roses back from Bobby and as she put them in the vase and filled it with water from the sink she said, "Now answer my question. Do you think we should include JR?"

"You know more about what was said and what you will want to share, so I trust your judgment on whether or not you think JR will be comfortable with what's discussed." Bobby continued, "However, if you want my opinion, then I think he should be offered the opportunity to listen and ask questions."

Placing the vase of roses onto the kitchen island Patty said, "Me too. Let's go round everybody up."

Patty and Bobby held hands as they went upstairs to the great room, where they found JR excitedly showing his grandparents the book his dad had given him. JR smiled at his mom and said, "You should see this too mom. Dad got both Joey and me the coolest book ever."

"Can we look at it together after dinner?" she asked JR. "Right now your grandparents and I would like to tell you and your dad about our meeting with the lawyers."

JR set the book aside and gave his mom his full attention as he said, "Sure mom."

Patty and Bobby took seats next to each other on a couch. She then began, "We had a discussion as a group concerning us all leaving the witness protection program and re-establishing our old identities. Mr. Clements from the Department of Homeland Security had already begun making arrangements for all of Katie Freeman's records to be seamlessly integrated into Patty Harper's, including all vital records, merging my Social Security file into the single original record, and once this is done, Katie Freeman will cease to exist according to Mr. Clement."

Patty kissed Bobby on the cheek and continued, "He expects the conversion to be completed by the end of the week, and I assume that your influence is what had things already in progress and being fast-tracked, so thank you. The same process for my parents has not started yet because Mr. Clements wasn't sure if they wanted to keep their current identities or go back to their original ones. Mom and dad why don't you fill Bobby and JR in on what you decided."

Patty's parents looked at each other before her father spoke, "It was really pretty simple for us once we knew what Patty had decided. If Katie Freeman didn't exist anymore, then her parents shouldn't either. It just seemed like a much cleaner solution to re-establish our prior identities as the Harper family as a group. Mr. Clement said that our records were not as complex as Patty's because we hadn't worked, had any more children, or done anything to generate any documented records beyond those created when we entered the program. Transferring driver's license and merging Social Security records seem to be about the extent of things. We lost our house when the mortgage was defaulted on but Mr. Clements said the credit reports will be amended to correct the negative marks. All investments we had prior to disappearing are still under the name 'Harper', so once we have our identity re-established, we can assume control over those without any problem."

"Speaking of property," Patty said, "You were right about this house Bobby. The Marshals definitely want to retain ownership of it, but they have no immediate need for us to vacate it and will cover all relocation expenses once we decide where we all want to move to. Mom and dad seemed interested in returning to California. Is that still the way you're leaning?"

Her mom spoke this time, "We are going to begin contacting old friends to see who still lives where, but even with few acquaintances left out there, I think we would both like to get closer to the coast." She looked to her husband and said, "Isn't that right?"

"As Patty said, that's the way we're leaning, but our final decision will probably also be influenced by where all of you decide to live and how often we would get to see you," her father said.

Bobby spoke for the first time, "You may want to give some consideration to dual residences and sharing your time between them. For example, you could buy a condo in Orange County and live in it during the summer, and then buy another condo or townhouse wherever Patty, JR and I live and stay there during the winter. Or vise-versa."

Patty's father replied, "I don't know if we could afford two properties, especially with the prices in Orange County being what they are. It's something to look into though."

"I might have a solution for one of your condos," said Bobby. Looking at Patty he said, "Do you remember my sister Terri's condo in Irvine?"

"Like it was yesterday," Patty said.

"Well," continued Bobby, "They tried renting it for a while when they moved to Pennsylvania and didn't like the hassle of managing it from a distance, so I bought it from them a couple of years ago. I've just been holding it as an investment and not renting it because I didn't want the wear and tear that having tenants could bring. Patty and I would be happy to deed that condo to you, knowing that it would revert back to her or JR when you no longer need it. I'll get some pictures and details on the unit as well as the community where it is located so that you can take a look."

"That's very generous of you Bobby," said Patty's mom.

Patty hugged Bobby and then looked to JR as she said, "I guess that leaves the three of us to figure out where we want to live. JR, do you have any ideas?"

"I don't know anyplace but here," JR replied.

"Here being this house, or here being Texas?" asked Bobby.

"Both I guess," said JR.

Bobby nodded at his son, "Well, this house won't be available to us, so maybe we should try to find someplace else close by to move to. I have the rental house in Leon Valley, but I think we can do better than that. What do you think PattyKat?"

"I want a house that will be a home for our family, and I think that Wilson County is a good place to raise children," she said. Do you think we should build something or try to find an existing house?"

"Do you know where Las Palomas Country Club is? There are some beautiful lots around there that I think we should look at," suggested Bobby.

Patty looked at JR, "You know the place that Bobby is talking about, right JR?"

JR nodded, "I have some friends at school who live there. It's nice. Not a lot of trees, but most people have horses and you can see downtown San Antonio in the distance on most days."

"Do you think we should build a house there?" she asked him.

"If you and dad like it, I would be fine with living there," he said.

"Then let's plan on checking it out next weekend," Bobby said. "The plans to move my stuff from the rental house can wait indefinitely, and we may only have to move it once.

Patty agreed, "So that's what we'll do. Now, mom and dad if you'll excuse us, I need to tell Bobby and JR what Mr. Gorman discussed about our financial relationship going forward. Come on guys."

She rose and led Bobby and JR to her office and then closed the door. After they were all seated, she spoke to JR, "JR, this is one of those discussions which your dad mentioned that we need to trust you to keep private between just us. Okay?"

"Sure mom," JR agreed.

Patty addressed Bobby, "First of all, you were also right about your lawyer wanting to protect you against your own wishes and desires. Had you not told me of his bias in this regard, I probably would have been convinced by him to take his side, so thank you."

"He's not a bad guy," said Bobby, "Just overly protective in some ways."

"I realized that," agreed Patty. "So we got the pre-nuptial agreement being drafted to your specifications out of the way first, and then he explained the business partnerships and what we would need to do once Mr. Clements had my identity issues resolved. Mr. Gorman thought it would all be pretty simple because of the way that you had him structure things, and he doesn't anticipate any complications."

"Good," said Bobby. "What else did you cover with him?"

"We just discussed various things that will need to get revised or created once you and I are married since I will be taking your name and that will require changes to numerous records for the partnership and patents. He also offered some ideas on things that you and I should discuss prior to your redrawing your will and me having mine written, especially with children to be considered. He said he would send a list for us to go over."

"Are you still okay with everything?" Bobby asked her?

"It's not as overwhelming as I thought it might be," said Patty. "I guess that learning you and I have time to talk and make decisions together tempered my apprehensions quite a bit."

"JR, do you have any questions for your mom about her meeting with the lawyers?" asked Bobby.

"I don't even know what you guys have been talking about," admitted JR.

Patty laughed, "That's fair JR. Basically we are talking about things that your dad has and things that I have, and how we can join them when we get married so that everything belongs to both of us. Take your dad's car for example. Right now it belongs to him, and even though he would always share it with me, none of it actually belongs to me. If something was to happen to your dad right now, I would have no claim on the car and someone else might be able to take it away from me, even if that's not what your dad would have wanted. The lawyer I met with is going to help us make sure things like that never happen."

"That sounds like a good idea," JR acknowledged.

"We thought so," said Patty. "Now unless there are any more questions, I think dinner should be almost ready. JR can you go wash up and let your grandparents know that it's time for dinner?"

"Okay mom," replied JR as he left to go upstairs.

Patty led Bobby back to the kitchen. Before checking on the casserole in the oven, she stopped to smell her roses in the vase. "Thanks for the flowers. They're really beautiful."

"My pleasure," said Bobby.

"No, they're my pleasure," replied Patty as she took the casserole out of the oven and turned it off. "Your pleasure is waiting upstairs after dinner."

"Do tell!" Bobby chuckled.

Patty just glanced over her shoulder at him and winked. "Is the champagne chilled enough to serve with dinner?"

"It should be," Bobby said as he took the bottle out of the refrigerator. "Yep, we're good to go."

"There should be some flute glasses in the first cupboard to the right of the microwave," she directed him as she carried the casserole out to the dining room. As she came back into the kitchen for the salad she added, "And I think there is some apple juice that JR can have to join us in toasts."

Bobby retrieved the apple juice and carried it into the dining room with the champagne and flute glasses. He then returned to help carry plates and silver wear to set the table. Mrs. Harper took over setting the table so Bobby went back to the kitchen to see what else Patty might need help with. She had just finished warming up the left over ribs from Bone Daddy's when he joined her.

"You don't think the casserole and salad is enough?" he asked her.

"Oh it's more than enough," she said, "But I wanted my mom and dad to taste these ribs."

Bobby nodded, "Oh, okay. Is there anything else you need?"

"I think we're all set," she smiled. "Let's eat.

As Patty was collecting plates and serving the casserole, Bobby opened the champagne and walked around the table filling glasses. Mrs. Harper poured apple juice in JR's for him.

Once everyone was served, Bobby raised his glass and said, "I would like to propose a toast. To the Harper family. You have endured years in hiding in order to protect the ones you love. Now it is time for those who love you to celebrate your return to freedom."

Everyone clinked glasses and sipped their drinks. JR began telling his mom about the book that Bobby had given him, and Patty listened eagerly to the excitement in her son's voice, smiling at Bobby as she did so. JR then proceeded to describe his dinner at Bone Daddy's on Sunday and encouraging his grandparents to try the left over ribs. JR beamed with pride when his opinion of the ribs was confirmed by his grandparents.

After dinner, Patty's parents insisted on clearing off the table and cleaning the kitchen, so JR asked his mom and dad to join him in the great room to look at his new book. Patty and Bobby sat on either side of JR as he flipped through the book showing them projects that he wanted to do with one or both of them.

"I guess the plan to build a tree house here won't work now if we have to move," JR said.

Bobby put his arm around JR's shoulders, "I was thinking about that earlier, even before I knew for certain that we would have to move. What would you think about asking your Uncle Jason and Aunt Francis about building the tree house on their spare lot? That way you and Joey could both build it and it wouldn't mess up their main backyard where the pool is? If that won't work, we'll make having a perfect tree for a tree house high on our selection criteria when we all go looking for a lot this weekend."

"That would be cool," said JR, "but dad did you see the plans in the book for a fort? If we built a tree house at Joey's place and a fort at our new place, then we could share them when we visited each other."

"JR, you may have my ugly looks, but you obviously have your mom's brains," tease Bobby. "That sounds like a perfect solution to me."

Patty couldn't stop smiling enough to pucker her lips and kiss Bobby, "My son is not ugly buster, and neither are you. I won't argue the brains being from my side however. JR, you need to get your shower and get into bed. You need to get your rest if we're going to keep you out late on Wednesday when we go to the ball game with Joey and his parents."

"Okay," JR said as he closed the book and left for his room.

Patty closed the space between her and Bobby where JR had been sitting and snuggled up next to him, "Am I going to have to find a corresponding book for girls if we have the sister that JR has requested?"

"I think you wrote the book on being the perfect girl," Bobby told her.

Laughing, Patty replied, "I'm sure my parents would disagree with your assessment, but thank you. If you will take care of getting JR out of his shower and into bed, I would like to start showing you what I bought today. If I start doing that, I would not be presentable outside of our bedroom. Will you help me?"

Bobby rose and pulled Patty to her feet in front of him, "Sounds like it's in my best interest to do so. I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Patty kissed him and left the great room, heading towards their bedroom, while Bobby went the opposite direction to check on JR. Patty was just sorting through the bag from Victoria's Secret when Bobby came into the bedroom.

"JR is in the shower," he said. I'll need to check on him on a few minutes, but I can be an attentive audience in the meantime."

Patty giggled, "Okay, sit down in the chair and start by reading this while I change in the bathroom. She handed Bobby an envelope and then carried her bag into the bathroom and closed the door.

Bobby sat in the chair and opened the plain envelope. Inside was a marketing brochure for 'Rick's Cabaret' and a $200 gift certificate. His grin continued to grow as he read the brochure. It wasn't the contents of the brochure that amused him as much as it was his bemused curiosity over why Patty would have gotten him a gift certificate to one of San Antonio's most popular Gentlemen's Clubs.

Realizing that he couldn't hear JR's shower from where he was sitting, Bobby walked to the bedroom door, opened it and stuck his head into the hallway. He heard the water running in the bathroom down the hall and figured that he had a few more minutes before he had to go check on JR. He closed the door and had just returned to the chair when Patty opened the door to their own bathroom.

She was wearing a satin sleep shirt in a leopard print. It had shirt tails that resembled a man's dress shirt that stopped high on her thighs and three buttons, which were all undone.

"Does it feel as good as it looks?" Bobby asked with obvious approval of what he saw.

"You tell me," Patty said as she came and stood in front of him.

Bobby placed his hands on her sides and felt the smooth satin fabric as he slid his hands down to her hips, "Not bad, but the real test will be feeling it with my body instead of just my hands."

"I think we can arrange that," she said in a sultry voice. Then she turned and abruptly returned to the bathroom and closed the door.

Bobby took the opportunity to go check on JR. He had finished his shower and was brushing his teeth when Bobby knocked on the door and asked how he was doing.

"Good," said JR after he had rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth. "I'm heading to bed now."

"Your mom is busy right now, so is it okay if I hug you goodnight and she'll come in later to give you a kiss?"

JR came over to his dad and gave him a hug, "I'm all set now dad. Say goodnight to mom for me and I'll see you guys in the morning."

Bobby hugged JR back, "I don't know if your mom is ready for you to be so self-sufficient JR, but I'm proud of you. Good night."

JR went to his room and Bobby returned to Patty. As he closed the bedroom door, he turned and saw her standing at the threshold to the bathroom waiting for him.

"Back in your seat buster," she instructed.

"Yes mam," complied Bobby as he grinned at her and took his seat.

Patty was now wearing a racy chiffon ruffled babydoll in a floral print. It had thin spaghetti straps and the bottom barely came to the top of her thighs.

"How can something look so innocent and so naughty at the same time?" Bobby asked. "It has to be the model wearing it."

"You like?" she asked.

"Definitely," Bobby replied.

"Good," she giggled. "Things get better from here. Be right back."

She started back to the bathroom and then stopped, "Is JR waiting for me to kiss him goodnight?"

Bobby watched her eyes as he said, "He told me to tell you he was all set, and he would see you in the morning. I mentioned that you may not be ready for him to settle for a hug from me and to not need a goodnight kiss from you, so he won't be surprised if you come to his room later, but for now he's good."

Patty stood silent for a second before responding, "I'll go to him later after he's asleep. And you're right, it's for me more than it is for him. I can see him maturing since you came into his life, and while it makes me so proud, he's been my rock for so long I can't just let it go so quickly." She went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Bobby was rereading the brochure when Patty stepped out into the room again. She folded her right hand so that her index and middle finger were sticking up, mimicking the shape of a pistol and then raised them to her lips and pretended to blow smoke from the barrel of a gun. The actions fit perfectly with the outfit she was wearing. Besides the cowboy hat on her head, she was wearing a sexy little cowgirl inspired cut-out teddy with fringe detail along the top and bottom and gold studs at the straps.

"Hi cowboy," she mewed.

Bobby was speechless, but his mouth is the only part of his body that hadn't responded to Patty. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and just continued to stare.

Patty was ecstatic at the reaction she saw in Bobby. She tried her best to sashay up to him in a wanton manner, but she realized that she could have clomped and stumbled to him and it wouldn't have changed the desire she saw so evident in his eyes. That's what she wanted to see. That's what she needed to see.

Leaning down in front of Bobby, "Does the big cowboy have anything for me to ride?" she whispered in his ear.

"Jeez," moaned Bobby. "I hope you're almost done, because I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Patty licked his ear and said, "Just one more, and then you'll have seen everything."

"First, take a minute to explain the gift certificate to me," he said.

"That's for me," Patty said. "Kind of like dance lessons that you get to participate in," she teased. "So, keep your lap warm and I'll be right back."

She slowly returned to the bathroom, providing Bobby a lengthy view of the back to the outfit -- what little there was of it.

As she closed the bathroom door, Bobby did his best to adjust himself within his jeans. He knew that this exhibition was important to Patty, and didn't want to deny her the opportunity that she felt she needed to arouse and tease him, but she was taking things to a whole new level. He was going to have to pay close attention to her to make sure that he responded to her appropriately.

In only a couple of minutes, the door to the bathroom opened again, and Bobby faced the greatest test yet. Patty stood before him in a black and white apron babydoll reminiscent of a French maid uniform, with ruffled panties to match and a bow tie around her neck. She was caressing her exposed skin with a feather duster as she approached him in the chair.

"Que voulez-vous, monsieur," Patty whispered.

"Seulement vous. Toujours seulement vous," responded Bobby.

Patty frowned down at him, "That's not fair. I don't really speak French and only learned a few lines..."

Bobby pulled her onto his lap, "You asked me what I wanted. I said 'Only you. Always only you'."

Patty wrapped her arms around him and said, "Then Seulement vous. Toujours seulement vous right back at you buster."

Chapter Eight -- Epilog

Patty was already awake when she felt Bobby remove the knotted belt from his wrist and gingerly slip out of their bed. She smiled as she lay perfectly still, letting him believe her to be asleep. He had mastered his technique of escape years before, and while she knew he knew that she knew what he was doing, it was a game they continued to play and enjoy. He had started soon after his daughter Kathryn Francis had been born as a way for him to cover her nighttime feedings without disturbing Patty. As Katie grew older, Bobby frequently had to race JR to see who would get to her first in the mornings to service her needs.

Listening as Bobby silently pulled on sweats, Patty continued to feign sleep. She knew that he would take care of whatever he felt was necessary and return naked to their bed before she arose to start her day. He had done so for more than six years, and even though this was Christmas morning, she had no doubt of his devotion to their ritual. Bobby still knew what she needed and never disappointed her.

Bobby and Patty had been married in July that first summer. Realizing that Patty's ideal wedding centered around watching the dolphins play at sunset, Bobby didn't try to use Newport pier, but simply chartered a private yacht for them and their guests, which was anchored off the end of the pier and provided her with better views and a more romantic experience than she would have had sharing the pier with all the late day fishermen.

Patty touched the rings on her left hand. It wasn't until their wedding night that she had finally removed Bobby's class ring from around her neck and the Poesy ring from her right ring finger. After her wedding, she had no need for any other tokens of Bobby's affection for her, but she still treasured them every time she went to her jewelry box.

Bobby's parents had accompanied them on their Honeymoon to Hawaii, so they could spend the time getting to know JR. Bobby's dad spent every waking moment with his new found grandson, and JR couldn't get enough. Bobby had to bribe his mother into taking his father to a luau so Bobby would have a chance to try and teach JR how to surf.

Right before their wedding, Patty, Bobby and JR had selected the land they wanted their new home to be built on. As JR had mentioned, their land provided a spectacular view of the San Antonio skyline to the northwest, and on a really clear day, both Seguin and New Braunfels could be seen. They had six fenced acres as their main parcel, with a three acre buffer lot on either side. Their land backed up to a working cattle ranch and they frequently found JR at the fence with his little sister petting a new calf. They had an architect modify an existing design and the foundation for their home was poured within weeks of them buying their land.

A month after they had returned from Hawaii, Patty found out she had become pregnant within days of Francis, and Katie was born within twenty-five hours of Celia (Cile) Patricia Reid. Jason and Joey became as obsessed with Cile as Bobby and JR were of Katie, and the two girls had grown as close as sisters. Just last month JR had officially turned his fort over to Katie for her to use it as a playhouse, and Joey had done the same for Cile with his tree house. Both boys continued to make requested changes to their properties as the girls sought more feminine touches, such as curtains.

Patty lay in bed listening, trying to guess what Bobby might be doing. She thought she had heard him going out the side door, but now she wasn't sure.

This was going to be their sixth Christmas in their home and the fifth since Katie had been born. Patty remembered the first Christmas when Bobby had given JR a John Deere lawn tractor as a present. Looking back, it was another example of Bobby's intuitive fathering skills. With more than six acres of grass that would require mowing on a weekly basis once Spring arrived, the gift would provide JR the resources needed to take responsibility for a badly needed chore. The gift allowed him to earn money, both as an allowance, but also from cutting the yards of willing neighbors. She was proud of the way JR rose to the opportunity and prouder still of how he treasured the pride he saw in his father's eyes. JR would never do anything to purposely disappoint Bobby, and Bobby felt the same way about his son.

Patty took the opportunity to go to the bathroom before Bobby returned. While there, she looked out the bathroom window to see if she could catch a glimpse of Bobby outside. She couldn't see him from the perspective that the bathroom window offered her, so she quickly returned to bed to wait for him.

If JR took after his father, Katie was a virtual clone of Patty when she was younger. She had the same ice blue eyes, light brown hair, and could melt the hearts of the men in her life with either a smile or a tear. While sometimes it seemed like Katie had three parents, she worshipped JR as her big brother and was constantly looking for ways to seek his approval. Every picture she colored or doll she dressed had to pass muster with JR or Katie wasn't satisfied. JR was the first one that Katie wanted to share anything new with, and his love of his sister was evident whenever they were together. Patty is convinced that the broad shoulders that JR had developed were due as much to him carrying Katie on them, as they were to his physical labor around the house and yard.

At fifteen, JR was already over six feet tall, and while he wore his hair shorter than Bobby had at his age, his blonde waves, casual confidence, and the respect that seemed to be shown to him without reservation by people who barely knew him would let anyone who saw them together instantly know who JR's father was.

Patty heard Spenser, their Sheltie bark, and knew that Bobby had to be outside. Otherwise, there would have been more than one bark before he could have quieted the dog. She kept listening to see if the sound may have woken Katie, JR or any of their guests, but she didn't hear any noises from inside the house. Her parents, as well as Bobby's oldest sister Terri and her husband were staying at their house. Bobby's parents, his other sister Lindi and her family were staying with Francis and Jason. Everyone was due to join them at their house around 10 a.m. Patty looked at the clock. 6:15 a.m. Still plenty of time if Bobby got back soon.

Patty heard what she knew had to be Bobby coming back into the house and heading upstairs. She felt under her pillow for the gift she had hidden there and resumed a position as close to how she was when Bobby left the bed as she could recall. Bobby took off his sweats, cautiously crawled back into bed, reattached the loop from the belt around his wrist, and then snuggled back up against her.

"Was Santa making some last minute present placements?" she asked.

Bobby kissed the back of her neck and said, "I had to meet Howard Jennings."

Howard Jennings was a neighbor who lived about a half mile up the road. He and his wife loved having the kids come over to feed, pet or ride one of the many horses they kept on their property.

"What was Howard doing here so early on Christmas morning?" Patty asked.

"He has been helping me keep Katie's present from Santa a secret," said Bobby. "He dropped it off this morning so I could tether it to her playhouse in full view for her to see when she wakes up."

Patty rolled over to face Bobby. She knew before asking that it was a silly question, but she had to ask, "You got her a pony, didn't you?"

Bobby brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen over Patty's face when she turned to him. He smiled and said, "Technically, I think it is still considered a foal, but since it is a male, I suppose we could also call it a colt."

Patty shook her head in amazement at what Bobby had done. "You really don't expect a four year old to take care of a young horse do you?" she asked.

"Of course not," Bobby said. "I expect you to take care of a young horse and our daughter will learn from you." He saw the look of fear on Patty's face and added with a grin, "But knowing what your reaction would be, JR has already promised to take care of it until Katie is ready. It was actually his idea to get the foal along with its mother at the same time, so Katie gets exposure to what she can expect when her pony is full grown. Having the mare will also allow JR to help teach Katie how to ride well before her own horse is ready to take a rider."

"Where are we going to keep a mare and her foal?" asked Patty.

"A crew will be here next week to assemble the pre-manufactured stable I bought, and Howard will board them until we can," Bobby told her. "In the meantime," Bobby continued, "I think we should start having Katie take over the feeding and care of Spenser. She already helps now, but I think she would embrace it as her own responsibility if we encouraged her."

"She's just a baby," moaned Patty.

"Just give her a chance," urged Bobby. "If she's not ready, we can come back to it later, but I think she'll surprise you."

"You've always been the best father I have ever known, so I'll trust your opinion," Patty whispered as she caressed his cheek. "Can I give you a present now?"

Bobby smiled at her and said, "You don't want to wait and give it to me in front of everyone else?"

He was anticipating something intended for mature audiences, but Patty rolled to her side of the bed and retrieved a wrapped package that had been placed between the nightstand and the bed itself. She sat up in the bed and handed the package to Bobby using both hands. Bobby sat up and accepted the gift, but when he looked into Patty's eyes, he hesitated before opening it. He knew she wanted to say something.

She confirmed his suspicion when she started, "Bobby, I have realized that your heart has been in torment for months, and I didn't know how to help you. You are the bravest, kindest, most compassionate and loving man in the world, but it is your selflessness that is causing you pain right now. I know what you need now, and my heart is overflowing with joy to know that I can give it to you today."

Patty leaned over, kissed his lips and said, "Please accept this with all my love, now and forever."

Bobby simply nodded and began to remove the paper covering her gift to him. As he pulled the tape apart and separated the paper, he saw the back of a framed picture. Turning the frame over he thought that he realized what this was, "Is this your next Easter painting?" he asked.

"No," said Patty. "There will be no more Easter paintings. This one is the last."

Bobby was stunned and confused as he studied the painting more closely. The Corvair was prominently featured of course, and the setting was the driveway of their home outside. Looking at the people in the picture he saw Katie standing next to Patty on the driver's side of the car, both smiling at him as he stood alongside them with one hand entwined in Patty's and the other on the shoulder of JR as he sat in the driver's seat.

There were tears in Bobby's eyes as he set the picture on the bed and pulled his wife into his arms and holding her tight. While she was raining kisses on his face, she reached under her pillow and pulled out her other gift.

Handing the package to Bobby, Patty looked at him and said, "JR will be sixteen in a couple of months and I know that you have been torn between your devotion to our history with our car and your desire to give it to JR as your father gave it to you. Nothing will take our memories and history away buster because they are seared into our very beings."

As Bobby finally extracted the spare key for the Corvair that he had given to Patty on the day she passed her driving test, Patty said to him, "Give it to him Bobby. Give him his daddy's car."

###