The sudden commotion in the middle of the dirt playground caught her attention. Children were running and yelling in an effort to reach the ruckus. Dripping Springs, Texas was a suburb only a half hour west of Austin, but still enjoyed small town anonymity, and a playground altercation was still an event of epic proportions. They didn't want to miss any of the action as the fight took place.

The September afternoon in 1980 was extremely hot, and dry. A small dust cloud swirled in the vicinity of the frantic activity, and seemed to hover in the air in silent protest.

"Guess Id better see what's goin' on." Little Katie Janeway thought. Even at fourteen years old, she was the self-appointed guardian of the weaker kids. She was a crusader with elfin features complete with short auburn-colored hair that seemed to capture and reflect the sun, and her blue-gray eyes seemed to have a constant merry twinkle. When she was angry, those same eyes looked as hard and as flat as stone.

Katie walked toward the fight with nothing on her mind but simple curiosity. As she approached the center of the melee other children moved out of her path; her reputation preceded her. It wasn't that she enjoyed fighting, she just tended to jump into things without thinking. She had an enormous temper that had only found release through her fists. Fortunately for the other children, she usually only vented that wrath in their defense.

Hearing the bully's voice from a distance, she realized she had confronted this one on numerous occasions. It was Billy Amos. Now she could see what was happening, and her teeth ground in outrage. There was a new kid that looked to be at least six years younger than Katie sitting on the ground. The fact that this new kid was also a girl incensed her, and couldn't have mattered to Billy in the slightest. The redhead hadn't heard much about this girl other than she was from Germany. They said her father was in the Air Force, and stationed at San Antonio. She sat on the ground looking up at Billy and his gang of thugs with her arms braced behind her slender frame, her hands covered in dust. Blue eyes looked magnified behind her coke-bottle thick glasses, the fear in them being magnified as well.

Katie knew that the fear reflected in the blue eyes would only excite Billy all the more. That was what he thrived on. Glancing down at the other girl again, Katie could see that she was very small, and the uncertainty of being in a new school probably made her even more shy and scared. Compared to this heavyset redneck, what could she do?

Feeling her blood start to heat up as she assessed the situation, Katie's hands fisted at her sides and her temper over flowed. She knew Billy only picked on kids that were smaller and weaker than himself. Before realizing what she was doing, Katie pushed into the tight circle and punched Billy twice. She hit him right in the center of his pig-shaped nose. Left, right…

Billy's head snapped back on his thick neck as he looked at her in surprise. Then his knees wobbled and he fell back on his fat butt. A small cloud rose in protest as he hit the ground.

"You big bully!" she shouted, angrily.

Billy recovered immediately. "Grab her!" he shouted to his cohorts.

Katie was seized roughly by both upper arms, and she began to struggle with the two boys who had grabbed her. Tommy and Gene weren't as big as Billy, but they were strong. They were also bigger than she was, and they weren't about to be humiliated by a girl. Feeling Roy Benson's hands on her shoulders as he held her from behind, she suddenly wasn't so brave anymore!

Billy stood up and brushed the dust from the seat of his worn out jeans. He looked at her in disgust, and unconsciously adjusted his T-shirt as his belly flopped over his waistband. It reminded Katie of a fish she had seen flopping on the creek bank once. It had looked white and clammy…just like Billy's stomach.

"Are you stupid, or are you tryin' to get beat up? what's goin' on here ain't none of your business, Katie Janeway."

He raised a hand to wipe at a smear of blood as it trickled from a nostril. "But now you bloodied my nose and I'm gonna kick your butt."

Katie was scared now; four to one weren't very good odds. But she knew better than to let Billy see how scared she was. Her only chance was to bluff him, so she had to act like she was still fighting mad. "You're just a bully, Amos. what's the matter, huh? She wouldn't give you her lunch money?" she asked, kicking sand at his legs.

"You are stupid! My guys are holding onto you, and you're still talking trash. Why you always fighting, Katie? you're supposed to be a girl, but you fight like a boy. Bet you wanna be a boy, huh?"

Katie was stung, the truth being that she had thought about being a boy before. It wasn't that she really wanted to be one, but they always got away with more than girls did. But she didn't want to be one because if she were a boy Sarah wouldn't be her friend. Still, she was too angry to halt her words. "I don't want to be a boy. Then I'd be as retarded as you!"

Billy's meaty fist slammed sideways against her left cheek and ear. Everything fuzzed over for a minute and she would have fallen if not for the boys supporting her on either side.

"Stop it! Stop it this instant, Billy Amos, or I'll tell Miss Winters."

Recognizing her best friends voice, she heaved a sigh of relief. Sarah to the rescue, she thought through the buzzing in her head. As her eyes refocused, she saw Sarah standing defiantly in front of Billy with her hands on her hips.

"Oh sure, run tell the teacher," Billy said snippily, but he did stop. He liked Sarah, as much as he was capable of liking anyone, but of course Katie knew she would never touch him with a ten-foot pole! All of the boys liked Sarah, she was petite and dark, and extremely feminine even at fourteen. She was the exact opposite of Katie's tomboyish lankiness. Just bordering on puberty, Sarah was the picture of feminine indignation.

Katie felt the wind go out of their sails as the other boys let go of her. Her knees were still a little shaky, but she could stand on her own now. The side of her face was starting to burn, and she still had a slight ringing in her ear. She knew she was going to have a pounding headache before long, but needed to focus on what was happening now. Things still weren't over, and Billy was sizing her up with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

With a sinking in her stomach, she knew what was coming. She had heard him issue this challenge to other kids, but so far no one had gone through with it. Her eyes widened in disbelief even as she heard him voice her worst fears.

"You know the old Norwood place? The haunted house up in the woods?"

"There's no such thing as haunted houses," Katie said with as much bravado as she could muster, glad that the boys weren't holding her now. If they were, they would feel the trembling that was starting in her body, and she still had a reputation to maintain.

"Billy, no!" Sarah exclaimed. She also knew what was coming.

The Norwood place had been built in the early eighteen hundreds by one Leopold Norwood who had a dream of eventually owning half the countryside. Now it was just an old abandoned tobacco plantation about three miles out of town. The legend was that a lot of slaves had died on the farmland while trying to escape the owners cruelty. It had been abandoned after the Civil War, and anyone who had bought the place since then hadn't lived there long. That is until Joshua Tensley had bought it ten years ago. He had moved his family in and they had seemed to live there quite contentedly for about three years.

One night in February of 1969, Josh went crazy for no apparent reason. He had murdered his four-year old son and six-year old daughter while they slumbered peacefully in their beds. He had held a plastic bag over their faces until they suffocated. His wife had been next. Always a light sleeper, she had been awakened by the weight of the plastic against her face. A brief struggle ensued, during which she had scratched deep furrows into the back of his left forearm before succumbing to oxygen deprivation.

Having completed his nefarious tasks, he had hung himself from the rafters in his study.

The bodies were discovered a few days later when Josh and his wife hadn't shown up at their respective work places. No one had seen or heard from them, and there was no answer to repeated attempts to phone them. A concerned friend, Helga Friedmer, went to the house to check on them. She found the front door ajar and let herself in. Josh was swinging from the rafters with the office chair turned on its side under him. Mrs. Friedmer hadn't gone any farther into the house. She ran to the kitchen and used the phone to call the Sheriff, then waited for them on the front porch, and refused to reenter when the police arrived.

No one knew why Tensley had committed these atrocities. He had been a well-liked deacon of the community. He was always cordial, and seemed a little shy. He had not left a note of explanation.

Some people speculated that the spirit of a dead slave had possessed him, and that the slave had been trying to exact revenge on his previous masters. The Norwood place had been deserted since, but the stories hadn't diminished with time. If anything, they seemed to get more elaborate with each telling.

"Well, if you don't believe in haunted houses, then you wont mind goin' inside. what's the matter, you scared?" Billy sneered. "Nothing but a couple of chicken girls after all."

"I ain't scared," Katie said, lifting her chin. She was getting mad again, no one called her a girl.

"Katie…" Sarah began.

She kept talking without listening since she knew that Sarah would try to talk her out of it. "Lets hear it, Billy. Take your best shot."

"Good. This weekend its a full moon. You have to go in the house."

"Oh, wow!" Katie said sarcastically. "I'm scared already! Is that the best you can do?"

"No, that's not it, dummy. You think I'm stupid? You think I trust you? The deal is, we go with you... me and the boys. Well wait for you by the edge of the woods. I'm gonna watch and make sure you go in. And to make sure you really go in and don't just stand by the door, you gotta bring something back out."

"What?" Sarah shouted, "that's not fair!"

"One more thing," he said meanly with a glance at the other girl. "Your nosy little friend here has to go with you."

Billy wasn't thinking about his future love life anymore. He was thinking about how Sarah had taken Katie's side. She had ganged up on him with this stupid dyke. Maybe she was a dyke, too. His daddy had told him you could never tell. He said dykes were sent by Satan to corrupt all the good women in the world. They disguised themselves and could look normal. Billy didn't even know what a dyke was, but if his daddy said they were evil, then it must be.

In the deep south it wasn't uncommon for men to be threatened by anything they didn't really understand. Homosexuality was definitely one thing George Amos didn't understand. He didn't cotton to any unnatural inclinations, and you could just never tell. One minute they could look just as natural as other folk, and then suddenly they were different. The fact that his first wife had dumped him lent full credence to his theory. Debbie Mae had actually left him because she got tired of the frequent beatings, but that was something George could never admit. In his mind, no wife would leave her husband unless Satan convinced her to turn away. The easiest way for Satan to tempt a woman in such a way would be to tempt her with sinful, and lustful thoughts.

He considered it his responsibility to educate his boy properly to avoid such pitfalls in life.

"Fine!" Katie yelled.

"Good!" Billy yelled back. "I'll let you know when and where we meet."

Just then the school bell rang, signaling time for the children to begin their next class. As the others scampered away chatting excitedly, Katie reached down and offered the blonde girl her hand. Helping her to her feet she said, "It's okay. I don't think he'll bother you again."

When the little girl merely nodded her head and blushed shyly, Katie grinned and asked, "What's your name?" absently noticing that she was a head taller than the other girl was.

"A..a..nnika Hansen," she whispered shyly in a heavy accent.

Sarah interrupted by tugging impatiently on Katie's sleeve. "Katie, let the kid get to class."

"Thank you," she heard, and turned again to look at the foreign girl whose blue eyes were intensified behind her lenses. "For…helping me."

Waving it off Katie repeated, "No problem. I don't think he'll bother you again."

She watched with a grin as Sarah handed the little blonde her backpack before she scampered away, then they slowly left the playground together.

"Nice going, Joan of Arc," Sarah said with good humor. "You take on another crusade, and were going to be burned at the stake in a haunted house. Why'd you take that stupid dare, anyway?"

"Very funny," she returned sarcastically before finally relenting. "I can't help it, Sarah. He just made me so mad by calling me a girl."

Crossing her arms, and casting a grin at her friend she said, "Oh yeah, like it's so awful to be a girl."

Trying to make the little brunette understand, Katie explained, "It's not that, it's the way he said it. Like it was a dirty word or something. Oh Sarah, what are we going to do now?"

"You know, Katie it's kind of funny. You can't even go to sleep without a light on, and now we have to go into a house with no electricity in the middle of the night."

Katie was staring at the ground as they walked up the school steps, furiously trying to think how she could get them out of this mess. Sensing her distraction, Sarah stopped and stared at Katie for a moment before placing a hand on her reddening cheek. "Forget it, big mouth. There's no way out. We'll have to go through with it."

"Now we better see about getting some ice on your face before it starts to swell."

Sarah went in search of the ice, leaving Katie standing on the steps. That was one thing she really liked about her friend, she was genuinely concerned about other people. Katie could still feel where Sarah had placed her hand. She touched the spot, and acknowledged for what felt like the thousandth time that it wasn't just the boys that liked Sarah.

She located her friend at the nurses station where she had just obtained an ice pack, and was just coming out into the hallway.

"She knew what I wanted before I even asked," Sarah said dryly. "She even knew it was for you. This is becoming a habit."

Handing the ice pack to Katie, they headed toward their lockers. "Figure anything out yet?" she asked conversationally.

Heaving a sigh Katie admitted, "No. I guess I'll just have to wait until Billy lets me know something."

"Don't worry, it'll be interesting if nothing else. The hard part is going to be how to get out of the house without our parents knowing."

"No kidding! I think parents turn psychic when they have kids or something. I can't even think about something without my mom knowing. Come on, we better hurry or were going to be late."

The girls retrieved textbooks from their lockers; social studies for Sarah, and math for Katie. "Well, you should know something soon. Don't you have Billy Amos in math class with you?"

"Yeah, it's the second time he's gone through the same class. What a dummy!"

They parted in the hall with Katie promising to phone Sarah as soon as she got home. She had just made it to class when the tardy bell rang. The fifty-minute study period seemed to drag on forever. Math was not one of her favorite subjects, although she excelled in it, she found it boring and could be frequently found daydreaming, or reading a book instead of concentrating on the instructor. She still managed to make straight As so wasn't too worried about it, though. She looked across the room every ten minutes or so expecting something out of Billy. He never even looked her way.

During the entire class, the teacher's voice never seemed to change. It was just a long monotonous drone. Katie wondered if all math instructors had to be able to bore you to death before they were allowed to teach.

The class was almost over. There were only five minutes left, and Katie decided she wasn't going to hear from Billy after all. Then she noticed a note being passed along the assembly line. It was folded like a paper football, and the kids passed the note along every time the teacher turned the other way or was distracted. Taking the note with her name on it, Katie noticed the printing was crude, and looked like something a first grader would do. She decided to wait, and read it after class so that there was less chance Miss Painter would notice and take it away from her.

A few minutes later the bell rang, and students jumped in a frenzy to get out of the class. School was over for another day. Children grabbed backpacks and rushed from the building in the typical pell-mell frenzy of after school freedom.

Walking sedately to her locker to put her books away, Katie wasn't in much of a hurry. She wanted to read the note before she got home and called Sarah. She also had to get rid of it so her parents wouldn't read it and interfere with their plans. Looking at the horribly misspelled words, Katie winced as she tried to decipher it.

Jeez, Katie thought, how am I gonna get out of the house?

Abruptly realizing, she was one of the few students lingering, she quickly put her books away and rushed out to greet her father. He was waiting patiently beside the curb with the car idling.

"Hi, punkin'. I was about to send out a search party. What took so long?"

"Just putting up my stuff. How was your day, dad?"

Katie listened with only half an ear as he began to talk about his hard day at work. She occasionally nodded her head or made sounds of sympathy to appear as though he had her full attention, but she was thinking about what they would find in the abandoned house.

This is great. I get to worry about it for three more days. For once, Katie was not in a hurry for the weekend to arrive.

Calling Sarah after supper, she quickly gave her the details. "Here's what well do. Well tell my parents I'm spending the night with you, and you tell your parents you're spending the night with me."

"Katie, that won't work! You know they'll talk to each other to make sure we won't be a burden or something."

"Well, do you have another idea?"

"Yeah, what's your normal bed time…8 o'clock, 8:30?"

Outraged and trying to act like a grown up Katie retorted, "Not on a Friday night! I'm not a baby, you know. It's 9 o'clock."

"Okay, so we go to bed at normal time. Set your alarm just in case you fall asleep. At 9:45 slip out your window and climb down the tree. I'll meet you in front of the hardware store at ten o'clock."

"That sounds good," Katie acknowledged, then added wryly, "I just hope my parents don't notice anything."

"They wont," Sarah assured her confidently. "We'll work out the rest of it before Saturday."

They talked for a few more minutes about school and things they were going to do during the summer. Then Katie's mom told her it was time to get off the phone, and do her homework. The rest of the week passed with the quiet regularity of school, and homework. But the closer the weekend got, the more anxious Katie became. She really was afraid of the dark and didn't want to go into a house full of werewolves, and zombies, and stuff.

Friday night arrived more quickly than she was hoping it would. As the evening progressed, she became more and more quiet until her mother finally noticed. Convinced that her daughter wasn't feeling well, Gretchen walked Katie to her room, and tucked her into bed. Actually, the little girl was so frightened about what she would have to do later, that her stomach was tied up in knots. When her mother brought her some chicken soup and crackers she thought she would throw up.

Finally, she was left alone to worry herself crazy for the rest of the evening. Sarah called once to make sure Katie was prepared, and to remind her not to fall asleep. There was really no threat of that as worried as the redhead was. Finally the clock read 9:45. Her mother had looked in on her fifteen minutes earlier, but the lights had been off as Katie feigned sleep. She didn't expect her mother to check on her again until morning. Taking some pillows, she drew the quilt up over them so that in case her mom did look in it would look like she was still there.

Foregoing a jacket, she dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers before she grabbed the flashlight she had taken from the kitchen junk drawer. Then she eased open the bedroom window to make her escape. Unlike in the movies, though, she couldn't just leap out of the opening and onto the waiting pecan tree. Summer in Texas necessitated such things as window screens. She fumbled with the latch for a moment before pushing the screen away from the house. It moved only about a foot and a half before coming up against the thick trunk of the tree, but that was plenty of room for her to slide out and onto the nearest branch that would hold her weight. Reaching around the screen from her lofty perch, Katie eased the window closed before lowering the screen back into place. If her mom did look in, she didn't want to give her a reason like closing the window for her to come into the room. The less time she spent there, the better Katie's chances of not getting caught.

Worrying that she was wasting too much time, she quickly shimmied down the tree and hopped on her bicycle. Billy and his gang were already waiting for her in front of Smith's Hardware, and Sarah arrived a few moments later. Unbelievably Sarah was dressed in a frilly, pink sweater, jeans, and brown Hushpuppies that buckled on the sides. Katie wasn't sure how the other girl could pedal her bike with the slick-bottom shoes, but had to admit that she looked good. She knew her friend enjoyed being a girl, and dressing the part. She suspected that she would start wearing make-up any day.

"About time you two showed up, Janeway," Billy taunted sitting astride his own bike. "We thought you must have chickened out."

"Well, unlike you, Billy," she said in a silky voice, "our parents actually care about us. We had to sneak out."

Knuckles whitened as he gripped his handlebars in anger even as his face flushed a deep red. Veins stood out sharply in his forehead and neck, and for a moment Katie could almost picture his head exploding from the internal pressure. Fortunately Tommy distracted her from that image by grousing, "Can we just get on with it?"

"Yes, please," Sarah agreed with a weary sigh.

"Fine," Billy said angrily, trying to maintain the air that he was completely in charge.

Eager to get on with it, the group pointed their bikes east and set off out of town. The old Norwood place set on a dilapidated piece of land that used to be part of a hundred-acre tobacco plantation. Time had seen the encroachment of civilization that had drawn nearer and nearer to the old house. Property surrounding the place had been sold off until the old house finally sat just two miles out of town on a piece of land overgrown with weeds and Dallas grass. Trees had grown high and thick up against the old structure casting sinister shadows even in the daylight.

Riding down highway 290 East, Katie knew she didn't want to see it in the dark. But her big mouth had gotten her and Sarah into this mess and her pride refused to allow her to back out.

Traffic was sporadic this late at night with cars going to and coming from Austin. Her fear was beginning to build in her stomach, and she was aware of Sarah's concerned glances as she refrained from joining in the other children's teasing banter. Her mind was on the stories she had heard, stories her mother had told her to ignore.

They were stories told by adults when they didn't think children were listening, and they had made an impact on a very impressionable young woman.

A few years ago children had disappeared from the greater Austin area. Some had been taken from their homes while they slept and others while walking home from school. Still others had disappeared from families passing through to other obscure destinations. The fact that no two had ever been taken from the same town, and that in each case there had been no signs of a struggle left police with very few clues and no suspects. No bodies had ever been recovered, and finally in frustration Sheriff Amos, Billy's father, had enlisted the help of the FBI

Katie still remembered the somber men in business suits and dark sunglasses a few years ago. She had just been coming out of the grocery store with her mom and saw them standing across the street talking to old man Watkins. Seeing what had her daughter so fascinated, Gretchen had smacked her on the back of the head and told her not to stare. Later she had heard the FBI had been questioning the town drunk to find out if he had seen anything suspicious. that's when the rumors had really started that Watkins was the one kidnapping the kids. It was said that he took them up to Norwood Manor, killed them, and ate them.

It made sense, Katie thought, that if he ate them, there wouldn't be anything to find.

"Sure is spooky," Gene observed in a curiously hushed voice.

With a jolt Katie realized that they had arrived, and she stopped her bike at the beginning of a long, overgrown driveway. There were no streetlights and only the light of a nearly full moon illuminated the ruined manor house. Tall, dry grass swayed in the evening breeze, the stalks whispering as they moved against each other telling stories of murder, and mayhem. Katie shivered as the hair on the back of her neck prickled in fear.

"Me and my big mouth," she groused in a lowered tone.

"Should have thought of that before you butted into my business, Janeway," Billy informed her in what was supposed to be a pompous tone, but Katie noticed that his voice was lowered, too.

Deciding to take advantage of his fear, Katie thought she would turn the situation to her favor. "I'm doing this because I said I would, but on one condition."

"No conditions, Janeway. You already said you'd do it."

Watching the play by play, Sarah knew her friend had something planned, and jumped to her aid. "What's the matter, Billy? Scared?"

Katie smiled as her friends words had the desired effect. What bully could resist a dare? Not Billy, she decided as his chest puffed out and he said, "I ain't scared. What's your condition?"

"If I go in there, you can't pick on the younger kids anymore."

"What? That ain't fair. You go in the house once, and I gotta let people walk all over me forever?"

A minor disagreement broke out until Katie offered a compromise. "No one said you can't defend yourself. But what if you just leave the kids alone that are littler than you?"

"Fine," Billy spat convinced that otherwise they would stand here arguing all night, and he really wanted to know if the house was haunted. "But I got a condition of my own. You gotta bring something out of the house to prove you really went in, and didn't just stand inside the door."

"The place is abandoned," Katie reminded him incredulously. "What am I gonna find in there to bring out?"

"So you might have to look around a little," he goaded. After a few more moments when she just stared at him without comment he asked sarcastically, "Now who's scared?"

Growing angry at his smug tones, Katie forgot about her fear for the moment. Gripping her handlebars she said, "Let's go, Sarah."

The smaller girl kept her mouth shut as she heard Katie's voice drop in determination. Knowing there was no turning back, the brunette's eyes widened as she tried to take everything in on the short ride down the driveway.

Dismounting, both girls dropped their bikes on the ground without taking their eyes off the house. Katie waited a moment hoping that Sarah would take the lead.

"Uh uh, not a chance, Nancy Drew. You got us into this, you go first," the other girl informed her with her arms folded.

Mumbling, "Chicken," under her breath, Katie reached for the flashlight she had tucked in her hip pocket, and waited for Sarah to retrieve her own. Finally running out of excuses to delay the inevitable; she took a deep breath and started slowly for the front porch. Sarah's hand was resting on Katie's shoulder, and she was so close they appeared to be moving as one entity.

"Would you stop that?" Katie hissed in irritation as her foot came up on the first step.

"Stop what?" Sarah asked nervously, feeling like her heart was going to pound its way out of her chest.

Shrugging her shoulder for emphasis, Katie said, "Stop breathing down my neck. It's creepy."

Swallowing against a parched mouth, Sarah mumbled, "Sorry," and backed up a half a step. She decided to give her best friend enough room to walk, but didn't intend to back up very far. If a monster came rushing at them, she was going to shove Katie toward it and make a break for it. With any luck that would give her enough time to get away.

The steps creaked as the girls climbed onto the porch. One of the boards was missing completely, and they carefully stepped over the gaping hole. Eyes fixed on a front door that hung slightly open from a busted hinge, Katie felt like someone was watching her, daring her to enter the lair. Shed almost convinced herself to turn around, and go home when Sarah bumped lightly into her from behind.

More concerned with what the other girl would think of her if she chickened out now, Katie swallowed and raised a hand. Resting tented fingers against the rotted wood, she paused for a second to listen intently. Not even the crickets were chirping as she applied slight pressure against the door, and winced as it swung inward with a rusty squeak.

Well that probably woke up all of the mummies, she thought sarcastically.

Sweeping the interior of the living room with her light, she was amazed at the dirt and debris. Broken glass twinkled on the floor as the light caught it, silent testament to hours of rock throwing by vandals. Remnants of broken furniture littered the room, and dust tickled her nose threatening to make her sneeze.

"There's nothing in here that we can use," Sarah whispered, afraid to raise her voice too loud.

Reminded that they needed to retrieve something from the house, Katie replied, "Let's try the kitchen."

The kitchen was set straight back from the living room, and Katie knew they would have a better chance of finding something there. Perhaps there would be an old forgotten spoon left in the bottom of a drawer.

Or maybe a knife, she thought. Yeah, a big knife that I can use to protect us.

Shadows crept as though they were living things. The room Katie was focused on was dark except for threads of moonlight around the windows and the edges of the back door. Ancient yellowed wallpaper was peeling off the walls and hanging in long loops from the ceiling. The room was dusty and smelled of mildew, but it wasn't as littered with rubble as the living room was. Taking comfort in the fact that there was a back door, and they could get out of the house quickly if they needed to, Katie and Sarah swept their lights back and forth to make sure they were alone.

"Check the drawers," Katie instructed taking one side of the cabinet while Sarah took the other.

Katie had squatted, and pulling open the bottom drawer before she found anything other than dust. It looked like a junk drawer and was full of old paper. Tucking the flashlight under her arm, she began rummaging through it hoping to find something. A sudden skittering up her spine caused her to freeze and her eyes to widen in alarm. Shooting a glance at Sarah, she saw her own fear reflected back at her in the girls pasty features.

Up to this point, it had been a game, made all the more enchanting by the imagined fear of ghosts and goblins. All of that went out the window in a flash as eyes darkened with genuine fright cut to the back of the kitchen. Following Sarah's gaze, she spotted what the other girl had already seen.

A narrow band of light showed under the door to the cellar. Her breathing suddenly became noisy, virtually gasping, not in exhaustion but in abject terror as something down in the root cellar crashed, and she realized they were not alone in the house.

Their mission completely forgotten for the sake of self-preservation, they bolted for the back door. Katie was closest to it, and reached it in an instant. A scraping sound drew her attention, and she looked back over her shoulder watching in disbelief as Sarah's feet went out from under her, and she landed on her knees.

Choking off a cry of pain, the smaller girl automatically reached down to grasp the object that had sliced her knee. Then Katie was there grabbing her hand, and helping her to the door.

"Hurry, Katie, hurry," Sarah whispered urgently as she heard footsteps thumping up from behind the closed door.

"I can't," Katie practically wailed. "The knob's gone."

"What?" Shining her light down at the door, Sarah saw that her friend was right. Only the metal shaft from the handle on the outside was visible. Rusted from having been removed so long ago, it seemed to mock them with the possibility of escape so near at hand, yet impossibly out of their reach. Huddling against the door with their arms clutching each other desperately, they turned to face the unknown terror heading their way. Bracing for the inevitable, they were taken by surprise when the door suddenly opened behind them and they fell into a tangled heap on the back porch.

Katie cried out in fear at the shadow looming over her, and then realized it was the blonde girl from the playground, Annika.

"Lets go," the seven-year old said, and lead the older girls quickly away from the house.

Katie noticed she had quickly pushed the door closed, again before running for her bicycle. It was a little, pink thing with a wicker basket and knobby white tires, but it was transportation. All three girls rode as quickly as they could toward the boys that were waiting at the end of the drive.

"Hey, what's she doing here?" Billy asked, pointing to the little girl.

"Saving our bacon," Katie shot back, ignoring his posturing while Sarah informed him that someone was in the house.

All of them headed for town glancing frequently over their shoulders, and feeling like they were being chased by a pack of demons. Only Annika seemed unconcerned, and Katie wondered if she was too young to understand just what was happing.

The boys, unwilling to wait for the smaller girl, informed them that they would meet again at the hardware store, and took off.

"Thank you," Katie said to Annika. "You're too small to be out here on your own, but you really came through. I owe you one."

"You owe me nothing," the little blonde said in her sweetly accented voice. "We are even, now."

Grinning, Katie said, "Well, I guess we still lost the bet. We didn't get anything to prove we were inside."

"Yes we did," Sarah disagreed.

Looking at her friend, Katie was delighted to see something dangling from a chain.

"It's what I slipped on in the kitchen."

Wincing with guilt as she saw the bloodstained, torn jeans Katie asked, "Is it bad?"

"Nah, it's just a scratch. Don't worry about it."

Finally arriving in town the meeting with the boys took only a few minutes. Sarah proudly showed them what she had found, and then Katie threatened to beat Billy up again when he tried to take the chain from the smaller girl.

Breaking up, the kids all headed home. Katie told Sarah she was going to make sure Annika got home all right, but as she turned to leave Sarah stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"This is for you, Nancy," she said pressing the object into Katie's hand. Seeing that it was the chain Sarah had found, Katie quickly hugged her friend before climbing onto the bike and riding away.

Leaving Annika at home, she rode away in amazement. The window was so high that she'd had to boost the little girl up enough to grasp the sill, and she felt a measure of respect for someone so small with so much determination and courage.

Dropping her bike on the ground, Katie wearily climbed the tree and entered her room. Everything looked exactly as it had when she had left. Confident that her parents were none the wiser, Katie changed into her pajamas, climbed between the sheets, and promised herself that she would never step foot inside Norwood Manor again.

Doctor Annika Hansen was working diligently at the Federal Building in Austin, Texas as the FBI's leading pathologist. It had taken her three years to work her way back to this area after graduating the Academy at Quantico. At twenty-nine she was the youngest Chief of Pathology in FBI history, due mostly to her stunning intelligence, and dogged determination to find the answers. Some of her less charitable colleagues insisted her looks didn't hurt things either. At 29, her body was long, and almost painfully lean with feminine curves that would make any self-respecting goddess weep with envy. Her hair was spun gold, and always held back in a severe bun while at work, and her eyes were an almost surreal shade of blue. Often she was accused of wearing colored contacts, and although she did wear lenses, they were clear.

Bending over to peer into the powerful microscope she was thankful that she no longer had to wear the heavy glasses she had as a child.

"Hey, Doc. How's it going?"

Annika looked up without really focusing on the beefy figure of Agent Richard Waters for a moment, giving the older man the impression that she wasn't really there.

"Earth to Doctor Hansen," he quipped teasingly, waving his hand in front of her face. As much as he genuinely liked the woman, he thought she was a little strange at times. When she suddenly blinked and focused on him, he could see the friendly twinkle in her eyes even though she didn't really smile. Rick knew he was one of the few agents the doctor related to well, and thought it was because she didn't have to worry about him staring at her like a piece of eye candy.

Oh she's good looking enough, he thought, but no one's like my Nora.

"Hi, Rick," Annika answered belatedly. "I'm just finishing up my examination on the bones found in Mr. Beakley's backyard."

Mr. Beakley, a resident of Austin, had found a small pile of bones along with a tiny skull buried in his backyard while he'd been in the process of digging a hole for a swimming pool. Paranoidly convinced that he'd unearthed the remains of a child, he'd pushed the local authorities until they had turned the bones over to the FBI. Normally, Annika knew you'd have to torture the local authorities before they turned to the feds for anything, but these were not normal circumstances. Seven children between the ages of two months and six years had disappeared from the greater Austin area almost twenty-five years ago. The incidents had occurred over a one-month period of time, but there had been no leads, no evidence, and no suspects. In spite of a massive search, and near panic of the surrounding communities, no bodies had ever been recovered.

Now, every time anyone discovered Fido buried in their yard, the findings were immediately turned over to the FBI.

"Another mutt?" Rick snorted already anticipating her response.

Turning away to remove her latex gloves and dropping them in the wastebasket, Annika decided to string him along a little. Heaving a weary sigh, she replied in a sad voice, "I'm afraid not this time."

Strolling over to the exam area, she snapped on a fresh pair of gloves and hefted the tiny skull. "See this?" she asked rhetorically. "It's consistent with the size of a newborn."

She waited as Waters choked on his jelly donut, fighting the smile that wanted to bust loose at her practical joke.

"No shit?" he asked incredulously, food dribbling out of one corner of his mouth, and staring at her wide-eyed.

"Or a cat," she finished with a grin.

All of the breath left his body in a rush, and the man seemed to fold in on himself. For a moment she wasn't sure if she was seeing relief or disappointment.

"You really had me there for a minute, Hansen," he said with a chuckle. "A freakin' cat!"

With a smile that barely touched the corners of her lips she agreed, leaning back against a metal table and crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes. And now that I'm finished with that astonishing bit of scientific investigation, I think I'll go home."

"Well, make sure you take your umbrella," Waters advised turning on his heel and striding for the door. "I hear they're getting ready to build an ark."

Startled at his abrupt withdrawal, she uncrossed her arms and stood. "What's the sudden hurry, Waters?" she asked afraid that shed offended him with her little joke.

Turning back and splaying his arms with coffee in one hand, and donut in the other he said, "I don't like the lights in here. They're too bright, too hot, and they make me sweat."

Relieved she actually chuckled and waved him out. "Fine, Count Dracula. I'll see you later."

After Rick left, Annika spent a few minutes cleaning up. Storing the feline remains in one of the morgue drawers, she tagged them to be removed to the incinerator by one of the technicians. Then she washed her hands, and hung up her white lab coat before taking a last look around. Taking in the sterile atmosphere, stainless steel tables, and bright lights she thought again of her friends assessment of her work environment. Admittedly the lab was a little stark, but it was one place where Annika felt perfectly at home. Answers here were black and white, no ambiguity, no doubts…no ulterior motives.

Sudden showers in Texas were nothing new especially at the end of the early fall. Not having brought an umbrella to work, Annika was walking down E. 6^th Street holding her collar closed to prevent the rain from trickling down her neck. Her car was parked in the underground garage of the Federal Building, but the new coffee shop, Java Chalet, was just catty corner. Feeling tired, and cold, Annika decided to stop by for a little pick me up. It was something she rarely did after work, and usually only as a treat for herself.

Lost in distant memories inspired by her discussion with Agent Waters, her thoughts centered around the macabre stories concerning those children missing from so long ago. Many different theories abounded, but what she remembered most, as a child, was that old Norwood Manor was somehow involved. The place had been scary to a small seven-year old then, and today it was still creepy. Of course she knew now that it had been a child's imagination that had connected the old house with the disappearances, nothing more.

What was ironic was that after being gone for years, she had moved back and purchased her own home less than a mile from the dilapidated old place. Shed heard that about ten years ago someone had purchased it, and tried to restore it. The project hadn't lasted long, and the entire family had packed up and moved away during the night. They hadn't said why, or left a trace of any belongings, they were just gone.

Entering the modern coffee shop, Annika saw that she wasn't the only one with the idea of grabbing a quick cup after a tiring day. Standing fifth in line, she suddenly heard a husky laugh that caused her to focus on the woman at the front of the line.

It can't be, Annika thought with a frown. But it sounds just like her.

Convinced that she was imaging things, the young woman settled back down to wait for the line to move. But the husky laugh had triggered another memory of a short, auburn-haired girl from her youth. She had watched Katie Janeway from afar ever since that fateful day in grammar school when the older girl had come to her rescue. Later that week, she had slipped out of her home and watched the other children from the woods while Katie and Sarah kept the promise they had been forced into for her sake. When Annika had opened the back door allowing the girls to escape who knows what, she had declared them to be even. Grinning now, she realized that hadn't come close to being the truth. She'd worshipped Katie after that, following her around school whenever she saw her, and mimicking her actions when the other girl wasn't looking. And with such a drastic age difference between them, Katie never did look. Annika had wanted her to but Katie never seemed to have eyes for anyone but Sarah.

Annika had listened to Katie through the passing years, listened to that voice growing more and more sultry until it took her breath away and causing her skin to flush in reaction. Then Katie had graduated, and the younger girl's fantasies had gradually faded over time.

Suddenly the woman at the front of the line retrieved her coffee and turned. Their eyes met. At first Annika was convinced that she was still seeing images from the past, but the mirrored look of shocked recognition on the older woman's face was unmistakable.

With a delighted look on her face, the other woman walked directly to her. "Annika? Annika Hansen?"

It should have been Annika that spoke first, but she was too caught up in the awkwardness of her past attraction. Left to her own devices, she would undoubtedly have said nothing if the other woman hadn't spoken first.

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Is that really you … Katie Janeway?"

Unconsciously resting a petite hand on the tall blonde's arm, she answered, "Please call me Kate, I never did like Katie after I graduated from high school. So, how have you been?"

Kate stayed with Annika through the line, and until the younger woman had retrieved her own cup as if she had all the time in the world. It was just a quick, five minute conversation one would normally have with someone they hadn't seen in years, and really hadn't known each other very well then, but it left an impression on both women.

Later as Annika drove home she was still thinking about Kate. Ironic how she had just been thinking about her, and then there she was. It was almost like it was fated that they would meet again. Perhaps next time, she could persuade the other woman to talk longer, like say maybe over dinner? Chastising herself for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush, Annika thought Kate probably didn't like girls.

Next time she would definitely have to check for a ring.

Driving down 290 West in her fully restored 1967 red Ford Mustang, the young woman listened to the thumping of the windshield wipers, and suddenly frowned at the heavy thunderclouds looming overhead. Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed ominously as the rain came at a driving slant out of the north. Although she didn't like driving in this kind of weather, Annika had to admit that it felt good to be home. After graduating college at Austin, she couldn't wait to leave this little one-horse town to attend medical school at Baylor, and then the Academy in Quantico. Her father had wanted her to follow in his footsteps and enlist in the Air Force, but she knew that wasn't what she wanted. Law enforcement appealed to her on a much more humanitarian level and pathology in particular. It was the scientific discovery of solving a mystery, and helping to see justice done that she enjoyed.

After years of gruesome death, and serial killers from living in the larger cities, Annika longed for the comfort of home. When the posting had come available in Austin, she had jumped at the chance. What had surprised and delighted her, was that her skills had been taken notice of and she had been promoted to the position of Chief of Pathology over agents with much more seniority.

"Yes, but why couldn't I have bought a house in a better location?" she mused to herself aloud as she passed Norwood on her way home.

She suppressed a shudder as she drove by it, feeling that something wasn't quite right with the place. Pushing aside old childhood fears as irrational, she still acknowledged that the place gave her a serious case of the creeps. Finally, she turned onto the county road that led up to her home and gratefully pulled into the drive a few minutes later. Coming to a stop, and killing the motor she frowned at the heavy downpour.

I just hope it blows over tonight, Annika thought as she jumped out of the car, and made a dash for the front door. She didn't bother to lock the car while parked in her own drive. Nor did she lock her house during the day. This was still a small community, and such precautions weren't necessary. She was thankful for that small blessing as she hurried onto the porch, and opened her front door without the necessity of fumbling for keys.

The house was typical of the south with high ceilings, large airy rooms, and hardwood floors. The living room exited in two different directions into the house. To the left was a formal dining room complete with French doors and antique cabinets, while to the right sat the guestroom. Each of these rooms in turn exited into the hallway. Two more large bedrooms sat to the left, and the bathroom was situated at the end of the hall. The kitchen could be accessed either through the dining room, or the hallway. All in all, Annika knew it was too much house for one person but she absolutely loved the roominess. With the house situated on three acres and completely fenced, she felt like she had her own isolated slice of heaven.

Flipping on a lamp, Annika quickly stripped out of her clothes, and gratefully hopped into a hot shower. Eventually feeling warm, and relaxed, the young woman made and consumed her solitary meal. She ate it while listening to the evening news, before she finally decided to call it a day. Stretching, she readied for bed, deciding to read the latest Jean Stewart novel. Losing track of the time as she lost herself in the world of science fiction, Annika was surprised when she looked up to find that it was nearing midnight. Reluctantly, she had to acknowledge that she would have to finish with the warriors later, and reached over to turn off the light.

The next morning was just as uneventful as she dressed, and drove into Austin. Annika grabbed a cup of coffee from the downstairs cafe before heading for the elevator. Her lab coat was exactly where she had left it the night before, and she slipped it on before entering her office. Dropping her purse onto the desk with a heavy thunk, she resigned herself to finishing the paperwork that was waiting for her.

It wasn't ten minutes later that Rick Waters was bursting through the door. From the frown that he wore on his haggard face he was far from happy. His dark blue suit was rumpled as though he'd been at it for hours.

"What's wrong?" Annika asked worriedly.

Running a large hand tiredly over his face, Waters answered, "I just thought you might want to know that two kids were snatched from the Albertson's on Main Street at about ten o'clock last night."

"What? What happened?"

"Same old story," he said with a shrug. "The mother turned around and they were gone. Twin girls about six years old,"

"Have there been any ransom demands?"

"No, nothing. There's more," he said when she turned back to her desk with a frown. "There were no witnesses, no evidence, and even the security cameras didn't get anything. The parents are happily married, so no threat of a custody battle gone sour, and there are no enemies to speak of."

"In short," Annika interjected angrily, "we have absolutely nothing."

Thinking of the quiet evening she had spent at home, the young doctor asked in irritation, "Why didn't someone call me? Why am I only just now finding out about this?"

"Because there was no body," he answered logically. Geez, you would think the lady doc would be happy not to be hauled out of bed in the middle of the night. Chances were it was just another sicko getting his jollies, and Doc Hansen would get her chance.

It wasn't that Waters was callous in any way, he was just realistic. And after so many years in this business, you had to develop a tough outer shell or you could lose yourself completely to despair. Just then his beeper went off, and he reached for it with a distracted air.

"Well, I've got to run," he said after checking the readout. "I have a meeting with A. D. Pinar, but I'll let you know if I hear anything else."

Frowning Annika had no choice but to concentrate on her own work. With any luck, the children would be found quickly and the perpetrators brought to justice.

___________

The sound of water dripped from somewhere nearby, but the little girl couldn't tell where it was. Her sister, Emily, had been with her at first with the bad man but she couldn't remember when Emily had left. She could hardly see in the darkened room, but the stonewalls and floor were very cold. The bad man had put her on a thick pad, and chained her wrists against the wall. They were tight against her wrists, chafing when she pulled too hard, but at least the chains were long and she could move around. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, and she wondered where her mommy was. It wasn't like her mommy not to feed her, and she couldn't imagine what she had done to be put in such a dark place. But the bad man had told her that mommy had wanted her to go with him.

Finally, the scary man came into the dank room and gave her a paper plate with a sandwich and some potato chips. Then he sat down a Styrofoam cup with grape juice. He refused to answer any of her questions, just told her to eat before leaving her alone again.

Outside the tiny cell where Megan Harris sat was a long narrow corridor. Rooms with heavy wooden doors lined both sides, and the hallway ran for about fifty feet before taking a sharp right turn. Rank water from a contaminated underground spring seeped through the earthen walls, threatening to short out the single yellow bulb that hung nakedly overhead.

So far there were three, but he needed to go looking for the others. Time was running out, and he began to sweat as he walked down the dirt corridor to emerge sometime later in thick woods. His colleagues were becoming impatient, and he knew what would happen if he failed them. The children in the catacombs had been bound, but not gagged. He knew that the drugged food would keep them from crying out, and it wouldn't do to harm them yet. They were too important. But he needed four more. So far he had left no clues, but was afraid that the time for stealth was past.

_________________________

The following weekend came and went with still no signs of the missing children. The FBI had joined with local authorities but to no avail. With nothing new, life carried on as usual, but Annika couldn't help but worry about the three missing youngsters, knowing that their families had to be going crazy with concern.

She had found out during a mission briefing that she had no business attending, that another child, a five year old boy, had been kidnapped from a roadside rest area. His parents were moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to begin a new job and had stopped for a moment during the long drive. When Alan junior hadn't returned from the restroom his father had gone looking for him. He was gone, and no one had seen anything. Even a week later there was still no ransom demand and nothing more to go on.

Wednesday evening, Annika was feeling antsy and decided to go into Dripping Springs to run some errands. She parked on the square, and got out to walk down to the Smiths Grocery. As she passed the pharmacy she noticed a little boy standing outside holding an ice cream cone. He was the epitome of a little cowboy, dressed in a short-sleeved flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. Ice cream was smeared liberally around his mouth as he looked up at Annika and grinned. Smiling, she ruffled Lucas Henderson's blonde hair as she walked by.

Annika had gone to school with his mother, Janie. She was now the pharmacist, and a terrific mother, rarely losing patience and raising her boy to be well mannered and sociable. Seeing him reminded her of the missing children, and she could only imagine how Janie and her husband would feel if it had been him.

Looking up the street, Annika saw that a police car had someone pulled over. It looked like Billy Amos had pegged a speeder. He had become the sheriff after his father retired, and it just proved you could never tell about people. Billy had started out as an overweight bully in a schoolyard. Today, he was a muscled, well-respected law enforcement officer that was polite, but quiet.

Shaking her head, Annika entered the grocery store and pulled out a shopping cart. She moved slowly through the produce aisle squeezing melons, and smelling fresh lemons. She was a little distracted when she pushed her cart around a corner, and ran smack into someone else's buggy coming from the other direction.

"I'm sorry," she apologized before glancing quickly up, and finding herself mesmerized in a pair of twinkling blue-gray eyes.

"Nice bumping into you, again," Kate laughed.

"Hi," Annika greeted her, genuinely pleased at seeing the other woman again. Searching for something to say that could prolong the conversation, she said inanely, "I'm surprised to see you out shopping on a weekday. I mean what with your working in Austin."

For a moment, Janeway simply quirked a brow at the younger woman in amusement. Then she caught on that Annika was attempting to make small talk. Somehow it seemed forced, as though it was not something she engaged in on a normal basis. But Kate had to admit that she enjoyed talking with her, and was willing to go along.

"I could say the same for you," she returned gently, waving a hand to indicate Annika's cart.

"Oh, that," she returned, blushing slightly. "I guess I was just feeling the need to get out of the house. It seems like all I do is work or stay home."

Nodding her head in understanding Kate said, "I can certainly understand that. I don't have much of a social life either. Most of the time I'm lecturing students, or examining potential employees for large corporations."

"Examining?" Annika asked, not following. "What kind of examinations?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kate laughed. "I'm the director of the Psychology Department at the University of Austin, and I'm on the psychiatric board for a few of the larger corporations. When they decide to employee new CEOs, or Vice Presidents, I'm the one who gets to screen them. But most of my time is spent in lecture halls."

Annika could definitely see how Kate wouldn't have time for much of anything. "Wow, with a schedule like that, I guess you wouldn't have much in the way of down time."

"No," Kate said, "but its not so bad. I can't complain about being bored."

An idea flitted in the back of Annika's mind, and before she had time to question herself, she blurted out. "Well, it sounds like you could do with a break. How about dinner? My treat?"

Kate hesitated, clearly surprised at the unexpected invitation. A myriad of emotions crossed her face, and Annika was unable to tell what she was thinking. Just when things were becoming awkward, and she decided that she had been ridulously impulsive the other woman reached a decision.

"Alright."

"Great!" Annika said with a relieved grin. "How about my house on Saturday; 6 o'clock?"

"You're cooking?" she asked impressed.

Blushing again at her own presumptuousness, she said, "Unless you'd rather go out."

Briefly, Kate worried what she was getting into, then chastised herself for being overly suspicious. She had known Annika for most of her life, admittedly not well, but this woman was no threat to her. And what could it hurt to have dinner with her?

Unwilling to back down now, she asked, "Where do you live?" Silently conceding the other woman's preference.

"Just take 290 East going toward Austin. As soon as you reach Norwood Manor there will be a sign marking county road 3881. Turn right on that gravel road, and follow it to the end. My house is the only one down that road."

"You live out by Norwood Manor?" Kate asked in surprise. "Don't you find that disturbing?"

"Its just an old house," Annika laughed.

Digging in her purse for a pen, she missed the widened look of shock as Kate's eyes naturally followed the movement of her hands, and saw the handle of the .40 caliber Glock. She looked up quickly as Annika removed a pen and piece of paper to quickly jot down her phone number. Kate had just reciprocated, writing down her own number and passing the pen back to the other woman when the shrill beeping of a pager suddenly interrupted.

Both women glanced down quickly, reach for their waists, but it was Annika who had received the page. Kate watched the other woman's soft blue eyes widen, and her skin tone impossibly went a shade paler.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Annika stammered snatching her purse and leaving the basket where it sat. Backing quickly away she asked, "Is there anything you don't like?"

Obviously whatever was happening, the blonde didn't see it interfering with their dinner plans, Kate thought. "I'm sure whatever you make will be fine," she assured the young woman, watching bemused as Annika scurried away, leaving her few groceries sitting forlornly in the bottom of the grocery cart.

Going about her own shopping, Kate wondered what kind of emergency had come up, and if it involved that huge gun. Then, deciding to ask about it at dinner, she realized that Annika still had the greatest accent.

_____________________________

Annika spent hours in the morgue performing the autopsy. There had been another kidnapping, but this time the perpetrator had made a mistake. Someone had seen him, and paid for that with their life.

"He must have caught the perp in the act of snatching the kid," Rick observed as he smeared Vaseline under his nostrils. The petroleum-based product would hopefully prevent him from throwing up at the smell of an autopsy. Carrying on a running monologue, he quickly filled the young doctor in on the details as she deftly made a y incision. Referring to his note pad with the free hand he said, "His name was Harry Dalton, his kid's name is Graham."

Annika didn't miss his preference of adjectives in naming the two victims, and she was pleased at his optimism for the boy.

"They were at a Little League game. Others that were present remember seeing Harry sitting in the bleachers, but no one remembers seeing him leave. When the game was over and he didn't pick up his other son or call home, his wife became concerned. She called the police department, and they immediately went to the ball field. Harry's car was still there, and after a quick search of he area they found his body. There was no sign of Graham."

Her practiced motions, and busy air belied the fact that the young doctor was listening intently, and she hadn't missed the fact that Waters had used the victims first name. Looking up quickly, she was surprised to see a look of anger on the mans normally impassive features.

"You knew him," she observed and watched his face turn crimson from what she had assumed was outrage over the other mans demise.

Nodding once briskly he answered. "Yeah, I knew him, but not very well. He was a member of the same country club, and we played golf together a couple of times."

From the tightness of the mans voice she understood that their friendship was something he didn't want to discuss, and given the circumstances she could understand. Right now the man needed to concentrate on doing his job. He couldn't do that if he allowed his personal feelings to become involved.

"Any signs of the boy?" she asked standing up fully to face him.

"None," Rick answered simply.

Heaving a frustrated sigh Waters swiped his face with his hand. "You'd think someone would have seen something! The man was practically decapitated!"

"I'm sorry, Rick," Annika said sincerely. "But hopefully this will be the break we need, and well find some evidence. All I can tell you now is that whoever did this was very strong. From what I can see, the wound was inflicted with one blow."

Judging from her initial examination of the victim, the mortal wound had been made quickly and cleanly. A single-edged blade had inflicted the wound. Undoubtedly, the suspect had used some type of sword or long dagger that had been extremely sharp. Although her words had been spoken in an effort to comfort her friend she had no real hopes. Whoever the kidnapper turned killer was, he obviously knew better than to leave tangible evidence. Annika knew there would be no hair or fibers. She would do toxicology tests as well, but knew they would yield nothing. Harry Dalton hadn't been drugged; the suspect had just been too fast.

"I hope you're right," Waters said. "At least we haven't found the bodies of any of the missing children so there's hope that they're still alive, but we have another problem. There's less time between the kidnappings. I found out when I came on duty this morning that another little boy, Joe Miller, was taken from a hospital waiting room last night. His brother had broken his arm, and while the parents were seeing to him Joe just disappeared."

The young doctor could understand how that could happen. Hospital emergency rooms were notorious for chaos. It would be simple to grab an unattended child without drawing anyone's attention. Frowning, Annika asked, "Do you think he's counting down to something?" Something was nagging at the back of her mind; she just couldn't put her finger on what it was right now.

"I think its a possibility. I just don't know what's it is that he is counting down to," Rick answered with a shrug.

Turning away to leave the young pathologist to her gruesome task he said, "Well, it's late, and Nora's going to be worried. I should get home."

Not waiting for a response, he left her to her thoughts. Grateful for the quiet time to reflect as she continued her work, Annika had to admit that she was glad she didn't know any of the victims personally. She couldn't imagine how she would continue to function in that event. Unaccountably, the image of Kate Janeway popped into her mind and she was surprised at the amount of pain she experienced at the thought of anything happening to the older woman.

The rest of the week passed agonizingly slowly. All of the lab tests had come back negative just as she thought they would, but thankfully there had been no other kidnappings. The families of the missing children were frantic as the authorities did everything they could and still came up empty handed. Annika had gone over all of the evidence, or lack of, over and over again but to no avail. Friday afternoon finally came and the young woman threw her hands up in defeat. Without any thing else to go on there was simply nothing more she could do.

Trying to focus on something more positive as she drove toward her home, Annika suddenly remembered the date she had with Kate for the following day. What date, she thought laughing at herself? I wish it were a date. Losing herself in familiar fantasies of herself and Kate the young woman drove the rest of the way home on autopilot.

There was no moon that night, and Annika reflexively switched on the high beams as she neared the turn off onto her county road. Norwood Manor loomed threateningly in the shadows. For a moment, she thought she saw a light in one of the broken windows, but then it was gone. Shaking her head at her fanciful imagination she finished the drive home, and prepared for a night of quiet solitude.

_____________________________

Joseph Andrew Miller was more resourceful than adults gave him credit for. He'd always been a thinker, quick in his thoughts, and decisive in his actions. It was a characteristic that most people thought unusual for a six year old but it was just something that was normal for him. When the big man at the hospital said he was going to take Joe to see his little brother, he'd believed him. But when he'd been led into an empty exam room he'd known immediately that something was wrong. Then, before he could cry out for help, he'd been grabbed from behind and something placed over his nose and mouth. He didn't remember anything after that until he'd woken up in the damp, cold room that smelled of mold and decay.

Something primal told him he wouldn't have much time before the big man came back and that if he was going to get away it would have to be now. He didn't want to get in trouble with mommy and daddy for leaving the hospital without permission. But the man who had brought him here had chained him to the wall by his wrists. Heart pounding frantically in his little chest, Joe examined the manacles as well as he could in the dim lighting.

They were heavily rusted, flaking in places, and although they were snapped firmly closed they weren't tight around his wrists. He'd been left with room to move without injuring himself, but Joe thought that if he were very lucky he could slip out of the restraints. Concentrating, he grasped the cuff with one hand and wriggled his other hand back and forth. Gradually he eased his hand back against the unyielding metal. Scraping off skin, his wrist soon became slick with his own blood aiding him in his attempts. His little hand came loose suddenly, and he whimpered a little at the sting of torn flesh.

Joe was able to free himself more quickly from the second manacle, and hurried quickly to the heavy wooden door. Hauling back with all his weight, he forced the resisting door open. It was heavy but not locked. Obviously the man had not thought anyone could escape the wrist restraints. Joe stepped out into the darkened hallway that was lit with only a single yellow bulb. Shadows danced on the walls confusing him and making him wonder which way to go. A furtive sound from the left answered the question for him. The noise seemed to be coming from a long way away, but Joe wasn't sure. Almost panicking in fear that he would be caught he ran to the right. There were doors lining both sides of the corridor, but he thought they might lead back into other cells.

Joe wasn't sure how far he ran, it didn't seem like it took very long but suddenly the tunnel ended. Running pell-mell through the darkness, he was surprised and more than a little stunned when he ran smack into another door. Bouncing back hard he landed in the dirt on his back with the taste of blood in his mouth. The sounds behind him suddenly stopped, and Joe knew the big man had heard him. Then he heard running steps behind him and lunged to his feet with adrenaline singing through his veins. Grabbing the door handle, Joe pulled back with al his strength.

The door moved only slightly before it stuck in the jam, swollen from constant exposure to the damp of the underground structure. Sobbing, Joe continued yanking back on the door, and was surprised when it suddenly gave way almost knocking him to the ground again. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder he could see a darker shadow closing in on him. Moving as quickly as he could Joe darted through the door to find himself in a root cellar. Not stopping to question his surroundings, he began looking for a place to hide. But the cellar was empty and there was nowhere to hide. Then he saw the stairs, and dared hope that someone was at home that could help him.

Running quickly up the stairs, it never occurred to him that the door at the top might be locked. It wasn't but if he'd hoped anyone would be home to assist him, he now knew that was out of the question. The house he suddenly found himself in was obviously abandoned with peeling wallpaper, and cobwebs everywhere. Stumbling over some scattered rubble in the darkness, Joe could only hope to find somewhere to hide. He heard the sound of the cellar door reopening, and ran through the kitchen into the living room. The little blonde boy crouched down when the dancing light of a flashlight illuminated some of his surroundings. It became apparent in the gloom that there was nowhere to hide in this room. The front door hung open, resting heavily on busted hinges and tantalizing him with the vision of night and freedom only a few running steps away.

"Stop right there, boy," came a drawling voice right behind him.

Joe ignored the command and ran for the door. He was within a foot of the exit when a heavy hand caught him by the scruff of the neck. Kicking and screaming, he was easily carried back to his cell not noticing that he'd lost a sneaker in the struggle. But this time the manacles were attached tightly on his wrists, and a needle was plunged without apology into his little arm. Vision swimming, Joe wondered how angry his mom was going to be when she found out he wasn't still sitting in the waiting room.

Then he ceased caring about anything as the world faded to black.

____________________________

Saturday morning dawned clear and warm. Birds singing outside Annika's window awakened her and she stretched luxuriously with a contented smile. Then her smile grew wider as she remembered that she was having dinner with Kate that night. Happily the young woman jumped out of bed, and began her day with a brisk shower after which she decided to put on some cd's and clean the house from top to bottom.

A few hours later she was vacuuming, and shaking her rear end to Melissa's Crazy for Me. She couldn't remember being this happy for a long time. The house was spotless, the veal was browning in the dutch oven, and she was having dinner with a gorgeous woman that shed had a crush on since she was a child. The only damper on everything was the missing children. Unfortunately, as a forensic pathologist she had no business in the field, and wasn't privy to any inside information. Considering that she had no other alternative, Annika simply had to put it in the back of her mind and try to concentrate on her plans for the evening.

Annika rarely had a chance to cook for anyone other than herself, and now that she had the opportunity she was going out of her way. Preparing German black bread from scratch, she was up to her elbows in bread dough, coffee powder, and unsweetened chocolate before she acknowledged that she would have to allow time for another shower. Grinning happily she knew it would be worth the extra effort.

Finally, the time neared for Kate to arrive and Annika suddenly had ten thousand butterflies in her stomach.

Dinner was in the oven staying warm, and the young woman had showered and changed. The fact that she had changed clothes four times was something that she had to laugh at since it illustrated her nervousness so well. Eventually she settled on casual. Wearing tight blue jeans, and a simple white cotton, short-sleeved shirt that she had starched until it could practically stand up in the corner by itself; she lightly spritzed herself with perfume before pronouncing herself ready. There really was no reason to get fancy since it was only dinner with a friend. Regardless of Annika's own feelings, she was realistic enough to believe that the other woman wouldn't return her interest.

She had just opened the wine to breathe and put on some soft music when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway alerted her that her guest had arrived. Padding in stocking feet, Annika walked to the front of the house and opened the door as Kate walked up the steps.

"Something smells wonderful," the redhead said enthusiastically as Annika held the door open for her to enter.

Smiling at the compliment, the younger woman asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Kate laughed.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like some wine?"

"That would be great," Kate answered as she followed the younger woman into the kitchen.

Her eyes were immediately drawn up to the beamed cathedral ceilings as she was led through the formal dining room. "Is this cedar?" she guessed. Annika nodded, caught up in her enthusiasm.

"The ceilings are so high in here it makes one want to fly."

Without realizing it Annika moved closer, drawn by the playfulness in those magnetic sea-blue eyes. They stood silently gazing at each other for a heartbeat before Kate cleared her throat and nervously fiddled with the bow at the neck of her blouse. Just as she dropped her hand, Annika impulsively reached out and trapped one of the ribbons between two fingers and straightened it. Kate jumped as though burned.

"It was crooked," Annika explained with a blush before turning away to pour the wine.

Kate gratefully accepted the glass and took a quick sip before resuming her tour of the house. Wandering back into the dining room she searched for something to distract her from the pounding of her heart. She stopped and admired an arrangement of pen and ink landscape drawings next to an antique glass-faced hutch. "These are nice. Did you do them?" she asked curiously, turning to look at the flustered young woman.

"Yes," Annika admitted. "Though I was very young when I created them. I haven't drawn in quite some time."

"Pity," Kate said, and from the darkening of her eyes Annika truly thought she meant it. Then the older woman was wandering again. This time into the living room, and over to the bookcases which flanked each side of the fireplace. Her back was to Annika now as she studied some books, casually slipping a hand over the spines and reading the titles. It was an opportunity for her to admire the back of her finely shaped head, her hair cropped just at the nape of her neck. Suddenly she looked back at her blonde companion and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"You have quite extensive tastes," she observed. "There's everything here from Stephen Daedalus to Stephen King. You like to read a lot?"

"Every chance I get," Annika admitted. "Unfortunately, that never seems to be often enough."

"You work too much?" Kate guessed.

Shaking her head, the young woman considered the question before answering. "Not really. At least I don't think so. I love my work."

Surprised at the enthusiasm the young woman showed for her work Kate just had to ask, "What is it you do?"

"I'm a forensic pathologist for the FBI in Austin."

"Wow," Kate whistled in appreciation. "Aren't you kind of young? I mean, what with college and medical school, not to mention residency, doesn't it take at least fifteen years of schooling for such an occupation?"

Dipping her head in embarrassment, Annika acknowledged, "Usually," and said nothing more.

Sensing her discomfort, Kate was willing to drop the subject for the moment. At least that explained the gun she'd seen in the woman's bag. Thankfully, Kate's stomach chose that moment to make itself known, easing the tension immediately.

Laughing Annika said, "Perhaps I should feed you before that animal breaks out of its cage and devours us both."

The comment was intended innocently enough, but Kate found it disturbingly sexual. Stop it, she warned herself in her head. This is not somewhere you want to go.

"Right," Kate said, expelling her breath forcefully as she fought the urge to blush. "Food,"

Leading the way back into the dining room Annika asked her guest to be seated while she served dinner. Kate felt a little silly with the younger woman waiting on her, but since shed asked so nicely how could she refuse?

A moment later she was biting into the most wonderfully seasoned veal that she had ever tasted. Tender asparagus shoots and black bread completed the meal. The bread practically melted on her tongue, and was obviously not store bought.

"Oh, this is heavenly," Kate moaned.

The sound caused tingles to shoot straight to the ends of Annika's fingertips, and her eyes widened with the force of her sudden arousal. Down girl, she chided herself. She's talking about food!

"Thank you," she finally managed. "Its a family recipe called bayerische mit spargel. Translated it literally means Bavarian veal with asparagus. But in the traditional dish the asparagus is supposed to be mixed into the veal, onion and carrots before being served."

Kate thought that Annika's accent was exquisite as she pronounced the name of the dish, but knew she could never hope to pronounce it. "So why didn't you mix it in?" she asked curiously even as she continued shoveling food into her mouth.

Annika grinned before saying, "I have noticed that most Americans do not appreciate having their foods mixed together."

"That's true," Kate acknowledged, then had to ask, "I know that you're German by heritage, but you've lived here most of your life. How did you learn to cook like this?"

"As you know, my father was an American serviceman. He met my mother in Germany, and brought her back to the states with him after they were married. She was always a traditionalist, and insisted that I learn the German language, and as much about being a good German as possible. I've always enjoyed cooking, it helps relieve stress."

The comment reminded Kate about the other woman's hasty retreat from the supermarket the previous week. Combined with what she had just learned of her occupation, she began to get a glimpse of just how much she would need a stress reliever.

"Speaking of stress," Annika began, seeking to redirect the conversation to her companion, "with the schedule you keep I'm surprised you still live in Dripping Springs. Wouldn't it be more convenient to live in the city?"

A look of pain crossed Kate's face, making the blonde wish she hadn't asked the question, but she was not surprised that Kate answered her knowing she was not the type to run from anything.

"Actually, I did live in Austin for several years. I moved back about two years ago after my parents died."

"I'm so sorry," Annika replied, but something told her that Kate was leaving something out.

"But lets get back to you," Kate finally said. "Your comment about stress relief reminded me how you ran out of the supermarket last week. Does that happen a lot in your line of work?"

Now it was Annika's turn to be uncomfortable. It wasn't that she felt compelled to withhold information from Kate. She knew she could trust her, but the problem was that there just wasn't that much to trust her with.

"Not really," she said after swallowing her mouthful. Pulling the wine from the bucket next to her, she refilled their glasses before continuing. "There is a case we are working on that is very disturbing. Not only because of the victims involved, but because of the sheer lack of evidence."

"I'm sorry'" Kate said, resting her fingers on the stem of the wine glass. "I didn't mean to pry."

Hurrying to reassure Kate that she was not offended, Annika impulsively grasped the other woman's hand where it rested on the table, and felt like she'd been hit by a live wire. Reluctantly she let go of Kate and said, "It's not that."

For the next several moments she filled Kate in on what was happening with the missing children, and the lack of clues as to their whereabouts. Her frustration and worry for the victims was evident, showing the older woman what a caring and compassionate young woman she was. Watching the expressions cross her face and listening to her impassioned words, Kate felt more of her heart melting for her.

Something in Annika's story triggered a memory of their childhood, and when Annika finished her story she was asked, "Do you remember when we were kids and went out to Norwood Manor?"

Annika nodded, not sure where her companion was going with this question.

"Well, this is silly," Kate began, "but weren't there stories then about children disappearing?"

"Yes, that was actually a well-documented case. To my knowledge it was never solved."

"That's terrible, all those children," Kate whispered, horrified that anyone could do such a thing. Seeking a lighter topic of conversation, she felt compelled to ask about that long ago day that had left her with so many questions.

More than willing to let go of the frustrating case for the time being, Annika allowed herself to be drawn into memories of the past when Kate said, "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up when you did. But I always wondered how you managed to get out of your house."

"I opened the window to my room, and jumped out," she said with a grin.

"But you were so tiny!" Kate observed, remembering how she'd had to help the small girl climb back inside. "I can't believe your parents didn't notice. You had to have been, what…seven?"

"Ah," Annika responded sagely, "but what you don't understand is that my dad stayed on the base in San Antonio during the week, and was only home on the weekends. So after they put me to bed on Friday evenings they were concentrated solely on each other."

Following easily where the young woman's answer suggested, Kate chuckled appreciatively as she leaned back in her chair to sip her wine. They spent the remainder of their meal reminiscing about their childhood until both were finally replete.

The conversation had trailed off a little until both were finished and sipping quietly. Finally having the opportunity to ask something she'd been wondering since running into Kate again, Annika inquired, "So, you never had children of your own?"

"Me?" Kate asked in astonishment. "No. Sarah never wanted…"

Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said. Suddenly uncomfortable about having revealed too much, Kate stuttered an apology, and began to rise from her chair. "It's late. I should go. I'm sorry…"

A restraining hand on her arm prevented her from bolting from the table.

"It's alright, Kate. To tell the truth I'm relieved you told me. Now I don't have to hide."

Startled, Kate met the other woman's gaze trying to decipher any hidden meaning. "You mean…?"

Smiling Annika simply said, "I mean,"

The two shared a smile as both realized they could fully relax with each other, without having to hide components of their lives.

"Would you like to go in the living room, and talk?" Annika invited seeing that both had finished. "I could put on a pot of coffee?"

"That would be wonderful," the professor returned enthusiastically. "But only if I can help this time. I'm not much good at being the waited on type."

"Acceptable," Seven agreed easily.

When Kate began to pick up their dinner dishes the other woman stopped her. "Please, leave them. I will clean up later, but right now I would like to simply spend time with you."

Surprised by the sweet sentiment Kate could only agree. "Alright," she said with a shy smile.

After the coffee was ready, they settled comfortably next to each other in the living room. Placing her cup on the coffee table Annika tentatively began with a question. "You were with Sarah? How long were you involved?"

"Since high school," Kate admitted taking a sip of her coffee, but the haunted look had returned to her expression.

Chagrined that she had brought up painful memories the other woman said, "This is painful for you. Perhaps we should discuss something else."

"No, its alright," the older woman said. "I guess it's about time I told someone, and for some reason I feel like I can tell you anything."

Pleased at the show of trust Annika assured her, "You can."

A long moment of silence passed as Kate gazed into the depths of her cup, then without glancing up she reached for Annika's hand as though needing physical support to continue.

"Sarah and I lived in Austin. We had a lovely four bedroom home. It had a swimming pool, and a rose garden. Sarah loved roses." For a moment the older woman sat lost in thought, and the blonde sat quietly content to let her take the time she needed.

"She was a student counselor at one of the high schools. One of her kids was having a tough time with drugs and gangs, you know? He was just the type of child she liked working with, helping them overcome obstacles, and get their lives together. Anyway, he decided he needed help so he went to Sarah. She was putting in a lot of hours talking with him and his parents and researching drug rehabs in addition to her regular duties."

Taking a shuddering breath she lifted her cup to take a sip of the cooling coffee with one hand while tightening her grip on Annika's hand with the other.

"One night on her way home…the police think…she fell asleep driving home. Her car crashed into a guardrail, and went off a bridge. They said…they think that she died instantly."

"Oh, Kate'" Annika breathed with tears shining in her eyes. "I am so sorry."

The other woman seemed not to hear her as she finished. "I moved back to Dripping Springs a few months later. I just couldn't stand being in that house without her. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of her."

The eyes that looked up then were dark and tormented, and Annika couldn't have stopped putting her arms around her for anything. At first she was worried that she had overstepped some barrier, but Kate buried her face in the younger woman's neck. After a few moments she pulled away and smiled a little self-consciously.

"I still have the house in Austin, but I rarely set foot inside. It's just too painful. But even though I live in Dripping Springs now, it doesn't matter. I don't spend any more time at my current home as I did in the other one. Work just seems to take up too much of my time."

Silently, Annika thought it more likely that Kate buried herself in work to avoid her painful past. Then she felt guilty for harboring an attraction to the redhead. She could never measure up to Sarah, but maybe she could be a friend.

"I don't know what to say that wouldn't sound trite, but I want you to know that I am here for you if you ever need to talk."

"Thanks," Kate said clearing her throat and wiping away a stray tear. "But I think I've cried on your shoulder enough for one night."

Annika could almost see the walls going up as the other woman stood to say goodnight.

"Oh, I almost forgot'" Kate said, "If you have a pen I'll write down my cell phone number. Maybe we could have lunch in Austin sometime?"

"That would be nice," Annika answered honestly before walking Kate to the door.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Kate wasn't sure how to say goodbye. Should she just shake hands? Maybe a hug? Definitely not a kiss. The dilemma was taken out of her hands when Annika impulsively enfolded her in an embrace. This was different than the comforting hug she had received while sitting on the sofa, and she was amazed at how good it felt. It had been so long since she had been held in someone's arms, and she absorbed every sensation from the scent of Annika's skin to the texture of the blouse under her hands.

Definite female curves pressed sweetly against her front, and Kate unconsciously tightened her hold. The feelings of arousal were surfacing again, and she suddenly realized that she had allowed the embrace much longer than she should have. She dropped her arms and stepped away so quickly that the other woman stumbled forward a step, and then Kate was bounding down the steps.

Turning to wave nonchalantly as she walked toward her Explorer Kate said, "Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful, but it's my treat next time."

Kate's perfume lingered in her nostrils while the woman backed down the drive before pulling onto the gravel road. A smile tugged at the corners of Annika's mouth, and she could still feel the slender form in her arms as those parting words echoed again in her mind…next time.

_____________

Sitting in her office at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday, Kate sat trying to prepare her notes for the upcoming lecture. That was difficult considering that her thoughts were filled with images of her lovely dinner companion from the previous weekend. She had truly enjoyed herself with the younger woman, and couldn't remember a more enjoyable evening in a very long time, since Sarah in fact.

She hadn't meant to confide in Annika about her past relationship with the other woman, hadn't meant to bare her soul. But it had just felt so comfortable with her that she hadn't been able to refrain.

Not too comfortable, Kate realized with a grin remembering the sexual tension and light flirting between them. She didn't know if the flirting had been deliberate on Annika's part, but she felt that the attraction between them was undeniable. For a few moments Kate was tempted to feel guilty about that fascination, almost as though she were cheating on Sarah.

Her expression turned wistful as she lost herself in the past. Sweet, beautiful, compassionate Sarah. She'd been Kate's first and only lover. The change in their relationship from best friends to lovers had occurred during their freshman year at college, and they'd spent seventeen wonderful years together. Surely it was too soon for Kate to be involved with someone else.

Shaking her head ruefully, Kate could almost hear Sarah chiding her for being a coward. It had been three years since the accident, and as painful as it might be Kate knew it was time to get on with her life. Sarah would have wanted that for her. She would want Kate to find someone she could be happy with for the rest of her life. She didn't know if Annika was that person, but she was surprised by how much she wanted to try with her. The only question was could Annika possibly return her interest? From her responses the day before, Kate thought she might be.

Which presented the next obstacle. Kate had never dated, and had absolutely no idea how to go about courting the younger woman.

Courting? Now I sound like my mother.

The intrusive sound of the intercom buzzing brought Kate out of her musings with a jolt. "Professor Janeway, you're going to be late for your lecture."

Although Francis Burns was an efficient assistant Kate knew it was difficult for the grandmotherly woman to assert herself in any way. Grateful that the older woman had chosen to interrupt her than simply keeping quiet Kate responded sincerely, "Thank you, Mrs. Burns. I'm afraid I lost all track of time." Quickly gathering her notes together Kate strode with a renewed sense of energy for the lecture halls.

Maybe she'd just start by inviting Annika for a drink. She had no way of knowing that a few miles away another woman's thoughts closely mirrored her own.

There was very little to occupy Annika's time. Her assistants were involved with the normal business of the day, and she had little to do but supervise and file routine reports. Waters had updated her earlier that the trail was starting to grow cold, and they were beginning to despair ever finding anything. He had no reason to keep her apprised of the details since she wasn't involved in the actual investigative process. It was simply a professional and personal courtesy. She appreciated the thoughtfulness, but it left her feeling antsy.

It was nearing lunchtime anyway, and with any luck she could entice a certain redhead to join her. Driving to the University she easily found the Director of Psychology's office, but was disappointed that Kate wasn't there. Her secretary thoughtfully informed her where to find the diminutive woman, and gave her directions to the lecture hall. In only a few moments she arrived outside the designated hall, and slipped in as unobtrusively as she could. Annika looked at the speaker, and was immediately captivated. Kate was dressed in a mauve silk blouse tied at her throat with a bow, and tailored taupe slacks. A matching taupe jacket and low-heeled pumps topped off the outfit. Diamond studs caught the lights of the lecture hall, and reflected back in a rainbow of color. When her blue eyes suddenly pinned her own, Annika was momentarily transfixed. The light of recognition, and a fleeting smile warmed her through and through even as Kate continued her class without missing a beat.

Only when she glanced away to concentrate on her students did the spell break, and Annika let out a pent up breath. Glancing around the young woman could see that the students were also under the professor's spell. No whispers or passing of notes went on that she could see, and all eyes were fixed on the speaker.

Kate was a lively and energetic instructor, easily holding her students' attention, and happily answering questions at the end of the lecture period. Before she knew it the time was up and Kate neatly wrapped up the lecture by advising the students when they could make appointments to see her for consultations. Then the students were filing out the door, and Annika's palms were sweating in her sudden nervousness. As the last of them exited she finally approached the older woman.

"You're very good," Annika said by way of greeting. "I'm impressed."

Bowing slightly, Kate grinned. "Thank you. So what brings you by? And don't tell me you were just in the neighborhood."

"Actually, I couldn't stop thinking about you and wondered if I could interest you in some lunch?" Annika returned flirtatiously, moving deliberately into Kate's personal space.

Charmed at the young woman's playfulness Kate laughed and replied, "I'd love to, but on one condition. It's my treat."

"Oh, now, I can't allow that," Annika protested lightly as the walked out of the building and into the bright sunshine.

"I insist," Kate said easily. "It's only fair after that wonderful meal on Saturday."

Relenting graciously, Annika let herself be led down the street to a small Mexican cafe. Although the restaurant was busy at this time of day they found a small table on the patio. A huge umbrella blocked most of the sun from the younger woman's pal skin while Kate sat comfortably in the direct light.

They spent a few minutes engaged in idle conversation until after the waitress took their orders. But after the woman walked away, Kate indulged her curiosity by asking Annika a question. "How did you become a forensic pathologist at so young an age?"

The blonde forestalled answering by sipping her water. This question seemed to always come up no matter how much Annika hoped it wouldn't. Considering briefly she decided it was better to get it over with now, and hope the topic wouldn't come up again. Sticking strictly to the facts she replied. "I graduated high school at sixteen, and medical school by twenty. After a two-year residency at Baylor, I attended the FBI Academy at Quantico. I was only recently promoted to Chief Pathologist, at the protest of some of my compatriots I might add."

Stunned, Kate could only stare at the younger woman for a moment before she realized that Annika was supremely embarrassed. She couldn't possibly imagine why, and sought to reassure her. "Now I am impressed. That is a remarkable accomplishment."

"I always felt like a freak," the young doctor insisted harshly, staring at her water glass.

Slowly Kate reached across the table and pulled the hand away from the glass. Deliberately, she enfolded it between her own smaller hands and was rewarded when Annika's eyes met her gaze. "I think it's wonderful. I think you are wonderful. You have a unique gift for learning. That gift has given you the ability to help others. To put criminals where they belong."

"That gift is not doing a lot of good right now," Annika snorted, referring to the missing children.

The waitress chose that moment to return with their meals and both women spent a few moments pushing their food around on the plates. Unable to keep silent in the face of the disquiet on the other woman's features Kate said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but a pathologist isn't normally in the field, are they?"

"No," Annika returned curiously with a shrug.

"And isn't it true that your job is to decipher clues that the detectives discover at the scene?"

"Yes,"

"Then in fact, it is forensics that makes sense of the clues, and tie the criminals into the case," Kate concluded. "It's not your fault that there are no clues to decipher."

Annika stared at her companion amazed that the words actually made her feel a little better. "You're very good at this psychology stuff," she said gratefully, and began to eat with more appetite.

After finishing her meal Annika sat back and sipped at her water. Kate was sipping at a cup of coffee, and waiting for her friend to speak. It was obvious from her expression that something was bothering her, but Kate waited patiently for her to bring it up. It wasn't long before she did.

"I just feel like there's something I am missing. It's right there, and I can almost touch it," Annika asserted in a frustrated tone.

The change in the professor's expression caught her attention. It looked like a combination of realization and excitement.

"What?" Annika questioned.

"Something you said last night," Kate responded. "It's probably nothing, but do you remember when we were talking about Norwood?"

"Yes?"

Shrugging noncommittally, Kate said, "Twenty-five years ago some children in this area went missing. Do you think that case and this one could be related?"

"I don't see how. Any suspects would either be dead or very old by now. It is extremely unlikely." At Kate's disappointed look Annika tried to reassure her. "But we have nothing else, and it is definitely worth looking into. Thank you,"

Smiling Kate glanced down at her watch, and was surprised by how much time had passed. "I have to get back."

Signaling the waitress for the check, she laid a handful of bills on the table and stood up. "Thank you for lunch," she said a little shyly as they walked back toward the University. "I'm glad you came by today."

Standing on the steps into the college Kate spent a few moments saying goodbye to the blonde. As she did she realized it was becoming harder and harder to end their time together. Staring into ice-blue eyes she wanted nothing more but to wrap her arms around that lean form and kiss her.

That would be bright, she thought to herself, create a public display right here in front of the whole campus! Smiling at the images in her mind at such a display, Kate was hard-pressed not to carry it out. Still her conservative nature prevented her from making such a spectacle and she was left wondering how to take the next step.

________________________________________________

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and as Annika pulled into her driveway she wondered how late Kate worked. Switching off the engine, she pulled her heavy briefcase from the passenger seat and went inside. The briefcase held the case files of the previous disappearances, and was quite heavy. She sat it on the dining room table before giving into the impulse to phone Kate's home. Pulling out the piece of paper that Kate had hastily scribbled on Annika dialed the number and listened as it rang. On the fourth ring an answering machine picked up.

"Hi, Kate. It's me, Annika. I know it's a school night but I was wondering if you'd like to stop by for a drink. Talk with you soon. Bye."

After hanging up the phone Annika went into the bathroom to remove her contacts. Her eyes were tired and scratchy from being exposed to recycled air all day, and she happily replaced the lenses with a pair of eyeglasses. No doubt Kate had a busy schedule, and might not be available later. She might not get the message at all, until it was quite late. With that in mind Annika put on a pot of coffee, and settled down to read the extensive bureau files.

About an hour later Annika sat back to absorb what she had learned so far. She had only read Assistant Director Fitzgerald's report detailing their final summations and roughly half of the case reports, but she was tremendously disturbed by what she had discovered. There had been a total of seven disappearances, each of them under six years of age, and all were blonde. Detailed descriptions of what they were wearing when last seen had been included in the reports. And there had been no clues at any of the crime scenes.

Frowning Annika picked up her cup and walked into the kitchen to pour another. The last disappearance had occurred on the 30^th of September, and there had been seven of them. Today was the 25^th of September, and there were currently five new disappearances. If the cases were related there were still two more children that would disappear and they had only five days to figure it out.

Sighing heavily Annika sipped at the hot brew and acknowledged that the chances of the cases being related was very slim. She was just grasping for straws. The phone ringing made her jump slightly, and she acknowledged that the heavy reading had given her a slight case of the willies.

Picking up the phone she was pleasantly surprised by Kate's voice.

"Hi. I just got your message. Is that invitation still good?" Listening to the husky voice at the other end of the line, Annika could see her flashing blue eyes and see the smile curling soft lips. The image was so powerful that for a moment she had difficulty breathing.

"Yes, of course," Annika returned eagerly, unable to temper the enthusiasm in her voice. Kate's laughter in her ear was her reward, and her toes curled pleasantly at the sound.

"Let me grab a quick shower and I'll be on my way. I should be there by six."

"I'll be looking forward to it," the younger woman admitted sincerely before ringing off.

Suddenly excited Annika scrambled madly about straightening up the house and opening a bottle of wine. It was only a half-hour before her guest was due to arrive. Amazed that a short time ago she was contemplating a bath and an early night, Annika was now full of energy. Should she make a quick dessert? Then looking down at herself she opted for a change of clothing. She was still in her work clothes and hadn't even had a shower. Eyes widening she rushed to clean up.

Twenty-five minutes later Annika was freshly scrubbed, and her hair mostly dried. She had decided on a short-sleeved blue linen shirt, and a pair of thick cotton shorts. Unfortunately her contacts were soaking, and weren't ready to be worn again so she had to settle for her glasses. Completing her outfit with a pair of sandals the blonde decided she was as ready for her guest as she was going to be. The sound of gravel crunching under vehicle tires caught her attention, and she peeked through the window blinds to see Kate's champagne colored Explorer pulling into the drive. Smiling, she hastened to open the front door.

Kate tried to tell herself that she was acting like a teenager with her first crush as she drove through the gated entrance onto Annika's property. Her heart had sped up its tempo and her fingertips buzzed with the thrill of anticipation. Still she couldn't deny that the thought of seeing the other woman thrilled her. Coming to a halt, Kate shut off the engine and stepped out of her vehicle. She could hear the front door opening just as she slammed the car door, and looked up quickly.

When their eyes met both became mesmerized. The heat of late summer, and the singing of the birds melted away as the world narrowed to Annika's cornflower gaze behind the plain black rims. A moment ago she had been thrilled, but nervous at the prospect of seeing the other woman again. But the fear that her feelings couldn't be returned by the young woman faded as she saw her own excitement and attraction mirrored in Annika's sweetly vulnerable expression.

Somewhere, somehow, something had shifted. The chemistry between them was clear, and obviously mutual. With that knowledge Kate felt herself relax. No longer afraid of being rejected she was free to enjoy the warmth and tenderness of new passion. Had it really only been two weeks?

"Hi," she said softly, breaking the tension of the moment. "I hope I'm not too late."

Almost shyly Annika responded, "Nonsense, I'm very happy to see you. Come in," she invited.

Kate deliberately stepped much closer to the other woman than was necessary, reaching up to brush her arm as she stepped past her and into the relative coolness of the house. "I like you in glasses. It's adorable."

Ignoring the shudder of awareness she felt under her fingertips, Kate walked a few steps into the living room before stopping for Annika to lead the way.

"I was in the mood for red wine," Annika said conversationally. "It's on the kitchen counter," she explained as they walked through the dining room.

A thick folder with pages spread all around on the dining room table caught Kate's attention. Curiously she leaned over and read the file heading and date. "Not very light reading," she observed as Annika came back in from the kitchen and handed her a glass of ruby liquid.

Agreeing with a shake of her head, Annika sipped at her glass for a moment with Kate following suit. "Would you like to sit on the front porch?" she invited. "I find that evening is my favorite time of day, and I like sitting outside and listening to the birds sing."

"That sounds lovely," Kate said honestly, thinking what a closet romantic the other woman was.

A few moments later they were settled on the porch swing, sipping wine and enjoying the light breeze. They were sitting fairly close because of the limited size of the swing, yet not touching. Kate could feel the heat emanating from the young woman's body, and felt an electric tingle shoot up her spine. Trying to distract herself from her amorous thoughts, she sought a safe topic.

"Have you learned anything from the old cases?" She hadn't meant to broach such a serious topic, but honestly hadn't been able to think of anything else on the spur of the moment.

Seeming almost startled, Annika glanced at her quickly. Taking a healthy sip of wine before answering she responded, "I guess that depends on what you're looking for."

At Kate's questioning look she continued. "There do seem to be some similarities. The other case took place at the same time of year, and they were all young children. However, twenty-five years ago the disappearances suddenly ceased and the children were never found."

"That's terrible," Kate responded. "Did they have nothing to go on then, either?"

"No, nothing. The thing that scares me is that the last kidnapping took place on September 30^th. If the two cases are related, that leaves us little time to figure out what is happening."

"Less than a week," Kate whispered, horrified by the thought.

"Yes, five days."

Annika was upset by the case that seemed to be going nowhere but to a disastrous conclusion. She could only hope that Waters, and the other agents got a break soon. Taking a deep breath she said, "I really don't want to talk about the case right now. Do you mind if we talk about something else?"

Instantly contrite, Kate said, "No, of course not. I'm sorry."

Sitting back and enjoying the wine, Kate realized there was something else she wanted to talk about. It was something shed been curious about since discovering her attraction for the intelligent young woman.

Staring down into her glass she tentatively asked, "So, why is someone like you still unattached?"

Oh, very suave, Kate, she chided herself nervously. Fortunately Annika didn't seem to take the question personally. With a shrug of her shoulder and a slight smile she answered the question with another question.

"Who says I am?"

Surprised, Kate looked at the blonde with wide eyes. Then she realized she was being teased when Annika grinned and nudged her with a shoulder. Both women laughed for a moment, releasing the sudden tension before lapsing into quiet again. Kate wondered if the young doctor had been uncomfortable with the question.

Taking a deep breath, Annika silently chastised herself for being a coward. She had wanted Janeway all these years, and now here they were with a shared attraction between them and what was she doing? Sitting here with her hands in her lap and changing the subject. Reaching for the dry cabernet, she topped off their glasses before saying.

"I have been involved with a few women in my life. They just never seemed to work out. I thought that my last girlfriend, Adrianne, was the love of my life." Leaning her head back against the swing, Annika seemed to lose herself in the telling. "She was gorgeous with long raven hair, and deep blue eyes. Things were wonderful between us, we never argued, and seemed to want the same things out of life."

Almost afraid to ask, Kate sensed a tragic ending to the fairy tale romance. "What happened?"

"About two years ago a friend of mine called me at work. She said there was something she needed to tell me, but she was afraid. Eventually, I figured out that she and Adrianne had been sleeping together. Their relationship had been going on for months, and I was the only one who didn't know."

"I'm so sorry," Kate responded.

Looking at the smaller woman Annika insisted, "I am not. For a long time I was very upset, I felt betrayed. But in the last few weeks I have come to realize that things happen for a reason. If she had not cheated on me, I would not have left her. And if I had not left her, I would not be here with you now."

Having said this, Annika knew that one of them had to make the first move. It was clear that Kate couldn't or wouldn't, so taking her courage by the horns Annika slid her hand across the seat to entwine their fingers. Kate started a bit, and looked down at their linked fingers. At first Annika thought that she had assumed too much, but then saw a smile grace Kate's thin lips.

Sitting back, Kate tightened her hold of Annika's hand, and turned slightly to look into her eyes. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. You'd think that I'd never spent time with a beautiful woman before."

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Annika asked with an achingly vulnerable expression. Her eyes were shaded a deep blue, and Kate realized that the other woman truly didn't see her own magnificence.

"Oh, yes," she whispered softly. "I think that you are very beautiful."

Drawn magnetically to the woman, Kate found herself leaning toward her. The full lips were the sole focus of her attention, and she watched as the tip of a pink tongue darted out to nervously stroke the upper lip. Her eyes were beginning to close in anticipation of the sweetness when a fluttering motion only a few feet away interrupted them, and forced her to draw away in surprise.

Both women were amused to see that they had been interrupted by a blue jay. The bird had landed on the edge of the porch, and sat looking at them curiously. After a few moments, he flew away to the top of the huge pecan tree in the front yard.

Regretfully, Annika acknowledged that the moment for the kiss had passed, and sighing she leaned back against the swing. Then she noticed that Kate's glass almost empty, and reached for the rapidly dwindling bottle beside her on the porch. Fireflies flashed in the twilight and Kate sat gazing into the distance as Annika poured the last of the wine. After sitting the empty bottle down she became curious what the other woman was gazing at, and looked to see the roofline of Norwood Manor just visible through the trees.

"Why did you do it?" Annika asked unexpectedly. "Why did you go to Norwood that night?"

"Billy dared me," Kate answered simply with a smile.

Amused the other woman pointed out; "You could have not gone."

"And be labeled a coward?" Shaking her head, Kate said, "No, back then there was no other choice for me. I had to go. But do you want to know a secret?"

At the young woman's nod, Kate leaned back and grasped her hand before saying, "I was more afraid of that old house then, than I've been afraid of anything else since."

"But you still went," Annika observed with a note of awe in her voice.

"Yes," Kate grinned, "I'm afraid I always have been rather stubborn. I don't seem to be able to quit while I'm ahead," she finished dryly.

Disagreeing completely, Annika said, "Oh, I don't think I agree with that at all. I think it took great courage for you to go into Norwood that night."

"Courage?" Kate asked in surprise. "How do you figure? I was terrified. Don't you remember how fast we ran from there after you opened the door?"

"Kate, courage doesn't mean that you are fearless," Annika corrected her. "It means facing the threat in spite of your fear. I believe you are very courageous."

After a moment Kate squeezed the younger woman's fingers gently before saying, "You're very sweet."

The mood shifted when a sudden mischievous look in the redheads eyes caused Annika to get a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Feel like being courageous with me tonight?"

Annika's heart thumped against her ribs as the question painted an erotic image in her mind. "What did you have in mind?" she asked against a suddenly dry throat.

Kate's answer was not what she had in mind. "How would you feel about seeing the old place again?"

"Norwood? I see it everyday," the blonde answered in confusion. "So do you, on the way to work."

"No, I mean how would you like to look around inside it, again?"

A skittering of apprehension trembled through the younger woman's body. Since that night so long ago, she had never had a desire to ever be so close to that old house again. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Kate. It is starting to get dark."

"So, well take a couple of flashlights," Kate supplied. "You're not afraid? Aren't you the one who said it's just a house?"

Kate made a good point, and Annika suddenly felt excited by the idea. Having had just enough wine to rise to the challenge she said, "Alright. Do you want to drive, or shall I?"

"Lets walk. Its not far," the professor observed with a grin.

"Very well," Annika stood up saying, "I'll get the flashlights."

She returned a few moments later, and the women struck off across Annika's  front yard. Climbing through the slats in the wooden rail fence, they trekked directly across the pasture toward the old house. It wasn't quite dark, and they wouldn't need the flashlights until the return trip. With that idea in mind, Kate tucked her light into her hip pocket, and reached out to grasp Annika's arm.

Happily clasping the smaller hands against her arm, Annika started lightly teasing her companion about the look on her face when shed opened that back door so long ago.

"You looked at me like I was a ghost about to consume you!" she joked.

Both of them laughed, and after a moment Kate confided, "At first I thought you were. You have no idea how relieved I was when I recognized you."

"What were you so afraid of, anyway?" Annika asked, stepping over a rotting tree limb in the looming shadows.

"You wont believe this," the psychologist began in preparation of her story, "but Sarah and I thought we heard footsteps coming up from the cellar. Then there was a light under the door, and we ran for the back door but we couldn't get it open. I thought the ghost of old man Tensley was coming after us with his hatchet," Kate finished, laughing at her childish fears. "Of course now I know it was just our imaginations, but I assure you it was quite real at the time."

The telling of the story carried them all the way to the neglected driveway of the old manor. Suddenly, both women were a little afraid again, yet excited at the same time. Annika had never really been in the house the first time. She'd only stood on the back porch and opened the door.

Storms had ripped shingles from the roof, and some of the trim was broken. In a few spots it had fallen down altogether. The paint had been weathered away, and the boards were silver-gray, bleached by the sun.

Carefully, they stepped onto the front porch. It sagged, and there were several places where the boards had rotted completely. They had to step over and around the holes. Half of the windows were boarded shut, but others were without protection, and had been shattered. Moonlight revealed jagged shards of glass where stones had been pitched through. The door had long since surrendered to the ravages of time, and hung tentatively by one rusty hinge. Stepping through that doorway was like stepping through a portal of time for Kate.

Annika moved beside her, and stared into the old house as a stale, extremely unpleasant odor wafted through the doorway. The familiar smell of decay hit her in the face, bringing with it images from the past.

"This is the living room," Kate said in hushed tones.

"I can't see anything."

Kate reached for her flashlight, and just as she was going to switch it on something in the corner of the room moved. There was a soft rustling, a sudden clatter, and the sound of something rushing toward the window.

Annika leaped back. She stumbled over her own feet and fell with a crash.

Kate looked at her, blinked and burst out laughing.

"Kate, there's something in there!"

"Rats," she said simply.

"Huh?"

"Just rats."

"The house has rats?" she asked in disgust.

"Of course it does, a rotten old place like this." Finally switching on the light, she panned around the room. "Or maybe we heard a stray cat. One thing I can guarantee; it wasn't a ghost."

Having sustained much greater injury to her pride, than her body Annika  stood up and dusted herself off. Stepping farther into the room, she asked, "Why haven't they torn this place down? This must be valuable land."

Leading the way into the kitchen Kate said, "A couple of years ago I heard that the entire Norwood fortune, including the land, went to the state because there weren't any living relatives. But the state's never bothered to do anything with it. To my knowledge, they haven't even discussed the issue."

Boards creaked under foot as they walked through into the kitchen. It was just as Kate remembered except possibly more littered with debris. Moonlight played through broken windows in shades of gray and black.

"Here's the back door," Kate pointed out. "See why we couldn't get out?"

Looking closely in the light from the flash, Annika could see that the inside handle was missing. How terrified those two little girls must have been!

"Let's look at the rest of the house," Kate suggested. "We never did get past this room."

The second-floor hall was gloomy, and the rooms were dark except for moonlight that played around the edges of bolted shutters. Kate played the flashlight around the large bedroom just to the left of the head of the stairs. The room was dusty, and smelled of mildew but it wasn't littered with rubble as many of the other chambers were.

Slowly they moved through the rotting manor, finding nothing other than the trash littering the floors. Eventually they had moved through the entire house and found themselves back in the living room.

Standing in the gloom Kate said wistfully, "I guess it really is just an old house, after all."

"You sound disappointed."

"I guess I am, a little," she admitted. "This place has always held an air of mystery. Now the mystery's been solved."

Annika moved over next to the other woman, and placed an arm across her shoulders. Squeezing gently, she began to guide Kate toward the door when her flashlight caught something in its beam.

"What's that?" she asked absently.

"What?"

Annika walked over near the entry into the kitchen. In the corner of the wall between the two rooms something sat that looked out of place. Hefting the object she turned back to Kate, and held it out curiously.

It was a child's sneaker, size one. The red color of the shoe was muted in the artificial light, but the laces were cleanly white, almost pristine. It seemed unusual to find such an object in the old house, and the fact that it was clean when everything else was filthy was even more odd.

"I guess we weren't the only ones to ever come in here. I guess whoever owned this was so scared they ran right out of their shoes."

Leaving the sneaker on the front porch, the women slowly retraced their steps from Annika's property. Kate was tucked snugly under the younger woman's arm, and happily absorbed her warmth. Late September was notorious for warm days, and cool nights, but Kate knew the temperature was an excuse for wrapping her arm around Annika's waist, and deeply inhaling her scent. The walk back was quiet, but comfortable.

When they stepped up to the front door, Annika surprised Kate by turning to her and enfolding her in an embrace.

"I should have done this earlier," she said, and promptly lowered her head to capture Kate's lips in a first kiss.

Kate groaned as she slipped into Annika's arms, and felt her full breasts pressing against her. A hot, sizzling current shot through her as the young woman kissed her fully. A shudder of desire rocked through her, and she felt as if she were drowning, melting into Annika's sweet mouth.

Answering Kate's groan of desire, Annika reached a long arm behind her and cupped her buttocks. Pulling up, she pressed her close to join their burning centers.

Hungrily, blindly, Kate sought Annika's lips again and again, then felt the incredible thrill of Annika's tongue in her mouth. Finally drawing away, the blonde gripped Kate's hands and quietly led her into the house and to her bedroom.

Kate went willingly, never once feeling that they were moving too quickly. Only knowing that she was eager for the young woman's touch. Standing by the queen-sized bed, Annika bent to run her lips below the fringe of Kate's dark lashes kissing the woman's cheekbones. Then Kate was bridging the gap between them. Their lips met tentatively, then with hunger. Annika's tongue explored Kate's mouth, probed deeper, demanding a response.

Eyes glazed, stunned with passion, Annika trembled.

"Kate."

They kissed again, and suddenly Annika's hands were on her, hot and urgent. Kate felt her body grow taut with need. Under Annika's lips and tongue, her own mouth answered. A rush, fiery and wet exploded from her core, and she trembled. Absorbing the guttural cries of Annika's passion, Kate was a woman consumed, desperate to consume in return.

Urgently she reached for the young woman's blouse and unbuttoned it with trembling fingers. She had time only to push the material from Annika's shoulders before they were tumbling onto the bed. Kate kissed and tasted the strong, hot body she had captured under her own. Brazenly, she reached down and unzipped Annika's shorts.

Suddenly the younger woman was flipping them over and treating the bare flesh of Kate's neck to light nipping, and the fluttering of her tongue. Kate arched her back, groaning in response.

"I've wanted you for so long," Annika told her between kisses. "Let me love you, Katie."

Annika expertly divested the other woman of her clothing, pulling away only long enough to remove her jeans, underclothes, and footwear. Then she took Kate back into her arms, and began kissing from her neck down to her breasts.

Kate's nipples hardened as Annika's lips and tongue suddenly found them. Holding on to the blonde head she groaned her pleasure, encouraging a stronger touch. Annika's tongue swirled downward and Kate's stomach muscles tightened at the teasing caresses.

"Annika," Kate cried out when she felt the young woman's hot breath at the juncture of her thighs. Then she shut her eyes as stars exploded in the darkness. Suddenly she felt the most sensitive part of her body smoothly enveloped in wet, searing heat as Annika's knowing mouth sucked her in and lovingly worshipped her.

Kate cried out, and grasped at the comforter as she shivered violently. Annika stopped and entered the pulsating opening below with one finger, searching, finding, pressing upward against Kate's hungry center.

"Oh!" Kate cried out again, arching her spine to give Annika better access. Her body thrashed on the bed under the young woman's expert manipulation. Her hips responded instinctively, undulating against Annika's hand.

"Oh, yes, so good," she groaned. "Please don't stop. don't ever stop!"

Annika's tongue suddenly pressed Kate's clit hard against her pelvis, as she thrust deeply inside the smaller woman. Kate cried out again and again as her body burst into ecstatic release. Finally her head lolled back against the pillows. Breathing heavily she welcomed Annika into her embrace, hugging and kissing the younger woman while the pounding of her heart finally slowed.

Annika kissed her passionately as she stretched out on the smaller woman's form. Their legs twined together, and Kate could feel the copious moisture at the younger woman's center soaking the shorts she still wore. Feeling desire resurge through her veins, she urged Annika onto her back. Lowering herself again to the other woman, she slowly moved against her, pulled away, and came back. Circling her hips rhythmically, touching and not touching, she mercilessly teased her.

"Please," Annika gasped, "I'm burning up."

With a gently prying knee, Kate parted Annika's thighs and pressed her thigh against her heat. Annika moaned and grasped hold of Kate's buttocks, arching up into her.

"Tell me what you like," Kate invited huskily into the aroused woman's ear. She traced the delicate shape of the ear with her tongue, and was pleased when she felt her tremble.

Annika had to swallow twice before she could respond. "T...touch my breasts," she commanded softly.

Kate shifted, propping herself on an elbow with her body draped over her lover. She slid a palm over the smooth plane of Annika's chest until her hand was filled with one breast. It was a creamy heaviness, curving and pliant, overflowing, and incredibly sweet as she lowered her head and took a satiny nipple into her mouth. Her hand drifted over to tease the other nipple, pinching the taut bud between her fingertips.

Annika pulled Kate's head back up with her fingers buried in her hair. Her kiss was aggressive as she devoured her mouth. There was an insistent tugging at her waist, and it took a moment to realize that the older woman was trying to get her shorts off.

Impatiently she sat up and removed her clothing, dropping it negligently onto the floor. Then Kate's hands were back on her breasts, stroking slowly and sweetly. Her body jerked as one of the small hands found the heat between her legs. She shuddered as the fingers began to stroke and she heard the sound of Kate's breath catching in her throat.

With Kate kissing her, Annika urgently rotated her hips, then stopped as two long fingers suddenly penetrated past the tight muscles and slid deeply into her. Kate's tongue thrust in and out of her mouth as her hand matched the urgent thrusting of Annika's hips. Shuddering with the intensity of the sensations she pressed against Kate's body quivering with the force of her pleasure.

"Oh, yes...I'm going to come. I'm…I'm…coming."

Annika groaned as the spasms tore through her. Slowly she settled, warm, relaxed, and euphoric against the sheets. A moment later she welcomed Kate into her arms and they relaxed into mutual contentment. But the respite was temporary and soon they were immersed in the scent, and texture of each other as they satiated a hunger that neither had realized they had until now.

Several exquisite hours later Annika felt her muscles relaxing into slumber and dimly heard Kate mumble from somewhere far away, "I have to get up early," she roused herself enough to set the alarm. Then Kate was in her arms, and they settled into the most contented sleep that Annika could remember in a long time.

____________________________________________

At the Federal Building Annika was having a difficult time concentrating. Work was slow, and her assistants were handling the few autopsies, and lab work that needed doing while she was trying to concentrate on routine status reports. It was difficult when her mind insisted on being preoccupied with thoughts of Kate and her fatigue.

They'd both awakened to the sound of the alarm and spent several long, glorious moments kissing and waking up properly. Then Kate had to throw on her clothes, and leave so she could get ready for work. Although that had been Kate's intent, Annika had thrilled at removing them and making slow, passionate love to the older woman again, before finally allowing her to leave.

Annika was now reading through the rest of the old case files, and wondering what her lover was doing. A smile graced the corners of her mouth as the word resonated within her. A tentative knocking on her office door caused her to look up in surprise.

Richard Waters had definitely seen better days, Annika thought with an arched eyebrow. The man's suit was rumpled and looked as though it had been slept in for a week. The knot in his tie had been loosened, and the first button on his shirt opened. Beard stubble cast a heavy shadow on his chin, and she decided it was a perfect compliment to his bloodshot eyes.

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't have good news?" she asked, standing in her fear that something had happened to the missing children.

"Nothing specific," he answered. "I just wanted to let you know that there was nothing new to report other than one more disappearance."

"Another one?" she asked in surprise.

When she started to get angry he quickly interceded with an upraised hand. "Look, Doc, I know you're worried about these kids, but we're not even supposed to be having these conversations. Investigation, and information on this case is on a strictly need-to-know basis. Otherwise we run the risk of leaking information to the press that would let any suspects know that we were on to them."

"We don't have any information to leak," Annika reminded him indignantly.

Raising his voice in anger, the normally sedate man returned, "That's beside the point! The only reason you know as much as you do about this case is because I like you. That, and the fact that I really don't think you're the kidnapper. After all, it's not like you have anything to do with this case."

Slowly relenting Annika sagged back against her desk, and folded her arms. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry, Rick. I'm just so worried about them."

"I understand," he said gently. "Sorry about getting so mad," he apologized. "I'm just so tired."

Running a hand raggedly through his hair, Waters said, "I just came by to tell you about the latest."

"What about it?" she prompted gently. "How did it happen."

Looking at the young woman for a moment, he wondered why he confided in her like he did. He hadn't even told Nora what was happening. Perhaps it was her intelligence, coupled with what he sensed was a deeply compassionate nature. Whatever the reason, it was a little late to start withholding information now.

"A little three year-old girl," he said in exasperation. "She was snatched right out of the playground of a daycare."

"What?" she fairly shouted. "Does no one take public warnings seriously? How many times, and in how many ways can we tell parents to watch out for their children?"

"I know. It just seems like nothing we do is good enough. But whoever this guy is, Annika, he's good."

"How do you know its a guy?" she wondered aloud.

"I just can't possibly picture a woman doing something like this. Call me old-fashioned, but I still see women as made of sugar and spice." Grinning, Rick started to leave, but seemed to hesitate.

"What is it?" she questioned.

"Well, its the darndest thing," he answered, running a hand over the back of his neck. "It probably doesn't mean anything, but I can't figure what anyone could possibly want with a bunch of blonde preschoolers."

Freezing in shock she asked, "What? They were all blonde?"

"Yeah, I just don't get it."

"Rick, could you do something for me? Could you let me see the file on this case?"

"Why?" he asked, "Other than the fact that you're going to land me in hot water if anyone finds out, do you know something?"

"Probably not," she admitted. "Its just a hunch."

Nodding slowly, he answered, "Alright. I'll get it for you. But if you figure anything out you better let me know."

"You'll be the first," Annika promised as he left.

The file was sent up within the hour, and she was quickly immersed in it. She didn't even notice when everyone began leaving. Eventually, the darkness of the outer rooms invaded her consciousness and she looked up with surprise. Glancing quickly at her watch she was shocked to see it closing in on six o'clock. The sudden ringing of the phone caused her to start in her chair, and she reached for it quickly.

"Pathology, this is Doctor Hansen," Annika informed the caller reflexively.

"Hi, Doctor Hansen," Kate's voice purred intimately into her ear causing the blonde to feel as though she were melting into her imitation leather chair. "What are you still doing at work, it's almost six o'clock. Did something break on the case?"

"No, not at all," Annika admitted. "I'm afraid I just lost track of time."

"Actually, I'm not hungry. But I would like to come by if that's all right. I have something I'd like to talk with you about."

Distracted, Annika missed the note of concern as Kate responded. "Sure, that's fine. When should I expect you?"

When they hung up, Kate was far from reassured. Annika had sounded pensive, distracted by something grim. She couldn't be regretting what had happened between them, could she? Thinking back on the previous night and the early morning before work she couldn't remember anything that would indicate that she was uncomfortable. In fact, if anyone had asked, she would have had to say quite the opposite. Annika had been an enthusiastic lover, demanding and responsive in her enjoyment of their physical pleasure.

Then again, perhaps she had only been living out a childhood fantasy of being involved with Kate, and afterward realized that she had made a mistake. It was certainly possible.

Depressed, the psychologist sat in her deep wing-backed chair as she realized that it was more than a possibility. How could she expect that Annika would want to be with her once the initial passion dissipated? The woman was brilliant, gorgeous, and much younger than Kate was. Surely she would want to be with someone closer to her own age.

Undoubtedly she would find out, she realized. Annika was due to be arriving within the hour.

_____________________________________________________

Forty-five minutes later Kate heard the sound of a car engine as it pulled into her driveway. Headlights briefly illuminated the cracks around her windows before they were shut off. Trying not to fidget, she waited until she heard footsteps on the porch before she opened the door.

"Hi," she said with forced cheer, and an attractive smile. "How was your day?"

Inside her stomach was twisting in fear, and she tried valiantly to keep her fingers from shaking. She knew it was irrational to be so unhinged at the idea of the younger woman calling a halt to something that had barely begun, but she couldn't help it. Tears of disappointment were just on the horizon, but she maintained her composure as Annika entered the house.

The young doctor was uncharacteristically quiet as she walked into the house, and didn't even seem to glance in Kate's direction. Annika strode across the living room, and into the dining room where she opened a huge folder and began spreading documents across the table. Bemused, Kate followed her and wondered what all of these papers could possibly have to do with their relationship.

Annika reflexively pulled out a chair and settled into it as she worked. Still waiting for the ax to fall, Kate sat next to her and sighed quietly. Suddenly the other woman looked up and smiled a little shyly.

"Sorry," she said before leaning forward to capture Kate's lips in a gentle kiss.

Relieved, Kate allowed her eyes to close as soft lips caressed her own. A gentle hand stroked her cheek, and she raised her arms to twine them around Annika's neck. Her lips parted and she welcomed Annika's tongue into a dance with her own. Finally, they parted. Kate felt the weight of depression that had been infringing on her consciousness recede, realizing that the other woman hadn't been planning on calling a halt to their involvement.

"So," she said indicating the pile of papers with a tilt of her chin, "what's all of this?"

Turning to the documents, Annika explained. "I have discovered something disturbing, and would like your opinion."

Stacking the documents into two neat piles, she placed her hand on each in turn as she began. "These are the case reports for the kidnappings that took place twenty-five years ago. Everything is here from missing persons reports, including descriptions of what the victims were wearing at the time, to profiles, and final analysis."

Then touching the other pile, "These are the reports from the most recent cases."

Looking up into her lover's eyes Annika attempted to summarize what she had discovered. "The first disappearances of both cases occurred on the same date exactly twenty-five years ago. Back then a total of seven children below the age of seven were taken from various locations with no clues as to where they had gone. There were never any demands for ransom, no bodies were ever recovered."

"So far six children below the age of seven have occurred. Again, there has been no evidence leading to their whereabouts."

"That's more than just coincidence," Kate observed softly.

Nodding once Annika said, "There's more. In all of the cases, all of the children have been blondes. I believe it is definitely the work of the same cult of people."

"Cult? Why do you say cult?"

"I am only guessing," the younger woman admitted, "but it would seem logical. As I have said before, the other case took place so long ago that the original perpetrators would either be dead or incredibly old. It therefore makes sense that a certain sect is reenacting those crimes."

"Or that there is someone copy-catting the previous case," Kate interjected.

"True. I had not considered that."

"In any case it still leaves a few big questions. Where are the children now, and why have they been taken?"

"And why blondes?" Annika concluded. "No, I believe my original assessment was correct. It is a cult of some sort, otherwise why would the children all have similar characteristics? They were all were blonde, and blue-eyed. There is a reason for that, I am sure of it."

"Okay," Kate conceded. "What now?

Frowning, Annika carefully considered the question. "I believe we should visit the local library, and research the old newspaper stories from the previous case. There may be information there that was overlooked at the time."

"Wouldn't all of the pertinent facts be contained in the police and FBI reports?" Kate challenged reasonably.

Conceding the point, the blonde said, "Normally I would say 'yes'. But one thing I have noticed is law enforcement reports tend to stick strictly to the facts. There is no room for supposition, or hunches so that should a case end up in court, there can be no challenge of inadmissibility. That is not true of public media reports. They do tend to over-dramatize a situation, but at the same time journalists aren't afraid to speculate. It could be the difference between life and death for these children, and it is worth a try."

Smiling, and unaccountably proud of the young woman's cognitive reasoning, Kate responded, "I agree. However," glancing at her watch, "the library will be closing soon. It will have to wait until tomorrow."

Annika regretted the lost time, but had to agree. Not only was the library closing, but both women were exhausted from little sleep the night before. If there was something in those files, they were likely to miss it in this condition. It was better to start fresh in the morning.

"You look tired," Kate said stroking her cheek gently. "I'd worry if you tried to drive home. Would you like to stay the night?"

Mouth suddenly dry, Annika nodded. Her hand was taken and Kate tugged her to her feet. "After a quick tour, I'll show you my bedroom. If you're in a puzzle solving mood, I've got a couple of pieces I'd like you to try and fit together," she purred seductively.

______________________________________________

The next morning Annika awakened early, and spent a few quiet moments happily memorizing Kate's features. Then leaving the slumbering woman undisturbed, she went downstairs to use the telephone. She had promised Rick that she would let him know if she discovered anything, and the fact that these two cases were related definitely qualified.

He was excited by the news, but couldn't refrain from saying, "You know, the FBI is supposed to have the top profilers in the nation. Why do you think they couldn't have connected these two cases from the beginning?"

"Well, in their defense, until the fourth or so incident there wouldn't have been enough of a pattern to connect them. The similar characteristics of the children were the biggest clue, and the fact that the dates coincided was only slightly less significant. Added to that the sheer number of years between the cases, and I doubt that anyone thought to look."

"So what made you connect them, Annika?" he asked unexpectedly.

Caught off guard she could only stammer, "Excuse me," as she bought time to come up with a reasonable hypothesis. She could hardly say, 'My girlfriend brought it up.'

"How'd you put the two together? Something must have tipped you off," he clarified.

Finally she responded, "When I mentioned how frustrating this was to a friend of mine, they suggested that I start at the beginning. Look, it's a long story, and to be honest it doesn't even make sense to me. Just be happy that I did think of it. If I'm right, we have less than three days to find these kids. The last disappearance of the old case happened on September 30^th. That doesn't leave much time."

The silence on the other end was sudden, and for a moment she thought she'd lost the connection. "Rick? Are you there?"

Waters' expelled a frustrated breath before responding. "Well, maybe the two cases aren't related after all," he surmised.

"What do you mean?" Annika asked frowning.

"Look, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but about 6 o'clock this morning there was another kidnapping. Annika, this kid was from Dripping Springs. His daddy…"

"Who?" she interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Who was it? Who was taken?" she asked in a shaky voice.

There was a pause while Rick consulted his notebook. "Kid's name was Lucas…Lucas Henderson."

Rick's voice seemed to be coming from a very long distance. She knew it was shock, and she fumbled for a chair at the dining table. She could hear him asking if she was all right, and for a moment she couldn't answer.

"Annika, what is it?" she heard from behind her, and turned to see Kate walking toward her with a worried look.

Swallowing she answered her lover. "It's Lucas. They took Lucas Henderson."

Kate raised a hand to cover her mouth in horror. Wide-eyed she sat beside Annika, staring at her as the blonde directed into the mouthpiece, "What happened, Rick? How'd they get him?"

"You had me worried there for a minute, Hansen. You okay?"

"Fine, fine," she assured him impatiently. "Please, just tell me,"

"His daddy took him fishing over by Coffee Mill Lake. Henderson left his son sitting on the bank fishing for perch, and walked around to the other side looking for a better spot for bass. He said he was only gone about fifteen minutes. When he came back, Lucas was gone. For a minute, he thought the boy had moved down the bank but then he realized that all of his equipment was there."

"I'm sorry, but if this was the same group of people and they were sticking to a time-table then this just doesn't fit."

"No, no," Annika disagreed. "The kidnappings didn't all take place on the same days. Only the start and the finish are pertinent. They just got lucky, and found someone sooner than they did last time. It actually works in our favor that they did."

"How do you figure?" he asked, totally confused how a kidnapping could possible be a good thing.

Meeting Kate's eyes, and obviously speaking to her as well as the agent on the phone she said, "Think about it, Rick. This tells us we have three days to find the kids."

"I hate to rain on your parade, Hansen, but how do you know that there's anything to find? For all we know these kids are dead somewhere, just waiting for someone to find their remains."

He wasn't trying to be cruel, she knew that, but it was important that he point out the possibilities. In her heart, she believed they were alive. That was all she let herself believe right now. Arguing to that point she said, "I don't think so. If this is a cult of some sort, as I believe it is, these children are being taken for a reason. Wouldn't they be needed for some kind of dark ritual?"

"You're asking me?" he asked incredulously. "How would I know?" Then relenting he asked, "So, now what?"

"We still have to find them. Take the information you have back to headquarters. Have them run it through their computers. Maybe with the new information, they can match it to some known occults operating in the area."

"And what makes you think there are any?" he asked.

Shaking her head she answered, "If there's one thing I've learned, it is that there are always organizations that you would least expect in small communities. Just have them check. In the meantime, I'm going to check the library and go over old newspaper stories. It is a long shot, but we can't ignore the chance that we could find something."

"Agreed," he said succinctly. "Call me if you find anything."

After hanging up, Annika looked at Kate with tears shining in her eyes. "They're alive. I know they are."

Kate didn't even remember standing up, but suddenly her arms were around Annika, and the younger woman was clinging to her. Running a soothing hand through the blonde head, she tried to reassure her. Planting a kiss on Annika's forehead, she was happy to hold her and lend her support for a few minutes. Then she said, "I know that this has just become personal for you, for both of us. We both know Lucas and his family, but now is not the time to dwell on that. I need you to pull yourself together so that we can find these kids."

Looking up into determined eyes, Annika asked, "Do you think we can?"

"I know we can," Kate told her. "No one commits all of these crimes without leaving a clue. We're just not looking in the right place."

The strength of the promise in her voice was exactly what the pathologist needed to hear. Smiling gently she placed a kiss at each corner of the redhead's mouth before claiming her lips tenderly.

"Thank you," she said softly as she pulled away.

"Come on," Kate urged with a crooked grin. "We have a library to invade."

Rubbing at her tired eyes Annika said, "We will have to stop by my house for a minute. I need a change of clothes, and I am getting a headache from having my lenses in so long."

Reaching up to touch a pale cheek, Kate noticed the blood shot eyes and worried that her love could be so tired after a night's sleep. Apparently she wasn't sleeping easily, and now this case had just gotten so much worse. They both knew the Henderson family, had known Lucas from the day he was born. As concerned as she was for all of the children and Lucas in particular, how much more so for someone as deeply compassionate as Annika?

"I'll drive," she offered hoping to give the blonde a little more time to rest.

__________________________________________________

They decided to visit the public library in Austin. It was more modern than Dripping Springs, and boasted all old newspaper entries from the area on microfiche all the way back to the turn of the century. They spent all day pouring over files. At one point Kate left for a few minutes to fetch coffee and donuts from across the street. Then they were right back at it, eating as they worked. After hours of dogged, untiring reading they hadn't really discovered anything they didn't already know or hadn't surmised.

The possibility that a cult had been operating in the area had been mentioned by more than one journalist, but had been quickly discounted by their compatriots as sensationalism. With that in mind Kate left Annika perusing the old clippings, and began checking on the internet for dark or satanic rituals involving the human sacrifice of children. At first she had great difficulty finding anything of relevance, but eventually stumbled onto something promising. But by the time she finished reading, she was leaning more heavily toward the word disturbing.

"Look at this," she interrupted.

Annika was happy for the distraction. So far the day had been unproductive, and she desperately hoped that Kate had found something helpful. Leaning sideways in her chair, she pressed their shoulders together surreptitiously absorbing the other woman's warmth and inhaling her scent.

Kate wasn't unaware of the blonde's intent, and pressed back against her. Placing her hand at the small of Annika's back, she relished the heat that seemed to thaw some of the chill that had crept into her from reading the disquieting text.

"This describes an autumnal ritual involving the sacrifice of seven children. It requires the blood of the innocent to invoke some kind of dark lord that will grant wealth, and posterity to those who invoke him. It says the ritual has to be performed every quarter century to remain in effect."

Feeling a shudder ripple through the delicate frame, Kate pressed more tightly against Annika's waist in sympathy. She knew exactly how the other woman felt. As gruesome and appalling as human sacrifice was, it was nothing compared to the idea of defenseless children as those offerings.

"Does it say why they all have to be blonde?" Annika asked, horrified but curious in spite of herself.

Shaking her head Kate said, "No. The article doesn't really give a lot of information other than that the ceremony has to be conducted under a full moon. It tells how to lay out the ritual circle, and what everyone is supposed to be wear, but other than that it's not very detailed. My guess would be that using blondes is symbolic of sacrificing everything that is light, and good."

For some reason, Kate's eyes were glued onto the page. A ritual symbol was required for the sacrifices, and it was depicted with full 3-d graphics on the page.

Unaware of the older woman's fixation, Annika shrugged. "It really doesn't matter anyway. We're just speculating on the occult aspect anyway."

Tearing her eyes away Kate said, "You're right." Then happily closed the page, and logged off the internet. "Did you find anything?"

"I'm afraid nothing useful," she admitted reluctantly.

Gauging the tightness around her eyes, Kate realized that they had been at it all day. It was now late in the afternoon, and their search seemed to be going nowhere. "I know it's frustrating, but this isn't getting us anywhere. I think we should call it a day."

Unwilling to concede defeat Annika began, "I don't know, I just get the feeling that we're so close,"

"Look, honey," Kate began with an amused grin, "we're both tired and by my calculations neither of us has eaten anything proper today. Why don't we get a real dinner and head back to my place? I've heard that sometimes you just need to get away from a thing to see it more clearly. What do you think?"

Dragging a tired hand through her hand Annika said, "All right, you win. I guess I am tired at that."

The blonde turned to shut down the microfiche reader, and Kate glanced up at the screen just as Annika reached for it.

"Wait, what's that?" Kate asked grasping her hand to prevent her turning off the machine.

"What?"

The redhead pointed to an article on the screen. One of the newspaper stories of the disappearances Annika had been reading had been continued on a back page. Beside the clipping on page twenty was a picture of a farmer. The caption was "Delinquents Vandalize Private Property", and the story itself was cast in an unremarkable light. But it was the picture in the background that had caught Kate's eye.

"Local farmer complains that teenagers had lit a bonfire on his property, and were burning animal remains," Annika read. "So what? It was just some kids messing around. It probably didn't mean anything."

"I'm not so sure. Look at this." Kate pointed to a burned section that the farmer was standing next to. The lines were too perfect to be random, and the professor knew she had seen this same design only a few moments before. "You see this? It's the same design as I saw in that satanic rituals article."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Kate whispered, meeting the other's woman's horrified gaze.

Turning back to the clipping, Annika quickly skimmed through it. "This incident took place on September 30^th, the same day as the last abduction. It says the fire occurred on the south end of his property, located on FM 824 in Dripping Springs."

Thinking quickly of the layout of their hometown, Kate asked, "Doesn't FM 824 run parallel to 290?"

"Yes, it's north of 290 about two miles," Annika confirmed.

"That doesn't sound like it's very far from your property. If I remember right 824 isn't a very long road."

"It's not. It's just an old farm to market road that connects the end of Dripping Springs to the interstate. It only runs about nine miles," Annika concluded, suddenly excited.

With a grin Kate said, "That also narrows down the search radius. And since we now know that the two events are connected and that they are occult motivated, we know we have three days to find them."

Ever the voice of reason Annika argued, "But what if they simply moved locations? We have no way of knowing that they would conduct the ritual in the same place."

"I may not be an expert in dark rituals," Kate answered, "but I am a doctor of psychology, and one thing I can tell you is that the word ritual implies a set pattern of behavior. In order for a ritual to be effective, at least to the mind of the participants, is that it be consistent. Every detail has to be copied, and that would include location. I'd say that all you need to do now is call Waters."

"Thank you, Kate," Annika said squeezing her hand, as relief for the missing surged through her.

She called Rick from a payphone outside the library, and passed on all of the pertinent information. Excitedly, he repeated it back to ensure that he had all of the details right. The information would be passed on to the task force, and every domicile in the nine-mile area would be searched. That included homes, barns, doghouses, and abandoned shacks. Nothing would be missed. Before hanging up he assured her that with this information they would find the children within a twenty-four hour period.

With the information passed on, Annika and Kate were virtually relieved of their part in the investigation. There was really no need for them to be involved from this point on, but they knew that Rick would inform them as soon as the children were found. Knowing that the FBI agents assigned to this case were the best in the field, Annika felt sure that would happen soon.

Weight lifted from her shoulders, Annika smiled teary-eyed as she prepared to enjoy a wonderful dinner with a gorgeous woman.

Several hours later they tumbled through the door of Annika's house with their arms wrapped around each other. Kate's tongue wrestled with the other woman's as they stumbled through the entry way locked in a passionate embrace. Dinner had been good, the wine had been sweet, and the company even sweeter. Their hearts were happy, and both were in the mood to celebrate the beauty of what was happening between them.

They had decided to stop at Annika's house since it was closer, and the motivation of Kate's hand buried inside her shirt had definitely been a contributing factor. The sensation of the small hand tugging on her nipples while she was driving was making it exceedingly difficult to see, much less operate a vehicle.

"I want you now," Kate breathed against the young doctor's lips as they stumbled into the house.

Holding tightly to lead the smaller woman through the house Annika panted, "Almost there,"

"Can't wait that long."

Suddenly Annika dropped her purse as she felt herself being pulled down onto the carpeted floor of the living room. More than eager to comply she stretched out on top of Kate, pressing sweetly against her.

"Oh yes," Kate groaned wrapping her legs around the narrow waist and pressing her crotch up against her.

Annika responded by grinding against her, eliciting another moan of desire and acute arousal. She quickly realized that as arousing as that was, it was driving her crazy with frustration. Releasing one hand from thick auburn strands she reached for the hem of Kate's shirt, and pulled it from her slacks. With the waistband finally unhindered by the material, she unsnapped the button and slid her hand inside.

Feeling the burrowing hand slip beneath her underwear and comb impatiently through her bush, Kate eagerly released one leg from Annika's waist to give her more room.

"Yes, baby," Kate grunted, "go inside me."

It was Annika's turn to groan as two of her fingers were encased in soft, wet, velvet heat. Bracing her hand with her own crotch, she thrust hard with her hips impaling her fingers deep inside the other woman.

"Oh God, you feel so good inside," the young woman moaned against Kate's lips.

With excitement building steadily in her belly Annika broke their kiss to pant heavily into a delicate ear as she began thrusting firmly. The motion was driving Kate wild, and she didn't know when it happened but both her heels were on the floor and her hips were a driving counterpoint to Annika's thrusts. She could feel the pressure in her loins building to an almost painful pressure as sharp, white teeth closed over her ear lobe. "Oh, oh," she panted. "Oh, Annika, fuck me."

The erotic words flowed over Annika like whiskey causing her to moan and hump against Kate faster. "Mine," she groaned, "you're mine."

"Yes," Kate agreed breathlessly, her face burning.

"Say it," the blonde ordered. "I want to hear it."

Arms wrapped tightly around a long neck Kate grunted, "I'm yours, only yours. Oh please, don't stop."

The warm, thrusting tongue in her ear after hearing those words finally drove Annika over the edge. Dimly she heard Kate's own cry of release as both women clutched frantically at each other. Spasms tore through both women relentlessly, abating only gradually. Feeling her heart beginning to slow, Annika inhaled the scent of Kate's hair deeply. She had to swallow several times, but finally she was able to speak.

"Are you ready for round two?" she offered sweetly, resting her upper body weight on her elbows.

"Yeow!" Kate responded playfully. "I like the way you think, but may I make a suggestion?" she asked shifting uncomfortably. "Can we move to the bedroom? I'm afraid the floor is a little too hard."

Grinning the blonde returned, "I seem to recall you starting this. In fact, I believe you were very insistent."

Planting a kiss on the cleft chin Kate said, "Yes well, as romantic as the idea was, I think I'm a little too old to go rolling around on the floor."

Annika stood on shaky knees before offering a hand to help the other woman up. "Come on, Granny," she teased. "I believe I know of somewhere a lot more comfortable, and I even have some chilled white wine in case you get thirsty later."

Kate had begun to turn toward the bedroom when the blonde suddenly pulled her back into her strong arms. Resting her forehead against the redhead's she said, "You are not too old. You are only a few years older than I am, and you are perfect. And right now you are driving me perfectly insane with wanting to bury my tongue inside you."

"Ummm," Kate purred, wrapping the blonde up in a hug. "Are you trying to tempt me?"

"Is it working?" the young woman asked softly, lowering her head to capture a brief kiss.

After a few delicious moments, Kate admitted, "I don't think I need tempting."

A few hours later an empty wine bottle lay neglected by the bed. Two glasses sat on the nightstand, and two women cuddled contentedly in the middle of the bed. Kate snuggled on top of Annika's long, supple form. Their naked bodies fit together perfectly, and she lay with her ear against her chest, contentedly listening to Annika's heart beat.

She was drifting in that place just before slumber with the soothing feeling of long fingers combing slowly through her hair when Annika awakened her completely by saying softly, "I love you, you know."

Opening her eyes, Kate lifted her head and smiled. Perhaps sleep wasn't so important after all.

_________________________________________

Eyes dark and calculating he looked up through the trees at the nearly full moon. Thin, cruel lips twisted into an evil grin as he realized that the time was close. A few more days and Malikai would be appeased with another offering. He extinguished his cigarette before trudging on through the woods. Although his appointed disciple should have been above suspicion he wasn't. The very nature of his employment was the reason the Deacon was following up on him.

The Deacon was all he was known by to his disciples. It was safer for him if one of the others was caught or questioned. He was also aware that the moniker tended to inspire fear in his followers, and that was definitely something to be encouraged.

Sneaking quietly through the woods he came to the clearing before the entrance to the tunnels, and waited calmly. He didn't have to wait long before the appointed one arrived. The crunch of tires and the gentle hum of an engine split the night, but there was no light he saw with satisfaction. The headlights had been extinguished for the sake of stealth, and the black and white vehicle stopped before him. Brake lights illuminated briefly before the engine was shut off. A moment later, a car door opened and a large form unfolded from inside.

The huge, muscled arms were filled with a cardboard box. Smiling the Deacon was pleased to see his disciple begin carrying supplies to the entrance of the underground tunnels. These were the things they would need in a few days, and though he was pleased he wasn't yet sure if this one could be trusted. Settling down against a tree to watch, he abstained from lighting another butt to prevent giving himself away. Glancing at the illuminated dial on his wristwatch he discovered that it wasn't even eleven yet. He sighed contentedly. The night was the domain of Malikai, and he felt close to the dark lord as he watched.

__________________________________________________

Annika inhaled deeply as she woke up. Her heart was still pounding from the dream. For a moment she lay wondering what it was that had been so disturbing about a seemingly benign dream. She and Kate had been wandering through Norwood just like they had a few days ago. Again, they toured the dilapidated structure winding up near the exit and staring into the night.

The image that had caused her to bolt to full wakefulness had been that of setting the sneaker on the porch railing. But why would such an innocuous thing have her feeling so unsettled? Something about it wouldn't leave her alone, wouldn't let her rest. Frowning she pulled back the covers and slid out from under Kate. The smell of sex hit her full force with the raised sheets, and a fond smile curled the corners of her lips. Kate grumbled unintelligibly, and rolled over to find a more comfortable spot. Annika reached for a bathrobe before padding out of the room. She'd brought the files with her from Kate's, stuffed in her handbag and now went searching for them.

Knowing she was unlikely to get any more sleep, she stopped to put on a pot of coffee before retrieving the documents. Then with cup in hand, she sat pushed on her glasses before settling down at the coffee table. With only the table lamp on she began riffling through the more recent documents. As many times as she'd read them, she felt that she should know them by heart, but something was nagging at her.

She had gone through all of the missing persons reports without finding anything, and sat back in frustration. Staring emptily at the documents spread before her, Annika sipped at her now-cold coffee when something seemed to suddenly leap out at her.

Hear thumping in her throat, she sat down the cup and reached for one of the reports with a shaking hand. It was the missing persons report for a Joseph Miller. Included in the document was a description of what he'd been wearing when he was last seen, right down to his size one red and white sneakers.

Jumping to her feet she bumped the table, but didn't even notice the turned over coffee cup as she ran for the bedroom.

The harsh glare of the light coming on unexpectedly roused Kate from a pleasant sleep. Grumbling she sat up holding a hand over her squinted eyes. "What the hell," she began.

"Get dressed," Annika said briefly. "I know where they are." Then she dove for her dresser and began tugging on a pair of jeans.

"Where who..." Kate started then stopped as her eyes went wide. Throwing back the covers fully awake she jumped up asking, "Mind if I borrow something?"

Annika's response was to toss her a sweatshirt, and a pair of socks. Pants were out of the question as the tall blondes clothing would be too big on her. She had to cuff the shirt as it was, but her jeans from earlier would do fine. The duo dressed quickly and started for the front of the house.

"Shouldn't you call someone?" Kate reminded the young agent gently.

"Good idea," Annika acknowledged grabbing the phone. She placed a quick call to Waters and after waking the gruff man from a sound sleep had his promise that he would rouse he team and they would be on the way. Then she made another call to Sheriff Amos' office. The dispatcher picked up the phone, but said the Sheriff had gone home for the night. Promising to contact him immediately she ended the call.

"So where are we going, anyway?" Kate asked tensely. If she was surprised by the answer, she tried very hard not to show it.

"Norwood Manor."

_____________________________________________

Kate had never seen the young woman so focused. She had seen her quiet, shy, embarrassed, and passionate yes, but not this solemnly intent. In a way it frightened her, but in another way she was happy to be on the same side. But when Annika opened her handbag and took out the Glock, her mouth suddenly went dry. The young woman eased back the slide to ensure that a round was already chambered before she thumbed the magazine release. All fifteen rounds were in the magazine, and she slammed it back into the housing.

"Hold on there, Annie Oakley," Kate said placing a hand on the blonde's forearm. The vacant look that was turned on her scared a quiver from the professor before she clamped down on it. Then Annika was back and looking at her with a question in her sky blue eyes. "Why Norwood, and what are we going to do when we get there? Burst in and say reach for the sky?"

She could tell that for some reason Annika was blaming herself for something. She just couldn't figure out what it was. 

"I missed it," Annika said cryptically. "I'm supposed to be a trained investigator and all of the signs were there from the beginning. I just missed it."

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked in confusion.

With a muscle flexing in her jaw, Annika ground her teeth for a moment before responding. "A couple of weeks ago I thought I saw a light on in Norwood. It was late, and there were no other lights around. I thought it was just a reflection from my headlights."

"And what makes you think differently now?"

"The shoe we found the other night?" she prompted seeking Kate's comprehension.

"Yes?"

"It was in one of the missing persons reports," she told Kate. "Joe Miller." "We had it in our hands, Kate," she insisted angrily.

"Shh, shh," Kate soothed running a hand through her hair. "That's not important now. Blaming yourself isn't going to change anything. We know where they are, and we will save them. That is all that counts."

Nodding her head, Annika had to take heart from those words as she tucked the .40 caliber semi-automatic into a shoulder holster that she took off the coat rack. She was interrupted retrieving two flashlights by Kate asking nervously, "Don't you think we should wait for back up, or whatever it is they call it?"

"No time," Annika answered reasonably. "They know where we'll be, but every minute could make a difference."

"Okay, stop," Kate ordered when the blonde looked like she was about to walk out. "For those of us who haven't majored in covert operations, do you think you could tell me what the plan is?" she asked sarcastically.

She really wasn't trying to be a bitch, but she was a little out of her depth, and more than a little scared. Although she would never back down from helping seven defenseless children, she was willing to concede to a little healthy fear.

"I'm sorry," Annika said contritely. Turning back to Kate, she enfolded the smaller woman in her arms and rested her chin on her head. "I guess we really shouldn't go in there with guns blazing, huh?"

"Yeah," Kate said dryly. "Especially considering that I don't have a gun."

Wincing a little, the blonde thought about the nearly decapitated Harry Dalton and realized exactly how dangerous this could get. "Perhaps it would be better if you were to stay here."

"Uh uh, not a chance," Kate responded sternly. "And if you make me stay here out of some sense of protectiveness, I will just follow you. It's not like I don't know where you're going."

Staring into flashing gray eyes, Annika knew that she was not going to win this argument. "You really are that stubborn, aren't you?" she asked in exasperation. She knew that Kate should stay out of harm's way, but she also knew that the smaller woman was right on more than one count. First, Kate knew exactly where they were going, and two that Annika had no back up yet. If she got into trouble no one would know.

"Fine," she relented, "but you will be armed." She went into the bedroom and returned a moment later with a Beretta .32 Tomcat. The tiny semi-automatic was a close range weapon, but at least it was something. "It was my back up weapon when I was on field training," she explained. "It's already loaded. All you have to do is aim and shoot. Don't jerk the trigger, just squeeze it."

"I was raised on a farm, remember?" Kate asked with a grin. "I know how to fire a weapon. Is this the safety?"

Soon they were on their way. Annika had explained that she had seen a light in the window of Norwood, but since there had been no obvious traffic in and out, there was evidently another way in. Because they didn't have the entire night to search the woods, they would have to enter through the house, and try to find where the children were hidden. The basement was clearly the place to start. She and Kate had been through the house only a few days ago, and had seen nothing anywhere else, but they hadn't gone into the root cellar. Annika just didn't understand why they wouldn't have heard the kids if they were in the cellar. The kitchen was practically on top of it and children were loud, weren't they?

Again they walked the familiar path through the pasture to the old manor house. The sound of a car approaching would definitely have been heard, and that was something to be avoided. Standing at the foot of the overgrown drive, the house seemed more sinister than it ever had. The gaping darkness of the windows appeared to watch and mock their every move.

Kate felt a hand on her shoulder, and started sharply. Embarrassed she turned to see what Annika wanted.

"Do you remember what I told you?" the blonde asked in a low voice.

Impatient to get on with it, Kate fought not to roll her eyes. "Yes, keep your head down, and try to stay quiet. I remember."

"Not that part," Annika responded with a smile as they crouched in the darkness. When Kate only looked at her uncomprehendingly she said, "The part about I love you."

"Oh," Kate said her expression softening. She knew that the young woman wasn't asking for her to reciprocate, only that she understand. It wasn't that Kate didn't return those feelings. In all her life, there had only been one other that she had cared this much for. It had been fear that had kept her from voicing those feelings. In light of what they were about to face, her qualms seemed a little juvenile.

Annika had already started to turn away not expecting a response when she heard; "I love you, too…my sweet Annika."

Turning back in surprise she was just in time to catch the smaller woman that flew into her arms. For a moment they just held each other absorbing the warmth and strength they found in each others arms. Then they drew away and it was time for last minute instructions.

"All I want you to do is help me find the kids, and take them out. We'll take them to my house. If we run into anyone and there is any kind of confrontation, take the kids and run like hell. Is that understood?"

Hands resting against the blondes chest Kate smiled and said, "You seem awfully sure that we'll find them."

For answer Annika kissed her quickly and responded, "I'm sure. Now let's go."

She grabbed Kate's smaller hand and both of them stayed as close in the shadows of the trees as possible as they approached the house. Kate held the tiny pistol in her hand carefully keeping her fingers away from the trigger while Annika hefted the larger weapon easily in her left hand. From here on, there would be no verbal communication, and Kate could feel her heart in her throat but she wasn't backing down now.

They had planned to go into the house from the back. It was closer to the kitchen, and would prevent them from walking on any creaking porch boards. Annika signaled that she was going first, and stepped forward to stand beside the door jam. With her weapon at the ready, she leaned forward and placed her free hand on the knob. Making eye contact with Kate, the smaller woman nodded that she was ready. Taking a deep breath, the young woman carefully turned the knob, and eased the door open. She was thrilled that it didn't squeak.

A few moments later they were inside. Listening intently neither of them could hear anything threatening, but that didn't mean that the hair on the back of their necks wasn't standing on end.

Standing at the cellar door Kate dreaded what was coming next. Neither of them had ever been in the cellar, and although the moon was nearly full there was little light inside the house. Being unfamiliar with the layout of the room they either had to rely on night vision or turn on their lights. With the lights off, there was no way they would find anything. But with the lights on they were sitting ducks for anyone watching. With no other choice they turned on their lights and hooded them with their hands.

Kate opened the door at Annika's nod and waited for the younger woman to head through the door. Both were disappointed a few moments later when they found it empty. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about the room with the dirt floor. Shelves lined each side of the earthen walls, and the smell of decay was strong. Water dripped from somewhere nearby, but in the gloom Kate couldn't see anything.

There has to be something here, she thought desperately. Moving to the back of the room she knelt near the shelves and began looking for something, anything that they might have missed. From having grown up in the area she knew that many of the older houses had hidden accesses. The old plantations in particular had been famous for the underground railroads of escaping slaves. The Norwood legacy had been a violent one, and it wasn't too far fetched to think that something similar had occurred here.

On hands and knees Kate felt all along the boards and ran her hands up the walls. Her hands were liberally covered with dirt and still she hadn't found anything. Annika saw what she was doing, and easily caught on. Following her partners example she began on the far wall. Eventually Kate moved to the back wall and began again from the bottom. When she found the doorknob hidden in the shadows she felt almost silly. It was small for a handle and hidden in the gloom, but it was there. Turning back to Annika she tugged on her sleeve to get the other woman's attention.

Both knew that this was it. Kate opened the door again, and waited as the physician went through. She didn't like always going last but knew this was the price she had to pay for being allowed to tag along. Thus far nothing had happened, and she began to feel that nothing was going to. If the children were down here, they were alone. And if that were the case, whoever was doing this would get away with it again.

_________________________________________________

He was walking back from the car with another armload. So far he'd unloaded all of the robes, the ritual blade, and most of the other accoutrements. All of the children were in place, and they were almost set for the ceremony. Malikai would be pleased.

Stooping to fit through the dungeon-like door he squeezed his broad shoulders through the entry and froze when he spotted the light at the end of the tunnel. Instinctively ducking down, he dropped the box on the floor and hugged the walls. There was no reason for any of the others to be here yet which meant only one thing. The children had been discovered.

He hadn't been seen, and there was nothing to connect him with this crime so he was free to leave. The only problem was his car. If whoever was here wasn't alone, and someone saw the car he would be caught. With that in mind he knew there was another way out, but it depended on the children being drugged enough that they wouldn't remember him. Since he'd just fed them the systole through their sandwiches only an hour ago, his chances were good.

Leaving the box where it was he quickly scooted back outside. He needed to make it look as though he'd just arrived. Pulling out his flashlight and quickly switching it on, he jogged back into the tunnels making as much noise as possible.

______________________________________________________

Tense fingers grasped her arm as Kate listened to a heavily panting breath coming toward them. A light danced from the other end of the tunnel, and suddenly a tall, muscled man came lumbering around the corner. Coming face to face with the women he stared at them in apparent surprise.

"Am I in time? Are they here?"

Annika and Kate's glances met briefly before the agent turned back to the newcomer. "Hi, Billy. You got here awfully fast. Sally said you had gone home."

Thinking furiously he responded, "Yeah, well I was still up doing some reading so it didn't take long to get here. Have you found anything?" he asked deflecting their interest from his timely arrival.

"Not yet," she answered, "but we just discovered the tunnels."

Letting out his breath in silent relief, he realized that things were still manageable. "Did you call anyone else? Back up, I mean," he queried not noticing how quiet Kate was.

"Yes," Annika answered guilelessly, "but I'm afraid I woke them up, and they're coming from Austin. It might take a while. I figured we'd get here and see what we could do as soon as possible."

"Good idea," Billy assured her. "Why don't we start up by the door where you came in and check all of the rooms one by one?"

For an instant Kate felt Annika tense next to her and realized that the blonde had caught on. How could he know where they had come in unless he'd been here before? Things suddenly came crashing in on the psychologist and she knew why none of the children had struggled. This man was wearing a uniform, and universally recognized as the one to go to when in trouble. All parents schooled their children to find a policeman if they were lost or frightened, why would they suspect that he would harm them?

From the moment he'd come upon them, she'd been suspicious. Where had he come from? The only entrance they knew of was from the manor, and instinctively she'd known that something was wrong. Suddenly Kate was fourteen years old again, and facing down a bully. It was no different now than it had been then, he was still preying on the weak and defenseless. At least when he was a child he had done so openly instead of hiding behind a badge. Feeling her spine stiffen she asked, "Why don't you just save us the trouble and tell us where they are, Amos?"

Sickened by what he had become she couldn't resist taunting, "You always were a coward, Billy. I don't know how I ever believed that you could change." Warning fingers tightened on her arm. Annika was smart enough to know that when you had the element of surprise you didn't squander it. Now it was too late, and she had no choice but to watch Kate's back just as she had so many years ago.

Black eyes turned to chips of flint in the darkened tunnel, and before either woman realized it Billy was pointing his weapon at them. Annika's Glock was still in her hand, but useless at her side. By the time she brought it to bear he would have shot her. Kate had better luck with the tiny pistol concealed in the palm of her hand. The shadows would cover the rest if she kept her hand against her side.

Waving the gun he motioned for them to precede him down the tunnel. "No tricks, Hansen," he ordered, clearly seeing her as the more dangerous of the duo. "My gun is aimed at Janeway. If you try anything I'll still have plenty of time to pull the trigger."

Walking down the tunnel ahead of the officer, her brain raced furiously. Annika knew that he would try to kill them, but if there was any chance of them surviving she wanted answers to a few questions first. "Since you're going to kill us anyway, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What do you want to know?" he asked almost eagerly.

Again Kate's gut twisted as she listened to his voice. He was just like a kid wanting to gloat about how well he had done something.

"The kids are down here, aren't they?" Annika asked. "Are they still alive?"

"Yes, they're here. But they wont be alive for much longer. Soon Malikai will have the sacrifice he needs and we shall be the exalted ones basking in his favor for many years," he answered giving her much more information than she had solicited.

Stopping at the tunnel opening Annika was surprised to see that they were deep in the woods. She didn't have time to do more than take a cursory look before asking another question. If she could make it look like she was just curious, perhaps she could turn her body enough to shield Kate. "Why Billy? How did you get involved in something like this?"

Hearing the disdain in her voice he suddenly became angry. Raising a meaty fist he slammed it sideways across her face knocking her heavily to the dirt. The impact with the ground loosened her grasp from the weapon, and it skittered away from her into the darkness.

"Unbeliever," he rasped at her. "How could you understand? My father showed me the way of the Order. I have followed in his footsteps in all things and soon I shall be one of the anointed."

"And what of the children?" Kate barked. "The blood of a few innocent children means nothing to you?"

He seemed almost surprised at the question, and regarded her in sympathy for her lack of understanding. "They mean everything," he countered. "The innocents will lead to the corruption of man, and we shall live in everlasting flame."

"You shall live in everlasting hell!" Kate corrected him losing control of her temper and feeling the old Katie Janeway rising to the surface. Even as she dropped the flashlight onto the tunnel floor she brought the other hand up, shifting her grasp to aim the gun at Billy. He was so surprised by the move that he never reacted, and she had squeezed the trigger once before he even blinked. Almost in slow motion they watched the hole erupt in the front of his shirt. Then their eyes met, and he slowly sank to his knees. Then his gun was coming up, and Kate felt the adrenaline surge through her veins.

Reaching down she grabbed Annika by the arm. "Come on!" she yelled. They were twenty feet away from him when Kate realized there had been no answering shot. Slowing she turned back and saw Billy lying face down on the ground.

"Is he dead?" Annika asked wiping at her bloodied nose.

Shaking her head Kate said, "I don't see how he couldn't be. I was less than five feet from him."

"Then we still need to get the children," Annika said. "Just keep an eye on him. I need to find my gun."

Kate nodded and started walking back to the tunnels. Amos was no threat now, and she felt almost sorry for him. As a child shed known he was unstable, his father had abused him and his mother had left him. In response to that he'd terrorized anyone weaker than he was. But she had really hoped that he'd dealt with all of those trials, and grown from them. In the end, he had let them consume him. She stared down at the motionless figure in sympathy for a moment before finally stepping past him and walking down the dirt corridor. She was so fixated on retrieving the youngsters that Billy was already dismissed as a threat.

She began to turn back suddenly when she heard Annika shout, "Kate, behind you!"

A loud boom echoed throughout the chambers, and then she was on her back staring into the cracked ceiling. What was that sound, she wondered numbly, and why was she lying down? Was it time to sleep?

Darkness swam at the corners of her vision, and she blinked against the fog. There was no pain, just a disconcerting numbness spreading from her shoulder down into her chest. Dimly she could hear shouting, but she couldn't understand what all of the fuss was about.

________________________________________________

Annika bent to retrieve her Glock from next to a large stone. The shadows it cast had momentarily concealed the weapon, and she grabbed it in relief. When next she looked up it was to witness the horror of Billy Amos rising to his knees and pointing his service revolver down into the tunnels. Absently she realized there was no blood on his shirt, but that Kate had said she shot him.

Bulletproof vest, her mind supplied helpfully as she shouted out a warning. Then she was diving for cover as the deranged man turned toward her. With some bushes as concealment, Annika tried not to flinch as bullets tore through very close beside her. Using a two-hand hold, she began returning fire. Allowing the adrenaline to carry her, she emptied the fifteen round magazine in only a few seconds. The first few shots missed, kicking up dirt and chipping off rock, but finally a round found its mark. It hit him high in the left arm, pitching him back but not disabling him. The next one shattered his collarbone, and the final round tore out his throat.

Gurgling blood he finally fell to the ground. Not willing to be fooled again, Annika approached him cautiously. All of her instincts were urging her to go to Kate, now, but she had to make sure he was neutralized first. Quelling her more primal urges, she approached Billy with her gun still aimed at him, but once she was standing over him his sightless eyes convinced her he was dead.

Weakly she dropped her arm to her side, and kicked the gun out of his hand and into the bushes. Then she was running for Kate.

"Kate! Kate!" she shouted in sobbing pants as she dropped to her knees beside the fallen woman.

Confused eyes fluttered in the dimly lit chamber. "How bad are you hurt?" Annika asked frantically.

The sound of many running feet, and bobbing lights coming from the direction of the manor caused her to look up in fear. Raising her gun and attempting to shield the smaller woman with her own body, Annika prepared to defend themselves against Amos accomplices.

"Hansen, is that you?" A gruffly familiar voice asked in worry.

Relief washed over her as she recognized Waters voice. "Yes, it's us. Kate's hurt, we need an ambulance."

Rick had no idea who Kate was but the fear in the young doctor's voice was enough for him. "Call for an ambulance," he ordered before dropping down into the dirt next to her.

"The kids are all here," she said briefing him quickly. "Sheriff Amos is dead. I think he's the one who kidnapped them, but I don't believe he was acting alone."

"I'll be a son of a b…" Rick began in disgust that a law enforcement office would be involved in something like his when one of the junior agents interrupted him.

"I've got a little girl, here," he shouted excitedly from a nearby cell. "She's unconscious, but she's alive. Her wrists are locked up, though."

Taking a deep breath Annika suggested they check Amos body for the key. Soon it was clear that all of the youngsters were accounted for and she was free to concentrate on Kate.

Her eyes didn't look so muddled anymore, but there was a definite paleness to the features that was clear even in the dark. Ignoring Rick, Annika eased back the collar of the T-shirt and shone a light on the wound. Thankfully it looked like it was only a flesh wound. Kate had turned at just the right moment to avoid being shot in the back. Undoubtedly the impact, and the unexpected crash to the ground had disoriented the psychologist, and Annika had to admit that it probably hurt like hell.

"Are they okay?" Kate asked leaning gratefully against the blonde for support.

Once Rick had made sure that Annika had things under control with the redhead, he had gone off to make sure that all of the children were safe, and unearth what evidence he could. If they were very lucky they might even be able to find out who else was involved. That left the two women able to converse freely.

"They're alright," Annika said bending down to gently kiss Kate's forehead. "You're the one who almost wasn't." Then wrapping her arms around the smaller woman she said more fiercely, "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"I wont," Kate promised and began to chuckle. The laugh quickly turned into a hiss of pain, and her lover urged her to stand.

"Come on, I'm taking you to a hospital."

Contacting Rick briefly, Annika apprised him of the change in plans. He let her know that all of the children appeared to have been drugged, but were alive. He would see to it that they were taken to the hospital, and their families informed. Before letting her go he reminded Annika of the mountain of paperwork that would be waiting for her the next day. Groaning internally at what was still in store, the blonde had to admit that she couldn't regret her part in finding the missing youngsters.

Walking with their arms around each other, Kate couldn't resist pointing out, "But, I thought an ambulance was coming here."

"Forget the ambulance," Annika growled. "I want a doctor treating my girlfriend, not an EMT."

Realizing that an EMT was perfectly qualified the older woman was quiet as she was lost in the sentiment behind the words. "Girlfriend, huh? Is that what I am?"

The blonde didn't miss the smile in the question, and found herself smiling in return. "For want of a better word," she acknowledged shyly, hoping that Kate wouldn't mind.

"I like that," the redhead said simply.

As they walked up to the manor and commandeered one of the cars neither of them felt the malevolence being sent to them in waves from the Deacon. He had seen it all. Watching in surprise when Amos first sprinted out of the tunnels, and later through the shoot-out with the tall blonde. The rest he could guess by what he had heard when still inside the earthen walls. But being the leader of this sect, he couldn't allow himself to come to the man's aid. If he perished there would be no one to carry on.

For that matter, there would be no one to exact revenge. Malikai would not be pleased that his sacrifice had been thwarted. Revenge was required, and the Deacon's eyes narrowed as he realized he would be only too happy to exact it.

To the modern man, revenge was just a word meaning payback. But to those of the order, revenge was a beast, a living entity that would not be easily appeased. Since the two women had brought down Malikai's offering, they would be the two that would satisfy that beast. He would make sure of it.

The End

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