A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Twenty-Five *FFY Sequel*

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Subject: A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Twenty-Five *FFY Sequel*
Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP
Posts: 280
Posted At: (10/19/02 8:03 am)
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Chapter Twenty

Curling her fingers around the handle of the gold faucet, Sheridan slowly turned it until a steady flow of cold water tumbled out. A second later, she dipped both hands into the icy cold water and splashed it over her face. It had been a while since she'd thought about that night. The last time right before Luis 'died'.

But there was something different about this time. The images had seemed even more vivid than before. They'd certainly affected her more. Her heart was still racing with the fear that had haunted her since childhood.

She just wished she could remember what happened that night. Eve had told her months ago that hypnosis might be able to help her remember, but before they'd been able to try the process, she and Luis had been kidnapped and ultimately torn apart.

Losing Luis had nearly killed her and she'd been so grief stricken that the only thing she'd been able to think about was him and the life they could have had. That was the only reprieve she'd had from her childhood nightmares, but it was also the one time she would have gladly welcomed them. Anything would have been better than going through the pain of thinking Luis was dead.

Picking up the rag she'd gotten off the shelf behind her, she dried her face then reached forward and turned the water off. Her eyes strayed to the mirror, studying the reflection she saw there, and she wasn't at all surprised to see the red rim around her eyes. Or the unshed tears that once again threatened to fall.

Shaking her head, she laid the rag back down onto the cabinet and averted her eyes from the mirror. They immediately landed on the doorknob. She knew she'd taken the easy way out of the conversation with Luis, but she hadn't been able to listen to anymore. Not with the images of that night still playing inside her head.

She knew he was right about there being a lot of missing pieces in what happened that night. She also knew there was a good chance things weren't the way her mind made them appear, but that didn't change the fact that she had stabbed a man. That she'd had his blood on her hands. It also didn't change the fact that his face was forever engraved in her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Sheridan reached out a hand and opened the bathroom door. A moment later, she walked into the living room, only to freeze when she saw Luis digging into a wall with a knife. "Luis? What…what are you doing?"

"There's something in your wall and I'm trying to dig it out." He worked the knife into the wall again, causing pieces of the plaster to fall around his feet, and finally after a few more seconds, he got whatever he'd been digging for out. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" She asked, walking toward him and the object he held in his hand. When she got close enough, she gasped. "Oh my god. Is that…is that a bullet?"

Luis turned to look at her, his eyes dark and filled with simmering anger. "Yeah, it's a bullet. A bullet, I'd say has been in this wall a long time. You're father and brother tried to cover it up by remodeling and putting new paint on the walls, but…but whoever they hired forgot to take out the bullet and cover up the hole it left with mud."

He held the bullet between his thumb and index finger and as his eyes returned to it, she knew exactly what he was thinking. "You believe this has something to do with that night, don't you? The night your father disappeared?"

"Yeah," He nodded, his dark eyes swinging back to hers. "I do."

* * * * *

Luis held the bullet between his thumb and index finger then slowly shook his head. "My father hated guns, Sheridan. He always made sure we knew how dangerous they were. He hated any type of violence. And since the cottage was remodeled directly after your father kicked us out, I'd say this bullet has something to do with what happened that night. But the question is what?"

"Do you remember much else about your father?" She asked, sorrow filling her gaze. "I mean do you remember anything from that night at all?"

Furrowing his brow, trying to recall what he knew about that night, he frowned. "I keep drawing a blank. I don't remember anything about that night besides wondering why Papa didn't come home like he was supposed to."

But even as he said it, memories impaled him.

"Papa, why are you going to the Crane's so late? Can't you do whatever it is they want you to do tomorrow?" Luis asked, a frown filling out his face.

His father merely shook his head. "Sorry, Luis, but I can't. This is something that I'm afraid won't wait. Don't worry though. I'll be back soon. You and Antonio keep an eye on things while I'm gone okay?"

"Okay, Papa." Luis said, still not understanding why his father had to go. "We'll keep an eye on Mama, Theresa, Paloma, and Miguel."

"Yeah." Antonio said, breaking into the conversation for the first time. "We'll even make sure they go to bed when they're supposed to."

Luis rolled his eyes and turned to look at his brother. "Papa, will be back before bedtime. That's almost two hours away."

Turning back to his father, he furrowed his brow again. "You'll be back before then, won't you? Whatever you have to do for the Crane's won't take that long, will it?"

"I don't know, Luis." His father whispered, his eyes straying toward the window and the big house that set off in the distance. "I'm not sure how long this will take. I'll be back as soon as I can though. Until then you and Antonio are in charge. Well, at least until Mama makes you go to bed, anyway."

His father turned and walked toward the door then. As his hand hesitated over the knob, the muscles in Luis' stomach tightened. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. He just didn't know what exactly it was he was feeling. He turned to his brother, to see if he noticed anything odd about their father leaving, and wasn't at all surprised to see his brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought.

The closing of the door had Luis' swiveling back around. He didn't know what it was about that sound, but he knew he didn't like it. "What do you think is going on, Antonio?"

"I don't know." His brother replied, his tone somewhat distracted. "But whatever it is, I'm not sure I like it. Papa seemed worried."

"He did to me too." He said, turning back to face his older brother. "But why would he be worried about going to the Crane mansion?"

His brother shook his head then lifted a shoulder into a casual shrug. "I don't know, but I suppose we can ask him when he comes back."

Luis turned back toward the door, another frown on his face. Something about his brother's statement bothered him, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what exactly it was.

Shaking his head to clear it of the memory, Luis slowly looked around the room. When his eyes landed on the front door of the cottage, a familiar feeling washed over him. "Papa never came back that night. Somehow I knew he wouldn't. I don't know how, but I did. I just had this feeling in my gut. The moment I heard that door close it was like I knew it would be the last time I saw my father, but if I knew that then why didn't I go after him? Why didn't I follow him to the mansion? Why didn't I -"

"Luis," Antonio stated, his voice sounding more authorative than he'd ever heard before. "Papa told us to keep an eye on things here. We can't do that if we go to the Crane mansion. Besides, what if we got caught? Do you realize how upset Papa would be with us? Leaving Mama and the younger kids alone? And I don't know about you, but I certainly wouldn't want to face Alistair's wrath if he caught us sneaking around the mansion. You know we aren't allowed to go there."

Luis nodded, his eyes still peering out the window at the huge mansion in the distance. "But what if Papa needs us? What if something is wrong and…"

"You're going to drive yourself - and me - crazy with that kind of talk. Papa will be fine. He'll be back soon. You'll see."

Luis knew Antonio was just as worried as he was. He could hear it in his voice. His brother was trying to pretend everything was okay because he was older and he thought it best not to let on to the fact that he was worried too, but Luis knew. Luis knew he was worried and that fact worried him even more. If they both knew something was wrong and they both knew it had to do with Papa going to the Crane mansion then they both couldn't be wrong. Their father had taught them to always pay attention to what they were feeling. He'd said those feelings would protect them when they needed them to and right night those feelings were telling him his father needed him.

"I'm going to the mansion." Luis said, turning to face his brother. "You can stay here and keep an eye on things. If Mama asks where I am just tell her you don't know. That I must have snuck out when you were in the other room or something."

"Luis -"

Luis shook his head then locked his eyes onto his brother's. "You know something is wrong, Tony. Don’t tell me you don’t, because I know for a fact you do. I just want to make sure Papa is okay. When I find out for sure that he is, I'll come right back. I won't get caught. They won't even know I'm there."

"Hurry up." Antonio muttered under his breath. "And make sure you get back before Papa does because if you don't then I'm pretty sure we'll both be grounded and I for one do not want to be grounded over summer vacation."

Luis nodded then not wanting to give his brother time to change his mind he made a beeline for the front door. He was halfway across the lawn when he heard the first scream. It stopped him cold and had all the blood in his body rushing to his feet in less than half a second. It was chilling. Almost as if someone were…

"Oh my god." Luis said, turning his attention back to the woman in front of him and searching her worried face. "I heard you that night. I heard you scream."

Chapter Twenty-One

Luis could see the shock on Sheridan's face, but he didn't have time to focus on it. His mind was too busy replaying the memory in his head. Sweat broke out upon his brow and upper lip as he recalled the fear that had clutched his stomach as he'd heard the horrid screams…

The moment he heard the bone-chilling scream again, Luis froze, his heart rising up into his throat. The blood rushing from his head to his feet in less than a fraction of a second. He'd heard those type of screams before. Granted, they had always been in one of the horror movies Antonio loved to watch, but he'd heard them just the same.

He swallowed hard. Unsure of what he should do. Whoever had voiced the screams sounded really scared. Almost petrified. But what could have frightened them so much that they would voice the kind of spine-tingling screams he'd just heard?

He didn't know and he found himself terrified to find out. But he had to find out, he thought somehow forcing himself to move forward even though his fear told him to turn around and run. His father was somewhere in that house and he had to make sure he was okay. He just had to.

Taking another step forward, Luis about jumped out of his skin when someone behind him suddenly laid a hand upon his shoulder. He immediately twisted his head up to look at the person and the moment he found the familiar green eyes of Officer Freeman, he instantly relaxed. "You scared me."

"Sorry son, I didn't mean to do that." Officer Freeman smiled down at him, but Luis couldn't help thinking that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Had he heard the screams too? "What are you doing out here so late? Do your folks know you're wandering around the grounds? I was under the impression you weren't allowed up at the main house?"

The last had been more of a statement than a question and judging from the sudden accusation in the officer's eyes, Luis knew he'd been caught. Caught and more than likely about to be given a lecture. "My father is up at the mansion. I thought something might be wrong. Did you hear those screams?"

Officer Freeman's eyes immediately averted toward the mansion in front of them, but before Luis could turn his own eyes upon it, the man beside him grabbed him by the arm and started to steer him back toward the cottage. "I think it would be best if you went back to the cottage, son. I'm not sure what's going on at the mansion, but I doubt it's anything for you to worry about. From what I understand, Alistair's daughter has been plagued by nightmares since her mother's death late last year. That's probably who you heard screaming. She must have had another bad dream."

Luis wanted to tell him the screams he heard definitely didn't seem as if they'd been caused by a nightmare, at least not the kind you had when you were asleep anyway, but his mother appeared before he had the chance. "Mijo, what are you doing outside? It's almost bedtime."

"I, uh…" His voice trailed off as he realized he had no idea on what to say. He wasn't supposed to be outside this late at night and he certainly wasn't supposed to be this close to the mansion. "I'm sorry, Mama. Papa went to the mansion and I…I wanted to make sure he was all right. He seemed kind of worried about something."

His mother's brow furrowed slightly and as her eyes cast upon the mansion, he found his own following their path. The house seemed so creepy at night. The screams he heard made it even more so though. And knowing his father was inside that house somewhere certainly didn't help his fears any either. "Do you think Papa is okay?"

"I'm sure he is." Officer Freeman replied, his voice drawing both Luis and his mother's attention back toward him. "But if it will make you feel any better, I'll check it out. Make sure everything is okay. I'm on my way to the mansion anyway."

"This late?" His mother asked, sudden worry lighting her eyes. "Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

Officer Freeman nodded, but for some reason Luis didn't quite believe him. There was something in his eyes…he was hiding something. He was sure of it. "Nothing for you to worry about, Pilar. There was just some kind of break in at Crane Industries tonight. Some files were taken out of one of the vaults and I need to ask Alistair some more questions about them. Try and figure out why someone would take those files and not some of the petty cash that was lying nearby."

"Adios mio." His mother replied, one hand immediately flying up to cover her chest. "Someone broke into Crane Industries? Past the security?"

"That's just it." Officer Freeman said, his eyes straying back toward the mansion. "They didn't have to get past security. Somehow they were already in the building and no one seemed to see them leave. Makes me wonder if maybe it wasn't an inside job. Someone from within the company." The officer suddenly shook his head then turned back around and gave his mother a rueful smile. "Anyway, like I said, it's nothing for you guys to worry about. And I'm pretty sure Martin is just fine too. Alistair probably just wanted to discuss the break in with him. He does work at Crane Industries, after all."

His mother nodded then finally turned her attention back to him. "Papa will not like you being outside this late, Mijo. And so close the mansion! You know how he feels about you boys playing around there." She shook her head then motioned for him to precede her back to the cottage. "I think we should go back inside. You need to get ready for bed."

Luis swallowed hard and nodded. Then, after casting one last toward the mansion, he turned and using every ounce of willpower he possessed, walked back to the cottage. Antonio corned him the moment he stepped inside and the look on his face, as well as the words he spoke, pretty much said it all. "You are in big trouble."

Luis shook his head as the memory faded then drew in a deep breath and locked his eyes onto the blue eyes of the woman before him. "If Officer Freeman hadn't showed up when he did, I might have been able to stop whatever it was that happened to my father. At the very least, I would have had some clue as to why he was there one minute and gone the next. And what exactly happened in between."

"You don't know that." Sheridan whispered sadly, sudden moisture pooling in her eyes. "You don't know what would have happened had you actually been able to reach the mansion. For all you know, you may have disappeared too. Right along with your father."

Luis nodded knowing she was right, but unable to ignore the guilt barreling it's way through his system. "I was almost there, Sheridan. Another few seconds and I more than likely would have found out the answers to the question that's haunted me for over ten years. I would have known what happened to my father. I would have known and maybe…maybe I would have been able to stop it."

"Luis," Sheridan began, her voice slightly hesitant. "You were just a little boy. What could you have possibly done to stop what happened? We don’t even know for sure what did happen!"

"We know your father held a gun on mine. We know you heard a sound like a firecracker, which we both know was more than likely a gunshot. And we know…" Luis paused as the words suddenly clogged in his throat. Then, after drawing in a deep breath, he forced them out, a bitter after taste left in their wake. "We know you saw a body under a bloody sheet, Sheridan. Is it that much of a stretch to think that body could have been my father's?"

Sheridan shook her head. "I can't believe my father would do something like that. I just…he's my father, Luis!"

"A father who sent his little girl off to Paris at eleven years old, placed in the care of psychiatrists until she was twelve and then she was enrolled in a private boarding school instead of brought home." Luis shook his head then arched a brow at her. "What kind of father does that, Sheridan? What kind of father just ships his daughter off to another country instead of keeping her close by and making sure she knew there were people around that loved her? Can you tell me that? Can you tell me what kind of man would do that? Because I'm pretty sure that I can and his name is Alistair Crane."

* * * * *

Sheridan didn't want to think her father was capable of such a thing, but deep down she knew what Luis said made sense. Deep down she knew it more than made sense. It was more than likely the reason her father didn’t want her involved with Luis too. Was he afraid they would put two and two together and discover what he'd done that night? Or was he merely protecting her from remembering her own actions?

She knew for a fact she had stabbed a man. She knew for a fact she'd had blood on her hands from the inflicted wound. She also knew she'd knelt beside a body, a body under a bloody sheet, and looking back she knew the wound had to have been in the chest. The same exact place she had stabbed the man. But if the man she stabbed had been under the bloody sheet then where had Luis' father been?

She racked her brain to try and remember, but the memories were as elusive now as they had been when she was a little girl. Why couldn't she remember what happened? She knew the psychiatrists told her it was merely nightmares, but she had never believed them. Still Luis had said that Officer Freeman told him she'd suffered from them before that night. That they'd been caused by her mother's death. The same thing her psychiatrists had always told her. But again, she didn't believe them.

She knew something happened that night. She knew she had stabbed a man and that his blood had been on her hands. She might not remember much else, but she knew that. "Officer Freeman told you that I suffered from nightmares as a result of my mother's death. That was before I'd seen the psychiatrists in Paris and they came to the same conclusion, but…"

"But what?" Luis asked, his dark eyes searching her face.

"But I don’t remember having that many nightmares before that night. I know I had bad dreams for a couple of months after my mother's death, but they were never anything like what started occurring after that night." She shook her head then turned and looked out the window to her right, her eyes focused on the large mansion in the distance. "I know something happened that night, Luis. It wasn't just my imagination. It wasn't just a bad dream. Something happened in that house and whatever it is…is locked somewhere inside my mind."

Luis placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and when she glanced at him, she found his eyes were focused on the same house hers had been moments before. "We're going to find out what happened, Sheridan. I won't rest until I know what happened to you and to my father. I just wish I could remember more about that night. Something tells me I know more than I think I do and my gut says that when I remember, it will be the key to unlock your memory."

Sheridan furrowed her brow. "How can that be? Officer Freeman stopped you from going inside the mansion. Your mother made you go back inside. How could you know anything else?"

"I don’t know." He said, finally turning his eyes back to hers. "I just know that I do."

Sheridan stared into his dark eyes for a few more moments then finally voiced the question that had been on her mind since he'd first mentioned the name. "Do you remember anything else about Officer Freeman?"

Luis creased his brow, his facial features telling her he was trying to remember, but after another moment, he shook his head. "I don't remember anything else about him. Just that he's the one that stopped me from getting any closer to the mansion. Why?"

"Because I know someone by the name of Freeman. So do you in fact. He was here the day we were kidnapped. The day of the car crash. And…and you said he looked familiar to you. You just couldn't remember why."

Luis stared at her for so long she wasn't sure he'd heard her at first, but then all at once, something shifted in his eyes, and it was then she knew he had heard. He had heard every word she said. "I guess now we know why. He was here that night. He was here and more than likely, he knows exactly what took place."

* * * * *

Hal Freeman stared out at the somewhat choppy water before him and again wondered what in the hell he was doing back in Harmony. He'd sworn four months ago that he would never step foot in this town again, but he should have known the Crane's wouldn't keep to their side of the deal. He should have known they would once again call on him.

They weren't the type of people to just let someone go. Especially not someone who had the connections that he had. Or the memory that he did. In fact, he was surprised he was even still alive. He knew a lot about the Cranes, things that would have gotten a normal person killed a long time ago.

Of course, half of it he himself had been involved in so he supposed that was the only thing that had spared his life. Thus far anyway. He certainly wouldn't rule out them planning his death at this point. The Cranes were positively ruthless and they didn't give a damn about what they had to do to protect their precious reputation. At least, Alistair didn't. Julian was another matter though.

"Thanks for coming so quickly."

Hal didn't turn and face the man that spoke, he merely shrugged and took another sip of the coffee he held in his hand. "I wouldn't have come at all if you hadn't told me what Alistair was planning to do." He turned to face the man beside him then arched a brow. "Were you telling me the truth, Julian? Does Alistair really plan on killing his own daughter?"

Julian paled at the words then gave a somewhat weak nod. "He's afraid she might remember what happened that night. He'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening. You should know that by now."

This time it was Hal's turn to nod. "I wouldn't put anything past that sick bastard. How he could live with himself after all the horrid things he's done is really beyond me. I can barely look at myself in the mirror for my participation in some of them."

"You had no choice." Julian replied, his eyes focused on a large boat floating in the distance. "He would have killed you the same as he would have me. The only thing that saved us is our agreement and our ruse. I guarantee if Alistair knew we didn't do half of what he thinks we did, we'd both be dead men right now. So would a lot of other people."

Hal nodded again then tossed the Styrofoam cup in his hand into a nearby trashcan. "So what are we going to do? We can't let him kill Sheridan and despite what I led you to believe earlier, we can't let him kill Luis either. I promised Martin I would look after him and I won't go back on my word to him."

"I won't either." Julian said, turning slightly so that they were face to face. "I thought I could, but I can't. Martin is a good man. I don't know if I would have been able to make the same decisions that he made. I mean look at the lengths he went to in order to protect his family. Same with Antonio. Luis would be the same way I imagine."

"Is that the plan?" Hal asked, lifting a brow at the man in front of him. "You want to present Luis with the same choices we gave his father and brother? Let him choose for himself?"

Julian nodded. "I don't see that we have any other choice. Do you?"

"It won't be easy, Julian. You know it won't. He's going to be furious. And I highly doubt he's going to just take our word for it."

"That's why I have this." Julian said, pulling a black VHS tape from the inside of his jacket pocket. "I stole it this morning when security was out searching for some man one of the staff saw lurking around the grounds. It's a tape from Sheridan's cottage. Made this morning in fact. Once he sees it, sees the lengths my father has gone to in order to protect his secrets, he'll realize he has no choice but to trust us."

Hal shook his head then grabbed the tape from Julian. "Do you realize what will happen if your father discovers you took this? I can't believe you did something so stupid! You know he's going to miss this."

Julian just smiled. "I know he will, but what's on that tape is something he can't see. Luis found a bullet in the cottage. Afterwards, he had a memory of his father. From the night Martin disappeared."

Hal felt the blood drain from his face. "Did he remember me being there that night?"

Julian nodded. "He told Sheridan too. It's the last thing on the tape. They both know you were there that night. I imagine they are at this moment trying to figure out how you fit in. I know for a fact Father hasn't seen any of this tape because he was called into Crane Industries earlier. He wasn't even home when Luis found the bullet and began to remember. I don't even think he's home now."

"Let's pray he isn't." Hal replied, shaking his head yet again. "If Alistair knows this tape is missing then it's a pretty safe bet that he'll know something is on it and that someone didn't want him to see it. How long do you think it will be before he realizes there aren't too many suspects to look at? I mean there are only five people that know about the cameras and two of them are standing right here. Two more are still at the mansion with no clue how the tape disappeared and the other one…the other one is your father, a man that will kill us both without even blinking an eye if he knows we have this."

Julian shook his head then gave a rueful smile. "That's a chance I'm willing to take. I can't and won't kill my own sister."

Hal raised a hand and ran it over the back of his neck then let out a sigh of defeat. "So what's the plan then? What do you want to do?"

"What do you say about taking away my father's favorite toy for a few hours? I'm sure he won't miss it." Julian widened his smile into a full-fledged grin then lifted a shoulder, his eyes twinkling with devilish intent. "At least not much anyway."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Staring at the snow-filled monitor, Alistair Crane felt his temper rise. Only a handful of people knew about his cameras - himself included - and two of them already swore upon their lives they knew nothing about what happened. That left the two he couldn't seem to find - Hal and Julian, the dirty fed and his own flesh in blood.

He knew Julian was not pleased about his decision to kill Sheridan, but he couldn't believe he would deliberately defy him this way. He knew the consequences of such a betrayal. So did Hal. Yet one - or both of them - decided to betray him anyway. Why? Why would they be so foolish? Do they actually think he wouldn't do anything to them? That their years of loyal service would save them?

Idiots. That's what they were. If they really thought he wouldn't punish them for their betrayal, they were wrong. Dead wrong

Reaching for the phone, Alistair tapped the numeric keypad and waited for the person on the other end of the line to answer. When he did, Alistair wasted no time in relaying his orders to the man. "Find Julian and Hal and bring them to me. They've been busy this morning and their actions must be dealt with immediately."

* * * * *

As Julian dialed the number for the cottage and waited for Sheridan to pick up, Hal couldn't help wondering whether or not Sheridan and Luis would actually go along with their plan. What reason did they have to trust him and Julian?

Granted, the tape was proof positive that Alistair was capable of more than they thought possible, but it still wasn't proof of his plan to murder them. What if they simply chose not to believe them? What if they refused to go along with the plan? What if they chose to go it alone? Fight Alistair and his hired hitman?

They couldn't, Hal thought shaking his head sadly. No matter what they decided there was no way they would survive without his and Julian's help. Luis may be smart, but he had absolutely no idea what Alistair Crane was capable of. Or how far his reach was. No idea at all.

"Listen to me," Julian snapped, his voice quickly bordering a yell. "I know Luis is alive and I know he's there with you now. I also know that you're both in serious danger. And not only from the drug cartel, either."

Julian scowled into the phone and Hal smiled ruefully. He could just imagine what Sheridan was saying right about now. Trust was a hard thing to come by and when you pitted a Crane against a Crane it was even harder. Throw a Lopez-Fitzgerald into the mix and it was damn near impossible. And who could blame them?

"If you want to save your life and Luis' life, Sheridan, you have to listen to me." Julian said, rushing the words past his lips as if thought he might actually get through to her. "You have to listen to me and do exactly as I say. Otherwise, you may not live to see the sunrise. I'm not even sure you'll make it to sunset. And that goes double for Luis."

Hal had stopped believing in miracles years ago, but if Sheridan and Luis allowed him and Julian to help them, actually agreed to go along with their no-guarantees-plan, he'd definitely change his mind about their existence.

He'd change it even further if the four of them actually managed to survive the night.

* * * * *

When Sheridan finally hung up the phone after talking to Julian, Luis was wearing a hole in the cottage floor. She couldn't blame him either. She didn't trust her brother anymore than he did, but Julian certainly had been convincing. He actually sounded as if he cared what happened to her and Luis.

But was it all an act? Or was it real? She didn't know. And that scared her. Terrified her even. He was able to hide his emotions so well. So well in fact, she had absolutely no idea if was telling her the truth or not.

He'd come to the cottage yesterday and she'd thought she'd seen the same coldness in his eyes that was ever-present in their father's. But talking to him on the phone just now…he sounded as if he were only trying to protect her. To keep her safe.

How could she be related to someone who could change his emotions so quickly? Who could go from a domineering older brother, seeming to care more about himself than anyone else, to a brother that sounded as if he were genuinely trying to protect her? Protect Luis?

She shook her head and met Luis' questioning eyes. "Do you think he was telling the truth? Do you really think my father wants us dead?"

"I don't know." Luis said, running a hand over his face. "Normally, I wouldn't trust your brother as far as I could throw him, but…how else could he have known about the bullet unless he really does have a tape of us?"

Luis dropped his hands to his side, each hand making a fist, signaling his anger and frustration. "I have never made a secret of my distrust of your family. I've always thought there was a reason behind their disapproval of us, a reason they wanted to keep us apart. I've told you a thousand times that I think it has something to do with my father's disappearance. Now I’m even more convinced."

So was she. "Do you think Julian really knows what happened that night? That he'll really tell us if and when we meet him?"

"I'm not sure." Luis arched an eyebrow. "Is that what you think?"

Did she? "I don't know, but if he is telling the truth…what choice do we have but to trust him? To believe him?"

"I don't know if I'm ready to trust your brother yet, Sheridan, but I'm not willing to risk our lives by doubting him right now." He took a step toward her then reached out and cupped her cheek with one large palm. "I'm also not willing to take a chance on your getting hurt. Between the drug cartel having reason to want us dead and your family somehow knowing I'm alive and that I'm here with you, I think it's safe to assume we really are in danger by staying here."

She swallowed hard. "So what are we going to do? Are we going to meet with Julian and Hal? Pray they really are on our side? Or are we going to…" she drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly "…or are we going to go it alone?"

"I don't trust your brother," Luis said, his face a mask of seriousness. "And I sure as hell don't trust this Hal guy."

Sheridan drew in another breath. "So we go it alone."

Luis nodded. "I just don't see any other way."

* * * * *

"Where do they think they are going?" Pierre asked, his eyes focused on the couple currently climbing over one of the hedges he himself used earlier. "Don't they know their being outside only makes it easier for us to kill them?"

Roger shook his head. "I'm disappointed in our American cop friend, Pierre. I really thought he was smarter, but obviously I was mistaken."

Putting the car in gear, he slowly pressed down on the gas and motioned Pierre to roll down his window. "We have wasted enough time on these American's, Pierre, it's time for us to end this game once and for all."

Pierre nodded and lifted his gun, aiming at the two figures a few yards away. He smiled when one of them unknowingly stepped in his line of fire. He slowly applied pressure to the trigger, wanting to savor the moment for as long as he could, and then…he fired.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Luis knew bringing Sheridan out in the open was dangerous. It was dangerous for him as well. But staying in the cottage was no longer a possibility. Julian was right about that. It was far too dangerous for them to remain on Crane grounds. Especially now that they were on her father's hit list.

He shook his head. How her father could want her dead was really beyond him. He could understand his reasons for wanting him dead, but Sheridan…? No way. She'd done nothing to elicit the kind of cold hatred her father had for her. Of that he was certain.

Jumping down from the hedge he'd just climbed over, Luis turned and motioned Sheridan to do the same. He frowned when she hesitated. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're stuck up there?"

"No, I..." she paused, and drew in a deep, breath, "…I'm just...I'm not that crazy about heights, Luis. Even small ones like this."

"Why didn't you say something?" Luis asked, feeling like a heel for not picking up on her apprehension sooner. "We could have found another way off the grounds. One that didn't require climbing or jumping from small hedges."

She glared at him. "It's not so small when you're up here looking at the ground, Luis! From here, it's huge."

Luis smiled. "Not as big as the buildings we swung on in Paris. Or the wharf we jumped off of."

"Yeah, well, what happened at the wharf is the reason I no longer like heights!" She shuddered and he knew without a doubt, she was recalling the events that took place after he'd pushed her off the pier at the wharf. "We almost died that day. The fall alone should have killed us."

"But it didn't." Luis pointed out. "We're alive, but I'm not sure how long we'll remain that way if you don't come down from there. We don't know where Roger and Pierre are. They could be in the states by now. And we have no idea where your father and his batch of goons are either. Not to mention your brother and Hal. We still don't know if we can trust them or not."

She swallowed hard. "Okay, I'm coming down. Just…promise me that you'll catch me?"

"Don’t you know by now that I'll never let you fall? That I'll always be there to catch you?"

She smiled, a bright, beautiful smile that shot straight to his heart. "I'll always be there to catch you too, Luis."

"Good, next time we have to jump off something, I'll let you go first. That way you can catch me when I jump." He winked and held out his arms, ready to catch her. "Okay, sweetheart, jump. We need to get this show on the road."

A sudden noise in the distance snagged his attention away from Sheridan. The sound reminded him of a car shifting into gear. He craned his ear to listen, and when he heard the unmistakable sound of tires, slowly rolling over twigs and leaves, his gut clenched, a surefire sign that they were in big trouble.

He took a step forward, praying for once that his gut was wrong, all the while knowing deep inside that it wasn't. "Jump, Sheridan, I think we've got company."

She looked down at him, her eyes growing wide, and then…she finally let go of the hedge and fell into his arms. As he adjusted to the weight of her body, he unconsciously shifted his position to a sideways stance.

Something whizzed past his right ear, barely touching his skin as it rushed by, and resulted in a momentary, stinging sensation at his outer rim. He grimaced slightly then froze as a warm, thick liquid began to trickle down his lobe.

He knew the bullet only nicked him, but the knowledge that he would have been killed had he not turned after catching Sheridan was not lost on him. In the next instant, his eyes were moving about the area, searching for cover. The only thing he found was a patch of trees on the other side of the road and, without giving it a second thought, he sprinted toward them, Sheridan firmly nestled in his arms.

* * * * *

As the car that had been following them for a good fifteen minutes passed by without seeing them, Julian heaved a relieved sigh. "That was close. I didn't realize father would catch on so fast."

"Yeah, I can see why that would shock you," Hal said, his sarcasm clear in his tone. "It's not like your father has reason to want us dead or anything. Why would he? All we did is betray him." Hal shook his head and straightened in his seat. "We need to get to a phone and warn Luis and Sheridan. If Alistair sent someone to get us, that means he knows we're up to something and somehow, I don't think it will take him that long to figure out what that something is."

Julian nodded, immediately recognizing Hal's point. "We do need to warn them, but I doubt they'll be there. You know as well as I do they're probably long gone by now. I may have presented a good case on the phone, but they have no reason to believe a word I say. No reason to trust me. To believe I actually want to help them."

"You think they ran, don't you?" Hal asked, his brows flattening, a frown marring his lips. "You think they chose to go it alone?"

That was exactly what he thought. "They have no reason to trust either one of us, Hal. Can't say I blame them. I wasn't exactly supportive of their relationship and considering, Luis remembers you were there the night his father disappeared, I'd say they have ample reason to distrust us both."

"That's true, but we both had a damn good reason for what we've done. You, especially." Hal let out a harsh breath. "If Sheridan only knew how much you've done to protect her…"

"But she doesn’t know," Julian pointed out. "And even if she did, she'd hate me for it. I may have only wanted to protect her, but in doing so I helped break her heart." He shook his head, a loud sigh escaping his lips. "If she knew I hired an imposter to break up her and Luis, she'd be furious. And Luis? I don't even want to think about what he would do."

Hal nodded. "That was a bad idea, but we both why you did it. Why you needed to do it. You had to stall your father and get Sheridan out of harm's way."

"Doesn’t change the fact that my good intentions almost got her killed."

"You had no way of knowing Sheridan going back to Paris would place her in danger. You didn't know a drug cartel wanted her dead!"

No, he hadn't. But that didn't change the fact that he was responsible for her decision to return, a decision that almost proved fatal. "I've spent my life trying to protect her from father, trying to keep her safe from his wrath, and yet I'm the one that almost got her killed."

"You did what you had to do, Julian."

Yeah, he had, but he highly doubted Sheridan would understand that. Once she learned everything he'd done to keep her away from Luis, regardless of the reasons behind his actions, she'd hate him. And he wouldn't blame her one bit. Hell, he probably hated himself enough for the both of them anyway.

Shaking his head to clear it of his tortured thoughts, Julian turned his head toward the man beside him. "Considering the fact that father has his men looking for us, I think we need to hide out for a bit, but first…I think we should head over to the cottage and make sure Sheridan and Luis are all right. I know a place where we can sneak onto the grounds without being seen by the guards and with the camera's gone, we won't be seen by father either."

Hal arched an eyebrow at him, but thankfully, he didn't disagree. What he did do was place the car in gear and slowly ease back out onto the street, heading south on the road that eventually came out at the west entrance of the Crane mansion. An entrance he knew without a doubt no one would see them use.

* * * * *

Lowering Sheridan down onto the ground, behind a nearby tree, Luis motioned for her to remain quiet, then quickly withdrew his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He'd heard car doors open and close a few minutes ago so he knew whoever had taken a shot at him had followed them into the woods. It had been sheer luck that bullet missed its' mark, and he planned to make sure that luck held.

A twig snapped a few yards away from where they hid and Luis immediately covered Sheridan's mouth with his free hand, stifling her gasp before she could even voice it. Her eyes were wide with fright, but he could also see a hint of exasperation lurking in their depths. He inwardly smiled at the sight.

He may have lost his memory for a while, but as the hours and minutes passed, he was gaining more and more of it back. And most of those memories had to do with her. Her and her reactions to situations out of their control.

He leaned forward slightly, his lips touching the outer rim of her left ear. "I'm going to remove my hand, but you need to be quiet. They aren't that far away and one slip could clue them in to where we are. Okay?"

She nodded her head in affirmation and he instantly removed his hand from her mouth. The second he did, hers reached up and touched the side of his face, her fingers softly floating over his ear. "You're bleeding."

He narrowed his eyes at her whispered remark then shook his head and whispered the reassurance he knew she needed to hear. "I'm okay. The bullet only nicked me. It's just a scratch."

"A scratch that could have killed you!" She whispered heatedly. "My god, I didn't even hear a gunshot!"

"Silencer." He replied, adjusting his position slightly, his eyes moving toward the direction he heard that last twig snap. "Okay, we need to be quiet now. They're getting closer."

"How do you know?" She asked, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "I don't hear anything."

Luis let out an exasperated sigh and whipped his head back around to glare at her. "You would if you'd be quiet and listen. I mean it, Sher. No more talking. They find us and we're dead, understand?"

She nodded, looked like she wanted to say something else, but, thankfully, the snapping of another twig made her think better of it. As did the heavily, accented voice that spoke. "We know you are here, Luis. There is really no use in hiding from us. You are only delaying the inevitable. You must know that. You must know we will not stop until both you, and Miss Crane, are dead."

He felt Sheridan shudder behind him, and wished he could reassure her, relieve her, of her fear and worry. But he knew he couldn't. Not right now, at least. Not when they were in so much danger.

As Roger spoke again, Luis narrowed his eyes and quickly swung his gun in the direction the voice came from. "Come on, Luis. Let's not drag this game out any longer. You know we are going to find you eventually. You…and Miss Crane."

A second after the words entered the air, another twig snapped, this one closer than the other two, clueing him in to the fact that they were almost within range to see. He lowered his lids, said a silent prayer he and Sheridan would make it out of this alive, then he opened his eyes and eased back on the trigger of the gun in his hand.

The bullet shot out of the chamber, sliced through the trees a few yards in front of them. He heard their searchers dive for cover, and smiled. His shot had only been a warning, but if they got any closer to him and Sheridan, he'd make damn sure his next shot was a lot more than just a warning. He'd make sure it was fatal.

Grabbing Sheridan by the hand, Luis led them further into the woods. He could hear the men following behind them. Heard the telltale clicking sound of the bullets hitting the trees around them and prayed the trees continued to block their pursuers from getting a clear view. A clear shot. As long as they couldn't see them, their only chance of getting hit was from a ricochet. And even then, it was slim at best.

Still, he wasn't about to get cocky. These men meant business and he knew they wouldn’t stop until he and Sheridan were dead. Or until he ended their search for them.

Whichever came first, Luis thought, raising his gun and firing off another bullet into the trees and bushes behind them, and may best man—or rather, team—win.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tugging against the hand that gripped her wrist, Sheridan desperately tried to free herself. Exhaustion poured itself into every one of her nerve endings, threatening, at any moment, to overtake her tired, worn out body. She prided herself on staying in shape, keeping fit, but the trek through the woods drained her reserves, taxed her resistance to pain.

She winced as another unforgiving, tree branch scraped her cheek and, at the same time, dug her heels into the leaves and dirt beneath her feet. "Luis. Stop. I can't…" she paused to draw in a quick breath "…I can't…rest, I need to…rest."

Her words came out in a hoarse, scratchy whisper, almost inaudible in their delivery. Yet, somehow—and God only knew how—Luis understood them. Almost instantly, his fingers relaxed and loosened around her wrist. And then he stopped, swung his body to face hers.

Lifting her head, she expected to find his dark eyes filled with annoyance and frustration, maybe a warning of impending danger. Instead, she found compassion and, what looked a lot like—admiration?

She shook her head, smiled. Or tried to, anyway. "Just…give me…a minute or two…to catch my breath. Okay?"

Luis nodded, gently squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry. I should've realized you'd be tired. We've been in these woods at least an hour now. Maybe closer to two." He shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me you needed to rest?"

"I thought I was being brave." She winced as he absently trailed his fingers up her arm, across a rather nasty looking scratch. Yet another reminder of their journey through the woods. "I'm not sure which is worse…jumping off the wharf and almost freezing to death, or running through the woods, trying to avoid being knocked unconscious by trees or tripping over rocks buried beneath a pile of leaves."

"It could be worse," Luis said, grinning. "We could be back in New Mexico, fighting a downpour and muddy terrain."

Sheridan smiled. "You remember New Mexico?"

"Yeah. I remember Paris, too." Luis cupped her cheek, his smile bright and reassuring. "Do you realize how many times we've been chased through the woods?" He shook his head then met her eyes, his face a mask of seriousness. "It's going to be okay, you know? I won't let anything happen to you."

I promise.

He didn't say the words, but, then again, he didn't need to. They were written in his eyes. And embedded in her heart. Luis would protect her. Always.

Tears pricked her eyes as she reached up and covered his hand with her own, her thumb gently rubbing across his smooth skin. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here with me. I always thought I was strong, and that I could handle anything that came my way, but the truth is…I'm only strong when I'm with you. You make me strong. You make me feel as if I can do anything. Be anyone."

"You can." Luis leaned in and placed a soft kiss against her lips, lingering just long enough to warm her insides, and remind her of how much she missed his kiss. How much she needed that connection now. "You are the strongest woman I know, Sheridan. Not to mention the bravest. Any other woman would've fallen apart a long time ago. Not you, though. You keep going. You keep me going. You keep me sane." He shook his head. "You think I make you strong, but I think we make each other strong. Stronger than anything life could ever throw at us."

He linked his fingers with hers, smiled as he pulled their hands away from her face and placed them against his chest. She could feel his heart beating beneath her skin, steady and strong. Just like him. "We will get through this, Sheridan, we'll get through it together."

A single tear escaped her eye, traveled a silent path down her cheek. "I love you, Luis. I love you so much it hurts."

"I love you, too." He drew in a deep breath, a breath filled with barely controlled emotions, then slowly lowered their hands, releasing hers as his fell to his side. "We should get going. I think we lost them when we circled back toward the road earlier, but on the off chance that we didn't, we shouldn't stay in one place long."

She nodded, brushed the tear from her cheek and the dirt from the jeans she thanked her lucky stars to have put on this morning. "After you, Superman."

Luis lifted an eyebrow. "Superman?"

"Yeah, faster than a speeding bullet." She grinned. "Fitting, don't you think?"

"What I think, is that we'd better get out of here before I decide to kiss you senseless."

"And that would be a problem because?"

"Because if I'm kissing you, I can't keep an eye out for our gun-toting, French friends."

Sheridan sighed. He had a point. "Don't you ever get tired of being right?"

"Nope." Luis winked, tapped the bridge of her nose with his right, index finger. "Now quit trying to distract me, Lois. I, for one, would like to get out of these woods before dark."

Smiling, Sheridan reached out and grabbed Luis' hand, allowing him to lead them further and further into the woods. "Hey, Luis?"

"Yeah?" He asked, tossing a quick look at her over his shoulder.

"Since we've already established your superhuman powers, do you think you could conjure up a red cape and blue tights, and fly us on out of here?"

For a heartbeat, Luis just gaped at her. Then all at once, laughter erupted. "Sheridan, what the hell am I going to do with you?"

"I could think of a few things," Sheridan quipped. "But unfortunately, they'll have to wait until we're out of these godforsaken woods."

Luis grinned, a devilish twinkle lighting his eyes. "You've got yourself a date, Ms. Crane."

"That's Ms. Lane to you."

* * * * *

"You see anything?"

Julian shook his head, his eyes still focused on the wooded area a few yards from them. "I don't hear anything either. Whoever fired that gun is gone now."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Hal motioned toward the black sedan haphazardly parked on the side of the road. "That car belongs to someone, and from the looks of it, I'd say whoever was driving it, was in one big hurry to exit it."

Julian followed Hal's line of sight and nodded in agreement. "I'd say so. They didn't even bother to shut the doors." He frowned. "You think we should call the police? Let them know we heard gunshots? Someone could be in trouble."

When Hal didn't say anything, Julian shot him a glance. "Hal? Think we should call the police?"

"Maybe," Hal said, his eyes trained on the car.

"You think it has something to do with Luis and Sheridan?"

Hal looked at him then. "Is that what you think?"

Julian nodded. "The police never did find out who killed that woman on the wharf a few months ago. Luis thought it had something to do with the drug cartel after Sheridan. There hasn't been an attempt on her life since we faked Luis' death, but that doesn't mean they gave up. They could've just been biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"And you think Luis being back is the right moment?" Hal shook his head. "That doesn't make much sense. Luis saved her from the drug cartel numerous times already, why would they wait to make another attempt at killing her when Luis was once again there to save her?"

They wouldn't, Julian thought, remembering what Sheridan told him about Paris and Luis' part in saving her life. "If the drug cartel still wanted Sheridan dead, they would have made their move months ago, especially if they learned Luis wouldn't be there to save her."

Hal nodded, lowered his eyes, his gaze on the gun resting on the seat between them. "Maybe the drug cartel didn't think Luis would save her this time."

"What?" Had Hal lost his mind? Was he talking about the same Luis that flew half way around the world—on a cop's salary, no less—because he had a gut feeling Sheridan was in danger?

"Think about it," Hal said, lifting his head and meeting his eyes. "Didn't you tell me Sheridan told the police Luis was in the cottage a few nights ago? Pointing a gun at her? And didn't Alistair tell you the same the same thing? Could it be possible that the drug cartel somehow convinced Luis he worked for them? Could they be the reason Luis came to Harmony? The reason he sought Sheridan out?"

Julian frowned. "What are you talking about, Hal? Why on earth would Luis agree to work for the drug cartel that almost killed him and Sheridan less than a year ago?"

"Maybe because he had amnesia?"

Julian swallowed, hard. What Hal said made sense.

Too much sense.

He shook his head, tried to ignore the fear rising in the back of his throat. "You realize what this means, don't you?"

"Yeah, Sheridan and Luis are in bigger trouble than we thought, especially if the drug cartel learned Luis didn't kill Sheridan." Turning his attention back toward the car, Hal sighed, his frustration clear. "I think we'd better take a look inside that car, see if we can't determine who was driving it. Maybe then we'll have a better idea of how to help Sheridan and Luis."

* * * * *

Luis surveyed the path in front of them, and frowned. He didn't recognize their surroundings; just saw a lot of overgrown trees and bushes. But something about the area still felt familiar to him. Call him crazy, but he'd almost swear he'd been here before.

Shaking his head, Luis took another step forward…and promptly froze, his ear trained to the voice that spoke a few feet away, his heart beating a wild rhythm in his chest. "No way is Luis alive. You saw his body yourself, Sam!"

"I know I did, Hank, but…but something about that night never set right with me." Something landed near his feet, and a quick glance down, confirmed what his mind had already deduced—a rock. A wet rock.

Stooping down to pick up the rock, Luis rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, allowing the moisture from the rock to attach itself to his skin. Furrowing his brow, Luis tried to figure out why his brother's image kept popping into his head. A second later, he had his answer. It came in the form of a small, almost inaudible splash.

As an image of him and Antonio skipping rocks across the surface of the pond at the far edge of Lighthouse Park flashed across his mind, Luis smiled, pleased that he finally knew where they were and how they got there.

"We never did find out who called the ambulance in," Sam said, frustration clear in his tone, "or why it took them so long to get to the hospital after leaving the scene. Hell, we can't even find the guys that drove the damn ambulance. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

Hank might not, but Luis sure did. If the barely audible gasp behind him was any indication, Sheridan did too. "Look, Sam, you know I'd give my right arm to have Luis back, but it isn't going to happen. He's dead."

"That isn't what you told Sheridan a few days ago." A quick glance up at the woman in question told Luis, Sam spoke the truth. "You told her, you believed her. That if anyone could come back from the dead, it was Luis."

Most likely to gain favor with her, Luis thought, glinting as the bright orange hue from the setting sun caught his gaze, reminding him darkness would soon fall.

Hank might be his friend, but he was also one of the best con men Luis had ever met. He wasn't above using a friend's death to get what he wanted, especially when it involved a woman with a rather large pocketbook. Or a family with a well-known name.

Luis shook his head, his disgust with his friend warring with his childhood memories of them. A childhood he wasn't sure he would've made it through without Hank there to support him. Luis frowned. Did Hank really care so little about him that he wouldn't mourn his passing? Or was he merely putting on a brave front, trying to appear as carefree as always?

"Yeah, I did say that." Hank muttered, his voice almost too low for Luis to hear. "I meant it too. Luis was like a brother to me, you know that. I'd give anything in the world to talk to him again. To see him again and hear him lecture me about some harebrained scheme I've cooked up or make him frown by ribbing him about his feelings for Sheridan."

Something grabbed hold of Luis' heart, forced him to analyze his decision to keep his presence a secret from his family and friends. Hank was hurting. He could hear it in his voice. Sense it in his words. No matter what else Hank said or did, the truth was in the words he didn't say. His friend missed him. He missed him almost as much as he needed him.

He didn't know how or why, but he knew it was true. His friend was in trouble…and apparently, no one but him knew it. "Luis is dead, Sam. And no matter how much we wish he wasn't, the truth of the matter is, he's gone." Another rock landed near his feet, almost daring him to prove Hank wrong. "Dead is dead, Sam, and, while Luis was a lot of things, he wasn't a magician. Even he can't cheat death. No matter how much those that love him wish he could."

Sheridan laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, her eyes a mixture of sadness and reassurance. If he decided to make his appearance known, and relieve his friends of their worry and grief, she would support him. He could see it in her eyes. Whatever he decided to do, she was with him…one hundred percent.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Motioning Pierre to stop his brash movements, Roger knelt beside the fresh made shoeprint. Along side it, was another print, a smaller print. He smiled.

They were definitely going in the right direction. The shoeprints proved that. In fact, despite the slight detour back to the road, Luis and Sheridan couldn't be that far ahead of them. Twenty minutes, at the most.

Catching Pierre's eye, Roger nodded, quickly straightened. He and Pierre had lost Luis and Sheridan once before, but they wouldn't lose them again. This time, the pair would pay—with their lives.

* * *

The setting sun cast a brilliant array of colors against a darkening, light blue backdrop, shrouding the sky in beautiful hues of orange, purple, and pink. And yet, the beauty of the night did nothing to distract her from the conflicting emotions flashing in Luis' dark eyes.

He was hurting—for his friends, for her, for himself.

Sheridan wanted to reassure him. Reassure him, the way he always had her. But, even if she could somehow find the words, she wasn't at all sure her voice would allow her to say them. The pain in Luis' eyes, the conflict on his face…no words could erase them. No words could ease them. At least, none that she knew anyway.

But she had to do something. Something to let him know she understood. That she would be there for him. No matter what he decided to do.

Lowering herself onto the ground beside him, Sheridan lifted her hand, cupped his cheek. Tiny, brisk hairs teased her palm. Each one reminding her of a time when she felt those same whiskers rubbing against her cheek, branding her sensitive skin.

She bit down on the urge to kiss him, knowing now wasn't the time or the place to let passion reign. Not when Luis was so confused, so conflicted.

Blinking rapidly, Sheridan fought to hold back her tears. She hurt for Luis. Ached for him. But allowing her pain—her empathy for him—to surface wouldn't help him. She knew it instinctively. But even if she hadn't, the sorrow in his eyes would have told her.

He didn't need her empathy. He didn't need her words. He needed her understanding. He needed to know she was there for him—regardless, of the decision he alone could make.

His nod, as well as the look in his eyes—so deep and full of emotion, told her he understood. That he knew what she was trying to say. That he heard her silent words, and appreciated her for them.

She smiled. Glad that he understood. Glad that he knew, no matter what decision he made, she would stand beside him…always.

* * *

Heart pounding, Julian watched Hal race toward the black sedan parked a few feet away. His brain told him to follow. His feet refused to move. It was as if they were encased in lead. Rooted in cement. No matter how hard he tried to lift them, they just wouldn't budge. Wouldn't obey.

The open doors. The keys stuck in the ignition. The motor still running. All of it rendered him immobile. Paralyzed him with fear. It didn't matter who the car belonged to. The drug cartel. His father. It didn't matter. They were one and the same to him.

Dangerous. Destructive. Deadly.

And both of them, wanted his sister dead. Were willing to do whatever it took to make it happen.

Bile rose in his throat. Fear gripped his heart. Long, forgotten promises invaded his mind.

If something bad happened to Sheridan, it would be his fault. His and his alone. He'd promised their mother that he would protect her. That he would keep her safe. Yet, he hadn't. He'd failed. Failed their mother. Failed Sheridan. Failed himself.

He'd thought he could protect her by keeping her away. Keeping her at a distance. Keeping her in Paris.

But he hadn't.

He'd only endangered her more. He could see that now. He could see it, and it made him sick.

Whatever happened to Sheridan—and by extension, to Luis—was his fault. His past misdeeds destroyed her trust in him. Her ability to believe he could actually want to help her. And that disbelief—that mistrust— placed her in danger. A danger she didn't deserve to be in. A danger, he could only pray, she somehow found a way out of.

* * *

Eyes locked on Sheridan's, Luis reached up and covered her hand with his own. Despite the slight chill in the air, her skin was warm, her touch comforting. If he were standing, or at least turned around facing her, he would have kissed her. The need to drown in her kiss was strong, almost stronger than he could fight.

Something must have shown on his face because suddenly—she was there. Her lips less than an inch away from his own. Her breath mingling with his in the open air. Her eyes seeking permission to do what he so desperately needed.

Moving his hand slightly, he cupped the back of her neck…and pulled.

Their lips fused immediately, hers allowing his to take the lead. It wasn't a kiss born of passion, but of need—his need. His need to feel alive. To forget, if only for a moment, what his secret was doing to those he cared about. Those he loved.

Angling his head slightly toward the right, Luis deepened the kiss. Raw need fueled his blood as he parted her lips, slipped his tongue inside. He'd forgotten, forgotten how addictive her kiss could be. How it could fill his blood, ignite his senses. Only stopping once it filled every inch of him. His heart. His soul. Parts he didn't even know existed. It was like a drug, a drug he would never tire of. A drug that could kill him if he wasn't careful.

With regret, he broke the kiss and opened his eyes. He smiled when Sheridan's lashes fluttered up, allowing him his first look at her dazed, blue eyes. Unable to stop himself, he leaned in for another kiss—a brief kiss, barely more than a touch of the lips.

Lifting his head again, Luis smiled into her eyes. "Thank you."

She blinked, smiled in understanding, and mouthed back, "You're welcome."

Leaning forward, forehead resting against hers, Luis drew in a deep, relaxing breath. He released it a second later and slowly, regretfully, withdrew his hand from behind her neck. Using his other hand as leverage, Luis got to his feet, automatically reaching out to help Sheridan onto hers.

When they were both standing, Luis squeezed her hand, shook his head. Understanding lit her eyes as she returned his squeeze. She was with him. He could see it. He could feel it. Closing his eyes, Luis said a silent prayer he'd made the right decision, and then, after another deep breath, he opened them and, together, they began to walk away. Walk away from the two men that never even knew they were there.

* * *

The car was clean. He should have realized it would be. If the French cartel was in Harmony, they wouldn't be stupid enough to leave any evidence behind.

Straightening, Hal sent Julian a look over the hood of the car. "How much you want to bet this car belongs to the cartel?"

"What about father?" Julian asked, frowning. "Couldn't the car belong to one of his men?"

"Sure," Hal said, stepping back and closing the driver's side door. As the door clicked shut, his eyes, unconsciously, fell to the ground. The second they did, he smiled. "Do any of your father's men smoke cigars from Paris, Julian?"

Bending down, Hal lifted the half-smoked cigar off the ground. It didn't take him long to decide he'd been right—the cigar was definitely from Paris. He recognized the label from the shop not far from where his daughter, Ashley, used to live. "If I was to guess, I'd say the French have invaded Harmony."

Heaving himself upright, Hal held the cigar up for Julian to see. "Unless, of course, your father has his employees' cigars imported?"

Julian shook his head. Hal grinned. "You know, I think now would be a good time to call the Harmony P.D., let them know someone has been playing target practice near the Crane Estate."

Confusion flashed in Julian's eyes. "Harmony P.D.? Why not the F.B.I.? Wouldn't they be more equipped to handle a drug cartel than Sam Bennett and his bungling bandit of keystone cops?"

Dropping the cigar back to the ground, Hal shook his head. "Yes, the FBI would be more equipped to handle the cartel, but, considering the nearest agency is in Boston, a good hours drive away, I doubt they could get here in time to do anything. Local P.D, on the other hand, can be here in minutes."

"Good point." Julian frowned, his expression serious. "Do you think Luis and Sheridan are in these woods? Running from the cartel? Trying to outrun them?"

Hal closed his eyes. He hadn't wanted to think about that, but it was the only logical conclusion. Who else would the cartel have been shooting at? "I'd stake my badge on it, Julian. They're the only ones the cartel are after…at least, in Harmony anyway."

"God help them," Julian said, his eyes moving toward the woods behind him.

God help us all, Hal thought, lifting his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and punching in the number for operator assistance, God help us all.

* * *

The sudden ringing of a cell phone stopped Luis in his tracks. He wasn't sure why, but his gut told him not to move. Not to take another step.

"Are you sure?" Sam's voice asked, his tone filled with enough concern to make Luis glad they hadn't made it far enough away yet. "They checked the cottage? What about the main house? The rest of her family? Did they talk to any of them? Well, do it. And check with Pilar and the rest of Luis' family, too. Sheridan could be with one of them. Check with Gwen Hotchkiss, too. They're pretty good friends. In the meantime, I'll head on over and check things out. When Quinlan and Packer check in, have them meet me there."

Was Sam crazy? He couldn't go to the Crane Estate. Definitely not alone, anyway. Roger and Pierre could still be there, waiting for him and Sheridan to come back. Hell, Sam could be walking straight into a trap!

Before he realized it, Luis stepped forward, about to make his presence known. The only thing that stopped him was Sheridan's fingers curling around his upper arm. He turned, met her eyes. His heart lurched at the fear he saw in them. Fear for him. Fear for them.

He swallowed, hard, averted his eyes back toward the bushes in front of him. He could hear Hank expressing his concern over Sam going on the call alone, his buddy unknowingly mirroring his own thoughts.

Indecision climbed inside him. His cop instinct said he needed to warn Sam. To back him up and make sure nothing bad happened to him. His gut instinct said to stay with Sheridan. To keep her safe. To protect her. No matter what the cost.

Closing his eyes, guilt and anger knawing at his insides at rapid speed, Luis listened, helplessly, as Sam denied Hank's offer of help. A second later, bushes rattled, leaves crunched, and Luis knew…Sam was gone, on his way to a danger he had no way of knowing was over his head.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't let Sam walk into a dangerous situation. Especially not alone. He'd never be able to live with himself if something happened to him.

Opening his eyes, knowing he had to do something, something to help Sam, Luis met Sheridan's eyes. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice. Sam was in trouble…and he didn't even know it.

But he would, he would if Luis found him in time. Told him what was going on. What he could be walking into.

Gripping Sheridan's upper arms, Luis tried to make her understand. "I have to go. I have to help him. I can't…I can't let him walk into that alone. I can't…I have to go, Sheridan. I have to back him up."

"What about me?" She asked, her whisper matching his own. "Are you taking me with you?"

He shook his head. "It's too dangerous. I want…you need to stay with Hank. You need to…to tell him the cartel is after you. That they tried to kill you. He'll protect you. He'll keep you safe. I know he will. He lo—"

"Who's there?" Hank questioned, his voice sounding closer than before. "Who's out there?"

Luis froze. His hands stilled on Sheridan's arms. Leaves rustled behind him; tree branches swayed slightly. Hank was close, getting closer with every step. In a few more seconds, he would see them.

Looking into Sheridan's eyes, Luis begged her to trust him. Begged her to understand. To let him do this—to let him go.

Tears pooled in her eyes as he uncurled his fingers from her arms and slowly stepped to the side, motioning her to go to Hank. Motioning her to leave him.

She shook her head, her eyes begging him not to go. Begging him not to leave her.

A tear slipped from her eye, slid down her cheek. A dull ache entered Luis' chest, settled in his heart. Part of him wanted to stay, wanted to watch over her himself, but the other part of him—the cop part of him— knew he had to go. Knew helping Sam was the only way to save their own lives.

He reached out, lightly traced her lips with his thumb then, gently, he took her chin in his hand and leaned forward to place a light kiss against her lips. The salt from her tears mingled in their kiss and sent a knife straight through his heart.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave her. No matter how much he wanted to help Sam, he couldn't leave Sheridan. Not with Hank. Not with anyone. It was too dangerous. Way too dangerous. Not just physically, but emotionally, too. He couldn't help Sam if he was worried about Sheridan, and if he left her with Hank…if he chose to help Sam, his worry for her would distract him. Distract him too much to help.

Grabbing her hand, Luis turned, intending to get them as far away from Lighthouse Park as they could get. They could warn Sam by phone. A quick call to the station would get Sam all the help he needed. Help that wouldn't jeopardize lives by having their emotions pulled in so many different directions.

Satisfied with his decision on how best to help, Luis lifted his head—and froze. A second later, he thrust Sheridan behind him, his eyes focused on the two men standing a few feet away.

"Hello, Luis. Sheridan. We've been looking for you."

To Be Continued...

Author of over 40 fan fiction stories, some of which include:
Too Hot To Handle, Playing With Fire, Guarding Sheridan, An Affair Of The Heart, and The Thing Called Love

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Replies

A Hero For Hire: Prologue - Chapter Seven FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	10/19/02 7:40 am
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