When the seaQuest shuttle docked at the underwater complex Nathan led the way out, followed closely by a well-armed Brody. Behind them were three security people and bringing up the rear were O’Neill, Kristin and a med-team.

Nathan hadn’t wanted her along. He’d had a bad feeling about this since the distress call had come in, but Smith had been busy operating on a crewman with a crushed hand and Kristin had insisted on taking her place. He whispered something that only Brody and the Security personnel could hear, glanced briefly at the woman behind him – giving her a look that said ‘Please be careful’ and stepped out into the corridor. There was no one in sight.

Moving swiftly they rounded a corner and walked straight into a trap. Three armed men stood in their path, dressed in black, their faces covered and automatic machine pistols ready to fire. The group turned as one but found the route back similarly blocked. From behind them a voice barked, “Him and him… The Captain with me.”

“And the others?”

“We don’t need them.”

Brody and O’Neill were roughly disarmed and thrown against the wall, guns in their faces and Bridger who had also been relieved of his sidearm was pulled back and held by the arms. Before any of them could react their captors turned their weapons on the remaining crew and fired. Nathan cried out in horror and disbelief as he watched Kristin fall, along with the rest.

“Right, Bridger comes with me. You three take these two to the holding cell and then come back here and clean up this mess.” He gestured to the, now perfectly still, figures at the end of the corridor. “The rest of you, back to your stations.”

Nathan tried to shake off his assailants and go to her, but one of the men held him back and the leader appeared in front of him and put a gun to his stomach. “Move!”

He continued to struggle and Brody moved to his side. “Sir…” He said softly. “It’s too late.”

Bridger nodded, his face expressionless as he preceded his escorts along the passageway to another junction. Brody and O’Neill were led off one way whilst Nathan was taken in the other direction. He was manhandled down three flights of stairs, stumbling at the bottom, his shoulder almost dislocated as he was hauled to his feet and thrown through a doorway into a dimly-lit room which looked like a storage/supply area. The door clanged shut behind him and he heard the lock click into place. His legs began to buckle and he quickly sat down onto the hard wooden chair in the centre of the room, planting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands as the enormity of what had just happened hit him full-force.

“Kristin!” Her name tore from his throat, sounding like the cry of a wounded animal.

“Damn it! There must be a way out of here.” Brody exclaimed in frustration after checking the room for the twentieth time.

“Well, there isn’t.” O’Neill stated flatly.

“We have to do something. Find the captain and get the hell out of here.”

“Did you see his face?” Tim asked softly.

“What?”

“When the Doc went down. Did you see his face?”

“Yeah… yeah, I did.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that look as long as I live.”

Nathan had no idea how long he’d been held and cared even less. The grief he felt inside was too much for him to handle and he couldn’t get the image of her hitting the ground out of his mind. Every time he thought he had his emotions under control, the pain would hit again. The ache in his chest so bad it felt like he was having a heart attack… The captain and the man warred for supremacy.

Somehow he managed to clamp down on the man, holding him inside to be freed later. His mind taking control as he tried to figure out why he was here and what his captors wanted. He was sure that Brody and O’Neill were still alive, otherwise they would have been shot along with… he gasped, taking slow deliberate breaths to keep the hurt at bay.

The door crashed open and two black-clad figures entered taking up positions either side of the entrance. Then a third walked in, dressed in a suit, his face uncovered - A face that Bridger didn’t recognise.

“Captain Bridger, I presume.”

The man had an accent, which Nathan was trying to place. “You seem to have the advantage over me.” He stated coldly.

“My name is Le Chien. George Le Chien.”

“Means nothing to me.”

“I don’t suppose it would, but we have something in common, you and I.”

“I very much doubt that.”

“We’ve both lost our sons.”

“Your point?” He was in no mood to play games.

“Your son was taken, following in your footsteps.” He smiled triumphantly when he saw Nathan wince. “And mine died following in mine.”

“I’ll ask you again.” Bridger’s grief was fast turning into annoyance. “Your point?”

“If you could look the man who took your son from you in the eye, what would you do?”

Nathan didn’t hesitate… His anger at losing the people he loved the most, getting the better of him. And he knew that he was thinking of this man when he spat out, “I’d kill the son-of-a-bitch.”

“Good, good… then you understand what I have to do to you.”

~ Le Chien… Le Chien… ~ He turned the name over and over in his mind and suddenly remembered where he’d heard it before.

Seeing the comprehension in his eyes, the man smiled coldly. “Yes Captain, you killed my son, so… I’m going to kill you.”

“Then do it.”

Le Chien frowned. This certainly wasn’t the reaction he had expected. “In due time, Captain… in due time.” Another figure entered the room and he followed him into the corridor.

Bridger was suddenly overcome by a wave of fatigue and nausea and he sat down heavily in the chair again, unaware of what was happening between the two men just outside, his view obstructed.

He returned a few minutes later a malicious smile on his face. “Well Captain, it seems that I’ve managed to hurt you without even trying. She was very beautiful.” He dropped the object he was holding onto the desk and left the room, followed by his henchmen.

Nathan reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the gold pendant, opening it to reveal tiny photographs of himself and Kristin. He’d given it to her when he first returned to sea as seaQuest II’s captain. The dam he’d built around his emotions began to crumble and he clutched the necklace tightly in his palm as powerful sobs wracked his body.

“Any contact?” Ford questioned sharply.

“Nothing Sir.”

“Damn! They should have called in almost an hour ago. Try again Lieutenant.”

“Aye Sir.”

This time, much to their surprise, they received an answer, though not the one they were expecting…

“I’m holding Captain Bridger and his two officers, the rest have been executed. If you want them returned in one piece then you will back off and take no action against us, or they will die.”

The transmission ended, leaving a stunned silence on the bridge. It was broken by Lucas, “But… but that means they killed the Doc.” He commented brokenly.

“Yes.” Ford concurred. “It does.”

Silence reigned once more.

Nathan Bridger opened his eyes and when he rubbed them they were gritty and sore. There was something cold against his cheek and opening his hand, he saw the locket still in his grasp. He gasped as once again tears threatened. He was exhausted and every breath was agony for him but a new emotion was beginning to take hold – a cold, steely determination. He opened the clasp on the chain and placed it around his neck, tucking it inside his white sweater.

The corridor was silent and Kristin prayed to God that there was no one about. There was no way that she could see without moving. Taking a deep breath she slowly extricated herself from under the heavy, lifeless body of the Security Officer who had pulled her down the moment he’d realised what was happening.

She felt a sharp pain in her left side but ignored it. There’d be time to worry about that later, right now she had to find somewhere to hide before they came back. If they found her alive they’d…

Almost on instinct, she relieved her saviour of his sidearm and his PAL, then located a second communication’s device before looking around for somewhere to hide. Spotting an access grating in the wall she headed towards it, whispering another silent prayer before trying to remove it. Much to her relief, it came away easily and she crawled inside, closing it behind her.

Voices sounded in the corridor again and she held her breath, hoping that she hadn’t been seen. Her hands were shaking badly so she carefully laid down the items she’d retrieved lest she dropped them, then listened to the conversation outside…

“How come we get all the messy jobs?” One man groused.

“It’s what we’re paid for.” The other replied matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, well we’re not paid enough.”

“Quit complaining and get on with it.”

“What about the weapons and communication devices?”

“Keep the guns, lose the rest.”

“But…”

“Look, if by some miracle they manage to catch us, we don’t want to have UEO technology on our person. Trust me.”

“Okay, okay… Whoa, this watch looks expensive.”

“Then take it and hurry up!”

“Right, it’s not like he’s gonna be needing it. What’s this?”

“Now what!”

“Looks like a woman’s necklace. You see a woman here?”

In the relative safety of her hiding place, Kristin’s hand flew to her throat and she almost sobbed when she found it, bare. Nathan had given her that pendant and she always wore it. It made him seem close even when he was far away. Suddenly she felt very alone.

“Damn it, where the hell is she?”

She scrunched her eyes closed and bit down on her bottom lip, fully expecting to be discovered and shot.

“We don’t have time for that now. You heard the boss. ‘Get it done and get back’. You wanna be the one to tell him that someone got away?”

“Guess not.”

“Me either.”

“Hey, lookie what’s inside here.”

“What!” The voice sounded exasperated.

“Look.”

“Shit! We don’t tell him, right? She died with the others. We’ll give him this and maybe score ourselves some Brownie points.”

“Good idea.”

“Now, can we please stop the chatter and dispose of this lot? They’re making the place look untidy.”

The talking ceased apart from the odd grunt and groan as bodies were removed, and then all went silent. Kristin lowered her head onto her knees and cried.

~ Way to go, Kris. This is really helping, isn’t it? ~ She swiped angrily at her tears. ~ Wake up woman, you’re alone here. You’re gonna have to help yourself this time. No cavalry coming over the hill at the last moment. But what the hell, to do…? ~ She’d always prided herself on being a thinking reasoning, human being and not a mindless military drone, but now… ~ Enough! You’re all you’ve got so you’d better come up with a plan. ~

She retrieved the weapon she’d picked up and checked it - A full clip – thank God. She had the two PALs, not that she’d dare use one… they’d probably be on her in a flash. Flash… flashlight! ~ Why didn’t she have a flashlight? ~ The only illumination was coming from outside, so the further in she crawled the darker it would become. ~ Well, she’d have to cross that bridge when she came to it.  Okay, pockets next. ~

There wasn’t much there unfortunately. Still she had a clean hankie. Kristin giggled to herself hearing her mother’s voice in her head. ‘Don’t forget to take a clean handkerchief’.

The pain in her side was becoming a serious distraction, so she lowered the zipper of her jump-suit and slipped a hand inside. It came out wet and sticky. Hastily bringing it into the light she saw it was covered in blood. ~ Oh terrific! ~ She hadn’t even realised that she’d been shot.

Judging by the type of pain it probably wasn’t an urgent problem – the bullet must have gone straight through. But, it *was* still bleeding, and infection was a serious possibility. An even more immediate concern was the fact that wherever she went she was likely to leave a trail that would telegraph her every move… Whatever they were going to be.

She had been separated from her med-kit when they’d been ambushed, but that wasn’t the end of the world. She was a doctor, *this* she could handle.

Ignoring the throb in her side, she quickly removed her shoes and then her socks. Thank Heaven she’d agreed to wear a UEO uniform to come here. Okay, so Nathan had insisted… ordered her, even… She used one sock to press against the wound, gasping as a stabbing pain shot through her, and securing it temporarily, with a piece of tape she’d found in a pocket. The other she stuffed inside for future use. Painkillers would have been a plus, but no such luck. ~ What next? ~

Contacting seaQuest was definitely out for the moment, and there was no way she was going to be able to get out of this place on her own; she needed help. And that meant finding Nathan and the others. Nathan… A flash of his face appeared in her mind and the look when he saw her fall. ~ God, he must think I’m dead! ~ She leaned back and closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. She had to find him.

She’d worked her way through the crawlspace for hours, and completely lost count of the number of times she’d had to back up, the pipes and cables blocking her way. Her knees hurt, her back hurt and her side… She didn’t even want to think about her side. Every time she felt like giving up, she conjured an image of Nathan in her mind and imagined how happy he would be to see her. That thought alone spurred her on.

She’d found where most of the ‘bad guys’ were congregated and where they prepared their food. Had a revolting moment when she’d found the toilets and discovered one of the men dealing with a little, or not so little, personal problem. ~ Geez, didn’t he know that could make you go blind? ~ She was tired and there wasn’t a part of her that didn’t ache, but she decided to try one last branch.

The way was becoming progressively narrower and she’d just decided to give up when she heard male voices drifting in her direction. She froze and then sighed with relief when she recognised them.

“Damn it Jim, will you sit down! You’ve been at that for hours and you’re driving me crazy!”

“Geez, keep your hair on. Anyone would think you liked it here.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“Well, then are you going to help or sit there and rot?”

“I’ll help.”

“Good.”

Kristin eased forward but found her way blocked by a series of conduits. “Damn!” ~ Well, it was a good job she was small… ~ Turning on to her uninjured side she squirmed her way past them, all the while hoping that she wouldn’t get stuck. Her side was beginning to throb and she knew that the added exertion had probably made it bleed again. ~ Time to worry about that later. ~

She’d wriggled and shimmied her way to within a metre of the exit when she heard a door open. There were sounds of a scuffle followed by the door slamming shut again.

“Great idea, Jim. Now I guess we starve.”

Once she was sure the coast was clear Kristin squirmed the last few feet. O’Neill was sitting on the bunk head in hands and Brody was standing and scowling at him; a large bruise forming on his face.

“Tim.”

The Lieutenant looked around, convinced that he was hearing things.

“Tim!” Kristin hissed out again. This time both men responded. “Down here in the vent.”

They dropped to their knees.

“Doc! I thought you were dead.” The comm officer gasped. “Is there anyone else?”

“No. Where’s Nathan?”

“We don’t know. They separated us.” Brody jumped in. “Can we get out that way?”

“No chance. I barely made it.”

“This is great. You in there and us in here. What the hell are we going to do?”

“Can you remove the grating?”

“Why, do you want to join us? I hope you’re better company than him.”

“Very funny.” Tim snapped. “And I hope you’re not hungry. Impulsive guy here managed to piss off the guard.”

Jim scowled at him again.

While they’d been arguing they’d managed to release the catches and remove the cover. Kristin scrambled out, groaning as she straightened. She rummaged in her pockets. “Here.” She handed them the gun and one of the PALs.

Impulsively, Jim grabbed her. “You know something Doc, if the Captain wasn’t likely to keel-haul me I’d kiss you.” He hugged her tighter until she gasped in pain. He immediately let go.

“Doc?” O’Neill quickly looked her up and down, seeing the blood on her uniform. “Were you hit?”

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Looks like you’re bleeding to me.” Brody added.

“I’m fine.”

“Look, if Captain Bridger finds out we let you bleed to death, he’ll kill us himself.”

“I said… I’m alright.” Kristin snapped. “Now, what the hell do we do?”

“Contact seaQuest?” Jim offered.

“No. They’d probably pick up the transmission.”

“Then what?”

“We could modify the circuit in the PAL to send out a signal pulse. If we make it randomly generated then the seaQuest should be able to identify the…”

Brody interrupted. “I think I speak for everyone here when I say ‘huh?’.”

“Never mind.” Tim mumbled. “I’ll do it.” He returned his attention to Kristin. “Do you have another one?” He asked hopefully.

“Yes, here.”

“Okay, we’ll keep that as a back-up.” They could hear voices in the distance.

“Can you get back the way you came, Doc?”

“I think so.”

“Good.”

Kristin clutched her side as she knelt in front of the opening.

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yes. How will I know when…?”

“You’ll know. Believe me you’ll know.”

“Okay, then I’m going to see if I can find Nathan.”

“No. just sit tight and we’ll…”

“I’m going to find Nathan.” She repeated firmly then wriggled back through the gap so they could replace the cover.

“Be careful, Kristin.” Tim admonished.

“You too.”

Heavy footsteps stopped just outside and the door flew open. “Just wanted to make sure you’re all tucked in for the night.”

“What, no bedtime story?” Brody quipped.

The man in the doorway snorted derisively.

“How about milk and cookies?” The comm officer asked, not altogether joking.

“In your dreams.”

As Brody listened to the last comment he noticed the fresh blood on the floor and discreetly moved to hide it from view. The door clanged shut.

“Geez, that was close.” Tim muttered.

“Closer than you know.” He lifted his foot to reveal the telltale red stains. “That, is one gutsy lady.”

“You have no idea.” Came the whispered reply.

“Wanna tell me about her?”

“Why not.” The lights all went out, leaving them in almost total darkness. “Looks like it’s gonna be a long night. I wonder how the captain’s doing?”

Kristin had just negotiated the last of the major obstructions when everything went black. She swore under her breath and forged on, but after hitting the wall for the third time and almost breaking her fingers, she surrendered. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to find Nathan until daylight, or what passed for it here, she made herself as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, and tried to rest.

Nathan was going slowly out of his mind. He’d just stirred himself enough to look around his prison when the lights went out. He knew that if he really wanted he could make it back to the chair, even though he couldn’t see it, but he just couldn’t be bothered. Leaning against the nearest wall, he sank to the floor and brought his knees up to his chest. Resting his head on the firm surface, he closed his eyes.

With his mind occupied, he could clamp down on the man inside, but with nothing to do, he was reasserting himself. ~ How the hell had he let this happen? ~ He’d known that something was wrong – he’d felt it, and yet he’d stumbled blindly into the perfect trap. He couldn’t get out of his cell and two of his Officers were also trapped somewhere. If they weren’t he’d just give up, but they were, and he was responsible for them. Them… and the others who he’d seen murdered before his eyes. He would have to write to their families when he got out. There were sons and daughters and… Cynthia… His heart clenched. ~ Christ, what was he going to tell her? ~ ‘I’m sorry, but my selfishness got your mother killed?

If he’d only let her fly home as she’d planned, instead of being selfish for the sake of a few more days together. He should have insisted that she catch the flight, but he couldn’t. Every moment they spent together was precious to him. He loved her to distraction. She was a part of him and he needed her close. There was no way he could have passed up the chance of a few more days. A few more days… No more days…

No more nights spent with her in his arms... No more fun and laughter… Never to see her beautiful, beautiful face again. Kiss her lips. Hold her. Make love to her and have her make love to him. Feel her body pressed against his. No more… no more…

Nathan Bridger the man, resurfaced with a vengeance and the agonising pain in his soul took his breath away. It hurt so much that he felt like he might die from it. Hoped he would. He wanted to… God, he wanted to. He couldn’t go on without her. All trace of hope was gone. All reason to live…

He’d never felt this way before, not even after losing Robert and Carol. There was a void inside him, as black as the room he was locked in and holding him just as much a prisoner. In a split second all the light in his life was extinguished. Taken from him by one man… ~ Le Chien… Le Chien… Le Chien… ~ The name echoed inside his head along with his own voice. ‘I’d kill the son-of-a-bitch. I’d kill… I’ll kill the son-of-a-bitch. I’ll kill… kill… kill…’ Something inside him snapped and as the night wore on his thoughts grew darker, all vestiges of compassion and humanity disappearing.

Onboard seaQuest the faces were grim. Ford paced the bridge, having refused all offers of relief. A frown on his face that permeated to the very depths of his soul.

“We have to do something.” Lucas stated for the hundredth time, breaking the interminable silence.

“We will Lucas.” Jonathan said patiently.

“When?”

“When the time is right.”

“And when’s that? After they’re *all* dead.”

“Mr. Wolenczak, that’s enough! If you can’t keep quiet then leave the bridge!”

The boy sat down sullenly. ~ Why didn’t they understand? ~  The Doc was dead and Bridger must be… ~ God, he couldn’t even imagine what Bridger was going through. He’d loved her so much. She was his reason for living. What, if…? ~

His thoughts were interrupted by Manuel, calling out excitedly, “Sir, I’m picking up a faint signal.”

“What sort of signal?”

“Just a tone. There’s no obvious pattern to it.”

“Keep monitoring Mr. Ortiz.”

“Aye Sir.” But the sound had gone.

“Damn it! I thought I had it that time.” The lights had come back on an hour ago and O’Neill had started the modifications immediately.

“Keep trying.” Brody encouraged.

“What the hell do you think I’m gonna do?”

“Okay… Okay.”

“Sorry, I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Makes two of us, but at least *we* had a bed. I wonder if she’s okay.”

“God, I hope so.” His worry about Doctor Westphalen’s safety seemed to spur Tim on.

“Me too. She’s…”

“Got it!” The comm-officer yelled triumphantly.

“What now?”

“We use the other PAL to see if we get a response.”

“And then?”

“We may have to risk a longer transmission.”

Kristin had also woken the moment the lights came back on, fear gripping her as she tried to sit up and hit her head on the ceiling, completely disorientated for a minute. Then her side protested at the sudden movement and everything flooded back.

She fought down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her - No time for that… not yet – and then groaned as she realised that she needed to use the bathroom. She knew that she should probably do what she had to do right here, but the very idea made her feel sick. ~ Nope, she’d have to use the facilities she’d found yesterday. ~

Daylight found Nathan Bridger sitting in exactly the same spot he’d been in all night. He stared directly ahead, seeing absolutely nothing. He was pale and his face was devoid of any emotion, save the unnatural glint in his deep blue eyes, as he waited like a patient spider.

“Commander, we’re picking up that weird signal again.”

“Still the same random pulse?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Lucas moved over to the Communications station, his fingers caressing the keys at lightning speed. “Commander, it has a UEO signature.”

Ford was at his side in an instant. “Can you localise it?”

“I think so. Yeah, there.” A schematic of the complex came up on the screen, a light flashing towards the end of the building.

“Can we contact them?”

“I don’t know Sir. If the PAL is set to random transmit, it won’t be able to receive.”

“Try it anyway.”

“Won’t they pick up the transmission?” Lucas interjected.

“Damn!”

“Not if we do what Tim’s doing and send a random pulse.” Ortiz offered.

“How do you know it’s him?”

Ortiz gave the X-O an old-fashioned look. “Belay that, I guess I’m more tired than I thought. Just do it.”

“You sure that thing is transmitting?” Brody groused.

“You sure that gun’s loaded?”

“Of course I am! I’m the…” He raised his hand in a gesture of apology. A return ping broke the silence, making them both jump. “Was that what I think it was?”

“We’ll know in a minute.” Tim sent a manual pulse and immediately received one back.

“Yes!” They both yelled at the same time and high-fived one another.

Kristin made sure that the coast was clear before sliding out of the opening, thanking God that the maintenance crews had done their jobs while they were there and that the cover came away easily. She moved across the room and bolted the door.

After using the toilet and washing her hands, she looked up into the small mirror. ~ God, she was a mess. ~ Her hair was dishevelled, half of it having escaped from the barrette that had held it in place. Her face was filthy and had blood smears where she’d brushed it with her hands. There was a bruise on her forehead from when she’d run into the wall in the dark.

Her hands were cut in several places, knuckles scraped. And her uniform was beyond redemption. ~ And knowing the UEO, they’d probably make her pay for it. ~ But, on the plus side, she was still alive. Her stomach growled loudly… and hungry. Gingerly unzipping her jump-suit, she checked her side properly for the first time.
 
As she suspected the bullet had passed straight through and at an angle, which meant that the entry and exit wounds were close to one another. She carefully peeled away the sock, which was caked in dried blood and then looked around, smiling when she spotted a first-aid cabinet on the wall… It wasn’t locked. Finally, something seemed to be going her way.

There wasn’t a lot to use but she managed to make a cotton-wool pad to fit the first wound. The second was larger, as exit wounds tended to be, so she retrieved the other sock deal with that. Tearing off another piece of cotton-wool, she soaked it in disinfectant and used it to clean up the worst of it, almost screaming in pain when it touched the raw flesh.

The room began to spin crazily and she held on to the wash basin, taking deep breaths. ~ Not now, for Christ’s sake! She’d be caught and she’d never find Nathan. ~ That thought seemed to steady her and after a few more breaths the room settled down.

She knew she’d been here too long, so she quickly taped the makeshift dressings down using the tape she’d found in the cabinet. Gathering up her bits and pieces, she made sure everything in the room was as it should be, before sliding back into the vent and closing it behind her.

She’d toyed with the idea of unlocking the door but decided it was too risky. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have the brains to figure it out. Now, to find Nathan…

She’d checked every room on her level and hadn’t been able to find him. Although her side still ached it was going numb, and she couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing. Leaning back against the wall she bit her lip, tears of frustration and despair pricking at the backs of her eyes. Until this moment she hadn’t even considered the fact that he might be dead already. His name escaped her lips in an agonised sob… “Nathan, where are you?”

The man in question hadn’t moved an inch. He was functioning purely on automatic. In his mind he’d killed George Le Chien over and over again, each time more painfully than the last. Nothing was too bad for him to endure, nothing… The door opened and he looked up.

The guard blanched. The hatred and fury in the older man’s eyes scaring the crap out of him. He kept his gun trained on Bridger whilst he placed the tray he was carrying on the table. “I’ll be back for it in ten minutes.” He left quickly. ~ Yeah, he’d be back, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be coming alone. ~

“You all know what you have to do?” Ford queried.

“Aye Sir.” “Yes Sir.” Came the chorus of replies.

“Good.”

“You’re really going in through the front door?” Lucas asked.

“Yes.”

“But surely…”

“Look Lucas, it’s gonna be the last thing they’ll expect. One group will go in through the front first, the second will use the emergency hatch and rescue Bridger and the others.”

“Sounds good in theory.”

“Yeah.” He turned to address the waiting group. “Okay, let’s do it.”

“I’m coming too.” Lucas stated determinedly.

“No. No you’re not. We’ll have enough to worry about without…”

“I could stay in the launch. Make sure that everything’s working properly.”

“No Lucas.”

“Please.” He sounded close to tears and Ford relented.

“You stay in the launch. You so much as put a toe outside and I’ll personally have you thrown off seaQuest. You understand me?"

“Yes… Sir!”

Jonathan searched his face for any signs of sarcasm but could see none… Just worry and fear. “Come on.” He stated more gently.

Once her tears had started flowing, Kristin couldn’t seem to stop them. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and rocked slowly backwards and forwards. ~ What in God’s name did she do now? She wasn’t supposed to be here. She should be safely locked away in her lab or walking on the beach or… Anywhere, but here. ~  Nathan wasn’t anywhere. ~ Was he dead? ~ No he couldn’t be, he just couldn’t. ~ Was he on another level? ~ If that was the case then there was no way she’d ever be able to find him without emerging from her hiding place and she couldn’t do that. At least, not until *all* hope was gone. One woman against all those men… She wouldn’t stand a chance. ~ Okay Kris, think… ~ Maybe Tim and Jim would have an idea? Quickly, she wiped away her tears and started to crawl towards the room where she’d last seen them.

Suddenly, the whole place shook and she was thrown against the wall, taking the impact on her injured side. This time she did cry out as the pain shot through her entire body. She waited for it to subside somewhat and then headed for the nearest exit.

She could hear the sounds of heavy footsteps running through the hallways and quickened her pace, stopping behind the grill to peer out.  There were people yelling and the sounds of gunfire and then silence. Waiting until she thought it was safe she slid out from her hiding place, landing right at the feet of… a seaQuest Security Officer.

He helped her to stand. “You okay, Doc?”

“You took your damned time!” She stormed ungraciously. “The others?”

“We don’t know yet. Look, the way is clear down there. There’s a launch at the main entrance. Think you can make it?”

“Uh-huh.”

The man bent down and claimed a handgun from one of their dead captors. “Take this, and if you have to, use it.” He moved off in the opposite direction and Kristin followed a safe distance behind – *away* from the launch.

O’Neill and Brody jumped and then let out a sigh of relief as Jonathan Ford exploded through the door. “You two all right?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Bridger?”

“We don’t know. They took him.”

“Hell!” He motioned to the men with him. “Search the place. Find the Captain, fast.”

“And Doctor Westphalen.” Tim chipped in.

“We thought she was dead.”

“No, she got away. God knows how. She’s been hiding in the access tunnels.” He explained.

“We have to find her Commander. She saved our lives.” Brody added.

Nathan had been patiently waiting his chance and when the explosions had hit and the sound of weapons’ fire startled his guards, he seized his opportunity. Grabbing one he used him as a shield and snatched his sidearm, shooting the other man before he had a chance to react.

The one he was holding started to struggle and the gun dropped to the floor, skittering away from them. Without even a second’s hesitation, Bridger broke his captive’s neck with one twist and ran from the room. He had only one thing on his mind – killing George Le Chien and nothing, and no one, was going to stop him.

Kristin moved stealthily along the now-deserted corridors, only the odd sound of a shot alerting her to the fact that there was still a danger of being caught, and stepping cautiously over the dead bodies of their erstwhile captors. She was desperately trying to find a stairwell that she could use to search the lower levels, praying that Nathan was still alive somewhere down there.

As she rounded the next corner she approached an open doorway and heard voices, one of which made her heart skip a beat… Nathan…

Once he was free, there had only been one thing on Nathan Bridger’s mind… The still sane part of him told him it was wrong, but the crazed with grief part, just wasn’t listening. He’d run up the three flights of stairs two at a time, down the corridor and burst into a side-room, only to find himself on the wrong end of an automatic pistol.

“Well Captain, how nice of you to drop in. Saves me the trouble of coming to find you.”

Nathan just stared at the man and if looks could have killed, he would have been a pile of ashes on the floor.

“It seems that my plans have been changed somewhat, but there is still one thing I have left to do.” He waited for Bridger to reply and when he didn’t he continued. “Nothing to say? No last requests?”

Bridger’s only thoughts at that moment were ~ Get on with it. I’d rather die than live with this pain for the rest of my life. ~

“No? Then prepare to join your loved ones, Captain.”

He raised the weapon and Bridger closed his eyes. Not through fear, but when he died he didn’t want the manic face of Le Chien, to be the last thing he saw. He conjured up a picture of Carol In his mind, then Robert and finally Kristin.

It seemed to be taking the man forever to pull the trigger. Still, if he wanted to savour his moment of triumph, then let him. He almost smiled at the thought that this man’s pleasure wouldn’t be nearly as great if he knew that he was really doing him a favour…

Two shots rang out in quick succession and Nathan braced himself, but there was no impact… No burning pain... He’d been shot before and there was always the searing pain ~ Perhaps he had died instantly? ~ But no, if he had then he would be with Kristin. She’d be there waiting for him… His mind was confused and he opened his eyes again. George Le Chien lay before him on the floor, two precision blooms of red on his shirt.

Nathan was distraught. Again it seemed that he had cheated death, or in this case, death had cheated him. He was inexplicably angry. Turning on his heel he expected to see one of his crew standing behind him, but instead…

She stood in the doorway, the gun still in her hand, staring at the man on the floor.

“Kris…” He cried out in disbelief and then, “Kristin!”

She didn’t look at him as he crossed to her, or react as he took the gun from her hand.

“Kristin?” He tilted her chin and looked into her tear-filled eyes. “Kristin?”

And then she was warm and very real in his arms, his lips capturing hers before planting desperate little kisses on her eyes, her cheeks, her hair… “Oh, thank God… Thank God… I thought…” As he held her tightly he heard the unmistakable sound of military boots running up the corridor towards them. He pushed her behind him, shielding her with his body, then relaxed when Jonathan Ford appeared at his side.

“Captain, are you alright?”

“I’m fine Commander. The others?”

“Safe, thanks to Dr. Westphalen.”

Bridger looked at his X-O in surprise but said nothing. There would be time for reports later.

“Le Chien?” Jonathan questioned.

“He’s in there.” Nathan indicated the room with a flick of his head and Ford went over to check on the man.

“Nice shooting, Captain.”

“I didn’t have a gun.”

It was Ford’s turn to look surprised.

“Shall we get out of here Commander?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Kristin was unnaturally quiet on the trip back and Nathan was beginning to get worried about her. He tightened his hold and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“So Cap, if you didn’t kill him, who did?” Lucas asked. He’d kept his word and stayed out of harm’s way and now he wanted to know everything that had happened.

“I did.” Said a small feminine voice.

“You, Doc? But you don’t know anything about guns.”

She looked up at him sadly. “No Lucas… I said I didn’t like them, I didn’t say that I couldn’t use one.”

“Wow! How did…?” He was about to ask how she’d learned to shoot like that but a warning look from the Captain shut him up. Lucas sat down and they completed the journey in silence.

When they docked Wendy Smith was waiting for them. “Is anyone hurt?” She quickly checked Brody and O’Neill over before sending them to their quarters to get some sleep. “Nathan?”

He looked down at his bloodstained uniform. “It’s not mine.” He assured her, at a loss as to how it had got there.

“It’s mine.” Kristin confessed quietly.

“Doc?” “Doctor Westphalen, where are…?” “Kristin?”

The faces and voices around her began to blur until she couldn’t distinguish one from the other. She was tired. She hurt. And she didn’t want to do this anymore. Darkness beckoned and she embraced it, sliding unceremoniously to the floor.

“Get her to med-bay, NOW!” The CMO yelled.

Nathan didn’t have to be told twice. After the initial shock wore off he immediately scooped her up, refusing all offers of help as he carried his precious bundle in his arms.

Just over an hour later Smith emerged to find him in the passageway.

“Is she all right? I didn’t know… I didn’t even think to ask if…”

“She’s going to be okay, Nathan. The bullet went straight through but she’d lost a lot of blood. To be honest, if she hadn’t been a doctor, she’d probably be…” The look of agony on Bridger’s face stopped her mid-sentence. “She’ll be fine… physically that is. Did you notice how quiet she is?”

“I assumed that it was shock.”

Wendy nodded. “You’ll have to keep a close eye on her for the next few days.”

“I intend to…. Both eyes… Can I spring her?”

“Of course, but she shouldn’t be on her own too much.” As Nathan tried to pass her, Smith put a hand on his arm. “They told me what she did. You know, she’s quite a woman.”

“Yes… yes she is.”

“Nathan… About what happened before…”

“Not now Wendy. Not now.”

She nodded again and stepped aside to let him pass.

Kristin sat silently on the edge of the bunk in his quarters, staring straight ahead of her without actually seeing anything. As soon as they’d entered, she’d rushed for the head, locking the door behind her. He could hear her throwing up even through the heavy metal. When she emerged she had taken up the position she was in now – that was half-an-hour ago.

Nathan desperately wanted to hold her, kiss her… He’d been absolutely shattered when he thought she was dead and now he couldn’t seem to get himself back together. He needed her… needed her strength, her love… Sometimes, especially on dark days, it was all that got him through.

Not knowing what else to do, he crossed to his locker and produced a bottle of whiskey, pouring two generous shots into tumblers and handing her one. She took it without looking up at him. Just when he thought he couldn’t stand the silence any longer she whispered, “I’m sorry, I’ve just never killed anyone before.”

Nathan sighed with relief but still didn’t touch her; afraid of what might happen. “I know Baby, I know.”

“I’m not supposed to kill people… I’m supposed to save them.” For the first time she looked at him, her eyes haunted, and he felt his heart clench. “But I couldn’t let him hurt you… I just couldn’t.” There was a pleading expression on her face, asking him for something… A word or something, that would make everything all right.

Putting down his glass, he knelt in front of her, took hers and then held both of her hands in his. “There was nothing else you could do, Kristin. He gave you no choice.”

“But I killed him… I could have just shot the gun from his hand, but I killed him.” The tears at last began to fall from her eyes.

Nathan reached up and stroked them away. “He gave you no choice.” He repeated. “George Le Chien died a long time ago. You didn’t kill him Kris… I did. The day I killed his son.”

“Is that who he was? The man behind Marilyn Stark?”

“Yes.”

“Why Nathan? Why did he do it? All those innocent people.”

“Revenge Kristin… And he was prepared to kill anyone who got in his way.”

She was desperately trying to understand. “I wanted revenge against Zellar for my brother, but when it came to it, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pull the trigger.”

“That’s because you’re stronger than he was. You are one of the strongest people I have ever known.”

“But your son was taken from you. Did you feel the way Le Chien did?”

“Oh yeah, but like you, I didn’t follow through.”

She reached out to stroke his cheek. “Then we’re both strong people.”

“No Kris…” He pulled back but she held on to his hands.

“Nathan?”

“I didn’t follow through after Robert’s death because I blamed myself and I was too much of a coward to take my own life.” He spat out bitterly. “And it’s my fault that you had to do what you did.” He paused for breath and Kristin squeezed his hands, urging him to continue.

“I was left alone for hours with nothing to do but think. I was driving myself crazy. God, I was so sure I’d lost you and it hurt, it hurt so much. The first opportunity I got, I went after Le Chien, I wanted to kill him for what he did to you. Wanted to pound him with my fists until there was nothing left – it was all I could think about.” He took a few more calming breaths. “It wasn’t until I ran into the room and saw him standing there with a gun levelled at me that I realised how stupid I’d been. That I wasn’t going to live, let alone beat him into oblivion.”

Another pause... “And then I knew that I didn’t want to live…” He looked up into her teary eyes and moisture began to form in his own. “I couldn’t face the rest of my life without you.” He shook his head, “No, Kris, you didn’t kill him. You may have pulled the trigger but you didn’t kill him. He was already dead, inside.

“And I’m not strong Baby, at least not when it comes to you. I can’t bear the thought of losing you or of anyone hurting you. I just can’t…” He lowered his head and rested it on her knees, feeling her hand absently stroking his hair. “I was so afraid, Kris and that fear made me angry. I lost control.”

“Then maybe George Le Chien felt the same way. Maybe he wanted to die too. You know… he saw me standing in the doorway, looked right at me. He could easily have killed me, if he wanted too.”

“Oh Christ.” Nathan’s arms went round her waist and he held her tightly.

“It takes a lot of courage to take your own life and a lot more to live. I guess that he just took the easiest way out – for him.”

“I’m sorry Baby… I’m so sorry…”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“But…”

Kristin’s lips found his in a loving kiss. “It’s alright.”

They held each other tightly, each lost in their own torment. Nathan trying to accept that she didn’t blame him. That she was safe and well. And Kristin knowing that it would take her a long time to come to terms with what she’d been forced to do. But now wasn’t the time or place. Nathan needed her to be strong and she damn well would be. Plenty of time to fall apart when she got home.

“Hey Bridger, we’re in danger of flooding out the boat here!”

Nathan looked up at her and she smiled brightly through her tears. ~ You are the strongest person I have ever known. ~ He repeated to himself. His lips met hers in the most tender of kisses. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“This much?” She held her hands a foot apart.

“More.”

“This much?” She stretched them wider.

He shook his head, laughter at last lighting his eyes. “Nope, much more.”

She opened her arms as wide as they would go. “This much, then?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Then I guess you’d better show me.” Her face grew serious. “Please show me.”

And he did, over and over until they were completely exhausted.

“That much, huh?”

“That much and more… More than seaQuest... More than the ocean… More than life… You are my life.”

Kristin’s tears were threatening to fall again, so she just laid her hand on his heart and whispered. “I love you, Nathan Bridger.”

“And I thank God for it. Please don’t ever stop.”

“No chance.” She whispered as she fell asleep in his arms.