* I'll Take Care Of You *

She had jumped to her feet to face him and swung at him but he was faster and caught her hand in his, drawing her tense body to his and holding her when she struggled. He tried to capture her mouth with his but she bit him, hard enough to draw blood and he cursed, swung her around so her back was against him, holding her arms tight to her body as she struggled, trying to keep his own temper under control, pushing Jessie away with one foot as the confused canine tried to get between them.

“Calm down…I’ll leave. We need to talk this out but now doesn’t appear to be a good time.”

He stepped back away from her, his mind jumbled with all the words and actions of the last few minutes, had just reached the door when he heard her sob, turned and saw her hand brush against an empty coffee mug on the desk and grasp it to pitch it in his direction. He ducked and it smashed against the door frame.

It was a dismal and too short of a walk back to the flat, not nearly far enough to work off the residual anger still boiling inside him so he went past the building and entered the park, hands in pockets, shoulders hunched, just walking at a brisk pace, letting his mind calm enough to think about what had happened.

Control, that was the issue…control or the lack of it, something he hadn’t been on top of since he signed on with Il Divo, since before Laurenz issued his ultimatum the first time. In some ways he had been using his relationship with Maggie to have control over some part of his life, treating her not as an equal as she deserved but as someone who needed him to be in control, not just of their beginning romance but in all aspects of their life together. The money itself wasn’t a real problem, merely the visible sign of his lack of control over her and thus something he resented. He had thought he hid his feelings about her wealth but apparently he was wrong.

The very things that he admired and loved, the aspects that made Maggie who she was, the woman that he would willingly give his life for, those things made her a strong person, someone who was kind and loyal, talented, dependable…. and self reliant. He had to admit that she didn’t need him to chart her life, to protect her at every turn of the road… he had to trust her, respect her …if their relationship was not already beyond salvaging.

Did he really treat her differently than he would a sighted woman? He thought of all their times together and was hurt by her accusation…half the time he forgot she couldn’t see, she coped so well. Yes, there were concessions that had to be made, but not out of pity…it was no different than if she had been …left-handed…sometimes you just had to adapt.

He replayed their argument, the hurtful things he had said to her and the cruel way she had answered him…. They both had spoken in the heat of the moment, blowing minor disagreements all out of proportion, saying things on both sides that were meant only to hurt, not to be believed. He was calmer now and hoped that she was too… he couldn’t let this be the end for them, not without doing everything possible to mend fences. If she didn’t let him in or refused to let him back in her life…he couldn’t bear to even think of the possibility.

He looked up and found that his steps had led him to her building and he entered, nodding at security and entering the lift. At least she hadn’t told security not to let him in, that was a hopeful sign. It rose ponderously tonight, almost creeping toward what might be the most important meeting of his life.

The door opened and he entered the foyer, walked quietly through to the Lounge and saw her sitting in the chocolate leather chair by the fireplace, curled in on herself, her face glistening with tracks of tears.

She rose slowly and waited as he crossed over the fluffy carpet and stood in front of her.

“I’m sorry… I tried to leave…but where-ever you are…that’s my home now.”

She reached her hands out to him and he took them, gently holding her against his tense body, felt the way her shoulders relaxed against him, the way she burrowed into his chest and slipped her arms around his waist to hold on, tight.

“I’ve always been the one in charge, the one to make the decisions. This whole mess with Laurenz feels so unnatural to me, and I thought that at least in my personal life I would be the one in control. But there are two of us and I didn’t show you the respect you deserve. We should make decisions together, and I need to respect your work, just as you constantly show me respect for what I do. I was wrong, Liebe and I’m so sorry. Don’t leave me, Maggie. Please take a chance on me.”

“I won’t ever leave you, my Swiss…I may yell and scream and argue sometimes, but I won’t leave you. I love you, nothing can change that.” She nestled against him, her breath soft and warm against his chest and he didn’t ever want to let her go.

“Urs, I was wrong…I should have told you that I was still reading your mail from Laurenz and passing the news on to Simon. I’m sorry. I promise you that I won’t keep anything like that from you again.”

He held her tight and caressed her back.

“I said some hurtful things to you, things I didn’t mean…please forgive me?”

“You weren’t the only one, Urs…my mouth is my worst enemy when I lose my temper…I tend to get verbal diarrhea, to say things I don’t mean, to inflict as much pain as possible….I’m so sorry.”

“Do you realize that we’ve just had our first fight? And you were right…you are awesome when you loose your temper.”

“Urs, there will be times when I need you to be strong for me, when I need to know that you are there to hold me, to keep me safe, just as I will be there for you should you need me. We both have to learn when those times are, when to be strong, when to be supportive, when to allow each other to lead or follow. This love we share is so new, so fragile…it will be a learning experience for both of us and if we survive the lessons it will only make our love stronger.”

He kissed her brow tenderly and whispered close to her mouth.

“You are more important to me than anything, anyone… I will take care of you my Love and if that means sometimes letting you take the lead then so be it and I will follow. When you need me I will be there.”

They curled up together on the big leather sofa and talked for an hour, wandered into the kitchen to raid the frig and open a bottle of wine, then sat on the carpet in front of the fire nibbling and sipping their chardonnay, airing all the little things that had come up in the brief but volatile shouting match in the office.

“Does Simon really think I’m after your money?” he asked.

She sighed and nestled closer.

“I don’t think Simon really believes in Love. He isn’t quite as money mad as he likes to let on but he’s never had a girl friend who just liked him for himself…not before the current one that is. And he’s very protective of me, even worse than you are. We fight about it a lot.”

“And do you always win?” he chuckled against the top of her head and made her shiver from the vibrations.

“Always… he’s even more of a softie than you are.”

She giggled as he retaliated by tickling her until she was breathless and begged for mercy.

“I really do respect the work you do, Liebe. I’m very proud of you, but I do worry. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you.”

“You must have faith in yourself and in me, Urs. I seldom work much in the field, when I do it is usually in a support type of position or supervisory. And I like to think that if something did happen that what we have shared would make your heart open to sharing yourself with another, in time. You have so much love to give…. It would be a sin not to find someone else to share it with.”

“I can’t think of a time when you are not with me. Just those few hours today when I worried that you wouldn’t accept me back…I thought I would lose my mind.”

She pulled his head down for a kiss that evolved into more kisses, that magically made clothing disappear, that led to caresses and moans …..

Jessie raised her head once to look at the intertwined bodies in front of the flickering fire, sighed and turned away, sleeping and content that her pets were playing happily.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN….RESCUE BEGINS



Urs joined Maggie on several shopping expeditions for Easter gifts for all the kids, useful, tasty or fun things, each time returning home with the car full to over flowing. They celebrated a few days early in order to share the fun with the whole student body, presents, Easter egg hunt,
a special dinner and an impromptu performance of Beauty and the Beast, held in the Dining Hall. Carlos and Gerry helped with the ‘dishes’, roles done admirably by the younger children and vowed that it was the most fun performance they had ever been part of.

It was the day that the kids all left for their homes that Urs got word that Laurenz, Yvette and the baby would be in London the following day, accompanied by some ‘friends’. He called Simon immediately and that evening they met in the nearly empty school to finalize plans.

“There isn’t a lot of evidence against Laurenz at the moment, though we can hold him for 24 hours without much. We do need to get the woman and child away from danger though and this seems the safest way to do it. Urs, I’d like you to be present at the airport…it will calm Yvette to see you and then we can explain what is happening. Laurenz will be taken into custody, but I’m afraid his lawyer will have him out the next day unless he’s fool enough to carry anything incriminating on him. Brian will be part of the take down team…ahhh, you weren’t aware he works for the Agency ….. Brian is one of our better operatives, very versatile when it comes to assuming roles and working his way into organizations. He is at present part of Laurenz’ contingent of guards for Yvette, that’s why he’s been away for a while.”

“And what would you like me to do, Simon?” Maggie asked.

“A team will be entering the house in Switzerland and may encounter some difficulty with locks and computer firewalls, pass codes, that sort of thing. We need you available to assist them via land line if they run into trouble. Brian says that Laurenz is paranoid about security and it may prove difficult.”

Urs couldn’t hide the sigh of relief when he heard what Maggie’s job was to be. He hoped she hadn’t heard it and glanced at her just in time so see a wry smile cross her mouth as she shook her head a bit. Well he would apologize later. This business of trying not to be over- protective of her was difficult but he would learn.

“How will we know when he is arriving, through Brian?” he asked Simon.

“Yes…he will send us a coded message with the flight number and arrival time. He will also see to it that Yvette and Hans go through customs first so we can take them away quickly, before Laurenz and the other guards get through the officials. It will destroy his cover but he was nearly finished there anyway. Laurenz had planned to ‘promote’ him to one of his thugs soon and Brian draws the line at being sent out to beat on people that have annoyed his ‘employer’.”


They talked a while longer about the plans then Urs asked again where Yvette and Hans would be taken.

“You don’t need to know, Urs,” Simon began but Maggie interrupted.

“You might as well tell him, Simon, because if you don’t, I will. You should know by now that he will do nothing to endanger his sister or nephew….. and I will not keep secrets from Urs.”

Simon growled out a response.

“Fine!...Maggie owns houses in several cities that we use as safe houses whenever necessary. They are staffed and secure, well protected so we will send Yvette and the boy to one of them.”

“SIMON! The whole truth!” She glared at him and with a sigh he continued.

“We will take her to a secure room at the airport and then on a private plane to Canada…to Toronto. The place there is large and gated, staffed by an older couple with 2 daughters in their early 20’s, all trained agents. She will have company and assistance, anything she needs until this whole business is settled.”

He left shortly after, promising to inform them as soon as he heard anything.

When Maggie shut the door behind Simon she turned to go back to the office but found Urs had followed her. He took her hands and leaned his brow against hers and she waited to see what he would say.

“Thank you, Luv…. For having faith in me, for standing up to Simon…and for not getting angry with me for wanting to keep you safe…. What do you say to going home and I’ll show you what a great cook I am? I’m a whiz at tinned soup. Or we can order Indian delivered?”

“Or we can nuke one of the casseroles that Heidi leaves in the freezer for me? Tomorrow will be a busy day…I’d like some quiet time, just us two.”

He agreed and they locked down the quiet school and followed Jessie home.

They ended up having soup after all, though not tinned but some of Heidi’s homemade corn chowder from the freezer with a warmed crusty baguette, cheese and fruit, all spread on the coffee table in front of the fire.

Both kept their phones close at hand as they sipped on fruit spritzers, needing to keep their heads clear and Urs told her stories about Yvette as a child, always the timid one, the little princess, the one sister who always had neat hair and tidy ribbons at the end of her braids, the one that the others loved to tease since she cried easily and also the one that he took under his wing and fought many a battle for. She had been a difficult birth and a delicate child, at a loss among the other robust children but loved by all even though the other two sisters delighted in teasing her.

She had adopted Urs as her hero, running to him when the others had her in tears, pleading with him to help with her homework when the assigned problems were too much of a challenge, asking for him to hold her hand when she was hospitalized to have her tonsils removed.

He had come back from Amsterdam to be her partner for her first dance, a fact that impressed all the other girls in her class who stared at him with longing through the evening.

Maggie could hear the love he had for his sister in his voice, more so even than when he spoke of Magda or Pauline…it was something foreign to her, this sibling affection, since she had been an only child. It explained a lot about why he felt the need to protect her and seemed surprised when she was able to be strong and self reliant.

“It’s time for Yvette to stand on her own, Urs. She has a child now, responsibilities. This separation from the domination of Laurenz and the over protected young years when you made her life easy, it will be good for her. She can make a new life…we can help her get started and encourage her after she begins to feel safe again.”

They lay together on the leather sofa, spooned, listening to the fire and some classical CD’s, talking now and then but just enjoying the closeness and the peace, retiring to the bedroom around 10 and showering separately so one would be available should the phone ring.

Urs was brushing Maggie’s hair, a task he enjoyed, when the call came.

Flight 247, arriving at Heathrow at 14:45, the meeting of the team to be at Simon’s office at 12 noon.

There was something about the danger and tension that made them both wild and they made love as if they had been apart for months, neither able to hold back as they tore at each other, rough, bruising, sweaty and when they managed to breathe again and straighten the carpet that they had fallen out of the big bed onto, Urs picked Maggie up and cuddled her once again in the ravaged bed.

She began to laugh and so did he, both laughing until tears streaked their faces and they snuggled, chuckling now and then as their hearts stopped racing and the salty sweat that coated their skin dried.

“I did tell you I wouldn’t always be gentle,” he said with a kiss on her brow.

“You didn’t warn me about falling out of bed though,” she said with a giggle.

“Maybe we should get thicker carpets,” he replied and she giggled again, biting him lightly on an exposed arm.

“I didn’t know you could speak Italian,” he said and stroked the tangled curls off her face.

“I can’t ….. only the naughty words.”

He laughed and nestled closer.

“Well you did a fine job of them…I was impressed.”

She giggled and he felt her cheek against his chest, heat and knew that she was blushing.

Slowly they cooled and somehow unwound the duvet and pulled it up to cover them as they slept.

**

They both avoided talking about what was upcoming after their morning shower, neither very interested in breakfast as they sat at the counter in the kitchen and sipped on juice and coffee.

“What are you going to tell the guys about being busy today?” she asked him and he frowned, thinking.

“Probably the truth… it’s always easier to remember the truth than a lie and I’m tired of having to think up phony excuses to explain some of my absences. They deserve to know what’s going on.”

“It shouldn’t be too much of a shock….David already knows about the Agency and he may have told the others.”

“Not David…he never gossips…sometimes things slip out if he hasn’t been asked not to tell, but once he promises to keep quiet, that’s it. Very dependable and close-mouthed, surprisingly so for someone with such a wicked sense of humor.”

Maggie went to the school with Jessie while Urs returned to his seldom used flat to change into leathers and get his Harley, hoping to catch the other Divos before he had to leave. He was nervous but not unduly, hoped he could keep his temper and concentrate on getting Yvette and Hans to safety rather than attacking Lorenz the first glimpse he had. His stomach tightened as he thought of how frightened she would be, how confused, not knowing whether she should defend her husband out of fear of retaliation or misplaced loyalty or go with Urs as he was going to urge her to do. He thought about what Maggie had said and decided that appealing to his sister for help in removing Hans from danger might be the best way to go.

He found David and Seb enjoying coffee in David’s flat and they rang Carlos to invite him and Gerry down to Seb’s for coffee and an important talk. Leaving it that way got Carlos’ attention and he dragged a sleepy Gerry to Seb’s to satisfy his curiosity.

Urs began explaining about the threat that had been a cloud hanging over him for several years, getting as he expected, an angry reaction from them that he hadn’t appealed to them for assistance before.

“I’m sorry…it’s hard for me to be open about some personal things and there are things I’ve had to do that I’m not proud of. I don’t know if you are aware of the Agency that Simon and Maggie belong to…I know David is, and I don’t have time this morning to go into details.

“Laurenz and Yvette are arriving in London just before 3 today and he will be taken into custody, but more importantly Yvette and the baby will be put into protective custody, somewhere where he can’t hurt her again. Hopefully then it will all be over.”

“What can we do to help?” Seb asked, shaky but determined.

“Nothing, I just felt it was way past time that I should be honest with you. I have to be at the airport to try and keep Yvette from panicking….Maggie will be at the school, monitoring the search of the house in Switzerland from her office…. If anyone wants to go by and keep her company…”

“It will be better than waiting alone… Claro, ‘mijo,” Gerry said and the others agreed.

He left soon after, dropping by the school and admitted through the locked doors by Millie when she recognized his voice.

Maggie was in the office and looked up from her keyboard when he entered.

“So how did it go, Swiss?”

“Good,” he said as he crossed over to her and bent to kiss her.

“They want to come over and wait with you and I thought you would agree. It will be less nerve wracking for them to hear what’s going on….and they chewed me out royally for not telling them before.”

She grinned at him.

“You do have a very loyal bunch of friends. Yes, I’ll be glad of the company…this place seems so lifeless when the children are gone.”

He pulled over one of the other chairs and sat facing her, playing idly with her fingers, trusting Millie to announce any incoming messages.

“So tell me about this house in Toronto. I may need to sell the idea to Yvette.”

She laughed and teased him that he was just nosey.

“It’s a 200 year old big brick house in an area called Rosedale, set on a large ravine lot with high brick and stone walls all around. Granda bought it when he opened some of the businesses in Toronto back in the 1920’s, probably something to do with illegal booze, according to some of the tales I overheard Da telling Mama. There’s a large garage with an apartment over it for the Agent who acts as chauffeur now and then and a 9 bedroom house. Claude and Delphine take care of the house and live there with their daughters, Angie and Louise…all of them work for the Agency. We use it as a safe house or a base for any work in the area. It’s really a lovely place, especially in the spring and summer with gardens and tall, sheltering pines…of course now they have snow and cold weather but it’s still pretty.”

“Do you ever go there?”

“I haven’t for a couple of years…why, did you want to visit sometime?”

He smiled and reached out to brush some stray curls from her cheek.

“It might be a good starting place for a road trip…I’ve heard that camping in Canada is a wonderful holiday…but I like to rough it…campfires and a tent, no Winnebagos for me.”

“Sounds like fun…I haven’t been camping for…oh it must be about 12 years.”

He stood and leaned over her, cupping her face with his hands.

“Then that’s another thing we have to put on our ‘To Do’ list.”

He kissed her and nibbled on her mouth, then sighed and let his hands fall to her shoulders. “I never get enough of kissing you…you’re like a drug that I need all the time….but I have to go, Liebe. I’ll be back as soon as I can after Yvette and Hans are off to safety.”

“Urs…be careful…and calm. She will be confused and upset, in need of a calm, loving presence….and I want you back in one piece.”

“I promise…Later Luv.”

He saw the group of friends coming down the street as he put his helmet on and mounted the Harley. They waved and he waved back as he eased out into the late morning traffic.

It was early but he liked to be on time, never more so than today. Strangely he was calm now, cold and determined but calm, perhaps because of the rightness of what they were about to do. Today there were no butterflies, no nerves like he usually had when he had to do a job for Laurenz. Today no one had to die, though it would not have made him unhappy if Laurenz ceased to exist. From this day on, hopefully, Yvette could get on with her life and so could he…a life that he knew had to include Maggie.

It was early days yet in their relationship but he didn’t care…he knew it was right….at long last he was entertaining thoughts that had always seemed foreign to him. His attitude about marriage had, since his early years, been that it was an old fashioned institution, unnecessary in this modern world. Now he understood… there was a craving that came when you truly had found your soulmate, a craving to belong, in front of God and man, to take a solemn vow that showed this was not a mere relationship, it was a lifetime commitment, chosen freely. He smiled as he thought that sometime, soon, he would declare exactly how much he loved her, how he wanted them to be one, forever… he would wait for the right time, the right moment and ask Maggie to be his wife… and hope to God she would accept.

He finally reached the entrance to the underground parking at Simon’s office and parked the bike in a vacant slot, carried his helmet and went up the stairs to Simon’s floor. The receptionist waved him on in and he entered to find a crowd of men and women, all dressed in casual street clothing, clustered around the desk, waiting for Simon to arrive and go over the plans with them.

He nodded and found an empty seat, slid his helmet underneath and glanced around.

None of the people present would have been identified on sight as being part of a secret organization. Most of the women looked like housewives or secretaries, the men appearing to be office workers, accountants, perhaps a few as athletes part time since their bodies were toned. He smiled as he realized that he fit right in. No one would assume that he was an opera singer by his appearance either…maybe a courier or a biker with his long hair and leathers but definitely not a classical singer.

He noticed a large coffee urn on a sideboard against the far wall and rose to help himself, winding through the agents on the plush leather couches and the ones sitting in the wingback chairs in front of Simon’s large mahogany desk. He could see the Tower clock from the acres of smoked glass window behind the desk…5 of 12 Noon. He was on time even though it seemed Simon wasn’t.

Simon bustled into the room even before the thought was finished, glanced around and got right to business.

“You all are familiar I think with the business we need to take care of this afternoon. This annoying little man needs to be taken down before he becomes even more of a nuisance. The man he is coming to see is being taken out even as we speak.”

He clicked on a switch on the desk and the light in the room dimmed, the drapes slid soundlessly across the windows and a large flat screen TV appeared from behind one of the wall panels, a long lens shot of Laurenz appearing on the screen.

“This is our target…he will be delayed with his two guards at customs long enough for,” here the screen changed to a photo of Yvette, carrying Hans and Brian walking beside her, “this man, our agent, to rush her out of sight, aided by her brother, our biker friend here.” He motioned to Urs and smiled.

Instructions continued, who was to wait and where, who would assist the officials in delaying Laurenz, dressed in uniform which customs had provided, who would actually do the take down and transport, who would be responsible for surrounding Urs, Yvette and the baby and spiriting them away to a secure holding room.

“We all know that even the simplest project can screw up…be alert and flexible. We will not get another chance like this.”

The meeting broke up and everyone left except Urs and a young woman also dressed in leathers…Simon had requested that they remain behind.

“Urs, you won’t likely remember all the faces of who will be on this assignment so I would like Beryl to stay with you for the duration. Follow her lead, keep your head and we’ll all get through this.”

Beryl motioned for him to follow her and he trailed behind while they went down the stairs to the parking level and into a secured room. Several agents were in there, changing into different clothing, uniforms mostly of airlines, customs, cleaning staff. He saw a few donning weapons under their clothing and noticed that some were wearing ear-buds, he assumed attached to mikes or radios though they all looked as if they wore varied music players.

Beryl handed him an ear bud and delicate throat mike, showed him how to conceal the wires in his hair, laughing when she said that his style was perfect for it. She secured one in her own shaggy mop of poorly dyed blonde tresses, tucking the mike into a scarf around her neck and then indicated her bike, a Yamaha that had seen better days.

“Get your ride…I’ll wait here for you,” she said and he left to retrieve the Harley.

The Yamaha was purring when he pulled up beside her, the motor in much better condition than the body, like Beryl herself, probably a disguise to hide the real quality underneath.

He followed behind her, letting her set the pace to the airport, now that they were starting to really do something, feeling his nerves begin to tingle with anticipation. He did some deep breathing to calm himself, parked the bike beside hers and they entered the reception area of arrivals to begin the wait.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN….AIRPORT PANIC

For some reason the time flashed by and it seemed only minutes later that they saw on the arrivals board that the flight had landed. As planned, they moved into the customs area, partly hidden behind one of the kiosks that the agents worked out of, Beryl pointing out that several of their operatives were working the gates along with real customs agents. Urs watched nervously for a glimpse of Yvette, switched to watching for Brian since he was so much taller than Urs’ petite sister and was rewarded minutes later by a glimpse of the tall agent, almost immediately spying his sister walking in front of Brian and carrying the baby in her arms. Directly behind them, not really far enough for Urs’ peace of mind, Laurenz and two large men stood in the slowly moving line, papers in hand.

Urs turned away, not wanting Laurenz to see him until it was too late for him to do anything about it, murmuring to Beryl that he had spied them.

“Yes, I see Tiger and a woman right in front of him, holding a child. As soon as they reach the kiosk Tiger will hustle her through and we must rush over to calm your sister. The agents and airport security will move in on Judas at that time.”

At first the operation went like clockwork. Yvette reached the kiosk, Brian took her arm and at a nod from the real customs officer pulled her rapidly through the gate, Urs and Beryl raced to her side and Urs put his arm about his confused sister, urging her to move faster.

“Yvette, come with us…these people are friends, quickly,come with us,” he said in Swiss German, aware of the yells and commotion behind them but not daring to waste time watching the takedown.

“Urs…what are you doing? Let me go…He will be so angry…”

“No more, Klein Schwester, no more… Laurenz is going to prison and you are going to safety. Trust me, Schwester. Quickly, now.” He scooped Hans out of her arms and handed the baby to Beryl, motioning with a nod of his head that she should go on ahead….some strange woman taking off with her son should spur Yvette into moving quickly.

They had almost made it through the doors and into a hallway when a shot rang out and the screaming of people in the lineups began.

“Take her,” Urs yelled at Brian and whirled around to see what was happening, who had dared shoot at his sister and stopped the turn part way when he felt a burning sensation in the fleshy part of his shoulder. He looked down and saw a stain of red spreading from under his leather jacket across the pale blue tee he had chosen to wear.

Another shot rang out, accompanied by more shouting and he glanced back to see a heavy man rushing towards him, a gun in his hand and his face twisted in a snarl, several agents lining up guns on his body, a security guard laying stunned on the terrazzo flooring and behind them people huddled in shrieking clumps on the floor, in a panic.

“SHE IS MINE, BUHLER…YVETTE AND THE BOY ARE MINE…YOU’RE DEAD, YOU THIEVING BASTARD!!!” The scream came from Laurenz as he struggled feebly in the grip of two of the agents.

The thug raised the gun to shoot at Urs again, the shot going past him but too close to ignore and fury infused him, a cold dark fury that lent strength to the body that he threw towards the hated man.

They collided, the attacker looking wild and crazed, Urs cold and deadly. He gripped the man’s gun hand and forced it to point upward, wedging his finger quickly in the trigger guard, his other prying the man’s fingers loose and back, pressing until he heard a satisfying snap and the gun fell from a lifeless hand.

The gun swung from Urs’ finger and he reversed it smoothly, gripping it by the barrel while the assailant howled with the pain of his broken bones. Faster than should have been humanly possible Urs hit him in the pain wracked face, a spray of blood coating both of them from his broken nose…again he lashed out with the pistol butt but the anger was dissipating now and he was conscious of Beryl screaming at him to stop, to come with her, that Yvette needed him….the blow glanced off a cheek, ripping the skin.

He let go of Laurenz’ thug, the whimpering man falling to his knees but only momentarily, for agents grabbed him and followed the others who had his boss and partner in control, hustling them from the crowded area.

Urs turned to Beryl, still on edge, his fury not quite spent but thinking more clearly now. She wasn’t holding his nephew anymore and she must have seen the question in his eyes.

“Brian has him…he has both of them. Come with me, Urs,” she said and jogged down the hallway, expecting him to follow. He tossed the gun to an agent as he sped after Beryl, down the hall, through another busy area and into a room where he found Yvette in hysterics and Hans picking up on her distress and wailing at the top of his little lungs. He went to her and enclosed her in his arms, still high with an adrenal rush and ignoring the increasing pain spreading from his shoulder as he held her close and spoke soothing words to her in Swiss German.

She calmed slowly and concentrated on quieting Hans, sat on Urs’ lap when he pulled her over to a chair and listened quietly while he explained what had just happened.

He wiped the tears from her face, thinking about what she had been through the past few years, and thinking that he had been partly at fault. He had always babied her, fighting her battles for her, sheltering her…now he had to do what should have been done long ago…force her to stand on her own feet, to take responsibility for the choices she had made in life.

“Klein Schwester, you will have an opportunity now to do what few people ever can….you have another chance to make a life, a new, good life for you and Hans. We can help you but the ultimate choices will be yours and that is as it should be.”

“What do you mean? Urs are you sending me away?”

“No, little Love. If you choose to stay here we will try to protect you, though I will admit that it would be better for you to go. The woman I love has a home in Canada that you are welcome to use, a secure, guarded place where he can’t find you. It’s time for you to take control of your life, Yvette, and time for me to stop fighting your battles for you. You have Hans to consider now, his future as well as yours….and I need to build a life with this woman that is my soulmate. I will always be there for you, to comfort you, to give you strength, but YOU must be the one to embrace life with your son.”

“Alone? Urs, come with me…I can’t do this alone…please come with me!!”

He lifted her to her feet and stood to face her, shaking his head and removing the hand that clutched at his jacket to kiss the palm and fold the fingers over the kiss, something he had done since she was a child.

“For too long I have sheltered you from life. You must do this on your own, Schwester. It is up to you to make a life for your son and I know you have it in you to do it. I have faith in you, Yvette…it’s time you had faith in yourself. You are stronger than you think. Remember that I love you Yvette.”

He walked away, started to close the door but Beryl had followed him and they stood outside the room talking, Yvette’s soft weeping coming to them clearly through the partly closed door. Listening to her despair and not going back to lend her his strength was almost beyond him but he steeled himself and closed the door… it was traumatic but it would be a start for her. Even as he hesitated her crying stopped and he heard her beginning to speak relatively calmly to the agent still in the room.

“I know how hard that was for you…I’m sorry, Urs but it was the right thing to do. I will be accompanying your sister to Toronto and stay a few days until she is used to the new environment and new people. Would you like me to call you when I return and let you know how she is doing?”

He leaned over and kissed her on the brow, taking her shoulders briefly for a quick squeeze.

“Thank you,” was all he could manage, his throat constricted as he tried to hold back tears.

“Urs, go…see the medic about that shoulder…you’re bleeding all over the place.”

Now that she mentioned it a surge of pain stabbed at him and he nearly groaned.

He wound his way through the groups of people until he was stopped by the bulky body of Brian.

“God love you, boy…have you not had that seen to? Come along, then.”

The rest was a blur as the pain filled him now….he was pushed into another area and someone removed his jacket, cut his shirt, though he protested and they muttered something about stitches and ‘through and through’. Normally he would have fought anyone trying to sew up his skin but he sat meekly, lost in a world of sadness as he thought about Yvette, wincing now and then at the pains inflicted on him, turning his eyes away when a medic approached with a huge needle surely meant for a horse, hazily aware when Brian slipped his jacket back on and led him from the building.

He was dizzy now and vaguely remembered something about a shot to kill the pain, existed on automatic as Brian led him to the Harley and mounted it on command, behind Brian …there was a fleeting thought that he didn’t know the man could ride, quickly gone…now his foremost thought was that he needed Maggie, needed to feel her warmth and be comforted by her and he merely said her name to the burly man.

“Maggie…”

“Yes, Lad…I’m taking you to Maggie…with God’s grace before that hypo puts you out completely.”

It seemed only seconds later that the comforting noise of the Harley was stilled, he lifted his heavy helmeted head from Brian’s back and was trying to walk, assisted by David on one side and Sebastien on the other. Soon the cushioned softness of the sofa in Maggie’s office was under his back and as he felt her hands on his face he smiled and let blackness sweep him away in a velvet fog. He was home, with Maggie…she would take care of him.

**

It hadn’t been too stressful at first, waiting to see how the operation went. The guys and Gerry arrived, someone made coffee and Carlos gave Gerry a tour of the school while Seb and David kept Maggie company in the office.

She had Millie open two channels, one for the group at the airport that she would put on speaker, another keyed through her headset in contact with the group who had entered the house in Switzerland. The search group was going through the house and grounds slowly and systematically, looking for hidden data…files, safes, contraband, anything which would incriminate Laurenz. They found the computer and she gave them the codes and passwords to open the files in the hard drive, listening carefully while they relayed what they had found.

Her contact, a female agent disguised as a customs officer at the airport, announced the arrival of the team, small groups of them arriving and taking their places, assuming their roles with practiced ease. She heard when the plane arrived, waited while luggage was collected and switched to the speakers when the target was sighted.

“Tiger has been sighted,” the sound boomed into the room and she turned the volume to a more tolerable level.

“Brian,” she said to the tense audience behind her in the office.

“Urs is Biker” she added and heard David chuckle.

“Going down…NOW!” the next message made them brace for the imagined action.

“Tiger pulled the woman and child through the gate…Biker and Beryl are helping him…she’s resisting them, confused…and…OH SH*T!!.. Shots fired!!!” It was unnecessary, they could clearly hear the sound of a shot, a pause filled with screaming and yelling of many people, then another shot.

“One of the guards…knocked down security…took his weapon… Biker is hit…”

In the office there was stunned silence as they collectively groaned then held their breath, waiting for the next message. They heard Laurenz scream, heard his curse on Urs’ life, finally heard the contact describe Biker turning on his assailant and subduing him, then racing off with the other agent. The noise level dropped as the crowd at the airport thinned, calmed somewhat to a busy buzz of voices, agents took the thugs away and the others left their posts to meet up in the Security Office.

They could hear the agent walking now, heard Brian’s familiar voice in the background and Maggie keyed her mike to ask a question.

“Garnet, Ceol here…how badly is Biker hurt?”

“Looked like his shoulder…he’s in with his sister and nephew. Tiger and Beryl are waiting for him, with a medic.”

Maggie sat back in her chair and felt soothing hands on her shoulders, wanting to give comfort. She recognized the scent…Seb, gentle Seb whose tender nature would be hurt the most of the three men at the thought of Urs being wounded. She patted his hand as they listened to Brian talking to Urs now, though Urs said little she could hear the stress in his voice … heard Brian telling someone that he would see Biker got home and she took the connection off of speaker, then turned to the others in the room.

“I have to be here, maybe all night. Could someone make up the sofa for Urs to lay on, Please? I doubt we can convince him to go home and he likely shouldn’t be alone anyway….. the medic probably gave him a heavy duty shot to put him out.”

“I will do it Cherie,” Seb said and left her.

She was busy for a few minutes talking to the team in Switzerland and when she finished she could hear them quietly making plans and the sounds of Seb shaking out sheets to make up the sofa.

“That’s settled then,” David said, obviously having taken charge.

“You and Gerry go home and come back in the morning with a packed bag for Urs… don’t forget his hairbrush. Seb and I will spell Maggie off, make coffee or Urs-sit, taking turns crashing on the sofa in the classroom across the hall or in one of these big chairs…and we all meet again here for breakfast.”

Maggie began to laugh, softly, trying to hold on to her professional calm…she knew that if she let down her guard she would lose it completely…the worry over Urs was banging at the door of her self-control.

“You guys are priceless…like the 4 Musketeers. Does he realize what loving, loyal friends he has?”

She heard Carlos gentle laughter.

“Urs is family, Querida, and family stick together.”

It seemed to take forever for Brian and Urs to arrive at the school and they alternated between nervous chatter and silence as they waited. Maggie was fortunate to have something real to do, talking to the team in Switzerland, fielding calls from Simon who let his concern for Urs slip out by calling 3 times to ask if he was home yet. Carlos kept going to the door and looking out to the drive, coming back in to pace nervously until Gerry caught his hand and pulled him down into one of the wing backed chairs beside her.

“It is a long drive from the airport, Carlito. They will be here soon.”


“I hear a motorcycle…” David called out and raced from the office.

Maggie heard the front door open, faintly heard some talking then the sound of the iron drive-way gates opening and the motorcycle again as it went down the drive…the gates slid closed once more as David and Seb, supporting Urs between them and Carlos handling the doors, came back in the office and lowered his drugged body onto the sofa.

Maggie yanked her headset off and went to him, bumping into Carlos in her haste but she was steered to Urs as he leaned back on a pillow.

“You’re home, Luv…..rest now,” she said as her hands cupped his face. He sighed and relaxed, completely out now.

“Gerry…how bad does it look?” she asked, trusting that she would get an honest answer, unable for a few moments to hold back the tears she had been suppressing.

“He’s pale and the shirt is ruined….he has a large dressing on his left shoulder…yes, right there and his arm was in a sling but I think came out when they helped him inside. His chest is pretty bloody but I think it’s from the shoulder, knuckles a bit scraped…all in all, pretty good.”

“Maggie, it might be easier on him if we take off his leathers, jacket, pants and so on, down to his underwear. It could hurt like sin later when the drugs wear off.”

“Thanks David,” she replied and looked up at the beep from Millie…she was needed on the connection again. She took a deep breath and turned away from where she wanted to be, returning to her duty.

The men undressed Urs, not an easy task since he was completely pliant in their hands and couldn’t help in any way. They cut the rest of the shirt off and discarded it, Gerry took his jacket to wipe the blood off and when she came back they were just lowering his limp body back onto the sofa, taking great care to put no strain on the large dressing taped across and over his shoulder.

Suddenly they all realized that Brian had not come back in after parking the motorbike and the tension level rose again…only for a moment.

Maggie smiled as she explained.

“Brian’s code name is Tiger because he can move through an area like a stealthy, stalking tiger when he wants…He’s done his job and brought Urs home to me….now he will be on his way to Joan, HIS harbor from the cruelty of this world. I didn’t expect him to come in once he saw that you were here to help.”

It was a never-ending day and night…Carlos and Gerry left just after dark, promising to be back in the morning. David scrounged in the kitchen, coming back with toasted bacon and tomato sandwiches, a nice Italian Wedding soup that he found in the freezer and a large thermos of coffee. After they ate, both he and Seb sat with Maggie at the desk and learned how to use the equipment, hoping to be able to spell her until she was needed for actual instructions to the field team.

She fell asleep about 1am with her head on the desk and David carried her over to a mound of blankets they had spread next to the sofa, placed her on it and let her sleep as long as he could.

Urs roused briefly around 2:30, the need for a quick trip to the Lav more pressing than the dose of meds could blank out. He swung his legs shakily off the sofa, a little disoriented until he felt Seb’s hands on his waist, steering him around a blanketed mound on the floor and into the small room.

Relief accomplished and hands quickly rinsed, he stumbled back out of the room, aware that Seb had waited for him and headed back to the sofa, his shoulder throbbing with a dull ache and his bleary eyes searching the office for Maggie.

David sat at the computer console and motioned toward the floor…he recognized her now, only her ebony hair visible under a thick duvet…he pushed past Seb and lowered himself to the floor, slowly, his body not easily obeying the silent commands for some reason and lay beside her, inching under the duvet carefully and pulling it down until his head rested near hers.

“Urs,” she said with a groggy half smile as the movement woke her.

She reached out to caress his cheek, gently pulling his head down to rest against her breasts.

“My favorite pillows,” he murmured and was gone again.

David exchanged glances with Sebastien, both men touched by the need these two had to be close. They said nothing, Seb returned to the chair he had been lounging in and David went back to a letter he had been composing to his family.

Around 4 a.m. Sebastien relieved him and sat at the console working on some music scores, humming softly as he worked, listening in the head set for any queries coming in. He woke Maggie once to answer some questions about a lock, then led her back to her little nest with Urs when she was finished and continued his shift.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN….GEENA & PETRA

It wasn’t until nearly 7 a.m. that Urs woke, the nagging pain in his shoulder pulling him out of an uneasy dream world. His first conscious thought was that he lay with his face against Maggie, her light scent filling his senses and he opened his eyes, looked up and saw her, sleeping, her head just above his.

His first movements met with a stab of pain and he was a bit more hesitant the second time, inching his way up to lay his head on the pillow beside hers.

The movement woke her and her eyes flew open, her hand coming up to touch his chest and move on to his cheek, feeling the dimples when he smiled at her and said ‘Good Morning’.

“Good morning yourself…I thought you promised to be careful…”

“Sorry about that… he caught me by surprise.”

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him gently.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck… that medic was a sadist…he must have used a needle the size of a drinking straw…. And I still feel just a bit dopey.”

Seb and David came over to them, helped Maggie to her feet and Urs back on to the sofa, this time half sitting, reclining against the pillows.

“I need some clothes, guys…where did mine get to?”

“Your tee shirt is toast and Gerry took your leathers to be cleaned since they kind of got bloody…. She’ll ask about mending the two neat little holes in the shoulder of your jacket too. They should be back soon, with some clothes for you…”

“And David and I have been taking turns on the computer while Maggie got some sleep…. In between baby sitting you,” Sebastien said with a wicked grin. Urs knew full well that he would never live that one down.

“My bike?...”

“Brian brought you home on it and put it in the garage…you don’t remember?”

Urs stared at David for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought.

“The last clear memory I have is of arguing with some skinny guy about cutting my tee shirt…. and his grin as he came at me with this giant needle.”

“So now we know, my Swiss…you’re afraid of needles….there’s a choice little fact to use if we ever need to torture you.” He glanced at Maggie with a grin, thinking that she had enough ways to torture him already.

She turned back to the computer, laughing and blushing, pretty sure what thoughts he had just had.

“So what does a guy have to do to get a coffee in this establishment?”

David checked the thermoses and found them empty, relinquished them to Seb who had definitely had enough of the swill that David made earlier and dared to call coffee.

“I shall return in a moment, Monsieurs and Cherie…. And later I will prepare a delicious breakfast.”

It got busy in the office shortly after Sebastien came back with coffee that everyone declared divine. Maggie became embroiled in a discussion with the group in Switzerland who had come up empty, forwarded an incoming message from Brian about another place to search in the house and tersely gave instructions to facilitate opening a hidden room ….Simon called to say that Laurenz had lawyered up and they likely wouldn’t be able to keep him past mid afternoon unless something was found…. Beryl sent a coded message that they were at ‘York’ and that the ‘package’ had been delivered, in remarkable shape, a message that Maggie took to mean that Yvette was coping well.

Gerry and Carlos arrived and Carlos helped Urs dress in the jeans and buttoned shirt that Gerry thought much more sensible for someone who would find it painful to raise his arm over his head. They sat talking quietly, the four Divos and Gerry rehashing last night while Maggie fielded calls on the landline and through Millie.

Just after 8, Seb excused himself and went to the kitchen to fix breakfast, refusing all offers of help. During the night he had discovered the neat little dumb-waiter built into the wall beside the filing cabinets and promised to send everything upstairs that way so it was no surprise half an hour later when the gentle buzzing announced the arrival of food.

Almost simultaneously Millie announced visitors and two women were let in the front door to come straight to the office.

A tall, slender blonde entered first, followed by a shorter curvy woman with auburn hair pulled back into a sleek bun. Both wore jeans, boots and thigh length leather coats, the blonde in chocolate suede that matched her boots, the other woman in black head to toe.

Maggie waved at them but was busy, so left the introductions to the newcomers.

“Ah, there’s my patient,” the shorter woman said as she put down a leather case and removed her gloves and jacket.

“Good morning…. I’m Geena, Dr. Kerrrigan when I’m working, and I know all of you, quite well actually since I’m part of Maggie’s team.”

“And I’m Petra, Petra Olsen… I’ve been off on leave until recently so didn’t get in on the surveillance but I do know who you all are. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”


David had risen when the women came in the room and caught the inference that both of the women knew them through Caspar.

“Surveillance?...does that mean we’ve had guards watching our movements?”

Petra smiled at him and he forgot the question…she had the most amazing blue eyes and naturally pale blonde hair, a soft, melodious voice and flawless, softly tanned skin that he felt the urge to touch.

“When you were in Europe…Maggie had to assign a team to watch over you since we didn’t at that time know how far Laurenz’ web would reach. You were especially vulnerable during the video shoot.”

She smiled at him again and turned to cross the room to Maggie’s side while Geena parked herself on the edge of the sofa and laughed when Urs pulled the duvet up to cover his exposed chest.

“Relax, Herr Buhler… I just need to examine your wounds…. I won’t even peek at anything else.”

Quickly and efficiently she removed the dressing back and front. The entry wound was small and clotted, bruising around it and streaks of blood that fanned out down one arm and across his collarbone and chest. The exit was larger and had been sutured, the blood trailing across his back and disappearing into the waist band of his shorts. It too was red and bruised but showed no signs of infection. She was pleased and lightly put the dressing back on.

“You were lucky… the bullet hit you at an angle and the exit is closer to your spine…a few inches further and you might have been paralyzed….you should have a shower before I apply another dressing. Can you stand alone or will you require some assistance?”

Urs looked at Geena, his face paling for a second and his grip on the duvet tightening, then glanced over at Maggie for help. She had risen from her seat at the computer and the tall blonde was putting on the headset.

“I think I can handle him, Geena, now that Petra is here to monitor the ‘puter. How about we have some breakfast first so it doesn’t get cold? I don’t know what Sebastien made but it smells heavenly and I’m starving.”

Sebastien came in the office and caught the last of the conversation, began to tell Maggie what he had made but Geena rose from her seat on the sofa beside a very relieved Urs and turned to face him.

“Goat Cheese and mushroom omelettes with a sprinkle of Basil and a nice Bearnaise sauce, toast and conserves, some fresh fruit juice and café with just a hint of chocolate and vanilla…….” Seb lost his voice and stared at the vision in front of him, totally lost in the misty blue eyes and sparkling smile of this stranger.

Maggie laughed and introduced them.

“Geena…. This is our chef this morning, Sebastien Izambard, though I know his face is familiar to you. Seb, my friend Geena…remember the doctor I mentioned at the Ball? She’s back from Europe and came to see to Urs’ wound…..Seb…Seb?...Hello, Earth to Sebastien.”

He shook himself and smiled, reached forward and took both of Geena’s hands in his.

“Enchante, Docteur,” he murmured in his most seductive voice and raised her hands to his mouth to kiss her fingers gently.

They began speaking French to each other and tuned out the others, totally lost in their own little world, the attraction instant on Seb’s part, a dream come true for Geena who had many times watched him unseen while on the job.

The food was carried to the coffee table and handed out. David took his plate over to the console to keep Petra company, returned and gathered some toast, fruit and coffee for her and rejoined her to help her with the incoming calls.

Everyone praised Seb’s efforts, though he brushed the compliments off, too busy getting to know the pretty doctor. Urs ate a small amount, waited for Maggie to finish and she walked into the Lav with him, teasing him about the duvet that kept tripping him but he wouldn’t go without it wrapped around his body like a cape

Once inside he collapsed on the handy stool, weaker than he had let on.

“It takes 24 hours for your body to replace the blood you lost…you’ll feel much better after another sleep. Sit still, darling, while I get the shower ready.”

She started the water, stripped her own clothing off and helped him get out of the tangled duvet, then lowered his briefs and removed the dressing. He could see the wound now in the mirror and was happy that Maggie couldn’t see the angry marks or the streaks of blood on his chest, arm and back.

“I’ve just made it warm so it won’t sting in the wounds…here Love, lean on me and step in.”

It felt good to have the water warming his skin and rinsing off the dried blood. It ran in pink ribbons down his body and away to the drain then gradually faded and cleared. Maggie soaped him with gentle hands, lathering the fragrant soap in soft circles, over his chest and gently near his shoulder, down his arm, parting his fingers and washing each one, carefully slipping her cool hand under his arm to lather the thatch of hair in his armpit then on to his back and across to the other arm. He leaned on her part of the time, standing unaided being almost too much for him after a few minutes.

She continued soaping and rinsing, moving lower, missing nothing until she was on her knees finishing his tender toes and he laughed as she did the soles of his feet and it tickled.

“Liebe, I think I need to sit soon….”

“Back up, there’s a seat built into the wall….there, is that better?”

His face was on the same level as hers now and he took advantage of it, using his uninjured arm to pull her close and his spread knees to hold her in place.

“I walked away from her, Maggie. I told her she had to stand on her own two feet and take charge of her life and I walked away. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

“And it was the right thing, Urs. You can’t make all her decisions for her forever. She will be fine…she comes from good stock. And we won’t abandon Yvette and Hans. When she has settled and decides what she wants to do with her life we can be supportive.”

“You haven’t heard if they found anything yet?”

She paused for a moment to squirt shampoo into her hand and lather up his hair and her own.

“No…the team is working very hard and Brian sent some info about a second Puter…he thinks that’s where Laurenz kept all his dirty little secrets…..” she took a step away and detached the shower head from the arm, coming back to rinse both of them thoroughly.

When they were done and the stream of water turned off he held her for another moment, his head nestled against her neck.

“Do you realize this is the first time we’ve showered together without making love? Does this mean the romance is over?”

“It means, my wounded warrior, that you aren’t in any shape to be that frisky yet…but I’m keeping count so we can catch up later.”

He laughed and leaned on her to get out of the enclosure, sat on the stool while she dried him and leaned on the counter for the patting…and a tiny pinch…of the part he had been sitting on.

Again he laughed and managed a tender kiss after he was dressed, shorts, dressed left as he said and she teased him that resting, it likely didn’t matter which side he dressed on, jeans, button shirt on one arm and the other sleeve tucked into his belt as a makeshift sling. They left the buttons undone so Geena could change the dressing. Urs managed to brush his teeth and declared that he felt like a new man.

“I hope not…I’m rather fond of the old one,” she murmured as they opened the door to return to the office.

**

Geena was waiting for him when they came back out. She changed the dressing and fashioned a soft sling out of a scarf that Maggie provided for her, showed him how to put his shirt on without too much pain, bad arm first, then the uninjured one. She left then, taking Jessie out for a run in the backyard and opted to help Sebastien with the cleanup after, eager to be up close and personal with the charming Frenchman for as long as she could find an excuse.

She found him puttering in the kitchen, used Jessie as an excuse to be there, claiming that the dog was hungry and thirsty. She had been to the school often so found the bowls and food easily, fed her and pitched in loading the dishwasher while Jessie wolfed down her food.

“Is cooking a hobby or did you learn from your Maman? You’re very good,” she asked as they worked side by side.

Seb smiled at her.

“My Maman feels that every child should learn the basics of cooking before they leave the nest so I was made to help from an early age….and I found that I quite like it…Cooking is relaxing, and she was right… it’s important to have a healthy diet, especially with all the traveling we do and more to come in the future.”

She reached past him for a used fork still on the counter and he took a deep breath, enjoying the light scent she wore. Geena glanced at him and smiled.

“It’s my own label…there’s a lovely little shop just off the Rue d’Amboise that makes it for me… a Bergamot base with lilac and lavender.”

“So you know Paris well then? Have you lived there?”

“I worked in a Paris surgery for two years after medical school but got tired of the other doctors trying to seduce me and came back to London. Then Simon recruited me into Caspar and I’ve been with the Agency ever since.”

“And no one here tries to seduce you? Then the English are all blind. You are lovely, intelligent and make my heart beat rapidly…but then I am French.”

She laughed and the sound was so joyous and natural that Seb smiled too.

“I like you, Monsieur Izambard. You don’t hesitate or pretend you aren’t attracted. Ask me out to dinner when we get free of all this trouble… I would like to get to know you better before we make love.”

Sebastien roared with laughter at her direct, bold statement and pulled her close to kiss her soundly.

“I like you, too. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night…and breakfast the next morning before I leave for Paris? I must visit my Maman for Easter.”

“Let’s see how impressed I am with the dinner first,” she said with a grin and went back to the office to see how things were going there.

**

Petra and Maggie were at the console talking to some of the agents in Switzerland, David was on the phone with Simon and Gerry had just finished tidying up the messy office and was sitting with Carlos, catching up on some of the sleep they had missed last night due to tension. Urs was resting on the sofa, stretched out with his arm on a pillow.

David hung up the phone and relayed what he knew to the two women at the console.

“They have the guy Laurenz was to meet with, found lots of evidence of criminal activity at his house so he’s going to do time. Unfortunately, Laurenz looks to be getting out late this afternoon unless the team finds something, and soon…. And there’s a message from someone named Beryl that Yvette and Hans are adjusting very well. I don’t suppose anyone will tell us where she has been taken?”

“Need to know Davey…I’d tell you but…” Petra said with a grin.

He laughed and finished the corny line for her…”but then I’d have to kill you. Right, then pretend I didn’t ask.”

The other easy chair looked good to him as he glanced around the room and he lumbered over to it, tired right to the core from the long night. In seconds he was asleep. Seb arrived back in the room and looked around but Geena took his hand and led him down the hall to the conservatory, pushed him into the hammock chair and sat on his lap, cuddling close and ordering him to rest.

Except for the soft murmur of the two women at the computer and the thump as Jessie circled and flopped onto her doggie bed, silence reigned over the office for a while.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN….LIFE GOES ON

It was after 4 p.m. when the team found the well hidden computer, closer to 5 by the time Maggie and Millie broke the password and downloaded the information onto a thumb drive to be decoded…but too late.

Laurenz and his shylock lawyer had procured his release at 4:30 and further checks at the airports had come up dry. He hadn’t left England, at least not by air… in fact they later found that he had driven with his one remaining thug, using the Chunnel and train and disappeared into France, destination …unknown.

It was disappointing to say the least and depressing until they thought about Yvette …at least that part of the plan had been successful and now Urs no longer had that threat hanging over him. Still they wondered just how trouble free the next weeks would be.

Careful checks found that none of the known accounts had been touched, credit cards not used, nor did he make an appearance at the house…agents watched just to be sure.

Urs went to Willisau to let his parents know what had taken place, alone. He had discussed the trip with Maggie and they agreed that now might not be a good time for her to visit. His parents were, understandably, going to be upset since he had decided to tell them everything…he couldn’t really avoid it anyway since he was still very obviously favoring his left arm. It was not a conversation that he was eager to have but one that had to be done so they could get on with their lives.

He came back after two days, relieved that they had taken the news, and all the interwoven facts, well, accepting the enforced absence of their daughter stoically and, in fact, approved of the firm stand Urs had taken with her.

Gerry went back to Madrid to finish out her contract with the Opera company and Carlos hung out a lot with Maggie during Urs absence since Sebastien and Geena spent all of their free time together and David was making a heroic effort to thaw out Petra.

The tall blonde was intriguing…pretty, intelligent, quiet but with a wit and sense of fun that matched his own when she allowed herself to relax. Slowly she began to open up to him, feeding him personal information a tidbit at a time, always seeming amazed that each new piece of her life he learned didn’t scare him off.

Petra had been married, happily married, but her husband had been a pilot, sent to Afghanistan with his unit and killed with 4 other British troopers when his helicopter was shot down. Pet had been pregnant with her son at the time, only a few weeks and Paul had died not even knowing that he was to be a father. Paul Jr. was 17 months old now, cared for while she worked by her sister who luckily ran a day care center. She had left her old computer job with a manufacturing company while she carried her child, then shortly after, while visiting with her old school chum, Maggie, had become interested in the work with CASPAR.

While Urs was away David managed to talk Petra into going with him to a Sci Fi convention and by the end of the evening she had done so much laughing that she claimed her cheeks ached. She had thawed enough to give him a sweet kiss good night that had him nearly floating out to the cab for the ride home.

**

“Faster Heidi….. I can’t hold on much longer…and Maggie will be back soon.”

Maggie stopped dead in the foyer as the voices came from the bedroom. She had just taken Jessie for a walk and left Urs and Heidi in the suite, Heidi busy putting laundry away and Urs reading a motorcycle magazine article.

“Slide it in…further, Urs….more….ah yes!” Heidi’s voice was strained and Maggie listened with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. How could he…she trusted him…and with Heidi, her matronly, married friend who had been with her as an assistant for 8 years…. And why?

She felt anger suffusing her, over whelming her pain at this betrayal, wanted to scream, to rip shreds of skin off of both of them, wanted to wail with sorrow that this love she had for Urs was being destroyed by an unnecessary lust…. Except for the necessary abstinence during her monthly cycle, she had never denied him, never wanted to and thought that he felt the same, that there would be no one else.

“Mein gott…that was some workout….Thank you Heidi….You’re wonderful.”

Maggie turned away and stumbled a bit over Jessie’s body as she tried to go back to the lift, to leave the scene, not wanting to face either of them until she had calmed. Behind her she heard the partly closed bedroom door open and footsteps coming down the hall….Urs, she recognized his walk.

“Liebe, I didn’t hear you come back,” he said calmly.

It was the last straw. She whirled to face him and when she felt his light touch on her arm batted his hand away.

“It seems you were a bit busy with Heidi, so it isn’t surprising you didn’t hear me.”

“Ahhh…you heard us,” he answered with a bit of confusion in his voice at her evident anger.

“How could you Urs? I trusted you…. And you know I would never cheat on you….” It was too much and she burst into tears.

She felt him grab her shoulders and hold her still as she tried again to leave.

“What are you talking about? Heidi and I wanted to surprise you…..” he thought about what she had heard and instantly realized how it must have sounded.

Maggie was furious when he began laughing and swept her up into his arms. She struggled but he pinned her against him. She heard Heidi come down the hall and ask what was going on, heard Urs answer….’a misunderstanding’ and a few moments later clutched at his shoulder as he loosened his grip and bent to deposit her on the floor next to the bed…on a thick, soft, new carpet.

He knelt beside her as she ran her fingers over the lush pile of the carpet and stopped weeping, felt her face color in embarrassment as he chuckled and brushed the tears from her cheeks with a gentle hand.

“Surprise!! I bought thick carpets for each side of the bed, wanted to surprise you. Heidi helped me put them down… it was quite a chore lifting that heavy dresser to slide the carpet under…. A real workout.”

She flipped over onto her stomach and began crying again, this time upset with herself for being so wrong, so terribly wrong.

Urs sat beside her on the soft carpet and gathered her into his arms, soothing her tears and nuzzling against her neck while she moaned and kept saying how sorry she was.

“Shhhh, Liebe…..it’s alright…I understand….actually it’s quite funny.”

Vaguely she heard the bedroom door close softly as he rocked her in his arms and kissed her wet face and she clung to him.

“I’m sorry, Urs, I should have more faith in you….but the way it sounded…”

“I know, I know, Luv….. I was trying to hold the dresser up and use my foot to slide the edge of the carpet underneath while Heidi pulled the other side straight. It would have sounded naughty….. did you forget how much I love you? I will never lay with another woman, Maggie…you are all the woman I can handle, always will be. I never told you that but I thought you knew.”

“Can you ever forgive me?” she whispered against his hair and he shook his head.

“NO…there’s nothing to forgive. I would have made the same mistake if it was you installing the carpet…but I don’t think these little chicken wings could hold that dresser up for long.” He stroked his hands down her arms and she laughed, easing the mood a bit.

His hands left her arms and inched under her shirt…. the tension fled, replaced by longing as she groaned and trailed her lips across his face in search of his eager mouth.

“Shall we try out the new carpet?” he murmured when she let his mouth draw away from hers. “It’s one of the few places in the suite we haven’t christened.”

She laughed and freed her legs to wrap around his waist, her arms around his shoulders, fingers in his hair as he nestled his face against her breasts.

“Heidi….” she murmured.

“She closed the door….. this is only for you, Liebeling, always only you.” He demonstrated with a wriggle that left no doubts as to his meaning and slid his warm hands under her top again, chasing all reason and thought away, leaving only sensation and desire.

**

The new carpet was such a hit that they pulled a pillow and the duvet off the bed and rested quietly, snuggled together.

“Maggie, you know I love you… I want to spend the rest of my life only with you. Will you give me your heart, your life now and until the end of time? You are my soulmate…will you marry me, before our friends and God, will you stay with me, love me, let me love you?”

A slow smile crept across her face though her eyes welled with tears.

“If we do this I will be impossible to get rid of, Urs. You must be very sure, for I love you more than life and will never let you go.”

He chuckled and kissed her swollen mouth tenderly.

“I’ve never been so sure of anything before. Say Yes, Love, make me the happiest man in the world.”

“Yes, Urs…. I will marry you and love you forever.”

He rolled away from her for a moment then came back and took her left hand, slipping a ring on her finger and kissing it before he placed her hand on his chest and leaned in to kiss her lips with a soft touch of promise and tenderness that said more than words could.

“I’ve been carrying this in every pair of pants I’ve worn for weeks, waiting for the right time.” She could hear the love and relief in his voice as he described the ring to her…a platinum setting with an oblong Kelly green Emerald that he claimed matched her eyes and 3 smaller diamond on each side…..and it fit perfectly.

“I asked Simon for your ring size when I told him I was going to ask you. He was kind of a hard sell at first but I let him rant for a while and then he gave us his blessing.”

She laughed and caressed his cheek with a soft hand.

“I can’t believe you actually went to Simon. Darling, you are such an old fashioned hopeless romantic…. No wonder I’m so in love with you.”

They lay on the new carpet talking for a while about their wedding, both wanting something small and quiet, not in any hurry now that they had made the commitment. The timing would have to work with Urs’ upcoming frantic schedule.

Urs felt the change in Maggie’s body language and knew that she wanted to talk about something he might not like.

“No secrets, remember,” he murmured against her ear.

“Okay…Urs, I’ve decided to talk to Geena about the eye surgery. I want to have it done. If it doesn’t work then at least I’ve tried, and if it does then I can see you when I come to you at our wedding…. And I can see our children.”

He was silent for a moment then hugged her close and responded.

“I will always love you just as you are, Liebe, but if that is your decision then I’ll be there for you, whatever happens. Let me go with you to talk to Geena.”

A while later they rose reluctantly from their new favorite spot and dressed again to rejoin Heidi in the kitchen just as she was putting the last of her days baking away.

**

There was one day left before the guys had to leave for commitments in the US: the Oprah show, Regis, the Today show, a few photo shoots, home for a few days, then the Showbiz Tonite show on the 19th before flying off to Australia for 10 days. Urs and Maggie took advantage of the time to meet with Geena and talk to her about the surgery on Maggie’s eyes.

The first few minutes were taken up with Geena admiring Maggie’s engagement ring and congratulating both of them, then she got right down to business.

“I wondered when you would get up the nerve to ask questions. If you hadn’t mention it soon I was going to approach you about it,” she said to Maggie in her usual forthright way.

“Since you last talked to anyone about it, Ophthalmic surgery has come a long way, what with lasers and the ability to perform complex tasks with minimal invasion by using tiny cameras. There is some danger still, nothing like before, and it is not always completely successful but the odds are improving all the time. You will have to go through a battery of tests and if you are serious about this I would like to have Dr. Erik Sigerson take a look at the test results, x-rays, MRI and then talk to you in person. He is the very best in the field, the only one I would trust sending you to.”

Maggie nodded, accepting that it would be a multilayered process but willing to do whatever was necessary.

“I want to try, Geena. I’ve waited maybe too long as it is. They told me 12 years ago that the longer I put it off the more scar tissue would build up and the more difficult a cure would be. When can we get started? Urs is away most of April…can we get all the time consuming, boring stuff done while he’s away?”

Geena laughed and agreed.

“You won’t need me for most of it. I’ll schedule it and let you know the timetable…then in late April I’m joining Sebastien in Australia for the 10 days they will be there.”

“How lovely!!! So I was right…the lovely Frenchman is chasing you like crazy…when are you going to let him catch you?”

Urs had been silent up to now and burst out laughing.

“Us guys don’t have a chance once you ladies begin your devious assaults, do we? Lucky for you that we are such easy targets.”

Maggie laughed at his feigned chagrin and messed with his hair.

“That’s right. You had me from the first note of that lovely chant you did with Ti Amero, it just took a while for you to give in.”

Geena smiled at their easy banter, recognizing it as a means of coping with the tension that the possible surgery held for both of them. They were so in love that it was almost embarrassing to watch the interaction between them, the protective way he kept his arm around her shoulders while they talked about the surgery, her white knuckled grasp of his other hand while she asked questions in a steady calm voice. She felt the prickle of tears as she listened to them, happy for her dear friend, wanting the same enduring love for herself, and wanting it with Sebastien.

“All right then, go home, make love, kiss good bye and Urs, hurry back. I’ll keep our little friend here busy while you’re away.”

“Don’t schedule anything for while we’re in Oz…I’d like Maggie to join me there if she can get the time off work.”

“Urs!!”

“Sorry for not discussing it with you, Liebe. I was going to surprise you but we need to work it around your tests. Would you like to go to Australia for 10 days?”

“With you? Of course…I’ll call Simon right away about getting a replacement.”

Geena watched them leave her small office and felt an ache in her heart. There was only one cure for what ailed her. She called Sebastien.

He answered as if waiting for her call and his pleasure at hearing her voice was obvious.

“Ahhh, my Geena. I was thinking about you. There is a new French bistro just opened and I would love to take you there to sample their menu and wines. Are you free tonight?”

“Only if we can go to the French theatre too…they started a new playbill tonight and it’s supposed to be lovely.”

“Then dinner early and the theatre for the 9 o’clock showing, then I long to hold you in my arms and make memories to keep me sane while I am away from you.”

They talked for a while longer planning how to make memories that would last most of the month, then disconnected before either melted completely into a puddle.

In her office Geena wore a huge smile as she thought about her gentle lover, wondering how on earth, except for a few days, she would manage to be apart from him until they met up again in Australia. She sighed then asked her receptionist to send in the next patient, an easy case of an agent who just needed his yearly physical.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN….OFF TO THE U.S.

They had left Jessie at the school and decided to walk back for the exercise since it was such a crisp clear day. Urs waited beside Maggie as she drew her gloves on and he tucked the ends of her scarf up around her throat, using the caring gesture as an excuse to hold her for a moment. She was trembling a bit, from nerves, and he cuddled her so he could whisper privately in her ear.

“You don’t have to do this, Luv. Not for me. Sighted or not I love you and always will.”

She wrapped her arms about his waist and sighed.

“I know that, Swiss. But I need to try…for me… it’s just a bit scary, not knowing how it will turn out.”

He thought about her answer and decided that it would be best not to push her. There was very little she couldn’t do in her present state…sometimes he even forgot that she couldn’t see…. But it had taken a long time for her to make this decision and she was right. If she didn’t try, now, while there was still time, then she would always regret the decision and think herself a coward. It would do no good to remind her of the other things she did that clearly demonstrated her lack of cowardice, her intense compassion, her skills, her loving attitude towards others. All he could do was be supportive.

They headed out, walking hand in hand, and gradually the conversation turned to the school and an upcoming performance that the kids were going to do, this one a Revue of 50’s and 60’s rock tracks.

“The kids seem really excited about this one. I noticed when they came back from Easter Break they brought treasures from the attics, old clothing from that era and some vinyl…. Andy even found some old Bill Haley and the Comets that his grandparents had tucked away.”

She laughed and remarked that it was good that their neighbours were so tolerant since the noise level would be extra high for the next few weeks.

“Well if you ever get around to the 80’s or 90’s count me in… there’s a few of Ozzy’s tracks that I could teach them and some stuff from my Conspiracy days.” He hummed some notes from one of the tracks and did a couple of gliding steps as if rocking out on a stage.

She laughed and shook her head.

“I can’t rationalize the image that gives me of flaring reds and coppers with what I usually see when you sing. I know you still love that music but I think what you do now is your true calling….I get such amazing visuals from it.”

“Careful, Luv…there’s a pram and a toddler ahead…let’s give them some room.”

They passed the stopped pram and Urs caught the toddler before he could escape from his mother, steering him back to safety and nodding at the woman when she smiled at him in thanks.

“Urs, when we talked about it before, you said that you wanted a big family…were you just humoring me or did you really mean that?”

He laughed, then grew serious and tightened his grip on her hand.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me? Are we…?”

Maggie squeezed his hand and chuckled.

“No…I would have told you straight away even if I only had a suspicion. And I certainly wouldn’t have been thinking about surgery if I was carrying. I was just wondering, that’s all.”

“I love children, Maggie… the way they look, the amazing way they grow and mature…they are like little blank pages in a book waiting to have some one come along and love them and teach them how to fill in the blank spaces. My heart aches with the thought of our child growing inside of you, of watching you blossom with that special glow that pregnant women get and knowing that I caused this little life to be cradled inside your body, that our love made another precious being.

“So, yes, I want to have children with you, as many as you want naturally but I also feel that there are far too many children who have no one to love them so I would like to adopt, too. How do you feel about adoption?”

She was crying quietly when he turned to look at her face and he drew her close, leaning them both against the wall around a private residence.

“Those are happy tears… I’m getting to know the difference now. So, my little mother in waiting, how many were you thinking of?”

She laughed and he stroked the back of his hand over her cheeks to wipe the tears away.

“Let’s not set a number…let’s just keep going until the house is full.”

Urs laughed and hugged her, kissed her on the neck and murmured…

“Then I’m going to buy a VERY BIG house!” he said and didn’t give a thought to who might see them as he kissed her.

**
By tacit agreement the Divos all went their separate ways before the departure the next day, all wanting nothing more than to spend what time was left with their loved ones.

David, for the first time, got to meet Petra’s son and if he hadn’t already been so enchanted by the mother, the son would have won him over.

Paul was at the inquisitive stage now, just recently having got walking down pat he was working on running and snooping. Petra had turned over a corner of her flat to the busy little boy, filled it with all sorts of play toys that the manufacturer claimed would create an attitude of fun as well as learning, and for the most part he was content to roll wheels and click on colorful buttons, clapping his little hands when the toys made sounds or flicked open windows for surprises that never ceased to amaze him, even on the hundredth attempt. He was very sociable and burst into a beaming 4 tooth smile at the sight of this tall play toy who came into the flat and crouched down on the floor beside him immediately. Petra laughed at them and returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner while David played with Paul.

She came back quietly and watched them, unnoticed. Her heart swelled with pleasure at the sight of them, Paul climbing on David and investigating his favorite thing, David’s mouth…it was his latest obsession, one her mother said was a precursor to talking. Pet hoped so. Up to now the only think Paul did was laugh and giggle when you tickled him. Mama said he would surprise her one day, that all children learned things in their own time and he would likely begin speaking sentences, not bothering with baby talk. Pet thought that was a bit of wishful thinking but then Mom was now a grandmother, so she could be forgiven for her bias.

Paul caught sight of her and toddled over to clamp himself around her legs, drool on her bare leg and do his little ‘I’m so happy’ dance.

“He’s a little spitfire,” David said as he rolled over onto his stomach and elbows and smiled at Pet.

She smiled.

“I love him to bits, but I’m always happy when he goes down for the night. He can be exhausting.”

David rose and came across to her, scooped the laughing little boy up and smiled as he asked: “And what time does he usually go to bed? This Big boy needs some time with you tonight too…”

He looked at Petra and saw that for once she didn’t pale when he was a bit suggestive with her. Good…. he was making progress.

“Paul has a fairly set schedule, thanks to my sister’s advice…he goes to bed at 7;30 and usually doesn’t wake until around 6 in the morning. You could say goodbye to him in the morning before you have to leave.”

Her cheeks flamed as she spoke but she was determined and managed to meet David’s eyes. The joy she saw there made her giddy and relieved. He had been so patient and controlled with her, she had begun to think that he was going to be content to just be a friend. The naked desire she saw in his eyes put her mind at rest and she laughed as she took Paul from him to give him his dinner.

It was a co-operative affair getting the child to bed. David gave Paul his bath and under orders, played quietly with him in the tub, helping to calm him down and get ready to sleep. Changed and in his jammies they both tucked him into his crib and David softly sang a lullaby he remembered his Mother singing to his youngest sister until the child’s eyes grew heavy and both he and Pet left the room with only the little teddy bear night light illuminating the room.

They walked down the hall and David asked a soft question.

“What are you making for our dinner?”

She stopped and faced him.

“Steak…because I thought we could eat whenever we want….in case you aren’t hungry yet.”

“Not for food,” he murmured and reached for her shoulders to pull her closer. She was trembling but eager, wound her arms around his neck and pressed her tall body against him.

“Then let’s eat steak later,” she whispered and lifted her mouth to his.

It was the kiss he had been longing for, unrestrained, passionate, full of desire and promise, nothing held back.

He hesitated when they reached the bedroom, glancing at the extra long bed and she smiled as she started on the buttons of his shirt.

“It’s new…. I bought an extra long one last week, so we could start fresh, just the two of us…no ghosts from the past.”

“You mean we’ve wasted a whole week?” He deftly slid her pale blue jumper up and over her head, groaning when he saw the lacy bra she wore and the way she spilled out of the cups. “Don’t plan on sleeping tonight, my Pet,” he said…his hands and mouth made the world fade, nothing existed for them except each other and longings at last fulfilled.

**

Urs and Maggie had gone to the school to oversee the rehearsal for the ‘I Love Rock and Roll’ show, had a bit of dinner with the students after wards and made it back to his flat by eight. He packed quickly, a master at it now and easy since he was so neat about his possessions. They had decided to stay there over night to save him time in the morning. Maggie had come prepared with a change of clothes in her backpack and after they showered they changed into robes to lounge away the evening.

He clicked on the stereo, a mixed CD of light classical and tracks from Broadway plays and they curled up together on his long leather couch, just listening to the music and content to let hands stroke and caress absently, talking now and then about the coming days and a bit about their wedding.

“Do you have a favorite place where you would like to have the wedding?” he asked her, thinking that he would love to be married at the coast, where they had gone on their bike ride…. He would say nothing though because women all seemed to want those big lavish affairs, no matter what they said.

She nestled against him and sighed.

“Actually, I do but it’s very impractical. You need to have your parents there and Simon will want to come and the guys and some of the kids and on and on, ad infinitum…then I suppose we have to have a reception and all that stuff….. I’d be happy just to go to your special spot, where we went on the bike ride, just you and I and a preacher and maybe Chris and Mary for witnesses. We could always have a party for everyone later.”

She pulled back and listened to him laughing, reaching out to touch his face when he didn’t stop after a minute. At last he gathered her back against him and calmed enough to kiss her brow.

“It’s amazing, perfect and amazing…that’s exactly what I want too…I don’t want to share that moment with everyone…. We can have a reception but our moment with God should be private, just for us. Do you have any idea how happy you make me, my little Love?”

She giggled.

“Certain parts of you…yes!”

She slipped her hands under his robe and when he moaned followed with her mouth, teasing across his chest, then lower until her mouth was against his erection and moving along the length with soft tantalizing kisses, her clever fingers tenderly cupping the silken sacs.

“Let me make you happy, Swiss, the way you’ve taught me. I want you to remember me while you’re away.”

It was impossible for him to remain passive as they began the sensual, emotion filled, roller coaster ride towards the ultimate goal. The room filled with the gentle sounds of their love, the moans, gasps for breath, the silky sounds of skin on skin and the strangled cries of names as they reached their peaks and coasted on spasms of bliss, slowly, back to earth.

**

Carlos rested his back and head against the head board of their bed and watched as Gerry finished the last bit of their packing. For the first few days she would be with him on their trip then would return to London for auditions for a new opera being casted in the West End.

They had done this so many times…been together briefly, parted while each had work in another city but the thrill of being with her never diminished. Each time that they met up again and shared their lives it was new, exciting…each time he grew to love her more and her beaming smile told him she felt the same.

She finished with the luggage and came to the bed, creeping up his body on her pale hands and knees, a black teddy just barely hiding the body he knew so well. She let her hair fall on his stomach and leaned down to trail her mouth up the thick thatch of hair to his neck and lowered her weight onto him, nibbling on the cords of his neck very gently.

“We must be ready early, Querida…Urs will be stomping around impatiently if we are not.”

“Shhhh..” she whispered. “Urs will not get much sleep tonight…Maggie is with him downstairs…I could hear some interesting sounds as I passed the door on my way back from the refuse chute.”

He rolled her over and laughed as he crouched over her and waggled his eyebrows.

“Interesting? And did they give you ideas? Earlier you said it was not a good night for you….”

Gerry laughed at him and put her hands on his eyebrows trying to get them to stay still.

“Remember that night in Barcelona? After the performance when you said that you didn’t even have the energy to get under the covers?”

Carlos thought for only a second and grinned.

“This is another reason I love you, my Gerald…your excellent memory.”

For the next while she refreshed his memory, the years of being together faded away and everything was new and exciting, one of the bonds that made their relationship strong and enduring.

**

Geena looked across the bed at Sebastien as he slept, dreading saying goodbye in the morning but knowing that this would be the first of many tests for them. If what they had developed so tenuously over the past days was real and lasting, it would survive.

He looked so young as he rested, so content with his life, hopefully because he was with her, she thought. And somehow being with this sweet and gentle man, made the horrors she witnessed at times seem less real, less the stuff that nightmares were built on. Still, in her subconscious mind she knew that Laurenz was out there, as were so many others, a continued threat, though they had all fallen into complacency, living their lives as if there never had been an evil person like Laurenz. There was a team going with them to the US, techies who could double as crew, so she refused to worry.

Seb stirred and reached for her, pressing his chest against hers and sighing as he felt her skin under his hands. She nestled against him and breathed in his scent, a light cologne and the tang of sweat from their lovemaking earlier. She breathed it in again, a pleasant scent, evocative of this darling man that she cared so deeply for and that she hoped was beginning to care for her as more than a playmate. Gradually she relaxed in his arms and drifted off to sweet dreams.

**

Early in the morning the four men rose at the insistent buzzing of their alarms, showered and dressed…David came back to the flats to collect his gear then pestered the others for coffee while they got ready…Gerry took pity on him and installed him in the dining area with a hasty cup while Carlos had his as he shaved.

Urs was ready, of course, and jogged to the school with Maggie, kissing her again and again, loath to leave until she opened the door and gave him a push with a sweet laugh.

He jogged back to the flats, grinning.

‘How could I be so lucky? I don’t remember ever doing anything to deserve to be this happy…..I have to get Seb to help me with the labtop…laptop….I need to learn how to do this IM thing so I can talk to her every day…. OMG, last night….no, can’t think about that, not now…flying for 5 hours with too tight jeans is not the preferred way to have a comfortable trip….but she was incredible… Ach!… Verdammen…. Zu spat!!! {too late}’

He slowed to a more comfortable walk, thinking about skiing, cold showers, icy drinks, determined to be calmed and to only think of Maggie when he had time to really enjoy the memory. Ahead, at the curb he saw his friends begin to gather, Gerry bright and perky as always, with Carlos standing next to her and seemingly sleeping against her shoulder, David bouncing around with his hands deep in his pockets telling Geena and Seb something that they weren’t paying much attention to as they held hands and stole a quick kiss good bye. Geena waved at Urs and crossed the street to enter her little car and speed off. He raced up the steps to collect his luggage from the foyer where he had left it and returned outside just as the people mover pulled up for their trip to the airport.

CHAPTER NINETEEN….WELCOME HOME

Maggie listened to Urs’ rapid foot steps as he jogged back to the flat, keeping herself in check in case he looked back and as the sound faded she slowly shut the door and leaned against it. Jessie keyed into her mood and whined softly, leaning her warm body against Maggie’s leg in comfort.

“Oh Jess…how am I ever going to get through the days without him?” she said softly as she rested her hand on the smooth head and took the few steps to the office.

She wiped the tears, that couldn’t be shed while he was still here, off her face and smiled as she felt the ring on her left hand, feeling blessed, happy, sad, the full gamut of emotions. Love and happiness took center stage as she sat in her mesh office chair and got ready to work…but not yet, not just yet. Efficiently she clicked on the special CD that Urs had compiled for her and let the sounds and visuals of his voice consume her mind and body, tracks of Il Divo singing, songs that would be on the first album, some that they had recorded but had no plans for yet, Urs singing with Camille, a rendition of Think of Me that he had done specially for her and as a joke, though she loved it, playing lead guitar with the school heavy metal band, doing the old ACDC track, Thunderstruck.

She laughed, remembering, and ‘seeing’ through her synasthesia, what a difference there was in the visuals this music gave her…exciting, stirring but so unlike the usual exotic, inspiring, tears to the eyes pictures that his Il Divo or Opera voice gave her.

A soft tap on the open door disturbed her reverie as Cookie arrived and promised coffee in a few moments. The perceptive older woman noticed the wistful look and the evidence of tears, came in and offered an ample bosom to cry against for a moment.

“Oh, Cookie…he’s only just gone and I already miss him so much.”

“Of course you do, Child…the dear man has become your center, the reason for drawing a breath each day. He feels the same, I can see it when he looks at you. He will be back…just keep busy until he returns then take a day off to be with him. You work too hard, Child. You need to schedule some ‘Me’ time now and then.”

Maggie laughed shakily and drew back, took a deep cleansing breath and got ready to ‘keep busy’.

“Thank God there is so much coming up while he’s away…the Rock and Roll Show, a slew of tests that Geena wants me to take…you’re right…the time will fly. Jess and I will come down for coffee in 10 minutes or so, Cookie…there’s nothing pressing that I need to do right away.”

When Cookie had left and there was only the sound of the CD playing softly in the background, she raised her left hand to her mouth and kissed her engagement ring, blushing a bit as she thought how silly it would seem to anyone observing, but it gave her comfort and she was smiling as she signed in to work and Millie quickly read off the list of routine events that had transpired during the night.

**

Instant Messaging wasn’t nearly as difficult as Urs had thought, he found when Seb coached him in how to do it.

The first night when they had settled in at the hotel in New York, Seb walked him through it and in no time at all he was sending messages back and forth in real time, talking to Maggie almost as if they were still together. They had settled on Tristan and Isolde as user names because of Maggie’s affection for that Opera and their first conversation was filled with carefully worded descriptions of their days, each not wanting to admit at first that the separation was heart wrenching, both aware that this would just be the first of many times.

Isolde says: I’ve been listening to the CD you gave me all day, on a loop…. Are you including Por Ti Sere on the first CD? It’s so beautiful, I just can’t get it out of my head. And the visuals I get from Ave Maria are incredible!!

Tristan says: There was some talk about including it in a limited edition… sort of a bonus track for the UK. Simon will have the ultimate decision for this CD…maybe future ones we will have a bit more input …. I think Thunderstruck is out of the equation though …LOL

Isolde says: I think you underestimate the fan base you guys will have…they would probably love to hear something a bit different.

Tristan says: Maybe…Liebe, I forgot to make an appointment with my dental hygienist…would you make one for me the day after we return? Just a cleaning….seems to me I’m asked to smile at least a thousand times a day so have to keep the ‘pearlies’ {David’s word} sparkling.

He gave her the number and she promised to attend to it in the morning.

Tristan says: Both Seb and I are madly typing away on our LAPTOPS…aren’t you impressed that I got it right?... he’s moping because he misses Geena…almost as much as I miss you, Love. We have a very early call in the morning again, so should get off to our lonely beds soon. Liebeling do you realize that this will be the first night that we have not slept with you in my arms except for that quick trip to Suisse? Time can not pass quickly enough for me.

Isolde says: For me either. I’m ready for bed, have been for hours but I just can’t force myself to get under the covers. Talking to you has helped though and now I want to sleep so I can dream of you. I’m going to let you go so you can get some sleep and before this develops into cyber sex…. Though maybe that isn’t such a bad idea for next time….LOL

Tristan says: OMG…woman, you conjure up such amazing images!!! Keep that thought!!...I will talk to you tomorrow, a bit earlier than this so we have lots of time. I love you, Maggie!! Sweet dreams!!

Isolde says: I love you too, my Swiss!!... {and a little waving bear icon popped up on the screen as she signed off}

**

The news from the US trickled back to the UK daily through the IM’s that the guys sent to Petra, Geena and Maggie. Gerry, far off in Spain doing the last two weeks of her contract, received her share as Carlos kept in touch and all 4 women were thrilled with the reception of their men. Oprah loved them, became an instant fan, the fan base grew with each additional show and the request for appearances flooded into the Sony BMG offices, which of course would mean more separations but so worth it to secure the success of this venture.

Geena, Petra and Maggie got together a couple of times to share their longings for their mates and agreed that the IM’s and occasional land line calls eased the absence somewhat and that they didn’t look at the future separations with such dread anymore.

“At least we can be with them some of the time,” Petra said as she stirred her tea to melt the three sugars that everyone teased her about preferring.

“And in Oz next. I’m so looking forward to that…I’ve never been before,” Geena said with a sigh.

“The whole thing, this fame, the traveling, the frantic schedule…it’s a hard adjustment for the guys. All these changes are bound to affect them and us as well. I have a feeling that we will be the only constant in their lives and it will be important for us to adapt and make it easier for them to cope,” Maggie said with a soft smile.

Geena took her hand for a little squeeze.

“Mags, you always were the deep thinker…even in school you could always think about how others would feel…that’s why we were so successful at tormenting the teachers and the house mothers. It’s going to come in very handy now. I don’t want to lose Sebastien because I couldn’t keep up with him or because I was too clingy.”

“You, clingy?” Petra laughed. “Of the three of us you are the least clingy person I know, Geena. Don’t worry…if we see any clinging going on we’ll give you a nudge.”

**

As promised Geena had scheduled all the tests that Maggie needed and because her days were so incredibly busy and the late evenings taken up with talks in cyber-space to Urs, the days flew by.

She had turned over her classes at the school to a major figure in the music world who had now retired but ached to be involved in some way…this was perfect for her and her manner was such that the kids all adored her. Maggie attended the Rock and Roll Show as part of the audience though she was acknowledged by the cast after the second curtain call and blushed furiously when she had to take a bow.

At last the morning came when her first thought on wakening was that today he would be back. The arrivals were to be in the evening so all three women had opted to welcome their men home privately, at their residences rather than at the airport…rumor had it that there were going to be a number of fans in evidence at Arrivals.

Maggie took the afternoon off work and returned home for a long, leisurely bubble bath and a nap since she would have bet her life that she would sleep little that night. The last few IM’s with Urs had been increasingly risqué, resulting in restless, erotic dreams that would find release tonight if his poorly veiled promises were any indication.

She flushed as she thought of it, warming from the inside and took his suggestions to heart, wearing very little lingerie, in fact none and outer clothing that could be easily removed. Fleetingly she wondered if the other women were doing the same thing and if she and Urs were ‘Normal’, but discarded the thought…she didn’t really care. As long as this carnal attraction they had for each other lasted she was going to enjoy it…and hope that it would last forever.

Heidi was just leaving when she came back in the Lounge and whistled when she saw the way Maggie looked. Her hair was waving wildly, held back off a beaming rosy face with two sliver clips, the sleeveless hostess gown of dove grey silk shimmering in the soft lighting as it skimmed her curves from the Peter Pan collar, down the hidden domed closure to her ankles and soft silver slippers.

“It smells lovely in here, Heidi. Thank you for arranging the flowers,” she said indicating the masses of flowers that had arrived earlier from May Fergus. Urs, thoughtful as always, had arranged for them via a quick phone call.

“My pleasure, Dear. I know how much you missed having him around. There’s lots of sweets in the cupboard for the Chocolate King, and I put some White to chill. If he’s hungry… for food….” She chuckled when Maggie blushed at this comment. “…there’s some nice pasta and chicken in the frig you just have to nuke for 4 minutes and a salad platter. And I already fed Jessie so don’t let her mooch anymore dinner out of you. Call if you need me tomorrow.”

Maggie was restless as she waited, pacing the familiar space, stopping to smell the bowls and vases of flowers, Roses, Lilies and what she though must be imported Lilacs…surely it was still too cool for them to be flowering locally. It was after all only April 13th.

She went out on the balcony to listen to the sounds of the city, faintly heard a high up jet crossing the sky and wondered if that was his plane, checked the time on her watch and felt her heart leap as she realized that he would already have landed, could at this very moment be in the taxi or people mover, on his way home.

Home…she wondered where he considered his home was now. When he was in London he spent most of his time here, in her suite, just being with her, quietly reading or working on his music, playing chess with her…and winning most of the time… chatting, making plans…and making love.

Just the thought warmed her and she almost missed hearing the elevator doors opening when he arrived. She took a couple of steps toward the balcony doors but found her legs weak and hesitated. She heard his bags hit the floor and his quick steps as he came to her, caught the fresh, clean scent of him as he neared and at last felt his hands on her bare arms as he reached her and drew her into his arms.

“Maggie… I’ve missed you so…” His voice was soft but husky against her ear as his hair brushed her cheek. She could feel his warm breath against her neck then his hands cupping her face as he drank in the sight of her.

“Welcome home, my Love,” she whispered before his lips claimed hers, tenderly moving as he massaged her lips with his own, moaning and entering her mouth when she opened to invite him in.

Somehow they managed a dance that took them into the suite, still locked together, still relishing the taste of mouths too long denied. Maggie felt the edge of the dining table against the top of her thighs as Urs released her long enough for his jacket and shirt to vanish, coming back, his eager hands soon discovering the domes on her gown and the lack of lingerie.

“Maggie…. Liebe…I can’t wait!!” he gasped.

“Don’t wait!!…Hurry, Urs!” she managed and found herself lifted to lay back on the table top, seconds later sighing as at last they were once again, one.

As soon as her body closed around his, their frantic pace slowed, allowing them to savor the moment. He skimmed her exposed breasts with restless hands, kneaded her waist and hips, lifted her bottom and went deeper, freeing one hand to caress her mound with his thumb, driving her ever higher, moaning when her inner muscles squeezed his shaft in a rhthymic clenching and release that was a painful pleasure. She could feel the ridge of foreskin as it stretched over his glans then curled back, adding to the friction for both of them, driving her to the point of madness as her body yearned for more, just a bit more…

His pace increased and coherent thought evaporated, leaving only sensation. He felt her soar over the top and arch her body in a bow as the climax took possession of her…it was too much and he could hold on no longer, surrendering to the explosion of utter bliss, sharing the paradise of sensation they had created.

**

Sebastien couldn’t wait after they dropped Urs off. They stopped by the flats and dropped off their luggage, Carlos went to his flat to call Geraldine and David and Seb got back in the people mover to be delivered to their ladies.

Seb called Geena and told her he was on his way, chuckled when she told him that she was busy putting a bow on the present she had for him. And he spent the rest of the short drive trying to figure out what she had bought him.

He raced up the steps, buzzed her flat and used the stairs, knowing how slow the ancient lift was. The door was open, as she had said it would be and he entered the flat, stopped dead in his tracks at the vision in front of him.

Geena was standing in the Lounge, smiling and with her hands stretched out to him wearing…nothing but a big red bow of ribbon tied around her body so the actual bow rested between her lush hips.

He whooped with laughter as he pushed the door shut with his foot and eagerly reached out to her, scooped her up and strode off to the bedroom.

**

It was well after Paul’s bedtime when David arrived at Petra’s so he tapped quietly on the door. He adored the little boy but wanted some private time with Petra, in fact if he didn’t get the reception he was eager for he was sure he would explode.

No worries!!!

She answered the door in a robe, folding him into an embrace before even speaking, their lips locked as he pushed the door shut and leaned against it, lifting Pet up to wrap her long legs around him.

It was nearly 20 minutes before conversation was attempted, 20 minutes of moans and gasps, of frenzied disrobing, of deciding that the hall carpet was really quite comfortable, of realizing that they could actually breathe normally again. Finally Petra whispered against his chest when her heart had returned to a normal rhythm…”Welcome home, Davey.”….. and he laughed as only David can, trying to be quiet, but failing miserably.

Pet put her hand over his mouth and he calmed a bit, his face wet with happy tears.

“Wow!!! Best welcome home I’ve ever had,” he said and raised himself on his elbows then to his feet. He pushed their discarded clothing out of the way, bending down to let Pet gather them up in case they were needed later, then carried her into the bedroom to deposit her on the extra long bed and snuggle against her.

“Guess that means you missed me as much as I missed you,” he murmured and she giggled as she realized that he wasn’t yet done with the welcome home celebration.

“You could say that….. I made you some dinner, if you’re hungry.”

She giggled again when he reached a ticklish spot….somehow she doubted that he wanted to eat.

“Later, Baby….much later,” he whispered as he claimed her mouth…and the conversation about food was over for the next hour.

**

The conversation was brief and expected.

“They’re back, arrived today…. Is it still on?”

“You have the photos and his address? The one we need is the one with long hair, kissing that woman on the sidewalk.”

“Got it boss… first chance we get, we’ll grab him.”

“Don’t let me down…. I need to know where he has stashed her away…do whatever is needed to make him talk….there will be a bonus for you if he suffers.”

The connection was broken as far away in Belgium Laurenz replaced the handset and smiled.

CHAPTER TWENTY ….TROUBLE

Morning, and Carlos, came far too early the next day. In Maggie’s suite the phone began ringing shortly before 8, stopped and the tired occupants of the jumbled bed just nicely drifted off to sleep again when the insistent buzzing resumed.

Urs swung his feet to the floor and stomped into the Lounge searching for his mobile, the raucous heavy metal track indicating that it was his phone disturbing the peace.

“Ja,” he snarled, dearly wishing that he could travel down the airwaves and throttle whoever was shattering the scant hours of sleep he and Maggie had managed after talking for hours and making love twice, not counting the frenzied coupling when he first arrived.

“Urs…Gerry is coming…she has finished her contract and decided to take some time off so she will be coming with me, with us, at least for a while.” He babbled on and Urs took the easy option by letting him go on and on about what fun they would have, how he had talked to Gerry for hours last night on the land line, how much he missed her smile, her body next to him, her cooking.

He wandered into the spare bedroom and used the facilities while murmuring the appropriate responses, tried to hold the small phone against his ear with his shoulder as he washed his hands, dropped it, fortunately on the soft bath mat and lay it on the counter while he searched for the mouthwash that he knew Maggie kept in the cupboard for guests.

“Are you gargling? Did you brush your teeth while we were talking? Madre de dios…did you hear anything I said?” He heard the rising tone of Carlos voice and hurriedly picked the handset up and mollified his friend.

“Of course I heard you…Gerry’s arriving tomorrow, you love her, she loves you, is taking time off, she’s a great cook…Carlito I already knew all this. Have pity, man…Maggie and I didn’t get to sleep until after 5. I’m going back to bed…but I am happy for you, just not ready to be awake.”

He disconnected and turned the ringer to vibrate, put the small phone back in his jacket pocket and returned to the bedroom, thinking to find Maggie still sleeping.

The bed was empty, still warm he found when he slid back under the duvet…she must be in the Loo. Sure enough she returned moments later, looking so sweet and rosy, her face still sleep flushed and her long hair tangled but draped down the front of her body in a curtain.

“Carlos?” she asked with a smile as she returned to the bed and felt the draft as he held the duvet up for her to slide in next to him. He murmured ‘umhmmm’ as he wound his arms around her, breathing in the light minty scent of mouth wash and feeling the slight dampness of her hands as she touched his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed with pleasure as a comfortable warmth infused her. Making love with him was a wonderful, earth shattering experience each and every time, but she enjoyed these soft cozy snuggles almost as much….. well maybe not almost…it was like the proverbial comparison of apples and oranges….two entirely different ways of developing their love and companionship.

“He needed to tell someone about Gerry going with him on our travels and we were the lucky ones.”

“Carlito really is a lovely man… I admire the relationship he and Geraldine have been able to maintain for so long, in spite of the Latin temperaments and the frequent absences. And when he isn’t ON, like he usually is in public, he’s really a very sensitive, considerate person, even a little shy. I find him very easy to talk to since he doesn’t bother with the sexy smile and brow wiggling with me and is just himself.”

“You ‘see’ people very well, Love, in spite of being unsighted… or maybe it’s because of your eyes. I think we all too often pass judgement on the visual clues we receive about a person…and often, like with Carlos, there are hidden qualities that we don’t notice.”

He leaned over her, bracing his body with one long arm bent and resting beside her head.

“I, on the other hand have excellent perceptions when it comes to noticing the deeply hidden quality of people…like this truly amazing woman that I felt drawn to instantly the first time I saw her leading her orchestra of students. When I held your hand that first time, in the dressing room, I felt a spark, as if something dormant for a long time had suddenly come to life.”

He brought his other arm up to her smiling face to brush his hand over her features, much as she had done that night. “And when we kissed, later, on the balcony, my world tilted, changed and I knew that all those years I had been lost, without a center and now I was home. Everyone saw it except me, until we came back from Ireland. You complete me as a person, my little Love.”

Their kiss was tender, loving, a sharing of feelings that words could not define. Urs slid his body weight off of her a bit, nestled his face in her hair, against her neck and they drifted back into sweet dreams, safe and secure in this small, content universe that only they inhabited.

**

The discreet ‘For Rent’ sign in the ground floor window made the two men smile as they approached the block of flats. It was early, too early for many people to be about on the streets, just the way they liked it.

The shorter of the two, though not short at all at nearly 6 foot, rang the bell for the superintendent and when a groggy voice answered, pleasantly stated the reason for this early call and apologized.

“Sorry, we just noticed the sign and wondered if we could ask about the flat. This would be such a perfect location with both my mate and I working in the area starting next week.”

The lock to the foyer buzzed and they went in, made their way to the ground floor flat with the small brass sign and tapped on the door.

Henry opened the flat door, a short, round man, well past his prime, still in his robe and slippers, dark blue pjamas showing on his legs and scruffy well worn slippers on wide feet.

He extended a hand to the shorter man, glanced at the other and felt the first shiver of doubt…too late. They were both huge, not so much in height as the wide shoulders, neck-less heads and thick bodies that looked just a bit too big to fit through a regular door.

His hand was taken in a crushing grip and his arm yanked as he was spun around and pushed into the flat, the door closing softly behind him with an ominous click as he was forced to his knobby old knees.

“What are you doing?...there’s no money, the tenants all pay with cheques…”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes…what do you want?”

The second man had hurriedly gone through the small flat, came back and nodded to confirm that no one else was present.

Henry opened his mouth again to ask another question, his already tricky heart racing erratically from fear… a sharp pain exploded in his chest and darkness descended, engulfing him in merciful sleep as his heart gave one more sharp flutter, then stopped.

**

“I’m going to go see Simon after I finish at the Hygienist’s…there were some things Yvette and I didn’t get to during that short phone call while we were in New York. I was really surprised that he permitted her to call me and talk, however briefly.”

“It was pretty safe to call you at the Hotel…. Even if Laurenz has that kind of money, it would take him too much time to set up a tap on every hotel you’ve been in lately. I’m really glad you talked to her though and that you sent word to your parents that she’s doing well. Don’t give Simon too hard a time, Urs…he’s only doing what he feels is best for all concerned….and the search is still on but there have just been no leads.”

He finished dressing and took a peek outside, decided on his long leather jacket since the weather had turned and it looked like rain.

“Love, do you want me to take Jessie out? My guess would be that it will rain later.”

She patted his arm where it lay about her waist as he nuzzled her neck from behind.

“Thanks Swiss boy, but Jess and I are Londoners…we can handle a bit of rain. And I need to walk off some of the muscle aches that I developed over night…can’t think how that happened.”

He laughed and swatted her on the bottom as he headed for the door.

“Serves you right… you do insist on some amazingly physical moves… “

She laughed. “Blame it on my lover… everything I know he taught me.”

He held the elevator for a moment and called back to her.

“I’m going to stop by the flat and pick up my leathers and the bike. If the weather clears we may get a chance to go out in the next few days…if not maybe in Oz.”

Maggie puttered a bit, tidying up some things from their late breakfast, fielded a couple of calls from Petra and Geena, both of whom had also had very late mornings. They agreed to meet at the suite later, they decided on around 7, to have dinner. She pulled some casseroles out of the freezer as well as a couple of pies, thought about Urs addiction to sweets and decided that what Heidi had already made would be enough.

Jessie was getting anxious so she went to the bedroom and dressed quickly in a handy pale blue track suit with a fluffy matching jacket, feeling the dampness of the approaching storm as she finished and clipped the harness on to go out.

**

Maggie and Jessie were nearly back to her building when she heard Carlos call out to her.

“’Mija, I haven’t seen you for so long…and where is your constant shadow, our Swiss friend?”

She laughed as he hugged her lightly.

“He had an appointment with his dental hygienist and then was going to stop by and talk to Simon. He should be back in an hour or so, if they don’t end up sparring and going to Emergency for bandages. Those two do love to lock horns.”

“And yet they really are good friends…once the argument is over they are buddies again. Ahhh…I am a bad friend. Gerry left you a CD when she went back to Spain and I foolishly forgot to bring it over. She will be back tomorrow and will scalp me if I still have not given it to you. I ran out to get some diet Coke and didn’t think of it.”

She offered to come with him and get it now…it was a CD that she had looked forward to listening to, of Gerry and Carlos in Beauty and the Beast.

“I have time now before Urs comes back…he has to stop by the flat and get some clean clothes anyway so I can catch him there.”

“You have a key?”

She laughed and pulled a slender hairpin out of her piled up hair.

“It just happens that I do.”

“You are a handy woman to have around. I think often about the trouble he was having with his brother-in-law. I can’t believe that a man could treat his woman in that way. It is good that our friend is no longer being blackmailed into that work…and it explains the times when something very dark bothered him, nearly making him ill.”

“I’m glad he finally told you…he had been shouldering this burden alone for far too long…and now hopefully they will catch Laurenz soon and it will really be over. At least Yvette and the baby are safe. She’s doing very well…decided to take some courses and seems happy with her new life. Urs says she sounds so much more confident now when he talked to her.”

Carlos unlocked the foyer door and Maggie followed Jessie inside, waited while Carlos caught up and they took the lift to the 3rd floor.

He put his diet coke in the refrigerator and took the CD off the hall table and placed it in Maggie’s hand.

“Enjoy… I hope never to have to do another role with such a heavy costume…after each night I felt like I had been playing football, it was so much work carrying that 40 pounds around for 3 hours and even dancing in it.”

“You know you loved every minute of it, Carlito…you’re a born performer.”

“Perhaps…but I am also a master at getting sympathy.”

He walked her back to the hall and they took the stairs to Urs’ flat, Carlos betting on how long it would take her to unlock the door.

They were both laughing when they arrived and perhaps because of this she didn’t pay any attention when Jessie tugged at the harness and growled softly.

“Siete secondes…bueno…” Carlos was exclaiming as the door swung open…and someone hit him heavily in the back, throwing him forward into the half open door.

There was a sound of scuffling, a slight shriek from Maggie that was abruptly cut off, her body slamming into Carlos’ as she too was thrust in the door, a snarl from Jessie and a yelp of pain from someone, then a curse and a cry of pain from the dog…then nothing as someone dragged the two half conscious people into the flat and shut the door.

Carlos tried to raise himself off the floor where he had been thrown but faded out again after a vicious kick to the side of his head.

Maggie had managed to roll to her feet and orient herself enough to lunge for the door only to be blocked by a sweaty, large body. The man pushed her, toying with her as she struggled to get past him , laughing when she tried to rake her nails across his face and misjudged just how tall he was, getting a rough shirt or jacket under her hands. He dragged her tight against his body and wrapped his meaty hand in her hair, pulling her head back and exposing her throat.

“Pretty little thing, ain’t she Monty? A fighter…I likes fighters.” He growled and she gagged as she smelled his breath against her face. Like a snake he darted his head at her and bit her, hard enough to draw blood just below her shoulder. Her knee came up and connected with his groin and he squealed like a pig, releasing her but again she was pulled back into the center of the room, this time by the other man.

His hand closed on her throat and lifted so that just her toes touched the floor. Even as she started to fade from lack of breath she heard him warn her to behave, followed by a description of which part of a woman’s body his friend like to bury his serrated edged knife in.

“You been warned, lass…I can’t stop him when the mood takes over.”

Her body was released and she slumped to the floor, gasping for breath.

As if in a nightmare she felt hands pulling at her clothing, heard the sound of cloth being cut and felt the cool air of the seldom used flat against her bare skin. She struggled feebly, still not able to get enough air through her swollen throat to her lungs, tried to kick but felt a fleshy leg over hers pinning her down.

She lunged forward trying to dislodge the assailant, connected with an open fist and bit hard into the side of his hand, this time finding his face and digging her nails in as hard as she could, trying for his eyes but managing only to enrage him as she drew tracks down his face.

The blow came out of the haze that was all she could see, a hard blow to the side of her face, not just fingers, a ring of some kind as well and she went down with a moan, unable to do more than pray that Urs would not soon come to the flat and be hurt by these men, not without backup…. ‘Please, Lord…don’t let him come alone,’ she prayed as the world went black.


When Carlos was conscious again he found himself propped against the wall in the dining area, the furnishings pushed out of the way, his hands behind his back, wrists in handcuffs that were just a shade too tight and the world spinning wildly when he tried to see what was happening.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE….CRASHING THE PARTY

Two large men were sitting on dining chairs, one cleaning off a large serrated edged knife on pieces of the jacket Maggie had been wearing, the other talking quietly on a cell phone.

“Righto…we checked the photos and it isn’t him, it’s one of the other singers, the Spanish one, but it is his flat…..right…wait for him to come home and then find out where she is…no sweat…his woman is here, the blind girl…. Freddy fancies her… right, I’ll tell him.”

He closed the phone and spoke to the man with the knife, Freddy, Carlos assumed.

“He says you have to leave her alive to convince the Swiss guy to talk…then you can do you what you like with her. Might be you can tell him about your specialty…that should make him give up what he knows.”

The speaker glanced at Carlos and realized he was awake.

“Hey Dago…you got a right hard head…you should have stayed down for hours yet.”

“What do you want? Money…take my wallet…and my watch, just leave us alone.” Carlos spat the words at him, trying to get his eyes to focus properly and wiggling to try to slip out of the cuffs.

“Now I’m insulted, Freddy…the bloke thinks we’re common thieves.”

Freddy approached Carlos holding the vicious knife in front of him, tossing it back and forth from hand to hand. He grinned as he slit the front of Carlos shirt and jacket from bottom to top, resting the tip of the knife against Carlos throat.

“You another of them singers? I heard that even if you survive having your throat cut a bit, you never manage to sing again. Should we maybe save the world from that trash you sing?…ain’t even in English.”

Carlos sat very still, trying not to show fear but almost afraid to breathe in case the needle-like tip of the knife he could feel pricking his skin was pressed harder.

He could see beyond the man’s shoulders that Maggie had struggled to her hands and knees and was trying to quietly find the door. Her jacket and top hung in shreds, likely from the vicious looking knife this assailant held, there was blood on her face, trickling down the left side and dripping on the remnants of her tank top, her cheek was bruised and swelling, her throat already turning black and purple, and she shook her head as if dizzy. The second man leapt up and crossed the room, grabbing her by the hair and delivering a solid punch to her stomach, then dropped her to the floor with a wicked , self satisfied grin.

“You coward…try that on a man, instead of a small woman… Pendajo!!! Cabrone!!!”

Carlos was livid, forgot about the knife at his throat and moved, trying to get free and help Maggie. The knife nicked his throat, drawing blood and he froze, his mind furiously seeking options but finding none…not yet.

“He’s a right hairy one, Freddy, might be you should give him a bit of a shave, teach him to behave.”

Freddy laughed and adjusted the grip on the handle then swept the edge hard over Carlos’ chest, taking hair and skin in a swath that instantly oozed blood, adjusting the pressure when the blade snagged so that there were deep groves cut into his chest. The pain was fierce and he bit his lip in an effort not to cry out, wiggled a bit to turn away from the blade but Freddy merely laughed and switched to the uninjured side, repeating the movement until blood flowed freely across Carlos chest, running down into the waist band of his shorts and jeans.

Monty pulled a roll of duct tape out of a pocket and pulled off a strip, kneeling against Carlos bloody chest when he struggled, grinning sadistically as he caused more pain and slapping the tape over his mouth before Carlos could cry out.

“We don’t want you making a fuss and warning your friend, now do we.”

He let the pressure off of Carlos and stood back, looked around for his partner and found him knelt beside the still form of Maggie, slashing at the remnants of her clothing.

“He said you can’t have her until after, so have a care.”

“I ain’t touching…much…just looking.”

Only now did Carlos realize that his feet had been taped together and his knees, making it impossible for him to stand he found when he tried. He managed to roll over and reached Freddy just as the busy knife left a trail of blood on Maggie’s leg when he slit her track pants, effectively stripping her to underwear of sports bra and matching shorts. Carlos managed to swing his legs at the knife hand and draw the man’s attention away briefly, his reward coming in the form of a slash that buried the knife in his hip. The pain was excruciating, made worse when Freddy grinned and twisted the blade slightly on withdrawal. He couldn’t help it…he screamed but the sound was muffled through the tape, would not have been heard a few feet away.

“Stay awake, little man…you don’t want to miss the show.

“Enough…we wait for the Swiss guy,” Monty said, of the two, he was obviously the more controlled, the leader.

Carlos inched over closer to Maggie. She had very little still covering her now…her jacket was gone, her tee shirt shredded and stained with fresh, red blood, from where, he couldn’t tell. Her bra had been cut in front and pushed to the side and both sides of her track pants lay open exposing a long, oozing gash down one leg.

He inched closer, desperate to comfort her though his head throbbed, a little blood running into his left eye from a wound under his thick hair, his chest felt as if it were on fire and the stab in his hip, slowed now to a steady ooze, throbbed as if repeated over and over. He was dizzy with pain, each struggle to move adding to his misery, yet he wanted nothing more at the moment than to be near his friend and protect her if he could.

She moaned and rolled to her side, facing Carlos, her eyes still closed tight. She didn’t move again, just lay quietly with one hand on top of her wrist, breathing deep…murmuring ‘calma’ in a whisper so soft that he wasn’t at first sure he heard it….Carlos knew now that she was conscious, was faking it…and then he understood…the hand on her wrist, the fingers moved, just a fraction, just enough to touch buttons on her fancy watch that would send a signal for help.

**

Urs was in a foul mood…He had received a phone call, a very brief one from Yvette on a secured line while in New York, but he wanted confirmation that she was indeed doing as well as she claimed. Simon had refused to tell him how Yvette and the baby were doing other than ‘Fine’. He was forthcoming with everything else but that one point. And of course without a definitve answer, his fertile imagination created all sorts of scenarios. The search for Laurenz was continuing. They knew from passport control that he had left England and that heads would roll because of the sloppy work…not catching him at customs had been a terrible error on the part of the officials …word hadn’t been passed quickly enough and so he slid under the net even before it was completely in place. Since that dreadful day there had been no sightings of him.

He stopped the cab at a news Kiosk and picked up the daily paper, feeling uneasy, though he couldn’t say why as he jogged away from it. He needed to see Maggie, just see her and hold her close, let her safety and calm chase away the tremulous disturbance he felt, almost like he used to when he was about to go on a job for Laurenz. Perhaps the preoccupation he had endured today about the man was responsible… maybe it was nerves because of the trip in a couple of days.

He had always suffered from nerves up to the point when he actually stepped on the stage and began a performance, then he calmed and the music consumed him. It was second nature now and not something he fretted over, just as much a part of his routine as the juice he drank to lubricate his throat and the water he requested be available on the stage.

He smiled lightly as he jogged along, the rain just starting in earnest now and was just about to turn the corner onto his street when a van squealed to a stop beside him. Brian was driving. He thrust his arm out and motioned Urs to get in, yelling out the window.

“Get in…there’s trouble.”

The side door slid open and he jumped in, surprised to find 2 more men in the back, dressed in SWAT type outfits, heavily armed, another on a computer who called out for quiet.

Brian leaned over to Urs and explained in a very subdued voice.

“Millie alerted us that Maggie had called for assistance, agent down…she’s at your flat, Millie patched us through…there’s a couple of guys holding her and maybe one of your friends, we don’t know who yet.”

“QUIET…listen…” the man at the computer called out.

“…you two heavies work for…Laurenz?” It was Maggie’s voice, strained and distorted by static but definitely her voice.

“Well ain’t you the bright one, dearie…. Too bad you can’t use them eyes…you should see what I got for you after we have a bit of a talk with your boyfriend…. OWWW! BITCH!!!” there was the sound of a blow and a gasp. “I think she broke my finger, Monty… let me at her.”

“Keep your hands off me, you pig…what have you done to Carlos? He has nothing to do with this…let him go…or at least do something to stop the bleeding.”

“Hey, they said you couldn’t see…how do you know he’s bleeding?”

“I can smell it, you fool, the draft under the door we’re in front of carries the scent and he’s only inches away from me…you smoke too much to smell things properly…did you shoot him?”

“Naw, we’re saving those for the boyfriend…Freddy likes to use his pig sticker…he’s quite the Artiste.”

Both men laughed but in the now motionless van the mood was tense and silent.

“Oh, I’m well aware of Freddy and his little knife…sloppy work, Freddy…you must have knicked me 20 times getting my clothes off.”

There was a muffled sound of a blow and a groan from Maggie, curses from one of the men.

“Listen B**ch, shut yer gob or I’ll tape ya up like your friend here. Wouldn’t want to scare off the little boyfriend.”

“You won’t scare him, you filth…he’ll kill you without even breathing hard….just wait…” she screamed a bit this time at whatever was done, but it was quickly cut off as one of the men cursed at the other to keep her alive.

“Give me a gun,” Urs said as he shrugged out of his leather coat, needing more freedom of movement for what would come, his voice tight and cold as he stated his demand….Brian withdrew a Glock from a satchel beside him.

“You know how to use it?” he asked and received an icy stare and a nod.

Urs checked the weapon swiftly, efficiently, his actions smooth and professional and Brian could see that he was accustomed to handling a Glock, though he didn’t ask why.

“Well done Maggie…” Brian said with a grim look as the conversation from the flat tapered off to Monty warning Freddy again to ‘leave the girl alone until after, if you want to stick something stick the Dago again’.

“Okay… we know it’s two guys both maybe armed, definitely a knife, Maggie and Carlos are near the entrance and on the floor…keep your sights high…we’ll go in from the hall, you two swing in from the window…try to take them alive, at least one of them…. Four minutes from… now.”

They swarmed out of the van and entered the building, two going to the roof with a flexible rope, Brian, Urs and the third man going quietly up the stairs and waiting at the stairwell door for the time to run down.

Urs peeked out and felt his stomach heave….Jessie lay in front of the door to his flat, a trail of blood leading from where she had been thrown, in the little alcove that held the garbage chute. With her last breath of life she had dragged her body to the door, trying to get to Maggie.

“Let’s go,” Brian whispered and they crept out of the stairwell, the third man carrying the metal ram for the door. Urs quietly picked Jessie up and moved her body out of the way, then took one side and Brian the other. Each took the safeties off their weapons and got ready as Brian counted down the final seconds by holding up fingers.

At ‘One” the ram swung and the door imploded, falling into the room. All hell broke loose. The windows shattered as two booted pair of feet crashed through the glass and the agents tumbled onto the floor.

Urs took in the scene at a glance, his eyes drawn to the nearly naked writhing body of Maggie on the floor, pinned down by a large man who sat on her legs with his one huge hand gripping her breast, the other even as Urs watched with boiling anger, digging a long knife into her inner thigh and grinning at her as she struggled.

He let out a roar that made the man look up in surprise, the smile disappearing from his face but rage at being interrupted taking it’s place.

“NO!!! GET OFF HER!!” Urs roared as he tried for a shot, stepping over the remnants of the door.

Maggie took advantage of the distraction and flung her body over Carlos who had been struggling weakly to sit up, a dangerous thing to do with a raid in progress…..her sudden movement dislodged her attacker momentarily and when he moved he took the knife with him, resulting in a fountain of blood that sprayed everywhere….. the knife had hit her femoral artery…she was bleeding out and had, at the most, 7 minutes to live.

The other man, still in the dining room, scrambled for the gun he had laying limply in his lap. He went down with a well placed shot to the shoulder from Brian’s gun and was subdued by the two agents from the window before he hit the floor.

Nearer to the door, the big man that had been touching Maggie didn’t even pay attention to the rescuers. He was in a rage and lunged at her, stabbing and slashing twice at her exposed back as she protected Carlos, laying spread across his stomach.

Urs dropped the useless Glock…He couldn’t risk a shot with Maggie and Carlos so close. He threw himself over the intervening space and wrapped his arms around the larger man, setting his feet and using his body weight to force him off balance, backward. He rolled to his feet and faced the man, his blood icy cold now, the rage he had felt before, focused, only one thought filling his mind….. Stay alive long enough to kill this vermin that had spilled her blood and get to Maggie before she bled out.

Freddy lunged at him and with a lightening fast move Urs grasped his knife hand, twisting and yanking it in one fluid move until the arm was bent behind the assailant’s back…the knife dropped to the floor…Urs punched him hard, putting his body behind the blows, twice in the kidneys and planted a hard kick in the back of the knees. Faster than could be stopped he cupped the man around the chin and head, applied the necessary 66 pounds of pressure and snapped his neck with an audible ‘CLICK’.

He dropped the body to the floor, casting it aside like so much garbage and knelt beside Maggie and Carlos, appalled at the amount of blood that covered both of them, a fountain spurting from the wound in her thigh. He clamped his hand firmly over the stream of blood, applying pressure that he was sure would hurt but at least slowed the bleeding to a mere trickle through his fingers. Maggie was so coated that she felt slippery when he turned her over to lay across his bent legs, but her eyes were open and she smiled.

“Urs…I know those hands….” Her eyes rolled up and she was gone, forever he thought in panic until his frantic search for a pulse found one, weak but there. Hands were at him, pulling him and he didn’t want to let her go until Brian forced his head around and he saw that he had been warding off the medics. He relinquished her to them, appalled to see the fountain of blood again, coming and going with each heart beat, pouring her life out onto everything around. The medics worked quickly, stopping the bright fountain, applying pressure to the area just as he had instinctively done.

Motion beside her caught his eye and he watched while another team tended to Carlos…the singer was struggling, the tape gone from his mouth, trying to roll over and inhibiting the attempts to remove the handcuffs…he too, wanted to check on Maggie and only calmed when they let him see that she was being attended to….

He vaguely heard his name being spoken near the door and saw Seb, white faced, in the doorway, then felt hands again and heard David’s voice telling him to get out of the way of the medics, to come with him.

They went in the bedroom and Urs stripped off his tee shirt, bloody now from holding Maggie…his hands and arms were covered and he gasped when he saw the amount of her blood, possibly some of Carlos’ too, that covered him. He dropped the tee shirt in the garbage and accepted the wet cloth and towel that David held out to him, wiped his face and did a cursory swipe of his hands, anxious to get back and make sure that they didn’t take his Love and his friend away without him.

The agents were gone, along with the trussed up Monty and the body of Freddy, when they went back in the Lounge. Both Carlos and Maggie were on stretchers, both with hanging bottles of liquid attached to their arms and a slender, auburn haired woman in fatigues was bent over Maggie. His mind cleared of shock enough to register that it was Geena and he relaxed a bit when she glanced up and let a tiny smile escape.

“We need to get her stable enough to be moved… I’ve patched her femoral enough to last for a while….there’s nothing more I can do here. I assume you want to be with her?”

He couldn’t trust himself to speak so just nodded.

“Throw some things in a bag…I need another 5 minutes then we’ll transport.”

He returned to the bedroom and found Seb tossing clothing into a carryon bag.

“Get your shaving gear… the medic told me…and I needed to do something to help.”

They finished and Seb grabbed him in a tight hug then pushed him toward the door.

He looked back as they neared the elevator and saw his two friends watching, both with tear streaked faces that they would deny later, both giving the thumbs up signal, David crouched sadly, gently stroking the body of Jessie who had tried with her last breath to do her duty and protect Maggie.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO….THE CLINIC

They didn’t go far in the ambulance, just to the nearest hospital and immediately into a waiting elevator and up to the roof. A helicopter waited there for them and they loaded the two stretchers, before the side doors had closed were airborne.

A team worked on Carlos, adding something to his intravenous tubing while Geena took care of Maggie, checking the hasty stitches and dressing on her femoral artery and checking her vital signs.

“Are you squeamish?” she asked Urs, yelling at first to be heard over the roar of the rotors.

“No…what can I do?”

“Her breathing is labored….I need to work on her back and she should sit up…can you let her lean against you, leave her back exposed?”

The noise quieted somewhat as they reached altitude and sped away into the darkening sky.

“Where are we taking them?”

“A clinic, near Simon’s estate. We don’t take agents to the ordinary hospital if they can wait for treatment….too hard to explain.”

Urs had lifted Maggie gently and sat on the stretcher with her cradled against him. She was ashen, her breathing ragged and a tiny froth of pink bubbles escaped her lips whenever she exhaled. He lowered his face to rest his cheek against hers and frowned when he realized how cold she was, like ice, laying against him, boneless, like a doll.

“She’s freezing,” he said and Geena nodded.

“Shock…I’m almost done. I had to close these two temporarily…she’s lost so much blood……There…”

She reached for a folded blanket by the stretcher and spread it gently over Maggie, checked the dressing on her leg again and wiped the pink froth off her mouth with a tissue.

She had a quiet conference with the medics who now had occupied the small bench seat beside Carlos, came back to perch beside Maggie and Urs and told him that Carlos was doing fine, that they had dosed him with pain killers because of the injuries but he would recover easily though he would be quite uncomfortable for a while.

“Why is that pink stuff coming every time she takes a breath?”

Geena sighed but decided to tell him the truth.

“I think that stab in the back slid between her ribs and nicked her trachea just where it meets the secondary bronchus…. In laymans terms that means he’s bleeding in to her right lung… we’ll take her into surgery as soon as we land.”

Urs stared at her for a moment, his eyes full of pain and love, fear and desperation.

“You have to save her… will she need a transplant? I’m healthy, you could use one of mine.”

She smiled at him, hoping to ease his fears, almost in tears at the love he was showing with his unhesitating offer.…for a singer to lose a lung would mean the end of his career.

“I think surgery should do the trick…I don’t think the actual lung was damaged. She’s a strong woman, Urs… she’ll pull through this.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes then she began talking again.

“We were in school together, in Switzerland. Maggie was always the leader, always getting us into trouble of some kind. She would think up these marvelous schemes to break the rules and we always got caught but she made it so much fun that we didn’t care…it was worth every nasty chore they gave us…and of course curfews didn’t work. It’s a wonder we weren’t expelled. Once we stole the cooking sherry and got roaring drunk, puked our guts out in the lavs and I passed out with my head in the john. Neither of us ever over-indulged again.
And we snuck the anatomy books out of the nurses office to look at naked pictures of men…. Of course we thought they looked funny then,….what did we know…we were only 13. And we used to climb up in the trees and hide from the head mistress whenever she was on the war path…we stayed up there once for 6 hours, eating these little cakes that we stole from the kitchen while the gardeners tried to get us down with ladders. They finally turned the hose on us and we came down. Lord, what fun times we had.”

The sound of the rotors changed and conversation became impossible again as they came in to land on the roof of a large building. It was full dark now and Urs was concerned for the effect that moving her would have on Maggie so he paid little attention to their surroundings.

He had gently placed Maggie on a couple of pillows and helped to strap her onto the stretcher, stepped back out of the way when attendants suddenly appeared and aided Geena in off-loading the stretcher and rushing into a waiting elevator. They descended only one floor and the foot race was on again, through some swinging doors, then another set and at these Geena stopped him, telling him to go with a nearby nurse to the waiting area. Carlos’ stretcher went past him, the Spanish man still out, looking like he was just sleeping except for the rapidly swelling bruise on the side of his face and the lumps of dressings on his chest and hip.

“Excuse me, sir,” someone said and when he looked around found that one of the medics had retrieved his carry-on bag from the heli and held it out to him.

Urs thanked him for the bag and for the aid the man had given Carlos.

“He’s in good shape, sir. Should make a full recovery.” The man gave him an almost military salute and left.

After the events of the past hour it was deathly quiet in the waiting area. So much had happened in such a short space of time that his mind was on overload. He knew he should call the guys, and Simon, and maybe the school but could do nothing but sit and stare blindly at the pale green walls. He was flooded with far too many emotions, felt like sobbing, or punching someone, or screaming until his throat hurt. He did none of those things.

Instead his mind re-ran the bad movie of what had occurred, over and over… could he have reacted faster, saved Maggie from those last 3 wounds?... should he have controlled his rage and allowed the man attacking her to live?...would they be able to get Laurenz’ location out of the other man, the one that Brian had shot?...so many questions and no answers. He thought his head might just explode.

He rose and went to the nearby desk where a nurse was doing paperwork, explaining that he needed to make some phone calls and wondered how long it would be before there was any news.

“Dr. Kerrigan is very thorough…I doubt you will hear anything for at least another hour, Sir. There’s a nice sheltered roof patio down the hall, the last doors on the left. If there is any word, I will come for you.”

He went down the hall, found the patio and tried Simon’s number. It was engaged so he called David, guessing rightly that Seb would be with him.

“Urs…how are they and where are you?”

“I don’t know…Maggie is in surgery and they had Carlos knocked out…I think they’re working on him too. I’ve no idea where we are, they said somewhere near Simon’s estate. What’s happening there?”

He heard David sigh.

“Well your place is kind of trashed…. Some guys turned up after everyone left and started cleaning up…they booted us out. They took Jessie away, I don’t know where but at least they treated her body with respect. Simon called and told us to stay home and together so Seb and I are working our way through his wine collection. Petra had to go to work and of course Geena went with you. How are you holding up?”

“I’m alright….. no, that’s a lie and I’ve had enough of lies…I’m quietly going mad. My mind is so jumbled with visions of what happened and guilt and fear that something terrible is happening to Maggie and Carlos as the rest of the world just blithely goes on, not knowing or caring. I’ve never felt so useless or alone.”

“Hang in there, buddy…we’ll come and wait with you as soon as we can pry out of Simon where exactly ‘there’ is. I’m going to call him again, right now…..Seb says ‘have faith, mon ami’. That goes for me too.”

“How did you guys manage to arrive so fast?”

“Maggie invited us to dinner, all of us and we were almost there when Geena and Pet got paged. We left Pet in the cab to go to Base and ran with Geena to the flats. We heard the gun shot just as we arrived and tried to get Henry to answer his door to give us your key…Urs, Henry is dead…it looks like those two waited in his flat for you and he had a heart attack.”

Urs groaned…he had liked the elderly man, liked his cheerful attitude and quick smile. The tragedies that led back to Laurenz just kept building and building. He felt a surge of intense hatred for the man and quickly subdued it. Now was not the time to think of revenge, but he would keep a mental account that some day must be answered for.

“I suppose we should call Gerry but I kind of wanted to wait until there was better news to tell her. It’s awful not knowing how bad things are.”

“Don’t call her, David, meet her at the airport tomorrow when she comes in and bring her here. Get the address from Simon, or get Seb to find out from Geena, use whatever means you have to. Carlos will have written the flight info on that pad he keeps by the computer and phone.”

They disconnected and somehow Urs felt better. He leaned back in the chair with his head resting on the wall and let his mind drift, thinking pleasant thoughts, memories of Maggie, of their time together… pushing her in one of the swings in the park playground while she giggled and said she felt like she was flying, of trying to teach Jessie how to catch a Frisbee, watching her mesmerized face as she listened to Tristan’s aria at the opera and her whispered ‘I’d love to hear you in that role’, Carlos as he spoke of Geraldine just before she arrived from Spain the first time, of how often he was just there to listen when the pressure of what they were doing became too heavy….. so many good memories and so calming.

He felt better, more grounded and was nearly smiling when the helpful nurse appeared in front of him with a tray containing coffee and a plate of biscuits.

“One of the techs says it should be another hour, Mr. Buhler. I thought perhaps this would help you pass the time.”

He sipped at the coffee, tried to browse through some of the old magazines on a nearby table, paced the confines of the small area and finally, after what seemed forever saw Geena coming through the swinging doors, looking tired but smiling as she approached him.

“Everything is fine, Urs… I was right about the Trachea being nicked and it was a very small wound, I was able to suture a shunt into place and the incision was minimal thanks to one of those tiny cameras… the rest of the injuries are all dealt with, though it seems he played with her, little nicks and slashes everywhere except her face, that has one tiny cut in the center of a bruise, maybe from a ring … Maggie should be up and around in about a week…our Spanish friend is going to be uncomfortable for a bit longer while his shaved chest replenishes skin and hair but his other wounds will heal quickly. We will keep him medicated fairly heavily for the first day or so…that type of wound can be extremely painful.”

“When can I see Maggie?”

“The nurses are taking her to her room now…I waited in Recovery with her until she started to rouse. It’s down three floors…come on I’ll take you.”

She had shed her scrubs as they spoke, dropping them in a laundry hamper outside the swinging doors and took Urs hand to lead him to the elevator.

When they exited the elevator on the second floor Urs felt as if they had entered into another world. The hospital look was gone, the only evidence being a highly polished wooden hand rail along both sides of the carpeted hall. The rest of the surroundings reflected the care and elegance of an English manor home…wide halls with large scenic paintings on the walls, each of the heavy oak doors flanked by gleaming antique tables with vases of seasonal flowers, the odd occasional chair backed against the wall, heavy tapestry drapes on the tall windows at the far end and glittering chandeliers and sconces lighting the space.

They stopped at one of the heavy oak doors, this one with a nameplate in shiny brass…’Dragonfly’ it read and Geena tapped lightly on the door before entering.

The lighting in here was comfortably subdued but the furnishings no less opulent. There was a marble and wood fireplace straight ahead, flanked by tall mullioned windows with heavy dark wine colored velvet draperies and sheer cream curtains, a small grouping of deep velvet covered lounge chairs and small tables in front of the fire, with accompanying ottomans, all centered on a thick area carpet with pastel roses and vines intertwined around the creamy center.

The bed was the center piece of the room, large, with a wide curved head and foot board, high and with a matching velvet covered duvet, the top of a polished chestnut stand of quietly beeping equipment to the left, the only evidence that this was indeed a hospital room.

A woman sat near the bed on a straight backed boudoir chair of dark wood and velvet. She stood when they entered the room, her clothing not the uniform he had expected but a casual button shirt and slacks, almost the same color as the soft cream plastered walls. Only her discreet name tag gave away her occupation … Emma Christopher, R.N.

“Lady Ryan is stable, Dr. Kerrigan, but restless,” she said as they approached.

Urs stepped over to the high bed and paled when he saw her. She was still ashen, the usual rosy cheeks and lips bleached out almost grey, making the vivid bruising more apparent, her hair bunched and laying on the pillow beside her weakly tossing head. There was a frown rippling in ridges across her brow and her hands clutched feebly at the bed linens. She lay on her left side with a roll of pillows at her back, the head of the bed raised slightly, another pillow between her knees he guessed from the bulge in that area.

He caught one of her moving hands in both of his and leaned over to touch her cheek lightly with his lips.

“Urs?...” the sound was almost too soft to hear but he caught it and lost his breath for a second.

“I don’t want to give her a higher dose of meds. Try to get her to relax and stop fighting them.” Geena spoke gently beside him.

He nodded without taking his eyes off the sweet face before him.

“I’m here, Liebeling… rest now…I’ll be right here.”

If anything, her agitation grew more pronounced and she whispered to him again.

“Scared… need you… safe…”

He didn’t hesitate, just let her hand go and stripped off his shirt, toed off his shoes, had ripped off his socks and was unzipping his jeans when he thought to look at Geena.

She smiled and nodded but mouthed one word… “Carefully”.

Geena lifted the duvet and Urs slid into the bed beside Maggie, clad only in his boxers, gently sliding his arm under her neck and cushioning her against his chest, his other arm over her shoulder and his hand lost in her hair as he pulled her head gently against his shoulder. She nestled closer, winced as the movement caused pulling on her stitches but inched her hands onto his chest and sighed, snuggling into his arms, the monitor on the wooden chest showing that her heart rate calmed as she relaxed.

“Rest now, mein Liebe…I’ll take care of you,” he whispered against her head, not caring that they had an audience, not even thinking about stripping down in front of these two strange women, just intent on doing what he could for this woman he loved.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE….GRIEVING

Urs hadn’t expected to sleep, at least not well, what with the worry about not hurting Maggie accidentally and the nurses who would be coming in periodically to check on her, so he was pleasantly surprised to wake in the early morning, still in the same position, still cradling his precious woman against his body while she slept and, hopefully, began to heal.

He eased out of the bed in the dimly lit room, tucked the covers back up around Maggie and made an urgent visit to the adjoining Loo. As he was washing his hands he glanced in the mirror and grimaced.

That quick swipe with the wet cloth in his bedroom had missed a considerable amount of transferred blood…he really needed a shower before she woke, maybe even a shave unless she woke and needed him.

He tiptoed back in the room and had just reached his carry on bag with his gear when a voice coming out of the dark corner made him jump.

“You look like Hell, Buhler.”

Simon was sprawled in one of the wingchairs near the closed draperies, his legs extended and ankles crossed, head resting on the back. He reached out and turned up the lamp beside the chair and Urs smiled at him.

“Don’t look too great yourself, Cowell.”

His face was drawn and in need of the attention of a razor, eyes red streaked and the lashes clumped from tears, clear evidence that Mr. Nasty had indulged in some heartfelt emotion over the past few hours.

Simon sat up, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his face against his hands.

“I’ve always tried to keep her on the edges, never going on any mission that could be too risky, fighting her each time she insisted that the only way to do something was hands on. There have been a couple of bombs that we needed her special touch for, or the way she seems to be able to hear things no one else could but they worked out and she’s never been hurt before. I didn’t know it would hit me so hard.”

Urs didn’t really know what to say to this newer, softer Simon. The gruff, grumpy one that he was used to or the crazy drinking buddy…those he could handle.

“She’s family to you, Simon, the only family she’s known for a long time. And Geena says she’ll be fine in a week or so.”

Simon took in a deep breath and rose to his feet, clapped his hairy hand on Urs shoulder and smiled grimly.

“Clean yourself up, Buhler, before she wakes. We have to see how our Baritone is doing…we leave for the US and then Australia in 3 days…we’re going to need to talk.”

“You’ll go without me then…I’m not leaving Maggie!”

Simon sighed and walked over towards the bed.

“We’ll talk…go shower.”

Urs glared at him, not wanting to have one of their usual shouting matches in here while Maggie was resting and stomped into the Loo.

He seethed quietly while he scrubbed, watching once again as the water ran off of him in a pink cascade then faded to clear.

He wasn’t going, that much he was sure of….It was only an appearance on a damn TV show before they flew off to Oz….the trip that Maggie had planned on taking with him. Well, that too would be out of the question now. And what about Carlos…was he going to be in any shape to travel? The touring was hard enough on a healthy person, let alone someone with injuries. Trust Simon to expect more from them than they were capable of giving.

He finished shampooing, rinsed and dripped dry as he performed a quick shave, smiling as he dried off and thought about Carlos. He was a trouper…if it was at all possible he knew that Carlos would make the trip, the ethics of the theatre were just too strong in him to ever consider not performing when asked. That, in itself, raised a question in his mind…why wasn’t he determined to go on the trip as well…he had spent years performing no matter how he felt, giving his work his all, sometimes going back to his home at the time to collapse on his bed. He smiled as he realized that Maggie had assumed the most importance of anything in his life.

Maggie was awake when he came back out. She turned her head to smile in his direction when she heard him approaching and Simon, who had been sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, released her hand and stood, mumbling something about going to check on Carlos.

Urs nodded at him, his interest centered on the hand stretched out to him and the woman attached to it.

She looked better, more of the natural color back in her cheeks, though the vivid bruising marred the look and made his anger surface briefly.

“You stayed with me last night…Thank you, my Swiss… I couldn’t shake the fear, not until I felt your arms around me. How is Carlos?… I couldn’t tell how badly he was hurt but I knew he was bleeding, heavily.”

“They told me last night that he will be fine but it will take a while to heal. Gerry should be on her way sometime today…he’ll feel better once she’s here.”

Urs sat on the bed and carefully leaned over to kiss her cheek, her hand gripped in his and tucked up against his chest.

“He was so brave, Urs. Trussed up somehow and yet he kept trying to help me.” She was shivering a bit and he hushed her, not sure that now was a good time to rehash what had happened.

“Urs…. What did they do to Jessie? I heard her when she bit one of them and then a yelp…. Simon wouldn’t tell me but I know it’s bad.”

He hesitated for only a second and saw tears well up in her eyes as she guessed what he had to say.

‘No secrets’, he reminded himself and cupped her face with his free hand.

“Liebe…Jessie is gone. The crazy one killed her I think, stabbed her. I found her in front of the flat door when we came to break in. I’m so sorry Baby.”

“No!! Oh Urs she was so special to me, my companion, my friend… always there when I needed her. She could read my moods better than anyone I know.”

She cried soundlessly and watching her Urs felt his own tears gather and spill. He gently held her against his chest, letting her grieve…. Later, when she could handle it, he would tell her of Jessie’s
heroic effort to get to her, not now, not when it would only make the pain so much worse.

Her crying quieted to occasional gulps for air but he held her still, was still holding her when the nurse came in with a breakfast tray.

He coaxed her to drink her juice but when that was done he could see that she was exhausted and let her snuggle down into the duvet again for a nap. The nurse stayed, sitting in one of the wing chairs with a magazine for company and Urs went off to see about Carlos.

His friend was just down the hall, in a room named on the door, Cricket, and a soft tap on the door met with the familiar booming voice.

“Urs…they will tell me nothing…how is your Maggie?...and the perro, Jessie? I think she got one of them really good on the leg…did the Agency get the message, is that why they came?...what happened after we left? and has anyone called my Gerald….she will be arriving today…they won’t let me out of here…and I don’t know where we are…are we prisoners?...”

“Calma, Carlito, calma!!” He was surprised to see tears well up in the large brown eyes.

“That’s what Maggie said. When that cabrone hit her and she pretended to be knocked out…she whispered ‘calma’ to me and I saw her touching that fancy watch.”

“It had a GPS tracker on it and Millie got the message out…. Base sent out a team right away, Brian and 3 others and they saw me on the street so they told me what was going on. Petra and Geena got the alert too, that’s why they came.”

Carlos was quiet for a moment then stared at Urs.

“It is a good thing you did, killing that one. From what he said as he hurt Maggie he has done the same to other women…. He was an animal…worse than an animal. But…”

Urs raised his brows waiting for the rest of the sentence.

“…how do you know how to do that?…that thing with the neck? It was so fast, just ‘click’ and he was dead.”

Urs sighed and admitted something he hadn’t even told Maggie yet, though he felt that she likely knew.

“When I did my compulsory training and service in the military it was discovered that I had an aptitude for AAD, the Suisse Special Forces. I took some espionage and counter insurgency courses…that’s what made Laurenz so interested in me. Right from the moment that Yvette let it slip, he worked on how he could use my training to his advantage.”

Carlos nodded and regretted it when his head reminded him that it had been through far too much trauma the past 24 hours.

“Gerald…”

“Don’t worry about Gerry,” Urs interrupted. “David is going to the airport to meet her and will bring her here. I talked to him last night.”

Urs looked away for a moment, not sure if he should bring up the subject of the trip to the US and Australia, but he didn’t have to make the decision since Carlos introduced the subject next.

“We have 3 days until our flight to the US and I am going to spend all of it right here, sleeping and letting my skin start to grow. I feel naked without my thick hair. It will take months to grow back and be as lovely again,” he said with some of the old braggadocio back in his voice, enough that Urs laughed.

“So you plan on going then…what about your hip and that cut on your head? Will you be able to walk alright, and what about headaches?”

“Simon has said that he will send a medic with us, someone trained as a guard, though we shouldn’t need one….but then that’s what we thought last time.”

“Well I’m not leaving Maggie. It may get me fired but I can’t leave her…”

Carlos swore in Spanish, forgetting that Urs understood perfectly well, stopped and apologized then tried to appeal to logic.

“She will be angry with you if you do this thing…. Maggie understands about commitment and duty…she wants this venture to succeed and believes in us, in you. Don’t lay a guilt travel on her on top of everything else she is suffering.”

“Trip…it’s guilt trip, Carlito not travel. What good would I be to the rest of you when all the time I would be worried about her? I can’t go, Carlos and no one will change my mind.”

He believed that until he announced to Maggie that he wasn’t going and she calmly told him not to be an ass, then proceeded to tell him why he was acting like one. The diatribe ended with her inching her way into a sitting position and glaring at him as she finished the monologue that he had been powerless to stop.

“And on a purely selfish level, how will I explain to our 15 children that Papa always looks so sad because he could have had a really exciting job as a singer but gave it up to sit and watch me sleep? Don’t do this to me, Urs, to us, to our children.”

He was grinning when he went to the bed and sat beside her, taking her hands in his.

“You have done your job, just as you promised. You were there when I needed you, to rescue me from that horrible man, to keep the bad dreams away last night. Now I need you to go to work, to fulfill your destiny. I won’t let you do this sweet but crazy thing and become a ‘might have been’.”

He started laughing.

“You’re so adorable when you’re angry and defending your cubs. I wonder if you’ll still be the same when our tribe are driving you crazy with noise and high spirits?”

“Only at you since you will probably be urging them on. Seriously, Urs…”

“Enough of serious…I’ll go…you’re right. Just promise me that you will be a good girl and do everything you’re told to get healthy again. We’ll go to Australia together the next time.”

“Thank you my Swiss…now while I’m in a good mood will you find the nurse and make her take this damn tube out…I want to get up and use a proper Loo.”

He kissed her lips lightly and went in pursuit of a nurse, wondering which one would win the argument about getting out of bed.

Fortunately Geena came in while the nurse and Maggie were in the middle of their ‘discussion’ and settled the question.

The catheter was removed and Urs helped Maggie get to the edge of the bed, slid her cold feet into slippers, kept the fuming nurse out of striking range of Maggie’s strong hands by slipping the robe around her shoulders and took her weight as she slid from the bed onto her good leg.

Geena had made the stipulation that she must put little stress on the wounded artery for another 2 or 3 days, so her choices were limited…a crutch or to let Urs carry her. She opted for the later when the room spun and even putting weight on her good leg pulled at her stitches.

He carried her to the loo and left her, giving her some privacy until she called out for him to come back.

“I guess asking for a shower would be pushing it,” she whispered as he carried her back to the bed.

“Maybe tomorrow…I could help,” he answered with a chuckle as he placed her gently under the covers and lay beside her, cuddling.

She was tired and fought sleeping for a while but Urs could feel her resistance and decided not to play fair….he started softly singing to her, My Confession, a Josh Groban cover that she loved. He felt her relaxing against him and knew from her deep regular breaths that she slept….he closed his eyes and drifted off to dream of their ‘15 children’ with a smile on his lips.

**

They were only a few Kilometers from Simon’s estate, Urs found when David and Seb arrived late in the afternoon with Gerry. She was understandably upset until she had seen Carlos and learned of his injuries, was supportive in his vehemence about going on the scheduled trips and promised that he would be pampered as much as possible, she would see to it.

Unaware of Urs earlier decision, David and Seb had thoughtfully packed his cases for the trip, an easy task since they now knew him so well, and they had brought all the luggage with them to the estate where they would stay until leaving for the airport on the 18th.

Urs said nothing to them about his decision not to go…now that it was settled there was no point in upsetting them further. He merely thanked them, asked if they had packed his guitar and computer and was grateful to hear that they had.

Once again, late in the evening he stayed with Maggie, using the excuse of being strong enough to carry her to the Loo should she request it. Geena just smiled and waved as she left, going with Sebastien to the estate.

Seb was quiet as they drove the short distance, brooding, she thought and wondered if this boded well for their relationship.

The large building was mostly dark when they arrived, even Seymour the butler, in a robe and slippers rather than his usual suit. He showed them to their rooms and bade them a good night, disappearing down the corridor and down a back stairwell.

The tension from the past day and a half had left them all exhausted, even Gerry due to the flight and they all retired.

Geena showered, alone, much to her disappointment and came back to the bedroom of their suite to find Seb standing in the window, still in a strange mood. He turned as she came up behind him, not smiling and took her shoulders to stare intently in her eyes.

“How do you do it? You see and take part in all these terrible things yet look so lovely, so…. Feminine. I can’t picture you with a weapon, fighting with dangerous thugs, perhaps killing someone. At the flat you didn’t even look at the man who was shot, none of the medics did. I thought there was a code or something, that you had to help anyone who needed it…but you just ignored him.”

Geena drew back a bit and wrapped her arms across her chest, defensively.

“If I had taken care of his shoulder wound Maggie would have died. In a case like that, Seb, our agents come first. That man would have quite calmly killed any of us, without a thought. His life was only important to us after we had seen to Carlos and Maggie and then only for what he could tell us.”

He turned away and looked out the window again and at first she wasn’t sure what he said.

“Seb, look at me…tell me what you said.”

He turned back and looked at her but not quite meeting her eyes.

“I said, I would like you to quit working for the Agency. I think I’m falling in love with you Geena, but I can’t accept what you do with your skills. The thought of you …killing…it makes me want to weep. I can not accept this.”

She was quiet for a moment, absorbing what he had said, her heart lurching painfully and her eyes welling with tears that she refused to let fall.

“I see. Then I guess we have a problem, Seb. What I do with my life is important to me…I believe in what I do, I believe it is important to the peace of the world. Yes, I have killed, just as Urs did last night, when there was no other way out. I lose no sleep over what I’ve had to do…a few very good people are still alive because of what I’ve done. If you can not accept that, then you’re right…there is no future for us.”

She turned abruptly and left the suite, going quickly down the hall, hastily since she wore only a long satin nightdress, and tapping lightly on the door to Gerry’s suite.

As she had expected Gerry wasn’t sleeping yet and opened the door to let her in, took one look at the tear filled eyes and ushered Geena inside.

It was very late before the two women had comforted each other, Gerry concerned for Carlos, Geena devastated at losing Seb, both angry with him for not even trying to understand.

It was late in the morning when Geena went back down the hall to Seb’s suite to collect her belongings. He had already gone downstairs for breakfast but had left a note on her carefully folded clothing.

‘Je suis desole.’

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR….MOVING ON


Both of the wounded made amazing recoveries. The next day Carlos was allowed up and outside, in a wheel chair, but at least it was an improvement.

Maggie got her shower… a very nice one since Urs was in charge of it and they spent much longer than they should have, not doing anything to put strain on her healing artery or any other sutured spot but at last able to indulge in a little more intimacy than they had been able in the traffic congested room.

After her hair had dried Urs surprised Maggie with a little ride, out into the garden to join the others. He bundled her up well and into a wheelchair, not willing to take any chances that she might catch cold and waited patiently while she and Carlos cried against each other, both hugging carefully and laughing, then crying, over what they had endured together, both saying the other had been very brave, both weeping over Jessie and both agreeing that they weren’t eager to do it again.

It was a beautiful day, a light breeze coming from the surrounding fields, the area they had chosen to sit in sheltered by rose and wisteria arbors that were just beginning to leaf out, the ones who hadn’t had the fortune of bringing their own chairs parking on wooden benches around the perimeter and everyone remarked on the early crocuses that had poked through the still firm ground to spread some color, oranges and whites and a deep rich purple.

Geena joined them but kept studiously separate from Seb, talking to Petra when she arrived and breathlessly snuggled up against David. They held a quiet conversation, then Geena excused herself, claiming that she had patients to see. Everyone noticed the unexpected coldness between the two, but said nothing, though Maggie reminded herself that she would talk to Geena about it the first chance she got to speak privately

Pet, took a deep breath and asked for a moment from everyone.

“I don’t want to spoil your good moods but you all need to know this so we can get it out of the way. The location we got for Laurenz from tracking back the cell phone calls was a dead end. He had been there but was gone and we have no idea where. Those hired thugs were pretty clueless, though we questioned the remaining one intensively …they were just in it for a one time hit and not too bright. The one who didn’t survive was wanted for several object rapes that resulted in the women dying.”

Maggie paled and Urs lay his warm hand on her neck, leaning close and whispering comforting words to her.

“The knife…. He kept talking about what he would do to me with that knife… if you hadn’t come… “

Urs got closer, kneeling in front of her and pulling her head down to his shoulder, holding her close while her body shook uncontrollably.

“But we were in time, Love and it’s all over. Put it behind you. Think about those 15 children.”

She laughed and put her hands on his shoulders, smiling as she knew he would be.

“Do you memorize everything I say? Is this something I may live to regret?”

“Maybe… we can start off slow and see what happens.”

**

Simon came to Maggie’s room just after they had finished dinner. She had eaten a bit this time, her appetite slowly returning as well as her strength.

“We need to leave for the airport early, should be here to pick you up just after 6 a.m. Maggie, I really am sorry to separate you two now, even though Buhler here may not believe me. Geena was going to go with the guys to keep an eye on Carlos but she has asked to remain here and so she will keep you on the straight and narrow while …Urs… is away.”

Maggie smiled. It was a sign of progress that Simon had actually called him by his first name instead of his usual ‘Buhler’, always said as if it were a bad word. Possibly Simon was finally ready to concede that what she and Urs had was worthwhile and lasting.

“I’ll be fine, Simon. All I need now is time…and IM’s from my favorite tenor on a regular basis.”

“I’m joining them on the flight, some business I have to take care of in New York, but I should be back about the same time they arrive home from Australia. If you get tired of this place you know you’re welcome to stay at the estate… I know how Mrs. Mac and Seymour would love to have you around to spoil.” She smiled at the offer, knowing that his cook/housekeeper and butler always treated her as if she were returning family.

“Thank you, Simon…I can’t decide yet what to do…without Jessie I feel very helpless. It’s like losing my sight and my family all over again.”

Urs tightened the grip he had on her hand as he felt her tremble, wishing there was some way of assuaging her grief. That too, would take time.

Simon had one last thing to get said and did it now, knowing full well that it would hurt no matter when it was said.

“Maggie, I took Jessie’s ashes out to the pasture that she loved to run around in. As I spread them I could see her leaping and barking at you to come play, then hiding in the long grass pretending to stalk you, like she did, with her eyes sparkling and that big pink tongue hanging out. Just when I did it a breeze came up and carried the ashes in a cloud over the grasses and early flowers. I thought it would be the appropriate place for her to rest.”

She gulped and the tears flowed but she smiled thinly.

“Thank you, Simon. That was very thoughtful of you and so right… we had such fun there.”

He quickly changed the subject as he saw how distressed she was.

“I brought your laptop from the suite, Petra made sure that the special hard drive is in it to connect you to Millie and I had Heidi pack some clothing for you, whatever she thought suitable. She sends her love, as does everyone at the school. Urs, your flat is cleaned and repaired, the door, window etc., your furnishings covered with dust sheets and the new building superintendent has assured me that he will keep an eye on things while you’re away. Henry’s son requested donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation rather than flowers so a cheque was sent in the names of all of you. Now I think that’s everything. I’m off. Behave yourself, Dear, and get well.”

He kissed Maggie on the cheek and bustled out.

Maggie chuckled when he left.

“I think he’s decided you aren’t so bad after all.”

“Maybe,” he said as he stretched out beside her on the bed. “Or it could just be that our united front is too daunting, even for Mr. Nasty.”

“Urs, is it going to be really difficult for you?…. I mean I can’t…I mean…”

He laughed and held her close to kiss her brow.

“You worry about the oddest things… Love, of course I would like to make love with you but it would be foolish to even try, not to mention selfish. Just think of the fun we will have when I return and you’re all better…. Until then we can just be mildly naughty online.”

He leaned over and whispered something in her ear and she blushed furiously while he laughed at her.

When the nurse came in for the last check of the evening they had already finished their bedtime routines and Maggie was propped up in bed, Urs still dressed and sitting with his feet up in one of the wing chairs that he had pulled over close. They had been talking about the house they wanted to build and trying to decide on the location. Even though Maggie owned houses in a number of cities world wide, they wanted something that was special, theirs alone, with all the little things that would make it perfect for the lifestyle they craved.

The nurse took all the usual measurements to note in Maggie’s chart, wished them a good night and left, the fact that a non-patient would be sharing her patient’s bed, commonplace to her now.

Urs opened the draperies so they could see the stars in the night sky, disrobed and slid into bed beside her, from practice now, fitting her into his arms perfectly and sighing as he felt her warmth against his body. He thought how he would miss this in the sterile coldness of hotel rooms for the next nearly 2 weeks. There was a deep feeling of being loved and loving, just being with her, feeling her skin against his, talking, planning their future. The sex was outstanding, earth shattering but this…this was what cemented his feelings for her, this was what they would build on, making a foundation that would stand the test of time.

**

They had talked far into the night, finally sleeping when it was almost time for Urs to rise and shower before the transport arrived to pick up him and Carlos.

Nearby, at the estate, Geena lay in her empty bed in the new room Seymour had given her without questions, staring at the ceiling and the interplay of the starlight through branches on the plaster and beams.

There was no question of giving up her work… it was too important to her and to the agents that she worked with, either as a fellow agent or a medic when necessary. Her heart ached as she thought of how much she cared for Sebastien, how, in spite of her carefree attitude and outer mannerisms, she really had a tender heart, wounded now since he had rebuffed her. She had asked to be replaced on the trip to Australia because she knew that she would not be able to keep her professional calm being near him daily and not able to be WITH him.

Her tears flowed freely, trailing down her face and wetting the pillow and she rolled over and gave herself up to them, sobbing until she fell into an exhausted, restless dream world.

**

Sleep eluded Sebastien. As if on a never ending loop, pictures replayed in his mind: Geena in the flat, sprayed with blood from Maggie’s wound, calmly attending to her while across the room the heavy set thug moaned from the gunshot wound to his shoulder, unattended by anyone except two men dressed in dark clothing who forced his hands behind his back and tied them together with some kind of plastic binding…..Geena in the throes of passion, reaching for him, pliant and responsive, her eyes glazed, hands clutching his shoulders…. an imagined scene of her swiftly drawing a knife across the throat of a nameless person and melting away into the shadows before his body completed the fall to the ground…

He rose from his messy bed and went to the window to look at the night sky, trying for calm, trying to clear his mind…nothing worked. He still longed for the sight of her, for the feeling of her skin under his hands, the sound of her voice as she teased him. He shook his head, wondering at the flaw in his makeup that couldn’t perceive that there was a necessity for work such as what the Agency did. Was he a coward? Was he merely hiding his head in the sand, not willing to allow the reality of the world into his conscious mind?

He swore mildly and quietly, gave up trying to sleep and tried to lose himself in a book he had been reading earlier, failing to understand the words before him and flinging the book across the room with yet another oath.

He went back to bed and lay without sleeping until the alarm rang to tell him that time was up…he had to get ready to leave.

**

David cuddled Pet’s long body against his and decided that his earlier disappointment that she had not brought Paul to see him off was perhaps a good choice. They needed time alone, together, to further this budding relationship they had developed. There would be time later, of this he was sure, to interact with the little boy, time to become the father that Paul needed in his life and that he yearned to be. He was sure of his feelings for Pet, hadn’t declared them to her yet but he knew…. She was The One, the soulmate that he was destined to be with into eternity.

“You’re deep in thought, Stretch,” she murmured against his chest and he chuckled.

“My brain is the only part of me able to function at the moment. You are truly amazing. It will likely take me the full 2 weeks to recover.”

Petra laughed and kissed him on the chest, making him shiver.

“I was wondering…would there be something that I could contribute to CASPAR…I mean I don’t know a lot about weapons or bombs and stuff except for the stint I did in ROTC but I do see the need and maybe there’s something….”

“David, you don’t have to do this to please me,” she answered and he shook his head.

“I know that Love…I honestly would like to be of some use other than entertainment value.”

“Don’t knock what you do with your talent, David. It’s a cruel world. If you and the guys can bring pleasure and a new lease on life to people, the value of your performances goes far beyond mere entertainment. Your music will change peoples’ lives and that can only be a good thing… as for working with CASPAR, did you consider how your hobby of computer games might make you a valuable tactician? Planning would probably be easy for you.”

He had regained enough strength to snuggle her closer and murmured against the top of her head.

“Then when I get a chance I’ll talk to Simon and see whether or not he freaks. As for the immediate future…can I bring Paul back a Koala Bear from Oz?”

She laughed and nodded.

“A toy one…I can just picture you trying to stuff a real one in your luggage…actually I’ve heard they don’t smell very good so check out the toy before you buy it…make sure it isn’t authentic.”

He laughed, felt a stirring that told him he should stop talking and perhaps concentrate on more immediate matters. Pet noticed too and raised her face to accept his kiss, just as eager and willing to talk later.

**
Never much of an early riser, Carlos was grumpy until the transport arrived and Geraldine came in to collect him. He brightened immediately and thanked the nursing staff volubly, as only Carlos could, having all the women blushing when he kissed their cheeks in the Spanish way. He walked slowly out to the people mover with the medic assigned to travel with them following a few steps behind and Gerry holding his arm. One more hug and kiss for Maggie at the door- way and he was gone with a wave.

Maggie had also managed to walk a bit this morning, slowly and leaning heavily on Urs, her return ride to be in a wheel chair that waited by the door.

“I don’t want you giving these fine ladies any trouble, Little Miss. I left that chart of time differences that we worked out beside the computer and have a copy too, so I expect a full report daily.”

“Yes M’Lord, of course, M’Lord… if I feel like it, M’Lord,” she teased and he picked her up to snuggle tight for a few minutes, feasting on her mouth until she was breathless.

“I’m going to miss you so much, but I’m really very proud of you for going. Australia is going to love you guys, I just feel it.”

“When I get back, the first chance we get, let’s sneak away to the coast and get married. I want so much to start on our babies, my Maggie. Run away with me.”

“The first chance we get…I like the sound of that. It’s a date.”

They kissed once more, tenderly, a kiss of promise and he deposited her into the wheelchair, caressed her face with his hand and was gone, just a trace of his light scent lingering and the tingle from his hand on her cheek.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE….TRAVELS AGAIN

Isolde says: HI Love: How was your trip so far?

Tristan says: Boring!! The Showbiz Tonite was the same old questions and the same old answers that avoided the personal stuff. I hate it when they get too personal…whose business is it whether I wear boxers or briefs?

Isolde says: Mine!!!...I like you wearing those tight Calvin boxers… .makes me very happy that you are mine!!

Tristan says: Greedy woman!!! The flight to Australia was long, there are no other words to describe it. Thank God we flew first class so we could walk around or stretch out. Carlos slept most of the way, which is a good thing. Seb was broody…I think there’s a major problem between him and Geena but haven’t got him to talk about it yet. See if you can find out anything on that end so I have an idea how to approach him. And David and I just talked about our ladies, played chess for a while, read some and I practiced a new track on the guitar.

Isolde says: I already know what the problem is. Seb wants Geena to quit CASPAR…he says he can’t handle her doing stuff like killing people….she got the impression he doesn’t find it very important or feminine. I don’t know what to say to make it better but Gee is very committed to the agency and our work…it’s tough because I don’t think she’s ever fallen as hard for anyone before. She talked to me last night and cried like a baby…of course she puts on her work face for everyone else but she’s really hurting, Urs.

Tristan says: That’s so typically Seb. He’s never had to deal with the evil in the world, prefers to pretend it doesn’t exist. I’ll do what I can, Love. I think he cares for her more than he wants to admit, even to himself …I wish everyone could be as much in love as we are.

Isolde says: Me too…we are so lucky to have found each other. I miss you dreadfully but I’m glad you decided to go on…it was the right thing to do and we may as well learn to cope…I have a feeling this is going to be a frequent occurrence over the next few years. On a more cheerful note, you’ll be happy to know that I walked out to the garden on my own steam this afternoon and only came back in when the rain chased me away.

Tristan says: Well done, Liebe!! With the time difference it’s first thing in the morning here and when we finish our talk I’m going to the gym. There is supposed to be a really good one in this Hotel. Then later we have a thing at a Mall…it was really amazing when we arrived…there were about 30 ppl waiting for us at the airport, wanting autographs and pictures. Thirty!!! I couldn’t believe it…Our CD is doing remarkably well here, hit number 1 like a shot.

Isolde says: I don’t like to be an I told you so, but….I’m not surprised. Just wait until Ancora comes out in November….and Simon mentioned something about a World Tour the first of the new year…. He says the office is being inundated with requests.

Tristan says: Wonderful…we can travel the world together… I hope you can take the time off for at least part of the tour…. All those new experiences… I want to have you with me to share them.

Isolde says: Have you forgotten that by that time I may fat as a cow with our first little bundle of joy? You may not want me waddling around trying to keep up with you.

Tristan says: Dear God, how I would love that… I can hardly wait to see you with your body swollen, our child swimming around inside, growing stronger daily… You will be even more beautiful than you are now. No More Birth Control pills, Love.

Isolde says: LOL I already quit them…I’m running off with a gorgeous Swiss as soon as we get a chance and we’re going to get serious about making babies. Go to the gym, Love. I’m getting much too excited from all this talk about babies… I remember quite well how that happens. At least this will give me wonderful dreams tonight.

Tristan says: thank you…I can’t afford to get too …stirred up if I’m going to be presentable to a mall full of women. I love you, my little Maggie.

He jumped as a large, red pair of lips appeared on his screen with a loud kissing sound, then laughed as she signed off with a purple hippo shaking it’s bottom as it danced.

Isolde says: I love you too. Will talk to you this evening, your time.

The screen filled with big bluish XX’s and a teddy bear waving good bye. He reminded himself to ask how he could get some of those on his laptop, signed off and, grinning, went to the gym.
**

After the first couple of days Maggie began using a cane again, for the first time in nine years. It was frustrating and occasionally painful when she bumped into things, but she soon remembered all the little tricks and used her hearing to keep herself aware of those around her. It was so much slower and limiting and when Geena told her that she would be able to leave the clinic soon she agonized over what to do. Should she go home, where in the suite she was relatively comfortable and sure of her space or go to the estate and be dependant on the cane and the kindness she was sure would be shown to her by Seymour and Mrs. Mac. The conundrum was solved when, the day before she would have left the clinic Geena came rushing in with news.

“Dr. Sigursen has time to see you at his clinic day after tomorrow. I can go with you but you have to decide right now if we are to make the flights on time.”

Maggie felt a moment of panic then relief. It was a step, the first one in maybe getting her sight back…..of course she would go.

Geena ran out again to make the arrangements and Maggie sat for a moment thinking of the time difference between England and Australia. He would be out of the Hotel, likely at dinner, at the moment, so an IM was out of the question.

She found her way to the desk and opened her laptop, waited a moment for Millie’s voice to greet her then asked to send an e.mail. When the page was ready and addressed she typed in her message.

‘Hi Swiss: Geena just gave me the news that Dr. Sigursen can see me at his clinic in Stockholm the day after tomorrow so we are madly making arrangements to go…she will go with me, thank heavens since I’m nervous as a mouse in a cattery. I’ve never been to Sweden so this in itself will be a new experience for me. Wish me luck, my Love.
I don’t know if there will be a further battery of tests or exactly what to expect so our schedule may get messed up for the next few days. Don’t Panic!!! I will be in touch as soon and as often as I can and will miss our chats if they are not possible. Keep up the good work, my Darling…you make me so proud!!!

I love you….Maggie’

Urs had indeed been at dinner and didn’t check his computer until nearly the time when he would have talked to Maggie via IM. He was surprised to find an e.mail from her, then shaken when he heard her news. Once again he longed to be with her but knew the harangue he would get if he left the others and flew to her side. He smiled as he tried the message center to see if she was online…she wasn’t, so he phoned the clinic and learned that she and Geena had gone to London to catch an early flight to Sweden the next day. They would be staying at Maggie’s suite since she was familiar with the space. He called there, hoping to catch her and the phone was answered immediately.

“Hi…I thought you might call.”

“Of course…. That’s great news about seeing the doctor so soon. Geena must have some pull in the medical community. Are you alright?”

She laughed.

“A bit nervous, but not too bad. I would be happier if I knew what is going to happen. Seems my crystal ball got sent out for cleaning and hasn’t come back yet,” she said trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ll be with you, Liebe, in spirit if not in the flesh. You’ll be just fine…you’re tougher than you look, which is good since you look fantastic, soft and feminine even in jeans and a tee or riding on my Harley. I keep dreaming of us riding off on the bike…I’d buy one for you and teach you how to operate it but I loved the feeling of you against my back.”

“Then you can teach me how to drive a car once I can see again. I can see myself zooming along on mountain roads, taking the curves on two wheels.”

“Now that’s a very scary thought. Mein Gott, woman…the thought of you behind the wheel makes me shiver… you’re much too adventurous!!”

She laughed.

“This from a man who likes to ride bikes, bungee jump, ski and climb rock walls…. I think this is something we are going to have to discuss.”

He chuckled and promised to talk it over…soon.

“I heard from Yvette again. She really loves it in Toronto and her English is improving rapidly. She’s taking courses in Horticulture and Business Management…would like to eventually open a Flower shop. I’m not really surprised…she’s always been interested in plants and flowers, used to do our gardens at home and even when she was very young could rattle off the Latin names of most of the plants we had.

“OH Urs!! That’s such good news. When she’s ready we can sponsor her to one of the foundations my financial advisor has set up, not a hand out or charity but a bit of help with starting up, something that lets the person maintain their dignity. I’m so pleased to hear that she’s making an effort towards a new life for her and Hans.”

“Me too. One of these days I’d like to hear about all the things you’re involved in. Sony is going to suggest a financial advisor for us too, now that the money will be a bit more than just enough to exist on.”

“Urs, Geena says ‘Hello and hang up!!!’... She’s getting antsy to get going to the airport since our flight leaves in a couple of hours so I guess I’d better go. Remember how much I love you and miss you. I’ll talk to you again from Sweden.”

“I’ll be thinking of you, Liebeling and will try to catch you at your bedtime. It won’t be hard for me to remember our love…You are in my heart every waking moment and in my sweet dreams when I sleep.”

It was hard to disconnect but she managed and frowned at Geena’s impatience as her friend hustled her out of the suite and down in the lift to the main floor. Her moods had been decidedly brusque since the problem with Seb had arisen but so far Maggie had come up with nothing to ease the pain Geena was going through. She hoped that Urs would have better luck with Sebastien.

His moment came about by accident as they all lazed on Bondi Beach the next afternoon, soaking up the sun and trying to recover from a futile attempt earlier at surfing. The sport had looked so easy the way that the locals did it, but not nearly quite such a breeze when they donned the outfits and tried it themselves. Still it had been fun and was an experience that perhaps some day they would repeat.

David had mentioned that Petra was encouraging him to try and find a niche within the Agency, that it had been his idea and she thought that there might be something he could do whenever his schedule allowed.

Seb looked at his tall friend in horror until David explained that there were a lot of support staff and that’s what he was thinking of.

“Not everyone has to go around killing all the time, Seb, though there are times when the only solution is the ultimate one. And it is always done with the end result making the world a safer, more peaceful place for people to inhabit. Like recently…Maggie told me that there was a plot foiled in Italy a few months back, some Terrorists who thought they could cause a major, world-wide panic by eliminating the Bishops and Cardinals at a convocation in Rome. CASPAR was asked to intercede so that it could be kept quiet and a team was sent. She didn’t tell me details but apparently there were injuries since the Terrorists put up quite a fight when they were cornered and it ended well with our friends being evacuated back to the clinic where Maggie is now. Geena was team leader on that one and managed to keep the loss of life on both sides to a minimum…. One agent and 2 of the 19 Terrorists.”

“She is an excellent Doctor… ,” Carlos chimed in with a grin. “I remember those lovely eyes smiling at me in the room when I began to wake up. I began to feel better just looking at her eyes above that mask.”

They all laughed at Carlos and the subject was changed but Urs could see that Seb was mulling over what had been said and at least that was a start. If he had learned anything about his companions over the past year and a half it was that you could not push the normally soft and gentle Frenchman…he had a massive stubborn streak and was immovable when he dug in his heels.

**

Seb had closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He thought about what the guys had said and let his mind wander, picturing Geena as she laughed over something silly in the French movie they had gone to, the way she ate with gusto, still with good manners but not toying with her food as so many diet obsessed women did. He missed her, there was no doubt about it and at times nearly called to apologize and see if he could mend fences. But the sight of her, blood splattered and working on Maggie kept intruding, the sounds of the injured gunman drowning out her soft comments as she talked to Urs and to the medics…that played on a loop in his brain. She hadn’t denied that she had killed, hadn’t gone into detail but the fact hung there between them, like a wall and he wasn’t sure if he could climb over it….most of the time he wanted to, then he would wallow in self pity and think that if she truly cared for him she would be the one to change. But now…when he really thought about it, was it fair? A lasting love should be in spite of the differences not with the thought of molding that person into someone else, someone that they wouldn’t be comfortable being. Urs had learned to deal with it, and David…why was it so difficult for him?

The kiss of the sun eased his thoughts and he fell asleep, dreaming about Geena, rolling onto his stomach when his body remembered some of their time together and reacted.

**

Carlos was finding the traveling taxing, not so much the appearances and the signings as the fact that it was hot and since he couldn’t very well leave his shirt unbuttoned he was required to wear a tie. Even his trip to the beach meant he had to be covered and of course he didn’t attempt to fit into one of those wet suits and try surfboarding.

While the others fought to stay upright he sat on the beach under an umbrella, watching and laughing at their antics and scanning the semi clad bodies with his own personal rating system. Gerry and Petra had gone off on a shopping spree and the medic who was with them had opted to nap in his room after far too much beer last night.

It was really the first alone time he had had since leaving the Clinic and he meant to enjoy it. He watched avidly as a 10plus woman strolled past him and lay on a mat not too far away. She lay on her stomach and loosened her bikini top to expose her whole back, lay her head down and proceeded to bake an already dark brown skin. He sighed and looked away, something about it making him uneasy.

It reminded him too much of Maggie in the flat…the way most of her skin had been exposed and the terrible things that the mad man was doing to her. The helpless feeling returned and with it the anger…he couldn’t understand why men would enjoy treating a woman that way.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Gerry smiling at him and leaning down for a kiss. She looked even more stunning than the 10 plus woman, her petite figure in a skimpy bikini that showed off her figure perfectly, that face, devoid of makeup but still gorgeous…he was one very lucky man.

An inkling of an idea came to him and he grinned at her. They had waited this long, 14 or so years he thought if he had counted correctly…a few more months wouldn’t hurt.

He took Gerry’s hand in his and rested his head against the back of the chair, thinking about his idea and expanding on it, smiling as he thought that it just might work.