"What is this place?"

"Was," Lieutenant Schofield clarified as they descended the last of the concrete steps - Rhett had counted seventy-six. Red lights flickered to life as another soldier pulled the hatch shut behind them. They were in a narrow corridor with an elevator bank up ahead. "You don't think this is GNAL, Sergeant?"

"I don't know, sir." Out of habit he made his reply like a good soldier; inwardly he kicked himself for it. "These structures were designed to store irradiated hardware, but this one doesn't have a single warning. It should have been sealed with cement like the others. And none of us are wearing tags. No Geiger counter, either."

"Very perceptive." Schofield led them around the corner. With the glow from the lights behind them Rhett could see they were on a small balcony of some kind, and he could feel a draft that implied there was a long drop on the other side of the railing... but all around them was impenetrable blackness. "What can you see?"

Rhett sucked a breath in through his teeth and turned away. His hands kept trying to ball themselves into fists so he shoved them in his pockets. "You know, sir, I've had just about enough of this Easter egg hunt. 'Cause in the end I don't really give a damn what this place is, and I don't care if you want to 'bring me back,' if you're not gonna tell me why you people let me go in the first place."

"I asked you a question, Sergeant. What can you see." Rhett twisted suddenly to look at the other man, who returned the stare coolly, and it dawned on him:

They know. That was why they'd set him up. "How long have you people known?"

"Oh... since that rough night you had out at the bar in Fayetteville." The lieutenant nodded out into the darkness, and finally Rhett turned and looked. Really looked. There was an enormous steel column in the middle of the chamber which went down at least two hundred feet, and three windowed observation rooms, each packed with rusty mainframes, massive old computers that used punch cards and magnetic tape. From this vantage point he couldn't make out the bottom... His wasn't true night-vision. Extending his second eyelids only picked up so much extra light.

"It's a doorway," Schofield explained, which only earned him a confused frown from Rhett. "I suppose I should clarify... I represent a secret command in our armed forces, United States Army External Command. We have numerous responsibilities, but for your sake, let's focus on what's important here: the Forward Reconnaisance Group, a special team tasked with reconnoitering for security threats on other worlds."

Rhett jerked his head again, his expression balanced on the fulcrum between a dubious frown and an amused laugh, not sure which way to go. 'You can't be serious. This some kinda sick joke?"

Schofield nodded to one of his soldiers, and someone threw a switch: in moments the chamber was illuminated. Rhett winced, but once his eyes adjusted, he could make out the bottom of the chamber. There had been work done here very recently, clean-up and equipment replacement. Brand new computer terminals flashed little lights around the edges of the chamber, except one wall dedicated to a raised metallic platform, surrounded by massive copper prongs curled inward in a strange pattern...

"Our world is full of connections like the one beneath our feet. It's EXCOM's job to discover as many as possible, monitor them, control them, and if they prove to be a threat to global security... close them. This area's got a sizable number for reasons we're still determining. Most of them are documented... but a few still elude detection, despite our best efforts."

Rhett shook his head: "This is bullsh*t."

"Moreso than a sharpshooter with mutant eyes?" Schofield raised his eyebrows. "When we first looked at recruiting you, we checked into your family. The Daniels seem like very interesting people. Who knows what we would've found from them if we hadn't found enough from your past."

"You leave them out of this, you son of a b*tch," Rhett growled, grabbing the lieutenant by the collar and pushing them back into the elevator bank, pinning him up against the wall.

Schofield didn't struggle. He only smiled mildly at the aggressive display, while his soldiers made no move to intervene. "They're gone. Your sister, one of your brothers, several cousins have all skipped town around the same time. You may not be smart enough to pick up on it, Sergeant, but I'm willing to bet they're not going where they say they are."

"They wouldn't do that to me," Rhett growled. "They wouldn't leave me in the dark."

"You did, Sergeant." Schofield's smile only widened as Rhett's expression faltered. He finally broke free of the pin and began circling the other man, watching Rhett critically as he began to buckle under pressure. "When your brothers and your sister graduated, where were you? Fallujah? Mosul? Kirkuk? What about when you first saw differently than other people, or when you thought someone set you up, or those years you spent at the bottom of a bottle?"

Rhett shook his head slowly, fists clenching and unclenching as he struggled with his rage and frustration. "Why the hell are you doing this to me?"

"I'm trying to make you see that they need you. Your family doesn't know it but they've been drawn into a very dangerous place, and you're the only one who can bring them back out. You can gather intelligence on the area while you recover your family so when you return, we can assess the intell and decide our best course of action."

Rhett rubbed at his eyes. Between the bright lights and the stress his skull felt like it was about to split in half. "Just what kind of place is this, anyway?"

"They call it RhyDin."

Several weeks ago...

It didn't matter whether Rhett went to bed early (which he often did) or stayed out late with his family (which he did last night); he was always up around the same time, four or five a.m., six at the latest. Friday he woke up at four thirty and was out the door pounding the pavement, wearing just running shorts and shoes and a Port Authority tee in the chilly early morning. He did five miles in about thirty minutes and returned home for breakfast. By six he was leaving his home to drive just up the coast to the Seaside Sharks training facility, his brother's old gym, for weights and sparring with Colt and Ford.

Katharine Rhovnik was not a fan of early mornings but she knew that she wanted to meet Rhett today, especially after the news that Sophie had given her last night. She followed him in a borrowed vehicle and she wasn't exactly being sneaky. She figured he would either get suspicious and there would be a chase, he'd pull over, or he'd continue on and she would confront him at his destination.

Rhett didn't stop there. At seven thirty he drove up to Stars End to his Port Authority unit's indoor shooting range, where he forced his aching body to hold a series of rifles and pistols steady, chewing through rounds for half an hour. He didn't return home again until after nine. Now he could relax, since this was -- ostensibly -- one of his R&R days. Either he didn't notice the vehicle, didn't care or was simply biding his time.

He showered for as long as he liked, a luxury he felt was easily justified by his active morning. In another half hour he took his building's elevator up to the clubhouse, helped himself to a mug of coffee and enjoyed the solitude of the large, well-appointed room for a game of pool, just solitaire, potting the balls in numeric order.

It was a nice place, and different than what his family preferred though characteristic of Rhett's own time living in Atlanta. His was a loft-style apartment, sharing a converted brick warehouse with roughly a dozen other units, his own on one of the highest floors and facing the waterfront. The clubhouse was nice too, four pool tables with flawless red velvet and a small bar with a small selection of liquors and the kind of coffee machine you loaded the little cups into.

Arrogant bastard. He had seen her, she knew this, yet he made no attempts to speak to her, flag her down, or otherwise engage her. At least she got a glimpse into what kind of man he was and the things that he enjoyed. While sitting in the car, she had made a few phone calls, set appointments, and taken care of some general business. Just waiting and watching for now. Finally, she got out of her car and managed to track him down once again. "Really, Daniels? Now I know where Colt gets his dazzling personality from. It's a family trait." She crossed her arms, slightly annoyed as she watched him at the pool table. "You contacted me, remember?"

"You didn't call, you just followed in an unmarked car and I never got a good look at you." That last part was a lie, but also a test: if she knew his abilities, she'd know he would've been able to tell eventually. "But you're here now, instead of one of my enemies -- or yours -- so let's talk... Katharine." It was hard not to say Lola. "It's been a long time," he added, taking a better look at her now. In truth he'd seen her just last night, but today there were no other distractions, no other factors to weigh. He could assess her more freely.

He could also assess the fact that she looked p*ssed.

"Oh, like you didn't know it was me. It's not like I tried to hide it and don't think I didn't see you hunkered down in a booth last night. I saw you as I was leaving. I just thought I'd return the favor and stalk you a bit. You were stalking me, weren't you? Although I can't figure out why. I'd like to think that it's because of my impossibly perfect *ss, but I think it must be more than that." She put her hands on the edge of the pool table and leveled her gaze on him. "So." Getting right down to business. "What is this about?"

Rhett laughed unexpectedly, in spite of the gravity of the situation he was dragging himself into. "Alright, then." He set the cue down on the velvet, leaning on the table to look back at her. "They're called United States External Command and they don't know about you, but there'll be trouble soon as they do. They're the only branch of our military that's aware of the existence of gateways and worlds like RhyDin. They monitor the gateways they know about, send expeditions through to assess the situation, and when they don't like they see, they react. Sometimes they just eliminate the people using the portal, but sometimes they can shut it outright, or worse. Like Byelki, 1983. Small, cross-realms tundra outpost you could only reach through Finland. Great place to get plutonium, but we got worried the Soviets knew about it too. All of a sudden Byelki has an 'accidental detonation,' with no survivors, and no more Byelki."

It was a substantial piece of information, he knew. He'd seen an SPI file on Byelki, a decades-old Rhovnik mystery they had tried -- and failed -- to solve as a favor for the Rhovniks. "Now I work for External Command, and they're watching RhyDin, and they're getting 'concerned' again. See where this is going?"

She tried her best to not look overly interested, even though she was a touch shaken by the information. She listened carefully, committing each piece of detail to memory and saying a word until he had finished. Her head bowed a touch as she thought over what she knew of U.S.E.C. and put together the pieces of information to understand what this could mean for not only her family, but RhyDin all together. There was the faintest sound of her tongue click against her teeth as she made a mental decision to become involved and she raised her head, a nod to him. "Where do we fit in?" Meaning the Rhovniks. There was no sense in asking how she could benefit from this, it was a do or die kind of situation.

"I know you have connections that SPI doesn't, and my family," there was a humorless, helpless laugh, "doesn't have them either. You know people all over State Department, a couple in Congress, plenty of people in the military... I even hear you got one of the Joint Chiefs. External Command doesn't know about all these connections, but it's people like that and people like you it's determined to neutralize. Let your connections know about the threat and they'll take care of External Command. Make sure they shut it down. It's the best outcome for all of us."

"That is all very true." She fluffed her hair, preening a bit as she thought over her connections, hers specifically, not necessarily the ones her family had. It made her happy to know that she was making a name for herself and that division seven was beginning to become it's own power house within the Rhovnik organization. Kat was not by nature cocky or arrogant, but she was very good at pretending and she was not ready to let her guard down around a Daniels man, so she kept her head tipped up, staring down her nose at him while she thought things over. "I suppose I could make a few phone calls. For a price." There was a delighted little smirk that appeared on her lips then.

Any hint of a smile vanished from Rhett's face, and in that moment he appeared exactly like a man who knew he was about to die. "I've made my peace with it already," he said, "but there are conditions. Colt can help protect us from a lot here in RhyDin, but not from whatever trouble may follow us from Earth. That's your responsibility now. You keep my kin safe... that's all I want."

That feeling was well known by Kat and she understood that look perfectly. It was enough for her to wipe that smirk off of her face and soften her stance a bit. "Colt?" Her eyes narrowed a touch and she shook her head no. "I think we should leave him out of this for now. Unless you have already involved him?" Eyebrows tipped up as she silently prayed that he hadn't. "I think we should just keep this between you and I. I will help Rhett, I give you my word. I am protecting my family as much as yours, but, as I stated, there is a price. " She stood up straight then and walked towards him, unbuttoning her blazer and tucking her hands into the pockets of her white pants, trying to make herself seem more approachable. "I... need you." Kat Rhovnik did not need anyone, but if she wanted him, she knew she had to tickle his ego a bit. "Someone with your skills. My division is expanding and I am finding myself in need of an operative. Someone with expert experiences as a marksman." Pulling her hands from her pockets, she held them up and out at her sides as though she were at a loss. "I need you on my team, Rhett. What do you say?"

Rhett had an explanation for what he meant about Colt, but that could be settled in more detail as he settled into working for the Rhovniks. He watched her approach with a touch of wariness, but more than that was the exhausted acceptance, and that won out soon enough. "An operative who's an experienced marksman... I think we both know what you mean by that. I'll do it."

"I might require you to occasionally accompany me personally and perform some private guard duties as well. I have a feeling I may need some protection from Colt once he finds out about our little deal." She was fighting hard to keep from smiling, but it wasn't working so well. She was getting everything she wanted, Rhett on her side and a bomb to drop on Colt to get back at him. "So it's a deal then. You'll join my team, immediately, in exchange for my help and connections. Is there anything else, Daniels?"

"I'll handle Colt. I'll tell him when I'm ready, and when that happens... that won't be any concern of yours," he said firmly, and moved to start racking the balls. "Jesus Christ, morale in your division must be unbelievable," he added in his best sarcastic deadpan.

Her eyes narrowed a bit at his sarcasm. "Colt is always a concern of mine and don't think for a second that I am not going to enjoy every second of this." Her tone of voice was not so pleasant any more as she stepped closer to him, stealing a ball from the table. "The morale in my division is incredible. Don't worry, you will learn to love me, they all do."

Rhett swiped it out of her hand and stalked away to put everything away. "Just tell me who I need to kill first so you'll start holding up your end of the bargain, you sadistic b****."

"Oh, that stings. Say it again," she purred at him as she bent against the table, making a 'do me' face before standing up straight and buttoning her blazer. "I gave you my word, Daniels. I will begin making calls tonight and I will let you know when I have a job for you. Stay in touch." She smoothed her hair back and flicked her tongue out over her lips, staring him a down a moment. "Don't forget, you are not the only expert marksman in this room. Don't ever speak to me like that again. "

"Then maybe stop acting like you deserve it." A cold rage roiled beneath the surface. Rhett and Lola had never known each other that well, but the difference between Colt and his older brother was so clear right now. Colt's anger ran hot and exploded, but Rhett? He buried it. Keeping it to himself meant he got to deal with it himself, and he knew from experience that was the best way to do things.

He was looking right past her when he approached, sweeping by to the stairs and slamming the door after him. Not sharing a goddamn elevator with that harpy. Let her have it. Let her go to Hell.

"You're excused!" she yelled out because she had to have the last word. No way was he walking out on her. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the elevator and mashed the down button. "I'm not a b****," she pouted softly to herself as she waited for the doors to open.


((Adapted from live play with the awesome Kat Rhovnik! Thanks!))

May 10th

The last twenty-four hours had been long: not the most exhausting Rhett had experienced, not by a long shot, but far from relaxing. As they wound their way out of the bustling portal hub in Stars End and out into the busy streets, he couldn't believe how relieved he was to see this alien world for a change.

"I talked to second squad." It was the first time he'd been alone with her since before the near-miss at Princeton. He looked down at her, sharp eyes frowning, before returning to his dutiful scan of the crowd.

Kat had spoke very little in an effort not to reveal how she came to be followed and without her security team. As they came into Rhydin, Kat felt her own sense of relief. She could feel his eyes staring into her skull, however briefly, and it stung. Looking up, she watched him as he looked around to make sure the area was secure. "Oh?" she said, trying to not sound too interested in what her team had to say about the situation.

"Why did you shake them off?" He saw what looked like a Rhovnik limo parked down the street, but checked the license plate first to confirm. He clicked the comm in his ear. The driver flashed a thumbs up in reply. It was legit...

And with that settled, as he let her into the car, he could devote the full weight of his attention to her. He hadn't said anything malicious since their last meeting, but he hadn't uttered a kind word either.

"You wouldn't understand." spoken softly as she got into the car and settled down into the seat. The feeling of relief that she had experienced was brief. The moment she buckled her seatbelt, she felt like a stack of bricks settled on her chest. Taking a ragged breath, she reached out and pushed the button to roll the window down a bit. Air. She needed air.

"Not good enough." He sat in the seat across from her, leaning forward with his hands clasped. "I have a job to do, and my family depends on it. I gave up a lot for this. If there's somewhere else you have to go, you notify your detail. If it's something you can't tell them, you tell me. I don't need to know who or what or why, not always, but I need to know where and I need to know if there's any shit you might step in."

"I tell you?" she scoffed and crossed her arms, staring out the window. "Why, so you can harp on me and my selfish rich girl problems?" her eyes flicked back to him, hurt. She was still hurt that he thought of her that way. "I can't tell you why I skipped out. You'd make fun of me." lowering her arms, she stared at her hands, clasping and unclasping them. "I wanted to go clubbing," she muttered softly.

"Clubbing, meeting your boyfriend, it doesn't matter a damn to me," was his level reply. "All that matters is knowing where you are so I can come to you if something happens. I have two jobs. One of them's killing people. The other's protecting you."

He shook his head. "I didn't make my brother hate me and start doing your dirty work just so you could piss it away and get yourself killed."

"I don't have a boyfriend. Colt made sure of that." it really hadn't been Colt's fault that Henri was cheating on her, but it was Colt who made sure reveal it to her. "I just wanted a night out. Finals are over. I'm about to graduate and I just wanted to have some fun, a normal night before..." She sighed and reached up to tug on her ponytail, running her fingers through it's length. A normal night before what? Before her life was over? Is that how she really felt? "Just a night out before everything changes. You can't honestly say you would go with me." Her lips pressed together and she stared at him, a sort of unbelieving yet amused look on her face.

"Why wouldn't I? It's my job. I don't care what kinda club scene or whatever you go to, and your enemies' hitmen don't care either. Wherever you go, you need someone like me as a deterrent." He felt the pain creeping into his skull, and he breathed a quiet sigh and shut his eyes, rubbing his palm back over his temple.

"I don't know what all happened between you and Colt... This isn't about that. It's definitely not about what I want to do either. It's about being where you are so I can do my job... That's all."

"You would?" Disbelief still colored her expression, but it was more surprised now. "Right. It is your job. Why wouldn't you." Leaning over, she rolled the window down a little more. "Colt and I are fine now." That felt weird say. Four years she had carried the burden of hating him and now it was gone. "This actually kind of reminds me of the night he saved my life. That's how it all began." Her mouth quirked up at the corner to form a smile and her eyes looked distant as she recalled the memory.

She'd piqued his curiosity. He wouldn't admit it openly, but she'd catch him cracking his eyes open again to watch her.

She just kept talking, it was almost as if she had forgotton he was there. She had never told anyone what had happened. On some level maybe she had always wanted to protect Colt. If Chase knew what he had done... "I was new to Princeton, it was only like two months into the semester. I went for a run, alone, and these druglords that we had been hunting, decided to hunt me. Gunfire broke out and for some reason, Colt was there and he saved me." The smile still played on her lips and she looked back to Rhett. "He hadn't meant to. He was just in the right place at the right time. He was there to make me fall in love with him." She snorted then. "We're all so ****ed up."

"Daniels boys have a reputation as heartbreakers," among other things, and he huffed a quiet laugh. "I guess we earn it." The pain was still pounding away in his skull, but he still cracked his eyes open long enough to check the messages on his phone. Just a glance to make sure it was nothing urgent, and the bright light and the stress had him shutting his eyes again. He'd be fine by the time they reached RhyDin, he figured.

"So you and Colt are fine, now? Just like that?"

"There is a difference between being a heartbreaker and sleeping with a seventeen year old girl just to make her fall in love with you so that you can get out of your job." That was a lot of information. "But, yeah, it's fine now. We talked. I mean... it still hurts, but I have closure now."

Rhett rubbed at the back of his neck as he chewed on that information. "Fear can make people do awful things... Look, for what it's worth... I'm sorry. I should've set him straight the moment I first saw you and how young you were. Those years weren't my finest." He breathed another long sigh through his nose, and cracked his eyes open again. It still stung, but less. Give it another minute. "You already know that. I'm sure it's all in my file, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess it does, like make you go out clubbing without your security detail." She laughed softly. "It wasn't your responsibility to take care of him or me. They should have known he wasn't ready to return to work, he should have been excused. And I shouldn't have been so trusting and naive. I mean, it's my job to read people and handle negotiations and I didn't even know that I was being used. At least it's made me better at my job." She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking over what she knew of Rhett. "We all go through rough times. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You're here because I trust you and I know you're the best. Their loss is my gain." Her fingers stroked the leather of the seat. "If you hate me that badly, Rhett..." She shook her head and looked back to him. "I'll let you go." She gulped the lump in her throat. As much as she felt that she could trust him, she still knew he was Colt's brother and the fear that he could be like him scared her.

Rhett chewed on that for a minute. He had rational considerations, like whether walking out of this gig would spell out the end of Rhovnik protection for the Daniels (almost certainly, in his mind), and whether or not he trusted her (he did not). But there was another side to it too, something that tugged at him from the back of his mind. "...You and Colt mean something to each other, don't you. And I don't mean affairs or anything," he clarified, "I know all that's in y'all's past now... But you're important to him." His words carefully balanced themselves on the line between questions and observations.

"He was my first, Rhett. My first... everything." Her smile was wistful. "I'll always love him. A piece of me will, anyway. And apparently, despite his best attempts not to, he did fall in love with me. Just not enough to stay. So I guess you could say that we do... that we mean something to one another. That, and we were all each other had when my cousin was murdered. We both loved her. We know what we went through just to cope with that. I think we've both just been trying to get by for the last four years." She seemed a little more relaxed now as she spoke. "I'm happy for him. I'm happy to see the man he's become."

Rhett nodded his agreement. "You'd never accuse a Daniels of walking the straight and narrow, but my kin... they seem to be finding their way. Colt's happy, and I don't doubt the others can find what he's got if they haven't already. That's enough for me."

His eyes opened fully again, the pain finally fading, and settled on her, considering the present instead of dwelling on the future. "I suppose it gives him some comfort, thinking of you safe under the watch of my freak-show eyes. And you help keep them safe. You've done so already... I'd like to think you'll keep that up. Been good to your word so far as I can tell." He nodded slowly, adding, "I'll stick around."

"You don't think you deserve that though." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "Did you take this job to protect your family or to punish yourself?"

Kat's question surprised him, but also visibly put him back on edge. "What kinda question is that? It's never been about punishment, and it's not about what I deserve. It's about what they deserve... and one of those things is being protected." He felt his teeth set and turned away from her, arms folding over his chest as he watched the seaside hills between Stars End and RhyDin roll by. "That's just the way it is."

"You're not a freak. You don't know how much he looks up to you and admired you. He knows you're doing what he can't. And I don't just mean protecting them, I mean protecting me. I won't go back on my word, Rhett. Even if you weren't on my team, I'll keep them safe, all of them, as best as I can." Leaning forward, she rested her arms on her knees and watched him. "You two are so much alike, thinking that you have to carry the world on your shoulders, be responsible for everyone and everything." Reaching out a hand, she rested it on his knee. "Look at me, Rhett."

Rhett looked at her then, and surprisingly he looked less stern and more pleading: pleading for her not to press further into what she already had. "I may not be responsible for everyone, but I've taken responsibility for them. If I hadn't, they'd be..." He shook his head, and after a pause, decided to change tracks, his tone suddenly formal.

"I appreciate you protecting them, and giving me the chance to earn it."

Watching him, she could see the pain in his eyes and the way he was pleading with her not to press further. She could only imagine the horrors he had seen and experienced. She didn't know everything about him, but that look told her what she needed to know. If she pressed further, he would resent her. It was the same look Chase got in his eyes whenever things became too heavy for him, whenever he couldn't handle talking about his past. Rhett reminded her of her brother, a protector, always protecting no matter what it cost him. Her hand squeezed his knee and she nodded and sat back. "You deserve to be happy too, Rhett."

Kat confused him to no end. Their first interactions and Colt's warnings did not mesh with everything else he'd seen of her; there were individual elements he could fit into the narrative of her being manipulative and deceitful, but never the whole narrative.

It was a puzzle, one far more complex than Rhett was used to dealing with.

In the end all he could do was smile, and shake his head. "I'm fine. I do alright," he assured her, and with his eyes feeling better, checked his phone again. "The day's young yet, and your next meeting's not 'til tomorrow a.m. Squad two's still in Cleveland, and first squad's been reassigned to one of your cousins in Infinity City this weekend, which for now leaves me and few others."

He clicked his phone shut and looked back up at her. "So what's on the agenda for a new graduate in RhyDin on a sunny Friday?"

Her lips parted and broke into a smile, mirroring his when she saw him become a little more at ease. "Well. If you wouldn't consider it too torturous, maybe you could accompany me to lunch and a bit of shopping? I think I'd like to go out tonight."

"I was in Fallujah twice," he replied with a small smirk. "I think I can handle a few hours in New Haven."

(The following post is rated R for language)

Voicemail from Katharine Rhovnik to Rhett Daniels, 10:23 p.m.: (Slurred) Rheeeeett. (Garbled noise and loud music) Guess who skipped security. (Snickering) Did you figure it out? (Man talking in the background) Hey, no hands. Off. (Giggle) I hate my mother. She's a bitch. Maybe we should add her to the list. (Sound of thumping) Not now, I'm on the phone. Noooo. (Phone falls to the floor and the line disconnects)

Text from Rhett Daniels to Colt Daniels at 10:35 p.m.: On my way offworld, leaving for Earth soon.

Secure Voicemail from Nathaniel Karam to Rhett Daniels at 11:00 p.m.: Daniels. This is Nathaniel. Ms. Rhovnik managed to dodge security by climbing out of a window. I wish I was making this up. Her roommate just alerted us upon arriving home and says that she had a fight with her mother earlier and has been drinking heavily all day and was quite hysterical. Mileena has opted not to come to town to attend her daughter's graduation ceremonies. We are tracking Ms. Rhovnik's phone and following up on tips from her roommate that she may be at the Infinity Club. We just wanted you to be aware of the situation. Will update soon.

Secure Voicemail from Nathaniel Karam to Rhett Daniels at 11:38 p.m.: Daniels, we have searched the Infinity Club, the tracking device on Ms. Rhovnik's phone led us here and we recovered the phone but not Ms. Rhovnik. We are trying to gain access to the club's security tapes and are beginning interviews with patrons. Currently we have no leads.

Secure message from Rhett Daniels to Colt Daniels at 11:41 p.m.: pls go to spi trawl for leads on kat rhovnik hit or ransom need this favor thanks

Secure Voicemail from Nathaniel Karam to Rhett Daniels at 12:15 a.m.: Nathaniel again, Sir. Please make arrangements to join us in New Jersey as soon as possible. We have no further updates on the whereabouts of Ms. Rhovnik.

Secure message from Rhett to Nathaniel Karam at 12:20 a.m.: nate keep comm traffic light on my way be there in 5

Secure message to Division 7 Security at 12:29 a.m.: 1sq n 206 2sq s 27 nk uni rd seminary


It had been twelve hours since the 'extraction' team had taken Kat Rhovnik hostage, and their leader was restless.? He paced the length of their hotel room on a lonely stretch of country road somewhere in New Jersey, off the beaten track.? They hadn't been found yet, but they knew the Rhovniks were out looking for her.

They hadn't known she was a Rhovnik when they grabbed her, but the communications they'd intercepted from a 'Nathaniel' made it clear.? The team leader knew the Rhovniks were good for the multi-million dollar ransom his employer had promised, but crossing that family was rarely worth the risk.

Kat had been awake twice, though she likely didn't remember either time.? She'd been very drunk, and the drugs they'd slipped her hadn't helped, but she should be sober by now... hopefully coherent enough to talk.? The man's phone buzzed.? He breathed a sigh of relief and stood in front of the armchair his hostage had been taped into while he took the call.

"Yeah.? You owe me an explanation.? You didn't tell me she was a f*cking Rhovnik!? Are you f*cking insane?!? ...Double... hell no, I want triple.? And three million for my silence if this shit goes south.? No, I think that's pretty f*cking fair, considering.? Yeah..."? He grabbed the side of her face, held two fingers to her neck.? "Yeah, she's fine.? I'll put her on.? Hey, sleeping beauty!"

He gave her three quick smacks.? His face was not recognizable and the kind of face you were meant to forget, late middle-aged, close-cropped gray hair, possibly ex-military from his bearing and the comfortable way he handled the automatic weapon strapped to his shoulder.? "Wake up, shut up and listen to me very carefully."

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to get her eyes to open or her head to lift, it just felt too heavy. She heard bits of conversations here and there but none of it was making sense. Where was... crap. What was the guys name she had gone home with last night? That thought caused her to perk up a little. Had she really left the club with a guy she didn't know? She couldn't be that stupid. She tried searching her memory for what had happened but everything was a blur. She didn't know who sleeping beauty was, but someone was smacking her and that got her to open her eyes, which then lazily searched the man's face in front of her. "I'm pretty sure you were much hotter last night." croaked at the man and then her tongue traced out, trying to wet her dry lips to no avail.

"That'd be our youngest teammate."? The older man turned his head to watch the faint movement of another man smoking outside through the blinds.? "If you still want to get fucked, keep running your mouth when I don't tell you to and I'm sure my men can work something out.? You're our hostage.? You're going to get us a lot of money, and then we're going to let you go, but first, there's someone who wants to talk to you."

He set the phone down on the armrest, beside her duct-taped wrist.? Then he all but shoved a bottle of water into her face.? "Drink... then you be nice and say hello when you're ready."

She tried to sniff the water, wanting to make sure it wasn't tainted, but she couldn't tell. Reluctantly, she took a drink which quickly turned greedy and she gulped and water ran down her chin. Pulling her head back, she gasped a few times as she looked around, her eyes going to the blinds trying to see the man outside and then back to the older man in front of her. Her eyes then went to the phone, wondering who was behind this. Resisting the urge to smart off, she complied. "Hello?"

As her eyes roved around the room, she saw two other figures in the corners.? One had a pistol trained directly on her; the other was typing away on a laptop.

"Good morning, Katharine," a smoothly accented, cultured voice replied, one she may have recognized.? "This is Hans Minnowich.? It has been a very long time, regrettably.? How are you, my darling?"

"Hans?" asked in an incredulous tone of voice. "Mr. Minnowich. Why are you doing this?" she really couldn't believe it, the man had always been polite and charming at the various functions they both had attended. Clearing her throat, she closed her eyes and shook her head. She was never going to hear the end of this from Rhett and lord help her if Chase found out, although he probably already knew. "I'm fan-f*cking-tastic, Hans. What do you want?"

"Think about it, child."? The man sounded as unflappable as ever.? "This is not such a stretch if you consider my circumstances.? It has been four years since last we shared a table with your family or any of the others... four years since your cousin declined our seat, and Ad Lucem made us wait for three before giving it to the nouveau riche DeMuer."

He breathed a sigh, while the mercenaries exchanged uncertain looks.? What in the hell was Ad Lucem?? "But we do not have to be enemies.? The gravest insults of all come from Ad Lucem, yet still you take their orders and wait patiently for their scraps.? There are secrets you hold, and secrets I hold as well.? The Minnowiches and the Rhovniks could rise to the top, together, as before, could they not?? Tell me you will think about what I have said.? Tell me you will be the great diplomat I know you are becoming."

"You think kidnapping me is the way to get my family to work with yours? You've got to be insane. You're already as good as dead, you do know that right? There is nothing I can say to Chase or anyone else that will make them forgive you for this. Your sloppy plan shows your desperation, Hans. Quite frankly, I'm ashamed of you." Looking up, she stuck her tongue out at the man before her, just to be a brat. "Spell it out Hans. What do you want me to do, exactly? And talk quickly, you know they are coming for me. It won't be long before these men are dead and the phone is disconnected."

"Oh, Katharine... if the Rhovniks kill me, my secrets die too, secrets which our ancient council so covets.? But I have your attention now... and that is all I require.? Wish these gentlemen the best of luck from me, will you?? Ta-ta."? Click.

The mercenaries exchanged bewildered looks before their leader grabbed Katharine roughly by the chin.? "What the f*ck did you do?!? What the f*ck are we supposed to do now?!"

As the line went dead and she was grabbed, she smiled in the most vile manner. "You're dead." she grunted and jerked, trying to pull her head away from him. "What the f*ck did I do? What the f*ck did you do getting involved with him? Do you not research your contracts at all? You're getting lazy old man and now these other men are going to die because of you. You could start by making nice and letting me go."

"No, f*ck that.? You may be a Rhovnik, but they know you're dead if someone so much as sneezes.? You!"? He pointed at the man with the pistol and snapped his fingers:? he stood in front of Kat with his pistol aimed at her chest.? "I need to make a few phone calls -- "

"Boss!"? The man outside tapped on the window, then opened the door ajar and hissed:? "Hotel guest coming."

The leader made a motion for everyone in the room to shut up, and whispered at Kat:? "Speak and you die."

Booted feet hurried up the concrete steps, and Kat could see another shadow through their blinds from her vantage point.? The figure jangled his room key loudly as he went, though he slowed in front of the smoking man, who growled at him, "Keep moving, pal."

There were many options that Kat considered, screaming was one of them. Even though she wasn't showing it, she was terrified. She looked to the blinds and then back to the man. It had to be her team, it had been hours, this she knew because it was light outside. Taking her chances, she slammed her feet on the floor and pushed back with all of her might to throw the chair backwards. As the chair fell back, she kept her head lifted to try and avoid an impact. She also was trying to aim her foot to kick that gun out of the man's hand. If it wasn't her team outside, she was in serious trouble. As the chair slammed into the floor, her head jerked back, hitting the floor anyway and the wind was knocked out of her. As soon as she gained her breath, she began screaming.

The mercenaries in the room started swearing, most of them instinctively turned to her with their guns trained on the door and window.? The man she'd just kicked at lost his gun plus some blood from his nose, but he was quick to scoop up his weapon and round on her.? "What did he just say -- ?"

The first shot went off, slamming the smoking man into the window with a wet, bloody thud:? the bullet went straight through and hit the man in front of Kat.? He staggered and lifted his gun to return fire, but he and his comrades didn't get the chance to squeeze the trigger more than once apiece:? two more precise shots went through their heads and they crumpled immediately, leaving bloody patterns behind them on the floor and walls.

Their leader went straight for Kat, training a pistol on her and squeezing off a reckless burst from his MP5 into the window and wall.? "Stop shooting, asshole!? She's right in front of me!" he shouted as he crouched behind the toppled armchair, but that wasn't completely true.? His head and neck were exposed.

It didn't matter that the blinds still obscured his view.? Whoever was attacking outside seemed to know exactly where everyone was.? He fired another shot and the leader slumped backwards, clutching at his throat as blood gurgled out.? The mercenaries were all dead or dying.

Rhett pounded the door open with his shoulder and stepped into the room, pistol grasped in his left hand:? he was bleeding from his right arm, rivulets running down his shirt sleeves and turning his cuff solid red.? His eyes were strangely obscured, as if there was a layer of frosted glass over them, but he saw everything clearly:? who was moving, who had the potential to move, and who would never move again.? He picked his way carefully past Kat and over to the leader, reaching for his fallen weapons with one hand...

Without a word he stomped hard on the man's wrist, stopping him short.? He didn't have to wait but a few more seconds for the mercenary to finish bleeding out.? Then..

"Kat."? He sank to his knees, working at the tape binding her limbs as tires screeched out front.? The cavalry was here.

Kat didn't move an inch as shots were fired, but her eyes were wide opened as she watched the display going on above her. Bodies crumpled to the floor, blood splattered her, and then she had a gun pointed at her. She didn't even have a chance to tell the man behind her to say goodbye before he was shot. Kat didn't need Rhett to come into the room to know it was him. No one shot like Rhett Daniels. She was both relieved as he burst into the room and horribly embarrassed at the same time. She remembered calling him the night prior and leaving a drunken message, but she had no idea what she had said. That coupled with the fact that she knew all of this was her fault, made it all so much worse. As Rhett knelt before her to undo her binding, she started crying, finally giving into the overwhelming amount of fear that had been building up inside of her. "You came. Thank God you came." said in a nearly hysterical whisper.

"Shh-shh-shh."? Rhett shushed her as he holstered his weapon and scooped her up, supporting her petite form with his left arm.? "We got you.? You're okay, but we gotta move."? There was blood all around them, and it stirred unpleasant memories in his mind, but also how he had reacted:? focus on doing exactly what you need, then getting the hell out of there.? He wasn't witnessed coming in but they might be seen going out...? He stepped into the bathroom, grabbed a large white towel and dropped it over their heads on the way out the door, where two black Suburbans and the rest of her security team waited in the parking lot below.

When he picked her up, her arms went around his neck, holding on as she buried her face against him, trying to avoid looking at the scene any more than she had. Although she had on occasion been involved in bloody missions, they were rare and she was usually spared the worst of it. She had always known of Rhett's abilities, but this was the first time she had seen them first hand. She knew the rest of her team was there because there was no way they would be far behind Rhett and she could hear a bit of commotion. "I want my own car. Only you." because she didn't want anyone else seeing how badly she was shaken but she also didn't want to be alone.

"Do it."

"But Sir your arm..."

"Quickly."? Even as just a graze, it needed to be cleaned and bandaged, however fast.? "Bimmer keys, too.? I'm heading up to 76, out to Allentown," he grunted as they cleaned the wound and pulled the bandage taut.? "Then back down to Philly.? Take the other vehicles there by other routes, we'll meet at the Rhovnik warehouse and get her off world."

"Sir."? He spoke, they listened.? He fought off another wince as he lowered into the passenger's seat; in seconds he was in the driver's seat, starting the engine, popping it into gear and roaring out onto the lonely country road.? As he changed gears, he flicked his worried gaze over at her and asked, "Did they hurt you?"

Your arm. She hadn't even noticed that he was hurt. She felt incredibly selfish as she was placed in the seat and he got into the driver's seat. Hurt? Had they? She didn't know, she had only come too within the last thirty minutes or so. "I...I don't think so. My head hurts, I hit it. I think I've been asleep for a long time." swiping her hands across her face, she wiped away tears and finally turned to look at him and taking notice of all of the blood on his shirt, the blood that she knew was his. "This is all my fault. Rhett. I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I could have gotten you killed."

"Help me get that jacket on," he said, ducking a look back at the jacket in the back seat.? He was silent for a moment longer, before replying, "You could have gotten you killed.? I'm used to these situations, close quarters, multiple targets...? You ran off."? He let those words float in the air, and followed them with, "What happened?"

Turning in the seat, she had to get up on her knees in order to reach the backseat and grab his jacket. She stayed on them to help get the jacket on him, reaching across behind him to try and help get his injured arm in. "I am no more important than anyone else. This is all my fault, if I hadn't put myself in this position, I wouldn't have risked anyone else's life. We are the hunters, we're not supposed to be the hunted." sinking back down into her seat, she tried to avoid wincing or showing how much pain she was in, in her mind, she deserved whatever she got. Grabbing the seat belt, she buckled herself in. "I was drunk. I don't usually drink like that but I just kind of lost it. And then, I got stupid. Rebellious and angry, I guess." she rested her elbow on the window ledge and then rested her head against her hand. "My mom isn't coming back for my graduation." said softly to him.

"Mm."? Rhett frowned and shifted gears again but let most of the way off the gas, just letting it coast on the low end of fifth.? Last thing they needed was to get pulled over by a county sheriff before they could even reach the interstate.? "Busy or bitchy?" he asked bluntly, eyebrows raised.? He didn't know which category her mom's behavior fell under.

"The latter. She has kind of always been this way, I don't know why I was so surprised. She's never cared about us." speaking about herself and her brother. "Neither of our parents did, but at least Chase was always there to protect me from our Father. My Mother is still alive to torment us, me especially." rubbing a hand over her face, she sighed. "That sounds horrible. She's my Mother. I'm not supposed to hate her. But..." dropping her hands down into her lap, her shoulders shrugged. "I can't believe I let her get to me like this. This is supposed to be a happy time, but all I can think about is how my own Mother won't be there and then right after that, there is no going back. The rest of my fate is sealed and I don't feel as confident about that as I once did." she looked to him as she said that, she had never told anyone about her reservations of staying in the family business.

Rhett was quiet for a while again.? He had to concentrate, and driving stick and glancing at messages on the dash-mounted tablet was about as dangerous as it seemed.? It looked like they were in the clear so far, so he stopped looking.? He had to chew on her words a bit longer before he offered, "Hating a parent's not such a strange thing.? Parents aren't always family, if you get me.? And it's not all... this.? I've seen your files.? You get to go all over this universe, share a table with all kinds of people and work things out.? That's what you love, right?"? He squinted at a road sign coming up.? Still a good ways to the highway.

She was still bracing herself for a verbal lashing from him. Waiting for him to tell her how selfish and spoiled she was and how lucky she was, but it never came. When he spoke, her head swung to look at him in surprise, which made the pounding inside worse and it took a few seconds for her eyes to focus on him. "Yeah. You're right, but it still feels wrong." biting her lip, she slumped down into the seat, trying to get comfortable. "Every little girl wants to be a princess, wear pretty dresses, go to fancy parties, meet important people. But what I do is so much more than that. I decide other people's fates. I help to arrange marriages and trades and I make promises that I have to depend on other people to keep. Part of me loves what I do, but part of me hates it. It's not easy sending people you love into harms way, over and over again. Just once, I would like to go to a party and just get to be me. Not have to woo anyone or negotiate or put out a fire. It's exhausting and it's never going to end. Look at Elsie. Do you know her? My Grandma?" she wasn't sure what Rhett knew and what he did not. "She's ancient and her life still revolves around all of this and making sure the future generations are marrying well and reproducing. I got a letter telling me that because Henri and I broke up, I need to start thinking about new suitors and sooner than later. And that perhaps I should have just turned my head and ignored his cheating in order to secure his connections." she scoffed then. "Maybe we are insane. This all sounds insane."

"You're in the middle of a world I'm only just starting to understand... but a man who runs around isn't worth your time, no matter how deep his pockets are.? Cheating says more about a man than whether he's a loyal partner.? Do you want someone like that doing what you do, sending people into harm's way?"? He turned another brief look at her.? "It's all pretty insane, I'm not gonna lie.? Security says whoever hired this team is someone your people used to break bread with.? I can't imagine marriages ending the wars your family fights, or starting them."

I-76.? "Once we reach the state line let's find a rest stop, take another look at this."? His arm didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, but there was a first aid kit in the trunk and he wanted more than a minute spent on it.? "And maybe you don't need to be imagining things like this.? Your graduation..."? He shook his head.? "Sorry, Kat, but that's shot now.? Orders from the top, you're supposed to be off world for a while.? If I were you... I'd take advantage of laying low and find some peace.? Maybe a cabin or some village way out from RhyDin.? Out of most people's reach," he smirked, "even the people who call themselves your allies.? And maybe," he added, in a sterner tone, "someplace you'll keep the two of us outta trouble."

"That's why I broke up with him. I refuse to be married to a snake. He never did understand that when we got married, he would be a Rhovnik, I wouldn't be a Chainberland. Although sometimes I think he was after our family name, or at least what it could give him. Anyway, yes, the man who arranged all of this is someone we know. I have a feeling this has more to do with Sophie and Alain than me, but now people will listen." she was trying to avoid talking about her graduation but she couldn't hold it in. "It's not fair. I worked hard for four years. I have honors!" she started crying again. "I ruined everything. And your arm. I'm so sorry." sniffled at him. "Whatever you need to do. I'm sure you're exhausted and in pain. I'll help with your arm." Rubbing at the knot on the back of her head, she groaned softly. "Some rest might be nice. I can't remember the last time I just did nothing. You'll come too. My treat. You deserve a break after all I have put you through."

"I've been hurt a lot worse than this, and you've been hurt worse than missing a party," he replied, shooting down both of her complaints:? her own, and the one she said on his behalf.? "People well know what you've done and what you're capable of."

"You're right about one thing...? All this is going on the Rhovnik company card.? The less people I have to worry about trying to shoot you, the happier I'll be," he grunted.? "We got hours 'til we reach the Rhovnik gate in Philly.? Maybe somewhere in the mountains... mountains would be nice," he muttered, frowning skeptically at the miles of freeway stretching ahead of them.

Several weeks later...

Paul Ashcroft was a kind young man, and though he had a tendency to discuss the more technical aspects of his work -- carbon capture and what new emissions technologies could mean for power plants in cities like RhyDin -- his kindness itself and his eagerness were charming in their own way.

His introduction to Sophie Rhovnik had been brief, one of many such meetings he and countless other "unmatched" heirs and heiresses were regularly subjected to, but his date with Katharine was far more formal. There was a French restaurant in New Haven, a place with crystal chandeliers, white tablecloths and candlelight where Paul seemed a little out of his element.
Afterward there was espresso and gelato at a tiny waterfront cafe, very nice but quiet and unpretentious, where he'd felt relaxed enough to ditch his tie, and offered her his jacket when a sea breeze made her chilly.

Finally his limo took her back to the townhouse on a stylish New Haven row thather family had rented for her for the summer. He opened the door for her, offering his arm. "Let me walk you to the door?" he said, and had to laugh at his own formality.

Although Kat was used to fine dining and regularly entertained people at places like the one she and Paul had went to, she preferred something more relaxed as well. Sensing his discomfort at the formality, she was relieved when he suggested a cafe for dessert, it was there that they were both able to fully relax and Kat was determined to make an attempt at having a good time. As much as she tried, she could not find anything wrong with Paul. He was charming, handsome, a good fit for the family, and not at all slimey. The only problem she could come up with was how mild tempered he seemed, which in most people's books would be a good thing, but for Kat, who enjoyed a challenge, she was already worrying about becoming bored. As Kat took his arm to get out of the Limo, she released him to tug on his jacket, pulling it closed around her as she gave a small nod. "That would be nice."

"I had a nice time. And I hadn't known that about Arabic," he added with a broad grin as he fell into step beside her, trying (and largely succeeding) to remain confident after she released his arm. "I should make more of an effort to learn the next time I'm in Dubai, but they're so accommodating of we American mono-linguists."

"Naam." answering him, yes, in Arabic. "Dubai is a wonderful place, I cannot believe how much it has changed in just a few years. It is always entertaining to see how American's act the first time they are there, especially when they are told of the rules." Her eyes kept shifting between him and the stairs as they walked up to her door. "Well. Here I am,? motioning to the door as she stuck her key in and then turned to face him. "Thank you for tonight."

"Of course. We should do this again soon," he said with a smile, reaching out for one of her hands, looking down at them and then at her eyes. "I had a wonderful time."

There was a soft sucking noise as she drew in a breath while he took her hand. Her eyes lingered on their hands a moment and then lifted to his face. "Maybe next time we could go somewhere with a more relaxed atmosphere, if you'd like."

He chuckled softly. "That's a solid plan, and I endorse it." He paused for a moment and stepped closer, gently curling his fingers around hers, his head tipping forward as he quietly gauged her reaction.

Out on the street the Ashcroft limo waited, and a Rhovnik sedan right behind it. Eyes watched from tinted windows. "Four-eyes. Do you see that?"
"See what, Fatass?" Rhett answered from the back seat; the terms that had begun as insults were mere nicknames by this point within her security team. He ticked his gaze to the door, twisted his lips uncertainly and trained his eyes to try and see the front door and the two of them peripherally. He wanted to know if something was going wrong, but for reasons he could not quite put his finger on, he did not want to watch them too closely.

Kat's head tilted and she pushed up onto the balls of her feet, trying to meet Paul midway without coming across as too eager. Paul kissed her slowly but gently, breaking away after a few seconds to smile at her. "I'll call you tomorrow," he said in an intimately quiet tone, feeling more than a little giddy.

The kiss was nice; Paul's mouth was soft and he exuded more confidence and command than she had expected from him, even if it was brief. When he pulled away, she was smiling. He had made it easy on her, not having to make any decisions about how long to kiss or whether or not to invite him in. "I'll look forward to hearing from you," her fingers lightly brushed over his before she withdrew her hand.

"Yeah. Have a good night," he grinned, narrowly managing not to be too clumsy as he backed away. He returned to his limo in high spirits, flashing his driver the thumbs up as he climbed in; she may have caught a little of his driver laughing and calling him an idiot.

The other sedan was much quieter. Rhett realized his team was feeding off his own strange unease, so he broke the silence by saying, "I'll check in, confirm the earlier all-clear." As the limo pulled away, Rhett stepped out, adjusting the suit jacket that hid the .45 he wore under his arm. He checked his surroundings carefully as he approached the door.

Kat waited until Paul was in his limo and it was driving off before letting her smile fade. Her eyes shifted to the sedan that had been waiting behind the limo and with the way she looked at it, it was as though she were trying to see the faces of those inside. She only peered for a moment though before flipping her hair off of her shoulder and turning her back on the car to unlock her door and go inside. Yes, she was aware that Rhett had gotten out of the car, but she didn't give another glance as she kicked the door shut with her foot and wandered further into her home.

"Coming in," Rhett announced as he knocked, unlocking the door again and stepping inside her home. He heaved a long sigh and started to look around, going room-by-room in an alternate and shorter version of the check another one of the security agents made ten minutes before they arrived. "Coulda left the door open for ten seconds," he announced to wherever she was now as he returned from the tiny dining room to walk upstairs to the bedrooms.

"Could have," muttered as she took off her earrings and laid them on the dressing table in her room. Reaching behind her, she struggled with the zipper on the back of her dress. She had gotten the dress on, but getting it off was proving more difficult. She spun in a circle and bounced a bit as she tried to manuever the zipper down. Rhett began to push the bedroom door open with the back of his hand, but he heard her undressing before he saw her and quickly turned away. "Excuse me," he apologized, turning to face the opposite wall.

"You're fine." huffed at him as she continued to struggle and then the tab on the zipper snapped off in her hand. "Shit!" she pelted her dressing table with the small metal tab. "Can you please help me?" called out to him. "My zipper broke."

Rhett hissed a few things that would have greatly upset his pastor in Thomaston and stepped inside. Even on top of the fact that she was undressing, there was something innately intimate about being in a woman's bedroom with her. Despite his role on her security team, he had largely managed to stay away from the beds she slept in except when checking under them for murderers and letting her in.

"Okay," he said, walking up behind her. He stayed a few steps back, watching her back, then her shoulder, then the nape of her neck... There was no good place to look, so he settled on the zipper itself. "You sure did a number on that thing."

She could see both of their reflections in the mirror and she watched, slightly amused as she saw his eyes shifting all about. Reaching behind her, she gathered her hair and lifted it up to keep it out of his way while he worked on the zipper. "I think some of the fabric must have got caught in it. Believe me, I'd rather not have to have you unzipping me," trying to ease what anxieties he was having about lending her a hand.

"Yeah," was his noncommittal reply. He stepped closer, trying not to think about the smell of her perfume, and... struggled with the zipper. "Goddamnit. Hang on."

She winced as she felt him tug. She loved the dress, but at this point, she just wanted out of it. "Would tweezers help? Or scissors?" she frowned at her reflection.

"No, I don't wanna break this damn thing." Tug. "Or maybe I do. Who sews a zipper this tight..." The fabric was sewn too close over the zipper with the way the dress hugged the inside of her back. "Sorry... here..." He dug his left hand inside the top of his dress to pull it gently back from her skin, and with his free hand finally got the zipper started. "There," he added, unzipping it several inches, low enough for her to worm her way out of easily enough. Also low enough to expose more flesh than he was seeing a moment ago, and know whether or what kind of bra she was wearing with that dress.

"Is that good?" he managed quietly, withdrawing his large hands from her petite form.

She smirked at his comments. "You want to borrow the dress when I'm done or something?" said to him teasingly in regards to him not wanting to break the zipper anymore than it was. When his hand slipped into the inside of the dress, she tensed and closed her eyes, a soft gasp slipping from between her lips and then a shiver. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she opened her eyes back up as the zipper slid down and watched his reflection once again. She almost didn't hear him. "Uh. Uhm, yeah. Yeah, I'm good." nodding to him as she cleared her throat.

Her gasp stopped him dead in his tracks. He could hear his blood. He did absolutely nothing until he felt he could trust himself to do something, which was not yet.

"Are you... good?" her mouth felt so dry as she spoke and her tongue slipped out, wetting her lips as she regarded him, letting her hair fall from her hands to cover her back once again.

The tension was not merely palpable, it was suffocating. He looked about ready to tear her dress off, and cover her mouth with his to satisfy the burning hunger he suddenly felt.

"The house is clear. They're waiting for me," he said, recalling the car outside: that one reason helped him regain his grasp on all the others that they shouldn't give in to whatever this was. His composure seemed to be returning.

She watched his hungry mouth and knew exactly how he felt because it mirrored her feelings exactly. It was the first sign she had ever gotten from him that he desired her in any way at all. "Oh, right." nodding, she turned to face him and with that step, closed some of the space between them. Her eyes looked so sad as she faced him, struggling with what to say or do. "Paul is calling me tomorrow..." it almost sounded like a warning.

"They are waiting, outside," he cut her off, though his tone sounded shakier than it had ever been around her. "I'm not gonna give voice to all the other things running through my head right now... but I'll voice that. They're outside. In five minutes, they'll wonder what the hell's taking so long. In ten minutes, they'll call me. In an hour... they'll call Elsie, or Chase."

"So we have nine minutes before anyone begins taking action?" there was a small smile creeping on to her lips. The gap was officially closed as she took one more step forward.

Rhett caught her arm as she closed the distance, not hard, but firm. For a moment it seemed as if he'd pull her into his chest.

"I will not do anything else to hurt my family. Bad as I want it... I won't risk it. I won't risk them." He dropped her arm and turned on his heel before he could give in to his impulse to kiss her, instead striding quickly out of her room.

Her smile faltered before it was completely exstinguished by his words. There was a rush of anger and embarrassment and she wanted to give into it, but she'd refrain. Anger would only push him away. She wiggled and let her dress drop, stepping out of it, she rushed to her door in nothing but her slip.

Standing in the doorway, she called out to him. "Rhett." her fingers twitched, as if to reach out for him. "Please." her eyebrows drew together as she watched him attempting to flee. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pleaded with him in her mind, trying to hold back from giving voice to the begging.

Rhett stopped halfway down the hall. He shut his eyes, wincing, and fighting with his various thoughts. Colt thought Kat would be good for him... was this why? Was he pushing her away because of Chase -- Chase hadn't gone after Colt, before -- or because of himself? And why was she doing this, knowing her fate as she did?

"I'm coming back in an hour, across the backyard. No calls... I'll just knock. I'm not promising anything," he told her, or rather, told himself. He didn't trust himself to open his mouth again. He backed away, turning around to go down the stairs and get the hell out of there... for now.

It wasn't a yes, but she figured Rhett being Rhett, it was the best he could give her at the moment and she would take it. She knew she had played dirty by taking off her dress, but that was better in her mind then the alternative of watching him walk out the door and turning her down. "I'll be waiting," she drew her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down lightly as she watched him, her arms wrapping around her torso, trying to hold herself together and ignore the doubts in her mind that said he wouldn't be coming back.