Disclaimer: The character of Samantha Baker, and the villains are mine. All others are the property of Chuck and Aaron Norris and Top Kick Productions.

"Good afternoon, Thunder Investigations. Samantha speaking....No, I'm sorry we don't do accounting investigations....No problem, good-bye." Sam hung up the phone and looked across the office. "When does Kim get back from her vacation, Carlos?"

"Next week," Carlos called as he leaned over the upstairs loft. "Did we tell you how much we appreciate you helping us out?" He flashed a big smile.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just remember, your payback is coming." Sam laughed as the phone�rang again. She picked it up and repeated her introduction.

"Is this the office of Trent Malloy?" a deep voice asked.

"Yes, it is," said Sam, "but Mr. Malloy isn't in the office. Would you care to leave a message?"

"Is this the same Trent Malloy that runs Thunder Karate?"

"Yes. Can I take a message?" Sam asked again. There was a click and a dial tone in Sam's ear. "That was weird." Carlos looked at her.

"What was?"

"Someone just wanted to know if this was Trent's office and if he ran Thunder Karate. When I asked him for a message, he hung up."

"Try *69". Sam pushed the buttons.

"Comes up unknown number. It must have been a cell phone. Oh well." Sam tried to put it out of her mind. She started typing on the computer, doing some of the information searches Kim had shown her before she left. Sam was on her summer vacation from the school she taught at and was actually happy to help out her boyfriend and his partner. Her extensive computer knowledge had helped her fill in for Kim and helped to keep her busy.

The door opened and in walked Trent. He smiled warmly at Sam and went to kiss her. "Hi."

"Hi. How did it go?" Trent had been trailing a husband suspected of cheating.

"I got pictures of him going into the motel room with his secretary. I don't think she was taking dictation." He threw an envelope on the desk. "I got the pictures developed for Mrs. Lopez."

"You know, I just don't get it," Carlos said. "This guy has a beautiful wife, three great kids, a house in the suburbs, gobs of money and he cheats." He shook his head.

"Basic fact of life...men are pigs," Sam interjected. Carlos and Trent both looked at her.

"You are outnumbered here, you know," Trent said.

"Oh come on guys. Given the opportunity and if they thought they could get away with it, most any man will cheat."

"Now that is generalizing and I take exception to that. Do you think I would cheat?" Trent was looking intently at Sam. She hesitated.

"No," she said finally. "But I think you're an exception."

"What about Carlos?" Carlos had been seeing Sam's sister Sarah, who lived almost 3000 miles away.

"I don't know." Now, Carlos was offended.

"Sarah is in Canada and I haven't even looked at another women. I think your judgement is clouded by past experience." He was referring to Sam's ex-husband.

"Maybe so, but I still think if a man didn't think he would get caught he'd cheat in a heartbeat."

"That goes for women, too," Trent said. As she was about to argue, the phone rang. Sam picked it up.

"Thunder Investigations, Samantha speaking...Oh, hi Mrs. Lopez...Trent's right here." Sam handed the phone to Trent and walked upstairs to the loft. Telling clients their spouses were cheating was one of the hardest parts of the job and Sam wanted to give Trent privacy. Words from the conversation drifted up; 'Sorry...cheating...secretary.. ..pictures'. Sam could identify with how Mrs. Lopez must be feeling.

"I can't believe you think I would cheat," Carlos said as she sat down beside him.

"Only you know for sure, Carlos. It's not for me to say. I've been fooled by some of the strongest couples I know. Please don't take it personally." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Although in your case, I think threats to your personal safety are definitely a factor," she said with a smile. She turned as Trent came upstairs.

"Mrs. Lopez is pretty upset. She's calling a lawyer as we speak. Mr. Lopez will get what he deserves."

The phone rang again and Sam went back down to the desk to answer it.

"Thunder Investigations, Samantha speaking....Hi Walker...Yes, he's here, just a minute." She pressed the hold button and called, "Carlos, Walker on line 2." Carlos went into the back office to take the call. Trent went back down and sat on the desk to talk to Sam.

"I gotta go," said Carlos, coming out of the office a few minutes later. "Something about a case I worked on awhile ago. Can I have my keys?" he asked Trent. Trent had used the Durango for surveillance as it was less obvious then his Corvette. "You two might as well close up. I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye, Carlos." As they watched him leave, Sam remembered the phone call. She told Trent about it.

"Must not have been important or he would have left a message. Maybe he's just checking us out before he hires us." The phone rang again. Trent answered. "Thunder Investigations, Malloy."

"I have a case for you," said a deep male voice.

"Okay. Would you like to come in and we'll discuss it?"

"No. Some place private. No one else." The voice was insistent.

"Do you know where Lincoln and James Streets cross?"

"Yes."

"There's a place there. Thunder Karate. All the classes will be done. I can meet you there at 7:30."

"You gotta be alone."

"If that's what you want."

"If I see anyone else, you won't see me."

"Okay, Mr...." The line went dead. Trent looked at Sam. "We have a case but he wants me to come alone."

"Trent."

"Sam, I can take care of myself. Besides, I am meeting him at the dojo. Tommy's last class finishes at 6:30 so no one will be there. It's my turf." He got up and held out his hand. "Come on. I'll take you to dinner then I'll drop you off at home." They headed out the door and locked up.

At 7:00, Trent dropped off Sam and headed over to Thunder Karate. The dojo was dark when he arrived. He silently cursed his brother who was supposed to leave a light on when he left. Trent unlocked the front door and entered. The light switch was across the room, next to the desk. As he moved, Trent slowed.

"Is someone here?" He was suddenly alert, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Slowly, he saw a figure before him. He assumed a fighting stance.

"Hello, Sgt." The voice was familiar but Trent couldn't place it. There was suddenly movement beside him and Trent wheeled to face it. He felt a sharp stab in his thigh and he instantly knew he had been hit with a hypodermic. He lunged in the direction but almost instantly his strength and balance were gone.

"Who are you? What's happening?" Trent slowly collapsed to the floor of the dojo. Within seconds, he was unconscious. The figure moved towards him.

"You'll remember soon enough, Sgt. Malloy. Then you'll get your due." He motioned to the two figures in black. "Put him in the van."

Sam had been surfing the Internet and had lost track of time. She was surprised to see that it was 10:05. She immediately thought about Trent. It was not like him not to call. She grabbed the phone and dialed his cell phone. No answer. She tried Thunder Karate. No answer. She tried Carlos. No answer. 'They are probably having a beer at Uppercuts,' she thought. She grabbed her coat, purse and keys and headed out the door.

Carlos was at the bar, talking with Butch when Sam came in.

"Hey, Sam." They both smiled at her but her expression was serious.

"Hi guys. Have either of you seen Trent?"

"Not since I left this afternoon," Carlos said. "Why?"

"He went to meet someone about a case at 7. I haven't heard from him and I've got a bad feeling." Sam sat beside Carlos.

"Maybe they are still working," Butch suggested.

"Well, Trent did say the guy was adamant that he come alone. Still..."

"Sam, I'm sure he's fine. He can definitely take care of himself."

"I know." Sam smiled. "I think I'll take a drive over to the dojo. He must still be there." Sam couldn't explain it but she felt something was very wrong.

"Here, Sam." Butch handed her the phone. "Try home first. I'll bet he's there already." Sam picked up the phone and dialed. There was no answer after 5 rings and the machine clicked on. She hung up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Carlos asked.

"No," Sam said, trying to smile. "It might not be pretty when I find him. Just turn on your phone so I can let you know."

Trent's head throbbed. He tried to move but both hands were handcuffed to the bed he was laying on. Slowly, the events came back to him. He wondered what had been in the needle.

"I see you are awake, Sgt." Trent slowly focused his eyes on the figure beside him. The recognition finally came.

"Needham," he said

"That's Col. Needham, Sgt. And, I believe you and I have some unfinished business."

Sam was both relieved and angry when she saw the blue 'vette parked in front of the dojo. She pulled in behind and parked. She was all set to yell at Trent for not calling when she realized there were no lights on in the dojo. 'That's odd. Trent and Tommy always leave one light on', she thought. When she tried the door, it was unlocked. Her uneasy feeling grew. She made her way across the room and flicked on the light switch. There was nothing out of place but a glint of metal on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and pulled Trent's keys from under the desk. She immediately reached for the phone, fear rising from the pit of her stomach.

"Okay, Sam, calm down." Carlos had come as soon as she called. "I'm sure there is a reason for this. Maybe he just dropped them," he said, referring to the keys. Carlos knew, however that Trent didn't go anywhere without his keys. He, too was worried. "Trent can take care of himself."

"I know, Carlos, but the door was unlocked, the lights were off. His car is out front and his keys were on the floor. Everything is telling me something is wrong. What about the police?"

Carlos could hear Ryan telling him that they have to wait 72 hours before reporting someone missing, even if it was Trent. He told Sam so.

"What about Tommy? He may have seen Trent when he finished classes."

"Yeah, but it's after 11. We'll wake the whole family."

"I don't think they'll mind. I just don't want to worry Kate." Kate was Trent's mom and she and Sam had grown very close.

"Okay, Call," Carlos told her.

The phone was answered on the third ring. Sam tried to sound nonchalant. "Hi Kate. It's Sam. Is Tommy still awake? Can I talk to him?"

"Sure, Sam. Just a minute." Sam heard shuffling then Tommy.

"Hi Sam. What's up?"

"Tommy, did you see Trent today, after your last class?"

"No. I locked up about quarter to seven. Why?"

"He was supposed to meet someone here. I don't want to worry you but no one has seen or heard from him since he dropped me off at home at 7. His car and keys are here at the dojo but no signs of him. The door was unlocked and all the lights were off."

"I know I locked up and left the light on. Trent freaks when I don't. Do you want me to come down there?" Tommy was beginning to worry.

"No, it's okay Tommy. Carlos is with me. I think I'm just going to go home and see if he doesn't show up. I'll call you in the morning. I'm sorry to bother you."

"Sam, he's my brother. It's no bother. Good-night."

After hanging up the phone, Tommy turned to find Kate standing behind him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, Mom." Tommy tried not to look at her.

"Thomas Malloy, don't lie to me. What's going on?" Tommy took a deep breath.

"Sam thinks Trent is missing. His car and keys are at the dojo, but he's not. She's going to call back in the morning." A frightened look crossed Kate's face. Tommy hugged her. "It's okay, Mom. Trent can take care of himself. I'm sure he's okay."

"What business?" Trent asked, trying to clear his head.

"My dishonourable discharge, 5 years in prison. How's that for starters?" The Col was sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"That was your own doing, not mine." Trent's memory faded back to a military courtroom. He was giving testimony about the Colonel's involvement in the disappearance of weapons from the armory, where Trent was the supply Sgt. His testimony had helped convict the Colonel.

"If you had minded your own business and followed my orders, I would be collecting my miliary pension now."

"And adding it to your nest egg from the sale of those stolen weapons."

"Yes."

"So what do you want with me?"

"Oh, you'll see. All in good time, Sgt. Right now, you should get some rest. You're going to need it." He smiled at Trent as he got up and walked out of the room. Trent heard the door's lock click as it closed.

The next morning Sam was a wreck. She hadn't slept all night and she still hadn't heard from Trent. She jumped as she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to see Carlos.

"Any word?"

"No." The phone rang and Sam dove for it. "Trent?" she said anxiously as she answered it. It was Tommy. "Oh, sorry Tommy...No, nothing. I'm going to call Walker and I'll let you know....Bye." She hung up the phone, then picked it up again and punched in Walker's number.

The Colonel had come in to the room and was sitting beside the bed. Trent had hardly slept and was stiff from being handcuffed all night.

"Good morning, Sgt. I hope you slept well." He looked at Trent. "Do you know what I miss most about the army, Sgt?"

"Killing people?" Trent said, as he stared icily.

"Well, yes, but I get to do that in my present line of work. No, it's the field exercises. The hunting of the enemy." The Col got up and walked to the end of the bed. "You are going to be my enemy, Sgt. Malloy. I'll give you an hour head start." He motioned for the guard at the door. "Give him another shot." He turned back to Trent. "I seem to remember you had little use for guns so I guess you won't need one. When you come to you'll be in the wilderness. I'll see you then." The Colonel flashed an evil grin as Trent felt the needle go into his arm. It was the last thing Trent saw as he faded into darkness.

Sam, Carlos and Walker met at Thunder Karate.

"Did you two touch anything," Walker asked.

"Carlos didn't, but I touched the light switch, the phone and the chair. With all the students, wouldn't it be impossible to run all the prints?" Sam asked.

"Well, I'm hoping we don't have to but I'm sure most of the students wouldn't be on file. It might be worth a try." The dojo was much brighter in the light of day. As Sam was looking around she noticed something under Trent's desk.

"Walker, Carlos. Look." As they looked where she was pointing they saw it. A hypodermic needle.

"I'm calling Trivette. This is now a crime scene." Sam's worst fear was realized. Now she knew something had happened to Trent.

"We'll find him Sam. He'll be okay." Carlos said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"I hope so Carlos."

The crime scene unit arrived fifteen minutes later and began working on taking prints and other evidence. Sam asked Carlos to take her over to the Malloys'. As usual, it was Kate trying to take care of everyone. She gave Sam a big hug.

"They'll find him, Sam. Trent has always been good at taking care of himself."

"I know," Sam said as she tried to smile. "Walker said he would let us know if he finds anything." She turned to Tommy. "Did you see anything unusual last night before you left?"

"Not really. There were a few cars parked out in front but that's not unusual."

"What kinds?" Carlos asked.

"I think there was a black Durango like yours and a green cube van. That's all I remember."

"I remember something." It was Kate.

"What, Mrs. Malloy?" Carlos couldn't bring himself to call her Kate.

"Someone called here yesterday, looking for Trent. They asked for Sgt. Trent Malloy. I gave him the number of the office and Thunder Karate. He said they were old friends."

"So, it may be someone from his army days," Carlos surmised.

"Did anything special happen while he was in the army?" Sam asked.

"Trent never really said much because he and his father didn't see eye to eye about him being in the army."

"I know he had to testify about some missing weapons when he was supply Sgt." Carlos offered. "He told me that when he had to testify against that mobster." Carlos remembered back, to when Trent was in the hospital, fighting for his life after being attacked by a hit man. He tried to shake the image from his memory.

"Maybe we should talk to Walker about all this," Sam suggested. She turned to Kate and hugged her. "We'll be back when we know something."

"Thanks, Sam. You can stay here if you want until this is over. I don't want you to be alone."

"Thanks, Kate. Let's go Carlos." They headed over to Ranger HQ.

Trent came to in a wooded area. He had a powerful headache and his body ached from being tied up for so long. He tried to shake the cobwebs from his head. 'Okay,' he said to himself as he looked around. 'I have to get to high ground to see what's here.' He checked the sun and headed north.

"We got the results from the syringe," Trivette said as he hung up the phone. "It was animal tranquilizer. This stuff could literally have stopped a horse."

"So that's how they got him. Stopped him before he could fight back." Walker looked as Sam and Carlos walked in. "Hi guys. We just found out what they used in the syringe." Walker told them about the results and they in turn told Walker and Trivette about the possible army connection. "Okay, thanks. We'll see if we can get some info about his army service. We're still trying to run all the prints from the dojo, but now we'll try to cross reference with military records." Jimmy started typing on the computer.

"What can I do, Walker?'

"Sam, go home. We'll call when we know something."

"Walker, I can't just sit at home. Carlos, let's go to the office. We'll let you guys know if we find anything." Sam turned on her heel and walked out with Carlos behind her.

The ride to the office was quiet as they both were lost in their thoughts. At the office, Sam's resolve finally broke. She sat at the desk and tried to stop the tears from coming. Carlos came over to her.

"Sam..."

"Don't, Carlos. I'm okay." She wiped the tears. "I've got to hold it together for Trent's sake." She turned to the computer. "Let's see what this can do."

Trent figured he had been moving for about an hour. He knew the ground was sloping upward but not enough to give him a view of his surroundings. He took care to stay away from open areas, favouring the forest. He kept heading north, occasionally stopping to hear if anyone was behind him. Nothing. As he came to a hill, he started to climb. He felt the burning in his bicep almost as he heard the rifle shot. Grabbing his arm, he slid back down the hill and hit the ground running.

"Okay, here we go. There was a case in 1994 about some weapons missing from an armoury. They didn't say where, but they think they were sold to some Middle Eastern country. It mentions a supply sergeant was called to testify after he discovered irregularities. A Col. Jacob Needham was sentenced to 5 years in prison." Sam punching a few more keys. "Jacob Needham was released about 2 months ago. Carlos, I think we have something here." A few more keys. "There are 8 Jacob Needhams throughout the U.S. Here, I'll print out the addresses. You call Walker."

Trent ran despite the pain in his arm, until he came to and area heavily covered by the trees. He leaned against a rock, breathing hard. As he surveyed his wound, he realized the bullet had passed right through the muscle. He was bleeding fairly heavily. Trent tore a strip from his undershirt and packed the wound. He tore another and tied it around his arm. He knew he had to keep moving, especially now there was a trail of blood. That shot came from that ridge, he thought. I have to circle behind. Now that he knew there were snipers, he would have to eliminate them. He caught his breath and headed east.

"We have a set of fingerprints. A former army Lieutenant, kicked out the same time as Needham. His name is Frank Cole. His address is in Shreveport, Louisiana. The state police are checking it out." Jimmy was talking to Carlos on the phone.

"Sam is looking for any old army property here in Dallas," Carlos told him.

"Okay," said Sam as she took the phone. "Jimmy, I've got a couple of properties that used to be owned by the U.S. Army. One is on the corner of Jackson and Oakwood."

"That's a biker bar now," Jimmy said.

"The other is on Industrial, between Sanford and Houston."

"That is an old building," said Carlos. "I think it has been condemned."

"We'll meet you there, Jimmy." Sam hung up before Trivette could argue. "Let's go Carlos." Sam was out the door before Carlos could protest.

Trent heard the sniper before he saw him. He moved quietly until the sniper was right in front of him.

"Hey," he said and the sniper turned, startled. The first blow hit the sniper square in the nose, breaking it. A kick to the side of the head finished the fight as quickly as it had begun. Trent grabbed the rifle and smashed it on a nearby tree. He frisked the sniper and found a small handgun. He hesitated, then tucked the gun into the back of his jeans. He headed west.

Walker and Trivette arrived just ahead of Carlos and Sam. The building was rundown, with all the windows and doors boarded up. Carlos and Sam headed around the back, followed by Walker and Trivette. On the back door they found a shiny new padlock. Carlos drew his gun.

"Stand back," he ordered Sam, then fired a shot into the lock. The lock exploded into pieces and Carlos opened the door. "Sam, stay here." The three men headed into the building, guns drawn.

As she was standing outside, Sam noticed a homeless man watching her from the alley. She went to talk to him.

"You're looking for the army guys, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes. Have you seen them?"

"I don't see nuthin'." He started to turn away.

"Please. There was a blond man with them. He's a friend of mine and he's in trouble. Did you see him?" Sam's voice was pleading. The man turned back to face her and she could tell he was deciding whether or not to talk to her.

"They dragged him outta here. He didn't look so good. They tossed him in to a green truck. A big one." Once again, he turned to walk away. Sam quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"Here. Please take this. You have been a great help and I thank you." The man hesitated, then took the money.

"Thank you ma'am. I hope you find your friend." He shuffled off as Carlos appeared at the back door. He motioned her inside.

"They were here." Inside, there was a small room with a cot, with handcuffs still attached to the frame. Outside the room was a table with a box of hypodermic needles. Sam told them of her conversation with the man in the alley.

"I think they may be back," Trivette said. "Let's go wait outside."

"Carlos, I want you to take Sam home," Walker ordered.

"No!"

"Sam, it's dangerous." Walker wanted her to see reason.

"Yes, and I am surrounded by three men with guns. Besides, you'll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming." Sam had a determined look in her eye.

"That could be arranged," Walker said, but he understood how Sam was feeling. "Alright, you can stay. But, you stay in the car when anything goes down, okay?"

"Thanks, Walker." They headed out the way the had come in. As Carlos opened the door he saw a green van coming down the alleyway.

"It's them, Walker!" The driver spotted them and tried to throw the van into reverse. The three men shot at the tires and soon the van crashed into the fence. They quickly ran to get the driver before he could run.

"Frank Cole," said Walker as he recognized the face from the military mug shot. "Take him inside."

Trent felt the bullet whiz by him, before he heard it. He quickly dove for cover. The sniper was on a ridge above him. He had eliminated two snipers already but he had no idea how many were left. The sun was beginning to sink on the horizon. His arm ached and he knew the temperature would drop rapidly. He longed for sleep but that was not an option. For now adrenalin would have to carry him. He thought about Sam, Carlos and his family and wondered where they were looking for him. He knew with absolute certainty they were looking for him. He just hoped it was in the right places. He headed west as another shot rang out.

"Where are they?" Carlos was tempted to beat the answer out of their prisoner.

"Name, rank and serial number is all you get," Cole said, with a smug look on his face. Carlos wanted to wipe the grin off with his fist.

"How about locking this place up and leaving you here. My guess is you were here to clean up, and no one will come looking for you for days, weeks maybe," Walker said evenly.

"You wouldn't do that. You're a cop."

"Ex-cop," Carlos said, getting inches away from his face. "They can just walk away and leave you here with me." He stood up and turned to Sam. "What happens if you inject someone with a syringe and there is nothing in it but air?"

"Air bubbles. They go to the brain and pop, it's all over. You become a drooling vegetable." Sam really didn't know what would happen but she was guessing neither did Cole. By the look of panic on his face, she had guessed right.

"Okay, guys. You can leave now. We'll take care of him." Carlos picked up the box of syringes and took one out. He looked at Cole with a hard expression. Cole looked at Walker and Trivette.

"You're not going to leave me with him, are you?" Panic was slowly rising in Cole's voice. "I don't want to be a vegetable."

"I've got a dinner date. Let's go Trivette." Walker motioned Jimmy to follow him.

"No, wait. I'll tell you." Cole gave them directions to the spot where they had dropped off Trent earlier. "The Colonel is hunting him."

"We'll need a chopper," Jimmy said.

"It's too late tonight. We'll never see anything after sundown. Set it up for first thing tomorrow." As Jimmy pulled out his cell phone to call, Sam walked over to Cole. Before anyone could stop her, she threw a punch that caught Cole square in the jaw.

"That's for Trent." She turned and walked out the door.

Night was falling fast and Trent had to find shelter. He found an outcropping and settled in under it. If the Colonel and his men had night vision equipment it wouldn't matter. His best plan was to watch and wait.

"How's your hand?" Carlos asked Sam as they arrived at her apartment.

"Hurts like hell. How do you guys do that all the time?"

"Practice," he said, laughing. "Let me see." He took Sam's hand and tried to move everything. Sam winced. "It's not broken but we should wrap your knuckles. They're bleeding." Sam looked at her hand and saw the blood for the first time. She went to get the first aid kit. As she sat down on the couch, Carlos brought a wet cloth from the bathroom to wash her wounds.

"Are you okay, Sam?" He looked in her eyes and saw the worry and frustration that mirrored his own. "We'll get out there at dawn. He'll be okay until then." Sam just nodded. "I don't suppose there is anyway I can get you to stay here tomorrow?" Sam shot him a look. "Didn't think so." When he was done wrapping her knuckles, Carlos put his arm around Sam and hugged her. They didn't have to say anything; they both knew what the other was thinking.

A figure was approaching in the darkness. Trent shrunk as far as he could into the shadows until the figure was in front of him and then he lunged. The fight was one-sided, with Trent beating the man quickly. He smashed the rifle and headed off quickly to find a new hiding spot until morning.

"C'mon Carlos. We gotta go." Sam called to Carlos, trying to wake him up. "Carlos, it's 4:00 am. We have to meet Walker at 5:00 at the airport hanger." There was still no movement. Sam picked up a shoe and threw it. "Carlos!" It was a direct hit.

"What?" Carlos' eyes were partially open, trying to focus.

"Let's go. NOW!" Carlos was suddenly awake as he remembered the task that lay ahead of them.

Walker and Jimmy were waiting when they arrived. The sun was just peaking over the horizon.

"Let's go."

Trent awoke with a start. 'Damn,' he thought he had no idea how long he had slept but he was sure it hadn't been long. His every nerve was on edge now. He listened but there were no sounds. Something was wrong. There were no birds or any other forest sounds. Someone must be nearby. He reached for the gun and released the safety. Slowly he moved from his hiding place and started westward. Finally he heard it. A helicopter. Before him was a clearing. As he waited by the edge he saw the Dallas P.D. on the side. Should he risk the run and expose his position or stay and wait? He opted for the first option.

"Look!" Sam nearly jumped out of the helicopter. "It's Trent!" As she watched in horror she saw him fall as the bullet struck him. "NO!!!" she screamed.

"We have to get down there, now!" Carlos said to the pilot.

"I can't land here. I'll have to find a place." They banked and came back around. Trent was gone.

"What happened? Where is he?" Sam searched the clearing frantically but there was no sign of him.

"Land, now." Walker said.

The shot had knocked Trent off his feet. The bullet had struck him in the lower left side and he was bleeding fairly heavily. He mustered all his strength to get up and run back to the forest. He knew they had seen him and he just had to hang on. He thought the shot had come from across the clearing so he moved away from it. He headed north.

As he moved, he knew he was getting weaker and slower. Pain and exhaustion were beginning to overtake him. He stopped to catch his breath, turned and came face to face with the Colonel.

"You put up a good fight, Sgt. However, you're not quite good enough to beat me."

Trent tried to keep focused as he surveyed his surroundings. There was nowhere to run. He knew he had to stall for time. "Why me? I was just one of the people who testified."

"You were the only one bright enough to figure out what was going on. You were the one who put it all together and you weren't stopped by orders."

Trent was struggling to stay on his feet. "When did you get out?"

"Two months ago. There is a lot of shall we say 'freelance' work for me out there, but I had business first. Someone had to pay for those five years I lost to that hell hole. It took me a while to track you down. I thought for sure you would still be in the army. Then I had to find out where home was. Now, here we are. But enough. I'm sure the police are on their way. Time for you to die, Sgt." As he raised the gun, Trent dropped and rolled and pulled the gun from his jeans. The Colonel fired, but his shot was wide. Trent fired but the Colonel had moved. Trent scrambled behind a fallen tree; the Colonel behind a rock.

"Oh come on Sgt." Needham's voice was confident. "You're just delaying the inevitable. You're wounded, probably fighting to stay conscious. Surrender."

"So you can kill me?" The Colonel was right. Trent had lost a lot of blood and was trying to keep his head clear. He would not go without a fight and leaned out and fired.

"That's good. Use your ammunition. I can wait. It will take them awhile to track us." Trent just hoped that Walker had been in the helicopter because he could track better than anyone.

"So who did you sell the guns to?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. I just provided them to a middleman and he took care of the rest. Where they ended up was not my concern." The Colonel could tell Trent was weak. His voice was faltering. The Colonel slowly moved and came around behind Trent. He pointed the gun at Trent's head before he could react. "Drop it." Trent did as he was told and turned to face the Colonel. "Run," the Colonel ordered.

"No. If you are going to kill me, do it now, face to face." Trent looked him in the eye.

"Okay." He raised the gun. Suddenly, there was a crash and Walker flew through the bush to kick the gun from the Colonel's hand. As they fought, Trent sank to the ground. He slowly realized someone was there, with him. He looked up to see Sam.

"Oh,God! I thought you were dead." The tears she had kept in check finally came, as she held him.

"I'm okay," he said, trying to comfort her. "Don't cry." He saw Carlos standing behind Sam. "What took you so long, man?" He smiled weakly. Sam tore a piece off his shirt and put pressure on his wound. She gave way to Jimmy as he and Carlos helped Trent to his feet.

"Hi," Sam said. Trent had just opened his eyes to see Sam at his bedside.

"Hi. Did you get the licence number of the truck that hit me?" His body ached all over.

"Yes. They got it." Sam was relieved that he was going to be okay. "They had to stitch up your side and your arm so now you have a few new scars to show off."

"I'll use them to pick up women," he said, smiling.

"Yeah, well if you show me yours, I'll show you mine." Sam leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. Her tone turned serious. "I was so worried about you. When I saw you get shot, I...." Sam stopped.

"I guess we're even now. I'll worry about you and you can worry about me. What happened to your hand?" Trent had noticed the bandage.

"I punched someone," Sam said sheepishly.

"Really?" Trent laughed. "Owww." Sam smiled.

"I've decided that you aren't allowed to go anywhere alone anymore. Carlos has to be with you," Sam said, only half joking.

"Where is the big guy?"

"He's outside with your Mom and Tommy. Alex, Walker and Jimmy are taking care of Needham. Do you want me to send them in?"

"Not just yet. Stay with me a while."

"Sure."

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