The pain came in waves as Trent tried to focus on the faces around him. It was the same questions, all about Casey and Carter. Had someone mentioned Sam? He thought so but his thinking was muddled. The blows and then the pain. He felt himself being lifted, dragged and then falling. He heard the click of a lock as he lay on the floor. He tried to open his eyes but the light hurt. He tried again and saw the vision above him.

"Sam?" he tried to say. It was Sam! A smile came across his face as the darkness overtook him.

"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" Carlos asked, tossing the picture on the bar.

"Carlos..." Jess started.

"Look, Mr. Sandoval, Jessie here said you could help me find my daughter. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll find someone who will." The gentleman reached for the photo on the bar.

"Carlos, I told you I saw her," Jess whispered.

Carlos picked up the picture again and stared at it. Running his fingers through his hair, he took a sharp breath. Finally, he spoke. "Look, Mr. Hamilton, I'm sorry but your daughter...she just looks a lot like a friend of mine who passed away not too long ago."

"I assure you, Mr. Sandoval..."

"Carlos."

"Carlos, that is my daughter. She was supposed to meet me this morning for breakfast. When she didn't, I knew something was wrong. I knew she had a date last night and was supposed to have come here."

Carlos couldn't take his eyes off the picture. It was as if Sam was there, with him. He forced himself to speak. "I know this might be hard, but isn't possible that her date might have lasted all night?"

Mr. Hamilton smiled. "I know she is a grown woman, but she would have called if she couldn't make it. You see, she and I have no other family. We are very close and I know something is wrong. The police won't do anything for another 48 hours."

"She left here alone, Carlos. I talked to her at the bar last night. I told you."

Carlos was quiet for a couple minutes. "Where does your daughter work?"

"She's a legal secretary over at Hearst, Ferguson and Long."

"Was she helping them with anything particularly sensitive?"

"Not that I know of."

"Okay, Mr. Hamilton, I'll help you find your daughter. Here is my card but if you call the office only talk to me, not my partner. He isn't to be involved at all."

"Yes, of course. But may I ask why?"

"It's his deceased wife that your daughter resembles."

**

"We found her car in the parking lot. Her purse was on the ground, under it, so something has obviously happened. I'm heading over to Hearst, Ferguson and Long to talk to her bosses. Don't show that picture to Trent or anyone for that matter. When he comes in, just tell him I'm working on a separate case."

"Okay, Carlos. I just can't get over how much she looks like Sam." Kim was looking at the picture. "Are you sure you don't want to tell him?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. At least not yet." Carlos headed out the door.

**

Trent could feel the light behind his eyelids but he didn't want to open them. As he lay there, the memories came back to him. He was sure there were a few broken bones and more than a few bent ones. He remembered being thrown in the room after they had finished questioning him. The only thing he couldn't figure out was why he had dreamed of Sam. Almost as he realized he wasn't alone, he something on his forehead. He started and opened his eyes.

"Oh Shit! It wasn't a dream." He jerked the cloth off his head and tried to move away as the woman jumped back. "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded.

"My name is Rachel. However, everyone seems to think my name is Samantha."

Trent tried to prop himself up but when he leaned on his wrist, a searing pain shot up his arm. He tried to bite off the scream in his throat.

"I think it's broken," she told him. "You were in pretty bad shape. I've tried to clean up what I can with water from that sink over there," she said pointing across the room. "You were calling for her."

Gritting his teeth and cradling his arm, Trent sat himself up against the wall. "Calling for who?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"Samantha," Rachel said, gazing at the cloth in her hands. "Who is she?"

"She was my wife."

Rachel did not miss the 'was' part of Trent's answer. Her own feeling of dread was beginning to grow. "Where is she?" she asked quietly.

Trent took a deep breath. "She's dead. She was killed in an explosion about six months ago."

"They think I am someone who has been dead for six months?!!" Rachel exclaimed. "Don't they know she is DEAD?" she yelled, her frustration finally erupting.

Trent did not try to hide the pained expression on his face. "You might not want to advertise that you aren't her." His first thought that she was a plant had now dissipated and he had realized just how much danger she was in. "If they figure out that you aren't Sam they may figure out that they don't need you."

"Would they kill me?" Rachel asked, incredulously.

"What do you think?" Trent asked sarcastically. "They didn't invite me here to have a party."

"Don't get snotty. I didn't ask to look like her!" she yelled, her voice quivering.

Trent bit his tongue as he thought about Rachel. Sam didn't ask to be put in danger either. And look where it got her.

"Okay, I'm sorry. But I'm going to need your help if we are going to get out of here," Trent said, soothingly

"How do you propose to do that? Have you taken a look at yourself? We are doomed." Her eyes began to well up.

"Come here," Trent told her. She may look like Sam but she sure isn't her. He put his good arm around her as she sat down, her tears flowing freely now. "Think positive. I'll figure something out."

She began to weep now, burying her head in his chest.

**

"Carlos, have you talked to Trent today?"

"No. Why?" Carlos had taken a seat opposite Jessie and Kim at Uppercuts.

"No one has heard from him. The Rangers were here looking for him but I couldn't reach him either at home or on his cell phone."

"I'm sure he's fine, Kim. Wasn't he trying to find Casey?" When Kim nodded, Carlos added, "I'm sure he is just working on that."

Jess knew that Trent had talked to Casey two days before because she had had an appointment with Casey that morning. However, client therapist privilege would not let her tell Carlos anything. And Casey had made it very clear that if Jess told Trent or Carlos anything she would report her.

"Kim, phone," Joe, the bartender called. Kim had forwarded the Thunder Investigation phone to the bar and went to answer it.

"I don't know, Carlos. I think something is wrong," Jess said.

"I'm sure he's fine." Inside, Carlos wasn't so sure. He had a nagging feeling that Trent was in trouble. That feeling was soon confirmed by Kim.

"That was Methodist hospital calling. They have a Corvette licensed to a Trent Malloy that has been parked in the short-term parking for almost two days now and they would like him to kindly move it." A silence hung over the table as their fears were realized.

Kim asked quietly, "Do you think that Rachel's disappearance may be related to Trent's?"

"If they think she is Sam," Carlos said. "I have to find Casey."

"What good will that do?" Jess asked, not really looking at Carlos.

"That's where Trent was last. Maybe she knows something." There was something in Jess' demeanor that caught Carlos' attention. "What do you know about her, Jess?"

"Nothing," she said, too quickly.

Carlos stared. "You know where she is, don't you?"

"Carlos..."

"You do, don't you? She is seeing you as a therapist, isn't she?" Carlos' voice was rising.

"I can't tell you that, Carlos." Jess couldn't look him in the eye.

"Why not?"

"Therapist-client privilege. I'd lose my license."

Carlos was livid now. "So if Trent ends up dead somewhere because I couldn't get the information from her, at least you will still have your license."

"That's not fair, Carlos" Jess said quietly.

"The hell it isn't! Where is she?"

"I'll call her but I can't tell you, Carlos. Not if she doesn't want me to."

Carlos started to protest but Kim stopped him. Jessie got up to make the phone call.

A few moments later, Jessie returned to the table. "She said that she talked to Trent two days ago. He didn't say much but warned her about Eric's brother Nick. His company was called Gentlemen's Entertainment Incorporated so you can always check there."

"Can I see her?" Carlos asked.

Jess looked at the table. "No." As Carlos spouted a few Spanish epithets, she continued. "She is afraid, Carlos. She doesn't want to get involved."

Getting up, Carlos knocked over a chair, catching the attention of everyone in the bar. "If anything happens to Trent or Rachel, I am holding both of you responsible," he spat as he turned and stormed out.

**

"I have to find something to splint my wrist," Trent said, looking around the room. Beside him, Rachel was still crying. She had barely stopped to breathe. Finally, Trent grabbed her. "Look," he said determinedly, "I need you to get a hold of yourself. Sitting here crying isn't helping anyone. We need to work together."

Rachel looked up at him. "What would Samantha be doing?"

Turning away, Trent said, "Tearing down the walls to find a way out." Taking a breath, he turned to her. "Rachel, I don't need you to be her, but you do have help me out. Can you do it?"

"Yes," she murmured.

"Good. Now, I have to find something to splint this and then we'll work on a plan."

**

"We know he went to see Casey two nights ago at Methodist Hospital. When I went there no one had seen Trent and I haven't been able to find Casey there. It seems there was no one there using the name Casey or Laura and no one recognized her picture," Gage told the people assembled in front of him. This included Carlos, Walker, and Sydney.

Carlos spoke up. "Someone I know has spoken to her. She acknowledges seeing Trent but she says she doesn't know where he is now. She did give us the name of the corporation of his brother."

"Gentlemen's Entertainment Incorporated. Trivette is checking their holdings now for various locations. Next, we'll have to just do the leg work and visit each site," Walker told them. "Sydney, once we get the list ask Dallas PD for a few men to help with the search. Okay, get going everyone."

As the small group disbanded, Walker stopped Carlos. "Who talked to Casey, Carlos?"

"Jess. She is seeing her as a therapist but she won't tell me where she is." There was venom in Carlos' voice.

"She can't. Client-therapist privilege."

"That's a convenient excuse. If anything happens to either of them, I'm holding her responsible."

"Either of them? Who is the other one?" Walker asked, surprised.

"Her name is Rachel Hamilton. I think she was abducted in front of Uppercuts the other night, " Carlos told him.

"What makes you think she is involved it this?"

Carlos took a deep breath. "She looks exactly like Samantha Baker...Malloy."

**

Nick Carter stared at the package. In his hand, he held a vial of Digoxin. There was no return address, only a postmark from Dallas. There was no note, nothing, but he knew what it meant. This was the drug used to kill his brother.