See Part One For Disclaimers

Immediately upon reaching the relative safety of the chopper, Nick lay Phillip down in the main body of the machine, Rose clambering in beside him. Alex followed closely as Nick and Lissa stayed outside, keeping an eye on the door of the roof.

"Come'on Derek, anytime..." Nick muttered under his breath.

Lissa was grim, her eyes never leaving the direction of the stairwell. "He'll be here, Nick. He just needs a few minutes."

"'M sorry...failed you..."

Turning at the sound of Phillip's soft voice, Lissa automatically reached to sooth her childhood friend. "Hush Phillip, we're here, everything's alright now..."

But Phillip shook his head, weakly grabbing Nick's arm. "No...I failed. 'M sorry...couldn' stop them...tried t' get away..."

Suddenly understanding what he was trying to say, Nick swallowed hard, his anger at Arkady and his men making the retort sharper than he intended. "How can you even think that? You did fine."

"Had a chance...t' get away...an' I blew it." The self-loathing in that whimper tore Nick apart. To think that Phillip blamed himself for all that had happened...

Impatiently, the SEAL brushed a hand through his hair, releasing the guilt and anger in a shallow breath. "Listen, you didn't fail anyone, alright? Not me, not Derek, not Alex...no one! Understand me? Now just rest for God's sake!"

Phillip nodded once, Rose speaking quietly as he passed out again. "He blames himself for not being able to protect them," she told him. "He tried to keep quiet - during the worst. He wanted to be like you - to not give them the satisfaction when they told him to beg..."

"Beg? That's what they wanted?" Rose nodded simply, the move causing the tears to roll down her cheeks. She ignored them. Nick's anger turned to ice. "Did he...? I mean, did they..?

She stroked Phillip's bruised face gently, brushing the hair out of his eyes in a tender gesture. "Yes...yes they did."

"Then they're mine."

"Not if I find them first, brother." Derek's daughter spoke quietly, matching him steel for steel and Nick quietly decided that he would capture and confront them without her knowing until after the fact. He had protected Lissa from the ugliness of Derek's rage, and he would protect her from his own dark side as well.

"Derek!" They both started at the anguish in that cry as Phillip gasped out briefly before closing his eyes as Rose touched his forehead.

Alex frowned worriedly at the way he kept passing out as the Healer placed both hands on his temples. "Will he be alright?"

Rose nodded. "I'm going to keep him under while I Heal him."

"Here they come!" Lissa ran across to add her support on Derek's other side as Alex cleared a space so that the precept could position himself with a care for his injuries. It was cramped but it would do.

"Rose, can you Heal while I fly?" Nick asked and at her assurance, the pilot hopped into the cab, slipping behind the controls and revving up the engine, wanting to put as much distance between them and this place as possible.

"How is he?" Eyeing the unconscious priest, Derek feared the worst, but Alex smiled above him reassuringly. "Rose says he'll be fine."

"Dad? Where's Arkady?"

"Chained to the wall in his own dungeon." The grim satisfaction in the precept's tone did not lend itself to more questions. "You're sure Phillip will be alright?"

Rose glanced at him sharply, sensing the pain he was trying to hide. She caught Moira's worried look and his own grimace as Nick took off, leaving the dark manse behind them. "Better than you'll be if I don't take a look at that arm." Quelling any further protests with a look, Derek subsided as the girl placed a hand on his chest. Frowning in concentration, she sunk her awareness into Derek's abused body, sending her Gift out to ease the swelling of internal injuries.

Gods, she was so tired. But there was still so much to do.

//Rose... will you be alright?//

Unable to hide anything mind to mind, the girl sighed softly. //I'm worried about him.//

No need to ask which 'him' she was referring to. Derek may be in bad shape, but he would be fine. Phillip would need more than Rose had to spare at the moment.

//Moira...he almost died. What if...//

Placing a hand over hers, the mage answered simply, reacting to the half-formed fears she was picking up. //No 'if's'. Phillip didn't die because you didn't let that happen. And that's what we're here for...and take all you need. I'm not going to fall on my face just yet,// she told her, catching her eyes, //but you look like you might.//

//Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join?// They both looked up at Lissa who had been watching them closely. Derek had closed his eyes wearily, half sitting, his head resting on Alex's hip as she sat quietly, mild shock setting in. Though unable to follow the conversation since it had been a private sending, the ex-cop had no trouble concluding from their sober faces that the situation was grim. //And Rose, you look like you're ready to drop.//

//We were just talking about that, actually...//

//Well why didn't you say something? I'm running on a full tank..// with that, Lissa placed her hand over the others, closing her eyes briefly as the three of them Healed the older man, Rose drawing strength from the other two. Under their combined strength, bones knitted, bleeding stopped and fever was burned out before it had a chance to take hold.

Even so, Rose sighed again, drooping wearily as Derek opened his eyes, relief evident in the clear gaze. He gripped her hand fondly, the smile free of pain. "Thank you."

"What did he want, Derek?" Nick asked. "I mean - why all of this?"

"Me." The short reply was as pained as it was tired as Derek rubbed his forehead, chasing away the last echos of shadow-ache. "He wanted me."

Lissa raised an eyebrow in irony. "Oh I'd say he suceeded. But he wasn't counting on all of us."

"No, he wasn't" Derek smiled, this time with a little more feeling. "You worked as a team tonight...I'm proud of you all."

"You won't be when you see what was done to the guy we captured." Lissa rested her head against his shoulder. Flatline; emotional burnout.

He hugged his daughter with one arm. "Captured?" he asked, looking around. "Where...?"

"At the castle, Dad. I...wasn't exactly the good cop I was trained to be."

"Oh?" Lissa's sheepish grimace raised an eyebrow of his own, torn between alarm and amusement.

"I wanted answers...and I didn't care what I had to do to get them."

Unaware of the attack on the two of them at the docks, Derek looked from his wife to his daughter and back, suddenly alarmed. "How did you capture him? And what aren't you telling me?"

"Uh...well. He sorta found us." Lissa offered.

"Found you? How?"

"Don't worry, Derek - Lis and Moi took care of it." Nick put in over his shoulder from the front before Derek could go ballistic. "Not two ladies I would want on my bad side."

"That doesn't answer my question!"

Nick returned, his voice grinning. "No, it doesn't."

Lissa glared warningly at his back as Derek fumed. "Nicholas."

"They ambushed us on the docks, Derek. We took care of them."

"They what!" It was the husband and father who turned his attention to Moira as she ran her hands over her eyes.

"Four men attacked your daughter and myself on the docks as we were waiting for the ferry." She told him flatly. "We handled it. The one that didn't get away, we took to the castle intending to get some answers."

"So not only did Arkady kidnap myself, Phillip and Alex, he sent out an attack on the two of you as well?" Derek asked dangerously.

"That's about the size of it." Nick answered first, changing the subject before Derek ordered him to turn the chopper around to finish the snake off. From the look in the precept's eyes he was thinking about doing just that. "I've called ahead. Rachel and Maddy will meet us at the landing."

Lissa grimaced. "Rachel. I forgot all about her."

Moira nodded while Derek was still turning over the latest revelations. "She's not going to be too happy about staying behind but...I needed someone there to monitor the phone. Or the computers in case our searches found something. Maddy could have done that and more, but Rachel had no combat experience. And she has Kat to come home to."

Derek, coming out of his thoughts, pointed out quitely. "Elizabeth, you have Cassie."

His daughter shrugged simply. "You're my father, how could I not come?"

"She's your daughter, Derek, " Nick confirmed, causing her to blush. "No way was she stayin' by the phone."

"I don't play the waiting game very well. Besides - I was attacked and someone had kidnapped my friend and my father, of course I was coming."

Alex smiled at her mischieviously, some of her humor returning the further away they flew. "And she's every bit as stubborn as you are, Derek!"

"More so..." Phillip's weak voice added softly.

Lissa and Derek retorted in unison. "Shut up Phillip!"

A knee-jerk reaction, they spoke before they thought, Derek breaking into a wide grin at the sight of his godson awake and alert while Lissa reached for the hand he held out to her. Nick threw a relieved grin over his shoulder at them all.

"You're back."

"Had t' come back." Phillip told them gravely with weak grin for his old friend. "Y' guys were talkin' s' loud...couldna' sleep."

Lissa laughed, wiping away her tears with her free hand. "Sorry about that Pip. We'll try and keep it down. You just rest."

She moved over for Derek who took the young man's other hand not bothering to hide the relief shining through the tears in his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'v been caught w'th the socc'r ball 'n th' open, w'thout any defens'm'n." The priest admitted ruefully, slowly attempting to sit up. At a sharp twinge of pain in his side and warning glares all around, he subsided meekly.

"Lissa's right my friend, you need your rest." Derek released his hand but Phillip had other ideas and tightened his grip as his attention focused entirely on his precept.

"'m sorry, Derek...I tried t' get away. Almost made it t' th' door but they caught me."

"Listen to me, Phillip." Derek told him firmly, and blue eyes meeting hazel-gray, Phillip returned his gaze. "None of this is your fault. You could have done nothing to prevent this. If anyone's fault, it's mine for not seeing what Arkady was capable of sooner." Seeing that the younger man had listened to him, Derek squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Now Heal and recover...I have a translation for you in the morning," he finished gravely, illiciting the smile he had hoped from the priest.

"Right. Samarian, Arabic or Abyssinian?" Phillip asked jokingly, clearly growing tired.

"Tracean."

"No...such thin'..." And Phillip was asleep.

"Pecisely, my friend." Derek whispered fondly, brushing the hair from his eyes.

 

"What's taking them so long?" Rachel paced the veranda.

As soon as Maddy had received the call from Nick, the doctor had made sure that all medical precautions had been taken. While Maddy had brought up the landing lights and checked the airwaves, making doubly certain that the pilot's flightpath was clear, she had kept herself busy gathering together water and bandages to clean and bind their injuries as well as her other impliments should she need them.

Now at loose ends, both women simple stood and waited, Rachel unaware that she clutched her black medical bag to her like a lifeline. Nick hadn't specified as to what types of injuries awaited her and Maddy hadn't asked, further putting the doctor on edge. To her way of thinking, the other woman should have gotten as much information as she could from Nick before he signed off.

"They shouldn't be far now. And Rose is with them, " Maddy glanced at her and Rachel felt a twinge of regret for having snapped at the younger woman earlier. "She'll bring them home safe."

Valiantly supressing the urge to point out that the young Healer was only one person, the doctor turned, picking up the first faint sounds of the chopper coming across the bay.

A few moments later, Nick brought the machine in for a flawless landing, gently setting the bird down on the designated pad out in the yard on the side of the House. Unhooking himself, Nick opened the side hatch, Derek being helped out by Moira and Lissa as Alex shakily emerged behind them.

"What's she wearing?" Rachel murmured, momentarily distracted by the sight of the researcher in her underwear. "And isn't that Moira's jacket?"

Maddy's tone was grim as she spotted Nick ease Phillip out of the chopper. Even at this distance, she could tell the priest was stubbornly refusing to be carried. "Yes it is." At last the two men compromised by Nick holding onto his waist as he threw an arm over his shoulder. Rose was last to emerge, looking very much worse for wear.

The first wave made it to the steps and Rachel moved to help the precept. Waving her away, Derek countered wearily, "I'm fine Rachel. See to Phillip. Maddy can you...?"

"I'll make sure everyone gets to their beds." she reassured him. "And it looks like I had better start with Rose."

"I can do that, just make sure Derek makes it to his study." At his surprised expression, Moira let out an exasperated sigh. "I know you, remember? The first thing you're going to want to do is call London. That's if Sloan hasn't called here already."

At that moment Lissa's daughter Cassie came flying out of the castle, crying, "Mommy!"

Throwing her arms open, Lissa caught the little girl in a bear hug swinging her around as the impact was enough to cause her backpack to rattle.

"What was that?"

Trading glances with Nick as he reached the steps, the ex-cop hugged her daughter again, putting her down. She kept a hold of the little girl's hand, Nick replying, "Derek? Could you give me a hand?"

Knowing they were keeping something from him, Derek nevertheless allowed himself to be sidetracked by his godson's well being, helping Nick carry Phillip to his room. Rachel went with them, Rose leaning on Maddy's arm as the firestarter made sure the girl made it that far before passing out.



Wearily dropping her backpack beside the door to her room, Lissa Rayne carried her daughter to the little girl's room, intending to put her back to bed. Nick would know where to find the backpack and she would leave the details of taking care of the tape in his capable hands.

Right now all the ex-cop wanted was to sit quietly, take a deep breath and hold her daughter.

She had intended to tuck Cassie under the covers but found herself settling in the old rocker in front of the window instead. Someone had left the window open to the quiet night, the sounds of crickets sounding so peaceful - a soothing balm to the violence of earlier.

Breathing in the peach scent of the little girl's shampoo, Lissa didn't realize she was crying until Cassie squirmed in her arms, murmuring, "Mummy? Why are you crying?"

Getting herself somewhat under better control so as not to scare her, the mother smiled for her. "It's nothing honey. Mommy's just tired, that's all. What are you doing out of bed, hm?"

Cassie didn't believe her. "I had a bad dream." She told her, throwing her arms around mummy's neck. "Aunt Maddy told me a bad man had hurt Uncle Phillip, and Aunt Rachel's been crying. Is Uncle Phillip gonna be okay?"

Holding back the tears that threatened to spill, Lissa hugged her daughter tightly, pulling the little girl close to her and not intending to let go anytime soon. "Your Uncle Phillip will be perfectly okay, sweetheart. Aunt Rose is taking care of him tonight but you can see him in the morning."

Reassured by that, Cassie pulled away. "Mummy? Think he would feel better if I go see him?"

"Not tonight, honey, but tomorrow morning you can go see him." Putting the little girl to bed, Lissa brushed the soft dark hair away, bending an placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure he would like that very much. Now get some sleep - before I turn the bed bugs loose on you!"

The last statement puntuated with giggles as Lissa tickled her through the covers, Cassie wriggled, protesting, "Mommy!"

Grinning, the mother kissed her again, turning off the light and closing the window. "Good night, love. Sweet dreams."

 

 

To the south, a helicopter lifted off, it's running lights bright against the cliffs as it disappeared into the night. Further along the cliff, in the manse, a trail of blood could be found leading from the launch site down into the bowels of the building.

To a set of empty iron shackles.

 

 

Sloan had not called, but when Derek later unfolded the events of the last few hours, the precept of the Ruling House was livid.

"He what!"

Dispite the graveness of the situation, Derek had to crack a smile at his superior as Sloan went into a frenzy of issuing orders, pulling people off their regular assignments because of the news. "Take it easy, William." Derek told him wryly. "I doubt he's still there. Though he won't be in any shape to go far, I'm sure he's already disappeared."

Sloan turned back towards the screen disbelief written across his features as he asked, "What do you mean? You allowed him to escape?"

Derek ignored the dangerous tone as he steepled his fingers, tapping them against his lips as he carefully measured his responce. Arkady was a resourceful man; not only did Derek have no doubts that he had managed to somehow work himself free from his chains, he also knew that Arkady was probably miles away from the site by now.

No telling when or where he would crawl out of the woodwork again, but Derek knew he would show up sooner or later. And he would be right there waiting when that happened.

"Allowed is somewhat of a misnomer, William."

"Of course...sorry, Derek." Sloan did not rub his temples, but he looked like he badly wanted to. "How are you? And what of Father Callaghan?"

"I'll live. A few bruises and bruised ribs, nothing serious. " Derek sighed; the other precept still had not stopped calling Phillip 'Father' even now. "And Phillip will be fine. Rose and Moira are looking after him now."

"I'm glad - I mean that Derek."

"I know. Thank you." Derek allowed a small smile to play across his lips. "I'll be sure to pass that along to Phillip when he wakes up."

"You have no idea where Victor Arkady might be?"

Derek was about to respond when he glanced up to see Nick enter the control room. Carrying something in his right hand, the look on the younger man's face was grim enough that Derek wrapped up the conversation quickly. "None whatsoever, William. We have few leads here at the moment but I'll keep you in the loop."

"Be sure you do that." Sloan demanded.

Derek promised to do so as he signed off, looking to his head of security expectantly. When Nick didn't say anything, only continued to stare at the viewscreen, the other man barked impatiently, "Well?", wincing as the sharp expulsion of breath set off an ache in his chest where the ribs were still tender. Sighing more in frustration than irritation, Derek added in a softer tone when Nick started guiltily, "Any news?"

"Ah...yah," visibly steeling himself for the inevitable, Nick assured him, "Phillip's sleeping, Rose says it's nothing to be concerned about."

"How is Rose? Sleeping herself, I trust?"

"Maddy and Alex managed to convince her to get some rest. Moira's upstairs making sure everyone's been taken care of."

The significance of the SEAL's responce was not lost on him. "And Lissa?"

Slowly bringing green eyes up to meet those of his precept Nick answered. "Upstairs. With Cassie."

"I assume that what you have in your hand is responcible for the rattling in Lissa's backpack?" Derek raised his eyebrow expectantly. Nick handed him the box with the word 'priest' labeled on the side. "What's this?"

The younger man was clearly uncomfortable causing Derek to take another look at the tape in his hands. A perfectly ordinary video tape, he could see nothing about it that would cause Nick to fidget so...unless... He took a sharper look at the cassette box and the word neatly handwritten on the side.

'Priest'.

No...

"Nick I want answers and I want them now!" The precept's eyes hardened, his voice held no exceptions as Derek confronted him squarely, unknowingly using the same words Lissa had earlier. In what had to be an unconscious reaction to the command in that tone, the ex-SEAL stood up straighter, almost at attention, his posture no longer betraying his reluctance to bring this to his superior's attention. "What is this? And where did Lissa get it?"

"We... she found it in the control room at the compound while I was scrambling their surveillance systems." Nick admitted. "Arkady - he had a camera set up in every room."

"Then this...?"

"Yah - it is." Now the younger man allowed him to see past the guard he was keeping on his emotions and Derek was not surprised by the confusion and anger he found there. Former military, Nick had seen POW's who had been treated worse - but they had needed to be sent back home in a body bag. "It's ugly Derek."

Dutch explicatives proceded a simple cold command. "Show me."

He did.

Setting up the VCR, Nick rewound the tape, keeping his arms crossed tightly over his chest, unable to watch and yet unwilling to turn away as the scene unfolded again before his eyes. So he concentrated on the faces of Phillip's attackers, burning them into his memory. One Lissa had taken care of on the landing, the other of minor importance, but the one actually doing the damage was the one the he wanted. Every blow delivered was one Nick would be sure to reciprocate threefold once the SEAL had him in his grasp.

Derek watched the beating with a growing sense of dread even though rationally, he knew Phillip to be safely out of danger and upstairs in his bed. How could the human body take so much punishment and still function? It was unfathomable. And to think that through it all, the boy had blamed himself...

The precept shook his head.

Well, no more. As the tape went black, Derek Rayne turned to his man and demanded answers. "Put the word out. I want this man."

"You got it." Looking up, Nick met the fire in the older man's eyes with the cold fury of his own. As Derek started to walk past him, the SEAL asked quietly. "Dead or alive?"

Standing at his shoulder, it was the precept's decision but it was the husband, the father who answered coldly. "Alive."

With that, Derek walked out of the control room, disappearing through the hologram.

Leaving Nick to go vent his anger out on the bags in the gym.

Conclusion

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