Stefano raised his head tiredly, the soft knock on the door waking him from a light doze. Stiffly, he sat up in the big chair behind his desk and called out, “Come!” The door swung open to reveal the battered form of a his second in command.

“Hey. Wasn’t sure you’d still be up,” John said.

“I waited,” was the dry response. “I had serious doubts about your ability to stay put until dawn. I do hope you at least took the time to have the doctor examine you?” Dimera asked, looking John over with a critical eye. Wrapped in a leather duster that was two sizes too big, swaying slightly with the effort of keeping his feet, the man looked like shit.

“Yea. All the basic parts are still there. He sewed me up and gave me some meds. I just need to sleep for a month and then I’ll be fine,” John said as he eased down on the sofa. Closing his eyes for a moment, he almost passed out where he sat. At the sound of Stefano’s heavy tread, he cracked an eye open and with a grunt of gratitude took the proffered glass.

“Thanks,” he said hoarsely, tilting the glass to his lips and letting the amber fluid burn away the bitter taste of fire and smoke.

“I was worried. You okay?”

Fighting the urge to cough, John nodded. “At least it’s finally over.”

“I hope you’re right,” Stefano muttered, sitting in the leather chair opposite John.

At John’s quizzical look, Stefano gave a slight shrug. “Something about this entire scenario seems wrong. There is something about the cartel’s actions that doesn’t quite make sense. Some agenda that we don’t know about. John, there may be another player in this game. After all, it almost seemed as if you were their main target.”

“Yea. Yea, I noticed that,” John replied with a tight grin, forced to address an issue he had hoped to ignore. He shook his head, dismissing the uneasy feeling that nagged at him whenever he stopped to consider the Brotherhood’s actions. “But that had to be Roman’s doing. Hell, it doesn’t make sense any other way. I’ve been out of the business way too long to have been the main target. Roman’s the one who wanted me out of Marlena’s life. If the Brotherhood was after me, it was only in order to get to you.”

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

John snorted. “I’m tired, Stefano. I’m sick and tired of this whole ugly business. As far as I’m concerned, the threat ended with the Brotherhood.”

“You’re probably right,” Stefano said, letting the matter drop. If John didn’t want to admit that a threat still existed, now was not the time to push him on it. If a third party was involved, it would come to light soon enough. For now, he would allow the younger man the illusion of safety. In the morning, he would begin the search for the missing piece to this puzzle. The mystery could wait that long at least.

Shrugging his broad shoulders, Dimera shifted the discussion to the reality of the here and now. “Have you considered what to do about the hit squad the Brotherhood had doing their dirty work?”

Settling back into the thick leather, John took a deep swallow of whiskey. With a casual wave of one hand, he evaded the question. “It’s up to you, Stefano. They’re mercenaries, you know that. Without the Brotherhood directing their actions, they’ll fade back into the woodwork. They’re soldiers. They do what they’re paid to do. You want me to hunt them down, I will. But I doubt there’s any point to the exercise.”

His surprise evident, Stefano cocked an eyebrow. “I had not expected such forbearance on your part, John. Perhaps Marlena has had a positive influence on you!”

“I want this over and done with,” John responded grudgingly, as if admitting to some fatal flaw.

With a look that was almost sympathetic, Stefano nodded. “Well, if the mission is now complete, would you care to tell me what went wrong? I sat here all day waiting for some word from you. My only company, by the way, was the always charming Dr. Evans.”

John straightened, his eyes locking on Dimera’s own. “God damn you! Why did you tell her there was a problem? You shouldn’t have said a thing until you knew for certain!”

“John, I did not have to tell her a thing,” the big man placated. “She just… knew. So we sat. And we waited.” At the memories of the afternoon, Stefano gave a painful chuckle.

John’s smile was grim. “Glad I wasn’t here for that,” he said as he slouched back into the padded couch.

“You should be. That woman can be extemely unpleasant when she puts her mind to it. But, the evening was not a total loss. We did come to an agreement of sorts. It has been decided that you will never go out in the field again.”

John was too tired to be pissed. “So glad to know that you two have been planning out the rest of my life for me. And I do so appreciate your informing me.”

Unable to help himself, he pictured the two of them sitting together through the long hours. The chuckle that escaped him sounded like a groan of pain to his own ears. Sighing, John closed his eyes and tried to turn his mind from the image of Stefano and Marlena, sitting in this room together for hours on end. God, if she hadn’t been mad at him before, she would be now. Hesitantly, he asked, “Where is she, Stefano?”

The old man had wondered how long it would take John to ask. He was so predictable where she was concerned. “I sent her off to bed. I told her you weren’t expected in until the morning. Besides, that was the literal truth.”

“Gee, where did this sudden concern for the truth come from, Stefano? Still, it’s just as well. She doesn’t need to see me right now. Think I’ll just go to bed.”

“I doubt she would agree with you.”

“Christ! I stink of death and you know it!” John snapped.

On that, Dimera had to agree. “Where did you get that awful duster, anyway?”

Levering himself carefully to his feet, John shrugged. “Long story, Stefano. A long, strange story.”

“I can image,” Dimera said with a small smile.

“I doubt it,” was the muttered reply, as John walked out the door.

He had stumbled to his bed, barely summoning the energy to shrug the duster from his shoulders and kick the boots off his feet. But as he lay in the darkness, the thoughts that tore through his mind made sleep impossible. God, how could he face her in the morning? He had known she would be angry with him for leaving, but he had pushed it aside as a necessary evil. He could not have taken the risk of leaving those men alive. He doubted that she would accept that as a good excuse. After sitting all day with Dimera, waiting to discover whether he had lived or died, he doubted any excuse would be acceptable. Cursing his stupidity, he wondered how it was he managed to fuck up everything that ever mattered to him. As his worried thoughts faded into twisted nightmares, his breathing deepened and he achieved a semblance of sleep. The hours passed in restless tossing that ended abruptly with the scream of an alarm.

He was jolted from sleep by the wail of sirens, the panic alarm sounding throughout the main house. Instantly he was out of bed, grappling for boots tossed aside only hours before. The night still showed pitch black through the window, but the interior of the lodge was dimly lit by the glow of emergency lights. Snatching his holster, he was out the door and on the way to the guest suite less than a minute after the alarm had pierced the quiet.

Gun in hand, he ran down the long hall as guards surged through the narrow corridor. Each of Dimera’s compounds had specified security responses, depending on the level of threat identified. The alarm still shrieking in the night air signaled a full scale attack and Dimera’s men moved to their stations with an assurance bought with long hours of drill.

John was less confident. He knew who the attacking force was, he could feel it in his bones. The cops wouldn’t be moving in, not in the middle of the night. This was a hit squad, not a rescue. It had to be the Brotherhood’s assault team. Son of a bitch! He had been too willing to accept that it was over. Someone else had a stake in this game, and they still had access to the ISA mercenaries. Cursing his stupidity, he fought down the rising sense of panic and shoved the milling guards out of his way.

The mercs were good. Damn good. At full strength, they should have at least 20 trained veterans and it was unlikely that his 10 men could hold out against a well planned attack. Given that scenario, the only option was to bug out, and he hoped that Dimera was already in route to the chopper. That hope was quickly dashed, however. As he pounded a fist against the suite’s locked door, Stefano came striding quickly up, a guard following at his heels. Shots rang out on the outer perimeter just as Marlena anxiously opened the door.

She had known it was him. From the moment the alarm had roused her from a restless sleep, she had known that he would come for her. The certainty of it had overpowered even the fear caused by the shriek of the sirens. The sight of him in the doorway, wild-eyed and half-dressed, a weapon held firmly in his grip, was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen.

Everything around him disappeared and she the only thing that existed in his world. As she swept into his arms, he was jolted back to reality by the knowledge that if he failed this time, she would pay the price. Not pausing for an explanation, John pushed his way through the open door, his arm locked around her slim form in unconscious desperation. Stefano, the guard at his side, followed close behind. John held her at arms length in order to allow himself to think, pleased to see she’d already pulled on jeans and a sweater. Unable to say what he really wanted to, he ordered gruffly, “Grab the kids. We have to get out of here. The compound is under attack.”

He tried to move her toward the kids’ rooms, but she stopped him with a soft hand on his forearm. He had come back to her. Her family was complete. It was time for the fear to end. “John, it’s okay now,” she said. “Just let this all be over. Please, don’t let Stefano drag us away to some new prison. We can stay here. We can explain to the police that you never kidnaped us. Please, for all our sakes, let this be over!”

Unable to meet her eyes, unwilling to tell her that nothing was over, nothing was ended, he wrenched his arm away just as Eric groggily opened his door. Looking blearily about, he finished tugging a tee shirt over his head. “What’s up with the alarm? Is it a fire?”

“Get a jacket and grab your sisters. We have to get out of here right now,” John snapped.

“John, no!” Marlena said.

“Doc, these ain’t the good-guys,” he said roughly. “They’re a Brotherhood assault team and they’re coming to sanitize this entire area. If you stay, you and the kids are dead. Just do as I say and we’ll get you all out of here.”

She hesitated and the fear overtook him. “Please, Doc! I’m begging you!” He stepped closer, wrapped her hand in his. “Marlena… Doc. If you have ever trusted me, trust me now. Those men will kill us all. I can’t force you and the kids to come and I’m not leaving without you. If you stay, it will get us all killed.”

His eyes were locked on her face, yet he was still aware that the small arms fire outside had already reached a peak. The shots were becoming more scattered, less frequent. It was an indicator that the perimeter had been breached. Men were down. His men.

“John...” Stefano grated a warning from where he stood in the open door.

Seconds before they reached the point where he had decided he would simply sling her over his shoulder and attempt to carry her out, she nodded. Glancing to where the children now stood, dressed in jeans and sweaters, she said, “Let’s go.”

John tried to hide his sigh of relief, but he caught her quick grin and knew that she had noticed. Pushing aside his doubts and his fears, he concentrated on getting his family out of this mess alive. With a sharp nod, he ordered Patrick, the guard at Stefano’s side, to take point while he covered the rear, the others closely spaced between them. Afraid they had already wasted too much time, he followed the small procession down the back stairs, his automatic held at the ready.

As they ran out the back door, John heard the sounds of sweepers moving through the front of the lodge. There was no time to lose, and he swung the door softly shut behind him, hoping to buy them a few more seconds before their absence was discovered.

Patrick had joined the two rear guards, waiting at their assigned station in the mudroom. “Is it clear?” John hissed almost soundlessly, tugging a camo jacket over his bare shoulders and pulling one of the emergency packs from the wall. Allowing himself a brief glance toward his family, he noted the look of determination on Marlena’s face. If there was the slightest risk to her children, she would waste no more thought on doubts or might-have-beens. She caught his glance with one of her own and shot him a tight smile. Damn! She was the strongest person he had ever known. Flushing guiltily, he shifted his eyes away and swore to himself that he would never put them in danger like this again. No matter what it cost him, he would see to it that they were safe.

“Sir? They fired a few shots at the rear of the house, sir. Just testing us, I think. We have good cover to the tree line, it should be clear. Should we move out?” the senior guard whispered.

John nodded. “I want two on point. Bolen, you’re in charge of looking after the kids. Stefano, keep close to Marlena. I’ll take the rear. When you hit the chopper, take off whether I’m there or not. I’m going to try and slow them down, provide some cover. If I don’t make the chopper, I’ll hike out. Everybody just try and be quiet and move as quick as you can.”

The two guards in the lead, the small band moved silently out into the dark Virginia night.

It had been too easy. Way too easy. He could feel the movement of men around him, though he could see no sign of them. Fuck! These guys were too good to leave the backdoor wide open like this. He peered again across the open field. Still nothing to see, despite the sliver of moonlight that shone down on the open grassland. He heard the cough of engines as the pilot started the helicopter. John doubted that the group had made it that far yet, but the pilot had standing orders to have the chopper ready for take-off in the event of a class three breach. With one last look around, he bent low and started toward the field. What the hell, maybe he was going to get lucky for once in his life. A glimmer of light sparked briefly against a black sky and he knew his luck had just run out..

The phosphorescent glare flared brightly and John abandoned all attempts at concealment as he sprinted through the grass toward the chopper. “Down! Get down, dammit!” he screamed as the orange glow made a beeline for the chopper.

Marlena crawled slowly through the damp grass, her wet clothes plastered to her body. Desperately, she tried to force her body to stop shaking. The cold night air seeped into bones and the only sounds she could hear were the slither of the grass and the chattering of her own teeth. Knowing it was pointless, she looked back at the cabin. The inky blackness revealed nothing, but she could sense his presence. She hated that he had stayed back there, even if she did understand it. He would protect her family. It was as certain as the fact that the sun would rise in the morning. Her fear was not for herself, but for him.

The young guard in front of her halted and she settled down next to him, Carrie at her side. Though she could not see his features, she could feel the heat of Dimera’s heavy body close by and she had to stop herself from pulling away. As they rested in silence for a moment, she tried to get some sense of where Eric and Sami were, but the darkness was impenetrable. She could only hope that Bolan and the twins were near.

After what seemed like hours, she heard the shrill sound of a whistle signaling them to make the final dash for the helicopter. Taking firm hold of Carrie’s hand, she half-rose to her feet. Her legs were cramped from the crawl through the field and she bit back a groan as she stumbled into a quick jog. They had crossed only the first couple of feet toward the chopper, its engine a steady hum 30 yards to their fore, when John’s panicked cry stopped her in her tracks. Pulling Carrie to a halt, she looked back in confusion. With a sudden flash of light, he was revealed. John’s face shone stark white in the glare of an unnatural light and she could see the fear in his eyes even from where she stood. As she struggled to make sense of his words, the force of the explosion washed over her and she was knocked to the cold ground.

He had covered less than 20 yards before the entire field exploded. Where the chopper used to be, a ball of blue-orange flame now roared into the night. Through the blinding glare he thought he caught a glimpse of a body standing in the field, and then there was nothing but the inferno.

‘God,’ he prayed, as he ran toward the glowing mass of metal that had been their way out. ‘God, please let them be safe,’ he begged. Though if asked to what god he prayed he would have been unable to answer, he sent his plea into the void in the hopes that it would be heard.

Less than 50 yards from the wreckage that was now sending up pale blue spikes of fire as the fuel exploded, he pulled-up short. A body lurched out at he almost pulled the trigger before he recognized Eric’s dazed form in the flickering light thrown out by the fire. Though the heat could be felt even at this distance, Eric appeared unhurt, if a little dazed.

As John pulled to a stop, he heard the crack of rifle fire echoing above the roar of the fire. Looping an arm around the Eric’s chest, he pulled him down into the cover of the grass. With a sigh of relief, he noted that Eric still clutched Sami’s hand in his own. She sat in the grass knees clenched to her chest, staring at him with eyes made black by the surrounding darkness.

“Are you both okay?” he asked urgently, keeping his head low.

“Yea Dad,” Eric replied shakily as Sami nodded her head..

In the dim light, he had to take them at their word. “Where’s Bolan?”

“He told us to stay here,” Eric answered, seeming to regain his focus. “He went to find everybody else.”

“Okay, I want you two to head east.” John ordered, pointing toward the side of the field. “Can you make-out that big tree over there? I’ll meet you there once I find Carrie and your mother.” Shrugging the backpack from his shoulders, he tossed it to Eric. “Keep this with you. Emergency supplies are there if you need them. Now, I want you to crawl out of here. Keep your heads low. You don’t have to hurry, but stay low. We’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

Eric nodded grimly, slinging the pack over his back as he began easing his way through the grass. Sami hesitated, her eyes locked on John’s, and then silently followed her brother into the night.

John gave a frustrated hiss, hating that he had brought this crap down on his kids. With a shake of his head, he slithered forward through the damp grass. The fire from the burning chopper was already dying down, the only good break he’d had so far. If the grass had caught, they might all have burned to death in this damned field. As the darkness deepened, he relied on his ears for some sign of life in the rustling grass. The hunters were out, sweeping across the field on a mission of destruction. But they’d be moving slow, treading carefully. There was still time to escape the trap if he could just find them. If they were still alive.

He sensed a presence. Off to his left, something was there. There was no sound, but he could feel it in his gut. He was too good at what he did to dismiss the feeling. Drawing his knife, he slipped silently across the damp ground. He was on top of the man almost before he saw him. John snaked an arm around the man’s neck and had him in a headlock before a sound could be uttered. As a flicker of flame shot up from the burning aircraft, he made out Patrick’s face staring fearfully up at him.

“Sir?” Patrick managed to croak.

John stifled a chuckle as the relief washed over him. The young guard certainly had a great deal of confidence in him, to assume it was John who had crept up on them out of the darkness. He let Patrick go and squinted through the darkness, his eyes instantly locking onto the shadowed figure he knew was her. “Everybody okay here?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The glint of moonlight reflected back at him from Marlena’s eyes as she knelt beside a still dark form. However, it was Bolan who answered his question. “Casey went down with the chopper and Mr. Dimera’s hurt, sir. I think he was hit by the debris. Dr. Evans says his pulse is strong, but he’s out cold and it’s too dark to tell how bad he’s hurt.”

“Damn,” he muttered, wondering what the hell they were going to do now.

“John, you have to get the children,” Marlena whispered. “Bolan said he left them back in the grass. Carrie’s here, but you have to go back for Sami and Eric.”

“They’re fine, Doc. I found them already, told them we’d meet them in the trees. But we have to get you out of here before the assault team gets here. They can’t be far and they know we’re in the field.”

“Then let’s go!” she whispered fiercely.

“Yes ma’am,” he replied, managing a grin. ‘Patrick, I want you to take the lead. Head for the old oak on the eastern treeline. Doc, you and Carrie stay right behind him. Bolan will bring up the rear.”

“What about Mr. Dimera, Sir?” Patrick asked.

“I’ll take care of Dimera. Don’t worry about it.”

Patrick looked at him like he was planning on slitting Stefano’s throat and leaving him in the field to die, and for a moment, John was tempted to. Instead, he shook his head. “Patrick, if we go dragging him through this grass, they’re bound to hear us. I want you guys safely out of the field before I try and move Dimera. I’ll give you 15 minutes to get clear and then I’ll carry Stefano out. It will be quieter that way and fewer bodies in motion will make it less likely we’ll draw attention. Is that alright with you?”

“Uh, sorry, sir,” Patrick muttered.

“Well, it’s not alright with me!” Marlena said, her voice shaking. “I’m not leaving here without you.”

“Doc...”

“No! I will let you put yourself at risk for the likes of Stefano Dimera! I need you, John. The children need you. We aren’t leaving without you. End of discussion.”

He bit back a groan and wondered why God hated him. “I’ll be right behind you, Doc. I just want you out of danger so I can move freely.”

Marlena simply glared at him. “No.”

“Doc, these men aren’t after Dimera. They’re after me. You’re safer if I’m not with you.”

“I don’t care if I’m safe. I’m not leaving here without you by my side,” she replied, settling down in the grass like some deranged Buddha.

His eyes narrowed. Time to play his trump card. “Sami and Eric are alone, Doc. Now I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make certain they get out of this mess alive. What are you going to do?”

Marlena flinched as if he’d struck her, but she didn’t get up. Nodding to Patrick, John snapped, “Get them out of here.”

Patrick didn’t wait to be told twice. Grabbing Carrie’s hand, he crawled off into the grass. They were almost lost to sight before Marlena lurched to her knees. “I hate you for this,” she hissed at John.

“Be careful,” he whispered back.

Grabbing him by the front of his jacket, she pulled him toward her for a desperate kiss. Without another word, she disappeared into the darkness. When Bolan moved to follow, John stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Bolan, I don’t want you waiting. Give it 10 minutes and if you don’t see me, take the family and get out of here. If you hear concentrated fire, it means we’ve been seen. I don’t want you laying down any cover. You just use the distraction and get Marlena and the kids out of here. Head down the gulch and go south. It’s 20, 30 miles of rough going, but eventually, you’ll hit highway 81. Understand?”

Bolan hesitated, managing to convey his discomfort even in the darkness. “Sir, there’s no way you can carry him out of here all by yourself. I mean, even if you get him up, you aren’t going to be moving fast. You’ll be an easy target out in the middle of this field. Patrick can lead them out. I should stay back with you. You’ll need the help with Mr. Dimera.”

John smiled grimly. “My wife is the only person who gets to question my orders, Bolen. You should know better than to try. You are the most experienced man I have and I want you with my family. Now, you head for that treeline and I don’t want you waiting for me to show up. If it goes bad, get them out of here. And Bolan, know that if you get them hurt, I will take you apart one piece at a time. Got it?”

Bolan fought down the urge to swallow. “Yes sir, I got it.”

As the dark figures quickly faded from view, John sank to the ground to listen and wait, his last glimpse of her face, pale in the moonlight, playing through his tired mind.

He curled into a tight ball, ignoring the damp ground that sucked the warmth from his bones. The adrenalin that had been keeping him on his feet now set his limbs to quivering. Exhausted, he wrapped his arms around his legs and tried to figure out how he was going to get Dimera out. As the sounds of the woods drifted about him, his head started to nod. The muffled crunch of grass jolted him back to watchfulness and he sensed a body gliding past him in the still night. He should take the man out, one less pursuer in the wake of those he loved. As he tried to gather his feet beneath him, he realized that the man was not alone. Slumping silently back down, John held his breath and waited for the sounds to fade. The quiet of the night once more descended, and if was going to stand a chance, he had to move now. With an inaudible groan, he bent beside Dimera’s heavy body and pulled the man’s arms over his shoulders. Dropping to all fours, he shifted until he carried the weight across his back. Keeping his belly low to the ground, he started crawling across the dark field. There was no way in hell this was going to work, but it might buy Marlena a chance. That was reason enough to give it a try.

John crawled until he couldn’t go any further and then he kept on going. The field seemed to stretch for miles and he had to fight with aching ribs in an effort to draw air into his lungs. White lights danced before his eyes and he collapsed face down in the dirt. He no longer knew why he was doing it, he only knew that he couldn’t stop. Not when he was this close to his goal. They would have been gone for an hour at least. Even if he made it to the trees, he’d never catch up to them in the dark. Then again, he’d never had any intention of catching up. It was the only reason he had chosen to stay with Dimera. The only reason that he had sent them off without him. Stefano had been right about the target of the attacks. Their attention had been on John all along. If they wanted him, they could have him. His life was a small price to pay for his family’s safety.

Recognizing the futility of the action, he clawed his way back to his knees and struggled to cover the last 20 feet that separated him from the drooping branches of the big tree. Stefano moaned, but John didn’t bother trying to quiet him. If his cries brought the guards, it would simply end this misery a little sooner than he had planned. He wanted to make the treeline. Wanted to hide the heavy body in the woods and give the old man at least a fighting chance at survival. But if it didn’t happen… Well they had both pushed their luck further than any man had a right to. There would be no room for complaint.

When he heard the sound of movement coming toward him from the very destination he had been seeking, John almost laughed aloud. The wildness washed over him and he let Dimera’s body to slip from its perch. With a wicked grin on his face, he climbed to his feet. The pain and fatigue fell away, death a familiar adversary. He’d take first blood and then he’d leave a legacy of death in this damned field. It was the only epitaph he deserved. 

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