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MAIN CHARACTERS: Vin, Ezra, Josiah
Editors' Note: The original version of this story first appeared in the Mag 7 zine, Let's Ride #18, published by Neon RainBow Press, Cinda Gillilan and Jody Norman, editors. When we all decided to post the stories that have appeared in the issues of Let's Ride that are more than 6 months, we opted to use a generic pen name because, while Erica Michaels was the primary author of this story, she had so much help from the other folks writing for the press that it just made sense to consider the story to be written by the Neon RainBow Press Collective! Resistance was futile. So, thanks to the whole Neon Gang – Dori Adams, Dana Ely, Michelle Fortado, Patricia Grace, Dani Martin, Erica Michaels, Nina Talbot, Kasey Tucker, Rebecca Wright, and Lorin and Mary Fallon Zane. Story lasted edited 1-2-2015. Art by Shiloh
Josiah Sanchez walked slowly through the recently opened Savage Gallery, admiring the collection of modern South American Indian art displayed on pale green walls with darker green trim; the effect gave the setting a jungle-like atmosphere. Several small self-contained fountains were arranged to ensure the sound of running water in all corners of the gallery. Potted ferns and broad-leaf trees added to the atmosphere, as did the colorful parrots and other birds that sat perched in the foliage. A handful of art-beat reporters moved from painting to painting, looking, laughing, and taking notes.
Josiah didn't know any of the reporters, or any the other guests, and he wondered who had sent him the e-mail announcement about the opening. Probably Ezra, he decided.
He owed the man at a nice dinner and a bottle of wine as a thank you, too.
Ezra knew he liked South American Native art, so it made sense he would have sent the announcement.
Josiah had come to enjoy the exhibition, rich in color, texture, and exotic imagery. It was definitely a pleasant way to pass an evening. Four of his teammates were out of town – Buck and JD attending training seminars in Tucson, Nathan and Raine on a well-deserved weekend vacation in Vail, and Chris down in Santa Fe to deliver two mares to a breeder there. Just he, Vin, and Ezra remained in Denver, each of them looking for diversions to pass the time until they returned to work.
Leaving the other visitors who were also enjoying the opening in the main gallery, Josiah slipped into one of the smaller rooms and smiled. The paintings hanging on pale orange walls with the same dark green trim were all about love.
One piece hanging on the far wall captured his attention and Josiah walked over to stand in front of the four-foot by four-foot tangle of bright colors. He glanced around, making sure he was alone, then closed his eyes and reached out, running his fingers lightly over the forms of a young woman and a black jaguar entwined in an erotic embrace. His smile widened as he experienced the texture of the strokes – as sensual as the images themselves.
Someone clearing their throat behind him, and the profiler opened his eyes. He blushed and turned to see who had discovered his illicit activity.
A tall, stunning Indian woman grinned. "An interesting way to view a painting," she said.
"A friend, a painter, taught me," he confessed.
"I see," the woman replied, stepping closer.
Josiah's gaze took in her red-brown skin, black hair and eyes, high cheekbones, and warm smile. He drew a deep breath, savoring the spicy aroma of her perfume. The woman's loose cotton pants and shirt looked hand-woven, the colors as bright as those in the gallery paintings. Still, there was something about her that made him uneasy.
"This one of yours?" he asked.
"Oh no," she said, the obvious egotism diminishing his opinion of her further. "My work is in the main gallery."
"This is beautiful," he said. "Very… sensual."
The woman responded with a half-shrug. "It's rather… primitive."
"All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose," he countered.
She took a step closer to him. "Perhaps you would allow me to show you my work?" she asked.
"Why not," he replied. After all, she was gorgeous, and it would be interesting to see what kind of art she made.
She hooked her arm around his and they returned to the main gallery, which was even busier than before. He was just vain enough to enjoy the idea of the others seeing him with the stunning woman.
"I'm curious to see your work," he said.
"Good," she purred, leaning closer to him.
Josiah felt a slight prick and looked down at her hand, his gaze focusing on the gold ring she wore. A snarling gold jaguar ringed with glittering red rubies. He swayed, his knees buckling. Someone slung him over their shoulder, and he knew it wasn't the woman, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Consciousness returned with a blinding flash of white light. Josiah rolled his head to the side, trying to escape the glare, but he couldn't accomplish it. With a mumbled curse, he attempted to lift his hands to shield his eyes, but they stopped far short, trapped in shackles.
"What's going on?" he demanded, tugging futilely at the wrist restraints.
"Just a little fishing trip," came a masculine, accented reply.
Josiah rolled his head the other way, fighting against the light that sent waves of pain through his head. The taunting voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it, his thoughts too scattered and uncontrollable.
A sudden sting in his upper arm told Josiah they had given him more drugs. A moment later an explosion of colors behind his tightly closed eyelids forced him to suck in a sharp breath in order to fight the sudden nausea that clawed through his midsection.
"What do you want?" he hissed.
"I want you to tell me a secret, Josiah," the masculine voice explained, the cadence almost sing-song.
"A secret?" he asked, wishing he understood what the devil the idiot was talking about, and wishing the agony tearing through his head like scissors through tissue would stop.
"Yes, Josiah, I want you to tell me a secret about Ezra Standish."
His head continued to roll back and forth, trying to escape the painful light. "Ezra?"
"Yes, Ezra Standish. Tell me what Ezra Standish is afraid of, Josiah."
"Afraid of?"
"What is Ezra Standish afraid of?" the voice demanded, the light tone replaced by one that was hard and cold.
Josiah groaned, the pain in his head exploding, and he answered in spite of himself. "Rats."
There was a soft chuckle. "Standish is afraid of rats?"
Humor clung to the reply, a soft laugh dancing across Josiah's shredding consciousness. "Yes." His fingers curled, nails digging into his palm as he tried to find something else to concentrate on besides the prying questions and the escalating pain.
"What else?"
"Nothin'," he moaned, using the pain in his hands to stop the answer that wanted to slip off his tongue. "Who the hell are you?"
"Now, now, Josiah. You must tell me. You have no choice. What else is Ezra Standish afraid of?"
"Corpses," he replied, hoping that would make the voice, the pain, the bright light go away.
"Dead bodies. He doesn't like dead bodies," he snapped. A roaring laugh filled Josiah's ears, sweeping him into the welcome blackness.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Ezra Standish lay sprawled comfortably in the queen-sized bed, watching as Amy Andelchute walked back into her bedroom, freshly showered. She paused and grinned at him, her bare hips circling seductively.
Ezra groaned and rolled onto his side, burying his face in the pillow.
Amy laughed. "Your turn, lover. I left you some hot water," she said, walking over to her dresser and pulling out underwear and a bra.
Ezra rolled onto his back and watched her dress. He grinned, amazed by how well they got along, given that he'd met her on a double date with Buck.
"Wherever are you going?" he asked.
"I have to go to the market. There's nothing in the cupboards. I won't be long," she promised, stepping into a pair of snug jeans and pulling on a light raspberry colored sweater.
The undercover agent grinned. "Promises, promises…"
"Don't forget to make the bed when you're done," she said, walking over and bending over to place a kiss on his cheek, then left.
He listened to the front door close, the car start, and the roar of her BMW as she pulled out of the drive. With a groan, he forced himself out of bed and headed for the shower, hoping the hot water lasted past the first ten minutes, given how long she'd been in the shower before him.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Clean, dressed, and a cup of coffee in hand, Ezra sat down at Amy's kitchen table and scanned the New York Times, looking for something interesting to read. The brassy ring of the phone interrupted his quest and he leaned back in his chair, then reached out and fumbled the receiver into his hand.
"Ezra, it's me," Amy said. "I managed to get halfway between the market and home and the car died. I can't seem to get it running again. Would you come get me?"
"I am on the way," Ezra said with a smile.
"I'll wait for you in the car."
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Ezra spotted the BMW parked alongside the two-lane road and pulled up, stopping behind it. Climbing out of his Jag, he glanced around, not seeing Amy. With a worried frown he walked up to the car, intending to check under the hood, but stopped short when he caught sight of the young woman lying in the backseat.
"Amy?" he called anxiously, stepping quickly to the door and yanking it open.
Leaning into the car, he reached out to caress the woman's face. "Amy, are you—?"
Ezra heard the impending attack a moment before the needle sank into the back of his thigh. Scrambling backwards, he turned to fight off whoever was there, but his legs buckled, pitching him forward onto the pavement and into straight into unconsciousness.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Standish groaned and forced his eyes open, then rubbed them with the balls of his palms, trying to force away the misty blur that obscured his vision. He blinked, but the milky distortion refused to fade. He closed his eyes again, hoping that would help.
He sniffed. An odd, almost metallic odor tainted the air and he swallowed hard as bile rose up the back of his throat. With a sigh he struggled to sit up, then forced his eyes open and glanced around the best he could. In the near distance he saw what he thought must be walls, but it was the dirt-grit biting into the palm of the hand he rested his weight on that focused his attention.
He looked at his more immediate surroundings – rocks, trees, brush… He shook his head, trying to decide if he was inside or out, and concluded that it didn't really matter. He had to escape; he had find Amy before it was too late.
Struggling to his feet, Ezra bent over and swallowed several times to keep his stomach from turning over. A chill shook him and he took a step forward to keep his balance.
Looking down to see where his foot was, he noticed the blood for the first time, his gaze automatically following the red trail to a mangled body that was lying close by. He sucked in a breath, cursing softly, and took several unsteady steps away from the corpse.
Knowing he had to see who the victim was, he drew in a deep breath and held it. Willing his stomach to stop roiling, he stepped closer to the body, trying to see what had happened.
The torn flesh provided no answers, the destruction making it impossible for him to tell if the victim was male or female. Ezra glanced to the right and saw another body.
Sweat broke out on the ex-FBI agent's face and he trembled, looking more closely around the space with rapidly clearing vision. There were bodies everywhere.
"It's a bloody battlefield," he managed in a choked whisper.
Stumbling forward, he tried not to stare at the carnage he passed, but his gaze refused to obey, seeking out the dead as he tried to comprehend his situation.
"How in heaven's name did I end up in a war zone?" he wheezed, almost gagging as he passed a man whose chest and mid-section had been blown wide open.
He pressed the back of his hand to his lips, trying to block out the fetid smell and quiet his stomach, but it was impossible. Wiping the sweat off his upper lip, he tried to swallow again, but found his throat too tight. He gagged and coughed.
Ezra stopped, resting his shoulder against a rough boulder as he heaved, spilling bile onto the dusty ground. Trembling harder, he shoved away from the rock, stumbling forward, forcing himself past the butchery. A single body he could handle, but this…
Nearing what was clearly a wall, he stopped, gaze locked on a blonde body. "Amy?" he gasped, dropping to his knees next to the apparently dead woman. A soft hissing sound went unnoticed as he reached out, gently touching the woman's hair.
Standish slumped forward, passing out in the dirt alongside the woman's bloody body.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Alone in a small room, Josiah watched Ezra stumbling through the constructed battlefield. He swallowed hard when Standish heaved, wondering if the bodies he could see were real.
He ran the back of a shaking hand over his lips, trying to remember where he was and how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered clearly was arriving at the art gallery opening and, after that, everything dissolved into an incomprehensible bricolage of light, pain, and a voice he couldn't quite remember.
He knew he was somehow responsible for what was happening to Ezra, though. But the harder he tried to remember how, or why, the further away the memories retreated.
He reached out, pressing his palm against the cold glass as Ezra knelt over the body of a woman who looked like his current girlfriend. Maybe it was Amy. Maybe he'd gotten all those people out there killed.
Anger erupted in the pit of his stomach, red-hot heat spreading out along his limbs and narrowing his vision. Whoever the voice belonged to, he was not going to use him again.
He watched Ezra collapse, then stepped away from the one-way glass and started hunting for a way out.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin Tanner concentrated on the lithe blonde filling his television screen. Well-endowed did not even begin to describe her buxom figure, and he grinned as she extorted him to: "Pump it! Pump it! Harder! Make it burn, mister!"
He grinned, hefting the heavy dumb-bells from thigh to shoulder and back down again, over and over, in the same fluid motion. "Gotta do better 'n that, sweetheart," he told the pouting woman.
The phone rang and he glanced at it with a sour frown. His attention quickly returned to the screen – the answering machine would get it.
"Vin?" echoed through the room, the tone of Josiah's voice cutting through the man's concentration. He dropped the weights and hit the button, turning the television off.
"Vin, are you there? Answer the phone!"
Josiah was really upset he realized, crossing the room in three long strides and grabbing the receiver. "J'siah?"
"What's wrong?"
"We're in trouble," he said. "Ezra and I."
"Where are ya?" Tanner demanded.
"I'm not sure," the profiler admitted, giving Tanner all he had, which was the number off the phone he was calling from. "Hurry, Vin."
"I'm on m' way."
"Thanks," Josiah said, and Vin could hear the hope and trust in the older man's voice.
Tanner listened to the line go dead, silently vowing that he would fine his teammates.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Josiah placed the receiver back in its cradle as quietly as he could, then cat-footed it to the closed office door. He took a deep breath, hoping he could find a way out of the old warehouse before anyone found him, but the drugs still had him confused.
Reaching for the doorknob, he gripped the smooth metal handle and froze. He felt the knob rotate under his hand and took a step back, looking frantically for a weapon as the door swung open. His blue eyes rounded as he stared at the man blocking the doorway.
"Thomas Winthrop," Sanchez said, the same hot anger he had felt earlier replacing the surge of fear. They had busted Winthrop's son last year for selling bathtub booze to middle- and high-school students. He'd heard the kid had been cut up pretty badly in prison…
"Very good, Sanchez," the tall, scarecrow-thin man replied. "And now that you've arranged for Tanner to join us, it's time for you to get ready for the next act."
The blood drained out of Josiah's face, leaving him gray as he realized his mistake. Winthrop had used him – again.
The older man grinned. "You didn't honestly think you'd managed to escape, now did you?" He tsked at the agent and shook his head.
Josiah's expression shifted from shock to rage.
"Well, I guess you did," the dark-haired man replied, then chuckled softly to himself. "Ah, well, life is just full of little disappointments, isn't it?"
Winthrop gestured and two men entered the room. Josiah knew he probably didn't stand a chance, but he put up the best fight he could. However, the two men were younger, and they weren't half-drugged.
The profiler went down, hard, and stayed there, knowing he wouldn't be any help to Ezra, or Vin, if he was unconscious.
The two men dragged him up onto his feet and half-carried him from the room.
"You won't get away with this," he snapped as they moved past Winthrop.
"I beg to differ, Agent Sanchez. I already have!"
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin reached for the phone again, then paused. If he called Travis, and this was a set-up, the boss could end up in a bad spot. Better to run it to ground first, then call for backup. He opened the top drawer of the small desk where the phone sat, pulling out a well-used green address book. He opened it, and ran a finger down the list of names and numbers inside the first page until he found "Sandy Patterson."
Snatching up the receiver, he dialed. Listening to the phone ring he made the mental calculation, figuring the time shift from Denver to Washington DC.
"Come on, come on," Vin muttered.
"Colonel Patterson."
"Sandy? It's Vin."
"Vin Tanner?" the woman replied. "My God, Vin, it's been a long time. How are you?"
"Yeah, too long," the ex-Army sniper replied, a slight smile on his lips. "Look, I need a favor ASAP."
"Name it."
"I've got a phone number, and I need a location – yesterday."
"Give me the number," Patterson said. "Where can I reach you?"
Vin gave the woman his cell number. "How fast?"
"Ten minutes, tops," Patterson promised.
"Thanks, Sandy. I owe ya."
"We'll talk about it the next time you're in Washington."
"Sure," Vin said, hanging up. He grabbed his ID, gun, and jacket, then hurried to his bedroom and opened the closet door, pulling out a duffel bag that he slung over his shoulder. He headed for the door to his apartment.
He didn't even try the elevator, bypassing the seldom-working device and heading down the stairs as fast as he could. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the parking lot where his Jeep sat.
Glancing around, he didn't see anyone or anything out of the ordinary, so he jogged over to the Jeep and tossed the duffle inside before climbing behind the wheel.
"C'mon, Sandy…" he mumbled as he waited for his cell phone to ring.
Two minutes later the phone rang.
"Tanner," he said.
"It's Sandy," was the reply. "I have the information."
"Shoot," Vin said, grabbing a pen and his tiny notebook from his jacket pocket.
"That number's listed as belonging to Kartwell Storage, in Derby, Colorado."
"Got a' address?"
Patterson gave him the street address, then asked, "You want to fill me in?"
"It's personal," Vin replied.
"Be careful, Vin."
"I'm always careful."
"I've heard that one before," Sandy said, then hung up.
Vin grinned slightly as he started up the Jeep and headed for the freeway.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin waited until he reached Derby before he contacted Travis.
"Mr. Tanner, would you please tell me why you're interrupting my trip with Billy to the Children's Museum? You're all on vacation," the older man stated.
"Got a call from Josiah," Tanner explained. "Said he an' Ezra were in some kind of trouble. I'm gonna check it out."
"Where are you?" the AD asked, the anger gone now, replaced with concern.
"Derby?" Travis echoed. "What the hell is in Derby?"
"Not much," Tanner replied, glancing around. "Josiah called an' gave me a phone number. Belongs t' Kartwell Storage, in Derby."
"Kartwell," Travis said, frowning, "Kevin Kartwell is a good man. He wouldn't have anything to do with a kidnapping. That's where you're going?"
"Yep," Vin replied. "I'll let ya know what I find."
"You do that!" Travis snapped. "And the next time you'll tell me sooner!"
Vin tried not to grin. "Yes, sir. And just in case this is bogus, can ya run a check on the in-coming calls to my apartment? The one right before an exchange between here 'n' DC is the one ya want."
"I'll do that," Travis agreed. "Should I contact DPD and have them send backup?"
"Not yet. I want t' get a look. If I don't call y' back in a couple 'a hours, send the cavalry."
"All right, but be careful. And good luck."
"Let's hope I don't need it," Vin said.
"As you say, Mr. Tanner."
"Thanks," Vin said, then closed his cell and slid out of the Jeep, grabbing the duffle as he went.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dressed with a tool belt and carrying a clipboard, Vin walked confidently into the single-story building and headed straight to the reception desk. A petite young woman in a nice skirt and blouse smiled at him, asking, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah," Vin replied in the half-bored tone of a repairman. "Got a call that this number's having trouble, but the dispatcher didn't give me an office number. Can you tell me where it is?"
The young woman accepted what looked like an official Comcast work order with the phone number in question listed at the top. She reached up, tucking a stray strand of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear, then checked a directory.
"Ah, that's the public line in the west wing. You'll find it at the far end of the hall," she said, handing back the clipboard.
"Thanks," Vin replied.
"I'll turn on the lights for you," she added with a friendly smile.
"Appreciate that," Vin said, returning the smile.
"Their motion sensitive so they'll come on as you walk down the hallway."
"Good to know," he replied, heading off.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Standing at the end of the hallway, Vin studied the closest doors to the hall entrance; each were portals into a variety of storage spaces. He could only see the first six doors with the two lights that had come on.
He took a couple of steps forward and two more lights came on, revealing more of the same kinds of doors. He moved slowly but steadily until the last of the lights came on. There was the phone hanging on the wall, but it had no receiver.
Tanner frowned. He noted the door marked "exit" almost directly across from the phone and scowled slightly. It was too damned perfect for an ambush.
He scowled as the lights that had come on in the hallway started to turn off, two at a time, starting at the far end.
He walked up to the phone and checked it, but it was clear that it hadn't been used in quite some time.
Warning bells silently clanged in his head as Vin bent over slightly to check the number on the phone; it matched the number Josiah had given him.
A sound like a sharp, cold breeze whiffled through the space and Vin stiffened, then, sucking in a single breath, he bolted for the exit door, collapsing a single step short of freedom.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Travis checked his watch for the tenth time in less than a minute. Shaking his head, he pulled his cell phone out and pressed a quick dial number and waited for a reply.
"Tanner, is that you?" Larabee snapped.
"No, Chris, it's me," Travis replied.
"Orin? What's wrong?"
"I received a call from Vin. He said Josiah had called him, said he and Ezra were in trouble. Vin was checking out the location of the call. It's been an hour and I haven't heard back from him. I can't reach Josiah or Ezra, either. Vin said if he didn't make it back in two I should call the cavalry, but—"
"Yeah, an hour's long enough," Chris agreed. "Look, I know a guy here with a plane. I'll be back in Denver in ninety minutes. I'll call you when I'm in the air and you can fill me in."
"In the meantime I'll contact DPD, have them start looking for our agents," Travis said.
"I'm on my way," Chris replied. "See if you can contact Amy Andelchute. Ezra was planning to spend the weekend with her."
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Ezra woke and sat up slowly, his limbs cold and clumsy from contact with the icy, damp floor. The room was dark, making it impossible to see. The air smelled of antiseptic and other chemicals. His stomach pinched, and he swallowed, knowing it was empty.
Climbing to his feet, Standish moved carefully along the walls, finally bumping into a metal cart on wheels. He reached out, lightly touching the surface of the cart and finding a cloth draped over some kind of shallow tray. He lifted the material and felt into the tray, cursing softly when something pricked his finger.
He tried again, more carefully. A scalpel.
He dropped the cloth and took a step away.
An overhead light flashed on, and Ezra raised one hand to shield his eyes from the fluorescent glare. When his eyes adjusted, he glanced around the small room. A gurney rested in the center of the cement floor, a white sheet draped over the body of a woman. He swallowed again, noting the large bloodstain over the woman's mid-section.
He took a hesitant step forward, not wanting to look, but needing to know who was under the sheet. Reaching the side of the gurney, he lifted the edge of the material far enough to see the woman's hand. A ring watch. Amy?
Ezra sucked in a deep breath as his stomach threatened to rebel. Letting the sheet drop, he reached for the corner at the corpse's head and lifted it just far enough to peek at the woman's face.
"Oh God," he breathed, releasing the sheet and turning away as the first of the dry heaves struck. Amy.
He felt his knees buckle, unaware of the soft hiss of gas that filled the room. Blackness surrounded him, drawing a tighter and tighter circle until he fell, thankfully, into the dark oblivion.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin woke suddenly, but he remained perfectly still, his eyes closed as he assessed his situation. It was cold, the air unheated and slightly stale. Several male voices were engaged in quiet but intense conversation at the far side of the room.
He let his eyes crack open just far enough to peer out at his surroundings. Cinder-block walls, white paint long transformed by dirt into a cold gray that suggested a prison. Old, well-used wooden furniture sat scattered around the room, the original paint mostly cracked off adding nothing to the puzzle of his location. Three men stood near a door – metal door, not bars. Warehouse 'a some kind, he decided silently.
No signs or writing was present to tell him if he was still in Colorado. He closed his eyes, monitoring the conversation with a detached portion of his attention while he used the time to make a quick evaluation of his physical condition. He was unbound, lying on an old-style military issue cot – if the faded olive color was any clue. It smelled of dust and dampness so it hadn't been used in quite some time. So this was probably a makeshift operation, convenient, but not long term.
He carefully tensed and relaxed his muscles. Nothing sore or sluggish as a result of the tranquilizer they had used on him. A mild throb beat at the base of his skull, the only lingering effect of the drug he could find. However, the pounding threatened to escalate if he decided to move.
Silently drawing a deep breath, he pulled up random facts from his memory, deciding after several seconds that his mind was still clear and sharp; none of the tell-tale signs of a long sleep were present. Score one for the home team, he thought.
Cracking his eyes open a second time, he saw that the men were in the same location. He studied them, trying to remember if he'd seen any of them before. Two tall, smooth-looking Latinos were complete strangers. The third man was white, average height, stocky, and given his crooked nose, someone who enjoyed a good fistfight. The last man was a mystery, his back the only thing Vin could see, but he was tall and really thin.
With nothing else to do, the sniper sat up, placing his feet on the cement floor and his hands on his thighs. "Helluva of a party you boys got here."
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Travis paced the length of his office, waiting for a return call from Chris. At his desk, his assistant hung up the phone and sighed. "I cannot locate Agents Tanner, Standish, or Sanchez," she said. "No one has seen them."
"Did you get a hold of Ms. Andelchute?" Travis asked.
"I tried, but there's no answer at her home, either."
"Damn!" the AD swore. "What the devil's going on?"
The phone rang and the assistant picked it up. She listened for a moment, then said, "It's Lieutenant Samson, DPD."
"AD Travis," Orin said as he took the phone.
"Director," the detective acknowledged. "We checked that address, and it's just a storage unit business. There was no signs of a struggle, or of Agent Tanner."
"If Vin was there, it was because—"
"We have no way of knowing what the reason was," the detective interrupted him. "The receptionist did say that she's seen him; she gave him directions to a public phone."
"Did she see him leave?" Travis asked.
"No, but she'd been in a meeting."
"What about fingerprints? Fibers? Security cameras?" the AD countered. "Someone had to see something. There has to be some kind of evidence."
"Director Travis, there's no crime scene at this point. I can't justify pulling my people off on-going cases to follow up on a possible—"
"A man has disappeared, Lieutenant!"
"How do you know?"
"Agent Tanner was supposed to check in, and he failed to do so. Agent Tanner is a professional; he doesn't forget to check in."
Orin heard the detective sigh heavily.
"Detective," he said, "something's very wrong. I have three agents I cannot reach."
"All right," the detective sighed, knowing that Travis would just go over his head if he didn't do something. "I'll have officers see if there are any security cameras, and I'll have the phone dusted for prints."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Travis said.
"You're welcome, Director," Samson muttered, then cleared his throat and added, "I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything."
Travis hung up the phone and said, "Vin said Josiah called him; maybe you can trace that call back to its point of origin." He gaveher the preimeters Vin had given him earlier.
His assistant nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Let me know as soon as you find anything."
She nodded and rose, heading back to her desk to call the techs and get them working on the call.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The fourth man turned and smiled at Tanner.
"Winthrop," the sniper snarled, immediately recognizing the man.
The man spread his hands. "I see you remember me, Agent Tanner."
"What the hell are ya up to?" Tanner demanded. "Where's Josiah and Ezra?"
"Soon, Agent Tanenr, you'll be seeing them very soon." He motioned the other three men forward.
Tanner stood, a predatory half-smile on his lips. "He payin' y'all good for this?"
"Well enough," one of the Latinos replied, pulling a small gun from his pocket and shooting Vin.
The sniper jerked as a tiny dart sunk into his thigh. He reached down, yanking it out and tossing it aside, but even as he did he could feel his muscles begin to turn hard.
"That's not playin' fair, amigo," Vin said as he swayed.
"Life's not fair, Agent Tanner," Winston replied.
The three men descended on Tanner, their fists raining a series of hard blows on the helpless man.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin woke, a fire burning in his shoulders, and he groaned. Glancing down, he discerned the reason – his feet dangled about a foot above a dirty cement floor, a rope circling his chest holding him off the ground. The large noose had cinched up under his arms from his weight, setting the fire in his joints. His wrists were tied tightly behind his back, his hands already numb. It wasn't as sophisticated as the rope tricks he'd learned as a sniper with in special ops, but it was uncomfortable enough.
He glanced around the dimly lit room, trying to decide what it had been used for, but there were no obvious signs – no furniture, no nothing to tell him anything.
In the floor, a deep pit at least twenty feet across and ten feet deep filled the center of the large room. Vin frowned, then snorted when he glanced at the ceiling and found a sturdy, if rusted, crane system overhead. Old boat warehouse, he concluded silently.
He squinted, trying to make out the bottom of the pit; he was sure he'd seen something moving down there. He silently cursed the dim light and the headache that pounded more persistently at the base of his skull, making it difficult to think.
He struggled weakly, the movement drawing his attention to the wires attached to his bare chest, shoulders, and abdomen with small pads. "What the hell?"
A loud metallic cry echoed painfully through the room and Vin looked across the pit, spotting a door on the far side. Ezra stumbled into the warehouse, the door screeching shut behind him. The ex-FBI agent spun, trying to stop the door from closing, but it was a battle already lost.
Standish turned back, squinting in the murky darkness. "Vin?"
"Watch out, Ez. There's a pit in the floor. Stay put, let your eyes adjust."
Ezra waited several seconds, then shuffled forward slowly, his gaze sweeping the floor until his eyes completely adjusted and he could see the obstacle that separated him from Tanner.
He stopped at the edge of the pit, peering across at his teammate. "Vin?" he said, taking in the man's bruised and bloody face. His gaze dropped, realizing for the first time Tanner's real predicament.
"Think ya can get over here 'n' get me down?" Tanner asked hopefully.
"I believe so," Ezra said, sitting down on the edge of the pit, his feet dangling in. He looked down, preparing to drop, but scrambled back instead with a half-strangled cry.
"What?" Vin snapped.
"Rats!" Ezra replied in a gasp. He nervously wiped his suddenly wet palms off on his pants.
"Rats?" Before Vin could follow up, a blast of current raced through him, snapping his head back and causing his body to jerk uncontrollably.
A low moan accompanied the macabre spectacle, reminding Standish of an epileptic puppet. The current stopped and Vin slumped forward against the rope, blood trickling over his lips from where he'd bitten himself.
"Any time, Ez," Tanner wheezed.
Standish stood three feet back from the edge of the pit, staring at his friend, but unable to move.
Not knowing what to do or say, Ezra mumbled, "Amy's dead."
"Amy's dead?"
Standish nodded.
"Damn," Vin hissed softly. "C'mon, Ez. Help me here."
"Winthrop," Ezra replied, realizing who must be behind what he'd seen.
"I know. I saw 'im, and I'm gonna kill that fucker," Vin growled.
"I don't think so, Agent Tanner."
"Winthrop," Vin snarled, watching the man walk out on his side of the pit. "You—"
"Ah ah ah!" the man interrupted. "I hold the switch." He held up a small black box with a short antenna and an appropriately red button.
"What do you want, Winthrop?" Ezra demanded. His voice was flat, despondent.
The older man paced to the edge of the pit and leaned over, watching the rats scurry back and forth, looking for a way out. "Nasty little creatures," he said, then looked up to meet Standish's frightened, angry gaze. "Don't you agree?"
"What do you want?" Ezra repeated.
Winthrop offered a half-shrug. "My son, Agent Standish. I want my son back."
"You're insane," Ezra hissed.
"Maybe I am, but…" He pressed the button.
Vin moaned, his body twitching and jerking in the spastic dance once more.
"Stop it!" Ezra bellowed. "Stop it, now!"
Winthrop lifted his finger off the button. "I'll stop, just as soon as you come over here and stop me."
Despite his best efforts Ezra's gaze dropped to the dark, moving shadows at the bottom of the pit. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to walk confidently to the edge, but as soon as he could see the outlines of the rats, he took a step back.
Winthrop laughed. "Scared, Agent? My son was scared when you killed him."
Standish looked, up, green eyes narrowed. "You bastard."
"Come on, Ez," Vin encouraged. "Kick this mother's ass an' let's get the hell out 'a Dodge before 'm well-done."
Winthrop glanced from Ezra to Vin, an amused grin on his face. "Guess your co-worker doesn't care if you fry." He pressed the button.
Tanner writhed.
"Winthrop!" Ezra cried, striding along the lip of the pit like a caged lion. He sat down and started to drop into the darkness, but his muscles froze, locking him on the edge.
"Go on," Winthrop urged. "Do it. Drop down into that darkness. They're just rats after all."
Vin groaned, his eyes rolling back.
Ezra leaned forward slightly, trying to override the irrational fear that held his muscles in its vice.
"Do you want to watch him die?" Winthrop asked, lifting his finger.
Vin slumped again, his body still trembling and twitching.
"Stop this," Ezra pleaded, "for God's sake—"
"God?" Winthrop interrupted. "God has nothing to do with this, Agent Standish! This is about revenge, my revenge. You took my son, I'll take your pride, your friend, whatever the hell I can! Like they say, revenge is a dish best served… hot!" With a soft chuckle he pressed the trigger again.
Vin gurgled and convulsed.
"Damn you!" Ezra cried, leaning another inch farther over the edge of the pit, but still unable to force himself all the way in.
Winthrop stopped Vin's torture and the sniper grunted as he tried to catch his breath. "Y' c'n… do it, Ez," he panted.
Standish met his teammates' pain-filled gaze, his expression clearly stating that he did not have the same confidence in his abilities. He looked back at Winthrop. "You have me. Let Mr. Tanner go."
The rail-thin smiled and laughed. "Let Agent Tanner go? I don't think so. I know you, Agent. I did my research. I could kill you, and you'd walk willingly to your grave. Where's the revenge in that? But watching your friends die? Now there is a dish worthy of my boy."
"Friends?" Vin snapped. "Ya already kill Josiah?"
"And Amy!" Ezra yelled.
Winthrop shook his head. "Your little piece of tail is alive and well. And as for Agent Sanchez…" He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A door opened on the far side of the pit and the two men dragged a struggling Josiah out.
"He's perfectly fine for the moment," Winthrop said to Ezra. "You didn't think I'd kill him and Tanner without you watching, did you?"
Standish looked from Josiah to Vin, the fear in both men's eyes doing nothing to encourage him.
The two men released the profiler and he strode straight to Vin. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"Been better," the sniper replied as lightly as he could.
Josiah turned on Winthrop. "You won't get away with this."
Winthrop tilted his head back and roared with laughter. When he finally caught his breath, he brushed a tear off his cheek and smiled at the profiler. "That was perfect." He chuckled softly, then sobered immediately. "But I will get away with it. There's nothing and no one to stop me. Agent Tanner is tied up, and Standish is too scared to help either of you. So all I have to do is kill you and I have gotten away with it."
Josiah took a step closer to the man.
Winthrop's gaze went hard. "Not a step closer," he said, and pressed the button.
Vin's limp body jerked alive.
Josiah spun and lunged for Vin, trying to grab the wires that fed the electricity into his writhing body. Accidentally touching the man's shoulders sent a jolt of the current flashing along his arms and down his legs. He was jolted backward, falling to the floor.
"Grand, isn't it?"
"It's torture," Josiah spat. "Nothing more!"
The man lifted his finger and Vin went limp again, unconscious at last.
Winthrop turned the small control device over and opened a panel on the back of the box, setting a dial. Then, he replaced the panel and tossed the device into the pit. "I've set a timer on the control unit. In exactly ten minutes it'll send a lethal current through Agent Tanner's body, and he'll be dead." He snapped his fingers and men grabbed Josiah and dragged him back to the rear wall, shackling him with wrist and ankle restraints attached to the wall. With that done, they attached wires to his temples and chest.
"Three minutes after Agent Tanner is electrocuted, you'll be next," Winthrop told him. "If you can talk Standish across the pit, he might be able to save you, but I wouldn't count on it."
Winthrop and the two men left.
"Ezra!" Josiah called. "Come on, you have to get over here!"
Perched on the edge of the pit, Standish glanced up at him. "I can't," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I just… can't."
"Ezra!" Josiah called, panic welling up in his chest.
"I can't!" he bellowed in reply.
Josiah took a deep breath and forced the fear back, letting the profiler take over. "Ezra, listen to me. I know you're afraid, but you have to find that device."
"I can't let go," Standish groaned.
"Ezra, I want you to listen to me. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and imagine something else," Josiah instructed.
Knowing he had to do something, Ezra closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to imagine that he was far away from here, the rats and the danger, but the sound of the creatures' claws on the cement grew louder and louder in his ears, scratching through his concentration.
His eyes popped open. "I can't!"
"You have to," Josiah countered. "You can't let Vin die."
"Ez," Vin said weakly.
Standish's gaze shifted from Josiah to the sniper.
"Listen t' me," Vin said as clearly as he could. "Put yer knuckle in yer mouth 'n' when ya feel the panic start t' take over, bite down."
"Just do it," Vin said. "I don't want t' end up barbecued here."
Forcing the knuckle of his index finger into his mouth, Ezra leaned over the pit. A rush of panic raced along his nerves, and he bit down, the sudden pain in his finger pushing the fear back. Forcing his eyes closed, he dropped into the pit.
He heard the rats skitter to escape and he bit down again harder, forcing himself to walk along the bottom of the pit until he spotted the control box. Bending over he bit harder, tasting blood as the fingers of his free hand closed on the device.
The sudden rush of water pouring into the pit startled him and Ezra straightened with the device clutched in one hand, his finger still in his mouth.
"Ezra!" Josiah called. "What's going on?"
"Ez?" Vin echoed.
Standish swung left and right, his mind racing, desperate to find a way out. Around his ankles water lapped as the pit began to fill. He shoved the device into his pocket. The rats, once anxious to move away from the human intruder now swarmed back toward Ezra, looking for their own escape route.
"Ezra?" Josiah called again. "Hurry!"
As the first rat tried to climb up his pant leg, Ezra screamed and scrambled blindly for the far side of the pit.
Slapping his hands against the far wall, his fingers curled and uncurled, frantically seeking a hold of any sort, but the smooth surface was impossible to climb. He tried to jump, but the lip of the pit was just out of reach.
Tiny claws pricked through his pant legs, scratching his skin, tugging him closer to the edge of sanity. With a constant stream of strangled profanity he kicked and knocked the rats off his clothes as the water continued to rise. Something was dumped into his back and Standish spun.
A bone, still sheathed in blood-red flesh, bobbed in the water and he looked closer, spotting other body parts floating in the water with rats, which were crawling onto the body parts like they were rafts.
The spectacle of three rats fighting on top of a severed leg held his attention until the control device bobbed into sight not far away. It must have escaped his pocket.
He grabbed the box and shoved it down the front of his shirt, then grabbed the rat off his shoulder, slamming it against the cement wall of the pit with a scream, killing it.
"Ezra!" Josiah called.
"Ez?" Vin echoed.
Kicking as hard as he could, Standish used the buoyancy of the water to give him the additional lift he needed to reach the top of the pit, his hands sliding over the lip. He pulled himself up, trying to ignore the rats using his back as a bridge to safety as he dragged himself out.
Once free, he scrambled to his feet, frantically pulling and kicking the rodents off his clothes.
"Ezra, hurry!" Josiah urged.
The rats gone, Standish groped inside his shirt, finding the control device and fumbling to get the back open, his bloody, chewed finger making it more difficult.
"Hurry, Ez," Vin said, his internal clock telling him that time was quickly running out.
Standish opened the back of the device and pulled the wires out, then dropped it and stomped on it several times with a guttural snarl, breaking the box into tiny shards of plastic and computer chips. He looked up, eyes going round, as Vin screamed, his body jerking uncontrollably.
Lunging forward, Ezra grabbed at the wires, cursing as he was zapped as well, but he pulled them free, ending Vin's torment. With that done, he stumbled to Josiah and tore the wires off his chest and temples as well. He freed the restraints holding the man, and together the pair moved back to Tanner.
"There!" Josiah said, hurrying to the back wall where the rope suspending Vin was secured. He untied the hitch and Ezra caught the unconscious man, laying him on the floor.
Hands shaking so hard he couldn't handle the knots, Ezra was forced to watch Josiah untie them, freeing Vin.
"Vin?" he called, rolling him onto his back. "Vin, can you hear me?"
Tanner's eyes fluttered open. "J'siah?"
"Let's get the hell out of here," Ezra replied.
Together they helped Vin to his feet, and supporting him between them, they moved to the door Winthrop had used. It was unlocked.
"Easy," Vin mumbled as they moved into the hallway. "This is way too easy. Slow down."
"You think he's waiting for us?" Josiah asked the sniper.
"Y' c'n count on it," Vin wheezed, pulling up and stopping them. "I c'n make it on m' own," he said. "But we go slow; watch fer traps."
Josiah nodded, but Ezra simply stared at Tanner, his gaze slightly glassy.
Vin reached out, resting his hand on Standish's shoulder. "One step at a time, Ez."
Standish nodded.
The attack came halfway down the hallway. Two doors opened, and Winthrop's companions stepped out, two in front and one behind the threesome.
Vin turned to face the shorter Anglo as he charged them with all the grace of a drunken steer. Still, he managed to wrap his arms around Tanner's mid-section, slamming him back against the wall as Josiah and Ezra tangled with the two Latinos.
Vin used the edges of his palms to land a double knife-hand attack at the base of his attacker's neck. The man only grunted and pounded at Vin's gut.
While he was focused, Vin lifted the man's revolver free of its belt holster then shoved his knee up, catching the man solidly in the chest. The sniper followed up with another knee to the man's groin and a solid punch to the attacker's jaw. He dropped and Vin wasted no time delivering a killing stomp to the man's neck as he slipped the gun into the waistband of his jeans. He turned to help the others, but watched as Ezra kicked his man in the mid-section, taking him down. Josiah followed up with an elbow to his man's temple, dropping him.
"C'mon," Vin gasped, staggering forward two steps before he saw Winthrop. His muscles seized up and his knees buckled, pitching him forward into the wall. He slid down as Josiah and Ezra moved to help him up.
"Don't move," Winthrop said coldly.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Winthrop had watched Standish escape the pit, slamming his hand against the wall. "Damn him!" He spun on the three men who stood across the room, too afraid to come any closer. "They'll try to escape. I want them stopped. Standish will watch his teammates die!"
The three men escaped out of the room and Winthrop gathered up the few articles he wanted from the room, shoving them into a small gym bag before he followed after the men, his gun drawn and ready.
Then the agents had defeated his men, leaving them sprawled on the floor, one dead, the other two useless. It was more than Winthrop could take. He dropped his bag and stepped out into the hallway, his Browning leveled on the already down Tanner.
"Don't move," he said coldly.
"No!" Josiah said, starting to move forward to protect Vin, but Ezra grabbed his arm, stopping him short.
"You told him what to do," Winthrop said quietly to Vin and Josiah. "You'll die for that, I promise you."
The gun shifted from Vin to Josiah, and Winthrop saw Ezra's gaze flicker to the gun still tucked into the waistband of Almaraz's slacks.
"Really, Agent Standish?" Winthrop chuckled. "And what would you do with that gun, shoot me?" He took a step closer to Josiah, lifting the gun so it was level with his face. "Somehow I doubt it. I can kill him, right here, right now; before you could reach that gun."
"Let him go," Ezra said, his voice flat.
"Let him go? After all the trouble I went through to get you all here? Oh no, Agent Standish. I won't let him go. I want to see the expression on your face when I pull the trigger." He took another half-step closer to Josiah.
"No!" Ezra said, moving between Winthrop and Josiah. "Leave him alone."
Winthrop shifted the weapon to Vin, pressing it against the side of the man's head. "Would you prefer I kill Agent Tanner instead?"
Josiah's hands came up. "I don't want you to kill either of us," he said, watching Ezra from the corner of his eye. He looked like he was a moment away from passing out.
Winthrop took another step, then reached out, lightly slapping Ezra's cheek. "If you had to pick, which one would you give me?" he asked him.
Standish shook his head.
"Would you give me Agent Tanner?" The gun shifted back to Josiah's face. "Or Sanchez? Which one, Standish?"
"Stop it!" Ezra snapped. "If you honestly think I'm going to pick for you, you're madder than I think you are!" He glanced again at the gun on the fallen Latino.
"Go on, Standish, take it," Winthrop said, gesturing to the gun with his own.
Standish hesitated a moment, then slowly leaned over, expecting Winthrop to fire a warning shot as his hand drew too close to the weapon, but his fingers closed on the butt and he straightened, the gun ready and leveled on the older man.
"There, you see?" Winthrop gloated. "You can't kill me. You know you're responsible for my son's death."
"Shoot the sonuvabitch," Vin growled from where he huddled against the wall, his muscles quivering.
Winthrop shifted his weapon back to Josiah. "Drop the gun, Standish. Drop it now, or I'll take him with me."
"Don't do it, Ez," Vin panted, his face ashen under a fine film of sweat.
"Oh, you'd better, Standish, or I will kill Sanchez. You know I will. I won't go out alone."
Standish lowered the gun, but he didn't drop it.
"Drop it," Winthrop commanded softly. "Or I'll take you back to the pit."
Ezra let the gun fall from his fingers.
"You bastard," Josiah hissed at Winthrop.
The older man nodded. "Guess I am, but he's earned it."
The first distant wail of sirens echoed through the building and Winthrop's eyes rounded. He glanced nervously behind him at the closed door at the end of the hall. "Damn," he breathed softly.
"That's the police," Josiah snapped. "This is over."
Winthrop's gaze flicked from Ezra to Josiah to Vin and back to Ezra; out of time. "I kill you all, right now, and get caught, or…" He rotated the gun in his hand and handed it to Standish, butt first.
Standish's fingers closed on the weapon, and he lifted it to point at Winthrop's face.
"Pull the trigger," Vin hissed.
"I don't think so, Agent Tanner," Winthrop said. His gaze never left Ezra. "I'm no longer a threat to you, or your associates. You'll arrest me. I'll get off, or not. Either way, you'll have to keep reliving this until the trial's over."
Vin watched Ezra's hand, waiting for his trigger finger to twitch. Instead, Standish lowered the gun. "I won't kill you, Mr. Winthrop," he said softly.
Winthrop nodded. "You killed my son, and someday, I will kill you, Standish, slowly. And if I can take your team with you, I will."
"Not this lifetime," Vin growled, bringing up the gun he'd taken off the Anglo with both hands. He fired.
Winthrop's eyes widened and he crumpled to the floor.
Josiah glanced quickly at Ezra, but he rushed to Vin, catching him as he pitched forward, a slight smile on his lips. The gun clattered to the floor. "Vin?"
Standish looked from Winthrop to his teammates.
"Help me," Josiah said. "He needs a doctor; right now."
Ezra stood his ground, a whirlpool of emotions threatening to pull him into the same welcome blackness that had taken Vin.
"Ezra!" Josiah called again.
The door burst open and the profiler jumped, grabbing for the gun until he realized that several DPD officers were entering the hallway, their weapons at the ready.
Ezra felt his hands start to tremble as the officers reached them, one checking Winthrop while two others worked over Vin, Josiah demanding that they get him to a hospital immediately. He felt someone take his arm and followed meekly as he was led out of the building and into the bright morning sunlight. Blinking, he realized that it was Chris Larabee who had led him out.
Travis walked up to join them.
"Ezra?" Chris repeated. "What the hell happened?"
Standish watched two paramedics maneuver a gurney through the door, then turned to face Larabee and Travis. "Thomas Winthrop," was all he managed before swaying. Consciousness dropped out from under him and he felt Larabee and Travis grab him as the blackness closed in.
"Hey, over here!" Chris called and another paramedic rushed to take Ezra.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin listened to the steady beat of a heart monitor and followed the sound back to consciousness. He blinked, groaning as wakefulness brought with it all the aches and pains left over from his encounter with Winthrop. He lifted his head off the pillow, glancing around the room.
Sun filtered past half-closed curtains, a slice of blue sky visible beyond. He turned his attention to the bedside equipment. Heart monitor, standard for an electrocution victim; a nose cannula provided oxygen; two IVs dripped fluids and whatever medication he needed into his veins. No casts, no blood, no restraints, and no immobilization apparatus. He smiled. Not too bad, all things considered.
The door whisked open and he looked to see if he had a pretty nurse, too.
"Feeling better?" Josiah asked softly.
"Yeah, feelin' fine 'n' dandy," he admitted. "Must have me on a morphine drip."
The profiler walked to the bedside and stood, smiling down at him. "You look disappointed to see me."
"I was hopin' you'd be a pretty little red-headed nurse."
Josiah grinned, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Don't get your hopes up."
"How's Ezra?"
Josiah's expression turned serious, and Vin scooted up in the bed, then used the buttons hanging from the rails to raise the head of his bed.
"He's doing better," Sanchez said. "He's across the hall."
"Dead," he said. "Even half-unconscious you're a damn good shot, Vin Tanner."
"Even unconscious I'm a damn good shot," Vin replied. "Army did a good job."
"Indeed they did."
Silence filled the room.
Vin finally cleared his throat and said, "I had t' do it."
"I know," Josiah replied, walking over to pour Vin a glass of water from the mustard-colored plastic pitcher. "He would've tried again, probably succeeded in killing a few of us, and Ezra."
Vin nodded, accepting the glass and taking a long drink. "Ezra won't agree."
"No," Josiah admitted. "But I want you to know that I'm glad you did. The bastard wouldn't have stopped until Ezra, and as many of us as possible were dead."
Vin nodded. "'Preciate the support, J'siah… just hope Chris agrees, and doesn't get me canned."
"Canned?" Larabee asked as he walked into the room.
Vin looked sheepishly at the blond. "I c'n explain—"
"Josiah told us what happened," Chris said somberly. "And given the situation…" He paused, staring at his shoes for a moment before he added. "I'd like to think I would've done the same thing."
Vin nodded, slumping back with relief. "'Preciate that, Chris, but when it comes right down to it, if Ezra can't accept it, I won't be worth much t' this team."
Chris sighed. "He'll come around."
"I hope you're right," Josiah replied, reaching out to rest his hand on Vin's shoulder.
"Me, too," Chris said. "Because I won't lose you, Vin." He walked to the door and left.
Josiah glanced down at Vin, enjoying the surprised expression on the man's bruised face.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Three days later Vin paced in the hospital's atrium. Ezra had been released after twenty-four hours and had immediately left, heading for home to check on Amy, who, JD had told him, was fine, if a little worried.
For two days the others had kept him company. But Ezra hadn't come by, not once.
Two days, Vin thought as he paced back and forth along the narrow pathway edged with flowers and tall Ficus trees. Above him sunlight filtered through the skylights. He paused, dropping into a couple of deep knee bends, testing his still-sore muscles.
He was fine. Sore, sure, but who wouldn't be? The bruises were rapidly fading, and daily physical therapy was helping his shoulders recover. The PT would continue for a while. Travis had given him the week off. He didn't have to do anything more than watch TV, listen to some music, and go to his appointments.
He checked his watch. Where the hell's Chris? He was supposed t' be back by now with the haul.
Vin licked his lips, imagining the cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake. Where the hell was Larabee? He sighed and paced back down the path.
"I understand you were waiting for this?"
Vin spun, finding Ezra standing at the end of the path, holding out a white paper sack.
The sniper closed the space, grabbing the bag and carrying it back to one of the benches. Sitting down, he tore into the paper, splitting it open, exposing the burger and fries. He immediately shoved a French fry into his mouth, eyes closing as he chewed. "Ahh, that's good," he said, then looked at Ezra. "Where's m' shake?" he asked.
Standish's lips twitched slightly and he walked over and handed the younger man the cold drink.
"Thanks," Vin said, taking a bite of the burger, then a sip of the shake. He gestured to the other end of the bench. "Have a seat," he said, his mouth full.
Ezra sat, waiting in silence while Vin devoured the food in record time. "I do believe they feed you three times a day here, Mr. Tanner."
Vin snorted behind his last bite of fries. "This ain't Summit, an' you weren't here long enough t' experience what they're callin' food – be grateful for that."
"That bad?"
Ezra nodded, a slight smile on his face.
"What's up?" Vin asked when silence settled between them a second time.
Leaning back, Standish stared up at the skylight and sighed heavily, then looked back at Vin as he said, "I can't say that I agree with what you did, killing Winthrop… however…"
"Yeah?" Vin questioned when it seemed Ezra wasn't going to finish.
"There's a part of me that is very glad you did."
Vin weighed the words and the sentiment behind them. It wasn't what he'd expected. "I did it for the right side."
"The right reasons?" Ezra asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Vin replied.
"Can you explain that to me?"
"Even if Winthrop went t' prison, he could've gotten out, or escaped. Sooner or later we'd be facin' something like that again. There was no way he was gonna let the death of his son be anybody's fault but yours – ours. We might not be so lucky the next time; no tellin' who might end up dead. Y' don't let your enemy walk away so he can take a shot at y' later."
Ezra sat, mulling over the words, the argument, and the heartfelt sentiment behind it. "I'm not like you, Mr. Tanner. I cannot execute an unarmed man."
"I know," Vin replied seriously. "Don't think any 'a the others could, either, except maybe Buck if he was pissed off enough."
"It's your training, isn't it?"
Vin nodded as he said, "I reckon. Sniper don't face his enemy down, he waits and takes the shot when he gets it. Bang, end 'a story."
Ezra met the sniper's gaze. "I'm not sure I belong on this team."
"What're y' talkin' about?" Vin demanded.
Standish stood and paced off several steps. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and hunched his shoulders. "I lost it in that warehouse, Vin. You know it, and I know it. How can I—?"
"Whoa, hold it right there," Vin interrupted him. "Y' listen 'n' listen hard; we've all got things we're scared of. Hell, you know how I can get in small, dark spaces."
"But if my fear stops me from doing—"
"So y' don't like dead bodies, who the hell does? Has it ever stopped y' from doin' your job?"
"No," Standish admitted.
"And y' don't like rats."
"I loath the vile creatures."
"Did that ever stop y' from doin' what y' had to?"
"It did this time," Ezra said defiantly.
Vin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "No, it didn't. It might 'a slowed y' down, but it didn't stop ya."
"I could've gotten you killed, and Josiah as well," Ezra argued. "That is not acceptable."
"Glad we agree," Vin replied lightly.
Ezra made a face. "You know what I mean."
"Look, we're all human. We've got our faults 'n' our fears… our weaknesses. That's why this is a team; we compensate for each other. No shame in that. Hell, if we were all supermen they wouldn't need units like us, or in the military, we'd just go out 'n' kick ass 'n' take names."
"Josiah talked to a friend of his in New York. He thinks this man might be able to help me with this phobia."
Vin nodded. "Sounds good. Nothin' wrong with spendin' some time on the couch."
Standish grinned slightly. "Oh, like you have?"
Tanner nodded somberly. "Couple 'a times… mostly group stuff, though."
"Your childhood?" Ezra asked, suddenly feeling very aware of the trust that comment represented. Vin's past was something the sniper never spoke about, except maybe to Larabee.
Another nod.
"Would you mind if I asked a personal question, Mr. Tanner?"
"The trick you suggested," Standish said, extending his hand, a white bandage still wrapped around his finger. "Where did you learn that?"
Vin's hands sought out the pockets of his hospital robe as a light chill passed over his shoulders and down his back. "In one of my foster homes… there was this kid… quiet type, kept t' himself… scared shitless 'a roaches. When they locked 'im in the closet, he'd go nuts."
"So you told him to do that?"
Vin shook his head. "Naw, he told me."
"I don't understand."
"He helped me deal with the darkness, so I could move, kill the damn things for 'im."
Ezra shivered. "I don't think I'll ever be able to control my fear like that when it comes to rats. Not when faced with several of the little beasts at once; I can hardly even talk about it."
Vin shrugged. "Y' never know. Long term exposure can make a difference, eventually, but I don't recommend it as therapy."
Standish shook his head. "No, neither would I." He met Vin's appraising gaze. "I appreciate it, though."
"That's what being a team is all about, Ez. I help you, you help me."
"I'm just feeling I didn't help enough."
"When it came down t' the wire, y' forgot about your fear an' y' did what y' had to; just like I did."
Vin drew his hands out of his pockets and held them up. Standish studied the tanned, callused hands, noticing the faint scars around the first two knuckles on both hands for the first time. He met Tanner's gaze, surprised.
"Still hate tight, dark places," Vin grumbled.
Ezra snorted softly, then chuckled, the soft amusement escalating to a full belly laugh. Vin joined him.
"We are a pair, aren't we?" Ezra finally managed.
"Yep, we are."
A few moments later the laughter faded away and Ezra stood. "I should let you get some rest."
"Rest? Hell, Ez, I wanna get the hell out 'a here."
Standish reached out, resting his hand lightly on the sniper's shoulder. "All in good time, Mr. Tanner."
The younger man looked up at Ezra, a hopeful, almost boyish expression on his face. "Maybe y' could talk t' the boss?"
Ezra shook his head. "Mr. Larabee is receiving daily progress reports from your doctor. When he says you can go, then you can go."
Vin rolled his head and groaned. "I'll starve t' death if I don't get outta here soon!"
"I'm sure you'll find a way to get through it. Whatever happened to all of that Army training?"
"Some help you are," Vin grumbled as he folded his arms over his chest and nearly pouted.
Ezra extended his hand and Tanner grudgingly took it, allowing the undercover agent to pull him to his feet. "Maybe y' can convince Buck an' JD t' smuggle in something fer dinner?"
Standish snorted and shook his head. "You know what that's going to cost you?"
"Cost me? Ez, I'm a friend."
"Skydiving lessons."
"Skydivin'? You?"
"I think it's time I begin to face my fears… all of them."
"Y' sure about that?"
"If you want something smuggled in, that is my price, Mr. Tanner."
"Fine, I'll take y' skydivin'," Vin said. "But if y' freeze up in the doorway, I'll push y' out myself."
"Of course you will," Standish agreed. "And I'll take you with me – my hands wrapped tightly around your throat."
Vin laughed. "Yeah, y' probably will. Fear unhinges the will, and by unhinging the will it paralyses the reason… Whilst moral fear is largely overcome by courage based on reason, physical fear is overcome by courage based on physical means."
"Why, Mr. Tanner, that was… profound."
Tanner shot the man a hot look. "I can be just as profound as the next guy."
"I didn't mean to suggest otherwise."
"'Course that wasn't me, it was Major General J.F.C. Fuller."
"I knew that."
"Y' did not."
"Yes, I did."
"The hell y' say!"
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Bill Perkins - Swipe
After completely frying your spectator with your latest and greatest card trick, you ask if they would care to see a trick with their cell phone. You grab their phone, snap your fingers and instantly cause the touch screen to stop working. As much as you swipe your finger side to side, the screen never moves. Snap again and instantly the screen is functional. Look to the spectator and let them know you're ready to start your effect. Simple, Quick, impromptu and a heck of a lot of fun to perform. This is SWIPE!
Perform with iPhones, androids, iPod touch, iPad, android tablets..... You get the idea. Perform with any android or apple device!
Bonus effect awaiting you at the end! The method is simple, but opens the doors for many effects to come!
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Following WWII, the U.S. Navy made a concentrated effort maintain its military dominance, which included expanding its fleet and building more shipyards. At the time, asbestos was an important part of both ships and the shipyard. This building material was frequently used because it was strong, resistant to heat, relatively inexpensive and it also resisted corrosion. Ships were covered in asbestos. It was used in the paint, in the insulation, in boiler rooms, and even in packing materials. At the time, nobody understood the deadly consequences asbestos would have on the shipyard workers who handled these products every single day.
Even after the medical community realized asbestos was linked to serious health problems, shipyard workers remained at risk. Because so many ships were full of asbestos, there was no cost-effective way to remove the dangers all at once. While asbestos is no longer used in shipbuilding, it may still be present in older ships, putting shipyard workers at constant risk.
The Impact of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos was used in practically every part of older ships. Shipyard workers could have been exposed to asbestos at any given moment. Tiny microscopic asbestos fibers lingered on every surface, a silent killer just waiting for the next unknowing victim to come along. When shipyard workers inhaled these asbestos fibers, it started a dangerous chain reaction. The fibers would embed in the lungs, where they would remain lodged for years. As the body fought the foreign invader, it created intense scarring, which led to inflammation and breathing difficulties.
Eventually, these scarred areas could evolve into cancerous lesions, causing mesothelioma.
The shipyard workers who were most likely to inhale asbestos fibers are those who worked on ships during the construction and repair phases. Risk was also high for those who routinely handled the asbestos crates and pallets when loading and unloading the ships. Although asbestos is no longer used for shipbuilding, it can still be found on some older ships that were constructed in the late 1970s.
Asbestos-Related Diseases
There are three types of serious illnesses linked to asbestos exposure. Each has been found in shipyard workers. The most common asbestos related illness is mesothelioma. Many shipyard workers have developed malignant pleural mesothelioma, a life-threatening condition where tumors attack the lung's lining. Shipyard workers are also at risk for peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer in the stomach lining, and pericardial mesothelioma, a cancer in the heart's lining. While there's no known cure for mesothelioma, doctors can offer treatments that extend the life of the patient, often adding five years to their overall life expectancy.
Lung cancer has also been linked to asbestos exposure. Shipyard workers that smoked may have an increased risk of developing lung cancer due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestosis is another condition commonly tied to asbestos. This disease is caused by thickening scar tissue on the lungs, leading to shortness of breath and suffocation.
It can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years for the first signs of asbestos-related illness to appear. If you believe you were exposed to asbestos as a shipyard worker, it's important to talk to your doctor and have routine health monitoring to catch asbestos-related diseases in the early stages. This can lead to a better treatment plan and help improve your quality of life.


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Transformation Hatha Yoga is a gentle form of yoga and is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. It is healing for the body and mind and helps people of all ages and levels of fitness to increase stamina and flexibility, tone your body, improve posture, release stress and tension and find greater peace and harmony through the use of the breath, Asanas and postural awareness. This form of Yoga aims to help you love and accept yourself and achieve your full potential. Each class ends in a relaxation to assimilate the benefits of the Asanas and to experience a deep relaxation.
Stage 1: Suitable for everyone, including beginners.
Stage 2: For those who have practised Stage 1 and would like to deepen their practice.
One-to-one classes also available.
A regular yoga practice can:
- Improve flexibility
- Help improve your posture
- Relieve stress and tension
- Create a sense of peace and well-being
- Help you connect with your inner self
- Allow you to attain a deeper understanding of your body's needs
- Improve certain conditions such as back pain, high blood pressure, anxiety, ME, Arthritis among others. (Please speak to me if you have any queries or concerns.)
Please call Susannah as soon as possible to book your place as class sizes are small to ensure individual attention and places are limited.
The Yurt, Seaford – Stage 1/2
Tuesday 10:00pm to 11:30am
Summer Term 1:
Tuesday 3rd June – Tuesday 17th July, 2018
(7 weeks)
£49 for 7 week term
The Yurt, Florence House
Southdown Road
Bishopstone Village Hall – Stage 1/2
Tuesday 6:30 to 8:00pm
Summer Term 1:
Tuesday 3rd June – Tuesday 17th July, 2018
(7 weeks)
£49 for 7 week term
Bishopstone Village Hall
Bishopstone Village
(The Village Hall is behind St Andrews Church)
One-to-one yoga classes
I currently offer one-to-one yoga classes for those that do not want to attend a class. This is an excellent opportunity to have the class tailored to suit your needs. One session usually takes one hour. Cost depends on distance travelled. Please call to arrange.


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Merlot is our pride and joy, through and through, he came to our home as a teeny tiny puppy. He was born on the 10th of October 2006, we picked him up on the 5th December 2006. He went on his first Caravanning trip to Blackwood on the 26th of December, crash course camping really! He was so tiny he was not able to jump up into the van we had to borrow a step just so he could.
Merlot picked us, we are pretty sure he did as he pushed the other puppy out of the way when we picked him up. Bill and I are not dog lovers, we both like cats, as we love to travel and see things we know that you just can't take a cat caravanning, or at the very least it is not the best idea to take a cat caravanning.
Who said Dogs can't talk??
Merlot has taught us and we learned from him, a lot has got to be said for listening to your pets or trying to understand what they are trying to communicate. Dogs obviously cannot speak English, but that does not mean they cannot communicate. We have learned to use the same words and tone for things, we were once told that dogs only understand "yes" and "no". Well we can easily say that this could not be further from the truth. Merlot understands a lot, we talk to him all the time and in his little way he responds. If we say to him "we go see Aunty" or "we go see Poppy" he will race to the front door and sit and wait, tail wagging at 100 miles!! He knows who "Aunty" is and he knows the games that "Aunty" plays with him. We can even say to Merlot, "Go to Aunty" and he will go to her or jump on her lap. Merlot will "tell" us when he has a prickle in a paw, he will stop walking and instantly hold up the offending paw, for those whom have seen him do this they are astounded that a dog would do thing. More often they just limp and "say" nothing. Today Merlot wanted to snooze on our bed, how did he tell us this, he sat beside me while I was working on this blog, wagged his tail and barked at me, usually this means he wants something so I asked him to "show" me, he walked to the side of our bed where I would normally pick him up, sat there and wagged his tail. I walked over to him and he leaps to make it easy for me to pick him up, I put him on the bed and he snuggled himself down. He then heard a noise, got off the bed and barked at the noise, he then came back to me and repeated what he did earlier. Today all in all he has done this "Mum pick me up and let me snooze on the big bed" 5 times. I guess it's a tough life being him!!
We have a game where we hide treats, Merlot has to "find" them, Bill will put a treat in his pocket (Also a game he plays with his Poppy) and Bill will say, "show daddy" and Merlot will slap his paws down and dig to "show" where the treat is, it is pretty cute too! Merlot uses this "show" trick to "show" us when there is something that he wants. We were off caravanning and just finished a roast dinner, Bill put the bones in a small waste bin outside. This bin was at a height that Merlot could easily get into and take anything out of it. Merlot raced into the van and was hopping about in excitement, he slapped his paws against Bills knees, Merlot was trying to tell or show us something. Bill said to Merlot "show daddy" and Merlot raced outside and slammed his paws down in front of the bin and wagged is tail! WOW!! As the bones were chicken and not safe for him to eat we got him a treat. Why? Cos he politely asked for something, he did not take without asking, he should be rewarded. He knows that if it is not his he can't have it but when it is given to him then it is his. This is a great habit to instil in an animal, they won't get into cupboards, get into rubbish and so much more.
A Healthy Wuppy
We are always on top of Merlot's health, his health is paramount, after all a well looked after pet equals small vet bills!! Merlot has always been fed quality dog food, Royal Canin, Eukanaba, Science Diet, Beneful to name just a few. We try to mix it up so that he does not get sick of the same stuff over and over again. Merlot does get table scraps but no fatty pieces, he is a little animal so a cube of fat equates to a lot of fat. Humans and animals need good fats in their diets, just as with humans too much fat is bad, the same is with dogs!! We once had a disagreement with someone whom refused to acknowledge that we did not want them giving OUR animal fried fatty pork rinds. Their reasoning was "dogs don't eat kibble in the wild" well dogs don't eat fried fatty pork rinds either AND they don't live as long in the wild because they don't get all their nutritional requirements!
We can only try to make sure that out furry friend gets what he needs and consumes the right amounts. We put our faith in our vet and millions of dollars spent in research! Merlot has two small meals a day and a couple of small treats per day. "Nanny" is the WORST offender time and time again, her blatant ignorance is astounding!!! We can't tell you how many times she has been told NOT to give Merlot big piece of anything, he is a small dog and small dogs have small things. It's so annoying especially when she gives him big cubes of cheese, cheese is already a no-no, she is not the one to deal with the smelly aftermath or a dog that is sick the next day because Merlot has been fed too much of what he is not allowed to eat from someone who should know better!!! It's sad because Merlot loves going to his Nanna and Poppas and seeing his buddy Charlie, the price he pays 7/10 visits is a bout of gastro. 18 months ago we had to go out shopping and we let Nanna and Poppa look after Merlot for a few hours, we came back and we are not sure whom had more fun!! The next day Merlot was as flat as a tack, off his food, barely did a thing. We took him to the vet and found he had gastro brought on by eating possum poo. Nanny and Poppy saw Merlot eating it but did nothing about it, why, because Charlie a big German Shepherd who has done the same thing ALL his life does it. It did not occur to them to think that Merlot is a small dog and he has not eaten this before and he could get sick!!! *slaps head* So poor Merlot was out for the count for a week, although we don't think that he minded having to eat steamed chicken fillets for that time!!
Merlot has always been vaccinated regularly, its something that is important to us, we love our dog and want to give him the best chances we can. Merlot was due for his 6 month vaccine, we took him to the vets he had his full check up and had his vaccine. We came home and we noticed that Merlot looked like he had something in his mouth. I grabbed him to find out what it was and you cannot imagine our total shock to see that his face was swelling up. In the time it took us to get to the car and back to the vet Merlot's head and ears were puffed to almost twice their size. Lucky the vet was straight onto it, Merlot was given a massive dose of cortisone and antihistamine our poor baby was seriously sick. We were so scared, we almost lost him that day, we later found that there were other dogs that had the same reaction, the vet tried to get explanations from the producers of the vaccine and they would not comment. They even phoned us and said it was an allergic reaction, we were shocked that without examining him they came to a conclusion! The following year Merlot had the same vaccine, we sat at the vet's for a while after and there was no reaction. We were happy that he did not have a reaction and understand that it was more than likely the batch of vaccine that Merlot had, we also guess the manufacturers wanted things to be kept quite!!
Fleas strike!!!
As with vaccinating Merlot is regularly given flea, tick and worm treatments, if we are travelling to Sydney and beyond we up the tic treatment. We were on honeymoon and we had made it to Coff Harbour, we were at a caravan park right near The Big Banana. In the morning Merlot was very flat, he stayed in bed and did not eat his breakfast. Merlots favourite time of the day s breakfast so naturally we were worried. We asked a local where was the nearest vet, they told us and also told us that we were in an area well known for paralysis ticks. Immediately we were panicked, we raced him to the vet, they saw him instantly. They checked all over him and gave him the all-clear, they gave us a whole bunch of literature on ticks and how to combat them. We left a few hundred dollars poorer with a dog wagging his tail madly because he just got some treats from the vet and we were set at ease.
Whilst on honeymoon we were also going to find out how good Frontline and Sentinel was! Merlot gets both each month, it is a bit of overkill but he has never had fleas or worms so it's money well spent. We caught up with some friends and they had not treated their animals, their home was riddled with fleas. We had no idea that there was this extent of fleas in this home, Bill sat down on the couch and within moments he saw thousands of the critters leaping all over the him. Bill began itching like crazy and as he had Merlot on his lap, poor Merlot was covered!! Being a white dog with very pale pink skin they stick out like crazy. Bill instantly got off the couch and we had to stop Merlot sitting on the couch or near any type of rug. Poor Merlot did not know what was going on, he had never ever had a flea in his life and he was now infested with them, he was jumping and twitching and itching all over. L
The last time I have seen an infestation like this was when I was looking for a rental property and the previous tenants had a heap of cats that had fleas had never treated their pets. As I walked on the carpet they were leaping all over, it was straight out of a horror movie!!
We were staying in our caravan and as it was late and we did not know the area so we had to wait till morning to get any sort of decent preventative. We would have looked hilarious when we got back to the caravan park as we ripped the clothes off that we were wearing and threw them in the wash and both had long showers! We had a standard bug spray so Bill sprayed the van with that, we sat outside of the van for a while in our pyjamas having a glass of red (of course) while waiting for the fumes to settle. After a restless night worrying we woke the next morning and saw dead fleas everywhere, we literally jumped for joy!! We still went out and bought some good strong flea killer and gave the van a good spraying. We also got all our bedding and washed the lot, doona included!! It was a PITA job and I now understood the frustration parents have with other parents when they don't check their kid's hair for nits and still send them to school! It is not expensive to get a flea collar for your animals and the amount of fleas that were in this home screamed it had not been done in a while or they had superfast breeder fleas!!! LOL
We were so lucky that within 48 hours all fleas were dead and gone, it was a costly experience and could have been so much worse. Left untreated fleas will lay up to 50 eggs per day and as the eggs are not sticky the eggs can end up anywhere, from this stage to full grown adult it can take 3 + weeks. So imagine how bad it would be for those fleas to lay eggs, then they become 50 times more then they lay more and so on, by the end of our honeymoon it would become thousands!!!. Fleas carry so many diseases, we more than likely all would have become exceptionally sick and covered in wounds!
Nanny, Poppy and Charrrrrlie
Merlot's "Nanny and Poppy" own a German shepherd, "Charlie". Charlie is Merlots BESTEST buddy, they each know when they are going to see one another. Charlie will pace the front yard while Merlot will be almost jumping out of his fur in a bid to speed up getting to see Charlie, there is something really cute about a German shepherd and a Maltese playing. Merlot can be really cheeky with Charlie and he is well known to sneak into Charlie's toy box and hide all his toys. Merlot will also jump on Charlie's bed and mess up all the covers. Henk and Pien were puppy sitting one weekend and came home to a lounge with blankets scattered everywhere!
Merlot raced about the garden and he came inside while "Nanny" and "Poppy" were watching television, they were enjoying the program they were watching but noticed that there was a really bad smell. Henk (Poppy) looked down and noticed that Merlot had found a bone, not just any bone but the slimiest smelly bone that he could have ever found! Merlot was covered in rancid goo and reeked. Straight in the bath he went and straight in the bin went the bone!! Poor Nanna and Poppa couldn't get the smell out of their minds for ages!!
Obedient Dog!
Charlie was once taught at obedience school, Charlie when he was younger had won obedience awards for this too! What we did with Merlot was copy what Charlie was taught minus clicker training. Merlot was also house trained very quickly and the greatest of thanks goes to Aunty Helen for this, her advice was invaluable!
Merlot with persistence knew all the basic commands in a few weeks. As most of Merlots commands are the same as Charlies we can get both dogs those same tricks simultaneously!!
We have kept up with Merlot's commands and tricks, every day is an opportunity to teach him or instil his obedience training. We find that it also keeps him in tune with the rules of the house. He knows what he is and is not allowed to do. Merlot's punishments for being naughty are generally "go to your bed" overall he is exceptionally well behaved, his worst offence to date was ignoring the "stop" command. The "stop" command is used to stop what you are doing and sit immediately, we add on occasion a sharp clap of our hands, we used this technique from when he was a little puppy and it also gets instant attention so "Stop", Clap = stop, sit NOW, this is great for when we are going for a walk and he scampers towards something that my become dangerous. One incident Merlot saw a bush chicken and gave chase through some bushes, Bill yelled "stop" and then clapped his hands Merlot ignored Bill and he ran over a road, Bill gave chase , Merlot got a light smack on the toosh came back, tail between his legs and did not speak to Bill for the rest of the day. We can say that he has not don't that ever again and when he hears the "stop" command he now listens. It is a absolute rarity for him to ignore that now, generally we get his attention from just saying "stop"
Merlot was with us for about a month when phoned a puppy school and asked them could we join, we were pleasantly shocked when we turned down. We told the instructor what Merlot could do, bear in mind we had only had him a few weeks, the instructor explained to us that if we bought Merlot to his school we risked undoing all our good work. Merlot could, sit, wait, and drop, "speak" he was house trained and we had him in a routine. Changing all this was to be more of a hindrance. We asked for advice and we were then told not to give him many toys. We were shocked as with thought that toys kept a dog occupied, we were told that it encourages dogs to chew on anything they could get their choppers into! We tested this theory out, I had an old pair of moccasins, and we put Merlot's name on them and made sure that he knew they were his toys. He would play with the moccasins, oddly he would put them back side by side when he finished, he also did not touch my new moccasins nor would he touch Bill's. Merlot showed us that he could be responsible and not chew anything, he would only chew and play with the things that were his.
Merlot and his toy stash has grown over the years, he has his house toy box and his caravan toy box. He often likes to pick out the toy he wants to play with too! He will even "tell" us when he wants to play or when he would like a toy too. He will drop near either toy box, look at us, and wag his tail and bark. It's pretty cute and even cuter if not fun helping him choose his toy of the moment although he does have the odd day when he can't figure out what he wants to play with!! LOL!
Merlot the companion
Merlot has been wonderful for me, a real companion, and the furry little person to cuddle up to on a bad day. Merlot knows when I am not well, I was in hospital recently having a Ketamine infusion and he fretted for me. He was allowed to come to the hospital and get and give hugs. He even gave patients in other rooms a cuddle to. One of the nursing staff was stunned when we said that he was not even 4 years old. They thought that he would be jumping all over the place and he was calm, comforting and obedient. A lady in the opposite room just filled with smiles and joy each time she got her turn for "cuddles" The nurses just adored him.
Merlot is a lap dog, a cuddle dog, a pampered pooch, a travelled pooch. He loves company and over the years somehow he ended up being a permanent lump in our bedroom. He has to be touching one of us and he loves being a "teddy bark" or teddy bear where he is hugged 99% of the night
Merlot has also been so many places, not many dogs of his age can boast they have been caravanning, boating on a train and ferries and more. Merlot is an amazing traveller, he loves to "go somewhere" and see new things. He is not a fan of his harness that we make him wear in the car, but we have it on him for his safety and ours. Some people do not realise that and animal can be a very dangerous projectile in a collision. It never ceases to amaze us home many times we have seen animals jumping about a car. Pets are often very much part of a family and they are loved as such so why are they not put in a harness and secured properly when on the road?? I really would hate to think what damage a 5-8kilo projectile would do, or what would happen.
Stay tuned for more of Merlot's adventures
Wuppies like to dangle!


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The photographs in these railway photograph galleries are available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Attribution should include a link to www.nigeltout.com.
A visit to the Asfordby 'Super Pit' coal mine under construction in 1986.
With the rapid closure of the coal mines in west Leicestershire the sinking of the Asfordby 'Super Pit' coal mine in the east of the county was expected to provide the effected miners with jobs well into the 21st. century. After an extended period of planning, and a public enquiry, sinking of the shafts at Asfordby started in August 1985. The site chosen was near to Asfordby Hill village, to the west of Melton Mowbray, and was next to Holwell Works iron foundry. The proposal was to extract coal from the vast seams under the vale of Belvoir from this mine right on the edge of the coal field, but geological problems and the poor economics of production led to the mine closing in 1997. The full story is explained in detail at http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/individual/Bob_Bradley/Bk-7/B7-1997-P7.html.
The photographs here were mainly taken on 23/11/86 during a visit by a party from Sileby Photographic Society to photograph the mine under construction. The main activity at the time was the sinking of two shafts using temporary headgear and electric winding engines.
Photographs of a coal train here when the mine was operating are shown on this site in the 'Asfordby "Super Pit" Coal Mine, 1990s' section.
This site also has a few photographs of a coal train being loaded and departing Asfordby mine.


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Candle and Diffuser Home Fragrances
Scent your home with some of our newest, richly fragrant candles and diffusers. From fresh ocean, to juicy fruits and exquisite florals, we've gathered our favorites sure to create a scent-sational memory in your home or office. Perfect hostess, wedding, corporate and birthday gifts, and a finishing touch to your own aromatic choices! We have the best fragrances for you to choose from.


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- Colors
- Detail Images
You don't have to heed the siren's call.
Hiking in New England calls for waterproof gear from head to toe. So when the weatherman calls for a thirty percent chance of rain, and you're about to duck out the door on an afternoon jaunt, reach for the Merrell Women's Siren Edge Waterproof Hiking Shoe. This hiking shoe features a waterproof breathable M Select Dry membrane and a mesh and synthetic construction that ensures ample climate regulation without skimping on torsional support. A bellows tongue prevents debris from weaseling its way into your sock. In terms of support, the Siren boasts an M Select FIT.ECO EVA footbed (complete with odor control) and a molded nylon arch shank for trek-long support and comfort. The rugged M Select Grip outsole provides stability and traction in otherwise slippery situations.
- A tenacious hiking shoe for tackling wet and damp terrain
- Mesh and synthetic upper offers ample breathability in humid temperatures
- Waterproof breathable M Select Dry membrane
- Mesh lining wicks moisture and keeps foot dry
- Bellows tongue prevents debris from getting the best of your hike
- M Select FI.ECO EVA footbed boasts an anti-odor treatment
- Molded nylon arch shank and EVA midsole provides trek-long support
- Rugged M Select Grip outsole assures stability and traction
- Reviews
Merrell just never lets you down...
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
My new shoes, "Siren Edge", by Merrell have already proved themselves with the Vibram sole. They are light weight, sturdy and fit like a glove. True to size.
I was reluctant to make the purchase, because the reviews that are out there, do not tout the glories of these shoes. I am convinced that only when something goes wrong with a product is when some writes a review. These fit so well, I am thinking I should just get another pair right now...
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
I bought these shoes in October 2017 for wet strenuous hikes. I loved them at first because they required little to no break in and kept my feet dry. All too quickly they lost their waterproofing and the shoe itself started to separate from the sole. I wore them approximately 5 times for full 8 hour wet days before they failed. I do not recommend these shoes if you're looking for a durable, tough, waterproof shoe. Very disappointed.
Great shoes
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I LOVE these shoes! i recommend ordering a size up -- I did and they are awesome. Extremely comfortable. Great for hiking and urban walking. Super light weight
Great simple hiking shoe
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
- Fit: True to size
Great Shoe. Fits like a running shoe and fits true to size. Only used it once but it fit like a glove


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Updated: May 6, 2013 5:23 pm
The J-14 staff is obsessed with David Archuleta's Twitter (@DavidArchie) -- he writes the cutest, funniest Tweets. And with 546,404 followers, we're not the only ones who beam every time Archie sends a Tweet. Here are some of our faves from 2010:
--Editor-in-Chief Rachel Chang
--Associate Editor Kim Messina
--Associate Art Director Erik Jacobsen
--Editorial Assistant Rachel Sheehan
--Editorial Assistant Ashley Spencer
Do you follow David on Twitter? What are some of your favorite Tweets?
Photo: Courtesy of Music Choice


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MSS offers the most cost-effective solution in the marketplace to extend the life of legacy systems that utilize SCSI interfaces with its drop-in replacement conversion sled. The conversion sled mimics a 3.5" SCSI (50, 68 and 80-pin) HD or SSD by integrating a standard, commercially-available 2.5" SATA HD or SSD into a 3.5" standard form factor package. Almost any drive can be selected to best meet program requirements including considerations of HD vs. SSD, capacity, price point, environment, speed, endurance, and Single Level Cell (SLC) vs. Multi-Level Cell (MLC) This convenient solution reduces the effort of locating replacement end-of-life (EOL) drives, which may or may not be available, and helps avoid the high cost of redesigning and re-qualifying the architecture of the system to utilize modern interfaces.
All MSS conversion sleds are designed and manufactured to meet AS9100 configuration control standards and are fully-functional tested to the customer's environmental requirements prior to delivery. Demo units available. Please contact us for details at 888.884.9344.
Operating Commercial
Andes Rugged, SCSI Interface to SATA Series
Performance Specifications
Andes Rugged, SCSI Interface to SATA Series
Physical Specifications
*Values are for conversion sled only. **Configurable to match replaced 3.5'' drive ± .02 lbs (±10g)
Key Benefits of Mountain Secure Systems Conversion Solutions:
• The most cost-effective, ruggedized solution in the marketplace for converting SCSI to SATA in a standard 3.5" Form Factor
• Easy-to-use, drop-in replacement
• Firmware can be customized to a customer's specific application
• Avoid the high cost of redesigning and re-qualifying system architecture to a modern interface
• Nobody understands ruggedizing electronics better than MSS.
• We are always open to utilizing your drive choice or recommending the proper drive for your application. Selected drive performance is dependent on OEM specification.
Demo units available. To order yours, call us at 888.884.9344, or complete the Contact Us Form.
Andes Rugged, SCSI Interface to SATA Series Available Configurations:
DOWNLOAD: Andes SCSI Interface to SATA Configurations
Andes Rugged, SCSI Interface to SATA Series Available Configurations:
DOWNLOAD BROCHURE to learn more about the customizable features:
Andes SCSI Interface to SATA Rugged Solid State and Magnetic Hard Drives Solutions