That is exactly what I'm thinking Lorna....Myles, don't go back by yourself. Aren't there some agents you could get D to send from the nearest field office? You have to put a case together. Although, dad, Roy, Garth and Jerry seem to have taken the bait and don't know Myles is FBI. But, come on Myles, they threatened to kill you. Bide your time there in Billings, let Tara do her thing back in DC, and...well, instead of guessing, I'll just wait and see what you have in store for us Marlene. Oh, one other thing.....thanks for not letting Sue dehydrate.

Lynn

PS. It was a beautiful day at my son's, low 70's...very low humidity (a rarity down here) and he has a pool. The granddaughters enticed me to go for a swim, not a pretty picture but I did it anyway and froze for the first 15 min, then it was nice. I'm going to love going over there on hot muggy summer days. And my deviled eggs were a big hit. At least these weren't burned!

Oh, I forgot to say I loved the song. I've never heard it before. It fit Myles' smitten heart perfectly. Now he just needs to formulate a plan, gather up a posse and go rescue his damsel,
preferably in that order!

Lynn

Two days later. Temporary FBI field office in Billings.

Myles read Jack’s debriefing. The account preceding their abandonment in the mine was identical to what Jack had told him, while the rest was—vague.

Upon waking up from the drug they injected us, Ms. Thomas and I attempted to retrace our blind journey through the tunnels. When we ran out of water, we drank from the dribble trickling along the walls. Weak and sick, we’d lost track of time and place when we ran into agent Leland. We’re not sure exactly where we were, but we ended up in his truck shortly after our rescue.

Jack had included a short physical description of his kidnappers. Coincidentally, size, height and clothing matched the description Myles had given, as Carson, of Jerry and Garth, the two men who’d sent him for a cold dip.

“Those guys should have changed shirts,” Myles muttered under his breath. They had Jerry and Garth in custody for pointing a weapon and uttering death threats against him—as Carson—and he couldn’t wait for Jack to come and question the two cronies.

Sue’s debriefing supported Jack, but with less details. More sick than Jack, she’d followed him, recalling very little of their journey until she ended up in his truck.

Myles smiled. They hadn’t included their interlude in lovers cave—not even mentioning the cave—and they had omitted Storm.

The lead agent in Billings, a tall burly fellow named Morton, knocked on the doorframe.

“Come in,” Myles invited.

“You do realize this is supposed to be my office,” Morton laughed.

“You did suggest that I make myself at home.”

“I was simply trying it be polite, Leland.” Morton sat on the chair opposite Myles’ and put his feet up on his desk. “I just talked to Russell, your colleagues are on their way.”

Russell was the agent in charge of their protection at the hotel. “Good.”

“You know, Leland, if we revealed you were an undercover agent, we could add more charges against Jerry and Garth.”

Myles leaned in his chair, adopting a similar pose than Morton. “I’m not ready to play that card just yet. If they think Carson was just a regular guy, they may not clam up completely. Trust me on that one, Morton.”

“Fine,” he shrugged. “You’re the advisor on the case, so I’ll go along with you, but I want old Earl Cluster. I’m not letting him slip through my fingers.”

They had raided Royal’s Automotive and seized the stolen vehicles before they were delivered to Cluster Enterprise. In the trunks and under the seats, they had retrieved pirated DVDs and video games. Proving that Cluster knew the provenance of the vehicles or that he was aware of the merchandise smuggled inside was another matter—a matter Myles was glad to leave in Morton’s capable hands. They had apprehended Roy, along with his four employees, and charges were pending against the five men who weren't talking at the moment.

“Cluster is all yours. Anything lead on the whereabouts of the video store owner?”

They’d discovered a high-tech recording room in the cellar of the video store. The owner, a guy named Lewis, who’d conveniently been missing since the previous day, operated in conjunction with a Canadian accomplice named Paul. Myles had personally contacted the RCMP and they had made an arrest. Paul had confessed encrypting satellite signals and attaching them to legit transmissions which Lewis intercepted. While agents had just started reviewing the contents of the DVDs, it seemed the disks included a variety of themes, from Canadian Mystery Series not broadcasted in the States, to sport events and homemade movies starring unwilling participants. On the other hand, the origin of the video games still remained to be determined since the copyright versions hadn’t been released to the public yet.

“I just received news that he was stopped at the Canadian border. He had ninety thousand dollars with him—some of it counterfeit. The Secret Service will be picking him up.”

Myles nodded. “You know—we’re in the wrong line of work.”

“Maybe,” Morton said, intertwining his hands behind his head, “but then, we won’t retire behind bars, will we? We’re almost ready to interrogate the Tanner girl and her father. Will you be watching?”

“Yes. Are the agents done searching her barn?”

“No, just starting, though I’m not sure what you’re hoping to find except mouse droppings.”

“Anything that might incriminate her or her father in Thomas and Hudson’s kidnapping,” he said, hiding his ulterior motive, “since we hardly found any evidence at the Saloon, the house or her studio.”

“That girl crawled under your skin, didn’t she, Leland?”

Myles filed Sue and Jack’s report in a folder. “Storm Tanner doesn’t know who I am, Morton,” he lied. “Let’s keep it that way.”

Morton dropped his arms down his side. “Fine, but you do realize that the girl or her father may not be implicated in the scheme, don’t you?”

Standing up from behind the desk, Myles ignored the question and walked to the interrogation room.

WOW!! I like it!

Tere

NOOOO!!! I got started reading this, and promised I'd quit b 12:10...it's now 1:20 AM, and I'm stuck THERE!

Ugh!

Storm really does seem to have gotten underneath his skin, but it's kind of nice when you think about it.

Im so pleased they have caught them so now maybe they can get the truth as to the murder of storms husband as well and then maybe myles can date her just hope sue and jack are alright cant wait to find out
Lin

It is sounding more and more like Storm is his kind of rain.

Kim

Just goes to show - the bad guys are usually not the sharpest crayon in the box . . .

Can't wait to see how this plays out w/ Myles and Storm . . . now how are Jack and Sue doing? Hmmmm?

Can't wait to see what happens next

Em

Phew -- marathon catch up at lunch -- and I got to take a lunch! You seem to have neatly wrapped up one case -- but not the one they were originally sent out on...at least I don't think so. That means there's plenty more story to go and that makes me feel

kav

I am excited to see what will happen next !
Josy

Loved all the detail, a lot going on with Myles, although: I'm not sure I like that he had to lie to Morton...but I know you will fix it eventually so if he is ever asked if he lied to other FBI agents on that lie detector test when it comes up again in a few years, he will be able to pass!

Loved Jack and Sue's reports....especially no mention of the cave. Now, I'm with Regina, what about Jack and Sue? How are they fairing? Isn't it time for some fuzzies?

Lynn

Disclaimers: Not legally responsible for readers' lack of sleep or declined productivity at work

+++++

His cell phone woke him up. Stretching his arm toward the night table, he tried not to disturb the woman sleeping on his shoulder.

“Hudson.”

“Hi chocolate brownie,” his caller teased.

He smiled at the mischievous woman he couldn’t see him.

“You need to cut on dessert,” he teased back.

Sue stirred, her soft curves brushing his side and her hand moving across his bare chest until it stopped over his heart. Listening to Lorna’s musical voice, Jack gazed tenderly at Sue. A rosy shade of pink colored her cheeks and an angelic smile adorned her lips. She had slept eight hours without interruption and he hoped she’d finally won her battle against the invisible foes wrecking havoc with her stomach.

His hand unconsciously sneaked under her t-shirt to caress her back.

“Could you repeat, please?” he asked, distracted by the soft moans escaping his fiancée’s mouth.

“I won’t ask what you’re doing, Jack,” Lorna chortled, “but I’m thinking I should call you back later.”

His quiet laughter rumbled through his chest, causing Sue's eyelids to flutter. “Very funny. Just make it quick.”

Eight days? He forced her to repeat three more times before daring to believe it.

“Yes—EIGHT days. Don’t FBI agents know how to count?”

“Lorna, if you were here, I’d kiss you.”

Peeking through two narrow slits, Sue’s eyes darkened, and Jack had the suspicious feeling she’d caught his last remark.

“I’ll let you kiss me in eight days. Call me back if you want me to take care of the arrangements. I wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

“I owe you. Thank you.”

“Do you have time to say hello to someone?”

“Always.” He grinned at the shrill voice babbling excitedly in his ear. “That sounds like lots of fun, bumblebee—I love you—Yes, auntie Sue loves you, too—Bye.”

With his finger, he brushed his fiancée’s lips where a huge smile blossomed.

“Your little niece?”

“Yes.” He rolled her on her back and stroked her stomach. “She told me she’d like a little cousin. You think we could accommodate?”

A darker blush spread to her neck. “Now?”

His brows wiggled and his gaze washed over her fine attributes. “I like where your mind is traveling, sweetheart, but I thought I’d give you eight days to recuperate before I ravage you like a caveman.”

His wicked smile widened as he felt the heat irradiating from her every pore.

“Eight days? Why eight days?” she frowned, missing the signification.

“It was my brother’s wife on the phone. She talked to—actually I’m not sure who she talked to, but we can get married in eight days in the cave—assuming you still agree.”

“Eight? Like in eight days?” she repeated in amazement. “Really?” She snuggled closer, her arm enveloping him. “I hope you said yes.”

“Yes.” Pressing her warm body against him, he sought her lips and was delighted by her ardent response. She had been so sick, and he had been so worried. Needing to feel her strong heart beat against his chest, he slowly eased the shirt over her head. Though she’d spent the last two days and nights in his arms, he never took advantage of the situation—not until now. Roaming freely over her skin, his hands resumed the exploration they’d started in the cave.

“Eight days, Jack,” she murmured in the kiss.

He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. Love and happiness sparkled in their depths, and he glimpsed at the wonderful future awaiting them. “This will be tortured, you know that?”

She nodded shyly, acknowledging the desire consuming her body and her soul. Her stomach gurgled, echoing a response.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, glad her appetite was coming back, even if the timing was less than perfect.

“I... Would you feed me?”

“With pleasure,” he smiled. “Room service or restaurant?”

“Restaurant, but I’d like a long shower first.”

“Would you let me join you?” He flashed dark brown puppy eyes. “You haven’t eaten in days, sweetheart. I can’t risk you fainting alone in the shower. That wouldn’t be responsible.”

“Is that your only motive?” she chuckled.

“It’s a noble motive,” he argued playfully. “Come.” He pulled her out of bed, and wrapped her modesty in his arms. “I promise to behave like a gentleman—almost like a gentleman.”

Sounds like Jack and Sue are feeling much better! Jack's sister-in-law deserves a BIG hug!

Kim

QUOTE

Disclaimers: Not legally responsible for readers' lack of sleep or declined productivity at work

I must admit, I certainly have been down that "lack of sleep road"!

Oh, that was a quick response to my fuzzy request....a slippery response as I've now slid off my chair into a nice little puddle on the floor! Just what I needed right about now!

And 8 DAYS

Lynn

fantastic and wow jack and sue in scene deadly combanation butstill its only 8 days till the: cant wait for more
Lin

Well....I think I could sleep, I'm really tired, but about work... that's a different story

Thanks for the fuzzies before bed

Tere

Hmmmmmm, too bad we don't have someone like this Lorna chick on the board. I bet she could plan all of our Jack/Sue weddings and even make the wedding cakes - or cookies. IF she were amongst us, we'd all have to send huge hugs and kisses...

Marlo-o-o-o-o-o-o.... eight days in a cave. Sounds like a country song! Can't WAIT to listen to that particular ditty! Now about this pre-cave-wedding shower... care to enlighten your rapt readership on some of the details??

Tina - shower-a-holic and proud of it.

Eight days? Wow! Gotta love that Lorna!

I'm so glad that Jack and Sue are both feeling better... and at least Sue was able to get some sleep. The problem now is that she's going to have to stay up all ngiht to fend off caveman Jack!

With Morton by his side, Myles watched from the other side of the two-way mirror. Storm looked poise, and he was relieved not to see any new bruises marring her lovely face. Wesley, a seasoned agent and skilled interrogator, sat across the table from her.

“Miss Tanner, I’m special agent Wesley. I’d like to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind.”

“If I mind, can I go home?”

Her witty remark brought a faint smile to Myles’ lips.

“You’re smitten, Leland,” Morton whispered with a knowing smile. “I didn’t take you for a redhead type.”

Myles rolled his eyes and listened.

Wesley placed her sketchbook in front of her and opened it to Jack’s picture.

“Do you know this couple?”

“They stayed at the Saloon,” she answered without hesitation. “I sketched them while they danced.”

“Did you know they were kidnapped from their room at gunpoint?”

She looked genuinely surprised. “Kidnapped from their room?”

Myles guessed she hadn’t known under which circumstances they’d been taken.

The agent placed the old registry book on the table. “Their names don’t appear in there.”

“They should. I registered them myself.” She flipped through the pages and pointed to a blank row. “There. You can still see the imprint. They were in room 206.”

“Who erased them, Miss Tanner?”

She looked Wesley in the eyes. “Not me.”

“Who has accessed to the book?”

“It’s under the desk in a locked drawer—but during the day, we pretty much leave it unlocked. I suppose anyone could have access.”

Not the answer Myles had hoped for, but at least she was being truthful.

“Who has a key to that drawer?”

“As far as I know, only me and my father.”

A new ledger appeared on the table. “When we entered your home, you were copying the names of your guests in a new book.” He flipped through the pages to the date on which Jack and Sue had spent the night. “Sue and Jack MacLean’s names are not here. Why?”

“I was told by my father to ignore the names that had been crossed off or erased.”

“Your father?”

“Yes. I didn’t see any harm in it, so I simply did what I was told.”

“It’ll be interesting to hear daddy’s response.” Morton said.

Myles had the sinking feeling it might not be that easy.

“Miss Tanner, what happened to your face?”

Bringing her hand to her cheek, she stared at him. “It met a door—and I don’t care if you don’t believe me.”

For a few second, Wesley silently debated pursuing this line of questioning, but changed his mind. “Do you know a man named Carson?”

“Yes,” she answered in a quieter tone.

“What’s your relationship with him?”

“Where’s Wesley going with that?” Myles objected.

“Relax, Leland, and let Wesley do his job.”

“This is none of your business,” she retorted.

“It became our business when Carson filed a complain. He claimed he was threatened with a gun.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Not by me.”

“Where did you meet him, Miss Tanner?”

“At the Saloon. He was nice. My husband, Matt, died last fall, I was lonely—Guess the rest.”

“Why did you take him to your barn?”

When she rolled her eyes, Myles couldn’t decide if she was annoyed for real or not.

“Because my father threatened to beat him up after catching us together in the house,” she sighed. “He doesn’t like that I have a life.”

“So you took Carson to your barn and enjoyed some quality time with him away from daddy?”

“Yes.”

“According to Carson, two guys interrupted your midnight swim.”

“Jerry and Garth. My father had sent them to bring me home. Jerry pulled a gun and told Carson to leave town and never see me again.”

“And what did you do?”

“Nothing,” she shrugged. “Like I said, the guy was nice, but he liked to talk way too much. He kept asking questions about the people who stayed at the Saloon and the mines around town. Frankly I didn’t care, I just wanted some fun for a change. I told him to go home, I think he was married or something, and I left with Jerry and Garth.”

“She pretty much corroborates your account of the encounter at the barn,” Morton noted

Yes—and very convincingly, Myles thought.

“Want to hold her or let her go, Leland?”

I desperately wanted to hold her—“Let her go.”

That interrogation went very well, Marlene! Uh Oh....BUSTED! I'm glad her reaction was one of honest surprise. I'm sure that is the kind of thing a good agent like Wesley would pick up on and it lended credibility to the rest of her answers. I loved this little innuendo at the end!

Lynn

Myles is cute

Em

poor myles but at least storm tol the truth lets hope
he can see her in secret and soon cant wait for more
Lin

Can I get me a copy?


I want to go to the Cave Wedding. Eight days, Lorna you rock. Woohoo, Jack and Sue getting married caveman style.

Myles is both smitten and busted. Very very sweet. Great job testifying Storm.

What's the saying? "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, you know it's really yours." Or something to that effect. Myles can't force her hand, or she'll resent him for it.

Is this Day One of Eight??

Tina

Aw, couldn't we count yesterday as Day ONE, and this one Day TWO??

But I digress . . . I loved the interrogation, and I can't help but feel that as soon as this mystery is solved and her outlaw daddy is behind bars, Myles will high-tail it back to find her. I just hope she's ready for him . . .

Poor Myles! , but I agree with Tina, if he press her, she'll fly away, hope she'll come

Tere

Poor Myles. Let her go then go get her back!

Kim

A cameo! How exciting! I don't know about that Lorna, but this one loves planning weddings and planning one in a cave would be a whole new experience.

My heart just breaks for Myles, too. He wanted to hold her, but he had to let her go.

Marlo, I just caught up on your posts, and this just keeps getting better and better!! I love how the case is going - so complex, with a lot of questions still unanswered!! Storm was good under interrogation - no surprises there - I knew she wouldn't let the FBI (other than Myles) know what she suspects!!!

Eight days to a cave wedding!! I can't wait!! Now, we are heading for a shower?? It's so cute that Jack is going to try and be a gentleman!! I don't know if he's strong enough yet to be a perfect gentleman!! He can blame his recent affliction for any weakness he might demonstrate!!!

Poor Myles!! He does love Storm and they make a perfect couple!! I hope, when everything is sorted out, that he goes after her!! She definitely is THE ONE for him and he will be miserable without her!!!

Joy

that was very noble of myles to let storm go....such a double sided question.

Lorna!!! People are counting the days You'll have that wedding ready in seven days, right????

+++++

Jack and Sue joined Myles and Morton behind the two-way mirror during the interrogation of Storm’s father.

“That man has answers for everything,” Myles grumbled. He knew the old man was involved, but Myles needed to implicate him without using what Storm had shared in confidence.

“I understand your beef—Carson’s beef—against the father, Leland,” Morton said, “but anyone with a daughter would sympathize with him. You didn’t rough her up, did you?”

Worried for his daughter after he’d caught Carson manhandling her, daddy claimed he’d sent two of his employees—at least they’d learned who Jerry and Garth worked for, but not in which capacity—to straighten Carson out. As far as daddy knew, no physical harm had been done to the lover.

“No,” Myles retorted, resenting the accusation.

When confronted with the new ledger, he’d admitted asking his daughter to recopy the messy old registry. He recalled the MacLeans, but since the couple had disappeared in the middle of the night without paying, he’d erased them.

“We disappeared all right,” Jack said. “By the way, he took an imprint of my credit card.”

Morton sent an agent to whisper the info to Wesley.

Sue’s eyed widened in disbelief. “Did he just say the imprint was unreadable and he threw it out?”

Morton looked from one agent to the next. “Hold him or let him go?”

Would he place Storm’s life in Jeopardy by releasing her father after interrogating her? Or would keeping him in custody without solid motives make him suspicious of his daughter? “Let him go,” Myles decided, before moving to the next interview room.

“Who’s the guy?” Jack asked.

“Meet Jerry. He pointed the gun at me.”

Wesley entered the room and sat opposite Jerry.

“Yes, I threatened Carson,” Jerry willingly confessed, “but I didn’t touch him. He wouldn’t take his hands off Storm. Ask Garth. I was just trying to scare him off and protect Storm.”

Jack gaped. Near the creek, he’d been fairly certain he’d previously heard their voices, but in the confine of the room, Jerry’s voice resonated exactly as it did in the tunnels, erasing any lingering doubts in his mind. “I know his voice. He’s one of our kidnappers.”

Ooooh, this is so exciting!


I'm on it. Just having trouble booking Keith Urban. Do you think Bobby has any connections Down Under to the music world? Wait, for this story, we should be trying for Tim McGraw so he can sing "She's My Kind of Rain."

Let Jack at Jerry!! He'll having him talking in no time!!!

Joy

Maybe a medley of all the songs used in our songfics??


I'm SO glad Jack recognized Jerry's voice . . . now I'm worried about them having an imprint of Jack's credit card . . . he's been burned before, you know . . .

Im for letting jack at jerry Im sure when he knows how much time he could spend in jail for druging and kidnapping F.B.I agents he would sing like A canary
cant wait to find out more
Lin

Jerry my man, I think the term Gottcha! applies.

Kim

Great, Jerry is busted solid by Jack. Garth, step forward, your next.

But I am concerned that Storm's dad is on the loose. Myles you might want to go rescue her

Loving this Marlene

HA! Take that Jerry! You low life, agent kidnapping, crook! Jack's ears save the day! Who'd have thunk? Usually his eyes get all the glory!

Lorna, book Keith Urban too! Then he can sing "Rainin' on Sundays" which conjures up all kinds of showery type scenes... right Marlo????

Tina

Well, I was just going to sneak a peek and not comment, I'm so tired...but I just couldn't. I don't like the fact they had to let Storm's dad go....but I'll trust you to not let any harm come to her, Marlene!
At least Jack is 100% confident Jerry is one of the kidnappers.

Now Regina, wouldn't the credit card have been in Jack's undercover name?

Sorry, I'm so tired I just couldn't resist.

Night....

Lynn

WOW! this is turning very interesting!

Tere

Whoops! Was I supposed to say something? I couldn't get the thought of Jack's eyes out of my mind....

:ahem:

Storm's Dad is definately hiding something. And we know that he's involved in some way. The team just needs to get the evidence they need to prove it!

“Jerry really looked like he’d seen a ghost when we walked in the interview room,” Sue chuckled over dinner.

Upon seeing his victims had survived, Jerry had turned a whiter shade of white, paler than Sue had been in the last three days—and Garth had looked even worse. Near the creek, he had seemed more intimidated by Storm than Jerry had been, making Garth the weaker link. But neither Jack, nor Wesley had been able to convince him to give up his boss. The more they’d leaned on him, the further Garth had retreated until he’d finally asked for a lawyer.

“We know the two boys somehow work for Storm’s dad,” Jack said after a quick glance around. They were sitting in a quiet corner of the restaurant.

“Do you think Jerry and Garth might be scared of him?”

Not having personally dealt with the patriarch, Jack shrugged. “Myles is very suspicious of Storm’s dad—like he knows something we don’t.”

“The dad caught Myles with his daughter, didn’t he? If what we saw near the creek was—”

“You mean what we didn’t see,” Jack grinned.

“I knew it was just a terrible nightmare,” she giggled. “My point is—if her dad interrupted a... a steamy scene, then Myles must have seen a very, very dark and angry side of the man.”

“You’re right. And those aren’t the kind of details Myles would willingly share.”

“It’d be like my dad barging on us this morning,” she shyly remarked, heat rising to her face.

He extended his hand and brushed her cheek. “I’d be more afraid of your mother,” he replied with a wink, not that anything inappropriate had happened—not totally inappropriate. His cell had rung as they’d stepped inside the bathroom. His conversation with Bobby had stretched, and by the time he’d hung up, she was wrapped in an oversized fluffy towel and smelled like lavender. “By the way, you still owe me a shower. I didn’t get to wash your back.”

“If that’s the only part you’re interested in, I suppose I could give you a repeat performance,” she teased, astounded by her own boldness.

“Should I ask for the bill?”

She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Not yet... I’m hungry for dessert.”

“So am I, sweetheart,” he murmured huskily.

OK, now I'm just all shivery . . . We've got Jack smirking in one story, and making indecent proposals in another . . . .

Is it down to six days yet??

I love how bold Sue is being with Jack just how I loved how their relationship seemed to change to something greater so effortlessly.

Just how many more days are left?

Oh, it's gotta be at least five, maybe even four... we've been waiting forever... haven't we?


Oh sheeeeesh, if Jack's voice got any huskier than normal, I would just melt into the floor and miss out on the "repeat performance"...

Tina

Mmm! Dessert!

Em