Disclaimers - See Part 1 for disclaimers.

Chapter Twenty-five

Lee set the small suitcases down and tapped lightly on the guest room door. Waiting a moment, but hearing nothing, she eased the door opened and poked her head inside. A broad grin broke out at the sight that greeted her. Marika was curled tightly around Rhi's smaller body as the women spooned, still deeply asleep.

Moving quietly, Lee crossed the room and squatted at the bedside. "Hey," she called softly, and watched as Marika's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, yourself," came the sleepy rejoinder. "I trust you have a good reason for waking us at the crack of dawn.

Lee chuckled. "It's past ten, Rika. Dawn was hours ago, and I'm afraid I can't let you sleep any longer."

"Why not?" Rhi's eyes opened too, and she snuggled back into the arms that still held her. "It's Saturday, isn't it?"

Regarding her affectionately, Lee smiled. "Yes, it is. But we've got a lot to take care of, and then you two are leaving town for a bit."

"We are?" Marika blinked at her friend. "Where are we going?"

"I'll explain it all when you come upstairs. Dana went over to your place and packed you both some clothes. Oh, and she brought Spooky back. He's going to be staying with us while you're gone." She stood and retrieved the bags she'd left outside the door, setting them by the bed. "Don't waste any time, ladies. We're expected at the police station by noon."

Lee left, closing the door behind her. Reluctantly, Rhi moved from her warm nest, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed and sitting up. She stared blearily at the suitcases, wanting nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and into Marika's arms. The touch of a warm hand gently rubbing her back eased the frown that had creased her youthful features.

Looking back over her shoulder, Rhi smiled into the eyes that regarded her so lovingly. "How're you feeling?"

Marika shrugged minutely. "Not bad. What about you?"

"I'm fine, but then I'm not one the one who had a gun slammed against my head."

"No, but you were the one whose life was threatened." Marika's concern was clearly evident in her voice.

Rhi half turned, folding one leg on the bed. Reaching out, she softly caressed Marika's face. Gray eyes closed momentarily in pleasure as she murmured, "Both our lives were threatened, Rika."

The lawyer's right hand sought out the one stroking her face, and they intertwined their fingers tightly. Both women were silent for a long moment, their eyes meeting in tacit communion. Rhi was acutely aware that their shared ordeal seemed to have removed any final barriers to their hearts' urgings. She waited breathlessly for Marika's next move, desperately wanting confirmation that her friend's feelings matched her own.

The air between them was thickly charged as Marika slid one hand slowly up Rhi's arm, giving her ample opportunity to draw back. When the smaller woman made no move to pull away, the lawyer tangled her fingers in the thick, short hair at the nape of Rhi's neck, gently pulling her forward.

Rhi willingly lowered her head as Marika arched to meet her. She felt her heart pounding furiously as soft lips tentatively brushed over hers. A low moan rose in her throat, as the other woman's lips became more demanding, a tongue delicately begging for the entry willingly granted.

Lost in each other, the women started when a loud knock came at the door and Dana's impatient voice sounded.

"Get a move on, you guys! David's waiting upstairs."

Rhi let her head drop onto Marika's shoulder as the lawyer chuckled ruefully and called, "We're coming."

Satisfied by Marika's assurance, Dana left. Concerned gray eyes searched Rhi's face. "Are you...Will you be all right?" the lawyer asked quietly.

Rhi sat up, her breath still erratic and her pulse racing. "Only if you promise we can pick up this discussion later."

Her emphatic tone made Marika chuckle. "I promise. First opportunity." Then she added teasingly, "Think you can remember where we left off?"

With a little smirk, Rhi accepted the challenge. Leaning forward, she kissed Marika briefly, but passionately. Drawing away, she smiled at the wide-eyed stare she was receiving. "I think, right about there."

"Um, yeah...that would be it." The normally articulate lawyer appeared to be tongue-tied, and Rhi laughed as she knelt beside the bags to discover which was hers.

"I'll grab the shower first. I'll be out in five minutes." Rhi slung the bag over her shoulder, pretending as she left the room that she didn't hear Marika's muttered suggestion that they could share.

Moments later she stood under the hot water, her eyes closed as she contemplated Marika's words. Rhi pictured the lawyer stepping under the hot water with her, that sleek naked body only inches away. Gasping at the violent shiver that image sent through her body, the young woman leaned her head against the shower wall.

It was such an unfamiliar emotion, this powerful desire that surged through her, weakening her knees and hardening her nipples at the mere thought of the woman she loved. She ran a wet finger over her lips, recalling the sensation of warm, soft lips that had parted for her. When her other hand began straying down her belly, she caught herself.

Not now! she scolded inwardly, directing her disobedient hand to the shower control instead. Forcing herself to turn the water temperature down, Rhi squeaked as the blast of cool water hit her. Geez, I always thought this was a myth! Conscious that it was only a temporary remedy, the young woman rapidly washed up and climbed out of the shower, shivering for an entirely different reason now.

Toweling dry, Rhi rummaged in the suitcase, digging out clothes and toiletries. As she dressed, she felt the excitement thrumming just below the surface. She'd barely had her first kiss and already her body was screaming for more. While a part of her feared the intensity of what she was feeling for Marika, a stronger part yearned for the privacy to continue what they'd scarcely begun.

Nervous fingers fumbled to fasten her short-sleeved, blue cotton blouse as her mind contemplated the implications of what they'd started. Her complete inexperience made her apprehensive, but when she recalled the look in Marika's eyes, she felt peace return to her agitated mind. She knew she could trust the other woman completely. No one who gazed at her with such adoration would ever hurt her.

With renewed assurance, Rhi hung up the towel and exited the washroom. Pushing open the bedroom door, she smiled at seeing Marika with her arms crossed behind her head, lying on the made-up bed and staring at the ceiling with a tiny smile on her lips.

Taking a split second to admire the way the oversized t-shirt fell just short of Marika's slender thighs, Rhi called, "Bathroom's all yours. I'll meet you upstairs, okay?"

"Okay." Marika didn't move for a long moment, allowing her eyes to caress the young woman standing in the doorway. Rhi almost groaned aloud at the matching look of desire in the gray eyes, and had to forcibly pull herself away.

Crossing to the stairs on the far wall, the young woman shook her head in self-admonition. Geez! This is getting so out of control. You'd better watch what you say around the others. Despite the inner cautionary, Rhi felt almost delirious with joy and anticipation as she mounted the stairs to the main level.

She entered the kitchen with a broad smile still on her face and was met with a knowing look from Lee, who sat at the table with David. Dana was bustling from the refrigerator to the stove with a carton of eggs in her hand. Rhi slid into a chair opposite Lee, who winked at her.

Mildly disconcerted, Rhi mumbled, "Rika will be up in a few moments. She's just going to take a shower."

"Heck, I thought you'd share one," Lee teased.

Rhi blushed furiously as Dana reproved her mate. "Lee! Behave yourself!"

"What?" Lee protested innocently. "I simply meant to conserve water. Haven't you heard? The Premier made it official last month. There's a drought in our province, and it behooves all of us to do our part."

David was chuckling quietly as he sipped his coffee, and Dana just rolled her eyes before saying, "Ignore her, Rhi. How do you like your eggs?"

Grateful for the diversion, Rhi answered, "Um, scrambled, I guess. But Dana, I could just make some toast..."

"Nonsense. You've got a full day ahead of you, and you're not starting it without a good breakfast. Lee, grab the orange juice out of the fridge."

Lee leaned back and opened the refrigerator as Dana decisively cracked some eggs into a hot frying pan, briskly stirring them around. Rhi grinned. She had a feeling she was hearing what Danny did on a regular basis, but she didn't object when Lee poured a large glass of juice and set it in front of her.

"So what's happening today?" Rhi asked as she sipped her juice and peered at her companions curiously.

"Why don't we wait for Rika and then I only have to run through this once," Lee suggested, refilling her and David's coffee mugs.

"Okay," Rhi agreed amiably, gratefully accepting the plate of sausages and toast that Dana had pulled out of the warm oven. When the eggs were added, she tucked into her breakfast, only now conscious of how hungry she was.

She was cleaning up the final bites when she felt a pair of hands settle onto her shoulders. Glancing up, she grinned at Marika, who smiled back before taking the chair next to her. Spooky padded in from the living room and promptly jumped up on his mistress' lap, complaining loudly about the upheaval in his living arrangements. Marika soothed him with voice and hands, and he finally settled in a contented heap.

"Over easy, Rika?" Dana asked, placing a mug before the new arrival.

Before Marika could say anything, Rhi piped up, "Don't even bother." In dead on mimicry, she said sternly, "You have a full day ahead of you, and you're not starting it without a good breakfast!"

Everyone laughed, even Dana as she shook her head and cracked two eggs into the pan. "Someone's feeling her oats," the stocky nurse chided amiably. Rhi grinned and pushed the orange juice container in front of Marika, who shook her head.

"No, thanks. Coffee's good."

Rhi was about to expound on the health benefits of juice over coffee, when she caught the knowing amusement in Lee's eyes and decided the last bite of sausage required her close attention. She'd hoped her feelings for the lawyer weren't as apparent as she suspected, but judging by the looks on her friends' faces, she wasn't fooling anyone.

How could I? My whole body sings when she's near. Rhi shivered as Marika brushed against her reaching to accept the plate that Dana offered. Clearing her throat, she tried for a neutral tone. "So now that Rika's here, can you fill us in on what's happening?"

Lee's face sobered and she tapped one finger on the table for emphasis as she began. "After you two are done with breakfast, we're going to the police station to file formal reports on what happened last night. Once that's done, you two are leaving town immediately until everything is resolved. David will tell you what we've arranged."

David pulled a key out of one pocket and a homemade map out of the other. Unfolding it in front of the women, he explained, "I called my friend, Conor, this morning. His family has a cabin out at Shuswap Lakes. It's nothing really fancy, but it'll give you a place to go where no one would ever think of looking for you. Conor's sister's family just left there last weekend, so it's all opened up and ready. You'll just have to buy your food supplies. Make sure you pick them up in town before you head out to the cabin, because it's on the far side of the lake and not easily accessible."

"Are you sure it's okay with him that two strangers stay there?" Marika asked with concern.

David smiled. "You're not strangers to me, and that's good enough for him."

"What about work?" Rhi pointed out. "How long are we going to be there? We can't just not show up on Monday."

"I already called Daniel Cohen and explained the situation," Lee told her. "Both of you are officially on three weeks holiday, starting now, and he'll have a temp man your office and rearrange appointments. I've also rented a car under our corporate card so there'll be no connection to you. You'll be taking it to the Shuswaps."

Rhi stared at her, somewhat stunned at how thoroughly her big friend had organized things. "Are you sure this is all necessary, Lee? I mean, Cass wouldn't be stupid enough to try again, would she?"

Lee's amiable features hardened at the mention of their captor's name. "I'm not sure what that woman would be crazy enough to do, but I'm not taking any chances." Leaning forward, she gazed intently at Rhi and Marika. "There's a lot more going on here than we know about, and I get the feeling we're only grazing the tip of the iceberg. Luckily we caught a break yesterday. Pike and Eddie will be transported back to Calgary this afternoon, and Marc has agreed to let me sit in on questioning them. I'm pretty sure we can crack this whole matter open once we put a little pressure on those weasels. There's also Gao to consider."

"Surely he'd have taken off," Marika protested. "He wouldn't be foolish enough to hang around when we can identify him, would he?"

"Dunno where he went," Lee admitted. "I was talking to Marc earlier and Gao never went back to his apartment, but that doesn't mean he isn't still around, and he's definitely a loose end that we have to take into consideration."

"Look at it this way," David said helpfully, "you're getting an unexpected vacation in one of the prettiest places around. All you have to do is relax and have fun."

Marika and Rhi looked at each other, then both blushed and looked away. Rhi decided suddenly that going to the cabin at the Lakes wasn't such a bad idea after all, and she had the very strong feeling that the lawyer wouldn't object either.

Oblivious to the byplay, David went on, "Besides, after all I had to do to find this key, you have to accept the offer."

Gratefully for the diversion, Rhi asked, "Why couldn't you find it?"

"I still haven't unpacked all my boxes from moving here, and I knew it was in one of them. After I talked to Conor, it took me almost an hour of searching before I found it. I even dragged poor Tupper in to help me. You should have seen the both of us in the basement rummaging through a ton of boxes." He shook his head ruefully. "I think Tupper was about to shoot me when I finally found it in one of the first boxes we'd gone through."

Turning to Marika, David asked, "Have you been to the Shuswaps before?"

The lawyer shook her head. "No, but I've driven that highway on the way to the coast, so I don't expect I'll have any problems finding our way."

David reviewed his homemade map as Marika finished her breakfast. Rhi leaned forward to examine the map, conscious that her arm was resting lightly against the lawyer's as she did so. She felt like her whole body was being drawn inexorably towards the woman, and she had to force herself to pay attention to the priest's directions.

Once David was satisfied that they understood his map, he pushed it and the key across the table. "There's a canoe stored in the wood hut. Feel free to use it or anything else that's there. You'll have to check to see if fire conditions allow you to have a bonfire, but everything you need should be there." He smiled warmly at the women. "Have fun, and put everything else out of your mind."

Lee broke in. "Just make sure you take your cell phone so I can reach you to keep you updated."

Marika nodded. "I'll check in with you every evening before we go to bed."

Before we go to bed. We...bed. Rhi was amazed at how such a simple phrase had taken her breath away, but she couldn't help wondering how many bedrooms the cabin had and whether they'd be using more than one. She knew what she wanted...she was pretty sure she knew what Marika wanted...but there was still an underlying anxiety to taking this step. Taking a deep breath, she decided to concentrate on the here and now, and let the evening take care of itself.

"Let's get moving then," Lee suggested as Marika downed the last of her coffee. "The sooner we get your statements filed, the sooner you two can get out of here." The big woman pushed her chair back and stood. "I'm just going to take a quick look around outside."

Marika followed suit. "I'll go grab our bags, Rhi. Be back up in a moment."

Rhi started to clear the table, but Dana brushed her off. "I've got that. Why don't you walk David to his car?"

"I parked in the back alley," David explained as he led the way to the rear door. "Thought it might be less conspicuous that way."

Chuckling, Rhi agreed. "Yeah, that old tank of yours sticks out like a sore thumb."

"Hey!" The priest's good-natured protest was short-lived, and as they emerged into the sunshine, he looked at his young friend seriously. "Are you okay, Rhi? You've been through an awful lot in a very short span of time."

Rhi considered that as they walked slowly through the yard. She didn't say anything until they reached the back gate, and then in a low voice, she admitted, "I feel like I've been on a roller coaster, Ichabod. I mean, parts of the ride have been incredible, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But I also feel like my whole world has been shaken up and I'm stumbling around dizzily, trying to get my bearings." She looked up at him anxiously. "Does that make sense?"

David smiled at her gently, his homely features awash with compassion. "Very much so, my friend."

Rhi leaned on the gate, staring at the priest's Volvo in the alley and idly aware that the patch of peeling paint on the fender seemed to grow larger every time she saw it. "For so long...as long as I can remember...all I've been focused on is saving up enough to leave here." With growing intensity and a hint of defiance, she told him, "Nothing ever distracted me from my goal. I worked all the overtime I could get, took odd jobs, paid off my education loan within a year, never spent a single cent that I could avoid, and finally, I'm almost there."

David joined her in leaning on the gate, saying nothing, but lending her the comfort of his uncritical presence.

"I could go today if I wanted. Just take a cab to the airport and be gone." Rhi shook her head wonderingly. "But..."

"But?" David prompted mildly.

"But I didn't figure her into my computations." Rhi turned her head and stared at him. "How could I? Nothing in my life prepared me for what I'm feeling now."

David cocked his head and returned the young woman's gaze. "Oh, I don't know about that, Rhi. Wouldn't you say that for the first ten years of your life your parents gave you a daily example of love? Didn't they live that love, between themselves and for you, every moment of your childhood? I know that it's been pretty bleak since you came to live with Hettie, but maybe it's time to let that old dream go because you don't need it any more."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Ichabod. It's kept me going through some pretty tough times."

"It was a crutch, Rhi, and a good one at that, but when we heal, we throw away our crutches."

Rhi sighed, and they were silent until David asked quietly, "Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Does she love you?"

The young woman smiled, her dark eyes brimming with emotion. In a voice filled with awe, she said, "I think she does. I really think she does."

"Then you have to decide if she's worth throwing away that crutch for, because you can't have both, Rhi."

David smiled and stood up, unlatching the gate. Rhi stepped back, allowing him room to exit. He stopped on the other side of the gate and faced her with a little grin. "Nervous?"

Rhi blushed and blurted, "God, yes!"

He laughed and looked at her fondly. "I suspect it wouldn't do any good to give you my premarital counseling course in a nutshell, eh?" When Rhi rolled her eyes, he chuckled. "Didn't think so." Placing one large hand over hers where it rested on the top of the gate, he said softly, "Just follow your heart, little one. It won't steer you wrong."

As Rhi watched the tall, gangly priest walk around his car, she was overcome with a wave of affection. This outwardly unprepossessing man had been the first to breach her ironclad emotional defences with his gentle, unrelenting compassion. Without him, she might never have been open to the love that now suffused her heart and soul. As he unlocked his door, he smiled across the roof of the car at her, and she mouthed, 'Thank you.'

He nodded his understanding and waved, before folding himself into the car and starting the ignition. She watched him drive off, and then turned back to the house. As Rhi crossed the yard, she saw Marika standing at the glass doors watching her. She grinned at the woman and was answered with a smile.

Marika opened the door for her and as she stepped inside, asked, "Everything all right?"

"Mmm hmm," Rhi assured her. "We were just talking about...life."

The lawyer raised one amused eyebrow. "Oh, was that all?"

Rhi chuckled and lightly bumped against her as they walked together to the front door where their friends were waiting.

"Okay, let's get going," Lee said briskly. "I didn't see anyone out there, and your bags are in the trunk. We'll pick up your rental at the office once we're done with the police. I called Marc and he'll be waiting for us, along with a friend of his from Major Crimes."

The women walked quickly to the blue Taurus and piled inside. Rhi noticed Lee watching their surroundings closely as Dana backed out of the driveway. She glanced around too, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary for a sunny, summer Saturday morning. Then she was distracted as a warm hand slid over hers. She glanced at Marika and found the woman gazing at her, a mixture of hope and love in gray eyes. Knowing exactly how the lawyer was feeling, Rhi squeezed the slender fingers entwined with hers.

Lost in staring at each other, they barely noticed when they reached downtown. It was only when Dana pulled into the parking garage under Lee's offices, that they recalled themselves to the present.

Once they were parked in Lee's reserved spot, the women reluctantly released their hands and climbed out of the car to follow their friends to the stairwell.

"We'll walk over to the headquarters from here," Lee advised. "I don't think it'll take us that long. You two should be on the road by one."

"What about your truck?" Marika asked.

"I'll get Dana to run me back to the industrial park to pick it up later." Lee shrugged. "I doubt anyone even noticed that it's there. I parked it behind a bunch of transport trucks."

They ascended the stairs to the street level, and again Lee took a close look around as they headed in the direction of the police headquarters. Once there, they were immediately ushered into Marc Manion's office. Rhi watched with interest as the man, obviously an old friend of Lee's, greeted the big woman warmly and introduced her to another man in the office.

"Lee, this is Keith Judson. He's with Major Crimes and is very interested in what's been going on. Keith, this is Lee Glenn and her partner, Dana Cochrane. I'm afraid I don't know these ladies?"

Lee quickly made introductions, and they all settled into chairs as Marc leaned against the front of his desk. Speaking mostly to Lee, he said, "Pike and Eddie are still in Edmonton, but they'll be brought down by late this afternoon. I've told Keith everything you told me, but he'd like to go over it with you again."

Nodding, Lee agreed and handed over the large envelope she'd brought from home. "Okay, here are the statements that I took from them last night. I'd like to get Marika and Rhi's parts over with so they can get out of here. They're going out of town for a few days."

Keith took the lead then, questioning the women closely and in-depth on the previous evening's events as well as everything that had led up to the confrontation with Cass. When Marika faltered as she explained how she came to be involved with the psychotic woman, Rhi laid a supportive hand on her arm and was rewarded with a grateful look.

Neither man was openly critical, regardless of what their thoughts might have been, but Keith was keenly interested in the Vancouver encounter.

"Are you sure it was Sandra DeAndre, Ms. Havers? There's no doubt in your mind that the woman calling herself Cass-the woman who ordered your death last night-was unquestionably Sandra DeAndre?"

"No doubt at all," Marika confirmed firmly. "The host was introduced to me as Palmer DeAndre, and he himself introduced me to his wife, Sandra. Trust me, when she dragged me off to the washroom, the gloves came off and she was all Cass."

She shuddered at the memory as Keith smiled grimly.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all this, Ms. Havers, but you may have inadvertently given us the break we've been needing for a long time."

When all the women looked at him curiously, he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I can't go into it any further at the moment, but I will tell you that your testimony may be vital in a major bust of snakeheads and drug smugglers."

Startled, Marika and Rhi looked at each other, really conscious for the first time that there was much more involved here than simply a psycho scorned.

"Marc, can you at least tell us if you've looked into Sandra's whereabouts?" Lee asked.

The two men exchanged glances and Keith nodded.

Marc answered, "We did make some preliminary inquiries. Mrs. DeAndre has been away in Montreal in connection with the DeAndre charitable foundation for the past week. Her secretary said she was expected back this weekend, however we also checked with the airport and a private jet registered with the DeAndre foundation flew into Calgary in the early evening, and departed for Vancouver after midnight."

"That matches Cass' movements as far as we know them," Lee observed.

"Yes, but..." Marc began.

"But we're going to have to proceed very carefully," Keith finished. "The DeAndres are the cream of Vancouver society, and as such, they number some very powerful people within their circle."

Lee snorted. "No doubt exactly why the bitch feels she can do whatever the hell she feels like with people's lives!"

Dana laid a calming hand on her partner's knee. Addressing both men, she asked, "Are we done here then, gentlemen?"

Marc ran a hand over his jaw and looked at his colleague for confirmation. "I think so. Nothing more we can do until the King brothers arrive. Lee, you want to be in on that, right?"

Keith frowned as Lee nodded. Marc smiled. "Trust me, Keith. I know Lee's work. She's a skilled interrogator, and she has the advantage of knowing the brothers from way back. If anyone can, she'll have those two spilling their guts in no time flat."

Reluctantly, Keith acquiesced. "It's your ballpark, Marc. If you feel she can help..."

"I do," Marc said firmly. Turning back to Lee, he instructed, "Be back here by three and we'll go over our strategy."

"Will do, Cap'n."

Lee stood and the other women followed her lead. As they were leaving the office, Keith called, "Ms. Havers, will I be able to get in touch with you if I need to?"

Turning, Lee looked at him sternly. "You can reach her and Rhi through me. Their whereabouts are on a need-to-know basis."

Keith grunted. "And I suppose I don't need to know."

"No," Lee agreed. "You don't."

Motioning the others to wait, she returned to the office for a quick conference with her old commander. Rhi noticed him handing her something before she returned to the group by the door, and led her small band down the hallway to the elevator. Glancing up at a wall clock, Rhi noticed that they'd been in there for over an hour and that Lee's estimate was almost dead on. They would be on the highway heading west by one PM.

On the way back to the garage, Lee placed a call on her cell phone and Rhi heard her issue instructions to bring the rental car around. By the time, they got to their parking spot, an inconspicuous, white, late-model Buick was idling in the spot beside the Taurus, a wiry, short-haired woman leaning against the trunk smoking as she waited.

"Hey, Barb," Lee called as they approached. The other woman waved a hand in acknowledgement and walked over to meet them.

"All taken care of, boss. It was right where you thought it'd be. I threw a couple of maps in the rental too."

"Thanks, kiddo," Lee said with a smile. "You really are worth your weight in gold. Have fun."

Barb shrugged nonchalantly, but Rhi could see the pleased look in her pale eyes before she ambled away to another blue Taurus, started it up and drove away.

Dana unlocked the trunk of the Taurus and retrieved the bags. Setting them behind the Buick, she cautioned, "Now you two be very careful, you hear!"

"Yeah," Lee added. "If you see anything at all suspicious, don't waste any time. Get to the nearest police station and explain what's going on."

She pulled a card out of her pocket, and wrote something on it before handing it over. Rhi peered over Marika's arm to read it. It was one of Marc's, and Lee had jotted his home phone number on it.

"That should be enough to convince any of the local constabulary that you're serious. If they need to call to confirm your story, Marc will back you up."

The four women looked at each other and Dana was the first to step forward, pulling Marika into a fierce hug. She then did the same to Rhi as Lee and Marika embraced. The smaller woman heard the nurse whisper, "Take care of our Rika, Rhi."

Rhi nodded and pulled back, only to be swept up in Lee's strong arms. "Love you, Lady Mouse. You take care of yourself now. Come back safely."

Profoundly touched by the hoarsely affectionate admonition, Rhi watched in amazement as Lee wiped her eyes, gruffly warning, "Wait for at least five minutes after we've left before you take off. And if I don't hear from you by ten every night, I'm sending the cops to check on you!"

Marika smiled warmly at her old friend. "Ten at night," she confirmed, "and I'll even call you in the mornings."

"Good." Lee nodded her approval and then with the return of her customary twinkle, she added, "But you don't have to make it too early. I'm sure you won't be getting up with the roosters."

Dana grabbed her arm and propelled her away. Rhi could hear Lee protest, "What? I only meant that they'd be on holidays and would want to sleep in."

She couldn't hear Dana's muttered rejoinder, but she did hear the big woman's booming laugh. Rhi glanced at Marika to find the lawyer shaking her head in amusement.

"Guess we should get going," Rhi suggested.

They got into the Buick and watched as Dana and Lee pulled out of their spot and drove off. Marika used the time to acquaint herself with the unfamiliar car and quickly peruse the maps, then they too departed.

Within twenty minutes they were on the Trans-Canada, heading west on the four-lane highway towards the mountains. Their destination lay five hours away, through three national parks and some of the most spectacular mountainous terrain in the country, en route to one of British Columbia's primary tourist playgrounds.

Even the circumstances of their trip couldn't dilute the exhilaration Rhi felt, and looking at her companion, she saw that her own grin was echoed on Marika's face. When gray eyes left the highway and met hers, both women broke out laughing for the sheer joy of being alive, being together, and getting away to a future that looked brighter with each kilometre they covered.

*****************************************************

Gao couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this miserable. Lying on Perry's couch, he glared at the cast on his right hand. The bitch had hit him so hard that she'd broken three of his knuckles, not to mention his thumb and forefinger.

He'd chanced going to a walk-in clinic the previous night, using a phony name and paying cash to get a disinterested and overworked nurse to set his hand and stitch the gash in his forehead. Now he could tell by the way his hand had swollen up and the horrendous pain in the slightest movement, that there was serious damage.

The nurse had advised him to see his family doctor for a follow up, warning of a possible concussion, but Gao was subsisting on over the counter headache remedies to try to ease the constant ache. Gloomily he tried to find a position on the pillow that his head didn't hurt so.

The slender Oriental felt like the blow that had split his forehead had also rattled his brains. He kept trying to make plans, but thoughts slipped in and out of his mind like wisps of wind, barely making an impression as they passed. The single concept Gao had been able to fixate on was the urgent need to find the women who had escaped from him.

Barely able to drag himself off Perry's couch the previous night to use the washroom, Gao had dispatched the electronics whiz early that morning to see if they could ascertain the whereabouts of the lawyer and her small companion. They'd used the information they'd accumulated on their targets to narrow their focus. With the description he gotten from the man who had hauled him away from the industrial park the previous night, it wasn't difficult to determine who had hit him and thrown an wrench into his...and the Chameleon's...plans.

Forced to flee, Gao had ended up as Perry's unwilling guest. Scowling, he surveyed the dismal apartment in which he'd taken refuge. Perry was as slovenly in his housekeeping as he was in his personal hygiene, and the fastidious Asian couldn't wait to leave his temporary haven. Even the air was pungent with a combination of rotting food and the cheap cigars the electronics expert favoured.

His uninjured hand resting on the gun that lay on his stomach, Gao tried to plot his next move. The need to execute the two women was absolute. With each hour that he lay on this uncomfortable couch in this dreary apartment, Gao's anger grew-his emotions seething and roiling until he was obsessed by hatred for the two that had destroyed his organized, profitable life. He sought solace in imagining all the ways he could kill them, picturing their deaths over and over as he toyed with which one to kill first, how many bullets he'd use, and how long he could make them suffer before they died.

For the first time since Gao had entered the Chameleon's organization, her orders and wishes were not paramount. Had she herself instructed him to abandon his pursuit of the lawyer and her companion, he could not have done so, whatever the cost. A part of his brain-a small, still rational part-fought to interject logic into his thinking, but the emotional tsunami that consumed him wouldn't allow for any other course of action. He would find his two nemeses, and he would kill them. It was as simple as that.

The sound of someone at the door alerted him and he readied his gun. Perry entered, then yelped and threw up his hands when he saw what Gao was pointing at him.

Gao shook his head in disgust and lowered the gun, beckoning the startled man inside. Without any preliminaries, he growled, "What did you find?"

Perry nervously perched on the edge of a chair. "Um, well, you were right about them being at the Glenn woman's house. I saw them come out this morning."

"Did they see you?"

"Nope. One of their neighbours was away, so I borrowed their garage to keep watch."

"Are they still there?"

Perry shifted uncomfortably and wiped a hand across his face. "Not exactly."

Gao narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, not exactly?"

"Well, I put a tracking bug on the car that was sittin' in the driveway. So when they came out and drove away, I was able to follow them downtown. They parked in the garage under Pearson Towers. I didn't want them to see me, so I parked over one street, figuring I could follow them with the tracker."

"Did you not get out of your car to see where they went?" Gao asked with disarming softness, though his eyes glittered with a cold ferocity.

"No, no, I did," Perry hastened to assure him. "I saw them come out of the garage and walk down the street. I followed them on the other side until I saw them go into the police headquarters. Hell, I wasn't going in there; so I walked around until they came out again. Took quite a while, but when they headed back to the garage, I hurried to my car so I could track them again."

"And?" Gao could tell by the way Perry was fidgeting that he'd screwed up, and he was overwhelmed by disgust. He briefly contemplated simply killing the incompetent, but it would cause more trouble than the momentary satisfaction would be worth.

"Jesus, how was I to know?" the nervous man whined. "I mean, I followed the tracker and I caught up to it on the highway north before I realized I was following the wrong car. Christ, it was the right model, right colour, but it only had one person in it and she wasn't one of the ones I'd seen back at the house. I don't know what went wrong!"

Gao closed his eyes, feeling an upsurge of nausea. "They found your little toy, you fool. They put it on some other car to throw you off." Opening his eyes, he fixed on the anxiously defensive man. "What did you do once you made the brilliant observation that it wasn't the right car?"

"I went right back to the Glenn house. Didn't see the blue Taurus out front, but there was a truck in front of the garage. I waited around for a few hours, but the only person that came out was Glenn. I followed her again, thinkin' maybe she'd lead me to wherever the others were, but she just went back to the police station. Parked right in a visitor spot, so I know that's where she was going. I didn't know what else you wanted me to do, so I came back here. I mean, I'm sorry, but I don't usually do this kinda work, you know?"

Perry concluded his narrative and nervously ran his hand through his sparse hair. Gao stared at him, anger and frustration warring for dominance. Finally, inwardly acknowledging that he still needed the other man for the time being, he tamped down his emotions.

"All right. It's clear that they've stashed them somewhere, and I have to figure out a way to find them. Bring me all the printouts you have from the surveillance on the lawyer's apartment. There has to be a clue in there somewhere."

While Perry scrambled with alacrity to carry out his orders, Gao let himself relax back into the couch. Forcing himself to concentrate through the fog that clouded his thinking, he tried to consider various possibilities. Within moments though, he was drawn back into the enticing vision of the women kneeling before him, their eyes filled with terror as he pointed his gun at them.

Savouring the delicious image, Gao barely noticed when Perry returned with a thick sheaf of printouts, setting them carefully on the scarred and burn-pocked coffee table. Sighing, he reluctantly pushed his mental meanderings aside for the more immediate business of analyzing the data and figuring out a way to find the lawyer and her companion. As he shuffled the sheets of paper awkwardly with his left hand, he consoled himself that it was simply a matter of time. It might take a while, but he would find them, and then...

Perry shuddered at the cold smile that flitted across the Asian's face, wondering what his unwelcome guest was thinking, but quite sure he didn't want to know.

Continued in Chapter 26