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Caitlin stood leaning against the sink and sighed as she dried her hands on the towel. She wasn't sure what to do next. With the kids and Andy gone for the afternoon, she had a rare few hours all to herself. There should have been a million things to occupy her time...so many things she just never had time for. There were books she wanted to read, that drawing project half-finished on her work table, the kids' baby books to catch up. The list went on and on but for some reason she couldn't push herself to get started on anything.

As she made a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table, her hand moved to her stomach. Another baby. Her gaze settled on the well-used swing set in the back yard. She sighed again. It had been a Christmas gift for the kids from Remington and Laura a couple of years ago. Although it was greatly appreciated it, only served to remind her how tough things were.

There was no question money was tight. It had been from the beginning. Andy's salary as Program Director wasn't huge by any means but Caitlin had grown up in poverty. To her it seemed more than plenty. When Trina was born and then Daniel, they had been able to stretch it and somehow it was enough. When the twins came though, it seemed the ends just couldn't meet anymore. There was always something done without.

Not that she regretted having the children or begrudged them anything. She and Andy wanted a large family. It had been part of their plans from the beginning. It just hurt to see Andy struggle and work so hard for so little. He loved his job at the station but they both knew Mrs. Carlson's strangle hold on the purse strings was driving everyone away. First Venus, then Bailey and finally even Johnny left for more lucrative positions at stations in other cities. Still, Andy kept plugging away to try to keep things working but Cait had seen the heart go out of him little by little. There were fewer and fewer stations willing to program music the way he felt it should be. The only operations left were the little ones like WKRP and he couldn't afford to start over again at a new place. All he needed now was to know he would have another hungry mouth to feed.

It wasn't fair. She should be happy about this child. She should have told Andy right away and they should have celebrated. She just didn't want to put any more weight on his already burdened shoulders.

She sipped her tea. She must not have been very good at hiding her emotional state. Over the past few days Andy had told her frequently how tired she looked. That was the motive behind this little excursion today. She knew how hard it was to take four kids to the grocery store all by yourself, let alone the city zoo. He announced at breakfast that Mommy needed a day off and he hustled them all into the car. She appreciated his thoughtfulness but it only served to leave her alone with her troubles.

Sitting here moping about it wasn't going to help. She supposed she should go ahead and tell Andy, just like the other times. They would make do. They always did. She certainly didn't want to go through an entire pregnancy feeling sorry and uncertain. This baby would be loved and wanted. They would just have to find a way to stretch Andy's already thin paycheck a little bit more.

"Okay, Cait," she told herself. "That's it then. Pick yourself up and enjoy the day. You can't sit here forever being Irish about everything."

She had just gotten up from the table and moved over to her artwork when the phone rang. Cait trotted back to the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello."

"Katy?" came an urgent voice. "Katy, Honey, is this you?"

Cait frowned into the phone, trying to place the voice. No one called her Katy anymore; no one except... "Carly?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, Sweetie, you gotta get out of there."

"What are you talking about?" Cait asked in confusion. She hadn't heard from her friend for nearly a year and only then because Carly had needed some money pretty badly. She was the only person from Cait's dark past she kept in touch with. To hear from her now, like this, was disturbing.

"It's Rudy. He's out and he's lookin' for you." Carly's voice sounded terrified even over the telephone.

Caitlin's heart froze at the mention of her former pimp's name. She swallowed hard before she spoke again.

"B-but he can't find me," she reasoned. "I'm not in New York anymore."

"Wake up, Honey!" Carly screeched into the phone, desperate to make Cait understand the urgency. "He knows you're not in New York. He was just here, at my place. He was askin' about you. I didn't say nothin' but...Katy, he went through all my stuff; stuff you sent me...Christmas, birthdays, ya know. Katy, he knows your address. He's takin' a plane to Cincinnati! You gotta get out! You gotta go under!"

Cait was numb. The bomb Carly had dropped was too unreal, too far removed from her present life.

"I can't just leave. My kids...Andy. What about them?"

"Rudy don't want them," Carly reasoned. "He just wants you. 'Your pretty little ass' is how he put it. Katy, he's gonna kill you for turnin' him in. You gotta go now."

"But..." Cait felt lost and couldn't think. "But where should I go?"

"Anywhere," Carly told her. "Hey, you know my secret place. It's still there. You remember how to get in?"

"I think so," Cait replied.

"Great. Get to New York. I'll meet you when I can. Just get outta there, please!"

"Okay, okay," Cait agreed helplessly. "Thanks, Carly."

"What else could I do? You're the only friend I got. I don't wanna read about you in the papers, okay? So get goin'."

Cait hung up the phone. She stood immobile for a moment as she tried to gather her wits and decide what to do. The sound of a car engine racing up the street startled her into action. She knew Rudy was a ruthless bastard. If he found her he would kill her. She ran into the bedroom to throw some clothes into a suitcase. She was going to have to disappear fast. There was no way to know how much of a hurry Rudy was in. He could already be on his way.

She stopped on her way out and took one last look around. It suddenly occurred to her what she was doing...what she was walking out on. Her eyes filled with tears. She had dreamed her whole life of having a husband and family; of leading a normal life. Now that dream was being taken from her. But she couldn't stay. She couldn't let her past destroy the people she loved the most and there was no doubt in her mind that Rudy could do just that. Carly was wrong. Rudy would hurt her family. Her leaving wouldn't protect them. He would only use them to draw her out of hiding. She had to do something to make sure they were safe and there was only one way to do that.

She raced to the phone and hurriedly thumbed through her directory. She punched in the numbers with trembling fingers and waited for the ring. When she heard his voice, she knew it was the machine and she cursed silently. Finally the beep sounded for the message and she spoke in a voice shaky with fear and despair.

"Robert? Robert, it's Caitlin. I need some help badly."

She left a hasty message then silently hung up the phone. She'd done all she could. She was confident she'd left her family in the most capable hands she knew. It was time to take care of herself but she couldn't go yet. She couldn't leave Andy without word of some kind. She scribbled a brief note, tacking it on the refrigerator, scooped up her small bag and swept out the door. She only hoped they had enough left on their credit limit to buy an airplane ticket.

There was nothing to do now but drive. Alone in the car, Cait battled her fear. She couldn't let it get the best of her but she also couldn't help crying silently inside for the life she was leaving behind.

Robert McCall walked into his apartment and tossed his dark overcoat across the back of the sofa. It was well into Spring and was getting too warm for such apparel during the day but sometimes an image had to be maintained. Some people were more easily intimidated by outward appearances than any real show of force. It never hurt to have a psychological edge.

He was tired. He really was getting a little old to be playing these games anymore. Control was right. They both ought to retire to Tahiti and spend their twilight years playing chess and drinking rum. He chuckled at the mental picture that thought conjured up in his brain. Right now a cup of tea would suit him more.

He moved into the kitchen to put the kettle on and noticed the light blinking on his machine. He sighed. No rest for the weary, he supposed. He reached over and pressed the playback.

"Hi, Dad. This is Scott. I made it to the ranch okay. Just thought I'd let you know. Grandpa Jake isn't doing too well. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here. I'll keep you posted. Bye."

McCall shook his head. He had never gotten along with his ex-father-in-law. The man was arrogant and pig-headed. Still, he was Scott's grandfather. It would be hard on his son to have to lose him.

"Robert? Robert, this is Caitlin. I need some help badly."

McCall frowned. He hadn't heard from Cait for some time. Not that he blamed her. Their association had its roots in a part of her life she had put behind her. He understood her reticence in wanting to be reminded of it. If she was calling, she must be in serious trouble.

"My God, Robert. I don't even know where to start." Even over the machine, her voice was terrified. " Rudy's out and he's looking for me. He knows where I am. I...I'm going underground but...I'm scared for Andy and the kids. Please, Robert. You're the only one I can turn to...the only one who can help. Take care of them for me."

The message ended, leaving only silence in the apartment. From deep inside, McCall felt his inborn sense of justice crying foul. Cait had worked so hard to bring herself out of that hellish life. To be abruptly dragged back into it wasn't fair. It seemed life never let some people stop paying for their sins.

McCall took off his glasses and rubbed at his temples. He vaguely remembered this Rudy character. Cait had told him something about it when they first met. He felt a brief hope she would come to him but knew she wouldn't. She was scared to death and would be looking for the deepest hole she could crawl into. Of course, the biggest hole in the country was New York City. He knew she would end up here eventually. He also knew she would be able to take care of herself for a while. She was street smart. It was Andy he was worried about at the moment. He had to get Andy and the children here where he could protect them from the kind of people they knew nothing of; people Caitlin and McCall knew far too well.

It would take luck and timing and cooperation from some good people he knew. They might be able to pull it off if they could keep a step ahead of Rudy. There would only be one random element in the whole process...Andy. There was no telling how he was going to react to the whole affair. McCall knew well how hot-headed and impulsive Andy could be. Even as a boy...No, this was not the time for old memories. It was time to act. He reached for the receiver and dialed the well-known number. First on his list to call--Mickey Kostmayer.

It was hard to believe something as ordinary as a simple trip to the zoo could turn into such a fiasco. Andy sighed with relief as he turned off the highway; only a few miles before home. Just another big day in the Travis family, he supposed. The zoo itself wasn't too bad if you ignored the fact he had to rescue Danny from an overzealous goat at the petting corral and the twins both managed to go for a swim in the duck pond. Then Trina got sick to her stomach and they spent the next hour sitting in the first aid station which happened to be next to some foul smelling monkeys. But the day had been nothing compared with the trip home.

There had been an accident with the resultant traffic jam. Of course that meant the old station wagon felt obliged to overheat. After a few hours he managed to get the car to a service station. By then the kids were all hungry and tired and cranky and Andy wondered what he had ever done to deserve such a fate.

He called Cait several times to come and get the kids and take them home but no one had answered. He wasn't worried. The whole reason for this trip was to give his wife a break. She deserved some time to herself. She was probably out with friends or maybe running errands. Wherever she was, she was most certainly having a better time than Andy or the kids.

It took the mechanic a couple of hours to finally come over and tell Andy he could drive the car home but should take it easy. As if he didn't know that already. The old thing really should have been driven over a cliff and put out of its misery but a new car, or even a used one, was far down on the Travis' list of priorities. So he had grabbed the kids some hot dogs at the little mini-mart and made their way home on the back roads. By now it was nearly nine p.m. The only good thing was that all four children were asleep and had been for the last hour. He finally pulled into the driveway of their modest home. The front porch was dark and Cait's car wasn't there. Andy frowned. She should be here by this hour. He had called her one last time before he left the gas station and she hadn't answered. He hoped she hadn't had car trouble as well. Neither one of their cars was reliable.

He shut off the engine and glanced at the kids. They were all still asleep. It would require several trips to carry each one in and to bed. Wearily he climbed out of the station wagon and shuffled up the stone walkway to unlock the front door. As he reached for the knob the door swung open slightly. Andy's frown deepened into a scowl as he stepped back. Cait would have made sure the house was locked. He looked around the porch then grabbed the iron sprinkler rod. Wielding it in a defensive posture, Andy reached in and pushed the door open wide.

"Cait?" he called tentatively.

He felt for the switch. Suddenly the porch and the front hallway were illuminated brightly.

"Caitlin?" His voice rose slightly. Still there was no response.

He entered cautiously, turning on each light he came to. The house was unnaturally quiet. Bolder now, he walked through the entire place and found no one. The only encouraging thing was the house was in order. There was no sign of any struggle or foul play. Maybe Cait had just left in a hurry; maybe.

He ended up in the kitchen. The mess from breakfast was nowhere in sight. It was obvious his wife had been here at least part of the day. He wondered again where she might be. His wandering gaze caught sight of the refrigerator and the paper stuck there with a Cookie Monster magnet.

He let go a breath of relief. A note, of course; it must be a note from Cait telling him where she was. He walked over and plucked it off expecting anything but what he read.

"I had to do it, Andy. I'm sorry. I can't explain. Kiss the kids for me. I love all of you very, very much. Be careful.

Cait."

The frown returned to his face. Had to do it; had to do what? And be careful? What in hell was going on around here? Where was his wife? He tried to think. If Cait was in trouble where would she go? Who would she turn to for help? He could only come up with one answer.

He moved over to the phone and rummaged for their address book. Realizing he still carried the iron bar, he set it down on the counter. He found the number and hastily dialed. The other end rang once; twice. Then a child's voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Katie Laura? It's Uncle Andy. Is your dad there?"

"Hi, Uncle Andy." The little girl's voice was excited. "Yeah, Daddy's here. Can I talk to Trina?"

Andy had to fight down his impatience. "No, honey. Just get your Dad for me, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed pleasantly. "Da-a-a-ddy!" she shouted, not quite away from the mouthpiece. Andy held the receiver out from his ear. "Here he is," she announced. The phone was transferred noisily.

"Steele, here," came the voice Andy was waiting to hear.

"Remington, it's Andy. I..."

"Ah, Andrew," Steele interrupted. "So good to hear from you. How're Cait and the children?"

Andy already knew by his brother-in-law's good-natured chatter that Cait hadn't contacted him. His heart sank as he tried to come up with a good reason for calling.

"Uh...the kids are fine. I was just wondering...umm, has Cait talked to you recently?" he went ahead and asked, desperate for some kind of hope.

"Cait? Why no." Steele's voice sounded puzzled. Andy knew the only thing he'd accomplished was to worry Cait's brother. "Is something wrong?"

"No...no, of course not. I...Well, she's not home right at the moment and I was just wondering if you'd heard from her, that's all."

"I haven't for a few weeks," Steele informed him. "I can ask Laura if she . . ."

"No, that's okay," Andy hastened to assure. "It's nothing. I'm sorry I even bothered you."

"It's no bother, Andrew. If there's a problem..."

"No. No problem. I gotta go now. I'll talk to you later."

He hung up even before Steele's concerned "good-bye". He'd certainly made a fool out of himself but that wasn't important. What mattered now was Cait. Where could she be?

The phone rang loudly and startled Andy. He picked it up, expecting his brother-in-law demanding some explanation.

"Hello," Andy answered sheepishly.

"Andy? This is McCall."

Andy nearly dropped the telephone. Of all the people on earth he thought might be calling, Robert McCall was not one of them.

"Are you there, Andy?"

"Yeah...Uh...yeah, I'm here."

"Am I correct in assuming Caitlin is not?"

Andy felt his heart start pounding and all the fear returned. "No, she's not here. Where is she?"

"I'm not sure moment," McCall replied. "Right now however, you need to listen to me and do exactly what I tell you." McCall's voice was brisk and to the point.

"What are you talkin' about? Where's Cait?"

"Don't ask questions, Andrew. Just listen. You're in danger."

Andy's mouth went dry. He suddenly felt ten years old again as he held back his questions and listened intently to McCall.

"I want you to get to the airport immediately. Don't worry about packing, just go. There will be tickets waiting for all of you at the Delta terminal."

"Tickets to where?" Andy asked in bewilderment.

"New York City. You're coming here to me. I'll pick you up at LaGuardia. You have to hurry; your flight is at 10:30."

"But, McCall..."

"Just do it. Leave your car at the curb. Don't worry about parking. This is urgent. Don't take time for anything. You and the children must get out of that house."

"All right," Andy agreed helplessly. "Whatever you say."

"And Andy, when you land, stay on the plane until all the other passengers get off. I'll see you in a few hours. Be careful."

Those two chilling words echoed Cait's message. Andy hung up, still not sure this wasn't all a nightmare.

"Daddy?"

Andy whirled in fright at the unexpected voice. Six year old Trina stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Her big, blue eyes held a look of confusion.

"Can we get out of the car, Daddy?"

Her innocent question spurred Andy into action.

"Not yet, Sweetheart. We have to take a little trip."

He started for the bedrooms to grab some things for the kids but remembered McCall's warning. Don't stop for anything. Instead, he grabbed his daughter's hand and rushed her out the front door, locking it behind them.

He helped Trina back into the front seat. The other three kids were still sound asleep. He prayed the car would start and felt a rush of elation when it did. Now if it would only make it to the airport. Thankfully it wasn't far. His fear for Cait was there gnawing at him but he had to push it aside for now. His immediate task was to make sure the kids were out of danger. He would go to New York; to McCall. Then, by God, he was going to find his wife.

Remington Steele sat in the rocking chair and stared into the fire uneasily. Katie and Brian were both in bed now; no more stories, no more drinks or trips to the bathroom. Laura would be down soon from tucking them in. This was their quiet time together and he normally cherished it. He loved his children but they demanded so much of both his and Laura's attention. He guarded whatever time he had alone with his wife with possessive zeal.

Tonight was different. Tonight his thoughts were far away; a couple thousand miles away in Cincinnati. The strange call from Andy plagued his thoughts. Lord knew, he'd spent most of his life without any kind of family ties. Since finding Caitlin he felt he had to make up for lost time. Sometimes that feeling took the form of the over-protective brother. He knew he could get carried away sometimes but he also knew this wasn't one of those times. If something was wrong with Caitlin, Remington wanted to know about it.

It had seemed Andy was looking for Cait yet he didn't come right out and say it. Steele knew his sister was happy in her marriage. It didn't fit that this might be a domestic problem but Caitlin wasn't the irresponsible type. She wouldn't go off and not tell anyone where she was going.

"Why don't you just call him back and ask?"

Steele glanced up, startled out of his musings. Laura regarded him kindly from where she stood by the fire. He hadn't even heard her come into the room. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"That obvious, is it?"

Laura laughed softly. "Only a little." She came over to perch on the arm of his chair. "Honestly though, you know you'll never sleep tonight unless you put your mind at ease. Go ahead and call back."

Steele studied Laura's face; still youthful and beautiful. Had it really been twelve years since he'd first laid eyes on her? He reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from her eyes.

"You know me too well, woman," he accused with a smile.

Laura returned the smile and leaned down to place a tender kiss on his forehead. "Not half as well as I'd like," she teased.

Steele raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Is that an invitation, my dear? Maybe I don't want to sleep."

Laura laughed again. She stood, took his hand and pulled him from his chair. "Perhaps not. But call your sister first. I want all of you tonight, including your mind."

She led him to the telephone. He punched in the numbers and waited for the ring.

"She's probably home by now. It's awfully late there, you know." The phone rang once; twice. "I'm sure it was nothing." A third ring, then a fourth. "I'm probably going to wake up the whole house." The phone rang five, six then seven times. Steele's concerns flared into genuine worry as he hung up.

"No answer?" Laura asked with a frown.

Steele shook his head. "They should be home. There can't be many places you can go with four small children in the middle of the night."

Laura placed a comforting hand on his arm. "There's nothing you can do tonight. Why don't you come to bed; try again in the morning. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for everything."

"I'm sure you're right," he replied and followed her upstairs. He wasn't certain what was happening with his sister but he was sure of one thing. He wasn't going to get much sleep tonight; and not for the reason he had originally thought.

Caitlin sat huddled on the small cot, her arms hugging her knees for warmth. She shivered and not only because of the cold night. This hole in the wall brought back too many memories; none of them pleasant. She and Carly had hid out here often when they were working together. Whenever times were tough or one of them was in a jam, this is where they would come to wait out the trouble. She could never forget the hungry nights spent in this old, abandoned basement but she never thought she would ever be back here.

She wanted to cry but no tears would come. Maybe it was her old instinct for self-preservation coming back into play. That's what must have convinced her to leave her family. She had no way of knowing now if they were safe. She'd run out and left them to take their chances so now she had to add guilt to the already heavy weight of emotions taking their toll on her.

At least she wasn't completely alone; not really. She caressed her stomach. She still had part of Andy with her. God, how she missed him. Right now she would have given anything just to have him here next to her; holding her and telling her everything would be fine.

She straightened up suddenly. Andy wasn't here. She was going to have to take care of herself. She always had in the past. Sitting around feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to help. Maybe that's why she wasn't able to cry. Crying only served to muddle a person's ability to think and she needed to think right now.

What was she going to do about Rudy? That old familiar feeling of revulsion rippled through her when she thought of him and the few months he had been her pimp. When she first came to New York from London she'd had no contacts; no one to set her up. She had never used a pimp before and after a short time with Rudy she knew why. He was a disgusting piece of humanity who cared little for his girls. He sold cocaine on the side and kept his stable doped up so they would be cooperative.

When Cait realized this she knew she wanted no part of his operation but Rudy wouldn't let her out. He'd become violent; threatening her life if she tried to leave. In desperation Cait had anonymously tipped the police to Rudy's next score. He'd gone to jail and Cait had thought she was rid of him. Now it seemed he knew who had set him up. Either someone had told him or else he just figured it out; it didn't really make any difference. What mattered was that this man who was capable of anything was after her and perhaps her family as well. She prayed McCall had been able to get to Andy first.

She supposed she wasn't going to be able to do anything. She had better salvage whatever was left of the night and try to get some rest. Carly would probably show up tomorrow sometime. Maybe together they could figure something out. She lay back on the cot and pulled the meager blanket close around her. She closed her eyes but sleep proved elusive. All she could see was her children's faces: Trina's thoughtful look as she struggled over spelling words, Danny's triumph at riding without training wheels, Shane's stubborn determination not to be left out of anything his brother did and Shawna's broken heart over the stray kitten crying in the rain.

They were still just babies. They needed her. She didn't even want to think about how they were going to cope with her absence. She hoped Andy would be able to allay their fears. She wasn't abandoning them. She would come back. She realized, though, she was trying to convince herself.

She turned onto her side and faced the wall. The last face to haunt her was Andy's: Andy at Disneyland stealing a kiss during the fireworks display; Andy at the ski lodge telling her how much he loved her and that he didn't care about her past; Andy at the ranch in Glorieta teaching their children how to ride on Old Barney; and Andy laying next to her each night, his loving arms holding her close. She imagined him here with her now, keeping her warm and safe. Only then was she able to fall into an uneasy sleep.

The plane had landed at least twenty minutes ago but had yet to make it to a gate for unloading. Andy sat fidgeting nervously. It wasn't a long flight from Cincinnati to New York City; only a couple of hours, but it seemed to Andy the longest trip he had ever taken.

The kids slept the entire time since it was the middle of the night after all. He glanced to his right. The twins lay sprawled across each other in spite of the confines of their seat belts. Their golden hair and cheeks, pink from sleep, gave them an angelic look. Not quite three years old yet, they had no real understanding of what was happening.

Across the narrow aisle Katrina and Danny slept as well, though a bit more dignified than the twins. These two were both the image of Cait with their raven hair and icy blue eyes. With little more than a year between them, they were as much alike as if they'd been twins as well. They were great kids and Andy loved them more than he would have ever thought possible.

He thought back to past years as friends and relatives got married and started their families. It seemed it would never happen for him. Then Skip had that wonderfully silly idea to have the annual family reunion at Disneyland. As much trouble as it had been, Andy would always be in debt to his cousin. It was there Andy met Caitlin O'Connor and everything in his life changed.

Of course, things weren't always rosy. Money was the big problem right now. Not that Cait ever complained. She never nagged him to change jobs. She knew how much he loved what he did and where he worked. Although recently he had entertained the notion it was time to move on. KRP just wasn't the same anymore.

He'd made a choice once, a long time ago; to stay at the station even though he felt it would be a hopeless task to make any real improvements. How had Venus put it? He'd given up the chance to be boy wonder of American radio to be head guard at the nut farm. Andy smiled softly as he remembered that conversation. Venus was right. After that day he knew he would never rise any higher than where he was at that moment. He hadn't minded. He loved the people he worked with even though they could be exasperating at times.

Now though, things were different. One by one his friends had all left. He didn't blame them. They had a right to further their own careers; something they really couldn't do as long as Mrs. Carlson owned the station. The only old-timers left were Herb, Les and the Big Guy. It seemed all the rest of the guards had deserted him and now he was left with the nuts.

There was nowhere for him to go. To change jobs now would mean starting over; something his family couldn't afford to do. They were barely scraping by on what he earned now. Besides, none of the big market, well-paying stations programmed music the way he liked. Too much automation and saturation. As much trouble as Johnny Fever had been over the years, Andy would rather handle a dozen crazy doctors than the robot-like, male model, hose pails ruling the air waves these days.

He really didn't know what he was going to do. He only knew that whatever choice he made, Cait would be right by his side supporting him. That was, of course, if he could find her. Abruptly all his thoughts focused on his wife. He'd been trying not to dwell on what might have happened to her; to put off any questions until he met with McCall. It was no use. All his worries and fears were back in full force.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Gate 33. As you deplane, please remember your carry-on items from the overhead compartments. We hope you enjoyed your flight. Thank you for flying Delta."

The plane soon began to bustle with activity. Andy sat and waited. McCall had told him to be the last one off. He watched each passenger file past him. None of them looked dangerous. He was startled suddenly by a slight pressure on his shoulder and turned to find a pretty flight attendant standing by him.

"Would you like some help with the children?" she asked kindly.

Andy started to nod acceptance then wondered if McCall's warning was meant to include flight personnel. He had no way of knowing.

"That's okay," he assured her. "I think we'll be all right."

"Just ring if you need anything." With that the woman moved swiftly down the aisle to her other duties.

Andy glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone else on the plane. He stood up slowly, kicking the kinks out of his legs and set about waking the children.

McCall stood at the gate and watched the passengers from Cincinnati as they straggled in. The flight hadn't been full by any means; probably due to the late hour. If Andy followed instructions, he would be the last one off. McCall's eyes flickered around the terminal; nodding slightly to each of his people. They weren't obvious; a janitor here, a business traveler there; but then, they weren't supposed to be noticed. They were supposed to blend.

There had been nothing suspicious; nothing out of the ordinary but McCall was taking no chances. He had only this Rudy fellow's mug shot to go by and a person could change a lot in ten years. He was alert for any sign of trouble.

He felt someone come up beside him and turned to see Mickey standing there.

"No sign yet," the younger man reported. "He could still be in Cinci."

"Hopefully we're ahead of the game," McCall replied tersely. Mickey nodded silently. "This plane makes the return trip in about forty-five minutes. I got a ticket." He studied the last few people going by. "They here?"

"I'm not sure yet." McCall craned his neck to look past the gate. "Yes. Here they come." He let himself relax ever so slightly.

They made quite a sight; four sleepy and bewildered children all clinging to one exhausted man. Andy's face was tense as he herded his brood through the gate. He scanned the terminal expectantly.

Leaving Mickey at his post, McCall stepped forward quickly and took them in tow. He held up his hand to forestall the flood of questions he knew Andy must have. "No time." He reached down to scoop Shawna up into his arms and grabbed Trina by the hand. He gestured for Andy to do the same with the boys. "Come along now. We have to hurry." They swept out of the terminal at a pace so fast the older children could barely keep up.

The signal had gone ahead of them and Stock was there with the van as they emerged into the cold night. Within moments they were gone, as if they had never been at the airport.

McCall helped Andy situate the kids in their seats then he moved up to sit in the front next to Stock. He was fairly certain they would not be followed; positive they had gotten the jump on Rudy, but he was not the kind of man to sit back and let others do the work. He would keep an eye out while Stock drove.

"Can somebody please tell me what the hell is goin' on?"

McCall turned to see Andy squatting on the floor between the two front seats. It was dark in the van and McCall couldn't see clearly but he knew Andy's face would be full of barely controlled anger. He wanted some answers badly.

"Where's Cait?"

McCall hesitated a brief instant. He'd wanted to wait until they were at the house before going into all this. He'd hoped Andy could wait as well. Apparently, this wasn't the case.

"I don't know at the moment," McCall informed him.

"Damn it, McCall!" Andy exploded. "If you don't know, then what the..."

"Andrew!" McCall silenced him with a word then continued in a lowered voice. "I really don't think you want to talk about this in front of your children." He saw Andy turn around to check on the youngsters. "I know you're upset. You have every reason to be. I promise as soon as we get where we're going I will fill you in. You have to be patient for just a little while longer."

He wasn't happy, McCall could tell by the way he flung himself back into his seat and banged his fist against the door. McCall couldn't blame him. If the situation was reversed, he didn't think he would be able to sit around and do nothing. Well, they would be at the safe house soon enough. Once there, he would tell Andy everything he knew. Unfortunately that wasn't very much.

Andy softly closed the door to the children's temporary bedroom. He stood against it for a moment, letting his own tired eyes shut. It must be at least three in the morning. What a night! They were at last settled in this place McCall had chosen to hide them. McCall! Andy's eyes shot open and then narrowed with grim determination. He was ready for some answers.

He strode purposefully into the small living room. There he found the older man sitting on the sofa. Two mugs of something hot and steaming sat on the coffee table waiting. Andy moved over to sit across from McCall. Silently he picked up the cup of what he thought was coffee but when he sipped it gingerly he found it was hot chocolate. He looked up at in surprise.

McCall chuckled. "Last thing you need right now is something to keep you awake."

Andy nodded gratefully and took another drink. He set the mug back down on the table.

"Anytime you're ready," he stated calmly.

McCall leaned against the sofa back and removed his glasses to rub at his eyes. Andy realized he must be tired as well.

"Andy...I know you are...aware...Caitlin had quite a...troubled...youth."

Andy scowled. McCall was picking his words too carefully; as if he wasn't sure how much to tell.

"I know all about it," he stated. "Cait told me before we were married. It never made any difference between us."

"I'm not implying it did," McCall assured. "I'm just not sure you quite realize the extent of some of her activities."

"What do you mean? I know how she made her living. But she's not involved in that anymore...you know that. She told me you helped her get out."

McCall waved the comment aside. "She got herself out." He rose up from the sofa and moved over to stand staring into the fireplace. The flames held his gaze briefly then he turned back to face Andy.

"There's more to being a prostitute than just having sex for money. You have to deal with some of the worst excuses for human beings. You have to protect yourself; sometimes from the very people you're working for."

"Cait told me she worked on her own," Andy said quietly. He wasn't enjoying this discussion of his wife's dubious past. Once Caitlin told him, he dealt with it and put it behind them. That didn't mean he wanted to talk about it all the time.

"Not always. For a very short time she worked for a man named Rudy Stanton. Then she discovered he was dealing narcotics and she wanted out. In that line of work however, you don't just leave."

"How did she get away from him?" Andy asked curiously.

"Let's just say she was instrumental in having him arrested for selling cocaine. He was sentenced for ten to fifteen years."

It didn't take a genius at math to do the calculation.

"So now he's out?"

McCall nodded grimly. "Cait left a message on my machine yesterday. She said this man, Stanton was after her and she was afraid for you and the children. She asked me to take care of you."

"But what about Cait?" Andy demanded.

"She only said she was going underground. She's probably found someplace to hole up."

That feeling of helplessness settled back on Andy in full force. "But...where would she go? How do we find her?"

"When I first called you I didn't know where she was going. Now we know she took a plane here, to New York. I'm assuming she has a friend she came to."

"Carly," Andy breathed out softly.

McCall leaned forward. "Who?"

Andy shook his head. "Just Carly. Cait kept in touch with her; helped her out now and then. I never met her."

McCall nodded. "That might help. In the meantime, you should get some rest. You look exhausted."

Andy ignored the comment. "What're we going to do next?"

"We aren't doing anything. My people and I are going to try to find Cait. You are going to stay here and take care of your children."

"No way, McCall," Andy stated firmly. He stood up and moved over to the fire. He faced the older man determinedly. "I'm going to help find her."

McCall shook his head. "You can't. I brought you here for protection. If you go charging out there Stanton will certainly find you and probably kill you."

"Damn it, I'm not a child."

"Then stop acting like one," McCall chided kindly. "You can't help Cait by getting yourself killed." He placed a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder. "Your children are going to need their father the next few days."

Andy's shoulders sagged in defeat. He knew McCall was right but he didn't have to like it.

"Go to bed, Andrew," McCall ordered gently. "You'll feel better after some rest."

Andy didn't agree. He knew he wouldn't feel better until Caitlin was back in his arms, safe and sound but he shuffled off to bed nonetheless. He was tired and he wouldn't be of help to anybody if he was dead on his feet.

As he climbed into the strange bed he tried not to think about Cait, alone and scared out there in the dark. He tried not to think about the ruthless man who wanted to hurt her. He tried not to think about anything but he wasn't very successful.

Carly still hadn't shown up. Cait picked distractedly at her dinner of canned ravioli. There was plenty of food here. She wouldn't starve for a while. That wasn't what had her worried. She and Carly had been friends through some very bad times. Cait knew nothing short of disaster would have kept the girl away.

It had to be Rudy. If he'd gone to Cincinnati then he must know Caitlin had been warned. He wasn't a stupid man. He would put two and two together. He would know Carly had called. Cait put her fork down, her appetite suddenly gone. How many more people she cared about would be put in danger because of her? Would there be no end to this?

She sighed and rested her head in her hands. She didn't know what she would do if Carly never came. She couldn't stay here forever. Sooner or later she would have to come out. Would Rudy have the patience to wait? Was he that bent on revenge?

Feeling very much alone, Cait got up from the table and moved over to curl up on the cot. Earlier she had found a transistor radio stashed in one of the drawers and turned it on now for some company. She searched through the dial until she found some soft jazz then settled back against the wall and closed her eyes. Listening to the song reminded her of Andy. They teased each other constantly about their respective tastes in music. He thought she was much too mellow and she accused him of being stuck in the seventies. It was hard, she knew, for her husband to include the more modern rap in the station's daily format.

The song ended and a commercial began. Cait wished there was some way she could be sure Andy and the kids were okay. She could call Robert if she had a telephone. That would mean venturing outside and into the streets; something she wasn't ready to do yet. This hideout was too close to Rudy's old neighborhood. Even if he didn't see her, there were plenty of other eyes willing to give her away for the right price.

"And now, my children...Come with me on a nighttime journey into serenity."

The disc jockey's voice was quiet and soothing. Cait listened; her eyes still closed.

"And remember, this is the cool sound of WJZZ Radio."

Cait frowned. That voice sounded familiar even over the transistor's fuzzy reception.

This is Venus, my children...Bringing you the soulful sounds..."

Venus! Cait's eyes shot open and she sat up straight. Of course Venus. He'd moved to the city last year. A sad smile lifted Cait's mouth as she remembered. Andy had been torn up about it for weeks even though he was happy for his friend's success.

Cait's fingers brushed the little radio. Venus seemed so close and yet he was miles away. Too far away to really help. Not that he could have if he were here; any more than Andy could have helped back in Cincinnati. It was still nice to hear a familiar voice. She leaned back and listened to Venus' pleasant chatter. At least the coming night wouldn't seem quite so lonely.

Remington Steele got out of the yellow taxi and sent it on its way. He stood on the sidewalk and surveyed his sister's home. It looked deserted in the fading sunlight.

Neither car was in the driveway. A couple of morning papers lay on the lawn. He could see today's mail sticking out of the box by the front door. It was obvious no one had been here for a few days; not since that telephone call Saturday night.

He'd called off and on all day Sunday with no answer. He even went so far as to call the Cincinnati police to see if there had been any reports of trouble. They hadn't heard a thing and assured him he was probably worrying over nothing. So he'd waited...waited until Monday. With still no luck at home, Steele tried calling Andy's radio station. They hadn't heard from their program director since he'd gone home on Friday.

Positive something was wrong, Steele finally did what he'd wanted to since Andy had called him. He caught a flight out to see for himself what was going on.

Steele walked up to the front door and rang the bell. He didn't really expect an answer and he got none; even after several tries. He reached down to try the knob and, to his dismay, it opened easily. He had to squelch a surge of panic. This wasn't Los Angeles. Maybe people left their doors unlocked here. He didn't believe that but it might be the case. Tensed and ready for anything, Steele walked inside.

The first thing he noticed was the crunch of glass under his feet. Glancing down, he saw the broken picture frames, the torn and crumpled family photographs. He looked automatically up to the walls of the entryway where he knew they belonged. They were bare save for the nails and hangers.

"Good Lord, Cait," Steele whispered to himself. "What's happened here?"

He forced himself to walk further into the house and cringed as he entered the living room. It looked as if a cyclone had torn through. The furniture was turned over and ripped to shreds. Books, knickknacks and record albums were strewn about. Plants were knocked over, spilling damp soil onto the carpet. Steele took it all in; numb with disbelief, then continued on his search.

It was the same throughout the house; as if someone had gone through each room and purposefully destroyed it. Toys, clothes, pillows; all broken, ripped and tossed aside. Mirrors were smashed. The television looked as if someone had kicked it in. All the Travis family's personal belongings were in ruins. To add to the mystery, there was no sign of the family.

Steele stood in Cait and Andy's bedroom, trying to piece the puzzle together. It was impossible. He could think of no one who would want to hurt his sister or her family. Andy wasn't in a dangerous profession by any stretch of the imagination. The only risk his brother-in-law took was trying to juggle the needs of his growing family with much too small a paycheck. Steele's heart went out to their struggle, especially since he and Laura lived a life of such ease. He would have gladly shared their good fortune but Andy was a proud man. He would be insulted by any such offers and Steele admired him for that. He had to settle instead with being more than generous at Christmas and birthdays. Besides, Cait and Andy were actually happy with their life. So what could have happened to them in the few short weeks since he'd last talked to his sister? What could have possibly caused such havoc?

"Don't move a muscle, Buddy," came a voice out of nowhere.

Steele froze, his hands in mid-air. Had the instrument of this destruction come back? The hairs on his neck stood up on end. He'd never even heard anyone come in.

The man walked up to him and reached around to pat him down. Then he moved back a few steps.

"Turn around...slowly."

Steele turned cautiously, careful not to make a move with his hands. He cursed his own lack of foresight. It had never occurred to him to bring a gun.

He found himself facing a semi-automatic weapon; the barrel aimed right at his forehead. The man behind the gun was medium height and build. He wore a green army surplus jacket and corduroy pants. His thin brownish hair lay over his forehead carelessly. It was his eyes though, that held Steele's attention. Alert and quick, despite his general appearance; there was something else in them Steele could only describe as a smoldering anger. This man could be dangerous, of that Steele was positive.

"What are you doing here?" the stranger asked in an even voice.

"I might ask the same of you," Steele replied, trying to remain calm. He gestured around the room. "Is all this your handiwork?"

The man shook his head slowly. He studied Steele intently, his deep-set eyes narrowing.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"What difference does that make?" Steele asked. He was determined not to make things easy.

"Maybe none...maybe a lot. You just look familiar, that's all." He pointed with the gun. "Hand me your wallet."

"All this for a little robbery? Seems a bit much, doesn't it." He reached into his back pocket nonetheless and held up his wallet in two fingers for the man to see.

"I don't want your money," the stranger assured him as he took the wallet and opened it. "Remington Steele," he read. "Private Investigator?" He looked up questioningly. "You here on a case?"

Steele shook his head. He wasn't sure what to make of this man. He had a gun to be sure but he wasn't in any hurry to make use of it. He'd also said he wasn't responsible for ransacking the house.

"Family matter," was all he replied.

A look of sudden recognition passed over the man's face. "Steele, of course. You're Cait's brother."

"You know Caitlin?" Steele questioned sharply.

The man lowered his gun for the first time. "We're old friends."

Steele had finally had enough. "Then what the bloody hell happened here?" he burst out. "Where's Cait and her family? And who the hell are you?"

The man was unperturbed by Steele's outburst. "Name's Kostmayer...Mickey Kostmayer. I came here to help."

"A little late, weren't you?" Steele accused.

Mickey nodded soberly. "The creep got here ahead of me. Travis and the kids are okay though. McCall got 'em out in

time."

McCall! Steele's thoughts went dark at the mention of the man's name. Anything he was involved in was bound to be extremely dangerous. They'd met once, a short time after Cait had entered Steele's life. McCall left an indelible impression as someone you didn't cross. Steele wasn't anxious to meet up with him again.

"And Cait?" he finally asked.

Mickey shook his head. "We're trying to find her. She went under."

Steele listened as Mickey recounted what had happened. Now Andy's telephone call made some sense. He only wished he'd followed his own impulse and come out here sooner, though he wasn't certain what he could have done. He was sure of one thing. He was going to help find his sister, whether McCall approved or not.

"So, what can I do?" Steele asked.

"Nothing," the man informed him evenly.

"You listen, Mate." Steele's voice was calm, barely controlling the anger. "I'm coming with you to talk to McCall. I can help you find Caitlin. If you don't take me, I'll only follow you."

Mickey chuckled, mostly to himself. "I doubt you could," he replied.

"Try me," Steele challenged darkly.

The two men stood and stared at each other, each unwilling to back down. Mickey finally gave in.

"What the hell. Maybe you can help find her." He shouldered his gun and started for the front door.

Steele went after him. He would have liked to call Laura; fill her in on what was happening and where he was going. But his companion was allowing no time for anything. There were still a lot of questions in Steele's mind. Hopefully he would get them answered.

Mickey led him out the door and down the street to a dingy van. They climbed in through the back doors and as Mickey went about storing his weapon, Steele gaped at the arsenal the van sported. There were handguns, rifles, automatics; not to mention the other technical equipment.

"Where did you get all this?" he asked in amazement.

"A friend set me up," Mickey replied matter-of-factly. "He owed me a favor."

Steele managed to tear his eyes away from the gear. He'd known McCall had dealings with some government organization but the realization of who he was dealing with finally sank in.

"You're a professional." It was a statement, not a question.

Mickey shrugged.

"Who? CIA, FBI?"

"Free-lance mostly."

"How on earth did my sister get mixed up with you?"

Mickey finished with his gun and glanced up at Steele. "It's a long story. We don't have the time right now to get into it." He allowed himself a crooked smile. "You can ask Cait when we find her." With that he hopped up into the driver's seat and started the van.

Steele took the passenger side. He was silent as they drove; his thoughts deep and troubled. Mickey was wrong. He couldn't ask Cait. He wasn't supposed to know about her past. All these years he'd kept to himself the fact he'd overheard her conversation with Murphy. That was the one drawback to barging in to help. It would all come out. Cait would be hurt and that was the last thing he wanted to do. There was no way around it now, he supposed. The most important thing was to find Cait and get her out of this trouble. Which reminded him.

"Where are we going?"

Andy sat on the sofa and stared at the crossword puzzle in his hand without really seeing it. He was going through the motions of living but not with any real enthusiasm. Keeping busy; that's what it came down to mostly. The kids were good at that but right now they weren't demanding his attention. Trina was sitting at the table coloring. Danny and Shane were watching Bambi on the television and VCR McCall had provided. Along with it, he'd brought them a boxful of children's tapes, books, paints, crayons, puzzles and a lot of other things to keep the kids entertained. Shawna was curled up at Andy's side playing with a baby doll. She hadn't let him get more than a few feet away from her since they'd come here; a sure sign she missed her mother.

On the whole, they were handling things well. Andy was grateful for that. He was barely keeping his own emotions in check. He didn't know what he'd do if his children started having problems.

He set the puzzle down. He couldn't concentrate enough to get any of the answers. Leaning his head back against the cushions, he watched the movie with detached interest. It never occurred to him to worry about what the boys were watching...never entered his mind exactly what happened in Bambi; not until that scene.

As the deer were talking in the meadow, somewhere in the back of Andy's mind an alarm went off. He sat up straight. Oh God, not this one! Now the deer were running; running for their lives. Then came the shotgun blast. Andy watched both the boys for any reaction. He was also aware, to his dismay, that Shawna had stopped her play and was also paying attention to the movie.

"Mother...mother. Where are you?" came Bambi's plaintive cries.

"He won't find her," Danny announced knowingly to Shane. "She's dead. Bamm, bamm!" He pantomimed a rifle.

"No she's not," Shane protested in a distressed voice. "Maybe she's just lost." He turned hopeful eyes to Andy. "She's not dead, is she, Daddy?"

Andy hesitated. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't very well lie to them. The stupid deer was dead. "Thanks, Walt," he muttered to himself.

"'Fraid so, Sport," he said gently. "That happens sometimes to animals."

Shane's dark brown eyes became bright with tears. He got up from the floor and came over to cuddle next to Andy's free side.

"I don't like this movie, Dad," he stated quietly.

"Me neither," Shawna piped up, poking her blonde head under Andy's arm to regard her twin sympathetically. "Don't cry, Shaney." She patted her brother's hand comfortingly.

"Let's find a different movie, Danny-boy," Andy suggested brightly.

Danny stood in front of the television not making a move to the box of tapes. His face was full of grief.

"I didn't mean it, Dad," he apologized. "I'm sorry."

Now his eyes were tear-filled. He was going to cry any minute.

"Whoa there, Buddy," Andy jumped in to forestall any tears. "It's not your fault. It's just a movie, that's all."

Danny walked over to the sofa. Since both of Andy's sides were taken, the boy opted to settle on the floor and lean up against his father's leg. The entire mood had changed in a few short minutes. Andy knew he was going to have to do something quick or he would have his hands full of hysterical children.

"Mommy's not dead, is she?" Shane asked forlornly.

"Of course not," Andy reassured them quickly.

"Then where is she?" Trina asked from behind the sofa.

Andy glanced up at his eldest. He didn't know when she had come over to join the conversation.

"Well..." He racked his brain for the right thing to say. "She...she had to go visit an old friend here in New York. Her friend needed to see her right away so Mommy had to leave without sayin' goodbye. But she left us a note. She said she'd be back as soon as she could. And she told me somethin' else. Know what that was?"

All four children shook their heads and waited expectantly.

"She told me to give you all a kiss for her." With that Andy bestowed a quick kiss on each child's forehead then gave them a sly look. "You know what else she told me to do?" he asked mischievously. "She told me to tickle you."

He grabbed each twin and tickled their ribs until they were both laughing. Then he reached out and grabbed Danny, pulling the boy onto his lap for his share of the fun. When he had Danny giggling happily, Andy suddenly reached behind to take hold of Trina.

"You too, Angel," he announced. "Nobody's safe from the tickle monster."

While he was in this vulnerable position, both arms stretched back over his head, the other three ganged up and attacked Andy with glee. He had to let go of Trina to defend himself. Freed, she came around the sofa to join in the melee. It wasn't long before they were all on the floor trying to out tickle the tickle monster. The sound of laughter and good natured horseplay was music to Andy's ears.

He never heard the door open nor anyone come in. The first he was aware they weren't alone was when Trina suddenly looked up and shouted gladly.

"Uncle Remington!"

She ran up to throw her arms around the newcomer. The others took up the chorus and ran to greet their uncle noisily. Andy stared for a moment in disbelief then got up from the floor slowly, trying to catch his breath and to figure out what his brother-in-law was doing here. He noticed Remington wasn't alone. Another man stood in the background watching the scene with quiet amusement. Andy didn't think it was all that funny though. He'd seen the gun the man carried in a shoulder holster. It was a sobering reminder of what was going on.

He approached Steele to help extricate him from the children. They were all hanging on him and Shawna had managed to be picked up in his arms.

"Did you bring Katie Laura?" Trina asked as she tugged on his free hand.

"Not this time, Angel," Steele informed her with a smile. He gave her hand a tight squeeze.

Shawna took his cheek in her little hand and turned his face to her.

"Did you bring Mommy with you?" she asked hopefully.

Steele's face grew serious. "No, Sweetheart. I'm afraid I didn't." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and set her down.

Andy felt it was time to intervene.

"Okay. Give Uncle Remington some room to breathe. Come on, let's go." Andy shuffled them off toward the bedroom and managed to find coloring books for everyone. Soon they were engrossed in their activity. He closed their door and turned back to Remington.

His brother-in-law had settled on the sofa, his long legs propped up on the coffee table. The other man had gone to the phone and was talking quietly to someone. Andy made his way over to sit down on the other end of the sofa. He and Steele sat in silence for a moment. Then Andy broke the stillness.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked curiously.

"The same thing you are, I presume," Steele answered. "Looking for Cait."

Andy made a sound of exasperation. "I'm not lookin' for Cait. They won't let me leave this house."

"Who won't?" Steele asked.

Andy waved his hand in the air to include everyone involved. "McCall mainly. He thinks there's somebody out there waitin' to kill me."

Steele studied the throw pillow beside him. "McCall again," he murmured.

Andy glanced at Remington. Not sure how to take that remark, he dismissed it. "I think he's over-reacting. Who'd want to kill me? I'm not a threat to anybody."

Steele finally looked up and met Andy's eyes. "He's right on track, old chap. I went to your house first..." There was a pause.

"My house?"

"Yes. After you called I kept trying to get back to you. I finally flew out to Cincinnati to see what was going on..." He paused again.

Andy felt a heaviness descending on him. He almost didn't want Steele to go on.

"What happened at the house?" he asked reluctantly.

Steele shook his head as he remembered. "Somebody had been there. According to Mickey, the fellow was there just after you left. Of course, he wasn't very happy at finding an empty house."

"Is it bad?" Andy asked.

Steele nodded grimly. "Bad enough. It would have been worse if you or the children had been there. You keep on trusting your friend, McCall. He seems to know what he's doing."

Andy sighed and got up to pace in front of the couch. He ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes.

"I know he knows what he's doin'. That doesn't make it any easier to sit around and wait. All I keep thinkin' about is Cait; out

there somewhere alone and scared." He kicked at a stray stuffed bear. "I can't do a damn thing about it." He stopped pacing and flopped back down on the sofa. "My kids keep askin' when their mom is comin' home...when we're goin' home." He shook his head in despair. "I don't know what the hell to tell 'em." He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and bury his face in his hands. For the first time since this nightmare began he

felt the sting of tears welling up behind his eyelids. God, he couldn't lose control.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Remington's eyes; the same blue eyes as Caitlin, as Trina and Danny. Those eyes were now intense with emotion.

"We'll find her," Steele assured him. They were spared any further discussion when Mickey came over from the phone.

"McCall's on his way. He should be here any minute."

"Any news about Cait?" Andy asked.

Mickey shrugged. "I guess McCall will fill us in when he gets here."

McCall hung up his car phone and let go a sigh of exasperation. So Steele was now in on this matter. That was all he needed; another random player running amok. He supposed there hadn't been any other choice Mickey could have made. Still, it made things even more complicated.

As he drove he pulled up everything he knew about the man who called himself Remington Steele. McCall had checked into the detective when Caitlin had first written to tell him she'd found a long lost brother. She'd been so happy; McCall wanted to be sure the man was all he claimed to be. He didn't want Cait to be hurt.

He still had friends and contacts at the company. It didn't take long to discover there was no such person as Remington Steele. Intrigued by the hoax, McCall dug deeper. He found vague references to thefts in various European countries. Nothing had ever been positively connected only strongly suspected. The company kept a file on the man but it wasn't active. There hadn't been anything recent to warrant any further investigation. It seemed since becoming Remington Steele, the man had turned over a new leaf.

McCall had kept his information to himself. There was no sense in worrying Cait over nothing. He had made it his business however, the next time he found himself in Los Angeles, to pay a visit to Remington Steele Investigations.

He'd spent barely fifteen minutes with Steele; enough time to satisfy himself of the man's sincerity towards Cait. That was all he was concerned with anyway. A man's past was his own affair as long as it didn't hurt anyone else.

He reached the house and parked his car. If Steele was half of what the reports said, perhaps McCall could make use of him. It would be better to have the man acting under orders than to go off on his own. McCall would be sure to take control of any efforts Steele made.

As Robert McCall walked in, Andy and Steele both rose to meet him. McCall was all business as he came over to confront them and he didn't look happy to see the detective from Los Angeles.

"Mr. Steele, I'll get right to the point," he began as he shook the hand Steele had offered in greeting. "I'm not sure I agree with Mickey's decision to bring you along, but you're here in any case. We may be able to use you."

"Wait a minute," Andy interjected indignantly. "You're gonna let him help while you make me sit here like the most useless piece of..."

"Andrew," McCall calmly interrupted the tirade. "Mr. Steele is not only a trained investigator, he has the good fortune of being incognito. Also, he doesn't have four children who would be left fatherless if he happens to get killed."

"No, only two," Andy retorted bitterly. "Damn it, McCall. I don't like this at all."

"You don't have to like it. I didn't expect you would. But if it gets your wife back alive and in one piece then it will be worth it, don't you think?"

Andy didn't say anything else, he merely glared angrily at McCall. He knew his friend was right. It was just hard to accept.

"Now," McCall continued. "Shall we sit down and discuss this?"

They sat back down on the sofa. McCall took the easy chair across from them and Mickey perched on the back of the couch. Andy noticed McCall looked tense. He must have learned something important.

"We've gotten a lead on Stanton. We know he returned from Cincinnati this morning. I'm sorry, Andy, but he didn't leave your house in the best condition."

Andy sighed in resignation. "So I've heard."

"In any case," McCall continued. "He's back in town and word has it he's still looking for Caitlin. As of right now, she's still safe."

"So what's our next move?" Steele asked.

McCall studied the man a moment, sizing him up. "In your line of work I'm sure you make use of a variety of personae?"

Steele nodded.

"Good. I need someone who can blend in with some of the seedier individuals in this city. I need someone to establish ties with Stanton. Do you think you can handle that?"

Steele grinned slyly. "I have just the man for the job."

"All right then. Tell Mickey what you need. He'll get you set up. While you keep an eye on Rudy, Mickey and I are going to track down this Carly person. I have a hunch she's the only one who can lead us to Cait."

Steele got up and together he and Mickey went in search of appropriate attire. McCall stayed sitting across from Andy. He looked like he had more to say. It made Andy uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

McCall looked uneasy as well; as if he were searching for proper words.

"Andrew...You know Jake...your uncle hasn't been well."

Andy nodded. He remembered his mother mentioning it. When had that been? It seemed like years ago.

"Scott's been at the ranch. He's kept me updated. Today there was another message from him." McCall finally looked Andy in the face. "Jake's dead. He passed away last night."

Andy sat in silence for a moment. He didn't know what to say; what McCall expected him to say. It was true, he and his uncle had never gotten along but it wasn't as if he was glad Jake was dead. It was just with so much else happening it was hard to spare anything of himself right now.

"I'm sorry," McCall offered in sympathy.

"It's okay, McCall," Andy assured him. "I mean, I feel bad for Aunt Cassie and Scott and Nick but...Well, Jake and I, we...we never were what you'd call close."

McCall smiled sadly. "I remember. There weren't many people Jake was close to."

Andy glanced up sharply at McCall, suddenly remembering his cousin Kay. She was McCall's ex-wife and one of the few people in this world able to get along with her father; maybe because they were so much alike. No, that wasn't fair. Kay must have had some good qualities for a man like Robert McCall to have fallen in love with her. She'd passed away a couple of years ago. Andy recalled his mother telling him McCall had been at the funeral. You could never tell about people, he supposed.

McCall stood up suddenly and broke the reflective mood.

"We need to be on our way," he announced and walked back into the bedroom to check on Mickey and Steele.

Andy stayed where he was, his mind a jumble; even when the other men walked out the door. He barely registered their departure and Steele's farewell advice to keep his chin up.

He didn't know how long he sat there lost in thought. It wasn't until the kids began clamoring for dinner that he was able to shake off the mood and get himself going. He was almost sorry he did. Right away his mind focused on the present situation and his thoughts turned to Cait.

He went through the motions of fixing dinner but he wasn't concentrating on the meal. True, at least now something was happening. There was some course of action being followed that would hopefully lead to Cait being found. Right now though, all Andy could think of was his wife hiding out in some terrible, unfriendly place. She was probably frightened and wondering about her family. He knew her well enough to know she would be worried about the kids...and about him. She couldn't even know if they had made it out of the house. If only he could find a way to get in touch with her; to get a message through; to let her know they were all right.

Then it came to him; as suddenly as if he'd been hit over the head. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Six o'clock...just about the right time. He hurriedly dished up the spaghetti he'd fixed and got the kids eating. He rushed to the phone, but couldn't find a book of any kind so he settled for calling directory assistance. They gave him the number and he quickly punched it in.

He could hear the distant ringing.

"Please be there," he mumbled to himself. "You gotta be there, Man."

The phone rang for a long time until finally someone picked it up.

"WJZZ, where the cool sounds never stop."

Andy felt the absurd sting of tears at the familiar voice.

"Venus? Venus, my man, is that you?"

Caitlin was on the verge of panic. All day she kept telling herself Carly was on her way; any minute she would show up. With the coming of night and the deepening darkness all Cait's certainty fled. She didn't want to spend another night in this place.

She paced the length of the small room over and over, not knowing what to do. She couldn't leave the safety of this hideout and yet she couldn't just stay here forever. She had to know what was keeping Carly; had to know what had happened to her family. Caitlin was scared though; too frightened to think rationally about any kind of decision.

Wanting some company; to hear anybody's voice besides her own, Cait turned on the radio. She'd been listening to it only briefly to spare the batteries. Tonight she needed it on for her own sanity. Maybe she would be lucky enough to find Venus on the air again. She didn't know what time it was but it seemed around the same time of evening she'd heard him last night.

Running through the channels, she stopped when she heard that same soft jazz. This must be the right station. She set the transistor down on the table and tried to go about some normal activity. Her stomach rumbled loudly, making her laugh a little.

"Okay, Baby. I know you're hungry," Cait said softly. She'd taken to talking to her unborn child even though she knew it probably wasn't any bigger than a grape. It calmed her down and was comforting to carry on a conversation. She felt closer to her family. This little one was all she had of them.

"What do you want for dinner?" Cait asked as she surveyed the stock of canned foods. She made a face at the picture of Chef Boyardee. She'd grown to hate him these past few days. "I know, Baby. I'm tired of Spaghetti-o's too." She reached up and picked out a can of stew. "How 'bout some vegies, eh?"

She went about heating up her dinner and became aware the song had ended. She waited in anticipation for the DJ to start talking and breathed a thankful sigh when it turned out to be Venus. At least there would be a friendly voice.

"All right, my children. This is Venus with you tonight 'til ten. I've got more soulful sounds for you but right now I have a special request. It's not the kind of music we usually play here at WJZZ but this is from a very old friend of mine. I couldn't turn him down. So bear with us while I pass this dedication along. It's from Walkie-Talkie to his lady."

Caitlin dropped the plate she was carrying to the table, sending stew every which way. She didn't even notice. That was Andy's nickname as a child. She remembered how they laughed over the stories he'd told her of growing up on the ranch and his exploits with his cousins. With her hand to her mouth she sat down slowly and picked up the transistor so as not to miss a word Venus was saying.

"He wants her to know that he and the kids miss her very much and they're waiting for her to come back. To let her know she's not alone, here's a very special tune."

Cait knew what it would be. She'd teased Andy about it often enough. As the music started so did her tears; slowly at first then with more feeling as she listened to the Moody Blues.

"I know you're out

there somewhere,

Somewhere, somewhere.

Yes, I know you're

out there somewhere,

Somewhere you can

hear my voice.

I know I'll find you somehow;

Somehow, somehow.

Yes, I know I'll find you somehow,

And somehow I'll

return again to you."

Cait moved over to sit on the cot; her legs drawn up and her chin resting on her knees. Andy was safe. McCall had come through like she'd hoped and gotten to him and the kids. This was her husband's way of letting her know she didn't have to worry about them. She felt like a ten ton weight had just been lifted off her chest and her tears became ones of sheer relief.

As the song ended and the music segued into something more in line with the station's programming, Cait wiped at her face thoughtfully. If Andy was making requests at Venus' station, her family must be here in New York. It made sense. McCall would have brought them here where he could protect them. Knowing they were close by was a comfort. Maybe things weren't as bleak as she'd thought.

She sat straight up. She knew what to do. She hadn't been thinking straight at all the last few days. It was so simple she had to laugh at herself for being so dense.

She would wait out the night; wait until it was very late so there would be less of a chance of being seen. Then she would go to McCall. Cait knew where his apartment was. If she could manage to get a cab without being spotted, she would make it there with no problem.

Cait sighed. It seemed she would never be out of his debt for the many times he'd come to her rescue. At least with McCall you knew where you stood. He never demanded anything in return. He helped people for his own personal reasons. Cait didn't know what entirely motivated McCall but was certain a big part of it was his love of justice.

"Well, Baby," she murmured to her stomach. "I guess we'll clean up our mess and get some more supper. Then we've got to rest up. We have a big night ahead of us."

Rudy Stanton was very pleased with himself. True, that Irish bitch had led him on quite a chase. It would have been easier to catch her unawares in Cincinnati. He'd sure taken care of that little snitch, Carly. She wouldn't be calling anybody anymore. Now everything was in the bag. He knew where Katy was holed up. He would deal with her soon enough. Right now he needed a drink.

Shuffling into Dewey's Tavern, Rudy paused to let his eyes adjust to the dark. He breathed in deeply the smell of old cigarettes and fresh booze. This was where he belonged; not rotting away in prison. A malicious grin spread across his face as he contemplated what he would do to Katy Brown when he caught up with her.

"Hey, Stanton," a voice called out to him.

Rudy glanced over to see old Cockroach sitting at his usual table in corner by the jukebox. The old geezer hadn't changed a bit; from his frizzy, gray hair to his weeks worth of stubble on his chin. Rudy walked over and straddled a chair next to the man.

"Yeah, Cockroach, whaddya want?"

The man smiled, revealing stained and crooked teeth. "Good ta see ya out."

Rudy scowled. "Is this a social call?"

Cockroach giggled into his mug of beer. "Not exactly. More like business." He set down his drink and rubbed his fingers together in a sign for money.

Rudy growled a warning. "I ain't been outta the joint for long, Roach. Don't play your games with me."

"No games, Rudy," the old man whined. "Just know somethin' you should, is all."

Rudy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. He slapped it down on the table but didn't take away his hand as Cockroach reached for it. "What should I know?" he asked impatiently.

Cockroach jerked his head toward the far corner of the bar where a game of darts was going on. "See the tall one?" he asked.

Rudy looked over and picked out the man Cockroach was talking about. He was lean and lanky, sporting a black leather jacket and greased black hair. "Yeah, so?"

"He's lookin' for ya. He's a limey too. Seemed kinda strange."

Rudy's eyes narrowed and he lifted his hand off the money. He heard the scrape of the coins as Cockroach scooped them into his hands. "Thanks, Roach. I owe ya one." He got up from the table and sauntered over to stand behind the players for a moment. Then he reached up to tap the stranger on the shoulder. "You lookin' for me?" he asked in a menacing tone.

The man turned slowly and gave Rudy the once over. "Only if you're Rudy Stanton," he answered in a broad Cockney accent.

"Looks like you found me," Rudy informed him in the same tone but the man never flinched. He turned to his competitor and handed over his darts.

"I guess you win, Mate," he said casually and looked back at Rudy. "Is there someplace we can talk?" he asked.

Rudy studied the man for a minute. "What about?" he finally asked.

The stranger smiled. "A party of mutual interest. I think we're both lookin' for the same bird."

Rudy debated a moment then nodded. "Over here." He led the way to a table far back from bar. There was no one else within earshot. When they sat down and both had a mug of beer, Rudy began his questions. "Who are you anyway?" he asked

"Name's Todd, Johnny Todd."

"Never heard a ya."

"Course not, Mate. I try very hard to be sure people don't hear of me. Wouldn't go over well in the business I'm in."

"And what's that?" Rudy asked. He tried to remain threatening but he was curious as well.

Todd appeared to consider his words. "Let's just say I work for a highly-placed official in the British Embassy."

"What's that gotta do with me?"

"My boss is very interested in a certain lady who used to work for you. I hear you're lookin' for her too. Maybe we can work together."

Rudy's face darkened. "What're ya talkin' about? What lady?"

"Name's Katy. My boss kept company with her a long time ago back home. He lost track of her when she came to America. Now he's here and he'd like to find her again. I heard you were lookin' for her too. I could make it worth your while to help me find her."

Rudy leaned back in his chair and took a drink of his beer. His mind was racing furiously. If this joker was telling the truth it could be very profitable. Of course, he would miss his chance for revenge by not killing her outright but maybe selling her back into the business would be revenge enough. She'd always thought she was better than everybody else. Maybe this would be a way to get back and turn a buck as well.

"How much we talkin' 'bout?" he finally asked.

Todd smiled. "I'm authorized to offer a hundred thousand. Of course, I'd have to see the lady first; make sure she's not damaged. My boss don't want no damaged goods."

Rudy's head whirled. A hundred thousand! That would sure do to get him started again. "Okay," he agreed. "You got a deal."

"Wonderful, Mate. How long before we find the girl?"

Now it was Rudy's turn to smile. "I already know where she is."

Todd seemed taken aback by that and for a moment appeared to be thinking of something to say. Then he was all smiles again. "Good work, Old Man. That's what I like, fast service. When do we get her?"

"Right now," Rudy said as he finished his beer. "Course, I gotta see some money. Good faith, ya understand?"

Todd nodded emphatically. "Certainly do, certainly do. If you'd just come with me out to my car."

They walked out the back together and emerged in a dimly lit alley. Todd led the way to a small, non-descript sedan. He lifted the trunk and shone the flashlight he'd produced from somewhere upon a leather briefcase. Before he opened it up, he paused and shone the light in Rudy's face.

"This is a token, Mate," he explained. His voice was calm and even but there was a subtle hint of something underneath.

Rudy felt a chill coarse down his spine for some reason. This guy might be more dangerous than he looked. Todd opened the case and turned the light back on it. Rudy could clearly see a lot of money there.

"Ten thousand to show 'good faith'. The rest upon delivery."

Rudy stood and stared at the money. Even ten thousand would be a good start. He entertained thoughts of killing this limey here and now and just taking the money. No, too many people had seen them leave together. Besides, he still wanted to get back at Katy. If he killed this guy now, he'd have to leave town.

"What's it gonna be, Mate?" Todd asked. "Do we go get the lady?"

Rudy nodded. "Okay. You got a deal." He gestured to the car. "I ain't got any wheels."

"I'll drive then. Shall we go?"

Todd slammed the trunk closed and they got into the car. A few moments later they were on their way. Rudy couldn't help smiling to himself as he gave his companion directions. This was working out better than he'd dreamed.

McCall studied the dirty, peeling paint on the walls of the hallway as he and Mickey stood waiting for someone to answer the door. It was too close in here. The trash unit was overflowing; spilling garbage all over the floor. There was the distinct smell of urine and other odors not so easily identifiable. On the whole it was an unpleasant place to be; let alone to have to live. He glanced over at Mickey. The younger man didn't hide his distaste. They'd both been in a lot of hell holes like this. McCall knew it never got easy to take.

He wondered about Cait's friend and about Cait herself. Had she lived here all those years ago? Even though he'd known what Caitlin was when he met her, he had never really been able to picture her in that profession. There had been a spark, something in her eyes that told of better things.

McCall pounded again. This was the right place. His source was very reliable. Of course, a hooker should be out working this time of night, but they'd been told no one had seen Carly recently. She hadn't worked the street in two days. Not since she called Cait, he thought grimly.

Still no one answered. McCall reached down to try the door. It was open. He immediately flattened up against the wall, pulling his gun and holding it ready. On the other side, Mickey did the same. No one in New York left their apartments unlocked on purpose.

He reached out, pushed the door open cautiously and waited. When nothing happened Mickey went in; gun poised, ready for anything. McCall entered and closed the door behind him.

The room was a disaster. Everything was destroyed. This was how Mickey had described the scene at Cait's house. Stanton must have beaten them here. McCall wondered where the hell Steele was. He was supposed to have been keeping an eye on the man.

"McCall!" Mickey called urgently from the bedroom.

McCall rushed in and saw his friend beside someone on the floor. It must be Carly. He came over and knelt down next to Mickey.

"Is she alive?" he asked.

Mickey nodded. "Just barely. He really did a number on her."

The woman had been beaten severely. Her face was swollen and bleeding; one of her arms bent at an odd angle. Her clothes were torn and bloody as well.

"I'll call an ambulance," McCall stated and moved over to the telephone. When he picked it up however, he couldn't get a dial tone. He reached down and found the wire dangling. It had been yanked from the wall. "Damn!" he swore angrily.

Mickey looked up as McCall tossed the instrument onto the bed.

"I'm going to have to wake someone up," he stated. "You stay with her."

Without any hesitation he picked the next apartment and pounded insistently on the door. When no one answered, he stepped back and launched a kick. The old lock gave easily.

McCall strode in, looking around to locate the phone. Several frightened people huddled together in the bedroom doorway. One of them was asking questions in a foreign tongue. McCall put his gun away to try to calm them down. "A telephone," he told them. "I only need a telephone to call an ambulance."

The man who had been talking pointed silently toward the kitchen. McCall nodded thanks and hurried over to dial 911. After making sure help was on its way, he headed to Carly's. Before he left he laid a fifty dollar bill on the table.

"For the damage," he explained with an apologetic smile.

He hurried back to Mickey and found his friend holding the woman's head in his lap. She appeared to be conscious. McCall came over and knelt back down beside her.

"This is McCall," Mickey informed her. "He's the one I told you about; the one Cait called."

Carly looked up at McCall and smiled weakly. "She was always after me to find you...said you could help me get out." The woman coughed and blood started trickling out of her nose. "I shoulda listened to her." She reached out and took McCall's hand. "You gonna help Katy?"

McCall nodded. "Yes, if we can. But you have to tell us where she is."

"Okay." She paused to swallow and had difficulty doing it. "You know the old hotel on 26th and Kramer?"

"Yes, I think so. The condemned one?"

"She's in the basement. You gotta hurry. Rudy already knows." Another fit of coughing racked her body and there was more blood coming from her mouth.

McCall felt a surge of fear. "How long ago was he here?"

Carly shook her head slightly. "I dunno. Maybe an hour."

McCall looked over at Mickey. "You stay with her. I've got to get to Cait."

Mickey looked like he wanted to protest but he knew they couldn't leave Carly alone. He nodded to McCall. "Be careful," he cautioned.

"Don't worry, Mickey. I'm not that old."

McCall raced out and down the three flights of stairs. He was soon speeding off into the night. He hoped he would be in time.

Remington Steele sat behind the wheel of the rented car and waited. He had to fight not to appear as tense as he felt. They were parked on a dark street in what appeared to be a deserted part of town. There were several old buildings that looked slated for demolition. Apparently Caitlin was hiding in one of them. Beside him, Rudy had been studying the area.

"Okay, I know which one she's in," Stanton announced finally. You want me to bring her out or you wanna come in with me?"

"Of course I'll come with you. Have to make sure it's the right package." Steele grinned to keep up his cover.

The two men got out of the car and walked silently up to the old hotel. It looked ready to crumble on its own, without any help from a wrecking crew. Steele pushed the picture of Cait spending time here out of his mind. He had to be on his toes. One wrong move could cost his sister her life. There hadn't been time to notify McCall what was going down. Things were happening too fast.

"She's in a room in the basement," Rudy informed him in a harsh whisper. He started down a long flight.

Steele followed carefully. His nervous fingers played over the gun in his jacket pocket. He had stashed it by the side of the driver's seat and he'd managed to slip it into his coat when he'd gotten into the car. He knew he was competent enough to hit what he aimed at but he still wasn't comfortable with the thing. Besides, target practice was different than an actual firefight. He wished he'd been able to contact McCall. It would help to know he had backup.

His biggest worry was Cait. How would she react to seeing him? Would she give him away? Would she have enough wits about her to play along? If it had been Laura hiding down here he would have no worries. She was an expert at reading a situation immediately. Caitlin wasn't a trained investigator. She didn't have Laura's, or even his for that matter, years of experience. He hoped she would at least be confused enough not to say anything. Maybe he could catch her eye; try to signal her someway.

They'd reached level ground again. He took a deep breath to steady himself and tightened the grip on his weapon.

"She's a fighter from what I remember," Stanton whispered. "I may have to rough her up a bit."

"Not too much," Steele objected. "My boss wants her in prime condition."

"We'll just see," came the reply.

Rudy suddenly went into action. He lashed a savage kick at the old door and it gave way with a splintering of wood. Steele heard a feminine scream -- Caitlin! Then Rudy began to laugh. "Surprise, surprise, Katy, darling," Rudy exclaimed gleefully. "Thought you could hide from me, eh?"

Steele walked in at that moment. His mind registered his surroundings; the stone floor, the tiny cot and small kitchen. What held his attention though was his sister.

Caitlin was cowering in a corner, a look of abject terror on her usually beautiful face. Rudy stood over her, casting a long, ominous shadow from the one bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

As Steele came in he saw Rudy grab hold of Cait's long, black hair and pull her towards him. Steele nearly pulled his gun but saw the dull gleam of metal in Stanton's hand. He'd drawn his own weapon and was holding it to Cait's head.

"I should just blow your squealin' head off right now," Rudy told her viciously. "After all the trouble you caused me."

"Rudy...I..." Cait stammered.

"Save it!" he ordered harshly. "Nothin' you can say will help. I always pay back people I owe. Just ask your little friend, Carly. I paid her back pretty good."

0 "What did you do to Carly?" Cait managed to ask in a frightened voice.

Rudy smiled malevolently. "Let's just say she won't be making any calls from now on."

Steele saw Cait's eyes squeeze shut. He'd had about all he was able to take. He wished the bastard would move away from Cait. Steele would gladly blow the man's own head off. As it was, he had to settle for stepping in as Johnny Todd.

"Here now, Mate. This is the one. Should we finish our business?"

For the first time since he'd come into the room, Cait noticed his presence. She opened her eyes and looked at him blankly for a moment. Steele saw recognition dawn in her eyes, followed by a look of absolute confusion. He shook his head ever so slightly, hoping she would pick up the clue not to give him away.

Rudy had turned to face Steele, his grip on Cait's hair still strong. He had a look of indecision on his face and Steele's heart sank with dismay. The man's desire for death and revenge appeared to have won out over his greed.

"Is there a problem?" Steele asked as he edged closer to the pair. "I thought we made a deal."

"I don't need your deal, Limey," Rudy spat out. "I rotted in the slammer for twelve years because of this bitch. She's gotta pay and not by being some rich guy's play thing. She's gonna die."

"But a hundred thousand. Think of all that money."

Steele was moving closer. Rudy was too wrapped up in his own passion to notice. If only he would stay distracted long enough for Steele to grab his arm.

Cait suddenly chose that moment to fight. She went limp in Stanton's grip so he was unbalanced. Then she rammed into him, trying to knock the gun away.

Steele immediately dove for Rudy. Attacked on two fronts, the man went down.

"Run, Cait!" Steele yelled. He had no chance to pull his own weapon as he grappled with Stanton. There was plenty of fight left in the man. He was bigger than Steele and was fired up with rage. It was all Steele could do to keep the man from reaching his gun. When he took a chance to look, Steele saw Cait still standing nearby. She looked like she was in shock as she watched them. "Cait!" Steele screamed again. "Run, damn it. Run!"

She wasn't moving. Desperate, Steele landed a heavy blow to Stanton's jaw then scrambled to his feet. Grabbing his sister, he raced out of the room and into the darkness. Too late, he remembered his own gun. He cursed again as he tried to find his way out.

He could hear Rudy screeching at them. The man would be right on their heels if they used the staircase. Maybe it would be wiser to hide down here, plan a little ambush. Steele felt along a wall until he came to what appeared to be a boiler of some kind. He pushed Cait behind it then got down beside her. They would wait here.

He could hear the banging of Rudy's steps as he ran upstairs. Soon he would return. The man wasn't stupid. He would know they hadn't gone that way or he would have seen them. His heart was racing and his breath was coming too fast. He had to calm himself down; get in control. He made an effort to slow his breathing.

Beside him he could hear Cait's ragged sobbing. She'd been through hell and it wasn't over yet. He put his arm around her; pulling her close. She was trembling with fright but got her crying under control.

"I'm sorry, Rem," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Hush now, Love," he soothed. "It's going to be all right. Our friend up there will probably be back so be very quiet."

She didn't say anything after that. They merely sat together in cold silence and waited for Stanton to return. Steele would be ready this time. His free hand held his gun tightly. His breathing had steadied but he could feel sweat gathering on his back and forehead.

The sound of footsteps returned; slower now as Rudy became more cautious. He was coming back. Steele moved to a crouch, leaning against the old metal for cover. Suddenly a light flashed around the room. Rudy must have gotten the car flashlight. It moved methodically from one end of the room to the other; pausing now and then to double check.

Steele felt Cait grab hold of his hand and he gave it a tight squeeze. He peered around the boiler trying to get a bead on the

source of the light. If he aimed at the torch he might hit the mark. He raised his gun, ready to fire.

McCall got carefully out of his Jaguar. He'd noticed the car they'd rented for Steele parked at the curb down the street. That gave him some degree of hope for Caitlin. Maybe it wouldn't be too late after all.

The old hotel loomed up against the night sky. It should have been torn down twenty years ago but in a city beleaguered by debt, many of these urban renewal projects had gotten lost in the shuffle.

McCall studied the building intently, looking for any sign of life. Carly had said the basement. He made his way quietly into the huge lobby and listened. There was only deathly silence.

Walking over to the staircase, he stopped and listened again. Was that the slight sound of movement down there? He descended a few steps and peered over the railing. Yes, he could see it; the flicker of someone using a flashlight. Logic told him the person was probably searching for something, or someone. More than likely it was Stanton doing the looking.

McCall pulled out his gun and carefully made his way further down. He needed surprise on his side. Hopefully Rudy would be so occupied with his prey he wouldn't be guarding his rear. As he neared the bottom, the little bit of light illuminated the staircase dimly, making it easier for McCall to see. His eyes fell upon a large metal box on the wall and he smiled knowingly. It had to be the main light circuits.

He held his weapon ready and with his other hand tested each switch one by one. He was about half way through them when he hit the jackpot. The entire basement was suddenly flooded with a brilliant light. McCall sprang into action.

"Stanton!" he called out loudly.

The man turned and started shooting. McCall dove down behind the meager shelter of the railings and returned fire. Suddenly McCall felt a bolt of pain slam through his right shoulder, knocking him backwards and sending the gun flying from his hand. He heard Rudy laugh loudly and saw him rise up from his cover of boxes. The man started walking towards the stairs, his pistol leveled at McCall's head.

McCall tried to reach for his own gun but his fingers were numb. He looked up into Stanton's eyes and saw nothing there but hatred and death. This was how it was going to end then. Robert McCall held his head up to meet death with dignity when he heard someone shout his name.

"McCall, down!"

Instinct sent McCall to the floor as the single shot echoed in the room. Then there was silence; the only sound left was the ringing in his ears. He lifted his head to see Rudy Stanton dead at the bottom of the stairs. Looking up to where the shot had come from, he saw two figures standing behind an ancient boiler. It was Steele and Caitlin. Steele had one arm around his sister. In his other hand he held the still-smoking gun.

McCall breathed a sigh of relief. Steele hadn't disappointed him. The man was worthy of trust. As the two made their way toward him, McCall managed to get to his feet. He didn't want his reunion with Cait to be made over Stanton's dead body so, clutching a hand to his shoulder, he made the effort to meet them half way.

A bright smile lit Caitlin's face and she left Steele's side to fling her arms around McCall's neck. He winced at the pressure shoulder but gritted his teeth and endured the embrace. When she pulled back there were tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know how to thank you, Robert," she said. She glared back at Steele. "Both of you."

"It's over now, my dear," McCall assured her. "He won't bother anyone anymore. Come now, we'll take you to your family." He turned to Steele. "I'd be interested in a report," he said half-joking.

Steele raised his eyebrows. "I thought you might." He pointed to McCall's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

McCall grimaced slightly. "It's not that bad. Let's get out of here."

They started back, gingerly picking their way over Stanton's body, when they suddenly heard a shout from above.

"McCall!"

McCall smiled. "Down here, Mickey," he called. "It's all right."

Mickey thundered down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to stare at them in amazement. His eyes flicked past Stanton's dead body and rested on Cait then a huge smile lit his usually passive face.

"Hi, Cait," he greeted warmly. "Long time, no see."

Cait gave Mickey a watery but warm smile and moved over to embrace him as well. Looking over her shoulder, Mickey glanced at McCall.

"You okay?"

McCall nodded but suddenly had to lean against the wall for support. At once, Steele was there bracing him up.

"You've lost some blood there, Mate," he observed.

"I'll be fine," McCall protested weakly.

Mickey came over and took charge. "You go with Cait. I'll take care of him."

"Right," Steele agreed and relinquished his hold on McCall.

Mickey took McCall's good arm.

"See here you two," McCall objected. "I've been shot before. I don't need any nursemaids."

"Of course not," Mickey agreed calmly as he motioned for Steele and Cait to proceed them up.

Steele put an arm around Cait and escorted her up. Mickey then began helping McCall make the climb.

"Someone should stay here for the authorities," McCall pointed out. "You wait here. I can take care of myself."

"How're you gonna do that?" Mickey pointed to McCall's arm. Blood had now soaked through his coat.

McCall glanced down at the wound as if really seeing it for the first time. He was finally realizing he was in pain and the room was starting to spin ever so slightly.

"Maybe you're right," he finally agreed. "I think you should drive."

"Control's right," Mickey observed as they slowly made their way up. "Maybe you should retire."

McCall stopped and gave the younger man a hard look then realized his friend was only teasing. He smiled drily. "By the way, Kostmayer. What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait with Carly for the ambulance."

Mickey's face grew solemn. "She didn't need it anymore."

Neither man spoke after that. They merely trudged wearily up the long climb.

Caitlin sat quietly in the front seat of the rental car. She felt quite safe now; snuggled up against Remington, his comforting arm around her shoulder. Mickey had taken McCall to the emergency room then left to deal with the authorities. Soon she would be back with Andy, back with her children. Her life could go back to normal.

McCall had told her about Carly. Cait's eyes threatened to fill with tears again when she thought about her friend. She'd given her life. If it hadn't been for Carly, Cait was certain she would be dead now. She wished there was someway she could have helped her friend in return. As she sat deep in thought, it suddenly occurred to her that her brother shouldn't be here with her. She'd called McCall, no one else. He wouldn't have called Remington. Somebody else must have. And if Remington was here rescuing her from the clutches of her old pimp that meant... She sat up abruptly and pulled away.

"Cait?" Steele asked in concern. "Is something wrong?"

She didn't say anything. What could she say? She had never wanted him to find out about her past but now he must know everything.

"Cait?" He asked again.

"I'm sorry, Rem."

"Sorry about what?" he asked in confusion.

"About me. About what I am."

"You mean, what you were," he corrected kindly. "Cait, we've all done things to survive that we aren't proud of; me more than anyone. I only wish you felt you could have told me before."

Cait shrugged helplessly. "It's not something you go around advertising. It took so long to make a new start. I just wanted to forget it. I mean, I told Andy, but nobody else." She paused and considered what she just said. "That's funny." She laughed a little. "I never had a problem telling Andy but I never could tell you. I wonder why?"

Now Steele laughed. "That's easy. I'm only your brother. He's your husband."

Cait settled back down against Remington and sighed.

"Do you forgive me?"

"For what?"

"For all this mess."

Steele held her tighter. "There's nothing to forgive, Love."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. The drive seemed incredibly long to Cait. As she gradually recovered from the shock of the shootout realization finally set in that the trouble was over. She was impatient to see her family...to see Andy.

When they at last parked in front of a modest house, Cait nearly jumped out of the car before they were completely stopped.

"Easy there, Cait," Steele warned good-naturedly. "Don't want to get yourself injured at this point in the game."

"I'm fine. Just hurry," she urged him.

Together they walked up the steps and entered the darkened living room.

There wasn't any stirring from the occupants. Cait and Remington very quietly closed the door and walked inside.

"They're probably sleeping," Steele reasoned. "It's got to be three or four in the morning."

Cait nodded and tiptoed softly toward the bedrooms. She peered into the first one and saw four small beds, covers askew. All of them were empty. She smiled at that. She knew where they would be.

The second room revealed one double bed. In it lay Andy, completely surrounded by four clinging little bodies. They were all sound asleep. She stood there and watched them; their breathing, their every move. Tears started spilling down her face before she even realized she was crying.

She felt Remington come up behind her.

"You going to be all right?" he whispered.

She nodded. "I will be now." She stepped back and closed the door so as not to awaken her family. "I'm going to take a shower then get some sleep myself. I haven't had much of that lately."

Steele gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Are you staying here?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I have a hotel room. Besides, you all need to be alone for a while. I'll stop by before I go back to L.A."

Caitlin nodded gratefully then threw her arms around his neck. "I'll never know how to say thank you enough."

Remington smiled and touched her cheek tenderly.

"Sweet dreams tonight, little sister," was his parting remark.

Caitlin locked up after him then headed for the bathroom. Nothing had ever felt better in her life. She patted her stomach gently. "Tomorrow you get to meet your daddy," she told the baby. "I'm sure glad nothing happened to you."

After her shower she slipped into one of Andy's shirts and crawled into one of the twin beds. She would see her family in the morning. For tonight they all needed their rest.

Caitlin awoke to the sun streaming in on her face and to the sound of children. She sat up with a start then smiled. What a pleasantly normal sound. Somebody, one of the twins most likely, didn't want a bath. The television was on and there was the smell of breakfast in the air.

Cait hugged herself. It was almost too much to believe that she was back with her family. None of them probably even knew she was here yet. She giggled to herself and crawled out of the little bed and threw on a robe. This was going to be fun.

As she opened the door she saw Danny laying in front of the television, still in his pajamas, munching on a piece of toast. Trina was sitting at the table picking at her food. She was the slowest eater Caitlin had ever seen. The twins were nowhere in sight. Judging from the sounds coming from the bathroom, Andy was trying to bathe them both.

Cait slipped out of the bedroom and came up behind Trina. It took a moment for her daughter to notice but when she turned and saw her mother her face lit up with joy. Cait grabbed her up in a hug. Trina started to say something but Caitlin held her finger to her lips for secrecy. Cait then padded over to where Danny lay engrossed in a Daffy Duck cartoon. Trina followed her closely. Cait knelt down beside her son and reached a hand over to tickle his ribs.

"Hey," Danny started to object but saw his mother and threw himself into her arms. Trina joined them excitedly.

Cait sat and held her first two children for a moment then whispered in their ears. "Let's go surprise Daddy."

They both giggled and followed her down the hall to the bathroom.

The scene that greeted Cait brought renewed tears of happiness to her eyes. There was Andy, soaked to the skin and covered with bubbles from the twins' bath. He was patiently trying to wash Shawna's hair while Shane kept splashing exuberantly in an effort to show them how he could swim.

"Come on, Shaney," Andy pleaded. "You're gonna drown us all."

"No I won't, Daddy," Shane informed him. "You didn't put 'nuff water in an' I can't swim good 'nuff and...Mommy!"

Shane's screech broke through the older childrens' resolve and they both burst into gleeful laughter. Shawna had seen her too and also began screaming her name as she tried to escape from Andy and climb out of the tub.

Andy turned around slowly, as if unwilling to believe she was here. She saw him mouth her name silently but by that time she'd run to him. Not caring about how wet he was, she threw herself into his arms. He'd half risen to his feet and was knocked off balance by her enthusiastic greeting. They both ended up in the tub with the twins, sending all four children into gales of laughter.

Cait could only laugh as well. Never mind the tears running down her cheeks and down Andy's face. They were together again and they were safe. No one from her past could ever harm them again.

No one bothered them that entire day. They spent the time playing with the children and simply being a family. That night, after the kids had gone to bed, Cait sat next to Andy on the sofa. He held her close as they both watched the fire. It was a quiet time. They had both feared they would never have this kind of moment again and neither of them wanted to break the spell.

Cait managed to move her gaze to Andy's face. She studied him with loving scrutiny.

He needed a haircut. She would have to be sure and give him a trim tomorrow. She smiled to herself at her husband's idiosyncracy. There were very few people he let cut his hair. She reached up to brush a long strand of blond hair out of his eyes then chuckled to herself as she remembered how nervous he'd been the first time he let her near him with the scissors.

Andy turned to regard her quizzically.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a smile.

Cait shook her head and returned his smile. "Nothing. Everything. I'm just glad to be back with you. That's all."

Andy pulled her closer. "I'm awful glad you're here too."

Cait's smile dimmed as the memory of the past few days flashed through her mind. She shivered and buried her face in Andy's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

Cait lifted her head. She knew she was on the verge of tears again and that Andy could probably tell.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I was just thinking about how close I came to never feeling your arms around me again...how much worry I caused everyone...how scared I was...and..."

"And what?" Andy prompted when she paused.

Cait let her eyes return to the fire. "And now Remington knows what I was." She shook her head regretfully. "I never wanted him to find out...at least not this way."

Andy sat up straight and took both her hands in his. "Listen to me, Sweetheart."

Cait turned back.

"Cait...Remington's always known."

Cait raised her eyebrows in surprise and started to protest but Andy put a finger to her lips.

"Wait. Hear me out. He heard you tell Murphy all those years ago. It was an accident. He didn't mean to eavesdrop. But he figured since you didn't want to tell him, he'd keep quiet. Don't you see? It's never mattered to him just like it's never mattered to me. Now you have to let it not matter to Caitlin."

Cait was silent as she pondered this revelation. Then another thought occurred to her.

"How'd you know Rem knew?" she asked and she saw Andy blush self-consciously.

"Well..." he began then chuckled himself as he obviously recalled the incident. "You could say we had sort of a 'confrontation' at the ski lodge that Christmas."

"Confrontation?" Cait was intrigued.

"Yeah. Him and Murphy both wanted to make sure I wasn't going to do anything stupid when you told me."

Cait frowned. "Good grief! Was my past the topic of everybody's conversation?"

Andy shook his head and laughed kindly. "Don't get mad. They were just trying to look out for you. Course, at the time I was sorta mad at them myself. But I got over it. And just look at what we've got...four great kids and..."

"Uh, Andy," Cait interrupted. "There's something I need to tell you. I never got a chance before all this happened."

He gave her a curious look. "What's that?"

There was no other way to put it than the simple fact. "We're going to have another baby," she said, watching him for a reaction.

Andy's face was blank for a moment then a smile started; small at first then quickly growing until it spread from ear to ear. He grabbed her into his arms and held her close.

"I guess this means you're happy?" Cait asked.

"Happy?" Andy looked incredulous. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Cait shrugged self-consciously. "Well, with the way money is and...I just wasn't sure how you'd take the news."

Andy frowned at her. "Is that what's had you so upset for the past week?"

Cait nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

Andy embraced her again. "I'm the one who should be sorry. But don't worry. Everything will work out all right. You'll see."

Cait stayed quiet, content to let him hold her. He was right. Things would work out. They would work them out together.

McCall insisted they stay in the house for a while; a week at least. They needed time together, time for all of them to recover. And this way they didn't have to go back and face the ruin of their house, although Cait strongly suspected that was where Remington was headed when he left New York. He never said anything to them about it but Cait knew her brother well enough to know he wouldn't let them return to a disaster like that.

Now it was time to go home; time to get back to their normal routine; the routine of just living day to day. The kids needed it and they needed it too.

As they were getting the children ready for the trip to Cincinnati, there came a knock at the door. Cait opened it to find McCall, his right arm still in a sling from his gunshot wound; a grim reminder of what they had been through.

"Robert, come in," Cait greeted him and kissed his cheek.

He wasn't alone. As he entered the house, he was followed by Scott. Cait was delighted.

"Scott, I thought you were in New Mexico," she told him as she gave him an affectionate peck.

"Well, the funeral was a couple days ago and I needed to get back..."

"Funeral?" Cait asked. She glanced up at McCall.

"I never had a chance to tell you, Honey."

Cait turned as Andy came up behind her.

"Tell me what?"

There was a moment of silence then Scott spoke up.

"Grandpa Jake died," he said simply.

"Oh." Cait was quiet then took Scott's hand. "I'm sorry. I knew he wasn't well but...I'm sorry."

Scott fidgeted uneasily. Cait looked from her husband to McCall. Both men were uncomfortable and she knew why. Neither one had held any great love for Jake Michaels but he was Scott's grandfather. It must have been hard on the young man. She decided they all needed to change the subject. She steered Scott over to the couch and sat him down.

"I've got some coffee made up. Let me get you some," she offered.

"Thanks, Cait," Scott said. "That would be great."

"Andy? Robert?"

"Sure, Honey. Thanks," Andy replied as he moved over to sit next to Scott.

McCall took the easy chair across from them. "None for me, Cait."

She wandered over to the kitchen and left the men to sort this out between them.

"Uh, Andy. I need to talk to you," Scott finally said after a few moments. "You too, Cait," he called so she could here.

Cait came in with the coffee and sat down next to Andy.

"What's on your mind, Scotty?" Andy asked.

Scott hesitated a few moments as if searching for the right words.

"I know you and Grandpa didn't exactly get along," he began.

"That's a polite way to put it," Andy said softly.

Cait squeezed his hand as a warning to be tactful around Scott. Andy gave her a small, apologetic smile.

"That doesn't really matter now," Scott continued. "I didn't even see him much the last few years. It's been hard to find time to get to the ranch."

"I know how that goes," Andy sympathized.

"Well, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. You see Grandpa left the ranch to me and Nicky...you know, in his will."

Andy nodded. "So?"

"So," Scott drew in a deep breath then plunged ahead. "We don't really want it. I mean...we don't have time to run it right. Nick's never forgiven Grandpa for the things he said to his mom and besides, he's got so much money on her side of the family he doesn't need the ranch."

"What about you?" Andy asked.

Scott shrugged. "What's a violinist supposed to do in New Mexico? I'm just getting it together here with the Philharmonic. I can't spend any time away right now. But we don't want to sell the place either."

Andy sat back in silence waiting for his cousin to finish. Cait could already see

where this was leading and she was fairly bouncing with excitement. She caught McCall's eye and he was smiling at her in amusement.

"We sort of thought..." Scott continued. "Maybe if you wanted to, you could have it."

"Have it?" Andy repeated. "You mean me have Uncle Jake's ranch?"

"Sure," Scott answered. "Why not? Grandma doesn't want to stay without Grandpa."

Andy got to his feet and walked around the sofa. When he turned it was to lean his hands against the back and address his younger cousin seriously.

"It's like you said, Scott. Your grandpa and I never liked each other. I can't just take over his ranch. That was his whole life."

"Well, if you don't want to keep it, maybe you could just run it for us. That would be fine with me and Nick."

Andy stood there wavering in uncertainty. Cait knew he could be stubborn and proud but she didn't want him to let that stand in the way. This was an answer to all their problems. She stood up and came over to take her husband's arm.

"Just think about it, Honey. No more fights with Old Lady Carlson. Just you and me and the kids and all that mountain air."

Andy looked at her and smiled. "You want it, don't you?"

Cait grinned. "You bet I do."

Andy gave her a quick kiss then turned to Scott. "Looks like you've got yourself a manager."

"All right!" Scott cheered. "I'll go call Nick." He raced over to the telephone.

"Hey, McCall," Andy inquired. "With Jake gone, maybe you can come to the reunions again."

McCall smiled. "I just might do that."

Andy turned back to Cait. "You know, Mrs. Travis. This means you'll have to be in charge of those reunions."

Cait's smile never dimmed. She'd grown up without a family. This was going to be the biggest joy of her life. "I can't wait."