Brian was under the blue station wagon looking for what the owner claimed to be a leak of some kind. The mechanic couldn't find anything wrong.  Wriggling out from under the car, Brian sat up, wiping his sweaty forehead and dirty hands with a rag. "Well, everything looks okay." Don Gleason smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Now for my next problem." "Sir?" Brian looked up from where he sat on the ground. "Marcus feels like you might interfere in some plans he has laid out." An uneasy feeling came over Brian. He sensed something was off. He got to his feet, asking, "Why would I do that?" "Let's just say he needs a volunteer to disappear as though they stole a vehicle and you're the prime candidate." The mechanic screwed up his face in puzzlement. "Huh?" Don was staring over Brian's shoulder. "It's only till John Gage decides to stay." "Decides to stay? He's not gonna stay. I talked to him earlier. He's happy where he lives." How many people know about him? And why? "He'll stay." Seeing that the man was still looking past him, Brian turned his head to look at what Don was staring at. There was Thomas walking towards him. He hadn't heard Thomas pull up. "Tom?" "Relax, Brian. No one's going to hurt you," Thomas assured as he approached. "But it's too dangerous having you around right now." "Dangerous?"  Brian scoffed. "What are you talking about? I'm a mechanic." "You can't be trusted to keep quiet around John," Don explained. Brian looked at the two men. He swallowed hard, fear rising up in him. "What are you going to do?" Thomas gave a fatherly smile. "Don't worry Brian, we'll take good care of you." With that, he felt the poke of a needle in his arm. Brian found himself feeling woozy as he was led over to the station wagon and put in the back seat. Thomas slid in beside him. Before they had gotten very far down the road, Brian slumped to the side, unconscious. ____________________ Up in Danielle's bedroom, Johnny sat back on a chair near the bed and looked at the woman in front of him. He gave her a crooked grin as he thought about how much things had changed between them in such a short time. "You seem to be doing better, but you've got one heck of a bruise going there." "Well, between you and Maggie, I've gotten the best care a girl could ask for. I told you she's like a mother, didn't I?" "Yeah. And it's nice to know you'll be in good hands when I go back to LA." The woman tried to hide the alarm she felt. "You're not leaving all ready are you?" "Hmm mmm," Johnny shook his head. "You aren't getting rid of me that easy. I just mean when the time comes. When I have to get back to work." "I see…" she looked down at her lap. "Hey, don't look so sad!" Johnny said, lifting Danielle's chin up with his fingers. "We have a few days." "Right."  Her expression suddenly brightened. "You're absolutely right."  Johnny couldn't get over how quickly she cheered up. Counting it as a blessing, he shrugged it off. Getting on to a new subject, he looked towards the bedroom door. "That picture in the other room down the hall…is that your dad?" "Uh…no…just a friend." "A big picture like that, I figured he had to be a relative." Danielle shook her head. "He's a close friend, though. Did Maggie show it to you?" Johnny blushed, "I uh...I kind of peeked around. This morning." "It's okay," Danielle smiled at the paramedic while thinking, Just remember, curiosity killed the cat. ____________________ Marcus pulled off to the side of the road near a steep embankment. The car following him stopped behind the Land Rover. Getting out of the vehicles the two men stood on the side of the road. "You think this is far enough away, Marcus?" "It's about forty miles. Should keep them from looking around where we live. No one would expect a healthy man to walk very far, let alone an injured one." The other man looked over the edge of the road. "Sure is a long drop to the bottom." "Precisely," Marcus answered. "It'll be hard to find in the first place." He looked up and down the empty winding road in front of them. "Well, let's do it." Starting the engine, the man with Marcus drove the Land Rover back onto the pavement. He turned it around after going a short distance and stepped hard on the gas. As he came up on a curve, he let the truck go straight and he jumped out, rolling across the pavement. Marcus watched with a gleam in his eyes as the vehicle sailed over the side and slammed into the embankment. It flipped end over end, then rolled, and disappeared in the deep brush at the bottom. The man limped over to his car. "You okay?" Marcus asked. "Yeah. I just sprained my ankle in the jump." "You did good, Trevor."  The two men got in the car, Marcus behind the steering wheel, and headed back towards town. ____________________ Johnny could hear Thomas downstairs in the living room talking to Maggie. Excusing himself from Danielle, Johnny went to have a word with the man.  "John! Well, I hear you're taking good care of our girl," Thomas remarked, cluing Maggie in to the fact that the paramedic was right behind her. Maggie turned around and smiled. "Yes, he certainly is. Remind me if I ever get hurt to call on our friend here." Johnny grinned slightly. "Hey, I haven't done much." He looked over at Thomas. "Is there any way you could give me a lift to Brian's shop? I wanta see if he got the Rover fixed yet." "Sure…what time is it though?" Johnny looked at his watch, while Thomas glanced at the clock above the television. "Oh I'm afraid we're too late for today," Thomas replied, sounding disappointed. "We'll have to do it tomorrow." "It's only four-thirty. What time does he close?" "Four O'clock. Unless he has a customer waiting." Johnny sighed. "I guess I wasn't leaving yet, anyway, so it doesn't really matter." Danielle came down the steps, carefully holding on to the rail. Maggie winked at the woman, as they both knew the Willards couldn't stay the whole evening, and someone would need to keep an eye on Johnny to prevent him from using the phone and to make sure he stayed busy. Johnny was over to Danielle's side as she came down the last few steps. "You should've said something. I would've helped you down the stairs." "I'm okay. Really." "Being that you two are doing so well, we best be leaving for the evening. But call if you need anything at all," Maggie said, looking directly at Danielle. "And I do mean anything."  "Yes, ma'am." Johnny put his arm around Danielle's shoulders. "We'll be fine." Maggie and Thomas left as the young couple sat on the couch for another quiet evening. Shutting the door behind them, Maggie pulled Thomas close. "What are we going to do when he finds out his truck is gone?" "Tell him we already called the police. Marcus is sending someone over early to discover Brian's gone…we can make John believe the report has been filed…Trevor's a former cop, remember? He can dummy up one of his old forms." "But, he's going to want to borrow a car or call his friends, I'm sure." "Don't worry, Maggie, my dear. Tomorrow John Gage cooperates or he gets a rude awakening. No one new to the town leaves once they come in that gate. No one." ____________________ The early morning sun shining in the bedroom window woke Johnny. Getting out of bed and changing into his jeans, he quietly walked into the hallway and peeked in the room across from his. He could see Danielle was still sound asleep. Although they had only watched television together the night before, things had gone rather well. Danielle's trust in him had apparently grown and the two were becoming closer. Johnny grinned as he closed her bedroom door. He may not be the best at cooking, but he did know the basics, after all. It was his turn to surprise someone. _____________________ Danielle giggled when she found Johnny in her kitchen making pancakes. He hadn't made too much of a mess, but the powder from the mix that had gotten on his jeans and chin made him look like a typical bachelor trying to be a chef. She handed him a paper towel, pointing to her chin. "You're wearing some of the breakfast." "Thanks," Johnny said, wiping the towel across his chin. "I'm better with hamburgers and hot dogs." "This is nice. Really!" "How do you feel?" "Much better. No more headaches, no dizziness. Not tired." She walked over and sat at the already set table. "You are really something, you know that?" Johnny put a small stack of pancakes on a plate and set it in front of her. "Now that can go both ways. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" "Good," Danielle assured, watching him as he turned around to get his own pancakes. "People like you are what we need more of around here."  She waited for his response. Carrying his own plate to the table, Johnny sat across from her. "If you're hinting for me to live up here, it's nice. But it's too far from work. I'd have to leave an hour and a half early just to get to the station on time. That's probably if I broke a few speed limits. I'd never make it." "Who said anything about the station?" Johnny gave Danielle a curious look and took a bite of his pancakes. Surely she was kidding around. ___________________ Thomas let himself in the back door of Danielle's house out of habit. He could tell he caught Johnny off guard when the man spun around in alarm from where he was at the sink. "Got you doing the dishes, does she?" Thomas teased. "Make a mess, clean up a mess," Johnny shrugged. "I'm used to dishes. I seem to get the duty all too often at the station. But I'm not used to someone just popping in the door like that. Sorry." "Hey, it's okay. We know it's not common practice in the city," Thomas assured. "Just another reason we stay up here. You ready to go get your vehicle?" "Yeah…sure. Let me tell Danielle I'm going and put on my shirt." "How is she doing?" "Much better. But I still wish she'd gone to a doctor. You know, I'm not qualified to do anymore than a doctor tells me. As a paramedic, I'm just his eyes at the scene in the field." "You did fine, son. Now go tell her so we can get a move on." ____________________ There were a few men outside Brian's shop when Thomas and Johnny arrived there. Getting out of the car, the two men walked over to the group. "What's up?" Thomas asked, taking in the concerned faces. "It's Brian," one man answered. "Looks like he skipped town. Emptied out all his money he had in his safe and left." Johnny just stood silent, listening to the men. "His tow truck's still here," Thomas pointed out. "Why would he leave without it? How could he have?" At the mention of the truck still being there, Johnny looked around for his Land Rover. A sudden uneasiness washed over him as he realized it wasn't anywhere to be seen. "He took that car he fixed. The white one. Bill saw him goin' out the gate in the middle of the night…didn't realize he stole it till early this mornin'." "Stole…? He stole my Land Rover? Why?" Johnny shifted on his feet. "He didn't strike me as a car thief." "Me either," Thomas added. "But he was fairly new to the town. Who knows what the man was capable of. Maybe he was just waiting for the right vehicle to come along." "This is just great," Johnny sighed, frustrated. "Well, we need to call the police." "Already been done," Trevor said, holding out a carbon copy of a report. He let Johnny take it from his hands. "They'll be looking for it and Brian till they find one or both of them." Johnny nodded, glancing over the report. Everything looked to be official. But still…shouldn't the police talk to him as the owner? "Didn't they ask about me? I mean it is…was…my truck." "That may be the way it works where you're from, but here everything in this town belongs to all of us once it comes through that gate." Johnny wasn't sure he understood what the guy meant. Rather than push his luck in asking further, he assumed they meant everyone looked after each other's belongings. "I guess I'll have to drive the tow truck till they find my truck." One of the men shook his head. "Sorry, that won't work. He took parts off if it yesterday. It's missing half the engine it looks like. No tellin' why." "How am I gonna get to LA?" At that question the men dispersed, going to their own respective cars. Johnny's mouth dropped open at the sudden turnabout of concern. He glared at Thomas. "What…when a guy really needs help around here, everyone looks the other way?" "It's not their business. They did their part." "I hate to ask, but could you give me a lift somewhere so I could rent a car?" "Certainly, when the time is right," Thomas said as he turned to walk back towards his car. Johnny stood and watched as the man got in on the driver's side. When the time is right? What the hell does that mean? He trotted over and got in the car. "What do you mean when the time is right?" "There's no cryptic message there, John. When you're ready to leave, I'll take you." "What if I'm ready now?" He raised his eyebrows in question. "Are you?" Johnny chewed his lower lip, thinking about Danielle. He had to admit, he wasn't. "No, but--" "Well, I'd say we've got time then. What's your worry? The police are looking for your truck." Thomas studied Johnny as he started the engine. "This is your vacation. You need to go back to relaxing and enjoying it. You fish at all?" "Yeah." "Good. We'll get my gear and go." When he saw Johnny start to protest, Thomas took one hand off the steering wheel and raised it to silence him. "No arguments. We know what you need." What I need is a beer. Johnny chewed the tip of him thumb as he looked out the window. My Land Rover could be anywhere. He hit his fist on his right leg in frustration. Damn it! _________________ "You know one problem I've got, is I don't have a change of clothes up here," Johnny remarked to Thomas as they sat on some large rocks, watching their fishing lines in the water. "Danielle can help there, I'm sure. Just ask her if you can have something out of her store." "I don't want to take anything. If I have to stay up here a couple more days while they look for my truck, I suppose I could buy something." Johnny thought about his closet of clothes back at his apartment. "You wouldn't want to run into town so I could get some of my own clothes, would you?" He hated to ask…he hated being dependent on these people to get him around, period. There was something about having one's own transportation. Now he understood why Danielle had started out with him like she did. He was beginning to feel trapped without his own wheels. "We'll get you set up," was the answer. Johnny nodded and looked out at the clear water in the lake. He felt the frustration start to build again. In an effort to keep in control, he focused on the beauty of the place around him. _________________ "Here you are," Danielle said as she handed two pairs of jeans to Johnny. They had gone to her store to find Johnny a couple of changes in clothing and a package of underwear. Trying on the jeans, he found some that fit. Danielle had already refused to accept any payment for them. Johnny had been there for her, so she in turn wanted to be there for him. He looked out the big window at Maggie and Thomas sitting in the car outside. "You ever feel smothered here?" Danielle shrugged. "No, not really. Why?" "I…I don't know." Johnny glanced again at the car outside. "I just get the feeling like I can't make a move without someone knowing what I'm doing. Every time I turn around Maggie or Thomas or both are right there. Are they always like that?" "They care about you." She frowned. "I think it's kind of rude of you to look at them that way. Be grateful. They could just leave you on your own, you know." Johnny was taken aback by Danielle's answer. This was the first sign she'd given that she could turn on him. "Look, don't get me wrong. I'm…well, I'm not used to it. Were they this way with you?" Danielle sighed. "It's okay. I'm sorry." She studied his face to see him more at ease, then continued. "Yes, Maggie did a lot for me. She was always there and helped me realize that when it came right down to it, my own family wasn't even around enough for me. Not as much as the people here would be. And my family got angry at me for wanting to live so far away from them, so I haven't spoken to them in months. Maggie told me I should do this for myself. Not worry about them. And Marcus told me how rewarding it is to have real friends in life who are closer than family. Ones I can rely on." "Doesn't your family ever visit you here?" "No." Feeling like she was giving too much information to Johnny, Danielle changed the subject. "Let's get out of here. I'll be spending enough time here tomorrow when I open up again." ___________________ When the Willards dropped them off at Danielle's house, Johnny looked at Danielle's car parked in the driveway. As he watched the older couple pull away, he got an idea. Why didn't I think about it before? Surely Danielle'll help me out. "Hey, can I borrow your car to get to LA?" Danielle looked at Johnny like he had two heads. "Now why would I let you do that?" "What?" Her answer once again caught him totally off-guard. "Let's just go inside." "I'm not going inside. Not till I get an answer." Johnny stood rooted to the ground as he waited for a response from the woman. "Okay," Danielle let her shoulders drop slightly as if in defeat. "Let's go in and talk. It's easier." Feeling like he had finally made progress, Johnny followed behind her, hopeful he would be able to go soon to take care of a few things before coming back. _____________________ "Sit down and I'll get you a drink," Danielle suggested, motioning towards the living room. The two walked over to the couch, and Johnny sat down. "The drink can wait," Johnny said firmly. "Start explaining what you meant." She put her index finger to his lips. "Shhh." Pulling her finger away, she leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips. As she backed off, Danielle looked in his brown eyes. She could see the desire return. "I'll be right back with a drink…beer okay?" Johnny sat stunned by the changes in her behavior. If she wanted him hooked, he had to admit it was working. His hormones and emotions were as confused as his mind was. His mind wandered over the past day and a half.  This whole town is strange. The paramedic looked towards the dining room to see if Danielle was coming back yet. Not seeing her, he fiddled with a stack of coasters to stay occupied. Sure is taking her long enough. Johnny got up and started towards the kitchen. He and Danielle nearly collided in the dining room. "Oh, I'm sorry," Danielle said, startled. "No, it's my fault. I just wondered what was taking so long." Danielle eyed him carefully. "Why? Don't trust me?" When he opened his mouth to reply, she cut him off. "Don't say it. I just decided to put more beer in the fridge. These were the last two cold ones." They walked back into the living room. Sitting down on the couch and taking a swig of beer, Johnny looked up at Danielle. "So explain to me why you won't let me borrow your car." "I will. Let me run upstairs real quick. I'll be right back." Johnny sighed, " 'Kay." ______________________ Waiting for Danielle to come back down, Johnny noticed her keys on the coffee table. Should I grab them and just go?  Maybe that's the only way out of here. Nah…don't be stupid. You're being paranoid. The ringing of the telephone interrupted Johnny's thoughts. "Can you answer that?" Danielle called from upstairs. "Yeah…sure!" Johnny ran into the kitchen to get the phone before the caller hung up. Danielle peeked down from the landing above to see him rush out of the living room. She smiled as everything was going just as she had set up. "Hello?…Yes, this is John." After a brief minute on the telephone Johnny hung up; he was on his way to the bottom of the stairs. "Danielle, we gotta go!" The woman came to the landing at the top of the staircase.  "Why?" "One of your neighbors just called! Maggie had her call me…her little girl is having some sort of an attack!" Without saying anything more, she was down the steps and grabbing her keys. They hurried out the door to the car. Johnny gave Danielle the directions he'd been given. She knew by the location who it was. Three minutes and two turns later, they were at the house. Danielle opened the front door and Johnny followed in behind her. "Up here!" A distraught woman directed them from where she stood leaning on a rail above. This time Johnny led the way and Danielle was behind him. ________________________ Entering a bedroom, Johnny could see the little red-haired girl curled up on the bed, her breaths were coming too rapidly. "What's her name?" Johnny asked as he went over to the girl. "Susy." "Okay, Susy. I'm just gonna take a look at ya, sweetheart," Johnny held her wrist and checked her pulse. "She ever do this before?" The mother shook her head. "Huh uh." "Has asthma?" "No…no, nothing like that." He frowned. "She's getting too much oxygen. Do you have any small paper bags?" The woman nodded. "Good, go get me one. And make it fast." He turned his attention back to the girl as her mother ran out the door. "It's okay, Susy. Try to slow your breathing down some, okay, hon? You're gonna be all right." "What's wrong with her, Johnny?" He glanced up at Danielle. "I think she's just hyperventilating. Look, is there a phone upstairs? Do you know? I could call Rampart and get a doctor on the line." "Uh…I…I don't know." She hadn't thought of him asking about this. "Tina can tell you when she gets up here." The mother came rushing in the door with a small paper sack in her hands. Winded from running up the stairs, she handed it to Johnny. "You have a phone upstairs?" He asked as he placed the bag over Susy's nose and mouth. 'Yeah…in…in my bedroom," Tina answered. "Why? I don't want her going anywhere." "I need to get a hold of a doctor, that's all," Johnny said somewhat angry. He had about had it with their reluctance to get good medical care, especially for a child. "I'm not certified to treat or diagnose anyone on my own. Even less so out of the county." "Well, you'll have to use it in my room. It won't reach this far." "Okay. Hold this on her like it is…just tell her to take slow deep breaths." As Tina replaced him at the little girl's side, Johnny went into the other bedroom to make the call. He could hear it ringing on the other end of the line. Dixie picked up, but as Johnny went to speak, the line went dead. He tried hanging up the phone several times to try to get a dial tone. Not getting any results, Johnny held out the receiver and stared at it. What the…? He slammed the receiver down on the base and dejectedly walked into the other room. Susy was now sitting up by her mother and Danielle came in the door behind Johnny. "What'd he say?" Danielle asked, startling the paramedic. Johnny turned around and stood with his hands on his hips, chewing his lower lip. "He didn't. I got cut off before I could say anything to anybody." "That's odd," she remarked, trying to sound puzzled. "Where were you?" Johnny asked. "In the bathroom." Trying to ignore the nagging feeling he was getting in the back of his mind, Johnny went over to where Susy was sitting on the bed hugging her mother. "You okay, sweetheart?" Johnny looked her over and took her pulse again. "She seems to be okay. But really a doc--" "No! No doctors. Not unless it's one we have here." He put up his hands and stepped back. "I don't know what it is with you people, but you're putting yourselves at risk not seeking medical attention when you need it. The least you could do is let your own kid get the best care possible." "Johnny, please," Danielle interjected. "Don't." "Let's go. Just keep an eye on your daughter, okay?" He asked Tina, his tone softening. "If she has more problems, bring her to me if you have to." Tina nodded and hugged her daughter tighter. Danielle forced a smile. "We can show ourselves out." Johnny was the heading out the door, so he didn't see the two women wink at one another. After the two visitors were gone from the room, Susy gave a questioning look to her mother. "Did I do okay, mommy? Did I act? I was kinda scared." "You did great sweetie," Tina assured. "Uncle Marcus is going to be proud." "Can we play another game to make the prince come save me? I like 'im!" "Maybe a different day, Susy. But you know what?" She pinched her daughter's left cheek. "I think he likes you, too!" The little girl was beaming. ____________________ Dixie hung up the phone after the call disconnected. She stared at it, almost willing it to ring again. Hmm…that was kind of odd…must've been a bad connection. _____________________ Danielle and Johnny headed for the front door. As they passed by another room, Johnny caught something familiar out of the corner of his eye. Peeking in the doorway to a den, he did a double take when he saw the same picture of Danielle's friend in this house as well. She winced when she realized what he was looking at. "Popular guy, huh?" Johnny said sarcastically. "I think it's time I told you everything," Danielle offered. "Really? Ya think so, huh?" They got in the car outside and she pulled away from the curb. "Whatever happens, Johnny, just remember…you brought it on yourself." He stared at the side of her face, as her eyes stayed locked on the road ahead. This time he didn't ask what she meant. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. ____________________ Danielle pulled the car up in the driveway of another house. Johnny looked curiously at her. "Why are we here?" "You want to get home…this is your way there." "Huh?" "You'll see." She opened her car door and stood out on the grass waiting for him. Johnny cautiously got out on the passenger side. A car came down the road and parked behind Danielle's. Johnny recognized it as Maggie and Thomas's. Now what? "What brings you two kids to our house?" Thomas asked. "Johnny has some questions he wants answered," Danielle explained. "Then he wants to go home." "Ah, I see." Thomas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sounds fair. Come on in…Maggie can fix us all a late afternoon snack and we can shoot the breeze, as they say." Despite an uneasy feeling, Johnny figured right now he had no choice but to agree. He followed Maggie and Thomas into the house, Danielle beside him, her arm linked in his. As they entered into the living room, there once again was the large picture of the man hanging on the wall. "What…did they have a sale on that picture at a county fair or something?" Johnny asked. "You best keep your thoughts to yourself, son," Thomas chastised. "You don't want to make anyone mad." Johnny kept his face void of as much emotion as he could. Somehow he got the feeling his life depended on it. ____________________ "So, you want a tour of our house before you sit down, John?" Johnny wasn't sure how to answer. He really just wanted to leave these people, Danielle included, but he knew it was better if he played along for now. "Sure. Why not? But isn't it just like Danielle's?" Thomas gave him a look that reminded him he was walking on thin ice. He followed behind Thomas as he was led around the lower floor of the house. Maggie and Danielle sat in the kitchen talking about the latest plans Danielle had for updating her store. They didn't pay attention as Thomas showed Johnny around. It was as if he didn't exist anymore. Johnny glanced back in the direction of the kitchen as he and Thomas reached the bottom of the carpeted staircase in the living room. What have you gotten me into, Danielle? ____________________ Soon Johnny found himself in an office upstairs. Thomas showed him the bowling trophies he had accumulated over the years from various leagues he was on when he lived in the city. "So you see, John, we're just ordinary people like yourself. Except that we've found a better way to life." "Better by whose standards?" Thomas stared intensely at Johnny. "You really want to push your luck, don't you? Okay. You ready to get some answers now?" Johnny slowly nodded. He hoped he was doing the right thing. If nothing else, maybe this way he would finally understand this strange group of people. "You ever hear the saying, be careful what you wish for or you may get it?" Thomas was staring at him, waiting for a response. Johnny clenched his jaw, not sure where this was leading. "What difference does it make?" "None really. Your future with us has already been decided anyway. Maybe you do need to see this…it might straighten out your attitude. " Thomas motioned for Johnny to follow him into the hallway, where he opened the door to the next room. Johnny's eyes widened at what he saw. The paramedic in him taking over, Johnny went into the bedroom, disregarding the fact Thomas was watching him. There in the bed was Brian. His face was bruised and swollen, a cut was on his left cheekbone; his left elbow had a large bloodied gauze Band-Aid on it. The young man barely seemed aware of Johnny's presence. "What happened? I thought he took my truck."  Johnny stated as he checked Brian's pulse and respirations. He looked closely at the injuries on Brian's face. A closer inspection of his elbow revealed a large gash underneath the dressing. Johnny could see discoloration under the edge of Brian's t-shirt. He lifted the shirt and saw there were numerous bruises on his left and right sides and on his abdomen. Johnny palpated the young man's ribs, gently feeling for any sign of breaks. As he looked up at Brian's face again he noted that the man was unable to focus on anything with his eyes. The glassy, red-rimmed appearance of them led Johnny to believe Brian was under the influence of a drug. Once again he asked, "Who did this to him?" Not getting a reply, Johnny spun around. He glared at Thomas. "Did you do this?" He pointed towards the bed. "Brian wasn't cooperating. He needed an attitude adjustment. He'll be fine," Thomas assured in a soft tone. "We've come to an understanding." Johnny was furious. He didn't even know what to say to the man. This was unbelievable. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, shifting on his feet. Just what are these people capable of? "You beat the guy up? What did he do? And where in the hell is my truck?" "He wanted to leave. And don't worry. Your truck has been taken care of," Thomas shrugged. "You wanted to know more. Well, now you do. No one new goes anywhere once they come through that front gate." Johnny's stomach knotted up on him as the implications of what he had gotten into came to light. The words echoed in his mind. No one new goes anywhere once they come through that front gate. "You can't hold anyone against their will…" "Wills can be broken, John. And the ones who can't…the ones who defy the life Marcus and the rest of us offer…they have a place, too. You'll see." Johnny's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this. Surely someone would come looking for him. Except no one knew where he was. Danielle had made sure of that. If he could just get to a phone. "Brian needs a doctor…he needs to be in a hospital," Johnny said firmly. "You can't treat him. You don't know what you're doin'." "Ah, and that's where you come in. You can treat him." "You're crazy! I'm not qualified! I'm just a paramedic," Johnny emphasized, hoping it would finally sink in. "Look, I can't make a move without a doctor telling me what to do. What about the doctor who comes around a few days a week?" "He's already been told he won't be needed anymore. That we've found someone with the skills we were looking for." Thomas looked directly at Johnny's eyes. "When Danielle told us about you, we knew you were meant to be here with us. Marcus assured us this was the right thing to do," he paused, his eyes narrowing. "So you damn well better get used to doing this without a doctor." Johnny shook his head. "No…no way this is happenin'." "Your bag is down on the other side of the bed. We had to borrow some supplies," Thomas continued. "Your other stuff is in the office at the school house." Johnny couldn't believe that Thomas wasn't listening to him. The man was nuts…they all were.  He wanted to help Brian, but the only way he could do it was to get help for both of them. Not knowing what else to do, Johnny suddenly rushed forward, taking a swing at Thomas. It was enough to cause the man to lose his balance and take a few steps backwards. Johnny then ran into the hallway and turned towards the steps. He paused momentarily when he saw Danielle looking up at him from the bottom. "Maggie, no!" Danielle screamed. Danielle's eyes flicked to something behind Johnny. Instinct told the paramedic to turn around. He caught a brief glimpse of Maggie. A violent shove sent Johnny tumbling down the steps. He landed at the bottom in a heap. Paying little attention to any pain, Johnny scrambled for the door, desperate to flee these crazy people. Thomas was beside him in an instant. He drew back a foot and kicked Johnny in the ribs. The paramedic's breath came out in a pain filled  "ooof!"  He grabbed his right side and curled into a tight ball of misery. "Thomas, that's enough!" Maggie called out as she ran down the steps. "We can't hurt him too bad, we need him!" She knelt down by Johnny's head. He opened his pain filled eyes and looked at the woman. Maggie smiled. "I hope you don't mind, but I had to borrow this from your supplies to have it ready for you," she held up a syringe with clear liquid in it. "I hope I got the dosage right. Now don't flinch…this is for your own good." Johnny tried to get away, but Danielle and Thomas held him in place. He watched helplessly as the needle went into his right arm. The poke of the needle was quick. As he glanced around from his position on the floor, Johnny began to feel like he was floating. The walls shifted and slowly faded. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Maggie's satisfied grin. ___________________ Hank Stanley looked up from his paper work on his desk as he heard someone walk in. It was Lieutenant Crockett. "Lieutenant!" Hank said, standing up and walking around his desk. "What can I do for you?" "Hi, Captain. Truth is, I'm hoping there's something I can do for you." "I don't get it…what's up?" Stanley sat on the edge of his desk. Crockett sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Seems as though one of your men has run into a problem." Hank snorted. "What are you talking about? They're all here on duty…wait…not John." The lieutenant nodded. "A couple driving up into the hills noticed marks going over the side of an embankment. When they looked over, they could see a vehicle down in the shrubbery. They drove to a phone and called the sheriff out that way." He paused as he thought about how to break the next bit of news to the captain. "It was a white Land Rover that was traced back to Gage, so they contacted us. The worst part is, he's not been found yet. There's no sign of him anywhere near it." Hank's mouth dropped open. Here he figured Johnny was off enjoying his vacation when all along he had been in an accident. And now he might be wandering around in the hills, injured. The lieutenant saw the captain's shocked expression. "Remember, it's not a missing person's case yet," Crockett tried to assure. "He hasn't been gone long enough that we know of and the surrounding area hasn't been completely searched." Hank nodded in acknowledgement. "Did you tell my other men yet?" "No, but I need to talk to them. Since he's from this county, and we've been notified about the circumstances, I need to find out if any of them knew where he was headed or who he might've been with, if anyone." "Sure! Anything to help. Roy would be the best one to ask, I think. Let's go." Crockett nodded and followed Captain Stanley out of the office. ____________________ Johnny could feel someone gently stroking his forehead. Who…? He tried to open his eyes, but still feeling the effects of the drug, his eyelids felt too heavy. He could tell the hand was soft. Not being totally aware of where he was, he allowed himself to drift back to sleep.                                                           ___________________ Lieutenant Crockett and Captain Stanley walked into the dayroom where the other members of the crew were. Chet and Mike were busy washing the dishes from dinner, and Marco and Roy were playing checkers. Johnny's replacement, Tom Wheeler, was sitting on the couch reading the paper. All eyes fell on the two men as they came in. "Lieutenant Crockett would like a word with you all, especially Roy," the captain said. He glanced at the man standing beside him, then brought his attention back to his men. "Don't jump to conclusions…nothing's definite yet…but it looks like John's been in a car accident and may be out wandering somewhere." Roy sat up straight, alarmed. "What? When? Was Danielle with him?" "Who's Danielle?" Crockett and Stanley asked simultaneously. "A new girlfriend. He was supposed to be spending a lot of his vacation time with her." "Yeah, remember the girl at the store fire a couple of weeks ago?" Chet asked. "The one in the pink shorts and crop top?" Hank's eyes widened. "That's who he was seeing? Wow." "Do you know where this gal lives?" Crockett asked. "Or how to get a hold of her?" Roy and the others shook their heads. Roy stood up and walked over near the two men. "He'd met up with her at a bowling alley a couple of times, then she invited him over for dinner. One odd thing though." "What's that?" the lieutenant's interest heightened. "She was so concerned with having her own transportation on their first two dates, like she didn't trust Johnny. Then after those two, there she was inviting him over to her own home for a meal. It seemed kind of sudden to me." Crockett nodded, giving it thought. "It does seem kind of off. But no telling. I'll let the sheriff know they may be looking for a woman as well, just in case. Anyone care to give me a description?" Chet put down the dishtowel in his hands. "Brown hair, gorgeous face, a perfect figure …" he moved his hands in an hourglass motion. "Anything but what you'd expect Gage to be with." "I get the picture. If they don't locate him soon, I'll definitely try to find something out." "Keep us updated, will ya?" The captain asked. "Sure thing." After the lieutenant left, the men exchanged glances with one another. "Roy, you think you could look through Gage's locker and see if there might be anything about this Danielle stashed in there? Just in case we need to try to get in touch with her." "Sure, Cap," Roy shrugged. "I'll give it a shot now." ______________________ Johnny began to come around, although his mind was still foggy and he was having a hard time waking up. He cracked open one eye, and peered around to see where he was. The lighting in the room was dim, but he could see the outlines of the furniture at various places against the walls. It wasn't a dream…I'm really here. Johnny moaned. He could feel the aches and pains in his body from his fall down the steps and his encounter with Thomas. He closed his eyes again, trying to will himself back to sleep. Maybe it'll all just go away. ___________________ His mind becoming more alert, Johnny opened his eyes and once again looked at his surroundings. The room was dark, with just a slight hint of moonlight streaming through. With his thoughts clearer, Johnny could rationalize more about his situation. He knew he was alone for now. How long it would last was anybody's guess. Sitting up in the bed, he sucked in a deep breath and gritted his teeth when a pain shot through his right side. Oh man, my ribs. Putting weight on his left wrist to get himself up also left the paramedic gasping in pain. He held it up in the dim light and could see a support bandage wrapped around it. Must've hurt it in the fall. Glancing down at his feet, he could see he was barefooted. Where were his shoes? A quick scan of the darkened room proved to be useless. He would have to make due as he was. Johnny wasn't sure whose house he was in. He figured most likely the Willard's since that's where everything happened. He couldn't hear any voices or other sounds in the house. With it likely everyone was asleep, he knew this could be his only chance to get out of there. He stood up, grabbing on to the foot of the bed as he realized he was still woozy from the drug he'd been given. Putting weight on his right knee proved to be a challenge as well. Johnny stood hanging on to the bed for a few minutes, gritting his teeth. Once he felt more stable, he slowly limped to the door, peering out as he opened it. A nightlight cast a shallow, dim glow down the hallway. Johnny looked left and then right. There was no sign of anyone. Keeping his hands on the wall for balance, Johnny made his way to the stairs. He then grabbed the railing easing himself down carefully, putting most of his weight on his left leg.  Near the bottom of the stairs and the room below were dark. As Johnny reached that part of the house, he had to feel his way around. His left arm outstretched in front of him, Johnny tried to find his way to the front door, carefully limping around the furniture. When he got to his destination, he quietly slid back the deadbolt lock and opened the door. Suddenly, the lights came on in the room. "Just what do you think you're doing? Where are you going?" Oh shit! Thomas!  Johnny ran without looking back. He grimaced and bit his lip. The urgency to flee overrode the pain throbbing from his right side and lancing through his knee. Nonetheless, the paramedic's limping gait slowed him down. He fell hard to the ground as he was tackled in mid-stride. With the wind knocked out of him, Johnny gulped for air. Thomas's face came into view while John clawed at the grass in an effort to get away. Hard punches to his face momentarily stunned the paramedic and enabled Thomas to pin him to the ground. Johnny bucked his body upward in an effort to dislodge the man from his back. He continued to struggle until he heard a click near his ear. He slowly turned his head toward the sound, and his eyes met with the barrel of a handgun. "One more move and you've had it," Maggie threatened, as she squatted beside the paramedic. Johnny lay still as Thomas got up. Resigned to his fate for the time being, Johnny cooperated as they helped him to his feet and into the house. continue