Author's disclaimer: All characters and story threads from the television show
"dueSOUTH" are property of Alliance productions. The Inuit Midsummer Rites
are stricly a fiment of my imagination and are by no means meant to offend
the native peoples. "Weakness in me." Is the property of Joan Armatradang
& company, and "Fare thee well" was a little song I saw on "Fly away home."
I have no idea who it belongs too but again, it's not mine and I don't mean
to make anything off of it but feedback.

Author's notes: Set a year before and a year after Fraser's stay in Chicago

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April 25, 1993
"MUSH! Hey...hey hey hey, come on girls MUSH!!!" Hailey called urging the dogs on
with all her might. Her lungs ached miserably from the biting cold and she couldn't
remember when she'd lost the feeling in her hands, feet, and nose. She teetered on the
verge of collapse, but the peristant barking from the sleds behind her kept her going with
a primal instinct to survive. They were heading towards a recently opened rift in the ice field. *Not far now Hail don't loose your nerve.* Suddenly
the dark figure of a boulder appeared in the distance, and a smile worked it's way across
her face as she eased up on the sled. "Easy now girls easy!!!" The sled started to bank to
the right when all at once the lead dog fell. "MINEKA!!!" She called, desperately trying to keep things under control. The harsh rasp
of the sled runners sent a chill through Hailey as she realized what was happening. *It's
iced over.* In an instant she forgot about anything but trying to stop, until a gunshot
sounded behind her. Firey pain ripped through her leg, the force causing her to loose her
footing and fall back onto the ice. The sound of wicked laughter filled the air and gripped Hailey with terror until the world
went black.

• * * The echo of a single shot reverberated over the Arctic landscape. Constable Fraser rushed his sled dogs faster, approaching the rift from a right angle to the direction the chase had been heading. As he crested a hill, he could see a sprawled dog sled, and another rapidly approaching. As he closed the distance between them, the second sled began to slow down. The reduced speed allowed the Constable to close the distance even faster, and soon he was in shouting distance of the men. Fraser pulled his service revolver out of one of the fur-lined pockets of his dark blue parka, and smiled agreeably as he saw that the warmth kept the action from freezing. He slowed the sled to further quiet his approach. "RCMP! Stop where you are!" The man turned and pulled hard on the reins, sending his dogs leaping forward. *Oh no you don't.* He thought as he started his sled to follow, but stopped abruptly as his eyes followed telltale spots of red against the white of the snow. *Oh dear...* They curved in a semi-circle to a small figure lying still on the shimmering ice. The mountie pulled his sled alongside the figure, slipped off, and knelt down. The woman lay on her side, wrapped in the thick clothing so needed for survival in the north. He carefully rolled her on her back and gently removed the scarf that was freezing to her face from the vapor in her breath. *Wow...she's...snap out of it, Fraser. Stick to the matter at hand.* She had small, delicate features, yet seemed to convey an underlying strength about her. He moved down to her leg and carefully examined the injury. Even through the multiple layers of thick cloth, he could see that the bullet had missed all major blood vessels and bones. Seeing that the short arctic-spring day was rapidly darkening, he gently lifted her and settled her in his sled. He then proceeded to hook her dogs to his team, and turned the entire mass of dog and human towards the west. In that direction was the outpost he shared with a small contingency of Mounties, though with the twilight falling he doubted he could traverse the distance in time.
• * * Fraser tried to move his sled as fast as he could without jostling it too much. After almost an hour of moving across the frozen land, a small cabin complete with outbuildings came into view. With memories of his last visit, he moved with skill to the bedroom and settled the woman into the warm wool blankets before returning to the sled. He moved what he needed into the cabin, and put the two dog teams into the small barn-style outbuilding. After starting fires in each of the four rooms he returned to the bedroom and proceeded to remove the woman's clothing one piece at a time. Besides a struggle, nothing showed much as to the identity of the girl; nor the means of her involvement to her pursuers. She had light brown hair and dark expressive brown eyes, her frame was small, though she had a unmistakinably feminine figure, and of course a strong build. Fraser then moved to the now rather messy wound with a sigh. He cleaned it with painstaking care and inspected it more closely. The bullet made a clean path through her calf muscle just behind and below the knee. *Good thing she's asleep.* He thought as he dredged it with iodine and completed the job with tight bandaging. The room was now comfortably warm and the Mountie, oblivious of anything but his duty, finished removing her wet clothing and replaced them with a spare shirt of his own. With a smile he settled her back into the blankets and taking a seat by the fire, began to record the events of the day in his log-book....
• * * The crackle of pitch burning in a fire was the first thing Hailey heard as she re-gained consciousness. The smell and environment led her to believe it was just another lazy morning at home, until the ache in her head made itself known and she realized she was wearing a man's shirt. The events of the previous day came back with lightning speed and she did a quick scan of the room; resting her eyes on the man sitting by the fire. The tan shirt and suspenders told the story and she smiled weakly. "Thank you." "You're very welcome." he stood and lit the gas lantern above the bed, handing her a steaming cup of something that made Hailey's nose curl. "What is this? And who are you?" "I'm Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. That is a native brew of lichen, wintergreen, and some wildflowers that numbs pain receptors." As the dim light from the lantern illuminated his face Hailey caught her breath. He was handsome, no breathtakingly handsome. She stared in silence for a minute, but the pain in her leg didn't let her swoon for long. "Here's to the natives," she said lifting the steaming mug and draining it in a gulp, grimacing in the process. "Ooooooo that's nasty stuff." "Interesting weather for running for your safety, isn't it?" They both looked at the window at the dusting of snow against the black of the night sky. "I suppose it's just great." She replied, nonplused. "Now what lucky star was I was born under that lead you to find me?" "Despite many cultures having beliefs to that effect, it was merely a case of being in the right place at the right time." She smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Hailey Winters, Wildlife Artist, Biologist, and fierce humanitarian....." With a deep breath she leaned forward to get a look at her injury. "Did it hit anything vital?" He shook her hand. "No, nothing vital. You're lucky that your assailant wasn't the best shot, very lucky." "Either that or your just a superhero." The girl said smiling. "How did you know I was in trouble?" "I heard you, actually." She nodded her eyes darkening and flashing with anger. "Sons of hairless mothers ambushed me while I was trying to free a baby wolf from one of their traps. I managed to knock off three of them and had to run. Had I had the ammo I would have cut the other two down right in their tracks." The Mountie chuckled. "I don't doubt you would have Ma'am." "I suppose the other two got away." "Yes but not for long, I've been tracking them for some time." "Oh? So what happens next?" "Next comes getting you to the nearest detachment. You may have information that could prove vital to this case." "I probably do, what's in that stuff extra strength Nitol?" She said yawning and struggling to keep her eyes open. "That would be the moose-root. It has a side effect of being a powerful sleeping agent." She never heard the end of his sentence, she was out cold.
• * * The snowstorm continued to build and by dawn the next morning everything was covered in a good 18 centimeters of snow. As a lull formed in the storm Fraser decided it would be best to get moving before the worst of it hit. He wrapped Hailey, who was still out like a rock, up firmly and settled her into the sled continuing as he did the day before to the small detachment about 10 Kilometers south by southeast.
• * * Fraser's back!' Bonnie called to the rest of the contingency as she grabbed her parka and ran out to meet him. The snow was falling at full force again and visibility had dropped to barely 4 meters. "Fraser are you allright?!" "Yes, I'm fine. But this lady needs help." He gestured to the sled, and the two Mounties carried Hailey inside. Bonnie shook the snow from her coat and hung it up, then did the same with Fraser. "What happened....oh my gosh your like ice go sit in front of the fire!" The older woman fretted ushering him to the pot-bellied stove in the corner. "Sufficed to say, I found the poachers. And her along with them." The Mounties all crowded around, even Inspector Fitzgerald. The jostling efficiently woke Hailey to ten pairs of prying eyes and an intense wave of clostraphobia. "Allright this is not Exhibit A at the museum of natural history, let's move it along people." Most of the Mounties grumbled and returned to whatever they had been doing before, the lucky few paperwork, but mostly just trying to entertain themselves in this remote northern detachment. "Who is she?" Fitzgerald asked Fraser who was slowly thawing out in front of the stove. "Hailey Winters." She answered for him. "Wildlife Artist, biologist, and fierce humanitarian. I was trying to rescue one of the poacher's victims when I was ambushed by a party of them. I picked off three but ran out of ammunition and was forced to run. While trying to lead them to that newly opened rift in the ice field, I hit a patch of ice and got shot at the same time. I lost control of my sled and suffered a fall which knocked me out. Next thing I knew I was in some trapper's cabin with a Mountie, a headache, and a whole lot of explaining to do. I think you can figure it out from there." Fraser looked back up at Inp. Fitzgerald. "That about sums it up, sir." "Shot?!" Andy, the local doctor interjected. "Where? How? What's the degree of the injury?" He said as he poked and prodded Hailey. "Right leg just below the knee, Andy. It's not bad, the shot missed all major blood vessels and bones." Ben answered. Andy removed the bandage and took a look at it. "Not bad, just a few stitches and some soreness and you'll be good as new in a week." "Good, I hate being an inv-AL-id." Hailey said as the doc numbed the area. Bonnie couldn't stand it anymore, she had to know. "So tell us hat happened! What did you see?" Hailey chuckled. "Now why would I tell you that? So you can take the information, fix me up, and ditch me like garbage in your wake? I think not, if you guys want cooperation from me you're going to have to let me help with the investigation. I was born here, and I love this place more than anything. It doesn't settle well that some scum is raping the wildlife. Which I might add is nearly 60% endangered." The Inspector sighed. Just what he needed, another self-righteous, big-headed Greenpeace freak out to save the world on their own. "I'll have to run that past Ottawa." "Yeah and I was born yesterday. What'll it be inspector? Free information from a vital witness or do you wanna pick it out of me?" He sighed. "Fine. Give us the information, and I'll see what I can do." "As I said before I'm a biologist. Microbiologist actually. I work for a research program studying the micro-organisms in arctic and sub-arctic climates. The area where the Katanooska glacier meets the forest is a very sudden flux in environment and the species of small life have adapted accordingly. In that I was also born and raised here I was the best candidate for the area....." Fraser listened intently, and when she finished, began his own version. Taking out a small notebook, he proceeded from where he entered this picture. "I was tracking the poachers at the time, approximately 4 kilometers from the crime scene. While checking what appeared to be the remains of a bear trap when I heard what I took to be gunshots. I immediately set my sled on the course I judged the shot came from, though not directly from where I heard it, sir. You know in the flat Arctic lands sounds have a tendency to alter their direction, making them seem to come from a direction other than their true bearing. This is due..." A loud noise emanating from the inspector's throat brought Fraser back on topic. " Well that's not important, as I proceeded I saw what appeared to be two sleds moving rapidly across the ice field. As I neared, I declared myself to be a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and then halted my pursuit to assist Ms. Winters. From there accounts are of course, identical." "So you didn't see the crime scene?" Hailey asked surprised. "Not the same one you did, though I did inspect the one that had been cleared approximately 45 minutes earlier. Many of the same signs you described were around." "Naturally both will be fully examined after the storm clears. Let's hope the two that got away didn't go back to erase their tracks." Fitz interjected, bringing the conversation back under control. "Well, regardless, I did collect enough evidence at the site I inspected to guarantee you there are more such traps in the area." Andy finished with his last bandage and fastened it with a contented sigh. "There we go, you'll have to stay off it for a couple days though while the muscle heals." He disappeared into a back room. "I think we have some old crutches in here...oh yup here they are." While stepping back into the main room he re-set the handles to fit under Hailey's arms. "There ya go. Just right." She stood gently a little unsure of herself and suddenly she felt dizzy...very dizzy... "Whoooaaaa." She whimpered as she fainted right into Fraser's lap. He looked up slightly embarrassed. "This would....uh, be a side-effect of the moose-root."
• * * The storm was well clear by the next morning, and the two head mounties were preparing to recover the bodies. So was Hailey, gaining control over the crutches quickly as she worked her way out to where the final preparations were underway. "Fraser."

He stopped and looked her direction. "Yes? Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes....I....just wanted to......to thank you. For.....saving my life." Though she couldn't see it, Fitz was smiling behind her. "There's no need to thank me. I was merely doing my job." She was making him uneasy,
but he attempted to take it in stride.
"Doesn't matter I just want you to know that someday I'll repay you, that's a promise." She
turned and almost smacked into Fitzgerald who still had a grin on his face. "Whoa there careful."
Hailey nodded his way with a smile before returning to the main building. "She's a pretty one." Fitz said with a smile in his voice. Fraser looked up at him. "Hmm?"
"That Hailey, she's quite...attractive." "If you say so, sir."
Fitz shook his head and the two Mounties headed off. * * *
The men in red didn't return for a good three days. In the meantime Hailey found out in
depth how the RCMP works and the details of the case. The two Mounties pulled up in
late afternoon on the 29th, and the detachment immediately prepared for proper
preparation of the bodies, evidence processing, and note taking. "Anything groundbreaking?" Bonnie, the quizzical one of the group, asked as soon as the
two men walked in the door.
"Nothing we haven't seen before, except this." Fitz pulled out an old Inuit necklace which
was only created in tribute to someone who had done a great favor to the village. Hailey
froze, and made a small sound as the blood drained from her face. "Daddy...."

"Nothing we haven't seen before, except this." Fitz pulled out an old Inuit necklace which
was only created in tribute to someone who had done a great favor to the village. Hailey
froze, and made a small sound as the blood drained from her face. "Daddy...."

No one spoke, but every eye turned to Hailey in a silent unspoken question. "I'm sorry it's just...my father had something almost exactly like that. But it's impossible.
Was there anything else?"
"Not that we could find, but there was quite a bit of snowfall." The detachment quickly buckled down to work, leaving Hailey to her thoughts. Suddenly
she grabbed her coat and hobbled out the door without a word. "Follow her." Fitz told Fraser in a non-open-for-argument tone. "Yes sir." Fraser set down the box he was carrying and followed her footsteps to where she was sitting just below the detachment, staring blankly at the
expanse of snow as her shoulders moved with silent sobs. He approached slowly, almost silently causing her not to turn around until he was very
close. "Are you allright, Ms. Winters?" She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Yes." He moved around her so that he stood just in her periphrial vison. "Are you sure?"
"Just...reliving a lot of bad memories." He spoke very softly. "I understand."
"Have you ever had a secret you've buried for years and almost forgot about yourself until
all of a sudden something sparks it alive and you can't stop yourself from re-living what
you fought so desperately to forget?" Her words ran together and where phrased badly but
she didn't care.
"Of course. Most everyone does. I remember one time..." He quickly stopped himself
from going off on a tangent.
She sank into the snow and hugged her knees. "Well, Ms. Winters, would you like to talk about what's wrong? Sometimes a heartache
hurts more if you hide it."
"I don't suppose I have much of a choice." He came closer, and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's going to have to, sooner or later."
She took a deep breath before starting her story. "My father worked up here as a doctor
specializing in the Glaucoma amoung the inuits. As I got older I started going with him
on his trips to learn about where I lived, and to get out of my mother's hair. He was a
great teacher and I was a quick learner, so by twelve I could easily take care of myself."
Fraser sat down beside her and listened intently as she delved into the tale.
"In January of that year we were coming back home after a visit to Iniuektuck. We where getting bunked in by an ice storm when we heard a baby wolf crying. We investigated, naturally, my dad was as fanatical when it came to the
humanities as I. It was caught in a trap that was set in almost the exact same way as the
ones we are investigating now. The difference was this time a man was allready
there." She paused, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Then daddy went into a rage
and stooped to draw his gun, but the other man fired before he could get it." Pools of
water glistened along her eyelid and her voice began to quiet. "I guess he didn't see me
since I was wrapped in the sled. Dad slumped down and fell into the snow. I was frozen
with fear at first, but then I remembered the bear knife I carried with me at all times. I
unsheathed it with as little movement as possible as the man walked towards the sled. He
kicked dad and then laughed."
The tears won the battle, and glistened off her cheeks in the moonlight. Fraser, unsure of
what to do, set his hand on hers as she finished her narrative. "It was such an evil laugh. It broke something in me and I lashed out, striking him across
the face with the knife. In a quick movement I kicked him between the legs and pushed
him backward, jumping on the sled and making the dogs move. The man made no move
to follow me but I didn't take any chances and raced home. Not far before I got to our
cabin I stopped, realizing he wasn't going to follow. I was still in shock so all I could think about what what I'd tell mother. She loved
my dad dearly, and it would have killed her if she knew he died protecting a wolf cub.
The understanding that my father would never come back didn't even register. I stayed
out the rest of the night. Walking to keep myself warm, and finally decided to tell her that
he fell through thin ice over the river. I followed through with that story to this day, never hinting to anyone what really
happened, even when my mom died two years ago. For an instant the mountie thought of possible charges of witholding evidence, but her age saved her from the law. "The necklace Fitz had was one my Father was wearing the night he died. I can't deny
the similiarities anymore. The man who killed my father is the one we are after now."
Fraser thought frantically for something to say but the proximity of her body to his and
her quiet sobs kept his mind occupied with controlling himself. Three times he opened
his mouth to speak but shut it before anything came out. Finally as he realized her story's
implications on the case he commented, "Well, I can certainly see why you shot to kill..."
By this point Hailey had herself under control and could speak in a normal voice again.
"I'm sorry for losing control like that...just a lot of backed up emotion I guess." She
looked up into his understanding blue eyes and was caught like a deer in the headlights.
Ben was very much in the same predicament. *Not again Ben don't, you hardly know
her.....* he thought of what it was like to put Victoria in prison, he recited the RCMP
rules on fraternization to himself, but it was no use. The way her hair fell forward across
her face had him hipnotized.
*No Hailey don't...stop...* Her mind screamed as her body moved forward.... *Stop stop
STOP STOP STOP!!! Your just asking for trouble he's a mountie HE"S A MOUNTIE DON"T DO IT AGAIN!* But her heart was well separated from her mind. Her eyes drifted closed and their lips brushed just barely across each other. As their lips touched he smelled her perfume, spicy yet uniquely feminine, he couldn't
place what exactly it was but it rose something within him. His hands wrapped about her
waist and he pressed closer, deepening the kiss. Hailey caught her breath but didn't pull away, it was too late for that. She'd jumped the
cliff and now she'd have to suffer the landing. Her lips parted unbidden as her arms slid
about his neck.
Fraser gripped her small frame tighter as he turned his head to the side. All sense of
reality far far away.
A cold blast of arctic wind froze them back to their senses. Hailey shivered and they
broke apart, blushing and apologizing at the same time. "No really Ben,i'm sorry." She
said holding his arm. "I don't know what came over me but it was totally unappropriate."
An uncomfortable silence settled between them, and Fraser sighed as he looked into the darkening horizon. "I think it's best we get back. You'll need to give a
full deposition on what happened."
She interrupted her mental curses to agree and they covered the space back the
detachment in silence.
Ben opened the door for her and they stepped into the warmth of the outpost. "I'll be
right back." He said as he realized the Inspector was probably in his office processing
evidence.
Fraser dissapeared into a corner when the two men returned, and Fitz said gently. "Start
wherever you'd like."
With a deep breath Hailey began, "Ever heard of Marshall Winters?" Fitz thought for a moment. "I think he was a doctor around here back in the seventies."
"Yes, he was my father. And if you look up the file on him you'll find that he died in
seventy nine..." She proceeded to tell her story, minus the tears this time and little up on
the details. The Inspector listened transfixed as he catalogued the evidence in his mind.
After she finished he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Sir, perhaps we should contact the courthouse in Whitehorse. We'll need formal charges
of murder." Fraser suggested after she'd finished her narrative. "I'll send Rickman in the morning. Is there any way you can draw up some sort of sketch
or did you notice any distinguishing physical features we can run through the database in
Dawson?" He said in Hailey's direction. "He'll have a rather nasty scar along the right side of his face, I might have taken out the
eye too. But i'll take my shot at the sketch. It should save time and elinimate the
probablility for mistakes."
"Allright get on it, Bonnie I want all the evidence and the murder charge packed up by
morning. Send him with a supplies list too, we're low on ammunition after the fiasco last
week. I want him out before the sun is up tomorrow. I've got a feeling we're running out
of time."
While the ever efficient and obedient mounted police buckled down to their work. Hailey
found a quiet place in the shed where her team was being housed and immersed herself
in the past.
* * *
It was well into the night before she returned to the main building. All was quiet save the
soft thump of her crutches. *Thank heaven i'm getting rid of these tomorrow." A soft
light eminated from one of the rooms. Curious, she peeked through the slightly open
door. Fraser was listening intently to the old radio on the desk. She sighed and leaned
against the doorframe watching him. She didn't know how long she'd been standing there
staring when he turned and spoke.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh....Oh no nothing at all." She stuttered backing back into the hallway and scurrying to
her room.
Fraser had to restrain his instinct to follow her seeing as he was, for all intents and
purposes, tied to his work.
* * *
As always the detachment was up and running at dawn keeping Hailey up with it.
She headed straight for the coffee in that she hadn't slept well. Her dreams had been haunted by sea blue eyes and images of her father. Andy, who was back
after his local checkup rounds, met her there. "You ready to get rid of those crutches?" "Am I ever. I've never been one to wallow in a sickbed." He laughed. 'I'm sure your not. If you would care to come back to my room i'll take a look
at it."
"Sure." She said allready heading in that direction, and plopped down on the bed with a
thump.
He gently rolled up the leg of her woolies exposing a trim ankle and muscular calf. "I heard aobut your dad. That must have been hard keeping something that
tramatizing to yourself for so long."
"Aw, well it's really not that hard when your doing it to protect someone you love."
He removed the last bandage and touched around it tenderly. "Looks like it's healing
perfectly. It's going to be sore as all get out for awhile, but I think you can safely put your
weight on it. It will just feel like the worst charlie horse you've ever had times a
hundred."
"Fantastic, that means I can still save my lab tests." He showed her how to wrap it to relieve a little of the pressure, and she set off to find the
inspector. He was in his office immursed in a report causing Hailey to tenatively knock at
the door. "Inspector; may I have a word with you?" Fitz nodded and gestured for her to sit. She did, gratefully. Andy had been right when he compared it to a charlie horse times a
hundred. But she was a woman, she could handle it, she could handle anything if she
didn't have to walk with crutches.
"What can I help you with?"
"I left quite a few tests running back home when this whole thing blew up. They can go
for a week on backup power and without supervision, but after that I will loose a month
or more worth of time and maybe even the cure to the plague of the twentieth century. Is
there any way you can spare a mountie to escort me back? I don't feel safe going alone."
"No you certainly are not going to leave this place alone." He scratched his beard as he
thought. "Rickman shouldn't be back for three days minimum. Nothing should be
happening before then. I'll send you with Fraser." Hailey's eyes widened. "Fraser?......"
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"No, but doesn't he have anything....better to do?" "Yes he does, but you must realize that most of these men haven't seen a a white female
in months. It's not that I don't have faith in my men, but you never know what the
influence of raging male hormones can do to a mind. Fraser is..well...different."
"Different or just missing a few screws?" The inspector laughed. "Whatever it is, it makes him a heck of a good mountie and one of the most trustworthy men i've ever served with." "I understand, can we leave as soon as possible?" There was a rap at the door at the same
time.
"Yes, who is it?"
"Constable Fraser, sir."
"Well speak of the devil, come in!"
Hailey was allready in her feet and passed him quickly with a muttered "Morning."
"Good morning, Ms. Winters." Fraser stopped in front of the Inspector, and came to
attention.
"Well, Fraser, anything to report?"
"No sir. Nothing new at least. The bodies have been flown to Whitehorse for autopsy and
storage. The crime scenes have all been photographed, and the developed photographs
are being inspected for further clues. Beyond that there are no new developments, sir."
"Good, then you won't mind escorting Mrs. Winters to her cabin and back." Fraser nearly choked. "Uhh...uhh....yes sir. I can do that. When do we leave?"
"Now, I'm sure she'll have things ready before we are done here." "Well.....in that case....uhh....I'm ready to leave right away. Is there anything else, sir?"
"Just take care of her for me, Fraser." This seemed an odd request to Ben, but he responded the only way he could. "Yes sir, I
will."
"Dismissed."
* * *
It didn't take long for Hailey to get her sled ready, and she was working on hitching up
Fraser's team when he came out of the outpost. She smiled trying to ease her nerves. "I'm
sorry about the bother but I just don't see an alternative." "It's no bother, really."
"I also think things will be a little easier if we pretend what.....happened yesterday didn't
happen."
"Agreed."
""Very Well." She said jumping behind her sled and whistling, Fraser followed, suit and
they where underway.
* * *
The first day passed in silence beyond the necessary trivialities. They were both perfectly
content immersed in their own worlds. As they set up camp for the night Hailey breached
the gap and they began talking. Telling stories and finding common ground in their love
for the wilderness and views on life. It wasn't long before they found that they had more
similarities than differences. As the night wore on the conversation got deeper. Hailey
found herself telling him about
her mountie fiance who decided to tell her he was gay four days before the wedding. Ben
also cracked the combination to his safe and told her about Victoria and his Mother.
The next day passed without incident. The Winters cabin was boarded up and prepared
for public use and the experiements where either terminated or moved to secure boxes in
the sleds.
At approximately noon the third day Hailey spotted smoke in the distance, it was in the
same direction of the detachment and far too large to be a simple campfire. Fraser noticed it too and they urged their dogs on a little faster and reached the clearing a little after dark. They eased to a stop sensing something was
wrong. The lights from the detachment where usually visible from that distance but
tonight there where none.
"Odd..." Fraser looked over at Hailey. "Something's amiss here." She gave him a look as if to say 'thanks for the obvious,' and both stepped off their sleds,
moving slowly towards the lonley group of buildings. They cleared the trees and stepped out into the clearing, Hailey gasped as she took in the
scene before her. "Oh my god."
The detachment was now reduced to smoldering ruins. An eerie pallor had settled over
the area, along with an evil vibe that shook Hailey to the core. Out of habit she went to
draw her gun, and of course found it not there. With a backwards glance at Ben she
started forward. They split up, circling the buildings. She moved slowly over the ice
surrounding the main building, guided by the dim light that radiated from the still
smoking embers. As she moved to the
back a putrid smell filled the air and she gagged momentarily before realizing what it was. "Fraser, you might want to come look at this." He was at her side in an instant and followed her gaze to a pile of roundish rubble that
extended a little above the rest of the charred remains. "Oh dear..." "How many people are regularly assigned here?" "Sixteen."
"Sweet mother in heaven..." At the same moment they heard a stick snap in the forest.
Fraser drew his gun and Hailey again went for her safety net, with a curse she stepped
behind him for some sort of protection as he yelled, "RCMP Identify yourself!"

"Don't shoot Frase it's us, O'Toole and Ferrer." The two Mounties came out of the brush
and made their way across the ice towards them. "What happened?" Hailey asked as she eased from behind her human shield. "We were ambushed from all sides. Toolie and I were already in the woods here talking
when we heard snowmobiles. Before a minute had passed the clearing was crawling with
men. They stormed the main building and there were gunshots. They searched it I
suppose, and then proceeded to torch the place as you can see. While this was happening
we saw someone we thought we recognized hanging out back behind the crowd. Toolie
thought he looked familiar so we launched a small sortie to recover him, sure enough it
was Rickman. He gave us some story saying he was ambushed by Oshlavic, the poacher
we are
after, and forced to give up the information since he's got his wife. We didn't know
whether or not to believe it so we tied him up to a tree back there." "So you two are the only survivors?" Fraser asked. "Yes, us and you."
Fraser looked back at the ruins of the detachment. Twelve Mounties, twelve dead
Mounties. Fraser couldn't recall any time in RCMP history, dating back to 1874, when 12
Mounties had died in one day.
"I'm not sure if they got out an SOS before the radio room was taken over, I suppose we'll
know by tonight or tomorrow." Ferrer followed Fraser's gaze. "It's a day for the record
books, that's for sure, and a morbid one at that." "Quite, has there been any sign of the poachers since they attacked?" The 2 men shook
their heads. "In that case, we wait."
So they did, though none got much in the way of sleep. Guilt weighed heavily on each of
the five minds and Hailey was no exception. Had she kept her mouth shut and her rage to
herself she wouldn't have twelve souls on her conscience. But her father's advice kept her
from sinking in her guilt. "You're human and you make mistakes. But the difference
between a good man and a bad man is the good one will look at what he did wrong and not make that mistake again." The next thing she
remembered were dogs barking and an unfamiliar man's voice. Fraser looked up, then stood up, and walked to greet the rescue party. "Hello dad."
"Hello son."
The younger Fraser turned to Hailey. "Ms. Winters, this is Sergeant Robert Fraser,
RCMP."
"Dad? *THE* Robert Fraser? Oh I am truly and idiot." She rolled out of her blankets and
stood up shaking the older man's hand. "It's an honor to meet you sir." "And you, Ms...?"
"Hailey Winters, Wildlife Artist, Biologist, and fierce humanitarian." "Well, Ms. Winters, it seems you've found your way into quite a pickle haven't you?" He
looked over to Cst. Fraser, and shortly thereafter, began listening to the story told in
Hailey's typical rapid-fire way.
"...and so here we are. Witness to the worst RCMP disaster in it's history." "Yes, I can see, and no sign of the bad guys...anywhere." "There is him." Hailey said kicking Rickman. Sgt. Fraser looked down at the man in contempt. "Doesn't count as human; selling out his
fellow Mounties."
The accused wouldn't look at them and for some reason Hailey felt a streak of sympathy.
*Where did that come from?* "Here." She said undoing the handkerchief serving as a gag. "Let's see what he has to say." "Oshlavic's got my wife. I had to cooperate or he'd kill her." He said with something
bordering on panic in his voice.
"Explain yourself, now." It wasn't clear who said it, but the tone of voice suggested
authority and demanded cooperation.
"They ambushed me before I got to Dawson, said they had my wife. If I didn't talk they where going to kill both of us." "Then why didn't you try to double-cross them?" "If I was in cahoots with them then why did I have to kill my captors so I could warn the
detachment? Why was I wandering back here in the forest and not in the midst of the
takeover? Besides they ransacked the sled so they knew a good part of what was going
on."
By now nobody was willing to talk to him, though his point did not fail to rest heavily on
the brains of all assembled.
"I now know enough to sufficiently clean out their operation....." While unsure if he could be trusted, everyone turned back to face him. "I know where they are."
"If you would care to share that information with the rest of us..." "What? Is it just to hell with procedure here?" "He's right." One of the Mounties who had survived the attack spoke up. "We have proper
procedures to follow, and we should follow them." "Oh BS." Hailey piped up. "He can say it twice for heavens sake." "She's right you know, Rickman. Now buck up and tell us where they are." He looked at them in solemn silence, thinking. Hailey grabbed his arm and twisted it
behind him "Out with it!" The four Mounties looked at the pained expression on his face
but not one made a move to help him.
"In the ice field, there is a cavern that was fitted out to serve as the hideaway." He
squeaked
"Be more specific."
"It's a place where rock carved out the ice. You can't see it from the surface."
Hailey pulled harder. "It was reinforced so the movements of the glacier wouldn't make it
collapse. I don't know how long it's been there, but it looked pretty old." "A location. Give it to us."
"163 by 67 degrees, about 30 kilometers northwest from here. For god's sake lady let me go!" She did, but by no means nicely. "Please, don't treat me like a
prisoner. The people who died were my friends too, and their death is on my shoulders.
Isn't that punishment enough?"
The four Mounties found it hard to believe that one of their own would betray them in such cold blood. After a long silence Bob spoke up. "All right, you don't
have to be trussed up, but we're watching you. One funny move and your a dead man.
Well let the judge in Dawson decide your fate." "Thank you sir!" Rickman stated with honest gratitude. "Well the 67 is a bit of a trip." The sergeant looked around, four Mounties and a
biologist, not exactly an adequate force in stopping a major black market poaching ring.
He mentioned this to the rest of the group and they agreed to head back to Dawson to
regroup.
Hailey looked around, three sleds, six people. "So who goes with who?" The Mounties mulled over this rather simple question and it was decided that Rickman
would go with Sgt. Fraser, O'Toole and Ferrer would work together, and Fraser would
stay with Hailey.
Hailey didn't put up much of an argument when Fraser insisted he lead her sled. The
events of the week was catching up with her, and it didn't look very good for a lady to be
driving a man. The group moved in silence and before long she was sound asleep, not to
wake until they stopped for the night.
* * *
She woke slowly; and as the various Mounties noticed, they all greeted her with a "Have
a good sleep?" or some similar triviality. With a yawn she crawled out of the sled and
winced as the various kinks in her body stretched themselves out. "Fantastic." was the
sarcastic reply. "Time for bed again right?" "Yes. Hope you can sleep, it's a long day tomorrow." "Thanks, but I think I'm going to take a walk first." She turned so she was facing only the
two Fraser's and mouthed, "One of you come with me." Neither moved at first to follow. The elder Fraser looked at the younger, and pointed to
Hailey. "Well, go. Go get your woman."
He caught up with her quickly as they circled the camp and she started talking as if she didn't notice he was there. "I'm in no mood for sleep now, and I still
don't trust Rickman's story. If he's lying I'm sure he'll try to get away tonight. Especially
if the rest of you are sound asleep, what's a woman gonna do to stop him right?"
"She could wake everyone up."
She chuckled. "Or just take care of the problem herself, you forget easily what kind of an
aim I have. It's not every girl that can survive up here alone. What I'm getting at is I'm
going to fake sleep and if he tries to pull anything I'll be ready." "Understood."
She turned to look at him in the soft moonlight and sighed. Why where all the good ones
impossible to reach? "Very well then."
He headed back towards camp, then suddenly turned and kissed her on the cheek while
slipping her his pistol. "Be Careful." he whispered before finishing his way back.
The night passed quietly and Hailey found an odd serenity in watching Ben sleep. The
silence became deafening and Hailey amused herself with watching the changing shapes
of the northern lights and counting the hours as the north star moved across the sky.
Around three a lone wolf howled in the distance, sending shivers up her spine; wolves
had always given her the creeps. Suddenly there was a rustling of covers. Careful to not
move, she watched as Rickman
rolled out of his bag, and moving with catlike stealth he shouldered his pack while
backing out of the camp. Hailey drew the concealed pistol under her parka and hissed to
Fraser. Suddenly Rickman turned and made to run, but she was up in a second after him
yelling "STOP RIGHT THERE!"
This only succeeded in making him run faster. With a deep breath and a split second aim
she shot him in the leg causing him to fall in much the same fashion she had a week
earlier.
The scream and the gunshot woke everyone, and in less than a minute the moaning man
was surrounded by four freshly awoken Mounties with guns drawn. Hailey walked up to
him, her jaw set hard. "Here let me put you out of your misery." She spat as she pistol
whipped him in the temple, knocking him unconscious. "What absolute scum." Murmurs of agreement followed from the assembled Mounties. Rickman was tied up and
handcuffed into a sleeping bag well away from the fire, complete with O' Toole standing
guard over him.
* * *
They started again at six and the day passed much as it had before. Rickman stayed
unconscious, and in fact would until much later that night. They arrived in the RCMP
headquarters for the northern Yukon around dinner time and once again, Hailey was
sound asleep. In that night was rapidly approaching the teams where first priority, and
after they were settled in for the night the convoy of people headed into the RCMP
building. The story spread like wildfire and before an hour had passed the mood at headquarters was as dismal as fall rain. All evidence was
processed, and accounts taken, but it wasn't until the next day before everything was
sorted out. A meeting was then called including all senior staff and important witnesses.
This included Hailey.
"We've dug out of Rickman the exact entrances into the hideout, and in correspondence with a map of the Katanooska glacier overhead you can see what we are
dealing with." Superintendent Thronson, the superior officer of the post announced. The
picture was displayed in the front of the room, and when overlaid it looked like a slice of
Swiss cheese. The room sighed in unison, but before a minute had passed the discussion
started.
"I'm thinking we'll get them out like gophers." "You mean smoke 'em out?"
"Sort of yes, two to five Mounties at each entrance depending on the size and importance
of each particular hole, and in sequence we fire tear gas into the compound. Catch and
arrest those who run out and those who don't will be blind, upon which we go in and
finish the job."
"I think we should get helos from Whitehorse. That's awfully tough terrain to sneak in."
"My thinking exactly Sergeant, we'll parachute down." "Or they could land the helos."
"It would give them too much warning." Hailey countered, digesting the plan and liking it
more all the time. "The place would be empty before we started." "Not if they landed right at the entrances." "That's a thought." Thronson voiced bringing the conversation back under control.
"We could do both, there are approximately 16 entrances, I don't think we can spare that
kind of aircraft. But if we landed one at these eight spots and parachuted the rest at these
less used entrances I think that might just work." There where a few more suggestions and arguments, and after everyone had their say it
appeared they had a plan. "Now on to less enjoyable topics. A party was sent out this
morning to pick out what evidence they can from the former detachment and bring back
any human remains. In the meantime we'll be working out the details of the operation,
which includes analyzing each Mountie's particular skills in correspondence to which
position they will man. Any further questions comments or suggestions?" Again, the table broke up into small discussions, but there where no qualms of any sort.
"Very well then, dismissed." The meeting broke up and slowly people drifted out of the
conference room. Though Hailey did the opposite, twisting her way through the sea of
brown uniforms to the Super's desk.
"Can I help you?" He asked as he noticed her. "Yes, I've lived on and around the glacier for a good part of my life therefore I know it pretty well. I can help describe the terrain around each particular
entrance." She spouted, aggression hiding her nervousness as she pointed at the map.
"For instance here." Her finger rested at one of the lesser entrances towards the back side
of the ice field. "Just about twenty meters off that is a hidden crevasse, if you get over
that it leads into a gorge in the side of the mountain here that's treacherous." She studied it a little more. "Hummm, almost
every spot has some major obstacle around or near it, Oshlavic planned his compound
well."
"I see." Thronson replied, a little taken aback by the woman's abrupt nature, but her argument held weight. "Could you provide a sketch or description of the
terrain surrounding each entrance? It is not a well documented area." "Certainly Sir, I'll get right on it." And so she did, working well into the night. It was
painstaking work, pulling things from her mind she didn't know she had. A grandfather
clock in the corner of the office struck two as she finished her last report. With a yawn
and a stretch she left the neat stack of paper on the desk before heading to her bunk to
make best of the rest of the night.
"We've called up reserves, pulled out every man we possibly can, and we are still two
short. Two that we cannot work without." Thronson raved. "What about pulling two off uniform patrol?" Fraser replied; the two were conversing
after a long study of Hailey's report.
"I've exhausted that supply, as is we're praying the citizens play nice for a few days."
"What about members from another detachment?" "Either taken or too far away."
"What about Ms. Winters?"
Hailey just happened to be walking down that hall at this point, and froze dead in her
tracks.
"The biologist?"
"Yes sir."
"What are you suggesting constable?"
"Well, sir, we do need another person. And she is a highly-qualified guide." "She's also a female civilian." "Sir, civilian guides have been used in the service of the RCMP since 1874." "Not forthright foolhardy little young ladies with no previous training of any sort."
Hailey made a face at the door. *Chauvinist pig.* "Well, sir, women have served the RCMP with distinction since 1976, with a great
number coming into harm's way while serving. There should be no problem with Ms.
Winters serving as a guide."
"Great Scott! This is an extremely dangerous operation, and we are dealing with a
conflict of interest considering her relations with the suspect." "Sir, these men are responsible for the deaths of 12 Mounties. Every member has a
similar "relation to the suspect". She may be a little more forward than we are
accustomed to, but she's handled herself in a commendable manner through numerous
dangerous situations."
As much as it grated against his better judgment, Ben's argument began to make sense.
"And if she doesn't?"
At this point Hailey couldn't stand it anymore and flew into the room in a huff. "Oh for
god's sake you pompous old ass. We are in a desperate situation and you're willing to let
your prejudices jeopardize an operation. I know people in Ottawa and I can spread this
though the force like a red wind."
"You are out of line Miss. Winters!"
"No more than you! With all do respect *sir* I do not have to answer to you until you
make me a part of this operation." Her words echoed through a good part of the building;
causing gasps, snickers, and to the poor man caught in the middle of the mess, a
prominent blush.
The two challengers stared each other down as if playing the child's game of "don't
blink." "What'll it be Thronson, a burr forever in your saddle or the respect of a
subordinate?"
The super's expression matched that of a raging bull, clashing strangely with his tone of
voice. "Very well, But you will be treated no different than the rest of the men, and tested
accordingly."
"Understood, I apologize for the name calling. Don't challenge my ability and I promise
it won't happen again." Hailey replied, a smile spreading across her face. "Dismissed, both of you."
Fraser made a hasty getaway, traversing the hall as fast as he could move without looking
like he was trying to move fast.
"I remember when your mother told my superior what she thought about him." "Dad, I really don't want to hear about it." "Nearly lost my job. Oh well I suppose you really wouldn't be interested. So she's going
with us?"
"Yes."
"Ben...Ben wait...." The two men stopped and turned to face the subject in question.
"Thank you, that meant a lot."
"Not a problem." Ben replied with a smile. "Right, well I better go.....get ready....for....the tests....yes....bye!" she turned and
skedaddled out of the hall as fast as she could move. "Goodbye, Hailey."
"Hummmmm. Good birthing hips, nice chest, pretty face too. When's the wedding?"
Fraser turned to face the other man. "Excuse me?" "You heard me son, she's a perfect specimen, when are you two going to tie the knot?"
"I wasn't planning to marry Ms. Winters at this time. Unless you know something I don't, dad."
"What? Is it that vamp you met at Fortitude Pass?" "She's in prison dad."
"Exactly, and you put her there. Now you've got to stop licking your wounds and get on
with life. I want to see a grandchild before I go." "Now you're just being melodramatic. You have at least 30 good years left in you."
Fraser Sr. shook his head in exasperation. "Sometimes you behoove me son." "And sometimes you just confuse me, dad." "I'll see you tonight."
"Tonight." The two Mounties parted ways. * * *
The next few days passed in a blur to most everyone at the Dawson Police Station. Hailey
was taken through a maze of basic tests, all of which she passed with good or exceptional
ratings. After much deliberation among the big wigs, it was decided that she and Fraser
would man the entrance on the far north side of the hideout. In that Hailey knew the
terrain the best, and Fraser had the best tracking skills they made a logical pair. That is,
to those who didn't know
what was happening behind closed doors. It was evening, and the two were feeding their teams together. "You ready to go?" Hailey
asked.
"Not quite, this one's got a thorn in it's paw." "Okay, I'm going to head back then."
Fraser followed her a few minutes later and as he closed the barn door he met a small
ball of white which plastered itself smack between his eyes. He wiped the snow from his
eyes to see Hailey doubled over with laughter. "Oh <tee hee hee> you should see <hee hee hee> the look <hee> on your face! <ha ha ha
haaaa>!"
"Oh yea?" He scooped up a quantity of snow, and formed it into a medium-sized sphere. He had to duck a few more snowballs coming at him, but he was
finally able to volley one back. It hit her square in the chest, and sent her falling
backwards.
She flopped into the bank like a dead otter and stayed that way, not so much as batting an
eye.
Fraser walked Towards her slowly, cautious of a deception of some sort. His manner was
deliberate and precise, as if her were approaching a suspect. She moaned "Jeeeeeez Fraser you've got an arm." He took another step forward. "Thank you kindly." She tried to sit up then fell back into the snow. "Ahhhh I think I pulled something."
He came close enough to offer his hand to help her up. She took it, quickly yanking him onto his back in the snow with her, then flipped on top
of him, holding back his shoulders. "Pinned ya." He didn't throw her off, but made a comment of how she had been rather sneaky and underhanded. Then grabbed a little snow with his free hand flipping it in her
face and making his escape in the process. She jumped back wiping the wet from her eyes with a huge smile. It disappeared as she realized where the game would end. With a sigh she stood and headed back to the station. Tears pricked dangerously close to the surface, and as she sensed him
following her she started to speed up. The walk became a run as they broke through her
mental barrier, and didn't stop until she was in her bunk. Fraser overheard her muffled sobs, but didn't understand where they where coming from.
Assuming their squabble brought up a bad memory, he decided to let her be and
continued on past to his room.
* * *
The funeral was a solemn affair. After the bodies where properly honored and the final
rights had been administered, the remains where sent to their respective homes for burial.
The nerve gas had arrived from Whitehorse, and the helos' would be there in the
morning. Every detail of the operation had been run through and rehearsed by the force,
much to the subordinate's complaint in that they'd allready gone over it so many times they where blue in the face. All together the operation would
include 65 RCMP, one guide, and 16 pilots. The tear gas was packaged in the form of a
timed bomb so the Mounties wouldn't have to manually detonate them, and the parachute teams where fitted accordingly. * * *
"Have you ever done this before?" Ferrer asked Hailey, shouting to be heard over the
drone of the chopper.
"Are you kidding me? No one lives up here that hasn't bounced out of a bush plane!"
"Okay now remember, legs bent, arms straight, drop your seat a little, and OUT YOU
GO!" He gave her a little push and she somersaulted out of the chopper. In a second she'd adjusted to the vertigo of weightlessness and started counting.
"Five...four...three...two...now!" With a quick jerk she pulled the jump cord which caused
her to wince as the harness pressed against more tender parts of her anatomy. A brief
brownout caused her to shudder as the blood shot to her legs. The white snow appeared close by now and she brought up her legs for landing, though flat on her back with a muffled "umph." It was now spring and the snow
had lost it's powdery feel, which was a good thing in the long run, but not so good a thing
for Hailey at that moment. She sat up trying to catch her breath as she released her chute,
turning to ball it up so it couldn't be seen from the air.
"You allright?"
The air slowly re-filled her lungs and she croaked. "Fine friggen tastic. Too far back,
always too far back. I've never made a landing I haven't ended up that way." "Tuck and roll, Hailey. Tuck, roll, and you'll land just fine." They scanned the terrain of black rock and white snow. "Look for the peak that's shaped
like a pine, angle 180 degrees." she spoke as she moved. "...and one, two, there she is!"
Her eyes pointed at a depression in the snow that glittered a little more than the rest.
"Countdown to detonation in T minus 5 minutes." The voice in their radio whispered.
Fraser removed his pack and pulled out a bottle that looked like a fire extinguisher, he set
it in front of him and crouched, signaling for Hailey to do the same. Then they waited
tediously as the little radio transmitter in their ears counted down the time. At T minus 16
seconds every member of the 66 man team ran to their entrance. One or two men opened the heavy doors while another hurtled the
little bombs deep within the tunnel beneath. Then everyone ran for cover as a series of
small explosions ripped through the hideout and the numbing chemical began to work its
magic.
Fraser and Hailey moved back a safe distance away and settled into a ready but
comfortable position to wait. They listened through their transmitters at an occasional
command or exclamation of victory. So far no defeats, after the first five minutes
everything had calmed down as the tear gas started to infiltrate the main chambers. The
remote couple's nerves ran taught as the silence began to scream when all of a sudden a
cry shot through the transmitter, and through their soul.
"Officer down! Repeat: officer down off entrance 15, sudden ambush by single heavily armed man. It's Oshlavic. Repeat: it's Oshlavic, requesting immediate
backup."
It was Ferrer, and he wasn't through before Hailey and Fraser answered together "Roger 15, this is 16 where on our way." "Injury not mortal, suspect due north northeast on foot and armed. Proceed with caution
16. Good luck."
"Understood, over and out." The pair turned accordingly and followed the tell-tale
footprints in the snow. It seemed too easy for the first three or four minutes until they
entered the mountains and the snow turned to ice. Fraser was now forced to track almost
invisible scratches in the whitish glass. The uphill going was slow but unlike Oshlavic their boots where fashioned with cleets and they where gaining on the suspect.
"Where is he going?" Hailey asked herself, forehead ridged in concentration, she paused
for a moment. "Oh dear....he's heading straight for a ridge of cliffs and ravines." She
paused for a moment thinking. "He's expecting us to come up behind him following his
trail, but there is a way over the edge of that bend. It drops a little then comes back up
right where I'm positive Oshlavic is
waiting for us. If we catch him by surprise in that direction I think we'll manage to
overtake him."
"Agreed, lead the way."
Hailey did, with determined purpose. Sure enough as they scaled the hill leading to the
ridge they heard him shuffling. In an instant the two were over the hill, guns drawn and
ready to make an arrest.
"Give it up Oshlavic, you've got no where to go." Fraser voiced. "No but you do." The madman replied.
Out of the corner of her eye Hailey saw him reach for something black and shiny.
"NOOOOO!" She screamed as she dove in front of Fraser, firing a volley of shots as she
moved. The first bullet hit her in the middle of the chest and the second tore through her
abdomen. She twisted mid-air and landed flat on her back with a sickening thud.
Fraser was on his rather unreliable RCMP-issue portable radio quickly. "Officer down, officer down." He called firmly but calmly. He heard her croak as she
tried to gain her breath and quickly turned her around, pulling her up on her knees to let
natural air pressure help the lungs re-inflate. After what seemed like an eternity Hailey
could make a sound, though all she managed was a short whimpering moan. An overwhelming tide of rage swept through Ben, but he stifled it before it hampered his
thought, and he gently pulled her into a sitting position. A small red stain was starting to
show in the left lower section of her coat around three inches in from the side. Deftly
working through the layers of clothing he found the wound. It was not larger than a centimeter in diameter, nor bleeding at an excessive or dangerous rate, but he couldn't see what was happening inside. He tore a
section from one of his pockets and pressed it to the wound to staunch what he could of
the bleeding. Then he picked her up.
Hailey remained conscious and gritting her teeth to the pain, spoke. "You ate your
wheaties this morning."
The Mountie hardly heard her as he surveyed the surrounding terrain. "I'm going to have
to set you down for a minute." She nodded her head in response. Fraser then proceeded to
tear apart their packs, fashioning a sort of sled/stretcher out of the stabilizing bars and
nylon.
"All right Hailey your going to have to help me with this." He picked her up and settled
her into the contraption. "Hold on to the bars here so you don't slide out." She did as he commanded with wide eyes. He took a deep breath, grabbed hold of the
two bars at the top, and eased out onto the ice. Once safely in the middle, he carefully
removed his cleets, calling for Hailey to hold on as they started sliding down the hill.
The next ten minutes were the worst ten of Hailey's life. They careened at breakneck
speed down the small ice flow. Each imperfection in the ground felt like she was rolling
over a boulder, and the cold air and pressure in her chest made breathing almost
impossible. She started to think she wasn't going to make it when the sled thunked as it hit soft snow. Fraser dug his heels in so they wouldn't flip
forward, easing the makeshift sled to a stop. With painstaking care he picked her up and
started walking.
"It's hurts Ben." She muttered frozen with fear cold and pain. "Just a little further, don't let go on me." She clutched his coat with a death grip as they trudged those fateful last meters. Ben
never stopped talking, though his words started to run together in her ears and she could
no longer make out his face. Her eyelids felt heavy...so very heavy...then there where
more voices and she was being put down. She could feel hands on her and just make out
the drone of a helicopter as her mind shut down. * * *
Hailey woke to bright lights, beeping machines, and a steady drone of voices she couldn't
understand. Within seconds a wave of pain gripped her midsection and she felt an
uncontrollable urge to hurl. It passed none too soon and the voices started to come
through, at first a deep female tone: "The first bullet lodged in the upper part of her
breastbone and we had to remove a little of the surrounding cartilage to efficiently
dislodge it. The second tore through her left side, damaging the kidney beyond repair.
Pending any unforeseen complications she'll make a full recovery and may be released in
five to six weeks. Full recovery besides a missing kidney that is." Then that of a young man she recognized: "I see, when is she expected to come out of the
anesthesia?" It was Benton.
"Actually right about now, would you like to see her?" "Yes, if it is possible."
"Certainly, right this way."
Hailey tried to pull herself up into a little more presentable position, but as she moved
excrutiating bands of pain shot through her stomach and chest causing her to quickly
abandon the effort. The door to her room slowly swung open and two figures stepped
inside. Hailey focused her bleary eyes on the taller figure and smiled as his features came
into focus.
"How are you doing, Ms. Winters?"
"Well besides the fact that I feel like I've been hit by a train, I'm perfectly well, thank you." Her voice was hoarse and raspy. He smiled. "Don't worry, that will pass in a day or two." "I remember you taking me on that sorry excuse for a thrill ride...voices I couldn't
understand...but...that's it...what happened?" "You passed out, most likely from pain, shock, and blood loss. A team was already
working on O'Toole so they immediately moved to you. After they stabilized the injuries,
you where loaded onto one of the helicopters and taken to the Main Hospital here in
Dawson. You were hit..."
"I know I know I heard you talking in the hall. How successful was the operation?"
"Besides the loss of an extra kidney, very." She tried to chuckle but winced instead. "No I mean the takedown, did we get them all?"
"Yes....Yes, we got them all." He saw no need to bring up the fact the ringleader Had neither been captured nor accounted for. "Good."
"It is. You did a good job out there, Hailey." She smiled. "Thank you, Benton. You didn't do so bad yourself, when I felt that thing tear
though me I was sure I was a dead man...er...woman." He smiled a bit. "Well, you shouldn't have. I wasn't about ready to loose you."
"O'Toolle was the only other casualty?" "Yes."
"That's good."
An awkward silence settled between them. The all too familiar ache started to build
within her again and she looked toward the window. "Yes. It's very good. Cst. O'Toolle is making great progress. He should be back on duty in
a few weeks. He was lucky."
"Yeah."
He was quiet for a minute, nervously handling his Stetson. "I'm going to have to go to the
North Butterfield Detachment for the time being. It will be a while before my old
detachment is ready to be back in business." She looked at him like she'd been shot, again. It took a minute to find her voice and when
she did it was quiet and dis-attached. "How long?" "I'm not sure, but it's not far. A day's travel, no more." "Oh...when do you leave?"
"Tonight."
She swallowed. *Never a happy ending.* "Good luck then, Fraser." "Oh, I don't need luck."
As if on cue a Mountie Hailey didn't know knocked gingerly on the door. "Constable, it's
time to go."
"Very well, Corporal. Well, I will see you when I get some time to come back down this
way."
"Goodbye Ben. I'll be here."
"Goodbye Hailey."
* * *
The weeks passed agonizingly slow. Hailey fell into a destructive bout of depression
which ate at her heart like an infection. It didn't effect her recovery, though, her body had
always been stronger than her mind. The snow melted slowly turning the small city as
gray and dingy as her spirits. Day melded into day until she'd lost rack of time, until her
doctor announced she would be ready for release in a week. Fraser had finally been relieved at North Butterfield, and as his first matter of business he
returned to Dawson and the hospital. He entered what had been Hailey's rather sterile
prison for the past few weeks and watched her for a minute as she packed her belongings.
"Hello Hailey."
She whirled around with a soft gasp. "Fraser...." "Hello." He walked into the room, and stood near the door. "Feeling better?" She quickly recuperated herself, a professional cool taking the edge off her voice and
tender emotions. "Oh yes, quite."
"That's good. You're being released today." It was phrased as a question, but sounded
more like a statement.
"Mhumm, I'm getting out of prison!"
He couldn't help laughing. "So it seems, so it seems. Do you know where you are going to
go, or for that matter, what you are going to do now?" She'd given the subject extensive thought but wasn't quite ready to tell him her plans.
"Not really, no I was just going to regroup at my cabin for awhile." "That's a good plan. As good as any, in any case." "I take it the detachment is running again?" "Not just yet, but they are almost done, or so I've been told. Since I'm no longer needed
in North Butterfield I've been given something of a short leave to spend doing whatever I
see fit to spend my time doing."
"And that would be?"
"Well, I haven't really decided." He paused a moment. "The Inuit Midsummer Rites are
coming up."
"It's that time of year."
"It is. And there's going to be quite a party, so I hear." "Always is." *what is he getting at?*
"Perhaps you'd like to accompany me? A little 'get-out-of-prison' celebration?"

She nearly fainted right there. "W...with...you?" "Yes, with me."
"To a celebration of fertility and renewal?" "Yes. Unless you have something else to do." She debated with herself for a moment before making her decision. "Why not? We are
two adults perfectly capable of keeping ourselves in check. I'd love to." "Well...good. It's settled then."
"I've just got some paperwork to handle and I'll be out of here. I'll meet you at
headquarters okay?"
"Very well then."
* * *
In that the thaw of summer had turned the countryside to marsh, it was decided that horseback would be the most sensible means of travel. The pair left at
daybreak the next day and arrived at Iniuektuck with an open armed greeting. "Wow, they've really gone all out this year." Hailey commented as they walked through the village.
"Indeed, they have." Ben replied, a little surprised at her change of attitude. She had been virtually silent during the five day trip. "Shall we." He said taking
her hand as they walked into the ceremony ring. * * *
Hailey giggled as they watched another couple disappear into a shack. "Benyyyyyyy we're going to be the *only* ones not getting any act-TION, tonight."
"Mhumm." He replied rather distractedly. An occasional sound coming from the various scattered buildings didn't help Hailey keep
herself under control. She leaned against his shoulder as the tribal music started up again.
He turned and looked at her, their eyes locked, searching for what they couldn't say
aloud. Suddenly Hailey whispered, "Ben...kiss me." The presence of her warm body against his, the effect of the vodka on his mind, and the
general mood that had settled over the village was too much for the strongest of men and,
again, he gave in. Sliding his hand along her side and cupping her jaw gently he placed
his lips to hers, noting for a second time how well they fit together. This spurred the tiniest of moans from Hailey who turned as she slid her hands around his
shoulders bringing their bodies together. She clutched the firm muscle under her fingers
and turned her head to the side, tentatively caressing his lips with her tongue.
He slid his hands along her waist pressing her firmly against him as his tongue invaded
her mouth. He continued to kiss her with lonely passion until she pulled away, which
didn't deter him, but rather directed him to move to her neck. "Ben." She whimpered....
"Yes?"
"Ben...take me inside..."
He didn't break his rhythm as he picked her up and carried her into their cabin. He set her
back on her feet gently, and returned his interest to her lips. She was in absolute bliss but her body craved to go further...to make it real....complete. "I
want you...to...to...make love to me Benton...." He held back, looking at her. Even in his drunken warped state of mind something said "No".
Hailey sensed his hesitation and undid the first few buttons to his shirt, kissing the hollow
there tenderly. "Please...." she said again in a breathy voice, brushing her fingers along
the back of his neck with a feathers touch. It sent him over the edge and with an indescribable sound he encompassed her body and
soul, pressing her back on the bed.
* * *
Hailey snuggled against the warm body beside her as she slowly came back from the
dream world. The fuzz in her mind slowly lifted, but only to be replaced by the telltale
throb of a hangover. *Oh my god what happened?* She gingerly opened her eyes to see
Ben sleeping soundly, and very nude beside her. She sat up abruptly as the truth made
itself known in her head, she slept with Constable Fraser. *How? Why? What???* Her
mind spun with questions as she picked her clothes off the floor. *That's right, our drinks
where spiked.* Suddenly it
was perfectly clear. Two very lonely people, drunk and slightly attracted to each other,
*Slightly, maybe just on his end.* Together at a glorified sex fest, what did she think was
going to happen?
She stepped out into the bracing summer air and took a deep breath. No it wasn't because
he loved her, it was because of circumstances. A sob worked it's way from her heart and
she covered her face with her hands. She couldn't stay, she couldn't face him when he
woke. It was time to carry out her plan, no matter how painful it would be. It didn't take long to saddle her horse, and when she re-entered the cabin Fraser was still
sleeping peacefully. With a shaky hand she picked up his log book and a pencil, and
began writing.
Dearest Ben,
I'm so very sorry about what happened last night. I lost control of myself and took
advantage of you, and I'll never forgive myself for it. On account of the circumstances, I
thought it best that I leave this to words so I can get it all out straight. I love you Benton,
and I suppose I always will. But in the same respect I know that we cannot be together.
There would eventually be children, and either they would have to deal with a constantly absent father, or I would have to tear you from
the life you love. I cannot do either, so I know it is time for us to part ways.
I'll always carry a part of you with me, no matter what happens, you'll always be in my
heart.
Goodbye, good luck, and take care of yourself my love. Hailey Winters
With a shuddering breath she tore the sheet from it's binding and folded it in half
stepping back towards the bed. Tears slid unhindered down her cheeks as she pulled an
ivory trinket from her neck and set it on the note. Slowly, tenderly, she kissed the
sleeping man's forehead and whispered "Goodbye Benton." With a deep breath she turned and left the cabin feeling very much like a shell devoid of sprit,
will, and the energy of life. With a set jaw she spurred her horse to the South, and into a
new life of lonliness, desolation, and solitude. It's Present Day, approximately seven years later. After Fraser's botched expedition to
find The Hand of Franklin he was transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia. Upon
arrival his first order of business was to check in with the Police Station...

Hailey stepped into an office marked with Inspector Jenkins' name. "Here's the result of
those vacuumings we found on the abandoned Buick." "Anything worth reading?"
"Not much, but there were some metal shavings that might prove interesting when the
ballistics report comes in."
"Thank you, Constable."
"Your welcome sir." She spoke over her shoulder as she continued down the hallway. Her watch started beeping and she sighed as she turned it off. *So much to
do, so little time.*
Changing her course, she headed to the front office and abruptly froze. "Thank you kindly ma'am."
*No it can't be, you're playing tricks on yourself again.* She started forward again,
rounding the corner cautiously, afraid of what she'd see. "Ben!" She cried as her fears where confirmed. Fraser was taken far aback. "Hailey...?....Constable Winters...." The inflection of his
voice made his statement come out as a question. They stood stone still, staring at each other as if in shock. Time had taken it's toll but age
suited him. There were occasional gray flecks in his midnight black hair, and a few
wrinkles that hadn't been there before. Neither knew just how long they stood gawking
until the receptionist spoke:
"Um, excuse me Sir but you need to sign this..." "Oh, I'm sorry." Fraser said, snapping back to reality. "Just here, it's gives us access to your file." As he briefly scanned the document and signed it Hailey again found her tongue. "What
brought you here?"
In as few words as possible Fraser told her of his Father's death and subsequent transfer to the Consulate in Chicago, his reasons for leaving, and second
transfer to Vancouver.
"Oh my, the Sergeant's dead? I'm sorry." Fraser didn't respond before the doors to the station burst open and a small child ran into
the room on a path straight for Hailey. "Mom! Mom! Jason want's me to sleep over tonight. Can I pleaaaaasssseeeee!" "Whoa whoa cool it little man. Is he waiting?" "Yes!"
"Well first I want you to meet Constable Benton Fraser." The child turned and stuck out
his hand in a very adult like manner, Fraser shook it with wide eyes. "Pleased to meet you sir." He turned back to Hailey. "Now can I go?" "Yes Ashton, I'll call you later okay?" "Okay thanks!" and the head of sandy brown hair bobbed back out of sight. "Well what do you think Constable?"
"A fine young man. When did you get married?" "I didn't, he's yours."
Fraser just looked at her for a second. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but
nothing came out. Another moment of silence, and he fell straight back, hitting the
linoleum floor with a dull 'thump'.
Hailey waited with her arms folded a minute. When Fraser didn't wake she disappeared
into the mess room just off the waiting area. Returning with a cup of water she proceeded
to splash it on his face.
Fraser came to very slowly. When he was more or less fully awake, he lifted his head off
the floor. "He....he's....."
"Yes, he's yours."
His head simply fell back to the floor. His eyes fixed, staring at the ceiling.
Unbeknownst to the others, Inspector Jenkins had been watching the whole thing. "Well
Hailey looks like you've got your hands full. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off, I
think you two need some time to talk."
She looked at him in horror.
"That's an order, Constable."
"Understood." She answered quietly, standing again. The implications of everything
started to sink in causing her frustration to build, this was not helped by Fraser's shock
scene on the floor. "Oh for heavens sake get up and act like a man." She snapped, kicking
him
gently.
He woke slowly, and this time was able to maintain his consciousness. Neither Mountie moved, until the stillness began to make Hailey think she'd go crazy. In
a snit she started to leave, bidding him to follow. He did as if in a stupor, and remained that way until Hailey finished driving to a point
overlooking the bay.
Fraser didn't speak, and nervously rubbed the edges of his Stetson as she put the car into
park and killed the engine. She sighed deeply and pressed her forehead to the steering
wheel.
"A child..." This he said more to himself then anyone. "Why didn't you tell me...?"
At this, Hailey snapped. Seven years of pent up rage, pain, and anger came forth like a
spewing volcano. "For the same goddamn reason I left you in the first place. The only
thing you see, feel, think, or hear is your job. I can't do this, I can't. I can't face this again.
Do you have any idea what I've been through these past seven years? The sheer and unadulterated hell you've put me through? No I suppose you wouldn't, your heart's so caged up in ice you wouldn't feel it if god
himself touched you." Her voice started to crack. "I loved you so much Ben, it consumed
me like a monster. It took every ounce of grit I had to face each day as it came. But
I was strong, oh I could do it, I could pull through. You know Hailey, she can do
anything." Tears now streamed down her cheeks. "I don't know if I can do it again, no I
know I can't do it again. I just
can't...I can't." She whispered hitting the steering wheel to emphasize her point.
For almost ten minutes they both sat, the only sound being Hailey's quiet sobs. Finally,
Fraser spoke without thinking, still in a great deal of shock. "Can you drop me off at the hotel?"
She started the car in silence, drove to his hotel in silence, and they parted in silence. Fraser watched the red tail-lights disappear into the rain and
stepped into the lobby of his hotel. In the background he could hear the strains from a
piano and a deep voice. Sighing in frustration he turned and walked back into the rain.
"I'm not the sort of person who falls, in and quickly out of love. But to you I gave my attention right from the start. I had a lover, who loved me, how could I break such a heart? Yet still you gained my attention...
Why do you come here? When you know I've got troubles enough. Why do you call me? When you know I can't answer the phone. Make me lie and I don't want to.
Make me feel like some kind of love-stricken fool. You make me stay when I shouldn't of; I was so strong your all the weakness in me."
* * *
Trying to keep her mind in check Hailey flipped on her radio as she drove home. Simple
piano chords and a deep female voice filled the cab of her car, and her eyes with tears.
The words hit her heart and they played over and over again in her mind as she tried to
keep tears at bay and get a little sleep. "Feeling guilty, worried, waking from tormented sleep. This old love has me down, and the new love comes deep. If I choose not, I'll loose all. One of you has to fall. But I need you, and you....
Why do you come here? When you know I've got troubles enough. Why do you call me? When you know I can't answer the phone. Make me lie and I don't want to.
Make someone fell like a love-stricken fool. You make me stay when I shouldn't of; I was so strong your all the weakness in me."
Hailey threw off the covers with a sob. Walking to the window and watching the rain
pour down the lone pane of glass. So much pain, why was there always so much pain?
"Why do you come here, and pretend to be just passing by. Well I need to see you. And I need to hold you. I need...." "You ben." Her mind finished the thought, interrupted suddenly by a knock at the door.
She looked through blurry eyes at the red numbers on her alarm clock. 11:45 *what on
earth?*
The knock sounded again.
"I'm coming!" Composing herself quickly she opened the door to see a dripping wet and haunted Fraser. "Leave me alone!" She cried as she slammed the door
back shut.
He stopped it with his foot and stepped inside. "No. No, please go away....go away." She whispered stepping back from him. "Hailey...Hailey I'm sorry." He said in a voice that trembled with emotion. The constriction in her heart wouldn't let her speak but she continued to shake her head
in protest.
"Hailey..." he whispered taking hold of her hands and pulling them from her face,
replacing them with his own as he turned it up to him. "I never said I didn't love you."
She stared at him and they began to drift together as if moving by magnetic attraction. He
turned his head to the side and their lips found their place together again. If it was a dream she didn't...couldn't let it end; and proceeded to play it out for all it was
worth. The two Mounties remained locked in the passionate kiss until Hailey, who was
now feeling water soak through her own clothing, broke away from his grip. "You're
soaked."
"It's raining." Rather obvious, but it was the first thing that came to his mind.
"Let me help you dry off..."
"Yes, that would be best. I wouldn't want to catch my death from cold wet clothes now
would I?"
She grinned and hit him with a violent kiss as she expertly began to undress him...
* * *
Hailey woke a couple hours later, nestled in the crook of his arm. *Oh my it's not a
dream.* She thought as she watched the slow rise and fall of his chest She d idn't drool for
long before the cold wet nose of her geriatric malamute nuzzled her arm. "Min, You
thirsty sweetie?" Careful not to wake him, she untangled herself from the sheets and
grabbed her robe. With a smile of utter contentment she proceeded to clean up the
aftermath of their tryst, which included throwing his uniform into the washer. The dog
whined again and she
disappeared into the kitchen for a midnight snack. An hour later her dryer buzzed, and Hailey proceeded to press the wrinkles out of his and
her uniform at the ironing board. She hummed a nameless tune to herself as she worked
and refused to think of what would happen when he woke. But Ben was awake, and watching her in the doorway. He spent a few minutes watching
what was tantamount to a scene of perfect domestic tranquillity. He wanted to say
something, or do something, but didn't want to disrupt the quiet. The humming stopped as she the hair on her neck began to raise. Slowly, she turned and
laughed. "OH, Ben, don't do that you scared me!" He smiled at her. "Sorry, didn't mean to." "Did Min wake you up?"
"No... not at all."
"Well...your uniform was a mess and I knew you had to work tomorrow so I thought..."
"Don't worry about the uniform. It'll be fine..." He spoke as he walked towards her and
kissed her tenderly.
"Mmmmm." She mumbled, relaxing a little causing the table to rock and the Iron to fall
face-down onto the carpet. "Ahhh!" She cried, quickly picking it up. He pulled her back from the iron-shaped burn. "Careful, don't touch it. It's incredibly hot,
and you won't be able to get the plastic off your skin." She giggled. "Oh Ben I've missed you so." "I've missed you too, Hailey. He brought up the sheet he was covering himself with and wrapped them both in it, resting his chin on her hair. Hailey was quiet for a minute before quietly saying. "I'm sorry, I should have told you as
soon as I knew but I just didn't have
the courage. It was my fault, I practically seduced you that night, and you didn't need to
be held down by a wife and child, and I knew you would feel obligated to stay with me..."
He placed his index finger vertically across her lips, holding them closed. "Shh....you
don't need to apologize to me." Suddenly he stooped and picked her up, carrying them
back towards the bedroom.
* * *
They were perfectly content in their silent worlds as Hailey expertly maneuvered the morning traffic. "Ahhhhh stupid me. I've got to check on old Annie." She
cried suddenly as she dodged out of traffic. Fraser grabbed onto the dashboard and the door handle as she turned suddenly. "You do realize that U turns are illegal inside city limits." "U turn? What U turn? I didn't do a U turn." She said with a mischievous grin. He couldn't help smiling though he tried to stay serious. "That, that just now, a U-turn.
Highly illegal in city limits."
"What, you going to write me a ticket Constable?" "Well, if you do it again, I just might." She was tempted, oh so tempted....But her Good Samaritan project called and she was
going to be late picking up Ashton.
Fraser's eyebrows raised as they pulled into a dingy back street ally and stopped. "I'll be
right back." She told him as she pulled some stuff from the back seat and disappeared
into a broken down brick
building.
Fraser waited quietly until he heard the distinctive ring of gunshots. He looked around for
a phone, CB, or radio but found none and was out of the car in a second. He entered the
building cautiously, sidearm drawn. The inside was stripped down to the metal framing
and a rickety wood staircase lead to the dimly lit upper level. He heard a bump up above
and Hailey scream "Ben!!!"
He took the stairs two at a time and as he passed through a number of small rooms, he kept his gun low and ready, following the last sound of her voice. He
found her in large barren windowless room, struggling in vain against a large man with a
scar along the side of his face. He held a knife to her throat and his hand over her mouth.
As she saw him she made a final valiant attempt to save her love's life. Wrenching the
hand from her mouth she called, "Don't, Ben it's a..." the door closed behind him
enclosing the room in darkness. Her voice, small with defeat finished her sentence.
"Trap."
"Oh dear..."
He found her in large barren windowless room, struggling in vain against a large man with a scar along the side of his face. He held a knife to her throat and his hand over her mouth. As she saw him she made a final valiant
attempt to save her love's life. Wrenching the hand from her mouth she called, "Don't, Ben it's a..." the door closed behind him enclosing the room in darkness. Her voice, small with defeat finished her sentence. "Trap."
"Oh dear..."
Hailey woke slowly, the thrum a plane engine working in harmony with the throb in her head. She hurt, that was the only way to describe it. Everything
about her hurt. Snippets of what happened flipped through her mind, and for a moment she considered ending it there. *No, don't let them win. You are stronger...it was just a show of dominance.....Ben...* Her eyes flew open searching the hull of the plane for a familiar face. It was there, etched with such a look of guilt and pain it nearly caused Hailey to cry out.
She stifled it before it gave her away and instead hissed "Ben." He looked her direction, "Hi Hailey," and forced a smile. He knew they both needed some sort of reassurance, and a smile, no matter how forced, would have to suffice.
"Hi." She replied in a shaky voice as she took in her surroundings. "Are you allright?"
"Yes." She said as she moved into a sitting position with a grimace. "Just...sore."
"That's understandable. Other then that, you're allright, right?" "Yes I'll be okay." There was a pause. "I learned long ago how to separate body from mind, besides women have a built in mechanism for coping with rape."

"Do you have any idea how to get out of this?" "Well, jumping out of the plane is an option. There are two parachutes by the aft hatch. According to my timing, someone comes back about every five minutes to check on us. We'd have to move fast." "Right..." She looked throughout the compartment. "How long until he comes back this time?"
"About 16 seconds."
She flopped down instantly. Fraser did the same, and true to his word a few seconds later the door to the compartment opened, followed by heavy footsteps.. He kicked Hailey, then Fraser, satisfied that they were still asleep, he turned and walked back to the cockpit. Hailey peeked while he had his back turned and stifled a gasp as he shut the door. "My god it's Rickman!"
"Yes, I know. He's been back here four times. Seeing as they work on a rotating basis, I'd say there are about 5 men up there who are doing nothing but checking on us."
"Let's go then!" She said standing up and thanking heaven they had the decency to re-dress her after they where done. As quietly as possible they donned the parachutes. "Let's strip the place, who knows what's here but I'm sure we'll be able to use it." Fraser nodded and they pushed the bags and boxes they could towards the hatch. Fraser carefully undid it, and with a quick push they emptied the compartment. Then, as the door to the cockpit opened, they looked at each other and jumped.
Hailey followed the typical routine for skydiving and remembered to tuck towards the end. She landed securely on her feet, and with a sigh, sank down and covered her face with her hands. Fraser landed not too far away, and after gathering his parachute made his way toward her. "Tuck, roll, and land, just like I said." He smiled. "Yeah. Fraser may I ask you a question?" "Shoot."
"Why didn't you try and find me seven years ago? Why did you just let me go?"
He was silent for a minute or two. "I'm not really sure. I was younger then,
more naive...and I suppose, like you, I just didn't have the courage. " "I thought it was just because you didn't love me." "No....no, of course not..." They stood in silence for a moment, a moment of looking deep into each other's eyes, as if trying to understand each other.
Suddenly Fraser snapped back to common sense. "We need to get under cover. They are likely to circle back to find out where we landed, then they will mark down the exact location and send people after us." The two quickly rolled
Hailey's red parachute, which would have acted as a beacon to the plane, and scurried away from the field where they landed. The contents of the plane compartment where scattered at random through the forest. It took a better part of two hours to gather it together and make some sort of a survival kit.
"Do you have any idea where we are?" She asked after they'd sorted through the things.
He looked over a small map they'd recovered. "Well, judging from our approximate direction, estimated speed, and the duration of our flight I'd say we're about here." They were on the northern edge of a small mountain range hugging the Columbia coast. The nearest marked town was approximately 60 miles Southeast, as the crow flies. "And in all
likeliness we will come across some sort of homestead before we actually get there." His optimism behooved Hailey but she just nodded her head thinking of
just how comforting a deep hot bath would be at that moment. "God have mercy."
"Now, I recall seeing a group of small buildings approximately 10 minutes before we jumped." He thought for a second. "That would put it approximately 30 miles that way." He gestured in the opposite direction. Her eyes lit up. "Let's go then." The two packed everything they needed into
the two small backpacks they'd located, then buried or hid the rest. Once there
was no sign of their time there, they began moving quickly over the mountain

before them, towards the homestead that lay only 30 miles from where they stood.
The going was slow and exhausting and as they began to pull way from the denser pines it was dark, and Hailey simply could go no further. "Well, if you're too tired, we'll have to stop and rest a while." She sat with a thud. "I've been in the city too long." He gave a small laugh. "We did cover almost 20 miles. That's quite respectable on foot."
"Thanks." She replied, yawning as she pulled various hard items from her bag. She took a deep breath and laid down, using it as a sort of pillow. She winced as she put pressure on the bruises that covered her body, closed her eyes though a vivid flashback and curled up against the cold. Fraser sat down next to her, and after a moment, she reached out
to pull herself closer to the only warmth she could find. He watched her shiver for a few minutes, then slipped off his Service Order uniform jacket and covered her with it.
"We are stopping for the night right?"
"Yes, we're stopping for the night."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." It had been a rather difficult choice to stop. It would allow their kidnappers time to close the distance. The smarter thing would have been to carry her, but she needed rest that could only be attained
through a good night's sleep.
"You should get some sleep too. I don't think we need to worry about Oshlavic following us, it's too much work and this forest is too dense for him to see us from above."
His mind raced with reasons why he should stay awake, but it boiled down to the fact that she was right. "You're right. We should both get some sleep. We have a long walk to finish tomorrow." She instinctively snuggled against him, and as memories of that morning began to fill his now idle mind, he slid his arm protectively around her and kissed her gently on the cheek. Through most of the night Fraser sat awake, holding Hailey. He dozed off occasionally, but when he woke he'd scold himself for letting his guard down.
* * *
The first nightmare hit around midnight, Hailey started screaming and pushing away from Fraser viciously "Stop...please." She begged the monster in her dream.
Fraser wasn't sure what to do, so following his instincts he held her tightly
and tried his best to wake her up. Suddenly remembering something his grandmother did he pulled a hair from the back of her neck, causing her to jerk suddenly awake.
"Ben, Ben is that you?"
"Yes, Hailey, It's me, and just me. You're safe." She clung to him for dear life. "They had me again.... they where using me again."
"And for the last time." He knew he was right in his earlier suspicions. It would have been in the best interests of both for them if they had continued moving, instead of stopping for the night. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead into his shoulder as if trying to block out the world. A shuddering sob escaped her lips as her will to not acknowledge what had happened broke. He held her tightly, not letting her escape. "It's OK, you're safe with me." She couldn't speak as her body released it's stress in tears. No words were exchanged, and the sounds of her tears blotted out the sounds of nature.
Stealing occasional glimpses at his watch, he watched time go by. Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty, a half hour. The sobs eventually quieted to an occasional sniffle as she cried herself to sleep. He released his grip on her and settled her back into a natural sleeping position.
* * *
"Humm, mmm, what? what did you say?"
"It's morning. Time to get back on the trail." "Oh...oh right." She yawned and shook. "Gee golly what a wonderful night!" "Did you...uh, sleep well?"
"Oh yes, wonderfully." The statement oozed sarcasm. She stood up stiffly and pulled her hopelessly tangled hair out of her face into something that would
stay out of the way. "To put it frankly, being a girl sucks." "I wouldn't know about that." As she got ready, he packed the few things they had back into the bags.
"No you wouldn't." She said with a smile. "Let's go Paul Bunyan." He chuckled, and they set off in the general direction of the homestead that was their final goal.
The downhill stretch was treacherous, and both lost their footing more than once. Towards noon they saw a thin trail of smoke in the distance. It buoyed their spirits and the last mile went in a breeze, they came out at the edge of a large fenced in field with a man expertly guiding a horse through
it's various exercises. The Mounties climbed the fence, and approached the man.
"Hello there. My name is Constable Fraser, RCMP, and this is Constable Winters. Could we get some assistance from you?" The man looked at the two with a high raised eyebrow.
"You two look like you've been through the wash cycle. How can I help you?" "Do you have some sort of communication to the nearest RCMP detachment? Phone, short-wave radio?" At this time, the homesteader's wife came out into the field, and approached Hailey.
"Oh, my poor girl. You're filthy. Come, let's get you cleaned up." The thought of warm water overrode Hailey's sense of independence and she let the
lady lead her upstairs without complaint or correction. As Hailey was led upstairs, Fraser found the phone. Thankful, there was a large map next to the phone, and Fraser spent a few minutes figuring their exact location. When he had, he picked up the phone, and called the nearest RCMP detachment(the number was thankfully among the list of numbers by the phone). After working it out with the senior NCO on the other end of the line, Fraser thanked them kindly, and hung up. After Hailey had gotten cleaned up, Fraser replaced her in the bathroom, while the homesteader wife washed their Service Order uniforms, which by now had gotten rather dirty. It wasn't until late that evening that a 4-wheel drive 'Buffalo Cab' made its
way to the homestead. Neither Mountie had ever been quite so happy to see the RCMP vehicle, whose door carried the heraldic emblem of the RCMP, with its
prominent buffalo head. Fraser and Hailey left whatever was of value with the homesteaders, and left the small clearing. Over the next 30 hours, they slowly, but surely, made their way back to Vancouver. As they reached the city limits Hailey finally spoke. "You know Ash knows he has a father. I always told him that he had a very important and demanding job and when he was the right age you would come for him."
"And then you left it up to chance that I'd arrive when the time was right?" "No I planned to find you. No matter how I feel, Ashton deserves to know who his father is."
"Well, I agree. But when were you going to try and find me?" "When he was self contained and not as much work, I was thinking around eight."
"Ah, I see."
"I've recorded and kept a lot of his babyhood too so you didn't totally miss that."
"Well...that was very thoughtful of you." They pulled into the parking lot for the station at just that moment and were almost instantly swamped with people. They quickly parted though, letting the Mounties out of the car. Flashing lights and swarms of questions made it impossible to hear each other
speak. lead by a few Mounties from the station they were escorted into the building.
"Good grief what's going on?"
"I haven't a clue."
Suddenly Hailey rocked back as a little figure attacked her from the side. "Mom!"
"Ash!" She called, recouping quickly and stooping to hug him back. They stayed that way for a good five minutes, neither finding the right words to say. Finally she pulled back.
"Ash remember what I told you about your dad coming back someday when you're older?"
Fraser didn't know what to say, or even if he should say anything just yet. This was a mother/son moment.
"Yeah"
"Well he's here. Constable Fraser is your father." "Oh...." He was silent, totally stunned. "Maybe you should rest a bit with Sarah." Hailey looked to her aunt with pleading eyes.
"Yes I'll take care of him." The elderly woman who in all reality was Hailey's saint cooed. From there Hailey, Fraser, and Inspector Jenkins made their way to a prepared interrogation room. "From what we can tell, Oshlavic and Rickman planned the takeover six years ago. The fur business was starting to lag and their operation was leaking. So they figured how to clean it out..." "That makes sense. That's why he lead us to that ridge, he must have had someone waiting for him down below." Hailey interjected. "A get-away vehicle...Sound planning on his part. This man is nobody's fool." Fraser agreed.
"Which is why we are now in a very sticky situation. It's not like we don't have the evidence to convict him, it's a matter of finding him, which is virtually impossible. This leaves our only option..." "We need to find a way to lure him into our hands." again, Hailey interjected.

"Therein lies the question. Now you two are in very real danger so protection officers have been arranged..."
"Very well, sir. The other officers will have to keep a very low profile, of course."
"Of course, and you'll also need to give your separate statements. And we'll have to do it tonight as you know..." "Yes we know." The two replied in unison. Though both dreaded the task they knew it had to be done. They where placed in separate rooms and the questioning began. Hailey told her story slowly, and in immaculate detail. More than once she had to stop to keep control of herself, but she got through it in good time. Fraser sat in the opposite interrogation room, and proceeded to give his statement. Their accounts matched up perfectly, with no deviations whatsoever.
"Raped....man...some people are evil." The constable who questioned Fraser commented as they left the room. Though Fraser didn't show it on the outside, a slight tremor in his voice and something in his stance showed that he wasn't taking it with a grain of salt. "Yes....quite. And the sooner he goes to prison, the safer everyone is."

Hailey came out about ten minutes later. Looking white as a sheet and shaking ever so slightly.
"How are you holding up, Hailey?"
"As long as I never have to reiterate that story again I'll be perfectly fine, thank you."
"Ah, I see." On the outside he looked perfectly normal, but his eyes burrowed
into Hailey's with as much comfort as he could send. They were then greeted by their bodyguards, two tall serious looking men who
gave Hailey an urge to run. They where guided to a decoy car behind the building where she found Ash sound asleep. "Poor guy." She cooed as she took her place next to him. Two rooms had been arranged in a little known hotel in the very heart of the city. It had been laced with alarms and security fit for a diplomat. Throughout
a silent meal Hailey fought and dreaded the thought of sleeping alone, but her
sensitive nature wouldn't allow her personal interests to override Ben's sense
of honor. After they finished eating they were lead to their separate rooms.
There was an awkward silence, broken by Hailey as always. "Well I guess it's goodnight."
"Good night Hailey." Fraser opened his door, and turned back to her. "If you need anything, you know where I am." He gave her the same 'It's going to be okay.' Look before closing the door.

• * * As the week passed they settled into a frustrating rhythm of life. Each Day was spent searching dead ends at the police station, and each night a new hotel. Fear gripped every aspect of their lives and they couldn't find a moment alone together. The stress continued to build until one night over dinner Hailey was struck with an idea. "Oh my, I just remembered something. I can't believe I didn't think of this before! Come on." She said grabbing Fraser's hand. "We've got to get to the station." They quickly left the restaurant stepping into the unmarked police car they where using. "What did you forget?" She waved him off. "Just take us to the station." "Right away." They began driving, using a speed that allowed rapid movement, but still not drawing attention to themselves. Once there, Hailey hit the doors like a whirlwind. "Jenkins! I've got it! In the interrogation room now!" The inspector came from his office ready to give her a full dressing down for disrespect but one look at her expression caused him to obey, quickly. Fraser followed them in, and closed the door. "Living like this is insane and I can't stand it anymore. Something has got to break and I think I know how to make that happen. We've established that Oshlavic is no longer in touch with his contacts in Russia, and isn't running his own trade ring. So what is he after now? A bitter old codger in his retirement...what's his purpose in life?" "Well Cst. Winters, if we knew that, we wouldn't be waiting for you to tell us." The Inspector was still upset at being given orders from a subordinate. "Revenge. It's eating him alive. Why else would the murderer of twelve Mounties come back from the dead?" "Perhaps a nice retirement condo in Kitchner. What makes you so sure this is what's going on?" "Look at it from a common sense angle. I took away his eye, scarred him for life, ruined his name in Russia, and brought down his business. Is there any other way you can explain why he kidnapped me? Fraser was just a kink in his plan. Like I said in my statement he nearly shot one of his henchmen when they found out he was with me." "That is true, sir." Fraser piped in. The Inspector was silent for a moment. "Well, thank you, Cst. Winters, for bringing this to my attention. But it still doesn't help us get our man, does it?" "You see that's where you're wrong. Revenge is one of the most intense of human emotions. It can distort your perception causing you to make errors you wouldn't under normal circumstances. What I'm getting at is I want to use his lust to see me in pain against him." "If you're proposing what I think you're proposing, first of all, it's asinine, crazy, suicidal, and stupid. Second, no officer in his or her right mind, from myself all they way up to the Commissioner in Ottawa would approve." "What are you proposing? We continue to live this godforsaken excuse for a life? Jumping from hotel to hotel until we run out of rooms in Vancouver and then move to another. What makes you think he's not going to eventually find a glitch in the system? Witness protection is bull and we both know it. I'd rather die trying to take down this man than live forever looking over my shoulder. To put it frankly *sir* fear sucks." "Cst. Winters! Watch your tongue, or I'll have you up on charges of insubordination. This operation is already costing the RCMP thousands of dollars in overtime pay every week, to try and catch a man who may or may *not* still be in this *hemisphere!* " "Oh he's here all right, I can feel it. He won't give up until I'm six feet under but your pride won't let you admit that. Now would you take your Prozac and listen to me?" "Constable! Keep yourself in check! You're addressing an officer. One more remark like that, and so help me..." He paused for a second, and tried to calm down. "You have 5 minutes to tell me your plan." He looked down at his watch. "To people who are used to living completely alone, having your every move monitored by someone or another is absolutely maddening. There is nothing more natural then a protectee wanting to get a breath of fresh air. I'm thinking I can start complaining about the lack of privacy and stability. This will result in the protection agency letting us stay at the same place for say oh...three or four days. Leaving it unprotected a few times during that period. On the fourth day we discreetly check for bugs, and if there is one we proceed. I'll tell Fraser one night how I want to be alone with him, we need to talk, and set up a time when we'll both skip the security. I get to the place and Fraser doesn't show up causing me to wait. I'll also be laced with a radio transmitter and satellite location button. So, when Oshlavic attempts to kidnap me again we'll be ready....and should things go awry in some way you'll know where he's taking me." "Crazy. Completely crazy. And what's more, I will not allow any officer under me to take part in that plan. Crazy." "You got any better ideas? He's not going to kill me until he gets me in his compound, he made that perfectly clear." "Oh, so know you know his plans? I'm still not buying it, Constable. It's too risky." "I'm not exactly thrilled about it either but we both know we don't have a choice." "I still don't like it." "If you're worried about funds approval this is going to cost a whole lot less than three lives in witness protection. Not to mention the loss of a very skilled officer." She commented further, gesturing towards Fraser. "You've had your 5 minutes, and I still think it's a God-awful stupid plan. But I'll run it past Division Headquarters. They still won't approve it, but at least it'll shut you up. It will shut you up, won't it?" "I won't shut up until this is solved but go ahead, and hopefully they can look past their little authority complex and realize that they have no choice." He stood up suddenly. "That's it, Constable! I'm going to have you written up on charges!" "Oh look who sat on a bee." "You're just digging yourself in deeper, you know." She knew perfectly well, but her pride wasn't about to let that show. She opened her mouth to retort... Fraser spoke quickly before either other Mountie could have the chance. "Perhaps, sir, Cst. Winters should write up her proposal to send to Division HQ." "I wouldn't have a problem with that, in fact I'd rather enjoy talking to some one with a nickel's worth of sense." "Fine, very well. Go." He quickly left; he had a report of his own to write. "Oh crap!" She exclaimed suddenly. "Inspector wait! You have to keep this under your hat, one hint of it gets out and it puts us all in even more dire straights. Come to think of it I can't write it down or say it over the phone either...I'm going to have to talk to division face to face..." "I will, Cst. Winters. And I suggest, for your own good, that you keep your distance from me for the next 120 minutes." "Only to pleased." was her retort as she brushed past him into the hall. Fraser held back a bit. "You'll have to forgive her, sir. She's a bit on edge." The Inspector just shook his head, and headed into his office. "Frase, you coming?" Her voice echoed from down the hall. "Yea." He half-walked, half-ran down the hall after her. She was already cooling down by the time they got outside and sighed loudly. "Hailey, you need to be more careful. You may have just gotten yourself into as much trouble as you're already in." "You wouldn't know Ben, you don't have a temper. But that was the result of a year of back up hostility. He's been against me since I showed up a fresh rookie from Regina. I had to pull a lot of strings to get in, being a single mom and all, and I guess he's never forgiven me." She giggled. "Who knows maybe it will be me who's next looking for a job at an American consulate." "You'd look fetching on sentry duty." He said with a smile as he held the door for her. She plopped in without a reply, and when he took his place in the driver's seat she laid against his shoulder. "Sometimes I hate myself." "You shouldn't, Hailey. It's just a temper." "Yeah......" "So don't beat yourself up about it." "Never mind, let's go." She said with a sigh moving back to her seat. As they drove back to the hotel the high she'd been running on wore off and depression settled back in it's place. Another night alone...she was finally with the one she loved and she couldn't as much as kiss him. She slid her hand over the middle of the seat and interlaced her fingers with his. "I miss you, Ben." He noted for the first time how small her hand was in comparison with his. "I know, Hailey. I know." "Are you ever going to make us public?" He seriously hadn't thought much about it. "Once this whole situation is over..." "And if this doesn't work?" "It will." "Always the optimist." He merely smiled. Her worry was in vain, for as she opened the door to her room she saw that it was connected to Fraser's room by a private door. With a smile she put little Ash to bed and dissapeared into the bathroom for her nightly routine.
• * * After she was sure the room was asleep, Hailey slipped out of bed and, as quietly as possible, unlocked the door between their rooms and slipped inside. She moved silently across the floor watching him sleep for a minute before sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn't wake up. She leaned over, resting her weight on her forearms and kissed him tenderly. He woke slowly. "Hailey, you should be asleep." She didn't answer but to kiss him harder. He pulled back slightly, just enough so that he could speak. "Hailey..." "Shhhhhh." She whispered as she moved her hand along his arm and up through his hair, kissing him again. "Hailey..." "It's okay no one knows...." "Isn't Ashton in the next room?" "Yes, but He sleeps like a rock." "But still..." "What? If this was another couple, there would be no way we could protect him from that." "But he know this is my room." "Oh for god's sake Ben." She exclaimed in a harsh whisper. Hitting him on the shoulder lightly. "Hailey don't be mad, it just isn't the right...time." She stood up and went for the door. "Hailey..." "Fraser unless you've got something really good to say right now go back to bed and leave me alone." She stood in front of him, arms crossed and jaw set in hurt anger. "Well...uhh...you see....uhh..." He searched for something, anything, to say. Another minute or two went by in silence broken by the occasional stutter. She turned with a smirk and went to leave. He was out of bed in a second and grabbed her arm just as she turned the knob, turning her around and crushing his lips against hers. "what's that supposed to..." He cut her off with another kiss, pressing her against the door. "It's an apology." "Your a wicked man Ben." she replied with a voice filled with humor. He'd been called a number of things in his life; wicked was never one. As she had before, she shut off his sense of reality. He couldn't ever remember feeling like this with a woman before, and he couldn't place the emotion. With Victoria it had been a searing desperate passion, with others it was more a release of physical need, but with Hailey it was like stitching up a hole in his soul. She completed him, made him a man, and perhaps the most important, she proved that he could indeed love again. He stooped a little picking her up and set her gently on the bed. Pulling away for a moment to let his eyes roam, taking her in, before moving his lips to the little hollow below her neck....
• * * The meeting at division head went much the same as it had with Inspector Jenkins, but after much grandstanding and finagling Hailey convinced them to follow through with her plan. The plan immediately went into action, and Hailey began complaining about the lack of privacy. A room was scheduled for an extended stay, and sure enough three days later their room was littered with bugs, all of course non RCMP and untraceable. As they went to follow their typical nightly routine Hailey made her change in plan, whispering to Ben to come into the room with her. He followed suit, carefully closing the door behind him. "We need to talk, privately, without the rest of the world listening." "Understood." "I've figured out a way to skip the security. Tomorrow we are supposed to spend the day at that abandoned building off Henley Street, our bodyguards will be letting up since the place is practically it's own prison. I know how to get out without being seen, especially after I've undergone my...err...transformation." He smiled. "So that's the plan? We'll finally be by ourselves?" "During the chaos while people are trying to find me. Stray to the wharf and look for a platinum blonde in turquoise. I'll be hiding in plain sight." His eyebrows raised. "Tricky." She smiled back. "I've learned a few things in my 36 years." "So it seems." It was very difficult to keep their manner light. inside Hailey was churning with fear. He could see that she was nervous, or perhaps scared, but she remained up beat, and he did his best to do the same. "Well, go before we look suspicious." "Understood." He kissed her silently, and slid through the door to his room. * * * The plan was carried through without a glitch. Fraser, Inspector Jenkins, and a circle of the people involved in the setup, watched tensely from their positions around the wharf or at their computer screens. One hour passed, two, three, nothing. On the fourth hour the inspector called it off and Ben came out from his hiding place in one of the buildings. He walked around for a short time, looking for Hailey in disguise. Suddenly a short haired curly blonde wearing a turquoise miniskirt that had an uncanny resemblance to some of the girls he'd seen in Chicago was at his side. "Where the hell have you been?" "Sorry. I've been looking for you." She stifled a laugh. 'Coudn't recognize me eh?" "No. You truly are a master of disguise." "Well down to business. When are you going to make us public?" "As I said before, once this has all been taken care of." "Why? Why wait so long?" "Because it's too risky now. Hopefully, we won't have to live like this much longer." Hailey's mind rushed to make some sort of conversation that would make all this trouble seem worth it. Luckily one of the special agents recognized their distress and came from his car as if he was following Fraser and just found them. "You two need to come back with me." Fraser looked at the man, then back at Hailey. "Well, we tried." They arrived at the police station about 45 minutes later, upon which Hailey removed her wig. She dreaded each step, her pride had depended on this mission working and it hadn't. Maybe she really should start looking for jobs in the states....Every pair of eyes in the room stared at her with a look between pity and disgust. "I'm going to wash this crap off my face before I break out." She told Fraser and disappeared into the ladies bathroom. She bent over the sink letting the hot water run when suddenly a hand came over her mouth and she felt cold steel against her neck. "Thought you could get away with it didn't you? Thought you could get away from me." She moved to scream but the metal pressed harder, she could feel it just starting to nick her skin. With tears of panic in her eyes she relaxed and started praying as she looked in the mirror before her. The long scar and white hair tipped her off to her captor. She didn't fight him as he led her to the window and somehow made it slide open. With a less than gentle shove he pushed her out into an alley and pulled away for a fraction of a second to shove her into a waiting car. In that moment she screamed at the top of her lungs. The door slammed shut, shutting out her scream. And rubber lay to pavement as the nameless driver hit the gas.... "Thought you could get away with it didn't you? Thought you could getaway

from me." She moved to scream but the metal pressed harder, she could feel it just starting to nick her skin. With tears of panic in her eyes she relaxed and started praying as she looked in the mirror before her. The long
scar and white hair tipped her off to her captor. She didn't fight him as he
led her to the window and somehow made it slide open. With a less than gentle shove he pushed her out into an alley and pulled away for a fraction of a second to shove her into a waiting car. In that moment she screamed at the top of her lungs. The door slammed shut, shutting out her scream. And rubber lay to pavement as the nameless driver hit the gas....
* * *
Fraser heard both the scream and the car speeding away. He ran out theside

door, and caught a brief glimpse of the car and license plate. Since the car was too far away to pursue on foot, he turned instead to the parking lot of the police station. A Constable on Uniform Patrol was getting ready to pull out just as Fraser hit the blacktop. He practically flew into the passenger side door, and ordered the Constable to proceed in the direction that Hailey's kidnapper had driven. As the marked car sped through the streets of Vancouver, Fraser used the radio to give a description of the car, the license plate, and the general direction of the chase. Within minutes the entire Vancouver police unit was aware of the situation, and every Buffalo Cab in the city was watching for the car, knowing that one of their own was in it. Before a few minutes had passed everyone realized the trail was cold. Fraser let a rare curse along with most the staff back at the station. Suddenly a man stationed at one of the many tracking computers yelled, "The tracking device! She's still got her tracking device on!" He flipped up the computer screen and sure enough, a small red blip was flashing along Interstate Five. The news ripped through the airwaves, causing Fraser's nameless chauffeur to gun the gas in that direction. * * *
Hailey heard and smelled the ocean as the car finally came to a stop. She was now blindfolded, gagged, and trussed up very much like a thanksgiving
turkey. The door opened and rough hands pulled her from the car, again she felt a cold blade of steel against her throat. Robbed of her sense of sight she strained her ears to make out her location. A funny hoot much like that of a whale sounded almost in unison with the break of the surf. It took her a minute for the memory it sparked to fully take shape, but when it did a terror consumed her. *The blowholes.* "So tell me Miss Hailey, how good of a swimmer are you?" She felt herself being picked up, turned over, and a hard shoulder settle in
her very bruised stomach. Her captor started moving as Hailey frantically thought of a way to save herself. Something cold clamped about her ankles and a wet mist start to stick to her skin. "You know, you've given me quite a struggle the past few days." Suddenly she heard the all too familiar drone of a helicopter, and a large hand start to fondle her body again. "So pretty, such a waste. It really is a pity you had to go all good on me Hailey." The chopper got louder as he let her off his shoulder. She thought she heard another car but couldn't be sure. Tears now streamed down her face as she begged him silently to spare her.
Suddenly he tore off her blindfold and undid the binds to her hands as he violently pushed her backwards. "Have a good sleep!" She fell at a free fall into the blackness below, taking the deepest breath she could as her body slid into the freezing water. The sirens of the police car alerted Oshlavic, and he turned to run. Before he could reach the waiting ladder of his escape craft the car skidded to a stop between the Russian and the chopper. Fraser was out of the car in a second and roughly grabbed him by the collar. "Where is she?" The enraged Mountie slammed him against the back of
the car. "What did you do with her you son of a bitch!!!" The man pointed off the cliff and was promptly thrown to the ground. As Fraser ran, he yelled to the Constable in the carto arrest the man. A moment later, a single gunshot rang out. Fraser stopped, and whirled to see the Constable lowering his service revolver. The Russian lay flat on the ground, bleeding from a wound to the chest. "He tried to run." The Constable said calmly. Fraser didn't give it another moment's thought and without hesitationjumped
from the cliff.
The freezing water punched the air from Hailey's lungs at first until the
next current pushed her up. The water felt like a thousand knives being driven into her skin. She managed another breath before she was slammed against the rock at the back of the cavern. This happened a third time before she realized she would have to swim her way out of there. On the next
rush she started swimming as best she could with her bound legs, using the receding current to her advantage. She barely cleared the rocks before the wave returned and slammed her viciously against the opening to the
blowhole. This pattern of swim/slam continued until she moved to calmerwater.
At this point she was teetering on the edge of physical and mental breakdown. She contemplated giving up; she just didn't have the strength to fight her way to shore. Then out of no where, she heard Fraser call for her. At first she thought it was just her imagination but it sounded again. "HAILEY!"
Like a drunkard waking from a stupor she called back to him with all the force she could muster. She was slowly being pushed toward shore by the current and thought she could feel something solid beneath her feet. "This way Ben, over here."
He barely made out her voice as she called to him. He turned towards the
direction of her voice and swam to her. The going was far easier and by the time he reached her she was fully on shore, just an occasional wave brushing up around her. She shivered violently and held her eyes shut tightly. As tenderly as possible he pulled her completely from the water and checked her pulse. It was a little weak but most definitely there.
"Hailey, can you hear me? If you can, squeeze my hand." He placed his hand in hers remembering First Aid training at Depot Division. The last of the 5 senses to shut down before a person entered profound and total unconsciousness was hearing.
She squeezed it gently. "C....c...cold..." "Yes, it's very cold." He himself was shivering as he surveyed their position. The cliff was on their left and shadowed them from the sun. People swarmed at the top like insects. He couldn't see a path back up to ground level, but the beach they were resting on continued around a bend, and
if nothing else into the sun. With a mustering of courage and strength he picked her up and carried her in that direction. Within minutes after Fraser jumped from the cliff the place was swarming with RCMP and the media. Search and Rescue had been deployed and every proper precaution was taken to keep the crime scene pure. But that task was becoming increasingly difficult to Constable Trevor as News Choppers started to come their direction. With a curse he looked again into the ocean where his childhood hero had jumped. Something moving in the corner of his eye caught his attention. "There they are sir!" he called to Inspector Jenkins who was conversing with head of
Vancouver Search and Rescue. "Right out there, on the beach." Sure enough, a figure was carrying another in the opposite direction of the cliff. "He's heading for the lee side of the shore." The young constable hadn't finished his sentance before Jenkins and the other man began
shouting orders and moving a discreet operation to the other side of thebeach.
During the short walk to the sunny side of the beach, Hailey felt the overwhelming urge to sleep. Fraser knew better and did whatever it took to keep her awake.
They rounded the bend where they were practically accosted by rescue officials and RCMP officers. The attention made Hailey dizzy, and she quickly barked: "I'm perfectly fine, just cold, tired, and very much in need
of some private peace and quiet."
As if to prove her point Fraser set her down and let her stand by herself. By will and a deep sense of independence she stood dead straight. She looked at Jenkins with pleading eyes and for once it seemed that he understood. "Very well. I'm sure Fraser is quite capable of helping you. You will still be under surveillance though so don't get any crazy ideas." "Certainly not sir." Fraser replied, relieved he didn't have to argue the situation. "We'll be expecting you two to give your full statements tomorrow." "We'll be there sir."
The inspector nodded, turned to say something to the Rescue operator who in turn nodded his head. With a few quick orders the operation was called off and the ambulance and two jeeps headed back to headquarters. Deeming that she was safe to move, Fraser picked her up, and carried her up to the public parking lot. An inconspicuous RCMP vehicle lay waiting, and
he placed Hailey on the back seat, lying down. Climbing into the passenger side, he ordered the Constable, who he now knew was called Trevor, to pull away slowly, so that their departure wouldn't be noticed. After a few miles of deceptive driving the Constable suggested a secured hotel they'd stayed in
a week or so beforehand. Fraser agreed that it was the safest guess and they
proceeded in that direction.
With a thank you kindly he picked up the now soundly sleeping Hailey and carried her to her room. Their bags where already there waiting. He mentally thanked the unknown Constable for calling in what was going on and having one of the dispatchers send an off-duty officer to bring them theirbags.
After placing Hailey on the bed, his first order of business was to start

the bath running at an almost unbearably hot temperature. As the water ran, he went next door to
his room to change out of his salt-encrusted clothes. Unfortunately, the constable who had moved the bags had, in his hurry grabbed nothing more than the bags. Since most of his clothes where now in a closet on the other side of town, he pulled on a Service Order uniform. More out of habit than anything he went for the brown jacket, stopping on a second thought to hang it in the closet, leaving him in shirtsleeves. Next, he placed the 'Do Not Disturb' card on the handles of both doors, closed the bolts and
took both phones off the hook. He knew Hailey needed rest without knocks on the door or ringing phones.
He then returned to the bathroom looking through Hailey's things for some
kind of soap. He was confronted by an impossibly large variety of small bottles. Soaps, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, Fraser was completely baffled and shoved all the bottles back into the small bag from which they came. He found a bar of RCMP-issue soap in his room, which he knew and understood. Placing the bar of soap on the edge of the bathtub, he saw that he had everything he needed except something to wash. He left the bathroom and quietly went to where Hailey lay. By now, the liberal coating of salt she'd received had dried completely, leaving a chalky, white film over her and her clothes. He tried to brush some of it off her face, but the vast majority of it clung to her skin. He knew it would be a fight to get her cleaned off. He went to remove her jacket, but the salt had jammed the zipper making it difficult to pull. After a bit of a struggle, the zipper cooperated. The one piece strapless mini dress that made up the rest of her gaudy outfit came off with relative ease. He drew in his breath as he uncovered her pale skin which was now littered with bruises, old and new. He swallowed a knot of rage and removed the
rest of her clothing. The oblivious mountie then picked her up, and carried her into the bathroom, setting her into the steaming water gently. She remained sound asleep as he picked up the bar of soap, and set to work. By the time he'd finished scrubbing off the last vestiges of sea salt, the bath water was saturated with salt and dirt. Fraser tried a quick experiment by dropping his tuning fork into the water. Instead of sinking, it
floated. After retrieving the fork, he pulled Hailey out of the water, and dried her off; wondering how on earth women could stand messing with so much hair. Then again not everyone had Hailey's hair. Still brooding on the subject Fraser carried her into the bedroom, and set her down on one of the beds. He quickly crossed to the radiator and retrieved the bathrobe he'd draped over
it. He slid the rather warm terry cloth over her shoulders and tied the belt, then tucked her under the blankets from both beds with a gentle kiss on
the cheek. * * *
She woke approximately six hours later with a slight moan. Fraser, who had only recently returned from a bout of errands, leaned over her. "Hello Hailey. How're you feeling?" She blinked her eyes. "Sick." "That's understandable. Hungry?"
"Not really, I think I swallowed too much sea water." He moved a large, covered bowl on a small table so that it rested in front of her and lifted the cover revealing a large, steaming bowl of soup. Her mouth immediately started watering. "Check that I'm starving." "Well, what else do you want? I can get room service to bring up whatever you need."
"No nothing, this will do quite well." She said as she pushed herself up then realized what he'd done. She giggled. "That must have been enjoyable."
"Hmm?" He was concentrating on making his call, blatantly ignoring Hailey's request to the opposite. "Cleaning me up." "Oh...yes." He blushed a bit, quickly finished on the phone, and hung up.
She smiled. "Oh this definitely hits the spot." "I thought you'd enjoy something warm to eat." "You always seem to know what I want don't you?" "Well, I don't know about that. But I did know you'd probably want soup."

Without warning she heard a whine and the bed shook as a large white wolf
bounced up on it and nuzzled her arm.
"Diefenbaker, get down. Hailey needs rest." "Diefenbaker?" She rubbed the dog's neck, taking a liking to himimmediately.
"Yes, this is Diefenbaker. He's been in Chicago for the past few months. He
was staying with some friends there." She extended her hand and shook the wolf's paw. "Pleasure to meet you." He whined and licked her face. "He's duly pleased as well." "I can tell." She said between laughs. He smiled. "Dief, get down. She's trying to eat." The wolf grudgingly obliged and skulked into a corner. "He's beautiful, you pick him up in the territories?" "Yes, 336 km north of Whitehorse."
"Ah....So is Oshlavic?..." She couldn't finish the sentence, or swallow her soup. "Dead? Quite."
She half smiled and closed her eyes, suddenly losing her appetite. "Are you ok?" Fraser looked at her concerned "Yes....Just...I've never felt such terror as I did yesterday." "I understand." "Somehow I doubt that, but I know you try." "I do. Try, that is." A knock at the door announced the arrival of room service.
"Hold on." He stood, went to the door, and quickly returned with another tray. She looked at the tray with eyes of a child at Christmas. "Will this do? You said you were hungry, but you didn't tell me what you wanted."
She removed the lid to find a steaming plate of sweet and sour chicken. "Oh yes I think it will do." He smiled. "I thought it would." "Is Ash all right?"
"Yes, he's fine. He's staying with your aunt." They continued talking about seemingly insignificant things until Hailey was done. "Dief." She called to the wolf who was looking out the window, and who coincidentally ignored her. She called again a little louder... "He's deaf, Hailey." "Deaf???"
"Though sometimes I'm not entirely sure." "He obeyed before...." "He may or may not be able to read lips. It he can, he's self-taught, though." This resulted in the characteristically Canadian. "Hmmm" "Exactly." He responded, as though she'd spoke a coherent sentence. "On April 23, 1967. Ninety-seven Kilometers north of Distruction Bay two men stood on a rope bridge which spanned a canyon. On the other side of that bridge a young woman lie in the clutches of a deviant. They had two cartridges between them and one rifle. They knew it was an impossible shot, but they also knew whoever made that shot would secure the love of that woman. The first man tried and failed, the second tried and won the shooting match. The man and the woman would go on to become my parents and this." He
fished in one of his pockets and pulled out a platinum band set at the top with a trio of diamonds. "has been used to secure the marriages of that and other Fraser families three generations back." He stooped to one
knee. "I'd be honored if you would be the fourth." He hadn't finished his sentence before she'd answered with an enthusiastic yes.
Fraser lifted her hand and gently slid the ring on her finger. She admired it for a moment before he stooped to gently kiss her being careful not to jostle her in any way.
She returned the kiss, and pressed her forehead to his lips with acontented
sigh. * * *
So it was that six weeks later the service set to join Miss Hailey Madeline Winters and Constable Benton Fraser in marriage was scheduled in a small church there in Vancouver. The guest list included names such as Sergeant Buck Forbisher, Raymond Vecchio, and Elaine Besbriss. October 14, 1999, 8:37 a.m. Pacific Time. "Benny!" A familiar voice echoed through the crowded gate Fraser turned quickly to
a voice he hadn't heard in what seemed like ages. "Ray!" Sure enough, a now all but completely bald Raymond Vecchio stood before him. "Frase you look fantastic!"
"So do you!" Fraser threw his arms around his best friend. "How've youbeen?"

"Great considering I just got thrown out on my ass. Stella is beyond reasoning."
"I heard. I'm sorry Ray. There's no need to apologize, you're always welcome." Both men understood the duel meaning to the Mountie's laststatement.
"Yeah but it still wasn't the best timing. Man I still can't believe you,
Benton Fraser, Mr. I don't know women exist, is getting married." Fraser looked down at the boots he'd spent half the night polishing and ironing. "Yeah, it's actually happening." Ray chuckled and slapped his friend onthe
shoulder. "Benny got his groove back." Fraser laughed. "You're not the first to say that, you know." The two men began walking. "Well, it will take us approximately 40 minutes to get your bags and clear Customs, 1 hour 30 minutes to the tuxedo shop, less any delays due to traffic..."
Meanwhile in the first rate apartment uptown Hailey was yelling into her phone. "What do you mean he's got chicken pox!!!!" "I'm sorry Hailey but he's got all the right signs, a slight fever, red itchy dots, I bet he caught it at that play land you took him to a week ago."
Hailey cursed vehemently. "Who's going to take his place????" Dief barked behind her. "Oh lord it never ends..." Suddenly her phone beeped. "Hang on Sha I got another call."
She went to take the phone from where it was cradled on her neck and realized her polish was still wet, with another curse set the phone from her neck on the counter, pressed the "call waiting" button with her nose, and put
her ear to the receiver. "Hello?" "Hailey?" "Yeah Paul this is her, what's wrong?" She recognized the voice as that of her sort of adopted uncle Paul.
"Umm...sweetie I don't know how to tell you this but I'm in the hospital right now." "What? How?!! What happened?" "Well, you know that little desk I keep by my chair?" "That one I've told you your going to break your neck on?" "Yeah that's it, I kind of tripped over it in the dark last night and sprained my ankle..." This tore a moan from Hailey as she sank forward, banging her forehead against the counter. "Okay Paul I'll take care of it, take care of yourself." Sure that her nails where now dry, she dialed the number to her cell phone which Fraser was
carrying. The small phone began beeping, causing Fraser to shift his Stetson
between arms and search his deep pockets for the noisy machine. Ray raised his eyebrows, but was quickly informed that the phone was Hailey's and it was probably her calling. "Hello?" "I hope your morning is going better than mine." There was a loud honk on
the other end, then a yell from a voice she didn't recognize. "That really wasn't necessary, Ray." "Maybe not..." she countered. Fraser climbed into the driver's seat of Hailey's car, and carefullypulled
out of the airport loading zone.
"So far, my day has been fine, but it sounds as if yours hasn't been?" "Yeah, first can Dief carry a pillow? And second, do you know any older father like gentleman I can borrow for an afternoon?" "I believe he can, and there's always Sgt. Frobisher." "Buck?" Her mind was filled with images of her fiance's friend having a digestive problem while they walked down the aisle. "He'll be fine, just as long as he watches what he eats." Ray busted out laughing.
"Lord have mercy, his room number is on the list you left me this morning

right?" "Yes, it is. Perhaps you should give him a call..." "Yeah I'm on it. How's Ray?"
Fraser turned to the subject in question. "Hailey wants to know how youare."

"Yeah I'm just fine." He leaned out the window. "Pull the head from the

ass THEN drive!"
"He's fine. No, he's not yelling at you Hailey." He leaned over. "You weren't yelling at her, were you?" "No." "No, he wasn't yelling at you." "Yeah, okay I'm going to call Buck then and figure out what I can do with
Dief, let's *pray* nothing else goes wrong." "Yes, let's." He leaned over to Ray. "Hailey says pray for good luck." "Oh I'll do that, we'll need it." He replied as they looked at the bumper-to-bumper traffic in front of them. "Oh...dear."
* * *
At last, the organist belted out the wedding march only an hour late. One
thing after another had plagued the parties involved until they where seriously contemplating calling it off. That was until Sgt. Frobisher suggest transporting the bride to the church via horseback. The rest of the wedding proceeded without a glitch, even Dief maneuvering a delicate silk pillow in his jaws to utter perfection. * * *
Fraser stepped out of the courthouse and onto the curb hailing a cab. As
was his custom at this time of day. The first passed without a moments hesitation but the second stopped. With his usual courtesy he opened the door to ask if they accepted dogs. He wasn't halfway through his sentence before he was suddenly shoved into the car and it peeled away. He rolled over
quickly, ready for a fight when his eyes came upon an all too familiar face. "Hello Victoria..."
* * *
The next thing he knew Fraser was waking up to unfamiliar bird calls. As he opened his eyes he took in the room, obviously feminenly decorated. He then realized he was completely nude and in an extremely soft bed with another figure.
That figure rolled over about at the same time as his realization and touched his face gently. "Welcome home Ben." "Oh dear...hello Victoria." His first instinct was to pull away from this woman whom he'd finally gotten out of his life. But here he was, with her again. Wait
where was
here? "Where are we Victoria?"
"Peru, Ben."
"You brought me to Peru?"
"Yes, Ben."
"Why?"
"It's the only place we won't be followed." She touched his cheek pulling his face toward
her and
kissed him very gently. "Oh how I've missed you.." "Yes, you spent quite a bit of time on my mind as well." It wasn't a lie. She
had weighed heavily on his mind, but not in a good way. She slid her arm around his chest and pressed her forehead to his chin. "It doesn't matter now, what's past is past now we're together that's all that matters."
"Victoria, you do know that I'm married now, don't you?" He'd finally put everything she'd done behind him; he didn't need her sending him back to square one.
She snarled. "To that doormat, she didn't even have the guts to tell you when she had your kid. It doesn't matter your gone." She snapped her fingers. "Poof, your out of her life." "But I was very happy with her."
Something flashed through her eyes bordering on an animal like rage and vicious hate. "I
don't
ever want to hear her name mentioned in this place again is that understood?"
He would have protested, but he had no idea if she had any weapons around, and didn't want to find out the hard way. "Yes, it is." He thanked his lucky stars once again for his ability to keep his voice more or less free of emotion.
She curled against him. "Welcome to retirement Ben, I'm sure you'll learn to enjoy it."
"Again, I don't want to retire. I love the RCMP." He was trying his best to resist her without being too overt.
"You didn't leave me much of a choice, Mr. Do good." "You could have let me live my life."
She rolled away, it was obvious she wasn't going to get anywhere just yet. The other woman still weighed too heavily on his mind. "Yes and you could have let
me live
mine." She said as she stood and put on her robe. "The bathroom is to your left." She
headed to
the door, turning just before she closed it. "And don't think about leaving, I'm watching you.....constantly."
After she left, he grabbed the robe hanging next to the bed, and put it on while still under the sheets. He wasn't sure if she was watching him, but he wasn't going to risk it. He got out off the bed, and began looking around the room. With an painstaking eye he went over the large window. Then passed his hand
about
a centimeter from the glass. The hair on the back of his hand stood on end. *It's wired...*
He
then looked through the closet. Male clothes, but not the red serge he last remembered
wearing.
This caused him to search the room, finding his uniform-boots and all hidden under a
large pile
of clothes near the bed. He assumed she'd destroy the uniform, along with his identification, as soon as possible. Bearing this in mind he
hid the
uniform under the bed, after all he'd need it if he was to escape. Fraser hadn't returned to a standing position before the door squeaked open with Victoria
standing in the threshold, one hand behind her and shaking her head. "I told you Fraser
I'm watching you. Give it to me."
"Give what to you?" He said standing well away from the bed and looking at her with the best innocent Mountie face he could muster. "The uniform, now."
"Sorry, don't have it."
She moved ever so slightly and something clicked behind her. "It's under the bed, don't play stupid with me."
"There's nothing under the bed." He walked over to the bed, and lifted the sheets, so that she could see under it. There was nothing but floor, and dust. But no uniform. Somehow, he'd managed to outsmart her, and she wasn't pleased.
Her jaw set in a hard line and her eyes flashed. She spoke slowly, with forced control.
"Strip the
bed slowly, one part at a time."
He did as she said, and eventually the bed was completely bare, even the mattress had been moved; with no sign of the uniform. She silently cursed herself for not burning the accursed red wool with the rest of the
evidence. "The night-stands."
He opened every drawer, and moved them away from the wall. Nothing. Victoria was now furious and drew the gun she was concealing behind her back. They proceeded to comb through everything in the room. Fraser getting more and more
confident and Victoria's temper flaring. Suddenly she froze, her eyes narrowing with rage. "The clothes you bastard." He kept the same innocent look on his face, even though he knew she knew, and removed the clothes one by one. Sure enough, the now
very
wrinkled red, blue, yellow, and brown lay at the bottom. Her eyes filled with tears as she lowered her weapon. "Why Ben why? Why do you do
this to
us?" Her voice quavered with broken emotion. "Because this isn't my life Victoria. My life is 7100 kilometers north of here."
She fled the room, slamming the door behind her. She held back her tears until she'd
found her
way to her hidden observation room where she let her pain go as she stared at the many
monitors in front of her, Ben moving silently in one of them. Once sure she was gone, Fraser picked up the uniform and proceeded to search the room
for a
hiding place. An air conditioning vent lay behind one of the night-stands and as quickly
as
possible he slid the clothing into the small opening. Sliding the furniture back into place.
Victoria watched this as slowly something in her heart died, he'd never give up. But what really hurt was what had made her think he would have changed?
She watched as he went about his normal morning routine as her heart hardened. A
knock
sounded at the door, pulling her from her destructive brood. Fraser looked out his window and saw a young boy waiting outside the door. Victoria
took the
basket he was carrying and disappeared back into the house, yet the boy continued to
wait.
When the youth looked at him, Fraser gestured for the boy to come beneath the window.
He
spoke softly in Spanish. "I need your help. It's an emergency." "What is it?"
"I need you to get something to Lima for me. Stay right there." Fraser hurried and found a piece of paper and a pen. He quickly penned in his situation, and folded the paper labeling it "Canadian Embassy, Lima, Peru". He then rolled it into a tiny tube and flipped it carefully out the window. The boy
took it as
Fraser told him to make sure it got to Lima along with the address of the little house.
The boy looked hesitantly at the note, but when Fraser promised that there would be a reward, the boy pocketed it, and ran back to the door where Victoria was impatiently calling him to collect his money. Fraser watched the youth, his only hope, disappear around the corner. * * *
Hailey and Ray stepped from the department store both swamped with bags and laughing hysterically. "Scotch-guarded at birth??? Oh that is priceless!!!" Suddenly Dief ran into her side barking like crazy. Her smile vanished in an instant. "What? Dief what is it?" The dog whined and pulled at her coat with his teeth. Instinctively Hailey looked for Fraser, not finding him. "Where's Ben?" Dief whined louder and started growling a little as he pulled at Hailey's
sleeve.
Ray was already on his cell.
"Is Fraser there? And you haven't seen him? Thank you." He quickly dialed another
number.
"Is Fraser around? When did he leave? Thank you." The seasoned Yank turned back to
her.
"He's not at your place or at the station, he never came back from the courthouse.."
The wolf started growling and was now practically pulling her off her feet. "I'm going to follow Dief, you go to the courthouse. I'll call you in fifteen minutes."
Ray was already on his way to the Riv he'd driven clear across the continent, complaining
all the
way about the mileage.
Hailey watched him tear from the parking lot and looked back at Dief, only then did she
notice
something
on his nose. With a closer look she realized it was some sort of yellow enamel paint. She fished her pockets for tape or something to remove it with and
found a piece of gum. Careful not to get too much hair with it she wrapped it in it's wrapper and continued following Dief. * * *
Twenty-three blocks and a serious stitch in her side later, she found herself in front of the
courthouse. The wolf started doing circles in an area just off the sidewalk. Hailey bit her lip as she examined the deep tire marks in the snow...just then
her phone buzzed. "Hailey it's Ray, no sign of him anywhere, the station's got a crew
coming out there right now."
Hailey cried out a little as a crushing weight settled on her chest. "I think I know where he was taken...or left from. Meet me at headquarters as soon as you can."
"Alright I'll be there in five, and Hailey don't go all crazy on me. Fraser's a tough guy..."
"I'm the last person you need to tell that Ray, I'll see you in a minute." She slammed down the receiver and headed to the police station. A party was sent out to get what they could from the scene Dief marked out. After careful examination of the tires, measurement between wheel base etc. it was apparent that the car was a Lincoln Continental. The paint chips Hailey retrieved from Diefenbaker's nose were traced with the same pigment and base as that in automotive paint, and the yellow pretty much sealed the deal. It was a taxi, that didn't help much until an aide came up with a stolen car report from earlier that day. A taxi had been ripped at approximately 4:15 P.M. that afternoon about 25 blocks north of the courthouse.
The kid was brought in for questioning and he ran a basic profile of the prep. He said it was a middle aged lady with long curly black hair and blue eyes, about 165 centimeters tall, thin. Ray was immediately alerted, but didn't mention
the connection to Hailey, hoping he might be wrong. The information was plugged into
a database and the kid started looking through mug shots, after about an hour he gave a thumbs up. "That's her, I'm positive." Ray cursed as he saw the face and
Hailey followed suit as she read the name under the caption: Victoria Metcalf.
* * *
Back in Peru relations had continued to deteriorate. A week after the kidnapping Victoria
came into the room with a new determined purpose, and smothered him with a less than
gentle kiss.
"Hello Victoria." He didn't get up, but he rolled away from her in the bed. He'd spent the last 7 days living with the devil, and it was beginning to get
to him.
She stripped her clothes and settled under the covers with him, sliding her fingers along his chest seductively and kissing him again. He brushed her hand away. "No, Victoria." "Yes, Ben." She replied with an edge to her voice as her hand ventured lower.
He grabbed the intrusive hand and pushed it away forcefully. "No Victoria." He stood,
and walked across the room.
"Why, what's holding you back?"
"Because I'm in love. With someone else. It's taken me the past four years to get
over you, Victoria."
Something broke deep within her soul at that moment, "I've consumed
your life?!? My *every* waking, and sleeping moment is consumed with you and has been since I met you in that godforsaken pass. All I've tried to do is
bring us together..." She stood and walked towards him. "But you've made it more than clear that that will never happen." She'd stopped directly before him, her voice now cold and wicked in a way he'd never heard before. "Goodbye, Benton. Now and forever." A low rumble of thunder echoed through the
jungle as she
stalked from the room, followed by the pattering of raindrops. * * *
Before a day had passed the FBI had taken the case out of the RCMP's hands, and Hailey along with it. She begged pleaded and borrowed for them to let her help but as usual the hard-nosed Americans had little sympathy. So she and Ray waited, minutes became hours which in turn became days with no word from Quantico. Then on Wednesday of the next week, five days after the kidnapping news ripped through the Canadian phone lines. A mysterious message was delivered at the Canadian Consulate in Lima, complete with the signature of one Constable Benton Fraser and an address to a residence up around the amazon basin. "It's his way to contact us." Hailey said with conviction. "We have to go to him." Of course the yanks intervened but this time it was simply too much for Hailey to be shoved at the sidelines again. She grandstanded the three officers in Vancouver for hours until she finally broke their resolve and let her go with them. After another three hours of grandstanding she convinced them to buy another of her schemes. And so it was put into action.
December 18, 1999
Hailey cursed as another bug landed on her arm. She couldn't remember when she last felt completely dry. She carefully picked her way over the dirt trail that lead deeper and deeper into the jungle. As it got dark it started raining making the path muddy and slick. More than once Hailey fell, but she couldn't..wouldn't give up. About two hours after nightfall she came into a small clearing with a white house nestled against the jungle in the back. With a deep breath she approached the house and knocked on the door.
Immediately following her knock she heard a door slam behind the house. Following her instincts she investigated and just barely caught a glimpse of curly black hair against a white shirt, and immediately set out to pursue. Ben laid down in bed, wondering what the night would bring. Not long after he began to doze, he heard a door slam. He bolted out of bed, and to the window. It didn't take him long to see what the commotion was about. Below the precipice, he saw a familiar face run past. Hailey, she was here for him,
and he was going to be ready. He quickly pulled on his serge and crept down the hall.
One whole wall was compromised of windows. They where double paned and , causing
him to kick 4 or 5 times before breaking enough glass to get through. He landed on the
ground hard, but quickly recuperated and began chasing the place in the dense forest of
leaves where he last saw Hailey.
And so the trio continued, the two pursuers never managing to catch up with the one before them. The rain made the slight trail slick and dangerous to tread, and the need for silence made maneuvering between the trees and grass most difficult. Slowly and steadily they made the exhausting trek up the hill. Hailey started to wonder if it was worth it when she heard a woman's cry. Forgetting about stealth she crashed through the brush, halting abruptly when she realized half the trail was washed away from the rain. Her eyes followed down the wash to where Victoria lay on her side, obviously in pain. Hailey forgot about anything but the Mountie instinct to help, and herself slid down the muddy slope. At the bottom she realized she couldn't exactly get to Victoria's position without loosing her footing. "Victoria take my hand!" She called into the rain. The subject looked at Hailey with disbelief. "Why would you want to help me?"
"Because you're in trouble, and I know why you did what you did. Loving Ben is like a disease that takes away all rational thought. Now take my hand and let us bury our differences." She did, and as Hailey pulled her up Victoria pulled something from her side and made
a quick upwards thrust.
Hailey froze for a moment, then bent over with a scream of pain letting Victoria go. The two women were counterbalancing each other, so when Hailey released
the hold it sent Victoria flying back against a tree, and Hailey in the opposite direction.
She landed on her back, not moving.
Hailey!" Fraser ran down the hill, slipping a number of times, but never allowing it to slow him down.
She was dizzy with pain and started to black out when she heard the voice she always seemed to hear when she faced death. "Ben?" He finally got to her as she spoke. "Yes, Hailey, I'm here." He looked down at her stomach, seeing the wound he dropped to his knees and instinctively
started applying pressure to it.
"She...she....."
"Stabbed you. I can see that."
"After I tried to help her." Her voice was weakening but it still held a strength and anger in it.
What she said sounded very familiar. "Shh...don't talk. You're expending energy."
She'd been hurt countless times before but it had never felt like this, the path the knife had taken ached with a screaming searing pain and she felt oddly sick in a way she couldn't explain. The energy loss shook her up too. Suddenly she felt as if she was falling backwards though she was laying on the ground. Panic started to arrest her as she realized what was happening...."I don't think it matters now." "Of course it does. You'll need your energy once you get to the hospital."
"I'm not going to get to the hospital." She was going to die, it hit her like a ton of bricks and a thousand things flew through her mind as she thought of everything she'd left unsaid. Suddenly a peace slid over her and she smiled. "I love you Ben." "I know you do. But be quiet. You're wasting energy and body heat."
"Let me talk while I can."
"Why, you'll have plenty of time to talk later." "Stop it."
"Stop what?" In the distance, sirens were heard, though in the jungle, sounds could carry for miles.
She didn't have the energy to argue. "Don't feel alone, no matter where you are I'll always be around you. Even if you can't see me." "Don't talk like that..." He didn't want to admit that she was right. "You're...you're wasting energy....and...and body heat." "Don't lie Ben, it doesn't suit you."
"I'm not lying."
She coughed as the bitter taste of blood filled her mouth. "Take care of Ash, and yourself."
"Listen to me. You can't give up now. Help's almost here." She'd give anything for him to be right. Though she could no longer make out his face the anguish in his voice tore her soul in two. "I'm sorry." Her voice cracked even though it was barely audible. "So......sorry...........Ben." A breeze drifted through the rain as her body went limp and eyes closed for the last time. "No...no...don't stop fighting now, Hailey. Help's almost here.....keep.....keep fighting." His voice broke as a single tear escaped his eye to be
dissolved in the rain soaking his face. He continued applying pressure, though he knew
she was gone.
The small force of FBI, RCMP, and local law enforcement arrived to their position on the hill about a half hour later. Fraser sat as if frozen in time, not
willing to let a moment go. A couple agents started down the wash but Ray stopped them. "No, let me do this." He slipped down the mud, cursing as he ruined yet another suit. At the bottom he drew in his breath as he took in the scene. Heart squeezing in empathy for his friend and bursting with rage at the forces
that be. He was silent for a moment before putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm
sorry Frase."
Fraser barely heard or noticed his friend. "Hmm." "I'm sorry."
"Hmm."
"She's gone Benny." he didn't want to say the ugly truth, but if he knew Ben as he did he would never get up from that place unless someone brought him back
to reality.
"Can you just....just leave me alone for a little while." "Yeah, I'll ward off the feds. Take as long as you need." "Thank you Ray...thank you kindly."
* * *
Three days later the case was all but solved, funeral arrangements made, and everyone was back in Vancouver. The night before the scheduled viewing Fraser, who had been virtually silent since returning to Vancouver, and Ray stopped at the medical examiner's office for the results of the
autopsy.
"You ready?" Ray asked as they pulled into the dingy parking lot. Ben straitened his lanyard. "I suppose so." He opened the door, and stepped out.
They walking in somber silence to the front desk. The receptionist, who knew them both faintly asked. "How can I help you two this evening?"
"We're here to see Cst. Hailey Fraser." "Oh, of course. She's in room two, Let me buzz you in." She hit a button and they stepped through a back door leading to the cold sterile autopsy chambers. The doc met them in the hall. "You don't need to see her if you wouldn't like, I can give you the results verbally." "The ends are the same, regardless of the means." "I'd suggest you don't then. The knife was a six inch serrated pocket knife of sorts that tore through her intestines severing several major blood
vessels, namely the aorta which caused her to bleed out rapidly and eventually the cause
of death. Otherwise she was in perfect
health." He paused. "You were her husband right?" He asked in Fraser's direction.
"Yes sir."
"I wish I didn't have to tell you this but you have a right to know, she was three to four weeks pregnant." Fraser blanched to match the color of his lanyard, but didn't say a word.
Ray closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "Good god." "It is horrible. A beautiful woman cut down in the prime of her life like that, and carrying a baby. With the second victim, as was suspected, cause was a broken
neck and death instantaneous."
Fraser felt no emotion at all. Not sadness. Not anger. Not anything. "Thank you sir." Ray replied. "Let's go Frase." He headed for the door, turning and waiting for the Mountie.
Fraser looked down at his Stetson, and then back at the door to the exam room. After a moment, he put the hat on, and walked out the door. "Where you going to spend the night?"
"Home."
Ray turned the Riv in the appropriate direction and they headed off. Most of the trip
passed in silence until Fraser suddenly spoke. "I should have saved her. If I'd run faster, I'd have stopped Victoria." "Don't ever say that again Fraser. There was nothing anyone could have done, it was out of our hands."
"If I hadn't put on my uniform, I'd have had the time." Of course, he wouldn't have been able to kick the window out without his boots, but he was trying to rationalize what had happened. "Stop it Fraser. Right now."
"You know I never actually told her I loved her." "She knew."
"I never said it aloud...I'm not so sure...she always questioned herself...and sometimes
she'd look at me..." His sentence broke off into silence, of which Ray didn't interrupt.
The Riv rolled into the driveway in front of what used to be Hailey's apartment and Ray killed the engine. "You know I did the same thing with Irene. Always
thought if I'd been just a little faster, if I'd shut up....It really screwed me up for
awhile. Don't go down the same road."
"I won't, Ray. Don't worry about me."
* * *
The sun warmed the cool sea-breeze that was coming off the waterfront a mile or so
away. Save the occasional cry of a gull, the cemetery was deathly quiet as the solemn
funeral procession proceeded in the early evening light. From it's earliest days, the RCMP has been steeped in tradition, much derived from the
military.. A hallmark of an RCMP funeral is that everything is done backwards. The
funeral march moved slowly moved along the road to show their disdain at having to part
with a fallen Mountie. The seven members that comprised the firing party carried their
rifles backwards, with the barrel aiming at the ground as sign of shame for the weapons
that cause death. Behind the firing party came the gun carriage carrying a single,
flag-draped coffin. Normally carried head first, the casket was turned around to give the
deceased one last look at her friends and loved ones. Next came a horse that had been retired from the Musical Ride. The horse wore a saddle draped in a black cloth, with a pair of RCMP-issue riding boots reversed in the stirrups. Next came the Mounties of the Vancouver detachment. Again, a reverse from the norm, the Constables and Corporals led the division, with the Inspector taking up the very end of the procession. The party lined up
around the headstone, no grave was dug since it was Hailey's wish to be cremated and her
ashes to be spread over the glacier on which she was born. "Let me return to the land that
bore me." As the detachment congregated a constable broke ranks from the small throng
and took his place near the small podium beside the preacher. A hush settled over the
crowd as he began to speak.
"Hailey Winters-Fraser was many things in her life. She was a loving mother, a devoted
wife and friend, a Mountie in thought and action, and a caring human being until the very end. For 6 years, she raised our young son alone, somehow balancing in a
career as a member of the force. Every day she'd wake up, get young Ashton ready for the day, and then she'd be off to preserve the right. Yet she still always managed to be there for Ash in the evening. Never
once did being a mother inhibit her job in the RCMP, and never did the RCMP inhibit her duty as a mother. A delicate balancing act, which she quite successfully mastered. She was a loving and devoted wife to me, as well as a friend. In this she did
her best to make sure that everything ran smoothly, and always around when I needed her
help in any way. Her devotion was so strong, she managed to convince her superiors to
go after me in South America with nothing more than a rough address on a piece of scrap
paper. More than this she was a friend to all. There was never a person she didn't try to
help at one point or another. Her compassion for suffering, man or animal, was deep and
complete.
Not only was she a fervent conservationist, she was also a Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She was the first single parent to work her way
through Depot Division, facing obstacles with stubborn diligence and went on to prove
herself as a worthy wearer of the red serge. Her skills, especially in the forensic sciences
were a major
asset to crime-fighting, and she was cited time and again for her quick and logical thinking as for her bravery in the line of duty. She did, in fact, always "get her man".
Finally, she was human. As has been stated, she was a number of things; friend, lover,
mother, Mountie. But perhaps the legacy we will all remember her by was the core of
compassion from which she lived. Her lifelong goal was to alleviate suffering

for all living things and would help anyone who needed her, regardless of who they were,
or what they had done. In this she was truly was a humanitarian. It was once said that 'for those who protect life, it takes on a meaning unknown to those who are protected.' Hailey lived with passion and conviction, therefore
she lived life to it's fullest."
His last words echoed against the stone faces of the Vancouver detachment. The priest
took the pulpit, administering the last rites. Members of the firing party fired their
mourning shots amist the lone trumpeter, and after the party had passed by the casket.
Each administering a final word of goodbye, the funeral was over. * * *
Fraser fished through the deep pockets of his trousers, and found the key to the apartment, opened the door, and walked in. Ash following a short but safe distance behind, still silent as he had been since he discovered his mother would
never return.
The neighbor girl who had been working as their full time baby-sitter/housekeeper of late
met him. "Oh Hello Constable, I was just heading out." Fraser pulled a bill out of his hat, and handed it to the girl, who promptly left with a "thank you kindly". He then turned to the boy but before he could
open his mouth Ash breezed by him and disappeared into the bathroom. Fraser put his hat down on the table, and looked around as he waited. Hailey permeated the place, every crack and crevasse bore something that reminded him
of her. He made a mental note to start looking for another apartment when Ash
emerged in pajamas and sprinted to his room. Fraser made to follow but he slammed the
door in the Mountie's face, followed by the squeak of the bed springs as he put
himself to bed yet again.
Ben calmly opened the door, and stepped in. Ash had his back towards him, pretending to be sleeping. With up-most care Fraser crossed the room and sat on
the edge of the bed, causing the boy to curl his legs away. "Ashton..." As he began
to speak, Fraser realized that he had no idea what to say "You know, my mother
died when I was very young, too."
The boy opened his eyes and looked in Fraser's direction. "Yes, it's true." Fraser thought of how to phrase his next sentence. "She was
killed by a criminal my Father was trying to arrest." Ash looked at him with seething hatred and hurled a book from his bedstead at Ben.
Fraser moved to avoid it, but a second book glanced off his temple as he leaned back. "Ashton!"
Hot tears spilled over his cheeks.
"Don't throw books! They're for reading, not for hurting people!" Out of sheer defiance he threw another.
Fraser caught it, and set it down on the floor. "Now you stop that right now!"
He graduated to the autographed baseball and it flew wide of Fraser, crashing into a self portrait of Hailey across the room, shattering the glass.
"If you throw one more thing, so help me!" Fraser had no idea what he would do, but his father had always thrown similarly worded threats at him. The crash of the glass and the picture Hailey had drawn for him when she couldn't
be there pulled Ash from his tantrum, but not his rage. With a whimper he curled into a fetal position with his back turned to Fraser. Fraser stood, and walked quietly to where the carpet was covered in glass. He picked up some of the larger pieces, and went to throw them away in the garbage can beside Ashton's desk. Cutting his hand in the process he let out a rare curse, and quickly left the room. Proceeding to the bathroom in search of
a bandage. As he rummaged through the medicine cabinets he was confronted by a forest of bottles. *Hailey's things.* He found the gauze bandage, and wrapped it
tightly around his hand. As he tied it off a bottle of lotion fell from the cabinet hitting
him on the shoulder. *I won't be needing any of this in the near future.* He then
proceeded to grab handfuls of bottles from the counter top and medicine cabinets, and shove them underneath the sink. An unmarked bottle sat at the top and tossed it with the rest. It fell out,
and he bent over to pick it up. As he did, he saw something taped to the door of the
cabinet. It was a key labeled 'Ash's Closet', he peeled it off recognizing the
handwriting as Hailey's. Taking the key in his hand, he walked though the apartment and looked at each closet. None had locks, until he got to the basement.
There, in the corner, was a small storage closet that was in fact, locked. Fraser tried
the key, and the door opened.
The closet was lined with shelves, the first three were full of videotapes, the next three photo albums, at the bottom a series of books, and a box of diaries at the very bottom. Taped to the backside of the door was a catalogued list of everything. It's number, name, date, and what photo album book and diary it corresponded to. Fraser looked over everything. Baby things of Ashton's, mainly. Except for the diaries, those were Hailey's. He took the first tape, chronologically, and
put it into the VCR.
The screen glowed blue at first but quickly flipped into picture. A newborn baby lay in a bassinets, tightly bundled and smiling. Hailey's voice filled the room and it was as if Fraser was transported back in time. "It's April first,
1994. Ashton Winters was born approximately five hours ago at 10:45 A.M. Pacific
Standard Time...."
Fraser watched the tape in silence. Most of it was shots of new-born Ashton in the nursery. The tape did have the occasional shot of Hailey, though. It was shot
before Hailey spent time at Depot Division, and it showed in ways only another Mountie would know. She looked 6 years younger, and tired, which made sense, seeing as what she'd just gone through. It wasn't until the latter end of the tape when she addressed Fraser directly. "I see so much of you in him Ben. Even though he's too young to talk or walk he has a spirit about him, it's calming yet captivating and enfolds you in it like a warm blanket. I knew from the moment he was born I couldn't live without him, just as I knew I couldn't live without you...." It was like she'd come back to haunt him. It would be like having Fraser Sr..
come back to bother him, only many times worse. He hit 'Stop' and began crying. Hearing her talk to him in such pain, was just too much to take too early.
"Let it out son, it's the only way you'll heal." His head snapped out of his hands to turn to the voice. He hadn't heard it since that day years ago when he confronted Muldoon. "Dad?" Sure enough, the figure of Bob Fraser stood at Ben's side, holding his Stetson in the crook of his arm. "Yes it would so appear that the forces that be have
sent me back."
"It would appear so, dad. After all, you're standing right next to me." "So I am."
"And *why* exactly are you here?"
"Don't know, they don't tell you anything here. Possibly the events of late, I was just d
discussing it over
dinner with your mother. It would appear that our family has been hit with some kind of curse."
"You don't seriously believe in curses, do you dad?" "No, but it's a good theory. Personally I think it's just a chance for things to happen right."
"How so? The woman I loved is gone, and I have a son to raise on my own who I hardly know. Not to mention the fact that he resents me for getting his mother killed."
"You've always been a better man than me son. You've proved that more than once. The challenge is, can you deal with the problems and not bury them so they fester and come out at the wrong places, and with the wrong people."
"So that they don't adversely effect another young life." The sergeant nodded his head. "Your starting down the same path, you have to stop yourself before it's too late." "I know."
"Look to Ashton for support and in turn he will with you. Don't bury the pain but let it out however you see fit. But above all don't run from the problem....you can never escape grief." "Dad, that may be some of the best advice you've ever given me. The most coherent, at least."
The dead man chuckled.
"Have you...uhh, seen her?"
"No I'm afraid not."
"Oh...I...uh, I see."
Then as suddenly as he appeared he was gone; leaving Fraser again alone with his thoughts.
*I've forgot how annoying that popping he does. He pops in, he pops out.*

His musings where interrupted by a little voice behind his chair. "Dad?" Fraser turned suddenly to see Ashton. His first instinct was to ask why he wasn't sleeping, but he thought better. "Yes, Ashton?" "Your sad."
"Yes, Ashton, I am. I think we both are." "Don't be."
"Well, it's only natural to be sad. It's an emotion." "Mom is with us though, I saw her."
"Did you?"
"Just now, She said not to feel sad because she's watching us, and helping us though we can't tell she is."
Fraser couldn't help smiling. "Well, Ashton, that's been known to happen before. People coming back to visit, that is." "So don't be sad."
"Well, like I said. It's only natural to be sad. But it passes." "Okay.."
"You know, it's late. I think you'd better get off to bed." "Okay, goodnight." Ash replied and started to walk out of the room, though before he made it to the door. With a brief hesitation he turned suddenly and
hugged Fraser. Then ran up the stairs as fast as his little legs could move him.
Fraser just stood there. *Maybe I can do this.* * * *
Ben spent a good part of the next day organizing his trip to the territories. Hailey's body
would be completely cremated by the next day and he planned to spread her ashes as
soon as possible. As a last matter of business he thumbed through the rolodex on what
was once Hailey's desk looking for a number. A small noise escaped from Ash, who was
busying himself with a set of ivory toys; a gift from one of Hailey's Inuit friends many
years back. The child's face was etched in concentration and he was talking quietly to
himself. A smile stretched across Fraser's face as he realized this perfect scene of
childhood tranquillity and innocence was partially because of him. With a quick change
of mind he spoke. "Ash, did your mother ever take you to the place where she was born?"
"No." Though out of his silent grief, he still didn't talk much. But then again he'd never
been an extremely talkative child.
"Would you like to?"
"Yes."
"Well then, you can go with me tomorrow." Ash said merely. "Thank you." But his eyes shone with a new vitality. * * *
*Yes Ray we're coming.* Fraser thought as his friend laid on the horn yet again. "You
shut off the light to your room right?" "Yes."
"And you remembered your toothbrush?"
"Yes."
"Very well then, shall we go?"
He slid through the doorway and headed down the hall before the taller figure. The two
walked in silence down the hallway leading out of the building, as they approached the
exit doors the younger lifted his hand to the older, who paused a moment before turning
his Stetson clad head down, and with a smile took the small out-stretched hand in his
own. Stepping through the doors onto the sidewalk. Neither male heard sensed or saw the figure of a woman behind them as she said. "Good
luck my boys, good luck."
Fare thee well, my own true love.
Farewell for awhile, I'm going away.
But I'll be back...though I'd go ten thousand miles. Ten thousand miles or more,
The rocks may melt,
And the sea may burn,
If I should not return.
Oh don't you see, that lonesome dove.
Sitting on an Ivy tree. He's looking for His own true love, as I may leave for awhile. Oh come he back, that lonesome dove.
And spend awhile with me.
If I had a friend upon this earth.
You've been a friend to me.
Fare thee well, my own true love.
Farewell for awhile, I'm going away.
But I'll be back...though I'd go ten thousand miles. Ten thousand miles or more,
The rocks may melt,
And the sea may burn,
If I should not return.
THE END