Chapter 5

“What do you mean you can’t tell me that information?!” Julian blared.

The young, male clerk behind the airport counter trembled from the force of Julian’s words. He swallowed audibly. “Just that, sir. There are rules that --”

Julian’s eyes narrowed. He spoke in a low, menacing tone. “Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Crane,” the man murmured.

“You had better start acting like it.” He leaned over the counter and grabbed the man by his tie. Not giving a second thought to the looks of horror on the faces of the waiting customers around him. “I don’t give a damn about your rules. If you want to keep this piece of a job, you’ll do what I say.” He shoved the man back. “Now, the flight number was 2455 and the passenger’s name is Dr. Eve Russell.”

The man’s fingers flew across the keyboard. Moments later his ashen face looked up. “Mr. Crane, there was no Flight 2455 departing from Harmony Airport.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that, sir. Are you sure your friend left from this airport?”

Julian stopped to think. He just assumed Eve left from Harmony. It had been hours before he heard from her. Oh, she could have been calling from anywhere. “No, I’m not sure. Can’t you tell where that flight originated?”

The clerk shook his head. “We have many carriers here, Mr. Crane, but there’s no way I can tell you about a flight that didn’t arrive or depart from this point. I’m sorry.”

“Damn it!” Julian stormed from the counter. What next? Eve didn’t want him to find her, but he wouldn’t rest until he did. He had to find her and assure her that everything would be okay. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. Tears burned his eyes. Through all the years he’s known her, he’d never heard her so scared or sad in his life. That sound, the hopelessness in her voice, it haunted him.

Julian left the airport, fueled by anger and determination. He would find Eve, shower her with his love and support, and make that barbarian she married rue this day for the rest of his life. Or at least for however much life Julian decided to give him.
 

~*~
Sam slid his cell phone back into the clip on his jeans. “I’m sorry about that phone call. We’re still trying to find out the whereabouts of the woman that kidnapped Sheridan’s baby,” he said, once again joining TC on the couch.

TC waved off the apology, his eyes fixed on the shattered picture he held in his hands of what was now his broken family. “That’s okay. You’re the police chief. Always on duty, right?”

“Yeah.” Sam watched him for a quiet moment before speaking. “TC, what’s going on? Who do you want to talk to? Your best friend or the police chief?”

“I’ll just leave it at Sam for now, okay?” he said, placing the picture on the coffee table.

“Fine. Hey, tell me what’s eating you? You and Julian were, not that’s it’s anything new to see you two tangled up, but you would have killed each other out there.”

“I hate him, Sam.” He clenched his fists so tightly, his nails dug into his flesh. His ire for Julian bubbled with ever second that passed. “I hate that man so much.”

“That’s not a secret, but something always causes these encounters you two have. Mostly you, and your inability to control your temper around him.”

TC chuckled. “My temper. If you noticed, Julian came here.”

“Why?” Sam sighed. “Look, I heard you say something before that made absolutely no sense. Something about Eve….”

“I found her with Julian. I found them, Sam. She was -- They were….”

Disbelief colored Sam’s eyes. “I don’t understand. Eve hates Julian and she loves you.”

“I wonder about that. How could she love me and give herself to Julian Crane? She gave herself to this man. This man I HATE!” TC bounded from the couch and stared into the cold, dark fireplace. “I opened the door of her office and there they were. So lost in each other they didn’t even know I was standing there. I will never be able to get that picture out of my head.”

“I know the feeling.”

He turned to Sam with a jerk. “No, no, you don’t! Grace believed David to be her husband. That doesn’t diminish your pain, but it makes it different. You are Julian in my scenario, okay?” TC turned back to the fireplace. He released a long, deep, breath. “When I saw them, when I saw Eve naked and locked in the arms of my most hated enemy, something inside me snapped. I backed out of the office and waited for Eve to come home.”

“Waited for Eve to….” Sam approached him. “Where is Eve? What happened when she came home?”

There was no reply.

Sam placed his hand on TC’s shoulder. “Turn around.”

Slowly, TC turned.

A pained gasp fell from Sam’s lips. “Tell me my belief that those scratches came from Julian are correct,” he said, his voice pleading.

TC shook his head. “I can’t,” he croaked, dropping his head to his friend’s shoulder as anguished sobs overtook him. "I can't."