Roberta Radcliffe

Senator Radcliffe thanked the surgeon and joined his wife in his daughter's room. It took five seconds for his daughter to give him the only lead he had on the man who saved his daughter. The Senator paused for a moment, wondering if what he wanted to do next was a good idea. The father in him over ruled the title of Senator, he just hoped he didn't make too many waves; he just needed to get to the truth.

Charles Radcliffe put his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Kathrine, I need you to do me a favor; reach out to whoever you need to. If I have to owe favors into next year, then so be it. I want to know who was using the call sign Alpha Six-One yesterday, perhaps for the last week. Go across all the services, even the three letter agencies please. Find him Kathrine." His grip became a little tighter on his phone when his mind decided; he was doing the right thing. "Find him"

*******

I had just got out of the shower when I heard the phone ring. It stopped, then rang again. By now I had a towel wrapped around me and was within arm's reach of the shrill noise.

"Yes?"

"Logan, I need you in my office as soon as you can. It can't wait until tomorrow so move your ass. I have Jenna's recital at six-thirty tonight, and the wife's already pissed that I'm having to stay."

I laughed, I sure bet she was pissed as well.

"Well since it's my number one and favorite niece's recital, I won't tell you I have a previous appointment. Be there in thirty boss."

I surprised even myself when I walked into his office twenty-five minutes later, smiling to myself as I thought that he will make the recital after all. Even when my boss finished talking, I was still staring at him. He had the patience to stare right on back.

"You have got to be shitting me, she's Senator Radcliffe's daughter?"

He nodded. "Yep, oh it gets better. He wants to see you in his office, tomorrow at two."

It was my turn to shake my head. "I'm guessing that wasn't an invitation, more an order?"

He nodded in confirmation.

Half in humor and half because I knew the reputation of Senator Radcliffe, I asked. "Do I need to lawyer up?"

"To be honest, I don't know if his going to thank you or shoot you."

I stood, still in a daze. As I was opening his office door, I said, "Well, it was fun working with you."

He was still laughing when I left his office. I went home and did a little research of my own. After an hour of sitting in front of my laptop, I was out of my apartment and in my car.

*******

Bobbie was dreaming, the growl of the bear made her heart race. She still heard her scream in her thoughts as she fought to wake up. Her room was dark and yet something was different. She sensed something, and the something made her pull away from her nightmare and open her eyes; she was at the place where dreams and awake divided. Bobbie fought hard to control her breathing. Her eyes opened again and she spotted him, sitting in the furthest part of her room; the only place that the shadows never left.

"Are you okay? I thought for a moment there, that I would have to call a nurse in."

Bobbie smiled and thought for a moment. She recognized the voice. That same voice lived in her head, and it had protected her from the bear. The shadows were his friends. She could clearly see him sitting there, right up to his chest, then the shadows caused by the bedside lamp cloaked his face in half light.

Knowing he was here sent warmth to her heart, she was safe from the bear, safe from everything. Everything he said to her as he took her to the helicopter came true. In the cold light of the hospital emergency room and then onto surgery the analytical part of her mind made her listen to the interaction of the medical staff. One man stood between her being a meal for a bear and survival. The events of that morning played over and over in her head.

She alone had placed herself in that situation. Her focus on her own crumbling relationship caused her to take the wrong path, and instead of the slow looping path around the hotel, she plunged deeper and deeper into the forest and her meeting with the bear.

Her thoughts played out her time of darkness. When a man she never knew carried her to safety, all she could think about was accusing that same man of kidnapping her. His reason for the blindfold held no reason at all, so she listened and one thing stuck to her memory, the one thing that she would take with her through life.

With a smile on her lips, she stared at the shadows and said. "Hello Alpha Six-One."

Her voice cracked and she coughed. He stood and walked across the room, sat on the edge of her bed, reached over to the jug and poured some water into a paper cup before lifting her head slightly so she could suck on the straw.

*******

The pictures I had found of her on my laptop just didn't do the real thing justice. She cleaned up really well though. I would even add, she was stunning, even if she had just awaken from what was clearly a nightmare. Somehow the sweaty, panicked look seemed to add to her beauty, not that I was brave enough to tell her that of course.

I helped her take a few sips of water and went to return to my seat. Her hand grasped mine. The drip feed needle in her arm limited the amount of pressure she could add to my staying seated, but I got the message.

"Well, you look better than the last time I saw you, Miss Roberta (Bobbie) Radcliffe."

The questioning look came first. I suppose curiosity finally got the better of her, when she said. "I can see you now. What's changed?"

I placed the cup back onto the cabinet and looked at her, her eyes still held the question within them. She wanted an answer, yet her eyes held a little panic within them. She had asked the question, I had to wonder if she was ready, in the condition she was in, for the answer.

"Your father found me. I assume you gave him my call sign. He took it from there; I'm scheduled to see him on the hill tomorrow afternoon."

Panic came to her; Roberta's eyes gave her away. She didn't need the added grief of self doubt over her actions, so I tried to put her at ease. The mischief in me came out right about then.

"I assume he's going to ask what my intentions are towards his daughter, more so since I've seen and had my hands on your naked legs."

She managed a smile before she started coughing again.

"You need to rest, if you carry on like this you're going to bust something, then I'm going to have a surgeon on my ass as well as your father."

"Can I know your name now that you've seen and had your hands on my naked legs as well as held the back of my neck while I took a sip of water?"

Well I laughed. She was funny when she wasn't being all bloody and damaged.

"Logan Hesler, at your service ma'am."

Her eyes tell on her, mischief was in the making.

"My service huh? I'll hold you to that when I need my bed pan changed."

I laughed, she coughed and a nurse came in to check on the noise. She took one look at me and I could already figure out her next comment, it came anyway.

"Visiting hours were over two hours ago. You shouldn't even be in here; this patient needs to rest."

The hand holding me to the bed eased itself away from my arm. I then took it in my hand, lifted it and kissed the back of it.

"It's been a pleasure ma'am. Get well soon okay?"

I watched her, her eyes and mouth had that shocked look. I suspect the nod of her head was done on auto pilot.

*******

Bobbie watched the nurse as she herself watched Logan walk down the corridor towards the elevator. The nurse tutted and tucked Bobbie back in.

It was only when the nurse stood back up and looked at Bobbie did she say with a smile on her lips, "If that's the quality of boyfriend you get being a pro-golfer, I may have to take the game up myself.

Both giggled. Nurse Carol Barns watched the discomfort Bobbie was in, the machines still gave off their information and Carol watched the anxiety start to build in her patient.

"I need to phone my mom, please Carol. I will only be a minute."

Nurse Barns was torn. Bobbie needed rest and plenty of it, the state the stranger left her in made sure that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Finally relenting, the nurse handed Bobbie her cell with the understanding that she would be back in ten minutes and expected to see her cell off and her asleep. A frantic nod was her only reassurance that it was a deal.

The call was answered on the third ring. "Roberta dear, are you okay? You should be resting."

"Mom, dad knows who helped me. Make him stop mom, please. I know what he's like, more so since he found out what Ben was up to while I was at the tournament."

"Slow down dear. What's happened?"

Bobbie took a breath, her hand was still shaking. The monitor making all sorts of noises reminded her that she really did need to listen to her mother and calm down.

She shared her tale of the man sitting in the chair when she woke, but refrained from telling her that she woke because of her nightmare. He had confessed that he was the one who saved her and somehow, her father had found out who he is.

"Oh. So you have actually met Alpha Six-One? Tell me dear, what's he like?"

Bobbie was really confused now and asked her mom how she knew his call-sign. That's when her mother told her that she talked in her sleep, or rather as she was going back to sleep. As she had held onto her mother's hand, she used that call-sign. Bobbie was crestfallen. She had handed her father the means to track down the man who saved her life, and it was her fault.

"Mom. Make Daddy stop. Make him leave Logan alone."

"So it's Logan now. Mind you, he saved your life so I think it's only fair that you're on first name terms."

Bobbie rolled her eyes, although she could clearly see where she got her own romantic streak from.

"Mom, you're not helping here. Make him stop, make him leave Logan alone."

Her mother smiled and said she would do what she could, but with Bobbie in hospital her mother had moved back into the house to be closer to the hospital. Her father still needed to make his speech the next day so he had returned to Washington. She did promise her daughter that she would be speaking to her father as soon as this call was ended. It seemed to placate Roberta; her mother wished her a good night's rest and again promised to track her father down as soon as she put the phone down.

*******

I sat in my seat in the Senators outer office for ten minutes; good thing I bought a newspaper with me.

My concentration was still on the sports section when a rather pissed looking secretary said. "The Senator will see you now."

I took a moment to fold my paper up; she looked even more pissed when I put it down on the seat I had vacated. Not sure why she was pissed at me. Hell, I didn't ask to see the Senator. I was more than happy in my own little world.

Senator Radcliffe was on his phone when I sat down in front of him. I was sure tempted to go back outside and bring my newspaper back in, because I hadn't finished that article and I did seem to have a lot of time on my hands at the moment.

"I hear you visited my daughter last night."

I crossed my legs and stared at him, feeling really confused.

"Senator Radcliffe, you're going to have to be more specific. In the course of my work I visit allot of people."

The flash of anger seeped out, he wasn't quick enough to hide it.

"Don't smart mouth me Agent Hesler."

"With all due respect Senator, you're the one who summoned me here, I didn't book an appointment to see, let alone talk to you."

Charles Radcliffe leant on his desk, the staring match between them wasn't going according to plan.

"I asked you here to thank you for saving my daughter. I'm having doubts about that now."

In retaliation, I leaned forward in my chair, resting my elbows on my knees as I did.

"We both know that's the reason you used to summon me here Senator. Just as we both know that's not the real reason. I'm not your daughter's scumbag of a boyfriend Senator, in fact I would go so far as to say, I think the ex-boyfriend not only needs his head examined but needs glasses as well. Your daughter is hot Senator, but she's your daughter, not my girlfriend."

Charles Radcliffe regrouped; he was uncomfortable that this agent could see through him so quickly.

"So you think my daughter is hot. Do you have an ulterior motive for saving my daughter, Agent Hesler?"

"Other than the fact that she was a hairs breathe away from being a meal for a bear, Senator? I have no motive at all towards your daughter. You probably know what I earn with the ATF, I'm almost sure your daughter pays that much if not more in taxes with her job. Totally different worlds, Senator. So, are we done here, because I have a plane to catch?"

Charles Radcliffe sure took on a whole new level of angry; when he stood so did I. "Get the hell out of my office."

It took me a moment to button my suit jacket and look at him before replying. "If you remember correctly Senator, you summoned me here, I didn't volunteer."

He was still shouting something about having my job when I shut the door behind me, looking at his secretary I said. "If he's got a heart condition, you may want to make sure he takes something to calm down."

We passed each other in his outer office. I still forgot to pick up my paper on the way out as well.

*******

"Dammit Logan, I could have done without some Senator crawling up my ass for the last hour. He desperately wants you out on the street. What's pissing him off at the moment is that he can't find a legitimate reason to do it."

"It's a good thing I have a short lease on my apartment."

"You're not funny Logan. I'm sending you down to Florida for three days, you need to bring Agent Cortez up to speed on what you learned about Sanchez before you started shooting at bears."

We talked in generalities for the next ten minutes, but it seemed my boss wasn't budging on sending me out of the way and using a meeting with Agent Cortez to do it. So, I packed a bag and was at the airport three hours later.

*******

Bobbie felt relieved when her mother phoned her the next day. When her mother explained what had happened all Bobbie could do was yell. "HE DID WHAT? But I thought you talked to him, you promised you would talk to him."

"I did dear, he said he would just thank your friend and leave it at that. It seems Logan knew what buttons to push concerning your father and it sent him into orbit. You have a keeper with that Logan dear."

Bobbie's eyes rolled once again. It was then she had her own lightbulb moment. "Mom, I have an idea, can you get me the number of Logan's boss?"

"Oh that's easy dear, I will talk to Kathrine, she would have that information in case your father needed it. By the way Roberta, what do you want it for?"

"I think it's time I stood up to Daddy and I know just the man to help me do just that."

*******

My plane landed at three in the afternoon. The three days I was to spend with Agent Cortez, turned into a week. The last couple of days being nothing but paperwork shuffling, I felt like I was being kept out of the way. No doubt a certain Senator had something to do with it, although I doubt I could prove it.

I checked in with my office over the phone while wandering towards my car in the long-term parking lot. That's when I was told that I had a week off starting now. It sure shocked the heck out of me, since I hadn't booked any time off.

My next surprise came when I was still walking down the corridor to my apartment. My keys now in hand when my apartment door opened and Nurse Carol Barns stepped out.

She was as shocked as I was, only she recovered quicker than I did. "Oh good, I was told you would be back today. She's resting and comfortable. I'll pop back tomorrow just to make sure you both haven't killed each other. Have a good evening."

By the time I had regrouped, Nurse Barns was in the elevator and going down. I dropped my case inside the door and pulled my weapon out. The sound of the tv in the bedroom pulled me towards that end of the room. My foot gently kicked the door open and sitting in my bed was a very familiar female. At least I had the forethought to holster my weapon, once the shock wore off, that is.

"Oh goodie, I have company."

"You know your trespassing. I could have your skinny ass bounced out of here in a New York minute lady."

Bobbie smiled. "Actually, I have my mother's hips, so alas, I will never agree with the part about having a skinny ass."

"Well at least you admit to the fact that you're trespassing."

"Will not. I'll have you know that you invited me here."

The staring part came next, only because I was still trying to work out what was going on, and why did I have a Senator's daughter in my bed.

In the end I caved, and asked. "Okay, I give up. How did I invite you to be semi-naked in my bed?"

The bitch had been waiting for me to ask, I would have bet my apartment on it. Even when she started to explain I realized that she was using a very tenuous link just to get her foot in the door, let alone her ass in my bed.

"You saved my life. So, Mister Logan Hesler. That makes me, your responsibility from now until I can play golf again." Her eyes sparkled, her lips went into smirk mode, and she added. "Maybe longer if we play our cards right."

I sat on the chair by the bed. She was dressed in a baggy tee-shirt. Garfield stared back at me via her chest. The words on the shirt that peeked out over the top on the blanket amused me and she looked down at what I was staring at.

"Well? Do you wanna hug?"

I thought it prudent to ignore her question. It was also clear to see from the amount of movement inside the shirt, that from the waist up, it was all she had on.

It took a while, but I managed to tear my eyes away from the movement inside that shirt and Garfield's continued smirk, I moved us back to her original statement.

"You couldn't make that any more tenuous reasoning if you tried. This is the twentieth-first century, not the medieval times. We don't own a life if we save a life, that's called slavery, which is also illegal"

That smirk came alive in her again.

"Oh I have reams of this stuff Logan, we can spend all afternoon debating the ins and outs of this conversation. But it will still leave me in your bed and you sitting on the chair next to me when we're done."

Now being on the north side of paranoid, I just had to ask. "So, does my boss know you're here?"

She smiled as she nodded her head. Inwardly I groaned, he would have had to of course, keeping me out of the way so they could move Roberta in. I'm so not going to live this down, not in this lifetime. He would have told his wife of course, so now my own sister would have her own input. I was going to get tons of crap about this from my family as well.

Another part of this argument became apparent. Well to me it did, so being a guy, I just had to mention it. "I'm sure it's become obvious to you that this is a one-bedroom apartment?"

She nodded her head. "Oh yes, your boss told me when I first mentioned moving in here. We did discus putting a hospital bed in the day room, but you were off doing top secret ATF stuff so we couldn't get your opinion, so we just left things as they are."

Her arm went out in a wide arc. "Comfy, don't you think?"

I almost laughed at the 'couldn't get your opinion' comment. I spoke to my boss at least once a day, not once did he even hint at any of this.

Almost as an afterthought she stared at me for a moment. Something about her changed, it was interesting to watch and I wondered what was coming next.

"Logan, I know you're not comfortable with me being here, I know my father tried to bully you." This time she smiled. "Just as I know you aren't afraid of him."