"Then, unarrange it, Sanchez, because you aren't going to pull an across the state collar out of this one. We can call Buffalo from here and have them handle it AND before you tell me that this is another scheme with Rollie Tyler, I remind you how the last little fiasco went," Vanduran told her, hardly looking up from his papers on his desk.

"I don't understand, Captain. First you tell me to pull out all stops and get Czewt and now, you got nothing but let it go?" Mira asked, standing up and putting her hands on his desk across from him.

"Sanchez, remove your aggressive posture from my office! Get out of here and get back to work. There are plenty of other cases that haven't been solved. Stop grand standing in my office!"

Mira started to protest with a different approach but stopped as he pointed to his door- "out!" he said, staring her down.

Mira was out in a flash, her fist slamming down on her own desk. She was completely incensed at Vanduran. His whole attitude about this case had changed. She wondered if Michael or someone else from Michael's organization had gotten to him.

"I take it, he said no," Francis said, behind her and sat on the edge of her desk, looking down at her.

"Yeah, someone got to him, someone like Michael. Angie said she saw him outside earlier. That son of a bitch! He will get Czewt, get some deal with him, and next thing you know, that 'king of the gypsies' will be the head of a bank in a small Iowa town with 2 kids, a wife and a dog named Sparky."

Francis chuckled, "Yeah, well- we still got Rollie. Who says we can't take our weekend? Which, by the way, starts in like one hour, Detective Sanchez. Me, you, a couple of movie people, do a little trip across state to watch the migration of the whooping crane."

Mira grinned, putting her hand over her mouth as Vanduran walked out, his briefcase in hand. He was saying goodnight to everyone. He glared at Mira who sat up at her desk and said to Francis; "I told you, we gotta get some closure on this Johnson case. We haven't received a thing yet from ballistics…"

Francis joined into that contrived conversation and Vanduran passed them, leaving for the night.

"Okay, so when we going?"

"I'm calling Rollie right now. See about going tonight and getting in place for Czewt's capture early in the morning. From what he found out from that guy, Baiel- Czewt should be there," Mira told him.

"Okay, give me like 2 hours, huh? Sarah and the girls got me a great dinner waiting. Hey! Come on, have dinner with us. You gotta eat!" Francis told her, tilting his head from side to side.

"Uh, I don't know. I don't want to intrude," Mira said, thinking he was feeling sorry for her.

"It isn't an intrusion. It's Sarah! She's got my favorite on the stove. You could use some fattening up. You gotta stay healthy, you know?" he told her, standing up.

Mira looked down at herself, shaking her head, "so, what's this favorite thing on the stove?"

"The best…big ol' polish sausages, sauerkraut and the best brown beans in the world!" he answered, beaming.

"Gatti, you expect me to eat that and then stay in the Tyler mobile with you all night to Buffalo?" she asked, incredulously.

He smirked, "Okay, so you're not used to cookin' like that. But hey, somewhere around here in one of these drawers, yeah, here it is! Bean-o!"

She got up from her desk, shaking her head at his jubilant face. Francis was her solace in a storm.

"We got everything we need?" Rollie asked Angie, who was loading the last box on the van.

"Yep, should keep us comfy for the night. Just like a big camp over," Angie said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Yeah, well- with one big difference. We got our necks out a bit on this. No real back up until we catch Czewt. I wonder how many people he has working at this farm?" Rollie said, thinking about the odds.

"If it is like the other one, with the added people from Colchis, I would say he has about 40 or 50 people there as well," she replied and jumped down from the back of the van.

"You are okay with this, right?" he asked her, facing her.

"Yes, I am okay! Rollie, I just want to see the man one last time and know that he is going to be put away. Then," she said, picking up their bag of food and drinks, "I want to go back to the regular world of space aliens and monsters."

"I second that. We do need some revenue coming in…now that-" he started to say, but Angie stopped him.

"Don't worry about that movie, Rol. I guess Ben had taken about all he could with you being gone for so long and well, me…."

"Yeah, but me- getting fired, it doesn't look good on the old resume, you know."

"Hey, what's this next thing we're doing?" she asked, checking the schedule, "Oh yeah- 'Calypso Nights', hey, cool! It's on location in Jamaica!"

"WE are doing?"

"Well, yes, I can't let you go there alone, now, can I?" she said, raising her eyebrow at him.

"But I thought, it was best if we did our separate thing. I thought that's what you wanted?" Rollie asked her, grinning.

"I changed my mind. You need all the help you can get. And I am the one of the best in the business!" Angie told him, as she put her cap on sideways and he pushed it all the way to the back.

"Yes, my dear, you are!"

They were on the road, traveling up Interstate 81. Francis was sitting in the back with Angie, talking about computer problems he was having trouble with at home and Mira was sitting next to Rollie who was driving in silence for the most part. At times, she didn't know what made Rollie tick as she studied his profile. She had felt nothing but happiness for Rollie and Angie when they got married. She had stopped thinking about any kind of romantic thoughts about him after Loubar. Michael had come back and a flood of old memories and his old magnetism had insidiously seduced her. She touched her abdomen without consciously realizing it and Rollie looked over at her.

"Is there something wrong?" Rollie asked her, seeing her rubbing her lower abdomen.

"No, well- maybe the meal I had," Mira said, taking a deep breath, "the sausage and the beans were a little overwhelming."

"He got you to eat that?" Rollie asked, his face full of mirth.

"Stop right there, don't even go there…" she warned him.

He smiled and got ready to make the exit onto Interstate 90, "We have only another two and a half hours, people. Let's look lively here."

Francis was looking up from the computer console to where he could see Rollie and Mira talking. Angie suddenly noticed that he wasn't paying attention to what she was saying and followed the direction of his gaze.

"So Francis, penny for your thoughts," she asked him as he realized he had stopped listening to her.

"Oh, sorry- I was just wondering…"

"Wondering what?"

"Never mind, just a weird thought," Francis said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Thinking about how Mira and Rollie might have a thing going on…?" Angie asked him, point blank.

Francis blanched and shook his head; "NO! I mean, hey!"

Angie smiled. When Mira had first shown up on the scene after Leo's death, she had thought that Mira was pushy and a little too in to Rollie's personal space at times. She figured that Mira had some aspirations of a relationship with him. They did have some clicking together in that area but Angie could feel Mira's real love was still Michael and that the man, like oil to her vinegar, was still curling her toes.

"It's okay, Francis. You get used to it after awhile," Angie told him with a grin and pointed back to the screen.

"Nice attitude," he said, not believing her.

They reached the outskirts of Buffalo, some three hours later. Mira had to stop as she had grown sick to her stomach and spent some time at an all night rest stop. She returned to the van, green around the gills, as Francis hoped it wasn't the sausage and kraut he had given her at dinner.

"We'll move up within a mile of Medea Orchards here," Rollie said, looking at his map. Take some shut eye and all be bright eyed and bushy tailed by early morning, right?"

"How can you be so enthusiastic?" Mira groaned as she spread out her sleeping bag and the back of the van.

"Dunno, just am. We could sit up and go over the plans again?" he told asked her.

"No, no- let's not," she replied, making more aching sounds as she laid down. Francis had already keeled over at a 90-degree angle from her in his bag.

"Leaves us chickens," Rollie told Angie who joined him up front. He kissed her cheek as she smiled and sat in the chair beside him, "how you doing? Think this will work?"

"Rollie, I have faith that it will. Besides, I have New York's finest in the back here and you!"

"Well, this time- there will be no glitches. Just a simple, straight take down and arrest."

"Yeah, sure," she yawned as she got up and looked at her bag in the floor by the console counter, "You coming?"

"Yep, got everything shut down," he replied and he pulled out his bag as well. They lay side by side in their bags, extremely tired and ready for sleep. It was sometime during the next couple of hours before dawn that Rollie unzipped his bag and rolled Angie over next to him. She hadn't even woke up during the move. He was able to fall asleep then, having her next to him.

Mira was having trouble sleeping. She was sick to her stomach, having abdominal pain and cramping. Without a bathroom in the van, she felt even more at a disadvantage. She felt like her heart was racing and she was so fatigued. By 5:00 A.M., with her knees bent, on her back, she was better.

Rollie had already been out, casing the orchard out. The Buffalo police weren't scheduled to arrive until 5:30 A.M., just before sunrise at 6:10. He had not seen any movement but he had seen at least 30 or so cars parked upward in the orchard near some very similar sheds and row housing. Angie saw his tall figure in the distance as he loped over toward the van just before dawn.

"So?" she asked, getting a little nervous, "Did you see him?"

"No, everyone is asleep still, but that van, the one you described from your abduction is there and I saw the tents and stuff in the back," Rollie said, and added, "and I saw the drug packets in the basket inside."

"He's here, I can feel it!" Angie said, eerily as Rollie felt a shiver down his spine. He was having trouble getting use to Angie acting like this. Baiel had been convinced that she had some sort of psychic power. Rollie had a hard time with that perception. Obstinate, he thought, and hardheaded, but psychic?

"Where's Mira?" Rollie asked, seeing her sleeping bag empty. Francis was still snoring in his fetal position near the rear doors of the van.

"She is indisposed," Angie replied, leaving it at that.

"Oh? Oh- " Rollie said, figuring it out and sat down in the driver's seat, "so what's for breakfast?"

"Mmm, great stuff!" Angie said, smiling, "poptarts and orange juice."

"Oh, you gotta be kidding, Ange. No thermos of coffee?"

"You didn't give me a lot of time, you now. You could go down to a store and get some," she offered.

"Hand me some," he scowled, making a face as he bit into the dry, crumbly tart, "this isn't even a brandname!" he added, fussing.

"It's cheaper and tastes the same!" she told him, biting into one herself, "well, maybe not…"

Mira walked into the van. Her face was pale, her lips white. She was shivering and Angie put her food down.

"Hey, Mira, you okay?"

"Oh, I am so sick! I have such cramping and nausea!" she told her as she sat down.

"You really don't look good, it was the food, huh?" Rollie asked her, looking at her eyes.

"Actually, I don't know. I haven't had any, you know- lower problems…just cramping!" Mira replied, taking in a deep breath.

Francis jumped out the back of the van, awake as he went for nature's call. When he returned, he had no problem eating his breakfast or Mira's as well.

They discussed their final plan as Angie put on the mask of Eckvara and wig. With the remote engaged, she transformed into Eckvara easily. Francis was amazed as was Mira. When Angie spoke like Eckvara, Francis told her the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Angie was to walk into the camp. With a transmitter on, she would call out Czewt. Once he was out in the open, it would be a simple arrest. The Buffalo police would be in position in a circular pattern around the row houses. Mira would be positioned at the beginning of the row houses with Francis at the other end. Rollie would be behind Czewt's van, his directions for Angie.

"You see the first sign of trouble, you tell me," Rollie said, " and I tell Mira. Czewt makes any kind of threatening behavior, you give me the word, okay?"

Angie nodded as Eckvara. It would not be hard, she thought, once Czewt got over the shock of seeing Eckvara, the police would have him. She was already smiling as she thought of him in jail.

Rollie saw the police pulling up, lights out from their patrol cars. One van approached with six police sharpshooters as well. Mira was talking with the detective in charge who was busy positioning men into the field and for the closure ring around the row houses.

As Angie stepped out of the van, with Rollie behind her, the detective in charge from Buffalo flashed his light at Angie.

"Hey, I don't understand why we need this woman? We just go in and round them up."

"You don't understand," Mira said, rolling her eyes, "this guy will not be found if you do that. He has to be drawn out and his attention totally drawn to this woman in order for us to get him alive. He has escaped before with a dozen people standing around. Only the surprise of seeing this woman will give us the seconds we need. Trust me!"

"Humph!" he snorted, "New York cops! Think all we do up here is give out traffic citations!"

"No man, we know better than that," Francis replied, with a grin, "we know you also do your shift changes at the DO-NUTTERY."

"Get outta 'ere!" the cop told Francis, giving him the finger as he laughed.

Rollie watched the playing around among the police from opposite ends of New York State and decided that they were all alike and full of it.

"You got the mist gun?" Angie asked him, backing up and shaking slightly.

"What? Oh, yeah- right here," he said, showing her the gun, "I fire this baby out and you walk straight into it, calling his name. You okay?"

"Yes, let's just get it over with!" she said, pacing as Mira watched her. Mira had a bad feeling about this. Without proof of Czewt actually being on the grounds and the way he had disappeared after the Colchis orchard incident, she just had that strange instinct for being leery of the whole thing. Besides, her cramping had returned in full force.

"Okay, let's go!" Mira said then, as Rollie and Angie walked silently beside each other through the fields. Francis and Mira walked near them. The Buffalo police started fanning out with the snipers ahead of all of them, taking up positions.

Angie was trying to use the snow imagery in her mind, getting herself prepared. She almost didn't hear Rollie who tugged on her arm as they neared the houses.

"Hey, you can still back out of this, don't have to be a heroine," he whispered to her as he looked at her, worried. Eckvara smiled back at him and in a deep, thick Romanian accent said; "But I have to…I promised Baiel."

It was uncanny, Rollie thought to himself, for she was Eckvara now. There was only the sound of crickets as the sunrise started to come up over the hill to the east of the row houses. With a nod and transmission that everyone was in place, Rollie looked at Angie one last time and then nodded. He pumped the mist gun and fired a cell of foaming mist that exploded with a gentle "poof" sound. It generated enough mist to cover twenty feet and he repeated it twice more as Angie started to walk slowly by the houses. A dog barked near one of the sheds, as if to cue her and she began her call to Czewt.

"Nicholas! Nicholas Czewt! I have come for you, Nicholas!" came the voice of Eckvara as she walked slower and slower, her voice repeating his name. Several doors opened with faces peering out. Angie kept walking. She felt something so odd, an intense heat as if Czewt was touching her, a remembrance of when he had been performing the Kalmad ceremony at the Colchis orchards. She began to think of the snow, icy and cold and white…it was hard! Her focus was draining her ability to move as each step felt like she was lifting lead boots. Time seemed to stand still, as her eyes perceived a shadow, a darkness that started to roll toward her. She called out Czewt's name again, the snow and the ice resounding in her ears.

Rollie could see from his vantagepoint, people making signs with their hands and slamming doors as she passed the houses. He could see Mira crouching near the first house, waiting, gun poised for action. He could see everything so clearly and yet, something that he hadn't expected.

"What's he doing here?" he said in his transmitter to Mira.

"What?" Mira asked, confused.

"Michael! He just…" and Rollie's transmission ended.