Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:39:09 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Vengeance - Chapter 18 Message-ID: Chapter 18 The day had passed extremely slowly for Sam. After he and Dan had seen Burke sexually assault Genine with his kiss, after Sam discovered that Harry loved Genine (thanks to his and Harry's minds being merged), Sam somehow knew that he was there to somehow get Harry and Genine together, if even in a Platonic relationship. What he didn't know was how. Neither did he know how he was going to prevent Genine from falling for Burke, especially since Burke had kissed her. He was extremely bothered with the fact that he hadn't seen Al since yesterday morning. As he scrubbed himself clean in the barracks' shower, he tried to assure himself that everything was okay with the Admiral. *He probably spent the day with Beth*, he told himself, not really believing a single word. No, there was something definitely wrong. He could almost feel it. It was something... painful. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. He stepped out of the shower and made his way through the small maze of mercenaries before he finally arrived at his bunk. After drying off, he dressed in a fresh set of camouflage fatigues which had just been washed the night before. "You ready for this?" Dan asked with concern as he approached Sam, having just left the showers himself. Sam looked at him. "Drills?" He shook his head. "Not really. I could use a couple of days in bed. But I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Dan shook his head. "'Fraid not, Ensign. Better hop to it. Taylor will be here any minute." He took his own clean uniform and dressed quickly. "Attention!" someone called out as Taylor entered the barracks. "Gentlemen and ladies," Taylor said with a very serious look in her eyes. "I need two volunteers for rotating shifts for the next three days. There will be plenty of time for R&R and there will be a small bonus for the job." She smiled widely. "The rest have the next three days off for Thanksgiving. Volunteers?" Sam raised his hand. Volunteering for guard duty, he knew, would allow him to stay close to Genine and would give him the opportunity he needed to try to keep her from Burke. Everyone in the barracks looked at Sam with surprise and question, especially Genine. No one expected Harry Stark, of all people, to surrender his vacation time for guard duty. Genine hesitated a moment. Sam looked at her carefully. It was obvious that she was analyzing "Harry's" unusual action, wondering if there was some ulterior motive to it. Sam could also see something else - something hidden deep in her eyes. She was almost relieved that Sam had volunteered, as if she felt somehow safe with him around. "Okay," she finally said. "We have one. Any other volunteers?" Dan leaned slightly towards Sam. "Harry, what the hell are you doing?" he whispered. "Keeping an eye on her, like I said I would," Sam whispered back. "Is there something wrong, gentlemen?" Genine questioned, seeing the two whisper to each other. "No, ma'am," Dan answered. "I was just relaying my intention to volunteer as well." Sam smiled slightly. He knew that, despite his macho attitude, Dan Carroll was a pretty compassionate man and the proof was in his latest action. Genine raised her eyebrows. "I hope you two don't have something up your sleeve." "No, ma'am," Sam replied for both of them. She nodded. "Okay, then. Report to my office in an hour. The rest of you are hereby dismissed." There was a loud cheer in the barracks. Many of them were already heading for the door while others hurried to finish dressing and preparing their bunks for their return. Genine approached Sam with a curious look in her eyes. "Ensign, may I see you alone for a moment?" Sam looked at her with curiosity. He nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he answered, giving Dan a quick glance before following Genine outside the barracks. Genine took a deep breath as she walked across the estate's grass, Sam walking beside her with his hands respectfully behind his back. "May I ask you a personal question, Ensign?" she finally said. Sam smiled slightly. "As long as it's not too personal, Major." Genine looked at him carefully. "Why did you and Lt. Dan volunteer for guard duty?" Sam took a slow breath, focusing on his answer. "A little extra money never hurt anyone." Genine stopped walking, shaking her head. Sam stopped as well, looking at her reaction to his answer. "Money isn't the reason," Genine deduced. "At least, not for you. Maybe for Carroll. So, what's the real reason?" Sam hesitated. How could he explain to her something that wouldn't happen for another year or so? "It just seemed like the right thing to do," he told her. Genine smiled. "The right thing to do?" "Yes, ma'am," Sam answered, finding the conversation very familiar. Without warning, Genine kissed Sam firmly on the lips. When she moved away from him, she smiled at his bewildered expression. "You honestly didn't think I wouldn't notice you watching me, did you?" she asked with a twinkling eye before she marched away from Sam quickly. "Oh, boy!" Sam whispered anxiously. He suddenly wasn't sure whether Genine would fall in love with Burke or not. It didn't make much sense to him. Could she really be attracted to Harry and Burke at the same time? He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before he started walking back towards the barracks. "Dr. Beckett," a voice said from behind him as he walked. Sam quickly turned around, startled by not only the voice but by also hearing his real name. He looked at the owner of the voice with curiosity. The face was familiar but it took a moment before his memory put a name to it. "Gushie?" he questioned in surprise. He looked around. "Where's Al?" He looked at the programmer with deep concern. Gushie, looking extremely pale in his customary white clothing and lab coat, hesitated for a long time. "We...uhh...we...don't know," he forced himself to say. "What?" Sam whispered. The knot that he had felt in his stomach earlier had suddenly tightened almost painfully. Gushie didn't look at Sam. "He...dis...uhh..." He took a deep, calming breath. "He... disappeared. He gave me instructions to... come into the Imaging Chamber to tell you what was happening." Sam suddenly found he needed support to stand on his feet. He staggered slightly to a nearby tree and leaned against it. He suddenly and inexplicably felt empty - as if a part of him had been ripped out of him. "He's dead," Sam whispered sorrowfully. "I can feel it." "We don't know for sure," Gushie told him. Sam hesitated. He tried but, no matter how hard he wanted it to, the deep feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn't leave. What was more, he somehow recognized it. He had felt it before but it wasn't as painfully strong then. *It was during that leap when I had leaped into Al as a young pilot and he... He had died in the gas chamber.* "I know," Sam finally told Gushie, deep misery in his voice. He pointed his right index finger towards his head. A single tear trickled down his face. "In here, I know. I can't tell you how but I do." He exhaled. "Gawd, I wish I was wrong but I know I'm not." Gushie looked at Sam with a mixture of concern and sympathy. He took a breath. "I hope your wrong." Sam didn't answer. After a moment, he straightened himself and looked at Gushie with determined eyes. "What have you got?" Gushie paused, a bit surprised by the sudden change of subject. He looked at the handlink for information. "We've found out why you've leaped into Henry Stark, Jr.," he said, rocking slightly from heel to heel. "Ziggy says there's a eighty-two point fifty-four percent chance that you need to get the Major to fall in love with Harry." Sam took a breath. He looked towards the main house, watching Genine walk into the building. "Seems like I'm already halfway there," he commented. "She just kissed me before you came in." Gushie's eyes widened. He inputted the latest information into the handlink and waited for Ziggy to analyze it. He frowned slightly at the results. "This can't be right," he muttered mostly to himself. "What's wrong?" Sam asked with concern. Gushie flicked the handlink with his right index finger. He exhaled and looked at Sam. "According to this, there's a sixty-three percent chance that General Burke is going to kill you."