If looking into a crystal ball or reading tea leaves left in the bottom of a cup were two exact means of seeing the future, several different people would have spent their time indulging in the soothsayer activity.

Unfortunately, there is no way to see into the future. There is no way to predict the unpredictable. There is no way to avert disaster once the small ball of snow is set on its course, rolling downward gaining momentum and speed, increasing its volume until it consumes everything or everyone in its path.

If Sam Ling had foreseen a regiment of law enforcement agents scouring his places of businesses and rounding up his people, he’d have taken his amassed fortune and fled the city for parts unknown. As it was he’d been arrested and incarcerated along with most of the members of his tong, wondering why his well placed bribes hadn’t worked to prevent this event.

If Mia Ling had foreseen her father’s arrest, she’d have not chosen that particular day to spend with friends. She’d have remained with her body guard by her father’s side and whisked the old man away from the long arm of the law.

As it was she was free with her body guard and two of the men, hiding in seclusion within a safe place in the city limits. Evil’s twin sister hadn’t gone far from her stomping grounds and her ear was tuned to the rumblings in the community, her desire for those who’d betrayed them darkening her already black eyes.

Whispers reached her and the command was given. Those not intimate with the Ling family, outsiders of Chinese and American blood were dealt with swiftly and cruelly. Only two remained, both delivery boys. Neither could be located. Money was offered for information of the whereabouts of the two and a name was whispered in her ear.

If the former marshal known two weeks ago what he knew today, he’d have never let the eldest son of the Barkley family return to San Francisco from the mission at San Reyes. The departure from the large city under the cover of darkness and the journey to Berkeley then to San Reyes proceeded without a glitch. The padre warmly greeted the returning blonde and agreed to sanctuary without a second of thought.

If the former marshal known two weeks ago what he knew today, he’d have kept the attorney by his side, within his field of vision, either with words or hog tying. Either method would have been acceptable to the blonde, either method would have taken away the loss and guilt rising up within him as each tormented hour crept by one second following excruciatingly slowly by another second.

The torture starting when the former marshal had not heard from the attorney at the prearranged time and he hopped a train back to San Francisco leaving the Jenkins family and Gene in the safety of the mission.

Arriving at the home of his brother, he was informed of the attorney’s apparent unexpected departure from his home. Entering the modest home with the officer in charge of the scene, Heath scoured the living room which indicated a struggle had taken place from the overturned furniture and spots of blood on the carpet.

Days later having gone over everything with the detective in charge and the district attorney for clues in the whereabouts of the missing man, Heath had found himself wiring Nick to let him know of their missing brother.

The air was warm and humid while he waited for the morning train to arrive, his body was crying out for sleep, he was running on nearly ninety six hours of grit and determination fed by the driving need to find his missing brother.

The sound of the arriving train was announced by the piercing high pitched whistle screaming across the morning air. Nick Barkley jumped down from the steps of the train, his long legs eating up the space as he strode purposely towards his little brother standing on the platform.

“What the hell do you mean Jarrod’s missing?” growled Nick angrily, his hazel eyes fired up with concern and fury of wrong doing against their brother.

“Com’n Nick. I’ll explain along the way to the police station.” stated Heath turning, his progress stopped by the large hand on his arm.

“Boy, you don’t look like you’ll be on your feet much longer. When’s the last time you slept?” gruffed Nick, the worry in the blonde’s face and the circles under his eyes reviving the mother hen in him.

Gently taking the hand from his arm, Heath shook his head, “No time for that, Nick. After we get Jarrod back, I’ll rest then. I never should’ve let him come back.”

Nick snorted, “Heath, whatever it is I’m sure you wouldn’t have been able to stop our big brother.”

“No, you’re wrong! I knew what these people were capable of and now he’s gone.” snapped Heath walking to the surrey and climbing in.

Nick shook his head and climbed up beside the agitated blonde who started the surrey with a flick of the reins. The story the blonde weaved churned the acid in his stomach, welling it upwards into his throat, only his swallowing kept him from losing his breakfast at the concern for his brother’s safety in the clutches of the group of people Heath described.

“Heath, why do they need Jarrod?” choked out Nick, fighting to keep the anxiety in his soul out of his voice, not succeeding and a small tremor shook the words.

Stopping the surrey in front of the police station, Heath wiped his hands over his face. “The undercover man was killed after he delivered his evidence to the district attorney. Gene’s friend is the only eyewitness to a crime against the leader, Sam Ling. They need to know where Tad Jenkins is hiding, after they kill the boy and silence his testimony, the old man will have to be released from jail. No witness, no crime.”

“Where’s this Jenkins kid, now?”

Heath growled, “I’m not telling ya’, Nick. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. One missing brother is enough.”

A large hand grabbed the shoulder of the former marshal when he moved to climb out of the surrey and pulled him roughly back onto the seat, the hazel eyes were loaded with fury, "HE’S MY BROTHER, I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!”

Biting back the animalistic response the hand and anger triggered, Heath stared into the hazel eyes, his jaw clenched in silence, his blue eyes narrowed in intensity. Nick’s eyes never wavered from his little brother’s and he saw past the fury, his breath taken away from the torturous look of guilt hidden behind the blue orbs.

Releasing his hold of the smaller man’s shoulder, Nick’s hand cupped the back of the neck, the hazel eyes softened with tenderness and the voice was gentle and firm, “This is not your fault, Heath. We’ll find Jarrod.”

Sighing deeply, Heath pulled away and shook his head, his whisper barely heard in the daily noises of the busy street.

“Will we find him in time, Nick?”

Dispelling the despair rising at his brother’s anguished question, Nick jumped down and followed into the three story building which housed part of San Francisco’s police force.

Climbing the stairs he spoke the thought which plagued him on the train ride, “Heath, should we wire Mother in Denver?”

Waiting until they topped the third flight of stairs, Heath turned and frowned, “I say we wait til we know something solid about Jarrod.”

“She’ll be furious we kept this from her.” muttered Nick, a pair of flaming gray eyes flashed before him.

“Yeah, there’s nothing scarier in this world than a mother’s wrath.” admitted Heath leading the way through the room of desks. “No sense in Mother and Audra worrying themselves all the way over in Denver though. Let’s wait at least another day or two.”

Lieutenant Cory Paulson looked up from his paperwork at the sound of approaching footsteps and stood up. “Morning, Heath.”

“Lieutenant Cory Paulson, this is my brother, Nick Barkley.” introduced Heath watching the shaking of hands between the two men.

“Have you found out anything, Cory?” asked Heath sitting in a chair and gesturing Nick to take the other.

“No, not yet. As you are aware, the Chinese community is very tight-lipped. We haven’t been able to find out anything yet.” sighed the officer, his frustration clear for both men to see.

“You mean no one’s willing to help? Nobody?” exclaimed Nick in disbelief.

“Please try to understand, Mr. Barkley. The Chinese are very distrustful of anyone not like them, of people outside their community. They haven’t received the nicest welcome over the years from the citizens of our state and country.” explained Cory.

“This is crazy!” snapped Nick. “Jarrod hasn’t done anything to them. Sounds to me like they have more to fear from their own and not us!”

Tapping his gloves against his jeans, Nick suddenly shot up from the chair causing the officer to startle slightly from the bundled burst of energy needing to be released in the form of pacing.

Ignoring the sudden movement of his brother, Heath leaned forward in his chair, “Have you found out if the Lings own any other property in the city or on the outskirts?”

“We’re still searching the deeds at the town hall. Nothing yet has been found that we didn’t already know. I have two officers searching along with the entire staff of the department. It will take time to go through all the documents and compare the title holder names to the list we provided.”

“What about the places Tad Jenkins made deliveries to?” suggested Heath again, his mind trying to search out each clue which would lead them to a possible location of their missing sibling.

“All have been searched to no avail. Most are just drop off points for the distributors to pick up the opium.” explained the lieutenant calmly, the repeated questions and suggestions not bothering the patient man.

Nick stopped his pacing and held onto the back of the chair to listen to the conversation between the two men. His mind tried to disseminate all the questions and information being bantered back and forth.

“What if we offer a reward for information? We could put up some posters and wait til someone who needs the money comes forward.” suggested Nick. “Maybe then someone would talk to us about Jarrod.”

The hazel eyes turned to anger at the nervous chuckle he received to his suggestion, “DAMMIT, WHAT SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT?”

Holding his head in his hands, Heath bit back the sob which threatened to escape. Nick’s anger faded when he realized his brother’s shoulders were shaking with pent-up emotion. Kneeling beside the chair, the officer watched the transformation of the dark haired man from furious to concerned in a matter of seconds.

“Heath?” whispered Nick reaching hesitantly to place a hand on the quivering back.

Blue eyes filled with tears looked up at the feel of the brother’s touch and his tormented words ripped into Nick.

“A reward. It’s so simple and could be the answer we’ve been searching for. I’ve wasted days, Nick. Days!”

Cory stepped away from the desk to give the brothers a moment of privacy and stopped any others from approaching the area.

“Heath, you didn’t waste days. Look at you! You’re about ready to drop from exhaustion! You’ve been doing everything you could think of to find Jarrod.” assured Nick firmly.

Shaking his head in denial, Heath wiped a hand over his eyes, “This is why doctors don’t treat family members. I might’ve killed our brother, Nick.”

Pushing himself out of the chair, Heath wavered slightly and Nick grabbed his arm to steady him.

“Listen to me, Mr. Cantankerous! We’re going to the hotel and you’re gonna sleep. Lieutenant, can you have some posters printed up and offer a reward of ten thousand dollars?” asked Nick ignoring his brother’s angry denial of sleep.

“Sure, Mr. Barkley. I can have them done within two hours and have my men start posting them around town.” smiled the lieutenant.

“The reward would be contingent upon the return of our brother.” replied Nick receiving a nod of agreement from the police officer. “We’ll be at…which hotel, Heath?”

“The plaza.” whispered Heath wondering how he could have overlooked the obvious solution of offering money to encourage loose lips in the tight-lipped community.

Putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, Nick directed the blonde to the stairs and stated firmly as he nodded to the officer, “We’ll be at the plaza.”

Nick glanced sideways at Heath, the quietness of the blonde disturbing him while he drove to the hotel and pulled up in front of the hotel. Heath’s legs felt like a marionette’s wooden legs when he climbed down from the surrey and lead the way to their room, barely acknowledging the greetings thrown his way or his brother by his side.

Pulling out the key, Heath opened the door after several tries and pushed the plank of wood to allow entry. Walking to the window, he pulled open the curtains and stared down into the street below.

Nick sighed and closed the door behind him, throwing his hat on the table besides his brother’s, he walked to the center of the room and waited with his hands on his hips.

“Heath, we’re here so you can sleep.” stated Nick quietly, not surprised at the reaction his words received.

“I can’t sleep Nick. Not til we find him.” replied Heath firmly.

“You’re not doing anyone any good by not getting some rest. You need sleep to focus on what we have to do. To find Jarrod.”

“I know what I have to do, Nick!” snapped Heath. “I know what’s at stake! You don’t have to remind me!”

“All I’m saying is you’re too exhausted to think straight.” retorted Nick, his words turning the blonde away from his place at the window.

“What are you implying, Nick?” growled Heath, hands clenched at his sides.

Confused, Nick said, “I’m not implying anything.”

“Yes, you are!” snapped Heath.

Nick’s puzzlement reflected in his hazel eyes and he stepped closer to the agitated man. “What exactly do you think I’m implying?”

“If I thought of the reward sooner, Jarrod would be here now with us! THAT’S WHAT YOU MEAN, ISN’T IT?” demanded Heath, his voice rising in anger and accusation.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID OR MEANT!” shouted Nick.

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY IT! IT’S IN YOUR EYES!” shouted Heath brushing by his stunned brother.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?”

“TO FIND JARROD!” yelled Heath grabbing his hat from the table.

Nick grabbed hold of the blonde and spun him around, his right fist connecting with the unprotected jaw. Heath’s eyes widened slightly with surprise before the large fist propelled him backwards into the wall, his eyes closed and he slid towards the floor.

Catching Heath in his arms, Nick’s eyes welled with tears and cradling the unconscious man in his arms, whispered in his ear.

“Sorry, little brother. You’ll get yourself killed if you don’t get some sleep. I’m not taking a chance on losing you, too.”

Picking up the limp body, Nick laid him on the bed and pulled off the tan boots. Closing the curtains to darken the large room, he pulled a blanket up and covered the blonde. His hand brushed through the blonde hair before he sat in the bedside chair, keeping his eyes on his little brother and his thoughts on his older brother.

“Hold on, Jarrod! We’re coming, Pappy!”

A loud knocking at the door woke Nick from where he’d fallen asleep in the chair. Glancing over, he swore loudly at the empty bed and hurried to the door. A uniformed police officer stood on the other side.

“Mr. Barkley, the Lieutenant would like to see you and your brother at the station.”

“Okay, I’ll just need a minute.” stated Nick before closing the door. Walking over to get his gunbelt, he jumped when the door to the water closet opened and a refreshed blonde emerged.

Relieved at the sight of the man, Nick braced himself for the retaliation for his actions toward his brother. Heath walked over and stood in front of his anxious brother. Reaching forward he pulled his surprised brother into a hug and whispered, “Thanks, big brother.”

Returning the embrace, Nick pulled back and grinned, “Well, at least you look halfway alive now.”

Snorting, Heath sat on the bed and pulled on his boots. The sleep prompted by the right hook left him refreshed and reenergized, albeit with a sore jaw. “Consider that your one and only time of besting me, Nicholas Barkley.”

“Don’t call me Nicholas!” growled Nick tousling the blonde’s hair playfully and receiving a slap on his hand. “There’s an officer at the door. He says we’re needed at the station.”

Hope replaced the uncertainty in the blue eyes while Heath buckled his belt and grabbed his hat. Walking out of the hotel, he was stunned to find night had fallen while his body had given in to the much needed rest.

Nick smiled to himself at the return of the spring in his brother’s step and the resurrection of hope in both of them. Fifteen minutes later, the brothers listened carefully to the Lieutenant disclose the new information.

“I think this could be where your brother is being held. There’s an outer building, more like a shed with no windows. One of my men has seen Mia Ling entering the building with her body guard.”

“What are we waiting for?” gruffed Nick impatiently.

“An arrest warrant, Mr. Barkley.” stated Cory. “We can’t enter without one.”

“A WARRANT!” shouted Nick. “I DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT, LET’S GET JARROD!”

Heath put a hand on the angry man’s chest and shook his head, “Nick, if they go in there without one, any case against those people will be thrown out of court!”

“I DON’T CARE, HEATH.”

“Not right now, you don’t Nick! If Jarrod’s there, you’ll care later on when they get away with kidnapping just cause we didn’t have the proper documentation.” stated Heath quietly, his words working through the anger and frustration.

“But, Jarrod’s..” whispered Nick, in anguish.

“Jarrod’s gonna be with us soon, Nick. He wouldn’t want us to save him only to have the case thrown out of court on a technicality.” informed Heath firmly, placing his hands on the broad shoulders.

“These people must pay for what they’ve done to our brother and others around them. To jeopardize the punishment they deserve would mean they’d be able to do it somewhere else, Nick. Jarrod wouldn’t want or like that one bit. We have to do it legal, Nick.”

Reluctantly nodding in agreement, Nick ran his hand through his hair and glanced at the officer, “How long do we have to wait for this damn warrant?”

Cory saw a paper being waved as someone entered the room and he smiled, “Here it is now, gentleman.”

Reading the paper handed to him, he smiled, “Now we can go.”

The moon was full as the group of men made their way to the destination. Stopping at the outskirts of the large estate, the group split up and headed in different directions. Lieutenant Paulson pointed out the smaller building to the brothers and the three made their way towards it.

Relying on his men to take care of anyone at the main house, the three carefully picked their way in the moonlight to the dark building. A sound of a closing door and a lantern signaled the arrival of two men from the main house. Three sets of eyes stared at the huge man leading the way. Stopping at the small building, the giant unlocked the door and they entered with the lantern.

Spying the inviting entry point, the three rushed forward, their running feet muffled by the thick grass under their boots and burst through the opening. The men inside turned at the sounds of the intruders, the sight of their brother chained to a wall infuriated the former marshal and his brother.

“GET JARROD, NICK!” shouted Heath lunging forward at the man turning suddenly towards their helpless brother.

Heath lunged at the giant stopping his progress towards Jarrod while the lieutenant set his sights on the other man, the surprise attack giving them a slight advantage. The lieutenant grabbed his man and their struggle carried the two men through the open door. Heath’s jump propelled the largest of the two criminals to the ground of the shack.

Nick knelt down in front of the chained man, his face draining of all color at the sight of his brother. Cupping the bloody cheek in his hand, he lifted his head and saw Jarrod’s eyes were closed. Looking at the metal holding his arms out to the side, he cursed loudly at the locks holding the bracelets together.

“HEATH, I NEED THE KEYS!” shouted Nick, his voice booming loudly in the small shack. Looking over, his eyes widened at the struggle going on between his little brother and the giant.

Jumping to his feet first, Heath’s fist met the face of the large man with two solid hits, the sound of flesh on flesh echoed through the room. The man towered over him by several inches and the blonde felt the anticipation of the fight rise up within him, his anger replaced by the reality of the daunting task before him.

‘The bigger they are the harder they fall. Yeah, right, it’s harder they hit I’m thinking.’ thought Heath for a fleeting moment.

Dodging the large hands, he laid two blows to the midsection and followed with a right which broke the nose of the giant showering the man with blood. An unearthly howl of pain sang out in the night from the blow and the giant turned his back exposing his kidneys to the former marshal. Placing two punches to the unprotected organs, Heath weaved out of the way of the hands and jumped back, perspiration pouring off his face in the terribly hot shack.

Jumping forward, the giant was propelled to one knee when a boot left his leg buckling with pain from the kick. Heath took advantage of the lowered man and tossed his head back with several punches, placing two kicks to the ribs of the giant before the man rose to his feet slowly. Heath’s boxing skills gained over the years and hand to hand training in the marshal service came rushing back in his reflexes.

Nick watched fascinated as Heath worked, dodging and weaving around the larger man. Avoiding the hands which reached for him. A loud scream turned Nick and Heath’s attention to their brother chained to the wall.

Nick held Jarrod’s head to the side when the shaking man vomited. Taking off his handkerchief, he wiped the sweaty injured face of his brother and smiled when the blue eyes slowly opened. The fear and lack of recognition in the eyes peering out from the bloody bruised face startled Nick and he tenderly caressed the bruised cheek.

“Jarrod, it’s Nick. Me and Heath found ya’. We’re here, Pappy.”

The momentary diversion of the scream caused Heath to see stars from the blow on the side of his head and the giant tossed the small man against the side of the shack. Shaking his head to clear his vision, Heath was jerked upwards and held in the large arms, the bearhug a deathtrap. The pressure on his ribs and back was excruciating, his fear of being crushed in the arms increased when he felt a rib snap and he cried out from the sudden burst of unbearable pain.

Nick heard the cry of pain and knew it was from Heath but his hands were full with his dazed brother now struggling against him. Combative and cursing, Jarrod fought against the captor holding his face and shoulders.

Screaming at Jarrod, Nick grunted from the pain of the legs that were kicking at him until he was able to secure them with one of his own strong legs. His shouts to his older brother not reaching through the wall his mind was behind.

Heath fought to get one arm free, the pain from the arms around him overwhelming his senses, his body felt as though it would snap in two. He brought his forehead down onto the already broken nose and felt a slight release in the arms from the pain of the blow.

Bringing out his left arm, he chopped quickly into the large neck and fell back onto the floor when he was freed by the massive hands reaching up to the injured neck.

Gasping for air, Heath trembled from the pain in his ribs and back, his eyes teared up from the white hot pokers stabbing his body. Reaching for his gun, the large hands wrapped themselves around his neck and lifted his feet off the ground. His hand fumbled for the pistol in his holster and he jabbed it into the large body.

His vision was narrowing when he emptied the gun, the reports were deafening in the small building and the blonde was dropped to the floor of the shack. The giant toppled over, his shirt covered in blood, his insides spilling out from the six bullets which split him open and took his life.

“HEATH!” screamed Nick in terror when he saw the massive man had his little brother by the throat. His scream was drowned out by the sound of the gunshots in the small shack, his ears rung from the noises piercing his ear drums.

Jarrod flinched with each shot and fell back into unconsciousness as Heath’s body hit the floor and the giant fell victim to his David. Nick released his hold on his older brother and stumbled over to the still blonde, turning him over and calling his name.

“Heath? Oh my god!” cried Nick hearing the struggle for breaths coming from the blue lips.

Cory Paulson and another officer came running into the shack. Taking a quick look, the lieutenant ordered the man to fetch an ambulance. Nick glanced up at the officer and briefly filled in him before turning his attention back downwards.

“I’m right here little brother! Heath, wake up!” called Nick, glancing back towards Jarrod, the hazel eyes lit up with a question. “Keys? We need the keys to free Jarrod.”

“I’ll find them.” stated the officer rushing to the dead man and searching his pockets, his fingers felt the metal in the jacket pocket and he pulled them out. Unlocking the metal bracelets, he caught the freed man in his arms and dragged him over to his brothers.

Nick sighed gratefully when Jarrod was laid down beside Heath. Kneeling in between them, he shook his head. “Dammit, they’re both bad off.”

“I’ll take care of Heath, you take care of Jarrod.” ordered Cory effectively severing Nick’s connection with one brother so he could concentrate on the other. “JOHNSON!”

Another officer ran into the shack at the shout of his name. “Get me some ice, towels, cloths and blankets. Plenty of water, too.”

Nodding the man turned and ran across the estate to the main house, motioning for another to help.

Seeing the bruising around the neck of the former marshal, Paulson moved the blonde’s head slightly and nodded in satisfaction when the struggle for breaths seemed to ease. Running his hands down the limbs, Heath’s body suddenly turned rigid, his hands clenched into fists and his jaw tightened in his face.

Nick turned from his examination of Jarrod at the startled curse and pushed Paulson out of the way, leaning over he shouted in the blonde’s ear. “Heath, breathe slow. DAMMIT, DO WHAT I TELL YOU! NOW BREATH SLOWER!”

The officer watched in amazement as Nick’s shouted instructions worked its way through the pain which spread across the unconscious blonde’s face. Heath fought to obey the order, his insides on fire and his muscles spasming.

The beacon was calling out to him and he was fighting his way through the quicksand towards it, unable to move his legs which were mired down in the thickness and continue his way to the beacon. The spasm slowly passed and Nick opened Heath’s shirt grimacing at the bruising which covered his sides and wound around his back. “Help me turn him.”

Carefully, the two turned the gasping blonde over and Nick cursed at the bruising across the lower back and gently rolled Heath back over.

“You’re damn lucky the guy didn’t break your back.” mumbled Nick, caressing the blonde’s cheek. “Bet when you wake up this time, little brother, you’ll feel like you’re a hundred years old.”

“How’s Jarrod?” asked Paulson drawing Nick’s attention back to him.

Sighing deeply, Nick wiped a hand across his face, his words were thick with worry, “He’s real bad, got a good fever going, he’s real congested. Near as I can tell about three fractured ribs, deep cuts on his wrists from the damn cuffs which look like they’re infected. Looks like he’s lost about twenty pounds. He’ll need stitches in his head, probably got a concussion, bruising all over and I think they drugged him cause his hands tremble like a drunk’s when he hasn’t had any liquor for a while. Those sonsofabitches really did a number on him!”

“Jesus.” whispered Paulson in awe, his hand reaching over to squeeze Nick’s shoulder. “You’re brother’s a tough man to still be alive.”

Nick nodded and he held a hand of both his brothers, “They both have steel running through them and in their souls. Looking at Jarrod, you’d never expect it from a lawyer, but he’s as tough as they come. Heath was born with a gentle soul but the world toughened him inside and out before he shoulda been. Why the hell didn’t Heath just shoot the guy instead of fighting him?”

Looking over at the dead giant who in his estimation must have been at least six feet seven inches, the lieutenant sighed and stared into the tortured hazel eyes.

“Because he was unarmed, Mr. Barkley. That’s why. Your brother couldn’t shoot an unarmed man. But in the end he had to or risk being broken in half or choked to death.”

Understanding deepened the scowl on Nick’s face and he pulled his gaze downward to the brothers on either side of him. Both struggling for the precious life giving gift of air, both struggling to stay in the realm of this world. Both struggling in the darkness they’d been thrown into.

The talk was silenced at the arrival of the two officers carrying the requested items. Nick watch as Paulson placed two towels under Heath’s swollen neck with ice chunks in between the two pieces of cloth. Carefully lifting the ends together, the man requested a piece of rope. Ordering Johnson to hold the ends of the towel together, Paulson quickly wound the rope around and tied it off, securing the ice around the swollen neck.

“This should help reduce the swelling on his neck and maybe keep him breathing.” said the lieutenant seeing the question in the hazel eyes. “I saw a doctor do this once for a man after a bar fight.”

Nervously, Nick cleared his throat, “Did the man live?”

“No.” admitted the lieutenant quietly. “But he had a knife wound too.”

Closing his eyes briefly, Nick sent a prayer upwards before turning his attention to Jarrod with the towels and water provided. Tears trickled out of the hazel eyes while the shaky hands gently cleaned away the blood and grime, revealing the extent of the injuries to the eldest son. Several blankets appeared and hands helped to take the foul smelling clothes off the lawyer, then wrapped him in a blanket.

“Nick.” whispered the officer gesturing downwards at the half-opened sapphire eyes looking up at him.

Grinning in relief, Nick placed his face in Heath’s line of vision and frowned at the frenzy of panic which sprang into the dazed blue eyes. Running a hand through the blonde hair, Nick watched him struggle to speak until pain overtook the desire to talk when a spasm hit again.

“I know it hurts, boy!” consoled Nick gently, locking his hazel eyes with the blue eyes. “Kinda like old times, ain’t it little brother?”

Nick caught a brief flash of a lop-sided grin before Heath’s face contorted from the pain. Holding onto Heath’s hand, Paulson felt his fingers go numb from the grip before the spasm passed and the lids on the blue eyes closed, the blonde was spent from the ordeal.

“Lieutenant, the ambulance is coming up the road.” stated another man after poking his head into the shack.

Lieutenant Paulson entered the waiting room of the hospital, his eyes fell upon the lone occupant sitting on the corner settee, head held in his hands. Feeling someone watching him, Nick looked up and saw the officer standing in the doorway.

Rising to his feet, Nick held out his hand to the man when they met in the middle of the room.

“Thank you, Lieutenant for everything.” said Nick gratefully.

“Just doing my job, Mr. Barkley.” said Cory. “We were able to arrest Mia Ling and two more members of the tong. Have you heard anything on your brothers?”

Shaking his head, Nick rubbed the back of his neck, “No, not yet. I need to send a wire to Denver to our Mother and sister. I don’t want to leave here, if I wrote it out, could you have someone send it?”

“I’ll handle it personally, Mr. Barkley. Your brothers put their lives on the line for justice and to protect a witness whose testimony will rid our city of some very nasty people. I’d say San Francisco owes them more than it’ll ever be able to repay.” stated the officer taking a notebook and pencil from his pocket.

Nick took the items and sat at the table in the room. Staring at the paper for several minutes, he whispered to himself, “How do you tell a mother two of her children are seriously injured?”

Taking a deep breath, he wrote the wire and reread it before handing it over to the lieutenant.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” sighed Nick.

Nodding, the officer put the wire in his pocket. “I’ll bring the reply as soon as I can.”

Shaking the hand again, Nick retook his seat on the settee and kept his eyes on the waiting room door. Two hours and two pots of coffee later, Nick jumped up at the two men entering the room.

Glancing around the room void of people except for the man dressed in black, an older man approximately in his fifties asked, “Mr. Barkley?”

“Yes, I’m Nick Barkley.” stammered Nick reaching for the hand offered in greeting.

“I’m Dr. Jonas Stanton and this is my colleague, Dr. Jim Blanton. I’m sorry for the wait, Mr. Barkley however we couldn’t leave your brothers until now.” informed the older man.

“How are they, Dr. Stanton? Are they still alive?” asked Nick, his hazel eyes wide in his pale face.

“Yes, they are, Mr. Barkley. Let’s have a seat at the table here and I’ll explain their condition to you.” smiled Dr. Stanton. Waiting until all three were seated at the table, Jonas opened a file with Jarrod’s name on the outside.

“Mr. Barkley, I understand your brother Jarrod was held against his will for at least a week or more. Is this correct?”

“Yes.” whispered Nick remembering his first glimpse of Jarrod when they entered the shack.

“Your brother Jarrod has several things we are concerned about right now. One of the major ailments we are treating him for is pneumonia. After his ribs were broken, three of them, he wasn’t able to breath deeply to inflate his lungs to their full potential. This caused a buildup of fluid, congestion. The pneumonia is causing the fever as well as the trauma his body was put through during his captivity. We have sutured the cuts on his wrists and head. He has a minor concussion.” stated Dr. Stanton quietly. “He has one other problem which Dr. Blanton will explain to you.”

The hazel eyes shifted to the younger man seated to his left, his voice trembled nervously. “They gave him something, didn’t they?”

“Your brother was given opium, Mr. Barkley.”

Closing his eyes briefly, the large hands clenched into fists and the hazel eyes glistened with tears. “Is that why his hands were shaking so bad?”

“Mr. Barkley, the people who held your brother gave him opium by injection. In order to create the addiction of opium in your brother, they would administer a dose then withhold the next dose for a certain period of time. The longer the time span in between doses, the worse the withdrawal symptoms are and the more he would need and want the drug to take the withdrawal away.”

“They made him an addict?” exclaimed Nick angrily. “Are you saying he’s gonna be an addict the rest of his life?”

Holding a hand up to stop any further questions, Dr. Blanton shook his head, “Mr. Barkley, we can reverse what they’ve done, but it won’t be easy. It takes a minimum of seventy two hours for the drug buildup to work it’s way out of his system. Mr. Barkley, the withdrawals your brother will be subject to are very painful to the patient. This is the time when most people die because they are not able to control their actions. They are combative, volatile, quick to enrage. They try to hurt themselves or those around them.”

“Then what? He’ll be okay then?” queried Nick holding his chin up with his clasped hands.

“The rest will then be up to your brother. It will depend on the type of inner strength he has to overcome.” replied Dr. Blanton putting a hand on the black sleeved arm. “From what I understand, I’d say he has a very good chance.”

Dr. Stanton closed Jarrod’s file and moved it to the side to open the one underneath it. Looking up, he met the worried hazel eyes across the table.

“Heath?”

Clearing his throat, the older man glanced down for a second before speaking, “Mr. Barkley, Heath was awake for a short period of time but unable to communicate. As you know, his neck sustained a brutal injury. Wrapping it in ice kept him from suffocating by keeping the swelling at bay for the time being. However, the swelling from the bruising has not stopped completely. We are closely monitoring his oxygen intake and applying ice to the area.”

“What if the swelling gets worse?” grilled Nick at the slight hesitation of the physician.

“If his oxygen intake is further compromised, we will be forced to proceed with a tracheotomy.” admitted Dr. Stanton.

“You wanna cut a hole in his neck?” shouted Nick in disbelief, jumping up from his chair.

Standing, Dr. Stanton answered truthfully, “Mr. Barkley, we don’t want to, however, we may HAVE to in order to save his life.”

Staring at the doctor, Nick slowly sank back down to his chair, his legs were as wobbly as a new born colt. Swallowing to fight the nausea, he whispered, “What else?”

“Heath has one broken rib and sustained deep bruising around the middle of his body, starting at his sides and around to his back. He is having spasms and seems to be breathing through them as much as he can.”

“He’s had them before.” said Nick quietly. “He hurt his back before.”

“How did he hurt his back before, Mr. Barkley?” questioned the physician.

Taking a deep breath, Nick replied, “Three men beat the hell out of him, stomped on his back and threw him out a two story window to land into the street below. His lower back was bruised and it was bout three weeks before he could stand. Three months after that he was back to riding. He had horrible spasms during his recovery.”

Nodding, Dr. Stanton finished writing the information in the file before looking up.

“A spasm is one way a person’s body has of protecting the spine. During the struggle, the pressure of the man’s clenched fists were pushing in on his back. It could be due to the swelling of the area, however, I am inclined to believe the man injured one of your brother’s vertebrae. Mr. Barkley, your brother cannot feel us when we test his legs.”

“He won’t walk again? Ever?” choked out Nick, clenching his hands which had begun to shake.

“I’m afraid we can’t answer that question now. We will have to wait until the swelling does subside. If the vertebrae is cracked and intact, there is a chance he will regain complete use of his legs with therapy. However, Mr. Barkley, if the vertebrae is crushed, the prognosis is not as good. We have placed Heath in a morphine induced coma to prevent him from moving when the spasms occur and eliminate any chance of further injury. He was highly agitated I believe due to his concern over the welfare of Jarrod. The coma will give his body a chance to rest and start to heal itself.”

“Can I see them?”

“Soon, Mr. Barkley. I’ll send someone out to get you.” assured Dr. Stanton quietly as he stood and picked up the two files. “If you think of anything you want to ask or know, I’ll be staying here at the hospital. You can let one of the nurses know and they’ll find me.”

Nodding, Nick stared at the backs of the two men as they left. His tearing eyes not seeing his surroundings, only seeing two brothers full of life and laughter as they were two months ago, before the wire came and hell followed.

“Where did Heath take Gene and the Jenkins?” asked Nick outloud to the empty room.

....Continued