Russ arrived at the cabin shortly after Rudy and Oscar drove Michele back and the four of them searched the cabin again finding no sign of Steve.

“Where could he have gotten to?” Oscar wondered worriedly.

“He could be anywhere,” Rudy said, "and it wouldn’t take him long to get there.”

Oscar nodded grimly, thinking of the distances Steve could travel with his speed.

“Would he have gone back to the city?” Russ asked.

“I doubt it,” Oscar said. “He’s upset and he’s probably going to want to stay away from people, not knowing if he’ll have another episode like the one earlier. He’s probably going to keep himself isolated for a while.”

“Where else could he be then?” Rudy asked. “This cabin is as isolated as you can get.”

“Then we’ll have to search the entire surrounding area,” Oscar said. “Michele, you wait here. I’m pretty sure he won’t be returning to the cabin any time soon.”

“But I’d like to go with you,” Michele said. “I know Steve didn’t mean to hurt me and I want to tell him I know it wasn’t his fault.”

“You can,” Oscar said, laying his hand on her shoulder. “Just as soon as we find him and bring him back.”

“Oscar’s right,” Rudy said softly. “We’ll all feel better if you’d wait here. It’s getting pretty dark out there and we’ll have to move fast.”

Nodding reluctantly, Michele agreed to wait for them at the cabin as they searched for flashlights.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Oscar said to Michele.

“What time should we meet back here?” Russ asked.

“Good idea Russ,” Oscar said, checking his watch. “Let’s all meet back here in thirty minutes. If we come back empty handed, we’ll go back out and start all over again.”

“Sounds good,” Russ said.

“Be careful,” Michele told them as she walked them out the door and stood on the porch, "and please bring Steve back to me.”

“We’ll do that,” Oscar promised. The three of them walked out into the darkness and split up. Michele watched as the flashlights disappeared into the night and then she went inside and closed the door.

“Oh, please come back to me Steve,” she sighed, sadly. “Whatever happened, we’ll work it out together. Just please come back to me.”

Oscar followed the sound of a nearby shallow stream as the flashlight’s glare cut into the darkness.

“Steve!” he yelled loudly. “Where are you?” Stopping and listening for a reply, he slowly swung the light around, taking in his surroundings. Walking a little farther and calling Steve’s name again, Oscar stopped quickly and swung the light back to his right.

“Steve!” he yelled with relief, as he saw his friend sitting up on a large rock by the water’s edge. Steve was sitting there somberly, throwing small pebbles into the stream. Hurrying over to him, Oscar said, “Don’t ever do that to me again, pal. You know you had me scared half to death. And Michele is worried sick about you. Come on, lets get out of here. They’re waiting for us at the cabin.”

Staring straight ahead, Steve said, “I’m not going back Oscar.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous!” Oscar said. “Of course you’re going back.”

“I can’t face her,” Steve said miserably, “not after what I did to her.”

“Steve, she loves you. She’s already forgiven you for that.”

“You didn’t see the way she looked at me,” Steve said softly. “She’s terrified of me.”

Sighing deeply, Oscar sat down on the rock beside Steve and said, “Try not to beat yourself up over that pal. Michele knows you didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“And what if it happens again?” Steve asked forlornly. “Can you guarantee me that I won’t hurt Michele again? Or you? Or maybe even Rudy. I’m a threat to all of you Oscar and I can’t take the chance that I might endanger your lives.”

“Then come back to the cabin with me,” Oscar said urgently. “Rudy’s there and he wants to get you back to the lab and take some x-rays. Obviously something is wrong Steve and you won’t know what it is or how to correct it until Rudy gives you a thorough examination. We did a sweep of your entire home and we found nothing, which leads Rudy to believe that someone planted the mind control device on you.”

“But when? How?” Steve asked.

“Rudy seems to think it happened that night you blacked out in your home. He thinks someone was there and that they drugged you. That explains the Rohypnol in your system.”

“You think that could be it?” Steve asked hopefully, wanting to believe that he wasn’t losing his mind and that outside forces had orchestrated his attack on Michele.

“It makes perfect sense,” Oscar assured him. “Once Rudy locates that device and removes it, you’ll never have to worry about another incident like that again.”

Steve was hopeful but Oscar saw sadness in his blue eyes as he looked away from him.

“Give her a chance pal,” Oscar said softly, reading Steve’s thoughts correctly and placing his hand on his shoulder. “Trust in your love for her and in hers for you.”

Inhaling deeply and letting out a shaky breath, Steve nodded and stood up. “I just hope you and Rudy are right about this.”

“I’m sure we are,” Oscar said. “Now let’s go and get those x-rays done.”

The two of them walked back to the cabin together. Steve lagged behind, dreading what he would see in Michele’s eyes when he faced her again. Finally, walking into a clearing and reaching the cabin, Steve was shocked when the front door flew open and Michele threw herself in his arms.

“Oh Steve!” she cried, “Thank God you’re alright!”

Shocked by her reaction towards him, Steve lifted his arms and held her tightly. “I’m sorry baby,” he said, softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know that Steve,” Michele sobbed, unable to let him go. “I know it wasn’t your fault.”

Rudy walked into the clearing with Russ a few steps behind him and he smiled as he saw Michele in Steve’s arms.

“Good to have you back, pal,” Rudy said.

“Thank you,” Steve said, still holding Michele.

“Did Oscar tell you about my theory?” he asked.

“Yes he did,” Steve said.

“Then let’s get down to the lab,” Rudy said. “The quicker we find that device and remove it, the better.”

“I’m all for that,” Steve said.

They locked up the cabin and piled into the vehicles parked outside. A few hours later, they arrived at the lab where Rudy began to take extensive x-rays of Steve’s entire body.

Waiting in Oscar’s office for the x-ray results, Steve and Michele sat on the sofa as Oscar sat behind his desk. Suddenly the office door burst open and Rudy rushed in.

“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed triumphantly.

“You found the device?” Oscar said excitedly as he stood and walked around his desk. Steve and Michele stood and walked over to Rudy.

“That’s right,” Rudy said, smiling broadly. “They surgically implanted the device in Steve’s head. It’s so tiny I almost missed it at first but when I enlarged the x-rays I was able to see it.”

“Where is it?” Steve asked, reaching up to feel his head.

“You’d never find it with your fingers, Steve. Whoever created it and implanted it must be some type of genius,” Rudy said, showing them the x-rays.

Looking at the tiny chip on the x-ray negative, Oscar whistled and said, “No wonder you almost missed it.”

“And now you can remove it,” Michele said, relieved.

“That’s right,” Rudy told her. “Let’s get down to the lab Steve,” he said. “I think we’ll all breathe a little easier once I take that thing out of you.”

Steve kissed Michele softly and walked slowly over to the door where Rudy was waiting for him. Looking over at the doctor, he said, “Wait a minute Rudy. Suppose we didn’t remove that microchip just yet.”

“What?” they all gasped in shock.

Looking over at them, Steve said, “I have a plan. Just trust me on this one.”

“It’s too risky Steve,” Oscar said, running a worried hand over his mouth.

“It’s the only way,” Steve said. “If Rudy removes the microchip, we’ll never know who devised it and implanted it. But if we leave it in, and Rudy could come up with a program that would counteract the commands that they’re sending me, we could find out who these guys are and put them out of commission for good.”

“You’re saying you want me to re-program the chip while it’s in your head?” Rudy asked skeptically.

“That’s right,” Steve said, turning and looking at him. “If you could devise a way to program the microchip so that I can still hear the commands but not be affected by them, I could pretend that I’m still under their influence and I could track down the people who did this. I could make them think I’m still following their commands and sooner or later, they’ll lead me back to their headquarters.”

“It’s too big a chance to take,” Oscar said. “Anything could go wrong. And what if Rudy isn’t successful and this plan of yours backfires? What if you only think Rudy was able to re-program the microchip but when these people send out their next command, you have no choice but to follow it?”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take Oscar,” Steve said. “Besides, I have confidence in Rudy’s ability to pull this off.”

“That makes one of us,” Rudy said sardonically.

“If we don’t do this now, while the chip is still implanted, we’ll never know who did this,” Steve said.

“I agree with Oscar,” Michele said, quietly. “It’s too big a risk Steve, and Rudy isn’t even sure if he can do this.”

“I know you’re afraid, baby,” Steve said, taking her hands in his. “But if I don’t stop them now, they’ll just do this to someone else. And who knows what’ll happen then?”

“Well, just for the record, I’m against this,” Oscar said.

“That goes double for me,” Michele said, looking up into Steve’s blue eyes as he gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

“That makes three of us,” Rudy sighed. “But if we’re going to do this, we’d better do it now and get it over with.”

“Thanks Rudy,” Steve said in relief. Looking at Michele, he said, “It’ll be all right baby. I don’t want you to worry now ya hear?”

“Oh Steve, how can I help but worry?” she asked, as he took her in his arms. “You’re putting your life on the line when you don’t need to. There are other alternatives. There has to be.”

“Right now, I can’t think of any,” Steve said, holding her tightly. “If Rudy removes that chip, those guys go free and that’s just something I can’t live with.”

“Good luck pal,” Oscar said, laying his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I hope you’re right about this.”

“I think I am, Oscar,” Steve said.

“You ready?” Rudy asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Steve said. He gave Michele a kiss and then he and Rudy left Oscar’s office and went down to the lab.

“Why does he always have to be so stubborn?” Michele asked, her hands trembling as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“When he feels he’s right about something,” Oscar said, “he doesn’t stop until he gets to the bottom of it.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better about this,” Michele said. “If he’s wrong about this, there could be dire consequences to pay.”

“Then we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed,” Oscar said, worriedly. He took his seat behind his desk and Michele sat on the sofa sipping coffee. They couldn’t shake the worry and fear they were feeling for Steve as they waited for him and Rudy to return from the lab.

The sound wave device in Dr. Jekyll’s office suddenly began to beep and a tiny red light on the front of the device began to blink incessantly.

“The microchip!” he yelled. “They’ve found it!”

“What does this mean?” Hans asked.

“It means they’re either removing it or tampering with it!” Dr. Jekyll said, picking up the sound wave device and turning it on.

“What are you going to do?” Hans asked.

“I have a back up plan for just this type of interference,” he smiled coldly. “But the microchip will have to remain in place in order for it to work.”

When Hans looked at him in confusion, he continued.

“If they remove the microchip, then I no longer have control over Col. Austin.”

“Then they’ll have defeated you and your plan,” Hans reasoned.

“Correct,” Dr. Jekyll said. “But I don’t think they’re going to remove it. In fact, I’m counting on that.”

“How can you be so sure that they won't?” Hans asked.

“If they remove the chip,” Dr. Jekyll said, “they’ll have stopped me for now, but they’ll never know who implanted the chip in the first place and they have to know that sooner or later, I’ll try this again. There’s nothing on that chip that can lead them back to me so they'll never know how to find me if they remove it. Col. Austin, being the do-gooder, good citizen that he is will never allow that chip to be removed until he can find out who implanted it. He’ll want to stop me at all costs to keep me from doing this to anyone else.”

“But isn’t it safer for you to have them remove the chip instead of finding a way to trace it back to you?” Hans asked.

“You’re not seeing the big picture, Hans,” Dr. Jekyll said, condescendingly. “I had just that theory in mind when I developed the chip. That’s the reason I chose Col. Austin as my subject. A lesser man would have insisted the chip be removed immediately, but a man of Col. Austin’s morals, a man who puts the safety of others above his own safety, would never allow that chip to be removed if there’s a chance that he could find the developer and stop him once and for all.”

“And what happens when he does find you?” Hans asked.

“He won’t,” Dr. Jekyll said, smiling broadly. “As I said before, I have a back-up plan. If the device is tampered with in any way, the circuitry I’ve developed will override any new changes that they may make in order to re-program the chip and the chip’s program will default back to its original programming.”

“I don’t understand,” Hans said.

Sighing in exasperation, Dr. Jekyll said, “Oh for Christ’s sake man! All I’m saying is, if they re-program the chip, it will automatically default to my original settings and Col. Austin will still be under my control!”

“How can you be so sure?” Hans asked skeptically.

Looking at him coldly, Dr. Jekyll said, “I’d be willing to stake my life on it.”

Suddenly, the sound wave device stopped beeping and the red light on the front of it stopped blinking.

“What happened?” Hans asked.

“Whatever changes they’ve made, have been completed,” Dr. Jekyll explained. “Now it’s a matter of proving to them that Col. Austin is still under my control by issuing my next command to him.”

“But then they’ll know that you’re still controlling him,” Hans said. “And the next time, they will remove the microchip.”

“Ahhh, but there will be no next time,” Dr. Jekyll said. “This time, once I show them that I’m still controlling Austin, I’ll have Austin come here to me and he will remain here as Mr. Hyde so that he won’t be able to defy me. They will have lost Col. Austin for good and we will have gained a powerful ally in Mr. Hyde.”

“How long can you keep him under your control as Mr. Hyde?” Hans asked.

“For the rest of his life, if I choose to,” Dr. Jekyll said. “And he’ll never know the difference. He’ll never have any memory of ever having lived his former life as Col. Steve Austin as long as I keep the microchip programmed.”

“It’s ingenious,” Hans said.

“Simplicity itself,” Dr. Jekyll countered. “Now, all I have to do is decide what task I want Col. Austin to perform next, and believe me Hans, it’s going to rock them all to their very foundations!”

“How do you feel?” Michele asked as she stood over Steve and took his hand. He was lying in a hospital bed at the lab after having come through the surgery.

“A little groggy,” Steve admitted, “but no worse for wear.”

“Did it work?” Oscar asked Rudy.

“It’s hard to tell,” Rudy said. “The microchip had several different programs on it. I assume some of them were back-up programs. I found the circuitry on them and re-programmed them as best I could. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for that next command to come through to see if I got it right.”

“Then there’s no way to tell if Steve will be able to fight off their commands until they actually contact him,” Oscar stated.

“That’s right,” Rudy said. “Now we just sit back and wait.”

Rudy removed a syringe and a small bottle from his waistcoat. He inserted the syringe into the top of the bottle and filled it to capacity with the clear liquid.

“What’s that?” Michele asked.

“Rohypnol,” Rudy said, looking at Steve. “If I wasn’t successful in re-programming that chip, I don’t want to be caught off guard if they tell you to attack somebody again.”

“Good idea,” Oscar said.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Michele asked, looking down at Steve.

“I’m positive,” Steve said. “Whoever’s doing this has to be stopped and if I have to sacrifice myself to stop them, then so be it.”

He reached up and wiped a tear from Michele’s face as she cried softly. “Don’t cry baby,” he said, “it’ll be all right. I promise you.”

“Do you think the OSI was successful in re-programming your microchip?” Hans asked, two days later as he walked into Dr. Jekyll’s lab.

“Time will tell,” Dr. Jekyll said, removing his lab coat in place of his sports jacket.

“Where are you going?” Hans asked curiously, watching Dr. Henry Jekyll walk over to the door.

“It’s not where I’m going,” Dr. Jekyll said. “It’s where we’re going. We’re taking the van back over to Col. Austin’s home. My sources have confirmed me that he’s being released from the lab this morning and I want to watch him personally and make sure the chip is operating properly. I want to watch Austin closely when I issue my next command. The slightest hesitation in his willingness to obey me will let me know that Dr. Wells was successful in removing the microchip, but if Col. Austin obeys me without hesitation, then I’ll know that Dr. Wells failed in his attempt to stop me.”

Nodding skeptically, Hans followed Dr. Jekyll out the door and down the hall where they caught the elevator to the parking garage.

“Did you have the van brought around, Giles?” Dr. Jekyll asked the watchman.

“Yes sir,” Giles said, stepping aside and letting them enter the elevator. “It’s ready and waiting for you as soon as you leave the elevator.”

“Very good,” Dr. Jekyll said as the elevator doors slid closed and they descended to the parking garage. “And now Hans, we will know once and for all if Col. Steve Austin is a friend or a foe.”

“All set, pal?” Oscar asked, as he entered Steve’s hospital room.

“Just about,” Steve said, putting his shirt on and buttoning it.

“I guess the fact that no more commands came through these last two days means that you were successful after all in reprogramming that chip, Rudy.” Oscar said, turning to the doctor, who was signing Steve’s discharge papers.

“Maybe,” Rudy said, skeptically. “Or it could mean they haven’t tried yet. I want to leave that chip in place a few more days and see if anything happens. If not, I’ll go ahead and remove it Steve.”

Steve nodded his agreement. “I think if they’re gonna issue any more commands it’ll probably be in the next few days. Where’s Michele?” he asked Oscar.

“She’s in the hall, waiting for you to finish getting dressed,” Oscar told him.

“So what about it Steve?” Oscar asked with a smile. “Is Michele going to be the next Mrs. Austin?”

Blushing and smiling, Steve said, “Well, if I play my cards right, she’s going to be the first and only Mrs. Austin.”

“You mean that?” Rudy asked happily, looking up from his chart.

“Yep,” Steve said, pulling on his jacket. “I think it’s about time I started thinking about settling down and Michele's the lady I want to do it with.”

“Did you ask her yet?” Oscar asked.

“Not yet,” Steve said. “With everything that’s been going on lately, I can’t seem to find the right time.”

“Well, don’t wait too long,” Oscar said as the three of them walked over to the door together. “She’s a great gal and I would hate to see you two lose each other because of something like this.”

“That goes double for me,” Steve said, walking out into the hall.

Hearing his voice, Michele turned from the hall window and looked at him with a smile. Her heart fluttered in her chest and butterflies took flight in her stomach as he smiled at her. She couldn’t remember anybody ever having the kind of effect on her that Steve did.

“Hello,” she said, walking over and stepping into his waiting arms.

“Hello, pretty lady,” Steve said, greeting her with a kiss as Oscar and Rudy smiled and looked away.

“Ready to go?” she asked, gazing up into his sparkling blue eyes.

“You bet,” Steve said with a smile. “You have that alarm device Rudy gave ya?”

“I have it,” Michele said. “But it’s been two days Steve and there haven’t been anymore commands. Do you really think it’s necessary?”

“Now you insisted on coming back to my place and staying with me,” Steve reminded her. “So until Rudy removes the microchip, I want you to have that alarm device as long as you’re around me. That way, if Rudy wasn’t successful and I do respond to another command, all you’ll have to do is press the button on that device and it’ll alert everyone at OSI that you’re in trouble.”

“Russ, Todd and a couple of other agents will be working in shifts, watching your house around the clock,” Oscar said to Steve. “And the electronic equipment in their van will also alert them if Michele activates the alarm device. That way, they’ll be able to rush right in and assist you if Steve is prompted to hurt you again and is unable to fight off the command,” he told Michele.

“Alright,” Michele said as she and Steve put their arms around each other and walked out with Oscar and Rudy.

“You know you don’t have to do this,” Steve said quietly.

“I want to do it,” Michele said, looking up at him. “There’s no where else I’d rather be than by your side.”

“I feel the same way about you,” Steve said as they gazed lovingly at each other.

“Elevator’s here,” Oscar said, interrupting the mood, and they all stepped inside and rode down to the lobby.

“Now Russ and Todd are already in place in front of your home” Oscar said, as the four of them walked out to Steve’s car. “Harry and Greg will replace them in twelve hours, so you’ll be getting round the clock protection in case anything happens Michele.”

“Thank you, Mr. Goldman,” she said as she and Steve got into the car.

“Call me the moment you get home,” Oscar said to Steve.

“Will do,” Steve said as he started the car and he and Michele drove away.

“Well, what do you think?” Rudy asked as he and Oscar watched them drive away.

“I don’t like it,” Oscar said. “I hope I’m wrong Rudy, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“That makes two of us, “Rudy admitted. “But with Russ and Todd watching the place, I think everything will be alright for now.”

“Let’s hope so,” Oscar said skeptically as they turned and walked back into the lab.

“There he is,” Dr. Jekyll said as he watched Steve drive up and park in front of his door. He and Hans were parked outside in the green van, across the street from Steve’s home.

“The girl’s with him,” Hans said, peering out his window.

“So, she survived his last attack,” Dr. Jekyll said thoughtfully. “No matter. I’ll just have to up the ante a bit the next time.”

“You mean you’re going to have him scare her again?” Hans asked incredulously.

“No,” Dr. Jekyll said menacingly, turning on the sound wave device. “I’m going to have him kill her.”

“It’s good to be home,” Steve said, closing the door behind them.

“Yes it is,” Michele said, walking into the kitchen.

Steve picked up the phone and called Oscar, letting him and Rudy know that they were home and that everything was all right.

After hanging up the phone, he walked into the kitchen. “Mmmm, something smells good,” he said.

“I cooked breakfast this morning before I came to the hospital,” Michele said with a smile. “I prepared all your favorite dishes.” She took down two plates from the cabinet and sat them on the counter.

“You’re too good to me,” Steve said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her back against him. He leaned down and kissed her neck as she began to pile food on their plates.

‘Well, you deserve the best, Col. Austin,” she joked.

“And that’s just what I’ve got,” Steve said huskily as he held her tighter and nibbled her earlobe.

“Mr. Hyde, take the large butcher’s knife in your hand,” the voice inside Steve’s head said.

Steve froze and reached over and took the butcher’s knife in his hand.

“Could you pass me the salt, please?” Michele asked. When Steve didn’t respond, she turned and looked up at him and her blood ran cold as he brought the knife down over and over again.

“Come outside and get into the van!” Dr. Jekyll cried hastily.

Steve dropped the knife and walked down the hall and out the front door.

Russ and Todd were a few doors down and they gasped in horror as they watched Steve leave his home, his shirt and pants covered in blood.

“Oh my God!” Russ yelled as he jumped from the van. “Call it in and get an ambulance out here!” Todd picked up the car phone and made the calls.

Russ ran down to Steve’s house, just as Steve jumped into a green van which quickly sped off.

Russ drew his gun and started to fire but thought better of it, not wanting to injure any passersby on the street. Turning, he ran up the front stairs and into Steve’s home.

“Michele!” he yelled, moving quickly through the house. “Michele! Where are you?”

Stepping into the kitchen, Russ’s breath caught in his throat at the sight before him. He rushed over to Michele, slipping in the blood all over the kitchen floor as he dropped to his knees beside her. Feeling for a pulse, he said, “Oh my dear God!”

“Excellent!” Dr. Jekyll exclaimed happily as he sat in front of Steve and looked at the blank expression on his face. “You performed your duties extremely well, Mr. Hyde which means Dr. Wells failed in his attempt to alter the microchip. But I can’t have you arrested for murder before you retrieve the plans for the SSJ-106 for me this weekend. I’ll keep you well hidden until then my friend and I’ll use you to assist me in my work thereafter, but if you ever cross me, Mr. Hyde, I’ll turn you over to your own people and let them prosecute you for murdering your girlfriend.”

Looking out the window of the van, Dr. Jekyll said, “Step on it Hans! I want to get him back to my lab as soon as possible!”

Hans drove up to the lab in the van and Dr. Jekyll quickly opened the sliding side door and hopped down from the vehicle.

“Give me a hand with him,” Dr. Jekyll said as Hans walked around to the side of the vehicle. They took Steve by the arms and helped him from the van.

“Are you sure he’s still under the influence of the microchip?” Hans asked skeptically as he looked into Steve’s blue eyes.

“Of course he is,” Dr. Jekyll sneered. “And hewill be until I say different. Now help him over to the elevator and get him into the shower. Burn those bloody clothes he’s wearing and get him some clean ones. After that, take him to one of the cells and lock him in until I come for him.”

“But if he’s under the influence of the chip, does he really need to be locked up?” Hans asked, leading Steve over to the elevator.

“Not necessarily,” Dr. Jekyll said. “But on the off chance that he does come from under the influence of the chip, I want every precaution taken until I can get him back under it again. In the meantime, I’m going to my office to work out the final details of Mr. Hyde’s mission to steal the plans for the SSJ-106.”

Hans nodded and led Steve into the elevator. They exited on the sub-basement level where the cells were located and Hans went to get Steve a fresh change of clothes while he showered. Once Steve was showered and dressed, Hans led him to a reinforced cell and locked him in. He watched intensely for a moment as Steve sat down on the cot, staring straight ahead. Shrugging, Hans turned and walked away and joined Dr. Jekyll up in his office.

Oscar and Rudy drove up in front of Steve’s house, the car’s tires screeching to a halt as Oscar slammed his foot down on the brakes. Their hearts sank as they took notice of the ambulance parked in the middle of the street a couple of feet ahead of them.

“Where is she?” Oscar yelled to Todd as he and Rudy jumped from the car.

“She’s inside, in the kitchen,” Todd said, puffing shakily on a cigarette.

Rudy and Oscar ran inside and into the kitchen. They gasped in horror at all the blood on the floor and quickly looked over to the sitting nook where Russ was sitting, holding Michele’s hand.

Both Oscar and Rudy let out loud sighs of relief as they looked at the woman, who was very shaken but otherwise, unharmed.

“It worked?” Oscar asked, rushing over to her side.

Nodding, Michele said in a shaky voice, “It happened just the way Steve said it would. They issued the command and Steve went for a knife, which is obviously what they told him to do. After pretending to stab me, he took the pig’s blood that you brought over earlier from the fridge and poured it all over me and himself to try to make it look convincing.”

“He succeeded,” Russ said with a nervous laugh. “I swear, when I first ran in here, I really thought she was dead the way she was lying there on the floor like that.”

“I’m sorry Russ,” Michele said apologetically, “but I needed to make it look convincing. I didn’t know if they’d send someone in to check whether Steve had really killed me or not.”

“You did the right thing,” Oscar said. “All that planning would have been for nothing if they had discovered Steve hadn’t really killed you.”

“That’s right,” Rudy agreed. “Now all we have to do is locate Steve and find out who took him and where.”

“Congratulations pal” Oscar said to Rudy. “I had my reservations about whether or not you could really re-program that microchip.”

“We all did,” Rudy admitted. “I’m just glad I found the correct circuitry.”

“Do you think that tracking device you planted in Steve’s arm will lead us to him?” Oscar asked hopefully.

“It’d better,” Rudy said, turning on the tracking device. “Cause if it doesn’t, our friend is going to be in big trouble.”

They all watched as the yellow scanning line circled the black screen of the tracking device in a clockwise motion. It circled the screen twice and then, they heard a beep and saw a small red light flick on the screen when the line passed a certain location.

“That’s him!” Rudy cried excitedly. “We’ve got him!”

“Thank God!” Michele cried.

“We’re going after him,” Oscar said to Michele. “You wait here until we get back.”

“Not this time, Mr. Goldman,” Michele said defiantly. “You give me five minutes to change clothes and I’m coming with you!”

Oscar looked at Rudy and Rudy shrugged, knowing there was no way Michele was going to stay behind this time.

Sighing in defeat, Oscar turned to her and said, “Five minutes! But make it quick!”

Michele ran up the stairs and changed her clothes and was back down the steps and ready to go in less than five minutes.

“Let’s go,” Oscar said, as they all rushed out the front door and into their cars. Oscar, Rudy and Michele took one car and Russ and Todd jumped into the van and followed closely behind them.

“We won’t lose him, will we?” Michele asked nervously, looking at the tracking device over Rudy’s shoulder from the back seat.

“Not a chance,” Rudy assured her. “This is one time we’re not letting Steve out of our sights.”

Oscar pushed down on the gas pedal and they followed the device’s directions, each of them praying they’d get to Steve before his captors found out he was faking.

Steve sat perfectly still on his cot, aware of the video camera in one corner of the room that was trained on him. He concentrated on taking deep, even breaths as he waited for his next instructions. He didn’t have long to wait as he heard two sets of foot steps approaching his cell.

“Hello again, Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll said, standing outside of Steve’s cell with Hans beside him. “Are you ready to go over the plans for your next assignment?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” Steve said, as he continued to stare straight ahead.

“Let him out,” Dr. Jekyll said, stepping back as Hans unlocked the cell.

“Stand up and walk outside of your cell,” Dr. Jekyll said.

Steve did as he was told, careful to keep a blank look on his face and not make eye contact with either of the two men.

“Follow me,” Dr. Jekyll said, as he turned and led Steve down the hall. As they reached the lab, Dr. Jekyll took Steve over to a large white table where maps and schematics were laid out. “These are the plans for the SSJ-106 and the floor plans on how to get to them,” Dr. Jekyll said to Steve. “But before we go over them, I have one more act of faith I’d like you to perform for me. Hans?” he said, turning to his colleague.

Hans walked over to a large closet and pulled open the door. Reaching inside, he pulled out Giles, the watchman who had been bound and gagged and brought him over to Dr. Jekyll.

“And now, Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll said sinisterly as he pulled out a dart gun containing a large dose of Rohypnol and pointed it at Steve. “Just to prove to me that you’re still under my influence, I want you to kill Giles right in front of me and then we can proceed with our mission.”

Turning towards the terrified watchman, Steve approached him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Giles blabbered incoherently behind the gag in his mouth, pleading and begging for his life as Steve’s iron grip closed around his exposed throat. Hans looked on horrified as Dr. Jekyll watched with glee, his eyes shining and bulging in anticipation.

“Yes, yes, that’s it, Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll cooed happily as he watched Steve’s grip on the watchman’s neck grow tighter and tighter. Steve watched surreptitiously as Dr. Jekyll became more and more engrossed in the watchman’s glazed eyes and when Steve was sure Dr. Jekyll’s attention was no longer on him, he dropped Giles suddenly and reached out, hitting Dr. Jekyll’s gun hand just as the doctor realized what Steve was doing and fired. Steve knocked Dr. Jekyll’s arm aside and the dart left the gun with lightening speed, entering Hans’ stomach and the startled assistant dropped like a sack of potatoes as the Rohypnol quickly entered his blood stream and rendered him unconscious.

“No….no….,” Dr. Jekyll begged in terror, putting his hands up in front of him and backing away as Steve slowly advanced on him. “Please, have mercy,” he cried as Steve reached out with his right hand and picked the doctor up like a ragdoll and threw him clear across the room. Dr. Jekyll hit the far wall hard and came down in a dazed heap. He shook his head, trying to clear out the cobwebs as he felt himself being lifted and thrown across the room again, smashing into a glass cabinet and shattering it.

“Please, no…..” he begged, crawling through glass and metal as he tried to get away from Steve. Steve came up behind him and lifted him by the scruff of the neck.

“Don’t! Don’t!” Dr. Jekyll cried as once again, he felt himself flying through the air and coming down on the lab table, his weight causing it to collapse beneath him.

“No more!” he cried as Steve approached him menacingly. “I, I never did anything to hurt you! Why are you doing this to me?”

“Ask Michele,” Steve said coldly as he reached down and lifted the doctor off the floor. “Ask her how she felt when I almost killed her because of you!”

“But I didn’t mean any haaarrrrmmmmm!” Dr. Jekyll cried, the last word coming out as a scream as he was thrown through the air again. He hit the far wall hard and slid down it, unable to move and too broken and battered to attempt escape. He could do no more than whimper and moan as he once again felt himself being lifted off the floor.

“She almost died because of you!” Steve yelled. “And you’re gonna pay for that! You’re gonna pay for every bit of pain and fear you caused her!”

Dr. Jekyll could only moan and mumble incoherently as his broken limbs dangled in the air. Steve lifted him higher to throw him across the room again when a voice suddenly stopped him.

“No Steve!” Oscar cried as they burst into the lab. “He’s had enough! Let the law prosecute him now. Believe me, he’s going away for a long time.”

Steve stood holding the doctor in the air by his crumpled lab coat, vaguely hearing Oscar’s words and desperately wanting to punish the man some more for what he’d made him do to Michele.

“Please don’t do it Steve,” Michele said softly.

Steve’s head snapped around at the sound of her voice. “Michele?” he said breathlessly. “After what he made me do to you…..”

“I know, Steve,” she said, approaching him slowly. “And I know how you feel. He deserves any punishment you choose to inflict upon to him. But if you kill him, he’ll have won anyway because we’ll have lost you. I’ll have lost you.”

The unmistakable love in her eyes was Steve’s undoing and he released Dr. Jekyll, letting him drop to the floor with a loud thud as Michele ran over and took Steve in her arms.

“We were so afraid,” she said, holding him tightly as his arms went around her and he held her close. ““We weren’t sure if we’d get here in time.”

“Seems we got here just in time,” Oscar said, walking over and picking up the plans for the SSJ-106. He whistled softly as he read over them and realized the magnitude of the operation Dr. Jekyll had been running. “If he had gotten his hands on the SSJ-106, he would have set the Defense Department back on its heels fifty years. You saved a lot of lives by stopping him pal,” he said, looking over at Steve, who was still holding Michele in his arms.

Rudy started go over and check on Hans and Dr. Jekyll but Steve stopped him.

“Check the night watchman first,” Steve said, pointing to Giles, who was still lying unconscious on the floor. “I’m afraid I had to rough him up a little bit to make it look convincing,” he said guiltily.

“And in doing so, you saved his life pal,” Oscar said, walking over and placing his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I’m pretty sure he won’t mind the trade off.”

Todd handcuffed Hans who was still unconscious from the heavy dose of Rohypnol in his system and Russ stood guard over Dr. Jekyll, knowing with two broken legs, two broken arms, some broken ribs and assorted cuts and bruises that the mad scientist wasn’t going any where anytime soon.

“He’ll be alright,” Rudy assured Steve as he untied Giles and checked him over. “He’ll have a sore throat for a while but nothing more serious than that.”

Steve sighed in relief. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Giles but he needed to carry his plan as far as he could take it in order to catch Dr. Jekyll unawares. He was sorry that that meant putting the night watchman in harm’s way.

“We’ll keep an eye on these two until the authorities arrive,” Russ said, as they listened to the sirens approaching off in the distance.

“Good,” Oscar said. “In the meantime, we’re going to head over to the OSI building. If the police have any questions for us, direct them there.”

“Will do,” Russ said, and he watched as they helped Giles up and escorted him out the door.

“Could he really have taken over our national defense?” Michele asked as they drove back to the OSI building.

“From the looks of these plans,” Oscar said, “he could have done that and more. He could have written his own ticket as to how far he wanted to take his diabolical plan.”

“And thanks to Steve, we no longer have to worry about that,” she said, snuggling up to her handsome, blue eyed hero.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without Rudy’s help,” Steve reminded them. “If he hadn’t figured out how to reprogram that microchip, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would be ruling the world right now.”

“And if we hadn’t gone along with your plan, Steve,” Rudy said, “Dr. Jekyll could have slipped through our hands and started over some where else.”

“Well, thank goodness Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are now out of commission,” Oscar said. “And their plans for world domination will never be realized.”

“Speakin’ of plans,” Steve said softly as he looked at Michele and gave her a wink.

“What plans?” she asked, looking up at him in confusion.

Steve, Oscar and Rudy laughed as they drove happily down the road.

“What plans?” Michele asked over their growing laugher. She threw her hands up in exasperation as they continued to laugh, trying to figure out what plans Steve was talking about.

Michele watched appreciatively as Steve raised the sails and let the small boat crest on the ocean waters. She was very impressed to learn that he knew his way around a boat almost as well as he knew his way around a rocket ship.

“What’s so funny?” Steve asked as he caught her smiling over at him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her long, slim, tan body clad in a two piece bikini as she lay back in a lounge chair on the sun deck.

“Oh nothing,” she sighed happily. “I was just wondering if there were anything that you can’t do.”

“Plenty, darlin’,” Steve deadpanned as he made his way over to her and sat down in the lounge chair beside her. He lifted the cooler and retrieved a cold beer, popping the top and taking a long swig from it. He laid back on his lounge chair and folded his hands beneath his head as he crossed his long legs at the ankles. He was wearing only shorts and boat shoes and the sun caressed his hard body as Michele looked over at him. It was all she could do to keep her hands off of him.

“I’m glad you suggested this trip, Steve,” she said, huskily. “After everything you’ve been through, you needed a vacation like this.”

“That goes double for you,” Steve said, reaching out and taking her hand. “I’m trained for those kind of things but you’re a civilian Michele and you should never have had to go through something like that. I’m sorry baby.”

“It’s not your fault Steve. I’m willing to face anything as long as I have you by my side,” she said sincerely.

“You mean that?” Steve asked, rolling over on his side and looking into her eyes.

“Of course I do,” she assured him. “Don’t you ever doubt it.”

“Well, in that case,” Steve said, sitting up and clearing his throat. “I know this may be kinda sudden but…..” he reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black box as he got down on one knee on the sun deck. “Michele Nicole Bradford, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

Michele thought she was prepared for anything but when Steve got down on one knee and spoke the words she’d been wanting to hear for so long, and when he opened the black box with a huge, diamond engagement ring inside, she nearly fell off of her chair as she gasped in surprise. Her hand went to her throat as she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Steve waited with growing apprehension, his heart pounding mercilessly in his chest as she remained silent, staring back and forth from him to the ring.

“Oh Steve,” she sighed breathlessly as she finally regained the ability to speak. “Nothing would make me happier or prouder than to become your wife.”

Steve let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in and sighed as he removed the ring from the box and with shaking hands, placed it on her finger. Tears dripped from Michele’s eyes as she looked up from the ring on her finger and over at Steve.

“You’ve just made me the happiest girl in the world, Colonel Austin,” she said, choking back tears.

“And you’ve made me the happiest man in the world,” Steve told her as he leaned in and placed a soft kiss to her lips. The kiss grew in intensity as they allowed themselves to get caught up in their emotions. Steve gently pushed her down on the lounging chair but found himself being pushed back as he tried to lay down with her. He looked at her questioningly as her small hand remained lodged against his strong chest. Smiling sweetly up at him, Michele said, “Let’s save that for our wedding night darling.”

Steve groaned in mock agony and hung his head as Michele laughed and pulled him close. “I promise you Steve, it won’t be that long and it will be well worth the wait.”

Steve’s blue eyes brightened as he lifted his head and looked down at her.

“Yeah?” he asked hopefully as a lopsided grin graced his lips.

“Oh yeah,” Michele assured him as she placed another passionate kiss to his lips. “I promise you Mr. Austin, this is one decision you’ll never regret.”