After the meeting Leary, Rexer and Maggie returned to the tunnels. Leary shot Rexer a concerned look and motioned with his head for him to go back to the entrance.

Maggie looked at Leary worriedly. She could see the deep concern on Leary and Rexers face.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked.

"shh." Leary hushed her as he took her hand and led her behind the cover of the doorway keeping her safely behind him as he readied his gun. "We were followed." he whispered.

Within a few minuets Rexer reappeared with a oversize backpack slung over his shoulder and followed by, a girl!, clad in Levi's, boots, a white tank top that clung to the her figure and tucked neatly into her jeans, and a denim jacket. She had a rifle slung over her shoulder and a look of annoyance on her face.

"Look who I found sneaking around outside." Rexer announced with a grin as he set the bag on the floor beside the girl.

Leary came from his hiding spot with Maggie behind him. He looked at the girl and a smile crossed his lips.

"Nice to see you decided to come back. Where the hell you been?"

"Busy" she said flatly. Then looked at the young and pretty girl standing beside Leary. Looking her up and down She couldn't help the *who the hell are you?* look that appeared on her face. She turned her gaze toward Leary. Raising an eyebrow she smirked jokingly.

"Find a little something to play with did ya Leary?"

"Watch your lip Hard Case, Maggie here's a lady and don't you forget it." Leary growled.

JT looked at him with a look that said *Oh, and I'm not?*

Leary smiled half-heartedly knowing that, like the rest of them, JT's bark was usually worse than her bite unless you crossed her.

"Let me introduce you Maggie, to the first woman ever to join a Seal Team. Joanna Triston Shannon or as we affectionately call her. Hard Case." he winked.

JT flashed him a crooked grin and an annoyed look at the use of her full name. Then set her site on Maggie and gave her a short nod of acknowledgment."The names JT." She announced. Looking back to Leary seriously she asked in a tone that masked her expression.

"Where's Dane?"

"Reconnaissance." Leary replied evenly. "Him and Ramous ought to be back any time."

The words no sooner left his lips than the two objects of conversation walked in.

"Hey Dane" Leary shouted with a broad smile. "Look what Rex found wondering around."

Dane's eyes met JT's both staying fixed on the others. It was evident they knew each other by the look in their eyes as they stared at each other. Danes cold expression softened when he saw the girl. JT's dark brown eyes seemed to brighten at the site of Dane and it looked as if she might genuinely smile.

"Miss me?" Dane piped up in a teasing tone as he set his gun down in the corner and began to walk toward her.

JT half grinned trying to contain her excitement in seeing her long time lover.

"Hell no, why would I miss you?" she answered trying to be serious.

"Cuz you love me." Dane retorted confidently as he approached her. Then with one quick swoop grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her deeply.

JT fell into the embrace willingly wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Ramous and Rexer grinned and nudged each other playfully with their elbows.

"Hard Case is back and God's a happy man again" Rexer said smiling. Ramous nodded his agreement.

"You know it." Dane spoke up as the two broke from their embrace. His eyes still entranced in JT's.

Finally JT tore her gaze from Dane but didn't move from his side as she glanced around the room..

"Where's the rest?" she asked curiously. But she was not prepared for the answer she received.

Ramous and Rexer hung their heads; sadness crossed their faces. JT's expression became concerned.

Leary glanced at Dane. "You wanna tell her?"

JT took a step forward and looked at Leary.

"Tell me what?" she growled suspiciously. "Where the hells Hawkins, Currin and Graham?"

Dane took in a heavy breath then looked at her sympathetically.

"Hawkins is dead." he told her solemnly.

Tears weld up in JT's eyes but she blinked them back and gritted her teeth swallowing the lump growing in her throat.

"Dead?" she questioned when she could get the word out with out breaking down. "How?"

"Confrontation with the aliens." Leary began to explain for Dane. "Wasn't anything we could do JT."

JT hung her head as she pulled her emotions in check before she spoke again. Dane put a comforting arm around her and pulled her head to his chest smoothing her hair. The team was close and he knew this was a shock for her. He also knew the special feelings she had for Her mentors Hawkins and Currin.

Within a few minuets JT looked up at Leary.

"And Currin?..Graham?"

Leary shook his head. "Don't know. We lost contact with em. we don't know if they're alive or dead."

JT took in a heavy breath and let it out. "I need a beer." she said dryly.

Ramous immediately took the hint when Dane flashed him a look, and went to the fridge and returned with a bottle of beer handing it to JT.

She took it and expertly twisted off the cap giving it a toss, then guzzled from the bottle.

"Lets get you settled in." Dane spoke up reaching down and picking up the pack sitting on the floor near JT's feet. JT said nothing. Only walked with Dane down the hallway.

Rexer and Ramous let out a relieved sigh as they and the rest watched JT disappear down the hall with Dane.

Maggie stood with a sadden and confused look on her face as she turned and looked at Leary.

"Will she be alright?" she asked

"She'll deal." Leary answered. "Dane'll take care of her."

"Is there anything I can do." Maggie asked sincerely.

"Nope." Leary gave her a thankful squeeze. "She'll be fine." he assured her giving her a small smile.

Tari stood quietly on the stairs as she listened to her mother talking on the telephone.

"Steven; If I suspect someone is being smuggled out of town, a scientist perhaps. What should I do?" Eleanor's pretense at innocence did not impress her daughter as she stood unseen at the bottom of the staircase.

"Oh, I'm not interested in a reward of course." came Eleanor's flirtatious voice.

Tari's stomach turned, her mother's lies making her sick. She continued to listen until Eleanor hung the receiver back up in its place.

Turning, Eleanor saw Tari standing behind her with a definite disapproving scowl on her face.

"How could you mother? How could you turn someone in like that?" Tari scolded.

Eleanor glared at her daughter. "Because it's the right thing to do Tareesa. The Visitors are in power now and what ever we can do to stay on their side will be to our benefit. We can reach very high places knowing the right people. I've tried to teach you that all your life, hasn't any of it sunken in?"

"You disgust me mother." Tari sneered Then turned and went back up stairs to her room leaving Eleanor standing at the bottom of the stairs, anger at her daughters defiance flooding threw her.

Tari slammed the door to her room as she entered it. She was furious at her mother. She was still confused about the visitor's true intentions. What Mike had told her still lingered in the back of her mind. Though Tari was adamant in believing that Martin was not at all like what Mike had described to her, if any of the visitors where reptilian she was also just as sure that her mother's... "friend" Steven was one.

Tari sat on the edge of her bed. She hated staying here. Her mother's constant nagging that Tari should move in higher circles and stop brooding over the loss of her precious dolphins; and her brothers stupidity at getting himself into trouble with the visitors was making her a nervous wreck. She hadn't confided in her mother about her relationship with Martin, nor what Mike had told her about the visitors. Then, she had never felt that she could confide in her about anything before either.

She had only been at her mothers a few days, but it had been a few days to many. She wanted to leave and the sooner the better... But where to go?

After thinking on it for only a few minutes it hit her like a ton of bricks! "Maggies!" she spoke aloud. She had a key to Maggie's aptartment! Surely she wouldn't mind if Tari stayed there. God how she missed her friend. She wished with all her might that Maggie were here. With out her brother now and Martin so far out of reach Tari was more alone than she had ever been before. In the few days she had been there Arthur, bless his heart, had tried to help console her, even though she had not told him anything about Mikes visit or Martin either. But his drinking had begun to take over making him incapacitated more times than not. Tari cursed her mother for putting Arthur threw the hell Tari was sure he was going threw, watching his wife flaunt her self at Steven right in front of him with out so much as a care.

Making up her mind Tari stood and reached under her bed for her backpack. After throwing some of her things into it she took off her sweat pants and T-shirt replacing them with a clean pair of straight leg jeans and white cotton blouse. She tucked her shirt into her jeans and after putting on a pair of sneakers she donned her denim vest and slung her back pack over her shoulder then quietly opened her bedroom door and started down the stairs.

"Tari!" came her Eleanor's stern voice from behind as Tari reached the front door. Tari turned unintimidated at her mother's authoritative tone.

"Where do you think your going?" Eleanor asked with a note of irritation lacing her voice.

Tari looked at her mother with contempt written in her eyes and answered bluntly. "Away from you." Turning, she opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.

"Tari!' Eleanor called after her angrily as she raced for the door and flung it open. "Tareesa!" she called out.

But Tari kept on walking without looking back.

Eleanor threw the door shut in a huff. The girl was hopeless. She had wanted so much for her daughter. Wealth, prestige, honor. But Tari had always shunned such things no matter how hard Eleanor had tried to help her obtain them. It was beyond her comprehension how her own daughter could defy her so blatantly without so much as a thank you for trying so hard to help her obtain status. She had hoped when Tari had arrived a few days ago that it had meant that she was willing to at least give her mother the chance to lead her in the right direction. But now Eleanor could see now that was not the case. It infuriated her that her children could be so insensitive to her feelings.

Eleanor stomped away from the door and returned to the kitchen to relay the last orders to her chef about the dinner preparations. She had been in the kitchen only a few minuets when her butler entered and told her that Steven had arrived. Eleanor put on bright smile as she entered the front parlor and greeted Steven clasping both his hands in hers. Steven smiled at her then looked at her curiously. There was something wrong, he could see it in her eyes even though she tried hard to hide it.

"What is it?" he asked with concern. "Something's wrong?"

"Oh Steven, you are so perceptive." Eleanor cooed as a sadden frown replaced her smile. "It's my daughter." She let out a discussed sigh "She overheard my conversation with you on the phone and left in a huff." Eleanor said hurtful. "I just don't know what I am going to do with her. She's so much like her brother."

Stevens's eyebrows furrowed in mock concern as he hugged the woman comfortingly.

"Would you like me to speak with her?" he asked as they parted from the embrace. His intentions seemingly to be helpful but had an underlying meaning.

He had been trying to think of a way to take Tari Donovan to the ship unnoticed so that she could be questioned thoroughly about her brother. He had hoped Diana could convert her. With Tari Donovan converted they would surely capture the elusive Mike Donavon and finally bring him to justice. He was certain Tari was the key to that capture given the fact that the two siblings were known to be close. This Steven knew from Eleanor.

Eleanor looked up at Steven with a hopeful expression.

"Oh Steven, could you? I mean if you think it would help?" She said innocently.

Steven smiled. "Of course, I would do anything to help you, you know that Eleanor. You have been more than kind to me and generous with your help." He said as meaningful look passed between them.

"Now" He began his gaze becoming serious once more. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know, she left only a few moments ago. She couldn't have gotten far she was walking." Eleanor told him.

Steven put a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Don't worry." he smiled slyly. "I'll find her. I'm sure once I explain everything to her she will be fine." he said confidently, Then hurried out the door to his shuttle.

Tari looked up as she herd the familiar whine of a shuttle behind her. Her heart stopped as it landed and she hoped beyond hope it was Martin in that shuttle.

Fear rose in her as she saw two shock troopers and Steven exit the shuttle door as it opened. Panicked Tari turned and sprinted away. But she was not fast enough. The shock troopers had her before she could find safety.

Tari struggled to escape the grip of the shock troopers that held her by both arms. Steven walked up to her and smiled.

"It seems that you've been causing your mother some distress Miss Donovan." He smiled slyly. "We have some questions for you and Diana is very anxious to meet you."

Tari only looked at him terror emanating from her blue eyes.

Steven motion with his head for the troopers to take her aboard the shuttle and followed them threw the doors.

Martin, coming from a secret meeting of the newly forming fifth column began to round the corner in the hallway as he was returning to his duties aboard ship, when he caught site of Diana and Steven with a new prisoner. Steven held tight to the girls arm as Diana stood in front of her. Suspicious, Martin backed away just behind the corner out of site but still within earshot. His heart began to pound so hard he thought it would beat from his chest as he herd Diana speak the girls name.

"Miss Donovan. We've been waiting for you. I believe you have some important information to share with us regarding your brother, Mike."

Tari's fearfuilled eye's met the woman's standing before her.

"I don't know anything." Tari choked out shakily.

"well." Diana smiled "We'll just have to see about that now won't we?" She looked to Steven. "Take her to the holding area. And Have her prepared for conversion immediately. I'm sure she'll cooperate with us... one way or another.

Steven jerked Tari's arm as he led her away.

Martin hurried into a near by doorway unseen as Steven led Tari passed him. Panic overwhelmed him. Suppressing the overpowering urge to run to Tari's side his eyes stayed fixed on her as she was led away. His mind swam he had to get her out of here. But how? Finally willing himself to move he headed for his quarters. He had to think, he had to find a way to get Tari off this ship and soon.