She closed her eyes and smiled. "No, Dad. My back always feels better after you put on your herbs. It was just cold at first."

He chuckled. "I shall remember to warm the lotion first, next time."

"Dad?" Kacie hesitated, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Will the scars be bad when they've healed?"

"You are worried about being disfigured?"

Her eyes opened and she stared at the wall. "No. I'm-I'm worried that every time Peter sees them, he'll be reminded of what happened, and he'll blame himself for what happened to me all over again."

Caine covered the jar with its lid and sealed the container. Sitting down on the bedside next to her, he settled Kacie into a comfortable position, stroking her hair back behind her ear before speaking. "The scars on your back will fade. The lotion will help."

She blushed and lowered her eyes. "You must think I'm very vain."

Taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, he tipped her face up to meet his eyes. "I think that you are very thoughtful of my son's feelings, and that your outer beauty is surpassed only by the inner beauty of your soul." The open affection in his eyes warmed her heart even more than his words.

Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek before nestling into his warm embrace. "I love you, Dad."

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Kacie looked over Caine's shoulder to see two unfamiliar men in suits watching the interaction between Caine and herself.

Sensing the sudden tension in her body, Caine said softly, "It is all right. They mean you no harm." He released her from his embrace and rose to his feet, turning to face the men. Bowing in greeting, he stood quietly waiting.

The two men in the doorway eyed Caine warily, sensing the latent power emanating from the gray-haired man. They paused a moment to pull identification from their suit pockets. As they flashed badges, the older and taller of the two made the introductions. "Mrs. Caine? I'm Lieutenant Ramsay, and this is Lieutenant Brandl. We're detectives from the 86th Precinct, and we'd like to ask you some questions, if you feel up to it."

"Oh. I-I don't know." Kacie hesitated, uncertainly reaching out her hand to grasp Caine's.

The younger officer smiled disarmingly. "Now, Mrs. Caine, there's no reason to look like that. We're not here headhunting, if that's what worries you. We would just like to ask you some questions about your abduction and subsequent rescue. If you're not feeling strong enough yet, there's no rush."

"I-I guess it would be all right."

"Well, then. If you'll excuse us Mr.?" Brandl motioned toward the door in dismissal.

"I am Caine. I will stay."

Ramsay opened his mouth to object, but Kacie unconsciously tightened her grip on Caine's hand. "Yes, I-I want my father-in-law to stay with me."

"I assure you, Mrs. Caine..."

"I will stay." Though the words were repeated no more loudly than the first time they were spoken, the steel beneath the gentle baritone commanded compliance.

The two officers exchanged glances, and Lieutenant Ramsay conceded grudgingly, "Fine. You can stay. Now, Mrs. Caine, with your permission, we would like to tape-record this interview."

Kacie shrugged and nodded. "I understand."

"Mrs. Caine, had you ever met Jason Fischer before the day you were taken?"

"No. I had never seen him before in my life."

"What about his accomplice, Sara Rezac?"

"She used to work in my husband's precinct."

Ramsay consulted the note pad in his hand. "Would you say there was bad blood between the two of you?"

"The last time I saw her, she pushed me down a flight of stairs at the 101st. Fortunately, I ended up with only a sprained ankle."

"So your husband would have reason to want to harm her."

"She was transferred the same day she hurt me. We never spoke of her again." Kacie's face flushed angrily. "And if you're insinuating that my husband would deliberately go after her to seek revenge, the answer is, unequivocally, no."

"Could you please tell us how you were kidnapped?"

Her eyes took on a haunted look. "I was on my way to work, following my usual route. I saw a man working in his yard suddenly clutch his chest and slump to the ground. I didn't see anyone around, so I got out to see if I could help."

Brandl stared at her in surprise. "You got out of your car, in a strange neighborhood, to give assistance to a man you had never seen before?"

"Yes."

"Mrs. Caine, you are a trained professional, are you not?" Ramsay asked sharply. "It never occurred to you that you were possibly endangering yourself?"

"Yes, I am a medical professional, and, no, the thought never crossed my mind that I could be putting myself at risk. And my lapse in judgment nearly cost me my baby's life and my own."

Caine moved closer to her side, laying his palm on her head. "You were concerned for the life of another. There is no shame in your actions."

"Mr. Caine." Ramsay's jaw was clenched and his face flushed with irritation. "You are in here only as a matter of courtesy, so, if you don't mind, we would like to conduct our questioning without your interference."

Caine locked stares with the officer, and Ramsay's eyes were the first to drop.

Brandl stepped in and prodded, "What happened after you went to the aid of this man?"

Kacie pulled her blankets up to her chin and cleared her throat. "I...bent over the man, shaking him, to see if he was responsive." Her eyes darkened and she began to shiver. "He-he grabbed my arm, and-and he stuffed a smelly rag in my face. That's-that's all I knew until I woke up. I-I was tied up and blindfolded, and my-my mouth was covered with tape."

"Did you have any idea where you were being held?" Ramsay stepped closer, watching her face intently.

"No. No. I told you, he drugged me, and I couldn't move. And-and --" Her breathing quickened. "-- I was going to be sick, and-and I was afraid something had happened to hurt the baby, and-and..."

Caine turned his back to the two men and sat on the bed next to Kacie, capturing her eyes with his, attempting to stem her panic. "You are safe. The child is well. There is no need to relive your torment as you speak of it. Tell your story as if you were speaking only to me."

Kacie's eyes were large and dark in a face suddenly gone white, and she nodded.

The veins in Ramsay's temple throbbed and his voice was thick with impatience. He was visibly irritated that he was not in control of this interrogation. "You were mistreated while you were held captive?" he prompted.

She swallowed audibly and whispered, "Yes."

Brandl shot a warning scowl at his partner before addressing Kacie. "Mrs. Caine, we're not trying to badger you, all right? We understand you have just been through a very harrowing experience. If you can, could you please try to describe what happened to you?"

"I-I was kept locked in a bathroom most of the time. At-at first, the man would bring me some bottled water to drink, but they never gave me anything to eat. I-I had a blanket to try and stay warm. She -- Sara -- struck me once in the face, and knocked me down. Another time she-she beat me with some kind of whip."

"What about Jason Fischer? Did he physically harm you, too?" Brandl's voice was low and soothing as he took in Kacie's growing agitation.

Kacie's trembling took on greater proportions. "He-he groped me, and said he was going to have some fun with me. That he'd never had a pregnant woman before. But I-I threw up on him the first time, and he left me alone."

"The first time?" Brandl was stunned. "He sexually assaulted you more than once?"

"I...he...I can't remember it very well." She moved restlessly in her bed, unable to find a comfortable position as bits and pieces of memories flashed in her mind's eye. "I-I was sick, delirious. I-I thought that Peter was with me, that he was touching me. But then I knew it wasn't Peter. He-he would never hurt me like that. He would never force me to be intimate with him. But when...but when..." She choked on her breath, and even Caine's comforting presence wasn't enough to keep the terror at bay. "He made me...he made me...touch him. And his hands...his hands...were all over me. And he-he...just laughed...when I told him to stop. He wouldn't stop! He wouldn't sto-o-op. And then...and then...he pulled down my pants. And he was...on top of me, and all I could think...was that he-that he was going to make me...lose my baby. Oh, God! He wouldn't stop! He wouldn't stop!"

Caine held her tightly, murmuring into her ear over and over, "He did not violate you. He did not."

Ramsay went on relentlessly, a predator moving in for the kill. "Did you see anyone, Mrs. Caine? Fischer was killed by an unknown assailant. A shurkin was used to sever his spinal cord. Did you see anything that can help us?"

"I don't know. I don't know!" Kacie's voice rose shrilly. "I was sick. I can't remember. There were shadows...sounds. I can't remember what was real and what wasn't. I can't remember, don't you understand? I...can't...remember!"

"All right, Mrs. Caine. All right," Ramsay and Brandl exchanged worried glances and stuffed their notebooks into the inside pockets of their jackets. "We weren't trying to upset you."

"Go away." She shuddered uncontrollably against Caine's shoulder, face white and eyes wide as she remembered her terror. "Go away. I don't want to talk any more. I-I don't want to think about it any more!"

Brandl watched Caine comforting the distraught Kacie and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "No more questions, Mrs. Caine. Again, it was never our intent to upset you. Should we call someone for you?"

"No. Go away, damn it! Just go away!"

The two officers conferred briefly, and Ramsay spoke. "Mr. Caine, we would like to question you about your knowledge of this situation. We don't want to upset your daughter-in-law any further, so might we interview you downtown?"

"No!" Kacie shrieked, the resurrection of her nightmare captivity straining her tautly stretched nerves to the breaking point. "No! I need him here." She clutched at Caine like a life preserver in storm-tossed waters.

"Mr. Caine, we'd really like to take care of this matter as soon as possible," Brandl insisted, seemingly oblivious to Kacie's emotional state. "The sooner we complete our investigation, the sooner your family can put this behind you. I really think that it would be best if you accompany us back to our precinct."

"I will go with you."

Kacie held on tighter. "Don't let them take you away," she pleaded. "You didn't do anything. Don't go. I don't want you to go."

"Mrs. Caine, we aren't arresting him, just taking him downtown for some questioning."

"No-o-o!"

Paul and Annie burst into the room at the sound of Kacie's heartbroken wail. "What the hell is going on in here?" Paul demanded, and then his eyes narrowed at the two strange men. "Who are you? What do you want with my daughter-in-law?"

The two detectives pulled out their badges, and Ramsay introduced himself and his partner. "Detectives Ramsay and Brandl from the 86th. We were just asking Mrs. Caine some questions and --"

Paul's face reddened. "Are you mad? She's in no condition to handle questioning right now. Get out!"

"Excuse me, sir, but you don't have the authority to..."

"The hell I don't! This is my foster son's wife, and she means as much to me as my own daughters. You've obviously upset her, and I want you out of her room. Now!" The last was an outraged roar.

Caine disentangled himself from Kacie's grip and spoke to her calmly. "I will go with those men. Paul and Annie will stay with you."

Kacie was beyond consolation and well into hysterics. "They think you killed that man. I know they do. They'll try and trick you into admitting something. That's how men like this work."

Annie gathered Kacie into her arms and stroked her hair. "Sweetie, would you feel better if Paul goes along with Caine? I'll stay with you, and Paul will make sure Caine isn't mistreated in any way. How would that be?"

Kacie gave no indication she had heard Annie's suggestion, her breath coming in hyperventilating gasps. "It's my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't been so stupid and careless." She gulped and swallowed sickly. "Oh, God. I'm going...to throw up."

Caine quickly snatched up a basin and held it under Kacie's chin as her stomach turned itself inside out. Annie felt for the call button and summoned assistance. Within seconds a nurse arrived, closely followed by Dr. Albin.

The doctor's face darkened as he noted the distressed condition of his patient. "Everybody out."

The nurse promptly cleared the room, then returned to assist the doctor.

Just outside the door, a livid Paul jabbed a finger into Ramsay's chest and hissed furiously, "If you have done or said anything to make that girl sicker, I swear there'll be hell to pay. And that's before my foster son gets his hands on you!"

"Now see here, Mr. --"

"Blaisdell. Formerly Captain Blaisdell of the 101st," Paul snapped. "Don't think your own captain isn't going to hear about this!"

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Ramsay flashed back, and before he could say anything more, Caine quietly interrupted.

"Please. I will go with you." He bowed to Paul. "It is not necessary for you to accompany me." He shrugged unconcernedly. "But if that is your wish, I welcome you. Annie --" He took the woman's hands in his. "-- Please, stay with our daughter. Her memories were too dark, and she remembered them too soon. She will need comfort and reassurances."

"If you're sure it's what you want to do, Caine." Paul sighed and reluctantly acceded. "You'll be all right here, Babe?"

"I'll be fine, Paul. You take care of things on your end, and I'll hold the fort." Annie grimaced, shaking her head. "I don't envy you your job."

To Part 5

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