"Six weeks ago, the Tascosa Ranch hired a ‘Chris Larabee’."

Dead silence.

One by one the men of E.M.6 turned their attention to their leader. Chris was standing, his arms hanging by his sides, his face contorted with shock. Josiah walked to his leader and firmly gripped his shoulder.

"Vin may not have his memory, brother, but he’s clinging to what he instinctively knows he can depend on."

Still Larabee didn’t respond.

"He probably doesn’t even know why he selected your name -- just that it was one he felt comfortable with."

"A member of our squad is in danger." Colonel Christopher Larabee snapped in a low, hard voice. He turned to face his men. "We pull out all stops. If anyone or anything tries to get in our way, we go straight through them. We use whatever measures it takes to get Vin back safely. MOVE OUT."

************

The security personnel who shared the base with E.M.6 were used to seeing various groups of men jogging out to the airstrip and so most ignored such occurrences. Today was different. Some groups jogged - others ran, but E.M.6 had never, in fourteen months of operation, looked rushed. They walked briskly, but they never looked flustered - until today.

The six men, all in full combat fatigues and armed to the teeth, thundered across the tarmac toward the huge combat plane already fuelled and ready to go.

"What the hell do you think‘s going on?"

"Hell, if they’re running, it’s probably World War Three!"

Moments later, Buck Wilmington taxied out onto the runway. Other planes had been ordered to circle the airport to allow E.M. 6’s lift off. The traffic controller hadn’t doubted Wilmington would take off even if the airspace wasn’t clear - the damn fool had done it before!

Aboard the aircraft, the members of E.M.6 were settling for the six hour flight.

"Buck?" Chris asked via the headset he wore.

"We’re clear, Colonel. From what J.D. said, the closest airport is almost a hundred miles from the property. You want me to head there?"

"Yes." Chris turned to Josiah. "Talk to me."

"I’ve scanned Vin’s file and spoken Dr. Harris, an expert in the field of Amnesia.  The doctor I really wanted to talk to, Dr. Yates, who is the leading authority on Jungle Fever Coma survivors, was out of the office, but his secretary took my name and number and said she would pass it on to him."

"Josiah."

"Sorry.  The fact is, there is very little research in this area… which is why I need to talk to Yates.  However, this is what I have been able to discern from Harris. Jungle Fever Coma survivors all end up with Amnesia, but regaining their memories is incredibly complex as a result of the Jungle Fever. Think of the brain as a huge filing cabinet full of files. For every experience we have, we create a new file. For the brain to access and retrieve the information, it must label each file -- create a file tab. You following?"

Larabee nodded. Ezra, Nathan and J.D. did also. "You getting this, Buck?" Chris asked via the headset.

"I can hear him, Chris."

"Go, on," Larabee coaxed.

" Vin has lost all of the file tabs, which means his brain can’t find or retrieve the files he’s stored. The files are still there, but because the tabs are gone, he doesn’t know what’s in them and can’t access them. Like looking into a filing cabinet of unlabeled files. You don’t know which file you need."

"So you’re saying Vin’s memories are there, he just doesn’t know it?" J.D. inquired.

"Oh, he knows they’re there, he just doesn’t know how to access them."

"How does he?" Chris asked.

"By retrieving the file tabs. That can happen in a number of ways."

"Wait a minute," Ezra interrupted. "If you’re saying each experience creates its own file, then we must create hundreds - thousands of files every day."

"Exactly."

"Then how many file tabs are we talking about?"

"An infinite number. This is where things get complicated... and dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Chris, Buck and Nathan asked as one.

Josiah nodded. "When Vin opens a file, he has no control of the content. For him, opening any file is like..." Josiah searched for an appropriate analogy. "Like opening a drum of water above his head. He can’t stop the memories flooding out of the file so, images, sounds, words, faces – everything stored in the file -- hits him at once. According to Dr. Harris, it’s like drowning."

"So how do we stop that happening?"

"We can’t. It will happen every time he opens a new file or collection of files until his mind has re-labeled the content."

"Collection of files?"

"Some memories we store together. We chunk them. For example, Vin probably stored memories of us in separate but linked files - our names, our descriptions, the sound of our voices. So when he opens one of our files, it could lead to the opening of all of our files."

"What about Katinda?" Chris demanded.

Josiah shrugged. "Again, we need to talk to Yates.  However, Dr. Harris believes certain missions may have been chunked together, but it’s likely he stored each separately. So he won’t get his memory of the war back all at once. He might remember one or two missions initially and then the others gradually over time."

"So, he may not be able to retrieve certain memories?"

"Perhaps."

"You still haven’t said why this is dangerous," Chris pressed.

"Opening one or two files at once is gong to be... uncomfortable. Like I said, he’ll be hit by a gush of memories, but it shouldn’t last more than a few seconds. If, on the other hand, a whole heap of files are interconnected and open at once... maybe a couple of hundred of them..." Josiah licked his lips. "His mind won’t be able to cope and will shut down."

"Shut down!” Chris exclaimed. “What the hell does that mean?"

"His body will move into survival mode… maintain only essential functions. He’ll lose consciousness as his mind tries to deal with the overload of information."

"But he’ll be okay?" Buck demanded from the cockpit.

"I don’t know," Josiah muttered. "Reckon we’re moving out of my area and into Nathan’s."

"Nathan?" Chris asked, his head snapping to the medic.

Jackson considered Josiah’s words carefully. "When the body shuts itself down to avoid damage, it usually leads to the onset of shock and that can be life threatening."

Chris Larabee rose to his feet. This was too much. “What is likely to bring on this ‘memory rush’?"

"That’s what I asked Dr. Harris. He said the first memories that return are likely to cause it because it will bring back all memories Vin has linked together. Vin’s probably been experiencing minor episodes over the last two years, but because the triggers aren’t strong, he isn’t seeing enough to label the memories or comprehend them. The first time he experiences a major trigger is when the ‘memory rush’ as you put it, is likely to take place."

"It’ll likely happen when he sees us," Nathan murmured.

"I’m afraid so."

"Which is what Travis meant when he said I could harm Vin if I entered his life unannounced," Chris reflected. "So this is life-threatening?" Larabee clarified.

Josiah nodded. "If he goes into shock, yes."

Chris closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. "What if he doesn’t see us? What if we send J.D. and Ezra in to get him?"

"Doesn’t really solve the main issue, Colonel. We can set him up in another witness protection program, but that means we can never see him. Is that what you want?"

"I want him to be safe," Chris growled. "I’m not interested in what I want or you want. I’m only interested in Vin." The statement triggered a realization.  Now he understood Gaston’s and Travis’ decision to keep Vin’s survival from him.  Both had been protecting Vin.

"You said the only thing we have left is to honor what we think Vin’s wishes would be. Do you think Vin would choose this for himself?" Josiah asked quietly.

"No," Chris agreed, collapsing heavily into a seat.  He ran his hand over is eyes. "No, the stupid bastard would..." Larabee swallowed. There was no way in the world Vin would want to live his life like this. Chris lowered his hand.  He needed to make a decision… the only decision he could. "All right, Josiah. I need to know how we handle this."

"I think your idea of using Ezra and J.D. is a good one. We can gauge Vin’s reactions through them.  The most important thing is not to rush him or smother him. One of us at a time."  The others nodded their understanding. "And if a memory rush does hit, we make sure Nathan is on hand.  Preferably, we wait until we have him in a hospital before attempting something like that… but we can’t guarantee it will happen that way.  We have to find him and get him to safety first."

**********

An airport in Texas.

"So his flight landed here, but where did Tanner go?" Kane demanded.

"We don’t know, Sir. We’re working on it."

"I don’t want to lose him. I gave Larabee my word I would never come after him, but I never said anything about his sharpshooter."

"We’ll find him, Sir."

"See that you do."  The words were low and dangerous.  Douglas Kane didn’t accept failure.

**********

"General Travis, I thought you should know. E.M.6 flew out of here about four hours ago," the General’s secretary informed her boss.

"What?" Travis asked, rising to his feet.

"The base is buzzing with the news. Apparently they were dressed for combat." General Travis reached for his phone and dialled Larabee’s number.

"Larabee," came the muffled reply.

"What’s going on, Colonel?"

"We’ve found him, Sir."

"You have him?" Travis asked hopefully.

"No, but we’re on our way to pick him up."

"Where?"

"The Tascosa Ranch in Texas. We’re about an hour away from the closest airport. Then it’s a hundred miles to the ranch."

"Well done, Chris." Larabee and his team were amazing. Agent Banks had been searching for Vin for six weeks and the Executive Protection unit for two days and they hadn’t found anything. Within an hour of Larabee finding out, he’s in the air and on his way to collect the missing man. Travis paused. "You do understand what may happen when Vin sees you?"

"We know. We’re prepared."

"Good. Keep me informed."

"Will do. Larabee out."

Travis re-dialled. He needed to contact the CIA and the best way to do that was through their liaison officer. "Agent Joe? General Travis. Let Special Forces and the CIA Executive Protection unit deployed to protect our witness know E.M.6 are taking over."

There was silence on the other end for several seconds. "I didn’t think executive protection was part of E.M.6’s role description?"

"Everything is part of their role description."

"Special Forces and the Executive Protection unit won’t be happy, General."

"Neither will the Texas authorities when Larabee arrives - and as for the Tascosa Ranch... Tell Special Forces and EP to pull out. Larabee and his men have a personal interest in this one - they’ll be shooting to kill.  No one would want to get in their way."

**********

"Colonel Kane,” the mercenary called, rushing to his leader.  Kane looked up from the file he was reading.  “Our friend just called. He’s had word Tanner is at the Tascosa Ranch which is only one hundred miles from here."

Kane smiled. "Perfect. Deploy the men. Remind them they can take Tanner down, but I want the pleasure of killing him myself."

**********

"Colonel, we’ll be landing in about five minutes. You fellas might want to start preparing," Buck informed his leader.

"J.D., have you hired a van for us?" Chris demanded.

"It’s ready and waiting, Sir."

"I find it hard to fathom you actually spent day and night in Katinda garbed in these boorish uniforms," Ezra griped, fingering his sleeve as one might probe a pile of dog poo. "They are obnoxiously uncomfortable and the odor woven into the fabric defies description. And as for fashion..."

"Ezra, you ain’t shut up about the fatigues since we left. It’s not as if this is the first time you’ve had to wear them."

"True, but I am certain of the fact it will be the last. Colonel Larabee, we really must discuss..."

"Colonel!" J.D. interrupted. He had spent the past few minutes on his computer checking the van he’d hired was indeed waiting at the airport for them. All of his colleagues crowded around him. J.D’s tone was urgent. "A couple of combat choppers set down here an hour ago."

"What?"

"The Hawks!"

"They’re ahead of us!"

"J.D., get the Tascosa Ranch on the phone. We’ve got to warn Vin."

"What chance will he have against them on his own?" Nathan exploded.

"A better one if he knows they’re coming," Chris growled back. "If Vin’s got a rifle, he may be able to hold them off until we get there."

"If The Hawks are an hour ahead of us and it’s a hundred miles to the Ranch, they’ll probably be there any minute!"

"Hello, Tascosa Ranch?" J.D. shouted into the phone above the sound of Buck lowering the landing gear.

"You rang the number, friend."

"I must get a message to a man working there. His name is Chris Larabee. Tell him The Hawks are coming to get him."

"Is this some sort of crank call?" John demanded.

"No, please, you must pass on the message. It’s a matter of life and..."

Chris snatched the phone from the younger agent. "Listen to me. The man using the name Chris Larabee is in the Witness Protection program. The people he’s hiding from have discovered where he is, so you go and you warn him. Tell him help’s on the way."

"But..." John stammered.

"DON’T ARGUE, DO IT!"

"Yes, Sir." So authoritative was the faceless voice, John didn’t dare argue.

Chris handed the phone back to J.D. "Is there a landing strip at the ranch?"

"Yeah, but nothing big enough to handle a plane this size," the boy argued.

"You let me worry about that," Buck yelled from the cockpit. "I’ll land this baby on a postage stamp if I have to. I need the co-ordinates."

"I’m getting them," J.D. stated, his fingers dancing on the keyboard.

"One hundred miles. How long, Buck?" Chris asked.

"If I skip the 360’s and the loop the loops, I’ll have us there in twenty minutes, Colonel. Landin’ may be a little bumpy though."

"Just get us there, Buck."

"We’re on our way, Colonel."

"Don’t worry, we’ll get Vin back, Chris," Buck assured. Two years late, but they would get Vin back if it cost them their lives.

"Colonel, there are two landing strips and three ranch houses," J.D. informed his leader.

"Ring back and find out which house Vin’s at," Chris ordered. J.D dialled. He received only crackling. Glancing up at his leader he shook his head.

"They’ve cut the phone lines," Nathan muttered. "The Hawks are already there."

"God, protect Vin," Josiah prayed softly.

Ezra glanced at his leader’s face. ‘God protect the Hawks if they lay a hand on Lieutenant Tanner,’ the con man thought darkly.

**********

John Radley ran from the ranch house and headed for the corral where he knew Vin was working.

"Hey, Chris!" he shouted. The young man dressed in the buckskin coat didn’t move. His eyes were roving the skies. There was no noise, but he could sense their approach - the minor vibrations in the air, the reaction from the insects and birds. There were choppers coming - two of them. A flood of memories released in his mind. Choppers. Gunfire. Trees. Running. Shooting. Choppers. Trees. Gunfire. Choppers. The memories faded quickly. Vin snapped his head toward the end of the half a mile driveway. A large jeep and several trail bikes were heading toward the house -- only minutes away.

"Hey, Chris! Just got a message for you. Apparently the people you’re hiding from..."

"...have found me," Vin murmured. Confused, but knowing his life was in danger, Vin turned and headed for the stable.

John followed. "I’ll call the police."

"They ain’t gonna be much help. Contact the army." Somehow Vin knew the men who where coming were soldiers – well-trained, killing machines.

"I’ll get the boys together and we’ll..."

Vin turned. "No. Tell everyone to hide. I don’t want anyone hurt. They’re after me."

"Why?"

Tanner searched his mind, but the file tabs were missing and he couldn’t access the information he knew was locked away. "Shit if I know." With that, Vin threw his saddle on the closest horse and strapped it in place. "Get everyone to hide. I mean it. These people aren’t gonna care if you’re innocent."

John swallowed and stepped back as Vin mounted. "The fella who rang said there’s help on the way."

"Well, they’d want to hurry!" Vin spurred his horse out of the livery and sent it galloping toward Peterson Bluff. If he could reach there, the trees would offer him some cover.

**********

"Colonel Kane, there’s a rider leaving the stable."

Kane peered up the driveway. He couldn’t make out the figure’s face... but he recognized the buckskin coat. Tanner had been wearing it the day he had the affront to threaten the Hawks’ leader. "That’s him. Warn the choppers. He’s heading for the bush. Move it!"

"Sir, is he armed?" An excellent question. If Vin Tanner was armed, the choppers needed to keep their distance. They would all need to be careful. Tanner’s prowess with a rifle was extraordinary. If Vin could see it, he could hit it. One bullet - one kill.

"I don’t know. Tell the choppers to keep their distance but try to herd him away from those trees."

The choppers came into view above and peeled off in the direction of the thickly wooded section to the north. The trail bikes left the track and shot off after the disappearing horse and rider.

"Bring him down. Wing him. But no one kill him. He’s mine. I want Larabee to know it was my bullet." Kane shouted over the radio.

**********

"Landing strip, dead ahead, Sir," Buck shouted. "And my radar is picking up two choppers a couple of miles from here."

"J.D., have you been able to find the Hawks’ frequency?" Chris demanded.

"I’ve got something, Sir," Dunne stated, removing his earphones and putting the transmission on speaker. "...away from those trees... Bring him down. Wing him. But no one kill him. He’s mine. I want Larabee to know it was my bullet."

J.D.’s eyes widened as Chris reached for the radio. "If it is, it will be the last bullet you ever fire, Kane!"

"Jesus." Silence. The voice that followed was calm. "I am a man of my word. I’ve never come after you, Larabee, but your sharpshooter is fair game and is worth fifty million dollars to us. That makes it business. Not personal."

"Kill him and this will be more personal than you ever imagined."

"Change the &*%@ing frequency to zebra! The STF1 are on their way. Let’s get this over with."

A crackling sound followed.

"Find them again," Chris growled at J.D. "Buck, put this damn thing on the ground."

"You better strap in. This isn’t going to be the smoothest of landings. We’re gonna overshoot the runway by quite a long way!"

"You heard the man. Strap in," Larabee thundered.

"Colonel, may I suggest if the choppers are several miles away then that is probably where Lieutenant Tanner is," Ezra pointed out. "After all, Colonel Kane’s orders certainly gave the impression he and his men were in the act of pursuing Lieutenant Tanner."

"The man has a point," Josiah agreed.

"Buck!"

"Yeah, I heard. I’ll circle towards them. Get your parachutes on boys."

"Me and my big mouth," Ezra muttered.

"Oh, come on Ez. At least last time you didn’t end up landin’ in a tree." Buck was doing his best to keep things light. He knew how serious the situation was. He knew his Colonel was going through hell - they all were, but this was the way Buck dealt with it. This is what kept him sane - and he knew, kept the others sane as well.

"I thought we had agreed never again to mention that unfortunate incident," Ezra cried as he pulled his parachute on and then turned to assist Josiah.

"No, mate.”  The term didn’t go unnoticed.  Ezra smiled. Buck had used it without thinking… that meant a lot.  “You suggested it.  I don’t remember any of us agreeing. Do you J.D.?"

"Nope. What I remember is..."

"Colonel, you can’t just jump out. You’ve got no transport," Buck interrupted. True, he was playing around, but that didn’t mean his mind wasn’t on the job.

"We’ll jump out near the ranch house close to where the choppers are," Chris snapped. "We’ll commandeer vehicles there." A picture of Vin leaped into Chris’s mind. Hang on, cowboy.  We’re coming!

**********

Hang on, cowboy.  We’re coming! The words echoed in the rider’s mind. He had made it to the trees. The trail bikes found negotiating the river difficult and so Vin had put a considerable distance between himself and his pursuers, but his horse was tiring. The choppers that had been hovering ahead and trying to shepherd him away from the thickly wooded section a mile ahead had disappeared for no reason. Above there was a roar. A large dark shadow passed over Vin. Glancing up, the young man saw a huge combat plane pass overhead. Clearly, that was why the choppers had retreated. John had said help was on the way. Looks like it had arrived. But where the hell could a plane that size put down around here?