Blood Ties

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="03fc8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>What if your family isn't exactly who you think they are?</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Edwardian Script ITC" ><B>Smiles, Tears, & Happy Endings</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smiles, Tears, Happy Endings"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shelleys Stories"><U>Shelley's Stories</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Boomerang"><U>Boomerang</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="238 Days"><U>238 Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Proposal in Paradise"><U>A Proposal in Paradise</U></A>   |   <B>Blood Ties</B>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Party Tricks"><U>Party Tricks</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Does Anyone Really Miss Her?"><U>Does Anyone Really Miss Her?</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="No Time To Be Shocked"><U>No Time To Be Shocked</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Love Always"><U>Love Always</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Desperate Times"><U>Desperate Times</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Finding Our Way Back"><U>Finding Our Way Back</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Roadblock"><U>Roadblock</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Finding The Treasure"><U>Finding The Treasure</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id110.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hey Baby, Lets Go To Vegas"><U>Hey Baby, Let's Go To Vegas</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Matter Of Trust"><U>A Matter Of Trust</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id209.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Pleasure Sure"><U>A Pleasure Sure</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id226.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="An Excellent Rookie Season"><U>An Excellent Rookie Season</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id227.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Even Steel Magnolias Cry"><U>Even Steel Magnolias Cry</U></A></div> <div> Blood Ties</div> <div> "I missed you today," Josh said, as he wrapped his arms around </div> <div> Donna's waist, and </div> <div> pulled her into his lap.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've been here all day," she sighed, as she laid her head on his </div> <div> shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You know what I mean," he answered with an exasperated sigh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know," Donna said quietly, as she snuggled closer, "Things will </div> <div> ease up around here </div> <div> soon, and then we will have more time to spend together."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hope you're right," Josh said tiredly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't worry, I am," Donna said confidently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So, what did you do all day, while I was tied up with those idiots </div> <div> from the Special </div> <div> Prosecutor's office?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh," Donna squeaked, as she jumped up, "I have to show you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh watched, as Donna disappeared from his office, and returned a </div> <div> minute later with her </div> <div> purse in her hand.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Bonnie took me to pick up my car at lunchtime," she giggled </div> <div> excitedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I take it by the way you're carrying on, that your new toy is </div> <div> completely installed?" Josh </div> <div> grinned.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Donna squealed, pulling her key ring out and showing it to </div> <div> Josh. "Look."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I see," Josh said, his smile widening, as he reached out and took </div> <div> her keys. "A new </div> <div> remote starter. Just what every girl wants."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't make fun," Donna pouted, as she slid back into Josh's </div> <div> lap. "This is going to come </div> <div> in handy this winter. I'll be able to start my car, and let it warm </div> <div> up before I go out and get </div> <div> in it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If you say so," Josh chuckled. "Have you tried it out yet?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yep, I tried it once at the mechanic's, and then Margaret, Bonnie, </div> <div> Ginger and I went </div> <div> down to the garage this afternoon, and I showed them how it works."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So you were out playing with your new toy on government time? Is </div> <div> that what you're </div> <div> saying?" Josh teased.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, you never know when this knowledge might come in handy," she </div> <div> laughed, "Plus, </div> <div> my boss was out of the office all day, so I got all of my work done </div> <div> early, since he wasn't </div> <div> around to bug me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're very funny," Josh smirked, as he pulled Donna's head towards </div> <div> him, and planted </div> <div> a soft kiss on her lips.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I try," she murmured into his mouth.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The sound of someone clearing their throat startled both of them. </div> <div> Donna rose swiftly </div> <div> from Josh's lap, and stood beside his desk.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't you two ever do anything else?" CJ asked with mock seriousness.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why would I want to, Claudia Jean?" Josh asked, grinning from ear to </div> <div> ear.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You are truly nauseating," CJ replied, rolling her eyes. "And you're </div> <div> going to have to </div> <div> find the strength to tear yourself away, because Leo wants to see us </div> <div> in his office, </div> <div> immediately."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If I must," Josh joked, standing up, and grabbing a stack of file </div> <div> folders off  his desk.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He paused in front of Donna, and asked, "Are you leaving?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna took one look at his puppy dog eyes, and said, "No, I'll wait </div> <div> for you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent," Josh said, as he headed out of the office to catch up </div> <div> with CJ.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh walked dejectedly back down the hallway ninety minutes later. As </div> <div> he entered his office, he saw Donna </div> <div> sitting at his desk, head bowed over a pile of files, highlighting </div> <div> all of the relevant </div> <div> information. She looked up when she heard him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Things didn't go well?" she asked softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You could say that," he sighed. "We barely made a dent. We're going </div> <div> to head over to </div> <div> Houlihan's, and continue this over dinner."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh," Donna muttered, trying hard to hide her disappointment.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sorry," Josh said sincerely, as he stuffed the files into his </div> <div> backpack.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's ok. I understand," Donna assured him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I really wanted us to get out of here early tonight, so we could </div> <div> spend a little time </div> <div> together, just the two of us," Josh complained.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Me too," Donna agreed dejectedly. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh circled behind the desk, and wrapped his arms around her, </div> <div> burying his head in her </div> <div> hair.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hey, I know what we can do," Donna said, rubbing Josh's back. "You </div> <div> come over to my </div> <div> place after the meeting, and I'll give you a nice, long, relaxing </div> <div> backrub. Get rid of all the </div> <div> stress."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Really?" Josh asked excitedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Really." Donna smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's a deal," Josh smiled in return, his mood brightening </div> <div> considerably. "I'll walk you </div> <div> out."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna gathered her things from her desk, as Josh leaned against the </div> <div> doorframe and </div> <div> waited. Even when she was performing the simplest, most everyday </div> <div> tasks, he was </div> <div> completely mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, I'm ready," Donna said, shutting off her monitor.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As they headed down the hall, arm in arm, they ran into Sam and CJ. </div> <div> The four of them </div> <div> walked to the parking garage, where they found Leo and Toby waiting </div> <div> impatiently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did you forget where the garage was?" Leo asked pointedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let's just get going, so we can get this over with," Toby grumbled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Have fun," Donna whispered in Josh's ear, unable to hide her </div> <div> amusement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Gee, thanks," Josh answered, brushing a quick kiss across her </div> <div> cheek, "I'll be over as </div> <div> soon as I can."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna began to walk off, towards the other side of the garage, where </div> <div> all of the assistants </div> <div> parked. When she was about halfway to her car, Josh remembered </div> <div> something.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hey, Donna," he yelled, "show everyone your new remote starter."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna grinned, as she pointed the device at her car, then pushed the </div> <div> button. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The sound of the explosion echoed off  the walls of the parking </div> <div> structure, as the members </div> <div> of the senior staff were knocked backwards by the force of the blast.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "DONNA!" Josh screamed, as he scrambled to his feet and rushed </div> <div> towards her burning </div> <div> car, with Sam and Toby close behind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh looked around frantically, and finally saw Donna, lying up </div> <div> against another car, about </div> <div> 50 yards from where she had been standing when the blast occurred.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna," he moaned, as he rushed to her side.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> She was on the ground, half leaning against a red Ford. There was </div> <div> blood soaking through </div> <div> the hair on the left side of her head. Most of the left side of her </div> <div> jacket had been seared </div> <div> away by the fire. Josh could see blisters starting to form on her </div> <div> neck and shoulder.</div> <div> There was a tremendous amount of blood pouring from a cut on the left </div> <div> side of her neck.</div> <div> Josh ripped off his suit jacket and pressed it to the wound, in an </div> <div> effort to stop the </div> <div> bleeding. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Within seconds, the garage was flooded with Secret Service agents. </div> <div> Leo was talking </div> <div> animatedly with the head of the security detail, waving his arms </div> <div> around and demanding </div> <div> answers.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "An ambulance is on the way," CJ said breathlessly, as she came up </div> <div> behind Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He nodded, although he hadn't really been paying attention to what </div> <div> she was saying. He </div> <div> was completely focused on Donna, trying to send her every ounce of </div> <div> strength that he </div> <div> possibly could.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's eyes fluttered, and she began to thrash around. Josh stroked </div> <div> her hair, and tried </div> <div> desperately to calm her down.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's going to be ok," he whispered in her ear. "We're going to get </div> <div> you to a hospital. </div> <div> You're going to be fine."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh?" Donna said weakly, "What happened?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know," Josh said, choking back tears, "but you just hold on. </div> <div> Don't try to talk. </div> <div> Help will be here soon."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is she dead?" the voice on the phone asked coldly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure. The ambulance just left the garage. I think she might </div> <div> still be alive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You IDIOT!! How could you have screwed this up?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It isn't that easy to detonate a bomb on the grounds of the White </div> <div> House."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If it was easy, anyone could have done it. I hired you because I </div> <div> wanted results."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And you'll get what you paid for. Don't worry."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You see that I do. I want her dead as soon as possible. No mistakes </div> <div> this time. Take her </div> <div> out, before she has a chance to talk to the police."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What could she possibly tell them? You said yourself that she isn't </div> <div> even aware of how </div> <div> much she knows. She doesn't remember what went on. She doesn't know </div> <div> about...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shut up, you idiot. Just do as I say! I haven't worked as hard as I </div> <div> have, and come as far </div> <div> as I have, just to have it all taken away."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But nothing has happened in all of these years. What's different </div> <div> about now?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Because she had to go to work in the White House. She had to get </div> <div> involved with all of </div> <div> these high-powered politicos. Sooner or later, someone is going to </div> <div> take a good hard look </div> <div> at her life. I can't let that happen. I can't afford to have too many </div> <div> people asking </div> <div> questions."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't you think people are going to ask questions, when she suddenly </div> <div> turns up dead?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not if you do your job right, and make it look like some random </div> <div> psycho."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You can count on me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You had better be right, or the next car that blows up will be </div> <div> yours!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh sat in the waiting room, head buried in his hands, trying </div> <div> desperately to come to grips </div> <div> with the events of the last hour. Sam approached slowly, and sat down </div> <div> beside him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I had Larry bring over a change of clothes out of your locker," Sam </div> <div> said quietly, as he </div> <div> handed Josh a fresh shirt.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm ok," Josh said dazedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know," Sam said calmly, "You just need to change your shirt. That </div> <div> one has....well, </div> <div> it's dirty."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh's eyes filled with tears as he looked down, and saw that his </div> <div> white dress shirt was </div> <div> soaked in Donna's blood. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What the hell happened, Sam?" he asked with a choked whisper.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The DCPD and the Secret Service are working on that right now," Sam </div> <div> said, placing a </div> <div> reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How could someone have gotten that close to the White House? And why </div> <div> Donna?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We don't know," Sam said sadly, "but we're sure as hell going to </div> <div> find out."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The sound of raised voices made both men look towards the other side </div> <div> of the room, </div> <div> where Toby and Leo were involved in an animated discussion with </div> <div> various members of </div> <div> law enforcement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want those forensic results, on my desk, within 24 hours," Leo </div> <div> demanded loudly. "No </div> <div> excuses!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, sir." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want to know how in the hell something like this happened," Toby </div> <div> joined in.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I understand, sir."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want all security doubled."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's already done, Mr. McGarry."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fine, then let's get this investigation underway. I want every </div> <div> available man on this, and I </div> <div> want hourly updates. Am I clear?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, sir," the officers and agents said, as they headed for the door.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo and Toby crossed the room, and sat down opposite Josh and Sam.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm going to put two agents on Donna at all times, until we find out </div> <div> what's going on," </div> <div> Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you think this was aimed at her, Leo? Isn't it possible somebody </div> <div> made a mistake? Or </div> <div> she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Anything's possible, Josh. I'm just trying to cover all the angles."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know, and I appreciate it. I just can't understand...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh was interrupted by the arrival of a young doctor.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How is she?" Josh asked, springing from his chair.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The doctor motioned for Josh to sit down, and then perched on the </div> <div> coffee table, facing </div> <div> him. Leo and Toby moved to stand behind Josh, and Leo placed a </div> <div> steadying hand on his </div> <div> protégé's shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We have managed to stabilize her," the doctor said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Which means?" Josh asked anxiously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Which means that, for right now, her vital signs are holding steady."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "For right now?" Josh choked out.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ms. Moss sustained some serious second-degree burns, which can be </div> <div> notoriously </div> <div> destabilizing injuries, especially in the first 24-48 hours. We are </div> <div> giving her iv fluids to </div> <div> keep her hydrated, and high dose antibiotics to ward off the </div> <div> possibility of infection."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh nodded silently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She also lost a tremendous amount of blood. In conjunction with the </div> <div> burns, this could </div> <div> lead to a serious case of shock."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But she's going to recover, right?" Josh asked pleadingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We've managed to close up the wounds on both her head and neck. </div> <div> We're replacing the </div> <div> blood she lost as quickly as we can. She has the best doctors and </div> <div> nurses in the hospital on </div> <div> her case. I have every reason to be hopeful, but the next 24-48 hours </div> <div> will be critical."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can I see her?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She is drifting in and out of consciousness," the doctor said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's ok," Josh said earnestly. "I just need to talk to her, to let </div> <div> her know that I'm here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The doctor looked at Josh sympathetically. "I'll send a nurse down in </div> <div> a few minutes to </div> <div> take you to see her."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Josh said gratefully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As the doctor turned, and walked away, Leo's cell phone rang.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "McGarry," he snapped. "Okay. Fine. We're on our way."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He disconnected the phone, and shoved it back in his pocket.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That was CJ," he said brusquely. "The press is all over this. I </div> <div> guess it's hard to have an </div> <div> explosion in the White House parking garage without someone noticing. </div> <div> We need to get </div> <div> back over there right away."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you going to be ok here by yourself?" Sam asked Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll be fine," Josh said distractedly, "as soon as I can see Donna."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Keep us informed," Leo said. "and call if you need anything at all."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks, I will," Josh whispered.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> It was 20 minutes later, when Josh was finally allowed to enter </div> <div> Donna's room. She was </div> <div> lying on the bed, surrounded by wires and machines. The steady beep </div> <div> of the heart </div> <div> monitor seemed to be the room's only sound. There was an oxygen tube </div> <div> running under </div> <div> her nose, and multiple iv lines in her right arm. Her left upper body </div> <div> was covered in bulky </div> <div> bandages. She had a bandage along the hairline on the left side of </div> <div> her head, and another </div> <div> on her neck.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh moved to the side of the bed, and carefully took her hand in his.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hey, sweetheart," he said, with a forced cheerfulness. "This was a </div> <div> heck of a way for us </div> <div> to get some time together, away from work."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> At the sound of his voice, Donna's eyes fluttered open.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh?" she said weakly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't try to talk, angel," Josh said, as he stroked the side of her </div> <div> face gently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What happened?" she asked, struggling to focus on his face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There was an explosion. We don't know any of the details yet, but </div> <div> we're working on it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But why...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shhhhhh, Donna. Don't you worry about it. We're going to find out </div> <div> who did this. Leo </div> <div> has most of the Secret Service and half of the DC Police Department </div> <div> working on the </div> <div> case."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why would somebody want to blow up my car?" she asked, as tears </div> <div> began to flow down </div> <div> her pale cheeks.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know," Josh said, as he wiped the tears from her face and </div> <div> planted soft kisses in </div> <div> their place, "but I assure you that we'll find out."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Donna said, her bottom lip still quivering.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's it? No argument?" Josh teased, beaming as he saw a small </div> <div> smile appear on her </div> <div> face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not right now," Donna said, "but as soon as I feel better...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll consider myself warned," Josh smiled, planting a soft kiss on </div> <div> the tip of her nose. </div> <div> "Now why don't you try to get some sleep."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you going back to work?" she asked softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not a chance. I'm staying right here with you," he said, settling in </div> <div> the chair at her </div> <div> bedside.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But you said that there was so much to do...." Donna began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No arguments, Donna, remember," he said, in a tone that made it </div> <div> clear the topic wasn't </div> <div> open for discussion. "I'm staying here with you. They know where I am </div> <div> if they need me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you sure?" she asked, silently relieved that he wasn't going.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Positive," he said reassuringly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good," she said, squeezing his hand.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Now you go to sleep, and I'll be here when you wake up."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you," she sighed, as her eyes drifted closed. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you too, Donna. Sleep well."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is it done?" the woman asked coldly, as she entered the room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," the man sneered, his dark eyes glaring coldly out the window.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I thought you said we could trust him," she accused.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I thought we could," he said in a measured tone. "He claims it was </div> <div> an honest mistake. </div> <div> I'm going to give him a few more days, then I'm going to take matters </div> <div> into my own </div> <div> hands."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Your own hands?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you think that's wise?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why wouldn't it be? You and I have the most to lose, we seem like </div> <div> the perfect choice to </div> <div> take care of the situation."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "True, but if she doesn't remember anything, we might be going to a </div> <div> lot of trouble for </div> <div> nothing. We covered our tracks well. I'm sure that we have nothing to </div> <div> worry about."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you willing to take that chance. She is getting more and more </div> <div> involved with </div> <div> politicians. Her picture is turning up in more and more places, out </div> <div> on the town with that </div> <div> boyfriend of hers. It's only a matter of time until someone, </div> <div> somewhere, makes the </div> <div> connection."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I understand that. But is taking care of it yourself a wise move?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why wouldn't it be?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It might look suspicious."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And it might very well be the perfect answer to our problem. I can </div> <div> slip in easily and take </div> <div> care of the problem. Who would ever suspect me, I mean..I am her </div> <div> father."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Part 2</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh hadn't left Donna's room for anything more than a shower, or to </div> <div> take a phone call </div> <div> from Leo, in two days. The hospital had been nice enough to move a </div> <div> spare couch in, so </div> <div> he had managed to get a few hours sleep here and there, always </div> <div> keeping one ear open for </div> <div> the steady beating of the heart monitor.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He had just closed his tired eyes and started to drift off when the </div> <div> sound of a female voice </div> <div> brought him back to reality.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good morning, Joshua."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good morning, ma'am," Josh said, springing to his feet. "I didn't </div> <div> realize that you were </div> <div> going to be coming by this morning.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The President and I are very concerned about Donna," Abbey said. "My </div> <div> planned </div> <div> appearance in St. Louis this morning was cancelled due to inclement </div> <div> weather, so I </div> <div> decided to come by and see how both of you are doing."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The doctor was just here a few minutes ago," Josh said, moving to </div> <div> the bed and gently </div> <div> taking Donna's hand in his. He seemed to forget that the First Lady </div> <div> was in the room as he </div> <div> gazed at Donna's face and slowly stroked her hair.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And what did he say?" Abbey prompted with a smile, as she lifted </div> <div> Donna's chart from </div> <div> the slot at the end of the bed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh tore his eyes away from Donna to look at the First Lady, but </div> <div> kept a firm grip on her </div> <div> hand.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He said that he is very pleased with her progress, and that he </div> <div> thinks she has gotten past </div> <div> the most dangerous time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I agree," Abbey said, flipping through the pages attached to the </div> <div> clipboard.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They are still giving her a lot of painkillers though," Josh said </div> <div> worriedly, "and so she </div> <div> kind of drifts in and out most of the time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's perfectly normal," Abbey said reassuringly. "In cases of </div> <div> burns, the intense pain </div> <div> can become a facet of the injury. It can take a toll on the patient </div> <div> and makes stabilizing </div> <div> their condition more difficult. It's sometimes best to keep the </div> <div> patient sedated until the </div> <div> body has time to heal itself a bit, and the pain can be managed </div> <div> effectively."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So this is normal?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Perfectly normal," Abbey assured him. "Now that they are certain </div> <div> that her vital signs are </div> <div> strong, the doctors will start slowly decreasing the pain killers."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's good," Josh nodded distractedly, his eyes returning to Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There's still going to be some painful rehabilitation," Abbey </div> <div> warned. "Think of how bad </div> <div> it is when you get a small burn on your finger, then imagine </div> <div> something being 100 times </div> <div> worse than that."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll be there for her," Josh said resolutely. "I'll do whatever it </div> <div> takes."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know you will, Josh," Abbey said softly as she squeezed his </div> <div> shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They stood side by side, looking at Donna's sleeping form, and each </div> <div> sent up a silent </div> <div> prayer that they would be strong enough to help her through the </div> <div> coming weeks.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Leo asked me to tell you that he wants you in his office at 10 </div> <div> o'clock sharp for a </div> <div> meeting with the FBI director," Abbey said after a few </div> <div> minutes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do they know something?" Josh asked hopefully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Abbey said, "He just wanted me to make sure that you </div> <div> got there on time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh glanced at his watch and then back at Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I just don't want to leave her here alone," he said, the concern </div> <div> readily apparent in his </div> <div> voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Abbey looked at Josh and could see that he was obviously torn.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It will be fine," Abbey said softly. "You go home, grab a quick </div> <div> shower and a shave, then </div> <div> head over to the White House for your meeting. I'll stay here until </div> <div> you get back so Donna </div> <div> won't be alone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you sure?" Josh asked, his tone full of relief.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Positive," Abbey said as she settled herself into the chair next to </div> <div> the bed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Josh said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Take your time," Abbey said, pulling a book of poetry from her </div> <div> bag. "Donna and I will </div> <div> just catch up on our reading while you're gone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you, Mrs. Bartlet," Josh smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're welcome, Josh," she said with a wink.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Donna's lips. "I love </div> <div> you, Donna. I'll be </div> <div> back as soon as I can," he whispered. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Margaret waved Josh into Leo's inner office the minute he arrived. He </div> <div> felt slightly better </div> <div> after a shower and a shave in his own apartment. As he entered the </div> <div> room, he found Toby, </div> <div> Sam, CJ, Leo and John Carpenter, the head of the FBI, already </div> <div> assembled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How's Donna?" CJ asked immediately.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She's doing well," Josh said as he took a seat on the couch next to </div> <div> Sam. "The doctors </div> <div> are very happy. They think she is definitely out of the woods."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent," CJ beamed, as all of the others in the room echoed in </div> <div> agreement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So, do we have anything yet on who might have done this?" Josh </div> <div> asked, casting a wary </div> <div> glance at Leo.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, we're getting closer," Carpenter said. "We've got a few good </div> <div> solid leads."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Such as?" Josh asked, turning his undivided attention to the FBI </div> <div> Director.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, we actually caught a break that the explosion occurred in an </div> <div> enclosed area. It </div> <div> allowed us a better chance to recover all of the bomb's components."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yeah, we were very lucky," Josh said sarcastically.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He wasn't talking about Donna's injuries," Leo admonished. "He meant </div> <div> in terms of </div> <div> evidence."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know. I'm sorry," Josh said, scrubbing his face with his </div> <div> hands. "Please go on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Our best piece of evidence is the timer," Carpenter said as he </div> <div> pulled a forensics report </div> <div> out of the folder in his hand and handed it to Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's a very specialized device. It's attached to the ignition system </div> <div> of a car and rigged to </div> <div> detonate when the car is started."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So this thing was planted inside the White House parking garage?" </div> <div> Josh asked </div> <div> incredulously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We don't think so," Carpenter answered. "We think there must have </div> <div> been some sort of </div> <div> malfunction."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How so?" Toby asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is a specialized mechanism that puts the explosion on a time </div> <div> delay. The car needs </div> <div> to be started multiple times before the bomb will activate. The </div> <div> theory being, that when a </div> <div> car explodes, most people tend to think that the bomb must have been </div> <div> planted fairly </div> <div> recently. Delaying the explosion until after the car has been started </div> <div> several times not only </div> <div> gives the bomber a chance to get away from the scene, it puts </div> <div> distance between the </div> <div> planting of the bomb and the detonation, thereby shifting the blame </div> <div> in a different </div> <div> direction."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So when was it planted?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "As far as we can tell, it had to have been planted the same day it </div> <div> detonated."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, a thought struck Josh and his anger began to rise. "Are you </div> <div> saying that the guy </div> <div> who installed the remote starter is responsible?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Carpenter quickly assured him, "we investigated him thoroughly. </div> <div> He's clean. In </div> <div> fact, the poor guy almost had a nervous breakdown when I went to talk </div> <div> to him, and </div> <div> explained what had happened. He said that he has worked on Ms. Moss's </div> <div> car since she </div> <div> moved to D.C."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then what happened?" Sam asked. "How did the bomb get there?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The bomber probably didn't even realize that remote starter had been </div> <div> installed. They </div> <div> mostly prefer to have the explosion occur with the victim inside the </div> <div> car. Our best guess is </div> <div> that someone got onto the lot after the garage was closed and planted </div> <div> the device.  The </div> <div> owner told us that he keeps the cars inside a fence, but that there </div> <div> is no alarm system. It </div> <div> would have been easy for someone to get in."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "As far as our experts can tell, the device was set to go off after </div> <div> the ignition had been </div> <div> started 10 times. They found a small tracking chip that was probably </div> <div> used to send signals </div> <div> back to a receiver. That way, the bomber knew when the explosion was </div> <div> getting close. </div> <div> Since we know that Ms. Moss picked up her car that same afternoon, we </div> <div> have to assume </div> <div> that there was a malfunction."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, there wasn't," Josh said quietly, remembering something had </div> <div> Donna had told him </div> <div> right before the explosion. "Donna, Margaret, Bonnie and Ginger went </div> <div> down to the </div> <div> garage that afternoon to test it out. They must have started it eight </div> <div> times."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh my God," Leo said, glancing towards his outer office. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Everyone in the office was silent for a moment, contemplating how </div> <div> different things might </div> <div> have been if the assistants had pushed that button just one more </div> <div> time. Finally, Josh asked </div> <div> the question that had been burning in his mind for two days.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Who? Who could have wanted to kill Donna?" </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well," Carpenter said in measured tones, "judging by the </div> <div> sophisticated device, I'd say </div> <div> that it's likely this was a professional hit."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Josh screamed, jumping up from the couch and beginning to </div> <div> pace around the </div> <div> office.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It has all the earmarks," the FBI Director said calmly. "If it had </div> <div> exploded somewhere </div> <div> out on the street, or in a parking lot, we never would have been able </div> <div> to put all of the </div> <div> pieces back together, and the perpetrator would have been home free. </div> <div> We probably would </div> <div> have written it off to some psycho."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But why? Who could possibly want to hit Donna?" CJ asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have no idea," Carpenter said, moving a folder from the bottom of </div> <div> the pile to the top. </div> <div> Josh immediately recognized the seal on the front. "I pulled her FBI </div> <div> file. There was no </div> <div> problem with the vetting process. She appears to be completely clean. </div> <div> In fact, the only </div> <div> oddity at all in her file is a near fatal car accident when she was </div> <div> 15. She spent quite a bit </div> <div> of time in hospitals and rehab centers, nearly a year in fact."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yeah," Josh said sadly. "She doesn't like to talk about it. All I </div> <div> know is that she almost </div> <div> died, and it was a long painful recovery process."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh my God," CJ said, her breath catching her throat. "Do you think </div> <div> that this has </div> <div> something to do with that?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Probably not," Carpenter said. "It seems like a pretty run of the </div> <div> mill, if tragic accident. </div> <div> Two other people in the car were killed. Ms Moss's recovery seems to </div> <div> have been, by all </div> <div> accounts, miraculous and complete." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Miraculous yes," CJ said, "but not exactly complete."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The phone rang in Donna's room, interrupting the First Lady in the </div> <div> midst of reading </div> <div> aloud from Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems That Celebrate Women by Maya </div> <div> Angelou.</div> <div> She closed the book and reached for the receiver.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna Moss's room," she said quietly, as Donna began to stir a </div> <div> little.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Who is this?" the stern male voice on the other end of the phone </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is Abbey Bartlet. And may I ask to whom I am speaking?" </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is Gregory Moss. I'm Donna's father."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh," Abbey said, wondering why Donna's parents weren't at their </div> <div> daughter's bedside, </div> <div> or at least enroute. "It's very nice to talk to you Mr. Moss. I </div> <div> certainly wish it were under </div> <div> happier circumstances."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Donna's father answered dismissively, "that would have been </div> <div> preferable."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> There was silence on the line for a full 30 seconds, as an </div> <div> unexplainable cold chill went up </div> <div> Abbey's spine.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You'll be happy to know that Donna is doing much better today," she </div> <div> said, finally </div> <div> breaking the uncomfortable silence. "The doctors say that she is out </div> <div> of the woods."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, that is wonderful news," Gregory Moss answered, although Abbey </div> <div> couldn't help </div> <div> but notice the disturbing lack of emotion in his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Will you be coming to D.C. to see her?" Abbey asked pointedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're not sure of our plans yet," Gregory answered defensively.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, once you decide, please let me know," Abbey said. "My husband </div> <div> and I would be </div> <div> happy to make all of the arrangements for you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Gregory Moss said coldly. "We really wouldn't want to </div> <div> put you to any </div> <div> trouble."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It wouldn't be any trouble at all," Abbey assured him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, I'll be in touch then. Goodbye," he said, and hung up without </div> <div> waiting to hear her </div> <div> response.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Abbey sat back down in the chair and opened the book, trying to push </div> <div> down the uneasy </div> <div> feelings that she had gotten from Gregory Moss. She made a mental </div> <div> note to talk to Leo </div> <div> about it though, just in case.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "So, who were you talking to?" the woman asked anxiously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Abbey Bartlet," Gregory Moss hissed. "The First Lady is visiting our </div> <div> daughter in the </div> <div> hospital."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And how is Donna?" the woman asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Out of danger," he said, anger apparent in his voice. "That girl has </div> <div> more lives than a </div> <div> cat."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What are we going to do next?" the woman asked worriedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I need some time to think. It's not safe to travel to D.C. just now, </div> <div> not with her </div> <div> surrounded by people. Maybe we'll get lucky and Jenkins will find a </div> <div> way to get in and </div> <div> finish the job. If not, maybe we can convince her to come home for </div> <div> her recovery. After </div> <div> all, we helped her recover last time, didn't we?" he sneered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "In a manner of speaking," the woman smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean 'not complete', CJ?" Josh asked nervously. "What do </div> <div> you know that </div> <div> I don't?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ bit her bottom lip and tried to quickly decide just how much of </div> <div> the secret Donna had </div> <div> confided in her to reveal.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm really not sure that it's my place to tell this story," CJ said </div> <div> slowly. "Maybe we </div> <div> should wait until Donna is feeling better and she can tell you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Tell us what?" Leo asked, his eyes narrowing.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ glanced around the room, her eyes finally locking with Josh's.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Look," he said pleadingly, "if you know something that might help us </div> <div> find out who did </div> <div> this, you have to tell us. Donna's life is at stake here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know that," CJ said, "It's just that I swore to Donna I would </div> <div> never tell...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I understand how seriously you take a promise, but this is </div> <div> different," Toby snapped. "If </div> <div> you know something that could help Donna, I think you should tell us. </div> <div> If you don't, we </div> <div> might not be able to stop them the next time they try."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ's shoulders slumped as Toby's words sunk in. She knew that he was </div> <div> right; she just </div> <div> hoped that Donna would understand.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It was just after Donna came back to the campaign," CJ began. "It </div> <div> was really late at </div> <div> night and we were in my room, drinking tequila and having some girl </div> <div> talk. It was just one </div> <div> of those silly, stupid conversations really. The kind that happen all </div> <div> of the time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I told Donna about the first time I had ever had a drink, how I had </div> <div> sneaked a sip of my </div> <div> father's scotch when I was seven years old, and how it had burned in </div> <div> my throat for hours. </div> <div> I asked her about the first time that she ever tasted alcohol. She </div> <div> hesitated, and I could tell </div> <div> that she was trying to decide what to say." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ's mind drifted back to her memories of that night. It had been </div> <div> such an innocent </div> <div> question, yet Donna had seemed so thrown by it. Even though CJ hadn't </div> <div> been as close to </div> <div> Donna as she was now, she had known that there was a secret weighing </div> <div> heavily on the </div> <div> younger woman's mind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What, CJ? What did she say?" Josh demanded. When he saw the </div> <div> confusion in CJ's eyes, </div> <div> his voice softened, "Please tell me, is there something wrong with </div> <div> Donna?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," CJ answered, glancing around the room at the others, "it's </div> <div> nothing like that."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then what?" Josh pleaded.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna told me about the car accident she had when she was 15."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, she told me about that when I hired her."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There was something that she didn't tell you though," CJ said, her </div> <div> voice dropping to just </div> <div> above a whisper.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Josh demanded.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ took a deep breath and continued. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna suffered a severe head injury in the accident. At first the </div> <div> doctors thought that </div> <div> there was a chance that she would never fully recover, that she would </div> <div> essentially be a </div> <div> vegetable."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Wow," Sam exclaimed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But obviously, she proved them wrong," Toby growled, "so what does </div> <div> this have to do </div> <div> with anything?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She did eventually wake up," CJ said, twisting her hands </div> <div> nervously, "and most of her </div> <div> brain seemed to recover, except for the fact that she had absolutely </div> <div> no memory of </div> <div> anything that had happened to her before the accident."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What are you saying?" Josh asked incredulously. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna told me that she has no independent memories of her life </div> <div> before the accident. All </div> <div> she knows is what her parents have told her. She said that they were </div> <div> very patient in </div> <div> helping her fill in the details, but she has never been able to </div> <div> recover even one memory on </div> <div> her own. Everything she knows about her early life is what she has </div> <div> been told."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So she remembers nothing?" Leo asked, shaking his head. "What about </div> <div> other family </div> <div> members, and school friends?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna said that both of her parents were only children. She didn't </div> <div> have any aunts or </div> <div> uncles. Her grandparents were all dead."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Amazing," Carpenter replied.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Her parents moved to Wisconsin as soon as Donna was able to travel. </div> <div> They were afraid </div> <div> that being around all of her old school friends and not being able to </div> <div> remember anything </div> <div> would be too frustrating for her. So they decided to give her a fresh </div> <div> start."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Wouldn't it have been helpful to be around her old friends?" Sam </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know," CJ said. "I'm only telling you what she told me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why didn't she ever tell me this?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She was afraid," CJ said softly, crossing the room and standing in </div> <div> front of Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Afraid of what? Afraid of me?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," CJ said soothingly, "she isn't afraid of you; she was never </div> <div> afraid of you, Josh."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then what?" Josh asked, unable to hide the desperation in his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She was afraid that if anyone knew, they wouldn't want her working </div> <div> on the campaign. </div> <div> She was afraid that they would think that there was something </div> <div> unstable about her, that </div> <div> she couldn't be trusted."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That wouldn't have happened," Josh insisted. "I would have </div> <div> understood."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know that," CJ said soothingly, "but try to put yourself in </div> <div> Donna's position. She had </div> <div> traveled halfway across the country, she had very little money, and </div> <div> she wanted the job as </div> <div> your assistant so desperately, she was just so afraid that something </div> <div> was going to foul it </div> <div> up."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But what about later, after the election?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The longer she kept the secret, the harder it was to tell it. Plus, </div> <div> she was afraid of the </div> <div> inevitable cracks about her personality quirks."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh shook his head in amazement. "So you are telling me that she has </div> <div> absolutely no </div> <div> memory of her life prior to the accident?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "All she knows," CJ answered, "is what her parents have told her."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh looked across the room and saw Leo and John Carpenter exchanging </div> <div> glances.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Josh said, suddenly catching on to the unspoken communication </div> <div> between the </div> <div> two men, "You think this might mean something?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You have to admit," Toby said, "it adds a new piece to the puzzle."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It certainly does," Sam agreed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll need to talk to Ms. Moss as soon as she's up to it," Carpenter </div> <div> said. "And I'd also like </div> <div> to speak to her parents. Are they here in D.C.?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Josh answered distractedly, "they're in Madison, Wisconsin."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh," Carpenter said, his voice of surprise, "I would have thought </div> <div> that they would have </div> <div> come here to be with Donna after the accident."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Me too," Josh said, his mind racing as it tried to process all of </div> <div> the new information. </div> <div> "They've never come to D.C. once since Donna moved here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That seems a bit strange," Carpenter said, making a note on the top </div> <div> folder. "I'll call </div> <div> them in Madison and see if they have anything to offer. I'll get back </div> <div> to you as soon as I </div> <div> have anything else new."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks," Josh muttered distractedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you ok?" Leo asked, coming around his desk and placing his hand </div> <div> on Josh's </div> <div> shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yeah," Josh said softly. "I just need to get back to the hospital."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Go ahead," Leo said, "And call us if you have any news."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You do the same," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ caught up with him as he moved quickly down the hall towards the </div> <div> exit.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh? Are you ok?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm fine, CJ," he assured her. The look in her eyes struck a cord </div> <div> deep in his heart. He </div> <div> wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug. "You did </div> <div> the right thing," </div> <div> he said. "Donna will understand, I promise."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hope so," CJ said tearily, pulling away and looking into his </div> <div> eyes. "I hope that you </div> <div> understand too, Josh. Why Donna couldn't tell you, and why I </div> <div> couldn't."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I understand completely," Josh smiled reassuringly. "It doesn't </div> <div> change anything."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh slipped back into Donna's hospital room just as Mrs. Bartlet was </div> <div> finishing up her </div> <div> reading. Abbey filled him in on the call from Mr. Moss and then </div> <div> slipped quietly out, </div> <div> leaving Josh and Donna alone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hey, Donna. I'm back," he said, leaning over and placing a soft kiss </div> <div> on her cheek.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh?" she said shakily, her eyes struggling to open.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yep, it's me," he said lovingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is everything ok?" she asked. "I woke up a little while ago and Mrs. </div> <div> Bartlet said that you </div> <div> had to go back to the White House."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Everything is fine," he assured her, bringing her hand to his lips </div> <div> and placing a kiss on </div> <div> the palm. "There's nothing for you to worry about."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you sure?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm positive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Have they found out who blew up my car yet?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not yet."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know who...."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shhhhh, Donna. Don't you worry about it. We're going to find out </div> <div> what happened. And </div> <div> whatever it is, I'll be right here beside you all the way."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory Moss pushed the button and stared at the answering machine as </div> <div> he listened to </div> <div> the message for the third time.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> ///// Mr. and Mrs. Moss, this is John Carpenter from the Federal </div> <div> Bureau of Investigation. </div> <div> I'm sorry to call at such a difficult time but I need to ask you a </div> <div> few questions about the </div> <div> explosion that injured your daughter. If you could get back to me at </div> <div> your earliest </div> <div> convenience, I would appreciate it. My number is 202-555-0965 ext </div> <div> 8131. Thank </div> <div> you.\\\\\\\\</div> <bR> <bR> <div> His eyes widened with rage as he turned to his wife. "This changes </div> <div> everything. Get me </div> <div> Jenkins on the phone. We need a new plan, and we need to eliminate </div> <div> Donna as soon as </div> <div> possible."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Part 3</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Five days after the explosion, Donna was recovering nicely. Her vital </div> <div> signs had </div> <div> strengthened considerably and the doctors were slowly cutting back on </div> <div> her pain </div> <div> medication. She felt well enough to insist that Josh go home and get </div> <div> a good </div> <div> night's sleep in his own bed instead of keeping vigil on the couch </div> <div> that had been </div> <div> moved into her room. She was looking disgustedly at the breakfast </div> <div> tray sitting </div> <div> in front of her when the door opened slowly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good morning, sunshine," Josh said as he entered the room, one hand </div> <div> hiding </div> <div> something behind his back.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Morning yourself," Donna beamed. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Better," she said sincerely. "What are you hiding behind your back?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's a surprise," he teased.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Tell me," she said eagerly, trying to look around his body to see </div> <div> what it was.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh reached her bedside and leaned over to give her a good morning </div> <div> kiss. </div> <div> Donna lifted her uninjured arm and placed her hand on the back of </div> <div> Josh's head, </div> <div> deepening the kiss. As his tongue slid over her bottom lip, she </div> <div> reached down </div> <div> quickly and snatched the paper bag that he had been hiding behind his </div> <div> back.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "HEY!" Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oooooooh, donuts," Donna squealed as she opened the bag. She </div> <div> immediately </div> <div> pushed the breakfast tray away and sat the bag on the table in front </div> <div> of her. </div> <div> "Thank you, Josh."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're welcome," he answered, sitting down beside her on the </div> <div> bed. "Even </div> <div> though you did trick me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It wasn't a trick," Donna reasoned with a smile. "Actually, it was a </div> <div> win-win </div> <div> kind of thing. I got a kiss from sexiest man I know, and I got </div> <div> donuts."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Flattery will get you everywhere," Josh said as he leaned over and </div> <div> kissed away </div> <div> a dab of donut cream from Donna's lower lip.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So did you sleep better at home in your own bed?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I guess so," he shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I didn't miss you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I missed you too," she assured him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh took a deep breath and tried to gather the strength for what he </div> <div> had to tell </div> <div> her next.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I stopped by the office on my way here," he said as nonchalantly as </div> <div> possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is everything ok?" Donna asked, sensing something different in </div> <div> Josh's tone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh turned so that he was facing Donna, pushed the rolling tray away </div> <div> from the </div> <div> bed, and took her hands in his. "John Carpenter would like to talk to </div> <div> you today, </div> <div> if you feel up to it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Does he have any idea who blew up my car?" she asked haltingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Josh answered honestly. "He has a few possible </div> <div> theories."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Such as?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh cleared his throat and looked directly into Donna's eyes. He had </div> <div> been </div> <div> putting off telling her that he knew about her memory loss, but he </div> <div> couldn't wait </div> <div> any longer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He wants to talk to you about the accident you had when you were </div> <div> 15," Josh </div> <div> said cautiously, watching Donna's reactions closely.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What does my accident have to do with anything?" she asked with a </div> <div> touch of </div> <div> panic in her voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Josh answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Tears began to flow down Donna's cheeks and her breathing became </div> <div> ragged. </div> <div> "Josh, there's something I never told you…" she began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's ok," he said soothingly, wrapping his arm around her waist and </div> <div> pulling her </div> <div> closer, careful to avoid her burned shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, it isn't," she sobbed into his shoulder. "There's something you </div> <div> should </div> <div> know about the accident."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I already know," Josh said softly, rubbing her back lovingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna pulled back and looked directly into his eyes. "But how?" she </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "CJ told me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna hung her head. She had wanted so badly to tell Josh the truth, </div> <div> but the </div> <div> moment never seemed to be right; now she was afraid that he would </div> <div> hate her for </div> <div> being dishonest with him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't be mad at her," he said, placing a hand on her chin and </div> <div> raising her eyes </div> <div> up to meet his, "She really didn't want to tell us. She was just </div> <div> trying to help; she </div> <div> was worried about you. We told her that we needed to know everything </div> <div> there </div> <div> was to know if we wanted to have a chance to catch the person who did </div> <div> this."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not mad at her," Donna said softly, "I'm mad at myself."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "For what?" Josh asked incredulously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm so sorry," Donna sobbed, tears once again flowing down her </div> <div> cheeks. "I </div> <div> should have told you. I wanted to. It's just that at first, I was </div> <div> afraid you would </div> <div> think I was some kind of psycho, and after that, I couldn't figure </div> <div> out how to </div> <div> bring it up. It's not like my family ever visited me here or </div> <div> anything. And it </div> <div> didn't really seem to matter until I fell in love with you, and then </div> <div> I knew that I </div> <div> had to find a way to tell you but…." Her words were cut off as her </div> <div> sobs became </div> <div> more intense.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shhhhh, Donna. It's ok, I understand," he said, trying desperately </div> <div> to calm her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm so sorry," she said, burying her head in his shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He rubbed her back for a few moments until her breathing returned </div> <div> almost back </div> <div> to normal, then he pulled back and locked eyes with her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's really ok, Donna," he said, placing his hand against her </div> <div> cheek. "I </div> <div> understand. I'm just sorry that when you first came to work for me, I </div> <div> wasn't </div> <div> accessible enough, that you didn't feel comfortable opening up to me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It wasn't you, Josh. Honestly. I was just so afraid."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna looked down as the tears threatened to fall again.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's ok," he cooed softly. "It's all in the past now. Let's just </div> <div> make a promise. </div> <div> From this point on, no secrets. Is it a deal?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Deal," Donna said with a small smile.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They sat in silence for a few minutes, Donna's head on Josh's </div> <div> shoulder, when </div> <div> she suddenly remembered what had started the whole conversation.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What could my accident have to do with any of this?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Josh said. "I think that the FBI is just trying to be </div> <div> thorough.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know how much help I can be," Donna sighed. "I don't </div> <div> remember </div> <div> anything until I woke up in a strange hospital a month later, and </div> <div> didn't even </div> <div> recognize my own parents."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You mean you had no memory of them at all? Not even a flicker?" Josh </div> <div> asked </div> <div> with amazement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Nothing," Donna said. "They were complete strangers to me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Carpenter was going to look into the details of the accident," Josh </div> <div> said. "I think </div> <div> he just wants to talk to you about what came after. He thinks there </div> <div> might be </div> <div> some small piece of information that seems insignificant but might </div> <div> help break </div> <div> the case."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then I guess I should talk to him today," Donna said. "The sooner we </div> <div> get this </div> <div> figured out, the better I'll feel."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, I'll call him," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Will you stay here with me while he's here?" Donna asked uncertainly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Absolutely," Josh answered, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on </div> <div> the tip of her </div> <div> nose.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "DON'T TELL ME NOT TO WORRY!" Gregory Moss screamed into the </div> <div> phone. "The Director of the damn FBI left a message on my answering </div> <div> machine. I cannot afford this kind of scrutiny. NOT NOW!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've found a way in," Jenkins assured him. "It won't be much longer </div> <div> and she'll </div> <div> be dead. I'll leave enough false leads around to make it look like </div> <div> some kind of </div> <div> political junkie gone mad. Just your everyday run of the mill psycho."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You had better do it, and you had better do it fast," Moss </div> <div> hissed. "Just </div> <div> remember, you're hands are almost as dirty as mine. If I go down, I'm </div> <div> taking </div> <div> you with me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't worry," Jenkins spat, bristling at the threat, "I'll take care </div> <div> of it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You do that," Moss demanded. "We buried the truth almost 15 years </div> <div> ago when </div> <div> we buried those people. Let's make sure it stays six feet under where </div> <div> it </div> <div> belongs."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll be in touch as soon as it's done," Jenkins snapped.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory Moss was left listening to nothing but the buzzing of a </div> <div> disconnected </div> <div> phone and the pounding of his own heart.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can I come in?" CJ asked timidly, peeking her head into Donna's room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course," Donna said, holding out her arm.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ crossed the room and wrapped Donna in a gentle hug, carefully </div> <div> avoiding the </div> <div> painful burns on Donna's left side.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How are you feeling?" CJ asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Better, thanks," Donna said cheerily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ sat down in the chair beside the bed and began to wring her </div> <div> hands. "I'm so </div> <div> sorry, Donna," she said, the words tumbling out of her mouth, "I </div> <div> didn't know </div> <div> what to do. I tried to wait until you were awake so you could tell </div> <div> Josh yourself </div> <div> but…."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's ok, CJ," Donna said, reaching out and squeezing her friend's </div> <div> hand. "Josh </div> <div> and I talked about it. Everything is fine."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good," CJ said, the relief obvious in her voice. "He's just worried </div> <div> about you. </div> <div> He wants to make sure he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to </div> <div> finding out </div> <div> who is responsible for this. We all feel that way."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How did the others react to the news?" Donna asked, half afraid to </div> <div> hear the </div> <div> answer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Everyone understands, Donna. They know what a difficult position you </div> <div> were </div> <div> in. They just want to get to the bottom of this whole thing so we can </div> <div> get back to </div> <div> normal."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want that too. I just don't know what my memory loss could have to </div> <div> do with </div> <div> this," Donna said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," CJ answered, "But it's best to check out every </div> <div> possibility."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I guess so," Donna agreed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ looked around the room quizzically as if noticing something for </div> <div> the first </div> <div> time.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So where's Josh?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He went to call Leo and set up an appointment with John Carpenter," </div> <div> Donna </div> <div> said. "We're going to meet with him this afternoon."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As if on cue, Josh entered the room. "Hi, CJ," he said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hi," CJ answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did you talk to him?" Donna asked, unable to wait any longer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Josh said. "The meeting is set for 4 PM."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo had joined Abbey for lunch in the residence, at her request. They </div> <div> had </div> <div> finished their meal, and adjourned to the living room with their </div> <div> coffee.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can't exactly put my finger on it," Abbey said, continuing the </div> <div> conversation </div> <div> that had begun over lunch, "but there is something very strange about </div> <div> Gregory </div> <div> Moss."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How so?" Leo asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Think about it," Abbey insisted, "if Mallory was nearly blown to </div> <div> bits, would </div> <div> you be sitting half a country away?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Leo said forcefully, "I'd be on the first plane. No doubt about </div> <div> it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Exactly," Abbey said. "But he seemed more interested in who was in </div> <div> his </div> <div> daughter's room than what her condition was."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I agree it's strange," Leo said in a conciliatory tone, "but people </div> <div> handle things </div> <div> in different ways."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know that," Abby said, shaking her head, "but there was something </div> <div> in his </div> <div> voice, something I just can't verbalize."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, if there is something there, Carpenter will find it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hope so," Abby said. "For Donna's sake."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As Abby went to the sideboard to freshen her coffee, Leo's cell phone </div> <div> rang. He </div> <div> talked briefly and was hanging up just as Abbey returned to her seat.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good news?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Could be," he answered. "That was John Carpenter. Josh called and </div> <div> said that </div> <div> Donna was ready to talk to him."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When?" Abby asked interestedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Four o'clock," Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo and John Carpenter entered Donna's hospital room at precisely </div> <div> 4PM. </div> <div> Donna was sitting up in bed looking nervous; Josh was sitting in the </div> <div> chair </div> <div> beside the bed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hello, Donna. How are you feeling?" Leo asked, trying to put her at </div> <div> ease.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Much better, thank you," Donna answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You remember John Carpenter, don't you?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Donna said, remembering the many times that she had run into </div> <div> the FBI </div> <div> Director in the west wing. "Nice to see you again, sir."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I wish it was under better circumstances," Carpenter said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna and I just want to find out exactly what happened," Josh said, </div> <div> standing </div> <div> and shaking hands with Carpenter.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's what I want too," the FBI director assured him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you sure you feel up to this, Donna?" Leo asked in a protective, </div> <div> fatherly </div> <div> manner.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure," Donna said, smiling at the concern in his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let's get started then," Carpenter said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh sat down in the chair next to Donna's bed, grasping her hand </div> <div> firmly. Leo </div> <div> and Carpenter seated themselves on the couch, which was on the other </div> <div> side of </div> <div> the room. Carpenter pulled a stack of folders out of his briefcase </div> <div> and placed </div> <div> them beside him on the couch. The look on his face said that his </div> <div> investigation </div> <div> had indeed turned up some new information, but he was going to let it </div> <div> unfold in </div> <div> due time.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna," he began, "have you received any strange phone calls lately, </div> <div> an </div> <div> inordinate number of hang-ups?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Any strange packages or unexplained gifts?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna said again.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Has anyone made any threats or made you feel intimidated in any way?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can you think of anyone who might have had any reason, or who even </div> <div> may </div> <div> think they have any reason, to do this?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna said, with a desperate tone beginning to creep into her </div> <div> voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> John Carpenter looked at her, trying to decide in his own mind if she </div> <div> was strong </div> <div> enough to hear the information contained in the folders he had placed </div> <div> beside </div> <div> him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want to ask you a few questions about your childhood," Carpenter </div> <div> said, </div> <div> deciding to approach the subject slowly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, but I don't remember much," Donna said resignedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I understand that," Carpenter said steadily. "What is the first </div> <div> memory you have </div> <div> after the accident?" </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna took a deep breath and started speaking in a shaky voice. "I </div> <div> woke up in </div> <div> the hospital a month after the accident. Everything was foggy. I was </div> <div> terrified. I </div> <div> didn't recognize anyone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Your parents didn't look at all familiar?" Carpenter asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna said quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh tightened his grip on her hand.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So how did you find out about your past?" Carpenter asked, trying to </div> <div> broach </div> <div> the subject as gently as possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My parents filled me in," Donna said, sliding closer to Josh as an </div> <div> uneasy </div> <div> feeling began to creep up her spine.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How did they fill you in?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did they show you pictures? Did they bring in your old school </div> <div> friends? Were </div> <div> there other relatives who shared memories with you? Home movies? </div> <div> Anything </div> <div> like that?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna said, beginning to wonder exactly where the conversation </div> <div> was </div> <div> headed. "My parents were both only children so I didn't have any </div> <div> other </div> <div> relatives. The accident happened in a town about 90 miles from where </div> <div> I went to </div> <div> school, so none of my school friends were close. My parents told me </div> <div> that most </div> <div> of my childhood mementos had been lost once when we moved."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What about the other two people who were killed in the accident?" </div> <div> Carpenter </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They were just two people who picked me up while I was hitchhiking," </div> <div> Donna </div> <div> said sadly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you remember hitchhiking?" Carpenter probed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, but my parents told me that I used to do it a lot."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And how did you end up 90 minutes away from home?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Donna said defensively. "I guess we'll never know </div> <div> that, will </div> <div> we?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sorry, Donna. I'm not trying to upset you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know. I'm sorry, please go on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna, I'm going to just get to the point and be honest with you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'd appreciate that," Donna said, all the while wondering if she </div> <div> really wanted </div> <div> to hear what he had to say.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've been doing a little digging," he began, "and a few disturbing </div> <div> inconsistencies have arisen."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Tears sprung to Donna's eyes and her hands began to shake. Josh left </div> <div> the chair </div> <div> and sat beside her on the bed, wrapping his arm securely around her </div> <div> waist. </div> <div> "What kind of inconsistencies?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I went back and looked at all of the records of your medical </div> <div> treatment, and I </div> <div> managed to track down and talk to several of the doctors. Are you </div> <div> aware that for </div> <div> the first two weeks that you were in the hospital, you were </div> <div> classified as a Jane </div> <div> Doe?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna said, her heart beginning to pound uncontrollably.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, you were," he said. "The local police tried as hard as they </div> <div> could to </div> <div> identify you, but they had no luck until Gregory and Arlene Moss </div> <div> showed up."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What are you trying to say?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm just saying that from a strictly investigational point of view, </div> <div> something </div> <div> seems a bit strange."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But everything checked out when Donna was vetted," Josh insisted.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And everything about you checked out in my investigation too," </div> <div> Carpenter </div> <div> said, looking directly at Donna. "I went back to the hospital where </div> <div> you were </div> <div> born, and I even managed to track down the doctor that delivered you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And?" Donna asked, her eyes wide with fear.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He didn't have any personal recollection of you, but, lucky for us, </div> <div> he kept his </div> <div> own set of files on every patient he ever had."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter reached beside him, pulled a file out of the stack, and </div> <div> opened it up. </div> <div> "You were a perfectly healthy baby, nothing unusual about the </div> <div> delivery. He </div> <div> noted that you had a small red birthmark on the back of your neck."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's right," Donna said, pulling aside her long blonde hair to </div> <div> show Carpenter </div> <div> the mark in question.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you saying that there was some doubt as to whether Donna was </div> <div> correctly </div> <div> identified?" Leo asked impatiently. "Don't you think that the Moss's </div> <div> would </div> <div> know their own daughter?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have no doubt," Carpenter said assuredly, motioning towards the </div> <div> bed, "that </div> <div> this is Donna Moss. But there was another notation in this folder </div> <div> that caught my </div> <div> attention."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Donna choked out.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Dr. Perkins noted that the only flaw in an otherwise perfect </div> <div> delivery had come </div> <div> when it was time to cut the umbilical cord. Apparently, your father </div> <div> had some </div> <div> trouble with the scissors."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He had some trouble cutting with the scissors, according to Dr. </div> <div> Perkins, </div> <div> because he was missing the first two fingers on his right hand."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Donna said angrily. "My father isn't missing any fingers."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Dr. Perkins was quite adamant that his notes were correct. So I went </div> <div> and talked </div> <div> to a few of your elementary school teachers. One in particular </div> <div> remembered you, </div> <div> specifically because she lived across the street from your family."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The shaking in Donna's hands had now spread to her entire body. "What </div> <div> are </div> <div> you saying?" she sobbed, hanging on to Josh for dear life.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter looked at Leo, then at Josh, whose eyes were wide in </div> <div> anticipation of </div> <div> what Carpenter had discovered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What I'm saying is that….I'm 100% certain that you are indeed </div> <div> Donnatella </div> <div> Moss. I am, however, not at all sure who the two people were who took </div> <div> you </div> <div> home from the hospital."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna hadn't said a word after John Carpenter's revelation that the </div> <div> people who had </div> <div> masqueraded as her parents since the accident were not the real </div> <div> Gregory and Arlene </div> <div> Moss.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo had decided to put an end to the meeting and give Donna time to </div> <div> process all of the </div> <div> information she had received. He actually thought that they all </div> <div> needed a little time to </div> <div> process it, but Donna more than anyone. Leo walked Carpenter out, </div> <div> hoping they could formulate a </div> <div> plan for the best way to handle the situation.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna sat on the bed, wrapped in Josh's arms and sobbing </div> <div> uncontrollably into his </div> <div> shoulder. Her entire body was trembling, and her breath was coming in </div> <div> huge, shuddering </div> <div> gulps.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh was besieged by his own rush of shock and emotion over the </div> <div> entire situation, but he </div> <div> tried valiantly to keep control. More than anything, he wanted to </div> <div> help Donna deal with </div> <div> the news. He held onto her as tightly as possible and whispered over </div> <div> and over in her ear, </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm here, Donna. We'll get through this together. We can handle </div> <div> anything together."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> After several minutes, she pulled back and looked desperately into </div> <div> Josh's eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do I do now?" she choked out, in a voice barely above a whisper.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," Josh said, trying to sound as comforting as he </div> <div> possibly could. "I think we </div> <div> need to sit down with Leo, the FBI, and the DCPD, and try to figure </div> <div> out where we go </div> <div> from here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Donna said sadly. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh could hear the fear and sadness in Donna's voice and it broke </div> <div> his heart. He couldn't </div> <div> imagine what she must be feeling but he wanted to make sure that she </div> <div> knew she wasn't </div> <div> alone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Listen to me," he said, placing his palms against her cheeks and </div> <div> wiping away her tears </div> <div> with his thumbs, "We are going to get through this together. I know </div> <div> that you must be </div> <div> scared and confused. Please just remember that I love you, and a lot </div> <div> of people love you, </div> <div> and we will be here for you. We will help you through this."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Listen, Josh," Donna said, tears beginning to fall again, "I </div> <div> understand if this is too much </div> <div> for you to deal with…."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Stop that right now, Donna," Josh said sternly. "When I said I loved </div> <div> you, I meant that I </div> <div> love you not just when everything is going well, but when things are </div> <div> at their worst."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But I don't even know who I am," Donna sobbed. "Everything I thought </div> <div> I knew is a lie. </div> <div> The people who I thought were my parents aren't."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know," Josh said, laying back on the bed and settling her against </div> <div> his chest. He </div> <div> continued to stroke her back gently in an effort to calm her </div> <div> down. "We'll get to the </div> <div> bottom of this, I promise."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Something has to be really wrong, Josh. I mean why else would my </div> <div> parents…or </div> <div> whoever they are…be pretending to be someone they're not? They must </div> <div> be hiding from </div> <div> something. What if it turns out that they are into something illegal? </div> <div> What if I was </div> <div> somehow involved?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't jump to conclusions," he said, although he had been asking </div> <div> himself many of the </div> <div> same questions.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll lose my job," she sobbed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's not going to happen," Josh assured her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It might," Donna wailed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I think that we just need to try to stay as calm as possible until </div> <div> we have all of the facts," </div> <div> Josh reasoned. "We don't need to borrow trouble."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you remember when you asked me why my parents never came to visit </div> <div> me?" Donna </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Uh-huh."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And I told you that is was because we weren't really that close?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I remember."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I always thought that the fact that I didn't feel a strong </div> <div> attachment to them was my fault. </div> <div> I thought that I hadn't tried hard enough after the accident. That I </div> <div> should have felt some </div> <div> kind of connection to them because they were my parents. I've felt so </div> <div> guilty for so long </div> <div> about that."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You have nothing to feel guilty about," Josh said. "None of this is </div> <div> your fault."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But you don't know that," Donna said, the fear evident in her </div> <div> voice. "You don't know </div> <div> what happened or how I ended up in that situation."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know that you were a teenager, and more than likely you had no </div> <div> choice in what </div> <div> happened to you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm so scared," Donna said, her sobs returning with a vengeance.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know you are," Josh said, as he fought back his own tears. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> At that moment, he would have done anything to take away the fear and </div> <div> pain that she was </div> <div> going through, but he knew that this journey, no matter how </div> <div> difficult, was going to be </div> <div> something that she had to endure for herself. He could be supportive </div> <div> and loving and </div> <div> understanding, but he could never really feel the same things she was </div> <div> feeling. His was a </div> <div> pain of a different kind, the kind that comes from seeing someone you </div> <div> love hurting so </div> <div> much.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Josh suggested quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you going?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not a chance," he answered soothingly, "I'll be right here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna snuggled a little closer and eventually her breathing evened </div> <div> out slightly. Even </div> <div> after Josh could tell she had fallen asleep, her breathing was ragged </div> <div> and she </div> <div> continued to sob softly. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Several hours later, Leo returned to the hospital. He opened the door </div> <div> slowly and saw Josh </div> <div> and Donna asleep on the bed. He wished that he could let them enjoy a </div> <div> few more hours of </div> <div> peace, but time wasn't a luxury that they could indulge in right now. </div> <div> He cleared his </div> <div> throat, and both Donna and Josh stirred.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sorry to wake you," Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's ok," Donna replied, sitting up and rubbing her hand over her </div> <div> eyes. "Did you find out </div> <div> anything new?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not really," Leo said, "Right now we're concentrating a little more </div> <div> on the security end </div> <div> of things."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's the status?" Josh asked, sitting up but still keeping her arm </div> <div> tightly around </div> <div> Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Now that we know that this probably wasn't aimed at the President or </div> <div> the First Family, </div> <div> I'm replacing the two Secret Service agents on the door with two </div> <div> members of the DCPD. </div> <div> Access to this room will be completely restricted."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna, I don't you to be alone. Either Josh, myself, or one of the </div> <div> officers is to be </div> <div> with you at all times."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Donna said resignedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo could tell by looking at Donna's face the toll that the news had </div> <div> already taken on her. </div> <div> His voice softened as he spoke again.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're gong to get to the bottom of this, Donna. Please just try to </div> <div> hang in there."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I will," she answered resolutely.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you have any idea when you're being released?" Leo asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure, why?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We'll need to arrange for guards at your apartment, and we'll have </div> <div> to make sure that the </div> <div> Secret Service is on extra alert once you come back to work."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> At Leo's last words, Donna's head shot up and she looked at him </div> <div> hopefully. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Leo asked, with a look of confusion on his face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can I really come back to work?" Donna asked anxiously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course, " Leo said, "why wouldn't you be able to?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I was just afraid that with all of this going on, and with you </div> <div> finding out that I lied to you </div> <div> about my memory loss…."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna," Leo said with complete conviction, "none of this is going to </div> <div> affect your job in </div> <div> any way. As soon as you feel up to it, we want you to come back to </div> <div> work."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh's heart soared as he watched Donna smile for the first time in </div> <div> hours.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh was sleeping soundly on the couch in Donna's room when he heard </div> <div> a commotion </div> <div> outside the door. He immediately looked over and saw that Donna was </div> <div> still safely in bed, </div> <div> although the noise was also waking her up.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Stay right there," he said as he headed towards the door. Before he </div> <div> got there, one of the </div> <div> officers who had been stationed outside the door rushed in.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's wrong?" Josh asked anxiously as he crossed the room and stood </div> <div> beside Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We apprehended a man outside in the corridor who appeared to be </div> <div> trying to enter Ms. </div> <div> Moss's room under false pretenses."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Josh and Donna asked in unison.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The officer stepped backward and placed his back against the door, </div> <div> then spoke again.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My partner and I noticed a man acting a bit strangely in the lobby </div> <div> this morning. He </div> <div> seemed to be paying special attention to the floor plan hanging on </div> <div> the wall. About 20 </div> <div> minutes ago, we saw that same man dressed in scrubs, and wearing a </div> <div> hospital ID badge.</div> <div> When we attempted to stop him and ask him a few questions, he fled </div> <div> into the stairwell. </div> <div> We managed to stop him two floors down. He was armed with a high </div> <div> caliber pistol."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Who is he?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're not sure," the officer said. "We placed him under arrest and </div> <div> he is on his way </div> <div> down to the police station."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want to go down there. I need to know what's going on. I need to </div> <div> know who he is and </div> <div> why he's doing this."  Donna said pleadingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna," Josh said calmly, "let the police do their job."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm trying to," Donna said, her voice rising on almost every </div> <div> word, "I just want to know </div> <div> what's going on. This is my life we're talking about. This is my </div> <div> past. Please, Josh."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, let me call Leo and see what can be arranged." </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Three hours later, Josh and Donna arrived at the police station </div> <div> accompanied by a private </div> <div> duty nurse. The doctors had reluctantly agreed to let Donna leave the </div> <div> hospital for a few </div> <div> hours, but only after she insisted that she would sign herself out if </div> <div> they didn't.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They entered a room adjacent to the interrogation room, where they </div> <div> found Leo talking to </div> <div> the Chief of the DCPD.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We've arranged for you to watch the questioning through a two-way </div> <div> mirror," Leo said as </div> <div> he led Donna to a stool in front of a large pane of glass. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Donna said as she settled herself in.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh stood beside the stool, his arm protectively around Donna's </div> <div> waist. "Anytime you </div> <div> want to stop," he said, "you just let me know."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I will," she said with a small smile. Josh looked in her eyes and </div> <div> saw fear, but he also </div> <div> saw strength and determination.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Have you found anything out about this guy?" Josh asked the chief.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The name he gave us when we brought him in was Frank Jenkins. We </div> <div> figured it was an </div> <div> alias, so we ran his prints. It took less than 15 minutes for the </div> <div> computer screen to light up </div> <div> with a match. His real name is Scott Ward. He is wanted in at least </div> <div> five states for </div> <div> everything from forgery to bank robbery to murder."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Any idea how he is connected to Donna?" Josh asked worriedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not yet," the Chief replied, but give us time. "The full resources </div> <div> of both the FBI and the </div> <div> DCPD are working on this."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Just then, the lights in the interrogation room flickered on and two </div> <div> officers led Scott </div> <div> Ward into the room and handcuffed him to the leg of the table. They </div> <div> moved back and </div> <div> stood on either side of the door. Several minutes later, John </div> <div> Carpenter entered carrying a </div> <div> folder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My name is John Carpenter and I'm with the Federal Bureau of </div> <div> Investigation," the </div> <div> Director said dryly as he sat down across the table from Ward.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know who you are," Ward mumbled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent, and I know who you are also, Mr. Ward."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Ward's face flinched almost imperceptibly. He had hoped that it would </div> <div> take the </div> <div> authorities a while longer to learn his true identity. He had been </div> <div> clean, or at least he </div> <div> hadn't been arrested, for 13 years. He had hoped that any record of </div> <div> his fingerprints, and </div> <div> consequently his true identity, would be buried deep enough that he </div> <div> might have a week or </div> <div> two in which to make bail and slip away again. The fact that they had </div> <div> already identified </div> <div> him changed everything.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'd like to ask you what you were doing attempting to enter a room </div> <div> at the hospital this </div> <div> morning with a gun," Carpenter began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Ward's eyes darted around the room quickly as he contemplated his </div> <div> next move. He knew </div> <div> that he was looking at some hard time, and he decided to try to get </div> <div> himself the best </div> <div> possible deal. He had information that the Feds wanted, and he </div> <div> decided to use that to his </div> <div> advantage. Finally, he looked at Carpenter and said,</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let's not waste each other's time, ok? I can give you everything you </div> <div> want to know </div> <div> about that girl, who wants her dead, the truth about her accident, </div> <div> and all of that crap…"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But?" Carpenter asked with a raised eyebrow.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want something in return."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have to know what you have to offer," Carpenter said, proceeding </div> <div> cautiously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can offer you someone you've been after for a long time, plus a </div> <div> lot of information that </div> <div> you ain't gonna find anywhere else."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm listening," Carpenter said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want some assurances first," Ward demanded. "I give you all of the </div> <div> details you want, </div> <div> in return for minimum time on the federal level, medium security."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter glanced at the list of outstanding warrants in Ward's </div> <div> folder. Several of them </div> <div> were already past the statute of limitations. Among the ones that </div> <div> were left, only one was a </div> <div> violent crime and that was the murder of two bank tellers in Salt </div> <div> Lake City.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure how much I can help with the murder charges from Salt </div> <div> Lake, but I'll do my </div> <div> best," Carpenter agreed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I robbed that bank in Salt Lake," Ward confessed, "but I didn't kill </div> <div> those tellers. I can </div> <div> give you the guy who pulled the trigger though."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "McWilliams?" Carpenter asked, sitting up straighter in his seat.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The one and only," Ward smirked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> John Carpenter knew David McWilliams's file off by heart. He was </div> <div> wanted for multiple </div> <div> counts of bank robbery and murder. He and his wife had been involved </div> <div> in a traffic </div> <div> altercation that had left three motorists and two New Mexico police </div> <div> officers dead. He was </div> <div> also suspected in the murder of two cops in Wisconsin, although no </div> <div> hard evidence had </div> <div> ever been found.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If you can give me McWilliams, we have a deal," Carpenter said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want to see it in writing," Ward said stubbornly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're going to have to trust me on this one. You have ten seconds </div> <div> to start talking </div> <div> before I call the Utah police and tell them that I have their </div> <div> murderer."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fine," Ward said. "McWilliams and his wife are living in Wisconsin </div> <div> under fake names."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna began to shake uncontrollably. Josh tightened his grip on her </div> <div> waist, and Leo </div> <div> stepped up to her other side and held her hand tightly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What names?" Carpenter asked, although he was fairly sure he already </div> <div> knew the answer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Gregory and Arlene Moss."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh God, oh God, oh God," Donna muttered over and over.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How did they manage to get those identities?" Carpenter asked, </div> <div> knowing full well that </div> <div> Donna was watching. He didn't want her to be traumatized by anything </div> <div> she heard but he </div> <div> couldn't pass up this opportunity to get as much information as </div> <div> possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It was about six months after the Salt Lake City robbery. The heat </div> <div> was really on because </div> <div> Dave had killed those two tellers when he thought they were trying to </div> <div> push the alarm. We </div> <div> had split up to avoid getting caught."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I was in California, and David and his wife Sally had headed for </div> <div> Wisconsin. We had a </div> <div> whole pile of money, but we couldn't spend any of it because we were </div> <div> afraid the serial </div> <div> numbers could be traced. We needed a way to launder it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Ward stopped and looked at Carpenter.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But I swear I didn't kill those tellers."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Go on," The Director said impatiently. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "OK, so one day Dave calls me and he says that he found a perfect way </div> <div> to launder the </div> <div> money. He met a guy named Moss who owned a small car lot that did </div> <div> some business over </div> <div> the border in Canada. He figured he could use him to exchange the </div> <div> bills."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter nodded and scribbled a few notes on the front of the </div> <div> folder. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Anyway, he tells me to come to Wisconsin right away, so I do. </div> <div> McWilliams convinced </div> <div> Moss that the money was totally clean, that it was all gambling </div> <div> winnings that he was </div> <div> trying to hide. He offered him a cut if he would take the money over </div> <div> the border, exchange </div> <div> it, and then bring it back. The guy had fallen on a few hard times </div> <div> and he was just trying to </div> <div> earn a few extra bucks to help out his family."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why didn't McWilliams take the money over the border himself?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He was afraid of getting stopped. They had lifted our pictures off </div> <div> of the security tapes </div> <div> and there were Wanted posters everywhere."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh, Donna and Leo were all staring in stunned silence at the scene </div> <div> on the other side of the glass, trying to absorb every word.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, what happened next?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "By the time I made it to Wisconsin, most of the money was already </div> <div> exchanged. But </div> <div> Moss was starting to get suspicious. He started to wonder if the </div> <div> whole deal was legit, and </div> <div> he told McWilliams he wanted out. McWilliams convinced him to make </div> <div> one more run."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When he headed for the border, Dave and I followed him. Dave had </div> <div> instructed Sally to </div> <div> tip off the cops as soon as we left. As we were following him, we </div> <div> realized that there were </div> <div> two other people in the car."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did that surprise you?" Carpenter asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yeah, I assumed he would be alone. Anyway, about 50 miles from the </div> <div> border, the Feds </div> <div> pulled the car over. We hung back and watched. The agents made Moss </div> <div> get out and open </div> <div> the trunk. Then they spotted all of the money, and right away they </div> <div> threw Moss down on </div> <div> the ground and cuffed him. They took the boxes of money out of the </div> <div> trunk and sat them </div> <div> on the side of the road. They made the other two people get out of </div> <div> the car, and that's </div> <div> when I saw that it was a woman and a teenage girl."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "All of the sudden, Dave said, "It's time," and stepped on the gas. </div> <div> We pulled up and </div> <div> stopped right behind the patrol car. The cops turned around and </div> <div> pointed their weapons at </div> <div> our car, and then Dave grabbed a semi-automatic off of the back seat </div> <div> and started firing at </div> <div> them."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenters jaw tightened. "Keep going."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, the cops seemed to realize that they were outgunned. They </div> <div> couldn't make it to </div> <div> their patrol car, so they threw the girl into the back of the car </div> <div> Moss had been driving. It </div> <div> was an old blue sedan that was registered to some guy that Moss was </div> <div> doing the sale for. </div> <div> The cops tried to get Moss and his wife into the car too, but they </div> <div> couldn't."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They took off down the road and McWilliams followed them. Ten </div> <div> minutes later, we </div> <div> heard a huge explosion. Dave came back and said the car had rolled </div> <div> down a hill and </div> <div> blown up, and everybody was dead."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The woman started screaming and Moss looked like he was going to die </div> <div> on the spot. </div> <div> Dave told them that they would be blamed for the murder of those two </div> <div> officers, because </div> <div> they had been the ones the Feds had been chasing. He said that every </div> <div> cop in Wisconsin </div> <div> would be looking for them within minutes. They were just hysterical </div> <div> though, because </div> <div> their daughter was in that car."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Dave told them to leave all of their ID and possessions', and make a </div> <div> run for it. They </div> <div> were in such a state of shock that they agreed. He told me to take </div> <div> them and all of the </div> <div> money in the boxes, and go as far north as we could into the most </div> <div> remote part of Canada."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And did they go?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hell yeah. I went with them myself. I hid in the back seat and </div> <div> pretended to be sleeping </div> <div> when we crossed the border. They were like zombies the whole way, </div> <div> they couldn't </div> <div> believe what had happened and that their daughter was dead."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It took me a couple of weeks to get them settled. I made sure they </div> <div> had some money and </div> <div> then I left. I told them that Dave and I would contact them, but that </div> <div> they could never have </div> <div> any contact with anyone in the States. They were so shocked that they </div> <div> agreed."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter said, "But the officers that were killed thought that they </div> <div> were stopping Mr. </div> <div> McWilliams. The caller that gave them the tip used his name. The name </div> <div> of Gregory Moss </div> <div> was never mentioned."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know. Dave planned it that way. He wanted Greg Moss to think that </div> <div> the Feds knew his </div> <div> name. That would make him easier to control. After he got Moss and </div> <div> his wife out of the </div> <div> country, he and Sally just slipped into their identities. He </div> <div> convinced Moss that if he ever </div> <div> set foot in the US again, or even contacted anyone, the Feds would </div> <div> arrest him."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Ward and </div> <div> Carpenter. Her breathing </div> <div> was rapid and shallow. Josh was very close to calling an end to </div> <div> things, but he knew that </div> <div> Donna would never forgive him. She wanted to know the entire truth; </div> <div> he just prayed she </div> <div> was strong enough to hear it. He and Leo exchanged worried glances </div> <div> and then looked </div> <div> back at the interrogation room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We left the patrol car abandoned on the road. The other accident </div> <div> scene was about 15 </div> <div> miles away and the bodies were burned beyond recognition. Dave paid </div> <div> some guy to </div> <div> switch their dental records so they couldn't be identified. They just </div> <div> got written off as a </div> <div> couple of drifters in a stolen car. When the dental records didn't </div> <div> match up with the </div> <div> missing officers, the bodies were disposed of. Everybody was so busy </div> <div> looking for the </div> <div> cops that everything else just kind of slipped under the radar."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I was heading through Canada with the Moss's and Dave and Sally were </div> <div> laying low in </div> <div> some out of the way fleabag motel. Everything was perfect, until Dave </div> <div> found out that the </div> <div> girl had been thrown out of the car and wasn't dead. He hadn't </div> <div> bothered to check because </div> <div> he was sure that all three had died when the car rolled down the </div> <div> hill. She was really </div> <div> messed up, but she was still alive. Dave went to the hospital and </div> <div> gave them some story </div> <div> about how he and his wife had been on vacation and that's why they </div> <div> hadn't come sooner. </div> <div> He claimed that he didn't know his daughter was injured. He knew he </div> <div> had to get close to </div> <div> her to make sure she didn't tell the cops anything."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then what?" Carpenter asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They went to the hospital and claimed to be the girl's parents. The </div> <div> Moss's didn't have </div> <div> any other family; there was just the three of them. That's how come </div> <div> Dave decided that </div> <div> they would be the perfect people to steal identities from. They had </div> <div> all of the picture ID's </div> <div> doctored up and everything. By the time they arrived at the hospital, </div> <div> nobody had any </div> <div> reason to doubt that they were who they said they were."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They wanted to be close by to shut the girl up before she talked. </div> <div> But when she woke up, </div> <div> low and behold, she didn't remember anything. Dave and Sally saw her </div> <div> as the perfect </div> <div> cover. So they pulled up stakes and moved to Madison with </div> <div> their 'daughter'. Dave hired </div> <div> a lawyer to handle all of the paperwork on the sale of the car lot </div> <div> and anything that needed </div> <div> to be settled. People just assumed that the memories were too painful </div> <div> and that's why the </div> <div> Moss's never came back."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Everything was fine until the girl got a job at the White House and </div> <div> her picture started </div> <div> appearing in the paper with that boyfriend of hers. Dave figured it </div> <div> was only a matter of </div> <div> time till someone checked deep enough to find out the truth, and he </div> <div> hired me to kill her."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's fist balled up in rage and she slammed them against the wall, </div> <div> causing a pain to </div> <div> shoot through her burned shoulder. Her lips were moving, but she </div> <div> couldn't make any </div> <div> words come out. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And where are the real Gregory and Arlene Moss now? Are they still </div> <div> alive? Are they </div> <div> still living in Canada?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Absolutely, I just saw them a month ago. They gave me a bouquet of </div> <div> flowers to put on </div> <div> their daughter's grave. It was the thirteenth anniversary of the day </div> <div> they think she died."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh wrapped his arms around Donna as her knees began to give out. </div> <div> She laid her head on </div> <div> his chest. The sound of his heart pounding was the last thing she </div> <div> remembered hearing </div> <div> before everything went black.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The first things Donna saw when she woke up were Josh and Leo's </div> <div> concerned faces </div> <div> staring down at her. She was lying on a couch in the office of the </div> <div> Chief of the DCPD with </div> <div> a cool cloth on her forehead.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Wh...what happened?" she asked groggily as she struggled to sit up.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You fainted," Josh said with concern in his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, all of the memories of watching the interrogation came </div> <div> flooding back. All of </div> <div> the words that Scott Ward said raced through her mind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh my God!" Donna sobbed, "it wasn't a dream."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, it wasn't," Josh said sadly, as he wrapped his arm around her </div> <div> shoulders.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do I do now?" Donna asked, her voice rising with panic.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo looked at Donna, and his heart broke. Her eyes were filled with </div> <div> pain and confusion. </div> <div> He couldn't even imagine what she must be going through at this </div> <div> moment. He glanced </div> <div> quickly at Josh and saw that he was barely hanging on to his own </div> <div> tumbling emotions.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I think you and Josh should head back to the hospital. This has been </div> <div> a very stressful day </div> <div> and you both need some rest. I'll call you there as soon as we have </div> <div> any more </div> <div> information," Leo said as soothingly as possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure that I can handle any more information," Donna gasped, </div> <div> as she laid her </div> <div> head on Josh's shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh kissed her lightly on the forehead as he began to stroke her </div> <div> hair. "I'm right here, </div> <div> Donna. We'll deal with this together."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But I just can't believe it," she said as she began sobbing. "This </div> <div> is unreal. These people </div> <div> who I lived with, who took me home from the hospital after the </div> <div> accident, not only aren't </div> <div> they my real parents...they're killers!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh wrapped his arms more tightly around Donna as her body was </div> <div> wracked with sobs. </div> <div> He fought valiantly to control his own emotions but couldn't stop a </div> <div> few tears from </div> <div> escaping his eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo sat down on the couch beside Donna and placed his hand gently on </div> <div> her back. "Listen </div> <div> to me, we are going to get this straightened out," he said with a </div> <div> tremendous amount of </div> <div> conviction.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, Donna's back stiffened as she pulled away from Josh. "My </div> <div> parents," she </div> <div> gasped, "I mean my real parents...they're still alive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We'll find them," Josh assured her. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They think I'm dead," Donna said, her voice rising with anger. "For </div> <div> thirteen years they </div> <div> have thought that I was dead."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's eyes widened with fear as a thought crossed her mind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What if they are in danger? What if McWilliams finds out that we are </div> <div> on to him? What </div> <div> if he tries to do something to shut them up?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's not going to happen," John Carpenter said from the </div> <div> doorway. "I'm taking all the </div> <div> necessary steps to insure their safety, as well as yours, until </div> <div> McWilliams and his wife are </div> <div> in custody."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Such as?" Leo asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've arranged for Ward to make a phone call to McWilliams. He is </div> <div> going to tell him that </div> <div> the plan has been delayed, but that everything is still proceeding as </div> <div> planned. He is going </div> <div> to say that he just needs a few more days to finish things up."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then what?" Josh demanded.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're drawing up warrants on all of the new information we received </div> <div> today. We need to </div> <div> get Ward's statement typed up and signed. It will take us a while to </div> <div> get the new warrants </div> <div> prepared, then we will arrest McWilliams and his wife."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How long?" Donna asked fearfully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Forty eight hours at the most," Carpenter answered evenly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Until then," Leo chimed in, "we double your guard, Donna, just to be </div> <div> on the safe side."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks, Leo," Josh said sincerely.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No problem," he replied. "Now I want you two to get back to the </div> <div> hospital. Donna, I </div> <div> want you to get some rest."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good idea," Josh said as he stood up and held out his hand, gently </div> <div> pulling Donna up </div> <div> beside him. "Call us as soon as you have anything new."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I will," Leo assured them.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean it's not done?" McWilliams yelled into the </div> <div> phone. "You told me that </div> <div> it would all be over this morning!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Look," Ward said in measured tones, keeping his eyes glued to the </div> <div> FBI Director sitting </div> <div> across the table from him, "you want this done right don't you? You </div> <div> told me to make it </div> <div> look like some psycho political junkie, so that's what I'm doing. You </div> <div> have to give me a </div> <div> chance to set up a false trail of evidence. Everything is under </div> <div> control. It will be another </div> <div> day, two at the most."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You had better be right, or so help me God I'll take care of you </div> <div> myself," McWilliams </div> <div> growled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That won't be necessary," Ward hissed back, "I'm handling things. </div> <div> And remember, if </div> <div> you had taken the time to make sure the girl was dead the first time, </div> <div> we wouldn't be in </div> <div> this mess now."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Carpenter had instructed Ward to try to get McWilliams to talk about </div> <div> the events of 13 </div> <div> years ago. He wanted as much evidence as possible to take to court. </div> <div> He had wanted </div> <div> David McWilliams behind bars for a lot of years, and he wasn't going </div> <div> to blow this golden </div> <div> opportunity.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're right," McWilliams said in a surprisingly conciliatory </div> <div> tone, "I should have </div> <div> finished both her and the Moss's off a long time ago when I had the </div> <div> chance. They should </div> <div> have found five dead bodies on that road but it didn't happen that </div> <div> way. So now I'm </div> <div> counting on you to help me. We're a team again, just like the old </div> <div> days."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Just like the bank in Salt Lake," Ward said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Just like that," McWilliams agreed. "So I'm giving you two more days </div> <div> and I'm counting </div> <div> on you to take care of things for me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't worry, I will," Ward said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fine. Call me when it's done," McWilliams said just before he hung </div> <div> up.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Ward sat listening to the dial tone on the other end of the phone, </div> <div> wondering what was </div> <div> going to happen when his old partner found out that he had been </div> <div> ratted out. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Halfway across the country, David McWilliams placed the phone on the </div> <div> table and turned </div> <div> to his wife.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Something wrong?" she asked nervously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure," he said distractedly. "but I think we need to find </div> <div> out."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They always say if you want something done right, do it yourself," </div> <div> he answered. "And </div> <div> that's what I plan to do. Throw a few things in a suitcase. We're </div> <div> going to Washington to </div> <div> visit our daughter. I'll kill her myself, then I'll take care of my </div> <div> old partner too."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "How are you feeling?" Josh asked as he got Donna settled back into </div> <div> her bed at the </div> <div> hospital.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not really sure," she sighed. "I keep waiting to wake up and </div> <div> find out that this has all </div> <div> been a bad dream."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I wish I could tell you that was going to happen, but I can't," Josh </div> <div> said as he sat down </div> <div> next to her on the bed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I just can't believe this," Donna sighed, tears welling up in her </div> <div> eyes again. "Everything I </div> <div> thought I knew about my life is a lie."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not everything," Josh corrected. "You know that I love you, and that </div> <div> I'll be here with </div> <div> you every step of the way. That's something you can count on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank God," Donna said as she laid her head on his shoulder, "I </div> <div> don't know what I'd do </div> <div> without you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You'll never have to find out," he promised.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have parents somewhere that I have absolutely no memory of," Donna </div> <div> said, trying </div> <div> desperately to grasp the concept. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How do you feel about that?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It feels really strange," Donna said, "like I've been living someone </div> <div> else's life for as long </div> <div> as I can remember and now I have to chance to get my own back and </div> <div> it's scary and </div> <div> exciting at the same time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can imagine," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ward said that my father wasn't really a bad person. He said that he </div> <div> just got caught up </div> <div> in something he didn't understand."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure that's true," Josh said quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you really think so?" Donna asked hopefully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ward has no reason to lie," Josh said soothingly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can't even imagine what it's going to be like to see them," Donna </div> <div> said, her eyes </div> <div> glowing.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure it will be intense," Josh said. "They have spent the last </div> <div> 13 years believing you </div> <div> were dead. This is going to be quite a shock for them. But it will be </div> <div> the best possible kind </div> <div> of shock."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thirteen years," Donna said, "that's a long time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, it is. But you have to try not to focus on what happened in the </div> <div> past, you need to </div> <div> look to the future. You and your parents are going to have a long </div> <div> time to get </div> <div> reacquainted."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can't wait to see them, but I'm kind of nervous at the same time. </div> <div> Will you be there </div> <div> with me?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Absolutely."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh, can I ask you a favor?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Anything, you know that."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm worried about how my parents...my real parents, I mean...are </div> <div> going to find out </div> <div> about all of this. I don't want the FBI descending on their doorstep. </div> <div> You know what I </div> <div> mean?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll talk to Leo about it. I'm sure we can make arrangements to </div> <div> handle it as gently as </div> <div> possible."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks," Donna said, planting a soft kiss on his lips.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "First thing's first, though. We need to make sure that the </div> <div> McWilliams' end up in jail </div> <div> where they belong. It feels kind of strange referring to them that </div> <div> way. I keep starting to </div> <div> call them your parents."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know, it's weird isn't it?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It is for me, so I can only imagine how you must feel."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, it's not like we were ever really close."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know, but you did consider them your family for the last thirteen </div> <div> years."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's a lot to try to deal with," Donna sighed. "Are you sure you </div> <div> want to head down this </div> <div> road with me?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'd head down any road with you," Josh smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you," Donna said, placing her hand on the back of his head </div> <div> and pulling him in for </div> <div> a passionate kiss.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you too," Josh whispered as his lips met hers.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> By the time Leo arrived back in the west wing, the senior staff was </div> <div> assembled in the Oval </div> <div> Office and the late afternoon staff meeting was in progress. He </div> <div> entered quietly through </div> <div> the door that connected his office to the President's. The President </div> <div> finished his thought </div> <div> and then yelled for his aide,</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Charlie."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, sir," Charlie asked, poking his head in the door. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Please tell Abbey that Leo is back and ask her to join us if she's </div> <div> free," Jed said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, sir," Charlie said as he disappeared back out the door.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Abbey wanted to be kept informed about any new developments," Jed </div> <div> explained. "She'll </div> <div> have my hide stuffed and mounted if I leave her out of the loop on </div> <div> this one."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The members of the staff chuckled softly as they looked expectantly </div> <div> at Leo.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So is there anything new?" Jed asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Quite a bit," Leo said seriously, "Maybe we should wait for Abbey."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Right on cue, the First Lady entered the office and crossed to sit </div> <div> beside her husband.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What did you find out, Leo?" she asked, getting right to the point.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's amazing," Leo said, shaking his head with disbelief. "I'm still </div> <div> having trouble </div> <div> processing it all."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What is it?" Abbey asked, the concern growing in her voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is Donna okay?" CJ chimed in worriedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Physically, she's fine," Leo assured them, "but emotionally, she </div> <div> took a big blow today."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How so?" Toby asked, his protective side beginning to come out in </div> <div> full force.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What happened, Leo?" Sam asked worriedly. "Please tell us!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure where to start," Leo said, grasping for the right words </div> <div> to explain the </div> <div> situation.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've always found the beginning to be as good a place as any," Jed </div> <div> said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well," Leo began, "it all dates back to Donna's accident thirteen </div> <div> years ago."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The staff listened in shocked amazement as Leo revealed all of the </div> <div> details that had come </div> <div> to light in the interrogation of Scott Ward. He told how Donna's </div> <div> father had accidentally </div> <div> become entangled in an illegal money-laundering plot, and how he had </div> <div> tried to get out </div> <div> when he became suspicious.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He recounted Ward's story of what happened on that country road the </div> <div> day of Donna's </div> <div> accident. He told how the Moss's had been tricked into believing that </div> <div> they would be held </div> <div> responsible for the deaths of the two troopers.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> His voice cracked when he told how McWilliams had come back from the </div> <div> crash sight and </div> <div> told the Moss's that Donna was dead. How in their shock and grief, </div> <div> they had agreed to </div> <div> leave everything behind and spend the rest of their lives hiding out </div> <div> in a remote area of </div> <div> Canada.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He recited all of the crimes that David and Sally McWilliams were </div> <div> wanted for, ranging </div> <div> from petty theft and forgery to multiple counts of capital murder. He </div> <div> described how the </div> <div> McWilliams' had slipped into the identities of Gregory and Arlene </div> <div> Moss, knowing that </div> <div> the Moss's would never return to the United States.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Every eye in the room was damp as Leo detailed what had happened when </div> <div> David </div> <div> McWilliams found out that Donna was alive, how he had planned to kill </div> <div> her before she </div> <div> could talk to the police, but then realized that she had absolutely </div> <div> no memory of anything </div> <div> that had happened before the accident.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So you see, she was the perfect cover," Leo said sadly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Unbelievable," Toby said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I knew that there was something evil about him just from talking to </div> <div> him on the phone," </div> <div> Abbey said angrily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You were right as usual," the President said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What is being done now?" the First Lady demanded.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Federal arrest warrants are being drawn up for the crimes that Ward </div> <div> described, as well </div> <div> as for the attempt on Donna's life. Added to the other outstanding </div> <div> charges, it should be </div> <div> enough to put both of them away forever."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How long until they are behind bars?" Toby asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Carpenter says 48 hours at the most."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, I won't rest comfortably until that happens," Abbey stated.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why now?" Sam asked. "Why would they decide to kill Donna after all </div> <div> of these years? I </div> <div> don't get it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "May I?" Toby asked Leo.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Be my guest," Leo replied.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna was the perfect cover for them She was who she said she was, </div> <div> and that helped </div> <div> legitimize their position as her parents. Hell, Donna breezed right </div> <div> through the vetting</div> <div> process. That must have pleased then very much. She was squeaky </div> <div> clean, and they were </div> <div> squeaky clean by association."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Exactly," Leo said, nodding his head in agreement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If Donna had made a career as a faceless government employee, </div> <div> everything would have </div> <div> been fine. But then she fell in love with the Deputy Chief of Staff </div> <div> and her picture began </div> <div> appearing in the news. All of the sudden, she became a liability. If </div> <div> someone were to see </div> <div> that picture, someone that knew the real Gregory and Arlene Moss, </div> <div> their entire charade </div> <div> could be destroyed."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Sadly, that's exactly right," Leo said. "So they decided to kill her </div> <div> before that happened."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How is Donna taking this?" CJ asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I think she's in shock to tell you the truth," Leo said, "but she is </div> <div> doing her best."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And Josh?" Sam asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "About the same," Leo answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is Donna up for visitors?" Toby asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I think the support of her friends might be just what the doctor </div> <div> ordered," Leo smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Great," CJ said, "let's all head over there tonight as soon as we </div> <div> can get things wrapped </div> <div> up here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Great idea," Sam said. "I can be ready to go in a couple of hours."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have to head out to New Orleans in about half an hour," Abbey </div> <div> said. "Please tell </div> <div> Donna that I'm thinking about her and that she should feel free to </div> <div> call me if she needs to </div> <div> talk."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll tell her," Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then let's call this meeting to an end, so that you can all finish </div> <div> up the things you need to </div> <div> do and get over to the hospital," Jed said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He was met with a chorus of "Yes, sir," as the staff members all </div> <div> headed back to their </div> <div> respective offices.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> It was 8PM by the time that Leo, CJ, Toby and Sam managed to get away </div> <div> from the White </div> <div> House and make their way over to the hospital.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh and Donna were sitting on the bed watching CNN when they heard a </div> <div> knock on the </div> <div> door.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you up for visitors?" CJ asked, poking her head into the room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course," Donna smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> CJ opened the door and the entire senior staff poured into the room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You all came!" Donna said excitedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course we did," Sam said, brandishing two large brown paper </div> <div> bags, "And we </div> <div> smuggled in some Chinese food."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You guys are too much," Donna smiled broadly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's what friends are for," CJ said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Within minutes, Sam had dashed off to the vending machine and </div> <div> returned with an </div> <div> armload of sodas while the others had unpacked all of the food. Josh </div> <div> was fixing Donna a </div> <div> plate when the phone rang. He took very little notice of the </div> <div> conversation until he heard </div> <div> the panic in her voice and saw the look of terror on her face. She </div> <div> tried to place the </div> <div> receiver back in its cradle, but she missed and it crashed to the </div> <div> floor.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What is it?" Josh asked, moving immediately to her side.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That was my par...er...the McWilliams'. They are at JFK in New York, </div> <div> about to get </div> <div> on a connecting flight to Dulles. They will be here in a couple of </div> <div> hours," she said, as her whole body began to shake. </div> <div> "Oh, God," Josh said softly as he wrapped his arms around Donna, </div> <div> trying in vain to calm </div> <div> her shaking.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What am I going to do?" she said in a panicked tone that nearly </div> <div> broke Josh's heart.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The first thing we're going to do," Leo said, taking control of the </div> <div> situation, "is call John </div> <div> Carpenter and let him know what is going on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He moved over to Donna's bedside where she sat with her head buried </div> <div> in Josh's chest. </div> <div> Her tremors didn't seem to be subsiding at all, and her sobs were </div> <div> absolutely </div> <div> heartwrenching. Josh stared at Leo with a look of complete </div> <div> helplessness.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can you tell me exactly what they said?" Leo asked in as soothing a </div> <div> tone as possible. He </div> <div> placed one hand softly on Donna's back and the other hand firmly on </div> <div> Josh's shoulder, </div> <div> trying to give each of them the support they desperately needed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He said that they had decided to come here and see how I was doing. </div> <div> They are at JFK </div> <div> and are just about ready to board a flight to Dulles. They said that </div> <div> they would see me in a </div> <div> couple of hours," Donna said, taking deep breaths and trying to </div> <div> control her sobbing.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Leo said calmly, "CJ, you and Sam head back and get ready to </div> <div> deal with the press. </div> <div> When this arrest goes down we are going to need to issue a statement </div> <div> immediately. Just </div> <div> the facts though, we answer no questions about Donna's personal </div> <div> connection to this </div> <div> case."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Gotcha," CJ said, slipping effortlessly into Press Secretary mode.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh threw Leo a grateful look as he continued to hold tightly to </div> <div> Donna, stroking her back </div> <div> in an attempt to calm her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Toby, you and I will head over to see Carpenter and coordinate </div> <div> things from there."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Toby nodded.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh, you stay here and keep an eye on Donna. We'll be back as soon </div> <div> as we have a plan </div> <div> in place."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What plan?" Josh snapped. "I want them picked up before they get </div> <div> anywhere near this </div> <div> room. Do you understand me? Donna isn't going to be a decoy in this!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I agree," Leo said adamantly. "I just meant that I'll call you as </div> <div> soon as we have a clearer </div> <div> picture of what is going on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fine," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did they mention a flight number or any other details?" Toby asked </div> <div> Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't think so," Donna said. "I'm sorry, I was just so shocked to </div> <div> hear that voice that </div> <div> I...I should have paid closer attention."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You did fine," Toby assured her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Sam and CJ each approached the bed and gave Donna a reassuring pat on </div> <div> the shoulder. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll be back later," CJ said softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You hang in there," Sam said, directing his comment to both Josh and </div> <div> Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks," Donna said, raising her head from Josh's chest, and trying </div> <div> but failing to </div> <div> manage a small smile.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Toby was already dialing his cell as he and Leo headed for the door.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let us know immediately if you hear anything else," Leo reminded </div> <div> them.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We will. And you keep in touch," Josh returned.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's almost over now," Josh cooed into Donna's ear as he pulled her </div> <div> back to his chest, </div> <div> "It's almost over now."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did she buy it?" Sally McWilliams asked as her husband hung up the </div> <div> pay phone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hook, line and sinker," he sneered. "Good thing hospital telephones </div> <div> don't have caller </div> <div> ID."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're right," Sally smiled wickedly as she turned around and saw </div> <div> George Washington </div> <div> Memorial Hospital looming less that a block away. "What do we do now?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Now, my dear, we put our plan into action. We have to take advantage </div> <div> of the element of </div> <div> surprise."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're sure all this is necessary?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure," he hissed. "I could tell by the tone in Ward's voice that </div> <div> something is going </div> <div> on. These people are up to something and I'm not going to let them </div> <div> get the jump on me. </div> <div> They aren't expecting us for another two hours. Lets give them a </div> <div> little surprise. With any </div> <div> luck, Donna will be dead by nightfall, and then we'll be on our way </div> <div> to Rio."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Now that the news had had a while to sink in, Donna's heart rate was </div> <div> beginning to return </div> <div> to normal and her sobs were subsiding. She lifted her head up off of </div> <div> Josh's shirt, which </div> <div> was soaked with her tears, and placed her forehead against his.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sorry..." she began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Stop it, Donna!" Josh said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I didn't think I had any tears left," she said, reaching for a </div> <div> Kleenex on the table beside </div> <div> the bed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well..." Josh said, indicating the front of his shirt, "apparently </div> <div> you do."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> That brought a small smile to Donna's tear stained face, and Josh </div> <div> leaned over and planted </div> <div> a soft kiss on her cheek.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know how hard this has been on you," he said, "but you have been </div> <div> handling it like a </div> <div> real trooper. You have nothing to be ashamed of."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, it's only because I've had you with me every step of the way."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Before Josh could tell Donna that he would always be with her, no </div> <div> matter what, the sound </div> <div> of a shrill alarm split the air.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's that?" Donna asked anxiously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not sure but I'll check," Josh said, "You stay right here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Before Josh got more than five steps away from the bed, the door flew </div> <div> open and one of </div> <div> the guards stepped in, followed by a cloud of smoke.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's going on?" Josh asked worriedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There's a fire on this floor somewhere," the guard answered. "The </div> <div> corridors are filling </div> <div> with smoke. They are evacuating all of the patients."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How bad is it?" Donna asked, sliding out of bed and pulling on her </div> <div> robe.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're not sure," the guard answered. "but the smoke is getting </div> <div> pretty thick, so we </div> <div> should get going now."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Josh said, pulling Donna tightly to his side as they followed </div> <div> the guard out the door.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you absolutely positive?" the DCPD police chief barked into the </div> <div> phone. "Fine. Get </div> <div> as many officers as you can spare over there immediately. I want you </div> <div> to find Ms. Moss </div> <div> and Mr. Lyman as soon as possible and make sure that they are safe."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's going on?" Leo demanded before the chief had even hung up the </div> <div> phone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Apparently there is a fire over at GW. Several floors are being </div> <div> evacuated."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Any injuries?" Toby asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's too early to tell," the Chief answered, "but I'm dispatching </div> <div> every available man over </div> <div> there just in case."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We need to locate Josh and Donna as soon as possible," Leo barked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My officers are on it," the Chief said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, John Carpenter burst into the room, yelling into his cell </div> <div> phone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Dammit, how did this happen?" he screamed. "Get over there and set </div> <div> up a perimeter </div> <div> right away. I'll be there in 15 minutes."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What now?" Toby asked, alarm apparent in his voice and on his face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The McWilliams' left JFK on a flight for Dulles over three hours </div> <div> ago. They must have </div> <div> already been in DC when they called Donna's room."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh, God," Leo said, feeling his stomach drop, "do you think they had </div> <div> anything to do </div> <div> with the fire?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fire?" Carpenter asked quizzically.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There's a fire over at GW," Toby blurted out, "They are evacuating </div> <div> patients as we </div> <div> speak."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Get Lyman on the phone," Carpenter said as the four men began moving </div> <div> towards the </div> <div> door, "Fill him in on what's happening and tell him that we'll be </div> <div> there as soon as we </div> <div> can."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo held the phone to his ear, counting rings as they headed out of </div> <div> the building on </div> <div> something close to a dead run.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No answer," he said as he slammed his phone shut and slid into the </div> <div> back seat of </div> <div> Carpenter's car. "We better move!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> "My partner went down to pull the car around front," the guard </div> <div> informed Josh and Donna </div> <div> as they made their way down the smoke filled corridor. "We're going </div> <div> to get you out of </div> <div> here and take you to headquarters for the time being."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna was clinging tightly to Josh's side. They were both squinting </div> <div> their eyes against the </div> <div> stinging smoke, and Donna was beginning to cough violently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good idea," Josh said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and </div> <div> placing it over </div> <div> Donna's mouth and nose to try to help her breath more easily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The officer pushed open the door to the stairwell, and Josh was glad </div> <div> to see that the smoke </div> <div> wasn't nearly as thick in there. They began descend towards the </div> <div> ground floor as quickly </div> <div> as possible. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> As they rounded the bend in the steps, an arm came seemingly out of </div> <div> nowhere and </div> <div> clubbed the officer on the back of the head with an iron pipe. Josh </div> <div> and Donna both froze </div> <div> in shock as a man moved out of the shadows.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The scream stuck in Donna's throat as she began to back away, her </div> <div> eyes filled with terror. </div> <div> Josh didn't need an introduction; he had seen a picture of this man </div> <div> on the desk in </div> <div> Donna's cubicle. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> He was holding a handgun, pointed directly at them. Josh quickly </div> <div> moved in front of </div> <div> Donna, shielding her from McWilliams as much as possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's very noble, Mr. Lyman," the man snarled, "but if you think I </div> <div> would hesitate for </div> <div> one second to kill you, you are sadly mistaken."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You leave him alone!" Donna screamed, finally managing to find her </div> <div> voice. "Josh </div> <div> doesn't have anything to do with this. I'm the one you want, let him </div> <div> go."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm not going anywhere without you," Josh said adamantly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Please," Donna sobbed, "I can't let anything happen to you because </div> <div> of me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shut up!" McWilliams shouted. "This is all very touching but </div> <div> completely pointless. I'm </div> <div> here to kill both of you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Josh hasn't done anything to you," Donna screamed. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Nothing could be further from the truth," McWilliams hissed. "If he </div> <div> had followed the </div> <div> rules like a good boss and not fallen in love with his secretary, we </div> <div> wouldn't even be here. </div> <div> Sally and I would be back in Wisconsin playing the roles of Gregory </div> <div> and Arlene Moss </div> <div> and no one would be the wiser."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "As soon as pictures of the two of you as a happy couple started </div> <div> appearing in every </div> <div> newspaper in the country, I knew that it was only a matter of time </div> <div> until we were found </div> <div> out. My only mistake was in not killing you myself to begin with."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> With those words, McWilliams began trying to push past Josh to get to </div> <div> Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You leave her alone!!" Josh said, fighting to keep his body between </div> <div> Donna and the man </div> <div> who was intent on ending her life.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Have it your way, Mr. Lyman," McWilliams said, pressing the barrel </div> <div> of his gun against </div> <div> Josh's head. "You go first. It will just be a little bonus for me </div> <div> that Donna has to watch the </div> <div> man she loves die."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, there was a commotion at the top of the stairs and </div> <div> McWilliams was </div> <div> momentarily distracted. Josh took of advantage of this to push the </div> <div> man's arm away and </div> <div> grab Donna. He was about to pull her down the stairs when he heard </div> <div> voices yelling, and </div> <div> then the sound of gunshots filled the air.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh immediately pushed Donna to the floor and covered her body with </div> <div> his, while he </div> <div> wrapped his arms around her head. He sent up a silent prayer for her </div> <div> safety as bullets </div> <div> ricocheted off the walls all around them.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As quickly as the gunshots had started, they stopped. Josh lay </div> <div> perfectly still, continuing </div> <div> to protect Donna as much as possible until he heard the familiar </div> <div> voice of John Carpenter </div> <div> saying that both suspects were in custody. Only then did Josh raise </div> <div> his head.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> His immediate concern was for Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Honey, are you ok?" he asked, leaning over and stroking the hair </div> <div> away from her face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I think so," Donna answered haltingly, the terror still clearly </div> <div> evident in her eyes. "Are </div> <div> you ok?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm fine," Josh assured her. He stood up slowly and leaned down to </div> <div> help her up. </div> <div> She winced from the pain in her shoulder as she struggled to get to </div> <div> her feet.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're hurt," Josh said worriedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna assured him, "I just fell kind of hard on my sore </div> <div> shoulder."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We'll get a doctor to look at it right away," Josh insisted.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> At that moment, John Carpenter came up from the stairs from the </div> <div> landing below them. </div> <div> "Are you two alright?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're fine," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> For the first time, both Josh and Donna noticed the police moving </div> <div> David McWilliams </div> <div> down onto the landing below.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is he d..dead?" Donna stammered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, just wounded. He'll live long enough to face trial for all of </div> <div> his crimes, and so will </div> <div> his accomplice,"</div> <div> Carpenter said, indicating Sally McWilliams, who had been stationed </div> <div> on the landing one </div> <div> floor up acting as a lookout.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna looked up, and the woman whom she had thought of as a mother </div> <div> for the last </div> <div> thirteen years fixed her with a venomous stare.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You bitch!!!" Sally screamed. "This is all your fault. We should </div> <div> have killed you all </div> <div> those years ago when we had the chance."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's enough," Carpenter yelled to one of the officers. "Get her </div> <div> out of here."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna, are you ok?" Josh asked quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can we please just get out of here?" Donna asked, her voice </div> <div> quivering with emotion.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Anything you want," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Several hours later, Donna was settled in a room on a different floor </div> <div> of the hospital. She </div> <div> had begged to be allowed to go home, but both Josh and the doctors </div> <div> felt that it would be </div> <div> better for her to stay in the hospital for a few more days.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I still think I'm well enough to be discharged," Donna insisted as </div> <div> she towel-dried her </div> <div> hair. She had showered three times in an effort to get rid of the </div> <div> smell of smoke.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are we going to go through this again?" Josh asked. "I told you that </div> <div> I talked to the First </div> <div> Lady and she agreed that you should stay for a few more days, but if </div> <div> you want me to </div> <div> insist she come down here and tell you herself..."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Calling the First Lady is cheating," Donna pouted.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You work with what you have," Josh smirked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> There was a soft knock on the door, and then Leo poked his head in.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Can I come in?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course," Donna smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What's the news?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's very good as a matter of fact," Leo said. "There were no major </div> <div> injuries to report and </div> <div> the damage to the hospital is mostly minor, largely smoke and water </div> <div> related. Everything </div> <div> should be back to normal in about a week."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank God," Josh and Donna said in unison.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So I guess we can put this one in the win column. Donna is fine, and </div> <div> both the </div> <div> McWilliams' and Scott Ward are in jail for a long time," Leo said </div> <div> happily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Actually, there's still one more thing," Donna said nervously, as </div> <div> tears welled up in her </div> <div> eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What?" Leo asked with concern.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My real parents are still out there somewhere," Donna said quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're going to find them," Josh said reassuringly. "We're going to </div> <div> let them know that </div> <div> you are still alive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm so sorry," Leo said apologetically. "With everything else that </div> <div> has been going on, I </div> <div> completely forgot about them. I'm very sorry, Donna."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's ok," she sighed. "It's really not your problem; it's mine."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't say that. We all want to help you," Leo said. "And to that </div> <div> end, I'm going to call </div> <div> John Carpenter and see if he has made any headway on finding out the </div> <div> exact location </div> <div> where they have been living."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks, Leo," Donna said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My pleasure," he answered as he slipped out into the hallway.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh moved to sit behind Donna on the bed and began running a comb </div> <div> through her wet </div> <div> hair.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What are you thinking about?" he asked after a few moments of </div> <div> complete silence.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm just worried about how my parents are going to find out," Donna </div> <div> said as the tears </div> <div> began to flow down her cheeks. "If a bunch of federal agents show up </div> <div> on their doorstep it </div> <div> might frighten them, or make them run, and then I'd never get a </div> <div> chance to see them."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll talk to Carpenter," Josh insisted. "I'll make sure that it </div> <div> doesn't happen that way."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Will you?" Donna asked hopefully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I will," Josh assured her. "I'll make sure that this is handled </div> <div> tactfully, and I'll arrange </div> <div> for you to see your parents as soon as possible."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Donna said, turning around to face him and rewarding him </div> <div> with the first </div> <div> full wattage smile she had managed since the explosion in the parking </div> <div> garage.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're welcome," Josh beamed as he planted a kiss on the tip of her </div> <div> nose.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Just make sure that whoever goes there to talk to them understands </div> <div> the situation. I don't </div> <div> want them to misinterpret things."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Would it make you feel better if I went there and talked to them </div> <div> myself?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Would you do that?" Donna said hopefully.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I would do anything for you," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How was I ever lucky enough to find you?" Donna asked, wrapping her </div> <div> one good arm </div> <div> around the Josh's neck.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The luck was all mine," he smiled as he pulled her towards him for a </div> <div> deep and </div> <div> passionate kiss. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Leo approached Donna's hospital room, nodded absently to the guards, </div> <div> and pushed the </div> <div> door open slowly. As he entered, he saw Donna sleeping on the </div> <div> bed,curled up on her side, </div> <div> with Josh sitting next to her in a chair. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hey," Josh whispered, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He indicated the </div> <div> door, and he and Leo </div> <div> slipped quietly into the hallway.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She only managed to fall asleep a little over an hour ago," Josh </div> <div> explained. "I don't want </div> <div> to do anything to disturb her; she really needs the rest."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You look like you could use a little sleep yourself," Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm fine," Josh said dismissively. "Did you find out anything new?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Quite a bit actually," Leo answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The two men moved down the hallway and took a seat in a deserted </div> <div> waiting </div> <div> room. Leo removed a folder from his briefcase and handed it to Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Carpenter ran a complete background check on the real Gregory and </div> <div> Arlene Moss," he </div> <div> began. "It seems like everything Ward said is true. By all accounts, </div> <div> Greg Moss was a </div> <div> good man who just made an error in judgment and ended up in way over </div> <div> his head."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He's sure?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He's positive," Leo said with a degree of certainty that was </div> <div> unmistakable. "Let me give </div> <div> it to you in a nutshell. Gregory and Arlene Moss were high school </div> <div> sweethearts who </div> <div> married when she was 17 and he was 19. Immediately afterwards, he was </div> <div> drafted and </div> <div> did two tours of Vietnam. He was discharged after he lost two fingers </div> <div> and part of his </div> <div> hand in an enemy attack. He came back home and, within a year, Donna </div> <div> was born."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh nodded, listening to every word Leo said, while at the same time </div> <div> looking intently at </div> <div> the information in the file that Carpenter had provided.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They settled down on a farm in Wisconsin and were, by all </div> <div> appearances, leading a </div> <div> normal, happy, middle-class life. Unfortunately, a few years of bad </div> <div> weather and crop </div> <div> failures in the mid-eighties spelled disaster. They held on as long </div> <div> as they could, but </div> <div> eventually the farm was seized and sold."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They moved around some in the years that followed. Greg Moss was </div> <div> basically just </div> <div> looking for a way to support his wife and teenage daughter. He ended </div> <div> up in Northern </div> <div> Wisconsin running a little car lot, and trying desperately to make </div> <div> ends meet. Suddenly </div> <div> David McWilliams appeared with what looked a fairly legitimate </div> <div> opportunity to make a </div> <div> few extra dollars, and Moss jumped at it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Fairly legitimate?" Josh asked, cocking his eyebrow.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Moss was convinced that all he was doing was laundering some of </div> <div> McWilliams' </div> <div> gambling winnings. A bit ethically questionable I agree, but hardly </div> <div> something to put you </div> <div> on the Most Wanted list."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The poor guy was in an awful position. He had moved his family five </div> <div> times in three </div> <div> years trying to find steady work. He had a teenage daughter who was </div> <div> smart as </div> <div> a whip, and he was staring four years of college right in the face </div> <div> with no idea how he was </div> <div> going to pay for it. I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same </div> <div> thing in his position."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "As soon as he started to realize that the money wasn't from gambling </div> <div> winnings, he tried </div> <div> to get out. That's when McWilliams set up the whole plan to steal his </div> <div> identity."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I just need to make sure, Leo," Josh said adamantly. "Donna has been </div> <div> through a lot </div> <div> these last few weeks. I'm not going to let anyone else hurt her. I'm </div> <div> not sure she could </div> <div> take it. I just need to make sure that her real parents are the kind </div> <div> of people we think they </div> <div> are."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm worried about Donna too," Leo said, "but I am also looking at </div> <div> this as a parent. I </div> <div> can't even imagine what these people have been going through for the </div> <div> last thirteen years. </div> <div> I'm sure that it's been Hell."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure you're right." Josh agreed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They're good people, Josh. They just got caught up in a horrific </div> <div> nightmare."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I guess you're right," Josh sighed, scrubbing his face with his </div> <div> hands. "I'm just being a </div> <div> little overprotective."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Completely understandable," Leo smiled, grasping Josh's shoulder </div> <div> firmly. "That's what </div> <div> men do for the women they love."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I do love her," Josh smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know," Leo answered, "and that's why I've arranged for you to </div> <div> accompany Carpenter </div> <div> to Canada to bring Donna's parents back."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Carpenter is going personally?" Josh asked suspiciously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He wants a chance to explain the situation to them, but his motives </div> <div> aren't completely </div> <div> altruistic. He also wants to get statements from them about what </div> <div> happened that day on the </div> <div> highway when the troopers died. They are the only other people </div> <div> besides the McWilliams' </div> <div> and Ward who know what happened."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is going to be a lot for them to handle." Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It certainly is. Are you sure you want to be the one to tell them?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure," Josh nodded. "What time do we leave?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're booked on a flight out of Dulles in two hours," Leo said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok, I just need to say goodbye to Donna, and then run home and grab </div> <div> a few things."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll call Carpenter and let him know that you'll meet him at the </div> <div> airport."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good," Josh said as he stood and headed back down the hall towards </div> <div> Donna's room. </div> <div> Suddenly he turned back, "Um, Leo," he faltered, "I was wondering if </div> <div> you could do me a </div> <div> favor..."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, Josh," Leo chuckled. "I'll watch after Donna while you're away."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks," Josh smiled as he headed back towards Donna's room.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> As Josh slipped back into the room, he saw that Donna was awake.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hi there," he said cheerily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hi yourself," she answered. "Is everything ok?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Everything is fine," he smiled. "Actually, better than fine." He </div> <div> hesitated for a moment </div> <div> and then continued. "Leo came by to say that John Carpenter is flying </div> <div> up to Canada today </div> <div> to talk to your parents."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Really?" Donna asked, her voice full of nervousness and excitement.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yep," Josh answered. "And I'm going to go with him to make sure that </div> <div> everything goes </div> <div> smoothly."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's face broke out into a huge smile. "Thank you," she said as </div> <div> she threw her arms </div> <div> around Josh's neck. "I'm so glad that you are going to be there."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I told you I would," Josh said, burying his face in her hair.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I know you did. I'm just...I don't know...scared and anxious and </div> <div> excited all at the </div> <div> same time. And I'm worried about..." Donna stopped mid sentence.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh pulled back and looked into Donna's big blue eyes. "Worried </div> <div> about what?" he </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's been so long," Donna sighed sadly. "They might wonder why I </div> <div> haven't contacted </div> <div> them. They might not understand everything that happened. They might </div> <div> think that I </div> <div> abandoned them," she said, as tears began to fill her eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They won't think any of that, Donna," Josh said, stroking her back </div> <div> soothingly. "They </div> <div> will just be happy to find out that you are ok. And I'll explain the </div> <div> rest to them."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks," Donna whispered, placing a soft kiss on Josh's lips.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're very welcome," he answered, pulling her into his arms and </div> <div> holding her tightly, </div> <div> trying to alleviate some of her anxiety.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When are you leaving?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I have to run home and grab a few things, then meet John Carpenter </div> <div> at the airport in an </div> <div> hour or so," he answered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," she sighed, "you better get going then. You'll call me?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I promise," he smiled. "As soon as I know anything."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And you'll hurry back?" she asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I won't stay away a minute longer than is absolutely necessary."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you," Donna said softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I love you too," Josh answered as he placed a soft kiss on the tip </div> <div> of her nose.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The First Lady entered Donna's room, preceded by two rather large </div> <div> Secret Service </div> <div> agents. As soon as they were convinced that the room was clear, they </div> <div> dropped back and </div> <div> stood by the door.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How are you feeling, Donna?" Abbey asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm fine, ma'am," Donna answered. "I didn't realize that you were </div> <div> coming by today."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, Leo told me that Josh left for Canada this morning, so I </div> <div> decided to come by and </div> <div> see if you needed some company."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you, ma'am," Donna said softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's just us girls, Donna. Please call me Abbey."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, ma'am...um Abbey," Donna sputtered.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Leo filled me in on everything that happened when I was out of town. </div> <div> Are you feeling </div> <div> ok?" Abbey asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm doing the best I can," Donna said earnestly. "To be honest, I'm </div> <div> still trying to get </div> <div> used to everything. It's a lot to adjust to."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure it is," Abbey agreed. "And I understand that Josh is </div> <div> bringing your parents back </div> <div> from Canada with him."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I guess so," Donna said, biting her lip nervously, "if they want to </div> <div> come."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean by that?" Abbey asked. "It's going to be the </div> <div> happiest day of their </div> <div> lives when they find out that you are alive. Why wouldn't they want </div> <div> to come?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't know," Donna said, fighting back tears. "It's just all </div> <div> happening so quickly, and I </div> <div> know that I'm scared and confused, and I've had time to let this all </div> <div> set in. They are going </div> <div> to get it all tossed in their laps, and I'm just not sure how they </div> <div> will react."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Abbey sat on the edge of the bed. She took Donna's hand and looked </div> <div> directly into her </div> <div> eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Listen to me, Donna. I'm speaking to you as a mother now. Your </div> <div> parents are going to be </div> <div> ecstatic when they find out that you're alive. Whatever else </div> <div> happened, all of the </div> <div> unpleasant memories and the years that have passed between then and </div> <div> now, those things </div> <div> aren't going to matter."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm sure that they never would have left the country if they had </div> <div> known you were alive. </div> <div> They would have stayed and faced whatever consequences came their </div> <div> way. Their grief </div> <div> and despair over thinking you were dead was undoubtedly a large part </div> <div> of what made </div> <div> them take off."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You really believe that everything is going to work out?" Donna </div> <div> asked desperately.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've read the file," Abbey said soothingly. "Your parents weren't </div> <div> criminals. They just </div> <div> trusted the wrong people. They've paid an awfully heavy price for </div> <div> that, and so have you. </div> <div> It's time that all three of you find a little peace."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hope you're right," Donna said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Aren't I always?" Abbey teased.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Donna laughed, feeling more relaxed than she had in quite </div> <div> awhile, "as a matter of </div> <div> fact you are."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "That's the spirit," Abbey smiled. "Now I have an idea. Lets call CJ </div> <div> and see if she wants </div> <div> to round up some of the other girls and get over here. We'll order </div> <div> pizza, and I'll bribe one </div> <div> of the agents to run out and smuggle us in a few beers. We'll have a </div> <div> nice relaxing girls </div> <div> night while we wait for Josh to call."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Are you sure?" Donna asked unsurely. "Do you really have the time to </div> <div> spend here with </div> <div> me?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I always have time for my friends," Abbey smiled. "Besides, I didn't </div> <div> become some sort </div> <div> of robot when I became First Lady. I still like to let my hair down </div> <div> once in awhile. It's just </div> <div> that no one invites me to girls night anymore."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, we'll just have to change that," Donna said brightly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent," Abbey intoned. "I'll go convince Rocky to go buy us </div> <div> beer. It will make me </div> <div> feel like I'm in high school again, trying to get someone else to buy </div> <div> alcohol for me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna laughed, "I'll call CJ and then order the pizzas."</div> <div> Josh and Carpenter rented a car at the airport, and headed out </div> <div> immediately for the </div> <div> house where the Mosses were living. They figured it to be about a two </div> <div> hour drive from </div> <div> the airport in Montreal.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> They made excellent time, and found the town more quickly than they </div> <div> had expected. As </div> <div> they were getting closer, Carpenter asked quietly, "Are you ready for </div> <div> this?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let's do it," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of a small, well </div> <div> kept-home with no </div> <div> neighbors as far as the eye could see. There was a nondescript blue </div> <div> sedan in the driveway </div> <div> and laundry hanging on a clothesline in the side yard.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As the men got out of the car, they saw two people coming around the </div> <div> side of the house. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh froze.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The woman walking towards him was the spitting image of Donna, only </div> <div> older. She had </div> <div> the same bone structure and the same piercing blue eyes. She was </div> <div> accompanied by a </div> <div> well-built man with tanned skin and weathered features. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh's eyes traveled immediately to the man's hand. His heart started </div> <div> to beat faster as he </div> <div> saw that he was missing two fingers.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> These were Donna's parents. There was no doubt it.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Mr. Moss regarded them suspiciously. "Can I help you?" he asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh suddenly remembered his promise to Donna to make sure that </div> <div> things were handled </div> <div> as gently as possible. Before Carpenter could open his mouth, Josh </div> <div> stepped forward and </div> <div> said, "Hello. My name is Josh Lyman and this is John Carpenter. We're </div> <div> here to talk to </div> <div> you about David and Sally McWilliams."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Who exactly are you?" Gregory Moss asked as he took a step forward </div> <div> and placed </div> <div> himself between his wife and Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I work at the White House," Josh said steadily, "and Mr. Carpenter </div> <div> is Director of the </div> <div> FBI."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> A look of complete resignation crossed Gregory's face as he put his </div> <div> hands out in front of </div> <div> his body.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I knew this day was coming," he said softly. "I won't give you any </div> <div> trouble. But my wife </div> <div> had nothing to do with this. Please leave her alone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't think you understand..." Carpenter began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh interrupted him saying, "Would it be possible for us to go </div> <div> inside and talk?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Of course," Arlene said shakily, unable to hide the fear in her </div> <div> voice, "right this way."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Soon the four of them entered a small but cozy living room. "Can I </div> <div> get you something to </div> <div> drink?" Arlene asked nervously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, thank you," Josh said. "I think we should just talk."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's parents perched on the edge of the couch, while Josh and </div> <div> Carpenter pulled the </div> <div> rooms two chairs over to face them.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I won't give you any trouble," Moss said again, the resignation </div> <div> clear in his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh shot Carpenter a glance that clearly said, 'Proceed with </div> <div> caution'.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't think you understand, sir," Carpenter said quietly, "I'm not </div> <div> here to arrest you. </div> <div> Quite the opposite in fact. I'm here to tell you that you have been </div> <div> the victim of a terrible </div> <div> misunderstanding."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "There is no warrant out for your arrest, or for the arrest of your </div> <div> wife. The FBI was never </div> <div> looking for you in conjunction with what happened to the troopers </div> <div> that day in </div> <div> Wisconsin."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What are you saying?" Gregory asked, a stunned statement crossing </div> <div> his face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm saying," Carpenter continued, "that you were duped by David and </div> <div> Sally </div> <div> McWilliams because you had something they wanted. An arrest free </div> <div> background. They </div> <div> needed to find new identities for themselves, and you just happened </div> <div> to be the unlucky </div> <div> people they chose."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But I was taking the money across the border..." Moss said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh cast a glance at Arlene Moss and saw a myriad of emotions </div> <div> crossing her face all at </div> <div> the same time. Relief, anger, confusion, sadness, and then pain. He </div> <div> could tell by her </div> <div> statement that she was reliving the events of that fateful day in </div> <div> her mind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We have both Mr. Ward and the McWilliams' in custody," Carpenter </div> <div> said. "We know </div> <div> exactly what went on that day. We also know about the events that led </div> <div> up to it. If you are </div> <div> guilty of anything, Mr. Moss, it's bad judgment. Nothing worse. There </div> <div> are no charges </div> <div> pending against you in the states, and none will be filed. You're </div> <div> free to return to America </div> <div> whenever you wish."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I can never go back there," Gregory Moss said as tears pooled in his </div> <div> eyes. "Not after </div> <div> what I did."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you mean?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I killed my daughter that day, Mr. Lyman. I deserve to be punished, </div> <div> and to never be </div> <div> forgiven."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh was stunned by the depth of self-loathing that he saw in </div> <div> Gregory's eyes. The man </div> <div> had clearly been punishing himself relentlessly for every moment of </div> <div> the last thirteen </div> <div> years.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Mr. Moss..." Josh began, but he was cut off.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I should never have allowed Donna to go with me that day. I should </div> <div> have known that it </div> <div> wasn't safe. But she wanted to go because she had never been to </div> <div> Canada. She thought it </div> <div> would be fun and interesting to cross the border."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh couldn't help but smile, thinking that that would be exactly the </div> <div> kind of thing that </div> <div> Donna would still consider fun. Even though her memory of her </div> <div> childhood was gone, </div> <div> parts of her personality had obviously survived intact.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Arlene Moss placed her arm around her husband's shoulders as tears </div> <div> began to course </div> <div> down her cheeks. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered. "you had no </div> <div> way of knowing."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> In an instant, Josh realized that everything Leo had said about </div> <div> Donna's parents was true. </div> <div> They were two people who had been caught up in a nightmare, through </div> <div> very little fault of </div> <div> their own. Their mistakes had been benign, yet they had suffered more </div> <div> in the last thirteen </div> <div> years than anyone could imagine.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh cleared his throat, then moved across the room and knelt in </div> <div> front of the Mosses.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> A lump rose in his throat as he looked at the emotion on their </div> <div> faces. "Mr. And Mrs. Moss," </div> <div> he said, "you have been the victims of a lot of misinformation in </div> <div> this situation, and it has </div> <div> caused you a lot of pain."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Mr. Lyman, I deserve any and all pain..." Gregory began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Please let me finish," Josh interrupted. "Ward and McWilliams told </div> <div> you a great many </div> <div> lies that day, and on all of the days since, but the worst thing they </div> <div> ever did was to tell you </div> <div> that Donna was dead."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Arlene Moss clutched her husband's hand convulsively. "What are you </div> <div> saying?" she </div> <div> asked. "And how do you know our daughter's name?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh reached out and took the Moss's clasped hands in his own. "I </div> <div> know because Donna </div> <div> wasn't killed in the accident that day."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You don't know what you're talking about," Gregory cried. "Our </div> <div> daughter is dead. We </div> <div> heard the explosion. We drove past and we saw the car burning. Donna </div> <div> is gone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Josh said quietly, "Donna was thrown from the car, She wasn't </div> <div> in it when the fire </div> <div> started. She did suffer a severe head injury though. The truth is </div> <div> that Donna has absolutely </div> <div> no memory of her life before the accident, but she is very much </div> <div> alive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh my God," Arlene Moss sobbed. "Are you sure?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm positive," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why are you saying this?" Gregory Moss shouted. "Donna is dead. Ward </div> <div> told us many </div> <div> times. We gave him flowers, and he said that he would put them on her </div> <div> grave."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ward was lying to you," Josh said softly, reaching into his back </div> <div> pocket and pulling out </div> <div> his wallet. He slowly slipped out a picture of he and Donna that was </div> <div> taken at a State </div> <div> Dinner the year before. He handed it the Mosses. They both stared at </div> <div> the picture with </div> <div> wonder in their eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna was lied to also. When she woke up after the accident, she </div> <div> didn't remember </div> <div> anything. David McWilliams had stayed close to her bedside, </div> <div> determined to keep her </div> <div> from talking to the police. When he realized that she didn't remember </div> <div> anything, he saw it as an opportunity. He and Sally took Donna home </div> <div> from the hospital </div> <div> and assumed the role of her parents."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh my God," Gregory Moss said, clearly stunned. Then both of Donna's </div> <div> parents </div> <div> collapsed in hysterical tears. Josh didn't even try to hold back his </div> <div> own emotions as he </div> <div> watched the Mosses clinging to each other and staring at the picture.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She's alive," Gregory Moss said as he traced the outline of Donna's </div> <div> face with his finger. </div> <div> "She's really alive."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, she is," Josh smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is she alright?" Arlene asked. "Did the McWilliams' mistreat her?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She's fine," Josh hurried to reassure them. "She is in the hospital </div> <div> in DC right now or she </div> <div> would have been here herself. She is anxious to see you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The hospital? What's wrong with her?" Gregory Moss asked, panic in </div> <div> his voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "A few weeks ago, McWilliams decided that she was too big a threat to </div> <div> his secret, and he </div> <div> hired someone to eliminate her. They put a bomb in her car. Luckily </div> <div> she </div> <div> wasn't in it when it exploded. She suffered some fairly serious </div> <div> injuries, but she is </div> <div> recovering nicely."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When McWilliams came to DC and tried to finish the job himself, he </div> <div> was arrested. With </div> <div> the evidence we already have, and with your testimony about what </div> <div> happened that day, he </div> <div> will be in prison for the rest of his life."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But Donna is ok? You're sure?" Arlene asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm positive," Josh said. "I talked to her right before I left."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And she wants to see us?" Gregory asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes!" Josh answered emphatically. "From the minute that she found </div> <div> out that the McWilliams' weren't </div> <div> her real parents, and that you were still alive, she has been making </div> <div> plans to see you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When can we see her?" Gregory asked eagerly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> John Carpenter had been standing back watching the situation unfold </div> <div> in front of him. "As </div> <div> soon as you're ready," he said, "we can get a flight back to </div> <div> Washington."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Lets go," Gregory Moss said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't you need some time to get ready?" Carpenter asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Our daughter is out there, the daughter we have thought was dead for </div> <div> the last thirteen </div> <div> years. What could possibly be more important than that?" Gregory Moss </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll call the airport," Josh chimed in excitedly.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Thirty minutes later, they were all four back in the rental car and </div> <div> driving towards the airport. </div> <div> Gregory and Arlene Moss were still in a state of shock, but there was </div> <div> a definite </div> <div> difference. The pain and agony in their eyes had been replaced by </div> <div> happiness and </div> <div> anticipation.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Why now?" Gregory asked. "Why did this all come to a head now?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh turned from his position in the passenger's side of the front </div> <div> seat and faced the </div> <div> Mosses who were riding in the back.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm afraid that's partly my fault," Josh said, his voice becoming </div> <div> quieter.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "How so?" Arlene asked, reaching up and placing her hand on Josh's </div> <div> shoulder in a move </div> <div> reminiscent of Donna.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You see," Josh said, "I'm very much in love with your daughter."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And?" Arlene prompted him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "And, in my position, Donna and I attend quite a few high profile </div> <div> functions. The Press </div> <div> picked up on our relationship, and our picture started appearing in </div> <div> newspapers and on </div> <div> television. McWilliams was afraid that someone who had known Donna, </div> <div> possibly even </div> <div> the two of you, would see us and would uncover his scheme."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It wasn't your fault," Arlene said as she rubbed Josh's shoulder.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh stared in amazement at the woman sitting in the backseat. He </div> <div> wondered how, after </div> <div> everything she had been through in the last decade plus, she was </div> <div> there to offer </div> <div> comfort to him, even though she had only known him for a few hours. </div> <div> Now he knew </div> <div> where Donna got her compassionate personality. He placed his hand </div> <div> over Arlene's and </div> <div> said, "Thank you."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> John Carpenter sat back and listened as Josh, Gregory and Arlene </div> <div> chatted animatedly for </div> <div> the entire drive to the airport. They continued right on through </div> <div> boarding and the entire </div> <div> flight back to Dulles.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh filled Donna's parents in on how she had had hired herself as </div> <div> his assistant, and the </div> <div> years they had spent working together in the White House. The Moss's </div> <div> eyes shone with </div> <div> pride as Josh told them what an invaluable part of the Bartlet </div> <div> administration their </div> <div> daughter was.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory and Arlene regaled Josh with stories of Donna's childhood, </div> <div> including her time </div> <div> on the farm. They told stories of a happy, open, loving child..very </div> <div> much like the adult </div> <div> woman that Josh had fallen in love with.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> There had always been a pall cast over Donna's childhood in the </div> <div> version told by </div> <div> the McWilliams'. Josh was certain that their tales of difficulty and </div> <div> rebellion had only </div> <div> added to the insecurity that Donna felt in her late teens and early </div> <div> twenties; the kind of </div> <div> insecurity that led her into a relationship with a loser like Dr. </div> <div> Freeride. The stories he was </div> <div> hearing now were completely different, and he couldn't wait for Donna </div> <div> to get a chance to </div> <div> hear them for herself.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh had decided not to call Donna and let her know they were on </div> <div> their way until they </div> <div> landed. He didn't want her to have too much time to get nervous.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> When the plane set down at Dulles, they all headed for the exit. </div> <div> Gregory and Arlene had </div> <div> been in such a hurry to see Donna that they had declined to take the </div> <div> time to pack luggage. </div> <div> They, like Josh and Carpenter, had simply thrown the bare essentials </div> <div> into a carry-on.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As they headed for the parking lot, Carpenter turned to Gregory. "I'd </div> <div> like to set up an </div> <div> appointment for you to come in and give your statement as soon as </div> <div> possible," he said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Ok," Gregory Moss said, "as soon as we've had a chance to see Donna."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Take your time," Carpenter said. "I'll call in a few days and set </div> <div> something up."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're not coming to the hospital?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, I'm headed back to the office. Give Donna my best though."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I will," Josh said, reaching out and shaking Carpenter's </div> <div> hand. "Thanks for all of your </div> <div> help."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "My pleasure," Carpenter smiled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As Carpenter walked away, Josh led Donna's parents across the parking </div> <div> lot to his car. As </div> <div> they got in, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the hospital. </div> <div> Within a minute, he was </div> <div> connected with Donna's room.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hello," the soft voice on the other end of the phone said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hi, beautiful," Josh said. "How are you feeling?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory and Arlene Moss smiled at each other in the back seat.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm fine," Donna said. "How is everything there?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, everything here is fine. But here may not be exactly where you </div> <div> think here is."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Could you be a little less clear?" Donna laughed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I doubt it," Josh answered lightly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Let me try again," Donna said. "Where are you?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm in the parking lot at Dulles right now, on my way over to the </div> <div> hospital."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh heard silence on the other end of the line. In her hospital </div> <div> room, Donna's mood </div> <div> crumbled.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Donna? Are you ok?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Did something go wrong?" Donna sobbed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, quite the opposite," Josh assured her. "I'm on the way over to </div> <div> see you, and your </div> <div> parents are with me."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Really? Oh my God, are you serious? They're here in D.C.?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We're on our way. We'll be there soon."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna said goodbye and hung up the phone. Her heart raced with </div> <div> anticipation. She </div> <div> couldn't believe that she was actually going to see her parents..her </div> <div> real parents..in just a matter of minutes.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> By the time Josh opened the door of Donna's hospital room, she was </div> <div> perched on the edge </div> <div> of her bed, her heart about to burst out of her chest.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> She stared at Josh, her eyes wide with anticipation. Josh pushed the </div> <div> door open wider and </div> <div> Gregory and Arlene  stepped in behind him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> For a moment, everything in the room was still. No one moved, it </div> <div> almost felt like no one </div> <div> breathed. If this had been a movie, all of the memories of Donna's </div> <div> childhood would have </div> <div> come flooding back to her in one joyous moment when she saw the faces </div> <div> of her parents.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> That didn't happen.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> What Donna got was something much, much better. It was a feeling of </div> <div> peace and </div> <div> contentment that she couldn't ever remember feeling before. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> She couldn't remember anything specific about these people who stood </div> <div> before her, but </div> <div> the love and comfort that they had once shared sliced through all of </div> <div> the pain and </div> <div> confusion, and found its way directly to her heart. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> She knew that these people were her parents. She felt a connection </div> <div> that couldn't possibly </div> <div> be denied. She flew up off of the bed and into the waiting arms of </div> <div> Gregory and Arlene </div> <div> Moss. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> They didn't exchange any words, as there were none that seemed to fit </div> <div> the moment. Tears </div> <div> were streaming down everyone's faces as the three clung to each </div> <div> other. Josh stood back </div> <div> and watched, tears on his cheeks, happy that Donna had finally been </div> <div> reunited with her </div> <div> family.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> After a few minutes of tears and hugging, Donna pulled back slightly </div> <div> and extended her </div> <div> arm to Josh. He stepped forward and allowed himself to be engulfed in </div> <div> the Moss family </div> <div> huddle.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> After more hugging and a few more tears, Arlene Moss spoke.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So, Donna, Josh has been filling us in on everything about you," she </div> <div> said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh no," Donna smiled as she rolled her eyes, "what in the world has </div> <div> he been telling </div> <div> you?"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> It had been two weeks since Donna's parents had arrived from Canada. </div> <div> During that time, </div> <div> they had spent every available moment with their daughter, telling </div> <div> her the real story of </div> <div> her childhood, and catching up on everything that had happened since </div> <div> the accident. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh joined the three of them on their walks down memory lane </div> <div> whenever possible. He </div> <div> was thrilled to see Donna happier than she had been in the entire </div> <div> time he had known her. </div> <div> It was as if some piece of her life, a piece that she hadn't even </div> <div> known was missing, had </div> <div> somehow slipped into place.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh managed to escape the west wing early on a Friday night, for a </div> <div> change, to join </div> <div> Donna and her parents for dinner. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'm just saying, honey, that I don't really like this neighborhood," </div> <div> Gregory Moss said </div> <div> patiently. "I just don't think it's safe."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Daddy," Donna sighed with mock exasperation as she began clearing </div> <div> away the dishes </div> <div> and carrying them to the kitchen.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I've been telling her that since the first time I ever laid eyes on </div> <div> this place," Josh said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Then give me a raise so I can afford something better," Donna </div> <div> retorted with a smile, as </div> <div> she sat a tray of dessert pastries down on the table.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll help you find something better that you can afford on what I </div> <div> pay you now," Josh </div> <div> smirked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What you need is a place in a safer neighborhood," Donna's father </div> <div> said sternly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "With security, preferably a doorman," Josh added.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent," Gregory said as the two men suddenly put their heads </div> <div> together and began </div> <div> making plans for finding Donna a new apartment.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do they even know that I'm sitting right here?" Donna asked her </div> <div> mother.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I doubt it, dear. They appear to be bonding," Arlene answered dryly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna rolled her eyes, but inside her heart soared to see Josh and </div> <div> her father getting along </div> <div> so well. The men moved into the living room, continuing to make plans </div> <div> for finding a new </div> <div> apartment, while Donna and her mother finished clearing the table.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As Donna entered the living room she asked, "So do I still live here, </div> <div> or should I start </div> <div> packing?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Actually," Josh said, "We're going to take a look at the Real Estate </div> <div> section of the Post </div> <div> on Sunday morning and get a better idea of what's available."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Sunday morning?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yeah," Josh answered, "I was just telling your Dad that Leo gave me </div> <div> four tickets for the </div> <div> baseball game in Baltimore. We figure we can look at a few places on </div> <div> the way to the </div> <div> stadium."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Oh, I haven't seen a baseball game in years. Who's playing?" Arlene </div> <div> asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's an inter-league game between the Orioles and the Mets," Josh </div> <div> said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I knew the Mets had to be involved in there somewhere," Donna </div> <div> laughed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Your father was always a Dodgers fan," Arlene said, "Ever since they </div> <div> played in </div> <div> Brooklyn. He even stuck with them after the move to Los Angeles."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So, you root for the Dodgers?" Donna asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Not anymore," Gregory answered, as Arlene rolled her eyes. "I can </div> <div> not, in good </div> <div> conscience, root for any team that would trade Mike Piazza."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh and Donna's heads both snapped up at the mention of Piazza's </div> <div> name.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You like Mike Piazza?" Josh asked reverently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Definitely," Gregory beamed. "Do you?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Don't ask," Donna snorted. "Josh once flew all the way to Florida to </div> <div> see the Mets play </div> <div> an intra-squad spring training game, just to see Mike Piazza."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Sounds like fun," Gregory said, as both his wife and his daughter </div> <div> rolled their eyes.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hate it when she does that," Josh and Gregory said in unison, and </div> <div> then all four broke </div> <div> out in peals of laughter.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh pulled a few strings to get Donna's father a position with the </div> <div> Veterans </div> <div> Administration and, after a short trip back to Canada to sell their </div> <div> home and resolve their </div> <div> affairs, Gregory and Arlene had settled into a small, comfortable </div> <div> home in the Virginia </div> <div> suburbs. They were enjoying their new life, making new friends and </div> <div> spending as much </div> <div> time as possible with Donna and Josh.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The sound of the phone ringing at 3:00 AM jarred both of them from a </div> <div> sound sleep. </div> <div> Gregory's heart was pounding as he snatched the phone off the cradle. </div> <div> Calls that came at </div> <div> 3:00 AM were rarely good news.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Hello," he said, trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his mind.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "If you don't want that daughter of yours to end up dead for real </div> <div> this time," the gruff </div> <div> voice threatened, "you'll forget about testifying."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What.." Gregory began, but he was cut off by a click on the other </div> <div> end of the line, </div> <div> followed by the monotone buzz of the dial tone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What is it?" Arlene asked, frightened by the look of fear on her </div> <div> husband's face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "They threatened Donna. They said that if we testified, they would </div> <div> make sure she was </div> <div> dead for real this time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Arlene put her hands over her face and began to sob. "This can't be </div> <div> happening," she </div> <div> cried. "Not again."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Shhhhh," Gregory said as soothingly as he could possibly </div> <div> manage, "I'll take care of this. </div> <div> I'm not going to let anything happen to Donna. I'd sooner die myself."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Suddenly, Arlene Moss felt an inner conviction like she had never </div> <div> experienced before. </div> <div> "We can't let this happen, Gregory," she said definitively, "and we </div> <div> can't handle it </div> <div> ourselves. We let these people call the shots once, and we lost </div> <div> thirteen years. We're just </div> <div> now getting out lives back..getting our daughter back. I'm not </div> <div> willing to gamble all of </div> <div> that away."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I won't let that happen. I promise," Gregory said with more </div> <div> conviction than he actually </div> <div> felt.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We need help," Arlene insisted. "We can't handle this alone."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're right," Gregory agreed with a resigned sigh, "I'll call Josh </div> <div> first thing in the </div> <div> morning and see what he thinks we should do."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Arlene said softly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll do anything to keep my family safe," Gregory said. "I'm not </div> <div> about to run away and </div> <div> repeat the same mistakes I made last time."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> By the time that Josh arrived at John Carpenter's office, Donna's </div> <div> parents were already </div> <div> there.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I got here as soon as I could," he said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Where's Donna?" Gregory asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "She's safe, don't worry. I gave Leo a heads up on what's happening. </div> <div> He put her to work </div> <div> on a project that will keep her buried in paperwork all afternoon. He </div> <div> promised to make </div> <div> sure she doesn't leave the White House."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Good," Gregory said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you planning on trying to keep this from her?" Carpenter asked </div> <div> skeptically.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Only until I have a little better idea of what's going on," Josh </div> <div> said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, I have a few ideas," Carpenter said, sitting down at his desk </div> <div> and sorting through a </div> <div> variety of files and faxes. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Care to enlighten the rest of us?" Josh asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We've been keeping track of McWilliams' visitors, mail and phone </div> <div> calls. I'll save you </div> <div> all of the details, but we believe that he is in contact with a man </div> <div> named Alfred Vargas. </div> <div> They had some dealings together back in the old days. We believe that </div> <div> Vargas may be </div> <div> trying to help McWilliams out of fear that McWilliams will offer up </div> <div> details of Vargas' </div> <div> own crimes in order to get a lesser sentence."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, I guess it's true that there is no honor among thieves," </div> <div> Arlene said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "So what do we do about it?" Gregory asked. "How do we keep Donna </div> <div> safe?"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We don't believe that he would dare make a move before the trial," </div> <div> Carpenter said. </div> <div> "That would be counter-productive for him. But I am going to </div> <div> recommend that Donna, </div> <div> and all of you in fact, take a few extra precautions in terms of </div> <div> safety."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's done," Josh said. "Whatever we need to do, I'll make the </div> <div> arrangements."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But how are we going to stop these people?" Arlene asked, the </div> <div> frustration clearly </div> <div> evident in her voice.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory placed his arm tenderly around his wife, "We'll find a way to </div> <div> fix this," he </div> <div> assured her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Actually, we need to smoke Vargas out," Carpenter said. "Next time </div> <div> he calls, we'd like </div> <div> you to keep him talking. Open up a dialogue."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What makes you think he'll call again?" Gregory asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "He's trying to intimidate you," Carpenter said. "He'll call you </div> <div> again and again, right up </div> <div> until the trial. He needs to scare you, to keep the pressure on."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Well, he's certainly doing a good job so far," Arlene said, no </div> <div> longer able to keep her </div> <div> tears at bay.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh reached over and squeezed Arlene's hand supportively. He wanted </div> <div> to make this </div> <div> whole situation disappear as soon as possible, for Donna's sake as </div> <div> well as her parents.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Do you have a plan?" Josh asked quietly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I do," Carpenter said exhaling slowly, "but it's not without risk."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I won't allow Donna or Arlene to be put in harm's way," Gregory </div> <div> insisted, "but I will do </div> <div> whatever it takes, no matter the risk, to bring this to an end."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you sure?" Carpenter asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Positive," Gregory said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Just how dangerous is it?" Josh asked, wondering how he was going to </div> <div> get Donna to go </div> <div> along.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We'll minimize the risk as much as possible. I really believe that </div> <div> we can take care of it </div> <div> with no one getting hurt."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "What do you want me to do?" Gregory asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The next time he calls, we'd like you to set up a meeting. Tell him </div> <div> that you want </div> <div> assurances that your family will be safe, and also that you want </div> <div> money to keep quiet."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Money?" Arlene asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes," Carpenter continued. "We need to find a reason to force a face </div> <div> to face meeting. If </div> <div> we can get him on tape handing you money to buy your silence, we can </div> <div> arrest him, </div> <div> hopefully tie him to McWilliams, and add him to the list of people </div> <div> who won't be </div> <div> tasting freedom for a long, long time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll do it," Gregory said without hesitation.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "But.." Arlene began.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No buts, darling," Gregory said. "I'm going to do this for us. For </div> <div> you, Donna, and me. </div> <div> We can't live with this hanging over our heads forever. We've already </div> <div> lost too much </div> <div> time."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You'll keep him safe?" Arlene asked Carpenter tearily.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll take every possible precaution," the FBI Director assured her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Now all we have to do is find a way to break this to Donna," Josh </div> <div> said, a small frown </div> <div> creasing his face.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Breaking the news to Donna that her parents were receiving threats </div> <div> against her life, and </div> <div> that her father was going to participate in an FBI sting operation, </div> <div> went about as badly as </div> <div> Josh had anticipated.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna asked repeatedly if there was any other way to handle the </div> <div> situation, and even went </div> <div> as far as begging her father to reconsider. But Gregory was resolute </div> <div> in his decision, and </div> <div> eventually Donna acquiesced. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> She then set to work on John Carpenter, seeking his guarantee that </div> <div> every last detail would </div> <div> be planned perfectly and that no unnecessary risks would be taken. He </div> <div> assured her that he </div> <div> would give the plan his personal attention.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As Carpenter had predicted, the calls continued to come on a daily </div> <div> basis. Gregory Moss </div> <div> began by insisting on having some sort of assurance that his family </div> <div> would be safe. It was </div> <div> only after a week or so that he brought up the issue of a payment for </div> <div> their silence. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> At first the caller seemed taken aback, but he quickly agreed to the </div> <div> terms. After another </div> <div> series of phone calls, they agreed to meet in front of the courthouse </div> <div> on the morning of the </div> <div> hearing to make the exchange. Gregory Moss assured the man that once </div> <div> the money had </div> <div> changed hands, neither he, Arlene, nor Donna would say anything </div> <div> incriminating about </div> <div> the McWilliams'.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> The day of the hearing finally arrived, and Gregory Moss stood </div> <div> nervously on the </div> <div> sidewalk outside of the courthouse. John Carpenter had insisted that </div> <div> the meeting be set up </div> <div> in a public place. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The FBI had commandeered a small office on the ground floor that they </div> <div> were using as a </div> <div> command center. John Carpenter was there, as were Josh, Donna, and </div> <div> Arlene. They were </div> <div> all nervously awaiting the arrival of the mysterious caller.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> There were half a dozen agents stationed in the immediate vicinity of </div> <div> where the exchange </div> <div> was to take place. Everything was in place, as a man wearing a black </div> <div> leather jacket </div> <div> approached Donna's father.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is it," Carpenter said expectantly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Everyone in the office gathered around the small receiver, which was </div> <div> broadcasting every </div> <div> word being said on the sidewalk outside.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Mr. Moss?" the man said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Yes, I'm Gregory Moss."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The man reached in and pulled an envelope from his inside jacket </div> <div> pocket. "This is the </div> <div> amount we agreed on," he said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory's palms were sweaty, and he prayed that his voice wouldn't </div> <div> crack and betray his </div> <div> fear. He began to recite the words that he and John Carpenter had </div> <div> practiced over and </div> <div> over.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I want to be clear that this isn't about the money," Gregory </div> <div> said. "It's about the safety of </div> <div> my family. I still need your assurance that nothing will happen to my </div> <div> wife or daughter."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Listen up," the man said menacingly, "the hearing starts in 30 </div> <div> minutes and I don't have </div> <div> time to play any more games with you. Here's the deal. You take this </div> <div> money, and you </div> <div> and your family develop convenient memory loss about anything you </div> <div> ever knew about </div> <div> David and Sally McWilliams. But if you double-cross me in any way, </div> <div> your daughter and </div> <div> your wife will be dead so fast it will make your head spin."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We got it," Carpenter yelled into the microphone on the </div> <div> receiver, "Move in!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The agents swarmed quickly, and Alfred Vargas was taken into custody </div> <div> without incident. </div> <div> Gregory Moss was escorted the ground floor office and into the </div> <div> waiting arms of his wife </div> <div> and daughter.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Nice job," John Carpenter said appreciatively.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Piece of cake," Gregory said with a nervous smile. "Now let's go </div> <div> upstairs and make sure </div> <div> that the McWilliams' spend the rest of their lives behind bars.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh, Donna, Gregory, and Arlene sat on a bench outside of Courtroom </div> <div> #1. They passed </div> <div> the time with small talk, trying to think of anything but their </div> <div> upcoming testimonies, until </div> <div> the court clerk opened the door and summoned Arlene. She took a </div> <div> breath and stood up on </div> <div> shaky legs.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you going to be ok?" Gregory asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll do my best," she said, trying desperately to put on a brave </div> <div> face.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory and Donna weren't allowed to enter the courtroom since they </div> <div> hadn't given their </div> <div> testimony yet. Josh looked into the worried eyes of both Donna and </div> <div> her father and made a </div> <div> decision.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll go in with her for..you know..moral support," he said.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thank you," Gregory sighed, the relief obvious in his demeanor.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Thanks, Josh," Donna said, trying to blink back tears.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Are you going to be alright out here?" he asked her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I'll be fine," she said, somehow managing a small smile. "I'll see </div> <div> you inside."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh entered the courtroom, tossing one last supportive glance to </div> <div> Donna over his </div> <div> shoulder. He took a seat in the third row as Arlene Moss was sworn </div> <div> in. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The prosecutor slowly walked her through the events of the day that </div> <div> the troopers died in </div> <div> Wisconsin. Arlene recounted the details as best she could, including </div> <div> driving past the </div> <div> flaming car and believing that her daughter was dead inside. Even </div> <div> now, even knowing </div> <div> that Donna was alive and safe, these memories were still almost </div> <div> unbearable for her.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The shocked look on the faces of the McWilliams', along with their </div> <div> defense attorney, </div> <div> clearly showed that they were not aware that the payoff had actually </div> <div> been a setup. They </div> <div> had been expecting the Mosses to claim that they knew nothing about </div> <div> that day in </div> <div> Wisconsin.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> David's face turned beet red as he began to seethe with anger.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This was supposed to be taken care of," he hissed to his attorney.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I thought it was," the attorney hissed back. "I have no idea what </div> <div> went wrong."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Several times during her testimony, Arlene made eye contact with </div> <div> Josh, and he tried to </div> <div> give her an encouraging smile, anything he could to help her through. </div> <div> Sooner than </div> <div> expected, it was over.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The prosecutor had kept his questioning blessedly short, and the </div> <div> defense attorney was </div> <div> completely unprepared to cross-examine her. Instinctively, he knew </div> <div> that there was little </div> <div> to gain by attacking Arlene Moss on the stand. If necessary, he would </div> <div> save that for the </div> <div> actual trial.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> As Arlene was excused, she walked back the aisle and took a seat next </div> <div> to Josh. He </div> <div> squeezed her hand and whispered, "You did great!" </div> <bR> <bR> <div> As soon as Arlene was settled in her seat, the court clerk called in </div> <div> Donna's father.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh worried momentarily about Donna being out in the hall alone, but </div> <div> he knew that she </div> <div> thought it was more important that he be inside the courtroom to </div> <div> support her parents.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's father's testimony was somewhat more combative. While the </div> <div> prosecutor walked </div> <div> Gregory Moss through the events of that day slowly and deliberately, </div> <div> much as he had </div> <div> done with Arlene, the defense attorney was a little more aggressive </div> <div> in his </div> <div> cross-examination, thinking on his feet and trying to discredit </div> <div> Gregory Moss in any way </div> <div> possible.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He concentrated on the fact that Gregory had been laundering money </div> <div> for David </div> <div> McWilliams at the time of the incident. He tried to paint Donna's </div> <div> father as an accomplice </div> <div> in whatever happened that day. He even insinuated that Mr. Moss had </div> <div> been attempting to </div> <div> steal the money in question from McWilliams and that he had, in fact, </div> <div> been the one to </div> <div> murder the officers.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Gregory Moss had been prepared by the government's lawyers for these </div> <div> kinds of tactics, </div> <div> and he managed to keep his temper in check. He glanced in the </div> <div> direction of Josh and </div> <div> Arlene several times. Their presence helped him to focus on what was </div> <div> important.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> No matter how the defense attorney badgered, Gregory Moss didn't </div> <div> change his story one </div> <div> bit. 'That's the advantage of telling the complete truth,' he </div> <div> thought, 'No matter how </div> <div> many times you get asked a question, the answer is always the same.'</div> <bR> <bR> <div> After a few more futile attempts to shake his story, the defense </div> <div> wrapped up their </div> <div> questioning. Gregory Moss was excused, and moved back to sit beside </div> <div> Josh and Arlene.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh's chest tightened as he heard the clerk call Donna's name. She </div> <div> looked at Josh as </div> <div> soon as she came through the door and he could see the nervousness </div> <div> and fear in her eyes. </div> <div> He smiled at her as she took her seat in the witness box, hoping to </div> <div> calm her down.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The prosecuting attorney quickly established that Donna had </div> <div> absolutely no memory of </div> <div> what happened the day of the accident. Instead, he asked her about </div> <div> the years that she had </div> <div> spent believing that the McWilliams' were her parents. He didn't ask </div> <div> her any questions </div> <div> about the car bomb, or the attack in the stairwell. Those issues </div> <div> would be decided in a </div> <div> separate trial. The prosecutors had decided to try the McWilliams' </div> <div> first for the murder of </div> <div> the two police officers, since that was a capital offense with a much </div> <div> stiffer sentence </div> <div> attached. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna answered every question, her voice getting stronger and more </div> <div> confident as she </div> <div> went. When she was asked to identify the people who had masqueraded </div> <div> as her parents, </div> <div> she pointed decisively at David and Sally McWilliams, refusing to </div> <div> cower under their </div> <div> frosty glares. The prosecution finished their questions, and Donna </div> <div> took a deep breath as </div> <div> the defense attorney stood up to take his turn.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> She glanced quickly into the gallery, gaining strength from the </div> <div> presence of Josh and her </div> <div> parents. She looked defiantly at the defense attorney as if daring </div> <div> him to try to break her.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> He asked her a series of questions about the time after her accident. </div> <div> He asked whether the </div> <div> McWilliams' had gotten her all of the necessary medical help she </div> <div> needed, whether they </div> <div> had fed and clothed her, and provided her with a safe environment.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> She answered each question with a curt "I guess you could say that." </div> <div> Finally realizing </div> <div> that he wasn't going to get anything from her, and knowing that he </div> <div> would have another </div> <div> chance to break her at trial, the defense attorney closed his </div> <div> questioning.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> David McWilliams was incensed. "What do I pay you for?" he hissed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "This is just the preliminary hearing," the lawyer whispered. "We </div> <div> didn't actually think </div> <div> that we were going to have to worry about these three people. I need </div> <div> some time to </div> <div> formulate a new strategy. We'll have another chance at trial."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I don't care," McWilliams said with barely contained fury. "It's all </div> <div> her fault that I'm </div> <div> here to begin with. I want you to take her down!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> During the exchange, the prosecutor had informed the judge that he </div> <div> had no further </div> <div> questions and Donna had been excused. She stood up and started to </div> <div> walk towards the </div> <div> back of the courtroom.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> David McWilliams looked up at her, his eyes burning with rage.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You bitch!" he screamed. "You should be grateful to me. I could have </div> <div> killed you years </div> <div> ago, but I didn't. I let you live and this is how you repay me!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Both Josh and Gregory rose to their feet as Donna held her ground and </div> <div> glared at </div> <div> McWilliams. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You only let me live as long as it suited your own purposes," Donna </div> <div> said with a shaky </div> <div> voice. "But now I have my life back, my real life back, and there is </div> <div> no way that I am </div> <div> going to let you ruin it."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> With that, Donna turned and walked steadily towards the back of the </div> <div> courtroom.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "I hate you," McWilliams screamed after her, but Donna was oblivious </div> <div> to his anger as </div> <div> she received a warm yet firm embrace from her parents before walking </div> <div> into Josh's open </div> <div> arms. She smiled softly as she realized that she finally knew what </div> <div> home felt like.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Josh and Donna dropped by the Moss's house for a Sunday afternoon </div> <div> barbecue a week </div> <div> after the preliminary hearing. The mood was light despite the fact </div> <div> that they all knew that </div> <div> there would be more testimony before the ordeal could be completely </div> <div> put to rest. They </div> <div> had each faced their demons, and with the help of the people who </div> <div> loved them, they had </div> <div> made it through.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> As the burgers were cooking, Gregory Moss pulled out the Real Estate </div> <div> section and began </div> <div> to scan it for apartments.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You can stop doing that, Daddy," Donna said with a smile.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No, I can't," her father insisted. "I won't be happy until you are </div> <div> out of that </div> <div> neighborhood." </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Actually," Donna said with a sly smile, "I found a new place."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Really?" her parents asked in unison. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Is it in a better neighborhood?" Gregory asked suspiciously.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It's in Georgetown," Donna said slyly, "and that's a very good </div> <div> neighborhood."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Does it have a doorman?" Gregory asked, noticing for the first time </div> <div> that Josh was </div> <div> having trouble hiding a smile also.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "No," Donna giggled, no longer able to contain her excitement, "but </div> <div> it does have one </div> <div> very protective roommate."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Unable to wait any longer, Donna pulled her hand out of her pocket </div> <div> and revealed a </div> <div> beautiful diamond solitaire. "Josh and I are getting married," she </div> <div> squealed.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna's parents screamed with happiness and enveloped the newly </div> <div> engaged couple in a </div> <div> huge hug.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "When's the big day?" Donna's mother asked.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "We haven't set a specific date yet," Donna said, "but we want to get </div> <div> married in </div> <div> Connecticut. We want to have a quiet ceremony, away from DC, and then </div> <div> we'll throw a </div> <div> larger reception here in town afterwards."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Isn't Connecticut within driving distance of Boston? Maybe you can </div> <div> check the schedule </div> <div> and see when the Mets are playing at Fenway Park," Gregory Moss </div> <div> suggested. "Then we </div> <div> could make a night of it, have your bachelor party at the game, and </div> <div> get to see Piazza too."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Excellent idea," Josh said, as Donna saw the wheels start turning in </div> <div> his head.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You're not planning our wedding date around a baseball game," Donna </div> <div> said sternly.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "It can't hurt to check the schedule," her father said innocently.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "You are impossible," Arlene said, as she sat down beside her husband </div> <div> and wrapped her </div> <div> arm around his shoulders.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Donna looked at her parents and smiled broadly as Josh pulled her </div> <div> down into his lap. "I </div> <div> guess we got a happy ending," he whispered in her ear.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "The happiest," Donna said, as she planted a kiss on his lips.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> THE END</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> E-Mail me at:kuebsr@yahoo.com</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>