“Jack, how much should we bring?” Natalie stood at the closet door wondering where to start. “Maybe pack for a week and take it from there?”

Jack came up behind her and circled his arms around her shoulders, planting a small kiss in her hair. “A week is a good plan, my dove. I’m certain that Brother Terry and the police will have the matter well in hand by then.”

She leaned back against him, drawing support and comfort from the thumping of his strong heart. “I hate leaving, Jack. I love this house. It would be horrible if she came back and trashed it while we’re gone.”

“Nothing will happen. Officer Cobb and Terry both feel she will follow us rather than stay here.”

Natalie turned. “But, then, why are we leaving?” Her brows were knit with worry.

Jack slipped past her into the closet and pulled down a large suitcase. “Because, my darling, here we are surrounded by woodland. Rough terrain for the police to search and too many places for her to hide. It will be far easier for the police to capture her in town.”

Natalie began to pull out clothes and stack them on the bed next to the suitcase. Jack, a far better packer from years of sailing, folded them neatly and placed them in the open case, arranging everything to make the best use of the space. They were halfway through when they heard Chelsea begin to wail.

“Ah … the doctor said she had a mild cold.” Natalie sighed. “I’ll get the baby Tylenol and try to get her back to sleep. Can you finish this?”

“Certainly,” Jack nodded as he stashed a stack of his socks in a convenient corner. “Oh, and Natalie?”

She had just passed through the doorway and turned in answer, “Yeah?”

“We will be all right. I’m sure of it.” Jack smiled as confidently as he could.

She returned to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I know, Jack. Thank you,” and she left to care for their crying baby.

When Jack had finished packing, he carried two large suitcases, one with their clothes and one with the babies’, downstairs to the garage. Just as he finished loading them into their car, his phone rang. It was Terry, checking on their status. “Yes, we will leave within the hour.”

“Good, mate. Now, where are you staying? Are you going back to the Inn?”

“No,” Jack replied. “I think it would be best to stay in Portland. We’ve reserved a suite at the Portland Harbor Hotel. Sergeant Cobb has assured me that the police will be able to continue their vigil there.”

“Good plan. My security guard will meet you there in the morning. Now, how’s Natalie? Is she holding up?”

“Natalie,” Jack said her name softly. “Yes, she’s faring well. Worried, but well.”

Terry could hear the concern in his voice. “We’ll protect her and the nippers, mate. They’ll be fine. You know that, right?”

“Certainly, and I thankee for your help, brother.”

“Good. Call me if you need to, otherwise I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Tomorrow, then.” Jack closed the cell phone with a snap. “Hmm …” he thought for a moment. “The violin. Must have that, it soothes the children so.” With that, he ran up to the observatory to fetch it.

***

Joanna crouched unseen in a dark corner of the garage and listened as Jack spoke into the phone. “Natalie,” he had said softly, and Joanna heard the love and tenderness in his voice, a quality she realized was never there when he spoke to her. She stifled a sob as the truth washed over her; Jack did not love her, had never loved her. She watched as he ran up the few steps and into the house, her vision blurred with tears.

He wasn’t hers. She collapsed on the hard, cold floor. He was never hers. Her fists pounded on the cement and her body heaved with sobs. It was long minutes before she calmed and slowly sat up. The garage was dark, save one small safety light near the door to the house. She leaned back against the wall. What am I gonna do? I love him. I will always love him. Her chest ached with the loss of him. In the dim light, she saw the gardening tools on the far wall; rakes, shovels, and shears. That’s it! If I die here, I can stay near him forever!

She made her way around the parked vehicles and reached out for the garden shears. Testing the blades, she found they were wicked sharp. Lifting them up off the hook, she held the long handles under one arm and tried to slash her wrist, but they were too large and awkward. Instead, she pointed the shears directly into her abdomen. Harakiri the Japanese called it, disemboweling oneself. She stood there, willing herself to press the sharp points into her soft flesh … but she couldn’t. She just couldn’t. AARGH she cried and threw the shears against the outer door in frustration, the loud clatter strangely satisfying.

Looking around for smaller shears or possibly a knife, she saw a red oblong box standing on its side with wheels. From the bottom of the box ran a black tube with a metal fitting on the end. In the dim light, she could just make out the warning label. Gasoline. It was a rolling fuel container able to hold eleven gallons. Her eyes widened as a new plan formed.

***

Natalie was pacing on the back deck of the house; unintentionally imitating Jack’s pacing the quarterdeck when something was troubling him. The western sky glowed orange, auburn and purple from the setting sun, the trees were dark silhouettes against the deepening sky. There was a definite chill in the air and Chelsea, bundled in warm blankets, sniffled against her shoulder as she rocked the fussy child.

“Poor baby,” she cooed. “Sleep now, little girl. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

The doctor said it was a very mild cold, nothing to be worried about. But still, Natalie worried. Worried for Chelsea. Worried for Catherine … would she catch the cold from Chelsea? The twins did everything together; ate, slept, cried, played. There was nothing one would do without the other.

She worried for Jack, trying to deal with this psycho girl who was stalking him. She wondered if there were stalkers in his time when it occurred to her; Jack had dealt with this before … in the novels, there was a girl he met when he was captured by the Americans. She later claimed she was carrying his child. Sophie even left him for a time when she’d read the girl’s letters to Jack. But, at least that time, Jack escaped relatively unharmed. That girl wasn’t violent, and Natalie prayed that this one wasn’t either.

She continued pacing, back and forth, when suddenly lights started flashing inside the house. The smoke detectors started blaring.

“Jack!” she yelled as she ran through the open sliding door. “Jack!” To the right, the draperies in living room were bursting in flame, the piano in the corner a fireball. To the left, the kitchen was filled with smoke. “Jack!” she called as she ran to the stairs.

On the landing, Joanna stood holding the gasoline tank and a lit match. “There you are, bitch,” she said as Natalie appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Chelsea howling in her arms. “He’ll be mine now. Mine forever.” And she tossed the match before her on the steps. Instantly, a wall of flame rose up, cutting Natalie off from the second floor.

“Catherine!” she screamed. “Jack … get Catherine!”

***

Jack found his violin and packed it safely in its case. He paused for a moment, his hand reaching out to the window frame, the pristine white paint glowing in stark contrast against the growing darkness outside. I’ve grown too complacent in this world, his thoughts wandered over the past few days. Let down my guard thinking danger had been kept at bay and couldn’t find us. But, here it is, staring me in the face. He could see Natalie pacing the deck below, baby in her arms. Fear gripped him as he watched her soothe the babe. Fear sucked his courage, weakened his resolve … broke his heart. Stumbling to a bench next to the wall, he began to pray. My gracious heavenly Father, I need your help. I need my courage, Lord. Please give me courage, strength of heart.

He sat quiet for a few moments, eyes closed and head leaned back against the cold glass. He could feel his courage return, his resolve strengthen. He stood, thanking the Lord for answering his prayer, and grabbed the violin case just as the loud buzzing noise started. Startled, he looked around, wondering what happened when Joanna appeared at the doorway. She was wearing his navy blue jacket, much too big for her and hanging off her shoulders.

“There you are!” she cried.

“Miss Bennett,” he said, his voice harsh. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, Jack.” She smiled. “You see, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

He shook his head. “No –”

“That doesn’t matter,” she interrupted. “It doesn’t matter because now we’ll be together, Jack. We’ll always be together.”

Jack smelled smoke, and could see flames licking around the curve of the stairwell.

“Joanna!” he cried. “What have you done?”

She just laughed, a harsh, hysterical laugh. “You see, Jack? I claim you and if I can’t have you, then no one can. Not even her!” At that, Joanna took a small glass bottle from the jacket pocket. He could see it was filled with a light yellowish liquid. She giggled as she lifted it up to the light causing yellow sparkles on the white walls. “See, Jack? This is your destiny. I am your destiny.” She threw the bottle down the stairwell and it exploded on impact, hurling Joanna and Jack against the far wall of the observatory.

Jack, stunned, shook his head. The side of his face burned with the searing heat from the flames. Joanna was lying face down on the floor.

“Miss Bennett?” He crawled over to her and shook her shoulder. “Miss Bennett.”

She didn’t open her eyes. Standing, he picked up her and heaved her over his shoulder and ran down the outside stairwell away from the flames.

***

Natalie was on her knees on the front lawn, clutching Chelsea tightly to her chest. “Catherine … Jack … please Lord … my baby … my husband!” She cried, rocking back and forth. “Please God …”

The fire truck roared up the drive, followed closely by two squad cars. Immediately, the firemen jumped off the truck and started unwrapping hoses and hooking them up to the hydrant. An officer came over the Natalie, crouching down.

“Ma’am? Are you okay, ma’am?”

“No,” she sobbed. “My husband and baby are still in the house. Please …” she paused, her eyes widening. “Jack!”

Jack trotted around the corner of the house with Joanna Bennett draped like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.

Natalie ran to him and he dropped the unconscious girl to the ground. “Jack, where’s Catherine? You didn’t get Catherine?”

Jack stared at her. “Dear God … she’s still inside?” He turned at began to run to the burning house.

“Hold on, fella … you can’t go in there!” A fireman held him back.

“Unhand me, sir!” Jack yelled. “My daughter is in there!”

“Let us handle that, man. Where is she?” Natalie told him where the nursery was, and the fireman yelled over to the others. “Get a ladder … baby on the second floor.”

Natalie and Jack held each other and Chelsea as the firemen leaned a tall ladder against the house. A fireman hurried up the ladder, broke the window and climbed in. Their hearts leapt when they heard him yell, “Got her!” and watched expectantly for him to appear in the window.

But, he never appeared. Instead, flames began to lick around the window frame and they heard a loud crash as the center of the house collapsed, taking with it two lives … one brave fireman and one small, ten-month-old baby girl.