Home Fires

Chapter Twenty

"They didn't want to be alone." Eliot told Kenna when she walked in the door. He was sitting at the kitchen counter with a beer in his hand.

"I don't blame them." Kenna ruffled his hair and looked at the two people on the couch.

"How was she when you left?" He looked at her.

"I think she knows she hurt us all but we're still going to be here for her." Kenna went to the refrigerator. She pulled out makings for sandwiches and some orange soda.

"Now we know why she's been acting the way she has been." Eliot looked over at Hardison and Parker. "They're not gonna bounce back like we are." He said.

"She was sick Eliot; it wasn't like she killed somebody."

"They take things to heart more than they should." Eliot took a long drag of his beer. "They haven't seen what we've seen. I honestly think there's some innocents left in their souls."

"Let's try and keep it that way." Kenna sliced tomato and put it on a plate along with lettuce and cheese. "If what she says is true, she's going to be okay."

"Sophie's always been the strong one, you know. When Nate was drinking, when he went to prison, she kept it together. Us together." Eliot knew that Sophie was just protecting them by not telling them about her illness. Much like a mother not telling her children she was ill.

"She's still that person Eliot." She put the lunch supplies on the table. "Hey guys, lunch." Parker turned and shook her head. Her eyes were red a puffy. Kenna went over to the couch and kneeled in front of her. "You need to eat."

"Is she going to die?" Kenna took Parker's hand in hers.

"No sweetie. Sophie is young and resilient. This type of cancer in a hundred percent treatable. If the doctor says she's going to be fine, she's going to be fine."

"They both hate doctors and hospitals so much. I wish they would have told us." Hardison added.

"They wanted to protect us from the pain. Just know that they didn't do it for any other reason." Kenna stood. "You both need to eat. Nate has that client meeting at three and I'm sure he'll need you both after that."

"She really is going to be okay?" Parker asked.

"Yeah Parker. She's going to be okay." Kenna hoped she was right because she didn't think Parker could take it if Sophie wasn't.

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"Not horses again." Parker looked at the screen.

"I thought you were all over that 'when horses attack' thing." Eliot chuckled.

"Focus people." Nate said. "Jackson Henry has been running the Oklahoma State Rodeo for over seventeen years. He's never had an allegation of abuse or of bad business practices. Till now. It seems an outsider, Jerry Whittaker, planted a bull that had been abused into Henry's stock and the State pulled his license and is letting Whittaker become the head go to guy when it comes to the rodeo."

"The Oklahoma State is one of the biggest in region. People come from all over to ride. They have some of the best bulls in the world." Eliot said as he tapped a pen on the desk in front of him. "What's Whittaker's angle?"

"Jerry Whittaker is a thief and a con man. He's taken over fairs and rodeos for years. Stripping them of all their assets and leaving them broke and busted. No one can catch him because no one knows who he really is or what he really looks like." Hardison flashed ten pictures on the screen. "No one person has been Jerry Whittaker for more than a year tops."

"So what you're saying is he's not just one con man he's one of many?" Kenna was intrigued.

"You got it." Hardison answered.

"So how do you catch a thief when he can be anyone he needs to be?" Sophie came up behind them. Kenna smiled. Sophie nodded and put her hand on Kenna's and Eliot's shoulders as she stood behind them.

"We steal ourselves a rodeo." Nate said as he walked out of the room.

"Heeee's baaaack." Parker said smiling.

"God I missed that man." Hardison said as he started going though records of past infractions to find out who the real Jerry Whittaker might be.

"You up to this Soph?" Eliot turned and looked at the woman behind him.

"You bet. Fresh air, horses and men in chaps. What more can a girl ask for."

"Now there's the Sophie we know and love." Kenna smiled and knew that things were going to be back to normal soon.

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(Two Days Later)

(Oklahoma City, OK)

"That is one big animal." Hardison said, standing back from the bull's pen.

"Big, but beautiful." Kenna missed the farm and all that went along with it. Someday she would own animals again. She smiled.

"Eliot's really going to ride one of these?" Parker asked.

"He used to be the best." They watched as Eliot settled on the animal in the farthest pen.

"Seems you think he still is." Nate came next to her.

"Nothing beats a man in a cowboy hat and chaps." Kenna leaned against the railing.

"You're not even scared for him."

"This is his world Nate. The fresh air, the horses, that's my Eliot." The gate burst open and the bull took off swinging Eliot like a rag doll. Kenna tensed next to Nate. If she hadn't been scared before he knew she was now. Every second went by slower than the next. Nate felt her hand grab his and clench it for dear life. The beauty and mastery of it all was clouded by the fact that if Eliot slipped or God forbid let go he could be crushed by two thousand pounds of angry animal. The eight second horn sounded and Eliot gracefully dismounted the bull and ran to the nearest railing, and effortlessly jumped over it.

"Damn." Hardison was next to Kenna on the other side. "Did you see that?" He asked. Kenna let her grip loosen on Nate's hand.

"That's what he does." Kenna said breathlessly and jumped off the fence. She walked slowly back to the trailer that they had set up their cover in. She'd forgotten how exhilarating an eight second ride could be.

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(Later That Night)

"You look beat." Kenna sat next to Sophie at the bar.

"I still haven't gotten all my strength back but I feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of them." Sophie looked at her. "I know I was rude and moody and you of all people have every right to hate me."

"I could never hate you Sophie. You are a very important part of Eliot's life and deep down, no matter what was going on I knew that you would come to your senses sooner or later." Kenna bumped Sophie softly. "Don't ever let it get that bad again."

"I promise." They watched Nate and Eliot play pool. "Why aren't you over there showing them how it's done?"

"They needed some time." Kenna took a drink of her soda.

"I didn't mean to take him away from everyone." Sophie whispered.

"You needed him. We had each other, but it's good to have you both back. I promise to share if you do."

"Deal." They shook on it.

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"It looks like the women in our lives have kissed and made up." Eliot said as he made the next shot.

"I was really beginning to wonder if that was ever going to happen." Nate said.

"You and me both. I take it you never got around to asking Sophie to marry you?" He took another shot.

"She found the lump the night I was going to ask. I thought maybe if it was best I wait till things settled down. Speaking of, any chances you and Kenna will be putting a ring before the baby carriage?"

"I don't think so." Eliot missed the next shot. "It hasn't come up."

"It hasn't come up or neither one of you has wanted it to come up?" Nate leaned over and took his shot.

"Same difference." Eliot shrugged his shoulders.

"This could get interesting." Nate said, smiling.

"I'm sure it will come up sooner or later." Eliot looked at Kenna and Sophie. "I'm sure between the two of them somebody will bring it up." He looked back at Nate. "So we can wrap this by tomorrow?"

"I thought you liked all this horse and bull stuff."

"I did. The body isn't liken' it too much anymore." Eliot looked up and saw a man talking to Kenna. "Isn't that our friend Jerry Whittaker?" Nate turned.

"What does he want with Kenna? Nate tapped his com on as he nodded to Sophie. She turned her's on.

"The horse isn't for sale Mr. Whittaker." Kenna's voice echoed over the com.

"Everything has a price Mrs. Connelly." He smiled. Kenna turned around and looked at him.

"It's my husband's horse."

"The papers are in your name." The man came obscenely close to Kenna. Eliot could see her tense in a way that made him very uncomfortable.

"Not for sale, Mr. Whittaker." She slid off the bar stool. He was a good eight inches taller than her. He grabbed her arm. Eliot took a step but Nate stopped him.

"She's got this Eliot." Nate told him.

"Half a million dollars will go a really long way." The man whispered harshly. The man's fingers digging into her arm.

"So will a million." Kenna looked at him. "Cash, we leave tomorrow for Denver." Kenna grabbed the man's hand that was gripping hers and twisted it off her. She bent his arm backward and brought him down to his knees. "Touch me again and you'll be dealing with him." Kenna pushed the man around and he saw Eliot, a very angry Eliot. "Eight A.M. at the stable." Kenna said as she let go of the man and headed out of the bar with Sophie.

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"You did good tonight." Eliot held Kenna in the darkness. She expected something more when he didn't talk to her all the way from the bar and then when he threw both their ear pieces across the small kitchen table and dragged her to the bed. The anger in his eyes still apparent but she knew it hadn't been directed at her.

"Thanks." She ran her hand down his bare chest. It was a rare thing that they could just lay in silence without something or someone breaking the peacefulness of it all. This time in was the baby kicking her father squarely in the already bruised hip.

"Something piss her off?" Eliot chuckled.

"I think she likes listening to her daddy's voice." Kenna shifted a bit and let Eliot run his hand down her stomach.

"I hope she feels the same way when she's getting a firm talking to about boys." Kenna closed her eyes and smiled.

"Well is she's anything like her mom. She won't care as long as you talk to her." Eliot shifted and laid his head against her breast and let his fingers trace her belly. The baby kicked and tumbled around inside her. Eliot was amazed how the life inside Kenna reacted to his touch. He felt a warm hand in his hair and closed his eyes. If he died right now he would die a happy man. He did something he hadn't done ever. He fell asleep before Kenna and he slept a dreamless sleep.

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The first thing he noticed was he was alone in bed. The second that is was still dark. The third was that something was horribly wrong. He felt it in the pit of his stomach. Eliot sat up. The trailer was completely dark. He flexed his fingers and took a deep breath. He heard Kenna's voice in the distance but he could get a bead on where it was coming from. She wasn't scared, she was angry. More angry than she had ever been. He couldn't hear the words but he could feel the emotion. Sliding slowly to the edge of the bed he reached for the lamp and clicked it on but no light came from the small florescent bulb.

"Bastard!" Kenna screamed from somewhere in the darkness. He heard the sound of punches being connected with skin and bone. Shaking whatever fear he had of his pitch black surroundings he pulled on the jeans he had shed earlier. Not bothering with is shirt he slid on his boots and felt his way to the door. "You do and I will kill you with my bare hands you son of a bitch." He heard another blow being thrown. The sound of glass shattering and a ball of fire flying through the front of the trailer. Reaching for the ear buds on the table he found one and slid it in his ear. He tried the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Hardison?" Eliot knew that the hacker kept his lap top tuned to the ear bud frequency. "Damn it Hardison wake up. We're blown man and Kenna's in deep trouble."

"I'm here." Hardison said, sleep still apparent in his voice.

"Call fire and rescue and get them down to the trailers at the fairgrounds." Eliot tried the door again. "COME ON!" He slammed his weight against the door. It didn't budge. "The door has been rigged and the trailers on fire. There's no way out." He knew the windows were all barred or too small for him to crawl through too.

"Eliot…" Parker's voice was raspy and breathless in his ear.

"I'm a little busy Parker."

"Eliot listen to me. Kenna modified the trailer after she picked it up. Think like Kenna." She said. Eliot looked around. The floor was solid when he walked on it so there was no escaping that way. He turned back to the bedroom. He ran back and tossed the mattress finding a trap door underneath.

"God bless your paranoia Kenna Shane." He whispered as he pulled open the door and slid out under the now fully engulfed trailer.

"You are so dead, you son of a bitch." Kenna screamed in the distance. Eliot pulled himself out from under the trailer just as he saw Kenna swing at the man in front of her. The man behind her grabbed her and pulled her arms back.

"Kenna!" He tried to scream but he couldn't get the words out. The trailer exploded and Eliot was tossed across the open field. The last thing he heard was the crack of a rifle and the agonizing scream of someone mortally wounded.

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"Eliot…Eliot…wake up." He heard her voice and felt the warmth of her hands. He reached for her but the pain ripped though his arm like fire. "Your shoulder's dislocated; I need to put it back."

"Do it." He growled through clenched teeth.

"It's going to hurt like hell." She told him.

"It already does."

"Hardison, hold him down." The sirens grew louder and Eliot tried to raise his head but he couldn't. Feeling a boot in his arm pit he braced himself against Hardison.

"Do it right the first time." He gripped her hand.

"Don't I always Cowboy." Kenna was there. Kenna was okay. He felt his arm wrenched and his shoulder pop back in place.

"Kenna, Hardison, Parker, get Eliot out of here. We'll clean up the mess." Eliot felt his body lifted up and carried.

"Watch his shoulder." Kenna said. Eliot felt the pain envelop him again.

"Kenna…." He gasped.

"I'm here." He felt her lay his head on her lap. The darkness overtook him again. The dreamless sleep he had awakened from just a short time ago had turned into a nightmare he wouldn't soon forget.

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"How is he doing?" Nate asked Kenna.

"He'll be fine in a few days."

"How are you?" Kenna looked at him. She let her sweatshirt fall down her back. Her arms were half a dozen shades of bruised.

"What happened?"

"I woke up in the field. I think Whittaker must have sent some gas in the rear window. I have a headache worse than any hangover I ever had." She pulled her sweatshirt back up and zipped it. "He threatened to kill the horse and then Eliot. I got in a lot of good blows in before his damn henchman grabbed me." Rubbing her arms Kenna looked at Eliot on the bed. "I broke his nose and a few ribs before he threw that damn burning bottle into the trailer."

"You did everything you could Kenna." Nate patted her on the shoulder. "Do you think you should go to the hospital?"

"He never laid a hand on anything but my arms." Kenna sat down on the chair next to the bed. "He's going to be so damn hard on himself."

"Make sure he isn't." Nate looked over at Eliot. "Your safe and it wasn't his fault Whittaker did what he did. We'll be next door if you need us." Kenna nodded. "It'll be okay." Nate smiled. She curled up and watched him leave then turned back to Eliot.

"I'm sorry I left you in there alone." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I should have fought harder." Kenna took his good hand in hers.

"You did what you had to do." He answered, opening his eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Putting that trap door in the trailer, it saved my life."

"I forgot to tell you about it."

"Parker told me." Kenna nodded. "You did good Kenna."

"A park ranger shot Whittaker's henchman."

"What about Whittaker?"

"I broke him." She said angrily. Eliot chuckled. Kenna was happy to see he could still laugh. She was worried that letting his guard down even for those few hours might have broken him again.

"I'm okay Kenna." He gripped her hand. "I will get through this." He pulled on her hand and pulled her next to him. "You're my hero Kenna Shane." Eliot pulled her next to him and the baby kicked him. "You too darlin'." He closed his eyes. "Get some sleep, the both of you."

"Eliot?"

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Can we hibernate till Christmas?" She said drowsily.

"I'll see what I can do." He pulled her closer and hoped Nate would at least give his shoulder time to heal before he sent them out on another job. After New Years would be nice.

THE END

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Thank you for all who stuck by me. Christmas is coming….and so is the baby so stay tuned.