Daedalos listened to the log tape again. Lady K's magic had worked, Urban Commando had survived and now lived as the daughter of a man who might be a fugitive supervillain. Interesting. But there was something else on the tape that was even more intriguing. As Security Officer and Gadgetmaster of the Centurions, he'd have to bring this to the attention of the group. Carefully. Sooner or later.

And how would this little sidelight influence his own special plans for the future?

* * *

"You got any idea what time it is?" the voice on the phone growled.

"Three hours later than it is here, Pierce," said Todd Munson calmly. "I'm in a jam, I'm calling in a favor."

"All for the glory of Cell Block B, huh?" Pierce growled.

"Something like that."

"I thought you went legit?" Pierce asked.

"And you got a pardon from the president. Better off than I am. Blue Stars catch up with me and I'm for that little old retirement home down in the Superstitions." Todd meant the Federal Bureau of Corrections Apache Caverns Installation under Flatiron Mountain in Arizona, commonly called Tartaros, where federal prisoners considered too dangerous for ordinary lockups were kept. State prisoners could also be transferred there under the Overman Act.

"You still hiding out?"

"Uh huh? You available for some security work?"

"You paying? I've got a steady gig here in New York. Bodyguard for a supermodel, no less."

"You dog," said Todd, grinning. "I'm sorry -- you old tomcat."

"It's a living," said Pierce with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm paying. $500 a day plus expenses. Be here soonest?"

"Okay, where's here?"

"I'll pick you up at Sea-Tac, call me back with your flight number."

"Yeah, oh, I'm using the name Leonard Paine these days."

"I'm Todd Munson," said Tessie's new father. "Leo, Todd, Todd, Leo." After he hungup he sat staring at the phone for a bit. The man he'd known as Tom Pierce would make a formidable bodyguard for his children while he tracked down the would-be kidnappers' boss. Pierce, or Paine as he called himself now, wouldn't hesitate to kill in defense of a client and that's exactly what Todd wanted.

He stood and went looking for his wife. "Candace, honey? I got us a babysitter."

* * *

Out over the Indian Ocean, a man in an enormous plane that never landed in daylight received a bit of intelligence from one of his agents. He didn't show much emotion as he read it on the screen built into his laptable but his grip tightened on the wrist of the boy sitting in the well-upholstered chair next to him. The boy moaned softly, and the man looked at him, his colorless eyes invisible behind mirror shades. "I'm sorry," he said, "did I hurt you?" He released the boy and patted him on the knee. "We'll be in Dubai soon, we can get out there and stretch our legs. Would you like that?"

The boy nodded.

"Maybe we'll see some camels," said the man, smiling. "That might be fun."

The boy nodded again.

"Go up forward, Johnny, and tell Captain Spartako that I'd like to speak with him. You can stay up front for a while, too. Use the computers if you like."

"Thank you, sir," said the boy before dashing off to the forward cabin of the plane.

* * *

Back in the Seattle suburb where she now lived, Tessie got up when her mother called her. She did her morning business then went out to the bright airy kitchen. Her broken ribs had hardly even twinged when she pulled on a fresh t-shirt, one decorated with sad-but-cute blue bunnies.

"Muffin or cereal?" Candace asked her.

"Muffin," said Tessie, sitting at the smaller white table under the window where her brother Kenny was already pushing Froot Loops into his face.

"Morning, Snotnose," said Kenny.

"Morning, Booger-breath," she replied.

"Knock it off," said Candace. "I'm making scrambled eggs for both of you, too, so no disgusting talk at the table. Sheesh!" She poured juice from a large decanter for them and set a blueberry muffin down in front of Tessie.

"He started it," said Tessie.

"Doesn't matter. Your dad's gone to the airport to pick up a friend and I don't want to have to get out the lion tamer chair to separate you." Candace sipped her coffee, wondering if she could talk Todd into letting her call her sister to take her place so she could join him in his -- hunt. Probably not. This Paine fellow sounded like someone who might eat Krystal up. Or vice versa, she reflected, knowing her sister's taste for dangerous men matched her own.

Kenny put Froot Loops into his nose, while Candace wasn't watching, in an effort to gross out his little sister.

Tessie giggled. "Now eat them," she told him.