A Killer Smile Alec handed the phone to the ranger, who dutifullyrepeated the directions. The man listened to Reid, then, nodded "Yeah,there's one right out back. We use it for the Mountain Air Rescue Squad.

We've got lights and everything."

Alec grabbed the phone.

"What's going on?"

Reid spoke to someone off the phone, then returned to the line.

"It's settled. We'll have someone there to pick you up in about fortyminutes."

The noise in Alec's ears started to fade.

"Good. The sooner the better."

An hour later he watched a helicopter raise a hazy white cloud of snowas it landed The helicopter itself bore the same f'u-breathing logo asthe pilot's jacket and hat: Dragon Electronics.

Dragon? After a few moments of furious mental searching, he rememberedthis was their newest client, a company that was evidently prosperousenough to own its own air fleet. It irritated Alec that he couldn'tremember much in the way of details concerning the company's curityneeds. It wasn't like him to forget those types of Shaking the pilot'shand with little enthusiasm, Alec climbed on board. They'd been in theair about fifteen minutes when the sun slipped behind the tallest peak.He didn't know whether he should be thankful he could no longer see thegut-wrenching panoramic view of the mountains or be frightened about thepilot's diminished line of sight.

But through the miracle of sheer 'exhaustion, Alec set-fled back andsoon fell asleep. Time surrendered to fatigue, passing without note.

He was startled awake by the pilot's voice.

"We're here."

A Killer Smile Alec shook the sleep from his mind and squinted throughthe bubble windshield at the well-lit helipad. Moments later he limpedinto a warm office and into waiting arms. Reid Hardy pounced on himalternately pounding him on the back, then shaking his hand. CarolineLaird, the company's secretary, merely stood in the corner and dabbed ather eyes. When his partner backed away, she stepped forward and pulledAlec into a fight embrace.

He shot Reid a lukewarm grin from over her shoulder. "Listm, partner,next time I decide to take some vacation time, make me go somewhere warm and flat.

Okay?"

"Vacation? C'mon, Brody." Reid punched him in the shoulder.

"Tell us another one!"

He to grin.

"I got ... lost while I was hiking. Then, the storm came up, and I

found a place to stay."

"By yourself for a whole week?"

"Uh ... no. Not by myself."

Re/d gave him a calculating stare, then grew "A woman! That's where

you've been. You've been some woman's cabin for almost a week. wait for

an answer.

"Here we thought you on a case for your mys3' client and you turn it perfect vacation!"

Alec's stomach began to turn.

"What are you about?"

"Oh, I get it.

"Yeah ... what mysxy client?"

Brodyl You're really good at this cloak-and-dagger Cloak-and-dagger? His

mind flashed to knife, held in a trembling hand. A woman's brained burned with the effort of remembering.

"So did you get lucky?"

"Drop it, Reid." Caroline's voice took on a "Something's not right."

"No way! I want to hear all the details."

A Killer Smile Alec stared at his friend's eager face. Unable to master the finer po'mts of reading someone else's expression, Reid Hardy was a good friend and a great partner, but sometimes,a real pain in the ass.

Caroline came to the rescue with a-diversionary tactic. "Alec, you don't

look so well. Are you feelihg all right?"

"I'm okay," Alec lied, fighting the black spot that threatened his vision.

"No, you're not." Caroline tugged off his stocking cap, revealing the bandaged cut and bruise on her boss's forehead. "Good Lord, Alec. How did this happen?"

"I--I fell." Alec tried to ignore the disapproving look his secretary wore.

"When I woke up, I found myself in the cabin."

"You were unconscious?" Caroline's face grew sober. "That's all I needto hear. We're heading for the hospital."

"C'mon." Reid placed a hand on Alec's shoulder, but Alec shook off thegesture.

"No way. No hospital. I'm headed home, to TV and a beer." For somestrange reason, he couldn't deal with the sympathy, concern andconfusion that blanketed his part- her's face.

"Jeez, Brody, you look like death warmed over. I really think you oughtto listen to us and have a doctor check you Out."

Alec pushed between his two colleagues, knowing if he didn't stand hisground, they'dmarch step him into some emergency room, where thepaperwork would keep them tied up for hours.

Tied up. He flashed back to his unorthodox awakening. How would he everexplain that?

"If you're not going to take me home, then I'll call a cab. Where's thedamn phone?" He stumbled toward the A Killer Smile A Killer Smile desk,hitting his shin." A blinding pain stopped him for a moment, and he heldon to the back of the chair for support.

"This isn't like you, Alec. You can barely stand up and" -- Carolineglanced down at Alec's feet.

"Where's your boot?:' " I lost it," Alec mumbled, feeling like a guiltychild confessing to him mother.

"Before or after you walked to the rangers' cabin?"

"Before."

"Get in the car. Now!" When he tried to object, she gave him a look thatwould bring a strong man to his. knees.

He faded in and out during the drive to the hospital. Suffering throughthe indignity of a physical exam, Alec tried to argue with the attendingphysician, who insisted his patient should be admitted for tests. Alecrelented only when the doctor outlined the worst-case seen ado involvinga fractured skull and the amputation of severely frostbitten toes.

Neither projection came true. The doctor later admitted Alec hadsurvived the worst of the side effects from his concussion while at the cabin, and his toes would remain firmly attached to his foot until thenext time he tried to hike in snow without a boot. With his friends in alliance with the doctor, Alec resigned himlf to a brief hospital stayfor observation.

Finding himself once more in unfamiliar surroundings, he glanced aroundat the stark hospital room. Something about its austerity seemed vaguelyfamiliar to him, but he couldn't place the feeling. He tried to relax,but what little tranquillity he could muster was shattered each hour asa nurse entered the room to check on him. When she came in for the fourth collection Of questions designed to verify his state of mind, hewas ready to take a stand.

"Mr. Brody, how are we feeling?"

"We were asleep. And if we are woken up one more time, we axe going to pick up this chair and throw it through that window."

A pink flush colored the woman's cheeks as she nervously twisted the

stethoscope in her hand.

"Now Mr. Brody, we don't" -- "You don't know what the hell we want. Just get the-- just get out!"

Residual liras ion kept him awake until the scheduled inteiiiiption.

When the time passed without a visit from a single member of the medical

profession, Alec rove led in his triumph. Despite the stiff sheets, flatpillow and penetrating odor of antiseptic, he surrendered to a deepsleep.

Disjointed images tered through his mind, and he woke frequently,remembering he had dreamed but not recalling the content of thosedieams.

Until the last one.

It was more than the usual meaning of the word. Sure, it was great sex.

Deep, satisfying, knock-your-socks-off sex, the sort of thing young men

brag about in locker rooms but no one takes seriously or really believes.

It was more. It was love. It is love.

But the kicker is, I can't remember her name or what she looks like.

I know a few things about her. She's no love-starved mountain woman.

I did her a great dishonor when I made that assumption. Strength with grace, hut nor and a sense of compassion. A rare combination of characteristics for someone who'd deliberately isolated herself from civilization.

Killer Smile Killer Smile The sound of her voice made my heart soar.

"Jack, I love you."

My heart did a nosedive.

"Great, "I thought.

"She loves someone named Jack. Not me." Then, comprehension exploded.

I'm Jack. ,4t least, I was her Jack, for a while.

"Jack, I love you."